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