Top 5 Tuesday: My Favorite Obscure TV Characters

Everyone is familiar with the leads of many of the classic TV shows going back throughout history, like Carrol O'Connor and All in the Family, Alan Alda and M*A*S*H, Peter Falk and Columbo, and Raymond Burr and Perry Mason. But these and many other shows wouldn't have been the success they were without the contributions of the supporting roles in these shows, and the actors who played them. 

This list will address my five favorites throughout the years. I'm not claiming they are the five best, but five I particularly like. Some I'm sure you have heard of, and others you might not of. So here we go, in no particular order:

1. Dick Gautier as Hymie the Robot in Get Smart 

Most people agree that Get Smart was undoubtedly one of the funniest shows in TV history, and is one of my personal all-time favorites. In fact it's #3 in my top 10 favorite TV sitcoms blog. Don Adams as Agent 86 rightfully gets most of the attention for the comedy in the show. But the show also features many other agents in bit roles that are crucial to the show's comedic success. One such character is Hymie the Robot, played brilliantly and hysterically by actor Dick Gautier. 

Hymie looks human but internally is a wired robot. His mannerisms are mostly robotic, so all of the commands he's given he takes very literally. Which makes for some very funny interactions with Adams. An example: "Hymie, give me a hand", after which Hymie would physically remove his hand and give it to Smart. 

Gautier plays Hymie very stoic without emotion, i.e. deadpan, which I'm sure wasn't easy for him if you've ever watched him out of character on game or talk shows. He's quite the goofball, which I'm sure led to many funny bloopers and second takes on Get Smart. Hymie only appeared in six episodes of Get Smart, but they are worth keeping an eye out for.

2. Larry Drake as Benny Stulwicz in L.A. Law

Right in the middle of his seven year stint as the mentally challenged office clerk Benny Stulwicz in the popular series L.A. Law, Larry Drake made a movie called "Darkman" where he played the most evil, detestable villain imaginable. I was familiar with him as Stulwicz, so when I saw him in Darkman in the theater during the summer of 1990, I was shocked. I couldn't believe this was the same actor I saw until that point play a sensitive, kind, innocent and lovable office clerk who you can't but be drawn to and root for. If you didn't know Drake wasn't mentally challenged in real life, you would have bet your last dollar that he was. His portrayal was that good. And for the role, Drake won two well-deserved Emmy awards. 

3. Anthony LaPaglia as Simon Moon in Frasier 

LaPaglia only made eight appearances in the comedy show Frasier as the alcoholic brother of Daphne Moon, but they were all memorable. Playing intoxicated in nearly every screen appearance, LaPaglia's portrayal was hilarious. and made a funny show even funnier whenever he was on. And even though he was in only eight episodes, he was nominated for three Emmy's for the role, winning once.

4. Adam Arkin as Adam in Northern Exposure & Dr. Stanley Keyworth in The West Wing

Adam Arkin is no doubt one of the most underrated, or at least underappreciated, TV character actors from the past 30 years. He's one of those actors that you recognize when you see him, but never knew his name. Son of well known actor Alan Arkin, Adam made a name for himself in various TV roles, but two in particular that stand out to me. As Adam in Northern Exposure, Arkin played a recluse who lived deep in the woods outside of Cicely, Alaska. Initially thought of as a legend or myth, Adam was accidently discovered by one of the town's residents, and exposed to the townsfolk. After that, Adam would periodically appear in public, despite his dislike of people, which is why he became a recluse to begin with. 

So with his hidden identity revealed, Adam was almost always bitter, harsh and sarcastic, but in a very funny way. And that's mainly because of the top notch writing that came out of Northern Exposure. During it's five year reign, the show was nominated for it's writing four times, winning an Emmy once in 1992. The show was also nominated for a Best Drama Emmy four years, winning once in 1992 as well. Arkin himself was nominated in 1993 for an outstanding guest actor Emmy for his role as Adam, despite only appearing in 10 of the shows 110 episodes.

In 2000, Arkin would appear four times in the Emmy winning show, The West Wing, as Dr. Stanley Keyworth, the secret, psychiatrist to the White House, specifically the Deputy Chief of Staff and the President of the United States, Josiah Bartlett, played by another of my favorite actors, Martin Sheen. Both were victims of an assassination attempt at the end of the first season. Several times during those four episodes, we got to sit in on several therapy sessions, which were expertly written by the multi-award winning writers of the show. The appealing part was that Keyworth was not a simple yes sir, you're right sir push over. He was not intimidated by either man, particularly the President, but instead was very honest, and very blunt with the Bartlett if he didn't think he was being honest or beating around the bush. This made for some pretty intense scenes. Bartlett, initially thought the approach as being disrespectful of the office of the President, but slowly began to appreciate Keyworth's tact and gall. To the point where a mutual respect grew between the two, to the point where they could have been friends if the situation was different. 

5. Bruce Weitz as Lt. Mick Belker in Hill Street Blues 

Crazy, nutty, unpredictable, odd yet likeable. That would just about describe Lieutenant Mick Belker from the Hill Street precinct on the ground-breaking police show, Hill Street Blues. Although there were many police shows on TV prior to Hill Street Blues' premiere in 1981, none were as gritty, violent, realistic or suspenseful as Hill Street. The show turned out to be a trend setter, with successful shows like NYPD Blue, Law and Order, and non-police shows like L.A. Law, ER, and the West Wing following in it's footsteps using the same kind of formula.

Belker, played by Bruce Weitz, is a detective in the Hill Street precinct who tended to be a loner when working on cases, partially because no one wanted to work him and all of his quirks. But that's how he preferred it as well. His forte whenever he was in a squirmish with a suspect was to bite them. That should tell you something! Belker also had a soft side to him, which made him hard not to like. And Weistz did a great job conveying all of this on the screen. So much so that he was nominated six times for the role, winning once in 1984.

Top 5 Tuesday: Favorite "Faith-based" movies

The 1950's saw faith-based "Christian" movies really hit their peak as they frequently dominated at the box office, with one, "Ben Hur" winning a Best Picture Oscar in 1959. To a lesser degree, Faith-based movies have had their share of success in movie theaters in recent years as well. And being a faith-based person, I've seen quite a few of them. And not all of them are all that good, for one reason or another. But the following are my five favorites. As I've mentioned before, I'm not claiming that these are the five best ever made. Just the five that I've enjoyed the most and I think offered a good Christian message.

1. Ben Hur (1959):  Not only my favorite faith-based movie, but my favorite movie all-time, supplanting "The Godfather" several years ago (which is still a close second!) The film, if you don't know, follows the story of a fictionalized Judah Ben-Hur, portrayed by Charlton Heston. But what's really impressive about the movie is how Ben Hur's story is intertwined with the story of Jesus's last days playing out in the background. This culminates in the one and only meeting of Judah and Jesus in one of the most memorable scenes in movie history where Jesus ignores the Roman guards and gives prisoner Ben Hur a drink of water. Despite never seeing Jesus' face up close, his portrayal in the film is probably one of the best and most Biblically accurate ever shown of what his presence must have been like. 

2. The 10 Commandments (1956):  For many years, Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner starred on our TV screens each Easter in the epic Ten Commandments. So there probably aren't too many people who hasn't seen at least some of it. But if you haven't, the movie tells the story of Moses and how he was chosen by God to help the Israelites escape Egypt after hundreds of years of bondage, as illustrated in the book of Exodus. All of the well know adventures are there, from the seven plagues to the parting of the red sea. The special effects at the time were cutting edge and Cecil B. DeMille's direction and vision were, and still is, top notch. Films like this was why the motion picture industry was created. The film was pretty biblically sound, unlike the 2014 "Exodus: Gods and Kings" sort-of remake which I encourage people to skip. The 2007 animated version, however, is pretty good.

3. Peter and Paul (1981): I have to admit, the first thing that drew my interest to this movie some 10 years ago was not necessarily the subject matter, but the fact that Anthony Hopkins was cast as the apostle Paul! I've always enjoyed Hopkins, so because of my curiosity, I couldn't resist watching his portrayal. And to my surprise, it was actually quite good. "Peter and Paul" basically recreates the stories from the latter part of the book of Acts when Paul, then known as Saul, entered the picture as an adversary to the early Christian church after Jesus' death. Like many Jews, he believed Jesus was a false teacher and taught contrary to what the prophets of the Old Testament taught. However, an encounter with Jesus changed all of that, after which Paul because one of the biggest proponents of the Christian message. 

After butting heads with some of the original disciples, including the apostle Peter, the story follows Paul's teachings through various regions in the middle east. It is well done, very entertaining, and most importantly, biblically sound. Casting Eddie Albert of "Green Acres" as Festus and Raymond Burr of "Perry Mason" as Herod Agrippa were a bit of a stretch, but I'm sure were done because of their star power at the time. Regardless, I highly recommend it if you ever come across it. Which isn't easy to do.  

4. Amish Grace (2010):  A true story that portrays an amazing display of forgiveness an Amish community extended to the family of a man who killed several of their children in the infamous Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania shooting from 2006. What they did is truly what the Bible explains we should do in forgiving others. But to an extreme that most of us will (hopefully) will never experience. 

Despite the fictional Graber family portrayed in the film, and the mother of the Graber family being a bit over the top, what the Amish community did as a whole to reach out to the family of the killer is historically true. And although the Graber family was fictionalized, I'm sure there was a family in the community that experienced something similar to them. Despite her dramatization, the portrayal of the Graber likely does illustrate the conflict some of the Amish must have felt. The film is a tear-jerker, so get the tissue out if you decide to watch it!

5. The Shack (2015):  This is my controversial pick, as The Shack took a pretty good hit from many established Christian scholars, mainly due to it's portrayal of the triune God (God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit). Sure, it's not completely accurate, but they did their best seeing that most scholars have a hard time explaining the trinity, which does exist, in simple English! But the strength of the movie is its powerful messages on forgiveness, blame, false assumptions, and the consequences of playing God. The acting is terrific, and certainly will get you thinking, and as a result can play with your emotions. So definitely have a hanky near by! Again, the movie may not always be 100% biblically accurate, but the messages it shares are biblical, and pretty powerful. 

Bonus - The Nativity Story (2006): Since it's Christmas season, I had to throw in "The Nativity Story", which just barely missed the top 5. It's one of the better re-telling of the birth of Jesus stories. Biblically sound and well cast and acted. You almost feel like you're there witnessing the blessed event. A must see during Christmas season.

Honorable mentions:  Paul, Apostle of Christ (2018), The Encounter (2016), Barabbas (1961), The Robe (1953), I Can Only Imagine (2018), The Case for Christ (2017), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005), Overcomer (2019).

Top 5 Tuesday: My Favorite Christmas Movies & Shows

Tis the season for the annual barrage of annual Christmas movies and TV shows that frequent our TVs following Thanksgiving. And I don't know about you, but the time between watching them seems to be shorter and shorter each year! At least it feels that way. 

So here are my top  five favorites, and again, I'm not claiming they are the best ever made. But just five I try to watch every season!

1. Miracle on 34th Street (1948):  Classic, entertaining, feel good story about a man who claims to be the real Santa Clause, and those who don't believe him and try, and fail, to disprove it.  The story begins on Thanksgiving when "Kris Kringle" (Edmund Gwenn) replaces the intoxicated Santa riding in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, which leads him to be hired by Macys. Kringle slowly grows on two Santa unbelievers, Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara), the Macy Parade organizer, and her young daughter Susan (Natalie Wood) to the point where they question their disbelief. This is in part to the film's brilliant ending, which basically leaves the door open to all possibilities.  

Gwenn was so convincing as Santa Clause, that he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1949! The film also garnered writing Oscars for best screenplay and best original story, as well as a Best Picture nomination. 

2. The Christmas Chronicles (2018): The newest film on the list, this is a Netflix original which stars Kurt Russell as a very likeable and very appealing Santa who crash lands in Chicago after two kids hide out in his sleigh on Christmas Eve. The story involves the search for Santa's reindeer, who have scattered on Michigan Avenue, as well as bailing out Santa from jail after he crashes a car while trying to elude the police. I know, it sounds pretty far out there, and nothing to do with Christmas. But it really does, as a back story involves helping a lost teenager regain his faith in Christmas, and mend wounds following his father's recent passing. 

The movie is very entertaining with some funny moments spread throughout. Russell's portrayal of Saint Nick is one of the best ever. Definitely check it out if you have Netflix. The 2020 sequel is pretty good too. 

3.  The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (2000):  This rendition of the 1964 animated classic with Boris Karloff received mixed reviews when it came out, but I've always thoroughly enjoyed Jim Carrey's portrayal of the Grinch, as well as director Ron Howard's vision of Whosville. I've always thought that Carrey's performance was under appreciated, as there really isn't anyone else who could have pulled off what he did. With the possible exception of Robin Williams if the film was made about 10 years earlier. 

But Carrey was quite amazing, considering the extensive make up he had to wear throughout the filming. The movie also provided some very memorable lines, including the Grinch's "I'm leaking" comment after witnessing himself cry for the first time. Hiring Anthony Hopkins to provide the monologue was also a great choice, as he helped in providing an authentic "Dr. Seuss" experience. At least I thought so!

4.  A Christmas Carol (2009, 1984, 1951, 1938): I've watched many versions of this classic Charles Dickens story throughout the years, but three stand out the most to me. The 1938 and 1951 versions are considered the two classics, but the 1984 version with George C. Scott that I just discovered last year may be my new favorite. Scott was the perfect Scrooge, which he was awarded for by being nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal. 

And I can't discuss "A Christmas Carol" without mentioning Disney's 2009 animated version, once again starring Jim Carrey. Disney's rendition is the closest of the four in following the actual Dicken's story. And using animation to tell the story really helps during the portrayal of the three ghosts that visit Scrooge on Christmas Eve. It's very hard to do just using actors and cheesy special effects, which the older ones do. The Disney version is also the darkest of the four, as there are several scenes really not appropriate for younger audiences, as they are quite frightful. In fact, I had a friend who took his seven year old daughter to the film thinking it was a typical children's Disney film, but had to walk out after his daughter was frightened following a couple of scenes. He was upset with Disney for quite a while because of that! But as an adult, it's a very enjoyable and graphically pleasing version of the classic.

5.  Home Alone (1990):  A classic that everyone remembers as being hilarious when watching young Kevin McCallister, portrayed by Macaulay Culkin, fend off would be burglars Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern while waiting for his family to return after they inadvertently left him at home. But what is sometimes forgotten is the warm and moving side story between Kevin and his misunderstood elderly neighbor, aptly named "Marley". Their evolving story is very moving and a definite highlight of the film.

Honorable Mention:  Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, The Polar Express, Love, Actually, A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation

Top 5 Tuesday: My Favorite TV Dramas

Here are a list of my top 5 favorite TV drams  The first two are virtually a tie in my mind, but I had to pick one. Again, these are my favorite shows, not what I necessarily consider the best!

1.  The Sopranos-  Talk about drama. Look up the word "drama" in the dictionary and you'll find the Sopranos in the description (or at least should). Each week was gritty, occasionally violent, and completely engaging. Probably TV's first R-rated show. Although a couple of the final years dropped off a notch in quality, and the series finale somewhat controversial, the entire run of the show was highly entertaining.  Great acting, top notch writing....and only one Best Drama Emmy?  Read on....

2.  West Wing- A close second, and the reason why The Sopranos only won one Best Drama Emmy. It's funny, but there was a time when I refused to watch the West Wing because it kept defeating The Sopranos! But when I finally got around to watching it, I was hooked. By that time, the show had come out on DVD, and I was renting them left and right in order to get caught up. Like the Sopranos, a couple of the final seasons were a little weaker, but overall the show provided a fascinating look into the lives and work of the staff of a (fictitious) U.S. President.  Sure, it was based on a democratic White House, but it was written well enough for right-wingers to enjoy.

3.  Rockford Files-  One of my must-see shows in the 70's. Loved the combination of drama and dry humor throughout the show about the weekly cases of private eye Jim Rockford (James Garner). Rockford was an every day, easy to relate guy, which was a big part of the shows appeal.  He would frequently get hit, hurt and cheated on, but he always managed to solve the crime.

4.  Hill Street Blues- Ground breaking, realistic police drama about the goings on of a New York police station.  This show had some of the most memorable characters in TV history (Belker, LaRue, Renko, Furillo, etc.). The acting and writing were superb.  The show wasn't shy about killing off it's stars either, which provided some of the most shocking and at the same time emotional episodes on dramatic TV. Probably the first real gritty, violent show on TV. Paved the way for several other shows (NYPD Blue, Law & Order, etc.)

5.  L.A. Law- Another well written, well acted show featuring the daily activity of a Los Angeles Law Firm.  If you like courthouse drama, this is your show. Takes Perry Mason to another level, although it wasn't shy to slip in some pretty funny humor from time-to-time.  Once most of the major stars left the show in the early 90's, the final two seasons were a bit weaker. But overall, a very enjoyable drama that I watched on a regular basis. 

Honorable mention (no particular order): E.R., Lou Grant, Thirtysomething, NYPD Blue, Mission Impossible, Northern Exposure, Perry Mason, Quincy, McMillan & Wife, Police Story, Adam 12, Mad Men, Ellery Queen (anyone remember this?), LOST, Emergency!, Highway to Heaven, This is Us, The Crown.

So those are my five all-time favorite TV dramas. Feel free to chime in with yours and why you chose them!

JW