Find out what classic episodes of "Visiting" are airing on KCET this week! Read more about KCET's Huell-centric programming here, and share your memories of Huell with other fans here.
Monday @ 7:30PM -- "Governor's Mansion"
Huell gets a behind-the-scenes look at the Governor's Mansion in Sacramento. We'll get a special tour from Kathleen Brown, who lived in the house as a teenager.
Tuesday @ 7:30PM -- "Ackermansion"
Huell takes a special tour of Forrest Ackerman's home, which is a shrine to and museum of sci-fi and horror memorabilia. The self-described inventor of the term "sci-fi," Dr. Ackula (as he liked to be called), boasted over 300,000 items from genre films, books and TV shows. He was also a literary agent, and editor of numerous fanzines. Best of all, he opened his house to the public. (Note: Ackerman passed away in 2008 and the museum is no longer operational.)
This Tuesday at 7 p.m., KCET Cinema Series screens the 1973 whodunit romp "The Last of Sheila." Co-stars Dyan Cannon and Richard Benjamin will be in attendance and will be giving a Q&A about the film afterward. The screening -- presented by the James and Paula Coburn Foundation -- will mark the first time Cannon has seen the film since its original release. In an interview with KCET, Cannon recalled filming "Sheila," looked back on her friendship with James Coburn, and also weighed in on the Lakers season as only an expert superfan can.
Why does "The Last of Sheila" still have a following forty years later?
First of all, you must be making a mistake. It can't be forty years later. Maybe it's four? Five? It can't be forty. [Laughs] I think it has a universal appeal because it's a whodunit shot in the south of France with an amazing cast. And I think that there's something for everyone in the film. There's someone that everyone can identify with. It's a romp. It's an adventure. It's a mystery. ... I have people stop me in the street all the time about it. And by the way, I haven't seen it since it was released, so [Tuesday's screening] is going to be a big treat.
Just watching the movie, it seems like it was a great deal of fun to make. Was it? Do you have any stories about what it like on the set?
First of all, the film's location was set in the south of France. Now do you want to go to the south of France for a month or two? [Laughs] As it turned out, we were filming on Sol Siegel's yacht, and I'm not quite sure why they didn't think that through a little more, because the sea we were shooting on was unpredictable from day to day. So we had to wait in the south of France while they built a set at the Victorine Studios for us. We had to spend our days lying on the beach and going to lunch and shopping. It was a hard job!
Tune in tonight at 7:30PM PST for a panel discussion about the upcoming KCET Link documentary "Shadows of Liberty" and media reform, broadcast live from the National Conference for Media Reform in Denver, CO.
The discussion will feature "Shadows of Liberty" director Jean-Philippe Tremblay, "Democracy Now"'s Amy Goodman, Free Press co-founder Robert McChesney, FAIR's Janine Jackson, author Norman Solomon, and more.
Click here to watch the livestream. And watch the U.S. television premiere of "Shadows of Liberty" tomorrow, April 5, on both KCET and LinkTV. Get more info here.
Yes, that's Huell Howser dressed like Tarzan. Doubtless there's someone out there who's always wondered what Huell would look like dressed in a faux animal skin. You're welcome, ma'am or sir. Happy Friday.
The pressing question, of course, is why Huell would dress like Tarzan. As you'll find out from watching the below clip from a 1979 bit Huell did for WSM-TV in Nashville, it was to hype an interview with "Wild Kingdom" host Jim Fowler. And an African leopard. (If you're antsy to see the leopard, skip ahead to 2:08.)
It's an awesome video, and it eventually leads to this scene, which is even more awesome than Huell dressed like Tarzan:
Read previous "Retro Huell" posts:
See more on Huell's official YouTube page. And if you haven't yet, take a moment to sign Huell's memorial page.
Find out what classic episodes of "Visiting" are airing on KCET this week! Read more about KCET's Huell-centric programming here, and share your memories of Huell with other fans here.
Monday @ 7:30PM -- "Yamashiro"
Yamashiro was created in 1911as a private residence and is a replica of a magnificent palace located near Kyoto, Japan. During the golden age of Hollywood, Yamashiro was a club for the ultra-exclusive, but now it's now a restaurant.
Watch a preview:
Tuesday @ 7:30PM -- "Harley Girls"
Put on your leather jacket and strap on your helmet for a two-wheeled adventure that's sure to get your heart racing. Huell goes for a weekend ride with the Harley Girls and their Harley Davidson motorcycles. Huell and the ladies take a spin and then stop for lunch, where Huell meets some other interesting weekend rebels.
It's right there in the headline, so if you've made it this far, you're entering "Doc Martin" spoiler territory at your own risk.
With the distinct possibility that the sixth series of "Doc Martin" may be the last ever, you have to wonder if the creators may be trying to tie up some loose ends. That may have prompted a bit of location scouting news reported recently in the U.K. Express: a church has been chosen for Martin and Louisa's wedding. The 12th-century church, St. Nonna's, will probably look familiar to "Doc Martin" fans, however, because it's also where Martin and Louisa failed to get married back at the end of season three. So, in the end, this is only a potential spoiler, and there's every reason to guess that the couple's second trip to the altar will also end badly.
The takeaway? Season six is happening. We'll post any other notable news as we hear it. And click here to read our last round-up of season six tidbits.
Meanwhile, whet your appetite for all things Portwenn with this Daily Mail interview with Selina Cadell, the actress who plays nutty Mrs. Tishell on the show and who proclaims that "being plan has been pretty good for me." Also, she's best friends with Sigourney Weaver. That's.... surprising, right?
Watch KCET's "Doc Martin" behind-the-scenes series, filmed on location in Portwenn, a.k.a. Cornwall, England.
One of the great things about Huell Howser's interviews is that he didn't have them edited to death. You can actually watch a conversation unfold naturally instead seeing it chopped up into something that's different from how it actually happened. The clip you see here -- Huell's 1981 interview with Tony Danza at Pink's Hot Dogs -- is also presented mostly unedited, to the point that you hear Danza let slip a swear word that probably wouldn't have made the cut for CNN.
Highlights? Danza, only two years into the run of "Taxi," plugging a movie in which he co-stared with Jessica Walter, Danny DeVito and three orangutans; watching him proudly show off his '57 Porsche Speedster, and Huell's non-reaction to Danza's statement, "You like all the greasy joints in town." Good times.
Read previous "Retro Huell" posts:
Find out what classic episodes of "Visiting" are airing on KCET this week! Read more about KCET's Huell-centric programming here, and share your memories of Huell with other fans here.
Monday @ 7:30PM -- "Pita Bread"
It all started at Huell's dry cleaner and a sandwich made with pita. He wanted to learn more about this wonderful flatbread, so he visited a pita factory to learn all about the art of making this ancient food. And yes, this delicious adventure ends with a pita-based feast.
Tuesday @ 7:30PM -- "Lucky Baldwin College"
Lucky Baldwin was one of the great characters of Southern California history during the late 19th century and early 20th century. He was a pioneer and real estate tycoon who owned the land that would become Arcadia, Monrovia and Baldwin Hills. Huell visits the Queen Anne Cottage at the Los Angeles Arboretum, which was built on his former property in 1885, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
As fun as it is to reminisce about Huell Howser wandering around his adopted home, California, it's also novel to see him in situations where his isn't the only big Southern accent in the room. Take this clip, for example, of his 1980 visit to the County Music Hall of Fame, where fans and family gather to honor Tex Ritter, who passed away in 1974. As Huell points out, few people realize that the actor John Ritter was the son of Tex Ritter and therefore the heir to a country entertainment legacy.
And the baby that John's wife is toting around through the festivities? That's Jason Ritter, who now stars on the TV series "Parenthood." In fact, around the four-minute mark, John Ritter declares that little Jason "has show business in his blood," and that really turned out to be true. As Ritter goes on to explain, it's meaningful to have Jason present at an event honoring his grandfather, even though Tex passed away before his grandson was born. Leave it to Huell look past the glitz of showbiz and find the real, human moment.
Read previous "Retro Huell" posts:
See more on Huell's official YouTube page. And if you haven't yet, take a moment to sign Huell's memorial page.
Find out what classic episodes of "Visiting" are airing on KCET this week! Read more about KCET's Huell-centric programming here, and share your memories of Huell with other fans here.
Monday @ 7:30PM -- "Fosselman's"
Huell indulges in a summer treat at Fosselman's Ice Cream in Alhambra, a family-owned business more than 80 years old where the founder's grandsons still use the family recipe.
Tuesday @ 7:30PM -- "Vincent Price Art Museum"
Huell visits the Vincent Price Art Museum in East Los Angeles. Price and his wife Mary Grant Price donated a total of 9,000 pieces of art from their collection to create this museum featuring Mesoamerican, African, Native American, and European works
Hear Price talk about the museum in his own words:
Get updates on upcoming on-air shows/specials, show reviews/news, and insight on KCET television programming.
