RANDOM THOUGHTS ON A (TELEVISUAL) MEDIUM I DO NOT WATCH — by Steve Nadis
Can you believe all the so-called “news” coverage concerning the new Geena Davis vehicle, “Commander in Chief”? The Boston Globe, the paper of record, had THREE separate articles yesterday about the show and its significance, including one on the editorial page below a commentary about the inquiry into Bill Frist’s stock deals. I heard a similar story on our NPR affiliate yesterday which, like the others, highlighted the “importance” of having a woman president on TV. The key point, of course, is that the show is entirely fiction, as is “24,” which features (or featured–I don’t know the latest since I don’t watch that program, nor did I see Commander in Chief) a black president. Until we have an actual black president or woman president or vice president, I won’t call it news. I’ll just call it another TV show I don’t watch.
Now for some real news: Don Adams (“Agent 86″), the star of “Get Smart,” died on Sunday at the age of 82. Get Smart, a James Bond spoof that aired in the 1960s (back when I did watch TV), was one of the funniest shows I ever saw. It’s hard for me to believe that Don Adams (who wrote poetry on the side, according to his co-star, Barbara Feldon) was 82, as I always remember him as a relatively young man in his 40s. That’s how he appears in the Get Smart reruns. For me, it’s unsettling to realize that the show debuted 40 years ago, when I was just 10. Adams evidently got older in the intervening decades, and I did too, but I haven’t laughed any harder since his show was cancelled in 1970.
Posted by
at
15:15:54
We laughed pretty hard during the Summer of Dean.
Well put, TB. Still, Dean was no match for Maxwell Smart.
I bookmarked your blog. When I was a very little girl, I wanted to grow up to be Agent 99. Come visit my blog if you like. I’m new to it.
Hey Windfall — thanks for the note. 99 was pretty cool. She must have been incredibly patient to put up with Max. Good luck with the blog; I’ll check it out.
Hi again Windfall. I tried to go to your blog but ended up at the AOL homepage. I’m not sure how that happened but I am sure I didn’t get there.
Here’s where I started. Now I’ve read your entire blog. I’m glad you finally found my blog. Whew……my eyes are tired.
Wow! That is an amazing accomplishment and I’m flattered by the effort. I’m sure no one else in history has attempted such a feat–or even thought of attempting it. Maybe you will get that Ig Nobel Prize after all.
You have a very sucessful blog,i never saw such a nice one before