Zap2It Disappears Again...Sort Of

It was this past March that Zap2It, the popular TV listings website, began redirecting to the NewsNation schedule. In other words, it appeared that Zap2It was history. Fortunately, the Zap2It listings could be found on Gracenote. Unfortunately, it appears that this was only a temporary reprieve for Zap2It. Where the Gracenote TV listings once were, there is now an error page simply reading, "Oops! Something went wrong."

Now many people might wonder why users might be upset about Zap2It shutting down not just once, but now twice in less than a year. After all, there are many other TV listings sites out there, including TV Guide, TitanTV,  on tv tonight, and TV Passport, among others. What set Zap2It apart from other TV listings sites was its extremely easy-to-use interface and a bit more customisation than other TV listings. It also had a much better search function. While other TV listings sites might only deliver results from at most a week ahead (if even that), Zap2It often delivered results up to 10 days ahead (sometimes more).  While there are other TV listings sites out there, none were ever as good as Zap2It. There should be little wonder since it had been around since 2000.

Fortunately, it appears the old Zap2It schedule may have had another reprieve. I don't know how long it has been there, but there is a television schedule at Showtimes.com that is exactly like the old Zap2It schedule. You can reach it by clicking  on "Movies" on the "Showtimes.com" menu and then on "TV listings." While I don't know if one can log into the Showtimes.com listings with one's old Zap2It credentials, at least fans of Zap2It won't have to give it up for now. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing how long these listings will last....

"Where the Boys Are" by Connie Francis

Like many I am saddened by Connie Francis's death yesterday. I can't really remember a time when I didn't know who she was. I also can't remember what was her first  song that I ever heard, but it's possible this might have been it. "Where the Boys Are" is the theme from the movie of the same name and I can remember it being played regularly on oldies stations when I was growing up. Anyway, here it is.

The Late Great Connie Francis

Connie Francis, one of the most successful female singers of all time, died today, July 17 2025, at the age of 87. She had been hospitalized this month due to extreme pain. Starting with 'Who's Sorry Now?" in 1957, Connie Francis had a string of hits that lasted into the mid-Sixties.

Connie Francis was born Concetta Maria Franconero on December 12 1937 in Newark, New Jersey. Her father was a roofing contractor who also played the accordion. She began taking accordion lessons when she was only three years old and it was not long before her father was booking singing engagements for her. She regularly performed at talent contests and pageants in her neighbourhood.

Connie Francis was a regular on the local television show Marie Moser's Starlets when she was eleven. Afterwards she appeared on The Original Amateur Hour. It was the host of The Original Amateur Hour, Ted Mack, who told her that she should abandon the accordion. Having tired of the heavy musical instrument, she complied with his wishes. It was in December 1950 when she was about to appear on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts that Arthur Godfrey suggested she use "Connie Francis" as her stage name as it would be easier to pronounce than her given name. Connie Francis attended Newark Arts High School form 1951 to 1952. Her family moved to Belleville, New Jersey and she finished high school there. She graduated as salutatorian from Belleville High School in 1955.

It was while she was still in high school that Connie Francis was a regular on the NBC variety television show Star Time Kids. George Scheck, who ws a producer on Star Time Kids, became her manager and had a demo record of four songs made for her. She was rejected by several record companies, including Columbia Records, whose A&R man was Mitch Miller. She was finally signed by MGM Records.

Her first single was "Freddy," which failed to chart. Neither did most of her early singles. While she was beginning her recording career, Connie Francis made extra money by recording the vocals for actresses in movies. She recorded the vocals for Tuesday Weld in Rock, Rock, Rock! (1956), Fred Holloway in Jamboree (1957), and Jayne Mansfield in The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (1958).

Connie Francis's contract with MGM Records was set to expire and she was considering going to New York University to study medicine when her father persuaded her to record the 1923 song "Who's Sorry Now?." The song was a hit for Isham Jones in 1923 and was later featured in the movies A Night in Casablanca (1946) and Three Little Words (1950). Heavily promoted by Dick Clark on his television show American Bandstand, the song went to no. 4 on the Billboard Top 100.

"Who's Sorry Now?" was the first in a string of hits Connie Francis would have for the next several years. Among her hits in the late Fifties were such songs as 'Stupid Cupid (no 14 on the Top 100)", "My Happiness (no. 2 on the Hot 100)," "Lipstick on Your Collar (no. 5 on the Hot 100)," '"Everybody's Somebody's Fool (no. 1 on the Hot 100)," and "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" (no. 1 on the Hot 100). She continued to have hits into the Sixties, including such songs as "Where the Boys Are (no. 4 on the Hot 100)," "Together (no. 6 on the Hot 100)," and "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You" (no. 1 on the Hot 100)."

It was during this period that Connie Francis also had a brief movie career. She was one of the stars of Where the Boys Are? (1960). Afterwards she appeared in Follow the Boys (1963), Looking for Love (1964), and When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965). Connie Francis' also appeared on television in the episode "The Sister and the Savage" on Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre n 1965.

Connie Francis's last top forty hit would be "Be Anything (But Be Mine)" in 1964, although her singles would continue to chart until 1969. She continued to be a popular performer on television variety shows throughout the Sixties. She would continue to be popular performer in concerts years after she released her last single. It was just this year that her song "Pretty Little Baby," a track from her 1962 album Connie Francis Sings "Second Hand Love" and the B-side of "I'm Gonna Be Warm This Winter"in the United Kingdom, went viral on TikTok, introducing her to an entire new generation.

For many today it might be difficult to grasp just how popular Connie Francis was in the late Fifties and early Sixties. Quite simply, she remains one of the most successful female singers of all time. Indeed, her song "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" was the first song by a female singer to go no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, which was two years old at the time. She had 15 top ten hits in the Billboard Hot 100 during her career.

Of course, the reason for Connie Francis's enormous success is obvious to anyone who had heard one of her songs. She had a powerful voice that was also extremely versatile. She could perform everything from a novelty song like "Stupid Cupid" to broken-hearted ballads like "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You." In a 2007 review of one of Connie Francis's concerts, SFGate critic Neva Chonin wrote, "Francis had a powerful voice that could sound like a sob while staying on key." For those familiar with the oeuvre of Connie Francis, it should have come as no surprise that "Pretty Little Baby" went viral on TikTok. A voice and talent like Connie Francis transcends generations.

Kenneth Colley Passes On

Kenneth Colley, who played Admiral Piett in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983), died on June 30 2025 at the age of 87. The cause was complications from COVID.

Kenneth Colley was born on December 7 1937 in Manchester, He began his acting career in 1961. He appeared on stage at the Old Vic, The Royal Court Theatre, and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. He made his television debut in 1961 in an episode of the mini-series A for Andromeda. He made his film debut in a 1964 in Seven Deadly Pills. In the Sixties, he guest starred on the shows The Plane Makers, Ghost Squad, Maupassant, The Avengers, It's Dark Outside, Coronation Street, ITV's Play of the Week, Redcap, Thorndyke, R3, No Hiding Place, Emergency-Ward 10, Armchair Theatre, The Baron, Softly Softly, Hobson's Choice, The Informer, City '68, Judge Dee, The Expert, The Wednesday Play, Omnibus, and Thirty-Minute Theatre. He appeared in the mini-series The Government Inspector and The White Rabbit. He played Mr. Moon on the children's show Look and Read. He appeared in the movies The Jokers (1967), How I Won the War (1967), The Blood Beast Terror (1968), Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), and Performance (1970).

In the Seventies, Kenneth Colley appeared in several movies directed by Ken Russell, the first of which was The Devils in 1971. During the decade he subsequently appeared in Mr.Russell's films The Music Loves (1971), The Boy Friend (1971), Mahler (1974) and Lisztomania (1975). He also appeared in the movies The Triple Echo (1972), Hitler: The Last Days (1973), Juggernaut (1974), Flame (1975), Jabberwocky (1977), Life of Brian (1979), and Star Wars Episode V-The Empire Strikes Back (1980). He was a regular on the TV show The Danedyke Mystery and appeared in the mini-series The Visitors, Jack the Ripper, Fall of Eagles,The Nine Tailors, and Pennies from Heaven. He guest starred on The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, A Family at War, New Scotland Yard, Dear Mother......Love Albert, Black and Blue, Arthur of the Britons, The Protectors, Special Branch, Z Cars, The Love School, Churchill's People, The Sweeney, BBC Play of the Month, Crown Court, Dickens of London, Horizon, Target, Ripping Yarns, Hazell, Play for Today, and The BBC Television Shakespeare.

In the Eighties, Kenneth Colley appeared in the Kenneth Russell film The Rainbow (1980). He also appeared in the movies Firefox (1982), Giro City (1982), Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1982), The Whistle Blower (1986), A Summer Story (1988), I Hired a Contract Killer (1990), and The Last Island (1990). On television he appeared on the shows The Kenneth Everett Television Show, The Play on One, Poirot, Timewatch, and Screen Two. He appeared in the mini-series I Remember Nelson, All the World's a Stage, Function Room, Mussolini: The Untold Story, John Silver's Return to Treasure Island, When Reason Sleeps, The Modern World: Ten Great Writers, and War and Remembrance.

In the Nineties, he appeared in two TV movies directed by Ken Russell, Prisoner of Honour and The Secret Life o Arnold Bax. He guest starred on the shows Inspector Morse, Minder, Between the Lines, Capital Lives, Wycliffe, Peak Practice, Heartbeat, Dangerfield, The Bill, The Last Train, Always and Everyone, and The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries. He was a regular on the show Moving Story. He appeared in the movies La vie de bohème (1992), El último viaje de Robert Rylands(1996), Brassed Off (1996), Shadow Run (1998), Hold Back the Night (1999), and Holding On (1999).

In the Naught, Kenneth Colley guest starred on the shows Midsomer Murders, Doctors, Relic Hunter, The Royal, Holby City, EastEnders, Foyle's War, New Yrick, Holby Blue, Casualty 1909, The Queen, and Casualty. He appeared in the movie Greetings (2007). In the Teens, he appeared in the TV series Vera, Misfits, Peaky Blinders, and Holby City. He appeared in the film Scar Tissue (2013). Last year he appeared in the film Dan Hawk Psychic Detective (2024).

Chances are good that Kenneth Colley will always be remembered Admiral Piett, the efficient and often cunning Imperial officer in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He was memorable in the role. Indeed, he was not supposed to return in Return of the Jedi, but his character proved popular with fans. He played Tchaikovsky's avaricious brother Modest in The Music Lovers. In the Midsomer Murders episode "Electric Vendetta" he played UFOlogist Lloyd Kirby. On Peaky Blinders he played Vicente Changretta, the head of the Changretta crime family. Throughout his career he played everything from Jesus in Life of Brian to the pirate Ben Gunn in the mini-series Return to Treasure Island. He was a talented actor who could play a wide variety of roles.