"Jake and the Fatman" - 80's TV Series

- Jake and the Fatman -

Jake and The Fatman was 80's television crime drama mixed with action, humor and chemistry of main characters and a tv series which seems everybody in the show was solving the crime. Although the show in just typical (which was first set in Los Angeles), later attract viewers when the setting moved to Honolulu, Hawaii.

The story line about an overweight with rumbling voice Los Angeles District Attorney Jason Lochinvar “Fatman” McCabe (played by William Conrad, well-known as Marchall Matt Dillon of 'Gunsmoke'), a former HPD officer turned as prosecutor (the character based on aging prosecutor in two-part episode entitled “The Don” of TV show Matlock). Fatty was partnered with a young handsome, happy-go-lucky and hunky energetic special investigator Jake Styles (played by Joe Penny) in finding evidence, witnesses, provide footworks and of course, sort of romantic interests, and also with District Attorney assistant Derek Mitchnell, together they find everything Fatty needs to solve and prosecute his cases. In shows most cases, they usually get help from the people around or those initially involved in crime, to provide they are innocent they became also crime solver (doctors, lawyers, shoe salesmen, etc.). Considered the best years of the show was when the locale was switched from L.A. To Honolulu (after the demise of TV Show Magnum P.I.), this seemed something added to the shows and boost it's rating.

The crime drama comedy adventures of Jake and the Fatman, broadcast by CBS from September 1987 to May 1992, completed 5 seasons with 106 episodes, now availabe on DVD.

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"Hogan's Heroes" - 60's War Situational Comedy

60's War SitCom – Hogan's Heroes -

The Hogan's Heroes, which was inspired and lightly based on the 1953 film Stalag 17, was a 60's TV situational comedy focused on the exploits of brave Prisoners of War (POW) in World War II, the “under the cover” allies and war participants in sabotaging and espionage of German war effort, they turn and set the Nazi prison camp into comedy ground. As called upon to perform soldier duties, they accomplish missions to their utmost whatever it takes or any means necessary and they perform it with mix humors and laughters even in real war situation.

The series was set in World War II in the fictional POW camp Stalag 13 in Hammelburg (although Stalag 13 really exists), where the captured senior American army Air Force Lt. Colonel Robert E. Hogan (played by charismatic Bob Crane) lead a humorous group as they provide intelligence for allies, help other prisoners escape, aid the underground opposition, disrupt German war effort and foil the easily fooled bumbling overweight camp Nazi leaders Sgt. Schultz and Commandant Klink (who were afraid to reassigned and set in front of war, they want to operate the camp smoothly). Hogan plan strategies (occasionally to got a girl), with his skilled crews; Sgt. Kinch (communication expert), Sgt. Carter (bomb expert), Cpl. LeBeau (photographer, disguiser and cook), and Cpl. Newkirk (pocket picker, marksman and impersonator), together they steal maps, kidnap scientists, bomb bridges, photograph strategic files, get information of tank & battalion movements and make fun out of their missions conducting espionage and sabotage right under warders' noses, they help allied soldiers to get back to England using their secret network tunnels.

The Hogan's Heroes, won Emmy Awards, was a 30-minute comedy shows aired by CBS from September 1965 and lasted until April 1971, completed 6 seasons with 168 episodes, now available on DVD.

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"The New Adventures of Charlie Chan"

The New Adventures of Charlie Chan TV series, based from the characters of the novel created by Earl Derr Biggers in 1925, was the sequel of 1930's and 1940's several radio series. The series story, some said were loosely based on real life Honolulu police detective Chang Apana.

A crime drama story of a fictional famous Oriental Detective and Honolulu Police Inspector Charlie Chan (played by J. Carroll Naish, an Irish heritage) and his ventures were across the globe in handling and solving special assignments. Charlie always involved in baffling difficult murder investigations around the world, with the aide of his more modern Number One Son, Barry Chan (played by James Hong, an actual Asian) in solving difficult cases. Charlie taught his son some lessons by quoting pseudo-oriental aphorisms in the manner of Confucius. The show made success from radio movies until 1950's but was not continued in 70's due to no oriental cast to play Charlie Chan.

The New Adventures of Charlie Chan TV Series, aired from August 1957 until 1958, completed 39 monochrome episodes of Charlie's great investigations, available now on DVD.

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"The Petticoat Junction" - The 60's Wholesome TV Show

A 60's classic comedy of a family living in rural town Hooterville, trying to get rich quick, running the Shady Rest Hotel, living within rural lifestyle escaping from hectic urban life and although nothing much ever happens, the their living situation gives comic humors and a wholesome family life situation. The series happenings followed on The Shady Hotel, owned by a cook expert and hospitable but widow Kate Bradley with her three beautiful daughters Billie Jo(the eldest, blond and boy-crazy), Bobbie Jo (the brunette, astute and literate) and Betty Jo (the redheaded, a tomboy), with her Uncle Joe (a genial old gentleman but lazy, "General Manager" always finding any way of getting out of the hotel once the work is done).

The Shady Hotel, located directly between the farming valley of Hooterville and its only slightly more "evolved" neighbor of Pixley can only be reached by the Hooterville Cannonball, an ancient steam-driven train (town's chief public transportation) taking regular stops in order to go fishing or pick fruit for Kate Bradley's menu. The title "Petticoat Junction", the "petticoat" implied that Kate's three daughters swam nude in a water tower and their petticoats hung over in the side while the "junction" refers to the hotel situated on a train line. The shows "villain" was J, Homer Bedloe who attempted to shutdown the Cannonball, but never succeeding.

The Petticoat Junction, created by Paul Henning, shared success and considered as The Beverly Hillbillies "sister series". The show completed 7 seasons with total of 222 episodes and was aired from September 1963 lasted until April 1970., now available on DVD.

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"Babylon 5" - Epic Sci-Fi Novel TV Series

Conceived as a novel for television, Babylon 5 TV series is well mastered and noted for its heavy reliance on pre-planned, arc-driven story telling being prevalent to science fiction and drama tv shows for its five years of run. Its story about a giant five-mile long, 2.5 million ton, cylindrical space station and rotating colony called Babylon 5, built to be a gathering place for fostering peace through diplomacy, trade and cooperation. Babylon 5 is a dream given form- a dream of a galaxy without war, where species from different worlds can live side by side, peace among various alien races, a sanctuary providing grievances and negotiations between councils from different planets and major species; Earth Alliance (Humans), Federation (Minbari), Centuari Republic (Centuari), Narn Regime (Narns) and Vorlon Empire (Vorlons).

Babylon 5 was set in the 23rd century (2258-2262 AD), after the great war by odd friendships between planets resulting sabotage and destruction of first four Babylon Space stations (Babylons 1, 2 and 3 failed to operate while Babylon 4 vanished 24 hours after its full operation). Babylon 5 (which substantially smaller from first 4 Babylons), takes part between interstellar political conflicts, fight fascistic government and promote peace among races. The story was created by J. Michael Straczynski, with Neil Gaiman & Harlan Ellison, packed with groundbreaking special effects as well as in set ups and character customs, great cast English accents and more realistic heart felt sound effects contribute to success of the series.

Babylon 5, a multi-award winning TV series from Emmy, Hugo, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers of America, etc. was debuted from January 1994 and lasted until November 1998, completed 5 seasons with 110 episodes, now available on DVD.

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"The Courtship of Eddie's Father" - The Comedy TV Series

A remarkable TV series of early 70's showing the family values in finding happiness, completeness and fulfillment with every member's need. The Courtship of Eddie's Father developed deep relation showing not only looking for someone to be new member of their family but also relation between father and son.

Every boy needs a mother...even if Dad has to marry her!

Based on 1963's Film and book written by Mark Toby with the same title, The Courtship of Eddie's Father TV series also gained popularity and respect in small screen and theater. A drama comedy story about a thirtyish widowed father Tom Corbett took responsibilities in raising his young son, Eddie, and pursue a normal life and with help of their housekeeper , Mrs. Livingston. Tom, a magazine photographer, try to date women around him but his freckled-faced, six-year-old son Eddie attempts to reinvigorate his father's love life and disapprove with the women his father interested in; showing Eddie's special penchant for his father to get romantically involved with prospective brides which led the series to many warm and comic moments. Tom with patience and understanding, guides his small son through the difficult life lessons of growing up while Eddie taught his father the memorable lessons they've together, turning the series into courtship of father-son and their love affair. Mrs. Livingston, on the other hand served as mother figure to Eddie and has important role as a very diplomatic and dependable with full of sage advice to Tom.

A funny TV show, including the characters Tina Rickes, their company secretary) and Norman Tinker, a radical photographer. Glenn Ford as Tom and Ron Howard as Eddie, showed good chemistry in father-son relationship and bonding in The Courtship of Eddie's Father TV Series, aired from September 1969 - June 1972, completed 3 seasons with total of 72 episodes on ABC, now on DVD.

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"Due South" - Adventurous Dramedy

Due South TV police dramedy created by Paul Haggins, was a Canadian-made series (also award-winning in Canada), succeed with high rating series both in US, UK and Canada, one of a kind show being canceled too early (only 3 seasons in US and 4 seasons in Canada).

Due South is a story line of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Mountie) Benton Fraser moved to Chicago to investigate and solve the murder of his father. Fraser was accompanied by a white deaf Inuit half wolf named Deifenbaker, who lost his hearing when icy water burst his eardrum but have ability to read lips, and Fraser adopted him after saving his life. Fraser after solving his father's case, he uncovered a plot of a company who builds dam but slowly killing the environment and soon the company was shut down. Fraser decided to stay in Chicago, worked for Canadian consulate, made friends local police and partnered with a tough, streetwise and cynical cop, Detective Ray Vecchio, together they fight crimes but entirely confused on each other's way of doing things. Fraser with his supernormal detective abilities, being a polite country boy, morally centered,trusting introvert characteristics confused Vecchio's extrovert, sharp dresser, street-wise and city boy attitude, but the two got along famously; they've derive comedy in outrageous plots and their incredible on-screen chemistry.

Due South was premiered on September 1994 and it's last episode on season 2 aired May 1996 titled "Flashback" where Fraser lost his memory on his after being thrown from the speeding van of diamond thieves. Ray race to get Fraser's memory back and to solve the case (Fraser to remember the van's license plate), Ray recounting to Fraser the times and friendships they have together.

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"Land of the Giants" - Classic Sci-Fi

One of Irvin Allen's sci- fi/fantasy TV Series, Land of the Giants was his fourth and last produced sci-fi show (others are Lost in Space, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Time Tunnel), which was marked as high budget episodes record for the series (about $ 250,000) and highest rated show.

The Land of the Giants' story was started when the Spindrift spaceship take the commercial sub-orbital flight in 1983 from New York City to London, boarding three crews and four passengers. Accidentally, Spindrift crash when they hit a strange turbulence and enter a mystical cloud space warp (later learned as "dimensional lock") and land into a Earth like planet, inhabited with very large creatures compare to than the Earth's normal size. The never named planet is evolved in different turn, humans are about 12 times the natural size of Spindrift's passengers, the animals huge like cats that roars and as large as a lion. The castaways' missions are: to survive and hunt for their food, to escape from totalitarian government who rules the planet, to run from animals hunting them for meal & giant children wanted them as toys, and opportunist & giant scientist hunting them to use their advance technology. The castaways managed to survive with the help of good giants but find hard to repair the damaged Spindrift with about 50 years less technology of giants.

Established method to reach the planet in Land of the Giants are:

• can be reached by some high altitude spacecrafts interact with low-defined "time warp"
• some postulate that the planet is in the same orbit with the Earth in either 6 months forward or backward

In the final episodes, they manage to return to the time during the Spindrift flight using an alien device "space time manipulator" and relive the original trip again. The interesting classic sci-fi story of "Land of the Giants" by Irvin Allen, the series completed 2 seasons with 51 episodes, aired from 1968 to 1970, now available on DVD.

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The Land of Giants Characters:

The Crew

1. Steve Burton (played by Gary Conway) was the captain of the ship; he was your rugged all-American do-gooder type.
2. Dan Erickson (played by Don Marshall) was the trusty co-pilot and flight engineer.
3. Betty Hamilton (played by Heather Young) completed the crew as stewardess; she always wore very short skirts and bizarrely coloured outfits.

The Passengers

1. Mark Wilson (played by Don Matheson) was an expert and arrogant engineer, who just happened to have had a major hand in the development of the Spindrift.
2. Valerie Scott (played by Deanna Lund) the sexy jet-setter and the spoilt rich actress of the group.
3. Barry Lockridge (played by Stefan Arngrim) a young boy, accompanied by his loveable mutt Chipper.
4. Alexander Fitzhugh (played by Kurt Kaznar) completed the passenger roster; the mysterious rogue known as Commander Fitzhugh.

"Maverick" - 1950's Western TV Series

The classic Award-winning Western TV series Maverick was started as a straight drama but later turn into comedy streak & sense of humor, catch wide audience and made the series soared top ten place in Nielsen Ratings on it's second season. Maverick is a story about a adventurous gambler Bret Maverick roaming around Old West, migrating from town to town and always looking for a good game. Bret Maverick, played by James Garner, was well known in his dressing and personality, wearing screen-cowboy custom fancy black broadcloth gambler's suit, speaking realistically and being courageous in risking his life. In later seasons he was joined with his brother Bart, Brent, and an English-accent cousin Beau. They all famous gambler, pursuing money and easy life, with their favorite games Poker (5 card draw) and odd cards Three-toed Sloth winning a lot of money but getting them in trouble, and together they find way stay out and leave the town.

Garner's unique charisma and his subtly comedic facial expressions become a cultural western cowboy icon, but critics noted Maverick to be "arguably the first TV anti-hero" which later became a norm in films. Famous episodes were "According to Hoyle" (appearance of Diane Brewster of Cheyenne), "Gun Shy" (spoof of Gunsmoke) and the pilot episode "War of the Silver Kings" (based on C.B. Glasscock's "War of the Copper King", a real life adventure of a copper mine speculator).

Maverick's comedic and sense of humor carried entirely in the show of adventures and misadventures of Mavericks, the series completed 5 seasons with 124 episodes from 1957 to 1962 on ABC, catch now on DVD.

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"The Fall Guy "- 1980's TV Series

Classic 1980's Action TV series, The Fall Guy was well known for it's some crazy out of this world action (jumping from plane without parachute or jumping from tall bridges into deep water) and with crazier characters (many beautiful women and famous stars). The viewers love the shows mediocre acting, although sometimes with cheesy plot but with morality factor and with much appealing, scantily dressed women.

The story is about a Hollywood stunt man in movies, Colt Seavers, and doing heroic missions when out of screen. And when the moonlight comes, Colt picking up extra money as a bounty hunter by tracking down and capturing bail jumpers, using is amazing daredevil stunt knowledge and skills. Colt, teamed up with young eager cousin Howie and with sexy stunning Jody, they are taking not so simple assignments from Big Jack, Terri Shannon and later from Pearl to capture fugitives & criminals and bring them back to justice.

Lee Major played as Colt Seaver in 1981-1986 tv series The Fall Guy, which completed 5 seasons with 113 episodes aired by ABC.

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"Murder, She Wrote" - A Myrstery TV Series

Murder, She Wrote was a series about the former English teacher Jessica Fletcher, widowed in her fifties with no child, achieved success as professional murder-mystery writer and novelist. Each episode, Jessica become involved in murder investigation by carefully and methodically piercing the clues together, gently but firmly asking questions that no one else had asked and come out to being one person able to make sense of the case and trap the guilty party. Jessica became fame with her very popular novels, but still maintain her links with friends and found new friends in many police departments across US. It seemingly ridiculous how murders follow her around the country and endless collection of nephews, nieces, cousins and in-laws who always needed her help.

The "Murder, She Wrote" was the longest-running TV mystery series for almost 12 years gracing the small screen. It was premiered on September 1984 and lasted until May 1996, completing the total of 12 seasons, about 264 episodes and 5 Tele-Movies (including the September 1984 pilot movie). The main character Jessica Fletcher starred by Angela Lansbury and few major characters flow the series with appearance of special guest stars casts the entire series.

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