1967 TV--- 50 Years Later

Was 1967 the greatest year in US television history?

Well, I guess that depends on what the criteria is for quality. There weren't a whole lot of lead women on TV yet (but it was getting better). THAT GIRL, for example, was on its second year. There weren't a whole lot of minority characters, either, but the ones that *were* there were not maids, such as Uhura on STAR TREK or Barney on MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE. So things were getting better.

I'm sure arguments could be made for more overall quality in different years, but just take a look at the shows that were on the air as of September 1967. See for yourself how many of these shows have stood the test of time and are still beloved, 50 years later!

Star Trek Turns 50!

I have a pop-culture question for you, and I don't want the title of this post to necessarily affect your answer in any way. Go ahead and name a TV show that is at least 50 years old that you think still has some cultural resonance today. For example, "I Love Lucy" is a good example of what I mean; is there anyone over the age of 12 who doesn't recognize the four leads from that show, and who laughs whenever the show comes on?

Similarly, is there anyone in the United States who would not be able to recognize the classic Starfleet uniform, the USS Enterprise, or maybe even Mr. Spock?

I don't think so.

September 8 in TV History

 September 8th is one of those seminal dates in TV history. Like the date that I Love Lucy made its debut (October 16, 1951) , or the date when David Janssen found his wife's murderer on The Fugitive (Aug 29, 1967). In fact, today is an important date for two separate groups of nerds.

Happy Birthday, Gene Roddenberry!

Gene Roddenberry was born on August 18, 1921. He served in the Army Air Forces during World War II, then returned to California and worked as a police officer before he broke into screenwriting and then producing.

Remembering DeForest Kelley

On June 11, 1999 the world lost a great actor when DeForest Kelley passed away. He was 79 years old.

If you don't know who DeForest Kelley is, you must have come across this site by accident! Of course he was the third side of the triangle in Star Trek (The Original Series):  Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy of the Starship Enterprise. He was the overly-emotional one who balanced out the overly-logical Mr. Spock (portrayed by Leonard Nimoy) in numerous discussions with Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner).

As a kid Mr. Spock was my favorite. He was an alien, which was cool. He wasn't Captain Kirk, who seemed like a jerk even then. As I got older, however, I suddenly found myself gravitating towards McCoy. He was the emotional one, but he was also a professional. He had a sense of humor, but he was not a fool. He ended up represented all the other officers and staff on the starship when there wasn't a budget to show thousands of others (let alone the seven or so semi-regular co-stars who kept getting little to do in the scripts). In the series he played the down-home doctor to perfection, and the teasing that he and Mr. Spock got into only masked their genuine affection and admiration they had for each other. In the second season episode "AMOK TIME" Spock invites McCoy to the planet Vulcan as one of his companions. From that moment, even when they were arguing hysterically, you knew they still liked each other. In the movie THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK it is McCoy who literally saves Spock's life.  

But all of this is about Dr. McCoy; I want to talk about DeForest Kelley. McCoy was brought to life by DeForest Kelley. He was one of the last actors chosen for the series, and during the first season was a contracted Co-Star. Yet, Kelly's excellence at playing off of Nimoy and Shatner, and of bringing the scripts to life, pushed McCoy into the lead and allowed him to become an iconic TV figure.

From everything I have read about Star Trek (TOS), it sounds like Kelley was a fun-loving man and a joy to work with. For example, after Nimoy directed THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK Shatner insisted on directing THE FINAL FRONTIER. When asked if he, too, wanted to direct, Kelley was heard to say something akin to, "Direct? Nah, somebody has to hold the acting standards up." He attended numerous conventions and seemed genuinely involved with his fans. I am sorry I never got to meet him.

Rest In Peace, DeForest Kelley   

National Library Week: TV Tuesday Books

To mark National Library Week, this week I am writing about some of my favorite books in my chosen topics: Monday Music, TV Tuesday, Wednesday Comics, and Film Fridays. Today being Tuesday, let's talk about some of my favorite books about television. 

MASH by David Reiss

This wonderful show ended when I was in high school. At the time there were a few resource books printed to take advantage of all of the hoopla. This one is a trade paperback that was originally published in 1981. It was then revised two years later to include the last season and a half. It features biographies of all of the actors plus interviews with all of them AND profiles of their characters. Also there are episode guides for all 11 seasons. The only drawback to the book and it is minor is that all of the photographs included are in black and white. Still, as a resource on the cast and episodes it is hard to beat. 

Similarly, The Complete Book of MASH came out at about the same time. Most of their photographs are in color, but the information is not as in-depth as the earlier book. Whereas MASH went chronologically and alphabetically, Complete Book of MASH  is kind of all over the place. It has more in-depth episode guides, but doesn't list the writers and directors of each. So it's not a bad reference book, but although it is prettier, compared to the other MASH book it is not as good.   

THE AVENGERS by Dave Rogers
When I was in college I bought my comic-books at a used bookstore a few blocks from my campus. There I found this gem, a history of one of the greatest spy series ever. This is where I found out that the show originally starred another British actor and, oh yeah, some guy named Patrick Macnee. Partly by accident and partly by serendipity, the show became a huge popular culture touch-stone.

FANTASTIC TELEVISION by Gary Gerani & Paul Schulman
On another trip to buy comics in college I came across this book. At first I didn't know what to make of it; it features mini-histories of many television series as you can see here: I Dream of Jeannie (?), Batman, The Avengers, Outer Limits (I think?), Superman, Star Trek, The Twilight Zone (or is it The Night Gallery?), Space: 1999, and Six Million Dollar Man. At this time there wasn't a Twilight Zone book, so episode guides of that show was worth the price of admission! Plus at the time I didn't have a Batman book, either, so that was cool to read about them. But the greatest part of this book was the Irwin Allen section: Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, The Time Tunnel, Lost In Space, and the Land Of The Giants. This was before the LOST IN SPACE movie created a mini-boom in LiS merchandise, so for years this was my go-to reference for that show. I think it was the first time I had every read that Irwin Allen's shows were not very good. I think I *knew* that already, but it's something else to actually read it on a page. Still, the depth of content mixed with the fun photos make this one of my favorites.

The Star Trek Compendium by  Allan Asherman

I actually came across the ST:NG Companion by Larry Nemerek first; this was when I was still living in Japan and would buy books during trips back to the US. That would have been when the show ST:NG was still on the air. Even today, I have yet to see all of their episodes. So buying that book was a good way for me to see the "overall" picture of that series. It also helped me to realize that the Original Series version also existed. So although I did read ST:NG, I didn't read it as a reference as so much as a guide. The Star Trek Compendium on the other hand lists guest-stars, plots, and interviews that reference the 79 episodes and the movies. Although there have been an almost infinite number of Star Trek books, this one is still one of the best. 

Growing Up Brady by Barry Williams
I got this book while I was still living in Japan. I can't remember if my sister or someone sent it to me, or if I found it myself. Either way, I devoured it because I grew up on The Brady Bunch. It was definitely my favorite show as a kid. I had crushes on Marsha and then Jan, and I wanted my brother to be like Peter or Bobby. It was fun to read about the back-stage stories from "Greg" himself. This was just before Robert Reed died; I had no idea that he had been gay or that he was dying. I didn't watch the more recent Brady Bunch movies because I couldn't tell if they were making fun of the show or paying it homage; either way, I'd rather just watch another episode.

When my daughter came to live in the States, The Brady Bunch was one of her favorite shows, too.

The Official Batman Bat-Book by Joel Eisner

This is another one of those books that I purchased during a trip back to the States while I was still living in Japan. I think I must have found it during the Michael Keaton BATMAN movie hype era; I don't remember. The spine is cracked and broken now from reading it too much! 

The book starts off explaining how the show got started, then talks about the first season, the movie (yes, there was a BATMAN movie, in 1966) and all the cool gadgets made for it, the less-than-stellar second season, and then the third season with (sigh) Batgirl (Yvonne Craig).

I will have you know that I was not SUCH a Batman geek that I could answer ANY of the trivia questions included here. So there. And the five-plus page list of all of Robin's "Holy (fill in the blank)" seemed excessive to me, too.

Total Television by Alex McNeil

Of all of the books here, this is the most "referential." This 1250 page tome lists any and all series that ever appeared on television, from the earliest shows in 1948 to the 1995 season. So, obviously, this is nearly 20 years behind the times now (!). Wow, I blew my own mind when I wrote that. Anyway, since most of the shows I write about are from waaay before 1995, this hasn't been a problem for me yet. I can tell you that DARK SHADOWS was on from 1966-1971, for example, or that THE WONDER YEARS won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1988.    

The Complete Mission: Impossible Dossier by Patrick J. White

This is probably my favorite book on this list because as a kid growing up I wanted to WRITE this book. I used to keep a notebook where I would write up all of the "missions" I saw on television with an eye to combine them all into a huge collection. Congratulations to you, Patrick White, for  actually doing what I dreamt about doing!  

 The book itself starts with how the series was created (never meant to actually sell!) and then goes into detail about all of the different spies and the cast changes behind them. and of course, there are episode guides and explanations of the tricks and devices used throughout the show. What a fun book!

Here On Gilligan's Isle by Russell Johnson & Steve Cox

This is one of the first books I bought after I moved back to the States permanently. I don't know how or why I came across it, but I'm sure that when I did find it I snatched it up. As a kid growing up there were very VERY few "Russells" out there to use as role models or heroes, so I always had a small man-crush on The Professor. Besides, you can't argue that among an island of idiots he was by-far the smartest!

After I read this book I learned that Russell Johnson had a homepage and was selling autographed photographs. I immediately wrote to him and asked for one. About a week later I received the cast photo as shown here with the autograph, "From one Russell to another! Russell Johnson." I treasure it.   

Happy Birthday Phil Morris!

Phil Morris is the son of legendary Mission: Impossible actor Greg Morris. His birthday is April 4, 1959. He made his professional debut as an actor on the Star Trek episode "Miri" in 1966. His father was working on the same Desilu lot, starring in M:I as electronics genius Barney Collier. In 1984 Phil had a minor role in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; he says he likes to think that he is playing the same character, now all grown up and in Starfleet.

Five years later Phil was cast as the son of Barney in The New Mission: Impossible. This is the only time a child of a former member of the M:I cast appeared in the series. Phil played Grant Collier, a technological wizard just like his father. When I heard he had been cast I figured it was a form of "stunt casting" in order to create some PR buzz for the new show. I'm sure there was some of that, but it became clear pretty quickly that Phil Morris could hold his own as an actor. Alongside Peter Graves, who returned as leader Jim Phelps, Morris co-starred with Thaao Penglis (an Australian actor of some talent), Tony Hamilton, and Jane Badler (who I eventually recognized as the villain from the original V series). In the second season of the series he co-starred with his father in a two-part episode that featured their emotional reunion.

The 1988 cast of The New Mission: Impossible

The New Mission: Impossible only lasted two years. After that Morris landed the role of Jackie Chiles, the shyster lawyer on Seinfeld. This was a recurring supporting character in the Seinfeld Universe. His last appearance was in the series' last episode, where the four main characters are famously sued for "doing nothing."

Phil Morris has also done extensive voice acting. Most famously he was the voice of Dr. Sweet in Atlantis: The Lost Empire. He has also done Legion and Green Lantern work.

Morris' next big pop culture role was as The Martian Manhunter on Smallville. He appeared in several episodes as Clark Kent's mentor and protector. Morris brought a certain amount of gravity to the role, and was always enjoyable to watch.

Happy Birthday, Phil Morris! 

Many Happy Returns!

Jane Badler replaced Terry Markwell in 1989. 

as "Jackie Chiles" in Seinfeld

Happy Birthday, Leonard Nimoy & Vicki Lawrence!

Today March 26 is not only the birthday of two of my favorite TV stars, but it is also the birthday of one of my all-time favorite comic book artists! I will talk about Jose Luis Garcia Lopez tomorrow but for now it's TV Tuesday so it's time to celebrate Leonard Nimoy and Vicki Lawrence!

Happy Birthday, Leonard Nimoy!

I first came across Mr. Nimoy on some science fiction show called "Star Trek." You may have heard of it. I think the character of Mr. Spock is incredibly attractive to kids in general and boys in particular: as you are getting older, how do you balance your inclination to be "smart" with your wanting to be "active" and to "fit in." Atleast, that's what attracted me to the Mr. Spock character. As a kid I didn't understand the formula for the Kirk-Spock-McCoy friendship; I just knew it was fun to watch them. Very quickly I identified with Spock and McCoy over Kirk; to this day Kirk is one of my least favorite "Star Trek" characters. He's just not that interesting to me! Spock, on the other hand, was brought to life by Leonard Nimoy and I could watch him for hours and hours.

Quick question: what character played by Leonard Nimoy appeared as a one-named "supporting" character to the "lead" character named Jim, then went away without any explanation whatsoever? The answer, is, of course, The Great Paris from "Mission: Impossible!" Yes, there have been quite a few actors who appeared on both "Star Trek" and "Mission," but none as prominent as Leonard Nimoy! When Martin Landau quit the show after three years, Leonard was already on the Paramount lot, having just lost his "Star Trek" job. A quick contract later, Spock was replaced by Paris; Jim Kirk was replaced by Jim Phelps. I've read that Mr. Nimoy almost never gets asked questions about his "Mission" days....so if I ever get to meet him, I'm for sure going to ask him some "Mission" stories.

Here's a great example of just how far into pop culture Leonard Nimoy has permeated. 

Here he is with two voice cameos on "The Big Bang Theory." 

Happy Birthday, Vicki Lawrence! 

Have you heard the story about how Vicki Lawrence was "discovered" by Carol Burnett? She was graduating from high school in 1967 and wrote a fan letter telling Carol about how many people told her she (Vicki) resembled her (Carol). Carol and her husband visited Vicki on a lark and was taken with the youth; they hired her for The Carol Burnett Show that fall. Vicki was able to show just how talented she was, and stayed with the show the entire eleven years. During this time she helped create the role she is most famous for, Mrs. Thelma "Mama" Harper. After The Carol Burnett Show ended, Vicki Lawrence reprised the role on "Mama's Family" from 1983~1990. Along the way, she also recorded the Number One hit, "The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia," written by her then-husband, Bobby Russell. Reba McIntire later re-made it in 1991.

The Carol Burnett Cast reunion circa 2000

(Lyle Waggoner, Vicki, Harvey Korman, Carol, and Tim Conway)

Here's Vicki as "Mama" and Carol as "Eunice" on Password Plus circa 1980. 

They play in character. It's hilarious! There are atleast seven parts if you want

to watch them all...!  

The Debut of STAR TREK!

Today is the anniversary of the first airing of the first episode of some little science fiction drama, STAR TREK, which made its debut on September 8, 1966.

The rest, as they say, is history. 

Famously, the debut episode was not the first episode made, but the fifth. "MAN TRAP" about the Enterprise coming across a salt vampire, starred William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. At this point, DeForest Kelley was only a co-star. The other featured players were James Doohan, George Takei, and Nichelle Nichols. Ensign Chekov and Nurse Chapel did not appear.

Here's a fan-made re-do of the opening and closing credits....it's awesome!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STAR TREK!

 

Magnificent Seven: STAR TREK

I don't remember a time when I didn't know about STAR TREK. It made its debut on prime-time television a few years after I was born. By the time I was old enough to watch TV, it was there, in syndication, on KDNL-TV 30 in St. Louis. I bought and tried to make the Enterprise and Mr. Spock model kits. I had better luck with Mr. Spock (phasering a three-headed snake monster) than I did with the Enterprise. I could never get the rods to stay glued to the main body! So I guess I was a Junior Trekkie before I became a Trekker.
There isn't anything about The Original Series (as it is now called) that hasn't been said before. Suffice it to say that it was a True Original. To honor Gene Roddenberry on the anniversary of his birth, I want to present my list of list of Seven Favorite Star Trek Episodes. These are the ones I can watch over and over again. In chronological order:

1. CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER
This is the one that everyone mentions, and with good reason. The story is good, the actors are wonderful, and the drama is (dare I say it?) real. An accidentally drugged McCoy escapes from the Enterprise to the planet below. There he somehow escapes back into time and somehow messes things up for "the future." Kirk and Spock have to go back after him and try to correct whatever it is he did that made all of Starfleet cease to exist. This sort of time travel story was used often in STAR TREK, but never before and never as well as it was used here.
Joan Collins is excellent as Edith Keeler, the pacifist who is at the center of the diverging timelines. William Shatner, in one of Kirk's earliest "romances," plays it straight. DeForest Kelley as the accidental catalyst is effectively crazy early in the show, then is like a man comign off a terrible binge in the last act. His last cry, "Do you know what you've done?!" and Leonard Nimoy's stoic response, "He knows, doctor....he knows" sums up the pain and responsibility of being Captain better than many of the later episodes. By the way, it was years before I realized that Kirk's final, "Let's get the hell out of here" was so poignant because of its rare (for its time) usage of cursing.

2. AMOK TIME
The other episode on almost everyone's list of favorites. Wherease CITY deals somewhat with the Kirk-Spock-McCoy dynamic,  the other choices on my list feature the rest of the crew (cast). (And CITY *does* feature Sulu, Uhura, and Scotty in supporting roles, remember; the first third of the story occurs on the Enterprise.) Although AMOK TIME is centered on the Kirk-Spock-McCoy trio (the last act is almost wholly them on the planet of Vulcan), it also features Majel Barrett as Nurse Chapel at her best love-sick ("My name is Christine!"). It also features the first Sulu-Chekov comedy routine ("I think I am getting space sick!"). Unfortunately, Scotty is the only regular cast member not to appear.
Spock begins to act strange, but will not admit to anyone what is wrong. It eventually comes out that it is time for him to return to Vulcan to "mate." So the Enterprise changes course and heads to Spock's home-planet, the only time the series visited there.
Anyone who has seen this episode knows that arguments between Spock and McCoy in later episodes were based on true friendship, as vividly shown here.  Plus of course the reunion scene that ends the episode is a must-see for anyone who thinks Spock is all logic and *no* feeling.

3. THE DOOMSDAY MACHINE
This is a choice that I don't see on too many other "favorite" lists, but hear me out. There were several episodes where the transporter conks out and created "false" drama. Likewise, there are several episodes where Kirk is in danger and the crew back on the Enterprise has to rescue him. In my opinion, this episode is the best of both of these conditions. Too often STAR TREK stories were built around the trio of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. In this episode, Kirk is trapped on the Constellation and it's fun to watch the rest of the crew struggle to save their Captain.

The "doomsday machine" is going through the universe eating everything in its path, including the crippled Constellation and the Enterprise. Much of the drama revolves around the great William Windom as Commodore Decker. This episode would not have worked nearly as well as it does with a different actor. Windom portrays achingly painful hearbreak and pathos as he explains that his crew is dead. It's very sad to hear that this Emmy Award-winning actor just passed on. He will be missed. 

4. MIRROR, MIRROR
Another episode on most people's lists of favorites, this is probably my all-time favorite episode. Really, what's not to like? The Enterprise experiences a cosmic storm that tosses Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, and Uhura into a parallel universe. They then try to escape back to "their" universe before it's too late. The entire cast is challenged to play different versions of their usual characters. The four leads in particular must play their characters playing their "mirror" versions. The "mirror Spock" is more ruthless and coldly logical than "our" Spock had ever been shown to be. Hats off to Leonard Nimoy, but the entire cast does an excellent job. I'm only sorry we didn't get to see a "mirror Nurse Chapel." Endlessly re-watchable.

5. THE DEADLY YEARS
As far as I can tell, this is one of the few episodes to actually feature the entire cast in an engaging, exciting story with something for all of them to do. Chekov was not added until the second season, when George Takei (Sulu) was off filming THE GREEN BERETS with John Wayne. The third season consisted mostly of Kirk-Spock-McCoy stories. So THE DEADLY YEARS is an especially rare gem.

A landing party arrives to investigate a space station whose members are growing old at an alarming rate. Afterwards all of the landing party except Chekov (a vibrant Walter Koenig) begins to age, too. There is absolutely wonderful old-age make-up on the principals. There is gripping drama as Commodore Stocker calls a competency hearing, stealing command of the Enterprise out from under Kirk and company, over-riding better experienced Sulu and Uhura. And the court scenes, where the young and virile staff officers have no choice but to vote Kirk senile, are painfully dramatic. Then of course there is the rousing ending to a fantastically entertaining yarn.

6. I, MUDD
This is another "comedy" episode that, unlike TRIBBLES, does not tend to make it on to too many favorites lists. The first third of this episode is done straight, asn the android "Norman" takes possession of the Enterprise and hijacks it to Mudd's planet. After the crew is marooned planet-side and the principals have to somehow escape from their velvet cage, the episode takes a turn into the ridiculous. However, that is actually the point: humans behave irrationally. Plus, every time I watch this episode and Lt. Uhura (a fantastic Nichelle Nichols) "betrays" the crew to the androids, she's so good that you *almost* believe her!
Special credit to Roger C. Carmel, who portrays Harry Mudd. He starts off vile, then becomes inept, then acts the rogue again. It's a fun performance. Also regards to Richard Natro as the lead android Norman. Amazingly, he never cracks a smile no matter how oddly the humans act.
An interesting note: Sulu starts off in the beginning of this episode, then is mysteriously absent from the last half. My guess is that George Takei got called back to THE GREEN BERETS mid-episode. I only wish we could have seen the Sulu-Chekov team take on the androids.

7. THE TROUBLE WITH TRIBBLES
This is another episode on most people's lists of favorites. It is a very entertaining episode. The Enterprise goes on a mission of mercy, docking at a space station to help protect a shipment of wheat destined for a Starfleet outpost. It's a wonderful example of how the Enterprise sometimes handled  goodwill or humanitarian missions. Although humor was sometimes done much too broadly in some later episodes and movies, this episode has almost a perfect balance between drama and humor. Also, it helps that almost everyone is present and has something fun to do....except George Takei and Majel Barrett, who unfortunately do not appear. It's also fun to re-visit this episode on STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE when the cast of that series inserts themselves into this episode.

RUNNERS UP
There are plenty of other great STAR TREK episodes (along with a few stinkers, but we won't talk about any of those!). THE NAKED NOW is a great way to introduce the characters, and Lt. Sulu never had a better spotlight episode. However, Kirk's "I'm married to the ship" and Spock's "I'm not human" scenes were done better in other episodes. THIS SIDE OF PARADISE re-visits these themes again, actually, and, arguably, does it better. After a well-staged battle between Kirk and Spock, it is with real poignancy that Spock must say good-bye to his humanity. Leonard Nimoy really knocked it out of the park in this episode. Another problem with both of these episodes and with SHORE LEAVE is that the supporting players of Scotty, Uhura, Chapel, and Chekov do not appear. SHORE LEAVE especially suffers from coming too early in the series' run: most of the characters featured here are never featured again, which lessens the drama and the fun. It especially bothers me that Yeoman Barrows was not Lt. Uhura. Too bad the cast had not been more firmly established for these episodes; if they had come in the second season they would have been absolutely wonderful. Other classic episodes are entertaining, but are not my favorites. SPACE SEED is too much Ricardo Montalban as Khan and not enough everybody else. BALANCE OF TERROR is the best "battle" episode of STAR TREK; in fact, I've read that it was written as if it were a drama between two submarines. Unfortunately, it's too much Kirk vs the Romulan Commander (an excellent Mark Lenard) and not enough about the rest of the crew. Mark Lenard shines again as Sarek in JOURNEY TO BABEL, but I think the drama in this episode seems just a *tad* forced. Speaking of Romulan Commanders, the next one we see is played by Joanna Linville in THE ENTERPRISE INCIDENT. This is the episode where Kirk goes rogue, then alters himself into a Romulan in order to steal their cloaking device. It is an exciting drama (we don't know for sure what is going on until midway through!) and a tour de force for the entire cast. Especially memorable is Majel Barrett as the under-used Nurse Chapel.
Are you opinions different? Let's discuss!

Happy Birthday, Gene Roddenberry!

Today is the anniversary of the birth of Gene Roddenberry. He was born on August 18, 1921. Before 1965 he was most famous as a writer and producer for television series such as "Have Gun Will Travel" and "Highway Patrol." Before he was involved with television he was a police officer in Los Angeles and before that he was in the Air Force.

Of course, he is known to millions as the creator of STAR TREK. His vision of a world...nay, a universe, at peace was a wonderful vision in the late Sixties and into the Seventies (where I first encountered it!). I've written here before about how I loved the multi-racial cast and the colorful costumes dealing with hard-hitting drama and gentle comedy (most of the time). STAR TREK was a terrific show and a great base to build a franchise around.

I was not in the USA to watch THE NEXT GENERATION or any of the other follow-ups "live." I did catch various videotapes (yes, videotapes) and from there learned of DEEP SPACE NINE and VOYAGER. I was back in the States by the time ENTERPRISE was on, but I never got around to watching it past the first episode. Sorry, Trekkers!

I liked NEXT GEN but I always thought the leads were a bit...well...boring. Captain Picard was fun, but he wasn't very dramatic. Commander Riker was just another Capt Kirk and I found him dull in the extreme. Likewise, Data was given WAY too much time. Sure, some of the episodes about him were awesome. Others, just awful.

On review I think my all-time favorite series is DEEP SPACE NINE. I liked all of the cast members (except the last Dax, sorry again!) and I liked the whole idea of a group of people not necessarily wanting to be where they were trying their best to get along. The actors were awesome, the "standing set" was fabulous, and the stories got more and more intricate.

My favorite "concept," however, is THE ORIGINAL SERIES. Because it was first it was best. I liked all of these characters, going boldly every week! I only wish that there had been more air time given to Scotty, Sulu, Uhura, Chekhov, Rand, and Chapel. I understand that the "core" of the show was Kirk-Spock-McCoy, but with six other interesting supporting characters to feature, it's a shame they didn't all have more to do. I watch it sometimes now and imagine what the other characters are doing while Kirk etc are occupied.

Happy Birthday, Gene Roddenberry!

Thank you for so many wonderful hours of entertainment!

1921-1991

On Tuesday I'll do my MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: STAR TREK to name my 7 favorite episodes, to honor Mr. Roddenberry.  Don't miss it!

Happy Birthday, Lee Meriwether!

I watched BARNABY JONES for its first few years. It was decidedly UN-cool to do so. As portrayed by elderly Buddy Ebsen, "Barnaby Jones" was not attractive (ala Rock Hudson of "McMillan & Wife") or physical (per Mike Conners as "Mannix") or even all that interesting (Telly Savalas "Kojak" or Robert Blake "Baretta"). He was, however, a great actor. You believed he was a detective; because he really had nothing else going for him, he *had* to have that.

Also, he had a great side-kick in his daughter-in-law Betty Jones, as portrayed by Lee Meriwether. She was smart and attractive. Sure, she wasn't Farrah Fawcett, but as I've said here before, I was more a fan of low-key and smoldering instead of IN-YOUR-FACE sexiness. The main sex symbols never really did anything for me. And that is why I liked Lee Meriwether on BARNABY JONES.  (This is supposed to be a compliment, haha!)

This was the first time I had come across her, but it was not the last. As I got older and watched more syndicated re-run TV, I found her in many very unlikely places....on THE MAN FROM UNCLE, on F TROOP, on STAR TREK, on BATMAN (but not as Catwoman!), in the BATMAN movie, on TIME TUNNEL, and even on my favorite show, MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE. She was awesome on all of these things, of course, but I especially enjoyed her on M:I.

Today May 27 is Lee Meriwether's birthday. Her path to fame started out after she was crowned Miss America in 1955. Then she was on THE TODAY SHOW waaay before my time. Then she became one of those featured supporting actresses for most of the Sixties, appearing on all the shows listed above and probably many many more until she landed her most famous gig on BARNABY JONES. She was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for this role.

as Catwoman in the 1966
BATMAN movie

on the 3rd season STAR TREK
episode, "That Which Survives"

as M:I spy Tracy on the 4th season
episode "The Falcon"

Here's a time capsule from October 11, 1979...the previews, the sponsors,

the theme songs, and even some commercials for BARNABY JONES!  

 Happy Birthday, Lee Meriwether!

I hope you enjoy many more years of good health and activity!