Author: Rick Brooks

  • TV TIME: Art Carney - More Than Just Ed Norton

    Regular readers of this column know how much I love The Honeymooners, and of course an essential element of that sitcom's timeless appeal is Ed Norton, arguably the best second banana in television history. Jackie Gleason, who was immodest enough to dub himself 'The Great One,' nevertheless always gave credit to co-star Art Carney for creating such an unforgettable character. When you've seen The Honeymooners as many times as I have, and in so many of its differe...

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  • TV TIME: Are You Ready For Some Football?

    Football dominates the television landscape today, and its biggest games fill up lists of the most watched broadcasts of all time. Yet in the classic era of TV, football steadily gained popularity while baseball remained the national pastime. Witness Herman the Rookie, a classic episode of The Munsters in which Herman Munster tries out for the Los Angeles Dodgers. By the end, Herman is playing football with Eddie, and he draws interest from the general manag...

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  • TV TIME: In Search of the Ultimate Classic Beach Party

    In the world of television, the arrival of summer used to signify reruns. In the real world, summer makes me think of the beach. On the TV front now, summer is more about short-run series and reality shows, most of which just make me appreciate the return of reruns. What better way to celebrate the season and its television than by entering the land of classic TV and find the ultimate party? I'm diving into the rerun universe in search of the best beach experiences. When searchin...

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  • TV TIME: Classic TV Songs

    Theme songs are an essential part of classic television history, with many more memorable and beloved than the series themselves, but let's not neglect the great songs that appear within some of the best TV programs of the past. I hereby salute my favorites, focusing on numbers performed during episodes of fictional series. In other words, no variety show appearances, and I ...

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  • TV Time: Father's Day Lessons

    Father's Day is not just an opportunity for me to receive a new tie, but is a chance to reflect on my own skills and abilities as a dad. With today's modern conveniences, it's easy for me to gain wisdom by looking at scholarly research, perusing best-selling books by authors, and consulting experienced fathers around me. Of course, I ignore all those resources and turn to classic television instead.

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  • TV Time: Variety Tonight!

    There are many things modern prime time television just doesn't do anymore, such as panel game shows and Westerns, but perhaps the most notable moribund genre is the variety show. You get elements of it in late night, on the Spanish-language channels and in awards ceremonies, but the networks rarely even try to mount a genuine variety series.

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  • TV Time: If Movie Stars Graced Sitcoms

    I realize this is TV Time, but there's a big crossover between the worlds of classic television and movies, and in fact I often wish the intersection was even bigger. So all of you TV snobs who look down your noses at Hollywood films, be patient with me this time out because we’re gonna combine the two mediums. How many times have you watched a movie from the classic era of Hollywood--let's say the thirties and forties--and thought...

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  • TV Time: Dynamic Duos

    Television at its best is a collaborative medium, with producers teaming up to develop concepts, screenwriters working together to turn those concepts into stories, and craftsmen behind the camera joining forces to turn the written word into living color (or black and white before the mid-sixties). This month, I'm counting down the best teams who appear on camera in the vast annals of classic television--my all-time favorite small-screen dynamic duos.

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  • TV Time: Lessons from Classic TV Westerns

    Maybe classic television can't teach us everything about the world, but I ask, if TV doesn't know it, is it really worth knowing? I was recently in a philosophical mood and looking to acquire some life lessons, so I turned to perhaps the most instructive of all genres: TV Westerns. After viewing some old favorites as well as a few series I had never seen, here is what I learned: The Rifleman As single father and rancher Lucas McCain, Chuck Connors projects solid moral ...

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