GHOST STORY/CIRCLE OF FEAR is a mixed bag--like many anthology shows (and most non-anthology shows). For me, the introductions by Sebastian Cabot are a highlight, but those were phased out after the first few weeks or months--can't remember how many were made with Sebastian.

Only 23 episodes were produced in total so when they say 42 shows, presumably some will be repeated.

I don't know if they make cuts and speed up some of the scenes, as has happened with other programs that ran around 52 minutes in the old hour slot from this period, when they get shown on such channels as DECADES. I guess if you have no other way of seeing it, it's better than nothing. At one time, I believe there were several episodes from GHOST STORY available on Youtube.

G.

MB, I hope you enjoy whatever you are able to watch of the Honor Blackman AVENGERS shows. I've become quite fond of them over the years. I think you may have missed one of my favorite episodes, "Warlock." It is the only story they ever did that involved a case of what was suggested to have been genuine occult activity. Guest star Peter Arne would have fit right in on DS.

I have stopped paying any attention at all to broadcast TV so for all I know, that "channel" (or whatever it should be called???) may have been available here for years. I only know about these things when a friend or co-worker mentions it in conversation.

Another friend said that the American horror show serial "Apocalypse" is doing a Witches vs Warlocks fighting it out to the death and the fate of the ENTIRE UNIVERSE hangs in the balance (yawn)... it did make me think of our favorite Witch throwing shade at our favorite Warlock...

G.

I'm watching this 1978 TV movie, CRUISE INTO TERROR, about the discovery of an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus by a troubled ship in the Gulf of Mexico. The dialogue is hilariously bad but the movie does boast a wonderful score by Gerald Fried (who I think composed for STAR TREK--some of the leit-motifs sound familiar) and a fun cast including such familiar faces as Hugh O'Brian, Lee Meriwether, John Forsythe, and Stella Stevens. Ray Milland as a professor looks and sounds so much like Sam Hall that I figured I had to post about the film on here. I wonder whether Grayson ever commented on the resemblance.

Ray Milland appears in several other Seventies tv-movies that are available on Youtube, including BLACK NOON with Yvette Mimieux and the deliciously awful LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ROSEMARY'S BABY (with Tina Louise as a retired madam who is also some kind of High Priestess of Satan).

Link for CRUISE INTO TERROR--warning, this seems to be have digitized from a home recorded VHS tape; the picture is grainy and blurred. Reminiscent of watching one of these on a UHF station with foil-wrapped rabbit ears as we used to do for many years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SdqY8nbcAc&index=7&list=PL8VpLcXt2Cdl1ASk7phwGBJOXO-XTulQX&t=0s

G.

I don't know what others think, but my conclusion years ago was that DS was so good IN SPITE OF Dan's presence and influence.

The one good thing I think about Dan is that the week he directed, which was that "Return to 1796" time travel flashback that happened sometime around February 1969, he did make use of a more dynamic visual style in how he shot the material. But I can just imagine what an ordeal all of that was for everyone involved since I'm not sure Dan was in sync with the dynamic they had developed for getting these shows out on tape, on schedule.

G.

LOL. That's a great scene.

Other good ones are Julia's reactions to Barnabas telling her they need to "save" Roxanne in 1970, and the infamous and delightful "When did you have this... TALK with Megan?" scene during late Leviathan.

G.

Today in one of the internet's random acts of kindness, I saw a photo of Joanne Worley in the role of Sabrina the Teenage Witch's Aunt Beulah, I guess from the 1996 series. (Maybe it was Seventies, though--there was no date on a Sabrina Wiki entry about the character.) She was adorable. Just felt like mentioning that.

G.

The latest update about Denise's amazing recovery, from Jasmine Nickerson:

Denise said some pretty amazing words tonight. Words like, "impression" and "embarrassed" and "break." Of course we don't know the full context but she has been working so hard. And she still gets so flustered and frustrated with the apraxia, but her speech is improving. It's still not there but the words are becoming words and thoughts and sentences. Josh and I just listened and held her hand and tried to understand what she's trying to convey.

By the end of the conversation she just wanted to change the TV channel to "Snapped" on Lifetime, and the volume and when she finally got it out and I did it she said, "Thank you, Jazz, very much." And I cried. I was so proud of her and overwhelmed and she laughed and told me not to cry. Then she asked me to turn off her light and have me a big hug and said "I love you, bye bye" when I said goodnight.

This has been such a long, emotional road and her progress has been unspeakable. I'm literally in awe everytime she does something new or says something new.

Sorry, I know it just seems like normal stuff but Denise was one of my best friends and we would talk and joke and bicker and prattle on about whatever. And it's been so hard. I didn't think she would survive what happened. I didn't think she would ever be herself again or understand us or know us. And she did. She fought like hell. She's still fighting like hell. But I'm so proud of her fight and her unwillingness to accept that she might not be who she once was. She is a stubborn as the day is long and she won't give up. (end quote)