... Interesting and eerie.
Aug. 12th, 2011 02:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladybug_archiveI find it slightly odd that, not only were Simon Oakland and William Talman born the same year (1915), they died around the exact same time (just fifteen years apart). Simon died on August 29th, 1983. William died on August 30th, 1968. They also both died of cancer, although I don't know if it was same kind for both.
(On a side note, I find it awesome that William Talman was the first celebrity to speak out against smoking. When he knew he was dying of lung cancer, he made a public service announcement against it. A lot of celebrities of the day didn't want to do that sort of thing because they didn't want to lose the money they'd make on cigarette ads. William Talman was disgusted by that.)
And I find it rather silly that in the morning, before it was light, I sat in my darkened room and cried for two people we lost far too soon. I only find it silly since it happened so long ago (43 years and 28 years). After all that time, I'm sure they're happy where they are. Yet I am still mourning our losses.
My emotions are slightly off-balance right now anyway. And last night I was upset because the local PBS station is going to show some of the episodes from the time that William Talman was temporarily fired. I thought they were skipping over those on this rotation. I was surprised by the first of those popping up when I hadn't expected it at all, and it was not a happy surprise. Luckily, it doesn't look like they'll air too many of those. Mostly they'll air the leftover episodes he was in that were filmed before he was fired (I assume) and some from when he started being allowed to make occasional appearances again. Then, at the beginning of September, we switch to season 5, where things were back to normal at last and he regained his status as a regular.
I watched two season 2 episodes this morning courtesy of Bing Videos. I prefer watching them on Bing to CBS or IMDB; they have three screen size options and they seem to play more smoothly. But I am getting so sick of seeing that stupid Swiffer ad with Dirt and Mud personified. I hate how Dirt just up and leaves Mud as soon as she sees Swiffer and is attracted to it.
I love season 2. Season 1 seemed to more closely follow the books; Perry did borderline illegal things sometimes and Burger was more cold and antagonistic (though, really, I couldn't blame him for being upset about some things). Season 2 is, I think, where the fascinating scenes I love began to appear. Perry also toned down his eyebrow-raising antics and Burger softened. That isn't to say they weren't still professional rivals or that Burger didn't still get mad; both are true. But they also started displaying this other element. You could tell they were on friendlier terms by then. It's just so obvious when you compare scenes in, say, The Runaway Corpse with scenes in The Fraudulent Foto [sic]. I don't think the people in the Yahoo Group quite understood what I was saying when I asked about season 1's differences, so that gives me more motivation to write an essay thing on Mr. Burger and his interaction with Perry. But seriously, it's because the friendlier elements were added while Burger still had moments of frustration that fascinated me to begin with. I kind of think the Yahoo Group people thought I thought that Burger getting mad disappeared later. But it didn't and I'm very aware of it.
(On a side note, I find it awesome that William Talman was the first celebrity to speak out against smoking. When he knew he was dying of lung cancer, he made a public service announcement against it. A lot of celebrities of the day didn't want to do that sort of thing because they didn't want to lose the money they'd make on cigarette ads. William Talman was disgusted by that.)
And I find it rather silly that in the morning, before it was light, I sat in my darkened room and cried for two people we lost far too soon. I only find it silly since it happened so long ago (43 years and 28 years). After all that time, I'm sure they're happy where they are. Yet I am still mourning our losses.
My emotions are slightly off-balance right now anyway. And last night I was upset because the local PBS station is going to show some of the episodes from the time that William Talman was temporarily fired. I thought they were skipping over those on this rotation. I was surprised by the first of those popping up when I hadn't expected it at all, and it was not a happy surprise. Luckily, it doesn't look like they'll air too many of those. Mostly they'll air the leftover episodes he was in that were filmed before he was fired (I assume) and some from when he started being allowed to make occasional appearances again. Then, at the beginning of September, we switch to season 5, where things were back to normal at last and he regained his status as a regular.
I watched two season 2 episodes this morning courtesy of Bing Videos. I prefer watching them on Bing to CBS or IMDB; they have three screen size options and they seem to play more smoothly. But I am getting so sick of seeing that stupid Swiffer ad with Dirt and Mud personified. I hate how Dirt just up and leaves Mud as soon as she sees Swiffer and is attracted to it.
I love season 2. Season 1 seemed to more closely follow the books; Perry did borderline illegal things sometimes and Burger was more cold and antagonistic (though, really, I couldn't blame him for being upset about some things). Season 2 is, I think, where the fascinating scenes I love began to appear. Perry also toned down his eyebrow-raising antics and Burger softened. That isn't to say they weren't still professional rivals or that Burger didn't still get mad; both are true. But they also started displaying this other element. You could tell they were on friendlier terms by then. It's just so obvious when you compare scenes in, say, The Runaway Corpse with scenes in The Fraudulent Foto [sic]. I don't think the people in the Yahoo Group quite understood what I was saying when I asked about season 1's differences, so that gives me more motivation to write an essay thing on Mr. Burger and his interaction with Perry. But seriously, it's because the friendlier elements were added while Burger still had moments of frustration that fascinated me to begin with. I kind of think the Yahoo Group people thought I thought that Burger getting mad disappeared later. But it didn't and I'm very aware of it.
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no subject
Date: 2011-08-13 07:24 am (UTC)Yeah, it really is so tragic when we lose people so soon! Or when it's someone we just plain care about, no matter what age they are. Even if they've had a good, long life it's still really sad when they're gone.
I've seen more of The Wild Wild West! I really am loving it; it's just my kind of show. And I saw the amnesia episode among them! That was awesome. I wish the conflict between Jim and Arte had gone on longer, but I loved how Jim got his memory back.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-13 08:03 am (UTC)I have not seen that one! What's it about?
no subject
Date: 2011-08-13 08:18 am (UTC)WB is so annoying that way. They should give the fans what they obviously want instead of being so stingy and not letting them see even a cheap YouTube copy of something. I don't get what their problem is. If they refuse to release it, they should let the fans see it however they can. As long as they're not releasing it, they're not losing any money by it being on YouTube.
The Answer
Date: 2011-08-13 07:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-12 10:40 pm (UTC)And what makes it so scary and dangerous is that precancerous cells are already there, in everyone, just waiting to be triggered. Once that oncogene is triggered by whatever carcinogen happens to be floating around... that's it. That's why it really upsets me when people are smoking in public places--what anyone does to alter their lifespan is their business (though it doesn't stop me from worrying about them... I'm talking to you, Richard! ...Though I am pleased that he quit because his daughter asked him to.), but I do not want their secondhand smoke, thank you very much! [/rant]
A lot of celebrities of the day didn't want to do that sort of thing because they didn't want to lose the money they'd make on cigarette ads.
Oy vey, it gets worse. Hogan's Heroes was partially sponsored by Phillip Morris, so they insisted that the cast smoke their cigarettes for product placement. Richard and Larry are the ones most seen, but there are times when LeBeau is seen with a cigarette--but Robert Clary doesn't smoke. I shudder to think that the sponsors forced him to have it for those scenes--thankfully, there weren't many, and the one time it was actually in his mouth, I don't think it was lit. At least, I hope so.
But, at any rate, poor Simon and William. And I don't think it's silly at all to cry for them, no matter how long ago it was. **hugs**
And bleh at PBS not skipping the William-less eps. And bleh at MYTV for going back to season 2 for Monk. Seriously, what is up with their schedule? They even skipped some season 5 eps before going to 6--they never did show the one where Sean Astin guest starred, did they? Or the one with the Six-Way Killer that had Stottlemeyer's awesome moments?
Tsk, it's times like this I really wish we lived closer. We could have awesome watch-fests together...
But I am getting so sick of seeing that stupid Swiffer ad with Dirt and Mud personified. I hate how Dirt just up and leaves Mud as soon as she sees Swiffer and is attracted to it.
...I was more disturbed by the personification in the first place. But yes, how shallow of Dirt.
Yay for season 2!
no subject
Date: 2011-08-13 07:20 am (UTC)Ugh. That is terrible. I knew a lot of shows were sponsored by cigarette companies, but I didn't realize they actually made the casts smoke. I guess that's not surprising, but ugh. Disgusting.
**hugs back.**
They did show the Sean Astin one, but no, I haven't seen that other one.
That would definitely be neat!I wasn't disturbed so much by the personification in general, at least not until I started really paying attention to what they were saying about the Swiffer device and its powers of breaking up dirt and mud into particles.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-13 01:35 pm (UTC)Yes, especially when our campus is **supposed** to be smoke-free. Do they listen? Noooooo. Is it enforced? Nooooo. **growls in utter frustration** You have no idea the number of times I had to hold my breath just walking to class.
**sigh** Sorry, this is one subject that is really touchy for me--perhaps moreso because now my family *does* have a history of cancer as of this year... (She's doing much better, though, thankfully).
Ugh. That is terrible. I knew a lot of shows were sponsored by cigarette companies, but I didn't realize they actually made the casts smoke. I guess that's not surprising, but ugh. Disgusting.
Indeed. And even though it's by his own choice, I still flinch whenever I see Newkirk/Richard light up. That definitely has a lot to do with why I don't have him smoke in my fics.
Oh, they did show the Sean Astin one? Must've been when I was away, then. What did you think of it?
Maybe someday... I know I would love to see your state again, so maybe then, if I do plan something.Yeaaaaah. **shudders**
no subject
Date: 2011-08-13 03:22 pm (UTC)(That's definitely good to hear!)
Well, unless I forgot, you seemed to have forgotten to mention that he was the villain! So I was disappointed by that. But he did a wonderful job. I enjoyed the episode. Monk as a butler was hilarious.