On Monday, TV Land is rerunning one of my favorite episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show (as you know, is one of my favorite TV shows). The episode in question is "The Masterpiece," which is the one where Rob and Laura accidentally purchase a painting by the great artist, Artanis, at an auction. It's a funny tale but interest is enhanced by the presence of two great comic actors, both of whom also distinguised themselves in the world of cartoon voicing. The auctioneer is played by Alan Reed, better known to all as the voice of Fred Flintstone. And the art expert who comes to examine the Artanis is the wonderful Howie Morris. In 1963 when he filmed this guest appearance, he was also directing episodes of the Van Dyke program, guesting occasionally on The Andy Griffith Show — as the uneducated Ernest T. Bass) — and doing many other on-camera roles. (The same year, he appeared in an episode of The Twilight Zone, and in the immortal Jerry Lewis film, The Nutty Professor.) In addition to all that, he was doing voices for Hanna-Barbera on The Flintstones and Magilla Gorilla. He claims his first job for H-B was the episode of The Jetsons where he played rock star Jet Screamer and sang, "Eep Op Ork." A lovely man.
Also: On Wednesday, TV Land is rerunning an episode of Fantasy Island with Phil Silvers as a has-been vaudevillian. I barely remember the episode from when it first aired in '78 but I recall feeling both sorry for his obviously-diminished energy, and pleased to see he was still able to deliver a performance. You may or may not want to watch. If you don't, I'll understand.