Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Spooktober: The Three Musketeers in The Haunted Castle (1968)

 Something tells me this Three Musketeers entry might've had a hand in developing the basic plot for Scooby-Doo, which bowed the next year.

Anyway, phony ghosts robbing coaches? Yeah, that tracks.


Did anyone catch the blooper of Don Messick (Aramis) reading Athos' lines in the checkers scene instead of Jonathan Harris? This mistake would often be repeated at Hanna-Barbera during the 70's.

Monday, October 19, 2026

Literary Toons: Raggedy Ann & Raggedy Andy and the Camel With The Wrinkled Knees (1988)

 From season 3 of CBS Storybreak:

Johnny Gruelle's Raggedy Ann & Andy hadn't been seen in a few years when their adventure with "The Camel With The Wrinkled Knees" was adapted in 1988 as the pentultimate episode of the series. Host Bob Keeshan must've known the end was near, as he never mentioned the book by name in his intro.

Sunday, October 18, 2026

Game Time: A complete episode of Hollywood/Storybook Squares (1976)

 The revival of Storybook Squares began in the summer of '76 on Hollywood Squares. The gameplay format had change to allow three generations of families to play the game.

This time around, the rules were bent to allow for William Shatner to reprise as Captain James T. Kirk (Star Trek), while the rest of the panel were in costume as various characters such as:

John Byner as the Mad Hatter (Alice in Wonderland). Byner paid homage to Disney's adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic by impersonating Ed Wynn, who voiced the Hatter in the movie.

Bonnie Franklin (One Day At a Time) as Peter Pan.

Rip Taylor as Rip Van Winkle.

Roddy McDowell as Sherlock Holmes.

Doc Severinson (The Tonight Show) as the Angel Gabriel.

Julie McWhirter (fresh from The Rich Little Show) reworked the Family Hour Fairy into the Good Fairy.

Joan Rivers as Little Red Riding Hood.

Charo as Lady Godiva.

Paul Lynde missed this week of tapings due to other commitments, hence Byner occupying the center square.



Saturday, October 17, 2026

Getting Schooled: The Drug Knot (CBS Schoolbreak Special, 1986)

 After a fictionalized account of his life as a NYPD detective went belly-up in the 70's, David Toma resurfaced in 1986 as an anti-drug crusader who gave talks in high schools.

One such case was adapted into "The Drug Knot", a CBS Schoolbreak Special. Our cast includes Rance Howard, Tracy Nelson, and a pre-Married....With Children David Faustino.

Writer David Villaire is known for having written a few Super Friends shorts a few years earlier, and doubles as a production assistant. Directed by Anson Williams (ex-Happy Days).

Friday, October 16, 2026

Toon Rock: A Fifth of Beethoven (abridged) (2006)

 Seth MacFarlane and the producers of Family Guy paid homage to musical director Walter Murphy by inserting his 1975 chart topper, "A Fifth of Beethoven", into an episode of the series. It's under a minute, and, as we'll see, Meg gets left behind.....

Spooktober: A meeting with the teacher (The Munsters, 1966)

 From season 2 of The Munsters:

Eddie (Butch Patrick) is given an assignment to write about a "typical American family", like his own. That leads to the teacher (Pat Woodell, ex-Petticoat Junction) paying the Munsters a visit......

Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Retro Toy Chest: Remember Tiny Tears? (1960)

 An independent toy maker released Tiny Tears around 1960, and to best sell the product, hired ventriloquist Shari Lewis to pitch the product, with help from Lamb Chop:


Tiny Tears would stick around for a while, well into the 70's, if memory serves me correctly.