Ed Lynskey's Blog: Cracked Rearview Mirror - Posts Tagged "entertainment"

Last night PBS ran a dandy documentary on the vintage TV cop dramas, a.k.a. trip down memory lane for some of us. Dragnet and The Untouchables were the first ones I ever saw in their reruns. I liked Jack Webb's Adam-12 more than his Dragnet. Somehow I never got around to tuning in Mannix, I Spy (big Cosby fan), Mod Squad, or Mission Impossible. The Man from UNCLE was pretty cool, as I recall it. Kate Jackson, later an Angel, was entertaining in the short-lived cop show The Rookies (not covered by PBS). To tie this blog post back to writing, I liked the sultry Angie Dickinson in Policewoman which was based on the novel by the late Dorothy Uhnak. I had the fun opportunity to interview the lively Ms. Uhnak who didn't much appreciate the tacky TV adaptation of her book. I guess the lady cops Cagney and Lacey ran a few years later. Same thing with Baretta starring Robert Blake and The Blue Ghost, a staple viewing for me. The intense Jack Lord in Hawaii Five-0 was made exotic by its tropical location. I liked the classy Rockford File (still do). The shout outs were cool.

Every once in a while, we like to hop on the subway and train downtown into D.C. The weekends find the subway parking garages fairly empty, and the parking is still free.

We pay whatever the rate is for a ticket and catch the subway. The cars near the back are the most sought after ones. The subway has had several horrendous wrecks.

The National Art Gallery is a frequent destination for us. The admission is free. You can't beat that with a stick. You'd be surprised at how many art lovers there are. The queue is a long one.

You can putter through the air conditioned rooms, observe the masterpieces, and not worry about watching your back all the time. That comes later on the street with the panhandlers.

Now I can't paint a lick, mind you. Drawing stick people poses a challenge. I just go for the pictures. It's like being caught up in a good novel. You react to both on some deeper, profounder level. Today's collection on display was by Gaugin. His vibrant colors lways fascinate me. Good stuff.

Ed Lynskey
@edlynskey
Author of Lake Charles and Quiet Anchorage

My tv viewing time has been pared back in recent years. It's usually on to provide background noise while I'm working on different projects. These are the shows I enjoy watching even in re-runs.

#1. Sanford and Son (on TVLand)

#2. Seinfeld

#3. The Office

#4. Sixty Minutes

#5. Inside Washington (D.C. news wrap up)

#6. Pawn Stars

#7. Law & Order (early shows)

#8. King of the Hill

#9. Rockford Files

#10. Columbo.

By Ed Lynskey
@edlynskey
Author of Lake Charles
"Satisfying."
The Rap Sheet/Kirkus Reviews