MeTV's SuperSci-Fi Saturday Night

[TREK_GOD_1]

The repetitiveness is not going away. As much as I loved the show as a kid, even then I realized that it had a cast-iron formula that it never deviated from. Would that straitjacket have loosened up over time if the show had continued past the first season? Who knows? One likes to think so, but, yeah, the first season is all about doing variations on a single theme: an alien instead of a zombie, maybe, but the same basic story every week.

"The Vampire" and "The Ripper" were the best episodes using the template of The Night Stalker movie, and would have a stronger standing it one was merely a TV movie sequel instead of part of the series formula. One episode that stands apart from the rest is "Mr. R.I.N.G."--not only from the lack of the "Kolchak-has-to-convince-the-disbelieving" framework, but the entire military angle, and Kolchak's unique last act (I do not wish to spoil it for newbies).

 

[RJDiogenes]

The Ripper was the most like the original movie, which was appropriate to kick off the series. The Sentry was another episode that stands apart from the standard formula. And then there was Horror In The Heights, in which Kolchak turns out to be not the only stalker in the night.

 

[The Old Mixer]

This week, on The Incredible Hulk:

"Sideshow"
Originally aired January 25, 1980

David is hired as a stage manager at a carnival, and learns that the sideshow's mind-reader has been blamed for a series of misfortunes.

Events in the news since the previous episode:

January 20

• Cuba recognizes the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
• The Pittsburgh Steelers win their fourth National Football League championship in six seasons, defeating the stubborn Los Angeles Rams 31-19 in Super Bowl XIV at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

January 21

• The London Gold Fixing hits its highest price ever (adjusted for inflation), at US$850 a troy ounce.
• MS Athina B is beached at Brighton, becoming a temporary tourist attraction.
• At least 200 people are killed when the Corralejas Bullring collapses at Sincelejo, Colombia.

January 22 – Andrei Sakharov, Soviet scientist and human rights activist, is arrested in Moscow.
January 24 – The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad is ordered liquidated due to bankruptcy, and debt owed to creditors.
January 26 – Israel and Egypt establish diplomatic relations.

And special thanks to Through the Decades for reminding me of this Significant Moment in Ex-Beatle History not covered in the Wiki timeline:

Paul McCartney’s arrival at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport on January 16, 1980, marked his first visit to Japan since the Beatles tour of 1966. The occasion was a planned 11-city concert tour by his band Wings. Instead, Paul’s visit was limited to a nine-day stint in the Tokyo Narcotics Detention Center, which ended on this day in 1980.

McCartney was found to be carrying nearly half a pound of marijuana in his baggage upon arrival at Narita—an amount that Paul would later assure Japanese authorities was intended solely for his personal use. The amount was large enough, however, to warrant a smuggling charge and a potential seven-year prison sentence. Given Japan’s reputation for rigorous enforcement of its strict anti-drug laws, it was by no means a foregone conclusion that McCartney would escape trial and possible imprisonment, yet he was released and quickly deported from Japan on January 25, 1980, prior to making any appearance in court.

That a celebrity of McCartney’s stature would avoid the consequences that a less-famous drug smuggler might have faced was hardly surprising. After all, who could blame Japanese authorities for applying a double-standard to a prisoner whose sing-alongs inside the jailhouse and screaming fans outside threatened to create a significant distraction from the normal workings of the justice system? The question that troubled the minds of observers at the time was, “What was Paul thinking?” Half a pound of marijuana was a prodigious amount for one man to carry around for personal use—particularly a man who had had reason to expect especially close examination of his person and his baggage by Japanese customs officials. After all, Paul had been denied a Japanese entry visa just five years earlier due to his numerous earlier drug arrests in Europe.

Twenty years after his 1980 arrest, Paul would opine that his psychological motivation may have been to find an excuse to disband Wings, which he in fact did immediately following his return to England. In another interview, however, Sir Paul offered an explanation that may be the more compelling for its simplicity: “We were about to fly to Japan and I knew I wouldn’t be able to get anything to smoke over there,” McCartney said in 2004. “This stuff was too good to flush down the toilet, so I thought I’d take it with me.”

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(On that note, the show is currently roughly synced with "37 years ago this week," FWIW.)


New on the U.S. charts:

"Back on My Feet Again," The Babys

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(#33 US)

"Too Hot," Kool & The Gang

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(#5 US; #11 AC; #3 R&B; #23 UK)

"Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2," Pink Floyd

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(#1 US the weeks of Mar. 22 through Apr. 12; #57 Dance; #1 UK; #375 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time)

"Refugee," Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

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(#15 US)

(Based on his reaction to Herb, I suspect that RJD will approve of my decision to bump a Chuck Mangione number in favor of the Macca news footage.)

 

[RJDiogenes]

And special thanks to Through the Decades for reminding me of this Significant Moment in Ex-Beatle History not covered in the Wiki timeline:

A half pound. "It was not hidden very well."

"Back on My Feet Again," The Babys

I forgot that this even charted. The Babys were pretty good. This song is okay, but "Isn't It Time" is really good.

"Too Hot," Kool & The Gang

Meh.

"Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2," Pink Floyd

An all-time classic, as is the album. WBCN used to occasionally run all three parts together as one song.

"Refugee," Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Another good one. Tom Petty did some great stuff in those days. At the time, he was actually looked upon as New Wave, but later came to be considered a Classic Rocker.

(Based on his reaction to Herb, I suspect that RJD will approve of my decision to bump a Chuck Mangione number in favor of the Macca news footage.)

I'd probably prefer a Linda McCartney solo number.

 

[The Old Mixer]

The Babys were pretty good. This song is okay, but "Isn't It Time" is really good.

Also "Every Time I Think of You"...a couple of standout rediscoveries for me when working on the late '70s.

At the time, he was actually looked upon as New Wave

I'd read of that bit of erroneous label-slapping. He wasn't from the same scene...makes about as much sense as the show labeling Mackenzie Phillips's warmed-over glam rocker as "new wave".

I'd probably prefer a Linda McCartney solo number.

You're joking, of course, but I can arrange that....

 

[RJDiogenes]

Also "Every Time I Think of You"...a couple of standout rediscoveries for me when working on the late '70s.

Yes, that was another good one.

I'd read of that bit of erroneous label-slapping. He wasn't from the same scene...makes about as much sense as the show labeling Mackenzie Phillips's warmed-over glam rocker as "new wave".

Certain of his songs from the early 80s, such as "Don't Come Around Here No More," did have a timely feel. I'm not familiar with Mackenzie Phillips's music, and I'm not sure I want to know.

You're joking, of course, but I can arrange that....

Mackenzie Phillips and Linda McCartney-- I better brace myself.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Certain of his songs from the early 80s, such as "Don't Come Around Here No More," did have a timely feel.

That was 1985...he'd been around for a while by then.

I'm not familiar with Mackenzie Phillips's music, and I'm not sure I want to know.

A 1979 episode put her in KISS makeup, had her doing mainstream rock, and described her character as being "new wave"...because it was the trendy thing for an artist to be at the time.

 

[The Old Mixer]

In first run, this episode was largely pre-empted by news updates, because it aired on the night of the tragic Apollo 1 fire that killed Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee.

Where do you get this info? I'm watching the Man from UNCLE episode that aired 50 years ago tonight, and have gotten distracted wondering if it too was preempted....

 

[Christopher]

Where do you get this info?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0723777/trivia?ref_=tt_ql_2

 

[The Old Mixer]

Ah...no such info on the TMFU episode page.

(And it's a pretty crap episode.)

 

[Christopher]

Ah...no such info on the TMFU episode page.

Well, according to Wikipedia's schedule, it typically started 15 minutes later than The Time Tunnel. So maybe the news broke early enough that they postponed the episode until later that night instead of pre-empting it? Just a guess.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Whatever the case, finished that one...on to The Avengers.

 

[RJDiogenes]

That was 1985...he'd been around for a while by then.

True. Looking at his discography, I'm once again surprised by dates. "Listen To Her Heart" and "Don't Do Me Like That" are both in the 70s. But he definitely did have the vibe of having one foot in each world-- and, of course, as you said earlier, those world were merging.

A 1979 episode put her in KISS makeup, had her doing mainstream rock, and described her character as being "new wave"...because it was the trendy thing for an artist to be at the time.

Ah, okay, I had stopped watching by then, my crush on Valerie Bertinelli having faded.

 

[The Old Mixer]

An episode of The Incredible Hulk, not One Day at a Time. She was the guest star.

 

[Christopher]

An episode of The Incredible Hulk, not One Day at a Time. She was the guest star.

The episode was "Metamorphosis," which we discussed in this thread about three months ago.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

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I was like "I don't remember this song", lol. "Busted in Tokyo" would make a good song title.

 

[The Old Mixer]

^ I wouldn't be surprised if there's a bootleg of an outtake out there somewhere....As for actual releases, it's believed that the title of an instrumental on his wonky 1980 album McCartney II was a dig at his recent jailers. (I won't repeat the title here, I'm sure you can guess which one.)
_______

Batman
"The Spell of Tut"

Originally aired September 28, 1966​

"Tut's Case Is Shut"

Originally aired September 29, 1966​

Oh, look, it's the Green Hornet and Kato, whom Batman recognizes as crimefighters, even though in a few weeks he'll think they're criminals.

It was worth it for Robin's line and Batman's nonverbal response.

And Michael Pataki (Korax from "The Trouble With Tribbles") as the guy who kept saying "...or my name isn't."

"Isn't" never passed his lips. And I always thought that Helen Noel was a wee bit overrated in these parts, but most would have noted Marianna Hill as Cleo. Also, IMDb tells me that Sid Haig was the First Lawgiver in "Return of the Archons".

(A new secretary feeding Gordon and all of his visitors pills...nothing suspicious about that....)

The bit with Batman spelling his name on the phone makes me miss Me.

The scarab juice destroys the will? Holy cats, Tut's discovered the Anti-Life Equation!

Does the ALE require oral ingestion? Anyway, there's a joke in there somewhere about Tut using the beetles to take control of Gotham City....

We get a reference to Scotland Yard...shouldn't that be Venerable Ireland Yard?

"I slipped radioactive pellets into Robin's utility belt." Let's hope Dick Grayson wasn't planning on having children...

Indeed, why not just put them in the "sphinx" instead of Robin?

It's funny how fake those crocodiles look when they're sharing a shot with the actors...and how outdoors they look when they're not. It would have been a nice moment for Robin if he'd gotten out of the trap on his own. Too bad Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara weren't sharing that deathtrap with him, he could have used the boost in competence.

We get another appearance of the regulation TV building ledge set. And Gordon got to do a little George Reeves at the end there, turning to the camera and addressing the audience.
_______

So is anyone gonna get the Hulk party started? I liked doing the reviews on Friday, given it was the show's usual night.
_______

 

[Christopher]

This week, on The Incredible Hulk:

"Sideshow"
Originally aired January 25, 1980

Back to a fairly routine episode, though with a romance for David, and Judith Chapman is reasonably effective as the sideshow mentalist he gets involved with -- beautiful, smart, poised, and even somewhat intimidating when she needs to be (and with her white robes and hairstyle, she reminded me of Princess Leia at times). Robert Donner was playing the kind of unstable backwoods extremist that was kind of his go-to role, but he actually did it quite well. This was the first of two TIH roles for him, and it was probably here that he met his future wife, story editor (eventually producer) Jill Sherman (who would become Jill Sherman Donner). Note that the next episode in production order, “The Psychic,” is co-written by Sherman, and includes a character named “Robbie Donner.”

This is one of the few episodes, at least by this point in the series, where David ever offers to help repair the damage he caused as the Hulk, specifically to the funhouse. Yet he seems to be doing it more to try to defuse the tension toward his "jinx" romantic interest than out of any sense of personal culpability.

 

[The Old Mixer]

David "Burns" (say goodnight, Hulkie) is Just Schlepping Around on the road when he suddenly jumps into a situation out of nowhere (much like his entrance in "Metamorphosis").

Back to a fairly routine episode, though with a romance for David, and Judith Chapman is reasonably effective as the sideshow mentalist he gets involved with -- beautiful, smart, poised, and even somewhat intimidating when she needs to be

Yes, I found her very striking...she had a certain quality about her. And it seems like it's been a bit since David's had a proper romantic interest.

The gorgeous belly dancer also helps to elevate the episode in her own manner.

(and with her white robes and hairstyle, she reminded me of Princess Leia at times).

YES! For the record:

...but looks a little like Princess Leia in that gown

This is one of the few episodes, at least by this point in the series, where David ever offers to help repair the damage he caused as the Hulk, specifically to the funhouse.

Ah, yes...a funhouse makes him lose control...(-24:03). This might be even lamer than the payphone and the New York cab. He didn't even know that Nancy was in any real danger, and he's taken a lot more punishment than getting tossed around in a funhouse without Hulking Out. As for the result, the Hulk doesn't even rescue her, or accomplish anything other than getting himself sighted...and even that's not necessary to the story because McGee doesn't show up. Also, I think the crowd shouldn't have been so quick to run in terror at the sight of the creature--If ever there was a time and place for bystanders to think that the Hulk was just an act, a carnival would be it.

The Second Hulk-Out, OTOH (-06:06)...turning a ferris wheel is a pretty impressive-looking but easily accomplished feat of strength.

At the end, Nancy proves to be the polar opposite of the Really Clueless Folk...she intuits David's connection with the creature without having witnessed as obvious a transformation as many others have.

_______

 

[publiusr]

Although McGee’s a pussycat compared to Kolchak.

Now there's a cross-over.

I actually enjoy it as much now as when I was a kid. The monster I really didn't care about. Darrin is what made that show.

I once heard that they wanted Johnny Depp for his role--but Joe" Pesci would have been a better fit. You want feisty and loud and frenetic.