Father Mitch Pacwa Interviews Dale Ahlquist

Apostle of Common Sense on DVD (Season 2)

E-bay offer, good price, check it out here.

Conversion of an Anarchist

Israel Gow: The Movie

Have you seen it on EWTN? Need to see it again? Order it here.

Whilst in St. Louis for other purposes...

Here I am in St. Louis for reasons other than Chesterton, related to our business, but planning to have dinner tonight with the multi-voiced Kevin O'Brien and his lovely bride at none other than an Irish Pub, all of which sounds quite Chestertonian to me.

New EWTN Shows featuring Chestertonians

Here are the press photos for the new EWTN series, Theater of the Word, featuring stars of stage and screen, Chestertonians (L to R) Eric Kaiser Johnson (as Porter) and Kevin O'Brien (as Father Brown), I'm sorry to say I don't know the name of the actor playing Israel Gow, standing with the deseased Lord Glengoyle (played by the alive Dale Ahlquist), and Dale's promo shot for the 5th season of The Apostle of Common Sense.

This news makes me want EWTN

From Dale:

The 5th Season of the Apostle of Common Sense premieres on Sunday, September 6, 8 pm CDT. (9 Eastern)

This season features episodes on Language, the Problem of Evil, America, Islam, War, Parenthood, Priesthood, Modernism, and more. There will be a special episode on the Toy Theatre that you will NOT want to miss, there will be a whole new batch of “Ask Mr. Chesterton” and look for multiple appearances by that ex-seminarian Stanford Nutting. The kickoff episode will be about something called Truth. And, as always, we’ll be pre-empted by the Pope on a regular basis.

I hope *you* have EWTN so you can catch these episodes. Have you noticed how these just keep getting better and better?

Last season's "Ask Mr. Chesterton" was the best episode ever. But I suspect this new season's will be even better. And Standford is not to be missed.

True Confessions of a EWTN Show Host

Well, I've been told by someone who knows that Dale does NOT wear lipstick. Of course when Dale told me that, I didn't believe him. But he's always joking around so why should I? Naturally, he wouldn't want anyone to *know* if he did wear lipstick, so it would be natural to deny wearing any, even if he really did. Or he could use psychology and think he was wearing "lip color" or "TV lip enhancing solution" or even "professional lip balm" or some other such thing.

However, it is confirmed by Kevin O'Brien, Professional Actor and person who is on the set with Dale, that Dale does not, not now, not ever, wear lip makeup. Thank you for the clarification, Kevin.

Audio Archive of Chesterton Materials

Check out some Apostle of Common Sense episodes for MP3.

Dale Denies Wearing Lipstick

Yes, Dale answered the questions (badly) and denies wearing lipstick, but I think we all *wink* know better.

Saying, for example, that there were no bloopers. Ridiculous. There are no stars. Uh-huh. Yeah, I didn't mean Dale there, I meant Kevin and Chuck. That the DVD extras will come out in season 25. Dream on.

I'm thinking season five better have some extras, or there will be riots.

Apostle of Common Sense Season Four

Things I wanna know:

1. Where are the DVD extras?
2. Is Dale wearing lipstick?
3. Where are the bloopers, outtakes and deleted scenes?
4. Where are the interviews with the stars?
5. Where is the behind the scenes "How We Made the ACS" stuff?
6. Does Dale use a teleprompter?
7. Why the risque bedroom scene with Chuck?

Yeah, yeah, the Chesterton is worth the price, and yes, Dale does a great job--but only because he has a cast of helpers like Chuck Chalberg, Kevin O'Brien, and Julian, Ashley, Catherine (LOVE those dimples!) and etc.

But I want more. When I'm done with an episode, I just sit there, wanting more. I hear season Five is even better than Four....

St. Valentine's Day: Chesterton on Love

“The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.”

“To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.”

“Life exists for the love of music or beautiful things.”

"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."

"A man imagines a happy marriage as a marriage of love; even if he makes fun of marriages that are without love, or feels sorry for lovers who are without marriage."

"The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people."

"There are those who hate Christianity and call their hatred an all-embracing love for all religions."

Ahlquist and GKC go to IHOP

From Dale:

I just returned from EWTN where Chuck Chalberg taped his segments as G.K. Chesterton for the 5th season of “The Apostle of Common Sense”, which will be aired next fall. I was down there in August, taping my segments along with the dramatic vignettes (featuring, among others, the infamous Stanford Nutting, played by Kevin O’Brien). We also taped an entire Fr. Brown story, “The Honour of Israel Gow” which will be included in Kevin’s upcoming “Theatre of the Word” series for EWTN. “Israel Gow” will have its premiere at the Chesterton conference in Seattle in August. It’s going to be really good! I saw a first edit while I was at EWTN this week, and I was very impressed with the high quality of the production.

Chuck and I arrived late in the day and started taping right away in the evening. At the end of the shoot, we needed to be fed, and the only place open was the local International House of Pancakes. There was no time for Chuck to change out of costume, so GK Chesterton went with me to the IHOP. The amazing thing is, no one noticed. In fact, he wasn’t even the most interesting looking person there!

Thanks for the update, Dale, sounds like a fun time.

Now we all have an extra reason to get ourselves to Seattle in August: to see the debut of The Honour of Israel Gow.

What have you done lately to promote Chesterton?

The ACS exists to promote Chesterton. YOU are the ACS. Together, we try to figure out ways to promote the work of one of our favorite journalists.

Ways to help: Become a member of the ACS. Give gift subscriptions to Gilbert for Christmas. Read Chesterton. Quote Chesterton. Try to obtain a Chestertonian way of thinking and responding to the arguments of the day. Use logic and reason and a heavy dose of humor. Start a Chesterton Society in your local area. (Anyone want to form one half way between Milwaukee and Chicago?) Join a local Chesterton Society in your area. Attend the annual Chesterton meeting this coming August in Seattle. Watch the EWTN shows of The Apostle of Common Sense. Order the DVDs for your family and friends. Invite people to your house and have discussions and debates along with the steak and potatoes, cigars and wine.

If you are a student, ask your teachers to teach Chesterton. When you write a paper, quote Chesterton. When pondering a moral or ethical situation, read Chesterton.

What am I doing? I'm currently working on my second childrens adaptation of Father Brown mysteries. After that...oh ho! A writing project for homeschoolers and high schoolers using the work of Chesterton to help students learn to write. After that...another adaptation, but not Father Brown...

What are you doing? Any interesting ways of promoting Chesterton? I'd love to hear about it.

The Internationality of Chesterton

I'm sure a lot of you know that Chesterton is popular the world over, not just here in North American.

There's even another "ACS"--not American, but the Australian Chesterton Society. There are societies in South America, Mexico, Canada, and all over Europe. I don't know about Asia, but I suspect not. However, there should be, and maybe that's coming.

I just had a funny thought. Maybe not so funny. But imagine in China, there being a Chinese Chesterton Society. The government gets wind of it, and they have to go underground, and the approved face of the group is now the Chinese Official Government Sponsored Chesterton Society. Well, it is that subversive, I can see it, can't you? And down in the catacombs of China, they have a secret handshake, password, and symbol (a cigar, don't you think?) to show they are members. Below ground, they risk arrest for smoking, beer-drinking, cheese-eating, and, worst of all, free conversation.

Anyway, it's one of the things I really like about Chesterton: his universality.

Fans of ACS on EWTN Unite!

From reader Carol:

I tuned in to EWTN, only to see a commercial first for a special presentation of "Into Great Silence" which will air on SUNDAY NIGHT AT NINE!

I think that just S-T-I-N-K-S. Don't misunderstand; I am actually very interested in seeing "Into Great Silence"... but not at the expense of Chesterton! It will be the second Sunday evening in a row that "Apostle of Common Sense" has been pre-empted for something else, and the third Sunday night in two months.

I have complained via e-mail to EWTN twice in recent months about it and asked Dale if he felt the third time would be overkill. He said to encourage others to complain.

So, if you are so inclined, would you email EWTN, too?

Apostle of Common Sense Season 4 Now on DVD!

Buy an early Christmas gift for yourself or someone who needs Chesterton today.

I. Can't. Wait!

You have GOT to go see this, wow, I am so excited! The fifth season of Apostle of Common Sense, and plus all this other news of exciting programs being filmed right now at EWTN, cool! Using the modern means of tv, we evangelize the world!

Dale the Dignitary

This article refers to Mr. Ahlquist as a "dignitary". And also mentions something I wanted to let you all know: that the American Chesterton Society is currently recording its fifth season of the Apostle of Common Sense at EWTN studios.

Dignitaries attending the banquet included...Dale Ahlquist, president of the American Chesterton Society and star of EWTN's television show on G. K. Chesterton, now filming its fifth season.

Jason Finds Us

Who is this guy on T.V. with the bad wig and moustache, sitting alone on a bench, on a set of what looks to be London in the background, and talking to himself in a bad accent? There seems to be a fog machine involved, as well...I’ve channel surfed into the religious frequencies. But this one is a good kind of corny, and oddly, I’m not feeling the wave of revulsion and disgust I usually get when I’m in this neck of the woods. It’s called the “Apostle of Common Sense” with host Dale Ahlquist.

So, I guess there’s an American G.K. Chesterton Society and this is their show and it’s pretty good...