Clint Eastwood: Amazing and versatile

Clint Eastwood, at right, with Marsha Mason at the end their 1986 film "Heartbreak Ridge".

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091187/mediaviewer/rm1396138496/

(May be subject to copyright)

Through all the westerns and Dirty Harry movies, action and thrillers, there are two Clint Eastwood movies that always resonate with me more than any others.

In one, he plays a tough as nails sergeant, coming to terms with the end of his career and his life choices. In the other, he plays a prisoner at Alcatraz who plots a daring escape from a place no one has ever escaped from.

But, beyond “Heartbreak Ridge” and “Escape from Alcatraz”, Clint Eastwood put together a lot of great movies in the 1980s. He built on the great work he did in the ‘60s and ‘70s and set the stage for even more magic in the ‘90s and 21st Century.

Back story
The outline of Clint Eastwood’s career is pretty well-known. He got his start on television in a western called “Rawhide”, then moved into movies, catching his big break with Sergio Leone’s “spaghetti westerns” – “A Fist Full of Dollars”; “For a Few Dollars More”; and “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”. That would lead into his iconic role in five movies as “Dirty” Harry Callahan, a tough cop not afraid to use lethal force.

For the record, he was in a lot of movies leading up to the ‘80s including “Hang ‘Em High”; “Coogan’s Bluff”; “Where Eagles Dare”; “Paint Your Wagon”; “Two Mules for Sister Sara”; “Kelly’s Heroes”; “Play Misty for Me”; “Dirty Harry”, his first portrayal of that lethal cop; “High Plains Drifter”; “Magnum Force”, his second Dirty Harry movie; “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot”; “The Eiger Sanction”; “The Outlaw Josey Wales” ; “The Enforcer”, his third Dirty Harry movie; “The Gauntlet”; and “Every Which Way But Loose”.

Escape room
Although “Escape from Alcatraz” came out in theatres in 1979, by the time it appeared on Channel 13 of peasant vision it was well into the ‘80s.

Eastwood plays Frank Morris who, like so many other inmates, lands in Alcatraz because no other jail could hold him.

However, he is unlike most inmates. Early on, we see a psych profile of Frank Morris and learn he is a genius. It shows pretty quickly, as he sets his mind to finding a way out the prison where prisoners go to die.

My favourite part of the movie was how he put together all the different pieces needed to escape. First he needed help, so he enlisted Charley Butts and the Anglin Brothers, John and Clarence.

One of the funniest scenes early on is when Morris sees the Anglins and ask how they ended up at Alcatraz.

“There was one problem when we went over the wall,” one brother said.

“Ya, they saw us,” the other added.

Morris figured out a plan and shared it with the others. He reasoned the salt air had corroded the concrete around the grate in his cell. Using a pair of nail clippers, they could chip through the concrete. Yet, that would be discovered, so he figured they would make papier mache to conceal the chipped-away concrete. Moreover, they used the inserts from magazines, you know those pieces of paper that fall out or get pulled out anyway, so as not to draw suspicion. They would also use papier mache to create busts of their heads to put in their beds the night of the escape, again to not draw suspicion.

The list goes on and on. Ultimately, they would use contact cement to glue rain coats together to use as a raft to get off the island.

It was an absolutely awesome movie.

Staying busy
Eastwood remained busy as the decade wore on, appearing in ”Bronco Billy” and “Any Which Way You Can”, both in 1980; “Firefox” and “Honkytonk Man”, both in 1982; “Sudden Impact”, his fourth Dirty Harry movie in 1983; “Tightrope” and the comedy “City Heat” opposite Burt Reynolds, both in 1984; and “Pale Rider” in 1985.

His next outing would quickly become my favourite Clint Eastwood movie.

Breaking hearts
Eastwood plays Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway in “Heartbreak Ridge”. He is assigned to train cadets who really are lazy, undisciplined, and entitled. Meanwhile, Aggie, his ex-wife, played expertly by Marsha Mason, runs a bar by the base. Highway realizes she is the one who got away.

So, he sets out to break down the cadets and build them back up, while he reads women’s magazines trying to figure out just what to say to Aggie.

Training finishes, the cadets are soldiers and – they are called up immediately for action in Grenada. Obviously, Highway has had an impact on Aggie. She is worried sick when he is deployed, and there to greet him upon his victorious return.

There is immediate on-screen chemistry between Eastwood and Mason, and the supporting cast is stellar as well. It includes Arlen Dean Snyder as Highway’s long-time friend Choozhoo, and Mario Van Peebles as one of the cadets.

It is just a great movie all around.

The rest of the decade
Eastwood would make his fifth and final appearance as Dirty Harry in “The Dead Pool “ in 1988; and finished the decade in the action comedy “Pink Cadillac” in 1989.

The years after
Eastwood would just keep on making movies as the years went on as an actor, writer, director and producer.

“Unforgiven”, won him Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, and a nomination for Best Actor. “Mystic River”, earned him nominations for Best Picture and Best Director. “Million Dollar Baby” won him Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, and a nomination for Best Actor. “Letters from Iwo Jima”, was nominated for Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director; and “American Sniper”, was nominated for Best Picture.

Eastwood's movies also included “The Rookie”; “In the Line of Fire”; “A Perfect World”; “The Bridges of Madison County”, opposite Meryl Streep; “Absolute Power”; “True Crime”; “Space Cowboys”;  “Gran Torino”; “Trouble with the Curve”;  and so much more.

Parting thoughts
It is Clint Eastwood’s birthday today, and a great time to look back at his amazing career.

I have never seen a Clint Eastwood movie I did not like. He has this screen presence that commands attention. I think because he was so stern and strong in so many movies, it just adds to the comedy when he goes against that character type. The best example, of many, is when he quotes from those women’s magazines to get his wife back in “Heartbreak Ridge”. It just makes it that much funnier because he is trying to be so serious.

Yet, that same strong silent persona, can also conceal a volcano. When unleashed, it can be a storm of violence. That is obvious in the Dirty Harry movies, but more chilling in “Unforgiven”. There he appears to be a mild-mannered widower raising two children with dreams of opening a dried good store. Then a switch is flipped, and he becomes a cold-blooded killer.

Just when it seems violence is the only language he speaks, Eastwood plays the cerebral Frank Morris, a genius level intellect who finds a way out of the toughest prison in the world.

It just shows that Clint Eastwood is an amazing, versatile actor.

Helen Hunt: Perfecting her craft over the decades

It remains one of my favourite episodes of television.

In the “Highway to Heaven” episode “Thoroughbreds”, she plays Ruthie a young horse trainer. John Hammond plays a spoiled rich boy who competes at a high level in equestrian. Along comes Ruthie, played by a very young Helen Hunt, who is the daughter of the head stable hand. She shows our rich kid how she can ride the horse, Busepheles, that he cannot. In fact, she beats him at the show he was preparing so hard for. Of course, the sparks fly, they have always had feelings for each other, elope and the two-part story goes from there.

That was just one of the wide array of roles Helen Hunt played early in her career, that prepared her for that iconic performance in “Mad About You” and the great movies that followed.

Helen Hunt was in my newsfeed recently talking about “Hacks” the current show she has a recurring role in.

It brought back memories of “The Bionic Woman”, “Highway to Heaven”; a little known sitcom with a lot of star power, and more.

The early years
Looking back, Helen Hunt has quite a long history in television going back to her childhood. The first time I ever saw her was as the daughter Helga in “The Swiss Family Robinson” on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial. It’s interesting because around that time, so the 1975-1976 season, there was also a Canadian made “Swiss Family Robinson”. Because of Canadian Content regulations, it lived on in reruns on Channel 13 for years. That wasn’t the case for the American version, which lasted one season and 20 episodes.

The other notable role I recall from those early years was as Aura, an alien princess. She was being protected by Jaime Sommers from alien kidnappers in an episode of “The Bionic Woman” in 1978. Aura’s stalkers were identical twins Jim and Jon Hager.

Hunt also had main roles in “Amy Prentiss”, playing opposite Jessica Walter, and “The Fitzpatricks”; as well as guest spots in “Ark II”; “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”; and some TV movies.

As the ‘80s began, she had guest starring roles in “The Facts of Life”; “Knot’s Landing”; “Darkroom”; “Gimme a Break”; and more TV movies.

Then she had a crack at a comedy with a very talented cast.

Stellar line up
“It Takes Two” lasted one season, 1982-1983, and just 22 episodes. However, it starred Richard Crenna as a doctor; Patty Duke Astin as his wife who is also an assistant district attorney; and Helen Hunt and Anthony Edwards as their teenaged children. I recall Hunt’s character being a smart aleck, while Edwards’ was an aspiring musician.

I also recall trying to like the show, which appeared on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial, but it really wasn't that funny.

That was kind of hard to believe, because it was created by Susan Harris. I loved her, because she created “Soap” and “Benson”, which were two of my favourite shows.

And it had that great cast. I was in Grade 8, and maybe was too young to get the jokes, although I did pretty well with “Soap” and “Benson”.

Groundbreaking
The next role I recall Helen Hunt playing was the title character in “Quarterback Princess” in 1983. She plays a girl who not only battles sexism to be the starting quarterback for her high school football team, but is also named homecoming queen.

Interestingly, in reading up on this movie I knew it was based on a true story. However, I did not know it happened in Canada, and the real-life quarterback princess was Canadian.

The rest of the decade
Hunt would go on to have that memorable guest role in “Highway to Heaven” in 1985. She also joined the cast of the medical drama “St. Elsewhere” from 1984 to 1986 as the girlfriend of Dr. Jack Morrison, played by David Morse.

Hunt also had roles in a number of big-screen movies such as “Trancers”; “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”; “The Frog Prince”; “Peggy Sue Got Married”; “Project X”; “Stealing Home”; and more.

As the 1980s closed, Helen Hunt was making a name for herself.

She would explode onto the TV and movie scene in the ‘90s and beyond.

The years after
Hunt appeared in an episode of “China Beach”; a couple TV movies; and a short-lived but interesting series called “My Life and Times”; before she landed the role that changed the trajectory of her career.

In 1992, the sitcom “Made About You” debuted, starring Hunt as Jamie Buchman playing opposite her husband Paul Buchman played by Paul Reiser. They were recently married. For the next 162 episodes, spanning 1992 to 1999 with a brief return in 2019, we watched as they navigated the joys and pitfalls of their marriage.

Hunt was nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, for the role of Jamie Buchman, in 1993, 1994, and 1995, and won the Emmy in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999. She was also nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1992, 1995, and 1997, and won in 1993, 1994, and 1996.

The role catapulted Hunt into a series of big-screen movies, starting with “Only You”; “Bob Roberts”; “Mr. Saturday Night”; “Trancers II and III”; and “Kiss of Death”.

Her career really got rolling with the 1996 blockbuster “Twister”, then in a starring role in “As Good as it Gets” opposite Jack Nicholson in 1997. She ended up winning the Oscar for Best Actress for that role in “As Good as it Gets”, as well as the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

“Cast Away” followed, then “What Women Want”; “The Curse of the Jade Scorpion”; “A Good Woman”; “Bobby”; “Then She Found Me”; “Every Day”; “Soul Surfer”; “The Sessions” and so much more. Hunt would be nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in “The Sessions”.

She also returned to television with recurring roles in “Shots Fired”; “World on Fire”; “Blindspotting”; and “Hacks”.

Over time she has moved into writing, directing, and producing as well.

Parting thoughts
Helen Hunt is a force of nature. She has avoided being typecast, by being in a variety of roles. I can’t say I always liked her as Jamie Buchman in “Mad About You”, but she was absolutely heroic and alluring in “Twister”, and charming in “Cast Away”. She was engaging and very complex in “As Good as it Gets” and very deserving of the Oscar for that role.

She has taken years to perfect her craft, starting with all those TV roles in the 1970s and 1980s.

For me, it all started as Ruthie butting heads with a spoiled rich kid over a horse.

Greg Evigan keeps on truckin’

Greg Evigan with "Bear" in their television series "B.J. and the Bear".

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078564/

(May be subject to copyright)

One minute he was a truck driver whose best friend was a monkey, the next he was part of an espionage unit that utilized everyday citizens in covert operations, and the minute after that he was one of two men identified as the possible father of a teenage girl.

Such is the life of Greg Evigan.

I have been binge watching the old 1970s/1980s sitcom “One Day at a Time” on CTV Throwback, and a very young Greg Evigan recently appeared as a musician in a fourth season two-part episode.

It took a minute to recognize him, but when I did, it conjured up memories of “B.J. and the Bear”; “Masquerade”; “My Two Dads”; and much more.

On the road
At one point in time there was a real trucker craze with the television series “Movin’ On” and the movies “Convoy”, and subsequent number one song “Convoy” by C.W. McCall; “Smokey and the Bandit” and “Every Which Way But Loose”. Even an episode of the detective series “McCloud” involved truckers. At the time the CB radio was popular in vehicles too.

Amidst all this, I watched a show every Saturday night, after my bath, on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial called “B.J. and the Bear”. It featured B.J. McKay, played by Greg Evigan, criss-crossing the country in his big rig accompanied by Bear, his pet chimpanzee. Usually, he would get mixed up in some sort of local crime in the area he was passing through and help out the locals in distress.

One of his nemesis was Sheriff Lobo, played by Claude Akins, who would get his own spin-off called “The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo”. Ironically, Akins had starred in the aforementioned “Movin’ On”.

One of the things I remember most was the theme song, which I recently discovered, Evigan actually sang himself. That should have been no surprise given he sang pretty well in those episodes of “One Day at a Time”.

“B.J. and the Bear” ran for three seasons from 1979 to 1981 and a total of 46 episodes.

On the gridiron
Bear was named after legendary Alabama football coach “Bear” Bryant.

Interestingly, I first learned about “Bear” Bryant from “B.J. and the Bear”. I didn’t actually see him coach until I watched the Crimson Tide play in the Cotton Bowl a couple years later. Whenever I saw Bryant coach, which was just a handful of times, I thought of that chimpanzee.

Staying busy
Greg Evigan guest starred in a number of shows leading up to “B.J. and the Bear” and while he was on it, including “Good Heavens”; “The Six Million Dollar Man”; “A Year at the Top” where he had a recurring role for six episodes”; “The Runaways”; “Dallas”; “One Day at a Time”; “Barnaby Jones”; and “Fame”.

He would land another interesting role in 1983 that really peaked my interest.

Do you want to be a spy?
International operatives are having their covers blown and their lives lost, so Lavender, a spy master, comes up with an interesting idea. He will recruit everyday Americans with specific skills in his missions. Two young recruits will shepherd these novice operatives and, they will operate under cover as a tour bus full of tourists.

The show was called “Masquerade” and it lasted 13 episodes in the 1983-1984 season. Lavender was played by Rod Taylor, while Evigan played Danny Doyle, one of those young agents, while Kirstie Alley played Casey Collins, the other young agent.

I loved the premise of the show, and was sad it didn’t last longer, especially with a talented cast like that.

Fatherhood
Evigan once again stayed busy with guest spots in “The Yellow Rose”; “Murder, She Wrote”; “Hotel”; “Matlock”; and “The Hitchhiker”.

In September of 1987, just after I headed off to my first year of university in Edmonton, Evigan co-starred with Paul Reiser in a sitcom called “My Two Dads”. A woman dies and two men who competed for her affection are awarded joint custody of her daughter.

“My Two Dads” ran three seasons from 1987 to 1990 for a total of 60 episodes.

As the decade ended, Greg Evigan had been in three series and he would continue that momentum into a career that continues to this day.

The years after
He was back with another series in 1991 called “P.S. I Luv U”. He co-starred with Connie Sellecca as two people posing as a married couple in witness protection, where they work for a private detective agency. Again, I thought it was a good premise with potential but, like “Masquerade”, lasted just 13 episodes.

Evigan appeared in a number of TV movies including “Columbo: A Bird in the Hand” in 1992; and had guest spots in “Jack’s Place”; “Melrose Place” for 12 episodes; “7th Heaven”; “Pacific Pallisades” for 13 episodes; “Family Rules” for six episodes; “Touched by an Angel”; “Veronica’s Closet”, opposite his “Masquerade” co-star Kirstie Alley; “Reba”; “JAG”; “CSI: Miami”; “Desperate Housewives”; “Cold Case”; “The Glades”; “The Finder”; “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”; “Bones”; “General Hospital” for 26 episodes; “911”; and more.

He also starred in two Canadian dramas that made me think he is Canadian, but he is not.

Evigan starred in “TekWar’ in the 1994-1995 season on CTV. Set in the future, Evigan played Jake Cardigan, a cop framed for a crime he didn’t commit, and sentenced to do time. Upon release, he becomes a private investigator. The show lasted two seasons and 22 episodes.

He was back in “Big Sound” in the 2000-2001 season, again Canadian produced, airing on Global TV this time.

The show was set in the offices of a record label, and satirized the record industry. “Big Sound” lasted one season and 22 episodes.

Parting thoughts
There are actors who just stay busy, and Greg Evigan is one of them. Going on 50 years now, he has had steady work on television both in recurring roles and guest starring roles.

What surprised me, looking back at his career, is the number of shows with potential, and good casts, such as “Masquerade” with Kirstie Alley, and “P.S. I Luv U”, with Connie Sellecca, that just never found an audience.

Still, he is a recognizable face that has done a lot of good work.

Just like B.J. McKay, his first steady starring role, he just keeps on truckin’.

Ron Howard: Leaving Richie Cunningham behind

Ron Howard at bottom left with the cast of the 1984 film "Splash". At top is John Candy;

in middle from left are Tom Hanks and Eugene Levy; and bottom from left

are Howard, and Daryl Hannah.

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088161/mediaviewer/rm1415159553/

(May be subject to copyright)

Throughout the 1970s, and into the 1980s, he was best known as Richie Cunningham, one of the main characters in the venerable comedy “Happy Days”. However, by the end of the decade, Ron Howard had essentially left acting behind and become a successful director.

He put together a string of solid movies that made people think filmmaker when they heard his name, not “Hey, it’s Richie from ‘Happy Days’”.

Ron Howard’s name came across my newsfeed today, and it reminded me of a time when I closely kept track of each film he directed.

“Night Shift”
Ron Howard left “Happy Days” in 1980 to focus on directing. Two years later, in 1982, he directed “Night Shift”, with his Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler, Michael Keaton, and Shelly Long. I watched it on peasant vision, so it was cut up by commercials, but still quite funny. Winkler and Keaton play two guys working the night shift at the morgue. Winkler plays a nebbish, the exact opposite of the Fonz on “Happy Days” and Keaton plays his new co-worker, who fancies himself an entrepreneur, always dictating business ideas into a tape recorder he carries with him. A series of events soon lead them to start running hookers out of the morgue, and the plot goes from there.

It was a great movie, made better by Winkler’s excellent performance.

“Splash”
Ron Howard was back in 1984 with “Splash”. Tom Hanks plays a man who falls in love with a woman who is actually a mermaid, played by Daryl Hannah. I am pretty sure I saw this movie on video tape the first time, but I can’t remember for sure.

The second time was very memorable. Disney used “Splash” to kick off its new “Disney Sunday Movie” which aired on CBC Channel 9 on the peasant vision dial in the Fall of 1985.

It was another winner for Ron Howard.

“Cocoon”
In 1985, Ron Howard directed “Cocoon”, another quirky movie. This time a group of seniors encounter an alien cocoon that ends up being their fountain of youth. It features Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Jack Gilford, Brian Dennehy, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy, Steve Guttenbeg, and Don Ameche who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

“Gung Ho”
The next year, 1986, Howard directed “Gung Ho”, another movie I saw in the theatre, and enjoyed very much. This time, a town with an auto plant is turned on its ear when a Japanese company buys the plant and sends its own management team in to run things. The resulting clash of cultures brings a lot of comedic results. Michael Keaton and Gedde Watanabe star.

“Willow”
The last movie I saw Ron Howard direct in the 1980s was “Willow” in the summer of 1988 in the new Cineplex-Odeon theatre complex in Lethbridge. It has become one of my all-time favourite medieval/fantasy films. It stars Warwick Davis as a novice magician who reluctantly teams up with a disillusioned warrior, played by Val Kilmer, to protect a baby princess from an evil queen.

Ron Howard would close out the decade with “Parenthood” in 1989, but I have to this day not managed to see it.

As the 1980s dissolved into the ‘90s, Ron Howard had put together a string of solid movies, and he would just keep getting better as the years went on.

The years after
Ron Howard continues directing to this day. He followed up “Parenthood” with “Backdraft” in 1991; “Far and Away” in 1992”; “The Paper” in 1994; “Apollo 13” in 1995”; “Ransom” in 1996; “EDtv”in 1999; “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” in 2000; “A Beautiful Mind” in 2001; “The Missing” in 2003; “Cinderella Man” in 2005; “The Da Vinci Code” in 2006; “Frost/Nixon” in 2008; “Angels and Demons” in 2009; “The Dilemma” in 2011; “Rush” in 2013; “In the Heart of the Sea” in 2015; “Inferno” in 2016; “Solo: A Star Wars Story” in 2018; “Hillbilly Elegy” in 2020; “Thirteen Lives” in 2022: and he has a couple movies coming out soon.

He won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director for “A Beautiful Mind” in 2002; and was nominated for Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director for “Frost/Nixon” in 2009. Howard also won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Drama for “A Beautiful Mind”; and was nominated for Best Director Motion Picture for “Apollo 13”; “A Beautiful Mind’; and “Frost/Nixon”; and nominated for Best Motion Picture Drama for “Rush”.

Howard would also be executive producer and narrator for the television comedy “Arrested Development” from 2003 to 2006. It was nominated for the Emmy for outstanding Comedy Series in 2004, 2005, and 2006, winning in 2004. It was also nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2004 and 2005.

Parting thoughts
From the time I heard he struck out on his own as a director, I kept track of Ron Howard’s movies. I even kept a little list on the bulletin board in my bedroom on the farm that I updated. I did that until I left home for university, and my life completely changed.

He is such a good story teller who has the ability to really build characters who the audience can connect to.

Ron Howard is always a family man too. One of the things I really like about him is how he has a role for his father Rance Howard and his brother Clint Howard in the movies he directs. It is kind of like the Stan Lee cameos in Marvel movies.

For anyone who grew up watching “Happy Days”, Ron Howard is Richie Cunningham. For the people before that he was Opie in “The Andy Griffin Show”. Yet, he left Richie Cunningham behind 44 years ago.

He is now best known as a director and filmmaker, telling engaging, entertaining stories, and we are all richer for it.

Looking back at “Night Court”

It was a Thursday night staple on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial in the 1980s, along with fellow comedies “The Cosby Show”; “Family Ties”; and “Cheers”.

“Night Court” was the final one of those big four, I suspected, because it was a little bit more mature and a little less family friendly at times.

Still, it was cool to tune in every week to Judge Harry Stone’s court room to see just what weird things that odd people had done to run afoul of the law. We heard the cases for and against made by Dan Fielding and Christine Sullivan, and saw just what was happening in the personal lives of everyone, including bailiffs Bull and Roz, and Mac the clerk.

“Night Court” had an interesting premise, so much so it has new life with the current iteration of the show.

A story came across my news feed yesterday about how the current show is losing cast members regularly, something that happened on the original show.

I am not sure it is a fair comparison, but it is interesting to look back.

“Cheers” to Harry Anderson
Before “Night Court” came on the air, Harry Anderson, who would go on to play Judge Harold T. Stone, had begun to make a name for himself. He was a stand-up comedian and magician, who had a guest spot on the comedy “Cheers”, where he played a bit of a con man. His glasses weren’t even real – they didn’t have any lenses.

Initially, I did not see Harry Anderson on “Cheers”, because it did not air on peasant vision. Instead, I read about it in “TV Guide”.

By the time Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial picked up “Cheers”, and I saw Anderson’s turn as Harry “The Hat” Gittes, I had been introduced to him on the afternoon talk show “The Alan Thicke Show”. There, Anderson talked about getting his own show.

That show would be “Night Court”.

Not very judge-y
The pilot of “Night Court”, which debuted in January of 1984, still has one of the best opening scenes I have ever seen. The payoff is awesome.

Everyone, including court clerk Lana Wagner, is a bit anxious because a new judge is starting that day. The mayor had filled all these vacancies on his last day, so no one knew who was appointed or where they were going.

Lana is in the judge’s chambers when a man in sweat shirt and jeans shows up with a box of stuff. She asks if it is for the new judge and he says it is, although it looks like junk to him. She tells him to stick it over in the corner.

He tells her his name is Harry.

“So,” she responds.

"I get your drift,” he replies.

Attorneys Sheila Gardner and Dan Fielding arrive, asking if the judge has arrived. Sheila asks if Lana has heard anything about him. No, she was just told to expect him tonight.

Then a delivery man comes with a package for Judge Stone. Lana says he’s not here. Harry is lying in front of the window and says, “Great view.” Lana shoos him off, and grabs Harry by the collar. The delivery man says the judge has to sign for the package himself. Lana says he is not here.

“Oh yes he is,” Harry says.

“What?” Lana asks, then looks down at him now lying on his back on the window sill. “Oh, you don’t mean…”

Harry nods.

“You’re Judge Harold T. Stone?” the delivery man asks.

“Yup.”

“You, are really a judge?” the delivery man persists.

He responds that if he wasn’t really the judge could he do this? Then shoots canned stuffed snakes at Lana then Dan.

“In his office?” Harry adds.

“Naw, I guess not,” the delivery man says, and Harry signs for his package.

Harry apologizes he does not tip, but adds how does he know the delivery man won’t go out and spend it on a Barry Manilow album. The delivery man leaves.

Dan then introduces himself, and Sheila introduces herself.

“I’m Lana Wagner, your court clerk,” she says, shaking Harry’s hand.

“Couldn’t ya just die?” he responds with this huge grin.

It was awesome.

The cast from the sitcom "Night Court". In back from left are Charles Robinson; Richard Moll; and Marsha Warfield; while in front from left are John Larroquette; Harry Anderson; and Markie Post.

Source: https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/where-is-the-original-night-court-cast-now

(May be subject to copyright)

Cast changes
It is true, the cast changed after the first season, which was just 13 episodes long because “Night Court” was a mid-season replacement.

That first season had Judge Stone; Bull Shannon, the bailiff, played by Richard Moll; Selma Hacker, the other bailiff, played by Selma Diamond; assistant district attorney Dan Fielding, played by John Larroquette; public defender Liz Williams, played by Paula Kelly; and court clerk Lana Wagner, played by Karen Austin. Gail Strickland had played public defender Sheila Gardner, but just for the pilot.

When “Night Court” returned for its second season in September of 1984, a lot had changed. Liz Williams was gone, replaced by a new public defender, Billie Young, played by Ellen Foley. Lana Wagner was also gone, replaced by Mac Robinson, played by Charles Robinson who was fresh off a stint on the show “Buffalo Bill”.

Selma Diamond died after the second season, and Ellen Foley left the show. Florence Halop joined the cast as Flo Kleiner, a new bailiff in the third season, and Markie Post joined the cast as Christine Sullivan, a new public defender. She had made one appearance in the second season,. However, Post was unavailable to take on the role full time. She was still committed to another series, “The Fall Guy”.

Sadly, before the start of the fourth season, Florence Halop died. Marsha Warfield then joined the cast starting in the fourth season as bailiff Roz Russell.

I guess there were a lot of cast changes, but starting in the fourth season, and running right through to the end of the ninth season, this cast was set.

Crazy like a fox
I don’t recall a lot of episodes, although I do recall watching “Night Court” every Thursday night on Channel 13 on the peasant vision dial.

In one episode I do remember, this teenaged couple appears before Judge Stone, and the boy is just full of attitude.

“Your honour, permission to slap them around a little,” Dan Fielding asks.

The boy full of attitude was a young Michael J. Fox.

The end
The show finally did run its course, and I do recall in the summer of 1992 watching the series finale. What I remember best is Bull leaving Earth with aliens.

“Night Court” ran nine seasons, from 1984 to 1992, for a total of 193 episodes.

It all also garnered its fair share of Emmys. In her lone year on the show, Paula Kelly was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1984. Harry Anderson was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 1985, 1986, and 1987. John Larroquette won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1988, then asked that his name be taken out of contention.

“Night Court” was also nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1985, 1987, and 1988.

Parting thoughts
I have really enjoyed the new “Night Court” starring Melissa Rauch as Harry’s daughter Abby Stone who is following in her father’s footsteps as a night court judge. John Larroquette is excellent as an older Dan Fielding who is now on the other side as a defence attorney.

It reminds me that I should have paid more attention when I watched the original.

However, I do recall how much I loved Harry and his unique approach to the law.

It is never too late to tune up “Night Court” on demand.

Maybe it’s time has come.

The magical voice of Stevie Nicks

Life had changed when I got to high school after nine years at the same elementary junior high. Where I went to every dance at St. Joseph’s School, when I got to high school I was just too intimidated as a Grade 10 student to go to one at Kate Andrews High School.

That changed in Grade 11. By then, I got comfortable at the school, really got into music, and had some really cool friends to go with.

When I entered the school that Friday night in the Spring of 1986, I distinctly remember the song booming in the gym.

“I can’t wait, I can’t wait,” it bellowed.

It was Stevie Nicks with one of the songs off her latest solo album “Rock a Little”.

That album was my introduction to a singer who I came to know a lot about, and whose music I came to really enjoy.

It is Stevie Nicks’ birthday today, and it reminded me of “I Can’t Wait”, “Talk to Me” and so much more.

In the beginning
The first time I really heard about Stevie Nicks was just when I started getting into music, and after I received my first ghetto blaster for Christmas in 1984. I was listening to this nightly show on LA-107 FM called “Profile”.

On this particular night they were profiling Fleetwood Mac. It would actually be a two-part profile because the band was so prolific. In any case, the part that sticks out for me is that Mick Fleetwood was in California scouting out studio space. Working in one of the studios was Lindsay Buckingham and his girlfriend Stephanie Nicks. Ultimately, they would meet, get together and put out some of the best music of the ‘70s and ‘80s.

The album cover for Stevie Nicks 1985 album "Rock a Little".

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_a_Little

(May be subject to copyright)

“Rock a Little”
Much was made about Stevie Nicks’ work with Fleetwood Mac and the amazing songs she wrote and sang. Those included “Dreams” which was the band’s lone number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart; as well as “Landslide”; “Rhiannon” and more.

But over time, I came to learn more about her solo success as well.

My first real exposure to Stevie Nicks as a solo artist was when she released “Rock a Little”, her third solo album, in November of 1985 when I was in Grade 11.

The first single off that album was fantastic. “Talk to Me” showcased her voice, and went all the way to number four on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. “Talk to Me” remains Stevie Nicks’ last top 10 solo single to date. She was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for her efforts.

The follow-up single was the aforementioned “I Can’t Wait”, which peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

I ended up buying “Rock a Little” on vinyl through Columbia House, and vividly remember the first time I ever played the album. It was a Friday afternoon, and my best friend Chris Vining had come over after school, riding the bus home with me. My parents were somewhere else, so we had the house to ourselves. I took the opportunity to use my Mom’s turn table and put on “Rock a Little”. I even recall pulling the plastic off the brand new album.

The problem was, Chris hadn’t told his mom he was coming over. He figured it would be no big deal, so he called her. Boy, was he wrong. She had made supper, and was waiting for him. The result was he was summoned home. I think she came out to the farm and got him. He told me they got into a huge fight, but ultimately he was wrong.

Needless to say, I had to wait another day to hear “Rock a Little” beginning to end.

Solo success
Two other features LA-107 FM had were the “Album highlight”, where they highlighted a just-released album, and “Spotlight”, where they showcased a particular artist or band, usually because they had something new coming out. I am pretty sure it was either when they highlighted “Rock a Little”, or spotlighted Stevie Nicks, they talked about her first two solo albums, referring more than once to her debut solo album “Bella Donna”.

That debut album, which came out in 1981, yielded three songs that I have come to know well since then.

“Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”, performed with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and number two on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. She was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for her efforts.

“Leather and Lace”, performed with Don Henley of the Eagles, went all the way to number six on the Billboard Hot 100, and is one of my favourite songs by either artist. It just touches my soul, kind of the way the inter-play of Nicks and Buckingham does in “Landslide”.

“Edge of Seventeen” peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts. Nicks was nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for her efforts.

Her follow-up album, and second solo effort, was called “The Wild Heart”, released in 1983. The lead single was “Stand Back”, which peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts. She was again nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for her efforts.

In 1985, she contributed the song “Violet and Blue” to “Against All Odds: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”, for which she was part of a collective effort nominated for a Grammy for Best Album of Original Score written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.

She was also nominated for a Grammy in 1988 for Best Performance Music Video for “Stevie Nicks: Live at Red Rocks”.

By the time she released her album “The Other Side of the Mirror” in 1989, I had stopped following music as closely, because I focused all my attention on my university life. Wikipedia reveals her lead single for that album, “Rooms on Fire” peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it her last top 20 single to date, and peaked at number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

The years after
Stevie Nicks kept on writing, recording and performing. She has also been nominated twice more for the Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, in 1991 for “Whole Lotta Trouble”; and in 2002 for “Planets of the Universe”.

Of course, she continues to perform with Fleetwood Mac.

She is also the first woman inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – as a member of Fleetwood Mac in 1998, and as a solo artist in 2019.

Parting thoughts
Stevie Nicks has been heralded as one of the greatest songwriters and one of the greatest singers of all time. It is hard to disagree with that. Her lyrics are insightful and, when she brings them to life, they can touch your soul.

The point was driven home to me when my spouse and I saw Fleetwood Mac in Calgary a few years ago.

When she sang “Dreams”, “Rhiannon”, “Landslide” and others, her voice was still just magical.

Scott Arniel: From player to coach

Winnipeg Jet head coach Scott Arniel in his playing days in Winnipeg in the '80s.

Source: https://www.jacksonevents.ca/listing/scott-arniel/

(May be subject to copyright)

It was a time when Canada was reeling in the world of international hockey. We had returned to the Olympics in 1980 where our amateurs finished sixth, and our professionals just lost the 1981 Canada Cup final to the Soviets – and badly.

Canada had never won gold at the World Junior Hockey Championship, even though we claimed to have the best developmental system in the world. Canada needed a win, and the first ever Team Canada select team delivered, winning gold at the 1982 World Junior Hockey Championship.

It was a total team effort, made up of a group of players who were not household names, but together, were a force to be reckoned with.

One of the players on that team was Scott Arniel, who earlier this week was named head coach of the Winnipeg Jets, replacing the retiring Rick Bowness.

World juniors
Scott Arniel played his junior hockey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Cornwall Royals, from 1979 to 1982. He teamed with Dale Hawerchuk to help the Royals win the Memorial Cup in 1981 with a win over the Kitchener Rangers in the final. Arniel also had a hat trick in Cornwall’s 8-2 romp over the Rangers in that final.

While Hawerchuk went first overall in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft to Winnipeg, Arniel was taken 22nd overall, making him the first pick of the second round. That also meant he too was taken by Winnipeg.

He made the jump straight to the NHL, playing in 17 games in the 1981-1982 season, before being returned to junior. Cornwall, which is actually in Ontario, was moved into the Ontario Hockey league so that’s where Arniel landed.

Being sent back to junior also meant he was able to play for Canada at the 1982 World Junior Hockey Championship.

He appeared in seven games, recording five goals and six assists for 11 points. Arniel had also played in the 1981 World Junior Hockey Championship when Canada sent the Memorial Cup champion from the previous season as its representative. In the 1981 tournament, Arniel appeared in five games, scoring three goals and one assist for four points.

Going pro
Arniel joined the Jets full time for the 1982-1983 season where he played in 75 games, scoring 13 goals and adding five assists for 18 points. I always thought it was cool that Arniel and Hawerchuk had played junior together, and were now teammates in the pros too.

The following year, the 1983-1984 season, was a career year for Arniel as he recorded 21 goals and 35 assists for 56 points in 80 games.

In the 1984-1985 season he had 22 goals and 22 assists for 44 points in 79 games. He also had a goal and two assists for three points in eight playoff games. The previous two seasons he had no points in four playoff games.

Arniel played his final season with the Jets in 1985-1986 where he recorded 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points, but again had no points in three playoff games.

Before the start of the 1986-1987 season, Arniel was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres in return for Gilles Hamel. Arniel had 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points in 63 games in his first year in Buffalo.

In the 1987-1988 season, Arniel notched 17 goals and 23 assists for 40 points in 73 games, adding one assist in six playoff games.

The 1988-1989 season saw Arniel play in 80 games where he scored 18 goals and 23 assists for 41 points, and added a goal in five playoff games.

As the decade closed, Arniel played his final year with Buffalo in the 1989-1990 season, scoring 18 goals and 14 assists for 32 points in 79 games. He added another goal in five playoff games.

Ironically, in 1990 he would go back to the Jets as part of a trade that saw Dale Hawerchuk go to Buffalo.

The years after
Scott Arniel would go on to play one more season with Winnipeg, part of a season with my beloved Boston Bruins, then split his time with the San Diego Gulls, Houston Aeros, Utah Grizzlies and Manitoba Moose of the International Hockey League, retiring at the conclusion of the 1998-1999 season.

His final NHL totals would be 149 goals and 189 assists for 338 points in 730 games, as well as three goals and three assists for six points in 34 career playoff games.




Arniel moved into coaching while he was still playing with Houston, and coached with a number of teams in the minors. As head coach of the Manitoba Moose, he was named American Hockey League coach of the year in the 2008-2009 season. He also worked as an assistant with a number of NHL teams, then was head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the 2010-2011 season and part of the 2011-2012 season until he was fired.

He now embarks on a new adventure as the next head coach of Winnipeg, the place where it all started in the NHL for Scott Arniel.

Parting thoughts
It’s amazing how different hockey is covered in this country. The Toronto Maple Leafs fire their coach and the speculation over his successor is headline news. Earlier this week, the Leafs named Craig Berube their new head coach and not only was it the top story beyond playoff coverage, but analysts took the decision apart.

In the same week, the Winnipeg Jets, another Canadian team, also named their new head coach after their existing coach, Rick Bowness, announced his retirement. Yet, when the Jets announced they had named Scott Arniel their new head coach the same week, the story was buried near the bottom of the sports news. There was no headline, and no in-depth analysis.

Even though the Jets had a record comparable to the Leafs.

There wasn’t even any mention of the fact Arniel once played for the Jets.

But, I have some cool memories of Scott Arniel making World Junior Hockey Championship history, and his time in the NHL in the 1980s where he was reunited with Dale Hawerchuk, his pal from junior.

The toughness of Craig Berube

Craig Berube, current coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, in his playing days with the Philadelphia Flyers in the '80s.

Source: https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/leafs-coach-craig-berube-was-once-a-face-punching-mullet-wearing-nhl-enforcer-he-was/article_ac368f46-cb94-11ef-8631-0b02fc10643d.html

(May be subject to copyright)

The Philadelphia Flyers were no longer the “Broad Street Bullies” fighting their way to the Stanley Cup, but in the 1980s they remained a tough team and went back to the Stanley Cup final three times. One of the toughest members of those teams, starting in 1986, was rugged winger Craig Berube.

He would play more than 1,000 NHL games for several teams, and be part of two blockbuster trades in the middle of his career.

I was thinking of his time, especially with the Flyers, when he was named head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this week.

Starting out
Craig Berube played his junior hockey in the Western Hockey League, suiting up with the Kamloops Junior Oilers for the 1982-1983 season; the New Westminster Bruins for the 1983-1984 and 1984-1985 seasons, and the Kamloops Blazers and Medicine Hat Tigers for the 1985-1986 season.

He was not drafted, but the Philadelphia Flyers signed him as an undrafted free agent in March of 1986. He played 63 games for the Flyers’ farm team, the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, in the 1986-1987 season.

Going pro
Berube made his NHL debut with Philadelphia on March 22, 1987 and spent the next three seasons bouncing back and forth between Philadelphia and Hershey, before staying for good in the 1988-1989 season.

He played seven games to end the 1986-1987 season, recording no points but 57 minutes in penalties. He was with the Flyers when they went on their run to the Stanley Cup final and lost to the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. Berube appeared in five games, recording 17 penalty minutes.

In the 1987-1988 season, Berube split his time between Philadelphia and Hershey. He played 27 games with the Flyers, recording three goals and two assists for five points and had 108 penalty minutes. He also played 31 games in Hershey, scoring five goals and nine assists for 14 points, and had 119 penalty minutes.

In the 1988-1989 season, Berube again split his time between the Flyers and the Bears. He played just seven games in Hershey, recording two assists and 19 penalty minutes. He spent the vast majority of the season with Philadelphia, recording one goal and one assist for two points and 199 penalty minutes in 53 games. He also played in 16 playoff games with the Flyers, recording no points but 56 penalty minutes.

Berube ended the decade full time with the Flyers. He played 74 games in the 1989-1990 season with them, recording four goals and 14 assists for 18 points and 291 penalty minutes in 74 games.

The years after
Craig Berube ended up playing 1,054 NHL games and accumulating 159 points and 3,149 penalty minutes, over a career that spanned 1986 to 2004.

What I will always remember is that he would be involved in a number of blockbuster trades.

After the 1990-1991 season the Flyers traded him to the Edmonton Oilers with Scott Mellanby and Craig Fisher for Jari Kurri, Dave Brown, and Corey Foster.

Four months later, the Oilers traded him to Toronto with Glenn Anderson, and Grant Fuhr for Vincent Damphousse, Peter Ing, Luke Richardson and Scott Thornton.

He played the first part of the 1991-1992 season with Toronto, before he was traded in the first week of January of 1992 with Alexander Godynyuk, Gary Leeman, Michel Petit and Jeff Reese for Doug Gilmour, Jamie Macoun, Kent Manderville and Rick Walmsley.

Berube would also play with the Washington Capitals, return to the Flyers, New York Islanders, and return to the Flames, before closing out his career with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League.

He would move into coaching where he led the Philadelphia Flyers; St. Louis Blues, including winning the 2019 Stanley Cup over my beloved Boston Bruins; and on May 17 was named coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Parting thoughts
My overriding memory of Craig Berube was as a hard-nosed player on a team of players who were tough. He translated that to coaching, and the toughness he instilled in the St. Louis Blues was a big reason they won the 2019 Stanley Cup.

Discovering the Planet of the Apes

James Franciscus in "Beneath the Planet of the Apes".

Source: https://3brothersfilm.com/blog/2014/07/planet-of-the-apes-1968-beneath-the-planet-of-the-apes-1970

(May be subject to copyright)

It is an iconic image in science fiction movies. Astronaut Charlton Heston has been hurled to a place he has never seen before, only to discover it is ruled by a race of intelligent, human-like apes. He is walking on the beach with a woman and is shocked to see – the Statue of Liberty sticking part way out of the sand. He has not been hurled to another planet, but his own far into the future.

Now, I have never actually seen that image myself in the original “Planet of the Apes”, but throughout my youth, I saw several installments of the movie series, all in rerun on Channel 7 of the peasant vision dial.

Hearing, a new “Planet of the Apes” movie is coming out, made me think back to where it all began.

First contact
The first “Planet of the Apes” movie I saw was during one summer week day afternoon, and it was “Beneath the Planet of the Apes”, released in 1970. James Franciscus plays as astronaut Brent, who arrives in another spacecraft and searches for Taylor, played by Charlton Heston. Brent ultimately ends up in this vast underground world inhabited by telepathic humans who have obviously been damaged by radiation over time. They also worship a nuclear bomb. Franciscus ultimately finds Charlton Heston, who has a fairly brief appearance which left me wondering more about the first movie. “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” ends with the bomb detonated.

It was a strange movie, to say the least. As I read the synopsis, I realize I only saw about half of the movie.

Sequence of events
I was curious about “The Planet of the Apes” movies. My sister is nine years older than me. She knew a lot about the TV and movies from the ‘60s and early ‘70s that was just before my time – so she filled me in on the sequence of movies.

The third one was “Escape from the Planet of the Apes”, released in 1971, and reverses the scenario. This time two apes, Cornelius and Zira, who featured prominently in the first two movies, flee back through time to the 20th Century. At first treated with curiosity, that mutates into fear and suspicion as they are ultimately hunted down and killed. However, Zira gives birth before she dies. The baby is hidden in a circus run by Ricardo Montalban. In the last scene the young ape begins to talk.

I saw “Escape from the Planet of the Apes” on a summer afternoon with my cousins visiting from Brooks. I was sad with the ending, until the very last scene.

The fourth movie was “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes”, released in 1972, with Ricardo Montalban, and that was the last one I saw. The infant ape grows up to be Caesar. He lives in a world where apes are enslaved, and leads a rebellion against their human oppressors.

I never did see the fifth movie, “Battle for the Planet of the Apes”, which came out in 1973. In it, Caesar tries to keep the peace between humans and apes.

There was also a TV series that ran from September to December of 1974, lasting 14 episodes. I recall the faintest of memories of it being on TV, but I was like four years old at the time.

Monkey marathon
The three-channel universe of peasant vision was full of reruns and movies that were played over and over. When I was in junior high and high school in the early to mid-80s, Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial would run the “Planet of the Apes” movies at midnight for a week, in a sort of marathon. There were five movies so it fit a week perfectly.

Some day I will have to do my own marathon and watch these movies beginning to end, because I would like to understand the saga.

Back in the ‘80s, I learned it bit by bit, in fragments.

Parting thoughts
Not seeing every movie beginning to end, has left me with mixed memories of the “Planet of the Apes”.

“Beneath the Planet of the Apes” was the first time I ever saw James Franciscus in anything, and I really liked him. Yet, those mutants, using their telepathy and worshipping an ancient nuclear bomb just freaked me out.

“Escape from the Planet of the Apes” was my kind of movie. It involves time travel and how humans will initially embrace something, or someone new, but ultimately grow suspicious, maybe even jealous, and ultimately paranoid. “Escape from the Planet of the Apes” explores those themes. It kind of reminds me of an episode of the original “Twilight Zone” actually.

“Conquest for the Planet of the Apes” is also my kind of movie for a different reason. In this case, an oppressed group rebels against their enslavers. I love seeing it, in everything from “V: The Final Battle” to “Star Wars”. I have even written this story myself.

The whole “Planet of the Apes” franchise is imprinted on my early years. It was an interesting part of pop culture.

I find it interesting that it is being re-discovered again.

It’s “You Again?” John Stamos

John Stamos, at right, with Jack Klugman in

the 1986-1987 sitcom "You Again?".

Source: https://www.mptvimages.com/images/11542/

you-again-jack-klugman-john-stamos-1987-1987-mario-casilli

(May be subject to copyright)

When Jack Klugman died a few years ago, I was talking about it with my boss at the time. She said one of the best tributes to Jack Klugman was by John Stamos. She wondered why that would have been. After all Stamos had been on “ER” a few years before that, but really made his name on the Friday night sitcom “Full House”. Klugman had not been involved with either of those projects.

I knew instantly why John Stamos eulogized Jack Klugman. They had been on a sitcom in the mid-1980s called “You Again” that lasted parts of two seasons from 1986 to 1987.

Actually, John Stamos was quite busy in the decade starting with a soap opera and a music-themed show, ending as a cool uncle, and doing some other stuff along the way.

I was thinking about him the other day when something on my newsfeed mentioned a possible “Full House” reunion.

Paint it Blackie
The first time I ever saw John Stamos was on “General Hospital”, when he was the front man for a band that also included Jack Wagner. They were singing a song called “Sneak Attack”. I remember that well, because that song ended up on Wagner’s album “All I Need”.

Stamos played Blackie Parrish from 1982 until 1984. His efforts also garnered him a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

He went strictly primetime after that.

Dreaming
In April of 1984, he left “General Hospital” and took the lead role in a sitcom called “Dreams”. I never saw “Dreams” because none of the channels in the three-channel universe of peasant vision chose to carry it. I read in “TV Guide” that “Dreams” was about a fictional rock band who try to get a recording contract.

When I read about that, I thought that was the perfect role for the guy who played Blackie Parrish – or was it the beginning of typecasting?

“Dreams” aired for just one season, from October to December of 1984 for 12 episodes, although only five aired.

Stamos would have a role in theTV movie “Alice in Wonderland” in 1985, and star in the theatrical release “Never Too Young to Die” in 1986 opposite Vanity and Gene Simmons.

After that, Stamos was back on network TV in 1986.

You again?
It was “Entertainment Tonight” where I first heard about a new sitcom starring John Stamos and Jack Klugman, best known for his roles on “Quincy” and “The Odd Couple”. Klugman played Henry Willows, manager of a grocery store. He had been divorced for about a decade and was comfortable with the life he lived. He had a son, Matt, played by Stamos, who Henry made no effort to get to know or be part of his life.

Now, grown, Matt shows up on his dad’s doorstep, looking to move in. The results are sheer comedy.

Interestingly, Henry has a housekeeper named Enid Thompkins, played by English actor Elizabeth Bennett. “You Again?” was based on the British sitcom “Home to Roost”, which was still airing overseas. Bennett played the same role on “Home to Roost” as she did on “You Again?”, shuttling back and forth every week of production.

“You Again?” aired on Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial, starting in second semester of Grade 11. The first time I saw an episode, this girl I liked phoned me. The next time I settled in to watch an episode of “You Again?” she phoned. That happened three or four more times. I never let on that kept happening, because I wanted her to keep phoning. Needless to say, I don’t recall many of the episodes from that first season.

The show would run for two seasons, from February of 1986 to January of 1987, for a total of 26 episodes.

Again, it would not take John Stamos long to find work.

The house is full
“Full House” debuted at the end of September of 1987. It focused on Danny Tanner, played by Bob Saget, a widowed father of three girls. He enlists his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis, played by Stamos, and childhood friend Joey Gladstone, played by Dave Coulier to move in and help him out. Danny is a TV host, Jesse is, you guessed it, a musician, while Joey is an aspiring stand-up comedian.

“Full House” ran from 1987 until May of 1995, for eight seasons and 192 episodes.

I didn’t start watching “Full House” until the Summer of 1991, when I was home from university and my parents had moved to Lethbridge, where I could watch cable TV.

I recall John Stamos being one of the best parts of the show. I always liked his comic timing, and his ability to use body language and facial expressions to communicate without saying a word.

After “Full House” ended, his career would just carry on from there.

The years after
John Stamos would have a prolific career on television, primarily in TV movies, but also in “Thieves”; “Jake in Progress”; “ER”, where he appeared in 65 episodes”; “Friends”; “Glee”; “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”; “Two and a Half Men”; “The New Normal”; “Necessary Roughness”; “Grandfathered”; “Fuller House”, a sequel to “Full House”; “You”; “Big Shot”; and much more.

He also appeared in a lot of theatrical releases including “Private Parts”; “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2”; and more.

Parting thoughts
I have always had a soft spot for John Stamos. He is an endearing and engaging actor, with comedic flair.

More than anything, else and I don’t really know why, when I hear his name my mind always goes to “You Again?” John Stamos and Jack Klugman had such good onscreen chemistry. Klugman was the crusty old man, set in his ways, and Stamos was the teenager turning his dad’s staid world on its ear.

I think why I liked it so much is that, although Klugman had excelled in comedy on “The Odd Couple”, to a whole generation he was the stern, serious, crusading medical examiner on “Quincy”. Seeing him vexed, yielded great comedic results. Plus, no matter how annoying Stamos was, especially to his father, he was still lovable.

It is too bad “You Again?” didn’t last longer, but that is the nature of network television. It just never found its audience.

What it did do was cement a friendship between John Stamos and Jack Klugman that endured after Klugman’s death.

Walking the hallways with Genesis

“Need I say I love you, need I say I care…”

Now, one would expect to hear that in 1986 coming from a ghetto blaster or a car stereo.

However, if you attended Kate Andrews High School in Coaldale for the 1986-1987 year, you could hear that song bellowing in the hallways upstairs during afternoon class changes.

Today, I flipped the TV to “Stingray Remember the ‘80s” and “Throwing it All Away” by Genesis was playing.

I was instantly transported back to that time in the Spring of 1987.

Thought it was funny
Grade 12 was nearing its end for me, and I was acutely aware the things all around me would be gone once the last day of school passed. It gave me a certain freedom, because I knew where I was going – work for the summer then off to the University of Alberta in Edmonton in the Fall.

At the same time, I was finding myself, and doing some odd things. Looking back, they were attention seeking but harmless really. One had been in the Winter. I had never skipped class, but I wanted to try it. So me and some of my classmates in English 30 hung around downtown. Usually, I would have been the one anxious to get back. Instead it was someone else, who usually had no problem skipping class. So we walked back into class with maybe 20 minutes left. I wore my scarf tied around my head the way cartoon characters used to when they have a toothache, so the knot was on top of my head. I must have thought it was funny. No one else did. What was funnier was that the teacher never reprimanded us and we never suffered any consequences.

Another time, we had a rehearsal for our grad at the Yates Memorial Centre in Lethbridge. Me and Chris Vining, my best friend of the time, had gone to this restaurant in Coaldale we frequented called “Corky’s”. I had just discovered that one side was for take out, so I grabbed some fried chicken to go. We were a couple minutes late for rehearsal, but I thought I’d look cool walking in eating the last part of a chicken leg. No one else did, although Cindy McLean said, “Thought you’d bring a lunch?” That was funnier than I was.

Which brings us to a day I was walking back to my locker to put my books away after an afternoon class. I shared a locker with Vining, and he was there.

I started singing “Need I say I love you, need I say I care” as we walked down the hall to the stairs. Vining was always up for something goofy, as was I for him. So he joined in with “Need I say that emotions are something we don’t share.”

Then our friend Randy joined us and upped the volume another couple notches.

A good chunk of people were watching as we walked down the hall hitting the exit just as we got to the line “She’s throwing it all away.”

En route, I passed Bill Elliott who said we should take our show on the road.

That was probably funnier than singing the song.

The song
“Throwing it All Away” by Genesis was from their “Invisible Touch” album released in 1986. The song went all the way to number four on the Bilboard Hot 100 singles chart, as well as number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary and Album Rock Tracks Charts.

Encore
“Throwing it All Away” wasn’t the only song we sang in the hallways of Kate Andrews High School.

We also sang “Easy to Tame” by Kim Mitchell, focusing on the opening line, “What am I doing to make you so sad?”

Parting thoughts
High school is a strange time. I was at an age where I did some odd things which, really, is no different than now.

The funny thing was I had reached that point in my high school life where I really didn’t care what anyone thought.

Not even about walking down the halls singing, “Need I say I love you, need I say I care?”

“American Flyers”, American tear jerker

From left are Alexandra Paul; David Marshall Grant; Rae Dawn Chong; and Kevin Costner on the movie poster for the 1985 movie "American Flyers".

Source: https://capovelo.com/american-flyers-cast-appear-2016-interbike-show/

(May be subject to copyright)

There are two cycling movies that have been inspiring to me – “Breaking Away” and “American Flyers”.

One is about a group of friends in a college town while the other is about brothers coming together at a difficult time.

I watched “American Flyers” the other night, and it had some interesting things – although low down on that list is the fact Kevin Costner was in it before he became Kevin Costner.

Prelude
“American Flyers” came out in August of 1985. I had heard about it on “Entertainment Tonight” and learned it was written Steve Tesich. He had written another cycling movie called “Breaking Away”. It was an inspiring story, based on real life events, that won him the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 1979.

That was more than enough to make me want to see the movie, but I had to wait for a few years.

The movie
The first time I saw “American Flyers” was in the Summer of 1991, when I was home from university, and there was still some question as to whether or not I would return. One of the cable channels from Spokane played it, I think KXLY. Ironically, by the ‘90s, my parents had retired and moved to Lethbridge. One of the first things they got was – cable TV.

So long peasant vision.

“American Flyers” is essentially a story about family and sibling rivalry. There are two brothers, David Sommers, played by David Marshall Grant, and Marcus Sommers, played by Kevin Costner. Years earlier, their father died of an aneurysm, something that could be passed down to the boys. David stayed to support his mother, while Marcus, who is a sports medicine doctor, was off at school. David and his mother resented Marcus for not being there when their dad died, and that still haunts their relationship.

Marcus pays a visit to his brother and mother and, predictably, they get into a fight. However, before returning to Madison, Wisconsin, Marcus convinces David to come with him. Their mother is worried David may now be showing signs of the illness that took his father. Consequently, Marcus assures her David can be tested at his sports medicine clinic. When they arrive in Madison, David meets Marcus’ live-in girlfriend Sara, played by Canadian Rae Dawn Chong.

While at the clinic, David overhears Marcus talking to a friend about something, stressing he does not want to worry David. He takes that as meaning he indeed has an aneurysm.

Meanwhile, Marcus invites David to compete with him in a three-leg bicycle road race called “Hell of the West”, in Colorado. So Marcus, David and Sarah commence a cross-country journey. En route, David meets Becky, a hitchhiker played by Alexandra Paul, who joins them on their adventure.

They also encounter Barry Muzzin, who is Marcus’rival and Sarah’s ex-husband. He is just an arrogant jerk who threatens to torture Marcus in the mountains.

Leg one of the race begins, and Marcus is on fire, pedaling to victory, amid the cheers and adulation of everyone. Meanwhile, David crashes but is still able to barely make the cut.

One of the features of the second leg is a series of four checkpoints. The first cyclist to cross each one gets 30 seconds taken off their time. Marcus shows these to David. He tells hitting all four would give him two minutes, and put him right back in the race.

During the second leg, David gets all four checkpoints, while Marcus shows signs of fatigue. Then blood starts to run from his nose, he loses control and wobbles into other bikers. He loses control, signals for help, and Sarah rescues him just in time.

David finishes third, but Sarah and Becky tell him what happened to Marcus. It turns out Marcus was talking about himself. He has the same aneurysm his father did.

The brothers console each other, and agree David will stay in the race while Marcus, Sarah and Becky will support him in the team van. Their mother also arrives, and rides with them.

The third and final leg is a dog fight. Initially, David breaks away from the pack. Muzzin catches him in the mountains and tries to convince him to take second, and he will make sure that happens. David declines, and sprints to the finish. Muzzin digs his jaw into David’s shoulder and tries to run him off the road. David fights back, punching him, breaking free and sprinting to the finish. He crosses first, but has to wait. Muzzin has an 11-second lead, so if he crosses the finish line before 11 seconds passes, he wins.

Everyone watches the clock, then Muzzin, then the clock.

He can’t make it.

David wins.

The crowd streams onto the course to congratulate him, including his mom, Becky and Sarah. He looks for Marcus, who is watching the race alone and moving slowly. David walks over, hugs Marcus, then both hug their mom.

A picture is snapped of the three of them, and the movie ends with that picture, framed, hanging on a wall with other trophies as the camera pulls back.

Parting thoughts
Kevin Costner had not quite hit it big as a movie star yet, so this movie did not get the wide release his future movies would.

What struck me, was the unconditional support of Sarah, who knew her boyfriend was dying, and Becky, who really just met everyone and could have bailed at any time. Instead, she supported Sarah when Marcus got sick, and she supported David throughout the race.

Overall, I really liked “American Flyers”. Even as I wrote this, I felt a tear in my eye as David won the race, and reconciled with his mother and brother.

“American Flyers” yes, but also American tear jerker.

Remembering “Nighthawks” and that scene in the disco

From left are Sylvesor Stallone and Billy Dee Williams in the 1981 movie "Nighthawks.".

Source: https://aftermoviediner.com/feed/reviews/cult-classics/nighthawks

(May be subject to copyright)

The scene is unforgettable . A disco with the strobe lights pulsating and the driving music. Two police officers, played by Sylvestor Stallone and Billy Dee Williams have joined an anti-terrorist unit. They are pursuing an international terrorist named Wulfgar, played by a very young Rutger Hauer.

Stallone catches Wulfgar’s eye. He yells his name and all hell broke loose.

It is a scene from 1981’s “Nighthawks”. For more than 40 years it was the only scene I saw from that movie, in a commercial on pay TV. I saw the ad several times when I used to go over to my friend Mike Hartman’s place back in junior high.

I always wanted to see that movie. I even met Billy Dee Williams and talked to him about that scene. However, it wasn’t until a few days ago that I finally sat down and watched “Nighthawks”, which had been sitting on my PVR almost a year.

It was an interesting experience.

Pay TV
When I was growing up, one of the things greeted with great fanfare was the arrival of Pay TV in Canada. Three new channels had come – “First Choice” and “Super Channel”, which were both commercial-free movie channels, and “C”, which stood for culture, featuring the arts such as opera, ballet and more.

They were advertised heavily on cable TV. Every time I went to visit my friend Mike Hartman in Coaldale, we would pass by the Pay TV channels on the dial. Because he did not have Pay TV, all that played was a stream of movie trailers for shows that were coming soon.

I recall seeing “On Golden Pond”, “Chariots of Fire” and – “Nighthawks”.

That scene in the disco always stands out, because I saw it fairly often, and it is so striking.

I think Mike’s family ended up getting Pay TV for a trial period, because he did see “Nighthawks” and told me about it at school one day.

I would have one chance to see it, when “Nighthawks” appeared on Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial. I had read about it in “TV Guide” but something else was on at the same time, and I didn’t want to see it cut up by commercials, which was always the case back then. In a commercial break, of whatever I was watching, I do recall flipping to Channel 7. There I saw Stallone and Williams chasing someone, and Williams was wearing a shirt with the Superman symbol on his chest.

It would be almost 40 years before I finally did see it – ironically recorded from one of the grandchildren of Pay TV.

The cast
“Nighthawks” came out in 1981 and, looking back, it had a formidable cast. Sylvestor Stallone had gained a lot of attention for his portrayal of Rocky Balboa in “Rocky” in 1976 and “Rocky II” in 1979. Williams had turned in a touching and stirring performance in “Brian’s Song” as Gale Sayers, and appeared in a lot of movies such as “Lady Sings the Blues”, “Mahogany”, and “The Empire Strikes Back” just a year earlier. Interestingly, “Nighthawks” was Hauer’s Hollywood film debut.

The movie
“Nighthawks” is one of my favourite kinds of movies. A terrorist is wreaking havoc and a team of misfits is assembled to stop him.

In this case, Hauer plays the mythical terrorist known as “Wulfgar”, who is moving his operation to New York City. His handlers in Europe have grown cold after his recent bombing of a department store also killed some children.

Meanwhile, Detectives Sergeants Deke DaSilva, played by Stallone, and Matthew Fox, played by Williams, are reassigned to an anti-terrorist unit, tasked with tracking down Wulfgar. DaSilva clashes with their trainer who said police have to learn to be more ruthless in dealing with terrorists.

Information eventually leads DaSilva and Fox to Wulfgar, who they chase through a nightclub. In order to escape, Wulfgar slashes Fox in the face. It was kind of unnerving. During the chase, DaSilva had a shot at Wulfgar but didn’t pull the trigger. Later, in the hospital, Fox tells him he should have taken the shot.

DaSilva, now shorn of the veneer of the police man, plans to take the shot the next time. In a chilling scene, DaSilva is in the shooting range, unleashing a round into the target. When he pulls the target close to look at his results, all the bullets went through the head of the target.

In the end, Wulfgar tracks DaSilva’s wife, played by Lindasy Wagner, to her home intending to kill her. Instead, DaSilva, who opened the movie undercover dressed as a woman, has donned the wig again, and is waiting. They struggle and DaSilva kills Wulfgar, sending him outside rolling down the front stairs.

Exhausted, and a changed man, DaSilva just sits beside Wulfgar’s lifeless body.

Roll credits.

Parting thoughts
“Nighthawks” was a long time in the seeing, more than 40 years, but I am glad I saw it and grateful for the PVR technology to make that possible.

Because of its age, everyone looked so young, especially Sylvestor Stallone, Billy Dee Williams, and Rutger Hauer. It was also neat to see Stallone wearing a beard.

It was sad seeing Billy Dee Williams so young and vibrant. When I met him at Calgary Expo, and got his autograph, he just seemed out of it, like age had caught up with him.

Although, I did tell him I liked what I saw in “Nighthawks”, which then was just a couple scenes. I pointed out how powerful that scene in the disco was too. His son was with him, and he engaged in conversation, agreeing that scene was wild. I also had my choice of photos for Billy Dee to sign and almost took a black and white print of him as Matthew Fox in “Nighthawks”. However, in the end had to go with Lando Calrissian from the “Star Wars” movies.

The interesting thing is, I am trying to write some espionage thrillers. Every time I envision an action scene, my mind goes back to that disco, because it is exactly the effect I want to achieve.

It is a scene that has been burned in my memory for decades.

Now, I have the rest of the movie to go with it.

William Shatner: From James Kirk to T.J. Hooker and beyond

William Shatner as police officer T.J. Hooker in the '80s.

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0715494/

(May be subject to copyright)

He will always be Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise. Yet in the ‘80s, he was also known as a tough-talking police officer training recruits. In fact, William Shatner appeared in more episodes as the title character in “T.J. Hooker” than he did in “Star Trek”.

Yet, he also made a triumphant return as Captain Kirk. This time it was to packed houses in movie theatres, not beaming in to the living rooms of viewers across the world.

The 1980s was a busy time for William Shatner who is still busy to this day.

I saw he was giving an interview to “The Morning Show” a few days ago, and it just reminded me how prolific he really is.

Rebirth
William Shatner began the 1980s kind of where it all started – in “Star Trek”.

The much anticipated “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” had come out in 1979 and fans flocked to the theatres. However, the movie was heavy on special effects, and light on plot and character development. There were even uncomfortable similarities to the plots of old episodes of “Star Trek”.

Compliments turned to condemnation. A sequel was inevitable, but it seemed if it was more of the same as “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”, the very survival of the franchise could be in peril.

In response, “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”, which came out in 1982, is still considered by many to be the best of all the “Star TreK” theatrical movies with the cast from the Original Series. William Shatner was brilliant as a Kirk. At times he was faced with his own mortality and fallibility, and at other times he was his razor sharp best improvising in battle.

Shatner gets a lot of static about over acting and not being able to act at all. I think the over-acting is precisely why he is so effective in “The Wrath of Khan”.

The movie had an open ending, and there was not only talk of a sequel, but when it would come out.

Fans only had to wait until 1984 when “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” appeared at a theatre near you. It answered the questions left by “The Wrath of Khan” and, after finding and rescuing a reborn Spock, left the door open to another sequel.

Again it was two years later when “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” debuted in 1986. The crew of the Enterprise must travel back in time to present-day San Francisco to save humanity. This time round, Shatner plays Kirk with a lighter touch, making for some pretty funny scenes.

It always takes me a minute after this amazing “Star Trek” trilogy, to remember there was a fourth “Star Trek” movie in the ‘80s, “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” from 1989. Maybe because I was so disappointed, it is the lone original series “Star Trek” movie I have seen only once. It just didn’t have the feel of a “Star Trek” movie, the plot wasn’t that good, and it just seemed too disconnected from the franchise.

Sadly, William Shatner directed it.

Yet, whether that was the reason “Star Trek V” was so bad or not, Shatner had helped save the franchise. He would go on to redeem himself with another incredible performance in 1991 in “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country”. Watching that movie, it was like “Star Trek V” had never happened.

Amid all of this, William Shatner was busy with something he was very familiar with – a weekly television series.

Hooked on Shatner
One thing that took getting used to was Shatner’s hair. In “Star Trek” he was essentially blonde, but by the time “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” hit the theatres, he was more a brunette and his hair just looked different.

I sill had a bit of trouble adjusting in 1982, when he starred in a new weekly show on Saturday nights at 9 p.m. on Channel 7 of the peasant vision dial 

It was called “T.J. Hooker”, airing as a mid-season replacement when I was in Grade 7 in mid-March of 1982.

Shatner plays the title character, a police detective whose partner is killed in the line of duty. He returns to duty as a patrol officer to rid the streets of crime. In the pilot, he also returns to the police academy as an instructor.

He is teamed with a younger officer, Vince Romano, played by Adrian Zmed. Much is made about their age gap, but they become an effective pair. Of course, Hooker has a commanding officer Dennis Sheridan, played by Richard Herd, who he comes into conflict with. In the second season, Heather Locklear joined the cast for the remainder of the show’s run as Stacey Sheridan, another rookie police officer.

One of the episodes I remember is when Leonard Nimoy guest starred as another detective and old friend of Hooker’s.

As I got older, I stopped watching “T.J. Hooker”, partly because it was cnancelled by ABC, and brought back for another season by CBS. However, CBS brought it back to late-night TV, which we didn’t get on peasant vision.

“T.J. Hooker” ran for five seasons, from 1982 to 1986, for a total of 91 episodes.

What’s that?
Something I found interesting when “T.J. Hooker” appeared on the airwaves as a mid-season replacement, was the reference to a show called “The Barbary Coast.” In more than one place, I am pretty sure in “TV Guide” and maybe even “Entertainment Tonight”, there were references about “T.J. Hooker” being the first network TV show for Shatner since “The Barbary Coast”.

I had no idea what that was until I was going through some old issues of “TV Guide”. I came upon a fall TV preview where they had a little profile. Shatner co-starred with Doug McClure in a western, but that was all I really knew. I later learned Shatner played a government agent in 1870s San Francisco. “The Barbary Coast” appeared on the TV schedule for the 1975-1976 season, lasting a total of 14 episodes.

The rest
William Shatner also did a bit of other work in he 1980s, primarily on television. He appeared in the TV movies “The Babysitter”; ”Secrets of a Married Man”, opposite Cybill Shepherd; and “Broken Angel”; had guest spots on “Police Squad!” and “The Ray Bradbury Theatre”; and hosted “Rescue 911” from 1989 to 1996.

He also appeared in the theatrical releases “The Kidnapping of the President” in 1980. In 1982, he was in the Canadian slasher film “Visiting Hours” and “Airplane II: The Sequel”, both in the same year as “Wrath of Khan”.

The years after
There was so much more to William Shatner than Captain James T. Kirk since the 1980s, although “Star Trek” has continued to play a major role in his career.

His big screen movie work has included “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” and “Star Trek Generations”, as well as “Loaded Weapon 1”; “Miss Congeniality”; “American Psycho 2”; “DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story”; “Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous”; and much more.

On television, he had guest spots in “Seaquesr DSV”; and “3rd Rock from the Sun”, as the “Big Giant Head” for five episodes, where he was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. He was in “Psych”; Rookie Blue”; “Hot in Cleveland”; “Murdoch Mysteries”; “Haven”; “Private Eyes”; “The Indian Detective”; “The Big Bang Theory”; “The Masked Singer”; and much more.. He was also in the Canadian movie “Everest ‘82”.

Shatner also created and co-starred with Greg Evigan in the Canadian science fiction series “TekWar”, for 18 episodes; and was in “$#*! My Dad Says” for 18 episodes;

His signature role may have been lawyer Denny Crane for the last season of “The Practice” then the entire five-season run of “Boston Legal”, from 2004 to 2008 and 101 episodes. He won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for “The Practice” in 2004 for the role of Denny Crane. He won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the same role in 2005, this time in “Boston Legal”, and was nominated again in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. Shatner also won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor on Television in 2005 and was nominated again in 2008 for his role as Denny Crane on “Boston Legal”.

Life story
One of the neatest shows I saw on William Shatner was a profile on CBC’s “Life and Times”. It took him all the way back to his beginnings in Montreal, and he actually went back to the house he grew up in. Anyone who says he is nominally Canadian, just had to see him speaking fluent French with the woman at the door, to see he is still Canadian. That profile also talked about his work on the stage in Canada and with the CBC before he ventured to the States. It was really cool.

Live in person
I also was able to meet William Shatner in person a few years ago at Calgary Expo or Comic Con, where I had my picture taken with him and got his autograph. I heard he could be moody, or aloof. He was also 90 when I met him.

Of all the things I could say to him, what I ended up saying was his signature line from “Boston Legal” – “Denny Crane!”

He looked at me with a combination of shock, confusion and maybe a bit of horror.

I also heard a talk he gave at Comic Con. It was really good, as he described actually going into space and just the nature of life, celebrity and more.

It was really good.

Parting thoughts
Initially, one of the things that attracted me to William Shatner was that he was a Canadian who made it big in the States. Knowing and celebrating all those Canadians has been a real passion for me.

However, our shared citizenship is only part of the equation. I always enjoyed his work as Captain Kirk, but particularly in the movies. After all, I saw the first two movies before I saw any episodes of the TV series.

His talent as an actor, often mocked by some, is truly evident in his role as Denny Crane on “Boston Legal”. He received not one, but two Emmy awards and a Golden Globe for his efforts. Overall, he was nominated for a total of six Emmys and two Golden Globes for the role. Beyond his comic touch, he also brought attention and awareness to the challenges of aging and the onset of Alzheimer Disease. That can never be lost in all the jokes about his over acting.

I think the transition from “Star Trek” to “T.J. Hooker” in the ‘80s, set him on the road to becoming that well-rounded actor.