Displaying items by tag: Herbie J Pilato
Yabba Dabba Doo!: Remembering “The Flintstones” on its 60th Anniversary
“The Flintstones was the first animated sitcom in television history. They paved that gravel road and it’s been smooth traveling ever since.” — Steve Cox, author of Mining Bedrock: The Voices Behind Television’s First Animated Sitcom, The Flintstones
The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 60th anniversary of the broadcast premiere of The Flintstones, Hanna-Barbera’s animated series set in the Stone Age (but inspired by The Honeymooners and mid-20th Century suburban America) that introduced the world to Fred and Wilma Flintstone, Barney and Betty Rubble, Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm, Dino, Mr. Slate, The Great Gazoo, and a host of other memorable supporting characters.
The popular series (recently released on Blu-ray and reviewed here) originally ran in prime time on ABC from 1960 to 1966 and spawned numerous spin-offs, TV specials, movies and tie-in merchandise. It premiered 60 years ago this autumn, and for the occasion The Bits features a Q&A with a trio of pop culture and animation historians who reflects on the series’ appeal six decades after its debut. [Read on here...]
- TV retrospective
- The Digital Bits
- Michael Coate
- History Legacy & Showmanship
- Herbie J Pilato
- Then Again with Herbie J Pilato
- roundtable discussion
- The Flintstones
- 60th Anniversary
- animation
- HannaBarbera
- Fred
- Wilma
- Betty
- Barney
- Bedrock
- ABC TV
- 1960s
- Jerry Beck
- The Flintstones: The Official Guide to the Classic Cartoon
- Steve Cox
- Mining Bedrock: The Voices Behind Television’s First Animated Sitcom, The Flintstones
Spunk: Remembering “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” on its 50th Anniversary
“The Mary Tyler Moore Show opened the floodgates for the kind of grown-up TV comedies that would thrive in the 1970s, and beyond. Although Mary’s show had little in common with M*A*S*H, All in the Family, or Barney Miller, it’s hard to imagine any of those breakthrough sitcoms getting a green light had The Mary Tyler Moore not proven to the TV networks that it was possible to attract a sizable audience to intelligent, risk-taking television shows — that good TV was, in fact, a viable business model.” — Vince Waldron, author of The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book
The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the golden anniversary of the broadcast premiere of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the Emmy-winning and multi-spinoff-inspiring television series starring Mary Tyler Moore (The Dick Van Dyke Show, Ordinary People) as Mary Richards that ran on CBS from 1970 to 1977.
The series — created by James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News) and Allan Burns (A Little Romance, Just Between Friends) and featuring the memorable supporting cast of Edward Asner as Lou Grant, Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern, Gavin MacLeod as Murray Slaughter, Ted Knight as Ted Baxter, Cloris Leachman as Phyllis Lindstrom, Georgia Engel as Georgette Franklin Baxter, and Betty White as Sue Ann Nivens — premiered 50 years ago, and for the occasion The Bits features a Q&A with a pair of classic television historians who reflect on the series’ appeal, impact and legacy five decades after its debut. [Read on here...]
- roundtable discussion
- Then Again with Herbie J Pilato
- Herbie J Pilato
- History Legacy & Showmanship
- Michael Coate
- The Digital Bits
- film retrospective
- TV retrospective
- 50th Anniversary
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show
- Vince Waldron
- Mary: The Mary Tyler Moore Story
- Classic Sitcoms: A Celebration of the Best in PrimeTime Comedy
- The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book
- Mary Richards
- Edward Asner
- Mary Tyler Moore
- James L Brooks
- Valerie Harper
- Gavin MacLeod
- Ted Knight
- Cloris Leachman
- Georgia Engel
- Betty White
- CBS
- WJM Minneapolis
- Allan Burns
Big Trouble in Little China extras, Disney Movie Club’s fixed Black Hole BD, Memory doc, Cotton Club Encore & more
We’ve got a few interesting news items to report today, but first some more reviews...
Tim has posted his thoughts on Scream Factory’s new The Omen Collection Blu-ray box set and it sounds like it’s pretty fantastic. The title is well worth a look and you’ll find the review here.
Also, Dennis has turned in his thoughts on The Art of Self-Defense on Blu-ray from Universal and the remake of The Lion King (2019) from Disney also on Blu-ray.
And I’m working on a review of Warner’s The Wizard of Oz in 4K Ultra HD, which looks absolutely fantastic. The title streets on Tuesday and I hope to have my review posted on Monday. So stay tuned for that. [Read on here...]
- 4K Ultra HD
- Bluray
- My Two Cents
- The Digital Bits
- Bill Hunt
- Tim Salmons
- The Wizard of Oz 4K
- Scream Factory
- The Omen Collection
- Big Trouble in Little China
- The Art of Self Defense BD review
- The Lion King (2019) BD review
- History Legacy & Showmanship
- The Twilight Zone 60th anniversary
- Michael Coate
- Herbie J Pilato
- Marc Scott Zicree
- Steven Jay Rubin
- Nicholas Parisi
- Dr Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh
- The Black Hole
- Disney Movie Club
- Cotton Club Encore
- Francis Ford Coppola
- Lionsgate
- Memory: The Origins of Alien
- The Good Boys
- Superman: Red Son
Witness If You Will... A Retrospective: Remembering “The Twilight Zone” on its 60th Anniversary
“The Twilight Zone was an enormously creative television series anchored by one of the true giants of the medium, Mr. Rod Serling, a master storyteller who was given unprecedented control over his work. In terms of quality, no show touches it in consistent quality.” — Steven Jay Rubin, author of The Twilight Zone Encyclopedia
The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 60th anniversary of The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling’s classic anthology series which originally ran on CBS from 1959 to 1964.
The Twilight Zone premiered sixty years ago this month and for the occasion The Bits features a Q&A with a quartet of Rod Serling authorities and classic television historians who reflect on the timeless series (and its offspring) six decades after its debut. [Read on here...]
- film retrospective
- The Digital Bits
- Michael Coate
- History Legacy & Showmanship
- The Twilight Zone
- 60th Anniversary
- Rod Serling
- Steven Jay Rubin
- The Twilight Zone Encyclopedia
- Nicholas Parisi
- Rod Serling: His Life, Work, and Imagination
- Herbie J Pilato
- Then Again with Herbie J Pilato
- Marc Scott Zicree
- The Twilight Zone Companion
- roundtable discussion
A new Farscape BD box with Peacekeeper Wars, plus 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, 3 From Hell & more
We’ve got a bunch of new disc reviews coming over the next week or so, starting with a couple later today. So be sure to watch for them.
Meanwhile, we’ve got a bunch of release news to report today, so let’s get started...
First up, our friends at The Home Theater Forum have revealed that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is going to be releasing Farscape: The Complete Series – 20th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray on 11/19. The set will include all 88 episodes of the series along with 15 hours of extras and – at long last on BD here in the States – the series finale miniseries Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars. The aspect ratio is 1.33 for most of the series, but the last season and film are 1.78. Audio will be DTS-HD MA 5.1. Extras will include audio commentary, featurettes and documentaries, director’s cuts, TV promos, etc. We don’t know if this will be a complete carry-over of the previous DVD and BD extras, but we’ll have to wait and see. You can see the cover artwork at left. [Read on here...]
- Bill Hunt
- The Digital Bits
- My Two Cents
- 4K Ultra HD
- History Legacy & Showmanship
- Michael Coate
- The Brady Bunch 50th Anniversary
- Herbie J Pilato
- Farscape: The Complete Series 20th Anniversary Edition
- Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars
- 47 Meters Down: Uncaged
- 3 From Hell
- Rob Zombie
- The Peanut Butter Falcon
- Bill Plympton
- The Handmaid's Tale: Season Three
Remembering “The Brady Bunch” on its 50th Anniversary
“The Brady Bunch is ’comfort TV’ to the highest degree.” — Classic TV historian Herbie J Pilato
The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the golden anniversary of the premiere of The Brady Bunch, the classic family sitcom which originally ran on ABC from 1969 to 1974 and starred Florence Henderson as Carol/Mom, Robert Reed as Mike/Dad and Ann B. Davis as housekeeper Alice.
The series (and ultimately franchise) — created by Sherwood Schwartz (Gilligan’s Island, It’s About Time) and featuring as the memorable Brady kids Barry Williams (Greg), Maureen McCormick (Marcia), Christopher Knight (Peter), Eve Plumb (Jan), Mike Lookinland (Bobby) and Susan Olsen (Cindy) — premiered 50 years ago this month, and for the occasion The Bits features a Q&A with classic television historian Herbie J Pilato, who offers some recollections and insight into the timeless series. [Read more here...]
- classic television
- interview
- History Legacy & Showmanship
- Michael Coate
- The Digital Bits
- Herbie J Pilato
- The Brady Bunch
- 50th Anniversary
- Sherwood Schwartz
- Robert Reed
- Florence Henderson
- Ann B Davis
- Maureen McCormick
- Eve Plumb
- Susan Olsen
- Barry Williams
- Christopher Knight
- Mike Lookinland
- Frank De Vol
- The Brady Bunch Kids
- Peppermint Trolley Company
- DVD
- The Brady Bunch: 50th Anniversary TV & Movie Collection
Cylons, Daggits, and the Search for Earth: Remembering “Battlestar Galactica” on its 40th Anniversary
“Battlestar Galactica remains in the history of pop-culture as one of the most star-studded, lavishly-produced, special-effects-laden television shows of all time.” – Classic TV historian Herbie J Pilato
The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 40th anniversary of the premiere of Battlestar Galactica, Glen A. Larson’s science-fiction television series about the crew of the Galactica and their ongoing battles with the Cylons and quest to locate Earth. Starring Richard Hatch as Apollo, Dirk Benedict as Starbuck, and Lorne Greene as Adama, the series is remembered for its massive production budget and state-of-the-art visual effects.
The supporting cast included Herbert Jefferson, Jr. (Boomer), John Colicos (Baltar), Maren Jensen (Athena), Noah Hathaway (Boxey), Laurette Spang (Cassiopeia), Tony Swartz (Flight Sergeant Jolly), Terry Carter (Colonel Tigh), Anne Lockhart (Lieutenant Sheba), Jane Seymour (Serina), Patrick Macnee (narrator, Count Iblis, and voice of Imperious Leader), and Jonathan Harris (voice of Lucifer). [Read on here...]
Returning to Mayfield: Remembering “Leave it to Beaver” on its 60th Anniversary
“Leave it to Beaver offers the complete package of what a television show should be for yesterday, today, and tomorrow.” — Classic TV historian Herbie J Pilato
The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective commemorating the 60th anniversary of the premiere of Leave it to Beaver, the memorable situation comedy which originally ran from 1957 to 1963 and starred Jerry Mathers as the titular character and Tony Dow as brother Wally. [Read more here...]
Sony’s PS4 Pro will NOT support 4k UHD discs, plus Michael Coate celebrates Star Trek’s 50th Anniversary
All right, we’ve got a couple things for you today...
First, as promised, we’re very proud today to present Michael Coate’s latest History, Legacy & Showmanship column here at The Digital Bits, entitled Still Boldly Going: Celebrating “Star Trek” on its 50th Anniversary! In this lengthy piece, Michael moderates a great roundtable discussion on the history of the beloved franchise with Trek luminaries Mark A. Altman, Jeff Bond, Robert Meyer Burnett, Marc Cushman, Daren R. Dochterman, Dorothy Fontana, Gary Gerani, David Gerrold, Edward Gross, Bill Kraft, Herbie J. Pilato, and Melinda Snodgrass. It’s a terrific discussion and a rare opportunity to hear from so many leading Treksperts all in one place. We hope you enjoy it and, as always… “Live Long and Prosper!” [Read on here…]
- Star Trek 50th Anniversary
- 4K UHD BD
- BD
- Bluray Disc
- Bill Hunt
- The Digital Bits
- My Two Cents
- Bluray
- Sony PlayStation 4 Pro
- PS4 Pro
- Michael Coate
- History Legacy & Showmanship
- Still Boldly Going: Celebrating Star Trek on its 50th Anniversary
- Marc Cushman
- Daren R Dochterman
- Jeff Bond
- Mark A Altman
- Robert Meyer Burnett
- Dorothy Fontana
- David Gerrold
- Edward Gross
- Bill Kraft
- Herbie J Pilato
- Melinda Snodgrass
- Gary Gerani
- HDR
- High Dynamic Range
- firmware update
- Release Dates & Artwork update
- Russell Hammond
Still Boldly Going: Celebrating “Star Trek” on its 50th Anniversary
“Star Trek has left a legacy of hope and optimism that humankind has a future. If we cultivate the potential of Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations so that we embrace a universe brimming with the riches of life in all of its forms, then humankind can evolve into something finer and nobler. I think that is what Gene Roddenberry meant when he said that the human adventure is just beginning.” — Bill Kraft, author of Maybe We Need a Letter from God: The Star Trek Stamp
The Digital Bits and History, Legacy & Showmanship are pleased to present this retrospective article commemorating the golden anniversary of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry’s legendary science-fiction television series depicting the voyages of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew of the starship Enterprise.
The memorable television series premiered 50 years ago this week (September 6th, 1966, on CTV in Canada, and September 8th, 1966, on NBC in the United States), and similar to our other Star Trek roundtables (here and here) and classic television retrospectives (here, here, here, and here), The Bits for the occasion has assembled a Q&A with an esteemed group of Treksperts, historians and Star Trek writers who examine the best episodes and offer commentary on the show’s enduring appeal, influence and legacy. [Read on here...]
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