Example: when, without warning, I’m all “what was the typeface used in the 1979 television series Angie”. Speaking of which, in reviewing the material for reference it struck me how well constructed this opening title sequence is—it so perfectly encapsulates what the series is about that I never have to actually watch the show. Also, it begs for a reboot, except that in this case the theme song (“Different Worlds”) is taken literally in that the guy is literally from a different world like the planet Arcturus or somewhere in the constellation of Kasterborous (pack up your money, Mary Ann). The male lead in Angie was Robert Hays, who in retrospect looks like Joey and Ross had a love child in 1947. The show itself is really the last example of the frothy 1960s/early 1970s ABC situation comedy, so it probably already seemed out of place when it aired.
PS: It’s a version of Bookman Italic with lots of ball terminals. The most readily available digital revival is Larabie’s Scrubby, lovingly described thusly: “The 1970s: an age of wonder, optimism and Bookman Italic. Relive those awful times with Scrubby: an OpenType font from Typodermic.”
]]>After the show was abruptly canceled amid controversy, Gilly resurfaced on WERE’s brokered Beer Talk as a co-host, and after a cooling off period Gilly seized the Sunday night slot for The Gilly Show, which I remember for being warmly infamous. (Laughing at the Heaven’s Gate cult was one such Gilly Show premise.) The 29 April 1997 episode proved to be the last: Gilmour tested the limits of the the FCC Safe Harbor policy by reading the opening stanzas of Allen Ginsberg’s Howl just before the show’s 2AM closing. This proved to be too much for then-station manager John Hill.
When Morton Downey Jr. pulled out of his weeknight talk show for 50,000 watt WTAM-AM at the end of August 1997, Gilmour was selected to replace him. The right-wing news/sports station was not always suited to him. By the time I lost track, he had endorsed Bush. Weeknights gave way to a regular weekend time slot, but this soon became an occasional weekend show, and by 2004 he was off the air. A brief aircheck was posted by WTAM after his passing, but the better work is probably completely lost in the air.
]]>The consultant is having an ongoing dilemma over the nature of choice, but the entire subject was covered more succinctly by Bill Watterson (cf. p. 105, The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book).
]]>Spectaculary fierce storms in NE Ohio. The skies went completely black, and lightning spiked for hours straight. It seems calmer and cooler now, but I’ve never seen weather this intense.
Tipped by Brian:
Ice-T, quoted on Sky News: “The Hoff will surprise people with his rap skills and humour.”
And: The Saint: The Complete Series One arrived ahead of schedule!
]]>He posted a comment to blargblog a few days ago, plugging a new 64-page Cranium Frenzy featuring Morty the Dog (PO Box 390 McCleary WA 98557-0390). !
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