TALES OF TOMORROW: 'Test Flight' / Season 1 Episode 10 - 1951

Let's go back 67 years and check out this classic sci-fi TV episode from TALES OF TOMORROW... A headstrong, ambitious, sometimes unscrupulous businessman, an entrepreneurial capitalist, has ambitions to build a spaceship that is capable of interplanetary travel! Despite warnings about the foolhardiness of his undertaking, he's determined to follow through, especially when a meek scientist shares his ideas about utilizing magnetism as a propulsion system.

It stars Lee J. (THE EXORCIST) Cobb as Wayne Crowder, Vinton (THE MUMMY'S TOMB) Hayworth, Cameron (THE RAINMAKER) Prud'Homme and Harry (THE GREAT IMPOSTOR) Townes as Wilkins.

Here's Wayne Crowder, ambitious industrial capitalist, he's obsessed with the idea of building a spaceship that can travel throughout the galaxy!

His main concern is the propulsion system, so, he runs an ad in the newspaper in search of someone to help him in his quest.

Crowder's prayers are answered when a scientist named Wilkins shows up for an interview. He fills Crowder in on all the details of his propulsion system already being developed.

Crowder hires Wilkins but his financial director tells him that he has almost depleted his money supply and that if he wants to complete his pipe dream, he needs to take off like now, or, all his fortune will be lost!

Crowder goes to Wilkins' lab and tells him he has to speed up his development of his engine because the time is nigh!

So, Wilkins and Crowder finally take off in their V-2 rocket...

Crowder feels the g-force as they climb into space, they even use (new at the time) stock footage of their ascent, miles above the Earth.

After they have proved that the rocket works flawlessly, Crowder tell Wilkins to turn the ship around and head back to Earth. But, Wilkins has set the controls for Mars, Crowder freaks out and tries to choke him!.. Now what?!

Wilkins then transforms into a freakin' Martian!

And, Mars looms in the distance, the final destination for the two astronuts!! Hey, tune in tomorrow for a special Saturday post from Eegah!! Later dudes and dudettes!

THE GONG SHOW - Chuck Barris (1976 - 1979)

Todays Whacko Wednesday Feature is one of my all-time fave TV shows. "The Gong Show" came on in the in 1976, and stayed on the air until mid 1979, the brainchild of Mr. Chuck Barris, who, just in case you don't know, also created "The Dating Game." That's where it all started! Chuck has got to be one of the most interesting people to ever walk the planet, too bad he just passed away last year at the age of 87, so any secrets he had, he took with him, and I don't think he would have told anybody the truth if they ever asked him anyway! So this one's for Chuckie!

I get the feeling that Chuck wasn't always the happy go lucky guy he portrays on the show, but for me, he was hilarious about 90% of the time, and that's a good ratio!

Chuck wrote a fictional autobiography called "Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind" that was made into a movie directed by George Clooney in his first attempt at directing, that came out in 2002 and starred Sam Rockwell as Chuck.

If you're a Gong Show fan, this movie will drive you crazy because it portrays Chuck as the lovable game show host and he's also a 'not such a nice guy' hit man for the C.I.A. Chuck never claimed it wasn't true, but there doesn't appear to be any real evidence to back up his story, but........Who the Hell really knows? We're talking about Chuck Barris here, not some normal person!

The Clone Rangers are just one of the acts you can find on YouTube, but it's hard to find anything that is decent quality! Everything looks like it was recorded on a VHS tape, mabye even on the slow speed, but it doesn't really detract from this array of awesome entertainment that much!

I forgot the name of this act, but you get the idea!

I didn't know that there were Gong Show bubblegum trading cards until yesterday!

After Chuck, my favorite recurring cast member was the lovely and hilarious singer Jaye P. Morgan! Jaye P. had been a successful singer long before this show was ever thought of. She had a big hit in 1951 called "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries," and I think that concept is how she has lived her life, to the fullest!

Also in 1976, Jaye P. came out with this album of funky pop soul songs on the Candor label. It's good enough that I still have my copy, and am listening to it right now! Jaye P. was just cool!

One of the regulars on the show was Gene Patton, aka Gene Gene, The Dancing Machine! Gene tears it up right here, and gets everybody so excited that...........

.........On an uncensored version Jape P. actually exposes herself! Now that's some damn fine daytime TV!

This weird Ventriloquist disassembles his dummy and gets gonged for his efforts!

This guy played Mason Williams' "Classical Gas" Jimi style on his acoustic guitar!

What outfits!

Sometime they actually had very talented people on like this gal who can actually sing and belts out a powerful number!

So now we get to the good part! I've seen a lot of great stuff on The Gong Show including "The Mystic Knights Of The Oingo Boingo, but for me, I think one of the best acts ever on the show was the fabulous Bait Brothers!

These guys kill it, and to prove it, here's the link so you can go watch it yourself! If you've never seen their act, you're in for a treat! 

The Bait Brothers and "Shake The Ground!"

The Bait Brothers also appeared in "The Gong Show Movie" and even made an appearance on Don Kirshner's "Rock Concert" TV show!

This performance by Tami and the Starlets is truly amazing. It's at the very beginning of this longer clip that is also on YouTube. You've just got to see and hear Tami perform Captain and Tennille's "Love Will Keep Us Together!" Have Mercy!

One of my favorite comedians, Gary Mule Deer is extremely amusing as always when he attempts to use a corn chip as a guitar pick!

Leave it to Chuck!
They rudely close the curtain on this old guy about 30 seconds into his schtick, and that's where I'm going to leave you!

That's about it! I am literally going to go watch some more Gong Show as soon as I finish writing this sentence! I could use a good laugh right about now, and Chuck always managed to bring it!

THE OUTER LIMITS: Moonstone / Season 1 Episode 24 - 1963

Today's tale is all about a lunar expedition exploring the moon's surface, they accidentally discover a large spherical object they call a Moonstone. The General on the Moon Base is at odds with the Major over an old grudge. Then, the crew becomes involved in an intergalactic conflict when intelligent life forms from the planet Grippia are discovered inside the sphere, what are refugees from their tyrannical leaders who have learned about their discovery, and are on the way to get them, unless the humans can find a way to help...

This episode stars Ruth (THE BIG CLOCK) Roman as Professor Diana Brice, Alex (THE CLONES) Nicol as General Lee Stocker, Tim (BLACK JACK) O'Connor as Major Clint Anderson, Curt (THE MAN) Conway as Dr. Philip Mendl and Hari (THE LOST MISSILE) Rhodes as Lt. Ernie Travers.

Everything's cool on the Moon until a weird orb from space is detected, it ends up crashing down on the lunar surface...

Before it crashes though, we get a peek at the things inside the orb. What the!!..

Some of the crew go out searching for the orb. One guy falls into a hole in the sand and recovers the orb, so, they take it back to the base.

Time to figure out what in the Hell's going on with this damn thing!

Major Anderson gets caught in an equipment explosion, possible killing him. The creatures in the orb expose themselves and one emits a ray that heals the Major! What do you know, they're friendly little monsters!!

Well, the little critters can communicate too, they tell the Earthlings about their plight to escape the evil leaders on their planet.

The bad guys show up, they want to take the good guys back to their planet and extract their knowledge to use against their enemies.

The Earthlings refuse to hand the orb over, so, the aliens destroy equipment in the lab!

The good guys have a plan, in order to get the Earthlings off the hook, they turn themselves in to the bad guys, then, blow themselves up, preventing any extraction of their knowledge!

The bad guys leave the Moon and go back to their planet from where they came! So, there you have it, another wild episode from... The Outer Limits!! Tune in Wednesday when Eegah!! brings us more precious Dungeon Cargo!..