This is the third in a multi-part series inspired by the hit movie musical Wicked–Part 1. The series will explore musical theater, fairy tales, and fantasy in general.

Hello, this is Chris Young. Welcome to Episode 84 of Contemplating Life. This is the last in a multipart series inspired by the hit movie musical “Wicked”. In this series, we’ll explore my relationship with musical theater, fairy tales, and fantasy in general.

In our last episode, we discussed my fascination with the made-for-TV musical Cinderella. Around that time, I immensely enjoyed one other musical TV special. Sometime in the early 1960s, possibly more than once, I also enjoyed the TV production of the 1954 musical Peter Pan, based on JM Barry’s 1904 play and his 1911 novelization “Peter and Wendy.”

NBC aired versions of it in 1955 and 1956, but I would’ve been too young to recall those. There was another 1960 version, which was videotaped in color. It was rebroadcast in 1963, 1966, and 1973. My guess is the ‘63 rebroadcast was the first I saw it, But I might have seen it in 1960. I also distinctly remember watching it in color, but I don’t think we had color TV by ‘66, so it might have been the ‘73 broadcast. NBC also aired a restored version of the videotape in 1989 and 1991, and from there, it was moved to Disney Channel, where it was shown several times.

A version of the musical starring former Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby eventually made it to television, and I caught a performance of it. It brought back many nostalgic memories of the original.

NBC also produced a new production in 2014 starring Allison Williams as Peter and Christopher Walken as Captain Hook.

[Allison Williams sings an excerpt from “Never, Never Land.”]

I looked forward to that with great anticipation, but I was a bit disappointed that Walken suppressed his usual strange vocal cadence and played the role much more straight than I would’ve liked.

The original Broadway and TV production featured Mary Martin as Peter Pan. I never understood why a woman has so often played the role of Peter. If the musical were produced today, I’m sure the anti-woke forces would condemn it for having a woman play a male character. Peter is the leader of a group known as the “Lost Boys,” yet he is not portrayed by a boy in these musical productions. There’s nothing significant about the flying sequence stunts that would make a woman more appropriate for the role.

I also thought the plot was a bit kinky in that the lost boys practically kidnapped Wendy to become their mother.

Anyway, I could go on and on about various versions of the story, including the 1991 Steven Spielberg film “Hook,” which features Robin Williams as an adult Peter Pan and Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook. However, as much as I enjoyed the various adaptations of the 1957 musical on TV, I didn’t connect with the story as I did with Cinderella.

One final point: while researching this, I discovered a 1950 musical based on Peter Pan, with music and lyrics by Leonard Bernstein. The original production only featured a half-dozen songs, but researchers have uncovered that Bernstein wrote much more music than was used. There have been several subsequent productions that include the restored Bernstein score. I will be looking for a way to see that version or at least hear the soundtrack, which I believe is available.

Finally, let’s talk about the musical that is the focus of this episode, the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.” It is based on the children’s novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” originally published in 1900 by L. Frank Baum.

The film was nominated for Best Picture Oscar but lost to “Gone With the Wind.” It was also nominated for Art Direction and Special Effects. It won for Musical Score and Best Song for “Over the Rainbow.” I think much of my nostalgic appreciation of the film is tied to that song. The original Judy Garland version is magnificent, and I’ve never heard a bad cover version.

[Judy Garland sings an excerpt from “Over the Rainbow.”]

My favorite cover version, however, is undoubtedly a soulful reinterpretation by the late folksinger Eva Cassidy.

[Eva Cassidy sings an excerpt from “Over the Rainbow.”]

Check out the YouTube video of the Eva Cassidy version linked in the description. Unfortunately, she died of melanoma in 1996.

Another amazing popular version was created by native Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.

[Israel Kamakawiwo’ole sings an excerpt.]

He significantly adapted the lyrics and melody and combined them with the Louis Armstrong hit “What a Wonderful World.” Sadly, he died of complications from obesity in June 1997 at age 38 before his recording became a hit.

I’m also extremely fond of the version Katharine McPhee performed in the final round of American Idol Season 5.

[Katharine McPhee sings an excerpt.]

I think that performance made me a permanent fan of the Show.

On November 3, 1956, the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz was the first feature-length film to air uncut on prime-time coast-to-coast television. This was partially in response to the popularity of Peter Pan, which NBC first aired in 1955.

CBS paid $225,000 per showing for the rights to the movie, which is over $2.6 million in today’s money. The film runs for 101 minutes, so even with adding commercial breaks, CBS needed to fill more time for a two-hour time slot. The network hired a host to introduce the program and briefly comment before and after each commercial break. Bert Lahr, who played the cowardly lion in the film, hosted the initial broadcast.

It was shown again by CBS in 1959 and then annually thereafter until 1991 when it was shown twice. It was not shown in 1992 but shown twice in 1993. The program moved back and forth between CBS and NBC several times throughout these years. See the linked Wikipedia article for details of the various showings of the film on TV, including its move to cable in 1999.

I recall being at my grandma Osterman’s house, and my family was having an excited conversation about an upcoming showing of the film on TV. My grandmother said, “Dick Van Dyke is going to be the MC.”

“What’s an MC,” I inquired.”

My family informed me it was an abbreviation for “Master of Ceremonies.” I still had no idea what they were talking about. I seem to recall that I must have had some familiarity with the film because I didn’t remember a character called “MC.” Still, I think that airing with Dick Van Dyke as the host/MC/whatever you want to call it was probably the first time I saw the film. According to Wikipedia, he was the host in 1961 and 1962, which would’ve made me 6 or 7 years old, respectively.

Not only was I enchanted by the song “Over the Rainbow,” I also had great fondness for all the other musical numbers, including the three versions of “If I only had a… (Whatever… a brain, heart, or the nerve).”

I can’t guarantee that I saw the film every year after that initial viewing, but I’m confident I saw it many, many times. I recently discussed the movie with my sister Carol, who is eight years younger than me. She, too, has many fond memories of watching it year after year.

At a young age, it didn’t bother me that the wizard was a fake. I think Frank Morgan’s portrayal of him as an absent-minded professor was so endearing that you wouldn’t mind that he was actually a con man. It wasn’t until years later, when the phrase, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain,” became such a euphemism for someone who was engaged in a cover-up, that I began to see the wizard in a negative light.

I was always a bit disappointed that Dorothy woke up only to discover that it was all just a dream and that her world had reverted to the mundane sepia-tone life she had lived rather than the Technicolor adventure she had experienced. Sure, it was nice that she now had a deep appreciation for what it meant to be home, but it meant that all her fantastic experiences were simply figments of her imagination. She was just dreaming about that place over the rainbow and never got to experience the adventures of the larger world beyond her simple Kansas farm life.

It wasn’t until years later that I learned that L. Frank Baum wrote several other books about Oz, including return trips Dorothy made. Eventually, she and her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em became permanent residents. That would’ve reinforced the idea that Oz was a real place. I think I would have liked that.

Considering Hollywood’s obsession with franchises and sequels, I never understood why the remaining 13 books were never adapted for film. It wasn’t until I researched this episode that I discovered the 1985 film “Return to Oz,” based on two later L. Frank Baum novels. It must not have been very successful if I never heard of it.

I did see Sam Raimi’s 2013 film “Oz the Great and Powerful “ and enjoyed it in 3D. Yet, I must confess I don’t remember much of anything about the plot.

I never saw the 2005 made-for-TV film “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz,” although I thought it was strange that they would make such a movie because the original 1979 “The Muppet Movie” was a thinly disguised version of “The Wizard of Oz.” Songwriters Kenny Ascher and Paul Williams discussed the need to write a song that would be a stand-in for “Over the Rainbow.” They rejected several approaches because none of them had “the rainbow connection.” That produced a “Eureka” moment, and they wrote the song for Kermit titled “The Rainbow Connection.” About halfway through the movie, I realized that the story was an homage to the original “Wizard of Oz.” I think the pointy hat on Gonzo that made him look like the Tin Man was a giveaway. I also figured out the connection between “The Rainbow Connection” and “Over the Rainbow” before I heard Paul Williams explain the song’s origins on a talk show soon after its release.

It just occurred to me that there are many similarities between “Over the Rainbow” and “In My Own Little Chair” from Cinderella. Both are sung by young women stuck in a mundane existence and dreaming of exciting adventures in a faraway place. What is it about these songs that is so appealing to me? I don’t know. As Kermit explained in his version of the song, “Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me.”

It’s tough to put into words what that original 1939 version means to be. I don’t have a personal connection to it the way I connected to Cinderella sitting in her own little corner in her own little chair. Still, nevertheless, I was thoroughly enchanted by the film when I first saw it in the early 1960s and on every subsequent viewing since then. As previously reported, it is in my top 10 list of favorite musicals of all time.

I had heard of the Broadway music “Wicked” years ago and didn’t think much about it. I thought it was an attempt to rip off or capitalize on the popularity of the original story. A few years ago, I saw the 2014 film “Maleficent” and the 2019 sequel “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.” These stories attempted to explain away the evil of the wicked queen from the classic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. It seemed that “Wicked” was just another attempt to make excuses for an evil character. I was unaware that the musical “Wicked” was first produced in 2003 and was a loose adaptation of the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” both of which predate “Maleficent.”

I knew about the popularity of the Broadway musical, although I hadn’t heard any of the songs. I also knew the film would be highly popular, but I wasn’t particularly anxious to rush to the theater. I was also a bit wary when I heard that “Wicked—Part 1” would be released on Thanksgiving 2024. I wasn’t sure I wanted to waste my time on half a movie. Maybe I’d wait until Part 2 was available.

When it finally became available as a digital download, I decided to take a leap and get a copy. I watched it with my sister Carol in 2 sessions as the film runs two hours and 40 minutes. I was totally blown away by the entire experience, as was Carol.

In my next episode, I will review the film as part of the opening of my annual review of the 10 Oscar-nominated Best Pictures.

We interrupt this podcast for a special announcement.

For the past 10 days or so, I’ve been struggling with a nasty case of influenza A. I spent lots of days in bed and on my ventilator during the day, which I typically only used at night. Today is February 17. It is the first I have been able to stay out of bed for an extended period.

Only 7 of the 10 Best Picture-nominated films are available for streaming or digital download. One of the three remaining films is completely unavailable online, and two others are only available via bootleg copies where someone took a camera into the theater. I try to avoid that unless I absolutely have to. And if I do watch the bootleg, I always purchase a copy afterward to make up for it.

As a result, I’m not going to be able to review all 10 movies by March 2nd, when the Oscars are awarded. My current plan is to finish out talking about Wicked and perhaps one other nominated musical in the next episode and then do a brief overview of the other nominated films I have been able to see. I’ll not have time to download trailers and clips to include in the YouTube version like usual. That is a tremendous amount of work. I won’t have time.

I’ve had a lot of fun doing this series on musicals and fantasy leading up to this. I think it’s some of my best recent work. I guess that will have to do for this year’s movie reviews. When that is complete, we will return to some autobiographical topic. I’m not sure which part of my life we will cover next. And don’t be surprised if we get a political rant thrown in as current events unfold.

So, as always… if you find this podcast educational, entertaining, enlightening, or even inspiring, consider sponsoring me on Patreon for just $5 per month. You will get early access to the podcast and other exclusive content. Although I have some financial struggles, I’m not really in this for money. Still, every little bit helps.

As always, my deepest thanks to my financial supporters. Your support means more to me than words can express.

Even if you cannot provide financial support please, please, please post the links and share this podcast on social media so that I can grow my audience. I just want more people to be able to hear my stories.

All of my back episodes are available, and I encourage you to check them out if you’re new to this podcast. If you have any comments, questions, or other feedback, please feel free to comment on any of the platforms where you found this podcast.

I will see you next time as we continue contemplating life. Until then, fly safe.

This is the third in a multi-part series inspired by the hit movie musical Wicked–Part 1. The series will explore musical theater, fairy tales, and fantasy in general.

Hello, this is Chris Young. Welcome to Episode 83 of Contemplating Life. This is the third in a multipart series inspired by the hit movie musical Wicked–Part 1. In this series, we’ll explore my relationship with musical theater, fairy tales, and fantasy in general.

In our last episode, we talked about how my mother introduced me to the joys of musical theater and show tunes. In that context, set your Way Back Machine for February 22, 1965. I was nine years old the night that CBS aired a musical special titled “Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.”

The Cinderella story has many variations throughout many cultures. The earliest known variant is the story of Rhodopis, recounted by the Greek geographer Strabo sometime between 7 BCE and 23 CE, about a Greek slave girl who marries the king of Egypt. The story as we know it today with the Fairy Godmother and the Glass Slipper was written in French by Charles Perrault in 1697 titled “Cendrillon ou la Petite Pantoufle de Verre” or in English “Cinderella and the Little Glass Slipper.” See the linked Wikipedia article for more information about the various versions of the story.

The Rogers and Hammerstein musical adaptation of the classic fairy tale had been written specifically for television and not the Broadway stage.

Until I began researching this podcast, I thought the 1965 version was the original. However, my research uncovered the original version was shown live on March 31, 1957, and starred Julie Andrews. Until days ago, I had no idea it existed. The 1957 version was broadcast in the Eastern, Central, and Mountain time zones live in color and in black-and-white. A black-and-white taped version was shown in the Pacific time zone. It was never re-aired.

Although a soundtrack album was released the day after the program aired, it was thought all video recordings had been lost. However, in 2002, a black-and-white kinescope of the March 17 full dress rehearsal was rediscovered. It was restored and issued to DVD. It was also shown on PBS in December 2004 as part of their Great Performances Series. It features a 2002 introduction by Julie Andrews. It is available for free on YouTube. A link is provided in the description. I highly recommend watching at least that introduction and a few minutes of the show just to see young Andrews’ performance. See also the linked Wikipedia article covering the work’s complete history in all its various incarnations.

But let’s get back to the version in question – the 1965 version I saw as a child. This version introduced Leslie Ann Warren in the title role. It also starred Walter Pridgen as the King, Ginger Rogers as the Queen, and Celeste Holm as the Fairy Godmother.

In one of the early scenes, Cinderella sits alone by the fireplace on a small wooden chair and sings…

She then describes all of the wondrous things she imagines she might do if she could travel the world to exotic locations and have great adventures.

As a nine-year-old kid with a vivid imagination, an appreciation of Broadway music, a science fiction fan, and sitting in a wheelchair, this sad little ballad moved me more than any music I had yet heard in my young life.

I knew what it was like to sit in my own little corner in my own little chair and dream about impossible things.

Did I say “impossible?” Remember that word while I further set the context of the times.

The United States had recently concluded Project Mercury, which consisted of two suborbital and four orbital missions that sent men into space. A charismatic young president had committed us to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade in a race against the Soviet Union. Project Gemini would put a two-man capsule into space the following month. Optimism that Project Apollo would succeed in the lunar goal by the decade’s end was quite high. Live television signals were routinely being transmitted around the world via satellite. The computer revolution was already underway, even though I didn’t know the details, such as the introduction of the minicomputer, the PDP-8, that year. Also that year, Lawrence Roberts connected two computers over a telephone line to create ARPANET – the precursor to the modern internet.

In short, the word “impossible” was being erased from the English language.

Furthermore, I was reading books like “Tom Swift and His Rocket Ship” and “Danny Dunn and the Anti-Gravity Paint”–my first science fiction stories.

Unlike the alleged purveyors of infallible truth known as the Holy Roman Catholic Church, under which I had been indoctrinated, I was discovering that scientists were more adept at answering my difficult questions to my satisfaction.

In that context, in the next scene, Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother arrives to grant the young maiden her heart’s desire. She will get to go to the Prince’s Ball. But when Cinderella protests that such dreams are impossible, Fairy Godmother sings…

After the Fairy Godmother works her magic and they are en route to the Ball, they reprise the song, but the word “impossible” is replaced by “it’s possible.”

I’m unsure if it’s ironic or hypocritical that someone like me, who considers themselves so rational and scientific, could be enchanted by a fairy tale that makes fun of sensible people. Although the story entirely depends on supernatural forces, at its core, Cinderella is about being a dreamer and not setting artificial limits on what one can achieve. As a person with a disability, I already live with significant limits. It’s counterproductive to impose additional artificial limits of expectations on myself. Dreamers who see unlimited possibilities are not incompatible with rational scientific exploration. In fact, they are the core of scientific pursuits.

Renowned science fiction author and futurist Arthur C Clarke is known for a trio of axioms in which he discusses the impossible. These have come to be known as “Clarke’s Three Laws.” They are,

While watching Cinderella and her Fairy Godmother mock the word impossible, I believed in the magic of science and technology. Impossible things were indeed happening every day in my life.

Case in point, weeks later, I would be given my first motorized wheelchair. This amazing piece of technology meant that my own little chair was no longer stuck in my own little corner. The idea of forming my neighborhood to play with my friends rather than being dependent upon them to come to me seemed like an impossible dream. Perhaps that’s why it was one of my favorite songs to play on the organ, as I described last episode.

Let’s talk for a moment about the genius talent of lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II.

Can we marvel at the brilliance of rhyming “of course is” with “horses?”. Simply amazing.

Wikipedia reports this version of Cinderella was shown eight times between 1965 and 1974. I must’ve seen most of these re-airings because I learned many of the songs inside out, even though I didn’t purchase a VHS copy until many years later. Of special note were the love songs between the Prince and Cinderella at the ball. These songs were significant to me throughout my puppy love romance with Rosie Shewman from 1967 through 1974.

In the song “Ten Minutes Ago,” the Prince and Cinderella sing of the joys of love at first sight.

Those of you who have heard Episode 19 of this podcast know how I was smitten at first sight by that blonde-haired, blue-eyed 12-year-old beauty Rosie in seventh grade. That irrational enthusiasm for a beautiful total stranger is embodied in that song.

Later at the ball, Hammerstein again illustrates his brilliance as a lyricist when Cinderella and the Prince ask one of the most profound questions about romantic relationships that you will ever find in musical theater. (Or anywhere else, for that matter.)

That musical question has haunted me about my relationship with every woman I’ve ever loved.

Let’s refer again to one of my favorite science fiction authors, Arthur C Clarke, who provides his take on the question. Clarke is more known for his hard science stories, yet on one occasion, he waxes philosophical and makes a brilliant observation about loving relationships. In his 1951 story, “The Road to the Sea,” he said, “The person one loves never really exists, but is a projection focused through the lens of the mind onto whatever screen it fits with least distortion.”

The entire topic of the tension between reality and perception is one that we will probably explore in future episodes.

Before we wrap this up, I should note that this musical was also remade in 1997, starring pop singer Brandy in the title role. It featured Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother, Bernadette Peters as the stepmother, Whoopi Goldberg as the Queen, and Victor Garber as the King. Despite this all-star cast of some of my favorite performers, this version didn’t appeal to me the way the 1965 version did. I think I had so many nostalgic feelings about the 1965 version that a remake didn’t meet my expectations.

This entire discussion of Cinderella is just another example of how fantasy, musicals, and fairy tales provide us with rich inspiration as we continue contemplating life.

In our next episode, we will take our first journey to Oz courtesy of the 1938 classic film The Wizard of Oz. Only with that background and context can we appreciate the 2024 musical film “Wicked Part 1” and the origin of the alleged Wicked Witch, Elphaba.

If you find this podcast educational, entertaining, enlightening, or even inspiring, consider sponsoring me on Patreon for just $5 per month. You will get early access to the podcast and other exclusive content. Although I have some financial struggles, I’m not really in this for money. Still, every little bit helps.

As always, my deepest thanks to my financial supporters. Your support means more to me than words can express.

Even if you cannot provide financial support please, please, please post the links and share this podcast on social media so that I can grow my audience. I just want more people to be able to hear my stories.

All of my back episodes are available, and I encourage you to check them out if you’re new to this podcast. If you have any comments, questions, or other feedback, please feel free to comment on any of the platforms where you found this podcast.

I will see you next time as we continue contemplating life. Until then, fly safe.

This is the second of a multipart series inspired by the hit movie musical “Wicked–Part 1.” This series will be about musical theater, fairy tales, and fantasy in general.

Hello, this is Chris Young. Welcome to Episode 82 of Contemplating Life. This is the second in a multipart series inspired by the hit movie musical “Wicked–Part 1”. In this series, we will explore my relationship with musical theater, fairy tales, and fantasy in general.

My original plan for this episode was to do a brief epilogue to last week’s episode about Disney’s Snow White and then move along the story of the 1965 production of the made-for-TV musical “Cinderella” by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II. But have you ever known me to do anything brief? Digging deep into the research for that allegedly brief epilogue hit another vein of storytelling treasure I couldn’t leave untouched. The script was nearly double the length it should have been, and I left some things out. Being an obsessive completist, I split the episode into two parts and fleshed out the missing sections of the first half. Cinderella will have to wait until next time.

All that talk about Disney last week meant we had to tell the story of my most significant connection to the Disney franchise: my first TV appearance. (Yes, there were more appearances later on. Those will wait for another episode someday.)

My best estimate is that I was eight years old when I was in the audience of a local children’s TV show called The Mickey Mouse Club.

An old joke goes, “I was on TV one time… My mother made me get off because I was scratching the set.”

Younger members of my audience won’t get that joke. TVs used to be housed in fine wooden cabinets. Climbing on top of such a piece of furniture would draw ire from one’s parents.

Disney produced the original “Mickey Mouse Club” for ABC from 1955 to 1959. I was too young to remember the original show. However, from 1962 to 1968, it was shown in syndicated reruns, and that is when I became a fan. A cast of teen and young adult performers known as Mouseketeers sang, danced, and introduced animated shorts.

Although the show was theoretically aimed at a preteen audience, many teen boys were fans of its female cast members. The most popular was Annette Funicello, who appeared on the show from age 13 to 16. She was well-endowed, with an ample chest highlighted by her tight-fitting white Mouseketeer sweaters. She went on to become a bigger teen idol in a series of beach party movies starring Frankie Avalon.

I was a bigger fan of Darlene Gillespie, who was also shapely for her age, if not as prominent as Annette. She later went on to a career in nursing. Little did we know that Mouseketeer Doreen Tracy would feel trapped by her childhood role. In an attempt to break out of that stereotype, she later appeared nude in men’s magazines. I linked articles about these stars in the description.

The Mickey Mouse Club has had several reboots over the years. It has launched the careers of some very famous people, including Ryan Gosling, future NSYNC members Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, actress Keri Russell, future En Vogue member Rhona Bennett, and Hallmark movie star Nikki DeLoach.

Local TV channel 13, which in those days went by the call sign WLWI, produced a local show with a studio audience of kids. Local live segments were interspersed with segments of Mickey Mouse Club reruns. I estimate my brief appearance in the audience for one episode was sometime in 1963

I couldn’t remember the host’s name, but some deep dives into Wikipedia and help from two different Facebook nostalgia groups helped me piece together the following information.

The show was hosted by Bill Jackson, who started his TV career with a children’s show in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and then moved to Indianapolis to host a show for three years from 1963-1966. It was initially titled “The Mickey Mouse Club” but was eventually renamed “The Bill Jackson Show.” I couldn’t recall what happened during the local segments, but the nostalgia groups reminded me they would pick a panel of children from the audience. Bill would draw a cartoon character on a large paper easel, and the kids would buzz in and guess the character he was drawing. Prizes usually consisted of a large case of candy bars or root beer.

Many people in these Facebook groups said they or their family members were in the audience as part of a Cub Scout, Brownies, or Camp Fire Girls troop. At the time, I was in the Cub Scouts as a member of a troop of disabled kids from Roberts School. I theorize we were invited because we were in scouting.

There were probably 50-75 kids in the audience seated in bleachers. I sat in the front row on level ground with a handful of other kids in wheelchairs. None of us were picked to be on the panel.

I recall the studio lights were extremely bright and hot. They would turn them off during the Mickey Mouse segments and then on again when it was time for a local segment. They advised us to close our eyes tightly while they turned the lights on and then gradually open them. That technique was so successful that I’ve used it for my entire life anytime I’m in a dark room, and someone is about to turn on the lights. I highly recommend it.

In 1965, Jackson moved to Chicago, where he had great success with a program called “The BJ and Dirty Dragon Show.” While in Indianapolis, he created the Dirty Dragon character based on a friend he met here. In 2021, Jackson was diagnosed with COVID-19 but was released from the hospital. He died shortly after in January 2022, but his official cause of death was not released.

My queries about the local Mickey Mouse Club sparked a lively discussion in the Facebook Indy nostalgia groups. The early 60s were a treasure trove of locally produced children’s television in Indianapolis.

People shared fond memories of Janie Woods Hodge, who hosted a show called “Popeye and Janie,” later renamed just “Janie.” I was a frequent viewer of the show, which aired from 4:30-6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday on Channel 4 WTTV from August 1963 until 1972. She then returned to her original profession as a music teacher. See the article linked in the description, which details her career. She also has a Facebook page. However, the latest post is from 2022. Google searches did not include an obituary, so I presume she is still alive.

Also fondly remembered was Bob Glaze, who performed under the name Cowboy Bob. Wearing a cowboy hat and a shirt with fringe, he played acoustic guitar and sang. Glaze began his television career as a cameraman for WTTV. He made personal appearances with Janie as Cowboy Bob and was later invited to perform on her show. In January 1970, he was hired to host “Chuckwagon Theater” as a replacement for Mary Ellen Reed on her show “Lunchtime Theater”. Glaze passed away in 2016. See the linked article for details about his career.

Also of note was personality Hal Fryar, who performed under the name Harlow Hickenlooper as the host of “The Three Stooges Show” on Channel 6. In those days, the call letters were WFBM. He shared hosting duties with country singer Curley Myers and Captain Star (Jerry Vance, a.k.a. Larry Vincent). Together, they sang songs and did skits for a live studio audience of children. Fryar fell into the Stooges’ slapstick comedy routines with passion. In comedy sketches, he regularly ended up with a (shaving) cream pie in his face.

In 1965, Fryar played Outlaw Johnny Ringo in the Three Stooges feature film “The Outlaws Is Coming.” I recall thinking it was a pretty big deal that a local TV host who showed Stooges shorts was cast in an actual Three Stooges film. I seem to recall that he took a local TV camera crew with him and shot some behind-the-scenes footage of his experiences on the film. Many viewers were disappointed he was not wearing his signature battered straw hat and striped coat. They were expecting to see Harlow Hickenlooper, but what they saw was Hal Fryar portraying an outlaw.

Fryar succumbed to bladder cancer in 2017 at the age of 90.

Any discussion of Local TV personalities in Indianapolis would be incomplete without mentioning Bob Carter, who hosted Friday night scary movies under the stage name Sammy Terry throughout the ’60s, ‘70s, and briefly in the 1980s. He was immensely popular, and many hold strong nostalgic feelings towards the character. Bob Carter died on June 30, 2013. Wikipedia reports his son, Mark Carter, has appeared occasionally as the character since 2011 and has an active Facebook following. I had heard it was his grandson, and not his son, carrying on the character, but I could be wrong.

His late-night show was typically past my bedtime, but I have fond memories of the evenings when my parents went all out to dinner and a movie, and I would have my grandmother and great-aunts as babysitters. They would let me stay up late and watch scary movies hosted by Sammy Terry.

My favorite recollection of Sammy Terry was as an adult. My family and some family friends were at our cabin on Cordry Lake one weekend. Among those gathered were Nancy and Jerry Bishop and their children. Jerry worked as a firefighter with my uncle John. We were all playing cards in the dining room while the kids watched scary movies hosted by Sammy Terry in the living room. Jerry was a consummate prankster. He put a sheet over his head, put a ladder up to the front porch of the cabin, and suddenly appeared in the living room windows making eerie noises. My sister, cousins, and the Bishop kids screamed in terror. One of the Bishop girls continued crying for some time, even after Jerry took off the sheet and tried to reassure her, “It’s just daddy playing with you.” She didn’t care. She was equally angry and still scared for quite some time.

Anyway, I’ve linked articles about these characters and personalities and links to Wikipedia pages about the TV stations mentioned here. I was fascinated by the history of how the network affiliations of the stations have swapped over the years.

Before moving on to our next fairy tale in the form of a famous musical production, I want to explore my musical history and early indoctrination into the joys of Broadway musicals by my mother.

Mom enjoyed playing show tunes and pop songs on the organ. She grew up with a piano in the house and learned to play a little bit. I don’t believe she ever had any formal lessons. She was self-taught with some assistance from our friend Stu Byram, who was also self-taught. She learned to read sheet music but only the right-hand treble clef. She could not read the left-hand base clef. Instead, she would get sheet music that included chord symbols for the guitar.

When I was about 6 or 7 years old, my family bought a Sears Silvertone Chord Organ. The organ had a keyboard with 44 keys. On the left was a series of buttons to play chords. You would push a button for the base note with your thumb, and then there were columns of other buttons for major, minor, seventh, and diminished cords you would push with your fingers. It would only play chords A, D, G, C, F, and B-flat.

I searched for a photo of our model and stumbled across a YouTube video by a guy who discovered such an instrument sitting on a curb, waiting to be picked up as trash. He took it home and restored it. It was fascinating to see its inner workings, and it brought back many fond memories.

He identified it as a model 4751 Silvertone. It was a variety known as a reed organ. A blower would pressurize a wooden air chamber. When you pressed a key, it opened a valve, allowing air to pass across a metal tang. This is the same way harmonicas and accordions produce sound. It sounded very much like an accordion. Two microphones inside the cabinet were connected to a vacuum tube amplifier and a 6-inch speaker. A foot pedal called “an expression pedal” varied the amplifier’s volume. But even without amplification, you could still hear the sound produced by the metal reeds.

I had enough use of my hands in those days to play a little bit. Although I never learned to read music, I have a good ear for music and had no difficulty picking out melodies by ear.

I believe we only had the instrument for a few years before getting a good deal on a used Hammond M2. It had two keyboards and an octave of foot pedals for base notes. You control the nature of the sound with the famous Hammond drawbars, which allow you to adjust the primary frequency volume and several harmonics.

I also played the Hammond from time to time. Primarily, I played single-note melodies, sometimes using both hands. But for a couple of tunes, I could occasionally play some harmony. Unfortunately, I lacked sufficient dexterity to play full cords. The most complex piece of music I played was an arrangement of the Christmas hymn “What Child is This?” I would play the melody with my right hand and a base note with my left hand. Mom had an arrangement with many chord changes – more than one would typically find for that music. I thought it sounded pretty good. I enjoyed playing Christmas music, pop songs, and an occasional show tune. I had a pretty good rendition of “The Impossible Dream” from “The Man of La Mancha.” I could also play a multi-note arrangement of the Beatles’ “Let It Be,” which I was quite proud of.

In addition to hymns, Mom played a variety of standards from the American songbook. Her favorites, however, were show tunes from Broadway musicals–especially by composers Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II. At an early age, I became quite familiar with the major songs from “The King & I,” “South Pacific,” “Showboat,” “Oklahoma,” “Camelot, “West Side Story,” and “Fiddler on the Roof,” just to name a few. In later years, she added songs from “Jesus Christ Superstar,“ “Phantom of the Opera,” and “Les Miserables.”

Growing up in this environment gave me a deep appreciation for Broadway musicals, which lasts to this day. Just for fun, here are my top 10 favorite musicals.

10. The Wizard of Oz–We will cover this in an upcoming episode.

9. Guys and Dolls—I discovered this show when I took my high school sweetheart, Rosie, to a production put on by Northwest High School. I later enjoyed the 1955 film starring Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando.

8. Cinderella– This made-for-TV musical by Rogers and Hammerstein will be the major focus of our next episode.

7. Fiddler on the Roof– This is one of Mom’s favorites. I saw a production of it perhaps 30 years ago at Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University. It was part of a package I had to purchase to get tickets to Phantom of the Opera. I occasionally quote lyrics from the show when teaching religion classes at my church.

6. Hamilton– With great difficulty, I memorized the opening song. I once wrote a parody of that song dedicated to a friend of mine. Now, if I try to sing the song, my parody is the only version I can remember. I have seen the version that aired on Disney+, but I would love to see it live someday.

5. West Side Story– Another of Mom’s favorites. I’ve seen a live production at Clowes Hall, as well as the 1961 film and the 2021 Spielberg remake. I love them all.

4. South Pacific– One of Mom’s favorites. I enjoyed watching some of my high school friends in the Northwest High School production and greatly enjoyed the 1958 film and the 2001 made-for-TV production starring Glenn Close and Harry Connick Jr.

3. Phantom of the Opera – I saw a memorable production of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s masterpiece by a touring company accompanied by my friends Judy and Anne. I love the film and have listened to the soundtrack dozens of times. I once wrote a parody of “I Dreamed a Dream” as a love song to a girlfriend, turning it into a positive song about how she fulfilled my dreams.

2. Les Miserables– This is the first professionally produced musical I ever saw in person. I’ve seen it live three times and watched the movie dozens of times. I own three different versions on CD. I could sing many of the songs on demand.

1. Jesus Christ Superstar – I fell in love with the original album and have listened to it easily 100 times. I saw a touring company production with Ted Neely as Jesus. He played Jesus in the 1973 film and devoted his entire life to playing the part. I’ve seen that film version perhaps 50 times, the 2012 Arena Tour version twice, and the 2018 TV concert version possibly eight times, and it still resides on my DVR. I could sing the entire rock opera front to back.

I once saw someone in an online discussion say that Broadway musicals were ridiculously unrealistic. “Nobody suddenly bursts into song in the middle of an ordinary day.”

Someone replied, “You don’t know my mother.”

I chimed in, “My mother, too.”

Mom loved to sing show tunes. She could get triggered by the most mundane things. My dad, sisters, and I learned to be careful what we said. We had to avoid saying anything that contained a phrase from a musical. For example, any mention of the word “tradition” would trigger the song from “Fidler on the Roof.” One dared not mention the state of Oklahoma.

Sometimes, the triggers were unavoidable. At about 6500 N. Georgetown Rd., there is an apartment complex called Lake Camelot Apartments. We frequently traveled Georgetown Road en route to St. Vincent Hospital and several of our doctors’ offices. As annoying as it was to have Mom burst into the title song of the 1960 musical Camelot by Lerner and Loewe every time we passed there, sometimes, when I go by the place today, I can’t resist humming a few bars in memory of my mom.

These are just more examples of how fantasy, musicals, and fairy tales provide us with rich inspiration as we continue contemplating life.

In our next episode, I will discuss a memorable made-for-TV production of Cinderella that still moves me to tears. In future episodes, we will take our first journey to Oz, courtesy of the 1938 classic film The Wizard of Oz. Only with that background and context can we appreciate the 2024 musical film Wicked Part 1 and the origin of the alleged Wicked Witch, Elphaba.

That should take us into my annual series on the 10 Oscar-nominated films of the year. Note that the voting period and nomination announcement have been extended because of the Los Angeles area fires. The announcement of the nominees scheduled for January 17 has been pushed back to January 23, and the trophies will be awarded as scheduled on March 2.

If you find this podcast educational, entertaining, enlightening, or even inspiring, consider sponsoring me on Patreon for just $5 per month. You will get early access to the podcast and other exclusive content. Although I have some financial struggles, I’m not really in this for money. Still, every little bit helps.

As always, my deepest thanks to my financial supporters. Your support means more to me than words can express.

Even if you cannot provide financial support. Please, please, please post the links and share this podcast on social media so that I can grow my audience. I just want more people to be able to hear my stories.

All of my back episodes are available, and I encourage you to check them out if you’re new to this podcast. If you have any comments, questions, or other feedback, please feel free to comment on any of the platforms where you found this podcast.

I will see you next time as we continue contemplating life. Until then, fly safe.

This is the first of a multipart series inspired by the hit movie musical “Wicked–Part 1.” This series will be about musical theater, fairy tales, and fantasy in general.

Hello, this is Chris Young. Welcome to Episode 81 of Contemplating Life. Happy New Year, and welcome to the first episode of season 3. I didn’t think we would get this far, but here we are.

When I first came up with the idea for this episode, I thought it would be a one-off episode and not part of a lengthy series. Having written 2300 words and barely scratched the surface. It’s evidently the beginning of a longer series. Probably 3 or 4 episodes. That’s great. I like having rich topics to explore, and apparently, I’ve hit a bigger vein of storytelling treasure than I originally anticipated.

This series is inspired by the hit movie musical “Wicked–Part 1” which my sister Carol and I just watched a few days ago on a digital download. This series is going to be about musical theater, fairy tales, and fantasy in general.

Although it’s embarrassing to admit, fantasy has always played a role in my life, from my earliest memories to the present.

I had an imaginary friend named Dopey when I was about three or four years old. He was named after the seventh dwarf from Disney’s 1937 film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” In the film, Dopey never speaks, which I suppose makes him a convenient subject for an imaginary friend.

My parents were concerned this was an indication that my disability was not just physical. Perhaps I had some mental or psychological issues. They took me to see a child psychologist who tested me. She assured them that I was fine mentally. I was highly intelligent, and that imaginary friends were normal, especially for gifted children with vivid imaginations. My lack of opportunity to interact with other kids also made it more likely that I would invent a playmate.

According to the lore I invented, my friend Dopey drove around in a small metal pedal car. Perhaps I’d seen such kids’ vehicles on TV or in the Sears Christmas catalog. Realizing that my feet were not strong enough to pedal such a vehicle, Dopey was a manifestation of my desire to be able to power a wheeled vehicle myself. This fantasy would not be fulfilled until I was 10 years old when I got my first motorized wheelchair. At the time, I don’t think I yet had a manual wheelchair. My parents didn’t purchase it until I was nearly 5 years old. Up until that, they just carried me around.

Another early memory is that I was extremely shy and reluctant to participate in physical affection. The constant demands to give my grandmothers and great-aunts hugs and kisses were often met with protests from me. At one point, I distinctly recall claiming that I had no kisses to give. It was as if they were a tangible entity that could only be dispensed when supplies were available. I further explained that Dopey was my supply source, and I could not share what had not provided for me. By the way, I was not talking about Hershey’s Kisses. I meant real kisses. Furthermore, I did not imagine that Dopey had to kiss me before I could pass it along. That was not my relationship with him. We were just buddies. It was simply that, somehow, he was a mysterious source of my ability to give kisses.

Over the decades, I’ve tried to analyze this bizarre memory that, somehow, a kiss was in limited supply and had to be obtained from a source. I’ve not been able to uncover the logic behind it. No wonder my parents thought there was something mentally wrong with me.

One clue in my quest to uncover the source of this strange connection between Dopey and kissing came several years ago. I don’t recall when. I saw a clip from Snow White where the dwarfs were going off to work. As they go out the door, Snow White kisses each of them on the top of their head. When it is Dopey’s turn, he attempts a kiss with his lips. Snow White grabs him by his big ears and forces the kiss on his head. He runs over to the cottage window, climbs back in, and exits the door again to get a second kiss. Again, he puckers his lips, is grabbed by the ears, and receives another peck on the forehead. On his third attempt, he is unsuccessful in getting anything but a stern look from Snow White. This is the only connection I’ve ever found between Dopey and kisses. Apparently, he was a horny little dude. No wonder he was a role model for me. I have no idea if it’s the source or inspiration of my bizarre idea that my imaginary friend provided me with kisses to give.

I’ve given a lot of thought to how children are forced to give hugs and kisses to grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. For decades, I’ve seen many children who were reluctant to give physical affection to adult relatives. This seems especially true for male children.

What are we teaching our children by this practice? The way I see it, we are telling them that people in authority, especially adults over children, have the right to demand physical affection from us, and we are powerless to stop it. What precedent does this set in their young minds? How many victims of child sexual abuse were raised in an environment in which it was mandatory to give hugs and kisses to adult relatives?

Most abusers were abused as children. But even if one was not abused as a child, doesn’t this plant the seed that could lead them to justify pedophilia later in life? How many spousal abusers and victims of spousal abuse were taught at an early age that physical affection could be forced upon an unwilling participant? The same is true for any sexual abuse or manipulation by someone in authority over someone powerless to say no, such as employer/employee and teacher/student relationships.

Obviously, not everyone who was forced to give grandma a kiss turned out to be an abuser or victim of abuse. But how and why did such practice become common without consideration of its possible consequences?

Fortunately, I’ve been blessed in that I have never faced even a hint of possible abuse. This is especially comforting because I know that disabled people are at higher risk than the average population.

Anyway, moving along. Back to Snow White and my fantasy life.

Part of the mystery I want to solve is how I was aware of the Snow White characters in the first place.

I don’t think my parents or grandparents took me to see the 1958 rerelease. It would’ve made a memorable impression on me as my first film. As previously reported in this podcast, I’m confident my first movie was at the drive-in and was likely either “Ben Hur” or one of the early Ray Harryhausen stop-motion animated action films. I’m confident the first Disney film I saw was Mary Poppins in 1964. The first animated Disney film I saw was “The Jungle Book” in 1967. Both of these were at the Lafayette Road Drive-In Theater.

I wondered if perhaps I became aware of the characters from the weekly Sunday night TV show “The Wonderful World of Disney” hosted by Walt Disney.

I created my own controversy over the title of the show. I remember it as “The Wonderful World of Disney.” Both Wikipedia and IMDb say that it was originally titled simply “Disneyland.” That’s no problem. But IMDb says its real name was “The Magical World of Disney.” I was ready to concede that IMDb was right and my memory that it was wonderful versus magical was in error. Perhaps it was an incident of We have the Mandela effect. I even wrote and recorded part of this episode, claiming that I was wrong. The problem haunted me. I went looking through YouTube and found episodes of the show as far back as 1958. Clearly, it was titled “The Wonderful World of Disney.” Not “The Magical World of Disney.” Granted, the show was full of wonder and magic, but I’m confident I had the title right all along.

I tried googling when and if the 1937 Snow White aired on TV. Many Disney classics were aired in edited versions on the Sunday night Disney show. My research indicates that Snow White did not make its television debut until March 6, 2010, on the ABC Family Channel and a few days later on the Disney Channel.

For decades, I believed Snow White had made its theatrical premiere sometime in my early childhood in the late 1950s. I did not realize it was as old as 1937. Wikipedia reports its first re-release was in 1944 to help Disney Studio get over a financial slump during World War II. Subsequent releases were in 1952, 1958, 1967, 1975, 1983, 1987, and 1993. I was three years old in 1958, which is probably when I first became aware of it. I know I had many children’s books in the Little Golden Books series featuring Disney characters. I specifically recall a much beloved Christmas book featuring the Disney chipmunk characters Chip and Dale. A quick search of eBay revealed that, indeed, there was a Disney Snow White Little Golden Book. Of those that I browsed online, they did not show the scene of Dopey stealing extra kisses.

In addition to Disney’s Chipmunks Chip and Dale, I was also a huge fan of Alvin and the Chipmunks and their 1958 record “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late).” Recently, my 22-year-old home health aide was shocked to learn that Alvin and the Chipmunks dated back to when I was three years old.

You are off-topic again, Chris. Get back to Snow White.

I recall that my Aunt Jody drew seven portraits of the dwarfs, which we framed and hung on my bedroom wall for many years. They were drawn in crayon. My guess is that they were traced from a coloring book. She would have been in her late teens at the time.

According to Wikipedia, the 1993 re-release of Snow White was the first time in history that a feature film was digitally scanned, restored, and then copied back to film.

In October 2023, in celebration of 100 years of Disney, a new digitally restored version was released in 4k UHD Blu-ray format. It had been painstakingly restored from an original Technicolor negative over several years. That 4k version was also released to Disney+ streaming and is available now.

The first time I can guarantee I have seen the entire 1937 Snow White was today – January 6, 2025, when I watched it on Disney+ streaming. I was very impressed with the quality of the restoration. The quality of the hand-drawn animation also blew me away. I can’t recall any other hand-drawn animated film I’ve ever seen that could compare with what I watched today. It is absolutely stunning.

The story of Snow White, as we know it today, originated as a German fairy tale passed down by oral tradition. It was eventually published in 1812 in the first edition of Grimms’ Fairy Tales and revised into its final form in 1854. There is much scholarly debate about the origin of the tale.

What is it about this story that makes it a timeless classic? It’s a love story between a prince and a princess. It’s a story of longing. It’s a story of hope. It’s a story of evil expressed by vanity, envy, persecution, and hatred. It’s the story of Snow White’s kindness towards the dwarfs and their hospitality, loyalty, and protectiveness towards her. It celebrates the diversity of the dwarfs, each with their own distinct personalities embodied by their names. It is a story of the Resurrection and salvation.

We need allegories in the form of fairy tales like Snow White. They provide a proven, timeless way to contemplate life.

I encourage you to check out the linked Wikipedia articles on Snow White for more details about the Disney adaptation and the original telling of the folktale by the Brothers Grimm.

In our next episode, I explore my relationship with another classic fairy tale and my introduction to Broadway musicals. This is all in service of our journey to the Emerald City and the origin of the alleged Wicked Witch, Elphaba.

If you find this podcast educational, entertaining, enlightening, or even inspiring, consider sponsoring me on Patreon for just $5 per month. You will get early access to the podcast and other exclusive content. Although I have some financial struggles, I’m not really in this for money. Still, every little bit helps.

As always, my deepest thanks to my financial supporters. Your support means more to me than words can express.

Even if you cannot provide financial support. Please, please, please post the links and share this podcast on social media so that I can grow my audience. I just want more people to be able to hear my stories.

All of my back episodes are available, and I encourage you to check them out if you’re new to this podcast. If you have any comments, questions, or other feedback, please feel free to comment on any of the platforms where you found this podcast.

I will see you next time as we continue contemplating life. Until then, fly safe.

This week, we conclude my reviews of 31 new primetime TV shows.

Hello, this is Chris Young. Welcome to a special episode of Contemplating Life.

Back in Episode 75, I set myself the goal of writing a brief review of every new TV show that premiered from September through November this year. I accumulated a list of 31 shows.

I planned on making it one large episode, but it was too large, so I split it into two parts. This is Part B.

Unfortunately, many of the shows will receive my lowest two ratings of “Skip It” or “Worthless.” But there are some that I’m going to highly recommend.

CBS/Paramount+ brings us a new reality competition series, “The Summit.” A group of 16 people have 14 days to hike across a gorgeous New Zealand landscape and climb a mountain. Each contestant starts out with a package of thousands of dollars totaling $1 million for the group. If a contestant is eliminated for medical reasons or is eliminated for failing to meet a challenge, the money is lost to the group. But as they camp at each checkpoint along the way, the group votes out one member and splits that person’s money equally among them.

The gimmick is that if they don’t reach the summit in 14 days, NONE of them get any money. As a fan of shows like “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race,” I’m really enjoying this new take on reality competition. By the way, I never cared for “Big Brother” because it is almost 100% a social game and doesn’t require much in the way of physical challenges.

The thing that surprises me about this series is that the contestants must think they are playing “Survivor,” but they are not. They are consistently voting out players who they think are “a threat to my game.” They don’t seem to appreciate that if they don’t vote out the physically weaker players, they will ALL lose the money. This is not going to be a winner-take-all game with just one winner like “Survivor.” They need to be voting out the weakest players, guaranteeing that they can reach the summit by the deadline, and then work on voting out the people they don’t like socially.

I’ve seen about five episodes, so I don’t know what will happen, but I seriously hope they don’t meet the goal and everyone walks away with no cash. Maybe then, contestants in season 2, if there is one, will learn how to play this game.

We’re calling this one “I Really Like It.” And if you enjoy “Survivor” or “The Amazing Race,” I’m sure you will too, even if it’s just to yell at the screen to tell the contestants how stupid they are for throwing out strong players and slowing themselves down by keeping weaker players.

Now we get down to action and drama, and boy, we have some whoppers here.

Let’s start with the only questionable series in the bunch.

Apple TV+ brings us Billy Crystal, in a dramatic role in “Before.” Crystal plays child psychiatrist Eli Adler, who is grieving the recent loss of his wife to suicide. He blames himself for not seeing the signs of her depression. One evening, a young boy knocks on his door. The boy doesn’t speak, and Eli tries to find out where the boy is from and if he is in some sort of danger. The boy escapes before he can extract any information from him. The next day, a social worker tries to get him to take on a difficult case. He initially refuses because he still dealing with the grief of losing his wife. The social worker persuades him to meet the boy, and of course, it’s the same boy who showed up at his door.

The kid is troubled by bizarre visions of some evil force trying to attack him. The description of the series reveals that the “troubled young boy seems to have a haunting connection to Eli’s past.”

Although I normally like Crystal in both comedic and dramatic roles, this one was just too strange and slow-paced to grab me. I struggled through an episode, and I may go back again to see what happens when, overall, at this point, I’m going to have to say “Skip It,” even though it’s based on some pretty incomplete information. Again, I’m reluctant to commit to the show until I have a better idea of what it’s about. Based on my recent bad experience with “Grotesquerie.” The IMDB classifies it as “drama” and “thriller.” It doesn’t say “sci-fi” or “horror,” so I don’t think there is a supernatural component at work here, but I could be wrong. Proceed with extreme caution.

Next up, Amazon Prime offers us two new spy thriller series. “Citadel: Diana” and “Citadel: Honey Bunny.” These are both spinoffs from an earlier Amazon series, “Citadel.” The gimmick is that the original was produced in Britain, and the various spinoff versions are produced in other countries. Diana is an Italian series dubbed in English. Honey Bunny is from India and is also dubbed in English. I had not seen the original series, so I decided to go back and watch it first before taking on the spinoffs. I’m quite happy I did.

The opening sequence of a gunfight on a high-speed European train. It’s cinematic in its execution. It looks like something out of a James Bond movie. There is much chemistry between the male and female agents who are on board the train trying to stop the bad guys. The opening sequence ends with the destruction and derailing of the train and our two heroes barely escaping with their lives.

We fast-forward eight years to find the male agent has amnesia and doesn’t remember his life as a secret agent. When his former boss recruits him for a special mission, his wife inquires, “So what is the deal here… Are you Jason Bourne?” So, they are upfront about ripping off a plot. There are also other highly unoriginal scenarios, including a chase down a mountainside on snow skis reminiscent of James Bond in “The Spy Who Loved Me.”

Our hero eventually meets up with the female agent, who has similarly lost her memory. It turns out that they have had their memory wiped as a security precaution. There is a vile of medication that will restore his memory, but it is accidentally destroyed.

They work for an agency of good guys called Citadel. They have an archrival agency called Manticore. The whole thing feels like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. versus Hydra. The opening sequence on the train was one of several traps that Manticore set for Citadel, essentially destroying the agency. The series revolves around the efforts of the boss, played by Stanley Tucci, who is trying to revitalize the organization.

Despite all of these unoriginal plotlines, I really enjoyed this series. It had some great plot twists along the way, and the action and special effects were cinematic quality. Rate it “I Really Like It.” I highly recommend it.

After watching a couple of episodes of the Italian spinoff “Citadel: Diana,” showed some potential, but I did not find it nearly as compelling as the original. The series takes place in 2030, which is 10 years after the fall of Citadel. I’ll eventually go back and watch the rest of the series, but I was not as impressed as I was with the original. Let’s call this one a weak “I’m Watching.”

The version from India, while not as compelling as the original Citadel, is much better than the Italian spinoff. The title “Honey Bunny” actually refers to 2 married agents: Honey and her husband, Bunny. This story flashes back and forth between 2000 and 2010. In earlier flashbacks, we learn how Honey was recruited by the agency. In 2010, we find that they are married and have a young daughter. Watching Honey fight bad guys to protect her child was much more compelling than the CW series “Joan,” in which an allegedly humble single mother takes on the glamorous life of a jewel thief to regain custody of her daughter. You feel a lot more for Honey, Bunny, and their daughter than you ever do for Joan and hers.

Let’s rate this one a strong “I’m Watching.” It may not be as spectacular as the British original “Citadel,” but it still has plenty of action and drama. The kid is adorable, and you can really feel the struggles of her parents trying to maintain their secret life while protecting their daughter from the forces of evil.

My only complaint so far is that they’ve not mentioned that they work for Citadel, which leaves a nagging question: Could they possibly be working for Manticore and just believing that they are the good guys and not the bad guys? Then again, are the allegedly good guys at Citadel really good guys? I will be binge-watching the remaining episodes soon. All three series have six episodes each. The original Citadel has been renewed for a second season, which I’m really looking forward to.

Another thriller with an international flair is Peacock TV’s reimagining of “ The Day of the Jackal.” The original 1973 film based on the 1971 Frederick Forsyth novel was about an assassin hired to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle in the 1960s. This updated version stars Freddie Redmayne, who is most known for his portrayal of Newt Scamander in the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise, and Professor Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything.” It’s strange to see him playing a bad guy, but he pulls it off well. This series is as much about him as it is about a British MI6 firearms agent, Bianca Pullman, who struggles to balance her life as an agent with her home life with her husband and daughter.

In this version, Jackal assassinates a German politician, which draws attention to him because it involves the longest sniper kill in history. A group of businessmen hires him to kill the richest man in the world – a tech entrepreneur who is about to release software that will trace any banking transaction in the world, thereby exposing all of their money laundering, bribes, and other transactions they would prefer to be kept secret.

Five of the 10 episodes are available now, and I can’t wait to see the remaining episodes. I’ve heard it’s been renewed for a second season, but I can’t imagine it ends with the Jackal getting away. I’m not sure what will happen in the second season. Rate this one: “I Really Like It.”

Just for fun, I’m also re-watching the original 1973 film and, for the first time, reading the book at the same time. I highly recommend the new theories, the book, and the original film. I can’t comment on the 1997 film “The Jackal” starring Bruce Willis and Richard Gere, but I know that novelist Frederick Forsyth insisted his name be removed from the film. That’s one strike against it.

Moving along to another action drama, Amazon Prime has “Cross” about Detective Alex Cross from the novels by James Patterson. This DC homicide detective is also a trained psychologist. In the opening scene, his wife is murdered. We then skip ahead one year later, where we see him filling out forms requesting a leave of absence. His Captain and the Chief of Police have different plans. They need an African-American detective to investigate the death of a community organizer. Although the official cause of death is a drug overdose, no one believes that. Cross and his partner, John, find plenty of evidence that the deceased did not overdose.

Eventually, they begin to realize they are dealing with a serial killer who is kidnapping victims and giving them a makeover to make them look like famous serial killers. In the first episode, you will learn who the killer really is. You follow along as Detective Cross first tries to identify the killer and then, upon doing so, has to figure out how to catch him and make his case. Meanwhile, Cross, his children, and his grandmother are all being threatened by a stalker. This stalking is related to the death of his wife.

This is a very enjoyable wild ride that I highly recommend. Rate this one: “I Really Like It.”

Another procedural drama worth checking out is the new CBS spinoff NCIS: Origins. Set in 1991, it follows the opening days of agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs’s career as he joined what was then called NIS: Naval Investigation Service. We see his relationship with his old friend, Agent Mike Franks, whom we saw in the original NCIS in 20 episodes.

Mark Harmon provides a voiceover as the present-day Agent Gibbs. The narration teases that of all the stories of his past, these are the ones he has never told before. We see Gibbs still struggling with the murder of his wife and daughter. Franks recruited him even though he failed his psych evaluation.

Having only seen a couple of episodes, I can tell it’s going to be up to par with the other versions of the NCIS franchise, and for now, I’m giving it an “I’m Watching It.” However, I’m not sure if I will be able to keep up because I’m at least two or three seasons behind on the original NCIS. So maybe it’s better to describe it as “Recommended Watchable.”

Just two more to go.

Apple TV+ offers us a thriller called “Disclaimer.” Cate Blanchett plays Catherine Ravenscroft, a respected award-winning documentary journalist. Kevin Klein plays an elderly widower, Stephen Brigstocke. He is forced to take a sabbatical from his teaching job, and while puttering around the house, he discovers his late wife wrote the manuscript of a novel fictionalizing the events of their son Jonathan’s death 20 years ago.

In the novel, Jonathan is on vacation in Italy and meets an attractive young woman with whom he has an affair. We learn that the woman is Catherine. She was on vacation with her husband and five-year-old son, but the husband was called back to work. In the novel, she seduces Jonathan, and he takes a series of erotic photos of her. Stephen discovers the photos with the manuscript.

While Jonathan and the woman were having sex in a beachside cabana, the young boy drifted out into the Mediterranean in a small inflatable raft. Jonathan swims out to save the boy. Two other bystanders join him and bring the boy back safely, but Jonathan is so exhausted he cannot make it back and drowns.

Stephen decides to get revenge on Catherine. He will ruin the woman’s life as she has ruined the lives of him and his late wife. He self-publishes the novel under a pseudonym and sends a copy to Catherine, her husband, and their now 25-year-old son.

The book contains a disclaimer that reads, “Any resemblance to real people is NOT a coincidence.”

The series uses a variety of voiceover narrators. Some are of Stephen, others Catherine, and sometimes an omniscient narrator who speaks in the second person present tense, which is a bit strange but effective.

Stephen becomes so obsessed that he will stop at nothing to get his revenge. With each victory along the way, Klein delivers an evil smirk that shows Steven’s joy that his plan is working.

Although a bit slow-moving and difficult to follow at first, with multiple flashbacks and flash-forwards, this one will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the 7 episodes. There are award-worthy performances from Klein and Blanchette, as well as great supporting work by Sacha Baron Cohen as Catherine’s husband, Robert, in a rare dramatic role. Also noteworthy is Louis Partridge as Jonathan and Kodi Smit-McPhee as the adult son Nicholas.

There is a huge plot twist in the final episode that you will not see coming. But in some respects, we enter the story through Stephen’s eyes, and the twist is a surprise to him that we really feel. I was concerned it was going to end with the audience not being sure what really happened, but there is no doubt at the end as to what the truth really was.

Again, it is very slow-moving but well worth your time. Let’s rate this one “I Really Like It.” Strongly recommended.

Finally, here is the review of the last of the 31 new TV series.

CBS/Paramount+ offers us a 10-episode series, “Landman,” starring Billy Bob Thorton as Tommy Noris. He works for an oil company in the oil fields around Midland, Texas.

In the opening scene, we find him in a remote warehouse, tied to a chair with a burlap bag over his head, being guarded by some nasty-looking guys with guns. When the boss arrives, he asks, “So you are going to take our land to drill oil?” Tommy calmly explains that the man purchased the land from someone who had previously sold the mineral rights. All he is there to do is negotiate a lease for the surface rights to put in a road and set up the drills.

After some fascinating exposition, Tommy explains that the oil company is bigger than this man’s drug business. Tommy says, “We are the same. Your customers are dependent upon your product, and so are mine.” He threatens that if they don’t cooperate, he will see to it that the DEA sets up a substation on the property, and/or the oil company will hire mercenaries to eliminate them all. The company will pay them for a lease to the surface rights as well as reparations for any damage that is done to the land.

After escaping with the signed lease and his life, Tommy has a voiceover narration that explains how massive the oil industry is. He then comments, “You gotta secure the rights and lock up the surface. Then babysit the owners, babysit the crews. Then manage the police and the press when the babies refuse to be sat. That’s my job. Secure the lease, then manage the people. First part’s pretty simple. It’s the second part that can get you killed.”

Really? This guy was just tied up and about to be killed by a bunch of cartel bad guys, and that was the simple part of the job?

After two episodes, one starts to understand he was right. We see Tommy managing one crisis after another, and most of them are deadly.

The action sequences, special effects, and stunts are top-notch. They must’ve had a massive budget for the series. Thornton creates a memorable character, as always. We have memorable supporting roles: Ali Larter as Tommy’s ex-wife, Jon Hamm as the head of the oil company, and a cameo by Demi Moore as his wife.

I’m giving this one a very strong “I Really Like It.” I can’t wait for the remaining episodes. Very highly recommended.

Let’s do a brief recap of all 31 series we have reviewed in the order in which they premiered.

Fox animation “Universal Basic Guys” rated “Worthless.”

ABC police procedural “High Potential” rated “I’m Watching It.”

Disney+ Marvel series “Agatha All Along” rated ”I’m Watching It.”

HBO/Max “The Penguin” rated a strong “I Really Like It,” and after seeing all 10 episodes, I can almost upgrade this to “Must See.” Destined for multiple Emmy nominations and hopefully several wins. Again, this is a gangster movie, not a comic book movie. I think anyone would like it.

CBS/Paramount+ legal drama “Matlock” starring Kathy Bates rated “I Really Like It.”

Fox drama “Rescue Hi-Surf “ rated strong “Skip It.”

NBC medical drama “Brilliant Minds” rated very weak “Could Be Watchable.”

Fox police procedural “Murder in a Small Town” rated “Skip It.”

FX/Hulu horror series “Grotesquerie” rated “Skip It.”

ABC cruise ship romantic comedy “Doctor Odyssey” rated “Skip It.”

CBS/Paramount+ reality competition “The Summit” rated “I Really Like It.”

CW network crime drama “Joan” rated a weak “I’m Watching It” or “Could Be Watchable.”

CW game shows “Trivial Pursuit” and “Scrabble” rated “Skip It.”

Amazon Prime spy drama “Citadel” rated “I Really Like It.” Italian spinoff “Citadel: Diana” rated a weak “I’m Watching It.” East Indian spinoff “Citade: Honey Bunny” rated strong “I’m Watching It.”

Peacock horror series “Teacup” rated strong “Skip It.”

Apple TV+ revenge drama “Disclaimer” rated strong “I Really Like It.”

Max CGI animated children’s show Barney’s World rated “Recommended Watchable” for its target audience.

CBS/Paramount+ crime procedural “NCIS: Origins” rated “I’m Watching It.”

CW reality show “The Wranglers” rated “Skip It.”

Amazon Prime game show “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity” rated “Skip It.”

CBS/Paramount+ sitcom “George and Mandy’s First Marriage” rated “Could be Watchable.”

NBC sitcom “Happy’s Place” starring Reba McIntyre, rated “Could Be Watchable.”

CBS sitcom “Poppa’s House” starring Damon Wayans, Sr. and Jr., rated “Could Be Watchable.”

Apple TV+ drama “Before” starring Billy Crystal rated “Skip It.”

Disney Channel tween sitcom “Wizards Beyond Waverley Place” rated “Recommended Watchable” for its target demographic.

Peacock thriller “Day of the Jackal” rated “I Really Like It.”

NBC/Peacock sitcom “St. Denis Medical” rated “Skip It.”

Amazon Prime crime thriller “Cross”, based on James Patterson’s novels, rated “I Really Like It.”

Finally, Paramount+ drama “Landman” starring Billy Bob Thornton rated “I Really Like It.”

So that’s it with all my reviews. I’m not sure where we go from here. It will probably be more about the aftereffects of having to quit work for health reasons and the establishment of my work-from-home software business. Then, early next year, it will be Oscar season again. There will be more prime-time shows in January, but I don’t know if I will do this again.

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Even if you cannot provide financial support. Please, please, please post the links and share this podcast on social media so that I can grow my audience. I just want more people to be able to hear my stories.

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I will see you next time as we continue contemplating life. Until then, fly safe.

This week, we have the first part of a two-part episode in which I review more new TV shows. The final part will be available in a few days.

Hello, this is Chris Young. Welcome to a special episode of Contemplating Life.

Back in Episode 75, I set myself the goal of writing a brief review of every new TV show that premiered from September through November this year. I accumulated a list of 31 shows. I did several of them in episode 75 and intended to do a review episode every other week until I was done. But I got on a roll with writing my regular autobiographical podcast, and some of the TV shows were so good I had to binge-watch the entire season. So, I’m just now getting around to finishing up the remaining reviews. I should probably split this into two episodes, but I’m just going to make a really long one since it probably won’t come out on time. I apologize in advance for the length.

I was going to make this one big long episode, but after doing some editing I realized it was just too long. So, we are going to split this into Parts A and B. Here is Part A.

Unfortunately, many of the shows will receive my lowest two ratings of “Skip It” or “Worthless.” But there are some that I’m going to highly recommend. So, let’s get rid of a bunch of the stinkers first.

For some reason, I’ve never been a big fan of Fox’s Sunday evening animation. I’ve probably only seen one or two episodes of “The Simpsons.” I appreciate that it is highly popular. It has run for 36 seasons and earned 37 Primetime Emmy Awards, but for some reason, it never appealed to me. I know that other Fox animated series have been popular as well, most notably “Family Guy,” but I’ve never seen it. So, I’m probably not well-qualified to be objective about the newest entry in the lineup, “Universal Basic Guys.”

The premise is that a bunch of guys got laid off from work, and as severance, they were awarded guaranteed universal basic income. Other than the title and an opening sequence explaining that premise, the concept of UBI never came up in the first episode. It seems that it’s just a gimmick to explain a bunch of guys who sit around with nothing to do all day except come up with harebrained schemes. In the first episode, our lead character, Hank, tries to do his wife a favor. She is upset that the local country club does not admit women, and she wants to play golf there. He cooks up a scheme to get admitted to the club to try to get her access. It turns out that the members’ wives want to keep the club male only to keep their husbands occupied so that they can pursue more important feminist agendas. It’s not very funny. It doesn’t work as social commentary. I’m sure that other Fox animated series are more entertaining. We’re giving this one a big fat “Worthless” rating.

I’m similarly unqualified to be objective about the next entry from Fox – “Rescue: Hi-Surf.” This is a basic ripoff of “Baywatch” set in Hawaii. It follows the lives of a bunch of lifeguards who cover the beaches of the North Shore and rescue people in trouble in the high surf. While the action sequences of rescues are well done and exciting, you can’t help but feel it’s going to be the same thing week after week. How many different ways can a surfer get in trouble and be rescued? The characters are thinly drawn. The only plot is a politician who holds the pursestrings over the program insisting that his son be hired as a lifeguard. Wow. How compelling…No, not really. If you’re desperate to see beautiful people running around in bathing suits, go watch the new ABC series “Doctor Odyssey,” which we gave a bad review of last time. It’s not any good either, but it’s better than this. I’m giving this a strong “Skip It” bordering on “Worthless.”

I hate to trash Fox continually, but I also give the new procedural “Murder in a Small Town” a hard pass. The title tells you everything you need to know. I watched the opening episode about a week ago, and I’ve already forgotten what it was about. They solved the murder, so there will be a new case every week. There is nothing to see here. Again, I rate it “Skip it,” bordering on “Worthless.”

Let’s take a quick look at several new game shows. The CW network offers “Trivial Pursuit,” hosted by LeVar Burton, who was recently rejected as a possible host of “Jeopardy!” I had no problem with his ability to host the iconic game show, even though I really like Ken Jennings, who is the new permanent host. I have no problem with Burton hosting this show. But this show is extremely boring. The pace is too slow, and the questions are either trivially easy or ridiculously difficult. Rating it strong “Skip It.”

I was even less impressed by CW’s other adaptation of the board game “Scrabble.” While I enjoy playing the game, watching other people play it is incredibly boring. You’ll never find yourself saying, “They played the wrong word! They could’ve scored higher if they’d spelled something else.” Host Raven-Symoné is adequate but brings nothing interesting. Another strong rating of “Skip It.”

Only slightly less boring is Amazon Prime’s “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity.” While I generally enjoyed the original “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader,” this spinoff, which uses adult celebrity helpers rather than fifth-grade children, lacks all of the charm of the original. It might be better if they used celebrity kids to help adult contestants rather than adult celebrities helping adult contestants. The format is identical to the original “5th Grader” game. Contestants answer questions ranging from first through fifth-grade levels. Host Travis Kelce brings nothing interesting to the effort. I doubt that his relationship with Taylor Swift will draw viewers to this show, even though she vastly increased the viewership of Kansas City Chiefs NFL games. Unless she shows up as one of the celebrity helpers, I doubt the Swiftlies will tune in. Kelce lacks the charm and humor of original “5th-grader” host Jeff Foxworthy.

Speaking of Kelce, he is a better game show host than an actor. He has a minor part in the Hulu series “Grotesquerie,” but his performance was grossly inadequate and amateurish.

So, let’s talk about “Grotesquerie.”

I’m not a huge fan of the horror genre, but this one caught my attention from the beginning, and I had high hopes for it. It stars Niecy Nash as Detective Lois Tryon, who is trying to solve a series of bizarre homicides in which the killer leaves the bodies staged in bizarre tableaus filled with religious symbolism. She is accompanied by a young nun who is a reporter for a Catholic newspaper and website. Her true crime articles about this bizarre serial killer not only increase the readership of her website but also boost attendance at local churches. This show is highly reminiscent of the NBC series “Hannibal,” which ran for 39 episodes from 2013-2015. That series covered the early days of the killing career of iconic character Dr. Hannibal Lecter, brilliantly portrayed by Mads Mikkelsen. I really enjoyed “Hannibal” and was ready to declare this a worthy successor.

This is a compelling mystery with excellently written episodes and deeply drawn characters with despicable flaws. With the exception of Travis Kelce, there are quality performances throughout.

I found “Grotesquerie” so disturbing I actually had a nightmare about it.

Throughout the first 6 1/2 episodes of the series, I wondered if there was going to be a supernatural component to this story. The series was co-created by Ryan Murphy, who is known for his excellent series “American Horror Story,” so it would not surprise me if there were a supernatural plot element. I’ve only seen 8 of the 12 seasons of “American Horror Story,” but my favorite was season 7, which contained absolutely no supernatural elements. Often, real life can be more terrifying than demons and witches.

Episode 7 of “Grotesquerie” introduces a plot twist that completely upends the entire story. By the end of the series, in episode 10, you will be totally confused. Although I think I understand “what really happened,” the entire thing was such a disappointment that it left a really bad taste in my mouth. It turns out to be another version of a horror trope that I’ve never liked in any of its other implementations, and this one did nothing to change my opinion. I won’t spoil it by telling you what trope I’m talking about.

Had I written this review prior to episode 7, I would have given it a strong “I’m watching it” rating. But all I can say at this point is that I watched it, and I’m not sure it was worth the time. Your mileage may vary. Let’s officially downgrade this to “Skip It.”

By the way, I love a good plot twist. But when the twist reveals that the story is deliberately deceiving the audience rather than just setting up a mystery or a big reveal, I cannot help but feel betrayed. While we are on the topic of betraying the audience, I want to talk briefly about the 2022 Netflix film “On the Line” starring Mel Gibson. By the way, I’ve always been able to separate the art from the artist, so no matter how I feel about him as a person, I’ve always been able to enjoy his work both as a director and actor. He gives a quality performance in this deeply flawed film.

Gibson plays a late-night radio talk show host that takes phone calls from listeners. Someone calls in, claiming to have kidnapped his wife and daughter. We eventually learn that he is holding them in the office building where the radio studio is located. Gibson and a new employee who runs the control room start searching the empty office building. Along the way, they find the bad guy has killed a security guard and a janitor.

As the show reaches its climax, there is a plot twist that will leave you extremely angry. I won’t hint at what it is. Just when you are about to forgive them for tricking you with this ridiculous twist, and you think the movie is back on track, there is another twist guaranteed to piss you off again. I tried to explain these twists away, saying that the characters in the film were heartless people who toy with each other’s emotions, but ultimately, the real victim is you, the audience, that is toyed with throughout the film.

Going back to the horror genre for a moment and back to our TV reviews, we have the Peacock TV series “Teacup.” It is described as a horror sci-fi thriller in which a group of neighbors who are trapped on a farm in rural Georgia must put aside their differences and unite in the face of a mysterious and deadly threat. It stars Yvonne Strahovski, who was recently seen as one of the villains in “A Handmaid’s Tale” and Scott Speedman, who is known for playing Dr. Nick Marsh on “Gray’s Anatomy” for 37 episodes.

Somehow, I managed to struggle through the first episode, but it took me multiple attempts. I’m hoping that because IMDb described it as sci-fi, it’s some sort of alien invasion rather than demonic possession, but I couldn’t get far enough into the show to find out even the basic premise. That description, which says these people are trapped on a farm, like a bug trapped under a teacup, presumably, only becomes apparent early in the second episode, which I couldn’t stand watching. I will be generous and rate it a solid “Skip It” rather than “Worthless” because there is the tiniest possibility it could get better. It runs just eight episodes, so maybe if you have more patience than I do, you can figure it out. But the pacing is so slow that it is unbearable, and I just couldn’t stand it.

While I enjoy reality competition shows like “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race,” I’ve never been a fan of so-called reality shows like “Real Housewives” or Kardashians. CW network has a new series described as a “Documentary charting the lives of ranch employees in Montana, navigating personal relationships and work duties at the Circle Bar Dude Ranch.” This has to be the most phony “reality” show I’ve ever seen. In case you are unaware, a “dude ranch” is where city slickers go on vacation to experience allegedly authentic cowboy life. The casts of wranglers, ranch managers, and other staff are about 60% female. While that is commendable, it could hardly be considered an authentic representation of classic cowboy life. The job of head wrangler is open so the staff is going to be competing for the new position. The previews hint that there are going to be romantic entanglements among the staff. The whole thing simply wreaks of fake situations created by the producers. Let’s call this a strong “Skip It” unless you are the kind of person who would go to a dude ranch but can’t afford it.

That wraps up most of the really bad ones. Let’s move on to something slightly more interesting. The CW network has a new series called Joan, based on the real-life exploits of British thief Joan Harrington, who was known in some circles as the “Godmother.”

It stars Sophie Turner, best known for playing Sansa Stark in “Game of Thrones,” and Frank Dillane, who played Nick Clark in 44 episodes of “Fear the Walking Dead.”

Turner plays Joan, an ordinary British housewife whose boyfriend is a small-time criminal. Fearing for her daughter’s safety, she turns the girl into Child Protective Services, telling them that she is homeless and cannot care for her daughter. She gets a job working in a jewelry store and has the opportunity to make off with a handful of diamonds. She tries to sell the diamonds to an antique dealer named Boisie, played by Dillane. They fall in love and begin working on bigger jobs.

We are supposed to sympathize with Joan, who is turning to a life of crime to establish herself financially and get her daughter back from authorities. Personally, I don’t feel that much sympathy for her. Had she made some smarter choices and stayed legitimate, she would’ve had a better chance of getting her daughter back. But now, enjoying the fruits of a life of crime seems to be more of a motivating factor than regaining custody of her daughter.

I’ve seen three of the six episodes, and so far, I’m giving it a week rating of “I’m Watching,” but I’m doing so more out of curiosity to see what happens than because it’s a compelling story, which it is not.

Let’s look at some sitcoms. Maybe we can find something to laugh about there.

NBC/PeacockTV brings us “St. Denis Medical.” I’ve never been a big fan of the “mock documentary” format in which the story is interrupted by the characters talking to an unseen interviewer. It worked for “Modern Family,” but I’ve never cared for any of the other uses of this gimmick, such as “The Office.” It’s not just the format that stinks here. Sadly, this works much better as a drama than it does a comedy. I’m not talking about the kind of mix of comedy and drama we saw in a series like “M*A*S*H,” which could get uproariously silly, but then there would be a poignant moment to reflect the dire circumstances of the setting. The show tries to be funny, but it isn’t. When it goes for poignant, it almost works, but it fails so miserably at the comedy that is not worth waiting for the touching parts. I’m giving this one a strong “Skip It.”

CBS/Paramount+ brings us “George and Mandy’s First Marriage.” It is a spinoff from “Young Sheldon,” which is, in turn, a spinoff from “The Big Bang Theory.” I never missed a single episode of BBT, and I must admit I’m about a season and a half behind on “Sheldon,” but I have been catching up. In this series, Montana Jordan reprises his role as George Cooper, big brother to Sheldon. His wife, Mandy, is played by Emily Osment, who appeared in 39 episodes of “Young Sheldon.” I don’t particularly recall her because George had lots of girlfriends in the series. And as I mentioned, I’m way behind.

My guess is that there was an episode of “Sheldon” that served as a pilot for this series. It seems to hit the ground running, assuming that you already know that the young couple is living with her parents. Mandy has such a difficult relationship with her mother that, at first, I wasn’t sure it really was her mother but perhaps a stepmom. In the opening episode, after a feud with her mom, in which her mother questions George’s intelligence, the couple moves out and tries to make it on their own. By the end of the episode, they make up and move back in with her parents.

My number one criterion for a sitcom is that it has to make me laugh. I may have chuckled once or twice, but I can’t remember at what. We will be generous and call this one “Could Be Watchable.” However, given that I am a huge fan of the parent shows from which this spinoff was created, I’m severely disappointed. I would have rather seen a spinoff series with Sheldon’s sister, Missy.

NBC is keeping Reba McIntyre busy these days. In addition to her role as a coach/mentor on “The Voice,” she returns to scripted television and a new sitcom called “Happy’s Place.” In this series, she plays Bobby, a woman who just inherited a diner from her father, who had the nickname “Happy.” As she is trying to manage the restaurant while dealing with the loss of her father, she discovers she has a half-sister she never knew about who is now co-owner of the facility.

The character McIntyre is playing has the exact same perky personality as her own, so there is no acting stretch involved here at all. I never saw her previous self-titled sitcom, so I can’t really compare this, but if you were expecting anything different, you won’t find it here.

If I laughed, I don’t recall at what, but I will be generous and give this one a weak “Could Be Watchable.” But it’s not for me.

A slightly better choice if you’re looking for a new sitcom might be “Poppa’s House.” Damon Wayans plays Damon “Poppa” Fulton, who is a radio personality. He is forced to take on a female psychologist as a new sidekick on his popular show to attract a more diverse audience. At home, he deals with his son Damon Jr., played by Damon Wayans Jr. Was the writing team so untalented that they couldn’t even come up with a fictitious first name for these characters, or were the Wayans such bad actors they couldn’t remember to refer to one another by the character names consistently? Draw your own conclusions.

That said, the show did have some laughs. Both stars have proven their comedic talents in other vehicles, and you can see them shine in this open-ended situation, which essentially lets them play themselves. I will give this one a stronger “Could Be Watchable,” but I don’t have room for it in my busy viewing schedule. You might want to check it out and see if it appeals to you.

The only other comedy that has potential is Disney Channel’s “Wizards Beyond Waverley Place.” As best I can tell, this is a spinoff of “Wizards of Waverly Place,” which ran for 106 episodes from 2007- 2012. I’ve never seen the original. David Hernie reprises his role as Justin Russo, who, in this series, has decided to give up his wizardly powers and live the normal life of a mortal. His wife and children have no idea about his magical past.

Life gets turned upside down when his sister Alex, played by Selena Gomez, brings him a young girl named Billy, who is a wizard in training. Apparently, Justin was a teacher at a wizard school in the previous series. Billy conjures up a silly monster to impress Justin’s children and then can’t figure out how to put it back from wherever it came from.

Although the kids now know that Billy is a wizard, they remain clueless about their father’s abilities, as does his wife.

This Disney Channel series is clearly aimed at a younger audience, and I think it will do well with them and fans of the original series. It shows lots of potential. Let’s call this one “Recommended Watchable,” which means if you like this kind of thing, I can highly recommend it, but personally, I will not be watching.

While we’re on the topic of watchable kid’s shows, Max streaming has a CGI animated kids’ show called “Barney’s World” featuring the iconic purple dinosaur. As I understand it, only kids can see him, and he has the ability to transport them to fantasy situations that only they can experience. The show is full of positive life lessons about being responsible, cooperative, and helpful, along with a dose of positive vibes about diversity. If you are anti-woke, then you are probably out protesting this show right now. But for reasonable parents, the show is completely harmless and quite positive. Obviously, it’s not for me, but we will call this one “Recommended Watchable” for your toddlers.

That’s going to wrap up for Part A of this two-part episode. Give me a couple of days to edit Part B, which will be coming very soon.

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Even if you cannot provide financial support. Please, please, please post the links and share this podcast on social media so that I can grow my audience. I just want more people to be able to hear my stories.

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I will see you next time as we continue contemplating life. Until then, fly safe.