RetroFan has an outstanding article on a lesser-seen TV show of the 1970s

Whaddya know? I got my new RetroFan mag last week and realized I never commented on the last one. In this look at the previous RetroFan magazine, number 35 if you're scoring at home, I am going to present some mild criticism--a rare occasion in these reviews! It remains my toppermost of the poppermost favorite mag, and I am about to renew my print mail subscription, in fact.

First I must spotlight one of the best pieces I have seen in RetroFan: Robert Greenberger's in-depth look at The Name of the Game, a Universal "wheel" show that aired on NBC 1968 to 1971.  You get info on the series' genesis, behind-the-scenes stories, and all kinds of info that will make you wish the scrapped DVD release had come to fruition. The program aired on Cozi years back but has not had much of a rerun footprint. Greenberger has had a long and varied career in entertainment and especially comic books, and I hope he is a regular author in these pages. 

While the subject matter in the rest of the issue is varied and compelling, I did get a nagging sense that more than usual was promotional in nature or directing us to other material. The magazine always gives helpful in-text references to other issues--editor's notes that say, for example, see issue #4 for a look at the topic just mentioned--but something about the stories this time out got me a bit. 

Mark Arnold's story on rock bands in TV cartoons is amusing but often feels like a promo for his book on the subject, and Herbie J. Pilato's "Christmas TV Memories" is a mere page taken from one of his own books. I like the work of both authors and think maybe this is an editorial thing.

Elsewhere, Will Murray writes about his time on the set of Evil Dead II years ago, and Mark Voger writes about John Astin, drawing on several interviews he did with the actor in the past. Now, I realize with this subject matter--old-school all the way--we aren't gonna get new interviews with many of these stars, but I do want to point out that much of the material in each issue is authors drawing on previously published work. It's usually quite successful. It does, however, make pieces like Greenberger's stand out even more.

I enjoyed the thorough look at Space Ghost and the story on coffee advertising, of all things, and I always appreciate a look at the TV show Isis. The latter is another repurposing of old interviews, and I just point that out hoping RetroFan maintains a balance and continues to present such material in fresh and interesting ways!