Saturday, December 31, 2016

William Christopher

I've often wondered about people that come to the profession late in life.
I've wanted to be an actor since the first grade.
I watched a play being performed by the third grade class, and it was... magic
-William Christopher
William Christopher
October 20, 1932 – December 31, 2016
William Christopher died today. His son, John Christopher, said the actor died from non-lung small cell carcinoma at his home in Pasadena, California.
Christopher appeared in a variety of regional productions, and eventually a number of Off-Broadway productions, such as The Hostage at One Sheridan Square. His Broadway debut came in Beyond the Fringe, a British revue.
Christopher left the New York City stage for Hollywood to attempt to gain work in television, where he guest-starred in several well-known series, including The Andy Griffith ShowDeath Valley DaysThe Patty Duke ShowThe Men from Shiloh and Good Times (he portrayed the military doctor examining J. J. Evans). Christopher had recurring roles on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.That Girl and Hogan's Heroes. He made several guest appearances on The Love Boat. In 1972, Christopher landed the role of Father Mulcahy in the television series M*A*S*H, when the actor who originated the role, George Morgan, was replaced after just one appearance in the pilot episode.
Immediately following M*A*S*H, Christopher continued the role for the two seasons of the short-lived spin-offAfterMASH. In feature films, Christopher performed in The Fortune CookieThe Private Navy of Sgt. O'FarrellThe Shakiest Gun in the WestWith Six You Get Eggroll, and Hearts of the West.[2] He won parts in such telefilms as The Movie MakerThe Perils of Pauline, and For the Love of ItWith Six You Get Eggroll is notable for fans of M*A*S*H as Jamie Farr appears along with Christopher five years before the show, both playing hippies. The film also features Herb Voland, who played General Clayton in seven episodes of M*A*S*H. Farr and Christopher also had bit parts (co-pilot and radio operator respectively) in the military comedy movie, No Time For Sergeants.
Christopher has appeared on various series, including Murder, She Wrote and Hogan's Heroes (Season 3 Episode 21). In 1998, Christopher guest-starred in an episode of Mad About You. Christopher also remained active in the theater, including a tour of the U.S. in the mid-90s with Jamie Farr doing Neil Simon's The Odd Couple on stage. In 2008-09, he toured with Church Basement Ladies.

Good Night Mr. Christopher

Stay Tuned


Tony Figueroa

Your HOLIDAY SOR-BAY: Good Bye 2016

Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"

little spark of madness

that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.









Stay Tuned


Tony Figueroa

Your HOLIDAY SOR-BAY: Rudolph's Shiny New Year

Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"

little spark of madness

that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.





Rudolph has just come back from delivering Christmas presents with Santa Claus when he is asked by Father Time to find the missing Baby New Yearbefore midnight on New Year's Eve. The baby, named Happy, ran away because everyone laughed at his large ears, although no one meant it in a cruel way. 

Rudolph's Shiny New Year (Rankin Bass) by theperminator
Unless Happy is returned before December 31 to take his position as the new year, the current year will not end and the date will perpetually remain December 31 forever. If this happens, the evil buzzard named Aeon will rule the world forever.




Stay Tuned


Tony Figueroa

Friday, December 30, 2016

Your HOLIDAY SOR-BAY: "What Are You Doing New Years Eve?" and "Simple Gifts"

Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"

little spark of madness

that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.




What Are You Doing New Years Eve? 
by Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt 

Joseph and Zooey Web



A little TV History
December 30th 1971
Pete Duel was killed by a gunshot which the police determined to be self inflicted, either by accident or suicide.

In the early hours of December 31, 1971, Duel apparently shot himself, after drinking heavily that evening. At the time, his girlfriend, Dianne Ray, was in the house but not in the same room, and did not witness what happened. In October 1970 he had been the driver in a car wreck in which another person was injured, and was facing legal problems; an astrologer had then told him that 1972 was going to be a difficult year for him. After his death, his role in Alias Smith and Jones was taken over by Roger Davis (previously, the series' narrator), but the sudden loss proved too great and fans were slow to accept the dissimilar-looking Davis. The series was cancelled in 1973.
A memorial service was held on January 2nd 1972 at the Self Realization Fellowship Shrine, a place suggested by his friend and manager, John Napier. His family and many of his friends were there, though Ben Murphy was too upsetto attend. Pete Duel was buried, after a private service, in his hometown of Penfield, New York.
Why and exactly how the fatal shooting occurred, no one can say. The press have speculated in dozens of articles. None of that speculation can ease the loss of the talented young man.





Stay Tuned


Tony Figueroa

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Your HOLIDAY SOR-BAY: Mary Tyler Moore


Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"

little spark of madness

that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.




December 29, 1936
Mary Tyler Moore is born in Brooklyn. Moore's family moved to Los Angeles when she was nine. After graduating from high school, Moore married a CBS sales rep and later became interested in television. She appeared in TV commercials and small TV roles until 1961, when she landed the part of Dick Van Dyke's wife, Laura, on The Dick Van Dyke Show. In 1970, Moore landed her own show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which became one of the most popular situation comedies of the 1970s. Running from 1970 to 1977, the show spawned numerous spin-offs, including Rhoda, Phyllis, and Lou Grant, all of which were produced by MTM Productions, Moore's company.




Stay Tuned


Tony Figueroa

Your HOLIDAY SOR-BAY: IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: THE LOST ENDING

Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"

little spark of madness

that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.




William Shatner introduces the never-before-seen lost ending of It's a Wonderful Life, where George Bailey (Dana Carvey) and the people of Bedford Falls take bloody revenge on Old Man Potter (Jon Lovitz).

Its-a-Wonderful-Life-Lost-End by y10566




Stay Tuned


Tony Figueroa

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Tribute to William Schallert: Next on TVC

We’ll remember prolific film and TV icon William Schallert on the next edition of TV CONFIDENTIAL, airing Dec. 30-Jan. 2 at the following times and venues:

Share-a-Vision Radio
San Francisco Bay Area
Friday 12/30
7pm ET, 4pm PT
10pm ET, 7pm PT
Click on the Listen Live button at KSAV.org
Use the TuneIn app on your smartphone and type in KSAV
Hear us on the KSAV channel on CX Radio Brazil
Hear us on your cell phone or landline number by dialing 712-432-4235

Indiana Talks
Marion, IN
Saturday 12/31
8pm ET, 5pm PT
Sunday 1/1
6pm ET, 3pm PT
Click on the player at IndianaTalks.com
or use the TuneIn app on your smartphone and type in Indiana Talks

KSCO AM-1080 and FM-104.1
San Jose, Santa Cruz and Salinas, CA
KOMY AM-1340
La Selva Beach and Watsonville, CA
Sunday 1/1
9am ET, 6am PT
Also streaming at KSCO.com
or use the TuneIn app on your smartphone and type in KSCO

KHMB AM-1710
KHMV-LP 100.9 FM

Half Moon Bay, CA
Sunday 1/1
9pm PT
Monday 1/2
Midnight ET
Click on the Listen Live button at KHMBRadio.com

RadioSlot.com
San Francisco, CA
Monday 1/2
10pm ET, 7pm PT
with replays Tuesday thru Friday at 10pm ET, 7pm PT
Click on the Talk Slot button at RadioSlot.com

PWRNetwork
Ann Arbor, MI
Various times throughout the week
on the Entertainment Channel at PWRNetwork.com
and the PWR channel on TuneIn

Our New Year's weekend program will be dedicated to the memory of William Schallert, the prolific film and TV actor who passed away on Sunday, May 8 at the age of 93. Best known for playing Patty Duke’s dad, Nancy Drew’s dad, Gidget’s dad, Dobie Gillis’ teacher, and the Admiral on Get Smart, William Schallert also appeared in more than 100 feature motion pictures, including Lonely are the Brave, Charley Varrick, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Speedway, and Recount, plus countless other TV series over the past six decades, from Maverick, Perry Mason, Bewitched and the original Star Trek to such recent shows as 2 Broke Girls in 2014.

We’ll play highlights of our previous conversations with Bill in which we discussed not only his film and TV career, but his work with the Screen Actors Guild, his skill as a pianist and his early career on stage with the Circle Theater in Los Angeles.

TV CONFIDENTIAL: A radio talk show about television
Fri 7pm ET and PT on Share-a-Vision Radio, KSAV.org and CX Radio Brazil
Sat 8pm ET, 5pm PT and Sun 6pm ET, 3pm PT on Indiana Talks
Sun 9am ET, 6am PT KSCO-AM 1080 (San Jose, Santa Cruz and Salinas, CA)
Sun 9am ET, 6am PT KOMY-AM 1340 (La Selva Beach and Watsonville, CA)
Sun 9pm PT, Mon Mid ET on KHMB-AM and FM (Half Moon Bay, CA)
Mon 10pm ET, 7pm PT on The Radio Slot Network
Replays various times throughout the week on the Entertainment Channel at PWRNetwork
Tape us now, listen to us later, using DAR.fm/tvconfidential
Also available as a podcast via iTunes, FeedBurner
and now on your mobile phone via Stitcher.com
Follow us online at www.tvconfidential.net
Follow us now on Twitter: Twitter.com/tvconfidential
Like our Fan Page at www.facebook.com/tvconfidential

If you listen to TV CONFIDENTIAL, and like what you’ve heard, please consider supporting our efforts by becoming a patron of our show through Patreon. It’s easy to do, it does not cost much, plus you can receive some cool rewards (such as coupons that will allow you to download up to six free programs every month from the TV CONFIDENTIAL Archives store). For more information, please visit www.Patreon.com/tvconfidential... and thanks!

Debbie Reynolds

I gave it all that I had,
and it's gratifying that others seem to be receiving it so well
   -Debbie Reynolds
Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds
April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016
A day after the death of her daughter Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, in fair-to-serious condition after an unspecified medical emergency at her son's home. Later that afternoon, she died in the hospital.


She was an Actresssingerentertainerbusinesswomanfilm historianhumanitarian and a noted former collector of film memorabilia. Her breakout role was the portrayal of Helen Kane in the 1950 film Three Little Words, for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. However, it was her first leading role in 1952 at age 19, as Kathy Selden in Singin' in the Rain, that set her on the path to fame. 

By the mid-1950s, she was a major star. Other notable successes include The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953), Susan Slept Here (1954), Bundle of Joy (1956 Golden Globe nomination), The Catered Affair (1956 National Board of Review Best Supporting Actress Winner), and Tammy and the Bachelor (1957), in which her rendering of the song "Tammy" reached number one on the music charts. In 1959, she released her first pop music album, entitled Debbie.

She starred in How the West Was Won (1963), and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), a biographical film about the famously boisterous Molly Brown. Her performance as Molly Brown earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress

Her other notable films include The Singing Nun (1966), Divorce American Style (1967), What's the Matter with Helen? (1971), Mother (1996 Golden Globe nomination), and In & Out (1997). Reynolds is also a noted cabaret performer. In 1979 she founded the Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio in North Hollywood, which still operates today.
In 1973 Reynolds starred in a Broadway revival of the musical Irene and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical. In 1969 she starred in her own television show The Debbie Reynolds Show, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. She was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance in A Gift of Love (1999) and an Emmy Award for playing Grace's mother Bobbi on Will & Grace. Reynolds is also known for her role as Aggie Cromwell in Disney's Halloweentown series. In 1988 she released her autobiography titled, Debbie: My Life. In 2013, she released an updated version titled Unsinkable: A Memoir.


Reynolds was a noted businesswoman, having operated her own hotel in Las Vegas. She was also a collector of film memorabilia, beginning with the landmark 1970 MGM auction. She was the former president of The Thalians, an organization dedicated to mental health causes. Reynolds continued to perform successfully on stage, television, and film into her eighties. In January 2015, Reynolds received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In August 2015, it was announced Reynolds would be the recipient of the 2016 Academy Awards Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. In 2016, a documentary about her life was released titled Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds.



Good Night Ms. Reynolds

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa







6 year old Carrie Fisher watching from the wings as her mother Debbie Reynolds performs on stage at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas - 1963

Your HOLIDAY SOR-BAY: Adam 12 and Ding Dong School


Here is a "HOLIDAY SOR-BAY"

little spark of madness

that we could use to artificially maintain our Christmas spirit.




December 28, 1931
Martin Sam Milner is born December 30, 1931) The actor best known for his performances in two popular television series, Adam-12 and Route 66.
He has also appeared in other television series, numerous films, radio dramas, a Broadway play, and even a radio fishing show. In addition, his appearance was the inspiration for Guy Gardner, the Green Lantern Corps superhero created in 1969 by John Broome and Gil Kane.


December 28, 1956
After five years on television, the last Ding Dong School was aired on NBC-TV.
Ding Dong School, billed as "the nursery school of the air", was a half-hour children's TV show which began on WNBQ-TV (now WMAQ-TV) in Chicago, Illinois[1] a few months before its four-year run on NBC (albeit still produced in the WNBQ studios).
The program was presented from a child's point of view. A 1953 magazine article reported, "Low-angled cameras see everything at Lilliputian eye-level, stories and activities are paced at the slow rate just right for small ears and hands." Each program began with Miss Frances ringing a hand-held school bell.
A precursor to both Sesame Street and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, the show was hosted live by Frances Horwich (aka "Miss Frances"), and at one point was the most popular TV series aimed at preschoolers. The program began in 1952 at Chicago's WNBQ television. After six weeks on the air locally, the program was picked up by the NBC television network. At the height of its popularity, Ding Dong School had three million viewers.
The show and its host, Miss Frances, were mentioned in the comic strip Peanuts in 1955 and 1956. In the February 20, 1956 Peanuts comic, Lucy refers to the "Ding Dong School" TV show as the one that her mother allows her to watch if she eats all of her breakfast.
The show was revived in 1959 as a syndicated program, now videotaped and distributed by National Telefilm Associates. This iteration ran until 1965.

Five NBC kinescoped episodes from 1954-1955 are housed at the Library of Congress, in the J. Fred and Leslie W. MacDonald Collection.




Stay Tuned


Tony Figueroa

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Carrie Fisher

I was street smart,
but unfortunately the street was Rodeo Drive
-Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher
October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016
Carrie Fisher died this morning at the age 60. She was an actress, screenwriter, author, producer, and speaker. She was known and loved best for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars films. Fisher was also known for her semi-autobiographical novels, including Postcards from the Edge, and the screenplay for the film of the same name, as well as her autobiographical one-woman play, and its nonfiction book, Wishful Drinking, based on the show. Her other film roles included Shampoo (1975), The Blues Brothers (1980), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), The 'Burbs (1989), and When Harry Met Sally... (1989).

Even though she will be best remembered for her work on the big screen and in books she did some work on the small screen too.
Carrie Fisher hosting SNL in 1978
























Good Night Princess

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa