I will not be giving out candy. And I have no plans for viewing any horror films for Halloween. But, I will go ahead and include a video from John Carpenter’s classic 1978 film, Halloween, which starred Donald Pleasance and Jamie Lee Curtis. (She was 20 that year. On November 22, Curtis will turn 59.)
If anyone wants to briefly mention a horror film—like a recommendation—go ahead.
In 2007, AMC premiered a new drama series that was nostalgic and an immediate critical hit: Mad Men.
It may seem silly to reflect on this series, being it was the most recent, but it has been ten years—with its premiere date July 19, 2007—since AMC was able to stake a claim in original programming that grabbed America big time with Mad Men.
Created by Matthew Weiner, whose previous credits included a couple seasons of HBO’s The Sopranos, Mad Men was a blast from the past that reflected on a particular way of life—which included some politics on display both professionally and personally—which play out during the 1950s and primary the 1960s. According to Wikipedia.org, “According to the show’s pilot, the phrase Mad men was a slang term coined in the 1950s by advertisers working on Madison Avenue to refer to themselves, a claim that has since been disputed.”
The series, which lasted eight seasons, won the Emmy for outstanding drama series its first four seasons, writing for its first three seasons and, eventually, just one statue for acting—Jon Hamm, for the last season (2014–15), for outstanding lead actor in a drama series (playing top character Don Draper).
I am going to end this here. On October 2, 2017, the first series among these anniversary salutes—blog-entried every Monday—was CBS’s Lou Grant, which premiered 40 years ago in 1977. (Co-star Jack Bannon died Wednesday, October 25, 2017.) From October 9, 2017, I saluted ABC’s thirtysomething, which debuted 30 years ago in 1987. October 16, 2017 was a tribute to CBS’s Picket Fences, which premiered 25 years ago in 1992. October 23, 2017 covered two more David E. Kelley creations, ABC’s The Practice and Fox’s Ally McBeal, both which debuted 20 years ago in 1997. And, in the case of AMC’s Mad Men, we have a series that premiered 10 years ago in 2007. But, with this October 30, 2017 entry of Mad Men, which ended less than five years ago, there is no need for a deep write-up on the series. It is still very fresh in the minds of many. (Side note: One series’ anniversary, which I did not include for a blog entry, was CBS’s The Carol Burnett Show. It debuted 50 years ago on September 11, 1967. It is a personal favorite. But, it was not that political in a senses associated with those other series.)
Today [Thursday, October 26, 2017] is the 70th birthday of the 2016 Democratic nominee for president of the United States Hillary Clinton.
I acknowledge that.
And now I will move on to a subject which is worthy.
Tomorrow [Friday, October 27, 2017] is the first day of the 2017 Hallmark Channel “Countdown to Christmas.”
This is a two-month marathon, usually beginning with the last Friday of October or the first Friday of November, and running through Christmas. “Countdown to Christmas” typically concludes in the late hours on January 1 or 2 of the next year.
Hallmark Channel suspends much of its programming—most notably reruns of the Emmy winning, 1985–92 comedy series The Golden Girls—for this very special time of the year. Every year.
I love “Countdown to Christmas”!
I love this theme of Hallmark Channel original movies because I can avoid looking to real classic Christmas-themed movies like It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) and Scrooge because Hallmark originals tell stories that borrow from those titles and more.
In 2012, NPR’s Linda Holmes, in a piece titled “Does Hallmark Have Basic Cable’s Most Efficiently Defined Brand?” wrote the following: “Hallmark manufactures [its original movies] like McDonald’s stamps out McNuggets: they’re decent, they’re satisfying in a superficial way, they’re bad for you in excess, and they’re reliably the same every single time.”
Thank God for that!
Now, it should be noted that, during November, there is usually one or two Thanksgiving-related original movies from Hallmark. So, even though big retail corporations are making their employees work Thanksgiving Day (you can never get an early start on Christmas!), Hallmark still acknowledges Thanksgiving.
In past years, quality Hallmark originals included Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade, a 2012 screwball romantic comedy of an initial love-hate relationship whose leads (played by Autumn Reeser and Antonio Cupo) battle over how to budget Chicago’s annual parade of excesses; The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, a light 2008 comedy complete with the track of Andy Williams crooning, in which a visiting uncle and retired cop (Henry Winkler) matches his career-driven and single-mother niece (Brooke Burns) with a neer-do-well but aspiring chef (Warren Christie); and, for simpler tastes, The Christmas Card, a lovely 2006 film about an on-leave military man (John Newton) who is fated to meet the woman (Alice Evans) who writes letters to military servicemen—and she wrote one to him. Her father (an Emmy nominated Edward Asner), despite urging by his wife (Lois Nettleton) to not interfere, plays matchmaker. (The Christmas Card is the most in musts. Even Netflix added it to its catalog in 2015.)
Those flashes of quality are merely distractions.
Onto the usual substance.
What I look forward to the most is the reliability of frequent leading lady Lacey Chabert. She totally lives up to what Linda Holmes wrote. The former cast member of Fox’s 1994–2000 drama series Party of Five, and a co-star in the 2004 big-screen comedy Mean Girls, is the go-to romantic leading lady so sugary sweet in likewise reliable Hallmark Channel original movies. (Check her out in A Christmas Melody, from 2015, in which Chabert and Mariah Carey, who directed, are reunited ex-high-school classmates who renew their rivalry. Never mind that there is a 12-year age difference between the two actresses. And check her out in her next Hallmark original movie, The Sweetest Christmas, on Saturday, November 11, 2017 at 08:00 p.m. ET.) Lacey Chabert can never star in enough of these original Hallmarks.
May God bless Lacey Chabert!
May God bless Hallmark!
This is a network which does not serve the Democratic Party Establishment’s recent identity politics phenom. For example: The only blacks I have seen have played supporting roles—like second bananas—to white lead actors. (For example: Vivica A. Fox has been in at least two in which she plays—get this!—a sassy sidekick.) And there are no gay men or women—safe zone!—and certainly not in lead roles. (Blasphemy!)
Hallmark is a very Republican Party-friendly basic-cable network. So typically are its productions in Canada—for the taxes and overall budget costs—that a part of the fun with viewing and researching an original Hallmark movie is to find out which of the two leads was born in the United States. Why? That is because there must be some agreement with Canada that says one of its natural born actors and citizens, who U.S. audiences may or may not recognize, plays one of the two lead roles. (Patriotism!)
I am counting on the 2017 “Countdown to Christmas” to—once again—live up to the reputation one expects from Hallmark. While many of its stores have closed, partly due to undercutting store owners for Hallmark cards being sold in big retail stores like Kohl’s and Walmart—these original movies rage on.
This video came to my attention of a superdelegate explaining why it would be good for the Democratic Party to retain the nominating system for presidential contenders.
I found Elaine Kamarck offensive. I do not want my vote selections to be approved by anyone. And what Kamarack—and what the continuation of superdelegates—represents is not democracy.
Given this comes from the Democratic Party, which has been pretending for decades to be the party of the people, it is no wonder it is experiencing deep divide.
Above is the YouTube-uploaded video. Go to the mark of 01:54 for the beginning of that interview.
Below is a link for information on Elaine Kamarck. (Notice: She was part of that “New Democrat” movement which overtook the Democratic Party and ruined it for the years to come.)
One month ago today [September 25, 2017] was the first official day of Progressives Chat.
Okay, that sounds a little too much.
I started this blog because I wanted a place where a number of regulars can post freely about whatever may be on one’s mind. And, to go along with a given day’s topic, it makes Progressives Chat feel like it is not without purpose.
I did not have a blog prior to Progressives Chat. So, this is my first. I thank a particular person who helped me. And I appreciate all who contribute with their comments.
Tonight [Tuesday, October 24, 2017], on Fox, is Game #01 of the 2017 World Series.
The American League pennant was won by Houston Astros, for the first time in the AL after its 2005 pennant win came while it was still in the NL. (Houston Astros have become the first team to win pennants in both leagues.)
The National League pennant was won by Los Angeles Dodgers, for the first time since 1988, which marked the last time it won the World Series.
After both teams won 100-game regular seasons, this Houston Astros-vs.-Los Angeles Dodgers matchup looks to be one that will be very interesting for this year’s Fall Classic.
Here are YouTube-uploaded videos of Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers having won their league championship series to advance to the World Series.…
