Monthly Archives: July 2014

In Praise of Vintage: 10 Classic TV Shows + Where to Watch Them

Posted on July 29, 2014 by willmckinley

“I can’t stand old movies,” my Uncle Tommy once said to me. “Any time I see a guy wearing a hat, I change the channel.” Despite his dismissal of a filmmaking era I love, and have since childhood, I kept … Continue reading →

Posted in Classic TV | 40 Comments

The 1979 “Rockford Files” Episode that Inspired “The Sopranos”

Posted on July 24, 2014 by willmckinley

A gang from Newark’s South Side is hiding Vinnie Martine’s body in a restaurant freezer. Tony’s mad because Anthony Jr. got caught pranking another mobster. And a boss who’s trying to reform gets his mansion sprayed with bullets. Remember that … Continue reading →

Posted in Classic TV | Tagged David Chase, The Rockford Files, The Sopranos | 12 Comments

UPDATE #3: Classic Soap Opera Comes Back From the Dead – Will Others Follow?

Posted on July 18, 2014 by willmckinley

UPDATE 12/28/15 – Updated info in italics Here’s something I probably shouldn’t admit, but what the hell: in 1982 I was a regular viewer of six daytime soap operas: The Edge of Night, The Guiding Light, As the World Turns, Search for … Continue reading →

Posted in Classic TV, Retro TV | Tagged Retro TV, The Doctors | 58 Comments

How a Fox/Time Warner Merger Might Impact Classic Film Fans

Posted on July 16, 2014 by willmckinley

“There’s a storm blowin’ up – a whopper, to speak in the vernacular of the peasantry!” Professor Marvel (Frank Morgan) says to Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) in THE WIZARD OF OZ. If you’re a fan of that beloved 1939 MGM film, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Contemporary Film, TCM | Tagged Fox Time warner merger | 13 Comments

My Anniversary Gift to You

Posted on July 11, 2014 by willmckinley

Over the past three years I’ve written more than 200 articles, reviews, and essays for this site and others. I’ve had a lot of fun and made a lot of money (just kidding), but the best part of the process has … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Tagged Monster Serial | 16 Comments

Ian McKellen & Derek Jacobi Get “Vicious” in New PBS Sitcom

Posted on July 9, 2014 by willmckinley

Last Updated: 7/9/14 10:30 a.m. In the second episode of Vicious, a new British sitcom on PBS, over-the-hill actor Freddie Thornhill is invited to a fan club screening of an old Doctor Who episode in which he played a villain. … Continue reading →

Posted in Contemporary TV | Tagged Derek Jacobi, Ian McKellen, PBS, Vicious | 17 Comments

July 4th Classic TV & Film Viewing Guide

Posted on July 4, 2014 by willmckinley

Last Updated: 7/4/14 3:30 p.m. Most people go to the beach, or a bar-b-que, or engage in some sort of healthy, fresh airy, outdoorsy activity on July 4. Well, call your loved ones (if you have any) and scrap those plans, because … Continue reading →

Posted in Classic TV | 4 Comments

Adam West vs. “Alice” in 1976

Posted on July 1, 2014 by willmckinley

Remember that episode of Alice with Batman’s Adam West as a Sex Ed teacher and Lara Parker – Angelique the witch from Dark Shadows – as a sexually permissive mom? If you’re under 40, you may have answered “no” to that question, … Continue reading →