Daniel Burke - Rest in Peace

Even though I was a relatively (well, when I started I was a total inconsequential cog) inconsequential cog in the wheel at ABC, I had the good fortune to have a couple of brief encounters with the "big guys" of Cap Cities/ABC (Dan Burke and Tom Murphy). One of them has died at the age of 82. Dan Burke was a sophisticated, elegant and downright regal gentleman. I was honored that he knew of my existence, but there were a few moments in those years I was downright humbled to have him engage in conversation with me. Don't ask me why I would be humbled, but I was rarely impressed and he was an impressive man.

I have three vivid and memorable moments of sharing in ever so brief "chats" with Mr. Burke. We discussed books during two of those short chats and baseball in the third. I've been a voracious reader all of my life and I am being completely honest when I say that the greatest moment in my life, outside of personal moments, was the night the Chicago White Sox won the World Series in 2005.

It's interesting to reflect upon your own thoughts and memories of people you encountered along the path of life. I had no direct business dealings with these men of significant power at the company, but as peripheral as they are in the pages of my own life (and I was beyond peripheral in their lives - I am quite sure neither Burke or Murphy would ever remember me beyond those moments)I have intensely fond and warm thoughts of both of them.

I didn't even know Mr. Burke had passed until late this afternoon. I was attending a conference for most of the day and I saw nor heard one item of news. I was sharing a late lunch/early dinner with a fellow former ABCer and he informed me of the death. I suddenly was transported to a significantly younger version of me and thinking of the innocence of my early stages at ABC.

I encountered Mr. Burke's brother while serving as hostess for a charitable event at the company and he was determined to fix me up with a family member. I had one date with a Burke relative and it was a dud. I was so not his type and he was so not my type that near the end of an intensely awkward lunch I looked at him and laughed. I literally laughed out loud. He then looked at me and laughed right back. We both knew what the other one was thinking. Open and honest. I went back to work and never thought of him again. Of course, had it worked I would be retired and donating my waking hours to volunteering at the local animal shelter!!! Well, I did think of him today, but he only popped into my head because I thought of Dan Burke. I wouldn't recognize the one-time date in a crowd of one, but I have Mr. Burke's face embedded in the pathways of a long ago line of memory.

When I returned home tonight I read two bios on his death (while watching the Rangers and the Cardinals in Game 6 of the World Series) and the official obituary bios are cold and faceless.

He was a man with a dignified air and I trust a tremendous amount of integrity. Clearly, he had superb business skills, but more importantly, he led a full and respectable life. I always remember the 1994 Northridge quake and how Murphy and Burke authorized financial assistance to some employees who had been burdened down by the quake. It's a long story, but I remember thinking they were thoughtful and giving people.

Since I'm watching a baseball game I'll end on a change-up - Mr. Murphy borrowed my copy of "No Ordinary Time" and he never returned it. He's a multimillionaire and that is one of my favorite books of all time. I liked Mr. Murphy a great deal. I sat next to him at a Lakers game one night many, many years ago. I reminded him about the book. I still never got it back, but I did receive a note of thanks when I sat him next to Angie Dickinson at a dinner honoring another ABC exec back in November of '95. I was told by another ABC exec that she was a "great broad" and that's a quote. I most likely wouldn't have let anyone call someone a great broad (well, maybe I'd let Sinatra say it) without a disapproving look on my face, but this man was old enough to be my dad and in many ways he was like a dad, so I figured if Angie were a great broad she'd be an intriguing person to sit next to at a boring fundraiser (even though Bruce Hornsby played "The Valley Road" that night).

In a nutshell, these two men always seemed to be decent and loyal people.

Mr. Daniel Burke. I do indeed hope you will rest in peace.

Beavis and Butt-Head are Back!

If there's anything that we need today -- badly! -- it's the silly, sour, kinda sad and often very sage P.O.V. of MTV's legendary animated duo Beavis and Butt-Head, Mike Judge's brilliant series that debuted on the network back in 1993.  Lucky for us, they're back in a new series, starting tonight at 10pm, back on the network that made them famous, and the other way around, too.  It was a perfect give-and-take, the crazy antics of B and B on the crazy network that wasn't afraid to have some fun and take a chance with a new filmmaker's scabrous and yet somehow adorable creation. (Mike Judge, of course, went on to create Fox's longtime hit animated series King of the Hill, among other successes.)

MTV Shows

Beavis and Butt-Head was a cultural phenomenom, screamingly hilarious and willing to skewer the very pop culture product and audience that took the series to the heights during its nearly five year run. Like a lot of seemingly stupid comedy, it entertains on a variety of levels, not all of them as facile as you'd  imagine.  In between the utterly anarchic antics of the excitable Beavis and the more phlegmatic Butt-Head, there's a lot of insight, pain and frustration, and not all of it caused by blue balls, either.  

If the original show was a real world, now almost twenty years later one could only imagine both of them in their early thirties, probably meth addicts, wearing wife-beater t-shirts and somehow being politically conservative Republicans dead set against raising taxes on the rich.  That's how a lot of marginally illiterate, culturally disadvantaged/disinterested and economically-downtrodden Americans end up, and not by accident.  Surely poor Beavis -- even with the help of his dynamic alter-ego Cornholio -- and Butt-Head wouldn't have been able to figure a way out of their socioeconomic morass; actually, what you'd be looking at would be a really grungy episode of Cops, in all its lower-middle-class glory. 

But we don't have to face that ugly reality with this new Beavis and Butt-Head.  They're back all right, but time has stood still, and they're still the same goofy, nihilistic teens, endlessly amused by double-entendres and entertally hoping for a little sex.  They'll be doing their riffs not on music videos like in the old days (because music videos hardly exist anymore), but instead on MTV's line-up of pathetically appealing (or should that be pathetic and appealing?) reality shows like Jersey Shore and 16 and Pregnant, and boy, do they deserve some skewering, too. 

I'm a big fan of Beavis and Butt-Head, for all the highs and lows of the characters and their situation.  These kids are surviving the best they can, as they sit on their dingy couch, in a living room with cracked plaster walls, trying to make it through school, uninspired, unloved -- maybe deservedly so -- doomed not by anything specific they've done wrong but by a society that simply doesn't have room for most of the unexceptionals, and especially not for kids like them.  Beavis and Butt-Head is either a funny tragedy or an ultimately sad comedy, but luckily it is hilarious and these are unforgettable characters.  Take them for what they are, and thank goodness that MTV knew enough to approach Mike Judge to bring them back. 

Viva Cornholio!

Dancing with the Stars Movie Night

Dancing with the Stars had a movie theme last night. It gave us a
happy ending for some and a box office disaster for others (Nancy Grace and Chynna Phillips both crashed and burned).

I didn't do a post last week, but would like to catch up by saying BOTH of my predictions for "getting the boot" came true. Elisabetta the Italian supermodel and Kristin the blond blah are both gone with the wind.

Last week's theme was highly emotional, with the stars selecting songs that meant something personal from their past. I cried like a baby over JR's beautiful tribute to the men and women in uniform. His dance was heartbreaking and beautiful.

The bottom of the leader barrel for me this week was Chynna, who is usually so accomplished. She forgot her moves to "Mission Impossible" and by the time she faced a tongue lashing from the snippy judges, even her false eyelashes were askew. At the high end for scores...Ricki Lake got two perfect 10's and a 9 to become the top rated of the night. I'm not sure I understand why she got those scores, but the judges all seem to favor her, she's definitely the teacher's pet. JR turned in another wonderful performance, dancing to the theme from the "Pink Panther".

He's so rhythmic and light on his feet. Loved the funny swaying butt panther move too. Inexplicably,

the boring girl judge (Carrie Ann) marked JR down for adding humor to the dance (EXCUSE me...but The Pink Panther movie was a comedy!).

Who will go home tonight? The most likely suspects are Carson and Chaz. Neither one has much of a chance for pulling it out of the fire for the long run. I think Carson is the most vulnerable, even though the audience loves him for his humor and zaniness. He wore a charming blond mustache and feathered pirate hat for his

"Pirates of the Caribbean" dance. But last night's moment of triumph and drama was for Chaz. As his mom (Cher!!!) cried and cheered in the audience, he danced to the theme for "Rocky", even racing up the stairs at the end like Stallone in the iconic scene from the movie. I sure hope he chews a baby aspirin every day, because his heart got a workout last night for sure.

The mirror ball giveth and the mirror ball taketh away. I fear we may be saying hasta la vista to the blond pirate before the day is done.

Sorry no video this time. The iron fists have removed from YouTube. All the more reason to tune in and check it out yourself!

American Horror Story on fX

It's creepy and it's spooky...and altogether kooky. But unlike the Addams Family, this new macabre drama on fX is short on humor and crazier than a bag full of bats.

The main character is a haunted house with a very troubled past. This Victorian fixer upper has been the venue for some nasty stuff, including the murders of two little red haired juvenile delinquents and a stylish gay couple who left behind some cool leather outfits in the attic.

The show takes place in Southern California, the least likely place for a scary old home unless you count the ride at Disneyland or the equally fake Magic Castle in the Hollywood Hills. A new family moves in and of course they are escaping their own dark past which includes (yawn) infidelity and a more interesting and sad stillbirth.

The cast is astonishingly good for TV. Connie Britton plays Vivian the mom, with Dylan McDermott as the family patriarch who is also a therapist. The amazing Francis Conroy (Six Feet Under) plays a maid with a mesmerizing lazy eye. Violet is the teenage daughter (by law every new TV show must have a teenage daughter) who is already being bullied to death at her L.A. gulag of a high school. Her new friend is a troubled boy named Evan who gets my vote as the most likely kid to go full out Columbine for the new television season.

After only one episode, American Horror already has a breakout character (Constance) played by Jessica Lange. How is it possible that they snagged a two time Oscar winner for this cable television drama? Lange is absolutely terrific as the fading actress and menacing mom from next door. She's a drama queen with a Downs syndrome daughter and a Tennessee Williams southern drawl. Rounding out the cast is Denis O'Hare, who has been so compelling as the evil vampire king on True Blood. Here he plays Larry the ex-con and arsonist with his own secrets to hide about the haunted house.

I would watch this program every week for Jessica Lange alone, but there is so much more to like about it. There hasn't been a really interesting murder/horror series on TV since Twin Peaks, and I am so ready for this one to be a winner. Having grown up in a 200 year old haunted house myself, I can say they never really lose their drafty appeal. And anyway, Halloween is coming, so it's a great time to give it a try. American Horror Story is on fX, Wednesday nights at 10pm.

Farewell Steve Jobs

An outpouring of grief is covering the web, as the wizard of Silicon Valley Steve Jobs passes from this world. The best quote I read all night was from someone I don't even know on Facebook. "Thank you for changing the world and putting it in the palm of my hand".

The Flaming Nose recognizes tech and creative genius Steve Jobs, who changed the world with Pixar (movies), iPod and iTunes (music), and personal communication/information (Macs, iPhones and iPads). As a Star Trek fan, I've spent my whole life waiting for the sparkly futuristic world of tricorders and communicators. Steve Job's products made me feel like we had already arrived.

Below you'll find what is widely recognized as one of the greatest television commercials of all time. The 1984 Apple advertisement is directed by Ridley Scott ("Bladerunner") Sci-Fi movie auteur. It aired once during the Super Bowl, blew everyone's mind and went on to win buckets of awards. Although we ran this spot on the Nose a few years back, it seemed like a good time to put it up again. See the Apple 1984 posted below.

Rest in peace Steve Jobs. Because of you, I can carry television in my pocket.

Happy 50th Anniversary to "The Dick Van Dyke Show"!

The Flaming Nose TV Blog is super-pleased to be participating with The Thrilling Days of Yesteryear and their terrific The Dick Van Dyke Show Blogathon, on today's 50th Anniversary of the classic sitcom.  Blogs and writers from all over the net are adding their contributions as tribute to this great show, and we're going to spotlight one of our favorite episodes -- "I'd Rather Be Bald Than Have No Head at All", an episode coming near the end of the show's third season (out of the total five). 

Ever since men starting noticing male pattern baldness -- sometime past Neanderthal times, as they seem to have had plenty of hair all over -- it's been an ongoing anxiety for a lot of guys.  Maybe today it's even hard to imagine what all the fuss is about, since bald is distinctly beautiful these days, but also since "The Hair Club for Men" is still in business, the "yikes" factor must be alive and well at least for some fellas.  Star Dick Van Dyke's casual remarks wondering about his own hair status inspired writers Bill Persky and Sam Denoff to pen this memorable episode, a half-hour firmly rooted (har-har) in both everyday life and also wildly imaginative at the same time. 

Maybe we'll just go through the basics of the episode -- though you really need to watch it to fully absorb all the comic moments -- to whet your appetite.  It's fun looking at screengrabs, too!



After Rob finds a lot of hairs in the sink, he thinks he's going bald and Laura tries to reassure him.

Rob goes into work and Buddy and Sally also try to talk Rob out of his fixation, and they use the argument that lots of men are more attractive bald.






Mel Cooley arrives -- "Well, you just lost your argument..."




Buddy gives Rob the name of Irwin the Barber who has a great reputation as a hair loss specialist.

He starts to look over Rob's head of hair.





He assesses the "elastic-ness" of Rob's hair, among other tests.

After careful consideration, Irwin makes his diagnosis.

"Good roots -- lousy papilla."



"So that's the whole story on a nutshell."  Irwin recommends a course of treatment -- his own formula with several "ingrediments"...

Olive Oil and Vinegar. "So who's to say what's silly? Irwin asks.

"When I put it on my hair -- do I comb it or toss it?"

Once Home, Rob does some exercises to bring blood to his head.

And Laura helps him arrange his towel around his smelly hair...

...which of course is cumbersome and he looks like a nut. After a night's sleep, he wakes up.
                          

And underneath the towel he is completely bald!

"I did tell you not to use that stuff..."

Rob tries to figure out if he is dreaming, or if Laura is dreaming.

"Did you shave my head as a joke?...I know what it is...severe shock!"

"What kind of a shock did you have?" she asks innocently.

"You don't call going bald a shock??!"

"You go to Irwin and get your money back..."

"Honey, is this really a dream?"
"Of course it's a dream, darling. Now you go to Irwin and get your money back."
"Yeah. I'm gonna go get my hair back!"

He gets some new stuff from Irwin, with "the miracle ingrediment P.S. 138"

"What is it?"
"Mayonaisse!"

"Tastes good and is good for you!"

"Hiya Baldy, we've been waiting for you!"

"It's not a dream!"
"It is, too!"
"If it was a dream you wouldn't have gone to all the trouble to come down here in your jammies!"

"Rob, I told you I was going to knit you a toupee and I did! It's Mohair!"

"Right...'cos you got no-mo-hair!"

"What's the matter" Is it all messed up?"


Rob: "Lettuce?!"
Sally: "Well, if you use salad dressing you can't expect to grow meatloaf!"

"Now you'll have to sleep with your head in the refrigerator!"

"Where's my hair???"

"Rob, thanks for your hair!"

"Darling, you're having a bad dream."

"And this is the second time I've wakened in it!"
"Well, it's no wonder, you slept with that silly turban on. That would give anyone a nightmare."
"That's just what you said in the dream!"
"Rob, come on, let's take that turban off and wash your hair..."




Yep. He's bald again and Laura faints.

"Honey, wake up, you're having a nightmare..."
"Am I awake?"
"Well, sure you are."
"Are you?"
"Sure. I'm awake."

"Rob...don't ever take off that towel."

"Why?"
"Because under it, you're either bald or you have a head of lettuce!"

"Oh, Rob!"

"That beautiful brown helmet!"

"You were worried about me losing my hair and I go to the doctor once and looks what happens!"
"Ohhh, Rob...oohhh Rob!"

"I guess I could use a good night's sleep, too!"

 
"I'd Rather Be Bald Than Have No Head at All" is part of that delectable selection of episodes from The Dick Van Dyke Show with dreams featuring prominently.  It's a terrific device for allowing crazy situations that otherwise would have strained the credulity of a series that was very much realistic while still being uproariously funny.  The humor in 'I'd Rather Be Bald Than Have No Head at All" stands up to the test of time -- fifty years (almost) of time, and that's impressive.  The Dick Van Dyke Show feels as contemporary as it did five decades ago, and it's that timeless excellence that makes watching the show a pleasure today, and will continue to make it work even more decades from now.  If we've piqued your appetite to watch this episode, check it out on Hulu or Netflix!  A special shout-out, of course, to actor Ned Glass who played Irwin the barber -- the acting veteran of hundreds and hundreds of roles was a particular delight here.
 
Congratulations on 50 great years to The Dick Van Dyke Show, and thanks to The Thrilling Days of Yesteryear for coming up with the great idea for this blogathon!

"The Dick Van Dyke Show" 50th Anniversary Blogathon Now in Progress!

We direct your attention to the marvelous blog The Thrilling Days of Yesteryear, the host for a very special The Dick Van Dyke Show Blogathon in honor of the show's 50th Anniversary -- TODAY!  (You can see the official Blogathon button in our sidebar.) 

Do you think The Flaming Nose could stay out of this wonderful event?  Hardly!  We'll be posting our contribution later today, all about the hilarious third season episode "I'd Rather Be Bald Than Have No Head at All"!

Definitely visit to The Thrilling Days of Yesteryear and keep up with all the festivities, and we'd also like to specially point you over to one of our favorite bloggers Toby O'Brien and his marvelous Inner Toob blog where he looks at TV in a way that is unforgettable, fascinating, intricate and hilarious!  He's doing special posts all day today on The Dick Van Dyke Show and you really don't want to miss a single one!

Happy 50th Anniversary to The Dick Van Dyke Show!   You made TV history and the laughter has never stopped!

"Dexter" and "Homeland" -- Showtime's Sunday Must-Watch Choices

Showtime is definitely the network of choice tonight. Yes, we know there's Boardwalk Empire on HBO, Breaking Bad continues on AMC, and Pan Am on ABC, but Showtime has them all beat.  At 9pm. the always-tremendous Dexter returns for its sixth season -- can you believe it? -- and this one looks like a great one.  With recurring guest stars Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica, American Family, Miami Vice, Stand and Deliver) and Colin Hanks (The Good Guys, Mad Men, The Great Buck Howard, King Kong, Roswell), this cycle of episodes promises some disturbingly evil happenings.  In addition to more personal exploration of his divergent roles as serial killer and devoted father, Dexter -- Michael C. Hall -- comes up against a crazed fundamentalist zealot with a gruesome agenda of his own.

Dexter the series is adept at evolving beyond what you think it has to become -- we wonder where else can they go with this? -- and taking the drama into unforeseen avenues, thanks especially to wonderful performances by a selection of talented guests actors and the uniformly watchable regular cast.  Hanks and Olmos join an illustrious parade of guest criminal cohorts -- Julia Stiles, John Lithgow, Jimmy Smits, Jaime Murray among them -- as well as good guys like the late, lamented Agent Lundy played so well by Keith Carradine.  Regulars Jennifer Carpenter (the ex-Mrs. M.C. Hall), Curtis Harrington, Lauren Velez, Desmond Harrington, David Zayas, C.S. Lee and James Remar never disappoint, and this season will no doubt follow suit.



At 10pm Showtime debuts its newest drama Homeland, centered around the efforts of the Washington D.C. intelligence community to intercept terrorist threats to America.  What makes this scenario especially compelling  is the presence of actress Claire Danes (Emmy-winner for her title role in HBO's Temple Grandin, Me & Orson Welles, My So Called Life, Stardust) as the obsessed CIA agent Carrie Mathison.  Danes is an intense and intelligent actress whose performance is riveting; you can't take your eyes off her.  Co-starring with Danes are Mandy Pantinkin (he originated Che in Broadway's Evita -- one of the most amazing performances I've ever seen live -- Criminal Minds, Yentl, Chicago Hope, Alien Nation) as her CIA mentor, Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers, Dreamcatcher, Colditz) as a troubled newly-released captive of Al Qaeda, Morena Baccarin (V, Stargate SG-1) as his wife who must adjust to his return, and David Harewood (Blood Diamond, The Merchant of Venice) as Danes' antagonistic boss who resents her zeal.

The first episode of Homeland throws the viewer right into the action, giving us a hint of Carrie's dangerous work in the Middle East and setting up her expertise and fervor, as well as a tinge of 9/11 guilt (evidently shared by all at the CIA, at least in the series) for not being able to foresee that historic attack.  But it's not the past that consumes Carrie, it's the future and the possibility that new operatives are trying desperately for another crack at taking down the United States.  Without giving too much away, we simply say watch any of Homeland and you will be hooked -- guaranteed.  Showtime has made the first episode of Homeland available free OnDemand and online at their website, and it's a powerful incentive to subscribe (at least for the three months that Dexter and Homeland will be airing) if you haven't already. (FYI, Homeland is based/inspired by the Israeli TV series Prisoners of War.  Around here we also really liked Showtime's terrorism-themed drama Sleeper Cell from late 2005, and we'd love to see more episodes (which may be in the works).  Worth checking out on DVD.)



We highly recommend taking in Showtime's terrific new Sunday night line-up.  You won't be disappointed!