Christmastime Is Here
I know, you haven’t even finished the Halloween candy you stole from your kids and here we are already talking about some Christmas tree?
But it’s not just some Christmas tree, it’s the Rockefeller Center tree! This year’s tree is a 76-foot-tall Norway spruce from West Edmeston, New York. It started its journey to New York City yesterday and will arrive on Saturday.
The tree will be lit on NBC’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center, which airs at 8 p.m. on December 2.
Did Kellogg’s and Ziploc Solve the Cereal Problem?
No, I’m not talking about the problem of the ever-shrinking cereal boxes. A “family size” is now the size of the old regular box.
This is about the bag inside of the boxes. It has always been hard to seal those bags. You fold and you roll up and you crinkle and it still comes undone, and it’s made worse by the fact that the boxes don’t re-close correctly either.
But now Kellogg’s has teamed up with Ziploc and may have solved the bag problem.
It’s Jay Gatsby, Only He Solves Crimes
This sounds like a sketch from Saturday Night Live – and one day it probably will be – but NBC is developing a show based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Only this version has Jay Gatsby in modern times and he’s a police detective! His partner is Nicole Carraway (get it?).
The only interesting thing they could have done with this truly bad idea was to set it in the 1920s, but they couldn’t even do that right.
But it could start a whole new trend on TV shows. What if Ethan Frome were an astronaut? What if Holden Caulfield had magical powers? What if Hester Prynne managed a wacky softball team?
Christmas Song of the Week
There are people who say you shouldn’t play Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. Those people are wrong. I’ll be posting songs every week until the end of December. First up: Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song,” which turns 80 this year. Of course Nat King Cole’s version is the best.
Uploaded to YouTube by Nat King Cole
RIP Elke Sommer, Barbara Barrie, Jerry Koosman, Tony Butala, Peter Medak, Marty Erlichman, John Leeson, and Judson Hale
Elke Sommer appeared in such films as A Shot in the Dark, Deadlier Than the Male, The Prize, The Wrecking Crew, The Oscar, and Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! She died last week at the age of 85.
Barbara Barrie played Hal Linden’s wife on Barney Miller, was in the original Broadway productions of Company and California Suite, and appeared in such films as Breaking Away, Private Benjamin, and The Caretakers. She died last week at the age of 95.
Jerry Koosman was a star pitcher who helped the Miracle Mets win the World Series in 1969. He died Sunday at the age of 83.
Tony Butala was one of the founders of The Lettermen, known for such songs as “When I Fall in Love,” “Goin Out of My Head”/”Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” and “Hurt So Bad.” He died recently at the age of 87.
Peter Medak directed such films as The Changeling and The Ruling Class, as well as TV shows like Breaking Bad, Space: 1999, Homicide: Life on the Street, and the ’80s reboot of The Twilight Zone. He died last week at the age of 88.
Marty Erlichman was Barbra Streisand’s manager for 60 years. He was also a film producer and managed people like George Foreman and Gary Puckett and the Union Gap. He died Saturday at the age of 97.
John Leeson was the voice of K9 on the classic sci-fi series Doctor Who and appeared in many films and podcasts. He died last week at the age of 83.
Judson Hale worked for Yankee Publishing for over 60 years, as editor of Yankee magazine and also The Old Farmer’s Almanac. He died in August at the age of 93.
This Week in History
King Tut’s Tomb Discovered (November 4, 1922)
Was a curse unleashed when Howard Carter and his team opened the tomb? A lot of people think so!
Walter Cronkite Born (November 4, 1916)
“The Most Trusted Man in America” started working at CBS in 1950, as a reporter, an anchor of newscasts, and as the host of various shows on the network. He became anchor of The CBS Evening News in 1962 and stayed in the seat until 1981. He died in 2009 at the age of 92.
This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: Unifruit Bananas (November 6, 1926)
If you zoom in on that picture in the center of the ad, it says that grownups should make Steak a la Stanley, which is steak served with … slices of banana.
November Is Banana Pudding Lovers Month
Banana pudding is on my list of “things I really love but never make.”
Here’s a recipe for Banana Pudding (and many other banana desserts) from the April 14, 1917, issue of the Post’s sister publication The Country Gentleman. Allrecipes has what they call The Best Banana Pudding, which is layered and includes vanilla wafers, while The Suburban Soapbox shakes things up a bit with a Chocolate Banana Pudding. The Kitchn has Banana Pudding Cookies and Food Network has a Banana Pudding Snacking Cake.
If you don’t like banana pudding you can always put those bananas in a bowl of Cheerios.
Next Week’s Holidays and Events
WTA Finals (November 8)
The top women are playing against each other at Indian Wells this year. Tennis Channel will have complete coverage.
Veterans Day (November 11)
It was originally known as Armistice Day and people can never agree on the spelling.
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