My Favorite Hero

Everybody has a favorite movie star.  For some of us, it’s an everyman, like Tom Hanks or Jimmy Stewart.  For some of us, it’s a sex symbol, like Marilyn Monroe or Jennifer Lopez.  For some of us, it’s an action hero.  The 1982 movie My Favorite...

Before He Was Colonel Potter

Before he was Colonel Potter on M*A*S*H, Harry Morgan was one of Hollywood’s cornerstone character actors.  He shared the silver screen with legends. Inherit the Wind with Spencer Tracy.  High Noon with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly.  The Glenn Miller Story with...

Everything’s Archie (Part 1 of 2)

America’s favorite teenager turns 73 this month.  Debuting in Pep #22 (December 1941), Archie Andrews has entertained generations with his antics, his schemes, and his struggle to decide between Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge.  He also gave us a sound...

Underdog and Thanksgiving

A year after Underdog debuted on NBC in 1964, the titular super-canine made his first of many appearances in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  A shrewd bit of marketing boosted the publicity surrounding Underdog’s inaugural parade float. NBC aired the...

“L.A. Law” Retrospective (Part 8 of 8)

During its eight-year run on NBC from 1986 to 1994, L.A. Law showcased legal issues without tidying everything in a package for the audience.  It was a more realistic way of looking at law practice, which can be messy, full of ambiguities, conflicts, and unresolved...