That’s Entertainment
Uncle John knows pretty much everything—and if he doesn’t, he heads his massive research library, or puts one of his many associates on the case. So go ahead: In the comments below, ask Uncle John anything. (And if we answer your question sometime, we’ll send you a free book!) Why are British TV seasons so […]
When a TV series takes place in the past, writers, set designers, and prop masters do their best to make sure that all the details are historically accurate. But sometimes they make mistakes. This was first published in our 29th annual edition, Uncle John’s Uncanny Bathroom Reader. Happy Days (1974–84) Scene: Howard, Marion, and Joanie Cunningham […]
Rejection is a part of life, particularly for those in the creative field. But these stories of rejection ultimately had happy endings. Stranger Things Last summer, Netflix had one of its biggest hits ever with the original series Stranger Things, a nostalgic, supernatural thriller set in the ‘80s. Co-creator Matt Duffer told Rolling Stone that […]
Uncle John knows pretty much everything—and if he doesn’t, he puts one of his many researchers on the case. So go ahead: In the comments below, ask Uncle John anything. (And if we answer your question sometime, we’ll send you a free book!) Why does the new TV season start in the fall? The proliferation […]
From the birth of cinema in the 1890s until the late 1940s, the standard film stock was made of a nitrate base, which is highly combustible. Plus, it disintegrates quickly if it’s not stored in a special low-oxygen, low-humidity, climate-controlled vault. Result: Hundreds of films are gone forever, including these. The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays (1908) […]
Norway is the ancestral home of some of the darkest, loudest, and most frightening music in the world: black metal. (It’s way heavier than regular heavy metal.) That contingent of the Norwegian population is finally being represented in the political sphere…even if it doesn’t want to be. The musician known only as “Fenriz” is a […]
Fifty years ago this week, The Monkees debuted on NBC. What started as a way to replicate the music and madcap movies of the Beatles quickly became special in its own right. The Monkees TV show creators Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider took out an ad in Variety in 1965 to recruit “folk & roll […]
When it first hit the air in the ‘60s, Star Trek was only around for three little-watched seasons. But thanks to endless reruns, it became one of the most beloved—and important—TV shows of all time. Here are some facts about Star Trek on the 50th anniversary of the airing of its first episode. It was […]
The new fall TV season is gearing up. While a lot of new shows are getting a lot of buzz, the following shows aren’t—because they only filmed a single “pilot” episode and were rejected by the major broadcast networks. COVER GIRLS They’re a team of attractive women…and they’re also undercover secret agents. No, it’s not […]
Accidents can happen at work, even on movie sets. Or, if you’re Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry, especially on movie sets. The actress has incurred a remarkable number of (thankfully) minor injuries during the filmmaking process. Die Another Day Berry portrayed Jinx, an NSA agent in this 2002 James Bond movie. While filming an action […]
Since it opened in Universal Studios Orlando last winter, Williams of Hollywood Prop Shops has offered for sale parts and pieces of rides that have been closed down or revamped. That makes for some one-of-a-kind (and very expensive) souvenirs. One of the most memorable parts of the 1996 disaster movie Twister was a very angry […]
Beloved comic actor and writer Gene Wilder passed away this week at age 83. Here’s some stuff you may not have known about “Dr. Frankenstein,” “The Waco Kid,” and “Leo Bloom.” Wilder portrayed the title character in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but he doesn’t appear until about halfway into the movie. Suspense and […]
If you find this page bad and not a thriller, Uncle John respectfully suggests that you beat it. “You Are Not Alone” Released in 1995, it was the first song ever to debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Scream” Jackson was a devout Jehovah’s Witness and steadfastly refused to use profanity. “Scream,” […]
A concert isn’t complete without a stop at the “merch table” to prove how big of a fan you are by purchasing a T-shirt or a bumper sticker…or one of these even weirder things that have actually been offered for sale. After leaving the dark punk band the Misfits, singer Glenn Danzig started a heavy […]
They may be gone, but they’re not forgotten. Come to think of it, are they really even gone? Ghost lovers claim that many of the famous dead are still among us…in spirit. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (1706–90) Franklin helped establish the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia in the 1740s. His papers are housed there along with, according […]
In one of the most memorable moments of the 1992 presidential campaign, Arkansas governor Bill Clinton appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show and played Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” on the saxophone, along with the show’s house band. Here’s a look at some other presidents (and presidential candidates) who showed off their musical talents. Harry Truman […]
On August 1, 1981—35 years ago today—MTV went on the air in a handful of cable system across the country. You probably know that the first video played was the Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star,” but did you know these behind-the-scenes stories from some iconic early music videos? “Money for Nothing” British band Dire […]
Sure, the “VHS era” ended more than a decade ago with the arrival of DVDs, and then streaming video, but now it’s official: the last VCR will roll off the assembly line in 2016. Here’s a look at some other big lasts in the world of VHS. The Last VCR By 2012, two companies still […]
