I represent the first generation who, when we were born, the television was now a permanent fixture in our homes. When I was born people had breakfast with Barbara Walters, dinner with Walter Cronkite, and slept with Johnny Carson. Read the full "Pre-ramble"
Normally the "Mental
Sorbet" is something that we could
use to momentarily forget about those things that leave a bad taste in our
mouths. This one is different because it is about a day we should never forget.|
Show No. 103
Sept. 9, 2011 |
First hour: Actress Natasha Gregson Wagner (Two Girls and a Guy,
Lost Highway, High Fidelity) joins Ed to talk about her latest film,
A Kiss and a
Promise, a stylishly
filmed psychological thriller with elements of Alfred Hitchcock and David Lynch.
Also in this hour: Tony Figueroa and Donna Allen join Ed for a look at how
television news covered the events of Sept. 11, 2001, as well as 9/11’s impact
on prime time television, late night television, and our culture in general.
Second hour: Ed, Tony and guest co-host Dan Farren welcome Emmy-winning writer, producer and director Joseph Dougherty (Pretty Little Liars, thirtysomething, Saving Grace). Joe’s film Cast a Deadly Spell, an homage to Raymond Chandler and H.P. Lovecraft that he wrote for HBO, will receive a special 20th anniversary screening at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in San Pedro, Calif. on Sept. 16 and 17. |
For millions of Baby Boomers growing up in the mid-1950s, the original
Must See TV took place every weekday afternoon at five o’clock when The
Mickey Mouse Club aired on ABC. And though it ran for just three seasons,
the original Mickey Mouse Club remains one of the most iconic television
programs ever made, more than fifty years later.Listen to me on me on TV CONFIDENTIAL:
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Fridays 7pm ET and PT |
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Saturdays 11pm ET, 8pm PT Sundays 5pm ET, 2pm PT |
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Tuesdays 11:05pm ET, 8:05pm PT |
As always, the further we go back in Hollywood history, the more that fact and legend become intertwined. It's hard to say where the truth really lies.
September 16, 1927
Peter Falk was born. The actor is best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo.
He appeared in numerous films and television guest roles, and has been nominated for an Academy Award twice, and won the Emmy Award on five occasions and the Golden Globe award once. The Columbo character was originally played in a 1960 episode of the NBC anthology series The Chevy Mystery Show, where the detective was played by Bert Freed, and in a subsequent Broadway play by Thomas Mitchell. Falk first appeared as Columbo in Prescription: Murder , a 1968 TV movie, but the character was not the subject of a show of its own until 1971. Columbo aired regularly from 1971 to 1978 on NBC, and then more infrequently on ABC as TV movies beginning in 1989. The most recent episode was broadcast in 2003.
Despite his frazzled exterior, Columbo possesses a keen mind and invariably solves his cases by paying close attention to tiny inconsistencies in suspects' stories, hounding them until they confess; he merely puts on a good show of being dimwitted so that the criminals will be more at ease around him. Columbo's signature technique is to exit the scene of an interview, only to stop in the doorway to ask a suspect "just one more thing," which often brings to light the key inconsistency. Four of Columbo's cases gave Falk the chance to work with his longtime friend Patrick McGoohan, the latter playing the episodes' villain roles.
In May 2009, it was reported that Falk is suffering from dementia, and he no longer remembers his role in Columbo. In June 2009, a conservatorship was placed on him by a California court.
At a two-day conservatorship trial in Los Angeles in June 2009, one of Falk's personal physicians, Dr. Stephen Read, reported Falk rapidly slipped into dementia after a series of dental operations in 2007. Dr. Read said it was unclear whether Falk's condition had worsened as a result of anesthesia or some other reaction to the operations. He went on to add that Falk's condition was so bad he could no longer remember the character of Columbo. Shera Danese Falk was appointed as her husband's conservator.
Falk died at his Beverly Hills home on June 23, 2011, at the age of 83. The cause of death was later revealed as cardiorespiratory arrest, with pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease as underlying causes. Falk was survived by his wife and two daughters. His daughters said they would remember his "wisdom and humor".
The Los Angeles Police Department also issued a statement of condolence to Falk's family, stating they were "proud" to be associated with Columbo as well as stating that he was "one of the all-time great TV cops."
September 17, 1951
Cassandra Peterson is born. The actress s best known for her on-screen horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. She gained fame on Los Angeles television station KHJ wearing a black, gothic, cleavage-enhancing gown as host of Movie Macabre, a weekly horror movie presentation. Her wickedly vampish appearance was offset by her comical character, quirky/quick-witted personality, and valley girl-type speech.
To quote the Bicentennial Minute, "And that's the way it was".
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
Here
is another "Mental
Sorbet" that we could
use to momentarily forget about those things that leave a bad taste in our
mouths. 
