08:00 Dexter
09:00 Burn Notice
11:00 The Mary Tyler Moore Show
11:30 Rising Damp
12:00 Night Court
12:30 Barney Miller
01:00 NewsRadio
01:30 Soap
Dexter. Season 2, Episode 3. "An Inconvenient Lie" Since my favourite thing about this show is it's insight into the male mind when part of a relationship, my favourite parts of this episode are the ones where we see Rita withdrawing from Dexter as a means to getting him to do something she wants. Ultimately it's a good thing for him, and it certainly sets him off down an interesting path, but it's very interesting to see her tactics. It comes back to bite her anyway because, in the end, she finds that Dexter has made a new friend: a hot new friend. Hilarious ending, yes, but fascinating to see the way the script 'punishes' Rita for her earlier behaviour.
Burn Notice. Season 2, Episode 1. "Breaking and Entering" It's been a long wait, but the wait has been worth it. This opening episode is a whole lot of fun. Yes, I feel cheated that Michael's "big exit" from last season amounts to nothing and he's back in town almost immediately. It has an air of "so what was all that about" after the big thrill of seeing him drive up into that truck last year.
Never mind. Michael is back in town, he has an interesting client and (most important) his team are by his side. Michael's cool, yes, but the show is the show it is because of the team he has beside him. I love Sam to bits (well, it's Bruce Campbell for frak sake!) and the relationship with Fiona is one of the very best romances on TV right now. How sad was that ending? She walks away and he admits (to us, if not to her) that he likes her...
The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Season 2, Episode 17. "Just a Lunch" My favourite parts of the show are when Mary and Lou are alone in his office. All those scenes are comedy gold. In general I love the realationship between Mary and her boss. He's so protective of her, and often refers to her as a daughter. This is one of those stories where Lou leaps to Mary's defence. She's been pursued by a jackass and is too nice to tell him where to go. Lou steps in. Literally, at one stage, when the whole gang are round at Murray's for a party. It's hilarious stuff. Firmly rooted in character.
It's also worth noting how fantastic Ted Knight is in his role. Ted raises several great laughs in this episode as he gets the tour of Murray's house and (later) tries to play some party games.
Rising Damp. Episode 6. "The Prowler" is a classic. One of the best and funniest episodes of Rising Damp. Miss Jones sees a prowler. While Rigsby checks the house, a policeman shows up and starts to question everyone. Is the 'prowler', in fact, someone inside the house? Great fun watching everyone get a grilling. It's a chance to see how innocent Alan really is, and a chance to see Rigsby rant and rave when he becomes the number one suspect. Frances de la Tour gets some of the biggest laughs in this one, as we can see that Miss Jones has some very mixed feelings about the 'unwanted' attentions of a strange man.
Night Court. Episode 1. "All You Need Is Love" might bear little resemblance to the show that Night Court ultimately became, but it's a cracker of a pilot. Judge Harry arrives for his first case and uses his unorthodox methods (a double-headed coin, for example) to put a couple back into their own marriage. Gail Strickland isn't funny and Karen Austin is over the top but the show as a whole really works. The story is serious and parts of it are like watching a stage play (I love stuff like that). Most important: you come away from this liking Harry and wanting to see what he does next.
Barney Miller. Episode 1. "Ramon" I grew up watching and loving Barney Miller, but I came late to the party therefore this (fairly awful pilot) is nothing like the show I remember so fondly. For a start, having only seen the show from season three on up it's very jarring to see so much of the screen time devoted to Barney's time at home with his wife and kids. Secondly, in common with many long-running shows, a lot of the best characters weren't there at the start. I watching this and kept missing Dietrich. Wojo and Harris were there, yes, but relegated to small roles. It was strange.
As for Barney's wife and kids. The kids were bland and forgettable and the wife was one of the most dislikable characters I've ever seen on TV. She was obsessed with gettting Barney to quit his job and kept harping on and on about the crime rate in the city. Why would Barney marry such an obnoxious woman? And why would the writers/producers think we would like to visit with her every week?
The show comes alive when Barney is at work. The hostage siege at the precinct house is as interesting as it is funny and (while far from being the best that the show would offer) it's an example of the fine drama that came from this highly-regarded sit-com.
NewsRadio. Season 2, Episode 13. "In Through The Out Door" When you watch NewsRadio you are watching skilled duellers at play. Every line is thrust into the mix with rapier skill and it's one of the most rewatchable shows in the history of TV.
Soap. "Episode 30" My favourite sit-coms are the ones with a lot of serious stuff going on. I like lots of drama with my comedy. And Soap offered up lots of it. Sure, the actual plots were fantasy, but the human emotion in the middle of it all was very real. Witness the scene in the middle of this episode where Eunice tells Jessica of her love for Dutch. Given the fact that he is a wanted fugitive it's a pretty hopeless love and Jessica's response is wonderfully heartfelt. Both Jennifer Salt and Katherine Helmond are wonderful in this scene. Helmond was especially wonderful in this series. She took her character to extremes of silliness and extremes of heartache. Often within the same scene. Now, that's skill!
Highlight? Rising Damp
Sat, Jul 12, 08 - Dexter Burn Notice MTM Rising Damp Night Court Barney Miller NewsRadio Soap
