Zap2It Disappears Again...Sort Of

It was this past March that the 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 customization 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 every 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 Zap2t won't have to give it up for now. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing how long 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.

Adam Adamant Forever: The Late Great Gerald Harper

Gerald Harper, who starred as the title character in the TV series Adam Adamant Lives! and on on the newspaper drama Gazette and its successor Hadleigh, died on July 2 2025 at the age of 96.

Gerald Harper was born on February 15 1929 in Barnet, Hertfordshire. He attended Haileybury and Imperial Service College. For his national service he was in the Royal Artillery. For at time he studied medicine at Cambridge University. He abandoned the study of medicine to audition for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada). He made his professional debut on stage at the London Arts Theatre. Afterwards he joined the Liverpool Repertory. He regularly appeared on the West End. He appeared in Charley's Aunt at the Globe and Free Air at the Savoy. He appeared on Broadway in Twelfth Night, Hamlet, and King Henry V. He made his film debut in an uncredited role in The Dam Busters (1955). In the late Fifties, he appeared in the movies The Extra Day (1956), Tiger in the Smoke (1956), Stars in Your Eyes (1956), The Admirable Crichton (1958), A Night to Remember (1958), The League of Gentlemen (1960), and Tunes of Glory (1960). He made his television debut in an episode of ITV Television Playhouse in 1957. He guest starred on On Stage--London, O.SS., and Skyport.

It was in 1966 that he began playing the lead character in the BBC series Adam Adamant Lives! Adam Adamant was an Edwardian adventurer who was frozen in ice by his archenemy The Face in 1903 and then revived in 1966. The show was created by Sydney Newman, who was also responsible for Doctor Who and The Avengers. Although created in response to The Saint, Adam Adamant Lives! bore a passing resemblance to The Avengers. It was in 1968 that he began playing James Hadleigh in the newspaper drama Gazette. His character proved so popular that he was retooled for the series Hadleigh, on which he was a country squire who sought to correct local injustices.

In the Sixties, he also appeared in the mini-series The Sleeper, A Man Called Harry Brent, A Game of Murder, and The Caesars. He guest starred on the shows The Return of the Old Pull 'n Push, Emergency-Ward 10, Out of This World, Harpers West One, Drama '62, The Avengers, Hancock, The Plane Makers, Love Story, No Hiding Place, Bud, BBC Sunday-Night Play, The Protectors, First Night, Ghost Squad, Gideon's Way, The Human Jungle, Public Eye, The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre, ITV Play of the Week, The Dick Emery Show, City '68, Armchair Theatre, and The Champions. He appeared in the movies The Young Ones (1961), The Punch and Judy Man (1963), Stolen Hours (1963), Wonderful Life (1964), Up Jumped a Swagman (1965) Strangler's Web (1965), and The Shoes of the Fisherman. He appeared on Broadway in Boeing-Boeing.

In the Seventies, Gerald Harper continued to appear on Hadleigh. He guest starred on Stars on Sunday, Thriller, and The Flockton Flyer. He appeared in the movie The Lady Vanishes (1979). After the Seventies he continued to appear on stage and continued to do so into the Naughts. In addition to acting, he also presented radio programmes. He presented The Sunday Affair for Capital Radio in the Seventies, and then in the 1980s he presented late Saturday afternoon shows for BBC Radio 2. In the early Naughts he presented Champagne and Roses for Talksport. He later had cameos in the TV movie The Craig Ferguson Story and an episode of Mr. Charity.

While Adam Adamant Lives! and Hadleigh remain largely unknown in the Unites States, in the United Kingdom I suspect Gerald Harper will always be best remembered as Adam Adamant and James Hadleigh. And this is with good reason. While I cannot speak for Hadleigh, he was superb as Adam Adamant. Possessed of the sort of old-fashioned charm and manners such as David Niven had, Gerald Harper was utterly convincing as the Edwardian adventurer. Of course, he played other roles beyond Adam Adamant and Hadleigh. He guest starred on The Avengers three times alone. In the 1979 version of The Lady Vanishes, he played the lawyer Mr. Todhunter. In the British TV series Thriller episode "IF It's a Man, Hang Up," he played a photographer having an affair with a younger model. In The Champions episode "The Fanatics," he played Croft, the head of the organization of the title, which is responsible for several political assassinations. Gerald Harper may always be best remembered as Adam Adamant and James Hadleigh, but he played many other roles as well.

The Late Great Michael Madsen

Michael Madsen, who played Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs (1992) and appeared in several other Quentin Tarantino movies, died on July 3 2025 at the age of 67. The cause was cardiac arrest.

Michael Madsen was born on September 25 1957 in Chicago. His mother was documentarian and author Elaine Madsen. His father, Calvin, was a firefighter with the Chicago Fire Department. His older sister was Cheryl Madsen, who operates a restaurant, while his younger sister was actress Virginia Madsen. His parents divorced when the three siblings were still children. When he was growing up, Michael Madsen was inspired by such films as Heaven Knows Mr. Allison (1957), Cool Hand Luke (1967), and The Scalp Hunters (1968). He grew up admiring Robert Mitchum.

It was in Chicago that Michael Madsen began his acting career with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He apprenticed under John Malkovich. He moved to Los Angeles, where he worked as a mechanic at a gas station. He made his film debut in 1982 in the movie Against All Hope. In 1983 he made his television debut on two episodes of St. Elsewhere. In the Eighties, he guest starred on the shows Cagney & Lacey, Miami Vice, The Hitchhiker, Crime Story, Almost Grown, Tour of Duty, Jake and the Fat Man, Quantum Leap, and The Outsiders. He was a regular on the short-lived show Our Family Honor and appeared in the mini-series War and Remembrance. He appeared in the movies WarGarmes (1983), Racing with the Moon (1984), The Natural (1984), The Killing Time (1987), Iguana (1988), Shadows in the Storm (1988), Blood Red (1989), Kill Me Again (1989), and The End of Innocence (1990).

It was in 1992 that he appeared as Vic Vega, better known as Mr. Blonde, in Reservoir Dogs. In the Nineties, he also appeared in the movies The Doors (1991), Thelma & Louise (1991), Straight Talk (1992) Fatal Instinct (1992), Inside Edge (1992), Trouble Board (1993), Free Willy (1993), Money for Nothing (1993), A House in the Hills (1993), The Getaway (1994), Blue Tiger (1994), Season of Change (1994), Final Combination (1994), Wyatt Earp (1994), Species (1995), Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995), Man with Gun (1995), Almost Blue (1996), Mulholland Falls (1996), The Winner (1996), The Last Days of Frankie the Fly (1996), Red Line (1996), Donnie Brasco (1997), The Maker (1997), The Girl Gets Moe (1997), Executive Target (1997), Catherine's Grove (1997), Rough Draft (1998), Papertrail (1998), The Sender (1998), Surface to Air (1998), Species II (1998), Detour (1998), Fait Accompli (1998), The Florentine (1999), Ballad of the Nightingale (1999), Flat Out (1999), The Stray (2000), Luck of the Draw (2000), The Alternate (2000), The Price of Air (2000), The Thief & Stripper (2000), Ides of March (2000), and Bad Guys (2000). He was a regular on the short-lived TV show Vengeance Unlimited. He guest starred on the show Gabriel's Fire.

In the Naughts, Michael Madsen was the narrator on the Animal Planet documentary television series Animal Precinct. He was a regular on the TV shows Big Apple and Tilt. He guest starred on the shows Mad TV, CSI: Miami, and 24. He appeared in the movies Fall (2001), The Ghost (2001), Choke (2001), Pressure Point (2001), L.A.P.D: To Protect and Serve (2001), Extreme Honor (2001), Love.com (2002), Die Another Day (2002), The Real Deal (2002), Welcome to America (2002), Pauly Shore Is Dead (2002), My Boss's Daughter (2003), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Vampires Anonymous (2003), Blueberry (2004), Kill Billl: Voll. 2 (2004), Smatyvay udochi (2004), Sin City (2005), L. A. Dicks (2005), Muzhskoy sezon. Barkhatnaya revolyutsiya (2005), Chasing Ghosts (2005), BloodRayne (2005), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005), All In (2006), Scary Movie 4 (2006), The Last Drop (2006), Hoboken Hollow (2006), Canes (2006), UKM: The Ultimate Killing Machine (2005), When the Devil Rides Out(2005), Machine (2007), Living & Dying (2007), Boarding Gate (2007) Afghan Knights (2007), Strength and Honour (2007), Tooth and Nail (2007), Cosmic Radio (2007), Hell Ride (2008), Last Hour (2008), Vice (2008), Break (2008) No Bad Days (2008), 45 R.P.M. (2008), House (2008), Deep Winter (2008), You Might as Well Live (2009), A Way with Murder (2009), Hired Gun (2009), Road of No Return (2009), Shannon's Rainbow (2009), Put (2009), Outrage (2009), Serbian Scars (2009), Lost in the Woods (2009), The Kid Chamaco (2009), Ligeia (2009), Clear Lake, WI (2009), The Killing Jar (2010), Let the Game Begin (2010), The Big I Am (2010), Krach (2010), Terror Trap (2010), Federal (2010), The Brazen Bull (2010), The Portal (2010), Corruption.Gov (2010) Now Here (2010), Six Days in Paradise (2010), and Money to Burn (2010).

In the Teens, Michael Madsen had a recurring role on the television show Big Time in Hollywood, FL. He guest starred on the shows Bob's Burgers, Blue Bloods, The Mob Doctor, Golden Boy, Hawaii Five-0 Real Detective, Those Who Can't, Powers, Explosion Jones, Real Rob, and Dystopia. He appeared in the movies A Cold Day in Hell (2011), Not Another Not Another Movie (2011), Dirty Little Trick (2011), Loosies (2011), A Matter of Justice (2011), Refuge from the Storm (2012), Cole Younger & the Black Train (2012), Sins Expiation (2012), Desperate Endeavors (2012), Beyond the Trophy (2012), Terrible Angels (2012), Magic Boys (2012), Prince of the City (2012), Prince of the City (2012), Madoff: Made in America (2013), Day of Redemption(2013), Along the Roadside (2013), Infected (2013), The Sorrow (2013), ICE Agent (2013), Gabrielle (2013), Nomad: The Beginning (2013), Lionhead (2013), Ashley (2013), I'm in Love with a Church Girl (2013), Skoryy 'Moskva-Rossiya' (2014), The Ninth Cloud (2014), Water Wars (2014), 2047: Sights of Death (2014), Turnaround Jake (2014), A Turn in the Sun (2015), The Whole World at Our Feet (2015), The Just (2015), No Deposit (2015), Lady Psycho Killer (2015), Death in the Desert (2015), Skin Traffik (2015), Lumberjack Man (2015), Sacred Blood (2015), Flipped (2015), The Hateful Eight (2015), Vigilante Diaries (2016), The Lost Tree (2016), Beyond the Game (2016), Kidnapped in Romania (2016), Last Man Club (2016), Unbelievable!!!!! (2016), Magi (2016), Back in the Day (2016), Talons (2016), Devil's Domain (2016), Unfallen (2017), Garlic and Gunpowder (2017), Rock, Paper, Scissors (2017), The Broken Key (2017), Love Addict (2018), Papa (2018), Dirty Dealing 3D (2018), Assassins Revenge (2018), Hangover in Death Valley (2018), CobraGator (2018), Dead on Time (2018), God's Eye (2018), Trading Paint (2019), The Garden Left Behind (2019), Welcome to Acapulco (2019), Born2Race (2019), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), Red Handed (2019), Conjuring: The Book of the Dead (2020), 2 Graves in the Desert (2020), Serpent in the Bottle (2020), Shark Season (2020), Dirty Fears (2020), Puppy Love (2020), and Nishabdham(2020).

In the 2020s, Michael Madsen appeared in the movies Missiya: Prorok (2021), Burial Ground Massacre (2021), American Night (2021), Every Last One of Them (2021), Christmas Thieves (2021), The American Connection (2021), Damon's Revenge (2022), Until We Meet Again (2022), Incarnation (2022), Numbers (2022), Waking Karma (2023), The Wraith Within (2023), Assault on Hill 400 (2023), The Lurking Fear (2023), Outlaw Johnny Black (2023), and Resurrection Road (2025).

Michael Madsen also provided voices for several video games, including Grand Theft Auto III, Reservoir Dogs, Dishonored,. The Waking Dead Season Two, and Crime Boss Rockay City, among others. Michael Madsen was also an award winning poet who published several books of poetry.

Michael Madsen was an extremely prolific actor, with over 300 credits to his name. If he was so prolific, it was because he was also so very talented. He may be best known for the many tough guys he played, particularly in Quentin Tarantino movies. Indeed, his best known character may be the sadistic Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs. Joe Gage in The Hateful Eight was on the quiet side, but still nonetheless a tough customer. In the movie Sin City he played the treacherous, corrupt cop Detective Bob.

While Michael Madsen was very good at playing very evil characters, he could play other sorts of roles as well. In the Free Willy movies he played Glen Greenwood, who was the foster father of the movie's protagonist. In the movie Thelma & Louise he played Louise's boyfriend, the laid-back musician Jimmy. In The Doors he played Jim Morrison's friend and Andy Warhol associate Tom Baker. Michael Morrison could play a wide variety of roles. What is more, he left an impression no matter how briefly he appears on screen. In Once Upon a Time..in Hollywood he appears in a clip of the fictional show Bounty Law as a sheriff who informs bounty hunter Jake Cahill some bad news. There is no forgetting Michael Madsen in the clip. If Michael Madsen made a lot of movies, it was because he was so very talented.

Farewell to TCMParty Member Peggy Tapek

Last night I learned that longtime TCMParty member and my friend Peggy Tapek, known to most TCMPartiers as "Marie just Marie" on Twitter (@d3sk) and later Bluesky (@d3sk.bsky.social), died a few days ago. Peggy had been a part of "Film Twitter" for around 15 years and she numbered among the original TCMParty crowd, "TCMParty" being a collective live posting (originally on Twitter but now on Bluesky) of movies on Turner Classic Movies using the hashtag #TCMParty. Peggy's TCMParty friends meant a good deal to her and, in turn, she meant a lot to us. She was one of the kindest, most supportive people to ever participate in TCMParty.

Peggy was born Margaret Tapek in Michigan. It was not long after her birth that her family moved to Rushville, Indiana. They later moved to Elwood, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis. It was Peggy's mother, who was a fan of  Barbara Stanwyck and Gene Tierney, who introduced her to classic movies. In those days local television stations still showed movies at various times during the week, including late nights and Saturday and Sunday afternoons. She was still a girl when she became a fan of both Bette Davis and the classic "Sherlock Holmes" movies starring Basil Rathbone. Peggy was also a fan of everything from Alfred Hitchcock movies to the classic horror movies from Universal and Hammer to Fred Astaire movies. If anything, her tastes were eclectic. 

In addition to classic movies, Peggy was also a fan of classic television. She may well have been the biggest fan of the British TV show The Avengers I knew aside from myself, and a fan of British television shows in general. She also loved the old classic mystery shows, such as Columbo and Ellery Queen. She loved both the 1966 Batman and The Monkees, as well as the original Star Trek.

Peggy was proud of her boyfriend Bruce, a fellow TCMPartier, and my condolences go out to him. She was also close to many TCMPartiers. She would show concern if any of us were ill or troubled, and she would always applaud us for our accomplishments. I know I will miss discussing The Avengers or the various mystery shows she loved with her. Her passing will certainly leave a hole in the TCMParty that cannot be filled.