i dream of jeannie

Hawaiian singer Don Ho, whose most famous song was "Tiny Bubbles," died yesterday morning in Honolulu of a heart attack. Ho had several heart problems in recent years, had a pacemaker installed, and had experimental surgery done in Thailand two years ago. He performed right up until the end, with his last show this past Thursday.

Ho hosted his own variety show, appropriately titled The Don Ho Show, on ABC in 1976-77. He made appearances on several TV shows, including McCloud and Hawaiian Eye, but most of the time he appeared as himself, in shows like The Brady Bunch, Charlie's Angels, One West Waikiki, Fantasy Island, Sanford and Son, The Fall Guy, Life Goes On, Batman, and I Dream of Jeannie.

I think it used to be a law that every TV show had to film at least one episode on location in Hawaii, and if they did, Ho guest starred.

He might be best remembered by television fans as the creator and writer of such shows as I Dream of Jeannie and The Patty Duke Show, but Sidney Sheldon also wrote for the theater and was a novelist as well, writing several over the years (and he started writing novels at age 50!), including The Other Side of Midnight, If Tomorrow Comes, Rage of Angels, Bloodline, and Master of the Game.

Besides I Dream of Jeannie and Patty Duke, he also wrote or created several other series, including Hart to Hart and Nancy, and wrote an episode of the Twilight Zone revival in the mid 80s. Movies he wrote or co-wrote include the Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis comedy Pardners, Easter Parade, The Buster Keaton Story, and The Bachelor and The Bobby Soxer.

Sheldon died this afternoon in Los Angeles from pneumonia.

Here are the new TV DVDs in stores tomorrow.

• The Benny Hill Show - Hill's Angels, Set 6
• The Big Valley - Season 2, Vol. 1
• Dallas - Season 6
• I Dream of Jeannie - Season 3
• Law and Order: SVU - Season 3
• Lucky Louie - Complete Series
• Murder, She Wrote - Season 5
• Three's Company - Jack's Favorites

Our weekly roundup of new TV DVDs. Some noteworthy releases for today, July 11:

• Bridezillas - Season One and Season Two
• A Different World - Season Two
• The Ellen Show - Complete Series
• I Dream of Jeannie - Second Season
• ER - Fifth Season
• Masters of Horror - Homecoming
• Perry Mason - Season One, Volume One
• Reno 911! - Season Three
• Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea - Season One, Volume Two
• Weeds - Season One