Rising Damp 4.6

Brian Peck . Run-of-the-mill episode brings the series to a close. There are a few chuckles, but at this stage everything feels tired. Rigsby’s brother adds nothing to the story, and the constant hints about the origins of the engagement ring don’t have a pay-off. The final scene is silly, not funny. 6/10

Rising Damp 4.4

Joan Sanderson, Helen Fraser, John Quayle . It may be a silly story which falls into place too easily, but the second half is full of laughs. The dialogue is sharp and every case of mistaken identity is funny, so it’s hard to be critical. The first half is only weak because the pace is too fast, and it does strain credibility the way the characters spout out the exposition. Perhaps if Alan was still living there, his presence would have helped the first half, made it seem less artificial. But, that minor point aside, this episode is definitely a winner. 9/10

Rising Damp 4.3

Andrew Sachs . The first half is a promising set-up, but with Rigsby off-camera for most of it, the second half fizzles. 6/10

Community, Hiccups, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rising Damp, WKRP in Cincinnati

Friday, March 26th, 2010

06.00 Community
06.30 Hiccups
12.30 The Mary Tyler Moore Show
01.00 Rising Damp
02.00 WKRP In Cincinnati

Community. Episode 20. "The Science of Illusion" Britta's practical joke.

Clever. Britta's pretty much the only unfunny character in the ensemble, so they write that very quality into a script. And it works. The character's mistaken belief that a frog-on-the-teacher's-desk would be funny was genuinely endearing, and the ensuing accident with the cadaver was hilarious.

I love the show's ability to have the character's go insane (step into another reality) without ruining the reality of the world they inhabit. Annie and Shirley as badass cops? How awesome were Yvette Nicole Brown and Alison Brie?

Episode endings always push the envelope into deeply emotional territory. At first, I was reluctant to embrace this aspect of the show, but after a half-dozen episodes I had to admit that they were making it work week after week so I got used to it. This was the best one ever, where everybody was OTT crying. Like the show was having fun with itself. Only makes me love it more.

Hiccups. Episode 4. "Speed Ball" speed dating

Now this is more like the sort of episode I expected the show to provide: Stan introduces Millie to something in an effort to make her a better person. This week: speed dating, in an effort to have her meet new people and make some friends. It's a solid idea. There's aren't really any good gags here, but it's a solid idea.

Meanwhile, back at the office, lots of unfunny things happen to lots of unfunny people. I'm sorry but my interest in the show dies as soon as it moves away from Stan and Millie. And the fact that they aren't very funny is kinda killing my interest in them...

The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Episode 24. "The 45-Year-Old Man" Lou is fired

No episode of Mary Tyler Moore's first season is as good as the show's pilot, but the season finale is pretty darn close. There's also a great symmetry between the two episodes. The season opened with a show devoted to Mary's job, and ends with one devoted to Lou's job.

There are many reasons to love The Mary Tyler Moore Show and this episode illustrates one of them: the bond between Mary and Lou. Mary Tyler Moore and Edward Asner pretty much carry the episode and most of their scenes are downright magical. The moment where Lou takes Mary by the shoulders, tells her now 'nice' she is and urges her to leave him alone is beautifully written and performed. In that moment, we can see the considerable affection between these co-workers without the script ever losing sight of their defining characteristics, and considerable differences.

Sidney Clute, who would go on to appear in several Lou Grant episodes, has a small role.

Rising Damp. Season 4, Episode 2. "Fire and Brimstone" Religion

The story here is completely driven by the new tenant: a student with extreme religious views who soon has an effect on everyone in the house. John Clive is a very strong guest star, he's funny and able to hold his own in scenes with Leonard Rossiter who has some great material in this one, particularly when Rigsby makes an all-out play for Miss Jones. Best bit? The cigar.

The show has adapted very well to losing Alan. We don't get to see Rigsby imparting his (misguided) wisdom anymore, and there's nobody for Philip to play pranks with but the surviving characters are strong and diverse enough to sustain any series. Of the three, it is probably Miss Jones who benefits most from the extra screentime and the show is forcing the Rigsby-Jones romance for the first time.

WKRP In Cincinnati. Episode 78. "Love, Exciting and New" Andy & Mrs. Carlson

Season Four of WKRP seems to be the best and funniest. This is another solid entry with a great story and several fantastic laughs. Some of the comedy is slapstick (unusual for WKRP), and some is down to witty one-liners, but most is down to the interaction between the regular characters.

Story-wise this is a brave one. The flirtation between Andy and (the much older) Mrs. Carlson has been featured for several episodes, but it comes to a head here when it appears that Mrs. Carlson wants to take things to another level. The issues and the characters are treated with respect, it's always funny and there are no easy answers. Mrs. Carlson has always been written as an interesting and three-dimensional character and this episode is no exception. Her motives are kept suitably vague and mature. Is she just having fun? Acting for her own amusment? Or is she lonely?

When's the last time a TV show (a half-hour sitcom, no less) left you wondering these things?

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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

Michael & Michael Have Issues, Defying Gravity, Warehouse 13, The Vampire Diaries, Royal Pains, Rising Damp, WKRP in Cincinnati, Mary Tyler Moore Show

Friday, September 11th, 2009

06.30 Michael And Michael Have Issues
07.00 Defying Gravity
08.00 Warehouse 13
09.00 The Vampire Diaries
10.00 Royal Pains
11.00 Rising Damp
11.30 WKRP In Cincinnati
12.00 The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Michael And Michael Have Issues. Episode 4. "Pulling Your Weight" Black slacks off.

Not as strong as the previous episode. The central idea (one half of the team isn't doing enough work) isn't strong enough to fill the full half-hour. Luckily, some of the sketches are very funny (eg. the zombies).

Defying Gravity. Episode 1. "Pilot" In the year 2052, a space ship leaves Earth to explore the solar system.

And the crew are diverse and interesting. And so are the crew back on Earth. In fact, this pilot introduces about 137 characters and - to it's considerable credit - does it well. We get a flavour for all fo them, and a genuine hook into several of them.

The cast rocks. Ron Livingston, Laura Harris, Christina Cox and Malik Yoba are personal favourites of my own from other projects and many other cast members (some new to me, some not) make great impressions in this first outing.

While the story-of-the-week has a predictable outcome, the backstory (which is hinted at) is very compelling and makes me want to see/know more.

A great pilot.

Warehouse 13. Episode 2. "Resonance" Bank robbers use sound/music to hypnotise people.

A huge step up from the pilot. This is a great case-of-the-week, and the two regulars are (suddenly) interesting and likable and fun to watch.

There are flaws here (guest star Tricia Helfer is completely wasted) but - overall - I really enjoyed this and am glad I didn't write this off after the pilot.

The Vampire Diaries. Episode 1. "Pilot" A vampire starts high school with a girl that resembles someone from his past.

Great fun. It's like having Roswell back, but this time it's about vampires not aliens.

The leads - Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley - have fantastic chemistry and Ian Somerhalder looks to be having a ball as a truly evil vampire. Indeed, it's a strong cast all round and while none of the characters are startlingly original the show seems to know this, and seems to know exactly what it is, without pretensions. It zips along with it's plot and - over the course of the hour - I really came to like the characters.

Nina Dobrev is cute and adorable and it's easy to care about her and worry for her. Paul Wesley nails the show's most difficult part: playing a dark and brooding individual without seeming false or fake.

Royal Pains. Episode 4. "TB or Not TB" Sick chef.

The best episode so far. Lots of running around and a story that you wouldn't see on any other show right now. And it's a fun story, too. Sure, people could die (theoretically) but this is a show like Burn Notice: it's fun to watch.

Evan continues to get great laughs and is probably my favourite character in the show. He's a perfect foil for Hank and the show would be much weaker without him.

But I like Hank. And I like his romance with Jill and how they worked together in this episode.

Also, with this episode, I'm starting to like Divya.

Rising Damp. Season 4, Episode 1. "Hello Young Lovers" Everyone thinks the new couple in the house is married...

Alan is gone, and the show adapts very well with Miss Jones getting a lot of screen time and becoming Rigsby's newest confidant. Which makes sense really.

Many episodes opened with Rigsby and Alan in conversation over some topic. Their different backgrounds/opinions giving rise to much conflict and comedy. In this episode, Miss Jones fills the void and - luckily - she's just as different from Rigsby as Alan was (in a different way, of course).

Phillip, of course, is mainly there to tease Rigsby and - as the only truly normal character in the bunch - he's not as vital to the comedy.

As a story-of-the-week this is one of the show's very best and the mix-up at the end is genuinely funny.

A great start to the final season.

WKRP In Cincinnati. Episode 75. "Three Days of the Condo" Johnny comes into money.

Good. Fun. It's a good episode of Johnny and it serves most of the regular cast, very well, as well.

The climax, where Johnny and Venus pretend to be a gay couple to get out of the condo deal, is very funny and - in common with the best of WKRP - it makes you think, too.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Episode 22. "A Friend in Deed" A childhood friend (that Mary doesn't remember) shows up at WJM-TV.

It's a slim idea, but the show makes it work. And gets laughs. Pat Finley is funny and she plays off everyone to perfection. There's even a pretty story.

One of the highlights of Season One.

Highlight? Defying Gravity
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

Fri, Apr 17, 09 - Rising Damp, WKRP In Cincinnati, Jason Of Star Command

03.00 Rising Damp
03.30 WKRP In Cincinnati
04.00 Jason Of Star Command

Rising Damp. Season 3, Episode 7. "Suddenly at Home" A tenant dies.

Although it relies on the creation of a totally new character to drive the story (because he's a hypochondriac) this is one of the best and funniest episodes of Rising Damp. It opens with Rigsby and Alan in conversation and their interactions (the cynic and the ingénue) dominate most of the scenes. They are, in many ways, the heart and soul of Rising Damp and this is their last episode together, as Richard Beckinsale left the series after this season.

WKRP In Cincinnati. Episode 74. "Who's On First?" Everybody is lying about who they are.

The funniest and cleverest episode of WKRP. Many episodes of this show play like a drama series with funny lines, but this is an out-and-out screwball comedy. Herb is still in hospital (from the previous episode) so Jennifer and Mr. Carlson fill in for him. When they find out that he is taking illegal kickbacks they opt to play along, to keep the status quo, and Mr. Carlson must pretend to be Herb. Meanwhile, in a totally unrelated plotline, Johnny is hiding from a bookie because he owes him a lot of money. When everyone converges on the station, and Jennifer convinces Les to pretend to be Mr. Carlson, the results are truly hilarious.

Jason Of Star Command. Episode 3. "Escape from Dragos" Jason (almost) escapes.

Unlike the first two chapters, which were fast-paced and very entertaining, this one is rather tedious. Jason and The Commander escape from Dragos, which translates as lots and lots of running down corridors. Meanwhile Nicole leaves Star Command to get a closer look at the Dragos ship, which translates as lots and lots of FX shots of her ship flying.

There are a few other things happening, too, but nothing very exciting.

Nicole does a great job of filling her tight-fitting space-suit, however, and that is rather exciting.

Highlight? WKRP (very funny)
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Fri, Mar 27, 09 - The Office, Due South, Rising Damp, WKRP In Cincinnati

07.30 The Office
08.00 Due South
09.00 Rising Damp
09.30 WKRP In Cincinnati

The Office. Season 5, Episode 19. "Two Weeks" Michael decides to set up his own company.

Another wonderful episode. I love the way the a-story (Michael's new company) and the b-story (Pam's mastering of the new photocopier) intersect at the very end. In this way the ending was a surprise, but it made sense.

Due South. Season 3, Episode 5. "Mountie and Soul" The Boxing Episode.

Seems like every cop show does an episode set in the world of boxing, and this one offers nothing new on the subject. It's an episode of Due South I've never seen before but - even so - I was reluctant to watch it. One knew it was a boxing episode I was bored in advance and - consequently - put off watching it several times over the past couple of months.

Now that I've finally watched the darn thing... it was exactly as I expected it to be. Bit of a yawn-fest.

Rising Damp. Season 3, Episode 6. "The Cocktail Hour" Alan gets engaged.

Strong episode, very funny. Doesn't rely on guest characters to drive the story/comedy. Most of it is conversations between Rigsby and Alan, which is - I feel - the best element of the series. The idea that Alan is about to marry a very rich girl doesn't seem at all intrusive and outlandish. Rather it serves as a great springboard for a series to debates between the naive tenant and the cynical landlord.

The sequence where Rigsby shows Alan how to behave in polite society is some of the funniest stuff Leonard Rossiter has ever done. And the pay-off later in the episode (where Alan kicks over a valuable tea set) is equally hilarious.



WKRP In Cincinnati. Episode 73. "Straight From the Heart" Herb is having heart trouble and the gang need to persuade him to get it checked.

A great story, with solid character moments and lots of laughs. It moves from the radio station, to the hospital, to a 3D Porn Movie Theatre (yes, a 3D Porn Movie Theatre) to a prison cell with ease and manages to include all of the regulars and make us believe that they really do care about sleazy Herb.

The ending is wonderful. Herb cuts the cards and pretends to lose (and agrees to go back to the hospital), even though it means passing up a night on the town with Jennifer. Tough to do, since Loni Anderson looks absolutely stunning in this episode.

Highlight? The Office (Michael and Pam)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

Fri, Mar 6, 09 - Kolchak, WKRP In Cincinnati, Rising Damp

12.00 Kolchak: The Night Stalker
01.00 WKRP In Cincinnati
01.30 Rising Damp

Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Episode 9. "The Spanish Moss Murders" A monster is killing people, but the number one suspect has been asleep for six weeks...

One of my favourite episodes. This was one of the first that I saw and the perfect mix of horror and comedy has a lot to do with why I am such a fan of the series. When regarded in the context of the whole series, it stands out as one the best episodes with many of the key Kolchak elements in place.

The Logic. All of the best Kolchak stories follow Carl step-by-step as he gradually concludes that he is facing something supernatural. This is one of those. The first half of the episode could be from a non-fantasy show. It's just Carl investigating a series of odd murders and asking questions about the details that the police are trying to leave out (or cover up). This is Kolchak at his best, and one of the main reasons for loving the show. He's a clever man, he knows when something doesn't add up and he's relentless when he knows he's being lied to (or when facts are being glossed over). As ever, his nose for news is impeccable.

The Authority Figure/Conspiracy. Keenan Wynn makes his first appearance and instantly becomes the best cop that Kolchak has gone head to head with (John Dehner is the second best, of course). The scenes between Wynn and Darren McGavin are beautiful. Perfect comedy. Captain Siska isn't a bad guy, and he's not masterminding a conspiracy in the classic sense. He's a bad-tempered cop, he doesn't much like Kolchak (but he tries) and he's willing to open his mind to the odd ideas put forward by the reporter. Ultimately, however, he wants to keep the story quiet.

The Regular Cast. For once, we get very little on the INS staff. There's a hilarious scene where Tony is trying to practice an important speech and a truly wonderful moment - later on - where Tony and Ron and some other newspapermen are returning from a riotous night on the town and we are clearly shown that Ron is out of place and - sadly - invisible. Carl notices this, but - being Carl - he has no empathy. He chuckles and sends Ron home.

The Experts. This time out, we get a plant expert. She's fairly normal when compared to many of the extreme individuals that Carl enlists during his investigations. You could almost class Severn Darden's character as 'an expert', I suppose. But he's in several scenes, and forms an integral part of the story, so I'm inclined to think of the plant lady as the only 'expert' for this story.

Scare Factor/Comedy. There's one truly fantastic scene in this episode. It occurs towards the end when Carl returns to INS and it appears that the case is over. In front of Tony and his big-wig cronies, Carl finds spanish moss at his desk and begins babbling in panic. The scene is hilarious and chilling in equal measure. We laugh because Carl comes off like a nut-job to Tony's group, and we are scared because we know that the creature was there. In INS!! At Carl's desk. Superb. Maybe my favourite scene in all of KTNS.

WKRP In Cincinnati. Episode 70. "An Explosive Affair" The station receives a bomb threat.

Great episode. As usual. More serious than funny. As usual. This is also the one where Rosemary Forsyth appears Mr. Carlson's previous secretary. Perfect casting. It's implied that she's Jennifer Mk.1 and it's hard to imagine any actress being able to bring the sort of qualities to the role that Loni Anderson brings to Jennifer, but Forsyth manages it.

It's a moderately successful subplot. It's implied that she has a romantic/sexual interest in Carlson and - strangely - that he might be willing to reciprocate. A strange story choice, since it is well established that Carlson is devoted to his wife.

Much more successful is the main storyline. Andy gets the bomb squad in, and sends Venus and Johnny to a remote tranmitter to keep broadcasting. The scenes between then, in the tiny broadcast booth, are funny and underscored with great tension.

Rising Damp. Season 3, Episode 5. "Fawcett's Python" A snake is loose.

For the fourth time this season the story is driven by a guest character: an exotic dancer, with a pet snake. It's not a bad episode, and there are lots of laughs, but it is a silly episode. When you are dealing with a stripper and her python you cannot help but feel that the show has wandered very far from it's roots. At the height of the silliness: the snake is loose and there's a fake snake left lying around for a prank and several characters seem incapable to telling which is real and which is not. Daft.

Highlight? Kolchak (funny and scary)
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A Briefing With Michael: One Year Ago

Sat, Feb 28, 09 - Rising Damp, Superboy, Shazam!

07.00 Rising Damp
03.00 Superboy
03.30 Shazam!

Rising Damp. Season 3, Episode 4. "The Good Samaritans" A new tenant moves in, and climbs onto the roof to commit suicide.

For the third time this season, the story is driven by a new character created especially for the episode. This time out it's a depressed man, who drops a lot of non-subtle hints about his intention to commit suicide and - eventually - climbs out onto the roof.

The early comedy comes from Rigsby and the gang panicking over what the man might do, and squabbling among themselves. The latter part of the episode has most of the regulars climbing around on the roof trying to get the poor man to come back inside. There are laughs to be had, yes, but some of the humour is too forced to work. The depressed tenant is written/played way over the top and the man who comes to help them with the crisis is written/played very stupid so that he keeps assuming the wrong people are planning to commit suicide. The conversation he has with Miss Jones is very funny, but his repeated attempts to have Rigsby carted away for observation are too strained to work fully.

Superboy. Season 2, Episode 1. "With This Ring, I Thee Kill" Lex Luthor returns, assumes a new identity and kidnaps Lana Lang.

Three superb performances dominate this very strong episode. Stacy Haiduk (the real star of the show) gets another chance to show us Lana in peril, Sherman Howard assumes the role of Lex and steals the episode from everyone with a succession of superb scenes (playing two characters) and Gerard Christopher appears as Superman/Superboy for the first time and instantly establishes himself as the best actor to play the part. Ever.

It's a fun story which accomplishes a lot. The change in actor playing Superman/Superboy is ignored while the change in actor playing Lex is explained in great detail. I've always been curious about that. Why not just replace Lex and start fresh? Never mind. At least, the 'origin' story for the new Lex is great.

Shazam! Episode 1. "The Joyriders" Chuck's friends want to 'borrow' a car. He knows it's wrong, but he doesn't have the courage to speak up and say so...

There are two things to say about this: First, it's hokey. But hokey is okay. I don't mind something that's a bit too earnest and tries to teach a moral. There's nothing essentially wrong with that, if it's done with a sense of style and flair. And, to it's credit, this half-hour is fun in several ways: Billy Batson and his mentor driving around the country, taking direction from animated gods in visions, and helping people and so on. It's goofy nonsense.

Sadly, the story lacks logic in many places. Billy and Mentor keep bumping into Chuck and/or his friends with a crazy amount of ease. So much so that you begin to wonder if this town they are visiting has, like, one short street, one house and one car!!

Logic-flaws aside, it did make me smile a few times. It's okay, but you really have to switch your brain complete off to enjoy this.

Highlight? Superboy (great cast, great story, great fun)
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Fri, Feb 13, 09 - Rising Damp, WKRP In Cincinnati

10.30 Rising Damp
11.00 WKRP In Cincinnati

Rising Damp. Season 3, Episode 3. "Clunk Click" Rigsby buys a new car.

It has some funny moments but there's nothing subtle here and - at times - it's unrecognisable as an episode of Rising Damp. It opens with a dialogue between Rigsby and Alan but, instead of a lengthy debate, we get a short exchange setting up the plot of the episode: Rigsby has a new sports car. Rigsby with a sports car? Seems to stretch credulity. As does the fact that Miss Jones immediately agrees to a date at the local Country Club. Things are going so well for Rigsby, I almost him to wake up and for it all to turn out to be a dream.

The date does not go as expected, and there is some fine comedy here (particularly from Frances de la Tour) but none of it feels remotely like RD. By the end of the episode, Philip has convinced Rigsby that he has run over his own cat. Phillip has played mean tricks on the landlord before but this one goes on far too long and doesn't generate enough laughs to justify itself.

One of the weakest episodes in the run.

WKRP In Cincinnati. Episode 68. "Clean Up Radio Everywhere" A religious group tries to censor the station's playlist.

Not many laughs in this one, but absolutely one of the very episodes of WKRP. Instead of being preachy, the story is subtle and intelligent. And everything that happens is driven by the characters. Remarkable. What should be a boring issue-driven episode, instead becomes a fantastic character-study of Arthur Carlson and an examination of his relationship with his team.

When the story opens, Carlson is a bit clueless about the big picture and agrees to the demands of Dr. Bob and his organisation. This leads to some great between Carlson and the other regulars. As the tale unfolds, Carlson slowly comes to realise what is really going on and - as a consequence - he modifys his position. The scenes using the lyrics to "Imagine" by John Lennon will make your spine tingle.

The story ends on a realistic note: Carlson digs his heels in, stands side-by-side with his DJs and - as a consequence - the station loses a lot of advertisers. These final scenes, showing Carlson first with an advertiser and then with Dr. Bob, are superb.

Highlight? WKRP (intelligent)
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Fri, Feb 6, 09 - 10 Items Or Less, Burn Notice, In Plain Sight, Rising Damp, WKRP

06.30 10 Items Or Less
07.00 Burn Notice
10.00 In Plain Sight
11.00 Rising Damp
11.30 WKRP In Cincinnati

10 Items Or Less. Episode 2. "Miracle Worker" When a water stain starts to resemble Jesus, the store decides to cash in on it.

A big come down from the opening episode. The story has appeared on other sit-coms and this show does nothing with it. In fact, lots of what they do just isn't funny. And the bit at the very end (where Leslie thinks he is talking to his dad) is just plain stupid.

Burn Notice. Season 2, Episode 12. "Seek and Destroy" Michael goes up against a nasty arms dealer.

Such a clever episode from this wonderful, fun show. Most episodes stick to a rigid formula: Michael meets his client, Michael poses as somebody and meets the bad guy, Michael runs a scam on the bad guy and wins. End of episode. This episode cleverly, and easily, flips the middle part and puts it first. Michael needs money so he poses as a security expert and gets himself a job. By the middle part of the episode he's found out what is really going on and meets his real client for the first time. From then on it is business as usual, until the happy conclusion.

It's a great, fun show and I very much admire the way they cleverly flip things around in the formula to give us a 'fresh' type of episode.

Also, there's some nice continuity with Michael and Fiona after the romance last week...

In Plain Sight. Episode 10. "To Serge with Love" Two protected witnesses start dating, which sends Mary and Marshall into a panic.

A story they could only tell on "In Plain Sight" and a great story, too. Not only is it exciting (because we want to know if Serge is trustworthy or not) but it manages to hit several beats on the concepts of love/romance which resonate brilliantly with the stuff going on in Mary's personal life.

Mark Sheppard guests, by the way. Which, let's face it, is pretty much the seal of excellent. The guy is awesome in whatever he does. And this is no exception. He appears in the Brandy ongoing subplot and - as it gains momentum - this is turning out to be a good story.

Best bit? Marshall checks out the info that Mary got, even after fighting with her. Aw...

Rising Damp. Season 3, Episode 2. "Stage Struck" The gang are preparing for a play.

Reaching out, in desperation (one would assume) to generate story ideas, Eric Chappell moves an actor into the boarding house and gets all the regulars involved in a play. Luckily for all concerned Peter Bowles is cast as the new lodger and the results are hilarious. He camps it up and is probably the only guest star in the series history to almost steal scenes from Leonard Rossiter. While their big 'love scene' is so funny it hurts, it's fair to say that most of the scenes in this episode are examples of the show at it's very best.

WKRP In Cincinnati. Episode 67. "Till Debt Do Us Part" Johnny's ex-wife is getting married.

The first half is painfully unfunny (due a very annoying performance from Hamilton Camp) but the second half is rather wonderful. Johnny and his ex are alone and they talk about their past, and - I suppose - their future. It's not very funny, but it successfully avoids every single cliché you can think of and it hits you right in the heart. Not in a schmaltzy way, either. Everything that's said by the two of them seems honest and low key. Very much like real life. And it works. You get a real sense of the strong affection these two people have for one another, despite all that Johnny put them through. And it's amazing to see that captured so well in a sit-com format.

Highlight? Rising Damp (Peter Bowles)
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Fri, Jan 23, 09 - Burn Notice, In Plain Sight, Kolchak, Rising Damp, WKRP

05.00 Burn Notice
06.00 In Plain Sight
07.00 Kolchak: The Night Stalker
08.00 Rising Damp
02.00 WKRP in Cincinnati

Burn Notice. Season 2, Episode 10. "Do No Harm" A scam artist (Stacy Haiduk) steals from the father of a sick child.

I love this show because Michael is such an old fashioned TV hero. As this story opens (picking up from the cliff-hanger that ended the previous episode) Michael is on the run and in danger for his life, but he takes time to stop a suicide in progress and take on 'a case'. A case involving a sick child. Sure, he's on the run for his life, but Michael won't walk away from someone in trouble. Particularly a sick child. And that's why he's cool. He's the modern successor to Magnum, pi, Spenser, The Equalizer and all the great TV heroes of bygone days/nights.

The story that follows is good. It doesn't follow the usual Burn Notice pattern. In fact, things don't fall into place for much of it and it looks as if this is one time that Michael won't be able to get the job done (towards the end he looks set to go to his enemy Carla to get the money needed).

A cool hero (who cares about the problems of ordinary people) and an exciting story: Burn Notice is back.

In Plain Sight. Episode 9. "Good Cop, Dead Cop" When a cop from Chicago turns up dead, suspicion falls on on of Mary's protected witnesses: an ex-cop from Chicago who put some crooked cops in jail.

Another very strong episode. The main storyline (told both in the present and 18 months ago) is very strong and the b-plot involving Mary's hot sister is getting better every week. Her growing attraction to Mary's boyfriend (driven by her own isolation and loneliness) have become a great hook into the character.



Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Episode 8. "Bad Medicine" It's never going to be on anyone's Favourite Episode List, but this is a solid, flawless outing and it has one moment of truly inspired comedy.

Several key-Kolchak elements are in place.

The Bad Guy. Richard Kiel stars as one of the great Kolchak baddies. He's got an ice-cold stare and buckets of menace. His background (a Native American legend under a curse) makes him one of the most imaginative creatures offered up by the show.

The Experts. This show is full of experts, the little people enlisted by Carl in his fight. Marvin Kaplan, Alice Ghostley and Victor Jory are on hand to give our hero all the details he will need. None is quite as quirky as the ones that will appear later in the show's run, but each is memorable and fun to watch.

The Regular Cast are well served by this script: At one stage we see Tony sleeping in the office i the vain hope that Carl will show up at some stage and listen to him. There are some great comedy moments in the office, one of which is probably my favourite funny moment in all of KTNS. First off: there's some great business with Carl ripping pages from phone books in the office. Such a simple idea, and they manage to get lots of mileage out of it. Then there's the truly awesome stuff with the phone calls. Carl phones Emily to get some information from Ron, who gets suspicious after a few questions (and a few fibs from Emily/Carl) so Carl then phones Ron's phone to distract him... And on it goes. Fast paced, quick-fire and very funny.

The Authority Figure/Conspiracy. No real conspiracy this time. More of a police cover-up. Ramon Bieri makes his first appearance on the show and isn't in league with anyone. He just wants to keep a lid on the strange elements of the crime. Too bad (for him) that Carl is on the case...

The Logic. This is one of the episodes with a fast pace and flawless logic. Carl sinks his teeth into the story long before an element of the supernatural is discovered. It's just a succession of odd robberies and Carl's nose for news drives the story. Every move he makes, ever deduction he makes, is logical and stands up to good common sense.

The Scare Factor. The ending to this one is one of the best. Instead of an abandoned spooky house, we get an abandoned spooky skyrise. It's dark and deserted, the chanting on the soundtrack will creep you out, and Carl once again proves he's a reporter first and hero second by dropping things, making noise and getting caught very, very fast.

Rising Damp. Season 3, Episode 1. "That's My Boy" A year has passed. Miss Jones moves back in, and when a baby appears, Rigsby assumes that it is hers...

Very funny opening to the third series. The long break between the previous episode and this one allows for a funny/silly misunderstanding to work. Rigsby returns from two week's holiday to find that Alan has let out two rooms: one to Miss Jones and one to a lady that Rigsby has never met. A baby appears, and Rigsby assumes that it belongs to Miss Jones. Pure sit-com nonsense, of course, but the cast (and script) milk the idea for all that it is worth and there are a lot of hearty laughs to be had.

WKRP In Cincinnati. Episode 66. "Nothing To Fear But..." The station is robbed.

A serious and thought-proving episode that is (a) very funny, and (b) never preachy. In other words, this is an absolute classic. The aftermath of the robbery finds all the regulars coping in their own way with their feelings of violation and invasion. Herb buys a gun, which is where things get interesting...

In second half of the story, Venus and Johnny (a terrific team) are alone in the station late at night when they hear noises. They take Herb's gun from his desk and go on the prowl. Without ever drawing direct attention to the fact that it is saying anything, the story makes it clear that having a gun lying around is very dangerous. But the downbeat ending (there's another robbery) leaves the viewer wondering if maybe having a gun is necessary anyway. No clear answers, but it leaves you thinking (which is no bad thing for a sitcom).

Highlight? Kolchak (flawless)
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Tue, Dec 23, 08 - Prison Break, Worst Week, Rising Damp, Venture Bros., NewsRadio

06.00 Prison Break
07.00 Worst Week
08.00 Worst Week
08.30 Rising Damp
09.00 The Venture Bros.
01.00 NewsRadio

Prison Break. Season 4, Episode 16. "The Sunshine State" A mixed bad, but it's still a lot better than last week's mess.

The show is still reminding me of Alias, with Linc all slicked up and leading his new team on a Search-And-Retrieve mission. They didn't exactly crash a cocktail party, but it has a lot of other elements from the famous/excellent spy series.

It also reminds me - this week - of 24. Sadly, this is a bad thing. Because now that Michael's mother has entered the picture it reminds me of the naff story twist that 24 produced in Season Six wherein we learned that everything revolved around Jack Bauer's family. And had done for a few seasons. Making it all about Jack's family proved to be a mistake and caused us viewers to lose interest.

Making Michael's mother a vital part of the Company conspiracy runs the danger of rendering every thing on the show totally implausible.

Of course, the arrival of Sydney's mother on Alias didn't hurt the show at all, so it remains to be seen what all of this will mean for Prison Break.

For the second week in a row, all of the Michael scenes were duff.

But, pretty much everything else was pretty close to the show's usual high standard. Alex was awesome. Sara was awesome. Gretchen was awesome.

Gretchen's final scene was pretty darn awesome, too. I never expected her to get shot. Having it happen after she showed her true colours/loyalties made it somewhat epic. The aftermath of the shooting was superb, also: Linc about to execute her, while T-Bag and Self acted as his Guardian Angels (one good, one bad).

Worst Week. Episode 10. "The Apartment" Erinn Hayes is hilarious. She's also ridiculously hot, of course, which I know from watching her on The Winner. But as the weeks go by and it emerges that Melanie is almost as unlucky as Sam (she destroys the kitchen while cooking in this episode), and that she is very much Sam's partner in all his misadventures, it cannot be escaped that Hayes is very, very funny. She's always been dropping in some great one-liners, and reactions, amid the chaos that Sam creates, but as the camera lingers on her more and more in this episode the more I found myself laughing.

With this episode the show seems to have opted to abandon the story arc approach. The opening credits no longer have an event written on the calendar and everything about this episode could be done on any other sit-com.

Never mind. Rachael Harris guests and it's a very funny episode. Much as I love the idea of story arcs, maybe the show works best as a series of stand-alone tales.

Worst Week. Episode 11. "The Gift" Weaker than usual. The guy who showed up and stole the car was so totally random that it pretty much didn't work very well. As usual, on this show, pretty much everything else that happened was driven by a large number of little white lies. Christmas, and all the secrecy that that entails, lends itself to telling little fibs, I suppose, but they sure overuse the idea on this show.

Rising Damp. Season 2, Episode 8. "For the Man Who Has Everything" It starts off slow (with too many guest characters), gets better (as the regulars arrive) and builds to a truly great comedy of misunderstanding.

Rigsby has been alone all over Christmas and he is in very bad form. All the early conversations are with guest characters and it lacks the spark of the usual starts. Most episodes seem to open with Rigsby and Alan deep in conversation. Random bickering with random strangers is just not as funny.

Soon Alan and Brenda arrive and things pick up considerably. Rigsby getting the same bad gift from both of them is very funny, but the episode kicks into high gear in the final third. Phillip arrives with a girl in tow. And when Rigsby meets her, he jumps to a spectacular wrong conclusion. Leonard Rossiter has seldom been funnier.

The Venture Bros. "A Very Venture Christmas" An odd little number, this one. Not without laughs, but the conceit that it's all a dream-within-a-dream-within-a-dream left me with a headache when the credits had rolled. Best bit? The Christmas-themed porn videos!

NewsRadio. Season 2, Episode 10. "Xmas Story" The first episode I ever saw, and still one of my favourites.

Mr. James gives the staff sports cars for Christmas. All except Matthew. For some reason he gives Matthew a box of old radio shows on tape. Bill, meanwhile, is being stalked by a crazed Santa. And nobody believes him.

The Bill storyline is totally crazy, and very funny. The main storyline makes the whole group gather around Matthew for the duration of the episode, and it makes for a fun episode.

Highlight? Worst Week (Erinn Hayes)
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Sat, Dec 20, 08 - Dexter, FNL, Burn Notice, Venture Bros., Rising Damp, Office, Corner Gas

06.00 Dexter
07.00 Friday Night Lights
08.00 Burn Notice
09.00 The Venture Bros.
09.30 Rising Damp
10.00 The Office
10.30 Corner Gas

Dexter. Season 2, Episode 12. "The British Invasion" A superb conclusion. The beauty of this chapter is that - before it starts - it is impossible to predict how it will all turn out, yet once it is over you cannot imagine it happening any other way.

I am shocked that Doakes is dead. I wasn't sure that he would die, and I never imagined that Lila would be the one to kill him. Clever writing. Great performance from Lauren Vélez in the aftermath of the death/discovery, too.

But the episode belongs to Jaime Murray as the evil Lila. Poor Lila. At different parts of the season I liked her and loathed her. In the end, there was almost nothing to sympathise with. She went after Rita's children for Frak's sake!! No sympathy left for her after that.

But the script is clever. Up until that last scene we were led to believe that she has gotten away scott free. Not so. Dexter found her. And justice was served.

It's been a great season. Better than the first. What's next for Dexter?

Friday Night Lights. Season 2, Episode 12. "Who Do You Think You Are?" A mixed bag. Some stories are great, and some are pedestrian.

Carlotta leaves Matt. It's a lazy ending to a pointless storyline. Corlotta was just somebody for Matt to be with while he wasn't with Julie, and the show made no great effort to turn her into anything more. Which is a pity.

Lila, meanwhile, starts working at a Christian Radio station and Riggins makes a play for her. He arrives, flowers in hand, to find her in mid-smooch with her on-air co-host. Predictable, predictable, predictable. Sigh, sigh, sigh.

Over in the Taylor house, Coach and Tami try to figure out what to do with Gracie during the day (when they are both at work). They have the ol' should-the-woman-quit-her-job-to-mind-the-baby conversation. Predictable.

The only good storylines are the ones devoted to Smash and Santiago. So, all told, this is a disappointing and ordinary episode.

Burn Notice. Season 2, Episode 9. "Good Soldier" The case-of-the-week is a delight. Michael joins a gang planning a kidnapping and tries to derail the plot by being an uncooperative religious fanatic. The ending (when he rams the kidnapper's car from out of nowhere) is superb. And hilarious (as he spouts off a spiel of made-up religious-sounding guff to fool them).

Meanwhile, over in the continuing story arc, things get very confusing. Carla's plot increasingly makes no sense and it seems that (a) she knows every move that Michael is about to make, and (b) she wants everyone dead. Including Michael. We fade to black after a booby trap goes on at Michae's front door, and an explosion sends him flying...

The Venture Bros. Episode 3. "Midlife Chrysalis" The first very funny episode. Brock loses his liscence and Dr. Venture enters the dating scene. The Monarch returns and sends Dr. Girlfriend (is it wrong that I find her very, very sexy?) undercover to seduce Venture. And inject him with... something.

Whatever it is, it turns the esteemed scientist into a giant caterpillar. Yes, a giant caterpillar.

All of the regular (and semi-regular) character generate lots of laughs in this one.

Rising Damp. Season 2, Episode 7. "Things That Go Bump in the Night" Much more over-the-top than your typical Rising Damp episode. But still very funny.

Rigsby is scared of ghosts, so Alan dresses as a ghostly woman in order to sneak down to visit Brenda (who he is now dating). If you are willing to accept that Rigsby is stupid enough to fall for this, there are laughs to be had.

By the end, however, things are been stretched too far. A couple of priests have been called in to deal with the ghosts and everyone runs around as if it is a farce. It's not. Good effort, nonetheless.

The Office. Season 5, Episode 10. "Moroccan Christmas" Dwight buys up all the dolls of a particular brand to make a financial killing when all the parents come looking to buy them. Meanwhile, the gang (well, mostly just Michael) decide to have an intervention to stop Meredith from drinking so much.

The Dwight stuff is funny. Everything else is serious. And not very good. It's commendable that the show would take on such a subject, but they don't really do much with it. Nothing that happens onscreen is funny enough, or awkward enough to warrant much comment.

Even the fact that everyone finds out about Angela cheating on Andy is handled in blah fashion.

Corner Gas. Season 5, Episode 9. "Game, Set and Mouse" Another classic. While Hank and Brent are busy telling tall tales to Lacey, Oscar sets out to kill a mouse at Corner Gas, and Wanda suffers from a sore back.

Nancy Robertson often gets big laughs by playing things a bit over the top, but - in this episode - she steals the show by underplaying everything. Since Wanda is in pain, she can't move very much or get very expressive in what she does and Robertson uses it to deliver some of the biggest laughs in the episode. Scenes from this episode and the one where Wanda went manic on the energy drink could/should be used to illustrate what a genius Nancy Robertson really is.

But, across the board, it's a very funny episode. The biggest laugh comes in the very last second when the mouse that Davis has saved from Oscar comes to a very bad end (thanks, in a roundabout way, to something Davis did earlier in the episode). I was still laughing very hard at that moment long after the credits had faded.

Highlight? Dexter (great conclusion)
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Sat, Dec 13, 08 - Friday Night Lights, Rising Damp

04.30 Friday Night Lights
05.30 Rising Damp

Friday Night Lights. Season 2, Episode 11. "Jumping the Gun" Smash and Coach Taylor are the two featured characters in this episode. Smash has been overlooked this season, sadly, but this is a great story for him. Eric Taylor is usually well featured in most episodes, of course, but this is one of his best stories and Kyle Chandler is simply fantastic in the role. He should be getting an Emmy (or a Golden Globe) for work like this. Instead, he doesn't even get nominated...

Smash is trying to decide what to do after High School. His mother and he are in conflict over this. He doesn't want to listen to her, and she is in pain as she prepares to let go of her son. It's a well-told wonderful, very human, storyline. Smash and his mother are two of the very best characters this show has. A Texas version of John Connor and his mother Sarah!

Life for Eric Taylor is a series of confrontations and apologies in this episode. Conflicts with Tim Riggins, Coach Dickes, Shelley and - even - his wife drive the story. A story of dignity within humility. Tales like this are why FNL is more akin to Homicide or St. Elsewhere than soap operas like 90210. Everything about it is real.

Best scene? Eric tells Smash to go home and listen to his mother. Watching that gave me tingles at the base of my spine. All television drama should be so good...

Rising Damp. Season 2, Episode 6. "Last of the Big Spenders" Poverty drives the storyline in this very funny episode. Rigsby is trying to impress Brenda (the new tenant) but he has no money. It's a slim and very depressing premise, but with this writer and this cast it makes for another hilarious half-hour of television. That's the real skill and wonder of shows like Rising Damp and Steptoe & Son. They can take the most bleak of real-world scenarios and make us laugh out loud. Even when we've lived through them ourselves and know that there's nothing funny about them at all.

Highlight? Friday Night Lights (nobody apologies, and learns from it, like Eric Taylor)
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Sat, Dec 6, 08 - Dexter, FNL, Burn Notice, Venture Bros., Rising Damp, Office, Corner Gas

06.00 Dexter
07.00 Friday Night Lights
08.00 Burn Notice
09.00 The Venture Bros.
09.30 Rising Damp
10.00 The Office
10.30 Corner Gas

Dexter. Season 2, Episode 11. "Left Turn Ahead" A melancholy and unsatisfying episode of Showtime's drama about a likable serial killer.

It's a gloomy ride as Dexter puts his affairs in order and prepares to hand himself over to the police for his crimes. In the end he changes his mind after a conversation with his sister. And it's a pretty unconvincing turn of events. Seems like the writers painted themselves with this story and didn't know how to get out of it. A short, flippant comment from Debra is a weak solution. Had it been Rita and the kids (particularly the kids) I might have bought it. This? Not so much.

Friday Night Lights. Season 2, Episode 10. "There Goes the Neighborhood" Poor Tim Riggins. Guy just can't catch a break, can he? Most of this episode shows how the Taylor household adjusts to having Tim living there full time. And, to my surprise and delight, it adjusts pretty darn well. Eric, in particular, seems happy to have another male in the house.

But it all turns sour over a misunderstanding and, as the episode comes to a close, Tim has to flee the house in the middle of the night. Very unjust.

But great storytelling.

Burn Notice. Season 2, Episode 8. "Double Booked" Burn Notice breaks from formula and delivers one of it's most enjoyable episodes.

A hit-man calls Michael and offers him a hit! So, rather than having a client from the start, Michael is 'working for' the bad guy. So he has to find a way to save the target, without tipping off the hit-man (Tim Matheson, who also directed the episode).

The Venture Bros. Episode 2. "Careers in Science" This isn't as funny as the first episode but it's got a much better story and gives you a much better sense of who these characters are.

Dr. Venture and the gang head to a vast spaceship that his dad built when he was a kid. There's no evil-doer in this episode, but the boys spectacularly mis-interpret almost everything that happens and spend the entire episode cowering from a Space Phantom. All the best laughs come from the H.E.L.P.eR. robot (my favourite character, after Brock) who has a run of incredibly bad luck: he is shot out into space, savagely beaten by the boys and - at the end - completely forgotten as the gang blasts off back to Earth.

Rising Damp. Season 2, Episode 5. "A Perfect Gentlemen" Rigsby's love for Miss Jones is one of the main engines that drives the stories on Rising Damp, but the show doesn't miss a beat now that the character of Miss Jones has moved out of the boarding house. Some episode's rely on Philip playing a prank on Rigsby (to teach him a lesson), but this isn't one of those. Rather, it goes back to another established trait of the landlord: Rigsby is a sycophant. Place him with someone he considers superior/important and he becomes hilariously obsequious. We saw it in Season One with the policeman, and we see it here again (to great effect) when a con-man moves in and convinces everybody that he is 'somebody'.

Except except Philip, that is. Long established as the smartest one of the bunch, this episode shows - once again - that he's nobody's fool. Best bit? Rigsby finding the money that Philip planted, putting his foot on it and being caught by Philip.

The Office. Season 5, Episode 9. "The Surplus" Hilarious. There's a surplus in the budget and Michael doesn't know what to do with it. From that simple idea comes another wonderful half-hour of comedy. Best bits? Pam and Jim on opposite sides. Pam fights dirty. How cute!

Corner Gas. Season 5, Episode 8. "Classical Gas" Jonathan Zinetta, former foster child from Kenya, shows up at the door of the family who sponsored him: the Leroys. He wants to say thanks. It should be simple, but this is Dog River. Lots of very funny lines in this one, and good plots for everyone. I love the way Hank tries to bolster Brent's ego, after the arrival of his 'better' brother. Inept, yes, but very sweet.

Highlight? Burn Notice (nice break from formula)
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Sat, Nov 29, 08 - Rising Damp, Cavemen, Corner Gas, Venture Bros

10.30 Rising Damp
11.00 Cavemen
11.30 Corner Gas
12.00 The Venture Bros.

Rising Damp. Season 2, Episode 4. "Moonlight and Roses" While this is still a very funny episode, it is much different to most other episodes of RD. It's a bit more sad. Rigsby wears his heart on a sleeve a bit more than usual in this one, he tries very hard to win Miss Jones and plays a very mean trick to try and derail her impending marriage. But it fails: Miss Jones still moves out at the end to get married.

Most of the humour in Rising Damp comes from the tenants (mostly just Philip) playing tricks on Rigsby. Rigsby (mostly) deserves it, because he's a know-it-all and should be taught a lesson from time to time. But this one is a bit different. He really is in love with Miss Jones. To their credit the boys try and shield him from heartbreak at the very start of the show, but - when that fails to work - Philip goes all out and sets him the landlord up for a fall. It's very, very funny. But, for the first time in the series, you cannot help but feel very sorry for Rigsby. He might have his flaws, but the guy did love Miss Jones.

His trick to ruin her marriage is very mean (funny, but mean). Seldom does he do something so out of character. Desperation, I suppose, drove him to it...

Gabrielle Rose (of Robson Arms) joins the cast in this one and makes a great first impression. When Brenda shows up in a very revealing top and tells Rigsby that she is a nude model, the show delivers one of it's best-ever moments. Watching the inept advances of the lecherous landlord is a real delight.

Cavemen. It's a bit too preaching (which can get embarrassing) but this is still one of the very best episodes. In this one, Joel is trying to bounce back from his break-up with Kate. When he hears that she hated his clothes he gives his wardrobe a total overhaul, and the entire plot thread yields many laughs. It's a good storyline. It captures truth: The moment after a relationship has ended when you still bump into your ex a lot and try to give yourself a total make-over so they will take you back. Highlight? Kate's mom talking about Joel's clothes.

But Andy gets most of the scenes in the episode. This is good for two reasons: Andy is coming close to overtaking Nick as my favourite character in the show, and his girlfriend (Stephanie Lemelin) is both hot and adorable. In equal measure. Not an easy one to pull off. I know. I do it every day :)

Andy takes a stab at stand-up comedy. It's a wild ride. He sucks, gets great, becomes a huge hit, learns a lesson about racial stereotypes and goes back to sucking again.

When it gets preachy (on race issues) this episode veers into the territory of embarrassment but when it stays funny, it is very, very funny.

Corner Gas. Season 5, Episode 7. "Buzz Driver" Written by series creator/star Brent Butt this is a strong contender for funniest ever episode of Corner Gas. It seems as if every line of dialogue is a fresh joke, and the situations are inspired. Not only are the plots great in isolation, Butt is able to make them collide to great effect whenever he wants.

And his cast are a dream. Nancy Robertson has almost overtaken Eric Peterson as my favourite cast member. Wanda is 'jacked-up' on energy drink in this one, and Wanda is hilarious. Easily the funniest thing in the episode. And I say this about an episode which also has Oscar turning a bunch of kids from a Church Group into a dangerous mob, while Hank decides to turn his truck into a advertisement for The Ruby. His 'aggressive' marketing involves parking across two lanes of traffic so everyone has to read his sign!!

Yes, Oscar and Hank are great in this episode, but Wanda steals the show. Highlight? Emma (knowing a good thing when she sees it) asks Wanda to call over over to her house and give her some help with the gardening. Jacked-up Wanda (brimming with energy) immediately agrees and announces that she will jog on over. Next we see her run off at high speed. And the camera (wisely) lingers as tiny (adorable) Wanda runs away so fast she pretty much rises a cloud of dust in her wake.

So Corner Gas. Five season in and they deliver (probably) their best episode. Not bad, not bad at all...



The Venture Bros. Episode 1. "Dia de los Dangerous" A good episode. But not a great episode. And certainly an odd way to start the series. The Venture family (and Brock, their protector) are in Mexico. And they cross paths (by accident) with super-villain The Monarch, whose henchmen kidnap Dead and Hank. There are lots of laughs to be had, but it's unusual (I feel) for a first episode to showcase the untypical episodes in a series. Even more unusual, it starts with the four heroes split apart and doing their own thing rather than arriving together (and being introduced to the viewer) as a team.

Never mind. This is still a good episode. The best bits revolve around The Monarch and Dr. Venture's total apathy towards his sons. Brock (the show's best character, voiced by the awesome Patrick Warburton) is sidelined in this one. He only appears for a few scenes. Maybe that's why it's not one of my favourite episodes...

Highlight? Corner Gas (Wanda running)
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Sat, Nov 22, 08 - Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Burn Notice, Rising Damp, Office, Corner Gas

05.30 Dexter
06.30 Friday Night Lights
07.30 Burn Notice
08.30 Rising Damp
09.00 The Office
09.30 Corner Gas

Dexter. Season 2, Episode 10. "There's Something About Harry" There's a lot of great stuff in this episode, but all I wanted to see was Dexter and Doakes. How can the show get out of this? I mean, Dexter likes Doakes. He can't actually kill him and still be our hero? Can he? At the mid-way point the episode makes you think that Dexter has actually decided to do the deed. But it proves to be - yet another - red-herring. The show has gotten really good at doing these.

Almost as exciting as the Doakes storyline: Lila. She drugs herself and passes out while on a date with Angel. To what? Frame him? Can't wait to see where this goes and what Dexter does about it...

Friday Night Lights. Season 2, Episode 9. "The Confession" Tami and Julie have more mother-daughter moments. It's good... Don't get me wrong. But haven't they done this already? Or is this different in some way too subtle for me to pick up on?

Much, much better is all the stuff with Santiago and Buddy. I don't know what to think. After Buddy dropped the ball (ha-ha! a FNL joke!) with Riggins a few weeks back, I keep thinking he'll make a mess of things with/for Santiago. But, in this story, he appears to give some really good advice and Santiago gets to not only play at the end but also understand what it's all about: playing with/for your team. Powerful/moving storytelling.

Jason has a dreadful date but, predictably ends up with the waitress. Predictable but irresistibly cute nonetheless.

And, in the main storyline, Landry is cleared of all charges. His guilt/stubbornness nearly ruins things for him. He and Tyra are back on speaking terms now, even hugging and stuff, but they are not dealing with their relationship. Which is what I want to see/hear. Is she going to tell him (on camera) why she said those horrible things to him?

Glenn Morshower continues to steal this show out from under it's named stars in exactly the same way he has been stealing 24 for all these seasons. He's awesome. Every show needs to cast this man in some supporting role. Immediately!

Burn Notice. Season 2, Episode 7. "Rough Seas" Everybody's favourite reluctant hero is called in when some medicine (destined for sick kids, of course) is stolen. Never has the show more closely resembled it's forefathers (A-Team, Equalizer, etc.) than in a story like this. There are sick kids in it, for frak sake! And the bad guys have stolen their medicine! How can you not root for Michael and the team.

As usual, it's clever and funny. Michael even gets to be a little jealous of Fiona's mysterious date and Sharon Gless (normally underused) gets several great scenes. Funny lady.



Rising Damp. Season 2, Episode 3. "A Body Like Mine" The formula is intact: Rigsby is shooting his mouth off and Philip challenges him to a boxing match. Sure, it's the exact same idea as last week. It doesn't matter. It's really, really funny. The comedy comes from the conversations and Rigsby's ideas about the world. Most of the episode is devoted to Rigsby and Alan chatting. The landlord and tenant have a close friendship and - at this stage in the series' run - are willing to be each other's confidant. Even when Alan thinks the older man is completely wrong. Which is 100% of the time.

The physical comedy in this one is top notch. The exercise scenes and the actual boxing match are hilarious. The twist ending is delightful.

The Office. Season 5, Episode 8. "Frame Toby" I liked this episode, but a part of me is sorry to see Toby back. I mean, it's as if he was never gone and the whole (wonderful) Holly thing never happened. I loved Holly almost as much as Michael did. So, now, I think I hate Toby too. But not quite as much as Michael does. That's not humanly possible.

The Jim/Pam storyline was predictable but, nonetheless, enjoyable and sweet.

Michael buying grass to frame Toby (with Dwight helping him) generated all the laughs you'd expect from an episode of The Office.



Corner Gas. Season 5. Episode 6. "The Eight Samurai" In a sea of great lines/moments there's a doozy from Oscar: "You ever notice how every few weeks either me or Hank or Wanda has some crazy new job?"

Man, I laughed at that. What prompted it? Well, this is the episode where Wanda becomes... the town bartender. Naturally, her attempts to listen close and give good advice sows seeds of disharmony between Davis and Karen.

The best bits of the episode, though, are the ones that revolve around Dog River's previous attempts to be twinned with a town in Germany. At several instances during the episode, in quick flashes, we get to see what happened: Hank sent a gift, which looked like a bomb and sent the whole town into a mad panic. Wonderful stuff.

Highlight? Dexter (and Doakes) (Oh, and Lila, too)
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Sat, Nov 15, 08 - Dexter, Sarah Connor, Rising Damp, Mary Tyler Moore, WKRP, Office, Corner Gas

07.30 Dexter
08.30 The Sarah Connor Chronicles
09.30 Rising Damp
10.00 The Mary Tyler Moore Show
10.30 WKRP In Cincinnati
11.00 The Office
11.30 Corner Gas

Dexter. Season 2, Episode 9. "Resistance Is Futile" My stomach is tied in knots after watching this amazing episode of Dexter. Surely the single best episode they have thus far delivered? The first half is constructed to make you think that Dexter has been found out. You are thinking to yourself that that cannot possibly be the case, yet how else do you explain what is happening?

The answer, when it comes, surprised me. It shouldn't have. I should have anticipated that Doakes would be a suspect. But I didn't. I could see it heading in this general direction, yes, with him storming out on the meeting with Lundy in the previous episode. But I did not expect things to move this fast. Pow! This show hits you between the eyes.

Barely had I processed the fact that Doakes had found Dexter's hidden stash of blood samples (last week) than the FBI has the box and is using it as the main evidence in their case against Doakes. Wow! I feel whiplash from the speed of that development. Yet, it makes perfect sense.

Then, before I have time to process that development, Dexter and Doakes are locked in a pitch battle to the death (which, of course, it isn't) with one of them getting shot and Doakes - finally - confronting Dexter about his murderous ways.

It's brilliant. But the show is brilliant in other ways, too. Usually, the fact that Dexter is a serial killer takes second place to the fact that he is socially inept. And, usually, the moments of high drama, come from Dexter's attempts to lead a normal life. This is not one of those episodes, however the scenes that depict Dexter's normal life are just as gripping as usual this week.

His ex-girlfriend showing up, in the midst of his friends, trying to pretend that all is rosy between them (while - in private - they have a blazing row) is a moment that pretty much every viewer can relate to. I know I can. Likewise, Dexter's humbling but honest/heartfelt apology to Rita struck a chord.

It's amazing. In the midst of a crazy, wonderful, OTT plot development about a serial killer covering his tracks this is still a show about a ordinary guy trying to navigate the pitfalls of everyday life.

Which is what makes it such a great television series.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Season 2, Episode 8. "Mr. Ferguson is Ill Today" If this isn't the best single episode of the show to date, it is certainly the cleverest. Terminator goes Boomtown on us as it shows the events of the day from the perspective of each of the regular characters. It doesn't add anything much to the story, but it sure as heck is a cool way to tell a story.

The effect is stunning. Gripping. Wonderful. We see early on that Sarah is captured by Cromartie, then the narrative follows John and Riley on the sojourn to Mexico. To the considerable credit of the show, the writers and the actors every single second of this is absorbing and superb. Even though we know that Cromartie is on his way, we are never for one second bored by anything that happens between John and Riley. Their conversation (as she tries to peel back the layers of who he is) is relentlessly fascinating. I love this character. Love her because of the way she impacts on John and I love the way he sticks by his decision to bring her into his life. This show is extremely well-written and planned out. It has a very strong overall arc. John is making the wrong decision here, but I want to see how long he sticks to his guns.

The (later) scenes with Sarah locked in the truck are wonderful. We see nothing. We hear much gunfire and carnage. The show is promising a fantastic climax. So - by doing that - it is running the risk of failing to deliver and disappointing us.

Some hope! The climax is superb. Some of the best action this show has thus-far delivered. Unable to provide Terminator-style carnage on a weekly basis, the show instead concentrates on solid drama week-in week-out with an occasional all-out action episode to keep the blood pumping. This is one of those.

Cromartie bites the dust. I'll miss Garret Dillahunt. I warmed to him slowly, but once I did embrace him I loved what he did with the role. His removal shocks me, but I suppose it makes sense and represents a logical step-forward for the show. Cromartie is gone and Ellison and Sarah are united (?).

I wonder was this originally supposed to be the Season One finale? Had they had 13 or 16 episodes last year, instead of 9. We'll probably never know, but it feels like the ending of one chapter and the start of another.

Rising Damp. Season 2, Episode 2. "Food Glorious Food" Rigsby shoots his mouth off and Philip challenges him to stay off food for 48 hours. Simple premise. Delightful execution. Leonard Rossiter is hilarious in every scene. As usual, his bond with Alan comes to the forefront and he pleads with the young medical student to sneak him some food. It doesn't happen, but it nicely sets up the twist ending. Very funny.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Episode 18. "Second Story Story" When Bob Dishy and Vic Tayback are your guest stars you can't really go very far wrong. And so it is with this MTM episode in which Mary is burglarised and two cops investigate. Episodes away from the workplace tend to interest me less, but this one has some nice bickering between Rhoda and Phyllis and lots of laughs along the way. Highlight? Dishy.



WKRP In Cincinnati. Episode 65. "A Simple Little Wedding" Not the funniest episode, but one of the sweetest. Carlson and his wife plan to get married again. Because - the first time around - they eloped as everybody was interfering too much. Particularly his mother. Guess what? They end up having to elope again because everybody is interfering too much. Particularly his mother.

The episode's best scene occurs when Herb hires two strippers to dance in the newsroom. The camera pans across the faces of the six male regulars and each one is having a different reaction. Perfectly in character. A sign, not only, of what an accomplished actor each man is, but also of how well these characters have been defined. Johnny is enjoying the strippers, but in a furtive (about to get caught) kind of way. Venus is openly enjoying the performance in a confident, man-of-the-world kind of way. Les is bewildered by all the fuss. Andy is like a kid in a candy story. Carlson is embarrassed beyond belief. Herb is sleazy beyond belief.

That quick pan is an example of why I love this show so much. Great performances and great characters. You could drop the WKRP regulars into any given situation and you can imagine how each will react. It's like Sam and Woody on Cheers. Each has moments of being stupid, but it's a different kind of stupid for each man. Well defined character, brought to life by superb performers.

The Office. Season 5, Episode 7. "Business Trip" If there ever was a 'perfect' episode of The Office, then this is it. It was very funny, it gave many characters a lot of good screentime, it was sad at times, it fed into the ongoing growth/education of the lead character and it ended with a wonderful romantic reunion. It had everything packed into one half-hour. Most shows would be lucky to deliver a quarter of that in twice the length.

There was many, many great laughs in this one. Most of the best bits came from the Kelly/Ryan hook-up. I particularly loved the shot of Darryl walking away after being dumped by Kelly (in a text message written by Ryan). What's not to love about every single development here? Ryan's closing line is a classic: I can't - for whatever reason - do better than Kelly.

It was great to see Oscar getting quality screentime, and pairing him with Andy was genius. Their partnership was funny and reminded us that - for all his ineptitude - Andy is basically a decent guy. It was priceless, however, when Oscar got drunk and started asking him what he saw in Angela. Who hasn't wondered that about some co-workers hideous partner? And the show really ran with it, and Oscar continued to let his true feelings for Angela dominate the questions that he asked. Hilarious.

In contrast with this, most of the Michael scenes at the very end were very sad, as he confronted his boss about sending his girlfriend away from him, and so were the scenes between Jim and Pam as they came to terms with the fact that she was going to have to stay in the city for longer than planned. Michael continues to evolve. He gets to experience sex-without-love in this outing and his rant at the end was wonderful to see. The audience likes/loves this guy for all his flaws. We don't want to see his heart broken like this.

But the episode didn't end on a downer. There was a lovely 'twist' at the end. Dwight being there, to totally ruin the moment, made it all the more perfect.

Man, when you watch The Office you are in the hands of a group of writers who really know what they are doing.

Corner Gas. Season 5, Episode 5. "Wash Me" Nancy Robertson is the funniest thing in this episode: trying (unsuccessfully) to ask a guy out and coming up with ever-more-bizarre ways to her hide her embarrassment ("Milk!!"). It's a great episode all round. Most of the storyline depend on the quirks of these wonderful characters: Hank writing important info on his dirty truck, Oscar and Emma getting into a war of toiletries, Davis spending most his days asleep. You could not pinch this script and use it in another show about folks living in a small town. The jokes depend on these specific characters in order to work. It's funny because we know these people. And it's funny because nobody can extol the virtues of milk like Nancy Robertson!!

Highlight? Dexter (shocking developments)
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Sat, Jul 26, 08 - Dexter, Burn Notice, NewsRadio, Rising Damp, Jesse Stone

06:00 Dexter
08:00 Burn Notice
10:00 NewsRadio
11:30 Rising Damp
12:00 Jesse Stone

Dexter. Season 2, Episode 5. "The Dark Defender" Dexter briefly sees himself as comic-book hero in this one. Clever. Dexter has always reminded me of Wolverine. How cool to see him seeing himself in these terms. Also, the fact that he's saving his own mother in this vision makes it all the more interesting/sad. Truly the writers have turned Dexter into a complex and wonderful character (how much of who he is, is due to his father's well-meaning training?). And, it must be said, they have served all the characters in the show just as well. This episode has some wonderful stuff between Laguerta and Doakes. Interesting chiefly because of what we know about them from previous episodes. Laguerata fascinates me. I alternate between liking her and being shocked by her. Great stuff.

Burn Notice. Season 2, Episode 3. "Trust Me" Business as usual, again. For the first time this season, Michael is seen helping an ordinary person: a dumb guy who got conned, while trying to help his mother (the always wonderful Cindy Pickett). Michael's mum has some nice scenes with Fiona this week, a nice way for the writers to keep the Michael/Fi romance alive without actually giving them any romantic scenes together.

NewsRadio. Season 2, Episode 16. "Houses of the Holy" David Cross guests as an oddball magician in pursuit of Beth. He's typically hilarious. As is the episode. Joe fills in for Catherine on-air, much to Bill's dismay. Bill had originally picked Joe for the job as a way to annoy Dave, who - of course - wanted to put Lisa on-air. Best scenes? Bill and Joe trying to put each other off with difficult questions. At one stage Bill rips up a sheet and then asks Joe to read the story.

Rising Damp. Season 2, Episode 1. "Permissive Society" Parts of the series that have only been hinted at before are brought out in the open with this episode. Rigsby makes a proper play for the affections of Miss Jones and Alan is revealed to be a virgin (I think). He certainly is found out as being totally clueless with regard to women. Up to now, we all knew that Rigsby liked Ruth but he never made any direct play for her (if you don't count waving that smoking stick about!) and while we certainly suspected that Alan was pretty clueless he never actually said it to anyone else on-screen before. With the start of the second season, I suppose Eric Chappell was just making the conceits of the series more concrete. Whatever the reasoning behind it, it's certainly one of the funniest episodes. All the best scenes are the ones between Rigsby and Alan and - on this viewing - I think their friendship is my favourite part of the show.

Jesse Stone. Episode 4. "Sea Change" The least enjoyable episode so far. The rain/mist, piano music and sadness are in-place but the show is lacking a strong murder mystery to keep it moving. Jesse is bored without a case to work on, so he digs up a cold case from the early '90s and investigates it at his leisure. Which is the problem. Since only Jesse cares, and he only cares because he is bored/unhappy, there is no great reason for us to care. We do care, however, about Jesse and from that angle the movie is very successful. Jesse's strange relationship with his ex-wife hits a rough patch when she starts dating and wants to stop their nightly phone calls. The case, such as it is, does have a nice twist at the end, but the violent conclusion seems out of place and tacked-on. Possibly in an effort to make things more exciting and give the movie some gunplay at the end?

Highlight? Dexter. Cool.
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