I’m reusing the Max Ernst featured image because I’m keeping my hand in at First Draft while traveling. We should be at our first stop today, for which I’m grateful as is Dr. A. She’s had to do all the driving on this trip because of my eyesight and lingering concerns about my passing out. Thanks for taking such good care of me, babe.

I may chime in again from the road, but my current plans are to post on the weekends as well as the Friday Cocktail Hour. I’ve been known to write those in advance. Shorter Adrastos: My blogging battery is running low and needs recharging. As expected, Trump 2.0 is even more trying than his first term.

We have two telephonic theme songs this week from Steve Earle and Rodney Crowell. They’re both alt-country guys so it’s a perfect match.

One more telephone tune before we move on to our second act:

We begin our second act by putting down the phone and indulging in some TV talk. It consists of capsule reviews of three TV shows I’ve been watching, one old and two new.

I, Jack Wright: Tells the story of a dysfunctional British family whose patriarch was murdered. Right before his death, he changed his will favoring his grand daughter and first wife and cutting out his sons and second wife. They are not amused.

This six-part series has fine performances from Gemma Jones, John Simm, and Zoe Tapper as members of the beleaguered family. Initially, I made the mistake of treating it like a whodunit when it’s fundamentally a drama about a fucked up family.

Here’s the trailer:

Grading Time: I give I, Jack Wright 4 stars and an Adrastos Grade of A-. I always enjoy seeing a family that’s more fucked up than my own. It’s streaming on Britbox.

Black Snow is an Australian series about a cold case detective played by Travis Fimmel. He’s your basic genius detective whose own life is a mess. Why? He has a fucked up family. He also investigates fucked up families. The whole thing is, well, fucked up.

We just stumbled on this marvelous series, so we were able to watch the first two seasons. It’s an intense drama leavened by the droll wit of the star.

It’s trailer time:

Grading Time: I give Black Snow 3 1/2 stars and an Adrastos Grade of B+. It’s streaming on AMC plus.

Ironside: I used to watched Ironside with my parents during its first run. My mom loved Raymond Burr and was thrilled that his follow up to Perry Mason was set in San Francisco. In 2025, I love seeing The City of my childhood.

I had forgotten how good this venerable series was. Burr plays a brilliant detective confined to a wheelchair. He surrounded himself with what could be called his Mod-ish Squad. It’s also fun to play spot the past or future luminary among whom have been Harrison Ford, Joseph Cotten, David Carradine, and Anne Baxter.

There’s no trailer online so this will have to do.

A few Ironside notes: The theme song is by Quincy Jones. One episode showed the star having delirious dreams that gave me a new catch phrase: The bank examiners are coming. I guess you had to be there.

Grading Time: Since there are 195 episodes there are some clinkers, so this is an overall grade. I give Ironside 3 stars and an Adrastos Grade of B. It’s streaming on Amazon Prime.

Repeat after me: The bank examiners are coming.

The last word of our second act goes to Talking Heads:

We begin our third act with our favorite stolen feature.

Separated At Birth Casting Edition: Speaking of telephones, Don Ameche played the man who should have been called Pa Bell. I’m showing the quad poster because there’s no movie post tomorrow. I’ll tell a story instead.

I used to have an elderly friend who was in the movie business; he always called phones Ameches. Does that make an iPhone a smart Ameche? Discuss amongst yourselves.

Here’s some serious star power to close out the segment:

Your Weekly Oscar: We’ll try to keep the good vibes flowing with this OP/Irving Berlin doubleheader.

Have I told you lately how much I love Oscar Peterson?

Saturday GIF Horse: Here’s an Ironside adjacent GIF from The Simpsons.

Let’s close down this virtual honky tonk with some more music.

Saturday Closer: I hate talking on the telephone, but I only hang up on telemarketers or other pests on the rare occasion I answer. 10cc gets the last musical word:

That’s all for this week. The last word goes to the cast of I, Jack Wright.