As only a true artist of tremendous power can, Cicely Tyson – the much revered actress who died yesterday at age 96 – altered the landscape and left this world better for her presence.
Author: Mark Perigard
Writer. Editor. Survivor. Half-man, half-metal.
In honor of Cloris Leachman, revisit the ‘Phyllis’ opening
Comedy legend Cloris Leachman died earlier this week at age 94. The Academy Award and Emmy winner (nine Emmys total!) gave the world so many memorable performances, in comedies and dramas, but she might be known best as Phyllis Lindstrom, the self-obsessed landlady in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
Leachman was so popular in the role, she helmed her own spinoff “Phyllis” for two seasons. The theme song just might be one of the funniest and most apt for any sitcom ever.
Give it a listen:
And while you’re here, enjoy the final episode of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in which Lou (Ed Asner) brings back Phyllis and Rhoda (Valerie Harper) to console Mary.
The fun starts at about the 10:55 mark.
Leachman gave Phyllis such a delicious edge.
We can’t just leave any Cloris Leachman appreciation post without mentioning her uproarious turn as Frau Blucher (horses whinny) in “Young Frankenstein.”
A person who can give so much joy to the world has truly led a great life.
That was Cloris Leachman.
Syfy’s ‘Resident Alien’ is out-of-this-world good
Syfy’s new series “Resident Alien” (premiering Wednesday at 10 p.m.) puts a clever spin on a fish-out-of-his-universe story.
Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle (Alan Tudyk, “Firefly,” “Con Man”) keeps to himself in the small town of Patience, Colorado (population 1,000) – that is, until the police show up at his isolated cabin and demand his help with a possible homicide.
Continue reading “Syfy’s ‘Resident Alien’ is out-of-this-world good”
Is this the most toxic ‘Bachelor’ season ever?
There’s catty, and then there’s malicious to the point of begging to be sued.
This season of ABC’s “The Bachelor” with Matt James has turned out to be the hardest in the franchise’s history to watch – because most of the contestants are showing themselves to be just awful people.
Continue reading “Is this the most toxic ‘Bachelor’ season ever?”
Trump is gone, but his damage will linger for decades
There’s a lot to celebrate this week.
For starters, the country is still here. The United States is still a democratic republic.
There seemed to be some doubt that might continue when an angry mob invaded the Capitol on Jan. 6, only the second time it has been breached in 200 years.
Then, it was the British; this time, our fellow Americans.
These white supremacists, incited by the president, tried to overturn a lawful election.
They were halted. We got lucky.
Continue reading “Trump is gone, but his damage will linger for decades”
Mark Perigard 