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ATPM 6.06
June 2000

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About This Particular Web Site

by David Spencer, dspencer@atpm.com

Screen Gems Network

Web: http://www.screengemsnetwork.com

Classic TV programming

atpw-sgnIf you like watching the cable TV channel Nick at Nite, you’ll love the Screen Gems Network. It’s the first broadcast-based service for classic TV programming. Shows covered include: Charlie’s Angels, The Partridge Family, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, and Starsky & Hutch. All kinds of juicy little tidbits about these shows are exposed, from secret love affairs to battles with network bosses. There are some very clever Flash animations replicating the opening credits of some shows, bringing a tear of nostalgia to anyone who loved these programs. There are even some trivia games to test your knowledge.

The Smoking Gun

Web: http://www.thesmokinggun.com

Poke your nose in other people’s business

atpw-the-smoking-gunIf a celebrity is having legal troubles, The Smoking Gun probably has a file on them. Here you can peruse the official legal documents involving whatever celebrity is making headlines. This is the site that first revealed Rick Rockwell’s first divorce papers. It currently features the lawsuit between the Pets.com sock-puppet dog and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog from NBC’s Conan ’O Brian.

The Macintosh Store at Amazon.com

Web: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/browse/-/macintosh/

Amazon.com sells much more than books. As a matter of fact, they sell quite a few Mac products and have created a section exclusively for us Mac users. From books to software to printers and other hardware, Amazon.com offers competitive prices in a familiar environment. Just like other areas of Amazon.com, when you select a particular title, in addition to detailed information about the product, you get customer reviews and titles of other similar items.

FlightArrivals.comatpw-flight-arrivals

Web: http://www.flightarrivals.com

Real-time arrival & departure information

Before you head off to pick up Uncle Bob from the airport, check out FlightArrivals.com. You might just save yourself from killing a few hours in the airport gift shop! Whether departing or arriving, you can find out the flight’s most current status. Just select the airline, enter in the flight number, and pick the date. You’ll receive up-to-the-minute reports of the flight and notifications of any delays or cancellations.

TV Barnatpw-tvbarnlogo

Web: http://www.tvbarn.com

What’s going on behind the scenes on TV

Want to know the latest information about what’s going on behind the scenes at your favorite TV show? TV Barn delivers all of this in a very simple format, using minimal graphics and little fluff. From changes to show lineups to TV specials, the barn covers it all. You can also access weekly ratings to see which shows did the best and which shows may be on the chopping block.

appleCopyright © 2000 David Spencer. David Spencer has been a Mac advocate since 1991, when he traded in his IBM PC Jr. for a Mac Classic. He can be reached at dspencer@atpm.com. The Web sites mentioned here are not endorsed by ATPM, they are simply suggestions for your own browsing endeavors.

Also in This Series

Reader Comments (10)

Jennifer · August 22, 2002 - 13:55 EST #1
I love Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie. I am watching I Dream of Jeannie at this very moment. I like those shows SO MUCH!
Ashley · February 20, 2003 - 22:05 EST #2
I've been obsessed with I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched since I was six years old. Now, I'm 18 and still cannot get enough of them. Unfortunately, I don't get a chance to watch them as often, but I'm willing to give up sleeping in just to watch them!
anonymous · February 20, 2003 - 23:06 EST #3
Ashley - Ever heard of a VCR?
Shadeed Aquil Kelly · February 7, 2004 - 14:43 EST #4
Sony Pictures Television should bring back Screen Gems Network! I miss Benson, The Jeffersons, and the rest!
Cameron McCaffrey · June 27, 2004 - 07:29 EST #5
Boy, it's been quiet here... Anyways, I've got a message for anyone who thinks the Screen Gems "S from Hell" logo is scary... IT'S NOT!!! If you ask me, the nickname for the logo should be the "S from Heaven!" Everything about this logo is entirely NOT scary! The fanfare, the animation, the film quality... NOTHING about this logo is scarish!!! Now, I respect your opinions if you think this logo is scary, and I don't mean to be rude, but, if you think this logo is scary, you're somewhat of a scaredy-cat. Eric Siday and Van Alexander did not compose a scary fanfare for this logo (and I bet Siday's later fanfare for the now-defunct TV operation NET was pretty tame as well), and this logo brings back GREAT memories! It wasn't scary at all! When I hear the fanfare, I think about the medieval days of yore! Honestly, this logo ISN'T scary!!! I wonder who agrees with me...
Scott · January 10, 2005 - 15:38 EST #6
The Screen Gems logo is my favorite of all time. It really brings back a desire to be young and watching these classic shows. We all felt like part of the same community when these were on, back when we had only 3 networks and a handful of affiliates. I miss that. I hate today.
Robert Baskin · August 6, 2005 - 22:58 EST #7
Boy, oh, boy, you guys just haven't been paying attention, have you? The old Screen Gems logo EARNED its "from hell" distinction. The tone was scratchy, the animation royally rough and overbearing, and the effects about as annoying as they were nightmarish. (Well, except for the one from 1973, which had a shorter sequence of notes, a byline, and a much more peaceful color scheme.) The S from Heaven, on the other hand, was a lovely piece of three-dimensional work: non-synthesized music, smooth crystalline animation, and cool effects worth making a part of the end credits of classic SG shows.

And yeah, today's fare is a lot of gunk. You'd think that with all the choices we have now, we'd have a competitive market-driven economy. In the era of the ogopoly / monopoly, there was every reason to air garbage, but we rarely saw it.
C. Joseph O'Dell · January 2, 2006 - 18:21 EST #8
I have to agree with Cam and Scott, this logo is pretty tame. But I also somewhat agree with Rob, this logo has rough animation and not to mention those startling 2 oversynthesised notes. But I still like this logo. I like it just as much as the lovely 3-D piece of animation called the "S from Heaven" With smooth crystal clear animation, great CGI, and beautiful music from an orchestra, this logo is sure to be a favorite of many. But I think I like the "S from Hell" logo just a little bit more than the "S from Heaven".
M. M. Mattus · January 5, 2006 - 21:56 EST #9
Growing up in the 1970s, I used to love watching reruns of Bewitched, The Partridge Family, I Dream of Jeanine, The Monkees, and a bunch of others. The "S FROM HELL" used to give me the chills from time to time. Even though the animation was somewhat rough, and the music had a very high synthesized pitch, it remains a unique piece of animated art. Eric Siday (who died some years back), and Van Alexander (who might me still alive as of January 2006) really put together a short, but interesting sound to this "S". Although it scared the HELL out of me at first, watching the digitally remastered version of this old Screen Gems outro at the end of the old shows sounds more mellow and smoother to watch. When Screen Gems came back with the "S FROM HEAVEN" in 1999, I was very surprised. For many baby boomers, thinking that SG would reappear in any Sony movies was ironic. Whether or not the 1965-1974 Screen Gems logo and jingles scared you, it could still give you the creeps...especially if you are the neurotic type.
Scott · February 11, 2007 - 12:08 EST #10
The screen gems logo was such a fixture of a pleasant childhood. When I got a 16mm reel of an old Jeannie episode and watched it until the end, imagine my glee then the logo came on intact. No, it's not frightening nor is the animation rough (it's actually really smooth). It's just a wonderful reminder of days I miss very much.

I also loved the dancing sticks version with the guy saying "this has been a screen gems presentation."

Good stuff!

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