The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

[Saga]

obviously, i approve.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Did they do it two weekends last year?

 

[Saga]

Did they do it two weekends last year?

yes. i'm fine with one weekend this year. Thriller is a good show.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I was thinking they might do it again the next weekend, which isn't on their schedule yet.

 

[Saga]

ah. possible. but somehow i kinda doubt it.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Why not? Same as last year...weekends before and after Halloween...and it takes them two Binges to get through their block of episodes (with room to restart).

 

[Saga]

with Thriller the week before they have Halloween pretty well covered. I'm not against it though. the more Dark Shadows the better.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Yes, indeed. That's good news, especially with them picking up where they left off. I'd love to see some later episodes. They just got crazier as they went along.

 

[Vendikarr]

Just for fun, how many shows can we think of that had title themes like that? Wagon Train and The Millionaire were "The ____ Story." The Man from UNCLE was "The _____ Affair," though the article was inexplicably dropped in "Alexander the Greater Affair" Parts 1 & 2. Perry Mason was "The Case of the [usually alliterative 2-word phrase]." Men in Black: The Series was "The ____ Syndrome." I think Friends was "The One With _____." Continuum had seasonal themes -- every first-season title had "Time" in it, every second-season title had "Second," the third was "Minute," and the fourth was "Hour." Though that's a different kind of title theme, just one recurring word, rather than a uniform pattern with just one part changing.

The Wild Wild West used "The Night of the..." in their titles.

And for current day, the series the Librarians titles their episodes branching off of the series name. "... and the ____ ______ _____"

 

[The Old Mixer]

The Green Hornet
"Eat, Drink, and Be Dead"
Originally aired October 14, 1966

Jason Evers looks manlier when he's not wearing a silver nightshirt and a choker. (Didn't realize until I looked him up on IMDb that he was also Jim Sonett.)

The Hornet puts his secret ID to use in his plan again. I'm starting to notice a sort of formula with this one--we're introduced to some sort of deadly gimmick at the start of the episode, and they try to use the gimmick against the Hornet at the climax...the guy swinging on the rope in the warehouse, the frogmen, and now the helicopter dropping bombs.

*******

Batman
"A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away"
Originally aired February 16, 1966

It's also the first return appearance for a villain -- before we even get our first Catwoman episode.

I was thinking the same thing.

We think of the Joker as holding that role today, but on this show, at least in this season, it was the Riddler.

No doubt owing to how Gorshin's performance set the standard for maniacal villainy on the show.

It's interesting, by the way, that in his first two appearances, he's abetted by pre-existing gangs with their own distinct schticks, rather than just henchmen following the main villain's theme.

I noticed other similarities between this episode and the first two-parter...a plot involving a visiting foreign dignitary, and didn't that episode also involve the Riddler using a trap door in an alley (in what looked like the same alley set)? It seems a bit soon for the show to be repeating itself so blatantly.

Note that King Boris is played by Reginald Denny, who would later play Commodore Schmidlapp in the Batman feature film.

Ah, thought he looked familiar.

This episode was pretty severely cut for syndication. They cut out the answer to the riddle "What is the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space, the beginning of every end, and the end of every race?" Of course that's a well-known riddle (though usually phrased as "I am..." rather than "What is...?") and the answer is the letter E, but what was its significance to the caper?

I thought I was missing something there. They also seemed to cut the Riddler's monologue when he protested to Mousey saying she'd never met royalty. I got the sense from the delivery that Gorshin was building up to something that we didn't get to see.

Ripped right out of today's headlines...the Riddler sneaks up on a beauty pageant contestant and kisses her without consent! I like to think that the Riddler's just clever enough to think a step or two ahead of Batman, and wasn't tipped off by the Batmobile parked in the alley with its clearly labeled Homing Receiver Scope. (Notice how the Batmobile drives off with the antenna still up.)

Gotham City Plans and Views--Holy Bat-Google Maps!

Ah, and a proper cliffhanger death trap at last, with the Dynamic Duo suffering some ingenious peril together and in costume.

*******

ETA: Greatest American Hero tangent....Bill Maxwell says that Operation: Spoilsport was built in the 1950s, but looking things up, we barely had operable ICBMs by the end of that decade...never mind a computer-automated launch scenario. Another thing I had to look up to be sure--the song in the original episode was Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction"...but it's been replaced in syndication/DVD releases (with something that sounds more modern to my ears). Ralph still identifies the song as "Eve of Destruction" in his subsequent phone conversation with Bill.

Found clips from the original version:

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(Sounds like a re-recording anyway....)

Next episode: What sounds like another generic song replacement. Since the title of the episode is "You Don't Mess Around with Jim," I suspect that was the original song used.

*

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

The Green Hornet
"Eat, Drink, and Be Dead"
Originally aired October 14, 1966

Jason Evers looks manlier when he's not wearing a silver nightshirt and a choker. (Didn't realize until I looked him up on IMDb that he was also Jim Sonett.)

He's even manlier when he--at full smug power--calls Cornelius "monkey" in Escape from the Planet of the Apes.

The Hornet puts his secret ID to use in his plan again. I'm starting to notice a sort of formula with this one--we're introduced to some sort of deadly gimmick at the start of the episode, and they try to use the gimmick against the Hornet at the climax...the guy swinging on the rope in the warehouse, the frogmen, and now the helicopter dropping bombs.

They needed an hour long show. There would not be the need to try to wrap things up in a short 26 minutes with a "bang" ending. Some episodes have fascinating first and second acts, but the that wrap up need was a minor issue.

Batman
"A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away"
Originally aired February 16, 1966

No doubt owing to how Gorshin's performance set the standard for maniacal villainy on the show.

Romero was an original force all his own as the Joker in that regard.

I noticed other similarities between this episode and the first two-parter...a plot involving a visiting foreign dignitary, and didn't that episode also involve the Riddler using a trap door in an alley (in what looked like the same alley set)? It seems a bit soon for the show to be repeating itself so blatantly.

Thankfully, the next Riddler story takes a very different turn...

Did you notice Roy Jenson as Whitey? He was the one in the Batman costume, but to TOS fans, he will always be "The Omega Glory's" Cloud William.

Ripped right out of today's headlines...the Riddler sneaks up on a beauty pageant contestant and kisses her without consent!

All he needs is a thinning, pale blond wig, and refer to his plans as "yuge" & "tremendous!"

Gotham City Plans and Views--Holy Bat-Google Maps!

Heh!

Ah, and a proper cliffhanger death trap at last, with the Dynamic Duo suffering some ingenious peril together and in costume.

Personally, I enjoyed the variety of death traps, so all did not have to be some over the top, terribly complicated set-up. When the death traps were dramatic or somewhat true their comic (and serial) roots, they were great (1st Mr. Freeze cliffhanger, the Clock King's hourglass, the 1st Catwoman traps, the Penguin carnival trap, etc.), at other times they were downright awful (just about anything from season 3), and just way out for the sake of it.

 

[The Old Mixer]

They needed an hour long show. There would not be the need to try to wrap things up in a short 26 minutes with a "bang" ending. Some episodes have fascinating first and second acts, but the that wrap up need was a minor issue.

I tend to like half-hour formats when the stories are tight. Here the overall impression I'm getting is that the stories are pretty underwhelming, suffering in particular next to the ingenious OTT-ness of Batman...which did effectively have an hour-long format, with the episode split across two nights.

Did you notice Roy Jenson as Whitey? He was the one in the Batman costume, but to TOS fans, he will always be "The Omega Glory's" Cloud William.

No Batman impersonator in this one...maybe in part two? I've been evoking both original broadcast and the weekday syndication of my own original viewing experience by splitting the episodes across the two weekend days. TUNE IN TOMORROW--SAME BAT-TIME...SAME BAT-CHANNEL!

All he needs is a thinning, pale blond wig, and refer to his plans as "yuge" & "tremendous!"

You neglected to mention the requisite orange face and freakish baby hands.

Personally, I enjoyed the variety of death traps, so all did not have to be some over the top, terribly complicated set-up.

Perhaps, but it's noteworthy that it took them this long to finally give us one, as they would become a staple of the show.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Batman
"When the Rat's Away, the Mice Will Play"
Originally aired February 17, 1966

When the deathtrap is really going, Robin is obviously stuffed.

Did you notice Roy Jenson as Whitey? He was the one in the Batman costume, but to TOS fans, he will always be "The Omega Glory's" Cloud William.

Yep, that was in this part. To his credit, Gordon recognizes that the imposter isn't Batman...AIR, he won't be quite so quick on the uptake in some later episodes.

That Queen of Freedom monument is weird, a tiny woman holding a gigantic torch. I guess they needed to make the torch so huge in order to hold that big set they used as the Torch Room museum.

Free-dum? Is Yang Worship Word--You...shall...not...SPEAKit!

Yeah, odder still that they didn't even try to give us some sort of fakey exterior shot / matte to make the connection. I take it that the Queen of Freedom is supposed to be Gotham's version of the Statue of Liberty...maybe the museum should go in the base of the statue...?

*******

Decades doesn't have their schedule for the Nov. 5-6 Binge up yet, but it looks like they'll be playing most or all of Honey West on Friday, Nov. 4...18 episodes up to midnight, and they don't have the A.M. hours of the 5th posted yet.

*******

ETA: Looks like the Nov. 5-6 Binge will be a late-80s show called Wiseguy.

*******

 

[RJDiogenes]

I remember that, but I never watched it. Something about going undercover in the Mob.

 

[J.T.B.]

Wiseguy was a terrific show and well ahead if its time. It's pretty serial, though, I wouldn't jump in just anywhere. First thing I remember Kevin Spacey in.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

Wiseguy was a terrific show and well ahead if its time.

Definitely try Wiseguy if you haven't seen it before. It's one of my favorite shows. I especially like the Sonny Steelgrave arc with Ray Sharkey that starts out the series and the Mel Profitt arc with Kevin Spacey.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Batman
"The Thirteenth Hat"
Originally aired February 23, 1966
"Batman Stands Pat"
Originally aired February 24, 1966

Notably, it's the first time than an established comics villain is referred to in the show by his established real name, with the characters frequently referring to the Hatter as Jervis Tetch -- quite a rarity in this show.

I noticed that! Do they ever even refer to the Riddler's real name in the series?

"Clear all exits for the Batmobile!" What exits? It's parked in front like usual.

The show is already contradicting itself with the bit about Batman having testified at the Hatter's last trial...compared to the plot point in the first Riddler two-parter that Batman would have to unmask if he went to court. OTOH, we get some positive continuity with the same episode when we see the Batmobile's security gimmick again.

"Perhaps the edge-lighted lucite map of Gotham City will tell us some more." It didn't match perfectly, but nice that he gave it a shout-out by name!

It seems like Batman had already met the sculptor, so it seems particularly odd that the World's Greatest Detective doesn't see through the Hatter's sloppy impersonation. And was it a good idea to encourage the Dynamic Duo to go into the room where the real sculptor was tied up in the closet?

It's amusing how everyone is suddenly so preoccupied with hats, as if it were somehow unusual for a person to be kidnapped along with the hat they were wearing. And there just happens to be an exhibit of famous presidential hats for Tetch to covet?

Particularly odd that everyone has distinctive hats, in the decade when formal hats on men were going out of style...and out of style for presidents in particular, thanks to JFK, who's been credited for popularizing men going hatless.

You'd think that Gotham's museums would eventually learn never to hold any exhibits pertaining to things like hats, jokes, riddles, cats, or umbrellas.

Batman seems behind the curve in this two-parter, not figuring out the significance of the people being abducted until the second episode, when all was made clear to the audience in the first.

Alfred gets in on the action for the first time! The bulky and apparently clearly-identifiable transmitter is a bit of a plot contrivance, considering that Batman had less conspicuous bugs in the Penguin two-parter.

And we're still getting that thing where characters are using "Boy Wonder" as if it were Robin's actual superhero name. That's strange.

Didn't stand out to me this time.

Also kind of surprising to be shown a really elaborate deathtrap in the first half and then have the cliffhanger revolve around a spur-of-the-moment peril.

I noticed that, too. There was finally some payoff when they used the hat factory as a set-piece for the climactic fight, but it seemed like conspicuous filler when the Hatter made a point of reintroducing it in the second part. And the Hatter gets knocked into acid? Seems like that should have been a little more gruesome than getting knocked in a vat of water...especially given the comics history of bad guys who were exposed to acid.

*******

The Green Hornet
"Beautiful Dreamer: Part I"
Originally aired October 21, 1966

Will being rammed by an armored truck return as a gimmick in the climax? Guess I'll find out this coming Friday...but I assume the Black Beauty won't be getting dented up.

The brainwashing angle is somewhat interesting, though the villain using it and his front for the scheme are underwhelming. There seems to be a lot of lost potential here, though...the villain eavesdrops on Britt and Casey snooping around, and then brainwashes Casey, but doesn't learn that there's more to Britt than meets eye. Also, sending Casey to shoot Britt might have worked better as a surprise and a "to be continued" hook. Guess I'll see how things pan out next time.

*******

 

[Christopher]

I noticed that! Do they ever even refer to the Riddler's real name in the series?

Nope, nor Catwoman nor Penguin. Other than Tetch/Hatter, the only characters on this show who get both real names and aliases are original to the show, or at least semi-original. Mr. Freeze (who was an otherwise nameless villain called Mr. Zero in his one previous comics appearance) was Dr. Schivel. King Tut was identified in his final appearance as William Omaha Mackelroy (or McElroy). Black Widow was Mrs. Max Black, widow. Lola Lasagna was Lulu Schultz. The Siren was Lorelei Circe, though that may have been an alias. And so on.

"Clear all exits for the Batmobile!" What exits? It's parked in front like usual.

I tend to think that means exit routes from the street it's on, i.e. get all traffic out of the way so they can leave without obstruction.

The show is already contradicting itself with the bit about Batman having testified at the Hatter's last trial...compared to the plot point in the first Riddler two-parter that Batman would have to unmask if he went to court.

But in that case, he would've been the actual defendant, rather than a witness. So maybe the law in Gotham State makes a distinction there.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

"Clear all exits for the Batmobile!" What exits? It's parked in front like usual.

Dramatic embellishing for a superhero show.

Particularly odd that everyone has distinctive hats, in the decade when formal hats on men were going out of style...and out of style for presidents in particular, thanks to JFK, who's been credited for popularizing men going hatless.

That depends on the culture and location. For example, in film, the Connery Bond (beginning one year before JFK's death) had the spy's running habit of tossing his hat on the rack in Moneypenny's office. On Batman, Commissioner Gordon wore hats (during outings) on more than a few occasions. Then, there's John Steed....

Batman seems behind the curve in this two-parter, not figuring out the significance of the people being abducted until the second episode, when all was made clear to the audience in the first.

...but was it clear in-story?

The Green Hornet
"Beautiful Dreamer: Part I"
Originally aired October 21, 1966

.but I assume the Black Beauty won't be getting dented up.

1960s TV supercars rarely suffered damage; the '66 Batmobile's "damage" was a blast from Mr. Freeze, and the tires flattened by land mines planted by Catwoman. Nothing too bad.

The brainwashing angle is somewhat interesting, though the villain using it and his front for the scheme are underwhelming. There seems to be a lot of lost potential here, though...the villain eavesdrops on Britt and Casey snooping around, and then brainwashes Casey, but doesn't learn that there's more to Britt than meets eye.

He would have no reason to ask anything that would lead to learning the one thing that would qualify as being "more than meets the eye". Where's there's no reason to suspect such a secret, his line of questioning would never tap into that part of Casey's memory.

 

[The Old Mixer]

For example, in film, the Connery Bond (beginning one year before JFK's death) had the spy's running habit of tossing his hat on the rack in Moneypenny's office.

But after FRWL (the last film released while JFK was alive), how often did we see him wearing it?

Then, there's John Steed....

Whose distinctive style of dress was acknowledged as an anachronism by the people making the show:

Series script writer Dennis Spooner said that the series would frequently feature Steed visiting busy public places such as the main airport in London without anyone else present in the scene. "'Can't you afford extras?' they'd ask. Well, it wasn't like that. It's just that Steed had to be alone to be accepted. Put him in a crowd and he sticks out like a sore thumb! Let's face it, with normal people he's weird. The trick to making him acceptable is never to show him in a normal world, just fighting villains who are odder than he is!"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers_(TV_series)