# Once Upon A Classic: A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-classic-a-connecticut-yankee-in-king-arthurs-court/844279>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 2, 2019, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-classic-a-connecticut-yankee-in-king-arthurs-court/844279 "2019-12-02T18:22:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-classic-a-connecticut-yankee-in-king-arthurs-court/844279/1 "2019-12-02T18:22:33Z")

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I liked to watch PBS as a teen. One of the shows I watched was [_Once Upon A Classic_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_Upon_a_Classic), hosted by Bill Bixby. The one episode I remember is _A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court_. This has stuck with me for decades, and I’ve always thought it was a great adaptation. I particularly liked Roscoe Lee Brown as ‘Merlin’. I’d always wished I could see it again. Recently, on a whim, I looked for it and found the episode on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7Ldb1WHQIA).

It… doesn’t really hold up. I still like Roscoe Lee Browne as Merlin, and Richard Basehart as King Arthur; and the scene where a pair of knights are advertising Sir Pelinore Swords. The production itself just seemed ‘a little young’ for me now that I’m older. It was shot on videotape, of course, which especially made it look dated.

I learned one surprising thing after finding this again. The pretty actress who played [Sandy](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9i3GCWMdMQk/hqdefault.jpg) was Tovah Feldshuh – who played Mayor of Alexandria [Deanna Monroe](https://images.amcnetworks.com/amc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/the-walking-dead-episode-608-deanna-feldshuh-interview-1200x707.jpg) on _The Walking Dead_.

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**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-classic-a-connecticut-yankee-in-king-arthurs-court/844279/2 "2019-12-02T18:45:38Z")

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I always think of the one with Bing, and William Bendix, and Cedric Hardwicke.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-classic-a-connecticut-yankee-in-king-arthurs-court/844279/3 "2019-12-02T18:50:47Z")

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> [@Mk\_VII](#):
>
> I always think of the one with Bing, and William Bendix, and Cedric Hardwicke.

That was the 1949 movie, not _Once Upon A Classic_. 😉

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**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2019, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-classic-a-connecticut-yankee-in-king-arthurs-court/844279/4 "2019-12-02T19:01:11Z")

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> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> I learned one surprising thing after finding this again. The pretty actress who played [Sandy](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9i3GCWMdMQk/hqdefault.jpg) was Tovah Feldshuh – who played Mayor of Alexandria [Deanna Monroe](https://images.amcnetworks.com/amc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/the-walking-dead-episode-608-deanna-feldshuh-interview-1200x707.jpg) on _The Walking Dead_.

Danielle Melnick!

I’d never seen that version of ACYiKAC. I was waiting for the end, when I expected Sir Boss to look in history books and see King Arthur’s knights on bicycles. That’s the version I remember (except it was chopper motorcycles). Alas, that one seems to have vanished.
