Blooming Women
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  • Happy Birthday, Blooming Women! One Year Today!
  • Blog—Maniacal Musings—Becky Lyn Rickman, Managing Editor
  • Blog—Jessica's Journey—Jessica VanVactor, Guest Contributor
  • Blog—My Armenia—Carol Rickman's Blog
  • Dealing with miscarriage
  • My Story
  • Circles
  • The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Being Single
  • 5 Stages of divorce recovery
  • The Circus is in Town
  • (You're covered with) The Fingerprints of God
  • Thunder Roared and Love Soared
  • A Period Piece
  • A sneak preview of the Gertie sequel!
  • Six Steps to Cultivate your Femininity in the Business World
  • Chore Zoning or Don't try this at home!
  • The 50 with Meredith Morse—Opera Singer
  • The 50 with Jessica VanVactor
  • Memorizing Joy
  • AT LAST! My interview with Shan White, Life Coach for women in transition
  • Questions and statements we don't care if we never, ever get asked or told again (am I right, girls?)
  • The Date
  • Moonshadow's Spirit
  • Broken Writer + Hypnotherapy = Amazing Trips
  • The "R" Word
  • The 50 with Carol Shepherd Rickman
  • Triumph During Transitions
  • A Kentucky Afternoon
  • Mothers
  • 10 things chemo taught me
  • What if . . .
  • Forgiveness—A poem
  • Mantegories (n. from the Latin; man+categories)
  • Insomnia 101
  • Blooming Bud Interview: Sierra
  • Masterful Mindsets
  • It's in the bag!
  • Important lessons for children: Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can
  • Nursery rhymes, and times, and slimes, and grimes, and crimes
  • Things I learned as a single mom
  • Sadie's Soapbox: Dating
  • The Dress
  • 8 Things That Have Surprised Me About Having a Large Family
  • The gift of longing
  • The Semicolon Project
  • Most embarrassing moments—culinary edition
  • MilitaReality—a brat's perspective
  • About those elusive wisps of thought
  • Being there
  • The Giving Mom
  • How I still haven't learned to keep my smart mouth shut!
  • If you give a mom a cookie . . .
  • Cacti and Geraniums
  • The Three Gardeners
  • Beauty is as beauty does
  • Words for Sabra
  • Arm scratching in Baltimore
  • Pornography didn't kill our love and friendship . . . I did . . . and how we got it back
  • Hardening off our little bloomers
  • The Wonderful, Magical Women of Blooming Television
  • Shake it like a Polaroid picture!
  • 25 Date Nights (that aren't dinner and a movie)
  • Hills Like White Elephants
  • Maryland Beaten Biscuits
  • The night we thought the house was exploding
  • A mysterious case of goosebumps or "What is that on the wall?"
  • Militareality—Real stories of military wives
  • Finding my metal in wood
  • Another blooming bud interview
  • Chariot of Fire
  • Secret gifts of love
  • The best prank I ever pulled was . . .
  • Connie
  • Dating and other hazards
  • Favorite childhood memories
  • When God speaks . . .
  • Zanie gets into another sticky situation
  • No-see-ums: A little useful information
  • I love my kids, but . . .
  • Meg's poem
  • Another blooming bud interview
  • Some of my favorite herbal recipes are . . .
  • I love my cat, but . . .
  • I love all creatures, but . . .
  • The thing all girls and women must see and know . . .
  • The Great Chicken Debacle
  • The Powerful Influence of Brothers
  • How I feel about blooming is . . .
  • Sometimes grandma is up—other times she is simply upside-down
  • Anyone out there as anxious as I am?
  • Some of my funniest childhood memories are . . .
  • You might be addicted to Harry Potter if . . .
  • This month's survey:
  • Another Blooming Bud interview
  • The most valuable life lesson I've learned is . . .
  • The greatest blessing to come out of the most painful thing I ever experienced was . . .
  • The most powerful influence on my life is . . .
  • The thing that could have broken our family, but didn't was . . .
  • The funniest thing that ever happened to me was . . .
  • The time my dad really surprised me was when . . .
  • NEW FEATURE: Interviews with Blooming Buds
  • ANOTHER NEW FEATURE: A survey
  • The most valuable life lesson I've ever learned is . . .
  • My most embarrassing moment was when . . .
  • What really puzzles me is . . .
  • One of the most fun days I ever had was . . .
  • The most scared I've ever been was when . . .
  • The people who have been the biggest influence on me are . . .
  • I like to relax by . . .
  • The best way to do . . .
  • My most embarrassing moment was when . . .
  • The most fun I ever had was when . . .
  • When I grow up, I want to be . . .
  • What really puzzles me is . . .
  • The most amazing bargain I ever found was . . .
  • Those annoying things kids do and what they mean
  • My shameless self-promotion
  • The thing about getting older is . . .
UPDATE: A chance to help Herbie with his non-profit and his nobel mission! Click here! All you have to do is vote. No names or information. Just click VOTE!

the wonderful, magical women of blooming television

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I know I'm not alone in my childhood fantasy of being able to nod my head or twitch my nose to make things better. I wish I could say it ended with childhood, but truthfully, I still consider those options when things get tough for the ones I love. If I could, I would blink them into a shiny world with rainbows and puppies. But probably not until I blundered it somehow. That was the beauty of these paranormal "girl next door" lovelies—they taught me that nothing is un-fixable . . . with a little love and a smidge of magic. 

Every week, I sat rapt as the ladies of blossoming television showed me how to navigate through life. I aimed to "borrow" something from each of them and incorporate it into my own life. I wanted Samantha's nose, Jeannie's hair and navel, Goldie Hawn's giggly joy and innocence, That Girl's drive and energy, and June Cleaver's pearls and patience.

I am old enough to have experienced the unequaled pleasure of growing up with them, as the world went from black and white, with the national anthem signing me off for the day to full-technicolor, on-demand, streaming madness we watch today. The smell and sound of the tubes warming up on the television set brought intense joy to my young soul as I waited breathlessly for the pictures to appear. The instant gratification we have now deprives us of that joy. Instead of allowing our imaginations to fill in the blanks, we are spoon-fed graphic images that rob us of the belief that every problem can be solved in 22-23 minutes, plus commercial sponsorship. 

Enter Herbie J Pilato, a self-made expert in the field of classic television, to the rescue! 


My early TV role models, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbara Eden, Marlo Thomas, Barbara Billingsley, and Goldie Hawn, are only a few of the subjects of his books and the life he is making to preserve the values represented in their programs. 


Through his studio experience and exhaustive research, he has brought us a more intimate look at some of our favorite icons.

I was thrilled to be able to get to know him better through our correspondence and interview, which I present to you here:


1]  How did you get started in the whole classic television research and preservation?

I began my career as an actor on shows like General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful.  But I soon became more interested in the behind-the-scenes aspects of the entertainment industry. So after I graduated with a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Nazareth College of Rochester, New York, my hometown, I went on to study TV & Film at UCLA.  


From there I served my Internship in Television as a Page for NBC-TV in Burbank, California, where I worked as a writer's assistant and production assistant on everything from the Bob Hope Specials, The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, The Golden Girls, and Family Ties.  I also worked on a TV-movie called I Dream of Jeannie: 15 Years Later, which was the first reunion movie of that classic series starring Barbara Eden.  And because the Jeannie show was inspired by Bewitched, I wanted to write a TV-reunion movie about Samantha and Darrin's adventures.  So around 1986, I wrote a Bewitched reunion movie, and then sent my script to Elizabeth Montgomery, and she loved it.  But William Asher, her former husband - and the original director/producer for Bewitched, was working on developing a new Bewitched series called Bewitched Again.  And she was planning on making a cameo appearance in the pilot for that new show, in which she would appear as Samantha, introduce a new witch and mortal couple, and then "pop-off" forever. 


At that point, I had sent Bill Asher my Bewitched script, and he hired me as one of the staff writers on Bewitched Again.  Unfortunately, this new take on Bewitched (which was to be filmed in the United Kingdom) lost its financing, and the project was shelved.  Meanwhile, however, I still had all this Bewitched "energy"—and that's when I asked Bill if he thought Elizabeth would be interested in granting me an interview for what became the original Bewitched Book, which was later revised as Bewitched Forever.  Elizabeth said yes . . . the first Bewitched Book was published in 1992, and then in 1995, shortly after Elizabeth passed away, I revised it as Bewitched Forever. 


From there I went on to produce and serve as consultant on Bewitched: The E! True Hollywood Story (which became the 7th-highest-rated True Hollywood Story in E!'s history), A&E's Biography of Elizabeth Montgomery, MSNBC's Headliners & Legends profile on Elizabeth, as well as Sony studio's DVD and early video release of the original Bewitched series; Sony Signature's licensing of Bewitched merchandise, and the Screen Gems Network broadcast of the original show's re-mastered tapes.  Into this mix, I wrote the combined book about The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, the guide to Life Goes On - TV’s ground-breaking family show, two books about Kung Fu, and then NBC & ME: My Life As A Page In A Book.  My latest books are two biographies on Elizabeth Montgomery…Twitch Upon A Star: The Bewitched Life and Career of Elizabeth Montgomery, and The Essential Elizabeth Montgomery: A Guide To Her Magical Performances – as well as Glamour, Gidgets and the Girls Next Door: Television's Iconic Women From the 50s, 60s and 70s . . . which also features a profile of Elizabeth. 


Through it all, and in between, I worked as a writer, producer and director on Bravo’s five-part series, The 100 Greatest TV Characters, TLC’s Behind the Fame specials on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Hill Street Blues, and L.A. Law, and the TV Guide Channel’s 100 Greatest Moments of Television.  I also started serving as an on-screen cultural commentator for these shows, as well as for the DVD releases of shows like CHiPs, Kung Fu, and...Bewitched.   Years later I would form The Classic TV Preservation Society, a formal nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to celebrating the positive social influence of classic television programming.  

2]  So why Bewitched?

The show bespeaks a beautiful promise:  love conquers all.  We can learn to respect one another despite whatever differences we may have, and concentrate on what makes us the same:  our humanity. The show only has several enlightening themes . . . true friendship . . . family priorities . . . strong work ethic. There are so many wonderful aspects of the series that appeals to countless fans of the show for so many reasons . . . the magic . . . the strength of spirit . . . wish-fulfillment.  But mostly . . . it is indeed a love story . . . and everyone loves a love story.

3]   What is the secret to the appeal about Elizabeth Montgomery and all the women of classic television?   

Elizabeth, Farrah Fawcett, Marlo Thomas, Mary Tyler Moore, Sally Field, Lynda Carter—each of them hold a special place in the realm of classic television, and they deserve to be recognized not only for their creative contributions to the entertainment world...but for the off-screen social contributions that they have made (and continue to make) to the world.  Elizabeth, in particular, was a political advocate for the Peace Movement, and she dedicated her time, money and name to several charitable causes and organizations, such as the disabled community.  She was also one of the first celebrities to offer support for those who suffered from AIDS.   Marla Thomas and Lynda Carter helped to launch the Women's Liberation Movement.  On That Girl, Marlo played Ann Marie, one of TV's first independent women and as Wonder Woman, of course, Lynda Carter was the optimum independent female.  And what I learned most about each of classic TV's wonderful women is how they each made their own special contribution . . . and how unique each of them really were to one another . . . on and off-screen.  They each cast their own unique spell with their own unique brand of appeal.

4]     What's next on the horizon for you?

I just completed general TV history book about the positive influence of classic TV shows, and a book dedicated to the male TV icons of the 50s, 60s and 70s, everyone from Dick Van Dyke, Adam West, Robert Conrad, to David Cassidy and Barry Williams. I’ve also completed scripts and treatments for television shows and feature films, and I’m even thinking of getting back into acting.  But either way, I just want to deliver the best work I can, to the best of my ability – and for the highest good of all those concerned.  


***************************************************************************************************************************************

WOW! What a guy and what an amazing mission he is fulfilling. I have to say, I am completely and captivatedly as star struck with Herbie J as I am with any of my celebrity crushes! I can't wait to see what he does next, to finish reading all of his books, and to see his shiny, happy face on the big and little screen. 


For your convenience, I am providing links to his books and other information below. Just click on the title in the description to go to the book's page on Amazon.com. This is a wonderful cause he is involved in and I hope to lend my support to it.

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Based on author Herbie J Pilato’s exclusive interviews with Elizabeth Montgomery prior to her death in 1995, Twitch Upon a Star includes insider material and commentary from several individuals associated with her remarkable life and career before, during, and after Bewitched, including her classic feature films The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955), Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed?(1963), and Johnny Cool (1963). 

Two of Montgomery’s many popular TV movies, 
A Case of Rape (which remains one of the highest-rated TV-movies of all time) and The Legend of Lizzie Borden (which will soon be remade as a feature film), were groundbreaking and remain classics. But Twitch Upon a Star also goes behind the scenes to explore Montgomery’s political activism, including her early advocacy for AIDS sufferers and the peace movement; her support for all minorities, including the gay community and the disabled; and her controversial participation as narrator of the1988 feature film documentary Cover-Up and its 1991 Oscar-winning sequel, The Panama Deception (both of which chronicled the Iran/Contra scandal of the 1980s). The book also explores Montgomery's tumultuous relationships with her father, screen legend Robert Montgomery (she was a liberal; he was a staunch conservative), and her four husbands (including actor Gig Young, who later died in a murder/suicide). Through it all—and to family and friends such as fellow performers Ronny Cox, Sally Kemp, and Florence Henderson—she was just Lizzie: down-to-earth and unaffected, just like Samantha, the "witch-with-a-twitch" Stephens, her most famous role.




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Bewitched star Elizabeth Montgomery was one of the most prolific and popular actresses of the twentieth century. In her more than five hundred appearances on television, film and the stage, Elizabeth Montgomery’s talent, charisma, and personality have charmed millions for decades. 

This delightful new book delineates, dissects, and celebrates the diversity and minutia of Montgomery’s remarkable career, while chronicling just how much her real life spilled into her historic roles on stage and screen. The book is based on Pilato’s exclusive interviews with the actress and supplemented with commentary provided by myriad entertainment professionals, journalists, and media and classic TV historians, including the Oscar-nominated actress Juanita Moore (Montgomery’s co-star from the historic “White Lie” episode of TV’s 77 Sunset Strip), and producer/writer/actor Jimmy Lydon (Elizabeth’s co-star from the Wagon Train episode “The Victorio Bottecelli Story.”)

Including plot summaries, airdates, release dates, and behind-the-scenes notes and anecdotes of select performances, The Essential Elizabeth Montgomery is the ultimate handy, entertaining, and informative reference to the on- and off-screen adventures of one of the world’s most beloved stars.



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Glamour, Gidgets, and the Girl Next Door is the latest creation from entertainment biographer and pop culture consultant Herbie J Pilato. Based on exclusive celebrity interviews, this book runs the gamut of female television legends, from Donna Douglas (who played Elly May Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies) to the stars of the original Charlie’s Angels. According to Pilato, “There are so many charismatic women who have made their ‘beauty-mark’ in television. I wanted to celebrate their contributions, not only with regard to aesthetic appeal but to honor the intelligence, individual wit, and unique talent and style that each of them have contributed to television—and how that great medium in particular was utilized to introduce and showcase so many amazing and wonderful women to the world.” Suffice it to say, for exclusive and key information on TV’s top leading ladies who shattered expectations and paved the way for successive generations, this book is the number one resource and go-to guide.






Other books by Herbie J.


His bio:
Herbie J Pilato is the writer/producer and cultural commentator on a number of television shows, including the TV Guide Network’s 100 Greatest Moments of Television, Bewitched: The E! True Hollywood Story, A&E’s Biography of Elizabeth Montgomery, and TLC’s Behind the Fame specials on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show, among others.  He’s also worked on various classic TV DVD documentaries for Sony, NBCUniversal, and Warner Bros., including The Six Million Dollar Man boxed set, Kung Fu, and CHiPs.

Herbie J is also the author of several critically-acclaimed pop-culture/media tie-in books, including Glamour Gidgets and the Girl Next Door (Taylor Trade, 2014), The Essential Elizabeth Montgomery: A Guide To Her Magical Performances (Taylor Trade, 2013), Twitch Upon A Star: The Bewitched Life and Career of Elizabeth Montgomery (Taylor Trade Publishing, 2012), Bewitched Forever (Tapestry 2004/2001-Summit, 1996), The Bewitched Book (Dell, 1992), The Bionic Book (BearManor Media, 2007), Life Story: The Book of Life Goes On (BearManor Media, 2007), The Kung Fu Book of Wisdom (Tuttle, 1995), The Kung Fu Book of Caine (Tuttle, 1993), and NBC & ME: My Life As A Page In A Book (BearManor Media, 2008).

Herbie J presides over Television, Ink. (a family-oriented TV, film and literary production company), and serves as Founder and Executive Director for The Classic TV Preservation Society (a nonprofit that helps to close the gap between popular culture and education).  He resides in Burbank, California, which he affectionately refers to as a cross between Hollywood and Mayberry.  

UPDATE!!
For those interested in his non-profit organization, here is the press release:

The Classic TV Preservation Society

“We celebrate the integrity of classic television”

 PRESS RELEASE

New Non-Profit Caters to Classic TV

According to Founder and Executive Director Herbie J Pilato, The Classic TV Preservation Society, or CTVPS, is “a nonprofit organization dedicated to the positive influence of classic television programming.”

Pilato, the author of several critically-acclaimed TV literary companion books, explains:  “There are physicians around the world who entered the medical field because of Marcus Welby, M.D….there are attorneys who were inspired by Perry Mason.  Family members have learned to better communicate through the years because of shows like Father Knows Best, The Brady Bunch and The Waltons.  Prosthetic limb construction was advanced because various scientists were inspired in their youth by watching The Six Million Dollar Man.  Much of present technology…everything from smart-phones to iPads have been influenced by Star Trek.” 

While the CTVPS celebrates the importance of nostalgic TV series and their stars, its core function are the Classic TV & Self-Esteem Seminars that it presents to schools, colleges, community, senior and business centers around the country.  “Meeting with the people…the viewers of these shows, whatever they’re age…that’s what the CTVPS is all about,” says Pilato.  “Talking with them and honoring how their lives and careers have been enlightened and many times validated because of their favorite classic TV show.  It’s really a beautiful thing.”

In effect, “The CTVPS caters to our culture with care,” Pilato adds.  “We treat individuals, families and all organizations with respect - and value the diverse perspective that each brings to the world.  With our unique Classic TV & Self-Esteem Seminars we help to close the gap between popular culture and education.  We anticipate the challenges of the modern media age, and continue to develop new and innovative ways to inspire positive family values for every generation. The CTVPS is here to embrace, document and help spread the word that classic television is an untapped resource for education; to prove that classic TV shows in particular are not only entertaining, but informative, socially-significant and psychologically-nutritious.

The CTVPS Mission Statement says it all:   The purpose of The Classic TV Preservation Society is to educate individuals, community, arts/media, business and academic organizations and institutions on the social significance and positive influence of classic television programming, with specific regard to family values, diversity in the work place, and mutual respect for all people of every cultural background and heritage, race and creed.

The CTVPS Board of Directors is equally impressive:  Actresses Kathy Garver (Family Affair) and Lydia Cornell (Too Close For Comfort), disabled actors advocate Vince Staskel, Dr. James J. Kolb (of Hofstra University), world peace advocate/performance artist Thomas Warfield, and Ed Spielman (creator of the ground-breaking TV show, Kung Fu).
 

For more information about The Classic TV Preservation Society, please contact:

The Classic TV Preservation Society   *   
17306 Stowers Avenue, Suite 1-A   *   
Los Angeles, CA  90703      (310) 480-0067   *   
classictvps@gmail.com   *   www.classictvps.blogspot.com  

 The Classic TV Preservation Society is a nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation organized for the purposes within the meaning of Section 501 (c)(3), Internal Revenue Code, under the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law. 

 

Copyright © 2015 by Rent's Due Publications

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, click a button on any page to send email with details of the request.
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