Television Marches on

March is Television month. Last year I was going through the history of television and seeing what was available on DVD. I got as far as the mid 60's (and went a little off the deep end with Star Trek) before I got sidetracked and went into other things. However, I recently I ran across a list of the top 100 television shows based on longevity, ratings, and awards. It looked like a very objective list so I went through it and ordered what I could on DVD. Some we already owned and some were not in print. So far I've been starting with the first season and moving forward from there. I've been hoping to build a representative sample of Television in general and complete collections of the top shows, but now with Blue Ray looming on the horizon, I don't know? I may not have time before DVD's go the way of the dodo.

For pure movie fans I did slip a few motion pictures into the list. I went back and picked up some of the Coen brothers films, and I ordered all of the William Powell-Myrna Loy Thin man pictures. I just about hit the floor when I discovered I didn't have Gilda so I had to order that one. I also picked up Blood and Sand, another Rita Hayworth movie, along with Marie Antoinette and Romeo and Juliette, two Norma Shearer movies. Norma Shearer was a very influential actress in the late 20's and 30's as a result of being married to MGM's Irving Thalberg but isn't well known today. I also ran across Carlos Saura's Flamenco Trilogy on DVD. This is a must see collection for any foreign film fan. His Carmen is fantastic and is the ONLY filmed version of Carmen worth watching.

TELEVISION

Addams Family: Okay the Addams Family wasn't on the 100 best Television show list but it is a cult favorite.
Barney Miller
Bewitched
Coach
Columbo
Cosby show
ER
Family ties
Golden Girls
Gomer Pyle USMC
Hawaii Five-0
Jeffersons
Laverne & Shirley
Little House on the Prairie
Magnum P.I.
Mary Tyler Moore Show
Mash
Maude
Musters (This wasn't on the top 100 list either but I felt guilty after the Addams Family)
NYPD Blue
Roseanne
Sanford and Son
Taxi
Who's the Boss?

MOTION PICTURES

After the Thin Man: William Powell, Myrna Loy, and Asta with James Stewart.
Another Thin Man: This time it's William Powell and Myrna Loy with C Aubrey Smith and Marjorie Main.
Barton Fink: Coen Brothers direct John Tuturro, John Goodman, andTony Shalhoub.
Blood and Sand: An often remade movie of a naive bullfighter (Tyrone Power) his true love (Linda Darnell) and the temptress (Rita Hayworth).
Carlos Suara's Flamenco Triology: The Dancing is awesome. The directing is perfect. You'll never look at Flamenco the same.
Gilda: Film Noir and Rita Hayworth at their sultry best. Oh with Glen Ford and George Macready too.
Hudsucker Proxy. The Coen Brothers direct Tim Robbins and Paul Newman.
Marie Antoinette. Norma Shearer, Tyrone Power but it's Robert Morley that steals the show.
Miller's Crossing: Coen Brother direct a very surreal gangster movie. Gabriel Byrne and Albert Finney.
Romeo and Juliet: Norma Shearer, Leslie Howard, John Barrymore, Basil Rathbone, and Andy Devine directed by George Cukor. Almost the very best.
Shadow of the Thin Man: William Powell & Myrna Loy and Asta with Donna Reed.
Song of the Thin Man: William Powell and Myrna Loywith Keenan Wynn, Dean Stockwell, and Gloria Grahame.
Thin Man Goes Home: William Powell & Myrna Loy with Gloria de Haven.