PROJECT U.F.O. (1978-1979) – Jack Webb’s Mark VII Ltd. produced this short-lived wonder which dramatized selected cases from the U.S. Air Force’s real-life Project Bluebook, which investigated reports of Unidentified Flying Objects.
Don’t go into this series expecting wild alien races or X-Files-level conspiracies and cover-ups. Typical of Jack Webb productions, the investigations were purely procedural and very dry, with the only fantastic elements coming in the reenactments of what the U.F.O. “witnesses” CLAIM they saw. The investigators could often debunk the sightings in a professional, unemotional way.
The only bone thrown to fringe true believers in alien visitations was when the investigators were stumped and would classify a U.F.O. sighting as “a true unknown.” Simply meaning they could not explain it, not that they were saying that the sighted object was an alien spaceship. Continue reading
MID-SUMMER – Future television icon JACKIE COOPER starred as Val Barton, a man who longs to continue performing in vaudeville with his stage partner (Larry Wilde). BARBARA BEL GEDDES – Dallas‘ Miss Ellie Ewing herself – played his wife Lily Barton, who wants him to settle down in a more stable and respectable job as a teacher. 
To clarify, The Law Enforcers was one of the rotating shows featured on The Bold Ones. The Law Enforcers was also known as The Protectors, but I’m using the former title to keep it distinct from the spy show The Protectors. 
PILOT MOVIE: DEADLOCK (Feb 22nd, 1969) – This telefilm filled a 2-hour timeslot with commercials. Back when this was made, television cop shows didn’t bother trying to realistically depict the way law enforcement worked, unlike the countless police procedural programs of today. Think of McMillan and Wife, for instance. NO Police Commissioner (Rock Hudson’s role) personally investigates individual crimes, but the show’s gimmick had McMillan doing that with his wife (Susan St. James). 
THE HILARIOUS HOUSE OF FRIGHTENSTEIN (1971-1974) – Balladeer’s Blog’s recent review of Countdown Canada (1970) generated so much excitement that I decided to go to the Canada Well once again with this classic children’s series which combined kid-friendly monsters with educational programming and the always welcome Vincent Price. 
That poem went “Another lovely day begins, for ghosts and ghouls with greenish skin. So close your eyes and you will find, that you’ve arrived in Frightenstein. Perhaps the Count will find a way, to make his monster work today. For if he solves this monster-mania, he can return to Transylvania! So welcome where the sun won’t shine, to the castle of Count Frightenstein!” And then Price did his patented sinister laugh, again like he would go on to do for Thriller more than a decade later. 
As that intro indicated, the premise to this show was that Count Frightenstein and the others at his castle in Frankenstone were living in exile from Transylvania until he could bring Brucie J. Monster (basically the Frankenstein Monster) back to life. That backstory was really just the excuse for the ensuing madness in the form of kid-friendly comedy sketches and educational material, all presented with monsters as the characters. 
COUNTDOWN CANADA (1970) – Here at Balladeer’s Blog I am amazed that this vintage Canadian Television work of speculative fiction hasn’t received renewed fame in 2026. And not one IMDb review as of this writing. 
THE GALLERY OF MADAME LIU-TSONG aka MADAME LIU-TSONG (1951) – The great Anna May Wong starred in this Dumont Network program, which was THE FIRST U.S. TELEVISION SERIES WITH AN ASIAN-AMERICAN STAR. Wong had worked in Silent Films like Peter Pan and The Thief of Bagdad, then as Fu Manchu’s daughter in a few talkies. 
TENAFLY (1973-1974) – The same television season that Richard Roundtree’s Shaft was adapted as a small-screen series, another black detective show titled Tenafly debuted. 
HUCK FINN – A musical adaptation of part of the Mark Twain novel Huckleberry Finn. Earle Hyman, who played Cliff Huxtable’s father on Cosby, starred as Jim, Jimmy Boyd was Huck, BASIL RATHBONE played the Duke, Jack Carson the King, and FLORENCE HENDERSON was Mary Jane Wilk. Songs included Loafin’ on the Water, My Friend Huckleberry Finn, Funny but Likable and Too Wonderful for Me. 
MCGURK (1979) 
U.S. STEEL HOUR: SEASON FOUR (1956-1957) – “The Broadway of Television” was back for another season. Some standout episodes from this season:
BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY – PAUL NEWMAN, George Peppard, Albert Salmi, Barbara Babcock and Clu Gulager star in the TV version of this classic story. A major league pitcher (Paul Newman) learns his catcher (George Peppard in his television debut) is dying from a rare disease. He honors the catcher’s request to keep the situation a secret from the rest of the team. 
