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Inside Antiques Roadshow

If you're a PBS viewer, you've likely seen Antiques Roadshow, a form of "reality TV" in which people have their antiques and collectibles appraised. Experts explain the history and estimated value of the items to the often-stunned owners. It's great TV, and now The Collectors Weekly has gone behind the scenes in An Inside Look at Antiques Roadshow. It's a great read, giving us a look at the real process leading up to making an episode -- specifically, 3,200 pairs of free tickets are handed out (though... READ ON

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"Deadliest Catch" Star Captain Phil Harris Dies

Fans of the Discovery Channel show Deadliest Catch are in mourning, after learning that Captain Phil Harris died on February 9. He suffered a stroke while unloading his boat, the Cornelia Marie. Fans have been sharing their condolences on a message board (there are currently 274 pages of condolences), and the Discovery Channel just sent me the video clip below showing some of Phil's best catches -- it's worth a look if you've ever seen the show. "Discovery mourns the loss of dear friend and... READ ON

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Tonight on NOVA: Ghosts of Machu Picchu

(Image of Machu Picchu courtesy of Martin St-Amant - Wikipedia.) Airing tonight (February 2, 2010) at 8pm on PBS stations: NOVA's Ghosts of Machu Picchu. Set your DVRs now! If you miss the program, it will be streaming online starting February 3. Machu Picchu is an Inca engineering marvel: located 8,000 feet above sea level, it contains 200 stone structures placed on a complex set of roughly 700 terraces. What's most surprising is not its buildings, though -- it's all about what was built... READ ON

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5 Other Late Night Feuds

If snarky commentary could deep-fry, Jay Leno would be onion rings. Ever since NBC announced that Jay Leno's current 10pm show would be fine-tuned and moved to the 11:35 time slot, the knives have been out for the former Tonight Show host. Is Leno a hapless pawn caught in the middle of cutthroat NBC politics? Or is he a master manipulator, pulling strings and calling in favors in an attempt to save face? The true story remains to be seen, but this isn't the first time that personalities... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Top 10 Antiques Roadshow Valuations

The antiques world was rocked (okay, more like gently bumped) when a recent episode of Antiques Roadshow estimated a woman's collection of carved Chinese jade objects at $710,000 to $1.07 million. Either figure would make it the highest-appraised item in Antiques Roadshow history. Unfortunately, when the woman actually sold the items at auction, she only got $494,615. Why the discrepancy? It's complicated -- read about it here if you want the blow-by-blow from real antiques experts. Meanwhile, below I... READ ON

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Best Sesame Street Videos We Posted in 2009

This year I posted a bunch of Sesame Street videos. YouTube is a wonderful thing, and what's better is that the folks at Sesame Street post tons of clips online, and don't seem to file many rights complaints against others who post clips. For your convenience, I've collected the best of this year's Sesame Street discoveries into one post. Click away, and be transported into the slightly orange-tinged 70's and yellowish 80's! How Crayons Are Made From Retro Video: How Crayons Are Made.... READ ON

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The Secret Lives of Game Show Hosts

They've got gleaming, flawless teeth, hair that could withstand hurricane-force winds and emotions that run high when giving away a case of Turtle Wax. But scratch just below the surface of a classic game show host, and you may be surprised at what you find. Regis... READ ON

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6 Christmas Episodes Worth Mentioning

Holiday episodes tend to be a bit generic. How many times can you rework A Christmas Carol or The Gift of the Magi into a sitcom plot? Here are a smattering of episodes worth mentioning either because they're rare, different or doggone it, because I just like "˜em. 1. Bewitched Bewitched had many traditional Christmas episodes during its eight season run, but 1970's "Sisters at Heart" was controversial enough to require a special introduction by Elizabeth Montgomery at... READ ON

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Dr. Who Sells Computers

Here's a treat -- in 1980, Prime Computer (aka PR1ME Computer if you were totally awesome) hired actors Tom Baker and Lalla Ward (then playing Dr. Who and Romana on the BBC's Dr. Who series) to promote Prime Computers in TV ads. Below is a video compiling all the ads. Dr. Who was a particularly apt early-80's computer salesman, given the series' kitchsy mix of high- and low-tech. Note the tagline: "Step Into the 80's!" (Via... READ ON

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The Island of Misfit Christmas Specials

Holiday TV specials creep into the viewing schedule earlier and earlier each year. My Dad swears that he saw a back-to-back presentation of Yankee Doodle Dandy and A Charlie Brown Christmas last July 4th, but he may have been exaggerating. By cracky, when I was a youngin', Christmas specials never aired before Thanksgiving, and that always made the holiday season seem more special, more"¦.Christmas-y. Some of the stalwarts from my childhood, like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Rudolph the... READ ON