FReeper Canteen ~ Most Excellent Adventures in TV Land ~ 7 April 2006

April 6, 2006 | Serving the Best Military

[beachn4fun]

TIME TRAVEL

ARE YOU READY? The Canteen is about to embark on another journey back in time.

If you're brave enough, climb aboard, no ticket required……we're about to take off.

Come on, hop in, watch your step ...... The controls are set.

Buckle up. Now don't be afraid....I know how to fly this thing.......Here we goooooooooo.......Lift off.

WHOOOOOOSHHHHHHHH

Here we are. Let me turn on the television to see what is on.

Do any of you remember these shows?

Mission Impossible

9/17/1966 - 9/8/1973 - CBS

Color - 60 minutes

168 total episodes

Mission Impossible Cast

Peter Graves as Jim Phelps (1967-1973)

Greg Morris as Barney Collier

Peter Lupus as Willy Armitage

Barbara Bain as Cinnamon Carter (1966-1969)

Martin Landau as Rollin Hand (1966-1969)

Leonard Nimoy as Paris (1969-1971)

Steven Hill as Daniel Briggs (1966-1967)

Lesley Ann Warren as Dana Lambert (1970-1971)

Sam Elliott as Dr. Doug Robert (1970-1971)

Lynda Day George as Lisa Casey (1971-1973)

Barbara Anderson as Mimi Davis (1972-1973)

Bob Johnson as Voice on Tape

Mission Impossible Theme Song

"Mission:Impossible" by Lalo Schifrin”

Mission Impossible Tidbits

Mission Impossible Intro: "Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it, is... As usual, should you or any member of your I.M. Force be captured or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your existence. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Jim."

Poof! The tape went up in smoke! However much or little people may recall of Mission:Impossible, no one could forget the tension packed opening augmented by Lalo Schifrin's jazzy theme music.

In the first season, it was "your mission, Dan" as Steven Hill (real name, Solomon Krakovsky) played Daniel Briggs, leader of the Impossible Mission Force. Reportedly, Hill's contract restrictions which limited the days and hours he would work in order for the Orthodox Jew to strictly observe his religion became a problem. In 1990, these limitations were accomodated by producer Dick Wolf as Hill began his 10 year run as D.A. Adam Schiff on Law and Order.

In the second season, the team is headed by Peter Graves as Jim Phelps. Graves, brother of Gunsmoke star James Arness, is the leader we remember. In the first seasons the self-destructing tape came with a packet of pictures of potential agents to use on the assignment. Since Jim always picked the same people, this seemed sort of silly and was eventually dropped.

The plots were always very complicated and usually involved the overthrow of some dictator or the theft of secret papers. In short, the kind of thing we imagine the CIA really does but doesn't want to get caught doing. In later seasons, having reorganized a significant number of third world nations, the Mission Impossible Force turned its attention to crime syndicates in America.

The original cast included Greg Morris as Barney Collier, the electronics wiz, and Peter Lupus as Willie Armitage, the muscle. Barbara Bain was the obligatory female agent, Cinnamon Carter.

Bain's real life husband Martin Landau was cast as Rollin Hand, the master of disguise. Originally this was to have been a brief appearance but his work so impressed producers, that he was signed as a permanent cast member.

Things went well for the first three seasons but then salary disputes with Paramount caused Bain and Landau to be replaced. Star Trek was finishing its run on the very next soundstage, which made Leonard Nimoy, who looks a bit like Landau, available. In what must be Nimoy's destiny, he was given another one word name, Paris, and assumed Landau's IMF duties.

Martin Landau turned down the part of Mr. Spock on Star Trek (fascinating decision) and was replaced on Mission Impossible by Leonard Nimoy, who accepted the role (wholly logical).

Starsky & Hutch

9/2/1975 – 8/21/1979 ABC

Color - 60 minutes

Starsky & Hutch Cast

David Soul as Detective Sergeant Kenneth "Ken Hutch" Hutchinson

Paul Michael Glaser as Detective Sergeant David "Dave" Michael Starsky

Antonio Fargas as "Huggy Bear" Brown

Bernie Hamilton as Captain Harold C. Dobey

Theme Song

Not found. But, not too worry. If you really need it, I’m sure one of our wonderful DJs will find it.

Starsky & Hutch Tidbits

'Starsky & Hutch' brought much of the streetwise grit, the violence, and the sheer excitement from hit movies such as 'Dirty Harry' to the small screen. There had been Police series virtually since then beginning of television, but 'Starsky & Hutch' had something else – this show was undoubtedly "hip". A huge hit at the time, it now stands as one of the iconic cop shows of the 1970s, particularly thanks to the fashions and infamous car chases that went with it.

On the surface, plain-clothes Detectives Starsky and Hutch were like chalk and cheese. Ken Hutchinson opted very much for the quiet life, being well read, a deep thinker, and enjoying fine cuisine. Dave Starsky, on the other hand, was louder, more brash, enjoying street life and a diet of junk food. Their personalities might have contrasted, but once together, they meshed perfectly, practically operating and thinking as one, as they ridded the streets of muggers, drug pushers, murderers, rapists, racketeers, and similar such scum. Their methods weren't always the most orthodox and they weren't afraid to bend the rules, but they always got results. Huggy Bear was the duo's ultra-hip, jive talking, streetwise informant. It was sometimes lightly hinted that Huggy was a pimp, but this was never really confirmed (or denied) in the series.

That's the end of the ride for today. Please watch your step on exiting the time machine. Now that I've shown you a few, how about you share something from your memory. Or, if one of these were your favorite show then, share a memory of the best episode for you.

Final note: All information found freely on the Internet

Footnote: Management is not responsible for the accuracy of historical timelines. Please do not buy a burka from a strange man roaming in the Canteen. Please do not take his teddy bear if he offers. Do not remove tagline under penalty of law. Offer void where prohibited. Offer expires soon. Taxes not included.

[beachn4fun]

Amen to that.

We had a real thunder boomer roll through a few days ago. We're suppose to get another storm on Saturday. We do need the rain.

[beachn4fun]

ROTFLOL

[acad1228]

Chata imanumpa ish anumpula ho

How's that fer language?

(It's Choctaw. Just asks if you speak the language.)

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Not too bad. How about some more classic TV?

The Greatest American Hero

From the typewriter of Stephen J. Cannell came this mixture of action, comedy and sci-fi which ran on ABC from 1981 to 1983. William Katt played high school teacher Ralph Hinkley, who was given a superhero suit by aliens in the desert one night. What didn't come with it were the instructions, which meant Ralph had to learn how to use the suit on his own, including how to fly (which usually ended up with him crashing into buildings). Joining him in his fight for truth, justice and the American way were FBI agent Bill Maxwell (played by veteran caracter actor Robert Culp) and his girlfriend Pam Davidson, played by Connie Seleca. The theme song, sung by Joey Scarbury, was a top ten hit in 1981.

Simon And Simon

Another lighthearted Eighties classic, this long-running show aired on CBS from 1981 to 1988. The Simon brothers private investigators who were complete opposites of each other. Good-looking A.J. (Jameson Parker) was the perfect son, erudite and well-dressed. He always seemed to wear three-piece suits no matter what the weather was like or what kind of case they were working on. When he was younger he wanted to be a lawyer but wound up becoming a P.I. working for his girlfriend's father, Myron Fowler. Rick Simon, on the other hand, (played by Gerald MacRaney) was older, more cynical, had a reputation as a troublemaker when he was younger, and was still rough around the edges. In spite of their differences they made a good team and played wonderfully off each other. Much of the show's humor came from their different personalities and how they interacted. Beginning in 1983 they had some help from the police department in the form of Marcel "Downtown" Brown (Tim Reid) and in the final season from his replacement, Abigail Marsh (Joan McMurtey) who was more by-the-book than Town had been. The series was filmed on location in San Diego.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Taz....((HUGS)) Working tonight? Busy? A full crew?

[Gucho]

Bump! Good evening and thanks for the ping.

[beachn4fun]

What? Lose your mind or bring popcorn?

[mylife]

I keep missing dummie funnies.
Got dropped from the pinglist somehow :-(

[TASMANIANRED]

I saw the threat where they dissed the Phelps misfits.

[laurenmarlowe]

Hello there LUV! *HUGS*

Didja have a good day? We got about 5 minutes of rain here, and we lost electricity for about 30 seconds, LOL!

[beachn4fun]

Good evening, Gucho

Dreaded Tripod! No show.

[mylife]

L0L

[TASMANIANRED]

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday dear Mojo

Happy Birthday to you.

[mylife]

Indeed they do!

You doing alright tonight?

[beachn4fun]

??????

Does that answer your question?


Bwahahahaha

[acad1228]

Evenin' Taz!

[Lady Jag]

Love that popcorn!

[beachn4fun]

WooHoo lauren

you got one

[TASMANIANRED]

I didn't go blind either.

[GodBlessUSA]

LOL Greatest American Hero. :) I vaguely recall the Simon Brothers. I think I remember one of the brothers.