Possilby My favorite TV syndicator logo/tag of all time

Remember the good old days when TV stations showed programs to the very end, including those production logos and little musical fanfares? There was the Screen Gems one, the Viacom one, the Paramount Mountain, the Rankin-Bass one that kind of haunted me, and this one from Worldvision:

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php



There's something so awkward about this.

Worldvision was created to handle ABC's program syndication interests  when the feds made TV networks give up their role in syndicating their shows. Hey, remember the good old days when the FCC actually regulated stuff like that?

What made the disclaimer even weirder was that I seemed to catch the logo at the end of cartoons like Alvin and the Chipmunks. So at the end of a set of comic misadventures of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, I'd see this dramatic end screen with this odd message at the end. "What the...?" I wouldn't even think it was the same World Vision as the one that ran the religious-themed charity ads if this title card didn't make an issue of it.

The fact that it's there at all makes it look like something shady happened--and in fact, it did--a lawsuit filed by World Vision International (the religious and charitable organization) over the name (not very Christian of it to sue, is it?) forced the syndicator to add this disclaimer. That text at the bottom sullies what someone probably thought was a really majestic logo.

"It's got a globe, an awesome red W, and a bold font! Yeah!"
"Uh, Larry...we have to add a disclaimer below it now."
"Awww...."

The thing that always bugged me was the lack of the comma after "World Vision International," which makes it look almost like those are two separate clauses. One could interpret that comma-less disclaimer as telling us, "We're not associated with World Vision International. By the way, WE are a religious and charitable organization." I mean, come on, folks, it's a comma. Were you so worried about preserving space in the disclaimer that you couldn't include one measly but oh-so-critical comma?

All of this combined to make the weirdest end logo--not the scariest, not the coolest, not the bestest, but possibly my favorite because of that clumsy disclaimer.

Streaming Video Power Rankings: Week 31

Streaming still takes a back seat to the World Series at Cultureshark Tower, but I understand that many of you feel otherwise. So the rankings continue!

1) Hulu: I caught a few more new fall TV shows this week, and other services' ads are so obnoxious that they almost make Hulu's commercial load look tame by comparison.

2) Netflix: It's telling that even in a slow week, Netflix adds something like season 3 of The Fall, something I'm sure will please a lot of viewers. Elsewhere, the good news is that I am discovering some good things to watch this week. The bad news is it's because they are expiring next week and I HAVE to watch them now.

3) YouTube: It was a thrill to realize that At Ease, the short-lived military sitcom Mike and I talk about in this week's Battle of the Network Shows, was on YouTube. Actually watching it...not so much a thrill. Let's also give credit to YT for having The Return of Bruno so that Mike could sit through that one.

4) TuneIn:  Comes back strong this week as I explore more of the available channels. Unfortunately, the computer version of Deep Oldies didn't work so smoothly this week. However, listening to 80s music made me aware of a cover version of "Help!" Bananarama did for Comic Relief in 1989.

5) Pub-D-Hub: A new episode of Rocky King is enough to warrant a top 5 spot, but the Hub also gave us such classic "cautionary films" as "Halloween Safety," "Alcohol Is Dynamite," and "The Gossip."

6) Shout! Factory TV: If you're into more modern--say, last 30/40 years--horror, Shout! is a fine destination this Halloween.

7) FOTV: From FilmOn TV. Much like Pluto TV in that it aggregates all kinds of various streams. In this case, the programming consists of tons of public domain and cheapo content, but there is a lot of it, so if you're in the mood to just  channel surf for this sort of thing, this might be one of your favorite new Roku channels.

8) Watch TCM: Has had iconic horror movies like The Wolf Man, The Mummy, and The Invisible Man this holiday season.

9) Epix: Hey, did you know Epix now has original ongoing series? Yep, and one of them has Nick Nolte as the former President of the United States! I don't know if the current shows are any good, but I give Epix credit for trying.

10) Warner Archive Instant: Looks like after the relaunch they hyped, the people running this channel went right back to the same old, same old--some cool old TV shows combined with a disappointing lack of movie updates. I still rate it 10 because it added Cain's Hundred, which I would love to see.

Fall/Holiday DVD Preview

These are new DVDs/Blu-Rays I want this year. Me. Me want! Me want discs!

Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection (out now): 5 of my favorite films of all time (Yes, even the stagy Cocoanuts is still great) finally hit Blu-Ray, and there are some new extras (though not as many as these classics merit)!

The big news is that these are remastered, and not just in the "We can call it remastered; what, is someone gonna SUE us?" way. No, reports indicate that while these aren't perfect, owing to deteriorated source elements, the y really do look better than they have on home video. Also, sound is improved, and that's a big deal considering how bad the audio was on the DVD releases.

At 60 bucks on Amazon as of this writing, this set is absolutely "worth the money" if you consider you're getting Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers, Duck Soup, Horsefeathers, and Monkey Business in upgraded form with some extras. However, this is 2016, not 2010. That price is way too high for a marketplace that often gets much better value in box sets. I really want this set, but I don't want to pay 60 bucks for it.

Wheeler and Woolsey Comedy Classics Volume 2 (out now): At the low, low price of 35 bucks (Amazon again), you get another batch of flicks from the underappreciated comedy duo I like to call "The Boys."

OK, it's only low compared to the $40 SRP. It's made on demand, not pressed, and really this is too high as well. But it's The Boys! I haven't heard much about how these oldies look in these versions, but Warner Archive said for years it was working on them.

In addition to Dixiana, Cockeyed Cavaliers, Silly Billies, and The Cuckoos, you get a pair of solo efforts: Wheeler in Too Many Cooks and Woolsey in Everything's Rosie. I've seen most of the W&W library on The Greatest Cable Channel Known to Mankind over the years, but I've never seen those ones, so that makes this set even more intriguing. The rest of the collection ain't bad, either. It lacks the highs of Volume 1, but it also lacks the lows. Yep, me want this.

The Peter Potamus Show (ships November 1): Well, this isn't on Amazon yet, but since it's from Warner Archive, we can be sure it'll be priced too high.

(Goes to the WA website)

Yep, 30 bucks is too expensive. It should be something like 20 bucks.

I don't have strong memories of Peter Potamus, nor his co-stars Yippee, Yappee, and Yahooey, but I DO remember loving Sneezely and Breezely on Magilla Gorilla. To me those scheming polar bears are the real draw of this set.

Sam Benedict: The Complete Series (November 22): I wish I could have seen all the episodes on Warner Instant for 10 bucks a month, but, well, I stopped getting Warner Instant, and Warner Instant stopped streaming this 1962 legal drama, anyway.

Is it a great show?  No.  Is it a historically remarkable show? No. Is it--Wait, why do I want this Warner Archive DVD set again?

Ah, yes. Because it's old. And because it has Edmond O'Brien. Good enough for me!

How to Marry a Millionaire (out ?): I have no idea when this is coming, and, yes, it's MOD, not pressed. but 30 bucks for the complete series (two seasons, 52 episodes) is surprisingly reasonable coming from CBS/Paramount.

I know very little about this sitcom. I know it was syndicated in the late 1950s, it was based on the movie of the same name, and it featured a pre-Jeannie Barbara Eden. Maybe it's terrible. But it's that rarest of rarities--an actual rarity coming on DVD from a major studio. That alone interests me.

Today on Battle of the Network Shows:

Here's to good friends

Tonight is kind of special...

Brooks on Books: A Baseball Doubleheader

I'm going to try to catch up on a few MLB-themed reviews while the playoffs are ongoing, but don't worry: I do read about things other than baseball! I recommend two fine books this week.

A Pirate's Life by Steve Blass is an engaging and unique sports memoir. Most sports books are written by successful athletes or ones who never really made it, but it's rare to see someone able to write so extensively about reaching the top and finding massive failure (not related to drugs, booze, or other personal demons, that is).

Blass was a standout starting pitcher for the excellent Pittsburgh Pirates 1971 championship team, but soon thereafter he suddenly lost the ability to throw strikes. "Steve Blass Disease" is attributed to pitchers who find themselves unable to reach the strike zone for no particular reason.

Blass faces the  issue head on. He never really figured out what caused his decline, but he (with co-author Erik Sherman) recount with eloquence all of the efforts he made to figure it out. It's interesting to see a top-level athlete talk so much about failure, and Blass' candor is enthralling. He takes you inside what it feels like to go through something like this--not just the experience itself, but having to answer questions from everyone about it, dealing with well-meaning family and friends, et cetera. Blass doesn't hold back from criticizing himself for lack of commitment to his loved ones, either.

It's not all struggle, though, as Blass has experienced many highs in his career as a Bucco player and then a longtime broadcaster. This amusing, fun book is a delight for any Pirates fan, and I think the uniqueness of his career makes this a thumbs up for serious baseball followers of all types. My one disappointment is that I wish Blass included more stories from his broadcasting career. After all, that's how I grew up knowing him, as the color voice of the team, not as a star pitcher.

Another quality baseball book is by an author who happens to be the mayor of Cooperstown, New York, which is home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Split Season: 1981--Fernandomania, The Bronx Zoo, and the Strike that Saved Baseball is an illuminating look at one of the game's most unusual seasons. Katz ably covers the phenomenon of Dodgers rookie sensation Fernando Valenzuela and some of the turmoil that unfolded in New York with the Yankees, but the focus of the book is what it should be: The player strike that led to an unprecedented playoff structure dividing the season in two halves.

If your eyes glaze over at the thought of detailed coverage of labor negotiations, this isn't the book for you, as chief negotiators like union head Marvin Miller and owners'  rep  Raymond Grebey are the real stars of the text. Also, I warn any "they make too much money" types that Katz's account is sympathetic to the players. How could it not be, though?  As the author lays out, the owners were disorganized, self-contradictory, and bargained in bad faith.

Katz makes what could be a depressing slog an entertaining read. Miller's key role in the transformation of the game has been chronicled elsewhere, but it's great to see the thinking of player reps like Bob Boone. Katz takes us inside the negotiations and inside the machinations of each side. Given the circumstances, the strike seems sadly inevitable when it occurs, but so does the eventual return to the basics. It still seems like a waste.

And what is NOT inevitable is the odd playoff system the owners come up with, one attempting to reward "first-half" winners but one that actually encourages tanking by certain teams in the second half. Katz breaks down the absurdities of this scenario while also providing a lucid account of what actually happens.

Split Season is a unique book, a story of a season that, by necessity, covers as much off the field as it does on the field. I highly recommend it to anyone not turned off by reading about labor relations in baseball. Everyone else will be rewarded with lovely coverage of what could have been some dry subject material, coupled with an examination of the on-field action in 1981.

The Force Awakens and The Martian: Eh....

So I finally saw these two gigantic sci-fi blockbusters, and, folks, I got to tell you, I just wasn't impressed.

Had I seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens in a theater on opening weekend, I might have had a great time. On DVD, it felt flat, with uninvolving characters seemingly going through the motions and recreating moments from the original films. It didn't help that the one scene that really "got" me emotionally had long since been spoiled for me, and while I kind of expected it to happen, hearing it spelled out surely blunted the impact.

I didn't get the Daisy Ridley character, who is apparently all-powerful and the most awesomest person ever in the universe. As Kylo Ren, Adam Driver injects a bit of charisma and mystique...until he takes off the helmet, and then it all disappears.

I just don't have a lot to say about it. It's competently made and reasonably entertaining, but there's nothing about it that makes me want to see it again nor see most of these characters return.

I understand The Martian's success more as a standalone entity (I understand why TFA is so huge--it's freakin' Star Wars). It's a total, unabashed crowd pleaser. Can you blame Ridley Scott for wanting to make a pile of money and do a broad, all-quadrant-reaching hit with awards potential? I don't. And that's what he did?

Again, The Martian is well made and entertaining. It feels like by-the-numbers filmmaking to me. It's the kind of movie in which characters say they're fine unless something catastrophic happens, and then we get a cut to something catastrophic happening. The screenplay is loaded with "Ooh!" moments that feel designed to elicit audience cheers, like strategically placed profanities that are naughty enough to draw knowing titters but not truly shocking or impactful.

A good way to see where a movie's head is at is to examine the soundtrack, and here The Martian delivers with an array of safe, recognizable hits. You'd better believe Starman by David Bowie is on the set list, to pick an example.

I don't blame people for enjoying it. There is a great premise here, and some of it is compelling on screen, but the movie eventually becomes more like a 1990s Jerry Bruckheimer film than an intelligent examination of survival and humanity. I was totally uninterested once the story shifted gears to rescue rather than Robinson Crusoe.

I'm sure there's a recent blockbuster out there I will enjoy, but it might take me a while to find it!