Boyd Coddington, star of the "American Hot Rod" TV show and hot-rod ambassador, died at age 63 on Tuesday morning. The cause of death wasn't disclosed. However, Edmunds.com revealed that Coddington had been hospitalized since January after a fall at his home. Obituaries by the New York Times and Popular Hot Rodding provide a good … Continue reading Hot-rod ambassador Boyd Coddington dies
Category: Television
A visit to the Round Barn
This is a report about the Round Barn in Arcadia, Okla., from Brent Weber, a reporter from a KOKH-TV in Oklahoma City. This is a regular feature by Weber, called "Postcard from B-Web." It's a good segment. I didn't know about the funeral that was held a few months ago in the barn.
Statement released about new “Route 66” DVDs
Since Roxbury/Infinity's release of "Route 66: Season 1, Vol. 2" on DVD a few days ago, a number of complaints have erupted about its widescreen look. Apparently the widescreen format necessitates some cropping at the top and bottom of the picture, which has angered some viewers. I asked the company's publicist about this format and … Continue reading Statement released about new “Route 66” DVDs
A look at the Gay Parita station
KOLR-TV in Springfield, Mo., has a story about Gary Turner's re-creation of the Gay Parita gas station on old Route 66 west of Springfield in a settlement called Paris Springs. Here are more photos of Gay Parita. There's a video link with the story. But buried in the story is this item that's not on … Continue reading A look at the Gay Parita station
Chicago TV station to show “Route 66” episodes
For you Chicago roadies, WFBT-TV, Channel 48, will be renamed WMEU on March 1 and will start broadcasting old episodes of the "Route 66" TV show from the early 1960s, according to the Chicago Tribune. This is in addition to the classic-TV lineup on WWME, aka Me-TV, which is owned by the same outfit -- … Continue reading Chicago TV station to show “Route 66” episodes
Mother Road Transfer
In this old clip from "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson, here's the Manhattan Transfer performing "Route 66."
A chat with Kirk Hallam
This week, I talked on the phone with Kirk Hallam, owner and president of Roxbury Entertainment. We talked about the company's DVD re-releases of the "Route 66" television series and an upcoming "Route 66" film, based on the 1960s TV show, that he is producing. A lot of interesting information was revealed by Hallam during … Continue reading A chat with Kirk Hallam
Route 66 rescue
A woman apparently fell into the rain-swollen Vermilion River in Pontiac, Ill., on Tuesday and was swept downstream for three-quarters of a mile by the current. She was rescued by police and firefighters near the Route 66 bridge in town, and capturing it all on videotape was Mayor Scott McCoy, reports WEEK-TV. "I just so … Continue reading Route 66 rescue
Another Amarillo song
After seeing my post about George Strait's "Amarillo by Morning," longtime roadie Becky Ransom alerted me of another hit song that prominently mentions the Texas Panhandle's largest city. It is Tony Christie's "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo," a worldwide hit in 1971 for the British singer. It was co-written by Neil Sedaka. The song … Continue reading Another Amarillo song
“Magic” superhighways
Here's a fascinating excerpt from "Magic Highway USA," a 1958 film from when Disney had its own TV show. It imagines what the nation's highway system might look like in the future. I saw this film as a child in the early 1970s, and it seemed overly fanciful even then. As the film fast approaches … Continue reading “Magic” superhighways