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    The Final Episode

    Tears and cheers as Downton Abbey and Manor of Speaking go out in style

    Clifford Pugh
    Mar 4, 2016 | 12:32 pm

    Both Downton Abbey and Manor of Speaking, the Houston Public Media TV8 show that dissects every twist and turn of the hit PBS series, come to a close Sunday night, with a two-hour series finale at 8 pm, followed by the last episode of Manor at 10 pm. At a recent taping of Manor's final episode at the Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting on the University of Houston campus, there was laughter mixed with tears when the sign-off happened.

    "The final taping continued to be as much fun as the other episodes have been although it did have a bittersweet edge to it," Helen Mann, one of Manor's breakout stars recalled in an email. "I think we will all miss each others' company and the energy that we generate when we bounce off of each other."

    Four years ago, TV8 interviewer Ernie Manouse pitched the idea for an audience-driven talk show devoted to all things Downton Abbey. Manor debuted in January 2013, offering everything from recaps and history lessons to discussions of English etiquette, cuisine and fashion. Such fans as Lyle Lovett, Barbara Bush and Lady Fiona Carnarvon, current resident of Highclere Castle where the series was filmed, have appeared on the show, joining popular regulars Manouse, Mann, St.John Flynn and Mr. Rodgers, the butler.

    At the final taping, legendary Houston society figure Joanne Herring, who was a special guest, draped a lace veil over her head to mourn the series ending and fans in the audience dressed as their favorite Downton characters. After the taping ended, they joined the cast and crew to celebrate with a cake emblazoned with the words, "Going Out In Style."

    Mann credits Downton's success to the terrific storytelling abilities of creator Julian Fellowes. "How he continued to weave his Scheherezade web for as long as he did, and keep us all enthralled, is very impressive. I shall miss settling down on a Sunday evening with a glass of wine to spend a happy hour with engaging characters in whose lives I was caught up — thanks to his and the actors' skills," she said.

    Mann didn't reveal any plot points but says that Fellowes ties up most of the loose ends in the last episode. " I personally would have liked a little more ambiguity — not everything had to be quite so pat for my taste," she said.

    But with rumors of a Downton movie in the works, there's likely to be plenty more to reveal about the characters who inhabit a place in British history — and our lives.

    Randy Lake, Anne Hause, Mr. Rodgers, Karen George, Kathy Lake at the taping of the final episode of Manor of Speaking.

    Manor of Speaking Downton Abbey final episode Randy Lake, Anne Hause, Mr. Rodgers, Karen George, Kathy Lake
      
    Matt Prendergast/Houston Public Media
    Randy Lake, Anne Hause, Mr. Rodgers, Karen George, Kathy Lake at the taping of the final episode of Manor of Speaking.
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    The coolest of cats

    Friends share memories of Houston musician Scott Gertner, who died this week

    Craig D. Lindsey
    May 2, 2025 | 5:30 pm
    Scott Gertner
    Courtesy Cindy Gertner
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    Scott Gertner, one of the most prominent figures in Houston’s music and nightlife scenes, has unexpectedly passed away.

    A brief statement by the musician’s family did not share a cause of death. It thanked people for their condolences, asked for privacy, and stated that funeral details would be shared soon.

    Gertner was, without hyperbole, the coolest of cats. As a multi-talented, thrice-Grammy-nominated musician and singer, no one could resist his soulful stylings. As a nightclub owner, he knew how to open up the right spots at the right time. Before its closure in 2010, Scott Gertner’s Skybar was Montrose’s jazz temple in the sky, where people could check out live music while gazing at the stars. (Skybar also attracted celebs like Luther Vandross, Steve Harvey, and Shaquille O’Neal, so the stars weren’t just in the sky.) A decade later, he opened up Scott Gertner’s Rhythm Room on Memorial Dr., luring people in with live grooves and a mouth-watering menu.

    In my previous life as a nightlife reporter, Gertner was the person I usually contacted whenever I needed intel on jazz clubs in the city. (I also believe that, during one of these sitdowns, I surprised him one day with a 12-inch single he recorded in the late ‘80s for CBS Records, a lost item I picked up at a nearby record store.)

    But I know I’m not the only person who has sparkling memories featuring Gertner. I reached out to a few friends and asked them what they’ll remember the most about the late, great, swaggerific impresario:

    T.J. Callahan, film critic/radio personality: “We had many fantastic CBS Radio Houston Christmas parties at the Skybar. Scott was always the most gracious host and fun performer.

    “Also, two of my close friends went to high school at HSPVA with Scott. They are all musicians. During our college years, Scott was playing at the old Ruggles on lower Westheimer, back when everyone cruised that area on the weekends. Every time we passed by the restaurant, my friends and I would scream ‘Gertner’ out the car window, like he was going to hear us and come out and say hi. Hey, we were 18. The boys were so excited Scott had a real gig.”

    Russell V. Guess, music producer/former Skybar bartender: “When I tell you I wouldn’t know half the people I know — I wouldn’t have made a good deal of the money I’ve made in my life — and not have had many of the experiences (too many!) that made me who I am if not for this man, it isn’t an exaggeration at all.

    “But there’s so much more to remember about the guy. A true artist, bandleader, music lover, and businessman. I soaked up so much game about music and nightlife, a course more valuable than any class I could’ve taken. To know him personally was a privilege not to be taken lightly; he’d hit you with that smile that always said everything his words didn’t. Always the encourager, he supported me in and outside the nightlife. Even after I stopped working for him, we’d still text each other on our birthdays since they were 11 days apart. I was always welcome wherever his venue was located and, if he was there, that smile and a hug was soon to follow.”

    Mark Towns, jazz guitarist: “One of the first times I heard Scott play was back in the heyday of Cody’s, when he was on bass and vocals with Paul English’s incredible band. That group was something special — Paul on piano, Kirk Whalum and Johnny Torres on saxophones, and Scott bringing his unique energy and voice to the mix. The vibe was electric at those shows.

    “Later, Scott held down Wednesday nights at Cody’s in the Village, and those nights became legendary. It was the hottest night of the week, and, as the story goes, Scott was making more money that one night than the club owner was making all week. That’s the kind of draw and charisma he had.

    “From there, Scott opened the Skybar at the original Cody’s location on Montrose, and I was honored when he hired my Flamenco Jazz trio to play a Wednesday night series there, sponsored by The Wave radio station. We alternated Wednesdays with Joe Carmouche’s excellent trio — great times. He also was the gracious host for the CD release party for my first album, Flamenco Jazz Latino, at Skybar.

    “Back in the late 1980s, way before Skybar and those Village Cody’s Wednesdays, Scott and I played together at the legendary Blues Jam with Ardis Turner (RIP) at Live Bait on Greenbriar — me on guitar and Scott on bass. Too bad there are no recordings of that. We had some wild jams.

    “There was a weird kind of synchronicity with Scott — I’d run into him all over Houston, at all hours, in the most random places. It happened often. The last time I saw Scott was at the Rhythm Room last year. We ended up talking for a long while. He was extremely interested in hearing details about some health issues that I had firsthand knowledge about.

    “Scott was a great singer, a great guitarist, a great bassist, and a powerful presence on stage and off. As a performer, a businessman, a leader, and a cultural force, Scott Gertner enriched Houston’s music world. I’m grateful our paths crossed.”

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