07:30 The Name Of The Game
09:00 The Greatest American Hero
10:00 Riptide
The Name Of The Game. Season 1, Episode 6. "Incident In Berlin" Superb espionage drama finds Glenn Howard taking centre stage when one of his reporters is arrested behind the Iron Curtain, on suspicion of being a spy. The first half of the movie details Howard's attempts to get the US government to do something. This leads to the big twist at the mid-point, wherein Howard discovers why the Americans have been stone-walling him. After that, it's off to Berlin as the mullionaire publisher sets about getting his man back himself, by setting up an elaborate sting operation with the help of the man's mistress.
It might sound like many other similar tales, but this is better. Gene Barry in particular makes this work. His Glenn Howard is one of television's most debonair heroes, and this episode shows him at his stylish best: matching wits with intelligence agencys on both sides of the Iron Curtain and never stuck for a witty response. The fast pace of the plot is another plus. It moves rapidly and packs every scene with some new development. All of the characters are interesting and well crafted: the reporter/spy, his bitter wife, his mistress, the KGB agent holding him and the CIA agent trying to help/hinder Howard in his mission. The cast are, likewise, superb and the ending is very clever. Written by Richard Levinson and William Link this has all the hallmarks of a clever Columbo denoument. As the seconds count down, and with considerable panaché, Glenn Howard is able to outwit every other player in the game and it makes for great TV.
The Greatest American Hero. Episode 6. "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" This wonderful script brought tears to my eyes. Yup, I cried like a little girl watching this one. I'm not embarrassed, either. It's one of Stephen J. Cannell's best scripts. The story starts with a major upset for both Ralph and Bill. Ralph nearly kills a busload of people and starts to have serious doubts about continuing to use the suit. Next: one of Bill's best (only?) friends hints that he wants Bill to help him out with a heist.
Both lead characters have to deal with their hero issues: Bill's hero (the guy saved his life during the war) has gone dirty and Bill falls apart coming to terms with that revelation. Ralph, meanwhile, gets to meet his childhood hero: John Hart (playing himself). It is in these scenes that the episode really shines. Hart, known to millions as The Lone Ranger, gives a few short words of advice on what it means to be a hero. Hart's a great actor. So is William Katt. I think it's impossible not to have tears in your eyes as you watch him with The Lone Ranger.
Despite being such a Ralph-Bill driven episode, the show still manages to feature Pam in every scene and still give her lots to do. Her constant support of Ralph (while expressing her honest dislike for "the suit") makes Pam into a very special character, and a great member of the team. The character could have been frakked up in a major way. If Pam had been kept in the dark and used as a source of tension/comedy it would have been awful. Worse, she could have been in on the secret and acted like a total B the whole time. Instead, the writers found a way to make her hate the suit and still love Ralph and what he does. And, in doing so, created one of TV's best couples: communicative and loving. It's great.
There's also a classic scene late in the episode where she's alone with Bill and we get an insight into how fond of her he has become and how inept (and offensive) he is at expressing it. Connie Sellecca is wonderful in this scene, and in all the others, too. A real classy lady.
Riptide. Episode 5. "The Mean Green Love Machine" Despite starting off like an A-Team idea (which it might have been, seeing as it was written by Stephen J. Cannell, The A-Team creator) the episode really comes into it's own at the mid-way point. A pretty girl (of course!) hires the guys to find her dad, who has disappeared in Mexico with his much younger and very pretty (of course!) new wife. Turns out he's fallen victim to a big scam and it's up the the guys to save the day. As well as the usual helicopter-action and shoot-outs there's a long sequence where Murray is sent undercover as a 'mark' for the bad guys to target. Murray has Nick and Cody speaking instructions into his hidden earpiece as he deals with the advances of the very sexy seductress. The results are genuinely hilarious. It's one of my favourite scenes from the entire series of Riptide.
Highlight? The Name Of The Game
Fri, Jul 4, 08 - Name Of The Game, Greatest American Hero, Riptide
