by David Krell | Oct 10, 2013 | David Krell
Of all guest stars or recurring characters on L.A. Law, perhaps none stand out more than direct mail king David Meyer (played by Dann Florek). Once married to Roxanne Melman (played by Susan Ruttan), secretary to Arnie Becker, Meyer is the firm’s...
by David Krell | Oct 9, 2013 | David Krell
In Teleliteracy is Here…So Telefriend, Chapter 14 of his 1992 book Teleliteracy, television critic David Bianculli raises the issue of television programming rivaling literature for intelligence. “Authors of written literature reveal their own enthusiasms...
by David Krell | Oct 8, 2013 | David Krell
In the second season L.A. Law episode The Wizard of Odds, black overachiever Jonathan Rollins (played by Blair Underwood) interviews with McKenzie Brackman. Actually, Jonathan controls the interview from the outset, referencing powerful family friends, Ivy League...
by David Krell | Oct 7, 2013 | David Krell
The gorilla suit that Michael Kuzak wore to woo Grace Van Owen proved valuable in court. In the third season episode His Suit is Hirsute, Kuzak represents the plaintiff in the Hilbar vs. Bradley case. The plaintiff seeks damages caused by faulty installation of a...
by David Krell | Oct 4, 2013 | David Krell
L.A. Law pushed the boundaries of network television with dialogue. The writers employed their creativity to evade censors while maintaining script quality. For example, the premiere episode contains a scene with Arnie Becker and a private investigator discussing...
by David Krell | Oct 3, 2013 | David Krell
An attempt to list all of the outstanding moments, accomplishments, and cases in L.A. Law would not do it justice (pun intended). But a few, select pieces evidence a television show consisting of multi-layered characters, compelling story lines, and crisp writing....
by David Krell | Oct 2, 2013 | David Krell
Media historians will likely document the 1980s as the Decade of the Peacock. As television approached its 40th anniversary since Milton Berle launched the medium into mass status in 1948 with Texaco Star Theatre, NBC’s avian emblem emerged like a phoenix,...
by David Krell | Sep 26, 2013 | David Krell
A Hollywood urban legend dictates that The Wild Wild West and Petticoat Junction used the same locomotive. Like most urban legends, this one has a kernel of truth. Jensen clarifies the issue by explaining the lineage of the trains involved. “The Wild Wild West ran...
by David Krell | Sep 25, 2013 | David Krell
Sierra Railway #3 began life at the Rogers Locomotive & Machine Works in Paterson, New Jersey as #4493. Rogers finished constructing the locomotive on March 26, 1891 for the Prescott & Arizona Central Railway where it received the #3 designation. “Because...
by David Krell | Sep 24, 2013 | David Krell
After CBS canceled Petticoat Junction in 1970, the Hoyt Hotel took the Emma Sweeny for permanent display. Its tenure in Portland was short-lived, however. The Hoyt Hotel went bankrupt in 1972, prompting a sale to businessman Sam Gordon. Gordon used the Emma Sweeny...
