A Briefing With Michael

The Good Wife 2.7

2012-01-21T15:51:00.003Z

(Laila Robins) Lackluster case-of-the-week. Good b-plots, however: Peter's election campaign and law office politics. 7/10

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret 1.1

2012-01-21T15:51:00.001Z

Hilarious script. Plus David Cross and Will Arnett . Can't go wrong. 9/10

Sgt. Bilko: The Phil Silvers Show 1.12

2012-01-21T15:50:00.003Z

(Glee) Slow start. Breaks formula (Bilko works against his men). Some good gags, just not many. 5/10

Alias Smith and Jones 2.14

2012-01-21T15:50:00.001Z

(Craig Stevens) Puzzling murder mystery (Kid Curry is prime suspect) with elaborate, satisfying conclusion. 9/10

House 7.6

2012-01-21T15:49:00.003Z

(Jack Coleman) Watching the regulars react to new regular Amber Tamblyn makes them interesting for first time this season. 7/10

The Closer 6.6

2012-01-21T15:49:00.001Z

(Jon Seda) Superb case-of-the-week. Terrific use of the regular characters (eg. Pope). A+ Intelligent detective show. 10/10

Moonlighting 2.17

2012-01-21T15:48:00.003Z

(Granville Van Dusen) Great story. Amazing how they can tell such dark, sad stories with slapstick and broad comedy. 9/10

The Listener 2.5

2012-01-21T15:48:00.001Z

(cops)Love the way this show tells it's stories, and the use of his powers, and the conversations with Oz. Feels real. 9/10

Game of Thrones 1.9

2012-01-21T15:47:00.001Z

(eve of battle) Some backstory on one favourite character, and the demise of another. Plus magic enters the story. 9/10

The Big Bang Theory 5.11

2012-01-10T11:59:00.000Z

(bully) Fine. Two plots. Though not together any/all laughs came from Sheldon and Amy. 6/10

Boss 1.1

2012-01-08T11:34:00.003Z

(ears)Great performance from Kelsey Grammer. Window into a world that is fascinating, if a little OTT. Nothing wrong with that. 8/10

Breaking Bad 3.5

2012-01-08T11:34:00.001Z

(new lab) Hank-centric episode (on trail of the RV). The Skyler storyline finally looks like ending/turning. Good. 8/10

Entourage 3.18

2012-01-08T11:33:00.003Z

(Five Towns tv show debuts) All storylines are great, but the Johnny Drama one, in particular, is cool and satisfying. 9/10

The Sixth Sense 1.1

2012-01-08T11:33:00.001Z

(Belinda Montgomery, Jim McMullan, Bert Freed) Slow, earnest (definitely enjoyable) but lacks charisma and humour. 8/10

Baretta 1.7

2012-01-08T11:31:00.003Z

(George DiCenzo) A revenge story with a Roy Huggins twist. Serious, heartfelt. Great action finale, too. Man, Tony is cool. 8/10

The Incredible Hulk 2.12

2012-01-08T11:31:00.001Z

(haunted house) This show was a great one for frequently departing from formula. But sometimes, such as here, it didn't work very well. The story idea is good, as is the casting and the twist at the end, but it drags on much too long and it's really a tale that doesn't need the hulk (he has minimal impact upon events). 4/10

Royal Pains 2.7

2012-01-08T11:30:00.001Z

(Peter Strauss, Tessie Santiago) Fast pace, crazy plots, hilarious jokes. An hour of laughter from start to finish. 9/10

Ncis la 1.6

2012-01-08T11:29:00.003Z

(forgery) Good plot, fast pace. Best episode so far. But not enough Daniela Ruah, who I'm now realizing is VERY HOT indeed. 6/10

Happy Endings 2.1

2012-01-08T11:29:00.001Z

Enjoyed it. Not the best episode, but some funny stuff with Penny moving into a new place and all. 6/10 #YearOfPenny

Treme 1.1

2012-01-06T09:11:00.003Z

Slow-moving, almost story-less, but satisfying. All characters are interesting/compelling and likable. 7/10

NCIS 7.10

2012-01-06T09:11:00.001Z

(christmas, Joe Regalbuto) Predictable case-of-the-week. Some good scenes between Gibbs & his dad (Ralph Waite). 5/10

Louie 1.1

2012-01-06T09:10:00.003Z

The humour is dark, and some events are so quirky it is borderline surreal. But it's all very genuine, and rather sweet. 9/10

Flashpoint 38

2012-01-06T09:10:00.001Z

(Lauren Holly) What could have been a(nother) great episode is ruined by an intrusive narrative structure. Frustrating. 3/10

Justified 1.1

2012-01-06T09:09:00.001Z

Cool hero, fascinating baddie, lots of action/violence and local colour/flavour. Impressed so far. 9/10

Good Dog 1.5

2012-01-06T09:08:00.001Z

(Gay Sopranos) George's cowardly way of dealing with a bad TV show idea is a joy to watch. Hilarious beyond belief. 10/10

The Sentinel 4.2

2012-01-04T20:12:00.001Z

Good story which breaks formula by splitting Jim & Blair, has a vile bad guy and helicopter chase action finale. 9/10

Castle 3.9

2012-01-04T20:11:00.003Z

(Lance Henriksen, Lyle Lovett) By-the-numbers example of how a lighthearted cop show does a UFO episode. 5/10

The Good Wife 2.6

2012-01-04T20:11:00.001Z

(Michael J. Fox, Lili Taylor) Superb morally ambiguous a-story, and the Kalinda b-story gets darker & more exciting. 10/10

Enlightened 1.1

2012-01-04T20:10:00.001Z

Fascinating premise. Great cast. Not sure if I like the lead character enough to stay with it. 5/10

Wings 3.14

2012-01-03T02:56:00.003Z

(Fay quits) Not many laughs, but the flashback showing the origin of Sandpiper Air is interesting. 5/10

The High Chaparral 01

2012-01-03T02:56:00.001Z

Slow-moving, virtually story-less. But the cast are fantastic. 5/10

House 7.5

2012-01-02T23:54:00.004Z

(Jennifer Grey) Sick baby = boring story. But, at least, House's misadventures as a baby-sitter are amusing. 4/10

CSI 6.9

2012-01-02T23:54:00.001Z

CSI 6.9 (eating contest) Two compelling cases. But a bit too much screentime devoted to stomach contents in this one. Yuck. 6/10

Baby Blues episode 1

2012-01-02T23:53:00.002Z

(Christmas) Nice low-key story, with some hearty laugh out loud moments. 6/10

Columbo 28

2012-01-01T15:22:00.002Z

(Patrick McGoohan, military academy) My favourite episode. A battle of wills between equals. Equals with mutual respect. 10/10

McCloud 1.3

2011-12-31T14:55:00.001Z

McCloud 1.3 (Lorraine Gary) Good story. Regular characters strong, scenes between them often hilarious. 9/10

The Six Million Dollar Man 2.9

2011-12-31T02:39:00.001Z

The Six Million Dollar Man 2.9 (Lenore Kasdorf) Great story. Superb sense of adventure and cool bionic stuff. Too much stock footage (of ships and such). 8/10

Two Guys and a Girl 3.13

2011-12-30T13:30:00.003Z

Two Guys and a Girl 3.13 (Robert Goulet) New Year's Eve. All stories completely driven by the show's three couples. Irene = CUTE. 8/10

Viper 1.3

2011-12-30T13:29:00.001Z

Viper 1.3 - Bad guy from pilot (Jason Carter) returns. His plan, and much of what happens in the episode, lacks logic. Frustrating. 3/10

Sliders 2.10

2011-12-29T04:29:00.002Z

Sliders 2.10 (Kristoffer Tabori) Another show that's a departure from formula. And what a cool, dark, character-driven one it is. 10/10

Dexter 6.12

2011-12-29T04:28:00.002Z

Dexter 6.12 There's some good stuff here, but there are too many ludicrous and/or unexplained bits. Which kinda ruins it. Damn. 3/10

Kojak 2.13

2011-12-29T03:14:00.001Z

Kojak 2.13 (Christmas, Richard Romanus) Trust, loyalty, betrayal. This one hits all the beats of a typical, strong, dark Kojak story. 10/10

Perfect Strangers 2.11

2011-12-29T03:13:00.001Z

Perfect Strangers 2.11(christmas) Wonderful. It works because the cast know how to do the heartfelt, emotional stuff. And get it right.10/10

Peanuts: A Charlie Brown Christmas

2011-12-29T01:07:00.003Z

Peanuts: A Charlie Brown Christmas -> Magical. The music, the voices... There's something wonderful about it. Time after time. 10/10

Good Dog 1.4

2011-12-29T00:35:00.002Z

Good Dog 1.4 (happy honk) Very funny. Love the delightful way all the little plots criss-cross and intersect. Best episode since first. 9/10

Dan For Mayor - A brief overview

2011-09-14T23:52:00.000+01:00

Dan For Mayor didn't catch on. It has been cancelled :(

A pity. It was one of the funniest and cleverest shows on TV this past two seasons.

Also: because it changed a lot between seasons, it was fascinating to me in a whole other way.

The central premise (the hook) from episode one was very strong. The hero, upon learning that his ex-girlfriend is moving on with her life while he is busy standing still tells a small white lie in desperation, and...

...is soon running for mayor of his town.

It's a wonderful idea, and Fred Ewanuick is the perfect performer. He brings incredible charm to the table, and Dan was instantly incredibly likable. I found it very easy to root for Dan. I wanted him to win the election, I wanted him to get the girl, I wanted him to come out on top in every conceivable situation that arose. I liked Dan.

Dan wasn't the sharpest pencil in the box, and thus the idea of him running for mayor was inherently funny before anything even happened. Ewanuick played another "sitcom dumb" character on Corner Gas but the two characters were written and played differently. Think of Cheers: one character was "Sam Malone stupid", and one was "Woody Boyd stupid". So they lend themselves to different types of stories/jokes. And Dan was the perfect central character to carry this idea.

Season One followed the progress of his campaign, and his journey towards getting the girl back. The season was semi-serialised, and ended with Dan becoming Mayor. And getting the girl.

Because of that, Season Two (basically) reinvented the show. Which fascinates me.

Also: I admire it. Mark Farrell and the team brought a very specific story to completion in Season One, and moved on to a new story in Season Two. Which I think is kinda ballsy. Television is mostly about delivering the exact same thing every week. I love NCIS. Every NCIS is the same as every other NCIS. I know what I'm getting before the episode starts. Before the new season starts.

But I had no idea what was going to happen when Dan For Mayor came back. And that was very exciting.

Year Two moved the characters around like chess pieces. Partnerships from Season One were dissolved, and new allegiances were formed. I think all of the characters benefited from this. Except Jeff (the campaign manager). In many ways he was the 'other hero' of the show, as it was often his efforts to accomplish stuff that drove the episodes. That was gone in the second season, and Jeff was now a supporting character who had limited interaction with Dan and never in the a-plot. I missed that. But it's not much of a complaint, as the season was so good.

Without changing anything, the producers changed everything! Characters now had different roles within the stories. Dan still drove the a-plots, but he had different confidants now. His ex-girlfriend from season one was now his girlfriend, so there had to be a new reason for her to be in the show. This, and all the other changes, were accomplished seamlessly. Maybe with a new job, or a new goal in life. Nothing drastic. But enough to get the job done.

With the election out of the way, the show's stories were now self-contained and the world of the show grew. It was a quirky little town. And, had the show continued, I would have loved to have seen elements of season two revisited again. And again.

But, mostly, I just loved the characters. They were all immensely likable (just like on Corner Gas) and they were all so strongly drawn that part of the fun of the show was watching them react to stimuli in a way that only they would do. It would have been a dream show to pitch ideas for. Since, you could throw any idea into the mix and instantly have a fair idea how most of the characters would behave. So, let's say, all the power in town goes out: I instantly have an idea how the characters might respond to that. Or, if a movie was being filmed in town... Or if Dan had to spend a week in hospital... Or whatever...

Mostly, towards the end of the season, I was looking forward to seeing what Mike was going to do, what clique he was going to join, what hobby he was going to unveil, etc. Such a deranged character. Wonderful.

I don't know why Brisco County didn't catch on.

I don't know why My World And Welcome To It didn't catch on.

Or Andy Richter Controls The Universe. Or Sledge Hammer. Or several hundred other great shows.

Fans never tire of watching, however, or of rewatching them. And new fans find them. And I'm sure Dan For Mayor will be one of those shows. They don't catch on in a big way, but they sure live on.

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Rules Of Engagement. Season 5, Episode 17. "Zygote"

2011-08-02T17:47:00.000+01:00

Rules Of Engagement. Season 5, Episode 17. "Zygote" Russell & Timmy date very TALL women!

Here are some reasons why I love ROE so darn much.

1. The cast chemistry. This episode has three plots, and each one is carried by two cast members - the two couples and the two single guys. Usually, I shower all the praise on Patrick Warburton and Megyn Price, but - really and truly - all of the cast are so good together. Bianca Kajlich has evolved into a perfect straight-woman for Oliver Hudson and this episode shows their team-work off to perfection. Adam being dumb generates many, many hearty laughs. But many of those are actually fuelled by Kajlich's reactions.

2. It's a show that has stuck it's premise. Most of the stories in each episode are driven by relationships. The premise hasn't been diluted since the pilot and - in fact - with David Spade and Adhir Kalyan as two single guys on the dating scene, it has actually gotten stronger.

3. This episode ends with Jeff upset over the loss of money, and Audrey misreading that as him feeling concern for their chances of having a baby. Wonderful. Kinda dark, but very funny.

4. Patrick Warburton. 'Nuff said!

10/10

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Wonder Woman. Episode 10. "Formula 407"

2011-08-01T01:22:00.001+01:00

Wonder Woman. Episode 10. "Formula 407" Argentina.

My favourite production block from the Wonder Woman tv series is the final 24 episodes, where the show had found it's groove, so to speak, as a serious fantasy spy/action show. The first 14 episodes have always been my least favourite block. Here: the show was set in World War II and had a camp air about it - everyone seemed to be overplaying it, in a tongue-in-cheek manner, which I don't enjoy.

Episode 10 is a bit of a treat, then, because it doesn't have any camp elements and - instead - has lot of genuine humour, a solid story with good characters and visible teamwork between the leads.

On mission to Argentina Diana Prince must deal with the unwanted advances of a South American Lothario. And very funny it is, too. It's the first time Lynda Carter was given something to do that is actually capable of making the viewer laugh out loud and she handles it perfectly. Every time.

The story concerns our heroes going up against a Nazi team for possession of a secret formula. The script spends a lot if time explaining the set-up to the adventure in a manner that makes perfect sense and is a refreshing change from earlier episodes in the run.

One of the things I love about those final episodes of the series are the large number of scenes devoted to guest characters. Scenes with advance the story somewhat, and give depth and character arcs to the participants in the tale. It's largely missing from the first year of the show. Except here. Formula 407 actually crafts it's characters and gives them their own little stories. It adds enormously to the viewing pleasure. For example, when a secondary character is betrayed by the Nazi leader the script devotes time to her feelings on the matter. And allows other characters to comment on it. Wonder Woman really shines here, showing honest-to-goodness compassion.

Best of all is the teamwork between Wonder Woman and Steve. They spend the back-half of the episode working together and you really believe in theme as a team. Waggoner and Carter have an easy-going chemistry and he raises several laughs from his interaction with the super-heroine. It's also nice to see Steve Trevor dispatching a baddie totally unaided, in the beach scene where WW juggles bombs then casually stands by while Major Trevor wrestles with the Nazi ringleader for possession of a gun. In this they seem like a team.

Given the fact that it's from a phase of the show that I don't much care for, I must admit that I really loved this episode.

7/10

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NewsRadio. Season 3, Episode 20.

2011-07-27T04:18:00.001+01:00

NewsRadio. Season 3, Episode 20. "Our Fiftieth Episode" Bill is committed to an asylum

I'm going to lavish praise on three aspects of this episode.

1. Phil Hartman & Jon Lovitz: together: wonderful. They are a perfect comedy pairing. Their scenes together are hysterical.

2. While Bill is away from work, Lisa and Joe take over the running of his show: with Mr. James interfering. You see Mr. James has been conducting market research and - as a consequence - keeps tinkering with the show. His tinkering makes the show worse and worse. Even better: we can see that the 'market research' is meaningless (Beth is making stuff up!). What a wonderful, wonderful comment on network interference. I wanted to applaud, I really did. (Knowing a little of the background to NewsRadio's relationship with NBC helped me appreciate these scenes all the more.)

3. Bill is in the asylum and - after much prompting from his crazy buddy - recounts the plot from an episode of Family Matters. To rapturous applause from the inmates. Again, here's some wonderful commentary on the state of television. Family Matters is perceived as low-brow nonsense, while NewsRadio is perceived as one of the smarted shows ever to appear on TV. One is a beloved stable of pop culture, and the other - despite five seasons on-air - is relatively obscure. Sigh.

10/10

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Wonder Woman. 2011 pilot

2011-07-23T23:59:00.001+01:00

Wonder Woman. 2011 pilot.

Okay, here's everything I have to say/write about the 2011 Wonder Woman pilot.

1. Adrianne Palicki is superb! I'm a fan. I've been a fan since I first saw her in Supernatural and South Beach. I liked her because she is uncommonly sexy and very beautiful. But when I saw her in Friday Night Lights, I quickly realised that she is a supremely talented actress. She brings something to the table that is rare: she makes you believe that there is a lot going on behind her eyes. The most obvious example of this quality is the late Peter Falk. You watch him as Columbo and you believe that he is thinking about... something/everything. Palicki does this in Friday Night Lights and she does it here. So... she's beautiful and sexy and she has - I suppose - gravitas. Or whatever. Here, in the WW pilot she totally nails it.

2. The writer (David E. Kelley) has a specific take on Wonder Woman and runs with it. His shows tend to be shows about the law, his shows tend to be about lawyers. So... he drops WW into a world of laws, corporations, big bucks, legalities/illegalities and - in this one hour of TV - explains why she exists in this world. And, to be honest, it works. It's not MY take on Wonder Woman, but - after seeing this - I would be willing to take a leap and watch HIS take on the character.

3. The action scenes are good.

4. This is not an origin story. This is a case-of-the-week story. This is exactly how I would start a WW series (should anyone care).

5. Some things DON'T work. Sometimes the dialogue makes you cringe. There are a couple of bad scenes, in my humble opinion. The hospital scene, the two scenes with Steve Trevor, the applause scene, etc. Scenes where you roll your eyes. But, because I liked lots of other things, I'm willing to let the bad stuff slide. And, to be honest, even when I was cringing at something, I could appreciate what David E. Kelley was trying to do. It's not perfect, but it has a clarity of vision sadly lacking in the Bionic Woman or Knight Rider reboots. I HATED those. They had no redeeming qualities. This, I didn't hate. It had redeeming qualities. I could see what it was trying to be. And, because it succeeded on a few points (especially the fantastic lead casting), I was willing to go the extra mile and accept the other (weaker) stuff.

6. I liked the main character, and wanted to root for her. The most obvious comparison here is Bionic Woman from 2007. That show was dark and edgy and stuff. And... I never found a reason to like the main character. In one episode she set fire to her kitchen. That baffled me. What was I supposed to do? Laugh at her? Pity her? What? Diana Prince, as written by David E. Kelley, is interesting and likable. She's dark and edgy, I suppose, but she's more than that. She's arrived in our world and established herself an interesting set-up. And she's decided to 'go it alone' for reasons that make sense to her. And kinda to the audience as well. She's self-sacrificing and brave and annoyed by injustice and other stuff that would make me root for her on a weekly basis. Kelley's script has scenes that could, in the hands of a lesser actress, come off as self-pitying and unattractive. Palicki rises above that. Rises about the (sometimes flawed) material and makes us care, even when the on-screen image is something as uninspired as Diana at home alone, with her cat (!!), watching Ryan Gosling's weep-fest The Notebook.

It's not perfect. But it aims high and it's not bad. Worse pilots have made it to TV and spawned series that ran for years!

8/10

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Screencaps from the pilot movie for The Fantastic Journey

2011-07-22T02:00:00.000+01:00

Screencaps from the pilot movie for The Fantastic Journey

The Fantastic Journey. Episode 1. "Vortex"

2011-07-21T02:19:00.000+01:00

The Fantastic Journey. Episode 1. "Vortex" Flawed, but fun.

The pilot for TFJ follows a group of travelers who are ship-wrecked on an island somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle, and find themselves moving between time zones. There's lots to like, but there are some huge problems to deal with, as well.

First, the flaws: The two biggest problems are bland cast-members and dis-jointed storytelling.

The story opens with lots and lots of people on a small boat. When the storm hits the first one is killed off. The group wakes up on a beach. And two more are rapidly killed off. Since we didn't get to know any of these 'redshirts', and none of the survivors are visibly bothered by the demise of the trio, the viewer is left to wonder: why bother including them, at all?

By the time we get to the middle-third of the pilot, we have a group of seven. Some of them are painfully dull. It's hard to root for the rescue of a character that you absolutely don't care about! But duff characters are only half the problem...

The storytelling suffers towards the end of the movie. The first third is the tightest, most coherent. In the middle-third, we get short scenes of Gary Collins that have nothing to do with the story, and merely serve to distract.

By the final third, things are all over the place as the script takes gigantic leaps in an effort to ditch half the remaining cast and set up a new core group for the series to follow! The fact that this final third is out-and-out sci-fi hokum is jarring, too, because the first two-thirds used sci-fi as support for the story being told. Here, suddenly, it IS the story.

However...

All is not lost.

Despite the two flaws featured above, there are many things to enjoy here. And enjoy a lot.

One: The premise. It's cool. Travelers lost on an island of different time zones? Yes, please! Count me in.

Two: The characters. Yes, half of the bunch are bland and boring, but - at least - two are really good. They jump out of the screen, partly because the performers - Jared Martin and Ike Eisenmann are so watchable and partly because both are interesting characters. And, it must be said, the relationship between them captures the imagination. Varian, the man from the future, and Scott, the young son of the main character, connect and have many key scenes. They like each other. And we like them.

Three: The baddie. Ian McShane's character is interesting. His motivations are perfectly in keeping with the premise. It works.

Four: The ending. The final minutes (and a few scenes before that) are obviously added long after the pilot was filmed. Yet, as jarring as this all is: there is a burning curiosity to find out what happens next. Plus, the fact that two of the three characters abruptly written out were awful gives the viewer hope that maybe episode 2 might be more fun.

Five: The pace. With all the zipping about, and the fact that a couple of scenes end very abruptly (as if edited down) means that the movie is never boring. It moves rapidly. Sure, it's a somewhat morbid fascination (watching things done badly) but it does hold the interest.

Overall: Flawed, but fun. I enjoyed it. And will happily move on to the next episode.

6/10

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The Sentinel. Season 3, Episode 22. "Night Shift"

2011-07-20T03:33:00.000+01:00

The Sentinel. Season 3, Episode 22. "Night Shift" An angel, an alligator.

Wow. This is an unusual episode of The Sentinel. 'Atypical' doesn't begin to describe it: An angel, an alligator, a hit-man and a police station filled with homeless people! Quirky camera angles, visual effects. This one has it all. Yes, most shows try 'off the wall' episodes, but seldom has a show managed to pull it off in such an unselfconscious manner. Fact is: everything here - curious mix that it is - totally works.

First: the crime story works. It's a typically convoluted tale of a car thief who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the things that happen when some bad guys try to kill him while he is down at the local police station. Like all the best Sentinel episodes, it's great to see the various players in the story make their moves. Different motivations, at different times, make for an entertaining yarn. Something you can always rely on the show to deliver.

Second: the relationship drama works. Jim and Blair have a fight in this one. A real fight. They mean it. It's over the dissertation Blair has been writing since the pilot. And it over the things that are written in it. About Jim. And, be they right or wrong... they hurt. So, this is a real fight. They mean it. And it's not pretty. Thankfully/Wisely, the harsh words are kept to a few short scenes. But it's still difficult to watch. Even if it makes for great drama.

Lastly: the quirky stuff works. All of it. For example: I totally bought the 'angel' storyline and loved his message to Jim and his ultimate demise. The comments the tag scene were a bit OTT for me, but it didn't ruin the rest of the Gabriel storyline.

Most Sentinel episodes are typical cop show episodes, with the occasion sprinkling of super powers. Rarely has the show so departed from formula. Seeing how successful this effort was, I would wish they had done so more often.

10/10

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Kojak. Season 2, Episode 18. "Night of the Piraeus"

2011-04-27T01:52:00.004+01:00

Kojak. Season 2, Episode 18. "Night of the Piraeus"

There are three murders in this episode of Kojak, one onscreen and two offscreen. All are brutal and swift and occur because of betrayal. It's a story where human life is worthless to every player in the game. And the prize is a rare stamp.

Ivor Francis is superb as the collector who values stamps more than anything, and considers them even more valuable once blood has been spilled because of them.

In the closing minutes of the tale, as their characters gloat over their spoils, he and Norman Lloyd give two of the most chilling performances I have ever seen. It is absolutely scary to watch the unrestrained glee on their faces, the joy they take from stamps and money respectively, and their total indifference to the lives that have been lost.

For that alone this would be worth calling a classic, but - in all other respects - this is a perfect chapter in the life of Kojak. Telly Savalas is at his best, Lt. Theo Kojak does some terrific detective work as the story unfolds (often taking blind leaps) and the supporting cast/characters are showcased at every turn.

But, even with all of that, the majority of the praise must be given to Ivor Francis and Norman Lloyd. The Francis character is played (almost) for laughs, as if he is comical character. It is only when he and Kojak meet for the first time, and the moral vacuum that he lives in is shown in sharp focus, that we began to become horrified by him. Horrified by him, and - more importantly - by that section of society that he represents.

In this fable, the engine that drives the events is a stamp, but - in the real world - it could be anything. Anything at all. But the subtext is the same: there are those who genuinely do not value human life, and shed no tears when blood is spilled. Or when they cause blood to be spilled.

And this remarkable episode of Kojak brings that into sharp focus with the power of a slap to the face. And that, I suppose, is why we have fiction. And why we need fiction.

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The Six Million Dollar Man. Season 2, Episode 1. "Nuclear Alert"

2011-04-05T20:59:00.003+01:00

The Six Million Dollar Man. Season 2, Episode 1. "Nuclear Alert"

The second season premiere is more of a 'typical' SMDM episode than almost any episode of the first season.

Most s1 tales were quite 'meaty' and 'serious'. Whereas a 'typical' SMDM episode (whether good or bad) is usually quite High Concept and driven more by action than drama.

"Nuclear Alert" tells us what happens when Steve poses as a truck driver to stop the theft of a bomb. That's it. There's nothing else. That description does the episode justice. Whereas with most scripts from the previous year, there was usually something else at stake (Steve's relationships with Oscar, Rudy, his Russian friend, his father and William Shatner's character spring to mind for five episodes). A 'typical' Steve Austin adventure is usually quite linear in form, and this one is a perfect example of that.

And a good episodes it is, too. It moves fast, has a good story and some thrilling action to end out the hour.

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The Hardy Boys. Season 3, Episode 9. "Game Plan"

2011-03-31T02:01:00.005+01:00

The Hardy Boys. Season 3, Episode 9. "Game Plan"

A typical season three episode.

1. The brothers work seperately, with one of them being undercover.
2. Joe is written as very smart and very tough.
3. The story is very good. Nice twists.

I really enjoyed this one. It starts off with Joe tackling a guy at the airport. The guy is arrested and Frank takes his place within the criminal organisation he works for. Except... the viewer is quickly told that the leader of the baddies (Mary Louise Weller) knows that Frank is an undercover cop. So the fun is waiting to see when Frank notices. Soon Frank starts behaving out-of-character (even pulling a gun on Joe at one point!) and there's something delicious about watching everybody lie to everybody as the story unfold.

There's also very, very clever bit concerning how the crooks pass messages. Very clever.

And - something I really love - a very bleak ending. There's a twist at the end, which isn't hard to guess at, but the fun is in wondering how Frank and Joe will figure everything out. And when all is explained: they come across as very good detectives, indeed. Particular Joe.

This is the show's penultimate episode. I've only one episode left to watch. I see, by checking my review on Amazon.com, that I started watching the show back in Summer of 2002, so it's taken me 9 years to watch the full series.

And, in a week or so, I'll be finished.

Nothing for it, but to start again!!

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The Greatest American Hero. Season 2, Episode 3. "Don't Mess Around with Jim"

2010-11-01T01:17:00.002Z

The Greatest American Hero. Season 2, Episode 3. "Don't Mess Around with Jim"

Ralph and Bill help someone who used to have a suit just like theirs!

1. Most of the episode is just conversations between Ralph and Bill. And the scenes sparkle. The characters are so well-defined, and their voices are so clear. This is one reason this show never dates, it's completely character-driven and it's always entertaining to watch these two characters disagreeing about what to do next. Bill is great in this one. The guy they are helping comments on our favourite agent's mediocre career at the FBI and he sure takes it hard. For the whole episode. Again, it's all character-driven stuff, and performers like Robert Culp and William Katt make it all turn to pure gold. (Connie Sellecca is still missing from the show, and I still miss her, but it's not such an big problem in this episode. In fact, the parallels between the two duos - then and now - work best without Pam.)

2. This is a great story. It's a total departure from GAH formula (if there is such a thing) and it's really opens up the backstory of the aliens/suit in a totally unexpected way. The idea that Ralph and Bill are not the first to be given a suit is really rather mind-blowing. Both when I first saw the episode and, still, today.

3. The aliens are back. Again. Seems like ABC wanted the aliens in the show on a semi-regular basis, and here they are for the second week in a row. It's certainly cool to see them, but there is a part of me that thinks this cheapens the presence of the spaceship. I mean, if we see it a lot, it's not really cool anymore. Also: if the aliens are really close by and can pop up anytime, why the heck don't they just solve Earth's problem's themselves? Why do they need to give a suit to anyone? Bottom line: the arrival of the spaceship is terrifically cool, but too much of a good thing is not wise.

4. I love the visual of the two old guys walking off into the desert at the end, with 'our' two guys watching. In the almost-three decades since I last saw this episode, it's an image that has popped into my mind many times when fondly recalling the high-points of the series.

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The Spectacular Spider-Man. Episode 3. "Natural Selection"

2010-10-26T00:30:00.004+01:00

The Spectacular Spider-Man. Episode 3. "Natural Selection"

The '90s Spider-Man series, on FOX, was superb. I love what John Semper did with the character. It's a great show, and I consider it to be the definitive treatment of Spider-Man on TV.

The 2003 MTV series was awful. I tried to finish the DVDs, but I never could.

So, when The Spectacular Spider-Man aired in 2008 I avoided it. I assumed that it would be as weak as the 2003 show, and I have little or no interest in seeing Peter Parker back in high school (again!!). However... If I had known that Greg Weisman (of Gargoyles) was involved in the show, I would have reconsidered that decision. Gargoyles was superb.

Never mind. I've finally woken up to the show and, three episodes into it, I'm very impressed.

The show has effortlessly created a core group of characters that I care about. Peter is very likable and relatable. His school friends, lab friends and Aunt May have all been given enough screen time (and character development) to make them seem real. Heck, even the bullies at School seem to have been well written! Most curious, thought, is the decision to make Eddie Brock a close member of Peter's circle right from the get go. And Eddie's been given lots of great character moments. In fact, three episodes into the season, and his character is almost as well developed as Peter Parker's.

Not that the show is short on action. In fact, the relentless action scenes are almost on a par with the '90s show (which I still think had the best animated action scenes on TV. Ever.). When Spider-Man goes into action, it's exciting and thrilling. Everything that watching Spidey is supposed to be. Josh Keaton is perfect with the witty one-liners.

From a writing/storytelling point of view, however, the ending of episode three was particularly impressive. Peter/Spidey had saved the day, but - typical for a day in the life of Spider-Man - it appeared to his friends that he had wimped out. In fact, it looked like his values in life were particularly screwed up and he had sold out a friend in trouble, just to get some cash. And the writing to accomplish this was beautifully done: a subplot from the premiere about Peter desperately trying to get a Spider-Man photo printed in the Daily Bugle (to help his aunt pay their bills) finally comes to fruition, but instead of being a moment of joy it all backfires. Brilliantly. My heart broke for young Peter. Yes, the show is that good.

In fact, the A-plot in the episode had also been simmering since the premiere, with Dr. Connors shown (on a couple of occasions) to be doing something mysterious, whenever he was alone. Plus we know that the friendship with Eddie Brock is going to end in tears (somehow) so this appears to be a show where continuity is king. Subtle continuity. Character continuity.

If only 50% of the live action shows on TV could be this good.

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The Greatest American Hero. Season 2, Episode 2. "Operation Spoilsport"

2010-10-24T21:21:00.002+01:00

The Greatest American Hero. Season 2, Episode 2. "Operation Spoilsport"

First season GAH episodes were low-key. Bill called Ralph in on relatively simple cases, and we laughed as these little tasks wreaked havok on his personal/work life.

Season season episodes seems to be raising the stakes. This one, for instance, has Ralph saving the world. Literally. He has to save the entire world from Nuclear War. You don't get higher stakes than that. Luckily, however, the show hasn't changed tone. Most of the episode is still devoted to Ralph and Bill sitting in a car bickering about what to do. And, even with (much-missed) Connie Sellecca absent from the show, it's still a hoot to watch them cluelessly trying to figure out what to do. Funny. And also: more real. Completely unlike any other superhero show up to that point.

As wonderful as the regulars are, Robin Riker completely steals the episode is a hilarious scene in the middle when a frazzled Ralph breaks into her house (in full regalia) on the trail of a kidnapped computer expert. The dialogue sparkles and William Katt has seldom been better.

This is also the episode with "Eve Of Destruction" on the soundtrack. And it's terrific. They keep using it, and they use it really well.

The ending has the bad guys confessing way too easily, but this is still a top notch hour of TV.

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The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Episode 3. "Hulk Versus the World"

2010-10-23T22:26:00.003+01:00

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Episode 3. "Hulk Versus the World"

The third episode is flawless. And superb.

The Hulk is one of my very favourite Marvel characters, way ahead of Iron Man and Thor. And this episode truly does him justice. The two Hulk battles are among the best I have seen on the screen. They really capture the character. Perfectly. And there are several 'Aw, cool' moments when the green giant is fighting.

It's just heaven to see this done so well.

Hawkeye and Black Widow are also two of my favourite Marvel characters. And both get plenty of screentime here, particularly Hawkeye, who comes across as cool.

And this is one of the greatest things about the wonderful show: it captures and conveys how cool all of these characters are. How cool and awesome the Marvel Universe really is.

But even more than that: it's a damn good TV show. This episode is the darkest and best, by a long mile. The conversation between Bruce and Clint is a real high-point in the series so far, and everything that happens afterwards is great storytelling.

The show has me hooked and I can't wait to see what happens next...

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Wolverine And The X-Men. Episode 2. "Hindsight, Part 2"

2010-10-23T01:37:00.005+01:00

Wolverine And The X-Men. Episode 2. "Hindsight, Part 2" Rogue's Story

The first episode was good. It established a good backstory (mansion in ruins, X-Men scattered and living apart/on the run for a full year) and told a good story-of-the-week (Wolverine gets Beast to help him rescue a family wrongly imprisoned for helping him). It was good, I enjoyed it and I was happy to come back for a second good episode.

Imagine my surprise when the second episode turned out to be great. Spectacularly so. The focus shifted to Rogue, but the story managed to give many other X-Men (and X-Men foes) a turn in the limelight. Wolvie was almost relegated to the background. And it worked. Suddenly the world surrounding him has come alive with a variety of very interesting characters. On all sides of the law.

There was lots of action. In different locations. For different reasons. And the shifting allegiances of the characters (mainly Rogue) added a whole new level to the on-screen action. Warren's father's motives, for instance, serve to make the episode a cut above the average.

Wolverine's attempts to put the team back together really started to feel like a struggle here, given the reaction he got from people like Cyclops, and it promises to be an interesting story.

The ending really blew me away. It was dark. And surprising. Yet, given what had gone before, it made total sense.

Grade: A+

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The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Episode 2. "Thor the Mighty"

2010-10-22T23:38:00.003+01:00

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Episode 2. "Thor the Mighty"

Once again, there's something in the middle of the episode that really bugs me. But...

This is another very good episode.

As with the Iron Man opening episode this one is fast-paced and full of action. Thor takes center-stage, battling The Wrecking Crew before leaving Earth to defend his Asgard. Once there, he's in battle again and - in the final quarter, after the fight - we learn a lot about the motives of the bad guy of the piece.

This show seems to be successfully capturing the 'coolness' of these characters. Iron Man was a blast to watch, and this goes for Thor as well. Sometimes battle scenes in animated shows fail to completely hold my attention, but this is an exception. Thor's distinct battle style is well-captured here and it's fun to watch him in action.

And the bit that bugged me?

Loki telling Odin about Jane Foster. Surely this random meeting was just taking place at that moment. Perhaps it had yet to take place? So how did Loki know about it. Makes no sense.

However, for everything else: this is still a Grade: A-

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The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Episode 1. "Iron Man Is Born"

2010-10-22T03:55:00.003+01:00

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Episode 1. "Iron Man Is Born"

Most of the episode follows Iron Man as he battles HYDRA agents outside the UN, while the final minutes turn the focus onto Nick Fury as he fights to prevent Baron Strucker escaping The Vault (prison).

It's a solid first episode, with only two things I didn't like. Pepper Potts, the trust Woman Friday of Tony Stark, exclaims at one point that Tony is fighting villains who have stolen his technology. Huh? At that point in the story, as I understood it, our hero had only just discovered the theft of said tech. And that was miles away, while in the heat of battle. It was a real take-you-out-of-the-story moment, and I suddenly had to pause and wonder how she knew that.

Later on there's a moment where Iron Man, having defeated the bad guys, finds himself in a standoff with SHIELD, who seem (inexplicably) to want to fight with him. It seemed like a false what to amp up the tension. Instead... it bored me.

But against those two elements was a whole lot that I did like. In fact, a whole lot that I loved.

The story moves fast. Very fast. It's action packed and - incredibly - packed with story and character. Even if you'd never been privy to any version of the Marvel Universe before this half-hour of TV, you'd come away with a keen sense of how things work there, and who people like Tony Stark and Nick Fury are.

Iron Man sounds like Robert Downey, Jr. Nuff Said. Except to heap praise on Eric Loomis.

Having Jarvis appear in this universe as a computer (like in the movies) is really great for battle scenes and - on two occasions - gives rise to laugh out loud moments.

The episode is jam-packed with characters and Marvel Universe fixtures. And the recurring motif is that Tony/Iron Man is forced to take on the villains of the world alone. With noone to help him.

For now...

Grade: A- (because Pepper's comment really bugged me)

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Stone

2010-10-09T23:41:00.000+01:00

The only 70s-era Stephen J. Cannell show I didn't warm to, as a kid, was Stone.

Voyager. Season 7, Episode 3. "Drive"

2010-08-13T02:58:00.002+01:00

Voyager. Season 7, Episode 3. "Drive" Paris & Torres in a race.

Lightweight episode about Tom Paris entering the Delta Flyer in a race. There's a couple of subplots, too: Torres is unhappy about her relationship, and there are forces at work trying to sabotage the race.

It's okay stuff. Nothing much happens to quicken the pulse, but it's nice to see the crew having fun.

I tried hard to feel sympathy for Torres, but couldn't quite muster it up. It seemed to me like a storm in a teacup and - to be honest - I thought Torres was over-reacting. I really enjoyed the idea of her working with Paris in the race, but the episode didn't exploit it fully. Indeed the idea of the race wasn't exploited, either. The sabotage plot led to a nice twist but - to be honest - I think the episode could have done without that story and used that airtime to show us more of the race, and the racers.

Lightweight, forgettable stuff.

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The Rockford Files. Season 2, Episode 9. "Chicken Little Is a Little Chicken"

2010-08-13T01:18:00.002+01:00

The Rockford Files. Season 2, Episode 9. "Chicken Little Is a Little Chicken"

Delightful. James Garner and Stuart Margolin make a superb comedy team.

The character of Angel Martin had appeared in three episodes before this, as a supporting character who pretty much stole the show. This time out Angel is the focus of the story. And it's nothing short of wonderful. Basically, Angel borrows Jim's car and stashes some money in it. Hot money. He also asks Jim to find an ex-con buddy of his who owns him money. He says. In fact, Angel is leaving out large parts of the story. Pretty soon Jim is in a lot of trouble. Without knowing exactly what is going on, at any stage.

The first two-thirds of the episode are a treat. Jim and Angel are a lot of fun to watch, and the viewer can't help buy chuckle as the story gets more and more complicated. The final third is a tad weaker. It hangs on Jim setting up an elaborate con, and it relies on everyone playing along just right. Even though things go slightly wrong - to funny effect - everything pretty much works out and the viewer can't help but be incredulous at how lucky it was for Jim and Angel that the bad guys were so easy to manipulate.

A minor quibble. This episode contains two star-quality performances and more heart laughs than any other episode of The Rockford Files thus far.

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Superboy. Season 2, Episode 9. "Programmed for Death"

2010-08-12T01:17:00.003+01:00

Superboy. Season 2, Episode 9. "Programmed for Death"

It barely features Stacy Haiduk (boo!) but this is a terrific episode.

It opens with some night filming. For some reason, whenever they filmed at night the show seems more mature, gritty and... better. In later seasons, they did almost all their filming at night and it set a great tone for everything that happened. In this case, the night stuff is kept to the story opening but it still permeates the rest of the story.

And it's a good story. Andy's shady dad show's up. He's been in trouble before, but this time he's on the run for murder. A murder he never did. Get this: his brainwaves were transferred to a mobile computer, as part of an experiment, and it has run off after killing it's crazy. Totally crazy, yes, but everyone plays it straight and you end up with a thrilling adventure that's got major comic book vibes (Cary Bates is the writer).

George Maharis is sometimes a little flat in his performance, but Ilan Mitchell-Smith really carries their scenes (Andy was taken hostage by the computer thing, in the teaser).

There are some great Superman/Superboy scenes, too. He lands, at one stage, and a crowd of people flock over to him and surround him. It's got nothing to do with the story, but it looks cool. I've seen a lot of Superman interpretations, but they never bother to show that stuff. Later, he arrives at Police HQ and there's a great scene with a detective character who feels like a semi-regular, even if he's not.

Stacy Haiduk is basically ignored in this episode (boo!) but she gets to give the episode's final line, as Lana ponders the origins/parentage of Superboy. The camera pans away to the sky and it's another high-point in a terrific episode.

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Barney Miller. Season 2, Episode 11. "Rain"

2010-08-12T00:37:00.003+01:00

Barney Miller. Season 2, Episode 11. "Rain" Will the roof cave in?

I'm not sure what to make of this episode. It takes place over the course of a very rainy night at the precinct, where all the men (in turn) grow depressed and there's some danger of roof caving in on top of them.

The men are glum. And it's a glum episode. Barney Miller is a great show for being grim and realistic in many ways, but it is always hysterically funny as well. Always. Except here. This is a decidedly unfunny episode.

There's only one criminal in the cell, as well. An un-funny comedian. And, to be clear, he really is dreadfully unfunny. His gags (and there are a lot of them) are always met with uncomfortable silence. From the characters on the screen, and the people in the studio audience. It's weird that a show would choose to create so much awkwardness. And do it so successfully.

There are some great scenes, however. Wojo's sad refection on his trips home stands out, as does the bit where Chano sits in Barney's office and ponders the futility of it all. Finally, there's a crazy moment where Barney loses his cool and runs on a temper tantrum. Wildly out of character for Barney, and decidedly odd to watch.

I'm not sure what to make of this episode. I have no doubt that it's a fully realised version of what was intended, but it just doesn't push the buttons that a BM episodes usually does. I mean, even Fish wasn't funny in this one. Most of the time Abe Vigoda's one-liners have me crying tears of laughter. This time? Not so much.

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The Incredible Hulk. Season 2, Episode 7. "Alice in Disco Land"

2010-08-09T21:39:00.002+01:00

The Incredible Hulk. Season 2, Episode 7. "Alice in Disco Land" Alcoholism

Similar to "A Child in Need" but not as good. Like the child abuse episode it looks and feels like an episode of Quincy but unlike that famous episode this one feels forced. Alice's first AA meeting in a prime example: she goes from angry & reluctant to passive & forthcoming after a very brief struggle. It's just too darn easy. The episode regains my respect - somewhat - in a later scene where David helps Alice to understand that the disco she hangs out at is not the focus of her drinking problem. It's a complex & mature take on things, relative to the rest of the episode.

The Child Abuse episode didn't need to have a traditional 'bad guy' figure, but this one adds (the excellent) Marc Alaimo to the mix as a corrupt nightclub owner who... doesn't really do much in the story except threaten David and Alice at the end over a mis-understanding.

TIH usually hits it out the ballpark when it comes to tugging on the heartstrings, but - this time out - all the references to Alice In Wonderland do little more than pull the viewer out of the story.

Best bit? The music, especially the Disco remix of the Hulk theme. I also love the final bit where McGee sees The Hulk run past him on the street and ol' greenskin takes time to give the reporter a special Hello Growl. Classic.

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The Six Million Dollar Man. Episode 9. "Doomsday, and Counting"

2010-08-09T03:48:00.004+01:00

The Six Million Dollar Man. Episode 9. "Doomsday, and Counting" An earthquake sets off a Nuclear Device countdown.

One of my favourite episodes. A fast pace, a great cast, solid characterization, an epic feel, great action and a tragic ending make for a classic.

We open on Kamkov Island, in USSR territory, and meet (for all intents and purposes) the hero of the story: a Colonel called Vasily Zuchov, an upbeat and likable fellow. We follow him to Washington, and hear his crazy plan to turn a disused Nuclear facility into the spearhead of a global programme to launch a spacecraft to Mars. Even before that has settled in our brains, we learn that disaster has struck and Vasily (with Steve Austin in tow) is back on Komkov Island to "inspect earthquake damage". Next: we learn that the Russian's girlfriend is trapped underground in the deserted complex. Steve is persuaded to mount an unofficial rescue mission. More disaster strikes, and they are trapped. They find the girl. But she has bad news for them: a countdown has begun, and the result will be a Nuclear Device. The final act contains a downbeat and graphic death before Steve comes faces to face with the computer that is determined to blow up the island. And his attempts to stop it are failing... Whew! And that's just the underground action, there's a ton of stuff above ground, too. This thing zips along like you would not believe. There's enough story/plot here for a decent Summer blockbuster.

Gary Collins and Lee Majors have great chemistry. You like them and believe them as friends. Beautiful Jane Merrow is perfect as the (more cautious) girlfriend, while William Smithers almost steals the episode as the gruff superior who tries to put a stop to... everything.

All of the characters are well-crafted in this tale. And the extremes are subtle and shaded. The Smithers character is against Vasily most of the way, but - after slight coercion from Oscar Goldman - is prepared to put his own life on the line to help. This leads to some superb scenes later on where both men sit in the control upstairs, powerless to do anything, resigned to sitting in complete silence and waiting. These quick scenes, more than anything else, make everything more real.

The idea of a Mars mission, and the location shooting, and the global politics all contribute to give the episode an epic feel. You really believe that these two guys are deep underground in a deserted complex and that whatever happens there will have ramifications around the world.

It helps that the episode contains some breath-taking bionic scenes: the opening use of bionics where Steve saves Vasily from the falling girder, the scene of the rubble coming down the stairs, the scene where Steve pushes through the ceiling and jumps down, etc.

And the ending... is sad. Shocking, surprising and sad. I remember the first time I saw this episode (only a few years ago) I was gutted by what happened because - in a short frame of time - I had grown fond of all the characters.

Truly a classic from start to finish.

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Voyager. Season 7, Episode 2. "Imperfection"

2010-08-08T22:58:00.003+01:00

Voyager. Season 7, Episode 2. "Imperfection" Seven Of Nine faces death.

Absolutely superb.

There are many, many things to love here.

1. Most of the screentime is devoted to the show's three best characters: Seven, Janeway and The Doctor. But it's not just that they get lots of screentime, it's that they get lots of good screentime. For instance, there's a wonderful, emotional moment between Janeway and Seven that is a huge step forward in their relationship/friendship (and it's perfectly played by Jeri Ryan and the amazing Kate Mulgrew). Impossible to watch this exchange and not feel tears forming. And it's a scene that is typical of many in the story.

2. It's an emotional episode, all round. Seven's scene with Janeway is probably the best, but the final scene with Icheb is also a killer and the scene with B'Elanna is another one likely to generate a tear or two. And there's more. It's a very powerful episode, very sad and affecting. Uplifting and wonderful in the way that this show frequently is. Voyager's skill, indeed the gift that the Star Trek legacy gives it, is the abilty to write on-the-nose about big topics and make it palatable. Seven might die. And it gives her pause to think and, eventually, talk about it. And it's epic stuff.

3. There's some cool Janeway action. The episode (wisely) takes a break from all the stuff likely to make you cry and drops Janeway, Tuvok and Paris into the middle of a battle where Janeway jumps an imposing alien and holds him at gunpoint (sorta). It's fun stuff. Typically of Janeway when she chooses to wear her bad ass hat.

4. It's funny. After seven seasons is there any need to say it? But, anyway... Robert Picardo is worth his weight in gold. Many of The Doctor's utterance's are hilarious. Usually, in scenes with Seven e.g. Seven's joke about her 'last meal'.

5. The core values of Star Trek are in display in spades, here. Janeway's attempt to head off on a dangerous mission alone are scuppered by Tuvok and Paris in fine style, and once again we see that these people are a team through and through.

6. Manu Intiraymi is a curious performer. Sometimes I find his delivery stilted and over-earnest. Yet, in all the scenes where it really mattered he totally nailed it. Totally. All his scenes from the last third of the episode are A+ material. It's taken 5 episodes, but I really like the guy now.

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The Rockford Files. Season 2, Episode 8. "Resurrection in Black and White"

2010-08-08T03:21:00.002+01:00

The Rockford Files. Season 2, Episode 8. "Resurrection in Black and White" Reporter tries to get a prisoner released for a murder he never committed.

For the second episode in a row, Jim has a real client and it happens to be a big name female guest star. Last time it was Stefanie Powers and this time it's Joan Van Ark. I'm a huge fan of both ladies, so it's great to see them getting lots of screen time on one of my favourite shows. But the episodes are very different.

The Powers episode ("The Real Easy Red Dog") was a hoot from start to finish. It was complex and half-way through it turned out to be something completely different to what it appeared to be at the start. I love that. It's rare to see it done well and none does it as well as The Rockford Files. The Van Ark episode is a different kettle of fish. Van Ark is excellent, of course, and there's a lot of fun to be had from watching her character play off Rockford for an hour. But, beyond that, there's not much to enjoy. The story plods along and it's not very engaging. I didn't care very much about any of the characters or understand how the story fit together in a logical way. Sure, I followed the progression and was ahead of the detectives on a couple of occasions (rare for that to happen on TRF) but when it was all over, I confess that it didn't make a huge amount of sense. And I didn't care.

Great guest start, weak story.

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Corner Gas. Season 6, Episode 1. "Full Load"

2010-08-08T03:05:00.003+01:00

Corner Gas. Season 6, Episode 1. "Full Load" Truck swap, eating contest, mp3 player.

Solid opener to the sixth (and final) season. Wanda is at her mischievous best here as she buys Hank's truck for fourteen dollars (at a badly organised police auction) and proceeds to torture the poor guy with a barrage of one-liners about his new-found pedestrian lifestyle ('Walker, Texas Ranger'). It's silly but, because of the characters, it works.

Maybe it's because it's been a while since I saw an episode, but Gabrielle Miller looks absolutely stunning here. And her storyline is good, too, as Lacey wins an eating contest. Perfect story for that character and a great finish with Brent.

Corner Gas faded a tiny bit in it's latter seasons, and delivered the occasional weak episode but this is not one of those and it bodes well for the sixth (and final) season.

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My Boys. Season 4, Episode 1. "Addition by Subtraction"

2010-08-08T02:55:00.001+01:00

My Boys. Season 4, Episode 1. "Addition by Subtraction" Andy has moved to China!!

I can't believe Jim Gaffigan is gone. It sucks. That guy is hilarious and he pretty much steals the show in every episode.

Having said that, even taking Gaffigan out of the picture, this is a funny show with great stories and one of the best ensemble casts on television. And the season premiere reminds us of that.

Rather than make a passing remark about Andy being gone, they (wisely) choose to make it the focus for the whole episode. The gang is in need of someone to fill the void at their weekly poker game and the episode details the (unsuccessful and funny) search, while allowing us to see in the flashback how the various members of the group met for the first time. Nice.

Basically, in this episode, you get to see the strengths of the show: stuff that makes you laugh out loud and a group of characters that successfully convey the feeling of being with a group of friends.

Great show. Sad that Gaffigan is gone. And sad that this will be the last season.

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Have Gun - Will Travel. Episode 1. "Three Bells to Perdido"

2010-08-07T04:54:00.003+01:00

Have Gun - Will Travel. Episode 1. "Three Bells to Perdido" Paladin heads to an isolated Mexican village to find a rancher's daughter.

Solid opening episode. Paladin immediately leaps off the screen as an interesting hero. Part of that is down to Richard Boone, who is a very dynamic leading man. Very macho, confident.

Most of the story has him up against Jack Lord, who pretty much steals the episode. Lord's bad guy is full of swagger and bravado and it's riveting stuff to watch them square off.

In the end, I assumed it would come to a showdown and Paladin would blow him away. Not so. He simply gets the better of him and will be handing him over to the law.

Cool show. The story is good, but what makes the whole affair is Boone/Paladin. Cool guy.

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The Outer Limits. Episode 1. "The Galaxy Being"

2010-08-07T03:11:00.002+01:00

The Outer Limits. Episode 1. "The Galaxy Being" Radio-station owner snags an alien in a signal and - when the power is boosted - it runs amok.

Cliff Robertson is a terrific lead in this engrossing tale. It's a fast-paced hour, which packs a lot of story into it's running time. The first quarter introduces the key characters: a tech-obsessed guy in search of alien contact, his frustrated wife and the brother who runs the family business - a radio station - with him. Most of the second quarter is devoted to a conversation between the hero and his alien friend: a creature from a distant galaxy who isn't supposed to make contact with anyone on Earth. Their checklist of Big Questions is suitably profound. And very engrossing. Try and you might you really can't pull yourself away.

By the third quarter things have started to go wrong: a meddling DJ uses too much power and the alien signal is boosted, bringing the creature to earth where (without meaning any harm) his jaunt causes many deaths.

Leading to... the big showdown in the final quarter. There's a very strong speech and a surprisingly touching ending and when the credits roll you feel like you've seen a classic.

Cliff Robertson is surround by a strong cast, and the visuals are great. Sometimes there's low camera angles to keep things interesting and when the alien appears on screen the camera finds inventive ways to make him look different every time. Sometimes he is in extreme close-up, sometimes he's away in the distance behind something. There's one great moment where he looks through some binoculars and the eye pieces light up like mini suns.

Superb stuff, from start to finish. It was A+ all the way for me, by the voice-over narration at the very end, as the camera pulled away, made it even better somehow.

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Jesse Stone. "Stone Cold"

2010-07-13T04:58:00.002+01:00

Jesse Stone. "Stone Cold" Serial Killer(s) in Paradise.

My second time to watch the first Jesse Stone movie. Man, I'd (almost) forgotten how great this was. Tom Selleck nails the part from the get go, and Jane Adams & Reg Rogers are perfectly cast as the odd couple that's running around Paradise killing various people. Including poor Polly Shannon. Her death scenes has really haunted me since I saw the movie for the first time and - now that I appreciate the character a lot more - it's really sad to see her go out like this.

The movie is perfect in every conceivable way. The mood is my favourite thing about it. Melancholy rules in Paradise and it's hard to escape it's grasp. But with scenery as beautiful as this, and stories as affecting as this, would you really want to escape?

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Baywatch. Episode 18. "Eclipse"

2010-07-13T04:33:00.002+01:00

Baywatch. Episode 18. "Eclipse" Ghost?

For the second episode in a row, Eddie is the center of the a-plot and - for the second episode in a row - he's out of control and in trouble. But, while "Snake Eyes" is nonsense and one of my least-favourite episodes, this one is a lot of fun. And it works.

The a-plot finds Eddie haunted after the death of a fellow lifeguard. Literally haunted. Seems that the dead lifeguard saw a mysterious woman in white before he died, and now Eddie is seeing her. And nobody believes him (giving Billy Warlock plenty of opportunity to be moody and angry). Plus, Eddie is also haunted by something from his past. And nobody knows about that.

As the story plays out, I absolutely loved the way the gang of regulars (particularly Gina and Craig) pitched in to see what they could do to help. That, to me, is part of the appeal of Baywatch: seeing someone in the midst of a group of real friends. Particularly Gina. Gina got lots of scenes in this one, and Holly Gagnier looked absolutely stunning every time she was on screen.

The twist at the end, concerning Eddie's secret was really good, too. And I liked the way the main story, the ghost story, was resolved. Seeing ghosts in the world of Baywatch sets the scene, in a way, for the antics of Baywatch Nights Season Two.

The b-plot was average/uninteresting: Hobie was helping a friend who was trying to save her dog from execution.

The c-plot concerned Cort owning a very old Diving Suit, which was stolen.

All in all, a lot of fun to be had in the a-plot. Guilty Pleasure TV.

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Hunter. Season 3, Episode 11. "Bad Company"

2010-07-09T23:32:00.005+01:00

Hunter. Season 3, Episode 11. "Bad Company" Dean Stockwell

It's got a story/style more in keeping with Season One, but it has two great guest stars and a very exciting climax. Works for me.

First Season Hunter was quite close in spirit to The A-Team: lots of car chases and shooting. And plots that, while enjoyable, were often very linear/simple. Under different creative hands the show evolved, the action was de-emphasised and the story quality improved a lot. This little tale is a fun little step back in time, as Hunter and McCall are taken hostage in the hills by a Neo-Nazi group and have to find a way to escape and warn someone about their plans.

There's nothing else quite like this in the third season, but it has - at least - one doppelganger in the first. It's a fun hour of TV. Some moments (such as the McCall appendix ruse, with Hunter knocking three guys to the ground using a single punch!) are silly, but the overall episode stays the respectable side of silly thanks to two good guest performers.

Dean Stockwell is typically top notch (as the leader of the nutty group) and brings layers to the character that just aren't there in the script. Lar Park-Lincoln (who I had a huge crush on, during her Knots Landing days, and who also was superb in an superb episode of Tour Of Duty) is surprisingly good as the leader's daughter.

The final quarter of the tale is a genuinely exciting chase through the hills, as our heroes (plus ally) are chased by a large group of gun-toting nuts. Kudos to Charlie Picerni for taking something we've seen hundreds of times and managing to make it exciting.

Overall, not the sort of episode I expect to see in third season Hunter, but still a lot of fun.

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The Rockford Files. Season 2, Episode 6. "The Great Blue Lake Land and Development Company"

2010-07-03T23:20:00.002+01:00

The Rockford Files. Season 2, Episode 6. "The Great Blue Lake Land and Development Company" Jim's $10,000 is stolen.

Six episodes into Season Two and there's still no sign of Jim to have a normal client, or for an episode to be structured like the majority of stories in Season One. In this one, we are told that he has a client (in jail) but it's mostly incidental to the story.

The story is really about what happens when Jim is forced (by car trouble) to stay overnight in a small town. And has $10,000 stolen. The money belongs to his client and Jim needs to get it back, but when he starts to investigate he finds that nobody in the town believes him, or has heard of the man Jim dealt with the night before.

It's a compelling mystery. And Dana Elcar is great as the local Sheriff who tries to hear Jim out, but eventually runs him out of town.

The midpoint of the story is a little odd. Jim sends for his dad and a character called Fast Eddie and the three of them appear to be starting off a major scam/con to get the money back.

Except... None of that every materialises and - pretty soon - Jim framed for murder and on the run.

So, I have to wonder why were Fast Eddie and Rocky written into the story, and why did they get three/four major scenes in the middle that, ultimately led to nothing. Don't get me wrong. The scenes are great fun, and Noah Beery Jr. displays absolute star quality. He's funny on his own and his chemistry with James Garner is off the chart. It's great stuff. But adds nothing to the story, and doesn't even move it forward. In fact, it slows it down...

Things pick up when our hero is framed for the murder of the man who took his cash. There's a very funny break-out-of-jail scene and a fairly good looking desert chase to end the tale.

Richard B. Shull is funny as Fast Eddie, but you can't help but wish it was Angel instead who came to town.

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The Rockford Files. Season 2, Episode 5. "The Deep Blue Sleep"

2010-07-03T23:12:00.002+01:00

The Rockford Files. Season 2, Episode 5. "The Deep Blue Sleep" Beth's friend dies.

Another Season Two episode without a client! Once again, Jim is working for a friend. This time it's Beth. Her friend - a model - has been found dead, after saying she needed Jim's help, so Beth hires Jim to do his thing.

Apart from the novelty of Beth being the client, this is standard case-of-the-week story. Gretchen Corbett gets some nice screentime, as a result, and it's very welcome. She's unbelievable sexy. Especially when running around in a trenchcoat causing me to wonder whether she was wearing anything at all under it. (I'm sure I'm not the only guy wondering such things.)

Robert Webber and Michael Conrad round out the cast (I don't care what either gentleman is wearing under his coat!), and there's a scene for Robert Hays as well.

The ending is cool. Jim steals a cop car and is able to fool the escaping bad guys that it's actually several cars that have them surrounded. Hard not to watch all that without having a big grin of admiration on your face.

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Kojak. Season 2, Episode 5. "Slay Ride"

2010-07-03T23:03:00.002+01:00

Kojak. Season 2, Episode 5. "Slay Ride" Multiple deaths at the same convention.

Standard case-of-the-week fare. A fast pace (lots of deaths) and the performance of Julie Gregg makes it very entertaining. One of my favourite performers - Stephen McHattie - is the actual killer of the piece but he gets very little to do, really. McHattie, however, would return to the show for a major two-parter in a later season.

Apart from Gregg and the multiple murders, the rest of episode is devoted to Kojak and his squad running around and asking questions. Stavos even gets an action scene and most of the interactions between Theo and his team are very amusing (thanks to the way Telly Savalas plays everything.)

Enjoyable, and without flaw, but not one of the very best.

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The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Season 2, Episode 5.

2010-07-03T22:50:00.002+01:00

The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Season 2, Episode 5. "A Girl's Best Mother Is Not Her Friend" Nancy Walker

An absolute delight from start to finish. The plot is slight, but the cast (particularly Nancy Walker) makes it sing. So much so that every scene left me with a big grin on my face. And it is a real treat to see Nancy Walker paired with the likes of Cloris Leachman and Edward Asner.

While the story is basic (Rhoda's mum wants to be her best friend) it does have it's heart in the right place and it successfully adds to the already established conflict between the two characters. Several scenes are laugh out loud funny, but the best moment has to be when Rhona walks into the newsroom and finds that her mother is wearing the exact same dress as her. In this case, as in all others, it really is a case of a script being lifted to new heights by the performers.

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Friends. Season 3, Episode 14. "The One with Phoebe's Ex-Partner"

2010-06-23T19:56:00.003+01:00

Friends. Season 3, Episode 14. "The One with Phoebe's Ex-Partner" And the gorgeous Sherilyn Fenn!

The three plotlines here are driven by the three guest characters, but the actors guesting on the show barely appear and we are still watching our six friends.

Sherilyn Fenn guests are Chandler's new girlfriend, Steven Eckholdt's character Mark continues to make Ross behave like a boob (and thus drive him and Rachel futher apart) while Elizabeth Daily plays the songwriting partner who ran out on Phoebe years ago. Practically every scene has the regulars talking about these three guest characters. But, wisely, we only see them for brief scenes dotted about the episode. Many sitcoms allow the guests to dominate episodes and it often works beautifully. Friends didn't travel that route. Screentime for peripheral characters was usually kept to a minimum and focus was always on the main six.

Works for me!

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Friends. Season 3, Episode 13. "The One Where Monica and Richard Are Just Friends"

2010-06-23T19:46:00.002+01:00

Friends. Season 3, Episode 13. "The One Where Monica and Richard Are Just Friends" Tom Selleck

You get to see the best and worst of Friends in this one episode.

The Phoebe plotline is silly sit-com nonsense, and has Seinfeld rip-off written all over it. Her new boyfriend keeps accidentally exposing himself and nobody in the gang can muster up the courage to tell him. Yawn.

The Joey plotline is silly, too, but somewhat inspired and uniquely driven by the character of Joey. The Phoebe plotline is generic, and could be any character on any sit-com, but there's something sweet and uniquely Joey about the story where he's scared of books and has to put them in the freezer when they get too scary. Also, there's a chance to see Joey and Rachel (I loved them as a couple) in several scenes together.

The Monica storyline is pure gold. It's funny, and it's sweet. But, more than that, it's a story that is very easy to connect to. I've done what Monica is doing here. Who hasn't? And when Friends was at it's best, it was telling tales that make you laugh and made you relate.

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Friends. Season 3, Episode 12. "The One with All the Jealousy"

2010-06-23T19:40:00.003+01:00

Friends. Season 3, Episode 12. "The One with All the Jealousy" Joey teaches dance.

Matt LeBlanc is fantastic in this episode. There's a scene early one (typical of the Joey scenes on the show) where he's saying something stupid and Chandler and Ross are reacting. LeBlanc is flawless at these scenes. It's really worth watching the scene a second/third time to admire him. Later on, there's a scene where Joey takes ages to read a poem, while a conversation goes on around him. Again, I had reason to marvel at what LeBlanc was doing. His timing, etc. Flawless.

However, the best Joey stuff in this episode concerns the fact that he has lied on his resume and has to fake being a Broadway level dancer. Amazing. Some of my all-time favourite moments on Friends come in this storyline.

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Flash Gordon: Space Soldiers. Chapter 2. "The Tunnel of Terror"

2010-06-17T12:40:00.002+01:00

Flash Gordon: Space Soldiers. Chapter 2. "The Tunnel of Terror" Flash escapes Aura and meets Thun.

Once again, I'm impressed by the relentless pace of everything. A net springs out and save Flash and Aura, after which they make their escape. Aura tries to keep Flash locked in Zarkov's spaceship but when he sees an air attack upon Ming's palace Flash takes to the skies to save his friends.

Once again, Dale Arden has little or screentime (but Jean Rogers looks utterly beautiful when she is on screen). Scheming Aura is a much more interesting character and the interplay between Ming and Zarkov is also compelling.

This chapter contains two of my least favourite elements of the entire serial (or, indeed, of all three serials): Thun and the creature at the end. I'm not a fan of James Pierce's performance as Thun and the creature at the end is - for me - the most phony of all the dangers encountered by Flash on his travels. Fact is: the location filming in these scenes adds a real air of realism to the fantasy. It sells it. Then, in the closing seconds Flash is cornered by something very obviously fake and it always pulls me right out of the story.

Still, because of the aerial battle, this is an enjoyable chapter.

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Royal Pains. Season 2, Episode 1. "Spasticity"

2010-06-17T12:09:00.002+01:00

Royal Pains. Season 2, Episode 1. "Spasticity" The infomercial guy.

All the elements of a good episode are here: a quirky/interesting case-of-the-week, strong Divya/Evan scenes, advancement on the Boris arc, and a nice feelgood factor over everything.

Kyle Bornheimer is underused, but it's great to see him, as this week's patient. Hank gets to do some nice McGyver medicine in this one. I was a little confused by all the driving to and for, however, as I would have assumed that time was of the essence and - instead - the regulars did an awful lot of driving from A to B and back again. Anyway...

Divya has gone from being my least-favourite character to being a close second behind Hank and there were some lovely scenes between her and Evan in this one. I really like this character and her story arc.

Campbell Scott is underused, and we know from Damages just how good he can be, but it's great to see Boris having some serious conversations with Hank. I like their friendship/relationship a lot.

Most important, there's a strong feelgood factor to this show. It looks like a fun place.

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Friends. Season 3, Episode 10. "The One Where Rachel Quits"

2010-06-16T14:38:00.003+01:00

Friends. Season 3, Episode 10. "The One Where Rachel Quits" Christmas 1996.

Three recurring elements of Friends appear here. A character makes a major life-changing decision, Phoebe does something kooky and someone is played as if it's something else to get laughs.

Rachel quits being a waitress in this one. The show was very good at making the main characters into believable people, and the show's semi-serial structure allowed that to happen very easily. We got to see move from job to job, relationship to relationship, much as our real life flesh and blood friends. Watching this again, after all these years, there is still something very satisfying about watching Rachel decide to follow her dream.

Phoebe seems like an easy go-to character for the writers. When they need a b-plot, it sometimes feels like they go to Phoebe and concoct something wacky for her to do. In this episode she has a passion for saving old Christmas trees. Because it's Phoebe you don't need any more than that.

Finally, Ross is selling cookies for a girl scout (Mae Whitman) that he injured and there's a great gag around Monica becoming addicted to eating the cookies that is played as if it's drug addiction, with Ross being the pusher, etc.

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Friends. Season 3, Episode 9. "The One with the Football"

2010-06-16T13:45:00.002+01:00

Friends. Season 3, Episode 9. "The One with the Football" Thanksgiving.

Friends episodes have one of two structures. Most have - at least - three plots and the narrative jumps from plot to plot to fill out the half-hour. Sometimes/Often it defies the laws to time to do this and events in one plot are moving at a much different pace than in others and - when you stop to think about it - it gives you a headache trying to work out when what happened.

Other episodes just put all six regulars together and allows us to watch what happens. This is one of those. It's Thanksgiving, and everyone is playing football. Chandler is depressed and the ongoing childish feud between Ross and Monica drives much of the comedy in the episode.

It's a middle-of-the-road episode. Some laughs. Nothing major.

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Flash Gordon: Space Soldiers. Chapter 1. "The Planet of Peril" Arrival on Mongo.

2010-06-15T03:59:00.003+01:00

Flash Gordon: Space Soldiers. Chapter 1. "The Planet of Peril" Arrival on Mongo.

I'd forgotten how much fun this is. It's been about four years since I saw it and I'd totally forgotten how much of a hoot it is. The thing positively zips along, introduces five major characters (something it does very well) and establishes exactly what is at stake. When the closing credits roll, you know exactly who everybody is and what they are fighting for. Damn, how many modern pilots could learn from this?

I'd forgotten how much gusto and humour Buster Crabbe puts into his lines. When Flash and Dale stumble across the (seemingly) crazy Dr. Zarkov, and he explains his theories/plans to them, the sure-why-not response from Flash is guaranteed to raise a chuckle. Plus, it helps the plot zip along.

And zip along it does, until Flash is face to face with Ming The Merciless and Crabbe has a chance to flex his action-hero muscles by throwing lots and lots of bad guys around all over the place. And, boy, did I ever feel like a kid again watching him do it.

Of the regulars, Dale Arden is the least well-served by the opening script. She doesn't do much except stand near Flash and - when he's gone from her - look worried. Princess Aura, at least, gets motivation and action and stuff to do. Sure, it's all a bit questionable (going against her father's wishes and trying to save the Earthman), but it makes her very interesting. And you can't say there's much wrong with that. Plus, Priscilla Lawson is hot.

Too bad, they fall to their deaths at the end. Surely, there's no way Flash can get out of that...

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Wings. Season 3, Episode 4. "I Ain't Got No Bunny"

2010-06-15T03:49:00.002+01:00

Wings. Season 3, Episode 4. "I Ain't Got No Bunny" Laura Innes

After three episode of Joe/Helen angst, the show changes tone and offers us some... Lowell/Bunny angst! We've never met Bunny before, but we're often heard her mentioned, and in this episode we learn that she's SERIOUSLY unfaithful to Lowell and their marriage is in serious trouble.

Laura Innes is lots of fun as the horny Bunny, and the funniest scene is Brian's attempt to talk sense into her, wherein she wrestles him onto the nearest desk and and leaps on top of him. Indeed most of the big laughs come from watching Steven Weber with Tim Daly. These guys have chemistry/timing to burn.

Tony Shalhoub, however, steals the episode from everybody. He only has two short scenes and the second one has almost no dialogue but it's a laugh riot.

All in all, a solid episode.

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Friends. Season 3, Episode 8. "The One with the Giant Poking Device"

2010-06-15T03:32:00.003+01:00

Friends. Season 3, Episode 8. "The One with the Giant Poking Device" Chandler & Janice split.

Couple of things here you don't expect to see in a situation comedy series: strong continuity with the previous episode and heartfelt character drama. But they are here.

At the end of the previous episode Joey saw that Chandler's girlfriend was cheating on him. And, in this episode, he - eventually - tells Chandler. Matthew Perry has rarely been better. Four episodes earlier, it appeared that Chandler and Janice were splitting up and Chandler was a mess. But Matthew Perry played it differently. He played it for laughs. This time, the script doesn't call for laughs and Perry plays it very real. The dart throwing scene, for example, is spot on.

In many ways, Friends is just a dumbed-down version of Seinfeld. But, having said that, they totally took the ball and ran with it and - in the process - came up up with something special and wonderful in it's own right. And something unique. The perfect mix between laughs, serial and drama is highlighted in this chapter and it is a frequent part of the Friends mix.

The final goodbye between Chandler and Janice is also terrific. Our hero starts out noble and self-sacrificing. But, then, he caves and starts to plead with her to leave. And, it's not funny. Or, even, pathetic. Instead, it's just human and easy to relate to. Remarkable. The scene could have gone many ways, and Perry could have played it however he wanted, but there's no hard comedy or pathos here (a chuckle, yes, and a pang of pity, yes) instead the scene is very honest. OTT, yes, but honest nonetheless.

And Janice leaves. Minus a shoe. Friends had many, many great supporting characters and Janice was certainly one of my favourites. I always assumed - in those days before Monica - that Chandler and she would end up together and watching these early season again I can see why. Maggie Wheeler is hot and funny. Ideal partner material, crazy laugh and all.

Speaking of supporting characters, Gunther has a line in this one, immediately running with the (recently introduced) idea that he has a crush on Rachel and hates Ross. Good stuff.

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Kojak. Season 2, Episode 3. "A Very Deadly Game"

2010-06-15T03:13:00.002+01:00

Kojak. Season 2, Episode 3. "A Very Deadly Game" Kojak fights Feds over a cop killer.

Fast-moving tale. It opens with a double cross which leaves a crook dead and a cop dying, a top level FBI enters the picture and tries to shut Kojak from the case as he tracks the killer for personal reasons, but our hero gets suspicious and - at the end of a chase that leads to Los Angeles via Chicago - he's able to nail his guy.

Aside from the pace and the epic scale of everything, there's lots to enjoy here. Lillian Lehman and Sylvia Soares have one scene each, playing flip-sides of the same character, and both of them are terrific. The cop's wife/widow gives a passionate speech about the sacrifice's her husband has made - for the job - because of his skin colour, while the crook's girlfriend cries over the live/escape she and he will never now have because he's lying dead somewhere. In both case, for different reasons, you believe in the love these characters felt and - in both cases - you feel the pain.

The war over jurisdiction is familiar cop show territory and this Kojak take on things offers nothing new. Since Telly Savalas is so charismatic, you can't help but root for Theo, of course, and see his point of view. Having said that, cold-fish Watkins (a terrific Art Lund) makes a good point, too.

Burr DeBenning (one of my favourites) gets somewhat lost in the shuffle. His dilemma, caught between Kojak and the Fed, occupies screentime in the first half of the story. But, by the time the chase shifts to LA, his character drops from sight and is never seen again. A pity. I like Burr DeBenning and I feel there was a point to made, in there, about those who are weak and don't stand by any convictions.

Nevertheless, a very strong episode.

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Party Down. Season 2, Episode 8. "Joel Munt's Big Deal Party"

2010-06-14T03:08:00.002+01:00

Party Down. Season 2, Episode 8. "Joel Munt's Big Deal Party" Paul Scheer

Two changes to the status quo, but - otherwise - it's business as usual at Party Down.

Henry is back with Casey and, for this episode at least, they are both very happy. Happy and playful. And cute. And I love it, but I fear for it's lasting success. Especially as there are two episodes left in the season and this is a not a show where anyone gets a happy ending.

Ron is back in charge. This is a very welcome change in the status quo. Actually, it's a return to the (original) status was Ron was also the boss back in Season One. And it's a good fit for him. He's a natural (bad) boss (tv character). This season two story arc has done wonders to expand and deepen the character, but - at heart - he works best as the one in charge.

Aside from all these changes, it's a typical episode. Lydia gets high (Megan Mullally) while Kyle & Roman work together to get revenge on an enemy of Roman's who is hosting the party. This storyline leads to many comic moments and great lines: "I never would have come to Hollywood if I'd know I would be lied to."

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Friends. Season 3, Episode 7. "The One with the Race Car Bed"

2010-06-14T00:30:00.002+01:00

Friends. Season 3, Episode 7. "The One with the Race Car Bed" Joey teaches Acting Class, Monica buys a bed, Ross fights with Rachel's dad.

This one opens with a short scene allowing us to hear what the characters are thinking. Cute. I like when shows that have been around for a while do something that deviates from the status quo. It makes everything seem fresh again.

This cute device allows the audience to find out that Gunthar (James Michael Tyler) is secretly in love with Rachel, something that becomes a running joke from here on in.

In the episode itself, (the underrated) Matt LeBlanc gets to generate some hearty laughs as we see Joey teach/explain the acting craft. And Ron Leibman, one of my all-time favourite actors (he was Kaz!), makes a second appearance as Rachel's unfriendly dad. The dad storyline runs familiar sitcom territory, but it works really well here.

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Friends. Season 3, Episode 6. "The One with the Flashback" One year before the pilot.

2010-06-13T23:27:00.002+01:00

Friends. Season 3, Episode 6. "The One with the Flashback" One year before the pilot.

There's an undercurrent of irony is each of these early episodes of Friends. Knowing what path the Ross-Rachel relationship and (especially) knowing that Chandler and Monica will eventually marry adds a certain layer to many scenes/exchanges in the first few seasons.

But this episode is deliberately build on the idea that the stuff happening on-screen is only funny because we know what will eventually happen. And it's a real treat. Ross being happy that his wife has a close female friends, Chandler trying to decide which potential roommate to pick, Monica predicting that she'll never see Rachel Green again...

And on and on. But, beyond all that (and there's a lot of that) this is still a viable standalone episode of Friends. If you were to happen to watch this first, and had never seen the show, a lot of the big laughs (from the audience) would be lost on you, but it's still a hilarious half-hour of TV. Best bit? Chandler dropping the pool ball and hitting on Rachel.

The ending, however, is terrific. Ross and Phoebe's passionate kiss totally threw me (I'd forgotten about that) and it's a surprisingly good/sweet scene.

The Chandler/Monica scene however is something extra special. The episode opens with Janice asking the gang if any of them have ever kissed, etc. When this episode aired in 1996, there was no hint of anything happening between Chandler and Monica so the tease at the end is a legitimate twist. Of course, in later seasons, they married (and because the show's best couple, IMHO) so - looking at the scene now - the ending has a whole new depth and meaning.

Especially since absolutely nothing happened between them.

So much fun to watch these old episodes...

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The Rockford Files. Season 2, Episode 4. "Gearjammers, Part 2"

2010-06-13T00:58:00.003+01:00

The Rockford Files. Season 2, Episode 4. "Gearjammers, Part 2"

This is much better than Part One. Most of the screentime is devoted to Jim and his dad, Rocky. James Garner and Noah Beery Jr. have great chemistry and the script wisely gives them many types of scenes to play: humour, character moments, action, etc. It's a very satisfying episode.

When the two guys aren't alone, they are usually talking to Becker and Joe Santos fits perfectly into the mix.

There are many great scenes, but I particularly love the argument the Rockford's have in Jim's trailer as he tries to stop Rocky from leaving to go home.

There are many funny lines, but I howled with laughter when Jim muttered that Becker had the 'Brains of a chicken' as his cop buddy manager to led a truckload of cargo get stolen out from under his nose. Terrific.

Story-wise, there's not much here to impress. The bad guy's plan is (wisely) kept in the background most of the time. When it does get dealt with, it's hard to believe this was worthy of a two-part episode. Especially when the first half looks more and more like filler when you look back at it.

Never mind, the all-action climax is pretty impressive (with three large trucks in a high speed chase).

Bottom line: watch this one to enjoy seeing Jim and his dad work a case together.

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Dan For Mayor. Episode 10. "Revenge Is Swifty"

2010-06-12T08:29:00.003+01:00

Dan For Mayor. Episode 10. "Revenge Is Swifty" Jeff's boss comes to visit.

Another very funny episode. The visit by Jeff's boss, and the problems it causes for Jeff, is a plot unique to this episode but everything else is heavily serialised. Indeed: a first time viewer would be very hard pushed to understand what is going on during the first third of the episode as the show jumps from ongoing plot to ongoing plot.

I have no problem with this, I love it. It's not what I was expecting when the show started and they do it really, really well so I'm more than happy with the state of play.

I'm also happy with the way the show keeps characters like Mike and Brianna a vital part of the story, long after a stage when you would expect that they would be written out.

And... I'm also happy with the fact that I have no idea where all of this is leading. When, exactly, is the election? What happens when we get that far? Will Dan win? What form will Season Two take? All these questions, and I have no idea how the show is going to deal with them. Rare to find a show that has such a big question mark hanging over it (in a good way).

Also rare that such a show, a heavily-serialised one, would be so funny week-after-week. Yet: it is.

Roll on next week!!

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Party Down. Season 2, Episode 7. "Party Down Company Picnic"

2010-06-10T10:35:00.003+01:00

Party Down. Season 2, Episode 7. "Party Down Company Picnic"

There's a fine line between comedy and tragedy. And this is very clear about seven minutes into this (wonderful) episode of Party Down.

Ron is quite a tragic figure. In the recent past we've seen his business and his love life fail. And we've seen him pretty much fall apart as a consequence. Luckily (since this is a comedy) Ron is a pompous character in the mould of Ollie (Oliver Hardy). Horribly things happen to him, but his manner prevents him from being pathetic to us. Instead, we perversely enjoy it as he sets himself up to be knocked down.

The opening scenes of this episode are a perfect example of this. Once again, Ron is trying to make something of himself. He's setting out to earn a promotion at work. Of course, being Ron, he's acting like a jerk about it. And we are only to happy to laugh when Kyle (Ryan Hansen) drives over his briefcase.

Later on, after Ron (squashed briefcase under his arm) has failed to get the promotion, there's a wonderful sequence where he's pondering on the meaning of it all. He grabs a drink from a disinterested waiter, while standing near some outdoor games, and begins a short speech about why some people - no matter how hard they try, no matter how hard they deserve it - always fail at everything. It's a wonderfully touching and heartfelt moment. And then a horseshoe comes flying through the air and whacks him very hard on the shoulder.

As Ron lay on the ground, crying "Why?" over and over, I laughed so hard that I had to pause the episode and take a break to compose myself.

Now, in all respects, this was a(nother) wonderful episode of Party Down. All of the character had great scenes, and Henry reached a major character moment. Plus Kristen Bell returned to (almost) steal the show out from under the stars.

But the Ron stuff was the highlight. In that moment, you can see the genius of Party Down captured. Comedy and Tragedy as opposites of the same coin. All of the characters are broken in some way, and most of the comedy comes from their failings.

But the horseshoe moment, coming as Ron ponders on the cruelty of life, is particularly wonderful.

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