Today is June 16th, Christopher Cary's birthday. Of course, I am remembering him as always. And this year I have at last been able to bring my site online! It is still in the working stages, and I am hoping its presence will generate interest and people who knew the actors highlighted therein will come forward and wish to add their voices and their stories. Right now, it is largely a collection of vintage interviews I have dug up, with a few recent ones in the mix. The crowning glory of the site is an extended interview I had with Elen Carysfort, Christopher's widow. I am so happy that she was able to take the time to share her wonderful stories with me! And I am thrilled to be able to share them with everyone at long last.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
The script of Riptide's The Pirate and the Princess: New insight into Captain Scofield's character?
As much as I love and adore Captain Jack Scofield from the Riptide episode The Pirate and the Princess, one of my sources of frustration regarding the character is that the episode never really makes it clear whose side Jack is on. Did he move the mini-submarine so that it was on the eels' rock? Did he start the fire in the engine room? Was he really going to blow up the ship when Guido shot him?
I really believe he was not at fault for any of these things, especially since Guido was revealed as the snake in the grass. But that doesn't necessarily clear Scofield. After all, he could have been a bad guy working all on his own, independent of the smugglers.
I really believe he was not at fault for any of these things, especially since Guido was revealed as the snake in the grass. But that doesn't necessarily clear Scofield. After all, he could have been a bad guy working all on his own, independent of the smugglers.
I hoped perhaps the script would clear up some of these mysteries even though the episode did not. I finally procured a copy of said script and pored over it yesterday. Although it does not answer things as much as I hoped, there are some interesting differences between the script and the episode that may actually lead to the answers.
First, the character description. He is described as a hard-bitten sea salt along the lines of Robert Shaw from Jaws. Now, I'm probably one of the only people who has never seen Jaws, since horror pictures with psycho animals are really not my thing, but upon looking up pictures of the character I can kind of see the inspiration. He even wears a sweater and a baseball cap. And of course, he's British in origin. The script makes note that Scofield has an English accent. I wonder if Christopher Cary was an immediate choice for the part or if they also considered other actors.
Next, the differences between the script and the episode.
The script, overall, is extremely similar to the finished product. Probably the biggest change made is that when they dive to get Captain Tyson's treasure, the old sunken ship starts collapsing and Cody is almost killed! Nick and Tony Guirilini come to rescue him just in time. When they surface, Angelo Guirilini is horrified by the tale of what happened. I suppose this was cut either for time or budget constraints, but it would have been an intense and exciting scene.
(Another, smaller change is that the flashback dates are moved up an entire century. Whereas in the script it's the 1500s, it's the 1600s in the episode. And yet even with that change, they didn't change the time discrepancy in the script of Emilio Rodriguez being made captain of his own ship several years before Captain Tyson ever met Princess Carlotta!)
Captain Scofield's original scene, where he speaks with the customs agent who spies for him, is virtually the same as the episode, save for the very beginning. One slight change made in the script has the Riptide detectives and Giovanna Guirilini talking about the problems on the expedition outside the airport instead of in the taxi cab. Scofield and the customs agent watch the whole thing. When Murray says he wants to look the inexplicable squarely in the eye until it blinks, the camera angle goes to a close-up of Scofield's eye and a blink. Ha! Cheesy, yes, but an interesting approach. It would have been amusing if they had kept it like that in the episode.
When Scofield is spying on the Arrivederci, Baby, the script notes that he is wearing a damp wetsuit. This is as in the episode; we are to assume he has been diving. However, while in the episode it really may be a red herring and his diving was innocent, in the script it almost seems that there definitely is something sinister about whatever he was doing down there. Instead of Tony, it's Guido who gets bitten by the eel. Unless Guido was trying to throw suspicion off of himself, or unless the eel just went for him before he could do anything about it, it seems that he was completely surprised by the location of the mini-submarine and perhaps did not move it there himself. Also, when they come up, the script notes that one of them is clearly hurt, whereas it doesn't seem to be as clear in the episode, particularly from that distance.
Perhaps the eeriest change in this scene is that originally Scofield is supposed to be singing to himself as he watches the goings-on and sees them surface with someone definitely hurt. Such a reaction seems to indicate either that he is responsible for moving the mini-submarine and is pleased that someone got hurt or that he just doesn't care, even if he had nothing to do with it. It also rather indicates he may not be altogether sane. Singing while watching injured people is not a normal reaction. As nice as it would have been to have heard Christopher Cary sing, I am glad that the episode opted to have him watch in silence and not look particularly pleased at anything that's happening. I wonder whether that was Christopher's suggestion or that of someone in the crew. The only point where he looks like he may be enjoying it could also be interpreted as him simply squinting and not quite sure what he's seeing. I wasn't sure what he was seeing either, even with the binoculars. But it's also possible that he couldn't tell that anyone was hurt, yet was pleased that they were surfacing without having found anything yet because he wanted to approach them about that partnership.
When Scofield is spying on the Arrivederci, Baby, the script notes that he is wearing a damp wetsuit. This is as in the episode; we are to assume he has been diving. However, while in the episode it really may be a red herring and his diving was innocent, in the script it almost seems that there definitely is something sinister about whatever he was doing down there. Instead of Tony, it's Guido who gets bitten by the eel. Unless Guido was trying to throw suspicion off of himself, or unless the eel just went for him before he could do anything about it, it seems that he was completely surprised by the location of the mini-submarine and perhaps did not move it there himself. Also, when they come up, the script notes that one of them is clearly hurt, whereas it doesn't seem to be as clear in the episode, particularly from that distance.
Perhaps the eeriest change in this scene is that originally Scofield is supposed to be singing to himself as he watches the goings-on and sees them surface with someone definitely hurt. Such a reaction seems to indicate either that he is responsible for moving the mini-submarine and is pleased that someone got hurt or that he just doesn't care, even if he had nothing to do with it. It also rather indicates he may not be altogether sane. Singing while watching injured people is not a normal reaction. As nice as it would have been to have heard Christopher Cary sing, I am glad that the episode opted to have him watch in silence and not look particularly pleased at anything that's happening. I wonder whether that was Christopher's suggestion or that of someone in the crew. The only point where he looks like he may be enjoying it could also be interpreted as him simply squinting and not quite sure what he's seeing. I wasn't sure what he was seeing either, even with the binoculars. But it's also possible that he couldn't tell that anyone was hurt, yet was pleased that they were surfacing without having found anything yet because he wanted to approach them about that partnership.
Of course, if we go with the idea that Guido put the mini-submarine on the eels' rock, the question becomes how did he do that when he was in town? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that the mini-submarine is remote-controlled. Maybe before Guido left for town, he guided it to the spot he wanted and then damaged the relay circuit and sent it down. He certainly could have noted the rock on a prior dive and decided it would be perfect for his purposes.
It's also a point of curiosity why Scofield didn't approach Angelo about the partnership. One could decide that his story really was a lie, but on the other hand, perhaps he was simply planning to go about "approaching" in a very unusual way. There is nothing to say that maybe his intentions all along were that someone would notice the spying customs agent and find out about him after cornering that guy. Perhaps he thought it better if they ended up coming to him instead of the other way around. Of course, that didn't help Cody and Nick with their suspicions any, but maybe Scofield thought that since there wasn't anything illegal about him watching the ship and he admitted to it, his honesty wouldn't be questioned.
When the customs agent is caught spying at the hospital, in the script he ends up leading Cody and Nick on a chase all the way down to the docks, where he hides on Scofield's ship. Wow. I wonder whether that was changed because of time or budget or simply because it sounded too laughable that he would be that much of a coward. The script also says that Scofield then comes out glaring at Cody and Nick with the agent hiding behind him. Now, maybe that made sense when Terry D. Nelson was picturing Robert Shaw, but when small-framed Christopher Cary was cast in the role, somehow the thought of anyone hiding behind him just doesn't quite work. So that may have also had some bearing on why the scene was changed.
In the episode, instead of glaring, Scofield is friendly and amiable from the start. Even though the episode is still vague on Scofield's ultimate allegiance, this and these other changes from the script seem to point to the idea that perhaps Scofield is exactly as he presents himself to be and they wanted him to be more likable to the audience.
It's also a point of curiosity why Scofield didn't approach Angelo about the partnership. One could decide that his story really was a lie, but on the other hand, perhaps he was simply planning to go about "approaching" in a very unusual way. There is nothing to say that maybe his intentions all along were that someone would notice the spying customs agent and find out about him after cornering that guy. Perhaps he thought it better if they ended up coming to him instead of the other way around. Of course, that didn't help Cody and Nick with their suspicions any, but maybe Scofield thought that since there wasn't anything illegal about him watching the ship and he admitted to it, his honesty wouldn't be questioned.
When the customs agent is caught spying at the hospital, in the script he ends up leading Cody and Nick on a chase all the way down to the docks, where he hides on Scofield's ship. Wow. I wonder whether that was changed because of time or budget or simply because it sounded too laughable that he would be that much of a coward. The script also says that Scofield then comes out glaring at Cody and Nick with the agent hiding behind him. Now, maybe that made sense when Terry D. Nelson was picturing Robert Shaw, but when small-framed Christopher Cary was cast in the role, somehow the thought of anyone hiding behind him just doesn't quite work. So that may have also had some bearing on why the scene was changed.
In the episode, instead of glaring, Scofield is friendly and amiable from the start. Even though the episode is still vague on Scofield's ultimate allegiance, this and these other changes from the script seem to point to the idea that perhaps Scofield is exactly as he presents himself to be and they wanted him to be more likable to the audience.
Things proceed much the same as the episode for a while, with the only changes seeming to be that, first, when Murray and Tony find the location of the ship, in the script Scofield laughs in delight instead of taking a wide-eyed sip from his rum bottle. Second, an interesting and possibly plot relevant change is that when Cody and Nick are questioning Scofield about the fire, the episode makes it more clear that they really do think he did it and are making no bones about the circumstantial evidence they found. Cody mentions how interesting he finds it that Scofield's rum bottle was left at the scene of the crime, whereas he doesn't say that in the script.
The other major difference between script and episode is that when a wounded Scofield struggles up with the knife and stabs Guido before he can plant the newly armed bomb, the scene lingers in the script. Instead of immediately cutting away at Guido's shock, it shows Scofield stabbing him in the heart and Guido suspended for a moment before collapsing to the floor. Perhaps it was deemed too violent for television at that time.
There is still no real indication of what Scofield is doing staggering into the main salon with the knife, so I will still assume he was trying to get the knife to the main characters to help them. I will also assume that he was not planning to blow anybody up and that the bomb was probably brought to the ship by Mr. Hawkins and given to Guido to plant. Scofield could have easily been in the engine room trying to find clues as to who framed him for starting the fire and have stumbled across Guido getting ready to plant the bomb. Guido then shot Scofield and tried to blame him for the bomb, but had to abandon that plan and reveal his own duplicity when Scofield was still alive and Murray was going to call for an ambulance. Guido likely wasn't expecting Scofield to have survived the bullet.
That seems the most likely scenario to me. Supposing Scofield wanted to blow up the ship, why? Was his argument about the Arrivederci having the best equipment to find the treasure a lie? Was it the truth but he then abandoned that idea when it looked like maybe the treasure was either buried onshore or in a shallow underwater cave? The possible arguments for Scofield having the bomb really seem weak and ludicrous, especially since in the episode there is no indication of him having treasure lust elevated to a dangerous and deadly level. He comes across as mature and patient, willing to wait after all these years, even though he is excited, as is everybody else, at the thought of being so close to finding the treasure.
The other major difference between script and episode is that when a wounded Scofield struggles up with the knife and stabs Guido before he can plant the newly armed bomb, the scene lingers in the script. Instead of immediately cutting away at Guido's shock, it shows Scofield stabbing him in the heart and Guido suspended for a moment before collapsing to the floor. Perhaps it was deemed too violent for television at that time.
There is still no real indication of what Scofield is doing staggering into the main salon with the knife, so I will still assume he was trying to get the knife to the main characters to help them. I will also assume that he was not planning to blow anybody up and that the bomb was probably brought to the ship by Mr. Hawkins and given to Guido to plant. Scofield could have easily been in the engine room trying to find clues as to who framed him for starting the fire and have stumbled across Guido getting ready to plant the bomb. Guido then shot Scofield and tried to blame him for the bomb, but had to abandon that plan and reveal his own duplicity when Scofield was still alive and Murray was going to call for an ambulance. Guido likely wasn't expecting Scofield to have survived the bullet.
That seems the most likely scenario to me. Supposing Scofield wanted to blow up the ship, why? Was his argument about the Arrivederci having the best equipment to find the treasure a lie? Was it the truth but he then abandoned that idea when it looked like maybe the treasure was either buried onshore or in a shallow underwater cave? The possible arguments for Scofield having the bomb really seem weak and ludicrous, especially since in the episode there is no indication of him having treasure lust elevated to a dangerous and deadly level. He comes across as mature and patient, willing to wait after all these years, even though he is excited, as is everybody else, at the thought of being so close to finding the treasure.
Another thought to consider is that the bomb was some pretty high-tech equipment and Scofield only had a small fishing boat and probably very little money. Not to mention he wasn't all that keen on technology all the time and liked more traditional methods of getting things done, as seen when he tells Murray that the old maps they found are better than any computer. Hawkins, meanwhile, had money and power and could probably very easily have obtained a bomb like that amid all his other crooked dealings. Plus, we know he definitely wanted Guido to kill everybody by that point due to the pressure put on him by Klaus Gunther. So he is the more likely candidate for the bomb's origins.
In the end, I remain determined to believe that Captain Scofield really is a good person and had nothing to do with any of the trouble, as he adamantly claimed. It would be nice to know for sure what the intention was behind the character, but I doubt if it will ever be known now, after all these years. It seems unlikely that anyone would still remember what the full story was behind a guest-starring character who only appeared in one episode.
One thing that's sure. While the character is very interesting in the pages of the script, he seems much more dark and mysterious than in the episode, especially when we can't see what he looks like or what his expressions are. When he's actually seen onscreen and played so brilliantly by Christopher Cary, he comes to life as a lighter and friendlier person. But the script description of him as hard-bitten is so fitting in either version. I will always be impressed by how he struggled up after being shot, stabbed Guido, and staggered across the ship to take the knife to the bound characters. Truly, he is far tougher than he looks.
Monday, January 11, 2016
The Alaskans: Appalling or Adorable?
In recent years, Warner Brothers has endeavored to release almost all of their old classic television series. Maverick, following the adventures of a family of gamblers, remains one of the most well-known and well-loved of Warner's series. On the other end of the spectrum, The Alaskans is unavailable in any official form. It's not on television, it's not released to DVD. Why? Star Roger Moore has called the series "appalling". Is it?
I don't want to put words or intentions in Roger's mouth, but I can't help wondering if perhaps he was referring more to how it was made, rather than the episodes themselves. Some of his horror stories of filming certainly do sound appalling. Filming outside in Los Angeles as though it's Alaska sounds highly miserable. Worse, the fake snow often got in the cast members' eyes and it was so bad they had to have their eyes flushed out every two hours by a nurse on the set! Appalling indeed.
As for the series itself, well, that's another matter.
I never thought I would get to see the series. I also figured it wasn't anything special. But I wanted to see the episode where Simon Oakland guest-stars, and then since I am unashamedly a Roger Moore fangirl, I wanted to see him.
Recently I was given the chance. I discovered four random episodes floating around and curiously and hopefully watched them. One was the pilot, the other three are assorted episodes from the series' one-season reign.
I don't want to put words or intentions in Roger's mouth, but I can't help wondering if perhaps he was referring more to how it was made, rather than the episodes themselves. Some of his horror stories of filming certainly do sound appalling. Filming outside in Los Angeles as though it's Alaska sounds highly miserable. Worse, the fake snow often got in the cast members' eyes and it was so bad they had to have their eyes flushed out every two hours by a nurse on the set! Appalling indeed.
As for the series itself, well, that's another matter.
I never thought I would get to see the series. I also figured it wasn't anything special. But I wanted to see the episode where Simon Oakland guest-stars, and then since I am unashamedly a Roger Moore fangirl, I wanted to see him.
Recently I was given the chance. I discovered four random episodes floating around and curiously and hopefully watched them. One was the pilot, the other three are assorted episodes from the series' one-season reign.
The basic plot involves three get-rich-quick schemers up in Alaska during the Gold Rush. Some summaries of the show make them sound rather like crooks, but from what I could gather over four episodes, their plans are never outright dishonest and they never intend to actually hurt anyone. Instead, in the course of enacting their relatively honest plans, they come in contact with and have to tangle with those operating in Alaska and the Yukon who are dishonest and foil their plans. The only times they seem to stoop to slightly illegal behavior are when they're trying to stop the utterly dishonest from preying on the innocent. Sound familiar? I would venture to say that it's basically Maverick in Alaska. This really isn't necessarily a bad thing.
The characters are quite lovable. Silky Harris is a lot like Beau Maverick, understandably. He's a smooth-talking wanderer who hates hard work, loves to come up with easier ways to make money, and sometimes gambles. He seems to be more extroverted than Beau, however. While Beau usually likes to come into a town, gamble, and quietly get out without calling a lot of attention to himself, Silky sometimes comes up with money-making plans that involve him loudly promoting whatever it is.
His friend Reno McKee is a tough guy, but he isn't all brawn and no brains. Reno can think things out and sometimes is more down-to-earth and practical than Silky. If he doesn't like a particular plan of Silky's, he will say so and try to convince Silky not to go through with it. On the other hand, sometimes he relishes his participation in certain schemes, such as when he recruited five guys to help him lift a crook's safe out of a hotel in order to blow it up and retrieve the stolen deed for the rightful owner.
His friend Reno McKee is a tough guy, but he isn't all brawn and no brains. Reno can think things out and sometimes is more down-to-earth and practical than Silky. If he doesn't like a particular plan of Silky's, he will say so and try to convince Silky not to go through with it. On the other hand, sometimes he relishes his participation in certain schemes, such as when he recruited five guys to help him lift a crook's safe out of a hotel in order to blow it up and retrieve the stolen deed for the rightful owner.
Rocky Shaw is the female member of the group. She is sharp, quick on the draw, and usually turns out a tune or two in her capacity as a saloon girl. She comes to care about both Silky and Reno as her friends, even though at first she wasn't sure if she trusted them. They in turn care about her and treat her as an equal; Silky brings back presents for her when he goes wandering and Reno sweeps her up in his arms when they meet after a time apart. She may carry more romantic feelings for Silky, but this doesn't seem to go further than her seeming frustrated jealousy when Silky pays attention to a girl they're taking to an acting job.
Together they make a very effective and formidable team against the mobsters, cheaters, conmen, and other criminals who really are out to hurt people. Even when they're threatened, they don't turn tail and run, although they may try to convince their enemies they're going to comply. The bad guys never know what's going to hit them!
Of course, as with all Warner Brothers series, some scripts were recycled from other shows. The key signal that a script was not original was the writing credit of "W. Hermanos." Heh, good one, Warner. Of the four I saw, one carried this telltale sign. However, I don't know what other series used the storyline and I quite loved The Alaskans treatment of it. But regardless, the other three were all original scripts created for this short-lived series.
Together they make a very effective and formidable team against the mobsters, cheaters, conmen, and other criminals who really are out to hurt people. Even when they're threatened, they don't turn tail and run, although they may try to convince their enemies they're going to comply. The bad guys never know what's going to hit them!
Of course, as with all Warner Brothers series, some scripts were recycled from other shows. The key signal that a script was not original was the writing credit of "W. Hermanos." Heh, good one, Warner. Of the four I saw, one carried this telltale sign. However, I don't know what other series used the storyline and I quite loved The Alaskans treatment of it. But regardless, the other three were all original scripts created for this short-lived series.
The plots of the episodes I saw are as follows:
Gold Sled - The Pilot A man dies saying something about the treasure he's accumulated. The sound quality wasn't as good on this one, but from what I could hear, Rocky Shaw has a legitimate claim to his treasure. She meets Silky Harris and Reno McKee in town and decides to team up with them to get what's rightfully hers, with the condition that they'll all get a cut. She doesn't trust them at first, but by the climax, when they're dealing with crooks as well as the elements, they prove themselves honorable and their team stands strong, even though they aren't able to get the fortune. Perhaps they've found a better treasure in each other.
The Petticoat Crew The team is working to get actresses to a new job, but their ship reservations are cancelled and they are forced to make other arrangements. They end up sailing on a broken-down old tub along with old enemy Nifty, who wants the girls to work for him. Chaos ensues.
Gold Sled - The Pilot A man dies saying something about the treasure he's accumulated. The sound quality wasn't as good on this one, but from what I could hear, Rocky Shaw has a legitimate claim to his treasure. She meets Silky Harris and Reno McKee in town and decides to team up with them to get what's rightfully hers, with the condition that they'll all get a cut. She doesn't trust them at first, but by the climax, when they're dealing with crooks as well as the elements, they prove themselves honorable and their team stands strong, even though they aren't able to get the fortune. Perhaps they've found a better treasure in each other.
The Petticoat Crew The team is working to get actresses to a new job, but their ship reservations are cancelled and they are forced to make other arrangements. They end up sailing on a broken-down old tub along with old enemy Nifty, who wants the girls to work for him. Chaos ensues.
Big Deal The team conspires to break up a meeting of the most dangerous criminals in Alaska, as well as to restore ownership of a hotel to the rightful party.
Calico The recycled script. Silky is traveling alone in this one and gets accused of murder, just like poor Beau Maverick always does. Calico, a mute young woman Silky befriends, is the only one who holds the key to proving him innocent. This is very much like some Maverick episodes. Silky's kindness towards Calico and his forward thinking in getting help for her so she can recover from her trauma and speak again is very touching to see.
I found each one of the episodes quite enjoyable, with my favorite probably being Big Deal. The way John Dehner and Jesse White react to the continuing chaos that interrupts their crooked meeting is absolutely priceless, as is Silky's reaction when he sees Reno and some other guys carrying a safe with the stolen deed in it. I also discovered in this episode that Roger Moore can sing and play the guitar. I was rather unaware he had these talents. I especially assumed, after hearing him do a recitation on the Warner Brothers Stars Christmas album, that he wasn't musically inclined.
Calico The recycled script. Silky is traveling alone in this one and gets accused of murder, just like poor Beau Maverick always does. Calico, a mute young woman Silky befriends, is the only one who holds the key to proving him innocent. This is very much like some Maverick episodes. Silky's kindness towards Calico and his forward thinking in getting help for her so she can recover from her trauma and speak again is very touching to see.
I found each one of the episodes quite enjoyable, with my favorite probably being Big Deal. The way John Dehner and Jesse White react to the continuing chaos that interrupts their crooked meeting is absolutely priceless, as is Silky's reaction when he sees Reno and some other guys carrying a safe with the stolen deed in it. I also discovered in this episode that Roger Moore can sing and play the guitar. I was rather unaware he had these talents. I especially assumed, after hearing him do a recitation on the Warner Brothers Stars Christmas album, that he wasn't musically inclined.
So, is the series anything special overall? Well, the stars have excellent chemistry with each other and their characters are all fairly likable. The storylines are similar to what you can find in other Western shows of the era, particularly Maverick. The setting of Alaska, no matter how manufactured in reality, is quite unique.
Frankly, I would say that there are a lot of worse things out there that you could be watching. I'd rather see The Alaskans over some other classic television shows, and that's not just because I'm nuts about Roger Moore. I believe I prefer The Alaskans over Darren McGavin's vehicle Riverboat, or at least, I certainly prefer it over the second season of Riverboat, when adventure declined and romance rose in the scripts and the supposed friend of Darren's character continually tried to backstab him and gain complete control of the boat. The dynamic of the three-character main cast in The Alaskans is a unique feature, especially among Warner Brothers shows. Most of these typically featured one main character per episode (or per series). I find the interaction between the main characters very refreshing. The way the female member of the group is treated is very refreshing. And I love that they are all friends, instead of love triangles interfering and messing everything up. Also, from what I've seen, they share and share alike, rather than try to cheat each other. There was one little bit in the pilot where Silky and Reno had a bit of trouble, but I didn't see anything like that in the other episodes, and anyway, pilots usually are a bit different regarding characterization than a series proper.
I would say that The Alaskans does have unique things to offer, even if not always in its storylines. For the interaction between the main characters, yes, it's something special. Appalling? Hardly. This series is quite adorable. Fans of Maverick may very well be charmed by it for its similar plotlines, but in the close bond between the main characters, I might even say it has a depth present to it that Maverick, with its mischievous family of gamblers taught by the family patriarch to even cheat each other, rather lacks. (Although it should be pointed out that thankfully, the Mavericks do have each other's backs when it counts.)
Of course, coming from only seeing four episodes, perhaps my opinion wouldn't hold up upon seeing the others. But I hope that instead, what I saw was typical of this sadly short-lived series. And I hope that Warner will get around to releasing it, just as it has released its other old series. I would totally buy it! And judging from the high user rating it holds on IMDB, there are quite a few people who remember it fondly.
Bring back The Alaskans!
Frankly, I would say that there are a lot of worse things out there that you could be watching. I'd rather see The Alaskans over some other classic television shows, and that's not just because I'm nuts about Roger Moore. I believe I prefer The Alaskans over Darren McGavin's vehicle Riverboat, or at least, I certainly prefer it over the second season of Riverboat, when adventure declined and romance rose in the scripts and the supposed friend of Darren's character continually tried to backstab him and gain complete control of the boat. The dynamic of the three-character main cast in The Alaskans is a unique feature, especially among Warner Brothers shows. Most of these typically featured one main character per episode (or per series). I find the interaction between the main characters very refreshing. The way the female member of the group is treated is very refreshing. And I love that they are all friends, instead of love triangles interfering and messing everything up. Also, from what I've seen, they share and share alike, rather than try to cheat each other. There was one little bit in the pilot where Silky and Reno had a bit of trouble, but I didn't see anything like that in the other episodes, and anyway, pilots usually are a bit different regarding characterization than a series proper.
I would say that The Alaskans does have unique things to offer, even if not always in its storylines. For the interaction between the main characters, yes, it's something special. Appalling? Hardly. This series is quite adorable. Fans of Maverick may very well be charmed by it for its similar plotlines, but in the close bond between the main characters, I might even say it has a depth present to it that Maverick, with its mischievous family of gamblers taught by the family patriarch to even cheat each other, rather lacks. (Although it should be pointed out that thankfully, the Mavericks do have each other's backs when it counts.)
Of course, coming from only seeing four episodes, perhaps my opinion wouldn't hold up upon seeing the others. But I hope that instead, what I saw was typical of this sadly short-lived series. And I hope that Warner will get around to releasing it, just as it has released its other old series. I would totally buy it! And judging from the high user rating it holds on IMDB, there are quite a few people who remember it fondly.
Bring back The Alaskans!
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