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4 TV Show Inaccuracies

This week, I’m down in Austin doing some work, which has been wonderful on many levels seeing as, for starters, I somehow got to be mumble-mumble-years-old without ever stepping foot in Texas. But also because I’ve now had the good fortune of meeting one of our newest _flossers (and dare I say already one of my favorite all-time _flossers), Kathy Benjamin. Last night, Kathy, her affable husband Simon, and I got to talking about Downton Abbey, what with it being the season finale and all. I’m a... READ ON

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Holy Info, Batman! Behind-the-Scenes Facts About TV's Batman

Batman, the TV series, made its debut as one of TV's first mid-season replacements on January 12, 1966. Featuring Adam West in the lead role and Burt Ward as Robin, his co-crime fighter, the show became a breakout hit. Batman was everywhere, and the show quickly developed into the biggest marketing campaign in television history up to that time. Not only was every kid in America talking about Batman, but Batman magazines, T-shirts, costumes, posters, banners, records, etc., were everywhere—the biggest... READ ON

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11 Actors Who Have Played The Doctor

There have been many actors who have portrayed the Doctor in various settings, but eleven have been the official Doctors. We'll look at all of them here. 1. William... READ ON

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11 Ill-Conceived TV Spinoffs That Almost Happened

Photo credit: NBC Entertainment gossip rags are all abuzz discussing the pros and cons of a possible Dwight Schrute (of The Office fame) spinoff TV series. No doubt the producers and agents involved are too blinded by dollar signs to take the time to examine the fates of previous spinoff shows based on “can’t miss” popular characters. We hereby submit 11 such shows that barely made it past the drawing board. 1. W*A*L*T*E*R This M*A*S*H spinoff had as complicated a broadcast history as... READ ON

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"Simpsons" Creator Matt Groening's Dad Was Named Homer, and He Made Movies

Matt Groening created "The Simpsons," and as we all know, Homer Simpson is the patriarch of the family. Well, Homer was the name of Matt's dad too...but he wasn't a doofus. The late Homer Groening was a documentary filmmaker, a WWII pilot, and a writer, among other things. Today I thought I'd share with you one of Homer's films from 1969, "Basic Brown, Basic Blue," a trippy, rambling meditation on color, which eventually devolves into shots of people swimming, including an extended digression on ladies... READ ON

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11 Charts and Graphs About Television Shows

Television is one thing that unites people across the country, in that almost everyone watches at least some. However, the landscape of TV offerings has expanded so much with hundreds of cable channels available, that you need a chart to keep up with it. Or many charts. Since I always get a kick out of the entertaining charts people make, I've rounded up a few that try to make sense out of all these television shows. 1. Line/Bar Graphs: Sci-Fi... READ ON

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How Apple's '1984' Ad Was Almost Canceled

In 1984, Apple defined the Super Bowl Commercial as a cultural phenomenon. Prior to Super Bowl XVIII, nobody watched the game "just for the commercials" -- but one epic TV spot, directed by sci-fi legend Ridley Scott, changed all that. Read on for the inside story of the commercial that rocked the world of advertising, even though Apple's Board of Directors didn't want to run it at all. The AdIf you haven't seen it, here's a fuzzy YouTube version:Why 1984 Won't Be Like 1984The... READ ON

Big Question

What Legal Authority Does Judge Judy Have?

Judge Judy reportedly makes $45 million a year. What kind of legal power comes with... READ ON

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The Lessons of Kwanzaa, as Taught by TV

December 26th wasn't just Boxing Day; it also marked the first day of the pan-African holiday celebrating African culture known as Kwanzaa. Founded in the mid-1960s by Maulana Karenga, a black studies professor at Cal State Long Beach, this holiday lasts from the day after Christmas through January 2nd. Each of the 7 days is assigned a principle to be honored: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. Just as Kwanzaa is a... READ ON

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The Man Who Conlanged "Dothraki" for HBO's "Game of Thrones"

David J. Peterson is one of many conlangers: people who invent languages. His most recent work is the Dothraki tongue shown in HBO's "Game of Thrones"; the spoken language had to be invented for TV because it's rendered in English in the "Song of Ice and Fire" novels. It turns out that the word of conlangers is just what you'd think it is: very geeky, full of highly-educated people, and surprisingly populous -- I wouldn't be surprised if we had conlangers in the mental_floss readership (if we do,... READ ON