Lee: Do you think you can break into Zorbel's place?
Amanda: No.
Lee: Well?
Amanda: Call me a cab.
Lee: You're a cab.
Be sure to check out a new Scarecrow and Mrs. King website by tjsmklvr. Actually, it's an updated version of her previous webpage Call Me A Cab. Lots of SMK interviews, fan fiction, music videos, memorabilia, and tons of photos and articles on both Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner. Includes promo photos from The Rookies and Charlie's Angles, too. I know Taya spent many, many, many hours putting this site together. Drop her a line and let her what you think.
Lee: Do you think you can break into Zorbel's place? Amanda: No. Lee: Well? Amanda: Call me a cab. Lee: You're a cab.
2 Comments
Written By: Guest Blogger Valerie
I loved Scarecrow and Mrs. King from the very first moment. I was only about five and a half when it first aired. As I got older I grew to love the show even more. I knew Bruce Boxleitner was from the movie The Gambler. From the time I was old enough to talk I would sing. Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers were the first celebrities I 'knew'. Transferring my 'star eyes' to Bruce and Kate Jackson was easy. Growing up was not always easy for me. Family situations and lack of good communication left me feeling lonely. (Long story) I would throw myself into watching SMK reruns and recording them. (Good ole' VHS!) I would write my own versions of the show. Once I asked friends if they would 'act out' what I had written. At the time there was no internet. I had no idea there were other people out there doing the same thing. Weird, huh? Looking back, I know I could have saved myself a lot of personal heartache by speaking up. At the time, I felt lonely and sad. SMK, Kate and Bruce kept me from going off the tracks. Why? I had so much respect for Kate and Bruce as people. All the things they had gone through in life, how strong they were (are). They made me want to be the best person I could be. I would tell myself: If I ever had the chance to meet them someday I would want to be proud of me. If I ever worked with them, I would want them to be proud of me. Not worry about what a tabloid might 'dig up'. I can not tell you how many times loving the show and them saved me from making some really bad choices. Oddly enough, all these years later, I still feel the same, even though, I have never met them and probably never will. When my hubby and I were engaged and expecting our first baby, I was cleaning all the things I didn't need. My baby took priority over everything. My pile of writings, news clippings, etc. were dropped with a loud thud to the bottom of the box I was using for garbage. My heart felt like it landed with a thud, too. But I did it anyway. My Grandmother looked at me mortified. She knew how much all that meant to me. I never went anywhere without my pencil and paper. I wrote all the time. Of course, I am sorry I did that now. I began writing again after moving four hours from the home I'd known my whole life. It was like holding a friend close. Watching the show while I was home alone with my babies, it became my company - again. Chasing away the loneliness. I try not to watch it much, as once I start, it's hard to stop, but I have everything. All the VHS recordings I made, all the TV on VHS that came out once upon a time - where we ended up with 20 episodes. And of course, I now have the DVDs. I can only hope that someday the archives are dug through and we end up getting to see bloopers and behind the scene recordings. Maybe interviews that were long lost and never aired, etc. (I did just read Dava's recap, I wonder what those bloopers were?!) I would love to bring the show back. If I ever win the lotto. . . But for now, reading and writing fan fiction and watching the show, or fan made videos, or just chatting with fellow fans, can turn a gloomy day into a sunny one. My kids like the show. My oldest likes it best. I'm hoping we can watch some episodes over Christmas break. Who knows, he may write his own fan fiction someday? Like I said, I have never met Kate and Bruce. I would probably cry and not be able to speak. Then once I was able to speak I wouldn't be able to stop. It's crazy, but there it is. I've met 'celebrities' before. Some were nice and some were jerks. So like the Shania Twain song, meeting 'stars' "doesn't impress me much". It's who they are as person that matters. And in my opinion, we were very blessed to have a wonderful show with some pretty amazing people. SMK wouldn't have been what it was without Kate and Bruce. Because of work commitments, I was unable to attend the Scarecrow and Mrs. King 30th Anniversary, so I asked my good friend, Dava, to write a recap of the events. Thank you, Dava for taking the time to write this.
*************************************************************************************************************************** SMK 30TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION TRIP Written by: Guest Blogger Dava DATE: October 4 - 5, 2013 PLACE: Beverly Garland Holiday Inn Hotel, Los Angeles, California EVENT: SMK 30th Anniversary Reunion ATTENDEES: 58 Fans of the Show, Bruce Boxleitner aka Scarecrow/Lee Stetson, Martha Smith aka Francine Desmond, Greg Morton aka Jamie King, Myron Natwick aka Dr. Smyth, Richard Herd aka Jake (Photo Finish), and Dennis Duckwall, Producer FRIDAY: October 4, 2013 - WB (Warner Brothers) TOUR A group of about 50 of us met at the WB VIP Tour Lobby. We saw a short film about how Warner Brothers Studios was started. It was very interesting, and I learned a lot. We then split into three tour groups: A, B, and C. I was in tour group B. Our tour guide said it was group B for "Boxleitner" or "Bruce" or his name "Brad". Brad was an excellent tour guide and had watched Scarecrow and Mrs. King "The First Time" and a few other episodes so that he could discuss the show with us. We were so excited when we saw the stairs that Lee/Scarecrow comes down in the opening credits. We also saw the stairs to Nedlingers (stairs may have been at "The Ranch" below), grassy area that was Rock Creek Park, and the wooded area used for "Utopia Now". Our biggest surprise was we got a special tour of "The Ranch". "The Ranch" is part of Warner Brothers lot, but down the road. It was an outdoor walking tour. We saw & took a tour of one of Amanda's houses. I took a picture of the bookcase and gate door. It was so cool standing in Amanda's living room. We also saw "Harry V Thorton's" balcony where he had put out the flowers for Amanda (Tail of the Dancing Weasel), "Sonia's" house on (Stemwinder), and the house where Amanda squirted the hose to take out the bad guys (Fearless Dotty). SATURDAY: October 5, 2013 - THE 30th EVENT AUTOGRAPH SESSION AND RAFFLE: The doors opened at 9:00 AM for a three hour autograph session. Autographs were $10 each which you were given a ticket for. There were also $5 each tickets for a raffle drawing to be held later in the day. You could buy as many tickets as your money would allow. Each star was at a table and you went to that stars line. Of course, Bruce's line was the longest. I went to each line getting autographs from each star. Bruce and I being friends caught up. We had not seen each other since November 2012. I found all of the stars very warm, funny and gracious. The first three hours flew by. At 12:00 PM, we broke for an hour for lunch. The afternoon session resumed at 1:00 PM for more autograph signing as well as the raffle drawing. I actually won a raffle. I won some SMK trivia cards, some fanfiction stories and an old program from the SMK 20th Anniversary. I was thrilled to win anything. The next three hours also flew by and we stopped for a two-hour break before dinner. Dinner was to be at 6:00 PM. We all went to freshen up and get dressed up for the evening dinner. Stars had a room at the hotel to rest. DINNER: We entered the dining room at 6:00 PM and went to each table to find our name card. I was seated at Martha Smith's, Francine Desmond, table right next to her. We were told that dinner was served buffet style where you go up to get your food yourself. It was an Italian themed dinner. We had a green salad, several pasta dishes, antipesto dish, marinara dish and chicken picata. Cake was for dessert. Martha was very gracious and wonderful. She asked us where we were from, what was our favorite SMK episode and our favorite Francine moments. She giggled and was lovely. Martha's favorite episode is "Life of the Party". Because Martha's birthday is coming soon, she was surprised with a birthday gift and chocolate birthday cake. Bruce presented her with her "gift". Yes, it was a feather duster. She laughed when she opened the gift. They brought out the chocolate birthday cake with three candles. We all sang to her, and she blew out the candles. I asked her if she loved chocolate as much as Francine did, and she said "Yes". HA DINNER ~ VIDEO and AUDIO: We were treated to a short bloopers video (no, not for sale anywhere... sorry), a video tribute from Beverly Garland, Bruce and Martha to Mel Stewart. A video tribute to Sam Melville from Bruce and Martha. The audio was a message from Kate Jackson that her friend and assistant, Mike, had personally delivered to us just for the event. Bruce and Martha were very moved by Kate's words, as were we all. DINNER ~ Q&A: Question and Answer session included Bruce, Martha, and Greg. Richard Herd, Dennis Duckwall and Myron Natwick had left. They joked that two microphones were needed or Bruce would do all the talking himself. Various audience members asked questions. Greg was asked a lot about being a child actor. Martha was asked about her wardrobe and how she softened towards Amanda as the show went on. Bruce was asked about his stunts, locations, etc. Lots of laughter and fond memories by the stars and us as well. This lasted until midnight. Bruce went outside before he left and hung around. I was able to get a few minutes of private time catching up. He also chatted with others. They said their "goodnights" to us. Then my roomies and I went up to our hotel room. Goodnight all. I thought it would be interesting to have other fans of Scarecrow and Mrs. King blog about the show and describe the influence the show had on their lives. Valerie jumped to the challenge and wrote a piece introducing herself. If others feel the desire to share on the site, I welcome them to contact me. **************************************************************************************************************************** Hi everyone! Most of you probably know me. I'm a wife and a mom. I have worked off and on over the years and have enjoyed getting to know people. I'm a people person. I love making friends. And I keep secrets with the best of them. . .
I have had many things happen in my life that have made me sad. I was a silly kid. If I could go back, I wouldn't have spent so much time crying. After all, life has turned out okay. I have some pretty amazing kids and my husband isn't too bad either. However, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner kept me feeling more than okay when I felt lonely or sad during my growing up years. When Anne asked if I'd like to write some things, I started typing. That was over a week ago. I've written a ton. But deciding where to start was hard. Until now. On Facebook, everyone is giving people numbers. Anne posted a list. That's when I realized we have quite a lot in common. This is my list (I won't post it to Facebook). I love both shows equally, although Scarecrow and Mrs. King still edges out Chuck as being my favorite television series of all time. Nonetheless, I thought it would be fun to take a moment to discuss the similarities between the two shows.
Scarecrow and Mrs. King was a American action-comedy/spy-drama television serial that aired between 1983-1987. Usually somewhere in the middle of the Nielsen rating numbers, it did quite well in it's time slots until the lead actress was diagnosed with cancer and the show was not renewed. The show ran successfully for four seasons and finished with 88 episodes. Chuck was an American action-comedy/spy-drama television serial that aired between 2007-2012. Always on the cancellation bubble, it struggled to stay on network television, but after successful fan-mounted campaigns, the series ended with 91 episodes. Although, there is no proof the creators of Chuck watched Scarecrow and Mrs. King, I find many of the similarities quite humorous and a bit suspect. To begin with, the whole premise of the show. Both revolved around ordinary people becoming paired with the loner spy and being thrust unexpectedly into the world of espionage. Amanda, a mother of two and a homemaker, is passed secret government information by a spy who is in trouble. While Chuck is a young man working at a computer store, who is passed secret government information by a spy who is in trouble. Both Chuck and Amanda help the agents they are paired with by often thinking outside the box and using unconventional ways of taking out the bad guys. In addition, both Chuck and Amanda dislike guns, although both as they progressed as agents learned how to handle them. I also have to add a similar plot device, in Scarecrow and Mrs. King Amanda put sugar in a gas tank to help her and Lee escape, while in Chuck, Lester put sugar in the gas tank to stop the baddies from kidnapping Casey's daughter. Both shows focused heavily on relationships. For Amanda it was her mother and two boys, while Chuck had a close relationship with his sister. For both of them family meant everything. While Lee and Sarah were the hardened agents, both with circumstances that lead to them growing up in a hurry and each having to deal with the element of abandonment. Of course, these tough agents were never supposed to fall in love with their partners for it was against the cardinal rule of spying; however, cover kisses lead to real kisses, and denial lead to dating others and finally them getting together and getting married. Both shows also had a great ensemble cast.There are several other reasons; i.e. both shows were filmed at Warner Bros. Studios, both shows moved to Friday nights their last season and lost viewers, and both shows ended before they should have. In addition, most fans feel the last three or four episodes do not exist; Scarecrow and Mrs. King, because of Kate's illness and the star being unavailable to film those last episodes, and Chuck, because the final story line had Sarah losing her memories and forgetting Chuck and the five years they had together. Of course, the series finale, fans cried in agony as we did not get closure or our "happily ever-after." I feel the same way about Scarecrow and Mrs. King because us fans never got closure or had the chance to say goodbye to the characters we had grown to love over the years. Finally, both shows have the brilliant and talented Bruce Boxleitner. In Scarecrow and Mrs. King, he was of course Lee Stetson, codename Scarecrow, while in Chuck he was Dr. Woody Woodcomb, also known as, Captain Awesome's dad. Then the most humorous coincidence was the house on 4247 Warner Avenue. In Scarecrow and Mrs. King this was Amanda's house on the fictional street of Maplewood Drive in Arlington, Virginia, but in Chuck the same house was used as Sarah's dream house. The house she longed to live in with the white picket fence and red door, where she and Chuck could grow old together, and she could finally live the normal life she had always dreamed about. For those who have watched both shows, I would love to hear your thoughts. The fourth and finale (sniffle-sniffle) and my personal favorite season of "Scarecrow and Mrs, King" is finally out in stores today. So excited to see my all-time favorite episodes; Night Crawler, Bad Timing and Stemwinder! Think I will just have to make a trip to my local Best Buy or Target after I drop my husband off at work today. Happy viewing to those who pre-ordered. Lee: I love you. Amanda: What? Update: Picked up my copy at Best Buy yesterday. Could not find it on the shelf at the local Target. Nonetheless, Amazon still has the best price. This past weekend, while Bruce was attending Armageddon Expo in Melbourne, Australia, he gave an interview where he talked about Tron, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Babylon 5, and Lantern City. Jumping to mark 05:30 in the video, he discusses the possibly of a Scarecrow and Mrs. King movie. Color me pleasantly surprised, because back in July, when I saw him at Pop Con LA, he told us fans, there would never be a Scarecrow and Mrs. King reunion movie. At the time, I disagreed with him. He's an actor and actors well. . . act! And I thought if the right person presented him with the story concept - he would do it. And the right person did present it to him. Kate Jackson has been back in contact with him after all these years. (And I am super, super excited that Kate contacted Bruce again). Now, all him and Kate need to do is pitch the idea to CBS. This is a dream-come-true. I have been wanting a reunion movie for 30 years and feel fans will finally get some closure. I also feel with Kate being the one pitching the idea, it will be done right. I know a lot of fans have concerns about it, but I have none. I have no doubt that the chemistry would still be there, I love their concept of a possible continuation of SMK, and I think this is exciting news. I hope and pray the idea gets picked up, after all, like Bruce said, "What was once old, is new again." Make it so, CBS, please! Received some unexpected but utterly delightful news today - on this the 29th Anniversary of Scarecrow and Mrs. King day. Tvshowsondvd posted an announcement from WB that the final and fourth season of Scarecrow and Mrs. King will be released on January 22, 2013. All I can add is YAY!!
Now available for pre-order on Amazon. Today is the 29 Anniversary of the premiere of Scarecrow and Mrs. King and just as I did for Chuck last week, I decided to write a list of my top 15 favorite Scarecrow and Mrs. King episodes. I would love to hear your thoughts. 15. Ship of Spies Lee and Amanda go undercover on a cruise ship for engaged couples and to maintain their cover—they get married!! Love the wedding kiss – how nervous they both seem, Lee leaning in for a second kiss, and finally the look of total surprise. I love how Lee pops-up in the milk cooler and how Amanda changes her mind about spending the weekend with her friend to go on a cruise with Lee. And of course, how Amanda saves the day by figuring out the clues. I also love the tag. If you are interested in reading scripts from Scarecrow and Mrs. King, PDF files can be found on the fanpage smk-land.com. You can find them in the "Steno Pool" section, but you must sign-in first, because the scripts are password protected. I submitted some from my own personal collection. I enjoy reading the scripts and "seeing" the differences of what made it on the screen and what was cut. There are also a few never filmed episodes and the original "Honeymoon" episode before Kate Jackson's illness forced a rewrite and was changed to where she was shot and not in most of the scenes, except for a few short moments. Now, I am grateful Kate caught her cancer early and is a cancer survivor, but how much a difference it would have made to the final six episodes had she not been sick.
I know. . . I know. . . wishful thinking. However, SMK Italian Fan Club started a petition for a reunion movie and I am sharing the link.
I would LOVE to see Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner together again. Heck, I would even settle for a Burger King commercial with both of them. No, I am not thinking the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet—in my opinion, the best couple ever is Scarecrow and Mrs. King’s Lee and Amanda. There are three reasons why I believe Lee and Amanda are the best couple ever; these reasons are fate, chemistry, and the natural progression of their relationship.
To begin with, I am firm believer in fate. On a train platform swarming with people, Lee grabbed Amanda from the crowd. Why her? And why did she agree to take the package? In addition, if she had been able to pass the package, their paths most likely would have never crossed again. Was it destiny? Yes, they were meant to be together. Moreover, what is more romantic then meeting your soulmate at a train station? The train symbolizes a journey—perhaps into a new facet of life, or a new relationship. It symbolizes a powerful force that is guiding like fate. A chance encounter at a train station changed both their lives. The second reason, I believe Lee and Amanda are the best couple ever is their chemistry. I don’t think any couple from any television series had more chemistry then Bruce Boxleitner and Kate Jackson. They were never supposed to become a couple. In fact, in the original pilot script Amanda was married to Dean. How different the show would have been if Amanda was sneaking out on her husband, instead of my mother and sons and spending her evenings with the handsome spy. However, from the very beginning, there was an instant spark, unresolved sexual tension, and as a fan of the characters, I wanted to see them get together. Lee and Amanda were the first television characters I shipped. Shipping is derived from the word relationship. It is the belief two characters have romantic feelings towards each other and these feelings will lead to a potential relationship. Which leads into the third reason I believe Lee and Amanda are the best couple ever, the natural progression of their relationship. One of the reasons I do not care for television today is the loose morals. How couples hop into bed without the development of being a couple first. Therefore, I could not care whether they stay together or not. Lee and Amanda’s relationship was slower, therefore more natural. Both coming from different worlds; he is Lee Stetson, one of the top federal agents in the country, a risk taker, a rule breaker, looking for the quick thrill, whether running in with the gun or cheap one-night stands. She is Amanda King, a homemaker, divorced mother of two small boys, whose days are filled with little league, Junior Trailblazers, bake sells, and PTA meeting. Lee thought of Amanda as an untrained civilian, a nuisance, a homemaker having no business being involved in the world of espionage. She thought of Lee as a skirt-chaser, insufferable, and ungrateful, yet what do they say about opposites attracting. Slowly Lee began to trust Amanda and began to rely on her instructs, and Amanda was able to see behind the ‘Scarecrow’ mask to find a caring, sensitive man, who would even risk treason for her. Reluctant partners brought together by an unlikely ‘emergency’, coworkers to partners, friends to best friends, strangers to falling in love with each other. Both believing they were content in their own worlds, neither looking for the other, yet a moment of desperation led to the ultimate declaration of love. It was pure magic! For these reasons, I believe Lee and Amanda are the best couple ever. Their relationship has always given me contentment, warm fuzzies, and intense joy. Image an early October morning and you are walking down the train platform after dropping off your boyfriend, minding your own business, when suddenly a stranger dressed in a waiter’s uniform grabs you, tells you he is in trouble, and then begs you to give the package he is carrying to the “man in the red hat?" After following his instructions—with only a few minor missteps, you are thrust into the world of counterespionage. Now your ordinary life of PTA meetings and Little League is mixed with all-night stakeouts, courier assignments, and government secrets. . . Welcome to the world of Mrs. Amanda King, a divorced, unemployed, housewife, and mother of two small boys (Phillip ,10 and Jamie, 8). Between balancing the checkbook and a station wagon making a suicide pack with the lawnmower, she helps out at an ultra-secret government intelligence agency working as an amateur ‘spy.’ It is so secret she can’t even tell her family, friends, or boyfriend about her new found job - A clandestine job filled with danger, excitement, intrigue.
Amanda: No! I can't sleep here. How would I explain it? I'd feel like I was lying and sneaking. Lee: You are lying and sneaking. You're working for the government. Amanda is paired with the Agency’s top intelligence operative Lee Stetson, codename Scarecrow. Scarecrow is a ladies man, a lone wolf, has been known to take careless risks, and does not work with a partner. . . after losing his last partner to a bullet he believes was meant for him. At first, Lee wants nothing to do with the housewife from Arlington, but later comes to rely on her instincts, her ability to think outside the box, and “her own style" of solving the cases. Most people often discuss Lee Stetson and how much he changed from season one to season four: however, I feel Amanda’s change although more subtle, was equally just as important. In some ways, she is similar to Lee because she carries her own emotional scars and baggage—the loss of her father, the sting of a painful divorce, pitting her family needs ahead of her own. Most likely, she put off her life ambitions to help Joe through college and then through law school, and raised two young children on her own, because her husband choice to put his career above his family. Although, I doubt Amanda would have admitted she was a woman looking for love (sure she was dating someone who I feel she thought was ‘safe’—Mr. “I bought you new bookends” boring, weatherman Dean), after she divorced Joe, she was reserved about committing her heart again to another man. In addition, even if her mother was pressuring her into a long-term relationship with Dean, when she had only been divorced for a year, I believe Amanda might have continued her relationship with him, but when (and if) he ever popped the question; I don't know if she would have been able to say yes. I don’t believe she was ever in love with him; she cared for him greatly, but I don't believe she was in love. No, all that changed when she meet Lee at a train station. His daring and charming personality, further developed those seeds of doubts regarding Dean. And despite his faults, she was able to see behind the mask and found a caring, compassionate man, who would lay down his life for her, protect her, and would always be there for her. She was also a woman looking for a job or rather her place in society. More than just being a housewife and a mother, but making the world a safer place for Jamie and Phillip and helping the country she loved. Amanda had lost her confidence due to her divorce and had put herself and her ambitions ahead for the sake of the boys, her mother and even Joe. The day she met Lee changed everything and her. In addition, although not exactly fitting in with the Agency in the beginning, she proved herself a valuable asset. Moreover, once she got her confidence back and was secure in her role at the Agency, she moved up the ladder from part time civilian aide to full time agent, earning respect from her peers and her partner Lee. while she gained assurance as a woman and as an agent. Finally, I want to add a big thanks to Kate Jackson for doing such a wonderful job of bringing Amanda King to life. She is truly a gifted actress and I can't image anyone else who could have portrayed her as well as she did. Her chemistry with Bruce Boxleitner is what brought me back week after week. |
"Hey. . . it's me."I live in the shadows of the Olympic Mountains in the state of Washington and I love camping, boating, kayaking, hiking, and hanging out with my husband, our three adult children, and our Bernese Mountain dog, Henry. Tags
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