We start off with the first episode of “Big Town.”  Edward G. Robinson creates the role of Steve Wilson, the crusading, yet sometimes muckraking, editor of a big city newspaper.  There’s dark humor, drama, and plenty of melodrama.  Then Joan Davis, who would eventually star in the early television classic comedy “I Married Joan,” begins her career in radio.  She plays the proprietress of a small village store in “The Sealtest Village Store.”  She’s prone to all the difficulties an unmarried woman in radio comedy had to face, but there’s some great laughs and songs.

Episodes

Big Town

October 19, 1937

“Steve Wilson Is Shot”

3:44

The Sealtest Village Store

June 7, 1945

“Sell Bonds, Win a Screen Test”

35:05

"Free For All"

UK Airing: October 20, 1967

US Airing: June 29, 1968

The Prisoner is thrust into the politics of the Village as he runs for the position of Number Two.

John and writer Jim Beard discuss an episode that was produced second and yet aired fourth and that bothers Jim.  They discuss how the episodes actually played out on television regardless of production, how this episode is timeless in its commentary on elections, and the dig the episode takes at the Fifth Estate.  

Take a moment to comment on the episode here or by writing chronicrift@gmail.com.  One source used for this episode was The Official Prisoner Companion by Matthew White and Jaffer Ali.

 “Lux Radio Theatre” presents yet another star-studded adaptation of a cinema classic.  This time, it’s the 1950 film “All About Eve.” Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, and Gary Merrill reprise their roles from the Academy- Award-wining film originally written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

Lux Radio Theater 

October 1, 1951

“All About Eve”

2:14

"A. B. and C."

UK Airing: October 13, 1967

US Airing: June 22, 1968

Number Two has only one more chance to get the information they need from The Prisoner.  He turns to a new brain scanning technique of Number Fourteen's for help.

John and author Jim Beard discuss the direction of this episode, how it is a much smoother episode than fan favorite, "The Chimes of Big Ben" and continue their discussion of episode order in light of how this episode plays out.  Please make sure you comment here or by writing us at chronicrift@gmail.com.

Episode 57—The Immersive War of the Worlds

Science fiction writer and editor Scott Pearson’s cohost Ella Pearson recounts surviving a Martian invasion with a walkthrough of her visit to Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of the War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience. Sets, actors, and VR headsets put her into the middle of a nineteenth-century London swarming with Martian tripods! Warning: spoilers for people lucky enough to be able to attend the Immersive Experience themselves.

Segments

00:27 Intro

01:04 A Musical War of the Worlds?!

03:15 An Immersive Overview

15:25 The Invasion Begins

17:35 Looking for Carrie

19:45 Evacuating London

21:00 Captured by Martians

26:00 Going Underground

29:00 Into the Air

30:15 The End of the Martians

31:10 Surviving the Invasion

32:13 Down the Pub

33:18 Final Thoughts

We start off with another episode of “The Aldrich Family,” that domestic sitcom featuring the adventures of teen-ager Henry Aldrich.  This episode, centering on a neighborhood wedding, is several notches above the usual fare, with some particularly clever lines and funny misunderstandings – all the elements you need for a solid sitcom.  Then let’s test our collective brainpower with an episode of “Information Please.”  Are you up on famous elopements, occupations of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, and schoolteachers in fiction?

Episodes

The Aldrich Family

May 13, 1948

“Date with Helen Forbes” 

aka “Wedding Day Date with Helen Forbes”

1:47

Information Please
August 1, 1941

“Guests:  Lyman Bryson and Henry Noble McCracken”

30:18

 "The Chimes of Big Ben"

UK Airing: October 6, 1967

US Airing: June 8, 1968

One of the fan favorites, in the second episode of the series, The Prisoner has a chance to escape thanks to meeting a prisoner who a similar background to our hero.

John and author Jim Beard discuss the plot choices of this particular story, pose the questions, "Does anyone really ever leave?", and "Is the viewer as much a prisoner as The Prisoner himself?".  Please make sure you comment here or by writing us at chronicrift@gmail.com.

 Groucho Marx kicks things off with an episode of “You Bet Your Life.”  He trades barbs with a taxi driver from Vienna, and an Irish-American Texan tells how he met his wife when he ruined her cake at a St. Patrick’s Day party.  Then, on “Vic and Sade,” their teen-aged son Rush is staying up late hoping to finish off the leftovers from a neighbor’s party.  Later, both Rush and Vic have to fight the temptation to draw a mustache on a sleeping man.

Episodes

You Bet Your Life

December 6, 1950

“The Secret Word is ‘Hair’”

2:08

Vic and Sade

1940

“Too Many Faces in the Windows” 

aka “Ice Cream and Salted Peanuts at Midnight” 

“Mr. Sludge Grows a Mustache”

aka “Sleepers Beware”

31:48

"Arrival"

UK Airing: September 29, 1967

US Airing: June 1, 1968

Your Chronic Rift host, John S. Drew, is joined by author/editor Jim Beard to explore this cult limited series in the first of our limited series summer podcasts.  You know Jim from such podcasts as The Batcave Podcast, The Hornet's Sting Podcast, and right here on The Chronic Rift.  Together, as a pair of fans with some knowledge of the series between them, they will explore each episode and try to come up with their only answer to what it is we all want - information.

In the first episode, John and Jim discuss the pilot episode, the Village, and Patrick McGoohan as an actor.  Please make sure you comment here or by writing us at chronicrift@gmail.com.

 We start off this week with some clever science fiction in the form of “X Minus One.”  In this episode, some hapless humans find themselves at the mercy of an alien lifeboat bent on saving their lives no matter what.  It’s an adaptation of Robert Sheckley’s “The Lifeboat Mutiny.”  Then, on “The Jack Benny Show,” Jack obsesses about the $4.75 he lost on a horse race, and the event manifests itself in the form of a hilariously strange dream. Also, the gang sings a parody of that ballad of a fighting Irishman, “Clancy Lowered the Boom.”

Episodes

X Minus One

September 11, 1956

“The Lifeboat Mutiny”

1:46

The Jack Benny Show

May 2, 1954

“Jack Loses $4.75 at the Race Track”

31:56

It’s National Library Week, from April 19th to 25th of 2020, so we’re going to present two transcriptions, one a thriller and the other a comedy, centering on libraries.  First up, in this episode of “Suspense,” movie star Myrna Loy, who you probably know as Nora Charles in the “Thin Man” movies, is a librarian whose investigations into a vandalized copy of “Gone With the Wind” seem to point to a kidnapping.  Then on “Fibber McGee and Molly,” Fibber receives a bill for an overdue library book, which he can’t find.

Episodes

Suspense 

September 20, 1945

“Library Book”

2:13

Fibber McGee and Molly

November 21, 1939

“Overdue Library Book”

33:52

Will Rogers, Jr. was an American politician, writer, and newspaper publisher. When he wasn’t involved in politics, he was frequently found acting in movies, television, and even radio.  Tonight we present “Rogers of the Gazette,” his series where he plays a modified version of himself. Here he runs the fictional small-town newspaper, the “Illyria Weekly Gazette,” and dispenses homespun common sense and aphorism-filled advice to the betterment of his readers and fellow citizens.  Then on “Our Miss Brooks” what could possibly go wrong when one of Connie’s students whips up a new form of egg dye?

Episodes

Rogers of the Gazette

August 12, 1953

“Land Deal”

2:13

Our Miss Brooks

April 9, 1950

“Dyeing Easter Eggs”

32:21

Here’s another bonus quarantine-themed episode for you to help pass the time.  We begin with “The Adventures of Horatio Hornblower.”  Horatio Hornblower started life in a series of adventure novels written by C. S. Forester from the 1930s to the 1960s.  Hornblower is a British officer in the Royal Navy during the Age of Sail, the Napoleonic Wars of the 1800s.  That’s the same time period as Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin or “Master and Commander” series.  If you like one, you’ll like the other.  Then, on “Fibber McGee and Molly,” all the usual gang has been quarantined at the McGee residence for a week due to measles.  Let’s check in and see if everyone is still on their best behavior.

Episodes

The Adventures of Horatio Hornblower

August 18, 1952 / May 8, 1953

“Quarantined for the Plague”

2:47

Fibber McGee and Molly

March 11, 1941

“Quarantined With Measles”

24:27

“If Freedom Failed” was a radio program created by the Armed Forces Radio Service. It depicted an alternate America in the 1950s that had been taken over by Communists. Each of the 26 episodes was inspired by actual events in Communist nations, but presented filtered through the prism of American life in fictional Springfield, U.S.A. This episode centers on a museum where historical facts are being altered to suit the Party.  Then on “Duffy’s Tavern,” actor Vincent Price drops by to visit “The Ham’s Club,” a dining establishment for actors only that barkeep Archie is trying to promote.

Episodes

If Freedom Failed
Episode 1, 1951
“A Matter of Fact”
2:37

Duffy’s Tavern
January 26, 1951
“Actor’s Club at the Tavern”
34:55

Here’s a special bonus episode for everyone stuck inside and starved for entertainment -- two episodes on the theme of quarantine.  First up on “Have Gun Will Travel,” Paladin helps a Native American man whose sick cattle result in others enforcing a quarantine around his land with their rifles.  Then on “The Jack Benny Program,” Jack is sick in bed, and the gang is NOT practicing “social distancing” as they keep dropping by to visit.

Episodes

Have Gun Will Travel

February 22, 1959

“Winchester Quarantine”

1:43

“The Jack Benny Program”

March 18, 1951

“Jack Talks About His Illness the Previous Week”

26:36

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, it’s “Lux Radio Theatre” with their adaptation of the 1949 film “Top o’ the Morning.”  This tale of a singing insurance investigator – NOT Johnny Dollar – stars Dennis Day from “The Jack Benny Show.”  Academy Award-winner Barry Fitzgerald and nominee Ann Blyth reprise their roles as residents of the Emerald Isle caught up in Day’s search for the stolen Blarney Stone.

Lux Radio Theatre 

March 17, 1952

“Top o’ the Morning”

2:55

 “It Pays to Be Married” was a daytime game show aimed at housewives.  Five days a week, Jay Stewart interviewed couples from all walks of life who had faced and solved problems within their marriages. It was an inspirational, if generally light-hearted, program.  On tonight’s program, Jay interviews a Latvian war bride who had trouble adjusting to life in America.  Then Phil Harris and Alice Faye explain the marriage-centric origin of their radio show and tell the unexpectedly moving story of the birth of their first child.  Next, on “The Bob Hope Show,” Bob teams with fellow radio comedian Fred Allen.  The two bemoan television’s threat to their radio careers and decide to break into the new medium.

Episodes

It Pays to Be Married

January 27, 1954

“Guests:  Mr. and Mrs. John Scovern”

March 8, 1954

“Guests:  Phil Harris and Alice Faye”

2:31

The Bob Hope Show

February 7, 1950

“From the Vine Street Playhouse with Fred Allen”

32:30

 We start out with a very faithful adaptation of the one of the oddest short stories in American literature, Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener.” It’s the story of a Wall Street office clerk, Bartleby, whose job is to make copies of documents. Then one day, he doesn’t want to, saying simply "I would prefer not to."  Indeed, he would prefer not to do anything.  It’s an enigmatic tale presented by the “The NBC Theater.”  Then the cast of “The Danny Kaye Show” celebrates Valentine’s Day.  Danny portrays “Dan Cupid” in a sketch about the little cherub spreading love and sings one of his patented dialect songs about Russian acting coach Stanislavski.

Episodes

The NBC Theater

December 2, 1950

“Bartleby, the Scrivener”

2:52

The Danny Kaye Show

February 10, 1945

“A Valentine for Jack Benny”

32:52

During the Golden Age of Radio, there was almost no Afrocentric programming, and what little there was was comedy or music.  “New World A-Coming” broke that mold.  This series of docudramas was created by African-American journalist Roi Ottley and inspired by his Peabody-Award-winning book of the same name examining life in Harlem.  This episode takes on domestic service inequality as well as the inequality which took place in the armed forces during World War II.  Then on “You Bet Your Life,” Groucho grills two high school students about vocabulary they should know.  Next, a married couple sailing around the world recall how they met while in the Army.

Episodes

New World A-Coming

June 18, 1944

“The Mammy Legend”

3:04

You Bet Your Life

January 30, 1952

“The Secret Word is ‘Food’”

28:24

​SLXLM​​​

“The Jack Benny Show” starts the year off right, with talk of Christmas presents and Jack and the gang going to the Rose Bowl for the New Year’s Day game.  Then on “Information Please,” are you up on are you up on famous dinner parties, the first words of poems, and the specialized slang of obscure professions?  Get ready to stump the experts.

The Jack Benny Show

January 5, 1941

“Rose Bowl Game – Stanford vs. Nebraska”

2:13

Information Please

January 23, 1942

“Guests: and Alexander Wolcott and Deems Taylor”

32:20

 Episode 56—All Aboard the Hogwarts Express

Science fiction writer Scott Pearson’s cohost Ella Pearson recounts her many Harry Potter-themed adventures while living in England: visiting places where J. K. Rowling worked on the books, spotting filming locations from the movies, making two trips to the Harry Potter Set Tour, and seeing the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Segments

00:28 Intro

01:20 Rowling in Edinburgh

05:31 Digression: Doctor Who in Glasgow

06:21 Platform 9 3/4

08:40 Harry Potter Studio Tour

18:18 Interlude: A Wee Bit More o’ Scotland

18:58 Back in the Studio

35:15 Potter Nostalgia

37:25 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

We’re going to spend Christmas with “The Great Gildersleeve” and family.  Teen-aged Marjorie would rather go out on date, unexpected guests drop by, and we’re treated to Lillian Randolph as Birdie singing a Christmas spiritual.  Then Eve Arden returns as “Our Miss Brooks,” a high school English teacher who never gets a break, not even during the holidays.  In need of cash to attend a New Year’s party, she lets herself be talked in to babysitting job on the big night.

The Great Gildersleeve

December 23, 1945

“Christmas Eve at Home”

1:46

Our Miss Brooks

January 1, 1950

“Babysitting on New Year’s Eve”

32:18

What would Christmas be without Jack Benny going Christmas shopping and doing it on the cheap?  On this episode of “The Jack Benny Show,” Jack tries to decide between metal- or plastic-tipped shoe laces as a gift for Don Wilson.  Then on “Fibber McGee and Molly,” Fibber tries to make a fruitcake using an old family recipe, but his lack of skills (not to mention smarts) keeps getting in the way.

The Jack Benny Show

December 8, 1946

“Jack Buys Don Shoe Laces for Christmas”

2:06

Fibber McGee and Molly

December 16, 1947

“Aunt Sarah’s Fruitcake”

32:00

 Thanksgiving is coming for the great schnozzola and his handsome sidekick on “The Jimmy Durante and Gary Moore Show.”  We learn about Gary’s ancestor, Casanova Moore’s, efforts to invent the kiss. Then the cast gives a jazzy spin to the Miles Standish / John Alden / Priscilla Mullins love triangle.  Next up is “Duffy’s Tavern.” This is not specially a Christmas episode, but it references Christmas and centers on Archie’s plan to make a little money for the holidays.

Episodes

The Jimmy Durante and Gary Moore Show

November 22, 1946

“Thanksgiving Pilgrim Opera”

3:18

Duffy’s Tavern

December 21, 1951

“Archie to Buy a Split Atom”

32:53

Bob Bailey stars as the man with the action-packed expense account, that fabulous freelance insurance investigator, the eponymous “Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.”  Johnny finds himself in Los Angeles, where the beneficiary of murdered penny arcade operator’s insurance is an aging movie queen from the days of the silent films.  The plot’s twists and turns take Johnny from Venice Beach to skid row to a swanky movie colony beach house.  

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar 

October 29 – November 2, 1956

“The Silent Queen Matter”

2:18

 Tonight we’re going to do something unusual. I’m going to give you two versions of the same World Series-themed episode of “The Bob Hope Show.” But don’t worry; you’ll get very little repeated material. The show as aired went out on October 11, 1949. We’ll play that second.  First you’ll hear the longer, unedited rehearsal for that episode, recorded a week earlier. Some of that audio was used in the final broadcast and some of the bits were re-recorded.  You’ll hear flubs, false starts, and ad libs.

Episodes

The Bob Hope Show

October 6, 1949

“Rehearsal”

4:17

The Bob Hope Show

October 11, 1949

“Guests: Jackie Robinson & Joe Page”

41:37

We start off with “You Bet Your Life.” Groucho talks with a woman who met her husband when she fell into his drum kit, a “spinster,” and a lighthouse keeper.  Then on “Romance of the Ranchos,” we visit the islands off the coast of southern California.  If you’ve read Scott O’Dell’s “Island of the Blue Dolphins,” you may be familiar with some of the strange goings-on in these islands’ past.

Episodes

You Bet Your Life

November 30, 1949

“The Secret Word is ‘Window’”

2:48

Romance of the Ranchos

February 4, 1942

“The Island of Santa Catalina and the Channel Islands”

34:45

 We start off with “Information Please.” Are you up on the wives of King Henry VIII, children in literature, Shakespeare, and soup?  Get ready to stump the experts.  Then on “The Abbott and Costello Show,” Lou returns to his old grade school, P.S. #15 in Patterson, NJ to appear in a production of “Romeo and Juliet.”

Episodes

Information Please

May 30, 1941

“Guests:  Jan Struther and Cornelia Otis Skinner”

1:41

The Abbott and Costello Show

November 16, 1944

“Lou Visits His Grade School”

31:03

"The Rescue of Athena One"
Airdate: March 15, 1974
Written by D.C. Fontana
Directed by Lawrence Doheney

Synopsis: Steve trains Kelly Wood, the world's first female astronaut, for her first mission in space.  Their relationship proves to be fractious, but when her craft experiences a malfunction, it's up to Steve to come to the rescue.  There's one other wrinkle in all this - bionics malfunction in zero gravity.  It's up to Kelly to bring the craft back to Earth.

John is joined by artist Jerry Lange and longtime fan Cathleen ONeiil to discuss this eighth episode of the series.  They discuss the fashion choice of including a painted flower on a spacesuit boot, the level of detail that went into the making of this episode, and how the song, "Midnight Train to Georgia" was about Lee and Farrah.  Plus, we get to the bottom of the Kelly Wood/Woods confusion, Jerry shares his photo from the Six Million Dollar Man fan club and Cathleen shares photos of her extensive collection, and we play a "Space" themed game of This or That.

First up, it’s “The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe” with Sidney Greenstreet as the rotund, yet brilliant private investigator.  Hard to believe it, but Wolfe actually leaves his brownstone mansion to do a little detecting.  Then we return to England as the bumbling government officials of “The Men from the Ministry” investigate a phantom train in a country village.

Episodes

 The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe

March 16, 1951

“The Case of the Midnight Ride”

1:50

The Men from the Ministry

August 29, 1965

“Train of Events”

31:00

"ALIAS, THE SCARF"

AIRED: FEBRUARY 24, 1967

The Hornet takes on a killer from the past come back to life.  In another unusual story that didn't fall under the Hornet's usual MO of operations, we're given the series first true rogue.  Does The Scarf live up to the potential the story sets up?  How does he compare with other figures who appear from the past in series such as The Flash and Batman: The Animated Series?  What is it with Casey that her use in the series is so uneven? And what gets Jim and John all excited about Kato in this episode?

The Green Hornet: A History of Radio, Motion Pictures, Comics and Television by Martin Grams and Terry Salomonson is a reference work we're consulting as we move through the series.  Pick up your copy by clicking on the link and getting it today.

Take a listen and then let us know what you think of the episode by writing us here or at thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

 First up it’s “X Minus One” with one of their most intellectual episodes:  “Appointment in Tomorrow,” which asks what role public perception plays in science.  Then Bob Bailey stars private problem-solver George Valentine in “Let George Do It.”  It’s up to George to find some missing currency paper before it’s used by a counterfeiting ring.  The economy of a nation is at stake.

Episodes

X Minus One

November 7, 1956

“Appointment in Tomorrow”

2:19

Let George Do It

August 2, 1948

“The Money Maker”

30:55

We start this week with “The Bob Hope Show.”  Bob is in England.  He teams up with legendary British music hall and screen comedian Jerry Desmond for jokes about the National Health Service and a sketch about Bob’s school days.  Then Orson Welles stars as “The Shadow,” that mysterious righter of wrongs with the power to cloud men’s minds.  Who know what evil lurks in the hearts of men? He does.

Episodes

The Bob Hope Show

June 5, 1951

“With Jerry Desmond from London”

2:55

The Shadow

December 12, 1937

“The Death Triangle”

28:47

"The Nine Lives of Batman" & "Long John Joker"

Aired October 5, 1968

The Catwoman makes her debut in the animated 68 series and there's a lot to like, a lot to dislike, and a lot to simply appreciate.  In the story, Catwoman traps the Dynamic Duo in a series of traps that appears to ultimately lead to her desire to learn Batman's identity.  And then it just gets more complicated.  Plus, there's also a Joker story that could have come right out of the third season, complete with Batgirl!

​In addition, John and Dan Greenfield, creator and author of the 13th Dimension discuss how the 66 series brought Catwoman back to prominence and how her appearance in the 68 series is a mix of good and bad.   Plus, they look at the lyrics to the Batman Superman Hour theme song.

​Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

Isis

"Scuba Duba"

December 6, 1975

Steve is a member of Rick's scuba diving club, but he's not one to listen to rules.  In doing so, he risks his life and it's up to Isis to save him.

We conclude our reviews of the DC Comics 1970s run of The Mighty Isis, with a look at a story that appears to set things back to normal.

Andrea has returned to school with Rick and is teaching once again, but there are new wrinkles that affect the storyline and will not be resolved.

Plus, we announce the winners of our Isis comic giveaway.

Next, it's a look at the episode, "Scuba Duba".  Among the topics discussed are the appearance of manta rays in a lake, the underwater photography of the episode and how the fashions of this episode may have influenced That 70s Show.

It's all here and we want to hear from you on what you think of the episode.  Write us as ShazamIsisPodcast@gmail.com.

Moral: "We've all heard the expression, safety first.  But sometimes we forget just how important that saying is.  Safety first means nothing is more important than that you think before you act.  So, don't take a chance - think safety and act safely."

​

Guest Cast

Eileen Chesis as Nancy

Brian Byers as Steve

 Tonight we present two quiz shows recorded a little over a decade apart, but featuring the same contestant.  In the 1940s young Margaret Merrick was a frequent panelist on “The Quiz Kids,” where it was no secret that she had had polio.  Before we had the term, she was a “poster child” for what was then called “infantile paralysis.”  Margaret then appears with her husband on Groucho Marx’s “You Bet Your Life,” where she talks about her youth and the couple tackle questions about numbers in everyday life.

Though polio has nearly been eradicated worldwide, The March of Dimes still exists.  It’s currently dedicated to preventing premature birth and birth defects.  You can donate here.

Episodes

The Quiz Kids

January 24, 1943

“Would You Be Pleased If Varicella Paid You A Visit?”

3:26

You Bet Your Life

October 21, 1953

“The Secret Word is ‘Name’”

33:12

"The Baffles Puzzle"

Aired: September 15, 1973

At first, it seems to Batman like a simple matter for the police when all the encyclopedias disappear from the library.  But when Colonel Wilcox of the Secret Department of Investigation contacts the Super Friends to prevent the stealing of French lithographs, things get serious as the scent of almonds connects the two events.  It's a race then to stop the theft of $5 million while dealing with a series of threats and trying to located the missing Junior Super Friends.

John is joined by 13th Dimension webmaster Dan Greenfield to discuss this episode that sounds like it has more going for it than the pervious one.  At least, it seems that way to John.  There are many firsts for the series here, including the appearance of Clark Kent, Kryptonite, and Colonel Wilcox.  In addition, John and Dan discuss the animation choices of the episode, Wonder Woman's powers, and the cast taking on other voices.

Dan Greenfield is the editor and co-creator of 13thDimension.com, a website devoted primarily to comics and pop culture, past and present. To him, the basic food groups are Batman, Planet of the Apes, Star Trek (the Original Series), James Bond, the Beatles and the Stones. But if he had to he'd be able to subsist on Batman alone. Channel 11 in New York was his favorite syndicated channel as a kid -- you can guess why -- followed closely by Channel 5. Channel 9 didn't really enter into it unless he was home sick and there wasn't much else on. He's married to his remarkably patient wife Wendy and his best sidekick is his son, Sam. They have two cats, Lex and Zod.

Links

13th Dimension Website

Facebook page

Twitter

"Eyewitness to Murder"
Airdate: March 8, 1974
Written by William Driskill
Directed by Alf Kjellen

Synopsis: Steve witnesses the murder of a lead prosecutor's aid, but he cannot testify to it as he saw it at night with his bionic eye.  At first, Oscar wants to let it go until the Secretary calls him and Steve in to protect the lead prosecutor as they prepare their case against a major mobster.  But Steve has one thing on his mind - find the killer and prove his guilt.

John is joined by artist Jerry Lange and longtime fan Kevin Durkee to discuss this sixth episode of the series.  They discuss figuring out which of the twin assassins is which, Oscar's background, and the running scenes in this episode.  Plus, Jerry shares his original shooting scripts and we play a "With a Twist" themed game of This or That.

It's the return of the podcast as a Facebook Live show.  Join us Friday nights at 9:30EST as we discuss an episode of THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN's first season with two fans as well as featuring commentary from our viewers.  This audio will be available shortly after in the OSI Files feed.

BIONIC OPERATIVES

Kevin Durkee -

Bio: Most of the time: Water Treatment for Heat Transfer Specialist

Some of the time: Michigan Air National Guard

Hobbies include: Antique Stores, Collecting way too many vinyl records, View Masters with reels. Running 5k's with my wife.

Throwback TV favorites: Six Million Dollar Man, Bionic Women, Twilight Zone, Batman, X-Files, Battlestar Galactica and many more.

Current TV favorites: Westworld, Man in the High Castle, The Walking Dead, Lost In Space.

Jerry Lange - Based in Buffalo, New York. My personal and client works are created using traditional media including pencil, ink and watercolor and digital software Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign. I try to bring a dramatic visual narrative to my work through a mix of loose and tight media application and mark making technique. Website

"TROUBLE FOR PRINCE CHARMING"

AIRED: FEBRUARY 17, 1967

The Hornet gets involved in international affairs when a visiting prince and his fiancé are targets of a coup.  There is a great deal of potential in the idea of this story, but the limited time of the individual episode doesn't allow for it.  In addition, Jim and John question if the motivation for the Hornet's involvement is practical with the way the series is set up.  

​

The Green Hornet: A History of Radio, Motion Pictures, Comics and Television by Martin Grams and Terry Salomonson is a reference work we're consulting as we move through the series.  Pick up your copy by clicking on the link and getting it today.

Take a listen and then let us know what you think of the episode by writing us here or at thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

"The Cool, Cruel Mr. Freeze" & "The Joke's on Robin"

Aired September 21, 1968

We continue our look at the 1968 Filmation series with a review of a pair of stories.  First, we look at the premiere of Mr. Freeze on the cartoon as he plans to bring Gotham City to its knees with a frosty gamble that not only threatens the city, but the Wayne fortune as well.  Next, Robin is thinking he's losing his touch but we quickly learn, "The Joke's on Robin" thanks to the Joker.

In addition, John and Dan Greenfield, creator and author of the 13th Dimension website discuss the theme song and Ted Knight's contributions to the show and beyond.

Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

A few weeks back, we presented the radio drama version of the classic film, “Sunset Boulevard.”  Tonight, “The Jack Benny Program” is going to render (in the best sense of the word) its version.  Mary is out sick, but her real-life sister, Babe, is on hand to play the Gloria Swanson role.  Then we present three episodes of the little-known Basil Rathbone series, “Word Detective.”  These three-minute investigations into word origins were really just ads for the Underwood typewriter company, but they are informative and entertaining nonetheless.

Episodes

The Jack Benny Program

March 25, 1951

“Sunset Boulevard”

2:33

Word Detective

November 2, 1959

“Tangerine”

November 5, 1959

“Melba Toast”

November 6, 1959

“Stoic”

32:34

Episode 55—Rim of the World

Science fiction writer Scott Pearson and cohost Ella Pearson interview Zack Stentz, screenwriter and producer of the Netflix film Rim of the World, which follows the adventures of four teenagers caught in the middle of an alien invasion while at summer camp. After the interview, Ella and Scott review the film.

Segments

Intro :28

The Interview

The Synopsis 1:30

Eighties Nostalgia and Inspirations 2:43

A Contemporary Teen Adventure 4:10

Rim of the World Highway 4:43

Kids of Diversity 5:30

Greenlit on the Fast Track 7:17

Multitasking Movies and TV 8:04

Writer on the Set 8:58

Stories from Location 10:02

Working with McG 11:10

Big Trouble in Little China 13:54

Booster Gold 14:35

Lore 16:35

Thor 17:32

The Sarah Connor Chronicles 20:40

Terminator and Picard Trailers 21:33

Trek Fans Since Walking 22:18

X-Files Worries 23:00

Old-School TV vs. Streaming 23:45

The Twilight Zone 26:20

Tin Tin 27:14

Netflix, Streaming, and the Future 28:13

The Review

Here There Be Spoilers 32:56

Ella Wants More 33:56

ZhenZhen and 13-Year-Old Ella 34:54

A Contemporary Teen Adventure Redux 35:46

The Young Actors 37:40

The Classic Summer Camp 38:09

The Classic Alien Invasion 39:45

The Classic Three-Stooges Slap 40:40

Easter Eggs and Callbacks 41:07

Action and Character Moments 45:32

The Mystery of ZhenZhen 46:20

Back to the Invasion 48:00

The Kids and the Grown-Ups 49:08

The Man in the Jail 49:34

Seventy Miles to Go 51:15

The Joy of Bicycling 51:58

Ella Wants the Theatrical Release 53:26

Final Comments 54:25

This week, we have two programs we’ve never presented before.  Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall had their own adventure radio series in the 1950s, “Bold Venture.”  It was part “Casablanca” and part “African Queen.”  Bogie plays the proprietor of a Havana hotel frequented by conmen, gamblers, and treasure hunters, and every week brought the couple adventure and excitement.  Next, it’s America’s favorite bow-tie-wearing redhead, “Archie Andrews.”  Light on the adventure, but high on the domestic comedy and teen-aged shenanigans, here Archie finds the simple act of getting dressed for a date to be quite a challenge.

Episodes

Bold Venture

April 23, 1951

“Spanish Gold”

02:47

Archie Andrews

July 10, 1948

“Archie Gets Dressed for a Date”

30:27

 “Sunset Boulevard” is justifiably regarded as one of the finest films ever made.  The tale of faded silent-era film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), desperate to make a comeback, and the screenwriter she dragoons into working for her (William Holden) has been a favorite with critics and viewers since its premiere in 1950.  Although the film noir classic loses its striking visuals in this radio adaptation, the fact that it sticks so closely to the original dialog and has

Swanson and Holden reprise their Academy Award-nominated roles makes listening to this “Lux Radio Theater” production the next best thing to watching the film.

Episode

The Lux Radio Theater

September 17, 1951

“Sunset Boulevard”

2:06

Episode 54—Hidden in the Shadows

Science fiction writer Scott Pearson and cohost Ella Pearson interview Jaine Fenn, winner of the British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Short Fiction in 2016. Jaine tells us about her geek origins, how she got into writing, and her stories and books, including her new novel Broken Shadow, the second of her two-part Shadowlands series.

Segments

Intro :28

Life in Devonshire 1:29

Getting Geeky on the Telly 2:14

Finding Tie-In Fiction 4:10

A Storyteller’s Beginnings 7:25

Discovering Le Guin 8:35

The Linguistic Astronomer 10:20

Sidebar: Tolkien’s Granddaughter 10:44

Geeks at University 11:31

Linguistics in Writing 11:59

Astronomy and Maths 13:08

Generations Geek and Tolkien 14:26

Genre Writing as a Career 15:18

Role-Playing Games 17:43

Learning and Teaching Writing 19:00

Short Stories 19:39

Beginning Novels 21:29

The Hidden Empire Series 22:37

The Shadowlands Duology 25:19

Worldbuilding the Shadowlands 29:14

Language in the Shadowlands 33:48

Patriarchy and Class in Hidden Sun 38:57

The Ending of Hidden Sun 41:16

Sidebar: Living in the Past 42:00

Broken Shadow 48:45

Making the Reader Work 49:36

Playing Text Games 50:59

Writers and Synchronicity 51:56

What’s Next…Can’t Say 53:05

Star Trek: Discovery 53:57

Current Reading and Viewing:

The Corporation Wars 56:55

The Kingdoms of Elfin 57:27

The Good Place 58:40

The Expanse 59:55

Language in the Expanse and Sci-Fi 1:02:20

Star Trek, Canon, and Other Sci-Fi Shows 1:04:13

Among other topics, “Information Please” asks about measures of length in common metaphorical phrases, “Huckleberry Finn,” and then-recent current events of 1939.  Next we present for the first time, “The Jimmy Durante Show.”  Jimmy is interested in politics, so he travels around the nation celebrating the 50 states and trying to get his show business friends to pledge their votes.

Episodes

 Information Please

July 11, 1939

“Guest: Elliott Roosevelt”

01:44

The Jimmy Durante Show

April 21, 1948

“Jimmy Solicits The Show Biz Vote” aka “Guests:  Lou Clayton and Eddie Jackson”

33:43

 On “X Minus One” big-game hunters go after the biggest of game:  dinosaurs.  It’s time-travelers vs their prehistoric trophies in “A Gun for Dinosaur.”  Then on “The Great Gildersleeve,” Gildy helps out with the neighborhood women’s Red Cross committee.  What could possibly go wrong?

X Minus One

March 7, 1956

“A Gun for Dinosaur”

02:13

The Great Gildersleeve

March 11, 1945

“Chairman of Women’s Committee”

33:27

Episode 53—Return to Ragnarok

Science fiction writer Scott Pearson and cohost Ella Pearson rescue a lost episode! First begun in the wee hours after the premiere of Thor: Ragnarok, after catching up on sleep they somehow never got back to wrapping up the recording. Now they finally return to Ragnarok to add final thoughts after having watched it many times.

Segments

Intro :28

First Thoughts 1:13

Cameos in the Play 11:57

Let’s Talk About Loki 12:45

Just Goldblum It 14:43

Digression: Kiwi vs. Aussie Accent 15:05

Let’s Talk About Valkyrie 15:45

Digression: Eye Lines, Film Class, and Holtzmann 17:53

Back to the Valkyrie and Fan Fiction 20:02

Taika and Indigenous Peoples 24:27

Maori Humor 26:43

The Hulk 29:04

Trailers versus Spoilers 29:37

Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye 33:27

Hela, aka Bad Galadriel 35:44

Gods and Mythology 36:42

Sibling Tropes 37:36

Suppressed History 38:44

The Warriors Three and Sif 39:40

Where Are the Women of the MCU 41:32

Comic Book Costumes 44:46

The Elevator Scene 47:37

Last Battle and Redemptions 48:50

Favorite Characters in the MCU 49:58

Favorite Bits 51:19

Loki and Thor and Odin 53:19

Loki and Doctor Strange 57:29

Chris and Taika 60:32

Banner Still Banner 62:07

What Happens Next in the MCU 62:44

Digression: Ella Dunks on Comic Books 68:32

Back to the Infinity Stones 70:21

Epilogue: Return to Ragnarok 71:05

For the 100th episode of “Presenting the Transcription Feature,” we present two of the best programs from the radio’s golden age:  “Dragnet” and “The Jack Benny Program.”  First up, detectives Friday and Romero track a hold-up man all around town, using brains and patience while ducking bullets and punches.  Then Jack and the cast have lunch at a drug store, providing plenty of opportunities for cheapness, mispronunciations, and a visit from entertainment legend Eddie Cantor.

Dragnet

December 14, 1950

“The Big Break”

02:53

The Jack Benny Program

May 8, 1949

“Jack is Upset with the Cast”

33:20

Isis

"Girl Driver"

November 29, 1975

​​Freddie is running for president of the Auto Club, but faces strong opposition from Mack.  The two agree to a Relay Race to settle who would make a better president, but Mack has plans of his own on how the race should be run and won.

We continue our reviews of the DC Comics 1970s run of The Mighty Isis, looking at the penultimate issue, a story that really takes the series in a new direction, both story and character-wise.  

Next, it's a look at the episode, "Girl Driver".  Among the topics discussed are the progression of Cindy Lee as a character from the start of the series to now, why a general election wasn't held to determine who would be president of the club, Sid and Marty Kroft versus Filmation live action shows, and the new outfits everyone gets to wear in this episode.

It's all here and we want to hear from you on what you think of the episode.  Write us as ShazamIsisPodcast@gmail.com.

Moral: "In today's story, Mac learned that Freddie can drive just as well as he can, even though she is a girl. Not too many years ago, there were a lot of jobs that people thought were just for men.  But times are changing, and today there are no jobs that are not open to qualified people, whether they be men or women. Each of us should have the chance to do whatever we dream, be it mechanic, astronaut, or President of the United States."

​

Guest Cast

Susan Lawrence as Feddie Charlton

Steve Doubet as Mac Lennard

and

Albert Reed as Doctor Barnes

"The Power Pirate"

Aired: September 8, 1973

The premiere of The World's Greatest Super Friends Podcast debuts with a look at the very first episode from 1973.  Strange power drains have the Super Friends gathered to investigate and help in rescue caused by the power failures.  What is causing it and how does Sir Cedric Cedric of Scotland Yard fit into all of this?

John is joined by 13th Dimension webmaster Dan Greenfield to discuss each and every episode of The Super Friends from 1973 to its conclusion in 1985 (strangely enough 93 episodes in total).  In the premiere podcast, the two discuss the voice actors involved in the show, the tonal shift of Olan Soule and Casey Kasum in playing Batman and Robin compared to their run on Filmation's 68 Batman show, and the iconic theme song that still gets the heart racing with it plays.

Dan Greenfield is the editor and co-creator of 13thDimension.com, a website devoted primarily to comics and pop culture, past and present. To him, the basic food groups are Batman, Planet of the Apes, Star Trek (the Original Series), James Bond, the Beatles and the Stones. But if he had to he'd be able to subsist on Batman alone. Channel 11 in New York was his favorite syndicated channel as a kid -- you can guess why -- followed closely by Channel 5. Channel 9 didn't really enter into it unless he was home sick and there wasn't much else on. He's married to his remarkably patient wife Wendy and his best sidekick is his son, Sam. They have two cats,Lex and Zod.

Links

13th Dimension Website

Facebook page

Twitter

After World War II, there was a severe housing shortage that criminals took advantage of.  In this episode of “Boston Blackie,” our hero tries to right that wrong.  Then on “Vic and Sade,” first young Rush wants to invest in a lifetime pass to the movies, then Vic is delighted to learn that his face will be on the cover of his industry magazine.

Episodes

Boston Blackie

September 17, 1946

“The Apartment Swindler”

1:47

Vic and Sade

December 17, 1940

“A Bijou Lifetime Pass”

May 2, 1941

“Vic’s Picture on Quarterly Cover”

30:13

It’s the battle of the sexes on “The College Quiz Bowl,” with women’s college Mt Holyoke vs. then-men’s college Colgate (Colgate went co ed in 1970).  How well do you know your famous men nicknamed “Fox,” Greek myths, and British poets?  Then on “Our Miss Brooks,” Connie has to work hard to get her beau, Mr. Boynton, to ask her out for Valentine’s Day dinner.

Episodes

The College Quiz Bowl

November 9, 1955

“Mt Holyoke vs. Colgate”

01:44

Our Miss Brooks

February 19, 1950

“Valentine’s Day Date”

26:02

Episode 52—Into the Trek Zone

Science fiction writer Scott Pearson welcomes back fellow sci-fi scribe William Leisner for the second part of his interview to chat about his books, including his original works, Star Trek stories and novels, upcoming projects, and other geeky things. Plus, Ella checks in with an update from across the pond in London, including her visit to Sherwood Forest!

Segments

Intro :28

Geek Roots: Star Trek 1:10

Other Sci-Fi 3:25

Birth of a Comic Strip Writer 4:51

Birth of a TV Writer 6:04

Trying to Break into Hollywood from New York 8:25

Pitching Star Trek Spec Scripts 9:17

Fan Fiction and Strange New Worlds 14:15

Called Up to the Show 18:05

Corps of Engineers: Out of the Cocoon 18:50

Slings and Arrows: The Insolence of Office 21:05

Myriad Universes: A Less Perfect Union 23:40

Losing the Peace 24:50

Shocks of Adversity 25:55

Favorites and Dream Trek Projects 26:40

Original Projects: A Dimension of Death 30:28

Self-Publishing 33:54

The ReDeus Series from Crazy 8 Press 34:54

A Return to the Ur-Bar 39:03

Period Pieces 41:30

So, You’re a Writer! 42:30

Current Projects 45:10

Contracts, Deadlines, and the Writing Game 47:10

Closing Comments 50:46

Ella Skypes in from London:

Hitchcock Films 52:00

Sherwood Forest 56:32

The Nottingham Caves 1:03:12

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem Pub 1:05:45

Notting Hill 1:07:45

Elizabeth 1:12:05

Star Trek: Discovery Season Premiere 1:13:38

Discoverage and Short Treks 1:16:40

Generations Geek in London 1:18:02

Let's start the new year with an episode of “Information Please.”  It's 1939, and we're still in the middle of the Great Depression.  Do you know your “Gulliver’s Travels,” love songs, and baseball pennant-winners?  Then we’ll return to Wistful Vista for another visit with “Fibber McGee and Molly.”  It’s a new year for them as well, and they’re planning to host a sleigh ride.

Episodes 

Information Please

April 18, 1939

"Guest:  H. V. Kaltenborn"

1:43

Fibber McGee and Molly

January 11, 1949

“Organizing a Sleigh Ride”

30:26

"Little Orphan Airplane"
Airdate: February 22, 2018
Written by Elroy Schwartz
Directed by Reza Badiyi

Synopsis: Steve travels into a war torn African country to retrieve spy film.  But he discovers that he is bringing back more as the pilot who took the pictures is alive and being kept safe by two missionary nuns.

John is joined by artist and longtime fan Jerry Lange and Geek Radio Daily's Billy Flynn to discuss this fifth episode of the series.  They discuss the great dialogue used in this episode, the enthusiasm in Greg Morris' performance, and how this should have been the pilot episode for the show.  Plus, Jerry shares his Discovision disks and explains how this was the only home video release of either show for some time in the 80s and we play a Guest Starring themed game of This or That.

It's the return of the podcast as a Facebook Live show.  Join us Friday nights at 9:30EST as we discuss an episode of THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN's first season with two fans as well as featuring commentary from our viewers.  This audio will be available shortly after in the OSI Files feed.

BIONIC OPERATIVES

Billy Flynn - The Wonderful Billy Flynn brings the funny each week on Geek Radio Daily! His daytime alter ego is mild-mannered (well, that part is a stretch) radio station personality at WLEE in Virginia.   He actually gets paid to sit on his butt and run his mouth! His “edumacation” is from UNC-Wilmington, the Columbia School of Broadcasting, and University of Phoenix. When he is not gracing the podcasting airways with his comedic stylings, you can find Billy Flynn on Xbox Live (flynn71), rockin’ out on Guitar Hero or Rock Band, watching movies, reading comics, working out, or posting on the forums at geekradiodaily.com (ding!).

Jerry Lange - Based in Buffalo, New York. My personal and client works are created using traditional media including pencil, ink and watercolor and digital software Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign. I try to bring a dramatic visual narrative to my work through a mix of loose and tight media application and mark making technique. Website

We transition from Christmas to New Year’s in this episode.  First Sherlock Holmes spends the season investigating the mystery of The Blue Carbuncle on “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.”  Who stole the valuable gem and how did it end up in a Christmas goose?  This incarnation of the Great Detective stars two of the finest actors of the 20th Century:  Sir John Gielgud as Holmes and Sir Ralph Richardson as Watson.  Then on “The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show,” Phil is trying to help his pal Elliott with a New Year’s Eve party.  Nothing could possibly go wrong, right? 

March 13, 1955

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

“The Blue Carbuncle”

3:14

December 28, 1952

The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show

“New Year's Eve Party At The Harrises”

30:39

 Episode 51—An American Geek in London

Science fiction writer Scott Pearson welcomes his cohost Ella back for an entire show as she Skypes in from London with super geeky Middle-earth and Star Trek adventures, including an interview with Mo, aka @soundofcosplay, an Austrian Trek fan whose Paul Stamets cosplay has taken Twitter by storm, attracting the admiration of the cast of Star Trek: Discovery, especially Anthony “Stamets” Rapp! Epic double-length episode!

Segments

Intro :28

Tolkien Art Exhibit 1:05

Art! Doodles! Name Changing! 2:35

Good Guys and Bad Guys 3:20

Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth 4:09

Paper Scavenging 5:35

Spanish versus Elvish 7:16

So Much Good Stuff 7:56

The Hobbit Dustjacket 10:42

What’s a Hobbit? 11:35

Harry Potter Locations 12:05

Destination Star Trek Birmingham 13:20

The Oversleepening 14:53

The Press Conference 17:30

The Young American 20:30

Interviewing Garak and Rom 21:32

Opening Ceremonies: The Shat 25:30

Anthony, Wilson, and Ken, Oh My 27:50

Minnesota Baby 31:04

Lobbying with the Actors 31:49

The Siddig High-Five Incident 33:50

Trekkin’ with Eighties Music 35:03

Bertha the Caravan 35:39

The Last-Minute Con 36:20

Saturday is Panel Day 37:10

James Swallow 39:05

Con Food 41:15

Red Carpet Premiere 44:50

What We Left Behind 46:30

On Being a Young Fan 47:10

Terry Farrell Leaves DS9 50:43

Ira Steven Behr 51:05

Season 8 Episode 1 51:44

Watch the End Credits 52:30

"BAD BET ON A 459 -- SILENT"

AIRED: FEBRUARY 10, 1967

The Hornet is shot when he stumbles on two crooked cops helping themselves to the leftovers from a robbery.  How can he get medical help when every cop in the city is looking for him?    Jim and John find this story fascinating as it puts the Hornet and Kato immediately into the action, gives Kato extra screen time, and features a scene that the recent Green Hornet movie would use as well.​

The Green Hornet: A History of Radio, Motion Pictures, Comics and Television by Martin Grams and Terry Salomonson is a reference work we're consulting as we move through the series.  Pick up your copy by clicking on the link and getting it today.

Take a listen and then let us know what you think of the episode by writing us here or at thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

"My Crime is Your Crime" & "A Bird Out of Hand"

Aired September 14, 1968

We take a look at the 1969 Filmation series that shows the influences of the 66 series on its film cells.  In the first episode of the series, we discuss "My Crime is Your Crime" in which the Joker and Penguin team up to confound Batman by switching their M.O. in order to commit their crimes.  Next is "A Bird Out of Hand" as the Penguin goes straight, but it's clearly a ruse.

Joining John to discuss this episode, the voice actors, and memories of watching the Filmation series on New York television is Dan Greenfield, creator and author of the 13th Dimension website.

Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

Dan Greenfield is the editor and co-creator of 13thDimension.com, a website devoted primarily to comics and pop culture, past and present. To him, the basic food groups are Batman, Planet of the Apes, Star Trek (the Original Series), James Bond, the Beatles and the Stones. But if he had to he'd be able to subsist on Batman alone. Channel 11 in New York was his favorite syndicated channel as a kid -- you can guess why -- followed closely by Channel 5. Channel 9 didn't really enter into it unless he was home sick and there wasn't much else on. He's married to his remarkably patient wife Wendy and his best sidekick is his son, Sam. They have two cats,Lex and Zod.

Links

13th Dimension Website

Facebook page

Twitter

Isis

"Funny Gal"

November 22, 1975
 

Carrie has low self-esteem due to her weight.  It causes her to save people the time and trouble of putting her down by being self-deprecating.  Her friends convince her to run for Student Body President as they think she would be very good at it as a creative individual.  But she thinks the only way she can win is if she can pull off a publicity stunt that will get her noticed.  So she steals Rick Mason's boat and gets herself stranded out in the ocean as a storm approaches.  It's more than Isis can manage so she calls upon the aid of Captain Marvel.

Before getting into this week's review, John and Richard discuss the sixth issue of the DC Comics 1970s The Mighty Isis comic run.  This is the issue John remembers from his youth as it's the only issue he owned.  They break down the continuing change in the character of Isis and the very provocative cover on the issue.

 Next, it's a look at the episode, "Funny Gal".  Among the topics discussed are the question of the moral really matching the story, the appearance of Captain Marvel in this episode and how Jackson Bostwick might have played it, and the appreciation of practical stunts being performed in this episode that harkens back to the first season of Shazam!.

It's all here and we want to hear from you on what you think of the episode.  Write us as ShazamIsisPodcast@gmail.com.

Moral: "You have to like and respect yourself.  Each of us have many things we can be proud of.  Things we can do as well, maybe even better than anyone else.  So don’t put yourself down.  Being popular means caring about other people and yourself."

​

Guest Cast

Sandra Vacey as Carrie Anson

Jonas Agee as Greg Aley

and special guest star

John Davey as Captain Marvel

We start off the Christmas season with two comedies.  First, on “The Bob Hope Show,” Bob visits Blondie and Dagwood Bumstead from the comic strip “Blondie” on Christmas Eve and then stumbles upon a haunted house. “The Bing Crosby Show” features Bing premiering “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” and kidding around with his good friend Louis Armstrong.

Episodes

The Bob Hope Show

December 20, 1938

“Christmas”

2:59

The Bing Crosby Show

November 28, 1951

"Guests:  Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald"

34:48

In celebration of Thanksgiving, we start off with the Pilgrims leaving England on “You Are There.”  Various economic and religious refugees are about to set sail for New England aboard the “Mayflower.”  Then on “Fibber McGee and Molly,” the couple are hard at work preparing all the fixings for the big day.

EPISODES

You Are There

December 21, 1947

“The Sailing of the Mayflower”

2:43

Fibber McGee and Molly

November 25, 1935

“Buying Vegetables At A Roadside Stand”

32:26

Science fiction writer Scott Pearson welcomes fellow sci-fi writer and Twin Cities resident William Leisner to the show to review the Neil Armstrong biopic First Man and see how it stacks up against The Right Stuff and Apollo 13. Plus, Ella Skypes in from London to talk about the season premiere of Doctor Who.

Segments

Intro :28

First Thoughts on First Man 1:08

The Introverted Astronaut 2:05

The Pain He Carried 3:55

But He’s Neil Freaking Armstrong 7:00

The Right Stuff: Some Thoughts 9:15

What’s with Chuck Yeager? 14:25

The Wrong Attempts at Humor 17:15

The Right Iconic Scenes 19:15

Space Program Movie Overlaps 20:35

Apollo 1 in the Movies 22:10

Apollo 13: Some Thoughts 25:44 

Classic Space Hardware 28:00

First Man: No Rah-Rah 30:10

Flag on the Moon 34:00

Bracelet on the Moon? 35:50

A Quiet Return to Earth 42:42

Grading the Movies 45:20

Doctor Who Premiere with Ella 56:50

 We start off with Groucho Marx hosting the funniest game show of all time, “You Bet Your Life.” A movie location scout talks about how parts of Los Angeles are more like Italy than Italy itself, and a married man with the last name of Bachelor stirs up laughs.  Then on “The Great Gildersleeve,” it’s the middle of World War II, and Gildy is worried about saboteurs on the Home Front.

Episodes

You Bet Your Life

April 18, 1951

“The Secret Word is ‘Light’”

1:38

The Great Gildersleeve

January 24, 1943

"Sabotage"

31:21

We celebrate All Hallows Eve with a couple of Halloween-related episodes.  First, on “The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe,” the rotund P.I., famous for almost never leaving the comfort of his house, does so to obtain some orchids and ends up in a spooky old house high on a hill.  Then on “The Jack Benny Show,” Jack throws a Halloween party.  His silk tights fail to remind anyone of Romeo.  Meanwhile, Rochester’s efforts to spike the punch are continually thwarted.

Episodes

The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe

January 26, 1951

“The Phantom Fingers”

1:46

The Jack Benny Show

October 29, 1939

“Masquerade Party”

31:54

Orson Welles revived the character of Harry Lime (who dies at the end of the film “The Third Man”) in the radio series “The Lives of Harry Lime.”  In the radio show, Harry is a ne’er do well con man, as opposed to a cold-blooded killer.  In tonight’s episode, he’s conning some young lovelies with a fake painting.  Then, Lucille Ball stars as Liz Cooper, the proto-Lucy Ricardo, on “My Favorite Husband.”  In classic Liz / Lucy style, a simple request to some neighbors balloons into a classic fiasco.

The Lives of Harry Lime

October 29 1952

“Art is Long and Lime is Fleeting”

2:52

My Favorite Husband

June 27, 1949

“The Television Suit”

34:14

“Candy Matson” was one of the few solo female private eyes of radio’s Golden Age.  Based in San Francisco, she may look like a pinup and have the most sultry voice on the airwaves, but she’s smart, tough, and fast-talking.  In this episode a Hollywood movie company is filming near her apartment, and it’s not long before a corpse turns up.  Then it’s time to visit “Duffy’s Tavern.”  It may not be the place where everybody knows your name, but close enough.  Manager / bartender Archie falls for a get-rich-quick scheme to patent electricity.  It’s a little-known fact (so to speak) that Benjamin Franklin meant to, but accidentally patented the kite instead.

Episodes

Candy Matson

August 29, 1950

“The Movie Company”

3:56

Duffy’s Tavern

February 23, 1949

“Archie Wants to Patent Electricity”

36:24

Episode 49—Old World, New Vampires

Science fiction writer Scott Pearson continues his chat with urban fantasy author Melissa F. Olson, discussing her various novel series in part two of a two-part interview. Then his daughter Ella pops in to chat about her summer con adventures.

Segments

Intro :28

Geek Beginnings 1:22

Discovering Urban Fantasy 2:25

Novel Beginnings 5:50

Scarlett Bernard’s First Trilogy 6:39

Allison “Lex” Luther’s Trilogy 9:20

Scarlett and Lex and the Old World Series 11:00

Nightshades: The TV Pilot? 12:15

Vampires: Supernatural vs. Scientific 14:05

Nightshades: The Novella 18:28

The World of the Nightshades Trilogy 20:35

The Unusual Birth of Nightshades 27:45

Bram Stoker’s Dracula 33:33

Ella at CONvergence with Melinda Snodgrass 39:44

Shout Out to “Enterprising Individuals” 43:50

Sitting in the Back at Panels 44:35

Ella at Minnesota Fan Fusion 45:15

Being on Panels 46:28

John Rhys-Davies 49:08

Shout Out to “Keep on Tolkien” 51:15

Bon Voyage to Ella 53:48

On “X Minus One,” a man continually wakes up from dreams of an explosion to find that every day is June 15th.  But this is no wacky “Groundhog Day”; it’s a tense drama in which he slowly learns that the things around him are copies and he’s being watched.  Based on the classic short story by Frederik Pohl, get ready to explore “The Tunnel Under the World.”  Then on “The Bob Hope Show,” Bob broadcasts from a Marine base in Barstow, California.  Along with joking about military habits, Bob tries to get glamorous movie star Claudette Colbert to hire him as the leading man in her next picture.

Episodes 

X Minus One

March 14, 1956

“The Tunnel Under the World”

2:03

The Bob Hope Show

April 1, 1952

Guests: Claudette Colbert and Jo Ann Greer

31:04

“The Romance of the Ranchos” was one of the more unusual series to be broadcast during the Golden Age of Radio.  Each episode traced the history of a certain district of Southern California, from the Days of the Ranchos – when everything was still owned by Spain and Mexico in the 1700s – up to then-contemporary times, the 1940s. Tonight, the vignettes center on Newhall, Saugus, and Santa Clarita.  Then, on “The Jack Benny Show,” the gang tells their own version of Old California, complete with rancho, Jack as a wealthy Mexican land-owner, and Don Wilson as 500 head of cattle.

Episodes

 The Romance of the Ranchos

November 26, 1941 

“The Newhall Region and the Rancho del Valle”

4:16

The Jack Benny Show

May 16, 1943 

“Rancho Benny”

34:13

“Vic and Sade” is the driest of domestic comedies.  We present two 15-minute visits to “the small house half-way up on the next block.”  Young Rush wants to host a party that will make you swallow your shoes (so to speak) and Sade gets the guys to move two tons of coal from a neighbor’s cellar to theirs.  Then, on the dramatic anthology show “Family Theater,” the cast of a radio crime drama are moving to television as part of a summer replacement experiment.

Episodes

Vic and Sade

March 3, 1938 

“Official Host”

July 5, 1939 

“Two Tons of Coal #1”

02:08

Family Theater

December 1, 1954 

“Summer Replacement”

28:42

Monty Woolley, the actor, writer, radio and movie star, is probably best known as the star of “The Man Who Came to Dinner.”  But he also headlined his own radio comedy, “The Magnificent Montague.”  He played Edwin Montague, once the leading light of the legitimate theatre, now reduced to acting in a radio melodrama.  In these two episodes Montague goes to Hollywood.  He’s supposed to star in a film version of “Macbeth,” but neither Tinseltown nor he are ready for each other.

Episodes

The Magnificent Montague

January 19, 1951

“Lost in Hollywood”

3:22

The Magnificent Montague

January 26, 1951

“The Screen Test”

34:21

Science fiction writer Scott Pearson talks with urban fantasy author Melissa F. Olson about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in part one of a two-part interview. Then his daughter Ella pops in for, among other things, a spoilery mini review of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

Segments

Intro :28

Who’s the Monster 1:30

Mary Shelley’s Complex Characters 6:20

Frankenstein: Reading and Teaching 8:27

Klinger’s Annotated Frankenstein and Multiple Texts 10:41

Mary’s Text versus Percy’s Text 13:50

Mary Wrote Frankenstein, Full Stop 16:32

Frankenstein Scholarship 17:57

Coincidence in Frankenstein 20:11

On Not Reading Mary’s Other Books 21:40

Nesting and Filtered Narratives 22:45

On Victor Being a Weasel 27:15

Mary and Percy’s Death 29:43

It’s Alive! 31:55

Victor Almost Never Learns 33:50

Sidebar: Dracula 2000 and Klinger’s Annotated Dracula 38:43

On Discovering Klinger and Collecting Frankenstein 43:44

Editing a Dream Frankenstein 45:57

Ella is SO Busy 47:45

The Star Trek Original Series Set Tour 49:22

Some Upcoming Fifth Season Shows 54:35

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 55:50

Recorded on Facebook Live

July 1, 2018

Longtime friend of the Rift (we're talking all the way back to 1990 and the first season of the public access show) Greg Cox returns to the podcast to talk about his career writing tie-in media fiction which has lead to his receiving the Faust Award (a lifetime achievement award) from the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers.  Greg points out the long history of media tie-in fiction (going back to the silent film era) and tells us about the various elements a media tie-in writer has to juggle in order to make an adaptation happen.

John also talks about the joy of "Tiny Arcade" games.  Pick up one of these by visiting our Amazon store and help support the network.

GREG COX is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels and short stories.  He wrote the official movie novelizations of  WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, GODZILLA, MAN OF STEEL,THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, DAREDEVIL, GHOST RIDER, DEATH DEFYING 
ACTS, and the first three UNDERWORLD films, as well 
the novelizations of four popular DC Comics miniseries, INFINITE CRISIS, 52,  COUNTDOWN and FINAL CRISIS.  
In addition, he has written books and short stories based on such popular series as ALIAS, THE AVENGERS, 
BATMAN, BUFFY, C.S.I., FARSCAPE, FANTASTIC FOUR, THE 4400, THE GREEN HORNET, IRON MAN, LEVERAGE, THE LIBRARIANS, THE PHANTOM, PLANET OF THE APES, ROSWELL, STAR TREK, TERMINATOR, UNDERWORLD, WAREHOUSE 13, XENA, THE X-FILES, X-MEN and ZORRO.  

He has received three Scribe Awards from the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers.

Greg also works as a Consulting Editor for Tor Books, where he has edited such authors as Richard Matheson, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Harry Harrison, Tony Daniel, Rosemary Edghill, Graham Joyce, Keith R. A. DeCandido, S.P. Somtow, Christopher Bennett, R.S. Belcher, and many others.

In addition, he has written more jacket and cover copy than he can possibly remember.  ("They stood alone against galactic peril . . . !")

He lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Visit Greg's website to learn more.

"Operation Firefly"
Airdate: February 1, 1974
Written by Sy Salkowitz
Directed by Reza Badiyi

Synopsis: Steve searches for the developer of a new laser weapon with the aid of the developer's daughter, gifted with ESP.

John is joined by artist Jerry Lange and podcaster Jim Arrowood to discuss the third episode of the first season.  This is a little gem of a story that is quickly forgotten for some reason.  

Join us Friday nights at 9:30EST as we discuss an episode of THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN's first season with two fans as well as featuring commentary from our viewers.  This audio will be available shortly after in the OSI Files feed.

OSI Operatives

Jerry Lange - Based in Buffalo, New York. My personal and client works are created using traditional media including pencil, ink and watercolor and digital software Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign. I try to bring a dramatic visual narrative to my work through a mix of loose and tight media application and mark making technique. Website

Jim Arrowood - Bio coming soon.

Recorded on Facebook Live

June 24, 2018

In 1978, Superman The Movie opened in theaters.  It starred Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, and an unknown named Christopher Reeve.   The tagline for the film was, "You will believe a man can fly."  And we did as the movie broke the mold in terms of how superheroes were portrayed on the screen and became the benchmark for movies to come.  This year marks the 40th anniversary of the release of the film and we've got a panel of fans to discuss it on the podcast.  We'll take a look at how this movie set the stage for the modern superhero film and how it still holds up to this day. Plus, we'll discuss how the late Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder were the perfect Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane.  We'll have a special tribute to Kidder in light of her recent passing.  Joining John to discuss is The Quick and the Dad's Ken Holtzhouser, writer/editor/critic Glenn Greenberg, and Comic Book Central's Joe Stuber.

Our Panel

Joe Stuber is an an Emmy® award-winning producer and lifelong comic book fan who writes, hosts, and produces Comic Book Central.  In his guise as Stuberman, Joe has created the world’s first podcast devoted exclusively to in-depth interviews with the legendary talents (actors, writers, producers, directors and more) who have brought comic book properties to life on TV, Broadway, film, video games, live events and beyond!

Joe’s love of comic books began with the superstars of Marvel and DC. Four color treasury-sized editions of Spidey, Superman, Hulk and Batman were all part of his expanding comic book collection…his favorite being the classic team-up, Superman Vs. The Amazing Spider-Man. But something special happened when those comic book adventures were brought to life on the small screen. The Spider-Man animated series and Adam West’s Batman were after-school syndicated staples in the Stuber household. And when the Richard Donner/Christopher Reeve classic film, Superman: The Movie hit the Act I Theater in downtown Johnstown, PA – the game changed forever. For the first time, a comic book truly came to life…and we all believed a man could fly.

Comic Book Central is a celebration of comic books coming to life. In the modern era of big-budget blockbusters with lifelike digital effects, comic book movies and TV shows are here to stay, and they’ve become a genre unto themselves.

Broadcasting from the Comic Book Central Lair, Stuberman welcomes superheroes (and super craftsmen and craftswomen) to spend some time talking about our favorite subject – comic book adaptations. Comic Book Central premiered November 8, 2013, has been heard in over 130 countries and has been called “the Inside the Actors Studio of Comic Books”. One listen and you’ll realize…you’ve just heard the world’s greatest podcast!

Glenn Greenberg is an award-winning editor/writer whose work has appeared in numerous books, comic books, Web sites, and lifestyle and news magazines, published by top companies such as Time Inc., Simon and Schuster, Scholastic Inc., Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Time Out New York, Lockwood Publications, and TwoMorrows Publishing.

Follow on Twitter

Ken Holtzhouser's bio is forthcoming.  Pick up a copy of The Quick and the Dad by clicking on the link.

"Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar" ran 15 minutes a day, five days a week.  The tales of the freelance insurance investigator, who had an action-packed expense account, were full of action, cleverness, and style.  In this binge-listen of a full week’s adventure, Dollar is hired to protect a very special laird, one with four legs and a tail.

April 9-13, 1956

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar

“The Laird Douglas-Douglas of Heatherscote Matter”

3:11

"ACE IN THE HOLE"

AIRED: FEBRUARY 3, 1967

The Hornet is trying to broker a deal between two rival gangs, but the arrival of Mike Axford nearly threatens the whole thing.  A quick thinking Hornet makes it look like Axford's dead, when in reality he's holding him until the case is closed.  But one of the gangsters discovers Oxford's alive and that the Hornet is double crossing them.  If this sounds more like a comedy than a drama or adventure story, you might not be mistaken.  John postulates to Jim that this could be The Green Hornet's attempt at humor that didn't go over very well.  In addition, John and Jim talk about the different versions of Batman and The Green Hornet that we see over the course of their respective 1966-1967 seasons.  Are they the same characters in each episode we see them in? Or are we looking in at alternate Earths?

​

The Green Hornet: A History of Radio, Motion Pictures, Comics and Television by Martin Grams and Terry Salomonson is a reference work we're consulting as we move through the series.  Pick up your copy by clicking on the link and getting it today.

Take a listen and then let us know what you think of the episode by writing us here or at thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

We take a look at another William Dozier pilot for another comic related property.  This time, it's Dick Tracy - He's a Good Cop.  This time though, Dozier went all out with a full length half-hour episode featuring Victor Buono as the villain, Mr. Memory - which starts the batter of questions about where this show was going.  

In "The Plot to Kill NATO", Mr. Memory kidnaps three NATO ambassadors at the request of Major Powers.  His method of operation seems interesting enough, but there is still something lacking in his character.  And yet, despite this, the pilot is an enjoyable viewing experience with a lot of recommend including Jan Shulman as Liz and the well choreographed fight scenes.

John is joined by his The Hornet's Sting co-host, Jim Beard, to pitch these questions.  Just how committed was Dozier to this property? What would a relationship with Chester Gould have been like had the show gone forward? Why wasn't one of the established villains used in the pilot?  And why did Dozier still build in little nods to Batman and The Green Hornet when both shows were on their last legs?

​

Any comments or questions on this episode, please post them here or by writing thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

A native of Toledo, Ohio, Jim Beard was introduced to comic books at an early age by his father, who passed on to him a love for the medium and the pulp characters who preceded it. After decades of reading, collecting and dissecting comics, Jim became a published writer when he sold a story to DC Comics in 2002. Since that time he's written official Star Wars and Ghostbusters comic stories and contributed articles and essays to several volumes of comic book history.

His prose work includes GOTHAM CITY 14 MILES, a book of essays on the 1966 Batman TV series; SGT. JANUS, SPIRIT-BREAKER, a collection of pulp ghost stories featuring an Edwardian occult detective; MONSTER EARTH, a giant monster anthology; and CAPTAIN ACTION: RIDDLE OF THE GLOWING MEN, the first pulp prose novel based on the classic 1960s action figure.

Currently, Jim provides regular content for Marvel.com, the official Marvel Comics website, and is a regular columnist for Toledo Free Press.

Websites

http://www.facebook.com/thebeardjimbeard

http://www.sgtjanus.blogspot.com

Isis

"No Drums, 

No Trumpets"

November 15, 1975

Fred is upset that his science project failed to take first place at the science fair.  After nearly getting himself killed in an auto accident, he, Andrea, and science fair winner Dorothy decide to explore a nearby ghost town.  But the abandoned town is being used as a hideout for thieves. When Andrea loses the amulet, who will be able to save them?

Before getting into this week's review, John and Richard discuss the fifth issue of the DC Comics 1970s The Mighty Isis comic run.  It's the start of the radical change in direction for the series and Richard wonders if the change was what led to the cancellation of the series.  Next, it's a look at the episode, "No Drums, No Trumpets".  Among the topics discussed are the tropes of ghost towns on 70s television, how much Brian Cutler was convincing as a high school teacher, and what is it that actually activates her powers.

It's all here and we want to hear from you on what you think of the episode.  Write us as ShazamIsisPodcast@gmail.com.

Moral: "Not everyone can be a winner.  Learning from a loss is as important as the win itself. Learning from mistakes helps you grow as a person."

​

Guest Cast

Mark Lambert as Fred Weiting

Christopher Norris as Dorothy Bieder

Michael Greene as Jim Danch

and

Albert Reed as Dr. Barnes

Recorded on Facebook Live on June 10, 2018

In the late 80s, British fans of the television show DOCTOR WHO were dismayed to see their beloved series placed on an 18 month hiatus.  There were many who felt the series needed it, especially after what was considered a disaster by many in the casting of Colin Baker in the title role.  And then it was announced that actor Sylvester McCoy would be taking over the role.  Like one of his predecessors, Tom Baker, McCoy didn't have much acting experience.  His biggest claim to fame was his act of stuffing ferrets down his pants.

But in the three years that McCoy held the role, he managed to turn it from what looked to be a comical farce into one of the darkest portrayals of he Time Lord ever.  John is joined by author Julio Angel Ortiz to discuss what worked and what didn't work during those final years of the "classic" series.  They also talk about the "New Adventures" novels and McCoy's appearance in the Paul McGann TV movie.  Plus, Ken Holtzhouser chimes in with the time he met McCoy and the significance of it on his life.

On this week's edition, the seventh anniversary edition of The Weekly Podioplex, Solo maintains the lead, but the Ocean's 8 gang are hot on his heels and ready to make the heist of the century. Which smuggler wins? 

On the home entertainment front, Meg and the mystical witches travel via tesseract, John Boyega stops the jaeger apocalypse, The Last Ship continues to sail, and The Incredibles hit 4K. After that, we don't say goodbye... we say see you soon. The show is going on hiatus for a refit, and we appreciate every one of you who give your time to listen to us each week. We hope to return to you relaxed and ready to offer a new experience. 

Enjoy the journey, because it's showtime on the Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for June 5, 2018

Introduction

Opening Clip: Ocean’s 8

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Solo: A Star Wars Story – [Second Week]
#2 – Deadpool 2 – [Even]
#3 – Adrift – [New Release]
#4 – Avengers: Infinity War – [-1]
#5 – Book Club – [-1]
#6 – Upgrade – [New Release]
#7 – Life of the Party – [-2]

#8 – Breaking In – [-2]
#9 – Action Point – [New Release]
#10 – Overboard – [-2]

Box Office Premieres

June 8, 2018: Wide

Ocean’s 8 – [PG-13]
Hotel Artemis – [R]
Hereditary – [R]

June 8, 2018: Limited

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – [PG-13]
Hearts Beat Loud – [PG-13]
The Quest of Alain Ducasse – [NR]
Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist – [NR]

Home Entertainment

June 5, 2018: New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray 

A Wrinkle in Time – [PG]

Death Wish – [R]

The Hurricane Heist – [PG-13]

June 5, 2018: New Releases on Digital Video

Pacific Rim: Uprising – [PG-13]

June 5, 2018: TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

The Last Ship: Season Four (2017)

June 5, 2018: Blu-Rays From the Past 

The Incredibles (2004) – [PG]

Podcast Promos

The ScapeCast: The Scaper Chronicles

The ScapeCast is your guide to the wonders of Farscape. Join Karen, Lou, veteran Scapers, and newbies as they discuss each episode in detail on The Scaper Chronicles. Look up and share the wonders we've seen.

Quick Flicks

None

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

"Survival of the Fittest"
Airdate: January 25, 2018
Written by Mann Rubin
Directed by Leslie H. Martinson

Synopsis: An assassin has Oscar in his sights, but Steve has other ideas as the two fight for their survival on a deserted island after their plane crashes during a storm.

John is joined by artist and longtime fan Ken Holtzhouser and author Bobby Nash to discuss the second episode of the weekly SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN series, "Survival of the Fittest".  They discuss the irony of the subdued Lee Majors as the alpha male in this episode that everyone easily follows. Plus, we play a game of W.T. Zacha or C.W. McCall.

Join us Friday nights at 9:30EST as we discuss an episode of THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN's first season with two fans as well as featuring commentary from our viewers.  This audio will be available shortly after in the OSI Files feed.

BIONIC OPERATIVES

MEET BOBBY NASH--

Bobby loves chatting with fans, attending conventions and events, talking about books, writing, and meeting readers. Want to have Bobby attend your show, do a signing in your store, or speak to your group? Or are you a publisher interested in hiring Bobby? He'd love to hear from you.

Email Bobby Nash at bobby@bobbynash.com. 

Or you can drop Bobby a line at
Bobby Nash
PO Box 626
Bethlehem, GA 30620

#####

MEET BOBBY:

An award-winning author, Bobby Nash writes novels, comic books, short stories, novellas, graphic novels, and the occasional screenplay for a variety of publishers, including: IDW Publishing, Sequential Pulp Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Moonstone Books, Airship 27 Productions, Pro Se Press, Raven’s Head Press, Stark Raving Press, Farragut Films, Dark Oak Press, Radio Archives, Avatar Press, and more.

Bobby is a member of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers and International Thriller Writers.

He was named Best Author in the 2013 Pulp Ark Awards. Rick Ruby, a character co-created by Bobby and author Sean Taylor also snagged a Pulp Ark Award for Best New Pulp Character of 2013. Bobby has also been nominated for the 2014 New Pulp Awards and Pulp Factory Awards for his work. Bobby's novel, Alexandra Holzer's Ghost Gal: The Wild Hunt won a Paranormal Literary Award in the 2015 Paranormal Awards. The Bobby Nash penned episode of Starship Farragut "Conspiracy of Innocence" won the Silver Award in the 2015 DC Film Festival. Bobby's story in The Ruby Files Vol. 2 "Takedown" was named Best Short Story in the 2018 Pulp Factory Awards, one of five nominations for The Ruby Files Vol. 2 (created by Bobby Nash & Sean Taylor). Bobby's digest novel, Snow Drive was nominated for Best Novel in the 2018 Pulp Factory Awards.

Between writing deadlines, Bobby is an occasional actor and extra in movies and television, including appearances in Deviant Pictures’ Camp Massacre (formerly known as Fat Chance), FOX’s The Following, USA’s Satisfaction, AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire, and more.

For more information on Bobby Nash please visit him on-line at
http://www.bobbynash.com
https://www.patreon.com/BobbyNash
www.facebook.com/AuthorBobbyNash
www.twitter.com/bobbynash
www.google.com/+BobbyNashAuthor
www.instagram.com/bobbynashwrites
www.pinterest.com/bobbynash
http://amazon.com/author/bobbynash
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/211548.Bobby_Nash
http://ben-books.blogspot.com
http://lancestar.blogspot.com
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/11828-bobby-nash
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbynash
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrf2hFXHxYac6y9KRT2nfFw
https://branded.me/bobbynash
https://mewe.com/i/bobby.nash2
among other places across the web.

Bobby lives in Bethlehem, Georgia.

Ken Holtzhouser - Bio forthcoming

Recorded on Facebook Live

June 3, 2018

Netflix's reboot of the classic TV series has been launched with ten episodes that many say feels more like a long prequel to how the family Robinson becomes lost. Does it work? Did they get it right this time in light of the other attempts that never really got off the ground and became lost in their own right? Join us as we discuss what worked, what didn't work, and what are we looking forward to in a second season of the new Lost in Space. 

Joining John to discuss this are educator and longtime fan Rod Deluca and The Flopcast host Kevin Eldridge.

Eve Arden returns, or perhaps premiers, in “Our Miss Brooks,” as we present the very first episode of that comedy classic.  There’s a new principal, and Miss Brooks just can’t stop bumping into him.  Then on “Gunsmoke,” Marshal Matt Dillon tries to help a family from being unfairly run off their land.

Episodes

Our Miss Brooks

July 19, 1948

“The First Episode”

2:07

Gunsmoke

October 24, 1952

“The Mortgage”

33:00

On this week's edition of The Weekly Podioplex, Solo takes the lead but his victory is troubled. Can a hurricane, a jackass, or a kick butt AI unseat the pilot who made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs? 

On the home entertainment front, it's a short slate as we face Annihilation, love with Simon, Diff'rent Strokes, and a classic Midnight Cowboy. After that, it's a look at the future as the show gets ready for a refit in drydock. We're not going away, but we are changing... maybe into a beautiful butterfly. 

Enjoy the journey, because it's showtime on the Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for May 29, 2018

Introduction

Opening Clip: Adrift

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Solo: A Star Wars Story – [New Release]
#2 – Deadpool 2 – [-1]
#3 – Avengers: Infinity War – [-1]
#4 – Book Club – [-1]
#5 – Life of the Party – [-1]
#6 – Breaking In – [-1]
#7 – Show Dogs – [-1]

#8 – Overboard – [-1]
#9 – A Quiet Place – [-1]
#10 – RBG – [+2]

Box Office Premieres

June 1, 2018: Wide

Adrift – [PG-13]
Action Point – [R]
Upgrade – [R]

June 1, 2018: Limited

American Animals – [R]
A Kid Like Jake – [NR]
The Doctor from India – [UR]

Home Entertainment

May 29, 2018: New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray 

Annihilation – [R]

May 29, 2018: New Releases on Digital Video

Love, Simon – [PG-13]

May 29, 2018: TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

Diff’rent Strokes: Season Eight (1985)

May 29, 2018: Blu-Rays From the Past 

Midnight Cowboy (1969) – [R]

Podcast Promos

The Shared Desk

From the writing desk of award-nominated and award-winning authors and podcasters Philippa Ballantine and Tee Morris comes The Shared Desk, a writer's show that explores collaboration, science fiction, fantasy, and just about anything that catches their fleeting attention spans.

Quick Flicks

None

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

On this week's edition of The Weekly Podioplex, Brolin and Marvel beat Brolin and Marvel as Deadpool 2 rose to the top. The victory may be short-lived, however, as the galaxy far, far away comes to battle the Merc with a Mouth with a smuggler and his mouth. Either way, fans win. 

On the home entertainment front, it's all Sparrows and Games until someone loses a murder mystery. The BBC comes to play with touching tales of midwives, and retro goes HD with dinosaurs as the Jurassic Park set goes 4K. 

Enjoy the journey, because it's showtime on the Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for May 22, 2018

Introduction

Opening Clip: Solo: A Star Wars Story

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Deadpool 2 – [New Release]
#2 – Avengers: Infinity War – [-1]
#3 – Book Club – [New Release]
#4 – Life of the Party – [-2]
#5 – Breaking In – [-2]
#6 – Show Dogs – [New Release]

#7 – Overboard – [-3]
#8 – A Quiet Place – [-3]
#9 – Rampage – [-2]
#10 – I Feel Pretty – [-4]

Box Office Premieres

May 25, 2018: Wide

Solo: A Star Wars Story – [PG-13]

May 25, 2018: Limited

How to Talk to Girls at Parties – [R]
Summer 1993 – [NR]

Home Entertainment

May 22, 2018: New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray 

Red Sparrow – [R]

Game Night – [R]

May 22, 2018: New Releases on Digital Video

Annihilation – [R]

May 22, 2018: TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

Call the Midwife: Season Seven (2018)

Famous in Love: Season One (2017)

May 22, 2018: Blu-Rays From the Past 

Jurassic Park (1993) – [PG-13]

Podcast Promos

Generations Geek

Generations Geek is a family-friendly celebration of geekdom by a father/daughter crime-fighting duo. Okay, perhaps they don’t fight crime, but they are two generations of geek. In every monthly episode they talk about stuff like books, movies, comics, games, and any other geeky thing they think of.

Quick Flicks

None

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

On this week's edition of The Weekly Podioplex, Thanos gets turkey status as Infinity War reigns supreme, but this week sees another Josh Brolin baddie in another Marvel release vying for audience wallets with Deadpool 2. Marvel on Marvel, Brolin on Brolin... Deadpool is one happy (and filthy) anti-hero. 

On the home entertainment front, Marvel demands more of your attention with Black Panther on Blu-ray. We also see Red Sparrow on digital and The Shannara Chronicles on TV shelves. With a snap of the Infinity Guan... I mean, Power Glove (it's so baaaaaad), home entertainment wraps up with The Wizard in HD before this week's edition winds to a close.

Enjoy the journey, because it's showtime on the Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for May 15, 2018

Introduction

Opening Clip: Deadpool 2

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Avengers: Infinity War – [Third Weekend]
#2 – Life of the Party – [New Release]
#3 – Breaking In – [New Release]
#4 – Overboard – [-2]
#5 – A Quiet Place – [-2]
#6 – I Feel Pretty – [-2]

#7 – Rampage – [-2]
#8 – Tully – [-2]
#9 – Black Panther – [-2]
#10 – RBG – [+5]

Box Office Premieres

May 18, 2018: Wide

Deadpool 2 – [R]
Book Club – [PG-13]
Show Dogs – [PG]

May 18, 2018: Limited

Pope Francis: A Man of His Word – [NR]
On Chesil Beach – [R]
First Reformed – [R]

Home Entertainment

May 15, 2018: New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray 

Black Panther – [PG-13]

Samson – [PG-13]

May 15, 2018: New Releases on Digital Video

Red Sparrow – [R]

May 15, 2018: TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

The Shannara Chronicles: Season Two (2017)

Rick and Morty: Season Three (2017)

May 15, 2018: Blu-Rays From the Past 

The Wizard (1989) – [PG]

Podcast Promos

MASH 4077 Podcast

MASH 4077 Podcast is a fan cast covering one of the most well known and highly successful series in television history. Hosted by Kenny and Meds, each episode will cover a single episode of MASH starting at the beginning with the pilot. We hope to share with our listeners some cool and informative behind the scene information, cool trivia and little know facts about this wonderful TV series.

Quick Flicks

None

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

This month marks the 124th birthday of radio legend Fred Allen.  Though best known for his “feuds” with fellow comedian Jack Benny, Allen had a long and prolific career.  We present tonight a classic episode of “The Fred Allen Show.” First, Fred takes us on a walk down Allen’s Alley to meet the colorful characters who live there, then Frank Sinatra drops by songs and laughs.  Then, on “Information Please,” Fred starts out as a contestant and ends up as host.

Episodes

The Fred Allen Show

October 21, 1945

“Hillbilly”

5:15

Information Please

February 15, 1943

“Guest: Fred Allen”

34:10

On this week's edition of The Weekly Podioplex, we survived the Infinity War... again. Are you still here, or are you dust? The box office saw a couple more records fall and is eagerly awaiting a few more to shake loose, but the Avengers have to contend with high education comedy as Melissa McCarthy goes back to school as the Life of the Party.  

On the home entertainment front, things keep rolling as Phantom Thread, Batman Ninja, and Black Panther come home. TV eats its veggies as Bunnicula visits with a friend: Police Woman. Finally, we wrap things up with an ocean voyage and a new Marvel podcast from some good friends, as Denise takes a little break.

Enjoy the journey, because it's showtime on the Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for May 11, 2018

Introduction

Opening Clip: Life of the Party

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Avengers: Infinity War – [Second Weekend]
#2 – Overboard – [New Release]
#3 – A Quiet Place – [-1]
#4 – I Feel Pretty – [-1]
#5 – Rampage – [-1]
#6 – Tully – [New Release]

#7 – Black Panther – [-2]
#8 – Truth or Dare – [-1]
#9 – Super Troopers 2 – [-3]
#10 – Blockers – [-2]

Box Office Premieres

May 11, 2018: Wide

Life of the Party – [PG-13]
Breaking In – [PG-13]

May 11, 2018: Limited

Revenge – [R]
Beast – [R]
Class Rank – [NR]
Dark Crimes – [R]
Anything – [R]
Lu Over the Wall – [PG]
Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat – [NR]
Always at The Carlyle – [PG-13]

Home Entertainment

May 8, 2018: New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray 

Phantom Thread – [R]

Fifty Shades Freed – [R]

Batman Ninja – [PG-13]

May 8, 2018: New Releases on Digital Video

Black Panther – [PG-13]

May 8, 2018: TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

Bunnicula: Season One (2016)

Police Woman: Season Four (1977)

May 8, 2018: Blu-Rays From the Past 

Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich (1958) – [NR]

Podcast Promos

MCU Excelsior Podcast
Hello Marvel Universe! This is the "trailer" for our new podcast, MCU Excelsior. Expect discussion, opinions, and analysis of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and beyond, including movies and TV based on Marvel Comics properties  -- The Avengers, the Defenders, the Revengers, the Guardians, maybe some X-Men, and of course Deadpool. Because Deadpool is awesome.

Quick Flicks

None

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

http://astore.amazon.com/thechrrif-20/detail/B00LT1JKN2

"Population: Zero"
Airdate: January 18, 2018
Written by Elroy Schwartz
Directed by Jeannot Szwarc

Synopsis: Steve investigates a small town that appears to have had its entire population killed. But when he discovers the real secret and the threat behind it, he must act fast to stop a full scale slaughter.

John is joined by artist and longtime fan Jerry Lange and Geek Radio Daily's Billy Flynn to discuss the first episode of the weekly SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN series, "Population: Zero".  They look at how as a pilot, it hits on just about all cylinders, the fantastic directorial job that Jeannot Szwarc does and the staggering debut numbers this show had for a Friday night mid-season premiere.  Plus, both Billy and Jerry convince John that while an excellent episode, it may not really be one you should a newbie to interest them in the bionic universe and we play a game of Steve, Jaime, or Both.

It's the return of the podcast as a Facebook Live show.  Join us Friday nights at 9:30EST as we discuss an episode of THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN's first season with two fans as well as featuring commentary from our viewers.

Billy Flynn - The Wonderful Billy Flynn brings the funny each week on Geek Radio Daily! His daytime alter ego is mild-mannered (well, that part is a stretch) radio station personality at WLEE in Virginia.   He actually gets paid to sit on his butt and run his mouth! His “edumacation” is from UNC-Wilmington, the Columbia School of Broadcasting, and University of Phoenix. When he is not gracing the podcasting airways with his comedic stylings, you can find Billy Flynn on Xbox Live (flynn71), rockin’ out on Guitar Hero or Rock Band, watching movies, reading comics, working out, or posting on the forums at geekradiodaily.com (ding!).

Jerry Lange - Based in Buffalo, New York. My personal and client works are created using traditional media including pencil, ink and watercolor and digital software Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign. I try to bring a dramatic visual narrative to my work through a mix of loose and tight media application and mark making technique. Website

Episode 47—Part of the Family

Science fiction writer Scott Pearson and his daughter, Ella, dive into Alien 3 (1992) as they continue their epic review of the entire Alien movie series. They’ve said it before and they’ll say it again, always listen to Ripley! 

Segments

Intro :28

Sequel Overview :50

You Waited Six Years for This? 2:03

On Seeing it Again 2:55

On Extended Editions 4:15

Where’d Those Eggs Come From Though? 5:05

The Nix of Hicks and Newt 6:45

Why the Y-Y? 7:28

The Autopsy and the Parasite 9:13

The Cremation and the Sermon 10:54

The Shaved Head and Ripley Power 11:54

Ripley and the Doctor: Uh, No 13:20

Sigourney and Nimoy and Doyle 15:00

Ripley’s Awake Time 15:29

Bishop Reboots 16:43

Prison Assault 17:43

Nameless Deaths 18:43

The Doctor Dies 19:34

Ripley Takes Over 20:00

Again with the Ventilation Shafts 20:30

Company’s Coming 21:00

Ripley’s Expecting 21:20

The Redemption of Charles S. Dutton 24:03

Ripley Swears Like a . . . Tailor? 26:07

Grab a Xenomorph by the Tail 27:13

The Preacher Dies 28:35

Hot Lead and Cold Water 28:55

Bishop II Arrives 29:37

With Company Like This, Who Needs Aliens 30:35

What’s Up with Bishop’s Ear 31:05

Ripley’s Sacrifice 32:11

Scott’s Alien 3 Head Canon 33:00

The Special Edition: A Different Movie 36:24

Xenomorphs and the Eighth Doctor 38:02

Other Lost Scenes 38:38

Alien 3 vs. Alien and Aliens 40:00

In 1983, the NBC Network premiered the two-night event, V - the miniseries.  In a time where science fiction television lacked a real substance, V addressed issues of division, trust, and loyalty.  There were clear parallels to Nazi Germany during World War II.  The miniseries was such a massive success, it resulted in a sequel (V: The Final Battle), a year long television series, comic books, novels, and merchandise.  As the miniseries enters its 35th year, there is news that V is in development as a motion picture via Desilu Productions with V creator Kenneth Johnson at the helm.

John is joined by authors Jeremy Brown and Bobby Nash to discuss the cultural impact of the series, the potential for V as a television series rather than a movie, and the scary parallels of the concepts of V with the current political spectrum.

Jeremy K. Brown has authored several biographies for young readers, including books on Stevie Wonder and Ursula K. Le Guin. He has also contributed articles to numerous magazines and newspapers, including special issues for TV Guide and the Discovery Channel, and recently edited a collector’s issue on Pink Floyd for Newsweek. He worked for 10 years for WWE, serving as Deputy Editor of WWE Magazine and as a member of the company's television writing staff. Jeremy published his first novel, Calling Off Christmas, in 2011. This was followed by Ocean of Storms and Zero Limit.  He lives in New York with his wife and sons.

Ocean of Storms Facebook Page

An award-winning author, Bobby Nash writes novels, comic books, short stories, novellas, graphic novels, and the occasional screenplay for a variety of publishers, including: IDW Publishing, Sequential Pulp Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Moonstone Books, Airship 27 Productions, Pro Se Press, Raven’s Head Press, Stark Raving Press, Farragut Films, Dark Oak Press, Radio Archives, Avatar Press, and more.

Bobby is a member of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers and International Thriller Writers.

He was named Best Author in the 2013 Pulp Ark Awards. Rick Ruby, a character co-created by Bobby and author Sean Taylor also snagged a Pulp Ark Award for Best New Pulp Character of 2013. Bobby has also been nominated for the 2014 New Pulp Awards and Pulp Factory Awards for his work. Bobby's novel, Alexandra Holzer's Ghost Gal: The Wild Hunt won a Paranormal Literary Award in the 2015 Paranormal Awards. The Bobby Nash penned episode of Starship Farragut "Conspiracy of Innocence" won the Silver Award in the 2015 DC Film Festival. Bobby's story in The Ruby Files Vol. 2 "Takedown" was named Best Short Story in the 2018 Pulp Factory Awards, one of five nominations for The Ruby Files Vol. 2 (created by Bobby Nash & Sean Taylor). Bobby's digest novel, Snow Drive was nominated for Best Novel in the 2018 Pulp Factory Awards.

Bobby Nash's Homepage

On this week's edition of The Weekly Podioplex, we survived the Inifnity War. Did you? The box office was rattled as several records (and hearts) were broken. This week, remakes, comedies, and a Time Lord gone bad will do their best as two Marvel movies continue to dominate the top five. 

On the home entertainment front, things are picking up as 12 Strong, Winchester, Peter Rabbit, Please Stand By, and another Tremors film make their debuts. TV and retro are still slow, but Denise brings a plethora of news items to close the show.

Enjoy the journey, because it's showtime on the Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for May 1, 2018

Introduction

Opening Clip: Bad Samaritan

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Avengers: Infinity War – [New Release]
#2 – A Quiet Place – [-1]
#3 – I Feel Pretty – [Even]
#4 – Rampage – [-2]
#5 – Black Panther – [+3]
#6 – Super Troopers 2 – [-2]

#7 – Truth or Dare – [-2]
#8 – Blockers – [-1]
#9 – Ready Player One – [-3]
#10 – Traffik – [-1]

Box Office Premieres

May 4, 2018: Wide

Bad Samaritan – [R]
Tully – [R]
Overboard – [PG-13]

May 4, 2018: Limited

The Desert Bride – [NR]
The Guardians – [R]
Racer and the Jailbird – [R]

Home Entertainment

May 1, 2018: New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray 

12 Strong – [R]

Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell – [PG-13]

Winchester – [PG-13]

Peter Rabbit – [PG]

Please Stand By – [PG-13]

May 1, 2018: New Releases on Digital Video

The 15:17 to Paris – [PG-13]

May 1, 2018: TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

Broken (2017)

May 1, 2018: Blu-Rays From the Past 

Legend of the Mountain (1979) – [NR]

Podcast Promos

Earth Station MCU
The Earth Station MCU Podcast is your home for all things related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD", "Agent Carter", The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and so much more! Join our debrief as we discuss TV shows, upcoming (and past favorite) Marvel movies, cosplay, comics history, toys, games, interviews, and all things MCU. Whether you're a hero or a villain, a new viewer or have been reading comics since you were a kid, there's something for you on Earth Station MCU.

Quick Flicks

Not talking about Infinity War…
Pre-order Atari’s new console
John Cena to star in Janson Directive
Mel Gibson to direct Destroyer, another World War II film
John Woo and Lupita Nyong’o team up
Fireball Island making a comeback

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

 "CORPSE OF THE YEAR"

AIRED: JANUARY 13 & 27, 1967

A two-part story brings us a cast of characters and a murder mysterywhere the Hornet is the prime suspect.  This story has a lot going for it, but it also has a number of clumsy elements including a duplicate Hornet and Black Beauty which appears to have no real purpose to the plot other than it looks cool.  John and Jim are pretty much on the same page when it comes to this story and John is happy to see, albeit briefly, actress Angelique Pettyjohn.

Take a listen and then let us know what you think of the episode by writing us here or at thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

Recorded on Facebook Live

April 29, 2018

Forty years ago, the BBC premiered a new science fiction show by Terry Nation, the creator of the Daleks.  Nation had quite the record of well received scripts to various television shows and had created and written the previous Survivors.  But then along came Blake's 7.  This dystopian drama dealt with a team of renegade outlaws who followed what many perceived to be a fanatical leader in Roj Blake.  From the opening episode with its dark and disturbing ideas to the concluding episode that was supposed to be a cliffhanger for a new season to follow, fans loved watching the adventures of Blake, Avon, and the rest of the crew of the Liberator and Scorpio.

In this look back, John offers a brief breakdown of the four seasons, choosing scenes from each season to highlight key moments as a means to make the argument that this show is in serious need of a reboot and return to television.  

On this week's edition of The Weekly Podioplex, audiences escaped the Rampage and sought solace in A Quiet Place. The victory for the silent horror will be short-lived because this week marks the arrival of Thanos and Avengers: Infinity War. There's nothing else going on at the box office. Everyone else gave Marvel the floor. 

On the home entertainment front, it's still April and it's still slow. Paddington and Maze Runner make sequel premieres, and Bluetooth pioneer Hedy Lamarr makes a digital debut. I also share a story of culture shock with Grease in HD. After that, Denise brings news of more Solo films, another Jumanji, animated Fast and Furious (what!?), and more.

Enjoy the journey, because it's showtime on the Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network. See you on the other side of Infinity.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for April 24, 2018

Introduction

Opening Clip: Avengers: Infinity War

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – A Quiet Place – [+1]
#2 – Rampage – [-1]
#3 – I Feel Pretty – [New Release]
#4 – Super Troopers 2 – [New Release]
#5 – Truth or Dare – [-2]
#6 – Ready Player One – [-2]

#7 – Blockers – [-2]
#8 – Black Panther – [-2]
#9 – Traffik – [New Release]
#10 – Isle of Dogs – [-3]

Box Office Premieres

April 27, 2018: Wide

Avengers: Infinity War – [PG-13]

April 27, 2018: Limited

Kings – [R]
Let the Sunshine In – [NR]
Disobedience – [R]
Backstabbing for Beginners – [R]
Selfie Dad – [NR]
Armed – [R]
Love & Bananas – [NR]
The Escape of Prisoner 614 – [PG-13]

Home Entertainment

April 24, 2018: New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray 

Paddington 2 – [PG]

Maze Runner: The Death Cure – [PG-13]

April 24, 2018: New Releases on Digital Video

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story – [NR]

April 24, 2018: TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

Shameless: Season Eight (2017)

Unforgotten: Season One (2015)

April 24, 2018: Blu-Rays From the Past 

Grease (1978) – [PG]

Podcast Promos

The Watch-A-Thon of Rassilon

We are Joe and Toni B. Heath. And we are going to watch every episode of Classic Who and then tell you about it. Neat, right?

Quick Flicks

Alden Ehrenreich has signed as Han Solo for three films
Jumanji 3 coming Christmas 2019
Fast and Furious going animated on Netflix?
Joss Whedon defends his Wonder Woman script
Disney wants Brie Larson for Rose Red

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

First up on “You Bet Your Life,” Groucho Marx interviews a female Air Force sergeant and the parents of triplets.  Then on “Dragnet,” a brightly-colored car leads detectives Friday and Romero all around Los Angeles, from its mean streets to an amusement park.

Episodes

You Bet Your Life

June 27, 1951

"The Secret Word is Table"

1:47

Dragnet

November 30, 1950

“The Big Car”

31:52

Recorded on Facebook Live

April 22, 2018

John returns with a new slew of reviews from the various corners of pop culture.  Dan Persons reviews Isle of Dogs.  J. Andrew World takes a retrospective look at the music of Todd Rungren.  Denise Lhamon has mixed feelings about The Terror by Dan Simmons.  Ken Holtzhouser referees the debate over revivals versus reboots.  John is bringing a revamped podcast of his to the table (The OSI Files) and Michael Falkner offers a near complete listing of pop culture conventions around the world for the month of May.  It's all here and more on a new In Review episode of The Chronic Rift.

Content

8:00 - John talks the revamp of his bionic themed podcast, The OSI Files (set to premiere on Facebook Live on May 4 at 9:00PM EST).

11:20 - Michael Falkner presents our Pop Culture Convention Guide.

37:05 - The Batcave Podcast promo

38:07 - The Weekly Podioplex promo

40:00 - Denise has mixed feelings on Dan Simmons' The Terror.  (Purchase your copy and help support the network.)

48:50 - Ken Holtzhouser points out the good and the bad when it comes to Hollywood's obsession with reboots and revivals.