07:30 NewsRadio
08:00 Flying Blind
09:00 Wings
11:00 Perfect Strangers
01:00 Night Court
01:30 Barney Miller
NewsRadio. Season 2, Episode 15. "Zoso" Mr. James (Stephen Root, my favourite member of the cast) takes Lisa and Beth under his wing to teach them negotiating tips. The Beth storyline falls flat at the end, with a strange unfunny meeting with her business partner, but it's great fun to watch Lisa trying Mr. James' tactics out on Dave. I love the playfulness in their relationship.
Flying Blind. Episode 1. "Flying Blind" There are three great short-lived romantic-sitcoms and Flying Blind is the best (Almost Perfect and Good Morning Miami are the other two). Flying Blind is superior because is the most profound. On one level it is a male fantasy, and on another level it is a metaphor for living your life to it's full potential.
Flying Blind is the story of a very ordinary guy in a dead-end job who is swept off his feet by an amazing woman and introduced to a world of over-the-top individuals and constant chaos.
It's great fun. I think every man watching would want to date Alicia, played by Téa Leoni, and share adventures with her. Leoni is sexy and funny and simply amazing in the part. With Alicia she creates a truly unique and remarkable character. Distinct. Unlike anything else she has ever done.
But there is more to the show, I feel, than the fun element. While every man watching might want to date Alicia, few - I feel - actually fantasise about being "saved" by an exciting woman and led into a new life. Flying Blind is - I think - more about attitude to life in general. Alicia represents life and all that it has to offer. And Neil's acceptance of her is symbolic of his willingness to grab onto life and hold on tight.
The theme song chosen, by David Byrne, certainly helps in this reading of the series. The lyrics tell us that "I ain't gonna work here no more. Honey, come and dance with me 'cause I ain't gonna work here no more". This conflict between Neil's job and his chosen lifestyle is a recurring theme of the first 13 episodes and goes - I imagine - to the heart of the series' appeal.
When this show first aired in my part of the world - early 1994 - it used to air late on a Wednesday night. Back then I worked long, crazy hours in a job that I loved. But, still, it was long crazy hours. Wednesday night was always the toughest, and it wasn't unusual to find me returning from work at 2am or 3am. Or later. Much as I loved my job, I was very aware that it was draining me and I shouldn't really be doing it. I felt like I was giving 100% to the wrong job. And I had nobody to blame but myself.
I related to Neil on those Wednesday nights long ago. Related not so much to the idea of Téa Leoni appearing to drag me off to a new life (although, of course, I would love if Téa Leoni appeared to do something like that!) but more to the idea of embracing life the way Neil did, and getting away from my job and seeing what else was out there.
Mid-way through the run of Flying Blind I got the opportunity to work in another country and I grabbed onto it the way Neil grabs onto Alicia. It was a great time for me. Years later, I even found myself someone just like Alicia. A window into a crazy new world (for me). It didn't last very long, but it sure was fun while it did.
A bit like the "Flying Blind" TV series, really.
Wings. Episode 2. "Around The World In Eighty Years" Everything I remember about Wings is in place by Episode 2. The contrast between the brothers, Helen being totally gorgeous, Lowell getting all the best laughs, etc. etc. There's a sweet story in this one where Fay meets a man who is back from travelling around the world and is afraid to finish the journey in case he dies.
Perfect Strangers. Season 2, Episode 1. "Hello Baby" Echoes of Laurel & Hardy when Larry and Balki must share a bed (because Balki's pregnany lady-friend is staying over). That scenario - combined with Larry's obsessive rehearsing of plans to get them to the hospital as fast as possible - gives plenty of opportunity for good physical comedy. Perhaps more comfortable now, it's notacable that some of the comedy comes from one of the guys simply reacting to the actions of the other. Or Larry doing a long slow burn to the presence of Balki's stuffed sheep in their bed.
Night Court. Episode 2. "Santa Goes Downtown" Night Court wears it's connection to Barney Miller very much on it's sleeve in this great episode. The whole episode is devoted to the story of a man who thinks he is Santa Claus and his impact on two young runaways. Jeff Corey is superb as the Santa and Michael J. Fox is just as superb as one of the angry, lonely teenagers. With the regulars taking a back seat to the (strong) story it is very reminiscent of the best of Barney Miller. Being a Christmas-themed episode, the twist at the end is very easy to predict but no less wonderful.
Barney Miller. Episode 2. "Experience" After watching (and hating) the first episode, I assumed that it would take a while for the show to morph into the "Barney Miller" that I knew and loved. Wrong! They nailed it from Episode 2 onwards. First off, this episode has no scenes of Barney's home life. Second, the story is as much dramatic as it is funny. Two serious elements dominate the episode: a bomb has been planted in the squad room, and Fish is thinking of retiring. It's predictable how the two plots will intersect but that doesn't matter. Both stories are good, and there are lots of laughs as well.
Highlight? Night Court
Wed, Jul 16, 08 - NewsRadio, Flying Blind, Wings, Perfect Strangers, Night Court, Barney Miller
