Win a Comic Convention Survival Pack from Comet TV

July is a great month for science fiction and super hero fans as it is that time of the month when the annual Comic Con International event takes place in San Diego, California.  Comic Con is the place for breaking news and making announcements about publications, movies and television shows that are of interest to comic book, scifi and horror genre fans.  Since all this stuff is on people's minds it is only fitting that COMET TV broadcast throughout the month of July shows and movies that appeal to people who enjoy the geeky side of life.

Did you know the actor who portrayed evil Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) in Star Wars also played the role of Doctor Who?  Check out Cushing play the role of the good guy as Doctor Who in the movies DR WHO AND THE DALEKS (1965) and DR WHOL DALEKS INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D. this month on Comet TV.

The classic 80's scifi flick FLASH GORDON that has seen a renewed interest since been spoofed in the TED movies will also be airing on Comet TV in July.  As well as THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979) which scared the hell out of me as a kid.  Check out Life in Pieces' James Brolin when he was a young man starring in this horror film.  What do you think of his son Josh playing the villain Thanos in the Avengers movies?

Comet TV is also hosting a Godzilla movie marathon throughout the month you won't want to miss out on seeing.  Episodes of the television shows, Stargate SG-1, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Poltergeist Legacy and Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot will also be airing throughout the month.  And if you are a fan of the Johnny Sokko TV show like I am, you won't want to miss VOYAGE INTO SPACE (1970) which was spun off from episodes of the 1960s  Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot television series.

Whether you are treking to Comic Con in San Diego or attending an exhibition closer to home, COMET TV has a comic book convention survival pack for A Geek Daddy to giveaway this month.  For a chance to win it please follow @Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet the embedded message below before 11:59 pm ET on July 24 2017.  Must be a US resident over 18 years old to participate in this promotion.

Follow @Geekdad248 + Retweet before July 25, 2017 for chance to win a @WatchComet Alien Cosplay T-Shirt & Comic Convention Survival Pack #AD pic.twitter.com/teaapQgq57

— A Geek Daddy (@GeekDad248) July 18, 2017

COMET TV is an overair broadcast network that can be tuned in with a digital antenna that specializes in science fiction and horror programming.  You can watch COMET TV in the Metro Detroit area of Michigan via digital antenna on Channel 19-7.  CLICK HERE to see if COMET TV is broadcasting in your area.  If not, COMET TV can also be viewed for free by utilizing its app on Apple TV and Roku or watching its live website stream at CometTV.com.

Disclaimer & Rules:  A Geek Daddy has not been financially compensated for this endorsement or hosting the giveaway but was provided the same items being provided as a prize for personal use. The prize is provided by COMET TV and A Geek Daddy is hosting the promotion as a benefit to our readers. Must be a US resident over the age of 18 to participate.  One entry per mailing address and winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.  If you have already won this prize through another blog participating in this promotion, your entry will be disqualified.  By participating in this promotion you waive any liability of any kind against the publisher of this blog. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. No P.O. Boxes allowed for delivery of the prize. COMET TV will be responsible for shipping the prize to the selected winner.  A Geek Daddy is not responsible for delivery of the prize.

Watch the DOCTOR WHO: SEASON 10 premiere on a movie screen

Whovians won't want to miss out on this!  Enjoy the premiere episode of DOCTOR WHO: SEASON 10 on a movie theater screen along with other fans of the television series.  Fathom Events will show the episode, initially being broadcast by BBC AMERICA on Saturday, April 15 (9pm ET/PT), at movie theaters nationwide for two nights only along with bonus content on Monday, April 17 and Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 7:00pm local time both days.  The new season stars Peter Capaldi as The Doctor, who will be joined by new companion Bill (Pearl Mackie) and returning alien companion Nardole (Matt Lucas).

Tickets for the Doctor Who: Season 10 Premiere can be purchased online beginning Friday, March 10, 2017 by visiting FathomEvents.com or going to participating theater box offices.  A list of participating theater locations will be available on the Fathom Events website when tickets go on sale. 



DOCTOR WHO is a British sci-fi television franchise that originally aired from 1963 - 1989 and was relaunched in 2005 with the current incarnation which is debuting its 10th season of episodes on April 15th.  The show, which has developed a world-wide pop-culture fan base, follows the adventures of an extraterrestrial being called The Doctor who explores the universe in a time-traveling vessel called the TARDIS which has the exterior of a blue British police box which were ca common sight in Great Britain in 1963 when the series first aired.  The Doctor is often joined by a number of companions who assist him in preventing a variety of foes from harming people throughout time and space.  The series is seeing increased interest with American audiences with last year's viewership of its traditional Christmas Day special having a record viewership by U.S. and Canadian fans of the "Return of Doctor Mysterio" episode which featured a superhero themed adventure set in New York City.

For more information about the television series, visit bbcamerica.com/shows/doctor-who

April 6 - 13 is officially TV BINGE WATCHING WEEK thanks to Xfinity Watchathon

**Disclaimer**  I have been provided a complimentary subscription to the Xfinity TV Go app and access to the Comcast cable programming lineup as part of the Xfinity blogger reviewer program.   Opinions expressed are my own. #Xfinityreviewer

If you are a Comcast's Xfinity television customer you may want to get a doctor's note ready or reserve some vacation time so you can skip work the week of April 6th through the 13th for its 3rd annual Watchathon. During that week Xfinity TV customers will have an all-access pass to 215 of the hottest shows from premium, cable and broadcast networks for FREE on Xfinity On Demand.  Don't have HBO and missed Game of Thrones or STARZ and haven't seen Black Sails, which are two of my favorite shows,  now you can watch the entire recent season of shows you might have otherwise missed out on because you didn't include a premium channel in your cable television package.

"Watchathon Week continues to be one of the most anticipated events of the year as the number of really great, high-quality TV series has reached an all time high," notes Andy Hunter, Vice President of Programming for Comcast. Last year, Xfinity TV customers spent nearly 50 million hours catching up on or checking out new shows they had previously missed out during the recent television season.  "Watchathon enables us to unlock the biggest and best TV content of the year for the ultimate TV binge week," Hunter added.

So if there is a show that you've been wanting to watch that isn't included in your regular cable package of channels next week's Watchathon is your time to tune in on Xfinity On Demand.  Watchathon Week programming partners include premium networks: Cinemax, ENCORE, HBO, SHOWTIME, and STARZ; cable networks A&E, AMC, BBC America, Bravo, Comedy Central, Discovery, DIY Network, E!, Esquire Network, FX, FXX, HISTORY, Lifetime, MTV, National Geographic Channel, Spike, Syfy, TBS, TNT, VH1 and USA Network; and broadcast networks: ABC, CBS, The CW, FOX, NBC and PBS.

If you need a reason to stay home next week, Xfinity has you covered with a customized excuse generator to get out of school, work or to just check out for the week.  CLICK HERE to generate your excuse so you can focus on binge watching your favorite television shows during the Xfinity Watchathon.

I don't normally have access to BBC America so I foresee a DOCTOR WHO marathon next week.  Fortunately, I don't have to worry about an excuse myself to get out of work because I've blocked off that week already to watch my kids while they're off school for Spring Break.  So what shows would you binge on during the Xfinity Watchathon?

DISCLAIMER:  I have been provided a complimentary subscription to the Xfinity TV Go app and access to the Comcast cable programming lineup to allow this blog to review the service.  This blog post is associated with my participation as an Xfinity blogger reviewer.   Opinions expressed are my own #Xfinityreviewer

Happy Birthday to Rudolph - the Red Nosed Reindeer was Born 75 Years Ago

Most people young and old will be familiar with the story of a down on his luck outcast named Rudolph who wasn't allowed to play with the others in the North Pole's reindeer games or join the crew of Santa's sleigh until one foggy night where his shiny nose went from being considered a detriment to an asset that saved Christmas.  The story of this beloved reindeer is mostly associated with the hit song sung by Gene Autry in 1949 or the 1964 stop-motion animation TV special which have both become iconic pop culture staples associated with celebrating Christmas.  Rudolph though has more humble origins as he was born this Christmas season as a coloring book to promote holiday shopping at Montgomery Ward department stores 75 years ago.

For years Montgomery Ward had been giving out free coloring books to entice shoppers into their stores.  The department store decided to create its own coloring book hoping that would be a cheaper alternative to produce and distribute than buying the product from a vendor.  So in 1939, Montgomery Ward hired a copywriter named Robert May to create a Christmas themed coloring book for them.  Inspired by his own lonely awkward childhood, May created the story of Reginald the Reindeer who overcame prejudice and life obstacles to become a hero.  That cord struck with Depression Era audiences and his story was approved for use in Montgomery Ward's coloring book with one change, Reginald became Rudolph.  The department store distributed 2.5 million Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer coloring books and a cultural icon was born.  Today if you asked children what Montgomery Ward's is they probably couldn't tell you (the retailer which in the early to mid-20th Century was one of the most dominant department stores and mail order providers in the United States went out of business in 2001) but you know they will know who Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is.

CLICK HERE to read Robert May's original manuscript for Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

On a sad note, May's wife died while he was working on the coloring book project.  He became buried in debt from his wife's medical bills and struggled as a single father.  After World War II, Montgomery Ward's CEO as a charitable gesture provided Robert May with the rights to the Rudolph story.  In 1944, Rudolph also made his first on screen debut with a theatrical cartoon film produced by Max Fleischer that further increased Rudolph's popularity and opened up opportunities with book publishers for May. The Rudolph story was then published as a real book for the first time by Maxton Books and was followed up with a sequel in 1954 titled Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Shines Again. In 1958, Golden Books published an illustrated storybook written by Barbara Shook Hazen and illustrated by Richard Scarry that was an adaptation of Fleischer's cartoon short.

Rudolph really took off when May's brother-in-law Johnny Marks wrote the song Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer that was sung by Gene Autry and became a huge hit and sold 2 million records the year it was released!  It was the Gene Autry song actually was the inspiration for the 1964 television special that so many people love which takes some liberties with May's original story.  Reportedly the Marks and Mays families became estranged and fought over the rights to the Rudolph brand and its royalties.  After both  Johnny Marks and Robert Mays passed away the families agreed to come together and their heirs have agreed to share equally the ownership of anything related to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer between the families.

Here are a few other Rudolph tidbits that I found interesting:

• DC Comics published a series of annual comics titled Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer from 1950 to 1962.
• In 1998, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer: The Movie was released as an animated feature film in theaters and later made available for home video featuring the voices of John Goodman, Bob Newhart and Whoopi Goldberg.  A sequel was produced in 2001 titled Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys that includes characters licensed from the 1964 television special and the voices of Jamie Lee Curtis, Richard Dreyfus and Rick Moranis.
• Robert May wrote a sequel book titled Rudolph's Second Christmas in 1947 that wasn't published until 1991 by Applewood Books.
• The original Rudolph story was written as a poem in the meter of Twas the Night Before Christmas.
• A live action version of Rudolph (yes including a red nose) is reported to be appearing in this year's DR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL that BBC is airing on December 25, 2014.

Happy Birthday Rudolph! Wishing you many more!