There’s a new channel on my television, and it couldn’t have come sooner. It seems like every time I put on MeTV these days, Raymond Burr is there, interrogating people in black and white or wheeling around in color. A…
Author: Soref
The Rockford Files Pilot Episode Revisited
“Backlash of the Hunter” is the movie-length pilot for the TV serial, “The Rockford Files,” which ran for six seasons beginning in 1974. The pilot aired on Mar. 27 of that year, while the first season didn’t kick off until…
Jack Tripper: Was He Good for the Gays?
As the legend goes, aspiring chef Jack Tripper awoke one morning passed out in the bathtub of Janet and Chrissy’s apartment after crashing the sendoff party for their third roommate, Eleanor, who was leaving to have her baby. Turns out…
The Rockford Files, S2-E1, “The Aaron Ironwood School of Success.”
After a triumphal debut season, “The Rockford Files” kicks off its sophomore year with an action-packed thriller. There’s nothing fancy here, no romantic female lead for Jim to work with, no very special guest star, no two-parter. Instead, they double-down…
Laverne, Shirley, & a Mid-Life Crisis
For the first time since Alexander Haig was Secretary of State, I had the opportunity to watch an episode of “Laverne & Shirley” from the very beginning. I still remembered that distinctive theme song as if it were yesterday, but…
R.I.P. Alan O’Day (1940-2013), “Undercover Angel” Singer/Songwriter
It is with sadness that I learned of the death of musician, songwriter, and Southern California native, Alan O’Day from brain cancer this weekend. O’Day covered a lot of ground in the music industry, from playing in garage bands in…
Joyce Brothers (1927-2013)
In another indicator of the subtle but steady changing of the times, the death of Joyce Brothers earlier this week went by largely unnoticed. To anyone who watched a respectable amount of television in the Seventies, Joyce Brothers was instantly…
South Branch of Berkeley Public Library Open Again for Business
The big news in South Berkeley this past weekend was the grand reopening of the South Branch of the Berkeley Public Library, located at Russell and MLK. The ceremonies occurred Sat. May 11, with the first day of ordinary business…
Modern Art Installation? Nope, just Telegraph Ave. between Russell and Howe.
Weekend in Vegas (2011)
(Notes from an old trip) ARRIVAL Made it to my motel room after the most turbulent flight I’ve ever been on. The crew gave us an inkling beforehand by hastily gathering up all the complimentary beverage cups before people were…