Category Archives: Television

Gregory Peck on Abraham Lincoln: ‘A secular saint’

By Ray Bennett In 1982, Gregory Peck achieved a lifetime ambition to portray his idol Abraham Lincoln onscreen. It was a cameo appearance in the CBS miniseries “The Blue and the Gray”, which became the subject of a special issue … Continue reading

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‘Someone to hiss and boo’ – my 1978 review of ‘Dallas’

Not many critics paid attention to “Dallas” when it aired as a short-run summer show in 1978, but it caught my attention and I wrote this review for TV Guide Canada a couple of weeks after its debut. To mark … Continue reading

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Martin Shaw’s ‘George Gently’ to air in US on public TV

By Ray Bennett British period TV police drama “George Gently” will air for the first time on US television on public television stations across the country early next year. It stars Martin Shaw from the cult 1970s action series “The … Continue reading

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John Nettles on how he will miss 'Midsomer Murders'

Kirsty Dillon and John Nettles of ‘Midsomer Murders’ at the Bricklayer’s Arms By Ray Bennett The village in Hertfordshire has the impossibly perfect name of Hogpits Bottom and the leafy pub is as quaint as can be, The Bricklayer’s Arms. … Continue reading

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What Mackenzie Phillips was saying in 1981

Mackenzie Phillips, Bonnie Franklin and Valerie Bertinelli from a People cover in 1980 Mackenzie Phillips has written a memoir titled “High On Arrival” in which she says that she had an incestuous relationship with her father, John Phillips of the … Continue reading

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James Nesbitt shines in BBC's Iraq drama, Occupation

James Nesbitt plays a veteran soldier whose experience in Iraq draws him back By Ray Bennett James Nesbitt has come a long way since he first attracted notice in ITV’s “Cold Feet” in 1987 and he shows that he’s become … Continue reading

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Tribute to Stevie Wonder and funky music

President Obama and Stevie Wonder at the White House Concert What a delight to find in Saturday’s mail a package from EMI Music Publishing in New York containing a special promotional 4-disc box set of tracks by Stevie Wonder. The … Continue reading

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A new Doctor, but who cares, really?

Matt Smith with Christian Slater on stage in ‘Swimming With Sharks’ So the BBC has gone predictably for youth in order to sustain interest in “Doctor Who,” one of its hottest brands. The new Doctor, Matt Smith, 26, is a … Continue reading

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Film and show nominees for 51st Grammy Awards

Michael Cera and Ellen Page in Jason Reitman’s hit comedy ‘Juno’ Here are the film and stage nominees for the 51st Grammy Awards. There are 110 categories in the American music prizes that cover the period Oct. 1 2007 through … Continue reading

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Warrior/author McNab loves a good story, like Mamma Mia

Tour of Duty features real and recreated footage of British soldiers in combat By Ray Bennett LONDON — Things you might know about Andy McNab: He was a highly decorated SAS soldier; he wrote the bestselling “Bravo Two Zero” about … Continue reading

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