2279 From: "bryankd97053" Date: Sat Nov 1, 2003 8:29pm Subject: Search Scanner Prop For Sale on eBay bryankd97053 Mike who makes the Search Scanner that is listed on the merchandise section of the website, has made a new scanner and put it up for sale on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2200358283& category=153 These are great prop reproductions and really fun (I have 3 of them), I think it's been over a year since he made one and put it up for sale on eBay--so if your interested in getting one, this is your limited opportunity. 2280 From: "actingman_jc" Date: Sat Nov 1, 2003 8:42pm Subject: NBC Promo Posted actingman_jc Jim Alexander got a hold of, and sent to me, a copy of the Wednesday night line up for NBC Week, 1972...which of course mentions Search. I have encoded it and put it on the web site www.probecontrol.com It is in the Publicity section. Or click this link to get the mpg file directly: http://probecontrol.com/Quicktime/nbcweek.mpg As usual, I encoded at the best resolution my equipment will allow, so the file size is 10mb...so I recomend that you download the file first before playing it. 2281 From: "Geoff Willmetts" Date: Sat Nov 1, 2003 11:38pm Subject: Re: Ebay scanner gfwillmetts Hello Just looked at the ebay scanner. The comment on blue or green lens seems to suggest he's one of our lurkers, doesn't it?? Geoff ********* GF Willmetts **************************** Commissioning Editor: http://www.sfcrowsnest.com or http://www.computercrowsnestbooks.com THE SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY MAGAZINE THE E-BOOK PUBLISHER THAT TRIES HARDER WE DON’T CHOOSE OUR RANK POSITIONS, OTHERS PUT US THERE:- AOL ranks SFcrowsnest #1 most popular SFF site on the Internet http://search.aol.com/aolcom/browse?id=906&source=subcats Yahoo ranks SFcrowsnest #4 most popular SFF site on the Internet http://dir.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Genres/Science_Fiction_and_Fantasy/ DMOZ ranks SFcrowsnest #1 most popular SFF site on the Internet http://dmoz.org/Arts/Literature/Genres/Science_Fiction/ Google PageRanks SFcrowsnest #2 most popular SFF site on the Internet http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Genres/Science_Fiction_and_Fantasy/ Alexa ranks SFcrowsnest #2 most popular SFF site on the Internet http://www.alexa.com/browse/general?catid=56670&mode=general *************************************************** _________________________________________________________________ Use MSN Messenger to send music and pics to your friends http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger 2282 From: "Jim Alexander" Date: Sun Nov 2, 2003 5:38am Subject: Re: NBC Promo Posted probecontrol probecontrol@... ----- Original Message ----- From: "actingman_jc" To: Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2003 2:42 PM Subject: [probe_control] NBC Promo Posted > Jim Alexander got a hold of, and sent to me, a copy of the Wednesday > night line up for NBC Week, 1972...which of course mentions Search. > > I have encoded it and put it on the web site www.probecontrol.com > It is in the Publicity section. > > Or click this link to get the mpg file directly: > http://probecontrol.com/Quicktime/nbcweek.mpg > > As usual, I encoded at the best resolution my equipment will allow, so > the file size is 10mb...so I recomend that you download the file first > before playing it. > > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > 2283 From: "Jim Alexander" Date: Sun Nov 2, 2003 5:46am Subject: Whoops! (and response to Geoff) probecontrol Sorry about that last post. I got a little trigger-finger happy and SENT before I'd even written the letter that I meant to. ;) What I was going to say was in response to Geoff's supposition that Mike (Scanner-maker) Walston lurks on the SEARCH Yahoo List-- Mike is a great guy, and quite friendly (as well as being talented), but... I don't think that he DOES lurk on our little list, Geoff... though I see why you might think so. Of course... if he DOES lurk here... maybe he'll e-mail in and call me a liar! ;) Jim Alexander probecontrol@... 2284 From: "Marta Dawes" Date: Sun Nov 2, 2003 1:54pm Subject: RE: NBC Promo Posted martadawes That was way, way cool. :-) Thanks for sharing it with everyone. It was great to see a "Banacek" promo on there, too! One thing it did remind me of was how much we used to anticipate the new seasons in those days, and how much I loved those promos. I've still got a Fall Preview TV Guide, the most awaited publication of the year, in my stashed adolescent stuff somewhere, and it might even be from 1972. TV just doesn't have that allure anymore. It still had an air of quality then. Marta http://www.steveandmarta.com Home of "The Graveyards of Omaha" and "The New Twilight Zone" websites (Alan Brennert's new book is featured on the site!) "Experience should teach us to be on our guard to protect liberty when government's purpose are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment of men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding." Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis's great statement from Olmstead v. United States : -----Original Message----- From: actingman_jc [mailto:actingman@...] Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2003 2:42 PM To: probe_control@yahoogroups.com Subject: [probe_control] NBC Promo Posted Jim Alexander got a hold of, and sent to me, a copy of the Wednesday night line up for NBC Week, 1972...which of course mentions Search. I have encoded it and put it on the web site www.probecontrol.com It is in the Publicity section. Or click this link to get the mpg file directly: http://probecontrol.com/Quicktime/nbcweek.mpg As usual, I encoded at the best resolution my equipment will allow, so the file size is 10mb...so I recomend that you download the file first before playing it. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 2285 From: "crayresearch2001" Date: Mon Nov 3, 2003 4:43am Subject: Re: NBC Promo Posted crayresearch... Great find Jim! I couldn't help but laugh at how this stuff keeps turning up from time to time. Noticed: James Farentino's Captain Kirk Wrestling moves, don't think they'd help much in a real fight though. Definitely remember the "Cool Million" slender font. That scene with Lockwood running like hell is also used in the opening credits, a few frames later on. Don't think it was part of any Lockwood episode I saw. I found this Search webpage and did a search of the archives to see if it had been mentioned before, to no avail so here it is :) http://www.bigredhair.com/search/ Don-2 2286 From: "Jim Alexander" Date: Mon Nov 3, 2003 4:54am Subject: Don 2's Find: 'bigredhair' SEARCH page! probecontrol Wow, Don! Nice find! And nice GRAPHICS on the 'bigredhair' page! A verrrrrrrry cool tribute! And it's nice'a them to link to John and Bryan's page, too! They give credit where credit's due! ;) "James Farentino's Captain Kirk Wrestling moves!" Bwah-hah-hah-hah-hah! :) Jim Alexander probecontrol@... 2287 From: dmanmetz@... Date: Tue Nov 4, 2003 1:52am Subject: Re: Re: NBC Promo Posted dmanmetz@... Actually, the scene were Lockwood is running happens towards the end of "Moonrock" after Lockwood steals the moonrock back and is running from a cave to get to his jeep. In my opinion, it's one of the best episodes Search has to offer. Thanks for the link alternate Search site. That was really cool. Chris 2288 From: "bryankd97053" Date: Sun Nov 9, 2003 6:38am Subject: Search Scanner on eBay bryankd97053 Just wanted to remind anyone who was interested that this is the final day of the auction for the Search Scanner and base that Mike has listed on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2200358283&category=153 2289 From: "prophetlivingood" Date: Wed Nov 19, 2003 8:14pm Subject: Trevor Douglas............................................................... prophetlivin... provided me with ALL of the SEARCh episodes BUT the "ENDS of the EARTH" episode I can't find to complete my collection............. Does anybody have the ENDS OF THE EARTH epi? 2290 From: "Jim Alexander" Date: Sat Nov 22, 2003 5:01am Subject: Eddie Schwartz's SEARCH memories probecontrol Jim Alexander, here-- A new fella named Eddie Schwartz has contacted Don Harden and myself with an interest in getting some episodes on tape. He shared a story with me that I thought was a little bit of fun. Eddie has given me the go-ahead to post it here, and says that he'll join the list after he's watched some episodes to share some memories. Here's his quick story: >... I actually was only 12 when the series aired, but I saw most of the episodes. I lived with my grandmother and it was past my bedtime to watch it. She always fell asleep watching it, so I would lurk in the hall and peek at the TV. When I was sure she was out, I would lie down on the carpet where she could not see me if she awakened, and watch the rest. I even snuck a tape recorder in one night and recorded the theme song. I don't have the tape, of course, but the song stuck with me to this day. Jim back again. Eddie shared this with me, too: >... I used to watch "A Cool Million" too. Did you ever see that one? It was not as good by any stretch. I still remember one promo where they asked James Franciscus, "You want to rent a 747 for two?" It's strange what you remember, isn't it? When I reminded Eddie that: Ha! Actually--you're thinking of 'James Farentino' and not Franciscus. ;) Farentino starred in COOL MILLION--and there's a promo that's uploaded onto the www.probecontrol.com website that you can watch that I purchased off on eBay a few weeks ago. It has a clip from both SEARCH and COOL MILLION. And the '747 for two' line is from a SEARCH episode called 'Moonrock' which you'll be receiving in your very first batch of tapes from me. ;) He responded: >... The 747 line is from Search? That's cool! It stuck in my head all these years, and I always assumed it was from the other show. I'll have to check out the promo you mentioned. Anyway... he seems like a nice guy--so when he joins up, everyone be sure and say 'hi'. ;) Jim Alexander probecontrol@... 2291 From: "wm_simon" Date: Sat Nov 22, 2003 3:43pm Subject: OT: Long shot, CASABLANCA w/David Soul wm_simon By chance, does anyone have all five episodes of CASABLANCA with David Soul as Rick? Please reply directly to: wm_simon@... 2292 From: yorktowncmdr@... Date: Sat Nov 22, 2003 4:58pm Subject: Re: Eddie Schwartz's SEARCH memories worldsecanalyst I was 15 when SEARCH was on the air, and my recollection is not always the greatest. It'll be good to have Eddie with us. I will surely give him a hearty greetings. David [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 2293 From: "Eddie Schwartz" Date: Sat Nov 22, 2003 9:39pm Subject: Re: Eddie Schwartz's SEARCH memories schwartzeg Jim, Thanks for posting this information for me. I was so happy to have found other fans of Search! Eddie Schwartz --- In probe_control@yahoogroups.com, "Jim Alexander" wrote: > Jim Alexander, here-- > > A new fella named Eddie Schwartz has contacted Don Harden and myself with an > interest in getting some episodes on tape. He shared a story with me that I > thought was a little bit of fun. Eddie has given me the go-ahead to post it > here, and says that he'll join the list after he's watched some episodes to > share some memories. Here's his quick story: > > >... I actually was only 12 when the series aired, but I saw most of the > episodes. I lived with my grandmother and it was past my bedtime to watch > it. She always fell asleep watching it, so I would lurk in the hall and > peek at the TV. When I was sure she was out, I would lie down on the carpet > where she could not see me if she awakened, and watch the rest. I > even snuck a tape recorder in one night and recorded the theme song. I > don't have the tape, of course, but the song stuck with me to this day. > > Jim back again. Eddie shared this with me, too: > > >... I used to watch "A Cool Million" too. Did you ever see that one? It > was not as good by any stretch. I still remember one promo where they asked > James Franciscus, "You want to rent a 747 for two?" It's strange what you > remember, isn't it? > > When I reminded Eddie that: > > Ha! Actually--you're thinking of 'James Farentino' and not Franciscus. ;) > Farentino starred in COOL MILLION--and there's a promo that's uploaded onto > the www.probecontrol.com website that you can watch that I purchased off on > eBay a few weeks ago. It has a clip from both SEARCH and COOL MILLION. > > And the '747 for two' line is from a SEARCH episode called 'Moonrock' which > you'll be receiving in your very first batch of tapes from me. ;) > > He responded: > > >... The 747 line is from Search? That's cool! It stuck in my head all > these years, and I always assumed it was from > the other show. I'll have to check out the promo you mentioned. > > Anyway... he seems like a nice guy--so when he joins up, everyone be sure > and say 'hi'. ;) > > Jim Alexander > probecontrol@s... 2294 From: "Jim Alexander" Date: Sun Nov 23, 2003 2:55am Subject: Eddie Schwartz's SEARCH memories probecontrol Glad to have you aboard, Eddie! :) Jim probecontrol@... -------------------------------- > Jim, > > Thanks for posting this information for me. I was so happy to have > found other fans of Search! > > Eddie Schwartz 2295 From: "crayresearch2001" Date: Sun Nov 23, 2003 3:44am Subject: Re: Eddie Schwartz's SEARCH memories crayresearch... Hi Eddie! Welcome to the group, I was happy to find it too : ) Interesting that your grandmother liked to watch SEARCH. I wonder who it was that was putting her to sleep. Hmmmmm...Cameron perhaps? Well maybe you could fill us in with some details after you see the episodes again. Don-2 2296 From: "franklinberke" Date: Mon Nov 24, 2003 3:02pm Subject: Re: Eddie Schwartz's SEARCH memories franklinberke Hi Eddie Welcome to the group. It seems fantastic thanks to the intrepid few who have made it possible for so many of us in the group to get tapes of the original episodes. Especially considering how long ago its been since they were publicly shown. I hope you enjoy them as much as we all have. Franklin 2297 From: "Jim Alexander" Date: Tue Nov 25, 2003 0:38am Subject: OT: SEARCHing for Franklin Berke probecontrol Would Franklin Berke please contact me off-list, please? I seem to be having trouble getting you via e-mail. Thanks-- Jim Alexander probecontrol@... [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 2298 From: "actingman_jc" Date: Wed Nov 26, 2003 5:13am Subject: Phony HOB autographs actingman_jc Don H. found the below notice on Hugh O'Brian's web site: From Hugh O'Brian's website home page: A SPECIAL NOTE TO MY FRIENDS: I have recently seen a few of my pictures with phony autographs. I don't want you to be scammed so please be careful. The ONLY way to obtain genuine signed photos of me is from me personally at autograph shows or through this site. Click below to see some photos with phony autographs. http://www.hughobrian-wyattearp.com/copies.htm Thanks to Jim Alexander, the signed photo of HOB on www.probecontrol.com is the real thing. 2299 From: Mike Valerio Date: Wed Nov 26, 2003 5:49pm Subject: SEARCH Disappoints mvscreen Probers: I've started watching the SEARCH episodes that one of the group members here was kind of enough to share with me. Aside from the pilot (which I've seen many times over the years), this is the first time I've viewed these episodes in over 30 years. I'm sorry to say, I'm feeling like time has not been kind to the series. Granted, I've only run through the first four or five episodes. Perhaps the later episodes got better once the production team jelled. Still, in this initial batch, I've been struck by the cheap, underdressed sets, the time-wasting stock footage travelogue sequences and the cheese & corn dialogue ("What's a nice girl like you doing in a discipline like this?" "Just lucky, I guess!"). Most of the writing, in general, is pretty weak (How many times in one episode can Lockwood get knocked unconscious?). The show plays like a Saturday morning kid's show at times. Plus, most of Cameron's sequences make no sense in terms of the timing and logic of the computer/camera interfacing. Example: If Bianco has ONE scanner and sits in ONE position, how is it that we see MULTIPLE angles of the scene on Cameron's screen? Bad directing and editing, that's how. I'm sure I'll keep watching, but I can already tell that other shows from this era (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, COLUMBO, HAWAII 5-0) hold up much, much better than SEARCH. Certainly my memory of the show is better than what I'm seeing. Thoughts? - MV 2300 From: "bfiler2002000" Date: Wed Nov 26, 2003 11:38pm Subject: Re: SEARCH Disappoints bfiler2002000 - Like you, I've begun watching SEARCH episodes that another group member shared with me. I was prepared to be disappointed but to my surprise I discovered that I still love it after more than 30 years. I'll be the first to admit that a lot of it is probably nostalgia... we were there in 1972-'73, obviously, otherwise we would never have known about the series, it was something that meant a lot to us at the time, so because of that and because of our awareness of the time period, we're likely more able to live with or overlook its shortcomings than a person who was born after SEARCH came and went and who had somehow stumbled on the show would probably be. It's definitely true that the way TV shows are made has changed radically over the past 30-some years, but I'm willing to bet there is just as much cheese and corn dialogue (maybe more so) in the TV of today, it is just of a different type than it was then. Yes, I do agree that some things have probably not held up well over the years, for example, the character of Nick Bianco would be seen in a far different light today, with his hair-trigger temper and readiness to duke it out, today he would probably be seen in the same light as the L.A. cops who beat up Rodney King...in other words, as a villain. Even I find myself wondering about Nick's pre-World Securities career as an N.Y.P.D. detective...did he run afoul of Miranda on a weekly, if not daily, basis? Was he constantly being brought up on brutality charges? Since we are not told precisely WHEN Nick was an N.Y.P.D. cop, it's even possible that he was on the force PRE-Miranda, which would paint an especially ugly picture to most modern viewers today. Bianco and Lockwood also tend to come off like a couple of older guys who are trying just a little too hard to be hip and happening with the younger crowd, though they aren't as bad as some real-life examples we can find, even today. Tony Franciosa's New York-meets-British accent comes off sounding a little affected and put on today. I suspect that of the three Probes, Lockwood and Grover would come off best to a modern audience. Lockwood has a very laid-back personality, other than the trying-too-hard-to-be-hip thing, he doesn't seem to be trying to put on any airs or be somebody he's not so I think he'd be forgiven for the middle-aged hipster thing. I haven't seen any Grover episodes yet, but from what I remember of Doug McClure, he had a very pleasant, likeable personality and he would likely come off the best of the three today because he was probably just being himself. But then, I was 12 years old when SEARCH came on, I'm 42 now, so I have memories of the time period and some perspective on how things were then, and so my opinion is really irrelevant. What we would need to do is get some younger people who have no memory of the show (and preferably weren't even born when it was on, which is the majority of people today) and get some honest opinions from them. We would also have to explain to them that they know more about computers now than most everyone did then and that a lot of the stuff that's familiar now wasn't known then, so that they could put the technical errors regarding computers and technology into perspective. -- In probe_control@yahoogroups.com, Mike Valerio wrote: > Probers: > > I've started watching the SEARCH episodes that one of > the group members here was kind of enough to share > with me. Aside from the pilot (which I've seen many > times over the years), this is the first time I've > viewed these episodes in over 30 years. > > I'm sorry to say, I'm feeling like time has not been > kind to the series. > > Granted, I've only run through the first four or five > episodes. Perhaps the later episodes got better once > the production team jelled. Still, in this initial > batch, I've been struck by the cheap, underdressed > sets, the time-wasting stock footage travelogue > sequences and the cheese & corn dialogue ("What's a > nice girl like you doing in a discipline like this?" > "Just lucky, I guess!"). > > Most of the writing, in general, is pretty weak (How > many times in one episode can Lockwood get knocked > unconscious?). The show plays like a Saturday morning > kid's show at times. Plus, most of Cameron's sequences > make no sense in terms of the timing and logic of the > computer/camera interfacing. Example: If Bianco has > ONE scanner and sits in ONE position, how is it that > we see MULTIPLE angles of the scene on Cameron's > screen? Bad directing and editing, that's how. > > I'm sure I'll keep watching, but I can already tell > that other shows from this era (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, > COLUMBO, HAWAII 5-0) hold up much, much better than > SEARCH. Certainly my memory of the show is better than > what I'm seeing. > > Thoughts? - MV 2301 From: "dghprobe3" Date: Wed Nov 26, 2003 11:45pm Subject: Re: SEARCH Disappoints dghprobe3 Hi Mike: The points you raise are among the reasons why we've been trying to get more behind the scenes information about SEARCH. Among the main troubles were that NBC did not understand it, plus Leslie Stevens lost control as they went along. The PROBE pilot likely reflected Leslie Stevens' vision more than any of the series episodes, as there was obviously more budget available for a two-hour pilot. Gene Roddenberry always expressed frustration over the original "Star Trek." They could have presented more mind-blowing scripts back then, but the network insisted that the shows be simple enough for a sixth grade audience. And still be cheap budget-wise. TV shows back then were much more formula, made quickly, then shown once or twice, then they were gone. We didn't have hi-res TV sets back then, and VCRs didn't appear until the 1980s. Much more care goes into the appearance of shows today because we as an audience have come to expect a certain look. SEARCH fails by comparison to more recent shows, no question about it. Keep in mind that "Hawaii 5-0" and "Mission Impossible" were long running series and had higher ratings, which got them somewhat higher budgets. And they had their share of dumb or dull episodes too. The revolving-trio format also made it difficult for SEARCH to establish a singular identity with viewers. True, many SEARCH episodes have their weak points and are dated for the most part. What we emphasize here is that the show was very much ahead of its time when it first ran. Nobody else was talking about computers and surveillance technology back in 1972 the way SEARCH did. For me, the overall concept of the show was more interesting than any of the individual episodes. Mike, please let us know your reactions to the later SEARCH episodes, especially the ones with the Probe Control set change. And thanks for sharing with us, it had gotten quiet around here lately. :-) --Don H. -------------------------------------- --- In probe_control, Mike Valerio wrote: > I'm sorry to say, I'm feeling like time has not been > kind to the series. > > Granted, I've only run through the first four or five > episodes. Perhaps the later episodes got better once > the production team jelled. Still, in this initial > batch, I've been struck by the cheap, underdressed > sets, the time-wasting stock footage travelogue > sequences and the cheese & corn dialogue ("What's a > nice girl like you doing in a discipline like this?" > "Just lucky, I guess!"). 2302 From: Mike Valerio Date: Thu Nov 27, 2003 1:42am Subject: Re: Re: SEARCH Disappoints mvscreen >>>>> I was 12 years old when SEARCH came on, I'm 42 now, so I have memories of the time period and some perspective on how things were then, and so my opinion is really irrelevant. <<<<< We'll have to agree to disagree. I was 14 years old then SEARCH went on the air and I thought it was great. I'm 45 years old now and--if the rest of the episodes are like the ones I've recently screened--I can see that it was not great. That's OK. Not all television is great television. And please understand, I've spent the past 15 years working in network television. I do know that most TV shows don't age well. I'm allowing for that. What I'm saying was SEARCH was inferior THEN. The writing and the production values ARE less than those of contemporaneous shows like MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE and COLUMBO. Do I enjoy watching the show? Yes. Is the show well-produced? No. With age comes wisdom. COLUMBO holds up, SEARCH doesn't. There's nothing wrong with admiting that. I'm still finding the process of re-connecting with the show fascinating...although I don't honestly know that I'll watch any of them again once I'm done with this run. - MV 2303 From: William Simon Date: Thu Nov 27, 2003 3:28pm Subject: Re: SEARCH Disappoints wm_simon Mike- You make some valid points. After many many years without, I remember when first CNN then TNT srated showing MAN FROM UNCLE. Watching it as an adult, my first reaction was "Holy crap...my world used to STOP for this sh**?!?!" Bad writing, horrendous special effects, etc. Had the same issues with THE SAINT; only Roger Moore could prowl around the bogs of Loch Ness wearing a three piece suit and look immaculate when he came out. (We shan't discuss Joe Mannix, who got hit over the head so many times he'd be more than a little punchy....) Anyway....I made a conscious decision to ignore it all, and just enjoy the nostalgia. We have to remember, what we're watching now was "state of the art" at the time. It's like comparing the special effects in TREK CLASSIC to NEXT GEN. Just kick back and remember what the world was like at the time SEARCH (or any other show) aired. It'll be better for the viewing, trust me...;) WMS 2304 From: William Simon Date: Thu Nov 27, 2003 3:30pm Subject: Re: Re: SEARCH Disappoints wm_simon For what it's worth.... I SPY *still* holds up, and wonderfully. THE PROTECTORS and THE PERSUADERS are terribly dated and clumsy. As I said in a previous post, enjoy them for what they are, and the time they represent..:) WMS __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/ 2305 From: "corgipro" Date: Thu Nov 27, 2003 5:22am Subject: Contact information for Trevor Douglas needed corgipro Hello, If anybody could please supply me with the contact information (e- mail address, home address) for Trevor Douglas, I would really appreciate it. Please e-mail this information to me at crgrover@... Thanks, Doug 2306 From: Mike Valerio Date: Thu Nov 27, 2003 6:23pm Subject: Re: SEARCH Disappoints mvscreen >>>> We have to remember, what we're watching now was "state of the art" at the time. It's like comparing the special effects in TREK CLASSIC to NEXT GEN. <<<< Again...I am not comparing SEARCH to any TV today. I am comaaring the writing and production values of SEARCH to contemporaneous shows like MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE and COLUMBO. Those shows have traveled well. SEARCH has not. - MV 2307 From: Mike Valerio Date: Thu Nov 27, 2003 6:29pm Subject: Re: Re: SEARCH Disappoints mvscreen I SPY is an excellent example of a show that holds up. Great scripts, great production values. That show was shot in actual foreign locations. SEARCH faked everything. The mountains of Malibu are no substitute for the mountains of Zurich. Again, the cheese factor. 2309 From: "corgipro" Date: Thu Nov 27, 2003 10:40pm Subject: Re: Contact information for Trevor Douglas needed corgipro Hello Trevor, What is wrong with this web site? I am trying to give you my e-mail address, crgrover@... so that you can e-mail yours to me but it keeps chopping off the last part of my e-mail address! I only see "crgrover@...". Please send an e-mail to crgrover@... Thanks, Doug --- In probe_control@yahoogroups.com, "Trevor William Douglas" wrote: > Hi Doug, > My address is 4 Cornwall Avenue Gorokan > NSW AUSTRALIA 2263 > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "corgipro" > To: > Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2003 4:22 PM > Subject: [probe_control] Contact information for Trevor Douglas needed > > > > Hello, > > If anybody could please supply me with the contact information (e- > > mail address, home address) for Trevor Douglas, I would really > > appreciate it. Please e-mail this information to me at > > crgrover@b... > > Thanks, > > Doug > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > 2310 From: "corgipro" Date: Thu Nov 27, 2003 10:47pm Subject: Re: Contact information for Trevor Douglas needed...let's improvise! corgipro Trevor, I see now that it is impossible to get around this little problem. OK, so we'll improvise. Trevor, I will substitute the word "at" for the @ symbol and when you send me an e-mail, just use the @ symbol instead of "at" and you will have my e-mail address. I guess that Yahoo doesn't want people to give out e-mail addresses, for some stupid reason. OK, here we go...please send me an e-mail with your e- mail address to crgrover at bellsouth.net Get the picture? Or how about crgrover @ bellsouth.net and just don't use any spaces. I think that you will get this now! Look forward to hearing from you soon! Thanks, Doug --- In probe_control@yahoogroups.com, "corgipro" wrote: > Hello Trevor, > What is wrong with this web site? I am trying to give you my e-mail > address, crgrover@b... so that you can e-mail yours to me > but it keeps chopping off the last part of my e-mail address! I only > see "crgrover@". Please send an e-mail to crgrover@b... > Thanks, > Doug > > --- In probe_control@yahoogroups.com, "Trevor William Douglas" > wrote: > > Hi Doug, > > My address is 4 Cornwall Avenue Gorokan > > NSW AUSTRALIA 2263 > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "corgipro" > > To: > > Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2003 4:22 PM > > Subject: [probe_control] Contact information for Trevor Douglas > needed > > > > > > > Hello, > > > If anybody could please supply me with the contact information (e- > > > mail address, home address) for Trevor Douglas, I would really > > > appreciate it. Please e-mail this information to me at > > > crgrover@b... > > > Thanks, > > > Doug > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > > > 2311 From: "dghprobe3" Date: Fri Nov 28, 2003 4:19am Subject: Re: ...let's improvise! dghprobe3 Hi Bill: Nice to see you've joined the SEARCH list. When you contact Trevor, please be sure to pass along to him how much you enjoyed the converted dubs of those 22 SEARCH episodes I sent you, along with a duplicate set of the first 11 SEARCH episodes Jim sent you. By the way, how's the weather down there at Miami Beach? --Don ------------------------------------- --- In probe_control@yahoogroups.com, "corgipro" wrote: > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "corgipro" > > > To: > > > Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2003 4:22 PM > > > Subject: [probe_control] Contact information for Trevor Douglas > > needed > > > > > > > Hello, If anybody could please supply me with the contact information (e-mail address, home address) for Trevor Douglas, I would really appreciate it. Please e-mail this information to me at > > > > crgrover@b... > > > > Thanks, Doug 2312 From: "corgipro" Date: Fri Nov 28, 2003 10:11pm Subject: Re: ...let's improvise! corgipro Excuse me...Bill?? I think that you have mistaken me for someone else. My name is Doug and I live in Tampa. I have never purchased any tapes from you before. Doug --- In probe_control@yahoogroups.com, "dghprobe3" wrote: > Hi Bill: Nice to see you've joined the SEARCH list. When you > contact Trevor, please be sure to pass along to him how much you > enjoyed the converted dubs of those 22 SEARCH episodes I sent you, > along with a duplicate set of the first 11 SEARCH episodes Jim sent > you. > > By the way, how's the weather down there at Miami Beach? > > --Don > ------------------------------------- > --- In probe_control@yahoogroups.com, "corgipro" wrote: > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "corgipro" > > > > To: > > > > Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2003 4:22 PM > > > > Subject: [probe_control] Contact information for Trevor Douglas > > > needed > > > > > > > > > Hello, If anybody could please supply me with the contact > information (e-mail address, home address) for Trevor Douglas, I > would really appreciate it. Please e-mail this information to me at > > > > > crgrover@b... > > > > > Thanks, Doug 2313 From: "dghprobe3" Date: Fri Nov 28, 2003 11:15pm Subject: Re: ...let's improvise! dghprobe3 Hi Bill: I tried responding to you directly, but your "corgipro" account name got discontinued somehow. Wonder how that happened? Also, you forgot that private Oct. 18th email you sent me identifying yourself as "Doug." Anyway, Trevor can only provide you with PAL dubs, which are unplayable on NTSC VCRs. Jim and I made this clear several weeks ago. You will only get static for picture and garbled sound. If you want to try your own conversions, the usual units run between $600 and $800. But be aware that Trevor's tapes carry some sort of macro problem which might make your conversion attempts appear worse than the conversions you already have. Trevor, if a "Doug" from "Tampa" ever contacts you by snail mail, I will be surprised. However, be on the lookout for any correspondence from a "Bill" in "Miami Beach." --Don ------------------------------ Final-Recipient: RFC822; corgipro@... Action: failed Status: 5.0.0 Remote-MTA: DNS; mx1.mail.yahoo.com Diagnostic-Code: SMTP; 554 delivery error: dd Sorry your message to corgipro@... cannot be delivered. This account has been disabled or discontinued [#102]. - mta262.mail.scd.yahoo.com Last-Attempt-Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2003 17:47:37 -0500 (EST) --- In probe_control@yahoogroups.com, "corgipro" wrote: > Excuse me...Bill?? I think that you have mistaken me for someone > else. My name is Doug and I live in Tampa. I have never purchased any > tapes from you before. > Doug 2314 From: "crayresearch2001" Date: Fri Nov 28, 2003 11:23pm Subject: Re: SEARCH Disappoints crayresearch... I can see where Mike is coming from, but if SEARCH didn't come across as saturday morning cartoon fare, how many of us 10 or 12 year olds would have remembered it so vividly for 30 years?? Sorry to say Mike, but you will be less impressed with the latter episodes, when the control room changes. Then, it has a very "too many cooks spoil the broth" feel to it. One of the best bloopers I've seen is in Flight To Nowhere when Lockwood goes to pick up his scanner in the hotel room and reaches for something infront of the camera instead of the camera itself (scanner). > Just kick back and remember what the world was like at > the time SEARCH (or any other show) aired. It'll be > better for the viewing, trust me...;) > I was there in 1972, and at the time, it was the cat's whiskers, though seeing it again, now, some of it seems to have a "first draft" feel as if something was lost in the translation between concept and finished product. Wether due to budget restrictions or personel, we'll probably never know. 2315 From: "dghprobe3" Date: Fri Nov 28, 2003 11:28pm Subject: 'Corgipro Doug' is Bill dghprobe3 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/captainaction2/message/52 Hi gang: Do a Google.com search for "corgipro" and it will basically take you to the Captain Action 2 Yahoo Group. One of corgipro's posts is there (reprinted below), and it is signed by "Bill." Case closed, end run. --Don H. ----------------------------------------------------- From: corgipro Date: Sun Jun 24, 2001 3:44 am Subject: Captain Action Aquald set Hi, I'm looking for a loose, mint Aqualad set, if anyone happens to have one for sale or knows of one out there. Please reply to me personally. Thanks, Bill ---------------------------------------------------- --- In probe_control@yahoogroups.com, "corgipro" wrote: > Excuse me...Bill?? I think that you have mistaken me for someone > else. My name is Doug and I live in Tampa. I have never purchased any tapes from you before. > Doug 2316 From: "Trevor William Douglas" Date: Sat Nov 29, 2003 0:24am Subject: Re: Re: ...let's improvise! trevoran87 Hi Don, I just received another email, this time from "Bill" I told him that I could only do PAL dubs and that you and Jim were the ones to see about doing NTSC versions. Hopefully that will shut him up! Also he used a different email address CR GROVER! (do you think he's a Doug McClure fan? Anyway, here's hoping he will leave well enough alone. Regards Trevor ----- Original Message ----- From: "dghprobe3" To: Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2003 10:15 AM Subject: [probe_control] Re: ...let's improvise! > Hi Bill: I tried responding to you directly, but your "corgipro" > account name got discontinued somehow. Wonder how that happened? > Also, you forgot that private Oct. 18th email you sent me identifying > yourself as "Doug." > > Anyway, Trevor can only provide you with PAL dubs, which are > unplayable on NTSC VCRs. Jim and I made this clear several weeks > ago. You will only get static for picture and garbled sound. If you > want to try your own conversions, the usual units run between $600 > and $800. But be aware that Trevor's tapes carry some sort of macro > problem which might make your conversion attempts appear worse than > the conversions you already have. > > Trevor, if a "Doug" from "Tampa" ever contacts you by snail mail, I > will be surprised. However, be on the lookout for any correspondence > from a "Bill" in "Miami Beach." > > --Don > > ------------------------------ > Final-Recipient: RFC822; corgipro@... > Action: failed > Status: 5.0.0 > Remote-MTA: DNS; mx1.mail.yahoo.com > Diagnostic-Code: SMTP; 554 delivery error: dd Sorry your message to > corgipro@... cannot be delivered. This account has been > disabled or discontinued [#102]. - mta262.mail.scd.yahoo.com > Last-Attempt-Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2003 17:47:37 -0500 (EST) > > --- In probe_control@yahoogroups.com, "corgipro" > wrote: > > Excuse me...Bill?? I think that you have mistaken me for someone > > else. My name is Doug and I live in Tampa. I have never purchased > any > > tapes from you before. > > Doug > > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > 2317 From: "Trevor William Douglas" Date: Sat Nov 29, 2003 0:37am Subject: Re: Re: SEARCH Disappoints trevoran87 Well, I have to say after reading some negative feedback on our show, we all must realise that old TV shows are just that. They can never measure up to today's standard of one million per episode or more! The reason most of us enjoy watching these shows is of course for the nostalgia value. Also I must admit that a lot of the older shows are a lot more entertaining than some of the things on air today! I recently watched a few epsidoes of the British series Department S. The look and feel of the show was very 60s and rightly so. since it was filmed in 1968. About the only thing that really dates it is the constant use of rear projection shots! But then that is part of the fun. We as an audience today expect much more from our TV shows. Also in the 'old days' we never had VCRs and once a show was over it was rarely rerun, especially here in Australia. Nowdays we can record them, check credits and minute details to compile perfect episode guides. I think it very important to keep the old shows like Search alive. Younger people should have access to these hard to find gems. Television has been going for well over fifty years and we need to preserve the memories of the past for future generations. Imagine what they will be saying about Buffy twenty years from now! Trevor End Run ----- Original Message ----- From: "crayresearch2001" To: Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2003 10:23 AM Subject: [probe_control] Re: SEARCH Disappoints > I can see where Mike is coming from, but if SEARCH didn't come across > as saturday morning cartoon fare, how many of us 10 or 12 year olds > would have remembered it so vividly for 30 years?? Sorry to say Mike, > but you will be less impressed with the latter episodes, when the > control room changes. Then, it has a very "too many cooks spoil the > broth" feel to it. One of the best bloopers I've seen is in Flight To > Nowhere when Lockwood goes to pick up his scanner in the hotel room > and reaches for something infront of the camera instead of the camera > itself (scanner). > > > > Just kick back and remember what the world was like at > > the time SEARCH (or any other show) aired. It'll be > > better for the viewing, trust me...;) > > > > I was there in 1972, and at the time, it was the cat's whiskers, > though seeing it again, now, some of it seems to have a "first draft" > feel as if something was lost in the translation between concept and > finished product. Wether due to budget restrictions or personel, > we'll probably never know. > > > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > 2318 From: "dghprobe3" Date: Sat Nov 29, 2003 3:35am Subject: PAL format vs NTSC dghprobe3 Hi Trevor: I'm not sure what Bill is upset about. He is certainly free to order any PAL format tapes he would want from you. I was pointing out that he would have to make PAL to NTSC conversions in order to view them on an American NTSC TV set. This was made clear to him some time ago. And after he converts them, he will have essentially what I sent him a few weeks ago, except perhaps with more macro artifacts. But if he wants to spend some $600 to $800 to arrive at the same place again, I suppose we can't stop him. Just make sure you are paid in full before you send anything out, and make sure it's "no refunds," dubs sent out "as is." --Don --------------------------------------- --- In probe_control, "Trevor William Douglas" wrote: > Hi Don, > I just received another email, this time from "Bill" I told him that I could > only do PAL dubs and that you and Jim were the ones to see about doing NTSC versions. Hopefully that will shut him up! > Also he used a different email address CR GROVER! (do you think he's a Doug McClure fan? > Anyway, here's hoping he will leave well enough alone. > Regards > Trevor 2319 From: "actingman_jc" Date: Sat Nov 29, 2003 6:00am Subject: A Good Discussion actingman_jc I am glad to see such discourse on Search here on the list. Various opinions pro and con, and keeping it all in perspective (I say that only because of some of the things I have seen happen on other lists.) The first episode I got to see after 28 or so years was Let Us Prey. I was disappointed. While it was a fair enough tale, I felt that, in the words of Irwin Allen, it was a run and jump show. It could have been a "final eight" show for the way it removed Control pretty much from the story. In fact, I was surprised when I saw the opening show credits. I always had a fond memory of the animation. But when I saw the circles springing out bringing the star's pictures to the screen I thought it looked cheesey. (Although, watching more episodes after that I lost that feeling, and can't generate, or even remember that feeling again.) As I got to see more episodes, I started to see the elements that I liked, but I could also see weaknesses in various places. But there are many shows that I like that have the duality of strengths and weaknesses (I mentioned IA...I love all four shows...but I can go on at length about the problems as well as the pluses.) It is true that each decade has a style and tone to the shows that were made during that period. I will surf the channels and see shows from different decades, and can spot right away the things that make them so much a part of that period (and I am not talking about clothes, hair, cars.) I don't think Search has as much of that obvious 70's production feel to it...although I think they did try to make that shift for the final eight...but even then it wasn't as bad as say the Aaron Spelling shows of that period. I have been wrestling with the question of what makes a show hold up years later. Good writing may be the automatic answer, but are there other elements? I was thinking that a kind of self-contained world- of-the-show may also do the trick. For instance, although he would have some really silly scripts at times, I think IA shows hold up. But I see them as worlds of their own, not reflecting the times they were made. Before I go on with other examples, it occurs to me that I may just be talking about style. The Prisoner was definitly a world of it's own, and although you can analyze some of the themes based on what was happening in the 60's, they were of a type that that can still apply today...although younger people may need a history lesson to understand when they refer to "which side runs the village." One series I have been watching lately that I think holds up really well is the hour long Danger Man/Secret Agent (depending on which side of the pond you lived on.) I like the writing, but I am also fascinated by the style that was partly it's own, and partly the style of those great ITC shows produced back then (I am especially fascinated by the complex "outdoor" sound stage sets they had in every episode.) The Dick Van Dyke Show I see as self-contained world rather then style. Within that world, there was proper English, no slang, and no current events/topics (conscious decisions by Carl Reiner.) That show holds up. Going back to Search, it had it's style, but that kept getting tinkered with almost from the start, as we know from the varous things we have learned over the years...and from what we could see on the screen. I found some of the stories lacking...but I am not sure why. To that end I want to throw out for consideration an idea that was used on the Space:1999 mailing list. We did an episode by episode discussion, one episode per week, of the entire series. Although I had seen those shows so many times over the years, I found that by sitting down with pad and pen, I saw them in a whole new light. My own preference is to watch them in production order, because you can really see how a show progresses. Recently I watched The Prisoner in production order, and so many things that bugged me about various episodes made sense watching them in the order they were made. Another question I have, which might take us a little off topic, but it will pertain to television: can anybody think of shows that were well written, or very stylized, that do not hold up? 2320 From: "dghprobe3" Date: Sat Nov 29, 2003 6:24am Subject: Re: A Good Discussion dghprobe3 What came to mind as I read your post was an interview I once saw of Adam West. He said that "Batman" and other fantasy-oriented shows (like the IA series) have a "timeless" quality because, as you mentioned, they are in a self-contained world (or universe). Another article I read years ago compared "I Love Lucy" to "All in the Family." I have enjoyed both of those series over the years, but it was pointed out that "Lucy" also had a timeless quality because the comedy, while slapstick, was true to the characters. There were no contemporary references to current events, yet there were plenty of references to what was more or less going on culturally in the country, or at least in California. Similar thing applies to "The Andy Griffith Show" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show," as you mentioned. Some of the Norman Lear shows, like "All in the Family" have lost much of their initial "punch" because, looking back, some of the episodes were just jokes about Nixon for the most part. Much of that topical social humor, which was rather hot during the '70s, sorta just lays there nowadays. To me, looking at SEARCH today, it has qualities similar to classic Trek and "Wild Wild West." It is both futuristic and anachronistic at the same time. I liked SEARCH better than "Man From UNCLE" because SEARCH was a bit more serious, lacking UNCLE's campy approach. It wasn't really a fantasy world the way Batman was, but when it first aired it had much more of a cool sci-fi atmosphere to it. Time has caused SEARCH to lose that, and that is probably what many of us remember most about the show. Ya had to BE there. Anyway, that's my two cents worth. :-) --Don H. ----------------------- --- In probe_control@yahoogroups.com, "actingman_jc" wrote: > ...Another question I have, which might take us a little off topic, but it will pertain to television: can anybody think of shows that were well written, or very stylized, that do not hold up? 2321 From: bob.greenberger@... Date: Sat Nov 29, 2003 2:26pm Subject: Re: A Good Discussion bobgrnbrgr Search doesn't hold up for one major reason: it was produced by Warner Bros. television whichhad never done a wheel show before. And at the time of production, Warner Bros. was not a very good producer of dramatic television. Universal invented the wheel concept with The Name of the Game and expanded it with the Sunday and Wednesday Mystery Movies. It's all an outgrowth of an earlier successful experiment with rotating shows about doctors and lawyers that had no connection to one another. The Name of the Game changed that by making everyone an employee of Howard Publications and used Susan St. James as the one recurring character to appear with Gene Barry, Robert Stack and Tony Franciosa. The 90-minute format also made these closer to TV movies (the standard running time back then) and allowed for more interesting and complex stories. When NBC ordered the Mystery Movie wheels, Universal kept the 90-minute concept but nothing connected Columbo to McCloud (let alone Hec Ramsey set nearly 100 years earlier). When NBC bought Search, Warner had never done this before and it shows. Rather than focus on the relationship between Burgess Meredith and his agents, they had to spread out the quips between Meredith and the other controllers. You had to handle all that with a story and wrap it up within 60, not 90, minutes. One reason we all love the pilot so much is that in terms of story and production values, it's the closest to a Universal production. And much as we love Leslie Neilsen and Robert Justman, the producers, they did not seem able to attract the top flight writers and directors that Universal had. Back then, no one produced slicker and more interesting dramatic television than Universal. We all know Spielberg got his start there, but Levinson & Link and countless others also toiled at the factory. No such luck at Warners. (And by the time Search got on the air, Paramount's days at good production--Trek and Mission:" Impossible, were largely over.) So, I tend to agree with most that in rewatching the shows can be disappointing, and that's not comparing Search with Alias but Search with its contemporary competition. And Universal's days ended sometime in the late 1970s, I figure. I happen to love Airwolf and got my hands on some of the DVD episodes recently. While the concept and the chopper remain cool, the stories are fairly cardboard with way too much stock footage and predictable story telling. So, this happens to the best of studios. Look at today's powerhouse production company: Warner Bros. with shows ranging from the West Wing to ER, they have something like 23 of the shows airing on prime time today. And there's my 4 cents. -- Bob 2322 From: "Trevor William Douglas" Date: Sat Nov 29, 2003 8:55pm Subject: Re: PAL format vs NTSC trevoran87 Hi Don, I just received three disgusting emails from him which made no sense! I didn't even finish reading the last one! I made it clear that I could do PAL copies only, never said anything about not doing them for him. Anyway I have deleted him from my system and hopefully that will be the end of that! Regards Trevor ----- Original Message ----- From: "dghprobe3" To: Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2003 2:35 PM Subject: [probe_control] PAL format vs NTSC > Hi Trevor: I'm not sure what Bill is upset about. He is certainly > free to order any PAL format tapes he would want from you. I was > pointing out that he would have to make PAL to NTSC conversions in > order to view them on an American NTSC TV set. This was made clear > to him some time ago. > > And after he converts them, he will have essentially what I sent him > a few weeks ago, except perhaps with more macro artifacts. But if he > wants to spend some $600 to $800 to arrive at the same place again, I > suppose we can't stop him. > > Just make sure you are paid in full before you send anything out, and > make sure it's "no refunds," dubs sent out "as is." > > --Don > --------------------------------------- > --- In probe_control, "Trevor William Douglas" wrote: > > Hi Don, > > I just received another email, this time from "Bill" I told him > that I could > > only do PAL dubs and that you and Jim were the ones to see about > doing NTSC versions. Hopefully that will shut him up! > > Also he used a different email address CR GROVER! (do you think > he's a Doug McClure fan? > > Anyway, here's hoping he will leave well enough alone. > > Regards > > Trevor > > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > 2323 From: "crayresearch2001" Date: Sun Nov 30, 2003 4:51am Subject: Re: A Good Discussion crayresearch... > Another question I have, which might take us a little off topic, but > it will pertain to television: can anybody think of shows that were > well written, or very stylized, that do not hold up? One show comes to mind: When things Were Rotten, remember the Robin hood spoof with the catchy hum-along theme? A few episodes are even available on vhs. Does anyone on the list have it? By all accounts, it had some of the best comedy writers of the period, but when viewed again many years after, doesn't really cut it. Just my 1 cent. Don-2 2324 From: "Marta Dawes" Date: Sun Nov 30, 2003 5:10am Subject: RE: Re: A Good Discussion martadawes I agree with that one. "When Things Were Rotten" was moderately funny when it was first broadcast, but now it's barely watchable. Another show that doesn't hold up for me is "The Green Hornet." I loved the show when it was new, but I just can't take more than a few minutes of it now. "Batman" was the height of cool during it's first year or so, and I waited impatiently for many years to see it again and was disappointed when I finally did. The only reason I can find to watch it now are the guest star villains. One of the series that holds up the best, in my opinion, are the Diana Rigg "Avengers" episodes. Though the swinging 60's clothes date it somewhat, everything else is still fresh and interesting. "The Prisoner" has already been mentioned, and I remember how shockingly new that series was to the sensibilities of us Midwesterners. I loved it, and so did all my friends, but my mother didn't understand a bit of it. I, too, have been watching the dvd set, and they are still just as fascinating. Patrick McGoohan is a god. :-) Marta http://www.steveandmarta.com Home of "The Graveyards of Omaha" and "The New Twilight Zone" websites (Alan Brennert's new book is featured on the site!) "Experience should teach us to be on our guard to protect liberty when government's purpose are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment of men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding." Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis's great statement from Olmstead v. United States : -----Original Message----- From: crayresearch2001 [mailto:mountainbike@...] Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2003 10:51 PM To: probe_control@yahoogroups.com Subject: [probe_control] Re: A Good Discussion > Another question I have, which might take us a little off topic, but > it will pertain to television: can anybody think of shows that were > well written, or very stylized, that do not hold up? One show comes to mind: When things Were Rotten, remember the Robin hood spoof with the catchy hum-along theme? A few episodes are even available on vhs. Does anyone on the list have it? By all accounts, it had some of the best comedy writers of the period, but when viewed again many years after, doesn't really cut it. Just my 1 cent. Don-2 Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 2325 From: Bryan Durk Date: Sun Nov 30, 2003 10:42am Subject: Re: Re: A Good Discussion bryankd97053 Oh C'mon, "When Things Were Rotten" didn't hold up in it's day. ABC strongly promoted it, and the premier episode was in the top 10 shows for the week, but dropped liked 80% of viewers the following week. I blame that dumb animated boomerang arrow. "When Things Were Rotten" had a fun premise, good writers & actors, and a hilarious theme song ("They jumped a lot of fences, Stole from the rich, Gave to the poor, Except what they kept for expenses"). But the only episode that was truly comical came late in the abbreviated season and guest starred Sid Caesar (his memorable line-"Toast"). Except for the Sid Caesar episode, watching "When Things Were Rotten," in 1975 always felt disappointing. I wanted to like it, and I was faithful; but disappointed weekly. Watching "Search" in 1972, was special. Watching "Probe" and SOME of the episodes in 2003 still recreate that special feeling for me. "Search" never achieved it's greatness, but it sometimes came close. When I think of a well written, produced, acted, and enjoyed show--which I can't stand to watch anymore--it's M*A*S*H. The glib humor seems so out of place. On 11/29/03 8:51 PM, "crayresearch2001" wrote: > One show comes to mind: When things Were Rotten, remember the Robin > hood spoof with the catchy hum-along theme? A few episodes are even > available on vhs. Does anyone on the list have it? By all accounts, > it had some of the best comedy writers of the period, but when viewed > again many years after, doesn't really cut it. > > Just my 1 cent. > > Don-2 2326 From: Bryan Durk Date: Sun Nov 30, 2003 11:00am Subject: Re: Bob Peak website (TVG Search cover) bryankd97053 Don, I¹m always amazed at what you (and Jim) uncover. Yes I know I¹m more than a little behind on the posts. On 7/13/02 7:08 PM, "dghprobe3@..." wrote: > http://www.bobpeak.com/artpage.cfm?artid=70 > > Above links to a website devoted to artist Bob Peak (1927-1992), who created > the TV GUIDE "Search" cover art for the 11-25-72 issue. There is a scan of > the original artwork, showing a little more of the art than appeared on the > printed cover. Peak also did the posters for many movies, including the "Star > Trek" films. > > http://www.bobpeak.com/ > > --Don H. > Yahoo! Groups Sponsor > Click here to find your contact lenses! > > :HM/A=1153156/R=0/*http://www.lensexpress.com/tracker/trackclick.aspx?Page=ACU > VUE%202%20Colors&AffUrl=273&AffCode=14> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service > . [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] 2327 From: "Geoff Willmetts" Date: Sun Nov 30, 2003 11:57pm Subject: RE: Re: good conversations gfwillmetts Hello everyone What delightful conversations. Sorry to have been late joining in. Hello Mike As to accepting 'Search' the first time around but looks aged now. I tend to agree with the others, a lot of it is remembering we all saw it originally 30 years ago when computers were mystery machines. Did any of you really dream you would be playing on one today, let alone link up to other people as we take for granted today?? Over the years, we've all become a lot more sophisticated with what we watch. It's not difficult to date any show by the use of telephones. The dynamics of any early show would have been changed had there been a mobile telephone. The important thing is whether or not we can buy into the reality as it's presented. Unlike today, we couldn't re-watch the shows on video or give them a hefty inspection either because of it. No wonder out memories are so important from that time period. When I first saw them again, thanks to Trevor's sharp video quality, I made comments about Grover taking his car on a plane with him to Switzerland that was a poor continuity error. Didn't mean to say I didn't enjoy watching it again though. As to people too young to see 'Search' the first time around. Those of you who're married with kids, have you stuck them down to watch the series?? I lent episodes to one of my in-laws & he thought the series slow which compared to the speed of today's shows is probably a reflection of a 20 years time difference. I lent a friend the pilot episode about 15 years ago & he never believed that a Scanner could have a lens that small. The current tech is making them smaller but not with the electromagnetic spectrum range...yet. All the gen I've ever read about 'I Spy' said it was studio bound. Loved to know your source for foreign filming so I can be corrected. Hello Bfiler. Bianco was very hair-trigger. Makes you wonder why World Securities recruited him but probably for the contacts he had & the results he could generate. Mind you, Bianco could probably talk his way into any job. Field agents aren't likely to be every day joes I guess. What is needed to be a Probe agent? Well, experience counts. Even Grover is supposed to be an ex-ranger. I can't see the Iceman being very young when he was recruited either come to that. As to Bianco's English accent. C'mon, none of you Yanks can put on a decent British accent. :-) Hello Don H Speaking of behind the scenes info about 'Search'. Any of you chaps located the series bible yet?? I think there would be a lot there to put things into perspective. Re: Search & UNCLE. The latter got caught in the same effect that made 'Batman' on TV work. These days, those pea-shooters the UNCLE agents used wouldn't be taken that seriously. Anyone remember the film of 'The Helicopter Spies' with Solo trying to take out a helicopter with that gun?? I think one of the strengths of 'Search' was the fact that the characters didn't take themselves too seriously but not in a campy way. They acted like normal people just trying to fiddle their expenses when Cameron couldn't see what they were doing which couldn't have been often. Hello William Simon Re: The Saint at Loch Ness. It's not the three-piece suit that would be a problem just the sub-zero temperatures at night. Mind you, it was all made in a studio. I saw the episode myself about a dozen years ago. When I first saw it I was enthralled but an older head tends to look from all sorts of different angles. Come to that, 'Mission: Impossible' & 'I Spy' were studio-bound, too. I agree about the scripts though. The right shows at the right time even if it ended up type-casting Robert Culp. Of the 70s ITV UK productions, as far as I can recall, only 'The Persuaders' filmed abroad & even they drew back when the cost mounted. Hello Trevor 'Department S', 'The Champions', 'The Baron', 'The Saint', 'The Avengers' (not so much though but it was very studio bound) et al all used back-projection to keep costs down. Considering the turnover of material at the time it was a delightful way to spend an hour. Speaking of 'The Avengers', 'The New Avengers' went mostly location but ended up lacking the surrealism of the old series. Hello John the actingman I think we're reasonably fortunate in the UK as we tended to see everything in production order. From all accounts, even with your current shows, you get jumbled as they're shown. Hello Bob Greenberger Nicely put about Warner. Considering 'Airwolf' was made as competition to 'Blue Thunder', it won hands down. The problem as it went on was how many different ways can you bring an attack helicopter into a storyline & still keep within budget. Things were a lot easier when you had a talking car....:-) Mind you, having too many talking cars also reduced the action as well. 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