Magnum, P.I. (1981) – Don’t Say Goodbye & The Black Orchid

  Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck) is back at it this week, with this double dose of episodes. First up is Don’t Say Goodbye, which features Ted Danson as a guest star. This one was written by Babs Greyhosky and T.J. Miles, who penned the original story. It aired 26 March, 1981. Thomas is called to…

Touch of Evil (1958) – Orson Welles

  The next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book for my screening of Citizen Kane, is this noir film starring Welles, Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh. This film was stunning for the beautiful camera work alone. Everyone talks about the opening shot, but it’s always amazing to see it. And…

Magnum, P.I. (1981) – Missing In Action & Lest We Forget

  Thomas (Tom Selleck) takes on lost loves, broken hearts, and the military in this week’s two episodes. And while the theme isn’t in place yet (it doesn’t take over from the current them until Season 1 Episode 12 (next week)), it is woven throughout the episodes at this point. The first episode Missing In…

Doctor Who (Patrick Troughton) – The Highlanders

  The Doctor (Troughton) finds himself in 18th Century Scotland in the midst of the Battle of Culloden in this week’s trip in the TARDIS. The Highlanders, the last, purely historical story to be featured in the series was written by Elwyn Jones and Gerry Davis. This four-parter aired from 17 December 1966 through to…

Airwolf (1984) – Daddy’s Gone a Hunt’n & Bite of the Jackal

  High-flying adventure continues this week as Stringfellow Hawke (Jan-Micheal Vincent) confronts some ghosts from his past, and has to rescue his pal Dominic Santini (Ernest Borgnine). There are also a couple of recognizable co-stars as well! Daddy’s Gone a Hunt’n was written by Burton Armus and aired 28 January, 1984. Hawke, still haunted by…

The Rockford Files (1976) – The No-Cut Contract & A Portrait of Elizabeth

This week private investigator Jim Rockford (James Garner) is in trouble again. The first episode, written by Cannell, himself is a lot of fun. It originally aired 16 January, 1976, and features Wayne Tippit, back as Agent Shore, Becker (Joe Santos), Angel (Stuart Margolin) and Beth (Gretchen Corbett). The phone gag is all in Spanish,…

The Rockford Files (1974) – The Countess and Exit Prentiss Carr

  This entry on the Bellisario and Cannell revisit has private eye Jim Rockford (James Garner) dealing with cases of blackmail and murder!! The Countess, with a teleplay by Cannell, based on a story by Roy Huggins (under the name of John Thomas James) originally aired the 27th of September, 1974. Jim has been hired…