Category — 1980s

I came across a random picture from “Beetlejuice“, the cartoon spun off from the amazing Tim Burton film, and realized I watched that show every Saturday morning. I don’t even think I liked it at first, but after awhile it was a staple of my television cartoon menu.

In the tv series, Lydia and Beetlejuice are besties who hang out all the time seeing how Lydia is anti-social. She would much rather hang out with the dead than living people. The gothic duo would travel to the “Neitherworld” whenever Lydia had the time. Lydia was such an awesome character in the movie, who wouldn’t want to watch what chick does in animated form? She’s like quintessential anti-social, kinda goth, really smart girl character before MTV gave us my favorite cartoon nihilist, Daria.

“Beetlejuice” ran for four seasons, starting out on ABC for three years and then finishing up on Fox for its last season. If you’re feeling nostalgic for late-eighties/early nineties animation, the Blu-Ray edition of the Beetlejuice dvd contains a few episodes of this series. And if my memory serves me correctly, I think The N airs episodes every blue moon or so. Beware, the cartoon was made for kids, so it’s somewhat lighthearted in comparison to the movie. No word when the actual tv series will be on dvd yet.

I’m a huge Jim Henson fan, especially his breakout television program “The Muppet Show”. The puppet variety show began in 1976 and ran for five years with a total of 120 episodes! My top 3 favorite muppet characters are Animal, Kermit the Frog, and the old man duo - Statler and Waldorf.

Can’t pick a favorite muppet? I know it’s hard. If you or someone you know (like me!!) is a huge fan of Jim Henson and/or “The Muppet Show”, you should give them their own personalized muppet for the holidays.

What? How can this be you ask? FAO Schwartz has opened up a Muppet Whatnot Workshop! For $90-130 bucks you can design your own muppet doll and have it delivered to you in just a few weeks! If you prefer dvds to dolls, the tv seasons are available on dvd today.

The Muppet Show - Season 1
The Muppet Show - Season 2
The Muppet Show - Season 3

Source: Gothamist

In an uncharacteristic bout of good judgement, I’ve decided to continue avoiding the wasteland of bad television this weekend, taking refuge in some old favorites from the “TV– No Wait, DVD” genre.  Last weekend, I got my cartoon fix with some “Clerks” The Animated Series,” but today is going to be all about “Freaks and Geeks.”

The most cursory internet search of “Freaks and Geeks” will undoubtedly provide a bounty of blogs praising this show– and likely some pornography too, so make sure you have “Safe Search” turned on, kiddies.

Where was I? Oh, yes. “Freaks and Geeks” is about high school kids in Michigan during the 80s, centering around a sister and brother who fall respectively into the social castes of– you guessed it– freaks and geeks. They laugh, they live, they love. This series was on NBC in 1999, and like so many other great shows, simply didn’t catch on quickly enough for the network suits. So, they yanked it. Good job, guys.

“F&G” was one of Judd Apatow’s greatest creations though, so it herewith gets the official Television Revival thumbs up. Plus, it’s got Seth Rogen, James Franco AND Jason Segel, so if you liked Pineapple Express and/or Forgetting Sarah Marshall, you’re going to lurve this. So rent it, or buy it, or do whatever it is you do to watch new stuff that is actually old stuff that is good. End of dispatch. I’m off to buy another box of wine.

[Picture source: NBC]

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.

“Home Movies” is a hilarious cartoon about three eight year old kids (Brendan, Melissa, and Jason) who love to remake popular movies with their home video camera. The low-fi spoofs, especially the ones that feature original music by Scab*, are beyond ridiculous with the homemade costumes and props. Brendan is always the director and takes harshly to criticism, despite his young years. Still, my favorite moments in the series are the scenes where I find myself cracking up at Coach McGuirk, the kids’ soccer coach who is one the most immature adults ever put to screen.

Coach McGuirk in his “element”:

Actually, most of the adults on the show are generally acting crazy. Brendan and his friends simply sit back in awe. Brendan’s mom, Paula, is always saying inappropriate things in front the kids about how she really needs to get laid or is fat. Brendan assumes the role of friend or parent and always consoles her. Same thing goes for Melissa’s Dad who is an eccentric single parent. As for Jason’s family, they’re so weird he’s ashamed of them and avoids them at all costs.

Watch random episodes of “Home Movies” on AdultSwim, which airs on Cartoon Network. Or own the gang’s cinematic masterpieces on dvd. Beware, sadly, only the first season was done in squigglevision.

*corrected

Home Movies - Season One

When Lindsay Wagner hit the (then) little screen back in the 1970s with “The Bionic Woman”, she gave a whole new meaning to the term “bi.” The series was an instant hit and its title became a brand name. So it was somewhat inevitable we would one day have a sequel. And like so many recycled TV series, this one is no big deal. But then I’d have to think a long and hard—or have a bionic brain–before I could come up with any re-make that is better or even as good as the original.

Michelle Ryan is okay as Jamie Sommers in the new version, but she plays a supporting role. The special effects take the lead. If you’re 16, you won’t be bored. Otherwise, the overdose of gratuitous action sequences may not be enough to keep you from dozing ff in your vintage Lazy Boy. You have to care about the characters to give a damn if they survive their near death experiences. Iron Man does a better job at characterization.

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What ever happened to Dennis Franz? His portrayal of Detective Norman Butz in “Hill Street Blues” is etched so deeply into my cerebral cortex that I was stunned to learn that his character appeared in only 16 episodes. (Earlier in the series, he played dirty cop Sal Bendetto in a few episodes but I barely recall Frantz in that role.)

Veronica Hamel as Joyce Davenport and Daniel Travanti as Capt. Frank Furillo were certainly memorable, but they starred in 98 and 99 of the 146 episodes to lodge themselves into my memory. Franz takes up more space in my brain, and he did it with many fewer minutes onscreen.

In a largely unanticipated move for television,  Steve Bochco was given creative freedom that allowed him to push the envelope. With the series’ debut in 1981 (it ran through 1987) they let him experiment with each episode, the series almost resembled a portfolio:

• A story arc that covered anything from several episodes to several seasons
• A grittier more realistic feel than previous cop dramas
• The use of hand-held cameras that gave the show a documentary feel
• The language used was more “real” and seemed less “scripted” than what he had been used to before
• Episode takes place over a single day, anticipating “24” and other later shows

The dialogue was so crisp, I wasn’t surprised to learn that one of America’s premier playwrights, David Mamet, wrote some episodes. I want to go back and watch the show again after writing this. It was a true “disruptive” bit of programming. There would have been no “NYPD Blue” (also a Bochco project), “Homicide,” or even “ER” without the earlier popularity of HSB. I t may be just about the right time to get to where it all began.

“Empty Nest” was one of my favorite sitcoms from the early nineties. It was a “Golden Girls” spin-off, but when the show aired, I’m not sure I was even aware of that fact.

The seven seasons of this Emmy winning show followed the misadventures of Dr. Harry Weston (Richard Mulligan) and his two adult daughters, Barbara (Kristy McNichol) and Carol (Dinah Manoff). And let’s not forgot about their loveable dog, Dreyfuss and the scheming neighbor Charley (David Leisure)!

I don’t remember any specific episodes, but I do remember that Richard Mulligan kept me coming back for more. At least, I’m not the only one who has a soft spot for “Empty Nest”. Televised Revolution has a humorous breakdown of the series. And see, even he says the plot points weren’t that memorable.

Hasbro Toys is coming out with a new line of My Little Ponies to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Some of the ponies will be designed by celebrities (like James Spader?). Who knew so many people loved plastic pony dolls?

I can’t remember whether I loved the dolls or the “My Little Pony” television show first, so I guess the cartoon worked its magic on me.

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The cast of the “Golden Girls” were honored at the TVLand Awards. Presenter Steve Carell introduced a touching montage of celebrities praising the show as a pop culture icon.

I never thought of it as a ground breaking show, but I suppose it did paint elderly people as fun and interesting subjects. Over the years, I became quite familiar with the adventures of Blanche, Sophia, Rose, and Dorothy. My favorite character is Blanche. She’ll do and has done just about anything. However when I think back, all the characters had their fair share of outrageous moments.

All seven hilarious seasons are available on dvd today.