Happy Birthday, Dame Diana Rigg!

Today is the 70th birthday of British actress Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg DBE, best known for playing Emma Peel in The Avengers and Tracy Bond in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. In a prolific career on the stage and screen, she has performed roles in the Royal Shakespeare Company, starred in The Great Muppet Caper, and hosted PBS Mystery.

Related links:
TV Themes: THE AVENGERS (w/ THE NEW AVENGERS)
Diana Rigg biography (Wikipedia)

TV Themes: CHECKMATE

CHECKMATE (1960-62)
Created by thriller writer Eric Ambler, and filmed on the streets of San Francisco, Checkmate revolves around investigators Don Corey (Anthony George), and Jed Sills (Doug McClure), aided by criminologist Dr. Carl Hyatt (Sebastian Cabot). Lauded as one of the best dramas of the 1960s, Checkmate was highlighted by great scripts, locations, and casting -- with guest stars ranging from Charles Laughton, Joan Fontaine, and Peter Lorre, to Cyd Charisse, Tony Randall, and Jack Benny.

The show's haunting theme was composed by "Johnny Williams" -- who went on to a stellar career as film composer John Williams, scoring and serving as music director for more than one hundred films, including the likes of Star Wars, Superman: The Movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Catch Me If You Can, Minority Report, Schindler's List, Jurassic Park, Home Alone, JFK, et al. With 45 Academy Award nominations, he is the Academy's most nominated living person. Williams has five Oscars, seven British Academy Awards (BAFTA), twenty Grammys, four Golden Globes, four Emmys, and numerous Gold and Platinum records. He holds the title of Boston Pops Laureate Conductor, following his retirement in December 1993 after 14 seasons. Williams has also written many concert pieces, including two symphonies.

CHECKMATE on DVD:
Checkmate: Best of Season One
Checkmate: Best of Season Two

Related links:
Checkmate (Thrilling Detective)
Checkmate (TV series) (Wikipedia)
John Williams Official Site
John Williams (Wikipedia)

OPENING CREDITS


More TV Themes:
DRAGNET
THE EQUALIZER (w/ CALLAN)
GET SMART
HARDY BOYS / NANCY DREW MYSTERIES
HART TO HART

LONE RANGER 75th Anniversary Collection

TVShowsonDVD reports a special DVD set this fall celebrates The Lone Ranger in style: The Lone Ranger - 75th Anniversary Collector's Edition includes all 78 episodes from the first two seasons, episodes from the 1960s cartoon, an episode of Lassie with The Lone Ranger, a 1950 episode of the Lone Ranger radio series, a commemorative book, an episode guide, reprints of rare comics and photos, and more! Click this link for details and to see the packaging.

Info about the character's history and TV opening credits at TV Themes: THE LONE RANGER
Buy on Amazon

MONK: New therapist, new episodes

Comedy-sleuth series Monk returns for its seventh season July 18 on USA Network. Following the death of actor Stanley Kamel, film and TV veteran Hector Elizondo joins the cast as the new therapist for compulsive detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub). Go to the official site for info, online games, 2-minute replays, and more.

In other Monk news: the sixth season comes to DVD on July 8, and the next original Monk novel, Mr. Monk Goes To Germany, hits book shelves July 1. Buy Monk books and DVDs at the StudioWell store

RELATED LINKS:
MONK therapist Stanley Kamel found dead
MONK hits 100
ADRIAN MONK: The face of OCD
Mr. Monk And The Continuity Police
Mystery TV Themes: MONK
Q&A: LEE GOLDBERG (Monk, Diagnosis Murder)

GET SMART: Missed it by THAT much

TVShowsonDVD reports that classic 60s TV spy spoof Get Smart is finally coming to retail stores this summer -- without any bonus materials ... not even those that appeared in Time Life's award-winning Get Smart: The Complete Series ...

Watch the opening credits here.

More Opening Credits:
THE AVENGERS / NEW AVENGERS
HART TO HART
HAWAII FIVE-O
MAGNUM, P.I.
MANNIX

TV Themes: Marvel Super Heroes

My wife and I finally got to see the Iron Man movie yesterday -- and LOVED it. In honor of the hilarious post-credits teaser of things to come, here are some classic (if lovably goofy) 1960s TV intros from Marvel superhero cartoons ...

IRON MAN


THE HULK


THE MIGHTY THOR


CAPTAIN AMERICA


THE SUB-MARINER

Win a MONK galley!

TV writer/producer and novelist Lee Goldberg is giving away two signed galleys of his upcoming Monk tie-in original novel, Mr. Monk Goes to Germany. Check out the details at his blog, A Writer's Life.

Buy Monk books and DVDs at the StudioWell store

Related links:
Q&A: LEE GOLDBERG (Monk, Diagnosis Murder)
MONK hits 100
Official MONK on DVD
MONK back for season seven in July
Mystery TV Themes: MONK