The Original Starship Enterprise is Being Restored at the Smithsonian

Posted on February 2, 2016 at 3:55 pm

The Washington Post reports that the original “Star Trek” spaceship, the legendary Enterprise, is going to be restored in a delicate months-long process.

Enterprise is a venerable ship — launched in 1964 at a Burbank, Calif., prop maker’s shop for the original “Star Trek” television series.

Ariel O’Connor, a conservator at the museum, shows where screws were hidden under a rail on the main body of the Enterprise model. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)
It’s also a piece of history, along with the Wright Brothers’ “Flyer” and Charles Lindbergh’s “Spirit of St. Louis.”

The museum is now restoring the make-believe voyager as a part of America’s real-life air and space heritage.

The original Captain Kirk is coming to DC for a one-man show. Maybe he’ll make a visit to see how his old ship is doing.

TCM 31 Days of Oscar 2016

Posted on January 29, 2016 at 3:20 pm

I look forward to Turner Classic Movies’ 31 Days of Oscar every year in the month before the Oscar telecast. It is so much fun to see the nominees and winners from past years, not just for the big acting, directing, and screenplay awards but also the nominees and winners for costume design, cinematography, editing, and more.

And they’ve made it even more special this year! This will be a lot of fun for movie nerds like me. Each movie will have a connection with the one that follows it by an actor in common. It will be a lot of fun to follow along and trace the careers of some of our favorite performers.

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Classic Film History Television

DVD: The Carol Burnett Show — Treasures from the Vault

Posted on January 27, 2016 at 3:13 pm

This year’s Screen Actor’s Guild lifetime achievement award goes to Carol Burnett, whose 11-year weekly variety show was one of the greatest programs in the history of television. Yet the first five seasons have never been seen since their original broadcast — no reruns, streaming video, DVDs or other formats until now. Time Life introduces The Carol Burnett Show: Treasures from the Vault, which bring back many unforgettable moments from the show s groundbreaking years. This 6-DVD set features 15 UNCUT episodes, as they originally aired on television, and showcases some of the most acclaimed and beloved moments from The Carol Burnett Show. Guest stars include Jonathan Winters, Joan Rivers, Mickey Rooney plus over 4 hours of bonus features! The DVD set will be available February 9, 2016, but I have a copy to give away!

Send me an email with Carol in the subject line and tell me your favorite TV show. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only). I’ll pick a winner at random on February 2, 2016. Good luck!

And be sure to check out Carol Burnett’s YouTube channel!

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Contests and Giveaways Television

Coming to Fox January 31, 2016: Grease Live!

Posted on January 26, 2016 at 8:00 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6utokZTAwxs

It looks like a lot of fun — but caution, parents, there is some material in the show (based on the original play as well as the film) that may not be appropriate for younger children, including references to a possible teen pregnancy, concerns about promiscuity, and (spoiler alert) a “happy” ending that has a “good girl” acting like a “bad girl” to keep a boy.

The stars include “High School Musical’s” Vanessa Hudgens, “Dance With the Stars'” Julianne Hough, and “Akeelah and the Bee’s” Keke Palmer — plus, Jeannie from the “Ellen” show.

Truth and Power: Documentary Series About Protest, Activism and Change on Pivot TV

Posted on January 23, 2016 at 10:31 am

New on Pivot TV: Truth and Power, a 10-part series of films about protest, activism, and change. Maggie Gyllenhaal narrates the series, which covers #blacklivesmatter, government spying on US citizens, privately-run prisons, animal rights, and more.

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Documentary Politics Television