Category Archives: Television

‘Jeannie’ Barbara Eden dreamed of being a TV cop

Posted on August 23, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Barbara Eden, who turns 85 today, is remembered most fondly as the sexy genie in the Sixties sitcom “I Dream of Jeannie” but what she really wanted to be was a TV cop.

Posted in Film, Interviews, Memory Lane, Music, Television | Tagged 'Harper Valley P.T.A.', 'I Dream of Jeannie', Barbara Eden, George Pal, Larry Hagman | Comments Off

When I spoke to Wonder Woman, she had no clothes on …

Posted on July 24, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Lynda Carter, in her “Wonder Woman” prime, stepped naked and wet from the shower as I said “hello” to begin our interview about life after three seasons as TV’s top female superhero.

Posted in Interviews, Memory Lane, Music, Television | Tagged 'Wonder Woman', Lynda Carter | Comments Off

How a love of sports made Garry Marshall a comedy legend

Posted on July 20, 2016 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Garry Marshall, who died Tuesday aged 81, said one of the reasons he became one of the most prolific and successful producers of TV sitcoms was because he was a sports nut.

Posted in Interviews, Television | Tagged 'Happy Days', 'Joanie Loves Chachi', 'The Odd Couple', Garry Marshall, Henry Winkler, Jack Klugman, Tony Randall | 1 Comment

Cheryl Ladd on ‘Charlie’s Angels’, Farrah Fawcett and bikinis

Posted on July 12, 2016 by admin

LONDON – Cheryl Ladd, who turns 65 today, was always the most fun and down-to-earth of TV’s “Charlie’s Angels”, friendly and a bit flirty, and she wasn’t catty about Farrah Fawcett when she had every right to be.

Posted in Film, Interviews, Memory Lane, Television | Tagged 'Charlie's Angels', 'Harry O', Aaron Spelling, Cheryl Ladd, Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, Kate Jackson, Ken Wahl, Sidney J. Furie | Comments Off

The look on Anne Murray’s face was one of sheer terror

Posted on June 20, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – One of Canada’s most successful singers, Anne Murray, who turns 70 today, became a huge international entertainer but she told me two things had made her nervous – performing in Las Vegas and at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Memory Lane, Music, Recalling ..., Television | Tagged Alan Thicke, Anne Murray, Burt Reynolds, Dionne Warwick, Flamingo Room, Glen Campbell, Las Vegas, Quebec Winter Carnival, Riviera Hotel | Comments Off

When US TV censored hip-swinging Tom Jones

Posted on June 7, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Fans of “The Voice” might not suspect that the venerable Sir Tom Jones, who turns 75 today, was censored on American television when he was younger. His show “This is Tom Jones” aired on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Memory Lane, Music, Recalling ..., Television | Tagged 'It's Not Unusual', 'This is Tom Jones', Elmwood Casino, Tom Jones | 1 Comment

KFMF: Krakow Film Music Festival kicks off on Wednesday

Posted on May 25, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The 8th Krakow Film Music Festival (KFMF) gets under way on Wednesday and on Friday there, I will moderate a Q&A session with top composers on the topic of history and politics in screen music.

Posted in Film, Krakow Film Music Festival, Music, News, Television | Tagged Andrzej Wajda, Cliff Martinez, Doreen Ringer-Ross, Elliot Goldenthal, Jeff Beal, Jocelyn Pook, John Lunn, Krakow Film Music Festival, Maria Giacchino, Michael Hirst, Ramin Djawadi, Robert Townson, Sara Andon, Simon Greenaway, Stephen Warbeck, Trevor Morris, Varese Sarabande | Comments Off

Timothy Ackroyd’s ‘The Fuse’ in talks for TV

Posted on May 11, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Timothy Ackroyd said he is in discussions to adapt for television his production of the courtroom drama “The Fuse”, which he wrote with the late Beryl Bainbridge. The sardonic and gripping play, which was presented recently … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Television, Theatre | Tagged 'The Fuse', Beryl Bainbridge, Edward Andrews, National Liberal Club, Nicolas Roeg, Ragamuffin Productions, Royce Mills, Sir Timothy Ackroyd | Comments Off

Bernard Slade: From ‘Bewitched’ to Broadway

Posted on May 2, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Bernard Slade, who turns 85 today, created TV shows such as “The Flying Nun” and “The Partridge Family” but he had his greatest success with the smash hit Broadway play “Same Time, Next Year”. When … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Interviews, Memory Lane, Recalling ..., Television, Theatre | Tagged 'Bewitched', 'Same Time, 'The Flying Nun', 'The Partridge Family', Bernard Slade, Next Year' | Comments Off

A birthday card from Paris from Gregory Peck

Posted on April 5, 2015 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Gregory Peck and I were born on April 5 and when he turned 80 he sent me a card from Paris on which he wrote, “This French graffiti describes perfectly how it feels to be 80 … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Interviews, Memory Lane, Recalling ..., Television | Tagged 'Old Gringo', 'The Blue and the Gray', Abraham Lincoln, April 5, Gregory Peck, Jane Fonda, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Orbit Video, Ruth Gordon, TV Guide Canada | Comments Off