LES GRANDS DETECTIVES (1975) – A few years back in Balladeer’s Blog’s Forgotten Television category, I reviewed every episode of the British television and radio series The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes. That series presented mystery stories featuring fictional Victorian and Edwardian Age detectives in tales written during Holmes’ own time period.
Lady Molly of Scotland Yard, Dr. Thorndyke, Inspector Lipinzki, Miss Hagar Stanley and others were introduced to generations who had never heard of them. This French-West German co-production titled Les Grands Detectives presented mysteries being solved by similar detectives – including America’s Nick Carter, the one-time fictional giant who has since fallen down the memory hole. Each episode ran 52-55 minutes.
Les Grands Detectives episodes were as follows:
THE SIX DEAD MEN (April 21st, 1975)
The Detective: Inspector Wenceslas Woroboyioetschik, known as Inspector Wens for short. This detective was created by Belgian writer Stanislas-Andre Steeman. Wens was introduced in short stories during the 1920s and also appeared in novels beginning in the 1930s.
The Six Dead Men was the first Inspector Wens novel and was published in 1931. During World War One, six soldiers establish a short-term tontine: in ten years (five years in the novel) the survivors of the sextet – if any – will split the profits accrued in their venture. As the date of the cash-out draws near, some of the men start getting killed off, and Inspector Wens gets involved. Continue reading
DOWN GOES NUMBER ONE – In this game the VANGUARD UNIVERSITY LIONS welcomed the number 1 team in the nation – the ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM. Though the Firestorm were on top 43-39 come Halftime, after the break the Lions roared from behind to win the game 84-76. Garrett White led VU with his Double-Double of 24 points and 10 rebounds. 
CENTURY CLUB – Teams who scored 100 points or more in Regulation: the JOHNSON UNIVERSITY (TN) ROYALS won 111-82 against the ST. ANDREWS UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS ### The TEXAS A&M AT TEXARKANA EAGLES (should be the Texarks) downed the OUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY SAINTS 110-95 ### And the MAYVILLE STATE COMETS won 101-82 at the VITERBO UNIVERSITY V-HAWKS. 
BREWING A BLOWOUT – The BREWTON-PARKER COLLEGE BARONS played host to the VOORHEES UNIVERSITY TIGERS. The Barons had utterly humiliated the Tigers by the Half with a 38-11 lead, and from there they coasted to a 76-42 triumph. Lance Smith logged a Double-Double of 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead Brewton-Parker College. 
AVENGERS Vol 1 #38 (March 1967) 
BRADAMANTE IN THE WIZARD’S TOMB – We left off last time around with Mandricardo searching for the Paladin Roland so he could try to kill him and steal from him the sword Durindana, thus completing the armor of Hector. The female Paladin in white armor, Bradamante, was searching for Ruggiero the Moor, from whom she had gotten separated a few installments back. Ruggiero was likewise searching for her. 
ALPHA ALPHA (1972) – This time around in Balladeer’s Blog’s Forgotten Television category comes this German sci-fi series which ran for 13 episodes from May 17th to August 2nd of 1972. Every episode of Alpha Alpha was written and directed by Wolfgang F. Henschel and ran for 25 minutes, meaning it would nicely fit a half hour time slot with commercials. 
This television series was a German variation of other country’s programs like Quatermass, The X-Files and so many others both before and since. 
Lilith Ungerer costarred as the operative codenamed Beta, Arthur Brauss played Gamma, Horst Sachtleben was Dr. Simak and Gisela Hoetter provided the female voice of the outfit’s computer. Along with Karl Michael Vogler, these five were the only actors to appear in all 13 episodes. Heinz Engelmann showed up twice as the Chief. 
MANDRICARDO AND THE ARMOR OF HECTOR – Last time around in the Tales of Charlemagne and His Paladins we left off with Ruggiero searching the Forest of Arden for Bradamante, the female Paladin in white armor, with whom he had fallen in love. They had become separated while fighting some of the Saracen soldiers invading Charlemagne’s realm at the time. 
NEW YEAR’S DAY (1989) – HAPPY NEW YEAR! Balladeer’s Blog welcomes in 2023 with this review of Henry Jaglom’s comedy-drama New Year’s Day, released on December 13th, 1989, and best known for the appearance of an all-nude David Duchovny. Jaglom wrote and directed this movie, as he had so many before it. Henry also plays a major role in New Year’s Day as Drew, a middle-aged writer/ director who recently got a divorce and has moved back to New York City from Los Angeles to start anew. 
AMAZING ADVENTURES Vol 2 #37 (July 1976) 
The cause of the conflict soon becomes clear – Brother Axe is skeptical that Killraven really is THE Killraven, the world-famous scourge of Earth’s alien conquerors. He suspects KR and his band may be fakers trying to bamboozle him or – even worse – undercover human quislings trying to pinpoint the location of Brother Axe’s rebel band so they can betray the band to their alien masters. 
