You just don't see many teas maids these days.
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Friday, 31 July 2009
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Monday, 27 July 2009
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Saturday, 25 July 2009
Friday, 24 July 2009
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Monday, 20 July 2009
Video of TOP OF THE POPS Chart Rundown Nov 1985
The chart rundown from TOTP dated 28th November 1985.
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Sunday, 19 July 2009
US TV news legend Cronkite dies
 Mr Cronkite was a trusted voice in a turbulent period for the US |
The former US TV news anchor Walter Cronkite, known to millions as "the most trusted man in America", has died at the age of 92.
An executive for the CBS news channel said Mr Cronkite died at his New York home with his family at his side.
He was reported to have been ill for some time.
Mr Cronkite presented the evening news programme for CBS from 1962 to 1981, helping the programme to become the most watched bulletin in the US.
His career covered such major global events as the assassination of former US President John F Kennedy, the moon landing, Watergate, former President Richard Nixon's resignation and the fall of Saigon.
In 1972, he was deemed by a poll of the US public to be, "the most trusted man in America", beating presidents, members of congress and other journalists.
 |  He invited us to believe in him, and he never let us down  Barack Obama |
He would end his broadcasts with his signature sign-off: "That's the way it is."
Mr Cronkite's opinion was so trusted by the US public that when he criticised the war in Vietnam, President Lyndon B Johnson is reported to have said: "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost middle America."
Linda Mason, the vice-president of CBS, said Mr Cronkite had died at 1942 local time (2342 GMT) on Friday after a long illness.
US President Barack Obama said Mr Cronkite had been "a voice of certainty in an uncertain world", and had set the standard by which all other news professionals were judged.
Tributes to 'father figure' Cronkite
"He invited us to believe in him, and he never let us down," he said.
"This country has lost an icon and a dear friend, and he will be truly missed."
CBS News and Sports President Sean McManus said in a statement that Mr Cronkite had "guided America through our crises, tragedies and also our victories and greatest moments".
"It is impossible to imagine CBS News, journalism or indeed America without Walter Cronkite," he said.
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Retro Lucasarts hits hit Steam
Among the batch of Lucasarts games on Steam are some real classics, like LOOM and The Dig for £2.99.
The first batch of Lucasarts games on Steam covers a broad range of titles, including forgotten classics like LOOM and The Dig, right through to Star Wars tie-ins and recent Lego Indy titles.
Best of all, the pricing system for the games actually looks remarkably fair and the games seem to be slotted into one of three price bands based on their age and success, with the old adventure games which we're so fond of coming in at just £2.99 a pop - which is about what you'd expect to pay if you tracked down a physical copy on eBay probably. Check out the rest of the prices below.
The Dig - £2.99 / $4.99 / €3.99
LOOM - £2.99 / $4.99 / €3.99
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis - £2.99 / $4.99 / €3.99
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - £2.99 / $4.99 / €3.99
Star Wars: Starfighter - £2.99 / $4.99 / €3.99
Star Wars: Republic Commando - £6.99 / $9.99 / €8.99
Armed and Dangerous - £6.99 / $9.99 / €8.99
Star Wars: Battlefront II - £12.99 / $19.99 / €17.99
Thrillville: Off the Rails - £12.99 / $19.99 / €17.99
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures - £12.99 / $19.99 / €17.99
Oh, and don't forget that Telltales' Tales of Monkey Island is now available on Steam too
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Visit The Bearded Trio
For the latest news on Steven Spielberg, John Williams and George Lucas visit
http://thebeardedtrio.blogspot.com/
http://thebeardedtrio.blogspot.com/
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Saturday, 18 July 2009
Friday, 17 July 2009
RETRO ARGOS CATALOGUE - 1984 - Toys and Handheld Games
Big Trak for £29.95, WOW! One of the best toys ever.
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Thursday, 16 July 2009
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Retro ARGOS CATALOGUE - 1984 - Personal Stereos and Ghetto Blasters
Philips Skymaster personal stereo - £19.99. A rival for the i-pod?
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Monday, 13 July 2009
RETRO ARGOS CATALOGUE - 1984 KEYBOARDS
Great range of Casiotone keyboards MT-35 for £99.99...not bad!
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Sunday, 12 July 2009
Retrofinds - Laurel and Hardy Cartoon
I actually enjoyed these cartoons back in the 80's. Again like Batfink they did have a habit of using the same animation but the jokes and slapstick humor was pretty good.
Episodes
* Can't Keep a Secret Agent
* How Green Was My Lawn Mower
* Mutt Rut
* Missile Hassle
* No Moose is a Good Mose
* Prairie Panicked
* False Alarms
* High Fly Guys
* The Bullnick
* Ball Maul
* Handle with Care
* Hillbilly Bully
* Babe's in Sea Land
* Sitting Roomers
* You and Your Big Mouse
* Hot Rod Hardy
* Rocket Wreckers
* Rome Roamers
* Crash and Carry
* Defective Story
* Knight Mare
* Desert Story
* Fancy Trance
* Tale of a Sale
* Auto Matic Panic
* Shiver Mr. Timbers
* Suspect in Custody
* Big Bear Bungle
* Shrinking Sheik
* Stand Out Stand In
* Bond Bombed
* Mounty Rout
* What Fur
* Camera Bugged
* Plumber Pudding
* Spook Loot
* Cooper Bopper
* Robust Robot
* Vet Fleet
* Feud for Thought
* Love Me Love My Puppy
* Wacky Quackers
* Country Buzzin
* Naps an Saps
* Truant Ruined
* Always Leave 'em Gigglin'
* Bad Day in Baghdad
* The Missing Fink
* Badge Budgers
* Good Hoods
* Puppet Show Down
* Two for the Crow
* Animal Shelter
* Ring a Ding King
* Tragic Magic
* Beanstalk Boobs
* Leaping Leprechaun
* Up and Downs
* Mars Little Helper
* The Genie was Meanie
* Tourist Trouble
* Curfew for Kids
* Lion Around
* Shoot Down at Sundown
* Ali Boo Boo
* Horse Detectives
* The Two Musketeers
* Ghost Town Clowns
* Hurricane Hood
* Ride and Seek
* Shoe Shoe Baby
* Tee Pee TV
* Train Strain
* Frog Frolic
* Shutter Bugged
* Southern Hospitality
* Circus Run Aways
* Pie in the Sky
* Witch Switch
* Sign of the Times
* Slipper Slip Up
* Two Many Cooks
* Dingbats
* Flea's a Crowd
* We Clothe at Five
* Quick Change
* The Stone Age Kid
* Whing Ding
* Mistaken Identi-Tree
* Termite Might
* To Bee or Not to Bee
* Laff Staff
* Pet Shop Polly
* Rodeo Doug
* Riverboat Detectives
* Try and Get It
* Unhealthy Wealthy
* Honesty Always Pays
* Plant Rant
* Sky High Noon
* Get Tough
* Handy Dandy Diary
* Jumpin Judo
* Gold Storage
* Lots of Bad Luck
* They Take the Cake
* Kangaroo Kaper
* Strictly for the Birds
* The Finks Robbery
* Bird Brains
* Birds of a Feather
* Switcheroony
* Bowling Boobs
* Horsey Sense
* Mechanical Mess-up
* Dog Tired
* Goofer Upper Golfers
* Wayout Campers
* Hard Days Work
* My Friend the Inventor
* Sky Scraper Scape
* Fair Play
* Fly Foot Flatfeet
* Sleepy King
* A Real Live Wife
* A Real Tycoon
* Baboon Tycoon
* Stuporman
* Wheel and Deal Seal
* Wishy Washy Fish Tale
* Lumber Jerks
* That's Show Biz
* Wolf in Sheeps Clothing
* A Clothes Call
* Boot Hill Bill
* Stop Action Faction
* Molecule Rule
* Mummy Dummy
* Peek a Boo Pachyderm
* Fly Spy
* Franken Stan
* Nitey Knight
* Flight of the Bumble Brains
* Salt Water Daffy
* Secret Agents OOO
* Flipped Van Winkles
* From Wrecks to Riches
* Traunt or Consequences
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Saturday, 11 July 2009
Tales Of Monkey Island - Short Review
http://www.telltalegames.com/games
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Retrofinds - Batfink Short Circuit Case Full Episode
Even back in the 80's I thought Batfink was a bit of a cheap show. It had the practically the same story every week and also used so much of the same animation. The Beep, the fights, etc. It must have cost next to nothing to make! Anyway heres a full episode.
Hugo A Go Go is causing electrical disturbances throughout the city. Batfink is the only one brave enough to try and stop him. Will Batfink be able to get past Hugo's radar jamming equipment to find his hideout?
Heres another episode. This is one of the best of the lot
Batfink is accused and jailed for a crime he did NOT commit, courtesy of Hugo A Go-Go and HIS mechanical wings of steel. Will Karate be able to bail out his boss, or will Batfink have to bail HIM out?
Hugo A Go Go is causing electrical disturbances throughout the city. Batfink is the only one brave enough to try and stop him. Will Batfink be able to get past Hugo's radar jamming equipment to find his hideout?
Heres another episode. This is one of the best of the lot
Batfink is accused and jailed for a crime he did NOT commit, courtesy of Hugo A Go-Go and HIS mechanical wings of steel. Will Karate be able to bail out his boss, or will Batfink have to bail HIM out?
Friday, 10 July 2009
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Retrofinds Remembers Fantasy Island
Before it became a long-running original television show, Fantasy Island was introduced to viewers in 1977 through two highly-rated made-for-television films in which Mr. Roarke and Tattoo played relatively minor roles. Airing from 1978 to 1984, the original series starred Ricardo Montalban as Mr. Roarke, the enigmatic overseer of a mysterious island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, where people from all walks of life could come and live out their fantasies, albeit for a price.
Roarke was known for his white suit and cultured demeanor, and was initially accompanied by an energetic sidekick, Tattoo, played by Hervé Villechaize. Tattoo would run up the main bell tower to ring the bell and shout "The plane! The plane!" to announce the arrival of a new set of guests at the beginning of each episode. This line, shown at the beginning of the show's credits, became an unlikely catchphrase because of Villechaize's spirited delivery and French accent (he actually pronounced it, "Ze plane! Ze plane!"). In later seasons, he would arrive in his personal go-cart, sized for him, and recklessly driven to join Roarke for the visitor reception while staff scrambled to get out of his way. From 1980 to 1982, Wendy Schaal joined the cast as another assistant named Julie. In a highly unpopular move with both fans and the cast, the producers fired Villechaize from the series before the 1983–1984 season (which ended up being its last) and Tattoo was replaced by a more sedate butler type named Lawrence, played by Christopher Hewett. Lawrence's personality was exactly the opposite of Tattoo's in many ways. For instance, Lawrence was also responsible for the bell ringing, but instead of climbing to the tower he simply pushed a button outside to have the bell ring automatically.
The actual aircraft used in the series, a Grumman Widgeon seaplane, was rented from a local charter company and almost all of the footage of the plane used throughout the series and films was shot in one day and recycled over the entire run. It is speculated that Tattoo never actually saw Ze plane! Ze plane!. During the filming of the actual episodes, the guests climbed out of a paper-mache and plywood mock-up of the back of the plane. It is sometimes apparent that that number of people could not have all arrived in the plane at the same time. For example in one episode, seven adults and two children come out of the six-seat seaplane. In another episode, there is a sizeable pile of luggage on the dock which viewers are to believe came out of the plane.
Roarke would then welcome his guests by lifting his glass and saying: "My dear guests, I am Mr. Roarke, your host. Welcome to Fantasy Island.".
Roarke's personal vehicle was an orange Dodge Aspen station wagon with a Safari top with the stance of a modern-day sport utility vehicle.
Tattoo and Mr. Roarke welcome visitors to Fantasy Island.
In the early seasons, it was noted that each guest had paid $50,000 in advance for the fulfillment of their fantasies and that Fantasy Island was a business. Later, it became clear that the price a guest paid was substantial to him or her, and for one little girl whose father was one of Roarke's guests, she had emptied her piggy bank - less than ten dollars - to have her fantasy about her father fulfilled.
In the two pilot movies Roarke was actually a rather sinister figure, but once the series went into production he soon became much more benevolent. In later seasons there were often supernatural overtones. Roarke also seemed to have his own supernatural powers of some sort, although it was never explained how this came to be. In one episode, when a guest says 'Thank God things worked out well', Roarke and Tattoo share a very odd look and Roarke says in a cryptic way 'Thank God indeed'. In the same episode, Roarke uses some mysterious powers to help Tattoo with his magic act. In at least one episode, Mr. Roarke faces "The Devil", who has come to the Island to challenge him for his immortal soul. It is mentioned this is not the first time they confront each other, and Mr. Roarke has always been the winner.
Roarke had a strong moral code, but he was always merciful. He usually tried to teach his guests important life lessons through the medium of their fantasies, frequently in a manner that exposes the errors of their ways, and on occasions when the island hosted terminally ill guests he would allow them to live out one last wish. Roarke's fantasies were not without peril, but the greatest danger usually came from the guests themselves; in some cases people actually got themselves killed due to their own negligence, aggression or arrogance. When necessary, Roarke would directly intervene when the fantasy became dangerous to the guest. For instance, when Tattoo had his own fantasy, which ended up with him being chased by hostile natives in canoes, Mr. Roarke suddenly appeared in a motorboat, snared Tattoo's canoe with a grappling hook and towed it away at high speed to help his employee escape.
The usual format of each episode consisted of an introduction in which Roarke would describe to Tattoo (or another assistant) the nature of each person's fantasy, usually with a cryptic comment suggesting the person's fantasy will not turn out as they expected. The episode would then alternate between two or three independent storylines as the guests experienced their fantasies and interacted with Roarke. Often, the fantasies would turn out to be morality lessons for the guests (for example, one featured a man who clamoured for the "good old days" to be taken back to the Salem witch trials), sometimes to the point of (apparently) putting their lives at risk, only to have Roarke step in at the last minute and reveal the deception. It is mentioned a few times that a condition of visiting Fantasy Island is that guests never reveal what goes on there. A small number of guests decided to make the irrevocable choice to stay permanently, living out their fantasy until death; one such person was an actor who had been in a Tarzan-type TV series in the 1960s.
(Closing Credits)
The show was broadcast every Saturday night on ABC at 10:00 PM, after the The Love Boat, which was also produced by Aaron Spelling. Like several other series of the era, such as the above-mentioned The Love Boat and Murder, She Wrote, Fantasy Island employed many celebrity (if not A-list film stars of the time) guest stars, often bringing them back repeatedly for different roles. Such guests included TV stars like Bill Bixby and Bob Denver, music stars like Sonny Bono and Robert Goulet, classic film stars like Peter Lawford and Ray Bolger, young starlets like Victoria Principal and Barbi Benton, character actors such as Howard Duff and David Doyle, and soap opera actors like Dack Rambo.
The program was popular in its day, and its campy style has won it a cult following in reruns.
It was filmed primarily in Burbank, California with the opening scenes of the enchanting island coastline being that of Kauai, Hawaii. The gorgeous house with the bell tower, where Tattoo rings the bell, is the Queen Anne Cottage, located in the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia. The plane, "arriving" with the guests, was filmed in the lagoon behind the Queen Anne Cottage. Sometimes, outdoor scenes were filmed at the Arboretum.
[edit] 1998 series
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Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Retrofinds - Thundercats Intro
Just because this is so damn cool! When was the last time they did an intro to a cartoon that sounded as cool as this?
Thundercats Episode Guide
Season 1 1985 - 86
1. Exodus
2. The Unholy Alliance
3. Berbils
4. The Slaves of Castle Plun-darr
5. Trouble With Time
6. Pumm-Ra
7. The Terror of Hammerhand
8. The Tower of Traps
9. The Garden of Delights
10. Mandora: Evil Chaser
11. The Ghost Warrior
12. The Doom-Gaze
13. Lord of the Snows
14. The Spaceship Beneath the Sands
15. The Time Capsule
16. The Fireballs of Castle Plun-Darr
17. All that Glitters
18. Spitting Image
19-23. Lion-O's Annointment (5 part series)
24. Mongor
25. Return to Thundera
26. Snarf Takes up the Challenge
27. Mandora and the Pirates
28. The Crystal Queen
29. Safari Joe
30. Return of the Driller
31. Turmagar the Tuska
32. Sixth Sense
33. Dr. Dometone
34. The Astral Prison
35. Queen of 8 Legs
36. Dimension Doom
37. The Rock Giant
38. The Thunder-Cutter
39. Mechanical Plague
40. The Demolisher
41-42. Feliner (2 parts)
43. Excalibur
44. The Secret of the Ice King
45. Sword in the Hole
46. The Wolfrat
47. Good and Ugly
48. Divide and Conquer
49. Micrits
50. The Super-Power Potion
51. The Evil Harp of Char-Nin
52. Tight Squeeze
53. Monkian's Bargain
54. Out of Sight
55. Jackalman's Rebellion
56. The Mountain
57. Eye of the Beholder
58. The Mumm-ra Berbil
59. Trouble With Thunderkittens
60. Mumm-Rana
61. Trapped
62. The Transfer
63. The Shifter
64. Dream Master
65. Fond Memories
Season 2 - 1986
66-70. Thundercats HO! The Movie (5 part series)
71-75. Mumm-Ra Lives! (5 part series)
76. Catfight
77. Psych Out
78. The Mask of the Gorgon
79. The Mad Bubbler
80. Together We Stand
81. Ravage Island
82. Time Switch
83. Sound Stones
84. Day of the Eclipse
85. Side Swipe
86. Mumm-Rana's Belt
87. Hachiman's Honor
88. Runaways
89. Hair of the Dog
90. Vultureman's Revenge
Season 3 1986 - 87
91-95. Thundercubs! (5 part series)
96. The Totem of Dera
97. The Chain of Loyalty
98. Crystal Canyon
99. Telepathy Beam
100. Exile Isle
101. Key of Thundera
102. Return of the Thundercubs
103. The Formula
104. Locket of Lies
105. Bracelet of Power
106. The Wild Workout
107. The Thunderscope
108. The Jade Dragon
109. The Circus Train
110. The Last Day
Season 4 - 1987
111-115. Return to Thundera (5 part series)
116. Leah
117. Frogman
118. The Heritage
119. Screw Loose
120. Malcar
121. Helpless Laughter
122. Cracker's Revenge
123. The Mossland Monster
124. Mu-Mutt's Confusion
125. The Shadowmaster
126. Swan Song
127. The Touch of Amorus
128. The Zazz Factor
129. Well of Doubt
130. Book of Omens
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