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It makes sense that sci-fi TV shows could be ahead of their time. The entire point of the genre is looking at the future, whether in a fantastic way or predicting what is just around the corner. True, some shows were poor and let down by bad writing and effects. However, others shine thanks to their ideas and often dare to take on a concept the public may not be ready for.

Indeed, some shows were so out there that they didn’t last long in their initial runs, yet attained a loyal following to become iconic. They also helped inspire scores of other projects that would become hits in their own right. These are 20 sci-fi shows ahead of their time, to show how some series made a mark without necessarily realizing it when they were airing.

The Twilight Zone "You Might Also Like" -- Coverage of the CBS All Access series The Twilight Zone.

So Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone has finally ridden off into the sunset. Kevin Costner’s John Dutton III, all gravel-voiced grit and rancher gravitas, left behind more than just a power vacuum in Montana. He left a void in our streaming queues and our hearts. And no, a dozen Sheridan spin-offs won’t quite cut it. Because if you’re aching for something that hits just as hard, or even harder, in the Western genre, you’re in for a treat.

Some of these shows are classic dusty-saddle epics; others throw lasso-sized curveballs with sci-fi twists, feminist vengeance, or steely-eyed detectives. But they all have one thing in common: they echo that thunderous energy Yellowstone fans crave.

From Robert Duvall’s swagger in Lonesome Dove to Timothy Olyphant’s lawman cool in Justified, to the almost poetic lawlessness of Deadwood, each series here offers something Yellowstone touched on but never fully mastered.

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Mortal Kombat 4 Vinyl from Enjoy the Ride Records

Enjoy the Ride Records is releasing the Mortal Kombat I & II, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, and Mortal Kombat 4 arcade game soundtracks on vinyl.

Notably, Mortal Kombat 4 has a limited edition “blood” filled variant. Priced at $159.99, pre-orders launch today, April 25, at 11am Et.

Composed by franchise staple Dan Forden, the LP is housed in a gatefold jacket.

Godzilla vs. Hedorah Shirt from Fright-Rags

Fright-Rags comemorated Earth Day with a Godzilla vs. Hedorah shirt designed by Jeff Zornow.

4.5oz pre-shrunk ringspun cotton shirts are $33 and will ship the week of May 16.

Alien Print from Dismay Design

In celebration of Alien Day, Dismay Design has released an Alien design featuring the mysterious space jockey.

There are few American archetypes that are more enduring and iconic than that of cowboys in the Wild West. From pulp paperback novels to the silver screen, Westerns have been thrilling audiences worldwide for over a century, with that distinction also spreading to television shows. Westerns once dominated the television airwaves in the United States, with some of the longest-running shows in the medium's history coming from the genre. As a testament to their timeless appeal, Westerns have seen a resurgence of popularity recently.

As their ubiquity solidified, Westerns have expanded beyond their usual American Southwest period piece setting with grounded stakes. The genre has proven flexible enough to incorporate different global environments, time periods, even lacing in elements of the supernatural and science fiction. What are constants within the genre are people standing up in largely lawless and remote areas to defend themselves from those that would openly exploit them.

The 1970s was a decade of legendary sitcoms, dominated by true powerhouse comedies like All in the Family, M*A*S*H, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. But in the shadows of these television titans, there are some truly hilarious sitcoms that have sadly faded from the cultural consciousness.

The decade saw television writers push the boundaries of the sitcom format. For many shows, this meant telling stories that explicitly addressed racism, sexism, and other topics that were considered sensitive in America's turbulent political landscape. Still, other writers explored the nature of the sitcom itself as prime time began to see series centered on increasingly bizarre circumstances that embraces offbeat humor.

Lucille Ball Starred in a Sitcom With Her Children Here's Lucy

Trailblazing comedienne Lucille Ball stars as Lucy Carter, a widow raising two teenagers on her own in Here's Lucy. Ball's real-life son and daughter, Desi Arnaz Jr. and Lucie Arnaz,...

Toys “R” Us is teaming up with Fox Alternative Entertainment to develop a new competition series.

“Toys“R”Us Family Faceoff” (working title) is described as a “high energy family competition series set in a larger-than-life toy store that’s ever-changing, unpredictable and packed with exciting and adventurous challenges inspired by the most popular toy brands in the world.” It comes from the retailer’s Toys R Us Studios and Known Originals.

“’Toys”R”Us Family Faceoff’ represents an evolution of the family-friendly competition genre, appealing to fans who love the iconic toys and games we all grew up with … and some new ones, as well,” Fox Entertainment unscripted head Allison Wallach said in a statement. “Add to that Toys“R”Us at the center of it all, with larger-than-life challenges that integrate the world’s most favorite toys and games, it will be an hour of fun for the whole family.

Exclusive: Toys “R” Us is getting into the reality television business.

The toy store is developing a competition series Toys “R” Us Family Faceoff – with Fox Alternative Entertainment.

The company is working on the project via its Toys “R” Us Studios division and has teamed up with Known Originals, which is behind Netflix’s Jeen Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy and Amazon’s McDonald’s All-American Games as well as the unscripted production arm of Fox Entertainment Studios.

The series will seek families competing inside a “larger-than-life” toy store and will integrate a range of nostalgic and popular trending toys and games from classic toy brands.

Toys “R” Us, much like other toy brands such as Barbie owner Mattel and Dungeons and Dragons firm Hasbro, has been moving into the entertainment space over the last few years. Its studios division was responsible for an ad, created using OpenAI’s Sora tool,...

Toian Matchinga, who guest-starred three times on the 1960s CBS series The Wild Wild West and appeared on such other shows as Death Valley Days, I Dream of Jeannie and The Odd Couple, has died. She was 82.

Matchinga, who later in her acting career went by her birth name, Caryn Matchinga, died Sunday of natural causes at home in Belmont, Massachusetts, her family announced.

In films, Matchinga appeared for Don Siegel in Madigan (1968), for Irvin Kershner in Up the Sandbox (1972) and NBC’s Raid on Entebbe (1977) and, in her final onscreen role, for Costa-Gavras in Mad City (1997).

The Ohio native booked gigs on The Wild Wild West, which starred Robert Conrad and Ross Martin, in 1965, 1967 and 1969. Her résumé also includes episodes of The Wackiest Ship in the Army, The Rat Patrol, The Flying Nun, The Big Valley, Rango, Ellery Queen and Rich Man, Poor Man.

Caryn Lee Matchinga was born in Painesville,...

Mitzi Gaynor, star of 1950s big-screen musicals including “South Pacific” and “Les Girls” and a series of beloved variety specials in the 1970s, died on Thursday. She was 93.

Gaynor’s management team, Rene Reyes and Shane Rosamonda, confirmed to Variety that she died of natural causes.

“For eight decades she entertained audiences in films, on television and on the stage. She truly enjoyed every moment of her professional career and the great privilege of being an entertainer,” Reyes and Rosamonda wrote in a statement on Gaynor’s X account. “Off stage, she was a vibrant and extraordinary woman, a caring and loyal friend, and a warm, gracious, very funny and altogether glorious human being.”

Gaynor starred as Navy nurse Nellie Forbush in the 1958 big-screen adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “South Pacific” together with Rossano Brazzi as French planter Emile De Becque and John Kerr as Lt. Cable. Gaynor sang...

Will Smith became an A-lister in the ‘90s when he continuously gave hits such as Bad Boys, Independence Day, and Men in Black. The latter was a huge commercial success, and Smith was established as a bankable Hollywood superstar, despite all three films having a co-lead actor.

Smith then made the Wester-sci-fi comedy Wild Wild West with his Men in Black director Barry Sonnenfeld. Though it has a cult following now, the film was a box-office disaster upon release. It was one of the most expensive films ever made. Sonnenfeld reflected in his book why it did not work, and the reason was reportedly Kevin Kline.

Men in Black’s Barry Sonnenfeld Blamed Kevin Kline’s Vanity For Wild Wild West’s Failure A still from Men in Black | Credits: Sony Pictures

After the grand success of Men in Black, which reportedly earned over $589 million at the box office against a $90 million budget,...

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Outside of established IP, there are few sure things in Hollywood filmmaking. There was a time when John Wayne astride a horse was a license to print money, ditto Clint Eastwood (who also packed 'em in whilst brandishing a shield and a hand cannon). And there was that remarkable decade-long run where Rob Reiner standing behind the camera meant guaranteed critical, if not full-on commercial success.

Hot streaks don't just happen like this, so when it looks like a shooter is heating up, studios line up to place the heaviest of bets on their next roll. Such was the case with the team of star Will Smith and director Barry Sonnenfeld after the blockbuster breakthrough of 1997's "Men in Black." This was Smith's first smash outside of an ensemble (one he almost turned down), and Sonnenfeld's fourth box office hit after "The Addams Family,...

Quick Links Will Smith Was a Fan of the Wild Wild Wild West Show What Went Wrong with Wild Wild West? Wild Wild West Became a Box Office Bomb The Aftermath of Wild Wild West

Will Smith is, to many, one of the last big movie stars in the world, a name that is known the world over and can drive audiences out to the movies. While his Academy Award win was overshadowed by the infamous Chris Rock slap, he still has many fans around the world. He is the star of beloved films like Men in Black, Independence Day, and The Pursuit of Happyness while also lending his image to IP-driven films like Suicide Squad and the 2019 Aladdin live-action remake. Fans eagerly await the release of Bad Boys Ride or Die, the fourth entry in the successful Bad Boys franchise, set for release this summer.

Despite a career of highs and lows,...

1956's "Forbidden Planet" follows a crew of astronauts traveling the galaxy in a flying saucer. While visiting planet Altair IV, they find a scientist and his daughter (Anne Francis) living alone on this deserted world — and realize they are hiding something.

Directed by Fred M. Wilcox and starring a young Leslie Nielsen, "Forbidden Planets looks like a kitschy B-movie today — and in a way it always was, but it was also a trailblazer. It was one of the first films to show humans in the distant future flying around in faster-than-light starships. Without "Forbidden Planet," there would be no "Star Wars" or "Star Trek."

While the Enterprise has an underbelly and nacelles beneath its saucer head, the "Forbidden Planet" ship (the C-57D) is a simple flying saucer — except this UFO is operated by humans, not aliens. The ship and the other effects got the "Forbidden Planet" special effects team an Oscar nomination.

Can local TV make the jump to streaming? A startup called Zeam is betting that it can, and it plans to use Super Bowl Sunday and actor John Stamos to help introduce itself to the market.

Launched by the local TV tech firm Syncbak (which in turn is backed by the local TV station owner Gray TV, the National Association of Broadcasters, Morgan Murphy Media and others), Zeam will combine local news, sports and other content, with founder Jack Perry describing it as a “place to land” after people binge other content.

In a twist to the traditional Super Bowl ad, Zeam will be buying ad space in more than 100 local markets during the game, with Stamos surprising viewers by addressing each market specifically (think, “Hey Des Moines!”). The company is planning an eight-figure marketing campaign, kicking off with its Super Bowl Sunday effort.

“The decision was was for me...

The western genre has long dominated pop culture, particularly when it comes to the film industry. Classical westerns will always carry a special torch as the first to enrapture audiences, but the genre as a whole has shifted and incorporated no small number of outside influences into itself.

In turn, a plethora of genre-bending westerns have entered the annals of pop culture across a variety of media. Unsurprisingly, the most popular form for these boundary-pushing productions to take has largely been live-action motion pictures. Numerous television series and feature films introduce audiences to the kinds of westerns that might have been all but unfathomable prior to their debut. Naturally, not every cross genre western can be a hit, although that doesn't mean that the cult classics among them are any less deserving of recognition.

Related 10 Greatest Western Movie Directors Sergio Leone and John Ford are not the only legendary directors...

A staple of 1960s television, The Wild Wild West has long-endured through reruns, comic books, novels, and an infamous 1999 cinematic adaptation. On CBS for four seasons, the series was a raucous mashup of genre sensibilities including that of Westerns, science-fiction, and espionage, carrying on in the steampunk vein of renowned storytellers like Jules Verne. Starring Robert Conrad and Ross Martin, The Wild Wild West was particularly known for its imagination, humor, and action. But despite its popularity, the series found itself in the cross-hairs of political upheaval when members of Congress voiced concerns about perceptions of links between television violence and that of the real world. As the United States faced an inflection point, the beloved series was suddenly a talking point in the debate over what kind of content was deemed acceptable on television.

Exclusive: The McDonald’s All American Games, the all star game for high school basketball players, has featured the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

It is now the subject of a new feature documentary for Amazon.

The streamer has greenlit the film, which comes from Roc Nation, Known, and Creative Control, for its Prime Video service.

The McDonald’s All American Games featured many of the NBA’s biggest legends before they made it big. The game started in 1977 and has catapulted high school seniors into the NBA, and, for many, turned their dreams of superstardom into reality.

The doc tells the story through the eyes of the legends it’s created, the lives it’s changed, and the communities it’s transformed. Production started last year and will include coverage of the 2022 and 2023 games as well as other historical moments.

The game also opened up...

"Batman: The Animated Series" may be a wholly original take on the Dark Knight but it's also indebted to numerous inspirations. Show co-creators Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, along with writer Paul Dini, were keen to draw on not just the best of Batman's history, but cultural history in general. The goal was to produce a show that, as Dini told Syfy, depicted "a dark world, a world where crime really exists on every level." That approach would often cause them to run afoul of the Fox censors, who weren't enthusiastic about the show's mature tone. After all, this was a Fox Kids cartoon.

Thankfully, the team behind "Batman: Tas" were adept at navigating their way through the treacherous waters of Standards and Practices, maintaining their mature vision despite frequent pushback. And that extended beyond the usual stuff that gets censors riled up, such as violence or edgy language. The...

Fans of Eugène Lourié—the man behind The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms—got a surprise when they settled in for his new film about a giant cyborg—along with the expected sci-fi thrills they found the melancholy tale of a dying man reincarnated as a giant robot, a space-age Frankenstein monster draped in Dracula’s cloak. Ross Martin plays the guinea pig doomed to live a bionic life and Otto Kruger is the scientist who built him. Van Cleave’s piano-only score reinforces the grim atmosphere.

The post The Colossus of New York appeared first on Trailers From Hell.

George Pal’s ill-fated ‘future docu’ followup to Destination Moon still stirs the imagination, rendering in vivid Technicolor the visionary images that amazed us in Chesley Bonestell’s paintings about space travel. We still love the movie even if we want to shove the script and whoever approved it out an airlock without a space helmet. It’s fun to pick it apart, but when Van Cleave’s trilling ‘spacey’ music plays we know we’re back in 1950s Sci-fi Nirvana, anticipating a techno-future of space marvels. [Imprint] gives the movie a classy Blu-ray showcase.

Conquest of Space

All-Region Blu-ray

Viavision [Imprint] #112

1955 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 81 min. / Street Date April 6, 2022 / Available from /

Starring: Walter Brooke, Eric Fleming, Mickey Shaughnessy, Phil Foster, William Redfield, William Hopper, Benson Fong, Ross Martin, Vito Scotti, Joan Shawlee, Michael Fox, Rosemary Clooney.

Cinematography: Lionel Lindon

Art Directors: Hal Pereira, Joseph MacMillan Johnson

Film Editor: Everett Douglas

Original...

By Lee Pfeiffer

We've often written about the shameful conceit of movie studios that used to cast Caucasian actors in leading roles pertaining to ethnic minorities. Sure, it was fine to have actual minority actors playing supporting roles (often for comic effect) but the most important characters were generally always portrayed by white actors or actresses (remember Rex Harrison as The King of Siam???). Sadly, this blatant policy of racial prejudice often extended to films that were sympathetic to the very races they were portraying. Case in point: Geronimo, a 1962 Western that purports to tell the story of the legendary Apache leader who stood virtually alone against the U.S. government, even after most of his tribe was browbeaten into surrendering. The logic at United Artists at the time was that there was no actor more appropriate to play a famous Native American other than blonde-haired, blue-eyed Chuck Connors, who was...

The team behind the blockbuster Michael Jordan docuseries “The Last Dance” are now taking their jam to space. Netflix has picked up “Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission To Space,” from producer Connor Schell and director Jason Hehir, which will chronicle this September’s SpaceX Dragon mission Inspiration4, in which four civilians will travel into space on a three-day trip.

Unlike the recent suborbital flights led by billionaires Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos, Inspiration4 will reach an altitude higher than that of the International Space Station and make history as the first all-civilian mission to orbit. “Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space” will have exclusive access to the mission, and will be produced and uploaded to Netflix in five parts leading up to and following the mission. It’s the first Netflix documentary series to cover an event in near real-time.

Schell (through his Words & Pictures shingle), Hehir and their “The Last Dance” team...

Netflix has greenlighted Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space, a near real-time docuseries following the September launch and mission of the first all-civilian flight crew aboard the SpaceX capsule. The docuseries hails from Time Studios, The Last Dance director Jason Hehir, Known and Connor Schell and Chernin Entertainment’s Words & Pictures. Additionally, Netflix will premiere StoryBots Space Adventure, a hybrid live-action animation special for kids and families to watch together before the mission.

The privately chartered space flight funded, led and commanded by billionaire Jared Isaacman, is also intended to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Isaacman, the 38-year-old founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, will be joined by Hayley Arceneaux, a physician assistant at St. Jude and pediatric cancer survivor; Christopher Sembroski, a former member of the U.S. Air Force who served in Iraq and now works as a Lockheed Martin engineer, and Sian Proctor,...

Netflix has ordered a docuseries that will follow the Inspiration4 all-civilian mission to space this September in “near real-time” before and after the mission launch, the streaming service said Tuesday.

“This September, four civilians will launch into space for a three-day trip orbiting Earth and reaching an altitude higher than that of the International Space Station (Iss),” per Netflix’s description for the project. “The SpaceX Dragon mission, dubbed Inspiration4, is the most ambitious step to date in the rapidly-developing age of civilian space exploration, making history as the first all-civilian mission to orbit.”

“Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission To Space,” which hails from “The Last Dance” director Jason Hehir, “will take viewers behind the scenes with the four crew members — from their unconventional selection and intensive months-long commercial astronaut training, through the intimate and emotional moments leading up to liftoff. The final episode, which premieres just days after the mission is completed,...

Helping you stay sane while staying safe… featuring Leonard Maltin, Dave Anthony, Miguel Arteta, John Landis, and Blaire Bercy from the Hollywood Food Coalition.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Plague (1979)

Target Earth (1954)

The Left Hand of God (1955)

A Lost Lady (1934)

Enough Said (2013)

Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)

Heaven Can Wait (1978)

Down to Earth (2001)

Down To Earth (1947)

The Commitments (1991)

Once (2007)

Election (1999)

About Schmidt (2002)

Sideways (2004)

Nebraska (2013)

The Man in the Moon (1991)

The 39 Steps (1935)

Casablanca (1942)

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

The Night Walker (1964)

Chuck and Buck (2000)

Cedar Rapids (2011)

Beatriz at Dinner (2017)

Duck Butter (2018)

The Good Girl (2002)

The Big Heat (1953)

Human Desire (1954)

Slightly French (1949)

Week-End with Father (1951)

Experiment In Terror (1962)

They Shoot Horses Don’t They? (1969)

Ray’s Male Heterosexual Dance Hall (1987)

Airport (1970)

Earthquake (1974)

Drive a Crooked Road (1954)

Pushover (1954)

Waves (2019)

Krisha (2015)

The Oblong Box (1969)

80,000 Suspects (1963)

Panic In The Streets (1950)

It Comes At Night (2017)

Children of Men (2006)

The Road (2009)

You Were Never Really Here...

Longtime TV and film editor Susan Kesler died Thursday, March 19, following a brief battle with ovarian peritoneal cancer. She was 60.

Kesler started out in the business as an apprentice editor on “The Love Boat” and “Dynasty,” two of the most popular TV shows in the late 1980s. Her career blossomed to include working as an assistant editor on such TV series as “The X-Files,” “Crossing Jordan,” “Heroes,” “Alphas,” “Falling Skies,” “Dominion,” “Defiance” and “Zoo,” as well as the feature films “Tremors” and “ ‘night, Mother.” Most recently, she served as assistant editor for the current NBC series “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.”

Emmy-winning editor Jon Koslowsky, Ace, who frequently worked with Kesler, said, “Sue was always there if you needed a friend.”

Kesler was an avid classic TV buff who, at various times, owned a 1965 Sunbeam Tiger, a replica of the one featured in “Get Smart” (1965-1970), and a “Rockford Files” (1974-1980) Pontiac Firebird replica.

(Robert Conrad (R) with Ross Martin in "The Wild, Wild West".

By Lee Pfeiffer

Actor Robert Conrad has died at age 84. Conrad's got his first big break with a key role in the 1950s hit TV series "Hawaiian Eye". But it was in the 1960s that he soared to fame in "The Wild, Wild West", one of the more enduring TV series inspired by the James Bond phenomenon. Set in the late 1800s, Conrad and co-star Ross Martin played government agents James West and Artemus Gordon, who employed Victorian-age super gadgets to thwart nefarious megalomaniacs. The show's tongue-in-cheek approach to plots relied heavily on the comedic byplay between Conrad and Martin. The series lasted four seasons and the actors returned in TV movies based on the show many years later. In 1999, the series inspired the poorly-received big screen adaptation starring Will Smith and Kevin Kline. Conrad excelled at stunt work...

Tony Sokol Feb 8, 2020

Robert Conrad took stunt gigs with lines to pick up two checks, and was a singer who hit billboard.

Robert Conrad, best known for his roles in the television series Hawaiian Eye, The Wild Wild West and Baa Baa Black Sheep, died of heart failure in Malibu, Calif., on Feb. 8, according to Variety. He was 84.

“He lived a wonderfully long life and while the family is saddened by his passing, he will live forever in their hearts,” family spokesperson Jeff Ballard said in a statement. The family will hold a small private service on March 1, which would have been Conrad's 85th birthday.

Conrad Robert Falk was born on March 1, 1935, in Chicago, Al Capone's old stomping grounds. According to a 2008 interview with Tony Medley, One on One with Robert Conrad, Conrad said his "best friend. Best." was Michael Spilotro, the character Joe Pesci played in Martin Scorsese's gangster film Casino.

Actor Robert Conrad, the star of television series including “Hawaiian Eye,” “The Wild Wild West” and “Baa Baa Black Sheep” during an almost five-decade career that also included the occasional feature film, has died in Malibu, Calif. He was 84.

Conrad toplined at least one series in the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, a rare feat of longevity for a TV star.

He made his debut playing a pilot in the 1958 film “Thundering Jets” and would go on to make credited appearances in some 15 features, making the biggest impression in 1975 heist pic “Murph the Surf” and playing John Dillinger in 1979’s “The Lady in Red.” But Conrad was a far bigger presence in television.

In 1959 Conrad signed a contract with Warner Bros., and the studio cast the young actor, with Anthony Eisley, in the Honolulu-set detective show “Hawaiian Eye,” which ran from 1959-63. Conrad played the half-Hawaiian P.I. Tom...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

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The Los Angeles Comic Book And Science Fiction Convention features Author Susan E. Kesler, who will be signing The Wild Wild West, The Series, a new book on the popular 1965-1969 CBS-TV Series. Robert Conrad stars as James West and Ross Martin as master of disguise Artemus Gordon, Secret Service Agents during the 1870’s. Featuring Science Fiction and Horror themed storylines, spy gadgets, kung fu and steampunk, Wild Wild West was conceived as James Bond on horseback. Wild Wild West is known for it’s many distinctive villains such as Dr. Miguelito Loveless, a brilliant megalomaniacal dwarf, played by Michael Dunn, and Count Manzeppi played by Victor Buono. Every episode had a title with the word Night such as: The Night of the Puppeteer, The Night of the Inferno and The Night of the Steel Assassin.

Milton Caniff’s Steve Canyon (1947-1988) was one of the most celebrated adventure comic strips of the 1950s. The blond, square-jawed hero was on the cutting edge of action as he took to the skies and had adventures around the world. Caniff populated the strip with memorable supporting characters and adversaries so it was a rich reading experience.

The strip was so popular that when Captain Action was introduced in 1966, Canyon was one of the first heroes he could turn into. Somewhat earlier, Canyon also served as inspiration for an NBC prime time series that, sadly, bore little resemblance to the strip (a common problem back then).

In 2008, John R. Ellis brought us this forgotten gem with The Complete Steve Canyon on TV Volume 1 and followed up a year later with Volume 2. The silence until late last year when the anticipated Volume 3 finally arrived, completing the run. Thankfully it came...

Natalie Wood: Hot Hollywood star in the ’60s - TCM schedule on August 18, 2013 See previous post: “Natalie Wood Movies: From loving Warren Beatty to stripping like Gypsy Rose Lee.” 3:00 Am The Star (1952). Director: Stuart Heisler. Cast: Bette Davis, Sterling Hayden, Natalie Wood, Warner Anderson, Minor Watson, June Travis, Paul Frees, Robert Warrick, Barbara Lawrence, Fay Baker, Herb Vigran, Marie Blake, Sam Harris, Marcia Mae Jones. Bw-90 mins. 4:30 Am A Cry In The Night (1956). Director: Frank Tuttle. Cast: Edmond O’Brien, Brian Donlevy, Natalie Wood. Bw-75 mins. 6:00 Am West Side Story (1961). Director: Robert Wise. Cast: Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, Simon Oakland, Ned Glass, William Bramley, Tucker Smith, Tony Mordente, David Winters, Eliot Feld, John Bert Michaels, David Bean, Robert Banas, Anthony ‘Scooter’ Teague, Harvey Evans aka Harvey Hohnecker, Tommy Abbott, Susan Oakes, Gina Trikonis, Carole D’Andrea, Jose De Vega, Jay Norman,...

We here at ComicMix celebrate all manner of pop culture from today’s obvious hits to the arcane wonders of yesteryear. every now and then we get a notice about something that seems just outside our realm of interest but there’s a thing or two that grabs us. Something like an unaired pilot to the legendary Dr. Kildare series is one of those things. Not only that, but the series gave us Richard Chamberlain as a star (long before he was resurrected for Leverage). The show not only boasted an impressive guest cast, as noted below but it featured some of the best writers working in television including a pre-Star Trek Gene Roddenberry. So, here’s the press release for those who remember and remain interested:

Warner Archive Collection continues to unveil some of the finest series in television history with its release this week of Dr. Kildare: The First Complete Season.

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By Harvey Chartrand

Mr. Lucky: The Complete Series is now available for the first time ever as a 4-dvd box set from Timeless Media Group… all 34 episodes, with a running time of about 840 minutes. Mr. Lucky– created by writer/director Blake Edwards (Peter Gunn) – ran for only one season (from 1959 to 1960), even though it was a hit with viewers.

This adventure/crime drama is a sort of Peter Gunn Lite, featuring a lush, organ-powered theme song by Henry Mancini (a bonus CD of Mr. Lucky’s soundtrack is included in the set), an assortment of shady characters aboard a floating casino, and competent acting by series regulars John Vivyan (as suave professional gambler Mr. Lucky), Ross Martin (as his sidekick and business partner Andamo), Pippa Scott (as Mr. Lucky’s girlfriend Maggie Shank-Rutherford) and Tom Brown (as Lieutenant Rovacs, Mr. Lucky’s...

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By Harvey F. Chartrand

Peter Gunn: The Complete Series is now available for the first time ever as a 12-dvd box set from Timeless Media Group… all 114 episodes, with a running time of over 58 hours.

Peter Gunn – created and produced by Blake Edwards – ran for three seasons – from 1958 to 1961. This classic detective show was a delightful blend of film noir and fifties cool, featuring a modern jazz score by Henry Mancini (a bonus CD of the soundtrack is included in the set), outbreaks of the old ultra-violence, a gallery of eccentric and sleazy characters (usually informants, gangsters and Beat Generation bohemians), and great acting by series leads Craig Stevens (as Gunn), Lola Albright (as his squeeze, sultry nightclub singer Edie Hart) and Herschel Bernardi (as Gunn’s friend and competitor Lieutenant Jacoby, who seems to work all by himself 24 hours a day...

The superannuation fund representing the media, entertainment and arts industry has appointed a new CEO.

Graeme Russell, will lead the $3bn industry fund, replacing former boss Ross Martin. Russell was formerly CEO of First Super.

Meanwhile, senior executive Michael Rooney, Gm for Finance and Compliance at Media Super has been appointed Deputy CEO of the fund.

Chair to the fund, Gerard Noonan said: “As a former newspaper publisher, business consultant and superannuation executive, Graeme is uniquely positioned to lead the fund. It’s a very challenging environment for printing, publishing and journalism at present.”

“Graeme is a great advocate for open, transparent governance – his fund was the leader in campaigning to disclose fully directors’ fees and CEO salary. They didn’t just talk, they did it.”

The post Graeme Russell appointed CEO of Media Super appeared first on mUmBRELLA.

"This is the year two thousand and twenty. The place is the Challenger Sea Mount, the top of an underwater mountain, a complex beneath the sea. Two hundred and fifty men, women and children live here. Each of them, a scientist pioneer. For this is our last frontier, a hostile environment which may hold the key to tomorrow. Each day, these oceanauts meet new challenges as they build their city beneath the sea. This is Sealab 2020."

These words set the stage for the Saturday morning TV series known as Sealab 2020. The oceanauts of Sealab face seaquakes, sharks and falling satellites -- while finding the time to serve up lessons on environmentalism and teamwork. Featuring the voices of actors like John Stephenson, Ross Martin, Jerry Dexter, Pamelyn Ferdin and Ann Jillian, the TV show ran for just 13 episodes and one season on NBC.

“This is the year two thousand and twenty. The place is the Challenger Sea Mount, the top of an underwater mountain, a complex beneath the sea. Two hundred and fifty men, women and children live here. Each of them, a scientist pioneer. For this is our last frontier, a hostile environment which may hold the key to tomorrow. Each day, these oceanauts meet new challenges as they build their city beneath the sea. This is Sealab 2020.”

Hanna-Barbera had to change with the times and as the 1970s dawned, kids and adults alike were tuning into the difficulties planet Earth was facing. Ecology and Earth Day were on everyone’s lips. At the same time, parents’ groups were insisting Saturday morning cartoon shows do more than shill cereal and have characters hit one another.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Their answer was Sealab 2020, which lasted a mere season comprising just 13 episodes.

Blu-ray Release Date: June 19, 2012

Price: Blu-ray $29.95

Studio: Olive Films

Tall, dark, handsome...and mechanical!: It's The Colossus of New York.

The Colossus of New York, the 1958 sci-fi thriller classic, takes its place in the pantheon of such great killer robot movies as The Terminator, RoboCop and Demon Seed.Â

Written by Thelma Schnee (TV’s Science Fiction Theatre) from Willis Goldbeck’s story, the intriguing film turns on the accidental death of a brilliant scientist (Ross Martin), a tragedy that prompts his lunatic father (Otto Kruger) and brother (John Baragrey) to transplant the dead man’s brain onto the body of a giant robot. The operation is successful, but the Colossus Robot mourns for his wife and child and doesn’t want to be the guinea pig in his father’s psychotic project and starts displaying homicidal behaviors.

Olive issued the movie on DVD in May, 2011.

There are no...

For the past two years, I've been lucky enough to be a small part of a show called Portlandia. The series -- created by the prolifically talented Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein and returning on Friday for a second season -- has been described by many a stinging satire of Hipster culture. While it does parody Hipster earnestness, the show pays loving tribute to communities Like Portland everywhere -- Silver Lake, Austin, Bolder, Williamsburg, Minneapolis, Northampton, Berkeley, etc, etc, etc -- and much has been made about how the show has puts Hipster Culture in the spotlight.

I must say, however, Hipsters are not a new TV phenomenon. With thick glasses, just-so-avant-garde fashion and knowing smirks, Hipsters have had a special place on TV since the beginning of the medium -- even before the birth of the term. For more than half a century, TV Hipsters have had a profound effect on American culture.

With the entire original run of The Twilight Zone available to watch instantly, we’re partnering with Twitch Film to cover all of the show’s 156 episodes. Are you brave enough to watch them all with us? The Twilight Zone (Episode #108): “Death Ship” (airdate 2/7/63) The Plot: A spaceship and her crew land on a new planet and make a startling discovery when they find the crashed remains of an identical ship… and the deceased remains of an identical crew. The Goods: It’s 1997, the future, and a three-man crew has been sent to a newly discovered planet to confirm conditions and bring back samples. If the results are as promising as they hope the people of Earth will have a new place to call home and then plunder beyond recognition. As the spaceship flies over the planet’s terrain one of the men notices something reflective on the surface, and...

Geronimo Dvdmgm-mod Limited Edition Collection1962/Not Rated/101 MinsList Price: $19.98 – Now AvailableThe 1962 Chuck Connors vehicle Geronimo purports to tell the story of the legendary Apache leader who stood virtually alone against the U.S. government, even after most of his tribe was browbeaten into surrendering. The logic at the studio at the time was that there was no actor more appropriate to play a famous Native American other than blonde-haired, blue-eyed poster boy for the Aryan race Connors who was riding high at the time as the star of the popular TV series The Rifleman. The star certainly possessed an imposing physique as well as more-than-adequate acting abilities. However, even with contact lenses and a black Morticia Addams wig, there is no doubt he was completely miscast as Geronimo. This was also the case with fellow cast members Kamala Devi, a gorgeous flash-in-the-pan actress who worked on several projects with Connors...

The actor who personified the legendary shuffling, raincoat-wearing detective named Frank Columbo has died. Peter Falk passed away yesterday in Beverly Hills after suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Born in New York City, his parents were Madeline and Michael Peter Falk, an accountant/buyer and the owner of a clothing and dry goods store. He used a glass eye after his right eye was removed because a tumor at age three. In a 1997 interview in Cigar Aficionado magazine, Falk said, "I remember once in high school the umpire called me out at third base when I was sure I was safe. I got so mad I took out my glass eye, handed it to him and said, 'Try this.' I got such a laugh you wouldn't believe."

Falk first acted at a camp in upstate New York -- where Ross Martin (later of Wild...

DVD Playhouse June 2011

By

Allen Gardner

Kiss Me Deadly (Criterion) Robert Aldrich’s 1955 reinvention of the film noir detective story is one of cinema’s great genre mash-ups: part hardboiled noir; part cold war paranoid thriller; and part science- fiction. Ralph Meeker plays Mickey Spillane’s fascist detective Mike Hammer as a narcissistic simian thug, a sadist who would rather smash a suspect’s fingers than make love to the bevvy of beautiful dames that cross his path. In fact, the only time you see a smile cross Meeker’s sneering mug is when he’s doling out pain, with a vengeance. When a terrified young woman (Cloris Leachman, film debut) literally crossed Hammer’s path one night, and later turns up dead, he vows to get to the bottom of her brutal demise. One of the most influential films ever made, and perhaps the most-cited film by the architects...

The Colossus of New York, the 1958 sci-fi thriller classic that can rightfully takes its place in the pantheon of such great killer robot movies as The Terminator, RoboCop and Demon Seed, finally comes to DVD on Aug. 16 courtesy of Olive Films. It’ll carry a list price of $24.95.

Tall, dark, handsome...and mechanical!: The Colossus of New York finally comes to DVD.

Written by Thelma Schnee from Willis Goldbeck’s story, the intriguing film turns on the accidental death of a brilliant scientist (Ross Martin), a tragedy that prompts his lunatic father (Otto Kruger) and brother (John Baragrey) to transplant the dead man’s brain onto the body of a giant robot. The operation is successful, but the Colossus Robot mourns for his wife and child and doesn’t want to be the guinea pig in his father’s psychotic project and starts displaying homicidal behaviors.

Incidentally, the movie’s director,...

We're almost there, kids! With the release of "The Twilight Zone" Season 4 on Blu-ray, there's just one more to go until the entire series is available in glorious high definition from Image. Read on for what to expect from this package.

From the Press Release

It’s time to enter the fifth dimension once again with The Twilight Zone: Season 4 on Blu-ray™ May 17th, 2011. All 18 episodes from the influential sci-fi/fantasy series’ fourth season are here, remastered and presented in pristine 1080p high-definition and uncompressed Pcm audio. In addition, the 5-disc set includes hours of amazing bonus features, specially created for this Blu-ray™ release, as well as bonus features from the Definitive Collection DVD release.

This season of Rod Serling’s classic series was lengthened to an hour and contains many favorite episodes with great guest stars including Dennis Hopper, Robert Duvall, Burgess Meredith, Anne Francis, James Whitmore, Burt Reynolds,...

Given the success of Warner’s Archive program, we’re thrilled to see other studios scouring their vaults for content aimed at the discerning cinephile. Here’s a release showcasing the latest coming from MGM via Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment:

Los Angeles (April 14, 2011) – Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is bringing even more classics to DVD in April through its unique “manufacturing on demand” (“Mod”). The newest group of films will be part of the MGM Limited Edition Collection and available through online retailers. The vast catalog ranges from 1980’s Defiance to 1965’s four-time Academy Award® nominated A Thousand Clowns.

Enjoy your favorite movies from across the decades including:

1950′s

● Davey Crockett, Scout (1950): A U.S. military scout is assigned to stop Indian attacks on a defenseless group of wagon trains making their way West. Stars George Montgomery, Ellen Drew, Noah Beery Jr. Directed by Lew Landers.

● Cloudburst...

Though we're just a couple of weeks away from the release of Image Entertainment's sure to be stellar box set of "The Twilight Zone" Season Three, there's already a date for the next entry in this must-have collection!

That's right Zoners ... look for Season 4 on May 17th, 2011! Check out a taste of what to expect below, and look for more, including artwork, very soon!

Special Features

13 new audio commentaries, featuring The Twilight Zone Companion author Marc Scott Zicree, author/film historian Gary Gerani (Fantastic Television), Twilight Zone writer Earl Hamner, writer William F. Nolan (Logan's Run), author Bill Warren (Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties), writer/producer Jeff Vlaming (NCIS, Fringe, Battlestar Galactica), writer/producer Joseph Dougherty (thirtysomething, Judging Amy, Saving Grace), authors/historians Scott Skelton and Jim Benson (Night Gallery: An After Hours Tour), and writer/producer Jaime Paglia (Eureka). Audio Commentaries:

o...

Probably due to the success of their latest old show reboot in “Hawaii 5-0″ (an entertaining enough show, if you don’t expect too much from it), the boys and gals at CBS are bringing back another old TV show — “The Wild Wild West”. Producers Ron Moore (of “Battlestar Galactica” fame) and Naren Shankar are currently developing the new version of “West” for CBS. The original “Wild Wild West” show ran for four years on CBS from 1965 to 1969, and starred Robert Conrad as “James Bond on a horse” and Ross Martin as his Q., master of gadgets and disguises. Together, the duo battled the West’s wacky cast of villains, including the nefarious Loveless. Hollywood made a big-screen movie based on the show in 1999 with Will Smith (!) in the lead and Kenneth Branagh as Loveless. No word on how Moore and Shankar’s version will differ from the original, but...

Once again digging into its own vaults, CBS is clearly taking a page from its recent successful reboot of Hawaii Five-0 and negotiating a deal with former CSI executive producer/co-showrunner Naren Shankar and Battlestar Galactica developer/executive producer Ron Moore to revive the 1960s action-adventure Western, The Wild Wild West.

CBS TV Studios owns the rights. Shankar and Moore are writing and executive producing the remake, according to Deadline.

The move reunites Shankar and Moore, who worked together on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Creator Michael Garrison described the original Wild Wild West — which ran on CBS from 1965-1969 — as "James Bond on horseback." Set between 1869 and 1877, during the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant, the show centred on the exploits of two Service Agents: the rough & tumble James West (Robert Conrad), and master of disguise Artemus Gordon (Ross Martin). Both traveled the country aboard their gadget-equipped train,...