For years now -- both here at the newspaper and when I worked at a video store -- I've heard from many people who wanted to get ahold of a copy of an obscure but much-loved holiday film called The Gathering. This 1977 TV movie starred Edward Asner and Maureen Stapleton, telling the story of a dying man trying to reconnect with his family at Christmas. But though the movie was once available on video, it was long out of print -- until now.
Warner Bros.' Web site, wbshop.com, has produced a new DVD of The Gathering as part of "Warner Archives," a series of films and TV shows that are not sold in stores and are manufactured only on demand.
The movie has been digitally remastered for optimal sound and picture quality. The less-successful sequel, The Gathering Part II, is included as a bonus but has not been remastered.
The two-DVD set sells for $19.95 plus shipping and will be released on Tuesday. For more information, go to tinyurl.com/yl57o35.
Neal Bledsoe, an alumnus of the UNC School of the Arts, has just joined the cast of the ABC drama Ugly Betty.
Starting with the episode that aired on Friday (which is now available on abc.com), Bledsoe is playing a recurring role as the long-lost son of series regular Claire Meade (Judith Light). Earlier this season, Bledsoe had a guest role on the CW hit Gossip Girl. Ugly Betty will move to Wednesdays at 10 p.m. starting Jan. 6.
Fans of the TV shows Bones and Battlestar Galactica can dig deep into their favorite shows with two new books from Titan Books. Bones: The Forensic Files by Paul Ruditis is a companion to the third and fourth seasons of the quirky crime drama, with episode guides, interviews and trivia. Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion, Season Four, by Sharon Gosling, looks at the final season of the cult sci-fi drama, with an introduction by series star Edward James Olmos.
WSJS morning-radio host Brian Freeman has left the station for its Raleigh sister station, WPTF 680-AM.
"It's a promotion for him, and it's very well-warranted," said Tom Hamilton, the general manager of WSJS. "It's an opportunity to step up."
Freeman had been the program director and news director at WSJS, and is still handling those duties from Raleigh for now, working with Hamilton.
J.R. Snider has taken over WSJS' morning program for now. Hamilton said that permanent plans have not been solidified, but that Snider may become the permanent morning host.
WSJS and WPTF will lose some of their most popular syndicated programs, The Rush Limbaugh Show and The Sean Hannity Show, next year when those shows move to other stations. In the Triad, the shows will be carried on 94.5 WGBT-FM in Greensboro. WSJS will announce its new lineup in the next few weeks, Hamilton said.
The 1960s BBC drama Sherlock Holmes was one of many British series that fell victim to network frugality when tapes were reused. Peter Cushing played Holmes and Nigel Stock played Dr. Watson in 16 episodes of the series, only five of which survived. They are coming to DVD Tuesday in The Sherlock Holmes Collection, a three-disc boxed set.
tclodfelter@wsjournal.com.
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