tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post408248952765062795..comments2024-03-23T03:57:15.055-07:00Comments on Caftan Woman: THE 4th ANNUAL FAVOURITE TV EPISODE BLOGATHON: Ellery Queen, The Adventure of Miss Aggie's Farewell Performance (1975)Caftan Womanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-72138414115596078532021-03-08T13:16:58.336-08:002021-03-08T13:16:58.336-08:00I apologize for your name mixup here. If I knew ho...I apologize for your name mixup here. If I knew how it was done or how to change it, I would certainly do so.Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-21911342124307530882020-12-29T18:26:02.824-08:002020-12-29T18:26:02.824-08:00... And as 2020 circles the Great Drain:
This pas... ... And as 2020 circles the Great Drain:<br /><br />This past Sunday, William Link passed on, aged 87.<br /><br />I didn't think this year could have gotten any worse, but there you are.<br /><br />Paddy Lee, when you do your full-dress tribute (as everyone in cyberworld certainly will) - all twenty-one guns, please ...<br /><br /> ... and don't forget to mention that Bill Link was an MWA Grand Master.Mike Doranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14427528138598549103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-5213588729919751292020-03-03T00:47:10.495-08:002020-03-03T00:47:10.495-08:00Hi again! Mike Doran here.
When I sent in the abo...Hi again! <b>Mike Doran</b> here.<br /><br />When I sent in the above set of comments back in '18, I signed my name, quite proudly.<br />Sometime about a half-year ago, a mysterious figure decided to eliminate my name from the comments and tag me as <b>Unknown</b>.<br />I have no idea why this was done, and frankly I resent it.<br /><br />If you could do anything on your end to restore my name credit on these semi-deathless writings of mine, I'd be awfully grateful.<br />Thanks in advance.<br />Mike Doranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14427528138598549103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-50970892094448703392018-03-29T17:05:19.928-07:002018-03-29T17:05:19.928-07:00I'm glad you liked the trip down memory lane. ...I'm glad you liked the trip down memory lane. I can't throw out my Ellerys, no matter how beat up. It would be nice to walk into a book store and see new prints, wouldn't it?Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-51738704295803398462018-03-29T06:48:31.064-07:002018-03-29T06:48:31.064-07:00I LOVED this show. I was also an Ellery Queen fan ...I LOVED this show. I was also an Ellery Queen fan before the series, reading the books at my local library. One of my favorite books is a beat-up paperback I got for my 13th birthday, "The Finishing Stroke" about a 12-days of Christmas house party where, of course, murder occurs. It wasn't beat-up when I got it, just now because I've read it 4,178 times. I really mourned when they dropped this series. Thanks for a lovely trip down memory lane. Jacqueline T. Lynchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047941886908178350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-12931207827417425772018-03-27T15:17:06.344-07:002018-03-27T15:17:06.344-07:00I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise, but...I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise, but there is an odd sort of comfort in not knowing.Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-70589628927436606082018-03-27T13:13:30.727-07:002018-03-27T13:13:30.727-07:00... and This Just In:
Tom Reese, 'Sergeant Ve... ... and This Just In:<br /><br />Tom Reese, 'Sergeant Velie', has just passed on, aged 89.<br /><br />Just what we needed to hear, right?<br /><br />Oh well ...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05527404061764217504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-88212826867454297962018-03-27T06:23:13.661-07:002018-03-27T06:23:13.661-07:0061! My goodness. I'm always happy to see John ...61! My goodness. I'm always happy to see John McGiver, and the weight loss didn't register with me. I guess we don't see what we don't want to see.Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-80026254166086502002018-03-26T19:00:06.016-07:002018-03-26T19:00:06.016-07:00One more thing about John McGiver:
After I sent i...One more thing about John McGiver:<br /><br />After I sent in my comment, I watched the <i>Ellery</i> episode again, on my digitally-restored DVD.<br /><br />Thanks to the much-improved resolution, I noticed that John McGiver had apparently lost quite a lot of weight just before filming "Miss Aggie's Farewell Performance".<br />Not a good sign ...<br />Then, I looked up IMDb:<br />John McGiver was only <b>61</b> years old when he passed.<br />That's six years younger than I am <i>right now</i>.<br />I think I'll go and lie down ...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05527404061764217504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-39284161280485524972018-03-26T17:34:48.317-07:002018-03-26T17:34:48.317-07:00My pleasure. I spend most of the year trying to de...My pleasure. I spend most of the year trying to decide on an episode for this blogathon.<br /><br />I feel the same way about Brimer/Hillerman. A great character and a great actor. Television greatness.Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-1045806940684471062018-03-26T16:27:15.303-07:002018-03-26T16:27:15.303-07:00I loved Ellery Queen and I too was disappointed wh...I loved Ellery Queen and I too was disappointed when it was cancelled. And this episode was one of my favourites. I liked it any time Simon Brimmer appeared and Ellery showed him up. And while all of the episodes had great casts, this one especially did: Eve Arden, Betty White, John McGiver, Bert Parks, and more!<br /><br />Thank you so much for taking part in the blogathon!Terence Towles Canotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-90043425617526752472018-03-25T11:43:25.005-07:002018-03-25T11:43:25.005-07:00So true. Essential and charming are the perfect wo...So true. Essential and charming are the perfect words to describe this version of Ellery Queen.Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-53405490291820426212018-03-25T10:58:35.442-07:002018-03-25T10:58:35.442-07:00Thanks for this excellent look at one of my favori...Thanks for this excellent look at one of my favorite (albeit, short-lived) mystery series. The excellent cast, the gallery of wonderful guest stars, and the period flavor combined to make it essential viewing. Its a shame that it didn't run longer. We've been re-watching the episodes on DVD recently, and the show has lost none of it's charm.John Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01663676176398174024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-15637238925847795082018-03-25T10:18:43.755-07:002018-03-25T10:18:43.755-07:00I assumed that as sponsor Mr. Pearl was also the p...I assumed that as sponsor Mr. Pearl was also the producer. I apologize to all for that assumption. I hadn't realized that John McGiver passed away so close to this airing. I don't think it even registered with me at the time. It is something I take note of more often these days.<br /><br />Ellery is so prevalent in so much of our entertainment. There have been years when my sisters have given me Ellery Queen books collected at garage sales or a subscription to the EQMM for birthday presents. I'm easy to shop for!<br /><br />While I hate to diss a fellow Taurean, now that I now it is all Cher's fault, she must face my ire.<br /><br />Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-52565354481757807722018-03-25T09:59:58.050-07:002018-03-25T09:59:58.050-07:00I was an Ellery Queen devotee long before this ser...I was an <i>Ellery Queen</i> devotee long before this series.<br />Started with the <i>Mystery Magazine</i>, went on to the books, sought out and found the few surviving episodes of the older radio and TV shows, and like that there.<br /><br />The Hutton-Wayne series is one of the lost loves of my life.<br /><br />But <i>this</i> particular episode is a touchstone, starting when I saw it in first run, on NBC in October of 1975.<br />Items:<br /> - NBC scheduled this episode for a Sunday night, away from the Thursday slot where <i>Ellery</i> hadn't been doing so well; the idea was to see whether it would work against lesser competition.<br /><br /> - John McGiver's character wasn't the producer of the soap - he was the <i>sponsor</i>. That was why Simon Brimmer was pestering him throughout the show- he was trying to keep Vita-Creme as his own sponsor.<br />I recall this in particular because this episode was the final film performance of John McGiver - he passed away less than a month before the show aired (I tend to notice things like that - now more than ever).<br /><br /> - The Sunday night airing was a success of sorts: ABC's <i>Six Million Dollar Man</i> won the timeslot, but <i>Ellery</i> ran a decent second place, beating out Cher's rapidly declining variety hour on CBS.<br /><br /> - Thusly, NBC made the switch to Sunday permanent, effective in January, and for a few weeks <i>Ellery</i> was shaping up as an effective loss-leader (and a good lead-in for the <i>Sunday Mystery Movie</i>).<br />And then - <br /> - and then, somebody at CBS decided to stage a "reunion" of Cher with ex-hubby Sonny, giving the whole thing a promo build-up worthy of the Second Coming.<br />The Big Build-up worked, sort of - the Bionic Guy on ABC wasn't affected, but <i>Ellery</i> was done for.<br /><br />40+ years down the line, I still blame Cher, <i>in toto</i>.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05527404061764217504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-79549861208938738792018-03-25T08:04:12.372-07:002018-03-25T08:04:12.372-07:00Yes, that's one of the things about Ellery, it...Yes, that's one of the things about Ellery, it was consistently entertaining. I could have chosen any one of the episodes as my favourite, but I remember being intrigued by the radio setting upon my first viewing, and appreciating it more as the years take us farther away from those days.Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-71724238449570295232018-03-25T07:39:55.345-07:002018-03-25T07:39:55.345-07:00As you know, I'm a fan of this show and am del...As you know, I'm a fan of this show and am delighted to hear that you tried to save it. This was a stellar episode with a great cast (hey, it even had Bert Parks!). My personal fave, though, was probably "The Adventure of the Mad Tea Party." But it was a consistently very entertaining TV series!Rick29https://www.blogger.com/profile/08358116647815569722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-16652850972441422562018-03-25T05:28:26.044-07:002018-03-25T05:28:26.044-07:00I watch Chi McBride on Hawaii Five-O and not an ep...I watch Chi McBride on Hawaii Five-O and not an episode goes by that I don't bemoan the loss of Pushing Daisies!<br /><br />I hope you get the chance to watch Ellery Queen. I think it will tickle your fancy.Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-82167733728051866112018-03-24T21:08:25.269-07:002018-03-24T21:08:25.269-07:00Well, now I'm upset about its cancellation, to...Well, now I'm upset about its cancellation, too! Thanks for introducing me to this interesting, albeit short-lived, show. It always stings when a show is taken away when it still has potential. (Speaking from experience here. I still don't think my heart has recovered yet from the loss of Pushing Daisies!)Michaelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06595610476583704014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-57058590557500994012018-03-24T15:23:04.812-07:002018-03-24T15:23:04.812-07:00Thanks for reading, and for sharing that story. I ...Thanks for reading, and for sharing that story. I will think of it every time I watch the work of Jim Sheldon.Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-51442007936180800042018-03-24T09:14:20.132-07:002018-03-24T09:14:20.132-07:00Great pick. I really liked what I saw of this ver...Great pick. I really liked what I saw of this version of Ellery Queen.<br /><br />Personal story: when I was trying to sell a TV series that I wrote circa 1990, Jim Sheldon was one of the directors I wrote who took the time to write back. He was essentially retired at the time, and wanted to stay that way, but he wrote a very encouraging letter back and said he admired my "derring-do". I still have the letter. Halhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09291930694234773688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-40854640295843843722018-03-24T06:00:05.034-07:002018-03-24T06:00:05.034-07:00I get you. That would be an interesting look at va...I get you. That would be an interesting look at various TV detectives, their popularity, etc.<br /><br />You reminded me that even when I was a teenager I was a "little old lady". Something the hubby loves to tease me about. Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-17581320274192389812018-03-24T05:15:35.019-07:002018-03-24T05:15:35.019-07:00Just an observation. Male TV detectives seem to ne...Just an observation. Male TV detectives seem to need some "tic", some eccentricity. Females like Marple and Jerrica Fletcher didn't.Bill Ohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06041905291496937729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-1627538950866583482018-03-24T04:57:47.112-07:002018-03-24T04:57:47.112-07:00My old Ellery paperbacks are yellowed with age, bu...My old Ellery paperbacks are yellowed with age, but I am loath to throw them away. Never thought I'd be around in the time when you couldn't pick up new copies of classic mysteries in the neighbourhood book shop.<br /><br />On behalf of little old ladies everywhere, I don't know whether to be insulted or try to turn it into a compliment. Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331373971294623620.post-68052448933438873772018-03-24T04:54:13.358-07:002018-03-24T04:54:13.358-07:00You're welcome. Thanks for reading.
I'm a...You're welcome. Thanks for reading.<br /><br />I'm a big Magnum fan. I was drawn to the show when it started because of John Hillerman. Gotta love Higgie Baby.Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.com