Before Jessica Fletcher started suspiciously turning up whenever a murder occurs, there was mystery novelist Ernesta Snoop and her sister Gwendolyn (call her “G”) Snoop Nicholson, who happily types out Ernesta’s manuscripts. Through five 90 minute episodes, this duo solved murders, found suspected dead persons alive and even proved their own innocence in an attempted murder! They did all of this surrounded by familiar faces, such as Vincent Price, Roddy McDowall, Geraldine Page, Jill Clayburgh, Bert Convy, Bo Svenson, Bernie Casey, Katherine Helmand, and Alice Cooper. Yes, you read that correctly! Alice Cooper even performs a song and does a bit of decent acting!
I found THE SNOOP SISTERS at a thrift store during a day trip in a different town. Neither my sister nor I had ever heard of this series. I initially thought it was British, but when my sister read the back, I realized I was wrong. According to the box, THE SNOOP SISTERS was part of a rotating NBC Mystery Movie series, which explains the limited number of lengthy episodes.
Helen Hayes as Ernesta and Mildred Natwick as “G” have fantastic sisterly chemistry. They finish each other sentences and sometimes communicate without even completing a sentence. If they overhear their police detective nephew discussing the case as they are leaving a room, they turn around in unison to overhear more. Together, they make for a delightfully quirky duo who will not stop until the mystery is solved.
The pilot episode, “The Female Instinct” (S1 E0, according to IMDb) is the best in the short-lived series. The story revolves around a former movie star who is murdered after she announces the impending publication of a scandalous tell-all book. Ernesta and “G” knew the woman, so they take it upon themselves to investigate, with the occasional assistance of their ex-con chauffeur. Eccentric characters come and go, culminating with all the suspects gathered in a drawing room for the big reveal. It seems like a typical whodunit, but the charming idiosyncrasies of Ernesta and “G” elevate the plot. Plus, the sisters get to pursue the murderer in their 1930’s Lincoln as their nephew pursues them in a commandeered ice cream truck!
The best thing about the pilot episode is it allows THE SNOOP SISTERS to naturally be their quirky, curious, incisive selves, with verbal word play that is clever and funny. With maybe the exception of “Fear is a Free-Throw” (S1 E2), where “G” is a prime suspect in an attempted murder, the other episodes tone down their quirky charm and instead focus more on the guest stars or placing the sisters in silly situations. I mean, yes, it is amusing to see Ernesta and “G” dressed up as the Frankenstein monster and his Bride in “A Black Day for Bluebeard” (S1 E4), but it lacks that special something from the pilot.
In conclusion… THE SNOOP SISTERS may not become my favorite mystery series, but it is an enjoyable early ‘70’s romp. All of the guest stars are fun, but the title characters are the reason to watch. When Ernesta and “G” are allowed to take the spotlight, they shine bright with eccentric glitter. So, pull up a cozy chair and enjoy THE SNOOP SISTERS as they snoop and snoop and snoop!
Freak Out, JLH
P.S. In case you’re an Alice Cooper completist, the rock legend appears in “The Devil Made Me Do It” (S1 E3)
I was a very young freakboy when CAPTAIN CAVEMAN AND THE TEEN ANGELS originally aired on ABC, but vague memories have stuck with me throughout the years. I wanted to know why I remembered anything at all, so that's the reason I decided to relive my Saturday morning childhood on DVD. All I needed to complete the flashback was Aquaman Underoos and a big bowl of Quisp cereal.
There was an epidemic of mystery-solving teens in the 1970's and I was not immune to their kitschy charms. I must have been catching the tail-end of this genre of animated series because the formula was set in stone by the time CAPTAIN CAVEMAN AND THE TEEN ANGELS came along. A group of teenagers travel around solving mysteries with the help of an offbeat sidekick. Some groups had a scaredy-cat dog, a blathering shark, a sputtering buggy or even a funky phantom, but the Teen Angels had a superhero caveman.
"Set free by the Teen Angels from his prehistoric block of glacier ice, comes the world's first superhero, Captain Caveman! Now the constant companion to the Teen Angels - Brenda, Dee Dee, and Taffy - in their hilarious, and sometimes scary mystery missions. Get ready for Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels!"
Not The Mystery Machine
The opening narrator (Gary Owens) tells you all you need to know about the main plot, but what about the characters? Dee Dee (Vernee Watson) is the super smart Teen Angel, often finding and connecting the clues. Brenda (Marilyn Schreffler) is the scaredy-cat of the group, often shaking at the thought of a mystery. Taffy (Laurel Page) is the master trapper, often planning elaborate methods to capture the villain. Last, but not least, there is the very hairy Captain Caveman (Mel Blanc) who often loses his powers at the most inopportune times.
Watching CAPTAIN CAVEMAN AND THE TEEN ANGELS with an older and allegedly wiser mind was a different experience. The series lacks the magic spark of SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU! (1969-1970) but it is a fun, and often silly escape. However, there is something there, hiding just beneath the surface, or maybe in Cavey's roomy hair, which leads me to one question. Who are the Teen Angels and Captain Caveman really?
Taffy, Dee Dee, and Brenda ponder my question.
I believe it's time for Cartoon Network or Boomerang to answer that question in a new series. They could create a darker, emotionally complex, but still kid-friendly update in the vein of the brilliant SCOOBY-DOO, MYSTERY INCORPORATED (2010-2013). The new Captain Caveman series could explore how the Teen Angels stumbled upon his block of ice. Were they in the middle of solving a mystery at the time, and what's going on with all the mysteries anyway? The group seems to randomly stumble upon crime after crime, but the narrator calls them mysterymissions. Missions? Are the Teen Angels working for the government or Charlie? Are they even aware of a possible outside force directing them to the mysteries? Then how does Captain Caveman fit into the overall picture and what is up with his powers? Especially his ability to store and retrieve extremely large objects and creatures in his hair. Is Cavey an anomaly? Is he reaching into time when he pulls out dinosaurs from his hair? It's mind-boggling and a little disturbing. Sadly, Cavey, Brenda, Dee Dee, and Taffy may never get the chance to solve the bigger mystery surrounding them.
In conclusion, ZOWIE! CAPTAIN CAVEMAN AND THE TEEN ANGELS is a trippy trip back to the late 1970's. No, it's not the best of the multitude of mystery-solving teens out there, but It's underlying weirdness is why it never fully left my memory.
Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.
I had to say goodbye to Mr. B, the sweetest, roughest ol' tomcat I've ever known. He had been abandoned by his mother many years ago, and he adopted me & my sis. It's a quieter home without him. Then I was confronted by the failure of VISION BENT in finding library readers, which said a lot about how my small Nebraska town views this half-blind freakboy. As insignificant. As a failure. As shit. Yeah, I'm probably projecting my own insecurities onto the population of my town, but small American towns aren't all Andy Griffith and apple pie, if you know what I mean. Oh, and there was also an abundance of Spring snow to bury any good mood threatening to bloom.
Yet, despite the negative vortex, I can honestly say not all of April was shit.
I spent the first Saturday of the month with my Dark Excursions muse and her sister. On the second Saturday, a cousin and I took a much needed road trip. A good deal of fun was had on both Saturdays.
At Penny's Diner in North Platte, NE.
Then, as the month drew to a close, a bit of inspiration blew in my general direction. I jokingly mentioned that my next book would be a coffee table book of orange underwear pics. The idea amused me so much that i snapped a photo of my orange underwear on the kitchen table. Suddenly, a title popped into my head and I set about designing a cover for this ridiculous book.
Once finished, I half-looked upon my visual creation and realized this was potentially more than a fake cover to a cheeky peek into my orange obsession. This was a real cover to a book i had not yet written. The gears in my head began to creak to life, blowing the dust and cobwebs out of my mindscape.
Dropping, um...2020? Maybe?
Hopefully sooner.
I studied the orange and brown cover of A STUDY IN ORANGE, zooming in and out while adjusting my Mad Scientist Glasses. My initial impression was that I captured a 1950's dime store paperback vibe. Then the sharp edges slicing through the cover, fracturing the image, made me think of a crime drama or mystery in a film noir vein. Last but certainly not least, the orange underwear added a lurid romance angle to the mix.
So, writing a lurid mystery-romance is what I've been doing lately and it feels good. The process is reminding me of writing Dark Excursions. As the words spring from my fingertips, I want to get to know these characters better, learn what aspects to their personalities they are hiding from me. I want to inhabit their tantalizing world and explore what's around each corner.
I may have a basic idea of the plot, but my fictional writing process is like a flexible sponge, soaking up and incorporating random elements into the story. I know how the book begins and I have a general idea of the ending, but there's a lot of uncharted territory in between. I enjoy allowing the characters a certain amount of freedom to reveal themselves and potentially alter the plot.
LITTLE KNOWN FACT
I originally didn't intend for Crop to be romantically inclined to Dinkel in Dark Excursions. It wasn't until I wrote Chapter 6 that I realized Crop had feelings beyond friendship for the one-armed gardener. I can't even imagine how different DE would be without that romance at its core.
I hope the cover for A STUDY IN ORANGE, which I think is my best fiction book cover to date, will keep me inspired and motivated. I have a bad habit of losing interest in a project, but I hate the idea of letting the cover go to waste. We shall half-see what happens, and I'll occasionally update you on my progress.
In conclusion, April may have generally been a shit month, but perhaps amazing things can grow from excrement. 💩
Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.
