With this week’s long-awaited release of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles’ third and final set (which is completely excellent, by the way), I couldn’t help but mourn the shows that haven’t been so lucky. You know, the ones that have yet to make it on to the market. And since the last time I ran down the sets of my dreams, both Fastlane and Birds of Prey have been announced, so why not throw a few more titles out there to see if the DVD gods are listening.Falcon Crest — Come on! Dallas, Dynasty and Knots Landing are out there, why not this juicy lil’ vineyard sudser? Not only did it have one of the best theme songs, but there have been few leading bitches as regal as Jane Wyman’s Angela Channing. Plus, Lorenzo Lamas’ playboy himbo was named Lance Cumson. You can not beat that! If you want to have some real fun, YouTube the show and check out the opening-credits compilation videos. The nine-season evolution of Susan Sullivan’s hair-flip, ...
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Question: I'm sure you heard about Jane Wyman's death. Like you, I loved Falcon Crest and I loved (and hated) Angela Channing even more.
Answer: It's a total bummer. As cheesy as it sounds, I feel like I lost a piece of my childhood with her passing. Friday nights wouldn't have been nearly as fun without Jane/Angela. The second I learned of her death I e-mailed Jeff Freilich, who as executive producer of Falcon Crest from 1986-88 worked with Wyman during the show's creative peak, and asked him if there were any memories he'd like to share. Here's what he wrote back: "Jane Wyman was a little girl hiding inside a matriarch's body — fun-seeking and adventurous. I never met anybody more excited to be on a film set nor worked with an actor who commanded such respect without bluster or selfish demands. She was among the last of a dying breed of true Hollywood stars. To her, acting was a pleasure... a calling. Being a mother, on t
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Sundays are seldom as busy during the regular TV season as was the case this weekend, with season and series finales all over cable. So much for summer being the sleepy season. If you'd been watching any of these shows this summer, you wouldn't have wanted to miss the payoffs.Big Love: So much drama and trauma on HBO's increasingly addictive domestic melodrama about a family man and the three wives who alternately adore and tolerate his whims, schemes and transgressions. One reason I love the show is that it has lines of dialogue you could never hear anywhere else. Here’s Nicky: “Our husband’s dating life is none of our business.” Bill to Barb: “There are two other people in this marriage.” Bill to Margene: “You are not having the neighbor’s baby!” Barb to Bill: “I don’t want a fourth [wife].” Margene: “Boss lady outed us to the neighbors!”So twisted, and yet presented in such a way that it almost seems normal. Th...
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