The Terrible Catsafterme

…and I’ll bet we’ll be together for a million more. Those words, so sweetly sung by Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams, signalled that the next 22 minutes would be consumed by one of the funniest and most intelligent sitcoms of the 80’s. And the fact that the quintessential parents from Family Ties, otherwise known as Steven and Elyse Keaton, otherwise known as Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter-Birney (now just Baxter since the days of becoming a lesbian), were going to be present at the Chicago Celebrity Show on Saturday, September 25, 2010, was enough to tip the scales – if they needed tipping – on whether I was going to attend the show. Read the rest of this entry »

For $22, I can’t think of a finer way to spend an evening than with Carol Burnett and Tim Conway. I grew up watching the re-runs of Carol Burnett and Friends and I dare say that it would be difficult to find a television show that yielded more laughs. Mrs. Wiggins and Mr. Tudball, Mama’s Family, the Old Man, the kitchen commercials, and so many re-occurring bits that cracked us up each and every time. And who can forget such classic skits as Went With the Wind and As the Stomach Turns? Words cannot express how much I always loved Carol’s show…and how excited I was to now get the opportunity to see her and her #1 cohort in comedy, Tim Conway, in person. Read the rest of this entry »

The great Mary Ann vs. Ginger debate has raged since time immemorial. Or at least since 1964 when Gilligan’s Island first made its campy debut. Dawn Wells’ career began in Hollywood with a few TV show guest appearances which led to her roll as Mary Ann Summers, one of the subjects of the great debate. I had asked Bob to pick me up the signed photo seen at left at one of the Hollywood Collectors Shows during the late 1990’s – but I had never had the opportunity to meet her (as I did with castmate Russell Johnson). Read the rest of this entry »

As a huge fan and collector of all episodes of I Dream of Jeannie, I am thrilled to have autographed photos all three of the principals of the show. In fact I met Larry Hagman and his co-star Bill Daily both in 2009. Unfortunately, I have not been so lucky with Barbara Eden. She was, however, kind enough to sign a nice cheesecake photo of herself back in the latter part of 1997.  It is unfortunate that I didn’t get her to sign the photo from the show first– and then add Hagman’s signature later. As it is, I’ll have to be satisfied with the lone autographed photo from Barbara Eden seen below. At least her belly button is visible. Read the rest of this entry »