Foundation: They should make that into a movie

The original covers from the 1960s of the first three books in Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" series.

Source: https://electricliterature.com/heres-a-bunch-of-awesome-book-covers-from-isaac-asimovs-foundation-series/

(May be subject to copyright)

At one point in my life I thought, “Wouldn’t that make a great movie?” However, back in the 1980s, it was not that common for Hollywood to make old books into movies, especially science fiction ones. Even when they did, they met with mixed box office success.

So, I was absolutely thrilled a few months ago when I saw an ad for something called, “Foundation.” My first thought was someone was using the same name as some books I read 40 years ago. It couldn’t possibly be the science fiction books I read. I intentionally stayed away from trailers, and instead read the description of a couple episodes. When I saw the names Hari Seldon and Salvor Hardin, I knew it was the same “Foundation”.

It really should not have surprised me because, with streaming services, on-demand programming and binge-watching, there is almost an insatiable appetite for TV shows and movies. Not only are filmmamkers mining old movies and TV shows to re-boot, but looking at everything ever written to see if they can make that into something.

The quality is as good or better than it’s ever been. Without the need to shoe horn a show into a television time slot, stories that would have been boiled down into their simplest elements, to fit in a two-hour movie, are now being given the attention they need and deserve. They are now five, six or even 10-episode series or more.

That is what appears to be happening with “Foundation”.

The originally trilogy is the only one I ever read, and I read it twice because it just resonated with me.

I haven’t started watching the “Foundation” TV series, which has now blossomed into 20 episodes, but I soon will.

Until then, I am going to think back on how I discovered “Foundation” and where I was at different points in time when it intersected with my life.

Con-version
It was my first real road trip, in the summer after Grade 10, so 1985. My friend David Perlich invited me and another friend named Craig to Calgary. There was going to be a science fiction and fantasy convention up there at the Carriage House Inn called “Con-version”.

The event ran from Friday night to Sunday afternoon, and was a weekend I will never forget. There were panel discussions, a fiction contest, demonstrations of knights in armour doing battle, a room that continuously played movies, a place to play games, and more.

There was also what they called “The Hucksters Room”. It was like a giant garage sale for science fiction and fantasy stuff. They sold everything from posters, toys and mugs to collectibles and books.

I bought my first trilogy – “Foundation”; “Foundation and Empire”; and “Second Foundation” by Isaac Asimov in “The Hucksters Room”. There was a fourth book, “Foundation’s Edge” that looked quite a bit newer, but I bought that too.

Reading time
It’s funny. Right when I got home from “Con-version”, I had two of my cousins from Brooks staying over for a week. It was a lot of fun, as it always was.

Yet, I wanted to read “Foundation”.

I think I started, after everyone turned in for bed at night. When it was my turn to go to Brooks for a couple weeks, I took those books with me to read. My stay started on the farm with my cousin Chris. Before I turned inI for the night I read for a few minutes. Then for the rest of the visit I went in to Brooks to visit my cousins Fred, Henry and Bobby and my Aunt Monica and Uncle Pete – and promptly forgot those books.

Chris had come to Brooks too, so he phoned his mom, my Aunt Sylvia, who was coming to town anyway. So she delivered the books when she came by.

Through all that, I didn’t finish reading the trilogy.

That actually occurred about five years later. It was the summer of 1988 and I had just come home after my first year of university. I was at Coles Books in the Lethbridge Centre Mall and noticed a book in the new section – “Prelude to Foundation”.

“What?” I thought.

That piqued my curiosity enough to dig out those books. This time I read them all, starting with “Foundation”, which I had read before; “Foundation and Empire”, which I think I may have just started; “Second Foundation”, which was new to me; and that add-on which I learned was written 30 years later called “Foundation’s Edge”.

After reading that, I discovered another thing. Isaac Asimov had written another book, a second sequel, called “Foundation and Earth”. I discovered that when I thumbed through “Prelude to Foundation” and saw it listed among the other books written by Isaac Asiumov.

It was quite exciting.

But I never pursued it.

I got busy thinking about my next year in university and just never got back to “Foundation”.

The story
What made “Foundation” so interesting for me was the way Asimov structured the first book. It tells the story of a decaying Empire and a scientist named Hari Seldon who comes up with his theory of psychohistory. He essentially can predict the future mathematically. Seldon then leaves a series of clues to be opened at points in the future, as the Empire continues to decay and the Foundation rises. The first book was divided into sections, based on these various points in history. I later discovered that was because Asimov initially published the story in a magazine in instalments. That makes sense because, although they are connected, they are also pretty self-contained stories.

It is the kind of story I really like. There is an underdog facing persecution, who rises up facing overwhelming odds, to fight against a large, domineering power. It’s what I liked about “V”, and “The Hunger Games”, and “Foundation”.

Parting thoughts
I still haven’t started watching “Foundation” after starting this post. I am sure I will, and I want to, but I think I may try and re-read the books. One of the strengths I find in Isaac Asimov’s writing is that it is so easy to read.

In any event, I always thought “Foundation” would make a good movie and now, here it is.

Let’s see how they did.

Joni Mitchell: A Canadian legend

Canadian singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell is a legend.

Source: https://ultimateclassicrock.com/joni-mitchell-80s-songs-ranked/

(May be subject to copyright)

When I heard Joni Mitchell had agreed to perform at the Grammys, I tried to think back to when I first heard her sing.

She was a household name in the 1980s when I started listening to music, but I really couldn’t name a single song she sang.

The first time I recall seeing Joni Mitchell sing was as part of Northern Lights, a group of Canadian performers assembled in 1985 to record “Tears Are Not Enough”, a single intended to be a fundraiser for African famine relief.

It was later that I heard more about her life and music. Tha included the fact she was born in Fort Macleod, not too far away from where I was born, and even closer to where I live now.

But it all started in the 1980s for me.

The legend
To be honest, Joni Mitchell was more an idea than anything for me when I really got into music in 1984. Her name was always mentioned among the greatest Canadian artists of all time, yet I don’t recall hearing her on the radio at that time.

We also used to do current events in social studies class in Grade 7 and 8, and I recall hearing about both Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.

The first time I heard her was when she was among other Canadian legends.

“Tears are Not Enough”
Famine was ravaging Ethioipia in 1984 and the world, and its performing artists, took notice. Bob Geldof and Midge Ure led the way, creating a group of artists called Band Aid to raise some money through the release of their song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

The Americans followed suit in 1985 with “USA for Africa” and the song “We Are the World”. As part of that album, a group of Canadian artists called Northern Lights recorded their own fundraising song called “Tears Are Not Enough”.

It was amazing, and remains one of my favourite songs of all time.

It starts with Gordon Lightfoot singing, “As every day goes by, how can we close our eyes”, followed by Burton Cummings singing, “Until we open up our hearts,” then Anne Murray singing “We can learn to share and show how much we care.”

Then she was up.

“Right from the moment, that we start.”

That was my introduction to Joni Mitchell.

On the radio
Later in 1985, I was listening to the radio. I think it was LA-107 which was album-oriented rock and the announcers talked as much about the albums as the singles that came from them. They started talking about Joni Mitchell and this new album she released called “Dog Eat Dog”. One of the singles I heard was “Shiny Toys”. Wikipedia reveals “Shiny Toys” was the second single released off “Dog Eat Dog”, but LA-107 was always playing more than one single off a new album. That was the essence of album-oriented rock.

Sadly, neither “Shiny Toys” or any other song from “Dog Eat Dog” hit the top 40.

That was pretty much my exposure to Joni Mitchell in the 1980s.

Prolific career
However, as the years went on, I heard and learned more and more about Joni Mitchell.

Before I really got into music, I actually heard a lot. I say I learned it by osmosis. It was just music I heard coming from my brother’s room, my sister’s clock radio, or the radio on the school bus or at one of my many relatives.

It turns out, I had picked up a fair bit of Joni Mitchell’s music by osmosis.

There were songs such as “Big Yellow Taxi”; “Free Man in Paris”; and of course “Both Sides Now”. She has also won Grammys for Best Folk Performance; Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist; Best Pop Album; Best Album Package; Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album; Album of the Year; Best Pop Instrumental Performance; Best Album Notes; and Best Folk Album.

These awards span her first win in 1969 to her most recent win in 2024. She was also awarded a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement in 2002.

She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Mitchel has variously been called one of the greatest songwriters ever and one of the most important and influential female recording artists of the late 20th Century.

Parting thoughts
Back in the ‘70s, ‘80s and even ‘90s in Canada, we heard a lot about our own artists due, in part, to Canadian Content regulations. We heard them all the time and, with CBC and CTV television, heard about them a lot too. So, names such as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Burton Cummings, Gordon Lightfoot and Dan Hill were around a lot.

Yet, it was hard to see how they fared south of the border with peasant vision except for American shows such as “Solid Gold” and “Entertainment Tonight”.

Over time, I saw how big an influence Joni Mitchell had all over the world.

The most recent example for me was a show that became one of the most popular of the past few years – “This is Us”.

The show is about three siblings all born the same year in Pittsburgh. Their mother, Rebecca Malone Pearson, is one of the main characters. Through flashbacks we learn she aspired to be a singer. She even travelled out to California to try her luck at making it as a performer.

She was accompanied out there by Jack Pearson, the man who would become her husband and the father of her children.

When they were driving out there, she talked about her dreams.

“I want to be like Joni Mitchell,” she said.

Along with all the great music she wrote and performed, all the awards and accolades, that proves Joni Mitchell truly made it, and has left a lasting impression.

Jimy Williams: Between Cox and Gaston

Jimy Williams managed the Toronto Blue Jays from 1986 to 1989.

Source: https://torontosun.com/sports/baseball/

(May be subject to copyright)

Toronto Blue Jay fans like myself always had such high hopes when the team finished the 1980s with seven straight winning seasons, but just two American League East Division titles to show for it.

They broke through in 1985, winning their first division title, and recording the most wins in a single season in franchise history, a club record that still stands.

However, just as the Blue Jays had taken that next step, and fell just one game short of a trip to the World Series, their manager bolted. Bobby Cox, the manager who turned around their fortunes, went back to Atlanta, the club he had come from before joining the Jays.

All eyes turned to Jimy Williams, who had been the third base coach for the Jays.

It should have been a seamless transition and, in many ways, it was.

But, after just 3.5 seasons, Williams was gone as fast as he came. By the end of the decade, the Blue Jays had just suffered more heartbreak along the way.

I heard today that Jimy Williams passed away a couple days ago, and it brought back all these memories, both good and bad, of the Blue Jays under his tenure.

He was 80 years old.

Third base coach
By the time I really got into watching the Toronto Blue Jays, Jimy Williams was a fixture at third base. He had joined the Blue jays in 1980, and had been with the Jays right through to the end of the 1985 season.

It had been a successful one, as the Blue Jays had won their first American League East Division after coming close the previous two seasons. Sadly, the season had ended in disappointment as the Jays lost the American League Championship Series in seven games, after taking a 3-1 series lead. What was even harder to stomach was Major League Baseball had expanded the series to seven games from five. Had it still been five, the Jays would have gone to the World Series.

But they didn’t.

Then they suffered more heartbreak. Bobby Cox, the manager who made the Jays a contender and took them to that American League Championship Series, left Toronto to manage the Atlanta Braves. That was the team he came from when he joined the Blue Jays in 1982.

The Jays then named Jimy Williams their new manager.

The 1986 season
It is never easy repeating as a champion, no matter what the sport, and the Blue Jays found that out in 1986. They had a good year, winning 86 games and losing 76 games, leaving them fourth in the tough American League East, 9.5 games behind first-place Boston, four games back of second-place New York, and one game behind third-place Detroit. It was disappointing as Toronto had gone 99-63 the previous season.

Still, the Jays were 10 games over .500 and loaded with talent, so there was reason to be optimistic going into the next season.

Heartbreak
Of all the heartbreak the Blue Jays and their fans suffered from 1983 to 1990, none is more bitter than the 1987 season.

The Jays battled the Detroit Tigers for the division lead. With 10 games to go, they had the division lead and hosted the Tigers at Exhibition Stadium in a pivotal four-game series. The Jays took three of four from the Tigers, and it seemed they had the division locked up.

In that series, Toronto won the first three games, then lost the finale. The Milwaukee Brewers then came to Toronto for a three-game set and swept the Jays. The division tightened, but Toronto still had a one-game lead over Detroit with just three games remaining. The problem was the Jays had to go to Detroit to play their last three games of the season in Tigers Stadium.

Detroit won the first game. The teams were now tied atop the division. Detroit won the second game, and now had a one-game lead. Still, if Toronto won the final game of the season, the teams would be tied and forced to play a one-game playoff for the division.

That would never happen.

Detroit pitcher Frank Tanana outdueled Toronto’s Jimmy Key in a classic. The Tigers won by a score of 1-0 as Tanana went the distance for the victory.

The Jays were done for another year, even with a 96-66 record.

Beantown again
The Jays had another good season in 1988, but did not reach the heights of 1987. In a tight, five-way race they finished fourth with a record of 87-75, two games back of first-place Boston; one game back of second-place Detroit; and tied with third-place Milwaukee, but finishing fourth on a tie-breaker.

It was another season of close but no cigar for Jimy Williams.

Fans and the organization were getting restless. The Jays had come close so many times, yet had nothing to show for it.

All eyes were on Jimy Williams who had been at the healm for those disappointments, especially in the previous two seasons.

It seemed to everyone, the Jays would have to perform in 1989.

End of the line
The Jays would battle the Baltimore Orioles for the AL East Division, but it wasn’t much of a battle to start the season.

Toronto lost more than they won, and it was getting serious. When the team fell to 12-24, management had enough of Williams. He was fired, and his tenure with the Toronto Blue Jays was over. His final record with the Jays was 281 wins and 241 losses.

The time after
The Jays named batting instructor Cito Gaston manager of the Blue Jays and he got the job done, taking the team to a 77-49 record the rest of the way to win the division, before falling in five games to the Oakland A’s in the American League Championship Series. Gaston would go on to lead the Jays to division titles in 1991, 1992 and 1993, winning the World Series in 1992 and 1993.

Williams joined Cox and the Braves in 1991, and would win a World Series with them in 1995. He also managed the Boston Red Sox and Hoston Astros, winning manager of the year in 1999 with Boston. He finished his career as bench coach of the Philadelphia Phillies after the 2008 season.

Parting thoughts
Jimy Williams took a lot of heat as manager of the Jays. I know I was critical of him. He just didn’t always seem to have a handle on the game.

Yet, to be fair, there were a lot of factors beyond his control, most notably injuries. In that 1987 collapse, the Jays lost catcher Ernie Whitt and shortstop Tony Fernandez to injuries during that stretch.

More than anything, given his success after leaving Toronto, maybe the Blue Jays were just not the right fit for Jimy Williams, and vice versa.

The aura of Joe Montana

Quarterback Joe Montana led the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowl championships in the '80s.

Source: https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/joe-montana-headlines-qbs-with-ties-to-49ers-chiefs

(May be subject to copyright)

If you needed to drive the length of the field on your last possession to win a game in the 1980s, there was no one you would want playing quarterback more than Joe Montana.

He began the decade by winning the Super Bowl and ended it the same way, winning a couple more along the way to cement his place in history as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

When his San Francison 49ers took the field for the NFC Championship Game earlier today, I was reminded of when he first broke on the scene then just kept on winning.

In the beginning
Joe Montana played his college football at my beloved Notre Dame from 1974 to 1978, leading the Fighting Irish to the national championship in 1977. In his last game at Notre Dame, he battled hypothermia and came out of the locker room late in the third quarter with the Irish trailing the Houston Cougars by a score of 34-12. He rallied his team with three touchdowns in the last eight minutes of the game to win 35-34.

It was just a sign of things to come as Montana turned pro.

Pro scouts overlooked Montana, so he ended up the fourth quarterback taken in the 1979 NFL Draft. The San Francisco 49ers selected Joe Montana in the third round, with the 82nd pick overall.

What a steal that would be.

Montana backed up Steve DeBerg for the 1979 season, although he did appear in all 16 games for the 49ers. He completed 13 of 23 passes for 96 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He started one game, which the Niners lost en route to a 2-14 record and last place in the NFC West Division.

Yet a new decade was about to start. Joe Montana would emerge as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time by the end of it.

Dawn of the decade
Joe Montana would become the starter of the 49ers part way through the 1980 season, and remain in that position for the rest of the 1980s. He would start a total of seven games, winning two and losing five, as San Francisco finished with a 6-10 record, better than the year before, and good enough for third in the NFC West. They did have New Orleans in their division who had one win all season.

Montana finished the season completing 176 of 273 passes for 1,795 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed 32 times for 77 yards and two touchdowns, and led the NFL in completion percentage.

Perhaps the most interesting thing occurred in a game against those hapless New Orleans Saints, who came to Candlestick Park in San Francisco still winless. They led 35-7 at halftime, and 35-21 to start the fourth quarter. Montana rallied the Niners, tying the game, and taking it into overtime where they won it 38-35 with a field goal. Wikipedia reveals this was Montana’s first fourth quarter comeback victory, something he would do 26 times with the 49ers and 31 times in his career.

That was another indication of the renaissance that was coming for the San Francisco 49ers.

Out of the blue
The 1981 season would be the most successful for the 49ers up to that point in their history. Head coach Bill Walsh was an innovator who developed strategies that are in common use now. Those include as scripting the first 10 or 15 plays, throwing to the fullback out of the backfield, and utilizing slant patterns. This and much more was part of what has become known as the “West Coast Offence”.

The result was a 49ers team that finished the year with a 13-3 record and took first place in the NFC West, six games ahead of Atlanta who went 6-9. Montana finished the year leading the NFL in passing percentage for the second straight season, was named to his first Pro Bowl, and was a second team All-Pro. He finished the year completing 311 of 488 passes for a 63.7-percent average, 3,565 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

The 49ers opened the playoffs as the number one seed in their NFC Divisional Game, hosting the New York Giants who had defeated Philadelphia in the NFC Wild Card Game. San Francisco defeated the Giants by a score of 38-24 to advance to the NFC Championship Game. Awaiting them was the perennial playoff favourite, the Dallas Cowboys, who were appearing in their second of three straight NFC Championship Games after blowing out Tampa Bay 38-0 in the other NFC Divisional Game.

The 1981 NFC Championship was a game for the ages. The teams went back and forth, but the game is remembered for one play. With Dallas leading 27-21 late in the fourth quarter, Montana drove the 49ers down the field. Then on a pivotal third down on the Dallas six-yard line, he was in trouble, rolled to his right and was seemingly throwing the ball out of the end zone. Incredibly receiver Dwight Clark went up high grabbed the ball, and kept both feet in bounds to score what would be the winning touchdown with 51 seconds left in the game. Montana had done it again. The 49ers won 28-27 and were heading to their first Super Bowl.

The Cincinnati Bengals also had a dream season, qualifying for their first Super Bowl as well.

Although they were the top team in the NFC all year, the 49ers were still a mystery to the mass audience in the United States largely based in the east. I recall one preview where they discussed the upstart 49ers and how they were led by a quarterback who looked like Barry Manilow.

I guess he does.

The Niners came out firing, going up 7-0 after one quarter and led 20-0 at halftime. The Bengals rallied in the second half, scoring a touchdown in the third quarter which were the only points of the period then tacked on two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough as the 49ers prevailed by a score of 26-21.

The San Francisco 49ers had won their first Super Bowl.

Montana was named most valuable player of the Super Bowl, finishing 14 of 22 for 157 yards and a touchdown.

Between bowls
It is difficult to repeat as champions of any sport, and the San Francisco 49ers found that out in 1982. A labour dispute shortened the season to just nine games. As a result, the NFL decided to have a 16-team playoff tournament, with the top eight teams in each conference qualifying. There were no divisions that year, just the two conferences. The 49ers finished with a 3-6 record, in a three-way tie for 11th in the NFC. Only the Los Angeles Rams had a worse record, at 2-7.

However, Montana had a good year statistically. He completed 213 of 346 passes for 2,613 yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, leading the league in attempts and touchdowns. He also set an NFL record at the time with five straight 300-yard passing games.

In 1983, the Niners were back in the playoffs, finishing first in the NFC West with a 10-6 record, and a date in the Divisional Game with the Detroit Lions. Again, Montana engineered another come-from-behind victory with a late game-winning touchdown, giving the Niners a 24-23 victory and a date with Washington in the NFC Championship Game. Again Montana almost snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Trailing 21-0 to start the fourth quarter, he brought San Francisco all the way back to tie the game at 21-21, only to have Washington kick a late field goal to win the game by a score of 24-21.

Montana finished the season completing a career-high 332 pass in 515 attempts for 3,910 yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was also named to the Pro Bowl.

The Niners were back, and ready to challenge for another Super Bowl.

That’s two
In 1984, the San Francisco 49ers accomplished something never done before – they won 15 games. No team had ever done that, given the league had played a 14-game schedule until recently. It was even more wins than the 1972 Miami Dolphins who were, and still are, the only undefeated Super Bowl champion. Yet, the Niners were 15-1, with their lone loss coming at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Montana had finished the season completing 279 of 432 passes for 3,630 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was also named a Second Team All-Pro and went to his second straight Pro Bowl.

The Niners opened the playoffs with a 21-10 win over he New York Giants in the NFC Divisional Game then trounced the upstart Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game by a score of 23-0.

They would face the Miami Dolphins and their young phenom quarterback Dan Marino in the Super Bowl, winning by a convincing score of 38-16. Joe Montana was named Super Bowl most valuable player for the second time, completing 24 of 35 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns.

Back to Earth
It is hard to repeat as champions, as the Niners again found out in 1985. They finished the season second in the NFC West with a 10-6 record a game behind the Los Angeles Rams, and made the playoffs as a Wild Card team. They faced the New York Giants for the second straight year in the playoffs, this time losing by a score of 17-3.

Montana finished the regular season completing 303 of 494 passes for 3,653 yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He led the league in completion percentage at 61.3, and was named to his third straight Pro Bowl.

A personal comeback
The 1986 season was down and up for Joe Montana. He hurt his back in the first game of the season, and was not expected to return that season or maybe ever. Yet he did. Wikipedia reveals he passed for 270 yards and three touchdowns in a win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Montana appeared in only eight games that year, going 6-2, and completing 191 of 307 passes for 2,236 yards, eight touchdowns and nine interceptions. It was the only time in his career he had more interceptions than touchdowns. However, he was named the co-NFL Comeback Player of the Year with Tommy Kramer of the Minnesota Vikings.

The Niners finished first in the NFC West with a 10-5-1 record, their first of five straight division titles. They faced the New York Giants in the NFC Divisional Game, their third straight meeting in the playoffs, and the Giants blew out San Francisco by a score of 49-3.

Disappointment
San Francisco again finished first in the NFC West in 1987 with a record of 13-2, the best in the NFL. They drew Minnesota in the NFC Divisional game and were upset by the Vikings by a score of 36-24. That season was also affected by a work stoppage, which is why teams played 15 instead of 16 games. One week was lost and three were filled with replacement players.

Wikipedia reveals Montana crossed the picket line and, against replacement players, threw five touchdowns. He finished the year with 266 completions on 398 attempts for 3,054 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He led the league in touchdowns, with a 66.8 percent completion percentage, and a 102.1 passer rating. Montana was also a First team All-Pro and named to his fifth Pro Bowl.

I had a friend who was a 49er fan, and I really didn’t like them a bunch. She came to our room in res quite often so, in addition to teasing her about the Niners choking, I posted this “Edmonton Journal” clipping of the loss to Minnesota on my wall in res that had the headline “Vikings grind up 49ers”.

However, what made the 49ers so formidable was they learned from their losses.

Super Bowl hat trick
The 49ers didn’t start as well as the year before, sitting with a 6-5 record and facing the real possibility of missing the playoffs in 1988. Yet, Montana once again rallied the troops, as San Francisco won four of their last five to finish with a 10-6 record and take the NFC West title again. They had a re-match with Minnesota in the NFC Divisional Game, hammering the Vikings by a score of 34-9 then beat Chicago 28-3 in the NFC Championship Game to go to the Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals.

It was another close game, coming right down to the end. Once more the Niners trailed late and Montana drove them down the field 92 yards, hitting John Taylor with the game-winning touchdown pass with just 39 seconds left.

Montana finished the game 23 of 36 for 357 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

He had an excellent season overall, completing 238 of 397 passes for 2,981 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

For the third time in the decade, the Niners had a chance to repeat.

Dominating the decade
The Niners had a much better regular season in 1989 than the year before. They finished 14-2, once again finished first in the NFC West, and were the top seed in the playoffs. They once again demolished Minnesota in the NFC Divisional Game by a score of 41-13, and beat the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 30-3 in the NFC Championship Game. They now faced the Denver Broncos, who were making their third Super Bowl appearance in four years.

The game was never close as the Niners scored at will. They put up the highest point total in NFL history, with largest margin of victory, winning 55-10. Montana earned his third Super Bowl most valuable player award on the strength of going 22 of 29 for 297 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.

It capped off a season where Montana won his first of two straight NFL Most Valuable Player awards, was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, a First Team All-Pro, and went to his sixth Pro Bowl. He finished the year completing 271 of 386 passes for 3,521 yards, 26 youchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also led the league with a 70.2 percent completion average, a 9.1-yard average, and a then NFL record 112.4 passer rating.

The years after
Joe Montana would not win another Super Bowl.The Niners had another incredible regular season in 1990, going 14-2 but losing in the NFC Championship Game to the New York Giants. Montana was the NFL Most Valuable Player, a First Team All-Pro, and played in his seventh Pro Bowl. He suffered serious injuries in that loss to the Giants and would never be the same with the 49ers. By then San Francisco had acquired Steve Young, so Montana moved on to Kansas City and played with the Chiefs for the 1993 and 1994 seasons, leading them to the AFC Championship Game in 1993.

He retired after the 1994 season.

Joe Montana was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Parting thoughts
Joe Montana is just one of the best quarterbacks of all time. It was not his statistics, or championships that put him among the NFL elite.

It was the fact that, with the game on the line and his team trailing, he found a way to bring his team back. His career is full of come-from-behind victories and late-game finishes.

With Joe Montana at the helm, the San Francisco 49ers were never out of a game.

He just had that aura about him.

Dukes of Hazzard: Remembering Bo and Luke and the rest

The cast of the "Dukes of Hazzard".

Source: https://www.hazzardnet.com/dukes-of-hazzard-original-tv-series/the-characters/#google_vignette

(May be subject to copyright)

It was must-see TV when I was a kid – two handsome good old boys tearing around the countryside in a souped up car avoiding local law enforcement.

Yesterday – January 26 – was the 45th anniversary of “The Dukes of Hazzard” first hitting the airwaves in 1978, and it brought back a lot of memories.

Friday nights
When “The Dukes of Hazzard” aired in 1979, I was just nine years old, and had no idea it was on. I was introduced to the show by Mike, a friend and neighbour I rode the school bus with. He and some other guys talked about this show, and kept referring to it as “The Dukes” – drawing out the ‘u’ like “The Dooooooks”.

I had no idea what that meant. I found the show on a Friday night on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial. It was on at like 10 p.m., which was late then, so I had to keep the volume really low not to disturb my parents. I don’t recall watching a whole episode, but watching bits and pieces because it was on late, but I kind of pieced together what the show was about.

Bo and Luke Duke, played by John Schneider and Tom Wopat respectively, were cousins who lived with their Uncle Jessie, played by Denver Pyle, and Cousin Daisy Duke, played by Catherine Bach on a farm in Hazzard County. The Duke boys drove a souped up Dodge Charger and, as it turned out, were on probation because they had been convicted of running moonshine. They were constantly pursued by Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane, played by James Best, who was trying to catch them violating their probation so he could throw them back in jail. He was assisted first by Deputy Enos Strate, played by Sonny Schroyer, who had a soft spot for the Dukes and a crush on Daisy, then Deputy Cletus Hogg, played by Rick Hurst. Roscoe’s boss was, well, Boss Hogg, played by Sorrell Booke. He pretty much owned or controlled everything in Hazzard County, including the “Boar’s Nest”, a bar that Daisy worked at.

The first episode I actually remember watching was a Friday night after we had company over, so I was still awake when the show came on. The Dukes had a friend named Cooter, played by Ben Jones, who was a mechanic in town. In this episode, the limousine of the President of the United States stops in Hazzard. Cooter is supposed to fix it, but something comes over him and he steals the president’s car.

The car
The Dukes drove that aforementioned Dodge Charger and called it “The General Lee”. It was pretty much a character in the show. “The General Lee” was orange with the number “01” painted on the front doors. They were welded shut, so the Dukes had to enter their car through the windows. When they were in a hurry to get into the car and go, Bo would hop through the driver’s window while Luke would slide across the hood and wheel around in through the passenger side window. A Confederate flag was painted on the roof of the car too.

Virtually every episode had a car chase with Roscoe in pursuit of the Diukes, often on back roads and through bush. Ultimately, the Dukes would come to a water body with a bridge out, or a ravine. With Roscoe hot on their tail there was only one thing to do – jump over the water or ravine. They would take off with the narrator building the tension and – go to commercial.

Coming out of commercial, “The General Lee” always landed, giving the Dukes a clean getaway and Roscoe trapped on the other side.

I read a “TV Guide” story about how fast the show’s producers were going through Dodge Chargers because the cars could only survive one jump before they were undrivable. The story was accompanied by pictures of the “01” doors and Confederate flag roofs being cut out to protect trademark and copyright. They were stacked in rows leaning up against buildings.

Interestingly, my cousin Vince in Brooks had a Dodge Charger. It had the shape of “The General Lee” but not the look of it.

The narrator
Every show opened with scenes of the upcoming episode that dissolved into a picture of a man playing a guitar and starting a song with the words, “Just a good old boys…”

That musician was Waylon Jennings playing the song “Theme from ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ (Good Ol’ Boys)” He also served as the narrator, who the audience could hear periodically during various parts of each episode. The song went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot Country singles chart in 1980.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
Boys will be boys. During the first couple years of the show, I would be playing with my friend Mike at his place or mine, and I was Bo and Mike was Luke as we pretended our bikes were the General Lee. I was Bo because I was blonde like him, while Mike was brunette like Luke.

The other Dukes
Tom Wopat and John Schneider got into a contract dispute in the fifth season, 1982-1983, and were written out of the show. The explanation for their exit was that Bo and Luke were off on the NASCAR circuit.

They were replaced by two new Duke cousins. It would seem Jessie Duke had no end of brothers who had good-looking, macho sons. The two new Dukes were Coy and Vance, played by Byron Cherry and Christopher Mayer respectively.

I read about all of this in the “TV Guide” fall preview issue. However, “The Dukes of Hazzard” aired on Channel 13 of the peasant vision dial and, like many shows, was pre-empted and aired at odd times such as Sunday afternoons. Consequently, I saw a piece of one episode with Coy and Vance, and it wasn’t even listed in “TV Guide”. Instead it looked like filler after the conclusion of a CTV telecast of football or baseball.

Ratings tanked to the point a settlement was reached and Wopat and Schneider returned near the end of the fifth season. Cherry and Mayer were unceremoniously dumped in the same episode Wopat and Schneider returned.

Missing in action
Another thing I recall vividly is missing various episodes after seeing their commercials and getting excited.

One in particular I recall was Luke training for a boxing match and seeing him train, doing one-armed push-ups and other exercises. We went to Brooks that Sunday, and got back just in time to see Luke chasing after the bad guy in his boxing robe.

Another episode was the debut of Boss Hogg’s identical twin brother Abraham Lincoln Hogg, also played by Sorrel Booke. He was the opposite of an evil twin. As greedy and despicable as Boss Hogg was, Abraham Lincoln Hogg was just as good. He even wore a black suit, in direct contrast to Boss Hogg’s white suite. In this case he was the good twin.

The end
Over time, I lost interest in “The Dukes of Hazzard” partly because it was harder to find on a weekly basis. I think Channel 13 actually stopped carrying it in its last years. In any event, by that point I had moved on to other things.

“The Dukes of Hazzard” ran seven seasons from January of 1979 to February of 1985 for a total of 147 episodes. Deputy Enos Strate would get his own show, called “Enos”, which I watched faithfully, although it only lasted a season and a bit. There were also two reunion movies I saw, and actually own on DVD – “The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!” in 1997 and “The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood” in 2000.

Parting thoughts
“The Dukes of Hazzard” will always hold a special place in my heart, because I really liked Bo, Luke, Daisy and Uncle Jessie. When I got into the show, I was still young enough to play pretend with my friends. The funny thing happened when I got older and me and my friends started to drive. When a friend of mine got his own vehicle, I remember trying to slide across the hood like Luke Duke did.

It looks a lot easier than it is.

But that just illustrates the power of a show like that. It wasn’t going to win any awards for writing or acting, but it was always fun, and never took itself seriously.

It was pure escape, and sometimes we need shows like that.

Ed Lukowich: Meeting “Cool Hand Luke”

Curling takes a certain mental toughness to excel at a high level among the world’s best. That's especially true when the game is on the line and the difference between success and failure can be a matter of an inch or two.

Factor in a confidence to make tough shots in difficult situations and the courage to even make those hard calls, and you have the recipe for a champion.

In curling today, you can turn on TSN or Sportsnet and see top 10 or 20 lists of the best curling shots, and truly see that mental toughness, confidence and courage in action.

Back in the 1980s, when curling was rarely televised beyond national and world championships and, even then, only on weekends, a lot of great shots were seen only by those live in attendance. The best fans could get, was hearing about them by word of mouth.

One of the best shots I heard about was in the Alberta championship final where it took a 40-feet raise to win the game. I think it was in 1986, but I am not sure of the details because the game was not televised. Instead, announcers talked about that shot during their coverage of the Labatt’s Brier.

One thing was certain, that shot was made by one of the legends of the game, and my personal favourite – Ed Lukowich.

He twice won the Brier and, in 1986, won the Silver Broom, emblematic of the world curling championship.

I was at the Claresholm Curling Club last week covering the men’s final when Ed Lukowich came to mind.

I was telling some curlers that last year at the Calgary Expo, or Comic Con, I met Lukowich in person. I have to admit, I was a bit starstruck and felt like I was 16 years old all over again.

The years before
I am pretty sure the first time I heard the name Ed Lukowich was in the “CBC Curling Classic”. It may also have been on the CBC when they broadcast the 1978 Labatt’s Brier, the men’s national championship.

In any event, in 1978 he did win the Alberta championship and the Brier, with his team of Mike Chernoff, Dale Johnston and Ron Schindle. There was no playoff back in 1978, so Lukowich won the championship with a 9-2 record. His only losses were to New Brunswick, skipped by Pete Murray, who finished fifth overall, and Saskatchewan, skipped by Rick Folk, who finished second, one game behind Alberta with an 8-3 record.

Lukowich then represented Canada at the Air Canada Silver Broom, the men’s world curling championship, in Winnipeg. After the round robin, Canada finished in a tie for first place with the United States with a record of 7-2. Canada defeated Norway, Denmark, Germany, the United States, France, Sweden, and Italy, and lost to Switzerland and Scotland.

That result put Lukowich in a semi-final against Kristian Sorum of Norway, who defeated Canada by a score of 6-2, giving Lukowich the bronze. Bob Nichols of the United States defeated Tom Schaeffer in the other semi-final, then defeated Sorum in the final to win the Silver Broom, the fourth overall for the Americans.

Close to home
Another odd memory I have of that period occurred on the school bus. The driver always had the radio on. One day they were talking about Canadian champion Ed Lukowich curling out of Medicine Hat. That seemed to be a big deal.

I later learned that’s where he actually lived.

He’s back
Lukowich returned to the Brier in 1983 in Sudbury, winning the Alberta championship. This time, he had a team with a new front end. Chernoff was back, but now Brent Syme threw lead and Neil Houston played second.

By this time, I had really got into curling, so I looked forward to the Brier playoffs on the weekend. Back then, in the three-channel universe before the dawn of all-sports channels, the only curling on TV was the playoffs on the weekend.

Lukowich was undefeated going into the final draw, including a win over Ed Werenich, the Ontario champion and one of the favourites. However, Lukowich lost his final game to Kirk Ziola of Saskatchewan to finish with a 10-1 record, tied with Werenich for first after round robin play. Lukowich finished first by virtue of defeating Werenich.

The top three teams made the playoffs. The Ontario champion would face Bernie Sparkes of B.C. in the semi-final who, coincidentally is from Claresholm, Alberta, the town I live in currently. Werenich defeated Sparkes by a score of 6-3 to set up a re-match with Lukowich in the final.

After a dream week, Lukowich could not cap it off with a win in the final. Werenich jumped out to a 2-0 lead and never relinquished it, winning by a score of 7-3, giving Lukowich the silver medal. Werenich would go on to defeat Keith Wendorf of Germany to win the Silver Broom a month later in Regina.

Repeat champion
Lukowich won the Alberta tankard again in 1984, qualifying for the Brier in Victoria. This time, his team consisted of John Ferguson at third, Houston at second, and Syme at lead. Again he finished in a first place tie, this time with Mike Riley of Manitoba, both with records of 8-3.

Alberta’s losses came at the hands of Ed Werenich of Ontario; Bernie Sparkes of B.C.; and Riley of Manitoba. That loss gave Riley first place and a bye to the final, while Lukowich finished second.

He had to play Werenich, who had defeated Arnie Dobson of New Brunswick in a tiebreaker for third place. With that win, Werenich was in the playoffs and made the most of his chance, defeating Lukowich in the semi-final by a score of 6-3. That gave Lukowich a bronze to go with his silver in 1983 and his gold in 1978.

Werenich’s win gave him a chance to defend his Canadian championship, but Riley prevailed by a score of 7-4. He would represent Canada at the Silver Broom in Duluth, Minesota, taking bronze.

World champion
A different Alberta team, Pat Ryan’s of Edmonton competed at the Brier in 1985, losing in the final.

However, Ed Lukowich returned in 1986, winning his fourth Alberta championship, qualifying for the Brier in Kitchener-Waterloo. He returned with the same team of Ferguson, Houston and Syme.

He again finished in a tie for first with a record of 9-2, this time with Russ Howard of Ontario. Lukowich’s only two losses came to Lyle Muyres of Saskatchewan and Gordon Hess of Quebec. His victory over Howard by a score of 7-5 in the round robin earned first place and a bye to the final.

Muyres and Barry McPhee finished tied with records of 7-4 and played a tiebreaker for third, with McPhee winning by a score of 5-3. That set up a semi-final against Howard, which the Ontario rink won by a score of 6-5.

Howard would now face Lukowich in the Brier final and a chance to go to the world championship in Toronto.

After the teams blanked the first end, Lukowich scored one in the second end. Howard blanked the third end, scored once in the fourth with last rock, then stole one in the fifth end to lead 2-1 at the fifth-end break. Lukowich rebounded, counting one in the sixth and stealing one in the seventh to lead by a score of 3-2. Howard blanked the eighth end and scored one in the ninth to tie the game at 3-3, but giving Lukowich the hammer coming home.

Lukowich made no mistake scoring once to win the Brier by a score of 4-3 and advance to his second Silver Broom, and first since 1978.

The Canadian champion did not dominate in the round robin, but rather the opposite. He ended up in a tie for second with a record of 6-3 with Sweden, but finished third on a tiebreaker.

Lukowich defeated Denmark, the United States, Switzerland, Norway, France, and Germany, while losing to Italy, Sweden, and Scotland. He faced second-place Sweden, skipped by Stefan Hasselborg, in one semi-fianl, winning by a score of 6-3. Meanwhile, David Smith of Scotland defeated Steve Brown of the United States by a score of 3-1 in the other semi-final.

That set up a final between Lukowich and Smith who had gone 9-0 in the round robin. One of his victories was a 5-3 score over Lukowich.

Smith blanked the first end then scored once in the second to lead 1-0. Lukowich blanked the next four ends, then put up two in the seventh end to take a 2-1 lead. He stole one in the eighth, to lead 3-1, only to have Smith score a pair in the ninth to tie the game at 3-3. However, just like in the Brier final, Lukowich had the hammer going home in a tie game, and scored once to win by a score of 4-3.

Ed Lukowich was the world champion.

Interestingly, the day of the final, my parents decided to go visit my Uncle Ed and Aunt Johanna in Lethbridge. I thought I might miss the final, but ended up watching it in their den. My Dad liked curling too, and kept sneaking a peak and asking me how Canada was doing.

I was happy to report the good news.

Olympics
When Calgary hosted the Winter Olympics in 1988, they were able to choose some demonstration sports for possible inclusion in future Olympics. One of those demonstration sports was curling.

It gave Ed Lukowich one more chance at international success.

Canada held Olympic trials in 1987, where Pat Ryan of Edmonton finished at the top of the round robin standings with a record of 6-1. Lukowich, who was curling with the same team he won the worlds with a year earlier, finished tied with Ed Werenich, Russ Howard and Bernie Sparkes all with records of 4-3. Werenich defeated Howard in one tiebreaker while Lukowich beating Sparkes in the other. Lukowich beat Werenich in the semi-final by a score of 7-2, then upset Ryan in the final by a score of 6-3.

Ed Lukowich would again represent Canada on the international stage, this time at the 1988 Olympics.

Canada would finish tied for first with Switzerland after the round robin with a record of 5-2. Lukowich’s wins came against the United States, Norway, West Germany, Great Britain, and Denmark, while his losses were to Switzerland and Sweden. That loss to Switzerland gave them first and Canada second.

Lukowich faced Eigel Ramsfjell of Denmark, the 1984 world champion, in the semi-final, and lost to the Dane by a score of 8-5. That gave Lukowich the Olympic bronze medal, while Ramsfjell would beat Hans-Jürg Lipps of Switzerland in the final to take the gold medal.

Parting thoughts
Ed Lukowich is my favouite curler of all time. He was clutch and so cool under pressure.

I was so lucky and glad to finally meet him. However, I never thought it would be at a comic book, science fiction and fantasy convention.

The Calgary Herald had done a story on how Lukowich had become a science fiction writer, so that’s how he ended up at Calgary Expo in 2023.

It was one of the first times I not only got an autograph and a photograph with one of my sporting icons, but a chance to tell him what he meant to me as a fan. He was so kind and gracious.

It was so cool, just like Lukowich.

After all, one of his nicknames is “Cool Hand Luke”.

The transformation of Rob Lowe

Rob Lowe in "St. Elmo's Fire" in 1985.

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090060/mediaviewer/rm4294228993/

(May be subject to copyright)

He has had quite the evolution. He has gone from being a cocky, arrogant teen and twentysomething who was not that likeable in the 1980s, to becoming one of my favourite actors.

Such has been the transformation of Rob Lowe.

In the beginning
Rob Lowe really got his start in movies such as “The Outsiders” and “Class”, both in 1983, and “The Hotel New Hampshire” in 1984.

I never saw any of those films, but when I started to see his movies, he came off as cocky and arrogant.

“St. Elmo’s Fire”
Rob Lowe was part of a group of young actors called the Brat Pack that included Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy, and C. Thomas Howell. Various combinations of these actors appeared in movies throughout the ‘80s.

In 1985, a movie called “St. Elmo’s Fire” came out and was a vehicle for a large number of them. Up to that point, the movies were set in and around the high school years. “St. Elmo’s Fire” moved it up a notch, set when the characters are finished or finishing college.

Rob Lowe plays Billy, who comes off as cocky and womanizing, but is really just trying to find himself. He is done college and you can tell he doesn’t know what’s next. In a scene I still find a little heartbreaking, he goes back to his old frat to visit. He has been contemplating being a leader or liaison. He ends up having a great time playing football with his fraternity brothers. As they’re walking off the field, he tells one of them he may try to get involved in the frat. His buddy says that would be great. “We need someone to get us drugs,” he said.

In the end, Billy helps another one of his friends, bent on freezing herself to death. He is on the road to redemption, and so is Rob Lowe.

That was one of the movies I saw with my best friend Chris Vining. We worked together at a greenhouse after school and on Saturdays. One Friday night, we rented “St. Elmo’s Fire” and watched it back at the farm, with the sound low and the lights off so we didn’t wake up my parents.

It was the only time I have seen the movie beginning to end.

“Youngblood”
This may be the best bad hockey movie I have seen. “Youngblood” came out in 1986. Lowe plays Dean Youngblood, a brash, cocky hockey player trying to make it on a junior team in Ontario. He stars with Patrick Swayze who plays Derek Sutton, the captain of the hockey team, and Cynthia Gibb who is Dean’s love interest.

I first read about this movie in an issue of “Prevue” or “Scene” or whatever the free magazine was that you could get at theatres. It was funny. They described the relationship of Derek to Dean like Han Solo to Luke Skywalker. That was funny.

“Youngblood” came to Lethbridge early in 1986, as part of a “sneak preview” at the Paramount Theatre with another movie camlled “Stitches”. I had this real good friend named Mat, who was also my neighbour, and he had a car. He was willing to try most things, but really didn’t like sports, which was fair. I basically had to bribe him to go see “Youngblood”. The roads weren’t the greatest, but we made it – only to discover it was sold out.

I would watch “Youngblood” on video with Vining a few months later. I’m pretty sure it was another “after the greenhouse” special.

“Oxford Blues”
I saw a preview of “Oxford Blues” on “The Journal”, a news magazine show that aired on CBC after “The National” on Channel 9 of the peasant vision dial. Rob Lowe played an American in England who ends up on the Oxford rowing team.

It came out in 1984, but I didn’t see it until a few years later. Again, Lowe came off as cocky and uncaring, or at least his character did.

“About Last Night”
Later in 1986, Rob Lowe was in “About Last Night” a movie about dating and commitment in Chicago. He starred with Demi Moore, Jim Belushi, and Elizabeth Perkins in a film adaptation of the stage play “Sexual Perversity in Chicago”.

I did not see this movie until 1995. I was living in Lister Hall during the summer and taped it off TV. I was glad it had been so long, because by then Rob Lowe had begun to shed that cocky persona.

The rest of the decade
Rob Lowe appeared in several movies to close out the ‘80s that I have never seen including “Square Dance”in 1987, and “Masquerade” and “Illegally Yours” both in 1988. Lowe actually garnered a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor for “Square Dance”, where he played a mentally disabled character.

Controversy
I guess what had really turned me off Rob Lowe initially went beyond the cocky characters he played on screen. Even as a teenager, I could tell the difference between an actor and a charcter.

Then in 1988, he was embroiled in a scandal, where him having sex with two women was recorded on a video tape. Both were of legal age to have sex, but one wasn’t old enough, by law, to be involved in such a recording.

That scandal, just reinforced my perception that he really wasn’t much different from the characters he played.

Part of that was also fuelled by alcohol and the hard-partying lifestyle that always seemed to make for good reading material in the magazines at the super market.

Two years after the sex tape scandal, he got sober and has stayed that way ever since.

That began a transformation that followed in the years after.

The years after
The next time I really saw Rob Lowe, he was cast in the perfect role – he couldn’t talk or use that charm or charisma.

It was the miniseries “The Stand” in May of 1994, and Lowe played the deaf, mute Nick Andros. It was an amazing miniseries that captivated us in the Spring, and Rob Lowe was so good in that role. He was able to really communicate without the use of words, except for one dream sequence.

It really began his comeback. That would also continue in movies such as “Wayne’s World” and the “Austin Powers” franchise.

Then, in 1999, he took on the role of U.S. presidential advisor Sam Seaborn in “The West Wing”, where he was nominated for an Emmy and two Golden Globes.

He went on to star in “The Lyon’s Den”; “Brothers and Sisters” for 76 episodes; “Parks and Recreation” for 77 episodes; “The Grinder” for 22 episodes; “Code Black” for 29 episodes; “911: Lone Star” and “The Floor” which he continues both to this day; and so much more.

Rob Lowe is back.

Parting thoughts
The transformation of Rob Lowe has been remarkable to me. Back in the 1980s, if you would have told me he would be one of my favourite actors, and that I would look forward to seeing him a show, I would not believe you.

Yet, in the 40 years since I first saw him, he has grown, evolved and changed.

He is no longer cocky but confident; no longer a know-it-all, but wise; and no longer aloof but sensitive.

It has been fun to watch the transformation of Rob Lowe.

Patrick Roy: Money goalie

Rookie goaltender Patrick Roy led the Montreal

Canadiens to the Stanley Cup in 1986, earning

the Conn Smythe trophy as most valuable player of the playoffs.

Source: https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2020/05/14

(May be subject to copyright)

It was a strange sight to see when he entered the net for the Montreal Canadiens. Bobbing his head back and forth like he was perpetually trying to loosen his neck, it looked like he was talking to his goal posts.

That’s because he was.

Yet Patrick Roy repeated a feat in 1986 that Ken Dryden had accomplished 15 years earlier – assuming the starting job part way through the regular season as a rookie and taking them all the way to the Stanley Cup championship.

Earlier this week, the New York Islanders fired their coach and hired Roy as their new head coach.

They are hoping he can do the same thing as a coach that he had as a player – lead them to a Stanley Cup.

Early on
Patrick Roy was selected in the third round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, 51st overall. He returned to junior for the 1984-1985 season, playing for the Granby Bisons of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He was called up by the Canadiens, and played in one game for Montreal, making his NHL debut on Feb. 23, 1985. He came into the game in the third period, replacing Doug Soetaert, and earned his first win without allowing a goal in 20 minutes of work. Shortly after, he was assigned to the Sherbrooke Canadiens, Montreal’s American Hockey League, affiliate, where he quickly earned the starting job and led the Canadiens to the Calder Cup championship.

The next year, that fateful 1985-1986 season, would be one for the ages.

Playoff hero
Patrick Roy made the Canadiens to start the 1985-1986 NHL season, backing up Steve Penney and, when Penney got hurt in January, assumed the starting job. Roy appeared in 47 games, recording 23 wins, 18 losses, and three ties with one shut out and a goals against average of 3.35.

As the Canadiens readied for the playoffs, Roy was named their starting goalie. They made the right choice.

They opened the playoffs by sweeping my beloved Boston Bruins 3-0 in the Adams Division Semi-final, then outlasted the Hartford Whalers in a tight seven-game Adams Division Final series, before defeating the New York Rangers 4-1 in the Wales Conference Final. They were headed to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1979.

The Canadiens would benefit from a shocking upset in the Campbell Conference. Against all odds, the Calgary Flames had shocked the Edmonton Oilers, the regular season and two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, in a dramatic seven-game series. They then defeated the St. Louis Blues in seven games in the Campbell Conference Final to punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.

The Canadiens dropped the opening game of the Stanley Cup Final, then rebounded to take four straight games and win their 23rd Stanley Cup. Patrick Roy would be the difference, making clutch save after clutch save, and recorded a 1-0 shut-out victory in Game 4. He appeared in 20 playoff games, winning 15 and losing five, with a goals against average of 1.93 with one shut out. For his efforts, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy for the most valuable player of the playoffs. At 20, he was the youngest winner of the Conn Smythe., and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.

The future looked bright for Patrick Roy.

Settling in
Patrick Roy appeared in 46 games in the 1986-1987 season, recording 22 wins, 16 losses, and six ties with one shut out and a 2.93 goals against average. Montreal finished second in the Adams Division in the regular season, drawing Boston in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, who they swept again, this time in four straight games. Then they outlasted their arch-rival the Quebec Nordiques in seven games in the second round before losing to Philadelphia in the conference final in six games.

Roy also shared the William M. Jennings Trophy with Brian Hayward for fewest goals allowed that season.

In the 1987-1988 season, he played in 45 games, recording 23 wins, 12 losses, and nine ties, with three shut outs and 2.90 goals against average. Montreal finished first in the Adams Division in the regular season, facing Hartford in the first round, who they defeated in six games in the first round. They were then upset by the Bruins in the second round, in a series where I never stopped cheering my lungs out.

Roy again shared the Jennings Trophy with Hayward, was a Second Team NHL All-Star, and played in his first NHL All-Star Game..

Return to the finals
The Montreal Canadiens changed head coaches before the start of the 1988-1989 season, as Pat Burns took over from Jean Peron. He would lead Montreal to a first place finish in the Adams Division. They drew Hartford in the first round, sweeping them in four straight games. They then exacted revenge on the Bruins who beat them in the division final the year before, by eliminating Boston in five games. They faced Philadelphia in the conference final in what was a rough series. Montreal prevailed in six games and would face Calgary in a re-match of the 1986 Stanley Cup Final. This time Calgary prevailed, defeating the Canadiens in six games. They won the Cup in the Montreal Forum too. It was the only time in history a visiting team was presented the Stanley Cup in the Forum.

Roy appeared in 48 games in the 1988-1989 season, winning 33 games, losing five and tying six, with four shut outs and a 2.47 goals against average.

He also won his first Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender, won his third Jennings Trophy with Hayward, and was a First Team NHL All-Star.

Dusk of the decade
Patrick Roy closed out the decade by playing in 54 games in the 1989-1990 season, recording 31 wins, 16 losses and five ties, with three shut outs and a 2.53 goals against average. Montreal finished third in the Adams Division. They beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 in the opening round, before Boston eliminated the Canadiens in five games.

He also won his second Vezina Trophy, and was a First Team NHL All-Star for the second time.

Yet, as the 1980s closed, Patrick Roy had established himself as one of the best goaltenders in the game. The next 13 years would just add to his legacy.

The years after
Patrick Roy had a storybook career. He would repeat his feat of 1986, putting the Canadiens on his back and leading them to another improbable Stanley Cup championship at the end of the 1992-1993 season, earning his second Conn Smythe in the process.

He would be traded to the Colorado Avalanche part way through the 1995-1996 season in an ironic twist. Roy had grown up a Quebec Nordiques fan and was not happy about being drafted by Montreal. The Nordiques moved to Denver in 1995 and became the Avalanche, so he finally became a Nordique – sort of.

Roy would lead Colorado to a Stanley Cup championship at the end of that season too, winning a third Conn Smythe, then backstop them to a second Stanley Cup championship at the end of the 2000-2001 season.

He would go on to win the Vezina again in 1992; The Jennings Trophy in 1992 and 2002; be named a First Team NHL All-Star in 1992 and 2002; a Second Team NHL All-Star in 1991; and play in the All-Star Game in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, and 2003.

Roy finished with career totals of 1,029 games, 551 wins, 315 losses, 131 ties, 66 shut outs and a 2.54 goals against average. He also played in 247 playoff games, winning 151 games, losing 94 games, recording 23 shut outs and a goals against average of 2.30.

Both the Canadiens and Avalanche retired his number.

Patrick Roy was elected to the Hockey Hall Of Fame in 2006.

After retiring, Roy moved into coaching where he won the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL’s coach of the year in 2014 when coaching the Avalanche.

Parting thoughts
Polls have named Patrick Roy as the best goalie in history. I cannot argue with that. He had this intangible quality that earned him the nickname “St. Patrick”.

For all his success in the regular season, it was his performance in the playoffs that sets him apart. He could put a team on his back and carry them to the Stanley Cup. In fact, he did it twice in Montreal.

Beyond being a great goaltender, he was an even better money goaltender.

George Clooney: Just starting out

George Clooney, had a role from 1985 to 1987 in the sitcom

"The Facts of Life". Here he is at left with co-star Nancy McKeon.

Source: https://www.televisionofyore.com/

recaps-of-the-facts-of-life/the-facts-of-life-season-7-episode-17

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He would gain world-wide recognition as Dr, Doug Ross in “ER” in the ‘90s, and go on to a stellar movie career in the 21st Century.

However, it all started for George Clooney in the ‘80s as an odd sort of boy next door on a sitcom in its waning years.

Yesterday, I saw Clooney in a commercial for Nespresso, and the way he looked and sounded took me back almost 40 years to Peekskill, New York.

Starting out
Unlike so many actors whose careers were already in full swing when the 1980s began, George Clooney was just starting out in the decade.

He appeared in four unmemorable movies, the most notable being “Return of the Killer Tomatoes”, but also including “Grizzly II: Revenge”; “Return to Horror High”; and “Red Surf”.

Clooney had a lot more work on television, which led to his ultimate breakthrough on “ER”.

Ironically, and this is downright spookie, his first role was in the 1984 sitcom – “E/R”. It was set in an emergency room in Chicago and starred Elliott Gould. I saw a couple episodes but it just kind of faded away. Clooney would appear in eight episodes of that “E/R”.

He would make guest appearances on a variety of shows including “Riptide” in 1984; “Streethawk” and “Crazy Like a Fox” both in 1985; “Hotel” in 1986; and “Hunter”, “Murder, She Wrote” and “Golden Girls” in 1987.

He would then begin to show his talent with two recurring roles before the end of the decade.

Learning the facts of life
“The Facts of Life” was a durable sitcom that lasted nine years, from 1979 to 1988. It was a spin-off of “Diff’rent Strokes”, another sitcom, and set in an all-girls’ boarding school in Peekskill, New York.

Clooney joined the cast in 1985 in the seventh season as George Burnett. By this point the girls are running a shop called Edna’s Edibles, that burns to the ground. George is hired as a handyman to help re-develop it and, although not very good with his hands, he becomes a friend. He would stay through season seven and eight, before being dropped.

He appeared in 17 episodes from 1985 to 1987.

What I will always remember was the stories he told about living abroad, in Kuwait I think. One in particular was about how they played baseball – with goats.

I only saw a handful of episodes of George Clooney in “The Facts of Life” because it was hard to find. Even with just three channels, and “The Facts of Life” was on CBC Channel 9, it never seemed to be on when scheduled, pre-empted by hockey or other CBC productions.

Boss man
The other recurring role Clooney had was as Roseanne’s boss “Brooker Brooks” in “Roseanne”, for 11 episodes from 1988 to 1991.

Close of the decade
So, at the close of the ‘80s, George Clooney was beginning to work more and more, but it would be the 1990s and beyond where his career took off.

The years after
I will always remember him in the early 1990s as Detective Ryan Walker opposite Lee Horsley in “Bodies of Evidence”. In the first three episodes, Walker tracked a serial killer. One of the themes was that Walker was becoming more and more convinced he and the killer were similar. In the chilling conclusion, he has arrested the killer who keeps yelling through a police car window, “I’m you Walker! I’m you!”

It was excellent TV, or so I remembered. The show lasted 16 episodes from 19923 to 1993, and that saddened me because it was really good.

Clooney also appeared in “Sunset Beat” for six episodes; “Baby Talk” for five episodes; “Jack’s Place”; and “Sisters” for 19 episodes.

Then, in 1994 he made his debut as Dr. Doug Ross in a much-anticipated show called “ER”. The rest is history. He played Ross for six years and 106 episodes, then moved onto feature films where his career has just exploded.

It started with “From Dusk till Dawn” and “One Fine Day” in 1996; then “Batman and Robin”; “The Peacemaker”; “The Thin Red Line”; “Three Kings”; “The Perfect Storm’; “O Brother, Where Art Thou”; “Ocean’s Eleven”; “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind”; “Solaris”; “Ocean’s Twelve”; “Good Night, and Good Luck”; “Syriana”; “Michael Clayton; “Ocean’s Thirteen”; “Leatherheads”; “Burn After Reading”; “The Men Who Stare at Goats”; “Up in the Air”; “The American”; “The Descendants”; “Gravity”; “The Monuments Men”; and much more.

He has won Oscars for Best Supporting Actor in “Syriana”; and Best Picture for “Argo". He has also been nominated for Oscars for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for “Good Night, and Good Luck”; Best Actor for “Michael Clayton”, “Up in the Air”, and “The Descendants”; and Best Adapted Screenplay for “The Ides of March”.

He continues to act, write, direct and produce to this day.

Parting thoughts
George Clooney has achieved a great deal as an actor, writer, director and producer. He was won awards and grossed millions, and is at the point he can afford to take on the projects he wants.

He no longer has to take on guest roles in forgettable movies and TV shows with short runs.

Yet it was those projects that ultimately led to the success he enjoys today.

Everyone has to start somewhere.

George Clooney started in the ‘80s.

Norman Jewison: Canadian filmmaking legend

Canadian filmmaking legend Norman Jewison between Cher, at left, and Nicholas Cage, the two stars of "Moonstruck" in 1987.

Source: https://ca.billboard.com/culture/tv-film/cher-mourns-moonstruck-director-norman-jewison-dead-1235586790/

(May be subject to copyright)

No matter whatever I intended to write about today, the world stops when a Canadian icon dies, and I focus all attention there.

Today, film director Norman Jewison died, and not only Canada, but the world, has lost a legend.

Not only did Jewison make groundbreaking films, many with a social conscience, but he promoted the next generation of Canadian film and filmmakers at every turn.

A few years ago I read his book “This Terrible Business Has Been Good to Me”, which detailed much of his career through his own eyes.

I was reminded how many of his films intersected with my life when I was younger.

In the beginning
Toronto native Norman Jewison’s early days in filmmaking are well documented. He got his start in Canada, making shows for the CBC in the 1950s. Then he went to work for NBC in the States later in the same decade.

Wikipedia reveals he made his first film in 1962, called “40 Pounds of Trouble”. He followed that up with “The Thrill of it All” in 1963; “Send Me No Flowers” in 1964; and “The Art of Love” in 1965.

His first major hit came later in 1965 with “The Cincinnati Kid”, starring Steve McQueen as a poker player trying to be the best around. That began a career of successful, ground-breaking and award-winning movies.

“The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming”, a Cold War era comedy about a Soviet submarine that that gets grounded off the coast of New England, came out in 1966. It starred Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Brian Keith and Jonathan Winters.

Then came a movie that showed Norman Jewison was not afraid to take on tough and controversial subjects.

Too hot to handle
“In the Heat of the Night”, was released in 1967. It tells the story of Virgil Tibbs, a Black police detective from Philadelphia who becomes involved in a small-town murder investigation in Mississippi, battling racism every step of the way.

Tibbs is played by Sidney Poitier who I will always remember for the simple but profound line, “They call me MISTER Tibbs.”

The film earned Jewison his first Oscar nomination for best director. Although he did not win, the film did win Oscars for Best Picture; for Rod Steiger for Best Actor; for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium; Best Film Editing; and Best Sound.

Wikipedia says “In the Heat of the Night” is widely considered one of the most important American films of the 1960s.

To be honest, in the 1980s, I heard more about “In the Heat of the Night” than saw it. There was also a TV show based on the movie from 1988 to 1995, starring Howard E. Rollins whose name will be connected with Jewison again later.

Finding religion
Jewison continued on working, closing out the decade of the 1960s with “The Thomas Crown Affair” in 1968 then “Gaily, Gaily” in 1969.

He had another classic on his hands in 1971 with “Fiddler on the Roof”. It is a musical starring Topol as a Jewish milkman trying to marry off his many daughters and battle harassment from his village’s non-Jewish neighbours.

The film earned Jewison his second Oscar nomination for Best Director and his first for Best Picture. Topol was nominated for Best Actor; Leonard Frey was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and the film was also nominated for Best Art Direction. It won Oscars for Best Cinematography; Best Music Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score; and Best Sound.

I read in “This Terrible Business Has Been Good to Me” that Jewison was hired to do “Fiddler on the Roof” because the producers thought he was Jewish. They were somewhat shocked to find out he was not.

In a profile of Norman Jewison I saw on “W5” I think, they show an interview with Topol who says he is going to convert Norman to Judaism and change his name to Christianson. Everyone laughed really hard at that.

It was the highest grossing film of 1971, and Wikipedia says “Fiddler on the Roof” is often considered one of the greatest musical films of all time.

Jewison continued on the religious theme with his next film, “Jesus Christ Superstar” in 1973. It stars Ted Neeley in the title role he has continued to play for close to 50 years. It depicts Jesus’ last week on Earth, his conflict with Judas Iscariot and ultimately his crucifixion.

Growing up, I went to Catholic school and heard the music there, often when various classes were preparing for the Kiwanis music festival. Beyond that, I did not actually see the movie until about 20 years ago. My parents and I were visiting my brother in Nanaimo and we watched “Jesus Christ Superstar” with his family on the Easter weekend, Good Friday actually, if memory serves.

It is a powerful movie, mixing Biblical and contemporary themes.

The Pope even liked it, suspecting it might bring more people around to Christianity.

Jewison closed out the 1970s with three films. “Rollerball” in 1975 is a dystopic science fiction sports film starring James Caan, John Houseman and Maud Adams; “F.I.S.T.” in 1978 stars Sylvester Stallone as a union leader loosely based on Jimmy Hoffa; and “…And Justice for All” in 1979, stars Al Pacino as an idealistic lawyer in an Oscar-nominated role.

The 1980s would bring more tough social issues and more accolades for Norman Jewison, who was entering his fourth decade of filmmaking.

In the army
Jewison opened the decade with “Best Friends” in 1982, a romantic comedy starring Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn.

Then, in 1984, he returned to the themes of racism with “A Soldier’s Story”. It is an amazing movie, starring Howard E. Rollins as an officer from the Judge Advocate General sent to investigate the murder of a Black sergeant, in a segregated regiment of the United States Army. Adolph Caesar played the sergeant, while a young Denzel Washington, David Alan Grier, and Patti LaBelle also starred.

The film received three Oscar nominations. Jewison was nominated for Best Picture; Caesar was nominated for Best Supporting Actor; and the film was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

It is an excellent movie with great performances by Rollins and Caesar, who is despicable and vile to everyone around him. Anyone could have motive to kill him. Rollins would go on later in the decade to star in the TV series based on Jewison’s “In the Heat of the Night”.

In the summer of 1986, I was taking a two-week driver’s ed course in Lethbridge and staying with my sister. We rented a movie every couple nights from a 7-11 a few blocks up 13th Street on Third Avenue.

One of the first movies I had to see was “A Soldier’s Story”.

I was not disappointed.

The only disappointment was that I thought the movie should have garnered much more Oscar buzz.

The rest of the decade
Jewison returned to a religious theme in 1985 with “Agnes of God”. It stars Meg Tilley as a nun who claims to be pregnant by immaculate conception, when she gives birth to a dead child. Anne Bancroft plays the mother superior who butts heads in the ensuing investigation with a psychiatrist played by Jane Fonda.

This was another great movie. It was nominated for Best Original Score; Meg Tilly was nominated for Best Supporting Actress; and Anne Bancroft was nominated for Best Actress.

In 1987, Jewison directed “Moonstruck” starring Cher, who plays an Italian widow in love with her fiancé’s younger brother, played by Nicholas Cage.

Jewison earned his third Oscar nomination for Best Director, in his third different decade, which is amazing. Cher won for Best Actress; Olympia Dukakis won for Best Supporting Actress; and John Patrick Shanley won for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. The film, and Jewison, were also nominated for Best Picture; and Vincent Gardenia was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

The film was the fifth highest grossing movie of the year.

In 1988, Jewison founded the Canadian Film Centre to foster the next generation of Canadian filmmakers.

The years after
Jewison kept on working into the 21st Century. The movie that stands out for me is his last great piece of social justice. “The Hurricane” came out in 1999 and stars Denzel Washington as Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, an African-American boxer who is wrongly convicted of murder. Through the efforts of a Canadian couple and their foster child from Brooklyn, Carter is ultimately exonerated and freed.

It is another amazing movie I saw in the theatre with some of my journalism school classmates. I saw it again on DVD, after I finished reading “The Sixteenth Round”, one of the books the movie is based on. Later that school year, I was lucky enough to hear Rubin Carter speak in person when he came to Lethbridge.

For his efforts, Denzel Washington was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor.

Jewison was honoured in 1999 with the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for lifetime achievement.

He had finally won his Oscar.

In 199,2 he was invested in the Order of Canada, and in 2003 he was honoured with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for lifetime artistic achievement.

Jewison published “This Terrible Business Has Been Good to Me” In 2004.

He died on January 20, 2024.

Norman Jewison was 97.

Parting thoughts
Norman Jewison was an icon whose work really does speak for itself. Three Oscar nominations in three separate decades shows he has longevity as well.

However, what I will always admire is his courage in taking on tough themes such as racism and injustice. Perhaps being Canadian gives him a unique perspective. As an outsider he can shine a light on American race relations.

Beyond the issues and topics themselves, he told compelling stories that really made these issues come to life.

Norman Jewison is an icon, a filmmaking legend and, quite simply, one of the best.

Annie Potts: Quirky, sarcastic and talented

Annie Potts in "Designing Women" in 1986.

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/coloranalysis/comments

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Currently, she may be regaling fans of “The Big Bang Theory” and “Young Sheldon” as Sheldon’s grandmother, but to me she will always be the quirky sidekick Molly Ringwald worked with at the record store in “Pretty in Pink”.

From there Annie Potts would have a prolific career, primarily in television comedy, that continues right up to the present.

I have been watching the 1992 to 1995 comedy “Love and War” on Apple TV, and Annie Potts just joined the cast at the start of the second season.

It has brought back memories of “Pretty in Pink” and all that other stuff she was in during the rest of the 1980s and beyond.

Who you gonna call?
I was about to say my first encounter with Annie Potts was in 1984, but Wikipedia reveals she was actually in a 1978 movie I saw a year or two after it came out. It was called “Corvette Summer” and starred Mark Hamill, soon after his breakout, career-defining role as Luke Skywalker in “Star Wars”. He plays a man who has his beloved Corvette Stingray stolen, and spends the summer going to Las Vegas and trying to find it. Potts plays the girl he meets along the way, in her first big screen role. For her efforts, she garnered a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year Actress.

The movie, that I thought was the first I saw Annie Potts in, was “Ghostbusters” in 1984. There she plays the Ghostbusters’ secretary who occasionally battles ghosts herself. She was quirky but tough.

Pretty in Pink
John Hughes is one of my heroes, primarily for a tetralogy of teen angst movies he made in the 1980s. The third movie in that series is “Pretty in Pink.” It tells the story of Andie, played by Molly Ringwald, who is bullied and on the outside of high school life, looking in. She lives with her single Dad who is a good influence on her, and hangs out with a quirky classmate nicknamed “The Duckman”, played by Jon Cryer, who has a crush on her.

She escapes into her own life, and by working at a music store. There, her friend and co-worker Iona provides the friendship, support, and everything else a teenage girl needs, when getting ready for her prom.

Iona is played brilliantly by Annie Potts who, again, is quirky but energetic and funny.

Potts would turn to television the next year, and have her breakout role in network TV.

Designing Women
Potts had guest starring roles in shows such as “Family”; “Remington Steele”; “Magnum P.I.”; and “The Twilight Zone”; as well as a few TV movies.

Then in 1986, “Designing Women” debuted. It was a comedy starring four independent women and one man working at an interior design company in the American South. Potts played head designer Mary Jo Shively, who is head strong but sensitive, confident but vulnerable, and sarcastic but kind. Potts would remain with “Designing Women” through its entire run of 163 episodes from 1986 to 1993. It aired on Channel CBC of the peasant vision dial.

The years after
Annie Potts reprised her role of Janine Melnitz in “Ghostbusters II” in 1989, and continues to act to this day. She also appeared in movies such as “Texasville”; “Toy Story”, “Toy Story 2” and “Toy Story 4”; had a cameo in a “Ghostbusters’ re-boot in 2016; and was back as the Ghostbusters secretary again for “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” in 2021 and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” in 2024.

She remains prolific to this day on television, with recurring roles over the years in “Love and War”, for which she was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series; “Dangerous Minds”; “Over the Top”; “Any Day Now”; “Huff”; “Joan of Arcadia”; “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”; “Men in Trees”; “Chicago Med”; and currently “Young Sheldon”. She has also guest starred on dozens of shows.

Parting thoughts
Two words that keep coming to mind when describing Annie Potts are quirky and sarcastic. From “Pretty in Pink” and the “Ghostbusters” franchise, to “Designing Women” and “Love and War”, Annie Potts has portrayed strong, independent women who are sarcastic and quirky.

The characters she has portrayed from Iona in “Pretty in Pink” to Mary Jo Shively in “Designing Women” have also been loyal, supportive friends at the worst of times.

Perhaps the best illustration of her talent as an actor is in “Love and War”. Susan Dey was the female lead in the first season, playing opposite Jay Thomas. Dey was dismissed after that season because the creators didn’t think she and Thomas had any chemistry.

Potts joined the cast in season two, taking over for Dey as Thomas’ romantic interest. The sparks began to fly immediately, and there seemed to be instant on-screen chemistry. That was fuelled by the fact Potts was as sarcastic as Thomas, and they played off each other beautifully.

For her efforts, Potts was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

That says it all.