Did you all miss me?
Sorry about the inconsistent blog posts, but working on college classes can sometimes get in the way. So, what I'm going to try and do now is when I have some days off is build up as many of these reviews as I can and post them when I find a moment or two. For me, nothing is more important then maintaining the quality of the blog and I simply will not post if I do not think it is up to my standards.
I also got some news that, in the not too distant future, season sets of The Gene Autry Show, which we discussed some posts back, will be coming out. This is something I was always worried about, being forced to backtrack. To be honest though, with so many shows I did not get a chance to cover (Suspense, The Lone Ranger, Howdy Doody and so on), I really do not mind a chance to take another pass. I know there are people out there who are dying to get to eras that are more familiar to them and I cannot begrudge them that. One way to look at this is an opportunity to expand horizons and give older shows that you may not have known about a chance. That is, after all, the entire point of the blog: to introduce the history of television through any and all broadcasts and get a snapshot of what the world was like not so long ago.
OK, covered all that. I do expect to update the blog with some more regularity as long as I have time so I do request patience if I am gone a while. I will not abandon the blog anytime in the future, I can promise you that.
So... to business and our next show:
Tales of Tomorrow: Test Flight
Originally broadcast on ABC on Friday, October 26, 1951 at 9:30 PM ET.
Plot: One of the world’s richest men is determined to be the first man in space, no matter what it costs him.
Analysis: After the Thunderbird quality of an I Love Lucy, it’s almost archaic to go back to Tales of Tomorrow, which feels like a Model T by comparison. Technically, the show has always had some issues and that is to be expected for the ambitions of the stories on a bi-weekly basis, but they seem to show up more by contrast. That being said, knowing how the show is usually plotted, you can guess where we’re going with this pretty quick since this show loves to throw curve balls and shock endings.
I talked about Lee Cobb once before, in connection with the Red Channels scandal that was brewing at the time. This is our first chance to see him as an actor and, once you get him away from bewildering techno-babble, he delivers a very competent performance. Then again, it is not much of a stretch that once someone has a fortune and control to pursue a passion no matter what might happen. The only drawback is you know at some point, he’s going to make a mistake and we’re all just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The Bottom Line: As long as you know going in there are limitations because of the time period and the occasional technical mistake, this isn’t bad. Test Pilot is the traditional cautionary tale of ambition and reaching too far, especially when the bill comes due. If you want to check it out, it’s included with twelve other Tales of Tomorrow episodes on Tales of Tomorrow: Collection One (http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Tomorrow-Col....3424148 &sr=1-1). No matter where you shop for it, it is not too expensive.
Next time, more laughs with Lucy.
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