Pop Culture Roundup for July 19–August 27: “Yes, I Still Buy DVDs” Edition

by Karen A. Romanko

While compiling my pop culture social media posts for this installment of the PCR, I couldn’t help but notice how much I mention DVDs. Yes, I still buy them. As a TV historian, I like having my source material at my fingertips, knowing that episodes are available in order whenever I want them. As a former librarian, I like collecting media and filling my shelves to make a library in my home. So, while I never have to say, “where is that streaming,” I do need to buy more shelves from time to time.

July 19: Bob and I watched the first two episodes of The Madame Blanc Mysteries (2021) this weekend. I expected it to be in the Agatha Raisin line with plenty of humor, and it certainly has some, but there’s a lot more going on with this one: loss, intrigue, history, and more. We both thoroughly enjoyed these two and are looking forward to finishing the first season. We bought the DVD, so you’ll have to do your own research for streaming sources.

July 23: Some vintage lunch boxes from classic spy and crime TV shows: Get Smart, Adam-12, The Bionic Woman, Charlie’s Angels, and Knight Rider. I am always amazed at the variety of tie-in merchandise for television shows. I’m also amused at some of the content here, like the bionic woman lunch box. Nothing says lunchtime for kiddies like a man bound in ropes! Here’s a link to the website where I found these photos, in case you’re interested in more vintage lunch boxes.

July 26/27: I’m so sorry to read about the passing of Tony Dow at age 77. Tony played the epitome of the clean-cut American boy as Wally Cleaver on Leave It to Beaver. Bob and I still watch the series on DVD, and it holds up surprisingly well with its kids’-eye view of the world. Tony went on to become a TV director and sculptor, and never forgot about his fans, developing a lively community on Facebook. Thanks for the memories, Tony! We’ll never forget you.

July 29: Gerry Standing (Dennis Waterman) trying (and failing) to up the sartorial game of the his fellow old dogs on New Tricks. Love this show, but missing our dear Dennis.

July 31: A couple of short-lived cult classics are in the house for my DVD collection! Left, Coronet Blue, a series I was captivated by during the summer of 1967. Frank Converse stars as an amnesiac, marked for assassination, whose only clue to his identity are the words “Coronet Blue.” Right, The Invaders (1967-1968), starring Roy Thinnes as an architect who stumbles upon a secret alien invasion and travels the country trying to warn anyone who will listen. Executive producer Quinn Martin had also used the man-on-the-run concept in The Fugitive. Looking forward to some great guest stars and a dive into 60s alienation, TV-style!

August 3: As I’ve mentioned in the past, I am fascinated with TV filming locations, given my interests in Hollywood history and architecture. Many years ago I watched the episode “Dark Sunrise” from McMillan & Wife and was awestruck by a beautiful church with marble pillars of varying colors, where many of the episode’s scenes take place. Since I live in Los Angeles, I tried to find out what church it was, figuring it would be in the area. After some obsessive googling, I found out the church is Saint Andrew’s in nearby Pasadena. Hubby and I set out for a visit, and I took a photo inside (top left). Here are a few screen caps from the episode, including more views of the beautiful pillars and Rock Hudson, a work of art in his own right. This episode is from season six, originally titled McMillan, after Susan Saint James left the series. Definitely a problematic season, but this episode is a standout.

August 18: Before his rise to big screen stardom, Robert Redford had early roles on classic TV series. Here he guest stars in “The Snowball,” a 1963 episode of The Untouchables. Mr. Redford turns 86 today.

August 27: One of the rewards of watching a mystery/crime series is figuring out or finding out “whodunit.” With Rosemary & Thyme, there is the additional pleasure of seeing what the renovated garden is going to look like at the end of each episode. Amateur sleuths are not very likely, and gardening sleuths even less so, but those stunning gardens sure make up for the mega suspension of disbelief. I gasped at this one from “Agua Cadaver” last night. (I watched my own DVD, but screen-capped from Dailymotion, so the photo is a bit fuzzy.)

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Last, but not least, please check out my books about women and television from McFarland Publishers, available in trade paperback and Kindle editions at Amazon:

Television's Female Spies and Crimefighters and Women of Science Fiction and Fantasy Television
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