KFO on DVD

I have recently watched both volumes of the DVD releases of Kukla, Fran and Ollie, containing over 18 hours of the show on four DVDs. I have a lot I want to say about the show, so hopefully I'll get to crank out a lengthy blog post or two soon, but in the meantime I thought it might be helpful to someone out there if I posted a list I've compiled of the nearly 50 episodes available on the four DVDs, in chronological order. (I checked it against the kinescope list on the fantastic official KFO website.) I list the episode name, date of airing, and then the volume and disc numbers (so 2-1 means volume 2, disc 1, for instance).

Here it is:

Back from Richmond -2/28/49 - 2-1

"Here We Are" (excerpt) - 8/6/49 - 1-2

Lemonade - 8/17/49 - 1-1

Screen Test - 9/8/49 - 1-1

Madame O - 9/26/49 - 1-1

Library Day - 10/4/49 - 2-1

Ice Cream - 10/6/49 - 1-1

Bonus: Gene Rayburn (excerpt) - 10/21/49 - 1-1

Halloween - 10/31/49 - 1-1

Milton Caniff - 11/1/49 - 2-1

Kukla Kiddish - 11/30/49 - 1-1

Salute to TV - 12/5/49 - 1-1

Christmas Tree Stand - 12/20/49 - 1-1

Hansel and Gretel - 12/28/49 - 1-1

New York, New York - 1/16/50 - 2-1

"New Yorker" Article (excerpt) - 3/17/50 - 2-1

Fourth of July - 6/6/50 - 2-1

Mercedes' Growing Pains (excerpt) - 6/13/50 - 2-1

Puppetry Festival - 6/28/50 - 1-2

Nightclubbing - 9/20/50 - 2-1

Destination Moon - 10/11/50 - 2-1

Sweet William (excerpt) - 10/27/50 - 1-2

As You Like It - 11/3/50 - 1-2

Winter Carnival - 12/20/50 - 1-2

Raking Leaves - 9/19/51 - 2-1

Carmen - 10/1/51 - 2-1

First 15 Minute Show - 11/26/51 - 1-2

Guppies Gavotte - 12/5/51 - 1-2

Christmas Shopping - 12/11/51 - 2-2

Christmas Singing - 12/12/51 - 1-2

Christmas Eve - 12/24/51 - 2-2

Ollie has Amnesia - 12/26/51 - 2-2 (mislabeled onscreen as 12/26/52)

Jack not at Piano - 4/11/52 - 2-2 (mislabeled onscreen as 4/11/51)

June Lockhart - 4/22/52 - 1-2

Modern Dance - 4/23/52 - 2-2

Leaving New York - 5/2/52 - 1-2

Mrs. Dragon - 5/12/52 - 2-2

Paul Pookenschlagl - 6/25/52 - 2-2 (mislabeled onscreen as 6/24/52)

Last Show Before Vacation - 6/27/52 - 2-2

First Sunday Show - 8/24/52 - 2-2

5th Birthday - 10/12/52 - 1-2

Thanksgiving - 11/23/52 - 2-2

Miss VUHF - 1/3/54 - 1-2

Valentine's Day - 2/14/54 - 2-2

The Mikado - 2/21/54 - 1-2

Fletcher's Lament - 2/28/54 - 2-2

Bunny to Bunny - 4/10/55 - 2-2

Richard III

I watched the BBC Shakespeare's Richard III. I have to say I felt it was a bit lackluster, overall. Ron Cook is a naturally likable actor, and he gave a credible performance in the title role. One certainly can't accuse him of being "hammy". But I didn't think his portrayal had the psychological complexity necessary to truly make sense of the character, and to make him a riveting-if-repulsive being. I must say, this is a long, talky play, the longest in the entire BBC series, so long it's the only play to be put on two DVDs. A little ham from the title role -- as Kevin Spacey has reportedly been serving up recently -- would go a long way to making this huge meal more palatable.

Cook's death scene was quite unusual. Would it truly be possible to die kneeling, and not fall over? It was a very odd choice. As Richard was speared repeatedly by various soldiers, he seemed to be "The Thing That Wouldn't Die". And when Richmond delivered the final blow, Richard fell to his knees and...just stayed there. Weird.

But kudos to director Jane Howell for a truly chilling epilogue, with a very powerful final image, and for a cohesive overall approach to Shakespeare's War of the Roses saga.