Friday, March 22, 2024

TV Episode Blogathon 2024: The Bionic Woman

Vincent Price & Lindsay Wagner

The 1970s was the "bionic era" on ABC. In 1973, the network premiered The Six Million Dollar Man, first as a trio of made for TV movies, and later as an ongoing series. Based on the novel Cyborg by Martin Caidin, the novel, movies and ongoing series tell the story of Steve Austin, played by Lee Majors, who was given bionic enhancements after he was seriously injured in a crash while testing an experimental aircraft. Austin ends up working as an agent for the the Office of Scientific Investigation, aka the OSI, taking on enemies like aliens, robots, and nefarious enemy spies. The series was a ratings success, and a spinoff, The Bionic Woman, was launched in 1976.

The Bionic Woman is the tale of  Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner), a tennis pro and old flame of Steve's,  who is seriously injured in a skydiving accident. Steve asks his OSI boss, Oscar Goldman, to give Jaime bionic upgrades in order to save her life. The character was first introduced during the second season of The Six Million Dollar Man, in a two-part episode, in which Jaime dies after her body rejects her bionics. The character proved so popular that she was brought back the following season, and it was revealed she had been saved using an experimental procedure which preserved her life, but affected her memory. She doesn't recall her past romance with Steve. Jaime ends up returning to her hometown of Ojai (where she and Steve grew up) working as a teacher, while also moonlighting as an OSI agent.

During the three season run of her series, The Bionic Woman battled the Fembots, mad scientists, enemy agents and her murderous doppleganger, Lisa Galloway, often teaming up with Steve Austin for multi-part crossover adventures. But did you know she also faced off against a  rogues gallery featuring Vincent Price, Julie Newmar, Abe Vigoda, Hermione Baddeley and William Windom. They all appeared in “Black Magic," which originally aired on November 10, 1976, as part of the series' 2nd season. Although there's no actual black magic featured in the episode, it's a spooky adventure with Jaime encountering a gallery of much beloved character actors.

After a briefing by Oscar Goldman, Jaime goes undercover to infiltrate the Carstairs family, a group of con artists, tricksters and ne’er do wells. Cyrus, the clan’s patriarch, has passed away, and the clan is coming together for reading of his will. Jaime poses as Tracy, a member of the family who no one has seen since she ran away to join the circus (to become a fortune teller, no less!) years ago. Among Cyrus’s possessions is a highly coveted formula for a new alloy that will be used in the manufacture of jet fighters.Oscar has inside intel which reveals it's going to be sold to the highest bidder, and it's Jaime’s objective to obtain the formula before it falls into the wrong hands.

The family gathers for the reading of the will, which was videotaped by Cyrus prior to his death. The larcenous assembly instantly begins bickering, sniping and trying to one up each other. It turns out the late patriarch isn’t going to make it easy for anyone to claim his fortune. On the videotape, Cyrus delivers a riddle inspired by the works of Lewis Carroll. The riddle contains clues to the whereabouts of his riches, which are hidden in a box somewhere in the house. The first person to find the treasure gets everything. The scavenger hunt is on, and it's every man or woman for themselves. When the family members split up to locate the box, everyone starts to mysteriously disappear! Soon only Manfred and Jamie remain. He and Jaime team up to locate the box. But is Manfred going to double cross her and keep the treasure (and the formula) for himself?

 “Black Magic,” is a lot of fun. The cast of veteran actors all have a good time tossing off the snarky dialogue in Arthur Rowe's script. That master of menace,Vincent Price, plays a dual role as both Cyrus and the wily Manfred, while Julie Newmar, aka Catwoman on the 1960s Batman series, is slinky and sinister as Claudette. Abe Vigoda, (Tessio in The Godfather and Sgt. Fish on Barney Miller) is Barlow, the double-crossing butler. Also on hand are Hermione Baddley of Mary Poppins and Maude, and William Windom, who has a ton of TV credits to his name, including a memorable appearance as Commodore Decker in the original Star Trek episode "The Doomsday Machine" and a recurring role on Murder, She Wrote. "Black Magic" was helmed by prolific TV director Barry Crane, who also was behind the camera for episodes of Mission: Impossible and Hawaii Five-O.

The Bionic Woman was in some ways the kindler, gentler side of the two bionic shows, which perfectly suited Wagner's personality and charisma. She won an Emmy for the role of Jaime in 1977. The series had its share of dramatic and intense episodes during its run, including the two-parters "Doomsday is Tomorrow" and "Deadly Ringer." "Black Magic" is definitely more of a lark, and Wagner has fun interacting with Price and the other veteran scene stealers, while trading quips (and silly code names) with Richard Anderson's Oscar Goldman. This is the sort of gathering that could only have happened on 1970s television! The Bionic Woman ran for two years on ABC, then moved over to NBC for its final season. Wagner, Majors, Anderson, and Martin E. Brooks, who played scientist Rudy Wells, reprised their roles in three TV movie reunions in the 1980s and 90s.

This post is part of the Favourite TV Episode Blogathon, hosted by Terence over at his blog, A Shroud of Thoughts. I'd like to thank him for allowing me to join in on the vintage TV fun. For more information on the blogathon, and to check out the other entries, please follow this link: https://mercurie.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-10th-annual-favourite-tv-show.html.

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Grey DeLisle's Remarkable "Driftless Girl"

The prolific and supremely talented Grey DeLisle is a singer, songwriter, voice actor and stand-up comedian who's released some terrific music over the last few years, including the the marvelous covers record Borrowed, and She's An Angel, a superb collection of retro country originals. Her latest album, Driftless Girl, is another outstanding record. This magnificent collection of folk and country tinged songs may just be her best work yet. Driftless Girl opens with the low-key ballad "Where You're Coming From." That extraordinary track is followed by the terrific, country-rock flavored duet "My Two Feet," which includes vocals by Buck Meek.

The poignant "Driftless Girl," is a beguiling tune (featuring guest artist Nikki Grossman) which contains one of DeLisle's strongest performances to date. She always manages to find the heart and emotional center of the characters in her songs, and "Driftless Girl" is a prime example of this innate talent. The impressive title song isn't the end of DeLisle's superb work on the album. There's also the affecting "The Ballad of Ella Mae," a stunning murder ballad, and the captivating "I Don't Wanna Want You," a tale we can all relate to, about that person you probably shouldn't love or want to be with, but still do.

The spirited "Pretty Jolie" and the sly, tongue in cheek "Quick Draw" will win you over with their cool grooves and the energetic performances from DeLisle and her band. "In The Living Room," and "Mama's Little Rose" are chock full of old school country vibes, and "Down From Dover" (written by Dolly Parton) is a classic story song featuring another beautiful vocal by DeLisle.
Driftless Girl is a truly magnificent record. DeLisle is an extraordinary, radiant performer and gifted songwriter, and she just keeps getting better with every release. Driftless Girl, with excellent production work by Jolie Holland, is most definitely on my list of the best albums of 2024. If you're not already listening to Grey DeLisle's music, this record is a great place to start. Here are links to "Driftless Girl," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu5Si90bv3g, and "My Two Feet," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MVV3XGPeBU.



Sunday, February 25, 2024

Retro Roddenberry: Genesis II & Planet Earth

Before the Star Trek franchise was reborn on the big screen in 1979 with the release of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the creator of the show, Gene Roddenberry, was attempting to produce a new science-fiction adventure for television. He made several attempts to launch a new series during the 1970s, the first of which was the telefilm Genesis II. The movie, which originally aired on CBS in 1973, tells the story of Dylan Hunt, a 20th century scientist working on an experiment that will provide long term suspended animation for astronauts on deep space flights. During an earthquake at a NASA facility in Carlsbad Caverns, Hunt becomes trapped in hibernation inside an underground bunker while testing the system.

Hunt is discovered and revived by an organization called PAX in the year 2133. There’s been a nuclear war while Hunt has been asleep. He finds himself in a post-apocalyptic society where several groups are vying for control of the planet. PAX, much like the Federation in the original Star Trek, is a peaceful, multi-national organization trying to preserve the best attributes of mankind. When Hunt is misled by the traitorous Lyra-a, a mutant who has infiltrated PAX, he becomes embroiled in a conflict between PAX and Lyra-a’s people, the Tyranians, an evil collective who want him to repair their failing nuclear power systems, thus giving them an advantage in their conflict with PAX. Will Hunt help the villainous Tyranians, or return to aid PAX’s more Utopian society?

Ted Cassidy & Alex Cord in Genesis II

Genesis II is an entertaining, old school style sci-fi adventure that mixes elements of Star Trek, the original Buck Rogers, and other post-apocalyptic tales like Planet of the Apes. Alex Cord plays Dylan Hunt, and he’s decent (if a bit stodgy at times) in the role, but it’s Mariette Hartley (who had appeared in the original Star Trek episode “All Our Yesterdays”) who steals the show as the duplicitous Lyra-a. The cast also includes familiar faces Ted Cassidy, Percy Rodrigues, Lynne Marta, Titos Vandis and Nurse Chapel herself, Majel Barrett, aka Mrs. Roddenberry, in a small role. The flavorful score for the film is by Harry Sukman, and the solid direction is by John Lllewellyn Moxey, best known to genre fans for helming the eerie Horror Hotel (1960) and the classic telefilm The Night Stalker.

CBS passed on a weekly version of Genesis II, opting to go with a Planet of the Apes television series, which lasted only one season. Roddenberry took his Dylan Hunt ideas over to ABC, who produced Planet Earth in 1974. This sequel to/relaunch of the Genesis II saga features John Saxon (of Enter The Dragon) taking over the role of Dylan Hunt. After a brief recap of Dylan’s origin, we learn he’s now a PAX team leader. While on a mission, one of PAX’s council members is injured, and needs a type of surgery which can only be performed by a doctor who went missing while on a mission. When Hunt’s team goes in search of him, they learn he’s been captured by the Confederacy of Ruth, a society where women rule and men are subservient. Hunt ends up in the clutches of Marg, a leader of the female led group, and it’s a race against time to get the doctor back to PAX in time, as well as defeat the Kreegs, a militaristic band of mutants who have attacked both PAX and the Confederacy.

Janet Margolin & John Saxon in Planet Earth

Planet Earth is a lot of fun, and is lighter in tone than Genesis II. It feels very much like an episode of the original Trek series, where the crew went on a mission engaging in fist fights, philosophizing and a dollop of sexual innuendo. John Saxon definitely plays Hunt in a more macho-oriented, Captain Kirk leaning style. The PAX team even record mission log entries, just as Kirk and his crew did on the TV series. The marvelous supporting cast features Ted Cassidy, returning in his Genesis II role as PAX agent Isiah, Janet Margolin, taking over from Lynne Marta as PAX’s Harper-Smythe, and Diana Muldaur, who guest-starred in two episodes of Star Trek, and later portrayed Dr. Katharine Pulaski for one season on Star Trek: The Next Generation as Marg. She eventually succumbs to Dylan Hunt’s Kirk-like charm. The script for Planet Earth was written by Roddenberry and Juanita Bartlett, who went on to become a writer for The Rockford Files. Behind the camera this time out was another Trek veteran, Marc Daniels, who helmed the classic episode “Mirror, Mirror.”

Like CBS, ABC didn’t move forward with a series of weekly Dylan Hunt tales, though they re-tooled the concept once more (without Roddenberry) in 1975 as Strange New World, again starring John Saxon, as Anthony Vico, an astronaut lost in time. That third attempt also didn't lead to a weekly show. Roddenberry went on to produce pilot films for The Questor Tapes, about the adventures of an advanced android, and the supernatural thriller Spectre, neither of which went on to become a series. Some of the Dylan Hunt concepts later re-surfaced in the 1990s TV series Andromeda, which premiered after Roddenberry’s death. Genesis II and Planet Earth are now available together on a double-feature Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection, and these retro telefilms are worth a look for Roddenberry fans and devotees of 1970s sci-fi.

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

"Take A Good Look" at Paul Collins


If you’re a power pop fan, then I’ve got just the album to brighten up your day and chase away your winter blues. Paul Collins, best known for his work with The Nerves, The Breakaways and The Beat, aka The Paul Collins Beat, is back with a marvelous new release, Stand Back and Take a Good Look, which comes out February 16 on JEM Records. This outstanding record is a power pop fans dream come true. The disc includes appearances by Shoes, 20/20, Richard X. Heyman, and the late Dwight Twilley, who appears on the fabulous "I'm The Only One for You."

Stand Back and Take a Good Look features a superb collection of songs, including "Will You Come Through?" written by Paul's former bandmate Peter Case, "Another World," and "You Can't Go Back," co-written by Collins with Steven Huff, the bassist for The Beat, and even more melodic slices of pop perfection such as "How Will I Know," "Liverpool" and "That's When I Think of You." There's also the exuberant title track, which will almost certainly get stuck in your head and earworm its way onto your list of power pop favorites.

It's clear from his marvelous work here that Collins, who took a break from the music world for a while, hasn't lost his ability to craft marvelous rock and roll tunes seasoned with a touch of New Wave and a dash of punk. The album offers a great overview of the signature sound of the man who's been dubbed the "King of Power Pop." The songs on Stand Back and Take a Good Look are sparkling, swirling, and scintillating examples of the genre at its finest. Collins sounds terrific throughout the record, providing top-notch vocals and masterful rhythm guitar. In addition to the guest stars mentioned earlier, the album also features solid work by Prairie Prince and Ronnie Barnett.

Paul Collins adds another great album to his much celebrated oeuvre with Stand Back and Take a Good Look. While it might seem a bit early to be talking about "best albums of the year," I think you'll find this phenomenal record landing on a lot of top ten lists at the end of 2024. For more on Paul and his music, you can visit https://thepaulcollinsbeat.com/. Follow this link to check out one of my favorite tracks from the disc, the extraordinary "I'm The Only One For You," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L89KbKNtGR4, which was recently dubbed a "Coolest Song In The World" by Little Steven's Underground Garage on Sirius XM Radio.

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Marc Platt's Powerful "Sins of the Family"

This week at Eclectic Avenue, I'd like to shine a light on the latest release from the uber-talented singer-songwriter Marc Platt. I've reviewed several of his previous discs here, including That Mid-Life Crisis, The Golden Ticket, and No AI: Plattinum Approved. Platt's new album, Sins Of The Family, just might be his best yet. It's another superlative collection of heartfelt songs that will connect with listeners on an emotional level.

The fantastic opening track, "The One That Got Away," details the aftermath of a troubled relationship. We've all had those intense connections which seemed great at the time, but in hindsight were better off left in the rearview mirror. That powerful song is followed by the more positive vibes of "When I Feel Alive"  and "Waiting For The Sun To Rise" both of which celebrate the more joyful side of love. On Sins Of The Family, Platt enhances his love of the pop/rock music of the 1960s with a subtle touch of the 1970s and 1980s on several of the album's sublime and graceful songs.

Themes of family, friendship, and the fluid nature of memory reverberate throughout this reflective, powerful record. Just listen to introspective tracks such as "What's Become of Us Now" "Young Again" and "Lovers and Traitors." You'll instantly be able to empathize with Platt's thoughtful tales of love, loss, pain and redemption. We've all dealt with the types of situations that he deftly illustrates in the title track, and "Battles Fought Battles Won." Despite the darker themes of some of the songs on the album, there's always a ray of hope on display in Platt's work, evidenced here in lovely tracks like "Settle My Mind" and "Live Every Day."

Sins Of The Family is anchored by Platt's deeply personal lyrics, emotional vocals, impressive guitar work and outstanding production. From the terrific opening track right on through to the superb closing number, "The Secret," this is a phenomenal album that will absolutely resonate with you on repeated spins. His innate talent for connecting with us through sharing personal experiences which echo our own puts him in the company of singer-songwriters like Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Cat Stevens and Jim Croce. You can check out this magnificent record by heading over to https://marcplatt.bandcamp.com/album/sins-of-the-family, and here's a link to the video for "The One That Got Away" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UpuEXCzs48.

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Let's Visit The Weeklings at "Raspberry Park"


If you haven’t been listening to the music of New Jersey’s terrific power pop quartet, The Weeklings, then you’ve been missing out on something truly special. The group’s phenomenal songs are a remarkable blend of the sounds of the British Invasion and power pop, liberally sprinkled with a hint of modern rock. They’re also a superb live band, whose must see performances always win rave reviews from fans. Now is the perfect time to check out the band and their music, as their fabulous new album, Raspberry Park, is being released this Friday, January 19, on JEM Records. Raspberry Park is something of a concept album dedicated to the band’s home base in Asbury Park, an area which features a diverse collage of musical styles, including rock, pop, soul, R&B, and punk.

  

Raspberry Park kicks off with the title tune’s brief musical introduction, which segues into the fantastic “Like We Used To Do,” an energetic track which recalls an early Beatles number infused with the harder edged sound of bands like The Kinks. That’s followed up by the sensational “Brian Jones,” a tribute to the late co-founder of The Rolling Stones, featuring tasty harmonica licks, impressive vocals, and some very groovy guitar, bass and drum work. “Etude In E,” another interlude, comes up next, followed by the group’s stupendous version of The Beatles classic “I’ve Just Seen A Face.” The Weeklings are well-known for their unique interpretations of the music of The Fab Four, and their superlative cover of this beloved tune from Rubber Soul is yet another high-water mark in the band’s repertoire.

The Weeklings’ marvelous potpourri of rock, pop and soul sounds is on display throughout Raspberry Park. The album is filled with magnificent songs, ranging from the 90s rock infused ”All the Cash in the World” and “Falling Down a Flight of Stairs,” to the New Wave-styled, punk-fueled “None of Your Business.” You’ll also dig the straight ahead rock and roll vibes of “April’s Fool” and the 1980s-esque gem “Angeline,” one of my favorite tracks on the record. Every song is imbued with the band’s passion, high energy, and top-notch musicianship, whether it’s on brief interludes like “Samson” and “Appalachian Revenge,” or the group’s truly inspired rockabilly re-vamp of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire.” Another highlight of the disc is the brilliant intertwining of the music of Buffalo Springfield and The Rolling Stones on the extraordinary “Mr. Soul Satisfaction,” which features guest vocalist Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits.

The Weeklings lineup consists of Zeek, aka Bob Burger, on lead vocals, harmonica, and guitar; Lefty aka Glen Burtnik, on bass and background vocals; Rocky, aka John Merjave, on guitar and background vocals, and Smokestack, aka Joe Bellia, on drums.The outstanding original tunes on the album were largely written by Lefty and Zeek, and several of these well-crafted songs feature a bit more of a bittersweet tone than the band has featured on previous records, which is perfectly fitting given the album’s theme as a tribute to the wide array of musical genres which abound in Asbury Park. By the time you’ve finished your visit to Raspberry Park with the group’s deeply soulful take on the Sgt. Pepper track “She’s Leaving Home,” you’ll understand why The Weeklings just keep getting better with every new release!

For more info on The Weeklings and Raspberry Park, head over to www.jemrecordings.com. For a little taste of Raspberry Park, here are links to the videos for “Brian Jones” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abAFKBANq0I and “I’ve Just Seen A Face” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGlfZ6up7NI.

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Retro Movie: Don Siegel's "Charley Varrick"

Sheree North & Walter Matthau in Charley Varrick

1970s movie screens were filled with celebrated thrillers such as The French Connection, Klute, The Parallax View, Chinatown, and Serpico, but there were a number of other excellent genre films released during this period, including The Friends of Eddie Coyle, The Outfit and Night Moves, which are just as good as those well-remembered classics. One of these under the radar gems is Don Siegel's 1973 crime drama Charley Varrick. Siegel is best known for helming hard-edged crime films like Riot in Cell Block 11, Private Hell 36, the 1964 version of The Killers, Dirty Harry, and Escape From Alcatraz. He also directed the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Walter Matthau plays the title character, Charley Varrick, a former stunt pilot and crop duster who masterminds the robbery of a small-town bank in New Mexico. Unfortunately, two members of the crew, including Charley's wife Nadine, are killed during the heist, leaving the world weary Charley and a younger man, Harman Sullivan, on the run. When Charley and Harman discover that they've gotten away with a lot more money than they expected, Charley figures out that the bank must be a drop that launders Mafia money, and that the mob will be after them to recover their cash.

Charley's theory turns out to be correct. The mob dispatches a lethal hit man named Molly to recover the money, and kill the two thieves. It's a race against time as Charley tries to stay one step ahead of both the cops and the mob, while dealing with the impatient Harman, who wants to start enjoying their unexpected windfall. Charley Varrick is a tense, well-acted thriller, featuring a terrific lead performance from Matthau, who during this period was also exercising his flair for fine dramatic work in films like The Laughing Policeman and the original version of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.

The marvelous supporting cast is chock full of faces that will be familiar to fans of 1970s cinema and TV shows, including Joe Don Baker, Sheree North, William Schallert, Woodrow Parfey, Norman Fell, John Vernon, Benson Fong, and Andy Robinson (best known as the serial killer Scorpio in director Siegel's Dirty Harry, and later as the duplicitous Garak on Star Trek; Deep Space Nine) who does a good job as Harman. In addition to the taut direction by Siegel, the film also features some fine cinematography by Michael Butler, and a cool score by Lalo Schifrin. The well-crafted screenplay was written by Dean Reisner and Howard Reese, based on the novel The Looters by John Reese.

The sharp, suspenseful Charley Varrick definitely earns its place among the pantheon of must-see (albeit lesser known by some viewers) 1970s films like Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, The Yakuza, Rolling Thunder and The Driver. If you're a fan of 1970s crime dramas with well-defined characters, a clever plot, and a touch of noir, you should definitely add Charley Varrick to your watch list. The film has been released on DVD and Blu-ray, and is also available on some streaming services. Here's a look at the trailer for the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqv1VwhWTv.