TIME TRAVEL Its time again. ARE YOU READY? The Canteen is about to embark on another journey back in time.
If you're brave enough, climb aboard, no ticket required
we're about to take off.
Come on, hop in, watch your step ...... Let me set my controls. Buckle up. Now don't be afraid....I know how to fly this thing.......Here we goooooooooo.......LIFT OFF
..
WHOOOOOOSHHHHHHHH
Landing with a gentle thump. Here we are - Let me turn on the television to see what is on.
Do any of you remember these shows?
Burkes Law
September 1963 January 1966 - ABC
Black and White - 60 minutes
81 episodes
Burkes Law Cast
Gene Barry as Capt. Amos Burke
Gary Conway as Det. Tim Tilson
Regis Toomey as Det. Sgt. Les Hart
Leon Lontoc as Henry the chauffeur
Eileen ONeill as Sgt. Ames
Carl Benton Reid as The Man
Burkes Law Theme Song
Burkes Law by Herschel Burke Gilbert
Burkes Law Tidbits
Burke's Law, a Four Star-Barbety Production, depicted the crime-solving adventures of dashing, debonair swinger Amos Burke (Gene Barry), an L.A.P.D. homicide captain who just happened to also be a millionaire. Each week, Burke (a suave, and very eligible, womanizing bachelor) would be faced with a mysterious murder case involving an assortment of colorful suspects (each portrayed by a special guest star, often cast "against type" and getting a chance to ham shamelessly). Burke, upon receiving the inevitable call to the crime scene, usually gave a terse "When? Where? I'm on my way"; then, forsaking his mansion and "date du jour", he would be transported in style by Henry (Leon Lontoc), his Philippine chauffeur/valet/chef/butler.
Burke was aided in his investigations by brash young Detective Tim Tilson (Gary Conway), who was usually trying to outshine his boss, and gruff veteran Detective Sergeant Les Hart (Regis Toomey), Burke's long-time friend, with an occasional assist from attractive police woman Sergeant Gloria Ames (Eileen O'Neill), who had a bit of a crush on her boss, and Medical Examiner/chief lab technician George McLeod (Michael Fox).
Although shot in black-and-white, and using sound stages as often as location shooting, Burke's Law already displayed what would become in later years Aaron Spelling's typical glamorous touch. It provided its audience with sophisticated dialogue, more than a bit of off-beat humor, and usually one or two of Burke's famous pearls of wisdom, each ending (spoken or implied) "...Burke's Law". Burke's Law never made the slightest pretense of being a "realistic" crime drama (let's face it, how many times do the police actually have to contend with poisoned wallpaper and exploding tennis balls?). Rather, it brought to mind the quirky plots and eccentric characters of murder mysteries of the Golden Age.
Burke's Law was the forerunner of every TV series that used large guest-star casts (including producer Spelling's Love Boat and writers Levinson and Link's Ellery Queen and Murder, She Wrote), and showed more flair, style and originality than many later series of this type. Over two years, the show had roughly 250 different guest stars, from the Smothers Brothers to Sir Cedric Hardwicke and from Annette Funicello to Gloria Swanson; many made repeat appearances. Very rare acting appearances were made by such offbeat cast members as Spike Jones, Will Rogers Jr., Gypsy Rose Lee, Dick Clark, Frankie Laine and Hugh Hefner. Lots of other you-may-not-know-their-names-but-you've-seen-their-faces character actors and some of the soon-to-be-famous cropped up in smaller supporting roles.
At the beginning of the '65-'66 season, the show was drastically (and mistakenly) revamped into an espionage series and renamed Amos Burke, Secret Agent. The revised-format series lasted only 17 episodes. Burke's Law (1994), back in murder mystery mode, was revived thirty years later, again starring Gene Barry, now in color. However, some indefinable quality of the original was missing. Most likely, Burke's Law was a show of its time.
Petticoat Junction
9/24/63 9/12/70 CBS
Black & White/Color - 30 minutes
222 episodes
Petticoat Junction Cast
Bea Benaderet as Kate Bradley (1963-1968)
Edgar Buchanan as Joseph P. 'Uncle Joe' Carson
Jeannine Riley as Willimena Josephine 'Billie Jo' Bradley #1 (1963-1965) (original cast)
Gunilla Hutton as Willimena Josephine 'Billie Jo' Bradley #2 (1965-1966)
Meredith MacRae as Willimena Josephine 'Billie Jo' Bradley #3 (1966-1970)
Pat Woodell as Roberta Josephine 'Bobbie Jo' Bradley #1 (1963-1965) (original cast)
Lori Saunders as Roberta Josephine 'Bobbie Jo' Bradley #2 (1965-1970)
Linda Henning as Elizabeth Josephine 'Betty Jo' Bradley Elliott (entire run) (as Linda Kaye)
Frank Cady as Sam Drucker
Mike Minor as Steve Elliott (1966-1970)
Smiley Burnette as Charley Pratt (1963-1967)
Rufe Davis as Floyd Smoot (1963-1968, 1970)
Byron Foulger as Wendell Gibbs (1968-1970)
Jimmy Hawkins as Orville Miggs (1964)/Various characters (1966-1967)
June Lockhart as Dr. Janet Craig (1968-1970)
Regular Guests:
Jack Bannon as Ed / Ronnie / ... (8 episodes)
Jimmy Hawkins as Orville Miggs / Lowell Rightmeyer (6 episodes)
Sarah Selby as Mrs. Grundy / Wilma Tuttle / ... (5 episodes)
Olan Soule as Mr. Benson / Mr. Parks / ... (5 episodes)
Parley Baer as Judge Turner / Judge Madison / ... (5 episodes)
Petticoat Junction Theme Song
Come ride the little train that is rollin' down the track to the Junction. Forget about your cares, it is time to relax at the Junction. Lotsa curves, you bet 'N even more when you get to the Junction, Petticoat Junction! There's a little hotel called the Shady Rest at the Junction, Petticoat Junction! It is run by Kate, come and be her guest at the Junction, Petticoat Junction! And that's Uncle Joe, he's a-movin' kinda slow at the Junction, Petticoat Junction!
Petticoat Junction Tidbits
A spin-off from The Beverly Hillbillies. The small farming community of Hooterville provided the setting for this highly successful rural situation comedy. Kate Bradley was the widowed owner of the only transient housing in town, the Shady Rest Hotel. Helping her run the hotel were her three beautiful daughters, Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and Betty Jo. Also assisting was the girls' lazy Uncle Joe, who had assumed the title of manager. In addition to her involvement with the hotel, the romantic lives of her daughters, and her association with the townspeople, Kate was constantly at odds with Homer Bedlow, vice-president of the C.F. & W. Railroad. Homer was determined to close down the steam-driven branch of the railroad that ran through Hooterville, scrap its lone engine (the Cannonball), and put its two engineers (Charlie Pratt and Floyd Smoot) out of jobs.
Flipper
9/19/1964 - 9/2/1967 NBC
Color 30 minutes
Flipper Cast
Brian Kelly as Porter Ricks
Luke Halpin as Sandy Ricks
Tommy Norden as Bud Ricks
Andy Devine as Hap Corman (1964-1965)
Ulla Strömstedt as Ulla Norstrand (1965-1966)
Flipper Theme Song
"Flipper" Music by Henry Vars and lyric by William D. "By" Dunham
Flipper Tidbits
"Everyone loves the king of the sea, ever so kind and gentle is he, tricks he will do when children appear, and how they laugh when he's near!
They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning, no-one you see, is smarter than he, and we know Flipper, lives in a world full of wonder, flying there-under, under the sea! "
Filmed in South Florida and the Bahamas, Flipper is the story of Coral Key Park Ranger Porter Ricks (Brian Kelly), a widower, and his two sons, Sandy (Luke Halpin) and Bud (Tommy Norden).
The underwater photography was dazzling as was Flipper's extraordinary feats in capturing bad guys. Although in the story Flipper was a male dolphin, in fact, Flipper was a girl named Susie!
Flipper was remade for syndication in 1995 and spawned several movies.
Brian Kelly's career was cut short when in 1969, Kelly was injured when a borrowed motorcycle exploded. He was left with a paralyzed right arm and leg and speech problems.
Passings
Andy Devine died in 1999 of leukemia. Brian Kelly died in February of 2005 of pneumonia.
That's the end of the ride for today. Please watch your step on exiting the time machine. Now that I've shown you a few, how about you share something from your memory. Or, if one of these were your favorite show then, share a memory of the best episode for you.
Final note: All information found freely on the Internet
Footnote: Management is not responsible for the accuracy of historical events. Management is not responsible for lost personal items in the time machine. Finders keepers. Shipping and Handling is separate. Taxes are applicable. Void where prohibited. Children under 40 must have parent's approval. When ordering have your credit card ready.