06 June 2008

[liff] Back When TV was TV

1595.


The intro to the NBC Sunday Mystery Movie (a so-called "wheel" series that gave us memorable TV detectives such as Columbo, McCloud, McMillan (pre-gay Rock Hudson) and Wife and Quincy, always stirs pleasant memories.


Of course, I was a real little one at that time, so what I remember most of all was being bored by it. I wanted cartoons and Sci-Fi, not mysteries. Suffice it to say that I've matured a great deal since then.


The intro was remarkable then and is still a one-of-a-kind treat to see. Thank God for YouTube and classic TV geeks for the following:




Man, that Mancini could write a tune! I guarantee you now that you've seen this you'll be whistling that. I, for one, can't stop.


For those of you beyond Gen Fashionable (whatever that may be), these characters may seem like a different language to you. Here's an attempt at a translation, or at least some points or reference for you ...



When You See:            Think:


Columbo                    Monk, without the OCD
Quincy                       CSI: Curmudgeonly Dude
McCloud                    Matlock, only younger. With a horse.
McMillan and Wife    Bones, only they're married.
Henry Mancini           Mike Post.



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2 comments:

stan said...

Dennis Weaver was from Joplin, and was a student at Missouri Southern State University. Joplinites (Jopliners? JopleƱos?) seem to be pretty proud of that fact.

Samuel John Klein said...

Well, he was a pretty smart fellow with a ton of smarts, as they'd say. Committed environmentalist and vegetarian since the late 50s ... long before it was popular.

Joplinapolis could do worse, I'll tell ya.