I've kinda liked her mystery books, actually. I'm not an expert, but the medical stuff in there isn't any more implausible than something you'd see on CSI. Which is why her JTR book was such a letdown.

So, what's the singular, then? (*looking forward to messing with the cashier at Panera*)

I recommend it. Read ATWQ with my kid (there are only two books in the series so far) and we both loved them.

Don't know if anyone mentioned these yet but my top two are

There already was a prequel— it was called "The Wind Done Gone" by Alice Randall.

There was a band called the Julies that was pretty good. One of the only CDs I got from Family Bookstore that I wound up keeping.

I wasn't allowed to go to rock concerts as a kid, but did wind up seeing Newsboys on a double bill with Stephen Curtis Chapman. I still get "Shine" stuck in my head every now and then. As Christian bands go, you could do a lot worse.

I think it's official—they've run out of ideas for postapocalyptic totalitarian regimes. It's like when "Criminal Minds" ran out of ideas for serial killers and had to resort to dudes that turn people into scented candles and shit.

I remember it being somewhat popular during junior high, ie the cool kids had t-shirts for it, etc. It was also a popular choice for junior high dates (in which you were too young to drive so your mom would drop you and your date off at the movie theatre and wait outside.)

I also don't know if this was true for anyone else, but after I reached a certain age, it just wasn't "cool" to have my parents around for every darn thing that I did. When I was in elementary school, I thought it was neat when my parents came to one of my school assemblies, but from about junior high onwards me and…

Oooh, I just thought of another one—

1) Scientist accidentally unleashes Unspeakable Evil by messing around with Knowledge That Man Was Not Meant To Know. Has to be rescued by Square-Jawed Hero.

Right—and he doesn't have a foley catheter in for some reason!

Yes. Especially when the "overprotective dad" is making thinly veiled threats of violence toward prospective dates—cleaning his guns when the boy comes over, etc.

Exactly. And then then person that was just flatlining and on the cusp of death wakes up after about 10 minutes of CPR without any ill effects (i.e. brain damage.)

I wondered about that—"Hound Dog" at the very least was a cover (and the Big Momma Thornton version was way better.)

That actually makes that bit in "The Green Death" make more sense—I've seen very few Pertwee episodes, so I didn't realize there was more context there.

I'm gonna have to say Tom Baker. The guy was my "first Doctor" and, thanks to PBS reruns, the face of Doctor Who for most Americans. I damn near lost my shit when he had that cameo in the 50th anniv. thing, and I'm not one that's prone to weeping.

Fun fact: the actress playing Kolchak's "photographer" (I think Vincenzo's niece or something?) in a couple episodes is Carol Ann Susi, now better known as the voice of Howard's mom on BBT.

As I recall, there was also a bit of a subtext about Mary being sickly because of her long exposure to the "Indian atmosphere" and that it took exposure to nice, fresh, English air to make her better. I remember reading that it was a common belief at the time (particularly when no one yet knew how malaria was…