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The Late Movies: Twin Peaks

Twenty years ago last week, Twin Peaks made its TV debut. Often described as eerie, creepy, or just plain weird, Twin Peaks is now considered a landmark in TV history. I'm a huge fan of the music -- composed by Angelo Badalamenti, with lyrics by David Lynch and vocals by Julee Cruise -- it's atmosphere and haunting. If you're a Twin Peaks fan, the Julee Cruise album "Floating Into the Night" is a must-have. Anyway, here are some awesome Twin Peaks clips to weird out your evening. "Just You and I"... READ ON

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Rest in Peace, Dixie Carter

Actress Dixie Carter passed away on April 10, 2010, at the age of 70. She is survived by her husband, actor Hal Holbrook, and two daughters. Though she's starred on Broadway and was nominated for an Emmy for a guest appearance on Desperate Housewives, she'll most likely be remembered for her signature role of outspoken Julia Sugarbaker on Designing Women. Dixie, as her first name implied, came by her Southern accent very naturally "“ she was born and raised in Tennessee. She'd... READ ON

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The Spaghetti Harvest

On April 1, 1957, BBC television viewers were treated to a short documentary about the spaghetti harvest in Ticino, Switzerland. The film showed spaghetti trees laden with ripe pasta, and Swiss farmers harvesting long strands and laying them out to dry "in the warm alpine sun." The public's reaction ranged from curiosity to outrage (at the time, pasta was an unusual dish in Britain, so the story was at least vaguely plausible). The BBC wrote: The BBC has received a mixed reaction to a spoof... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Mike Rowe (Host of "Dirty Jobs") on QVC

Here's a shocker: Mike Rowe, the wisecracking host of Discovery's Dirty Jobs, was a host on the home shopping channel QVC in the early 90's. What makes this fun is that Rowe is clearly aware of how absurd QVC is, and spends much of his onscreen time cracking jokes and generally making a mockery of the job. It's awesome. Also, the pricing on all of these items is insane. Behold: Lava Lamp "The lamp is a little warm, not unlike lava. [Feigns burn.] Medic! A singular opportunity to not only... READ ON

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"Life," the New "Planet Earth," Premieres Sunday, 8pm

Premiering Sunday (March 21) at 8pm on the Discovery Channel in the US: Life, a new documentary miniseries from the producers of Planet Earth. Set your DVRs now! Back in 2006, we were treated to Planet Earth, a BBC/Discovery Channel coproduction which was the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC, and the first shot in full HD. It was a groundbreaking series, and for good reason -- four years of hard filming brought us spectacular photography and compelling narratives,... READ ON

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Tonight on PBS: Katrina's Lost Dogs

Airing TONIGHT (February 16, 2010) on PBS! The film is "MINE," part of the Independent Lens series on PBS. Set your DVRs or VCRs now, as this one will not be streaming online after airing! Check your local listings; in most markets it airs at 10pm. Tonight on PBS's Independent Lens, watch the story of New Orleans pet owners who were separated from their pets during Hurricane Katrina. The documentary is called MINE -- echoing the pet owners' frequent refrain ("This dog is mine!") as they try to get... READ ON

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Inside Antiques Roadshow

If you're a PBS viewer, you've likely seen Antiques Roadshow, a form of "reality TV" in which people have their antiques and collectibles appraised. Experts explain the history and estimated value of the items to the often-stunned owners. It's great TV, and now The Collectors Weekly has gone behind the scenes in An Inside Look at Antiques Roadshow. It's a great read, giving us a look at the real process leading up to making an episode -- specifically, 3,200 pairs of free tickets are handed out (though... READ ON

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"Deadliest Catch" Star Captain Phil Harris Dies

Fans of the Discovery Channel show Deadliest Catch are in mourning, after learning that Captain Phil Harris died on February 9. He suffered a stroke while unloading his boat, the Cornelia Marie. Fans have been sharing their condolences on a message board (there are currently 274 pages of condolences), and the Discovery Channel just sent me the video clip below showing some of Phil's best catches -- it's worth a look if you've ever seen the show. "Discovery mourns the loss of dear friend and... READ ON

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Tonight on NOVA: Ghosts of Machu Picchu

(Image of Machu Picchu courtesy of Martin St-Amant - Wikipedia.) Airing tonight (February 2, 2010) at 8pm on PBS stations: NOVA's Ghosts of Machu Picchu. Set your DVRs now! If you miss the program, it will be streaming online starting February 3. Machu Picchu is an Inca engineering marvel: located 8,000 feet above sea level, it contains 200 stone structures placed on a complex set of roughly 700 terraces. What's most surprising is not its buildings, though -- it's all about what was built... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Top 10 Antiques Roadshow Valuations

The antiques world was rocked (okay, more like gently bumped) when a recent episode of Antiques Roadshow estimated a woman's collection of carved Chinese jade objects at $710,000 to $1.07 million. Either figure would make it the highest-appraised item in Antiques Roadshow history. Unfortunately, when the woman actually sold the items at auction, she only got $494,615. Why the discrepancy? It's complicated -- read about it here if you want the blow-by-blow from real antiques experts. Meanwhile, below I... READ ON