Happy Belated Birthday to Cara Williams, TV Comedienne!

We didn't get a chance yesterday to bid a Happy 88th Birthday to actress/comedienne Cara Williams, a pert redhead who was a very well-liked star of sitcoms in the early 1960s.

In addition to her TV work, Williams was a talented dramatic actress who received an Academy Award nomination for her supporting role in the Sidney Poitier/Tony Curtis film The Defiant Ones (1959).  Her trademark gorgeous red hair was a crowd-pleaser and it's too bad her TV series were in black & white.  She also had a big role in comedian Danny Kaye's 1963 movie The Man from the Diners Club.

TV audiences were exposed to her first as co-star of the CBS situation comedy Pete and Gladys, playing opposite actor Harry Morgan who later would achieve pop culture immortality both for his role opposite Jack Webb on TV's Dragnet 1967 and later as beloved Col. Potter on M*A*S*H.  Pete and Gladys was a spin-off from the December Bride sitcom which ran on CBS from 1954 - 1959, in which Morgan played Pete who always talked about his ditzy wife Gladys who was never seen on the show.  After the cancellation of December Bride, the two characters were spun-off into Pete and Gladys which ran for two seasons beginning in Fall of 1960.

Opening credits from Pete and Gladys:



After Pete and Gladys was cancelled, Cara went on to star in her eponymous sitcom The Cara Williams Show for one season:



For a chance to see Cara Williams in all her red-headed singing and dancing glory, check out this club from the 1958 feature Meet Me in Las Vegas:




A very Happy Belated Birthday to Cara Williams, one of TV's funny ladies!

Summer Nose-talgia #3! Bob "Captain Kangaroo" Keeshan!

What is it about childhood TV memories that make them so indelible? Was it that we only knew three or four tunes, so the Captain Kangaroo theme song immediately achieved an honored spot in our brains?  Did we just love things so much more deeply back then?  Or was children's TV simply so charming, innocent and well-intentioned that one simply couldn't ever forget it?  All three or none of those reasons, perhaps, but no matter the explanation, the contributions of Bob Keeshan (born on this date in 1927) and his immortal character Captain Kangaroo still loom large in the hearts of boomers and those born up until the '80s. (Another milestone of Keeshan's was originating the Clarabelle the Clown character for The Howdy Doody Show.)

There's nothing more Nose-talgic than watching this little clip of the open of Captain Kangaroo in charming black and white with no CGI or fancy effects, just Bob Keeshan being cute.

For those not old enough to remember Captain Kangaroo, the basic history is that it was a children's entertainment and educational series on CBS, mostly airing Monday - Friday mornings in the early years for an hour, sometimes also scheduled on weekends, sometimes only half-hours, beginning on October 3, 1955 and ending December 8, 1984.  (For the complete breakdown of its broadcast history check out its Wikipedia page which has a lot of terrific background info).

Actor/producer Bob Keeshan played the Captain, a whimsical fellow in a red coat with white piping (or not, if you were watching during the non-color years up until 1966) who welcomed you into his world of unique characters including farmer Mr. Green Jeans, a talking Grandfather Clock and a loquacious moose.  (For those wondering if Mr. Rogers and the Captain coincided on air, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood began in 1966 and aired until around 2008.)

Here's another longer clip, beginning with the open then into a musical sequence.  After that it's a very loosely  performed comedy bit with Mr. Green Jeans (Hugh Brannum) with an almost surreal quality that wouldn't have been out of place on late-night shows designed for adults.  It's got a talk-show kind of vibe actually, which in essence Captain Kangaroo was, with guests dropping in and interacting with the relaxed Keeshan. While Fred Rogers' style of relaxed was more in the Perry Como mode, Keeshan had a slightly more absurdist jazzy cool about him, and in fact he made a children's record album introducing kids to jazz music as well as other kids records.



Here's a clip with Keeshan as the Captain appearing with a local Ohio kids TV clown named Flippo.  Both are playing it loose and silly.



Captain Kangaroo's place as a trusted children's advocate and adult figure also made him a great spokesman for public service ads, as you can see here, from 1980 and 1983.  The first one is particularly pertinent even today since vaccinating kids for common and dangerous childhood diseases seems to have fallen out of favor in some circles.







Finally, take a time travel ride back to March 4, 1961 with this episode of Captain Kangaroo complete with opening commercial for Girl Scouts featuring an actress whose name I can't recall at the moment -- please put it in the comments here if you do know her name! (Looks kind of like actress Catherine McLeod who was in movies, soaps & commercials, but not sure at all about that...)

Bob Keeshan passed away on January 23, 2004.  A true treasure trove of information about his career and contributions to TV can be enjoyed in this 7-part interview with him by the Television Academy-sponsored Archive of American Television, available by clicking on the link here.

Farewell to a Great American Journalist

The Flaming Nose honors the passing of Mike Wallace
Myron Leon "Mike" Wallace (May 9, 1918 – April 7, 2012), best known as one of the foremost correspondents on the long lived CBS news magazine 60 Minutes. He was 93 years old and his career spanned 60 years.

During his 37+ years as an investigative reporter on 60 Minutes, Mr. Wallace earned a reputation for exposing corruption that struck fear in the hearts of those who had something to hide. It was said that among the most feared words in the English language were, "Mike Wallace is here to see you now".

He interviewed the famous, uncovered the truth and inspired countless young people to choose broadcast journalism as a career. Who among us can hear the ticking of the 60 Minutes clock open without thinking of him?

Steve Croft, a former colleague at CBS put it best by saying, "He was hands down the best television interviewer ever. I can't think of anyone, besides (CBS legend Edward R. Murrow), who had a greater influence in shaping television journalism."

Here's a little recap of his life. We bid farewell to one of the giants of television.

Viral Video Moment: Dog and Elephant BFFs!

Having a tough week? Economy got you down? Has your life turned into one big Stress Sandwich on a hard roll with lettuce and mayo to go? Take a deep breath and and watch this wonderful video. I have a sister who (along with me) is obsessed with inter species animal friendships. We collect them. The moose that fell in love with a cow. The baby hippo orphan that was adopted by a giant sea turtle. And for some strange reason cats and horses are just plain nuts for each other.

I think this (see video) is one of the best. An elephant and her best buddy...a stray dog. Guaranteed to make you feel pretty gooey. Hey...it's better than Prozac!

Wanda Sykes Revelation Becomes Front Page News

Wow! The news that actress/comedienne Wanda Sykes has revealed that she's gay certainly put her in the headlines -- witness the huge number of Google hits on the subject. She publicly came out at a weekend rally in Las Vegas to protest the passage of California's notorious Prop. 8 which bans same-sex marriage. Sykes also announced that she had married her partner in October. Congrats to them!



On the TV front, The Flaming Nose is hoping that this burst of Sykes-related publicity might result in a few new viewers for her CBS sitcom, the Julia Louis-Dreyfus-starring The New Adventures of Old Christine, which airs at 8p on Wednesday nights. This is one of the best sitcoms out there, with Wanda and Julia pure delight together. (Apropos of Syke's recent announcement, a very funny episode earlier this season revolved around the two marrying to keep Sykes' character from being deported.) TNAoOC is consistently hilarious, with a cast -- Clark Gregg, Hamish Linklater (my fave), Emily Rutherfurd -- that knows how to deliver a laugh. Even though there's a kid in the cast -- Old Christine's son, played by Trevor Gagnon -- he's awkward and unusual and not at all some typical smart-aleck sitcom brat.

Let's hope that Wanda Sykes' decision to come out wins her even more fans and draws them to The New Adventures of Old Christine. It's a show that doesn't always get the buzz that it genuinely deserves. The Flaming Nose loves Wanda Sykes and we love The New Adventures of Old Christine!

Nosetalgia: Winky-Dink and You: The First Interactive TV Show

Here's a little blast from the past. I was thinking about how interactive today's 2008 media world is, when I recalled that the first TV show that required the viewing audience to participate was a little known children's program called Winky-Dink and You.

Hosted by ubiquitous game show host Jack Barry, this CBS kid's show required that you purchase a special kit which included a clear plastic sheet that stuck to your TV set by static electricity and a box full of magic crayons. Winky Dink was a cartoon character, and whenever he got into trouble, you had to take out the kit and actually draw him a way out right on the TV set. If he needed a bridge to cross a canyon, you drew it. If he needed a chair to sit down, you drew that too. Parents hated it because kids would often forget the plastic sheet and draw right onto the TV tube glass. Winky Dink also had a maddenly cheerful theme song, which would be a great open for a Twilight Zone episode.

The original Winky aired 1953 to 1957 and then was revived in syndication in 1969. But some great ideas never fade away, and a Winky kit with video, plastic sheet and crayons can still be purchased at some toy stores and on the Internet. Vintage video below so everyone can enjoy the insanity of the theme song...

100 Reasons to Watch "Jericho" Video

Well, I must say I'm almost convinced after watching this --



As one might have expected, Jericho, after its much-vaunted, fan-backed return from the dead, is still moribund. The ratings haven't been what CBS was hoping for, but it still seems to be on the schedule for now.

Clearly the show has much to love, so why aren't people watching? Honestly, I think the fans were lucky to have gotten what they did. Shows as weird/interesting/different/intelligent as Jericho aren't often successful, a few notable exceptions notwithstanding.

Let's hope that the video wins a few people over. Though of course there's the problem now of being able to catch up at this late date, and Jericho seems like one of those shows where a foundation has been built and woe to us who try to join in the middle. In any case, good luck to Jericho and it's a cute video!

You can find out lots about the show at the CBS Jericho website, as well as watch full episodes from this season, full episodes from last season and a whole lot more -- clearly CBS is doing the right thing and giving viewers everything they might need to get into the show. Good work with Jericho, CBS, but you're still blowing it by not having full episodes of The New Adventures of Old Christine!)

Liking -- Mostly -- "The New Adventures of Old Christine"

Does anybody else like Julia Louis-Dreyfus in her recently-returned-for-a-third-season comedy The New Adventures of Old Christine? For one thing, it's good to have a Seinfeld alumnus with a hit, so props to Ms. Dreyfus for pulling that off, and for getting the Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2006 ceremony.

There have been a lot of things to like about the show since it began, especially Andy Richter's appearances a while back as a sad sack boyfriend, the acerbic and intensely likeable Wanda Sykes as JL-D's colleague, and the loopy and lovable Hamish Linklater (pictured with JL-D) as her brother Matthew (my favorite character). Back this season as Christine's handsome boyfriend is the charming and talented Blair Underwood, and her qualms about dating a man so impossibly gorgeous are at the heart of a lot of great material on TNAoOC. The entire cast is crisp and competent and frequently funny, from Richard Gregg as Christine's ex-husband, to the trio of ladies -- Emily Rutherfurd, Alex Kapp Horner, and Tricia O'Kelly -- who play, respectively, Christine's husband's new girlfriend also named Christine, and the two "mean mommies" who bedevil old Christine whenever she visits her son's school.

Though The New Adventures of Old Christine is consistently funny, I occasionally feel a little bit of an "ick" factor with some of the humor, always related to a sexual joke. I am, as friends will attest, one of the least prudish people in terms of what I think is funny, but I wonder if it's the presence of a kid on the show that bugs me in terms of the sexual content? (I feel the same way about Two and a Half Men, which I think goes beyond ick into smarmy.) This is definitely adult comedy. Even with the occasional fleeting off moment (for me, anyway), the show always delivers smart and often delightfully absurd comedy, thanks particularly to Julia and her great gift for dialogue along with her considerable ease with physical comedy. As a woman of a certain age (she just turned 47 about a month ago), Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine has a whole menu of insecurities to explore, and while the occasional pointed barb is accurately flung, more often than not it's pure comedy that makes this one click.

You have to give kudos to the cast and creative crew behind this one, and to CBS for bringing it back. Along with the popular How I Met Your Mother and my favorite The Big Bang Theory (which is on hiatus right now and boy do I hope it's gonna make the cut for a second season!), Monday nights on CBS are a haven for sophisticated comedy on a par with NBC's Thursday night. How bad can things be when you've got Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tina Fey representing TV comedy? Lucy and Ethel would be proud.

Check out the website for The New Adventures of Old Christine at CBS. The show airs Monday nights at 9:30pm. And here's a nice article about TNAoOC co-creator Kari Lizer! Enjoy!

It's Official -- "Dexter" on CBS in February

This just in: the first season of Showtime's hit series --and The Flaming Nose's fave, too-- Dexter will air on CBS Sunday nights beginning in February. The cleaned-up versions of the gritty, grisly and gruesome (especially in the 1st season!) episodes will be broadcast at 10pm beginning Sunday, Feb. 17th, and continue for the next eleven weeks.

Pictured above are Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C. Hall as Debra and her brother Dexter, just two of the wonderful actors that mainstream America will now be able to enjoy with the broadening of Dexter's viewing base, by many, many multiples.

Obviously Dexter is a great fit--at least promotion-wise--with CBS' many crime dramas, but the inclusion of Dexter could have the unintended side-effect of making all those other shows seem just a little bit lame in comparison. It will be interesting to see how the show feels with the rougher and bloodier edges honed away, but the excellence will remain intact, no doubt.

Season One of Dexter was incredible, what with the whole Ice Truck Killer thing, and what a treat CBS viewers have in store for them! Dexter, welcome to Middle America!

P.S.: Check out this detailed article from yesterday's Variety with more information on the Dexter CBS pick-up. Interesting remarks from a Dexter producer about the appropriateness of Dex as a character for mainstream TV, and from a Showtime exec who says that the show, cut-down, will be "exactly" the show it was and that that cuts are things that nobody would miss. That's pushing it a little, but let's assume the edits will be done well and won't hurt the show, at least. I love the show, too, and I understand the exigencies of making the show suitable for CBS, but hey, they're cutting it. It won't be the same. That's just the way it is; you can't pretend otherwise. But don't worry, it will probably work just fine. It's that good.

We're All Feeling Dexter's Pain

I'm with Jane on this week's Dexter. An excellent episode, and I found it an extremely tense one with so much coming to a head, and no perfect solutions in sight.

It's all quite horrible, isn't it? The one sort of bright spot is the bittersweet Deb/Lundy thing, as Jane mentioned. At the risk of verging into soap opera here (but I'm going to anyway), I think Lundy was surprised that their little romance had so touched her, and Deb was also similarly alarmed--and hence hurt and hostile--to find that she really likes him and had actually dared to envision something more between them in the future. Quite sweet and our Deb is growing up, it seems. We know from Season One and her relationship with Rudy that a little romance goes a long way with her. She's not used to it maybe but does respond to it, surely. Lundy is light-years away from her usual boyfriends, to be sure. And I'm not discounting the possibility that Lundy could still have suspicions about Dexter as the BHB, and might be playing, if not actually using, Deb in some way in the investigation.

Ohmigod. Lila. Railroading poor sincere Angel (watch the previews for more on this.) Jane is right. She must die.

The Dexter/Doakes scenes were chilling and scary, and there's going to be more of that next week. Unbearable revelations for Dexter, and too much horror for Doakes. Hard to believe.

There's a lot to wrap up in the next two weeks, and it's going to be some ride! Be sure to visit the Showtime Dexter site for previews and extended scenes from the upcoming episode. (Look under Video).

Also in Dexter news, in today's writers' strike world where nobody knows how the current season is going to be played out, CBS head Les Moonves has made statements that CBS (a corporate sister to Showtime) could be looking to pick up Dexter for use on the broadcast network. If so, even cleaned-up and made broadcast-safe, Dexter would be the best thing on TV, and I guess those of us who have loved it since the beginning can stand around saying "I told you so."