Posts from — August 2008

Warner Bros is reviving The WB on the internet. You can now stream classic shows like “Felicity”, “Buffy”, “Roswell”, “Angel”, “Smallville”, and many other tv shows that the network aired before it morphed into the The CW with UPN.

The WB network existed from 1995-2006 and was host to a multitude of television shows. They excelled with their children’s cartoon programming and guilty pleasure teen dramas like “Dawson’s Creek” and “One Tree Hill”. Nevertheless, my favorite shows were the sci-fi/horror tinged shows like “Angel” and “Roswell”. Still, The WB really did have something for everybody whether it be sitcoms, dramas, reality shows or even the local LA news.

It’s inevitable that the revival of The WB will only drudge up one the biggest mysteries in life that J.J. Abrams purported on “Felicity”. Who is the better guy: Ben or Noel!

My heart says Noel because he was so nice and followed her around like a puppy. On the otherhand, though Ben started off as a jerk, he did eventually man up and show her how much he loved her. After this much time, it’s still so hard to choose…

Source: Pop Candy

Felicity DVDs
Angel DVDs
Smallville DVDs
Roswell DVDs
Dawson’s Creek DVDs

The last act of “The Shield” premieres next month and I’m still two seasons behind!

I know this may be sorta sacrilegious for a supposed television revivalist, but my favorite television anti-hero is Vic Mackey on “The Shield” . Most people say Tony Soprano (HBO’s “The Sopranos”), but Tony S. just doesn’t do it for me. Obviously I recognize that “The Sopranos” is an excellent drama that I love to watch, but if we’re talking comparisons here, I’m simply more entertained and impressed with FX network’s cop drama.

I love “The Shield’s” gritty realism, with its handheld camcorder style and episode writing that repeatedly pushes the envelope. To me, “The Sopranos” focuses more on its own microcosm of mob and familial issues. “The Shield” does all of that AND raises issues of society. It jumps into that dark realm of ambiguity and examines the effectiveness of politicians and the entire criminal system.

Plus, Vic Mackey is such an amazing character to watch evolve over these last 6 seasons. At times, he scares the crap out me when he so willfully crosses the line. While other times, I end up rooting for him to do just that in the name of justice. I seriously need to finish those last few season 5 dvds and buy “The Shield” season 6, since it came out today! There’s no way I can jump into the final act without being prepared.

Do you remember “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” on Nickelodeon? I remember watching that show when it premiered in 1991.

“The Tale of the Thirteenth Floor” episode clip:

It was like a wonderful jumble of tv serial theatrics reminiscent of “The Twilight Zone” and themes from the Goosebumps book series. Didn’t you just get chills when they threw that dust onto the fire?! Granted, as an adult re-watching these episodes, some of the thrills have gone. Still, I think “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” was a pretty decent original kids series.

Each week they had new characters and stories to tell, sometimes with a twist of horror, other times more science fiction based. This serial format helped keep this tv show on air for 5 seasons! That’s a pretty big feat for a darkly themed kids show. Definitely longer than what most primetime sci-fi shows get these days! Look at “Moonlight” for example. Mick St. John’s dashing looks and vampire charisma couldn’t keep it on air past one season.

Sure, they’re only characters from TV shows, but you do come to feel you know them if you watch them long enough. It’s hard to limit the list to five, but here are top picks—at least for today. It’s subjective, of course, and I may change my mind tomorrow, but at least two of these—Pembleton and Columbo–would make any list I compile.

Today’s Top Five:

1. Detective Frank Pembleton

Deftly played by Andre Braugher, the brooding Frank Pembleton was a departure from the less philosophical lawmen we usually saw on the telly. He and Richard Belzer brought something to “Homicide: A Life on the Streets” that was gritty and compelling. Pembleton captured the essence of being a cop when he said that he speaks for the dead because there is no one else to speak for them.

2. Lieutenant Columbo

Peter Falk was actually the third actor to play Columbo, but he was easily the most captivating. By the time the Falk “Columbo” series started though, those earlier incarnations of the character would be long forgotten. The series itself was often filled with clichés of the genre, but Falk’s shuffling Columbo brought such an originality to the series that it didn’t matter. Much of it was in the incredible timing he used when delivering his lines. BTW, the wardrobe (those trench coats and cigars) were Falk’s own.

3. Detective Lennie Briscoe

Jerry Orbach’s arch comments (Van Buren: “What about Dr. Hampton? Any man in her life?” Briscoe: “Yes, but his name is Fluffy and he’s been neutered. Other than that, her social calendar is pretty light.”) made me never want to miss an episode of “Law and Order,” the longest running cop show in television history. He was the anchor of the show while he was on it—until his untimely death. I miss him.

4. Dana Scully

Gillian Anderson’s tough, loner FBI agent lent a gravitas to “The X-Files” it wouldn’t otherwise have had. The cynical counter to her male partner, Fox Mulder, who is less skeptical. In one episode, she contracts cancer and she begins contemplating her own mortality and makes it less maudlin than the same subject usually seems on hospital shows. The show may have been far out, but Scully brought it down to earth—in a good way.

5. Detective John Munch

Back to “Homicide: A life on the Streets” for my fifth pick. Richard Belzer, previously known as a somewhat successful stand-up comic, proves he’s got some acting chops. He has also shown up in the “Law and Order” and “The Wire.” Actually, some of the lines he delivers as munch wouldn’t be entirely out of place in a comedy routine. But they work a lot better in context. Check out this line: “If a murder is committed in Baltimore and no homicide detective takes the call, did that homicide actually occur?”

If I missed your favorite gumshoe in my top 5, let me know in the comments.

M.A.S.H. is one of the most celebrated television shows in the history of the planet. In my mind, its fans are dead-on right to give it rave reviews.

Years after its final telecast, I still remember how impressed I was with the acting and the writing, principally by Larry Gelbart. From Alan Alda as Hawkeye to Harry Morgan as Col. Sherman T. Potter, the cast was a marvel of ensemble acting in a comedy.

The funny thing is I hated the movie (directed by Robert Almtan and starring Elliot Gould). I found the writing predictable, not funny, and overdone by half. Even though Gould and Donald Sutherland are among my favorite actors, I didn’t think either were able to overcome the bad lines they were given to recite.

But go figure. The movie was released in the fall of 1970 when anti-Vietnam sentiment was high, and was an instant hit. Ring Lardner Jr. won the Oscar for Best Screenplay and the film was nominated for Best Movie. Sally Kellerman also received a Best Actress nomination for her role as Hotlips.

Judge for yourself. Rent or buy the DVDs—both of the film and the TV series. I will. I want to see if my memories stand up to the real thing.

Buy the “M*A*S*H” - Season 1 dvd today.

Vince & Co are back for season five of “Entourage”. I wasn’t a big fan of this HBO comedy at first, but once the Medellin subplot arose, I was hooked!

Season five is supposed to focus on Drama coming to terms with his budding tv career, the failure of Medellin and lack of funds, and how Ari Gold is supposed to sorta all this crap out for Vince.

Catch the season premiere on HBO on September 7th, 10pm ET/PT.

ABC’s “Private Practice” will finally emerge from its post-strike hiatus on October 1st (9/8c). I actually found myself liking this show as a guilty pleasure. I’m wasn’t the biggest Addison fan when she was “Grey’s Anatomy”, but I warmed to her on the spin-off.

And who can resist Taye Diggs’ charm? Seriously, it’s quite difficult. Even Tim Daly (”Wings”) sorta wore me down with his silly homeopathic medicine and skirt-chasing ways. I connect most though to Amy Brenneman’s character. She is the resident therapist who can counsel everyone else, but hasn’t got a clue when it comes to her own lovelife.

Another reason I liked this show was for its lighter tone. They really tried to play up the sunny california, everything’s groovy stereotype in this show. If you’re looking for “ER” style gore and melodrama, this might not be the show for you. Granted, there were a few tense moments, but this cast of characters are simply more engaging than the current batch on Grey’s (prolly due to the lack of Mere whining). “Private Practice” is a welcomed alternative for the tv fan who wants a dash of hospital melodrama mixed with romance and comedy.

It may be hard to believe, but “I Love Lucy” is still funny—as millions who have seen it on TVLand (I still call it Nick at Nite) can tell you. Back in the 50s, it was the first television show to feature a woman it its main role. (Hey, it was even eponymous.) My folks never missed an episode of “Lucy”–or the Ed Sullivan show. In the days before cable, almost everybody watched these shows. They used more slapstick than most contemporary shows, but it was good slapstick.

I didn’t know that producer Desi Arnaz (Lucy’s husband at the time the show first aired and who played her Cuban bandleader hubby, Ricky Ricardo) invented the re-run. He did it during Lucy’s (Lucille Ball) pregnancy. In those days, you couldn’t say “pregnant,” you had to say “expecting.”

Watch the old episodes closely and you’ll catch references to Phillip Morris cigarettes, the show’s sponsor. In one of the funniest episodes from this memorable early TV comedy, “Lucy Does a TV Commercial,” Ms. Ball dresses up as Johnny the Bellhop, the Phillip Morris icon.

At least on the Internet and TV re-runs. Before there were movie marathons, there were Saturday mornings at local movie house that kicked off with ten free cartoons, an episode from a movie serial like “Superman,” followed by a double feature. Among the cartoons thee were sure to be several “Loony Tunes and Merry Melodies.” What a shelf life these classic animated shorts have had.

Good old Bugs Bunny was the best of all the Loonies. He was one of the first anti-heroes (later we had “Bugsy,” whose name must have somehow derived from “Bugs”), a walking contradiction, half con man, half lovable innocent. The same crazy rabbit who kept asking, “What’s up, doc?” also said: “Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out alive.”

And what cartoon character ever had a funnier nemesis than the stuttering, clueless Elmer Fudd. I laughed at Looney Tunes all through childhood. So did my kids. Their kids will too.

Here’s a taste of the great Bugs in action on YouTube:

Pop Candy reports that Seth Green (Oz in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) will have a guest stint on the third season of “Heroes”!

I actually love Seth Green* (even tho “Robot Chicken” is very hit or miss!), especially his guest appearances on television shows. He was hilarious on “Entourage” as the wannabe it guy who tries to out-cool Vince. He even was a breath of fresh air on “Grey’s Anatomy” this past season, even tho they totally killed his character off! Guess that’s the chance you take when you take a guest role on a hospital drama. Hopefully, Seth Green’s addition will be lengthy, which can only help liven things up on the newly subtitled season, “Heroes: Villains”.

Not caught up? Check out G4 TV for re-runs or buy the extras filled “Heroes” season two dvd on August 26th.

*Airborne and Can’t Hardly Wait gave him a pass from me for life!