Friday, December 7th, 2007
06:00 30 Rock
06:30 Aliens In America
07:00 New Amsterdam
08:00 The Knights Of Prosperity
30 Rock. Season 2, Episode 8. Another funny outing. Jack's romance with CC takes a big step forward with a sweet gesture (for Jack) when he unveils his 'hippy chick' to his peers.
Aliens In America. Episode 7 isn't about Justin and Raja having a fight and making up at the end. In fact, it splits the two characters into seperate storylines. Justin and his sister have a fight instead (all of which is most unfunny) and Raja gets caught up between the parents as both of them turn into a secret smoker (with lots of laughs for/from all three characters).
New Amsterdam. Pilot. It's got elements of Highlander (one of my all-time favourite shows) mixed in with two of this seasons new offerings. You've got a quirky cop paired with a new female partner (which is what you get in Life) and this also has a very romantic storyline wherein the immortal hero faces the prospect of death now that he's met his One True Love (which shares similar themes, if not exact details, with Pushing Daisies). I enjoyed the cop procedural aspect, and I absolutely loved the Love Story. Alexie Gilmore is truly beautiful. When she walked into shot, in the midst of a large crowd, I noticed her straight away. And when her presence causes our hero's heart to stop. I got it. I totally got it.
The Knights Of Prosperity. Episode 13. After a couple of low points along the way, this excellent series about misfit thieves goes out with a very good offering. It's just a typical episode, sadly, and it offers no kind of the end to the overall story. Or even a hint of one. The Knights turn their energies towards short film-making, in an effort to get Louis into Ray Romano's company. Things don't go according to plan, but - as with most of their schemes - there is an silver lining in the cloud. I'll miss this show. It was one of the very best pilots of 2006 and the resulting series totally delivered on the promise of the pilot.
Highlight? New Amsterdam.
30 Rock, Aliens In America, New Amsterdam, The Knights Of Prosperity
Corner Gas, Man From Atlantis, October Road, Taxi, The Knights Of Prosperity, The Office
Saturday, December 1st, 2007
07:00 Man From Atlantis
09:00 The Office
09:30 The Knights Of Prosperity
10:00 October Road
11:00 Corner Gas
11:30 Taxi
Man From Atlantis. Episode 3 is the least enjoyable of the movies that started the series. The first third details what happens when a small space probe crashes to the sea-bed with a colony of alien spores attached. Mark Harris is sent to investigate and is soon posessed by the aliens. However, since Duffy plays Harris with emotionless monotone, it can be hard to tell when the character is possessed and when he is just being his usual boring self.
The middle third is the best part of the movie. The aliens take Mark out into the desert (for no reason explained adequately in the script). Thing is, since Mark is from the sea he needs to go back to the water every few hours or he will die. The car chase that starts this segment, the chase through the desert and the rescue by helicopter are all very exciting.
The final third, however, is awful. The alien spores escape out into the world and start 'testing' random humans so that they can 'understand' the human condiditon. Or something. What we get are lots and lots of scenes of lots and lots of extras laughing, crying, whistling, throwing stuff around and other embarrassing nonsense. Very hard to watch.
The Office. Season 4, Episode 8. One of the best-ever episodes. Michael takes the stand to help (?) Jan in her case against the company. Lots of what happens is funny and lots of what happens is quite sad and touching. Skillful, wonderful television.
The Knights Of Prosperity. Episode 12. A change of tone episode is the inept group of thieves get involved with a career-criminal in an effort to open the safe they have stolen. The characters are in over their heads and you feel - once lots of gun-play takes centre-stage - that the show is in over it's head, too. There are still moments to make you laugh, but this is definitely a darker show. Consequently the regulars are less sympathetic than before. Now they just seem stupid and selfish.
October Road. Episode 3. If not for the existance of Cavemen, this would be the most hated show on TV. Quite why critics have reacted so harshly is beyond me. Sure it's derivative but it's fun to watch and I always want to know what happens next. Lindy Booth is so adorable in this outing as the Pizza Delivery Girl that captures Phil's heart. Phil doesn't leave his house. Ever. So he invites her "in" instead of "out".
Corner Gas. Season 4, Episode 5. Brent, Hank and Oscar team-up to tear down a barn. Those three together never fail to generate a lot of laughs. Adding dynamite to the mix only helps.
Taxi. Episode 29. Bobby and Tony both date the same woman (the stunning Constance Forslund) and - in the end - ask her to choose between them. As well as all the good gags, this being Taxi, there is a nice character-based ending to the story. The boys ultimately that their friendship is more important.
Highlight? The Office.
Man From Atlantis, The Knights Of Prosperity, The Office
Saturday, November 24th, 2007
10:30 Man From Atlantis
12:30 The Office
01:00 The Knights Of Prosperity
Man From Atlantis. Episode 2 is a curious mixture of things that work very well, and things that really don't work at all. It's a fast-moving plot-driven sci-fi adventure, but it sacrifices characterisation, clarity and (in the final scene) logic. While the opener was slow and thoughtful at first, gradually building momentum as time went on, the second two-hour movie hits the ground running and never lets up. Three holiday-makers are killed in a genuinely shocking opening scene, we learn that Dr. Merill has left the Navy and taken Mark Harris with her to a government-funded Foundation for Oceanic Research, but when word reaches her of the peculiarities surrounding the three deaths, she grabs Mark and they head out to investigate. Back at the Foundation, Merrill's co-worker unearths a strange rock from the sea-floor and, out in the nearby communtity, two unearthly people have come ashore and are having strange encounters with the locals. While at the morgue, Dr. Merrill and Mark hear of the strange twosome and spearhead a search. Before long, Mark has found them, battled them and found them to be just like him in a number of ways. Could this be the answer to his questions about himself?
Whew! And that's just the first third! It goes on like that, zipping along and being very enjoyable. Unfortunately, the character-work on the mysterious amnesiac Mark Harris, which was done in the pilot, has been abandoned and now he's just a strong silent hero. As such, it must be said, he gets some cool scenes. His second battle with the aliens takes place underwater and shows him to be a truly formidable opponent. Later on, when they have taken control of the Foundation's submarine, Mark calmly steps up and disarms them. Using brain, as well as brawn, in a truly awesome moment of super-hero coolness.
The aliens themselves are interesting and well cast (Tiffany Bolling and Burr DeBenning who I've alway liked), but it's not exactly clear what their plans are. They come ashore, wander aimlessly, complain a lot about being hungry, talk about things they intend to do but, after a few encounters with Mark, they basically give up on all of that and push the self-destruct button on their ship (I think). It doesn't help that one of them tells Mark a lot of lies to enlist his aid. Was it all lies? Was some of it true? Which parts? How are we to know?
The movie's final Big Scene is a supposedly emotional death scene where the female alien and Mark appear to have developed strong feelings for one another. How? When? There's even a god-awful moment where he gives her a kiss, so that she will know the sensation of one before she dies. Huh? Isn't Mark supposed to be The Innocent? How does he know these things? Hasn't he got amnesia? Wasn't the whole reason for him staying at the end of the pilot so that he could learn about the surface world? How did he learn so much so soon? (He must have had a busy couple of weeks, lucky bugger.)
In short, despite weaker elements, I liked it. Mark is an awesome hero, and when he goes into action (with that superb theme music playing in the background) it sets the pulse racing.
The Office. Season 4, Episode 7. With Michael off in the woods playing Suvivorman (don't ask!) Jim is left in charge. And, gradually, becomes just like Michael. Not exactly an original plot, but handled superbly. The change is subtle and makes perfect sense. I especially loved the way Pam contrived at one point to set him up for his fall. The writers are writing these two just perfectly this season, and it's great to see them having fun with one another in this way. And being a happy, normal couple.
As awesome as the stuff in the woods was, the best scene was the conversation between Jim and Michael at the very end. Michael, now clad in Dwight's Battlestar Galactica sweatshirt (don't ask!) said some wonderful things to Jim in what is a series high-point for both characters. Man, this is a great show.
The Knights Of Prosperity. Episode 11. After a duff episode, the show bounces back in fine form. Eugene poses as a Russian Importer/Exporter (who sometimes does both on the same day!) and lures Ray Romano to a nearby sports bar, while the others steal his safe. The mishaps of stealing the safe (one Knight trapped in a wall, another Knight on fire, etc.) are hilarious and the show pauses at the very end for some solid character work in the closing minutes. Donal Logue makes Eugene very, very funny and he gives him a whole lot of heart when the script calls for it. Great work.
Highlight? The Office.
Doctor Who, Man From Atlantis, The Knights Of Prosperity, The Office
Saturday, November 17th, 2007
07:00 Man From Atlantis
09:00 The Office
09:30 The Knights Of Prosperity
11:30 Doctor Who
Man From Atlantis. Episode 1. A very enjoyable pilot which can be divided, very easily, into three sections/chapters. Chapter 1 tells of the discovery of water-breathing amnesiac Mark Harris and the attempts of Dr. Elizabeth Merrill (the utterly gorgeous Belinda Montgomery) to understand his powers and help him recover his memory. All of this is fascinating to watch. Harris washes ashore during a storm and Merrill's surgeon boyfriend is called away from a dinner party. Merrill tags along and - given her background - quickly figures out that Harris breathes water and need to be returned there. There's a great urgency and excitement to all of these scenes.
Chapter 2 brings the military into the equation as they attempt to bully Harris into doing their bidding. These scenes are hampered by a weak actor, but they work well enough. Harris still hasn't spoken to anyone, and the audience genuinely feels for the guy. And for Dr. Merrill who only wants the best for her patient/subject. In once scene, Harris fights off a large number of military personnel trying to stup him re-entering the sea. At first he flings them off in twos and threes, but - eventually - the sheer number of them brings him down. And it is a very distressing scene to watch.
Chapter 3, the final hour of the pilot, is where things finally come to life in a major way. Harris undertakes his first mission and comes face to face with the nemesis that will dog him for the remainder of the series: Mr. Shubert. Victor Buono is simply superb as the bad guy. He is over the top, larger than life, and a total joy to watch. Patrick Duffy is a superb lead actor, and a great super-hero as Mark Harris. That said, his Mark Harris is a glum individual. He doesn't speak much (when he eventually starts to talk) and he doesn't have a sense of humour or much in the way of charisma or personality. Most of the last hour of the show pairs him with the egomanicial Mr. Shubert. And it's a great double act.
Other than that, there's little to say. The pilot fairly zips along. The score is sumptuous. The production values are high (witness the FX, or the destruction of the undersea complex) and while the show is very much "comic book" in content, it is "Drama Series" in tone. I last saw this pilot 13 years ago. It wowed me as a kid, it wowed me 13 years ago, and it wowed me tonight. It's great fun from start to finish.
And, strangely, I'm just as smitten with Dr. Merrill as I was when I was 8. Seems like my tastes haven't changed since I was 8.
Hmm....
The Office. Season 4, Episode 6. Joss Whedon returns to direct one of the strongest ever episodes. Michael, Dwight and Jim head away together to play a prank on a rival. At this stage I should pick out a comic highlight to illustrate how good this was. But where do I start? The fake mustaches, maybe? The scene with Jim listening to Dwight & Michael inside the building, maybe? Or maybe something from the b-story? How about a quote from Oscar? "Besides having sex with men, I would say the "Finer Things" club is the gayest thing about me."
In other observations.. Jenna/Pam has never looked more genuinely beautiful than she did in that purple outfit at the start of the episode.
And! This episode saw the return of Karen, one of my favourite-ever Office characters. Her return, and scenes with Jim, were superb and absolutely the best take I've ever seen of this situation. "Meeting the Ex" has been done many times on TV, and in fiction, in general. But this was wonderful.
The Knights Of Prosperity. Episode 10. It was funny to see Ray Romano playing a junkie (in an off-broadway show) but after that the episode went downhill fast. The gang of misfits-turned-thieves turned on one of their own. Laughs were thin on the ground, and the result was tedium.
Doctor Who. Peter Davison returned. And, I have to admit, it did get me. While Tom Baker was my first Doctor and is still my favourite, Peter Davison was the first Doctor that I saw from start to finish. I wasn't a huge fan at the time, but - in later years - I grew to appreciate him. Even really like him. And seeing him like this, in the new TARDIS, was a genuine blast.
Highlight? The Office.
Superboy, Seinfeld, My Boys, The Knights Of Prosperity, Greek
Thursday, September 13th, 2007
10:00 Superboy
10:30 Seinfeld
11:00 My Boys
11:30 The Knights Of Prosperity
12:00 Greek
Superboy. Season 2, Episode 10. Superboy is a perfect example of what modern Flash Gordon could be. Although hampered by a low budget and limited production resources, this four-season gem from the early 90s frequently produced brilliant episodes and never fell short of being entertaining. It worked for three reasons: A great cast, big stories and story logic.
"Deadly Touch" is the tenth episode of season two. In it Lex Luthor disguises himself as a nun (trust me, it's funny) and lures Superboy to a fake break-down so he can bombard his body with energy. After this, Superboy's powers got out of control, the planet is in danger, and Lex blackmails the governor for a full-pardon.
Gerard Christopher is the second actor to play Superboy. He's pitch perfect in the part. In fact, he's my favourite screen Superman. To a large degree, the naming of the show "Superboy" was to escape copyright problems, and - in point of fact - what you get here is The Adventures Of Superman. And Christopher is spot-on as Superboy. It's a blast watching him play the Man of Steel. Likewise Sherman Howard is having a ball as Lex. His episodes are always hightlights of the series, and this one is no exception. The real star of the show, and the only person to appear in all 100 episodes is Stacy Haiduk. She only has two scenes in this episode, but the second one is a great one. Superboy is living in a lab, behind protective glass. Lana gets to visit him one last time, and it's an emotional visit.
Unlike Flash Gordon, where every episode seems to be about preventing murders (mundane TV fare) the typical Superboy story was large in scope. Deadly Touch has the planet in danger and governor held to ransom. Which brings me to my third criteia: logic. Lex's actions through-out the episode make perfect sense. The way he goes about his plot, and the way Superboy goes about thwarting it, make sense. It's great TV.
Seinfeld. Season 7 finale. The famous episode where George inadvertantly kills Susan. As Larry David says in the DVD extras, they hadn't killed anybody up to that point and he really felt that they should kill someone. So, Susan bit the dust. Is it in poor taste? Probably. Is it very funny. Definitely. And the final scene, George on the phone trying to arrange a date, before the funeral has taken place is truly one of the best-ever George moments.
My Boys. Episode 15. This episode is about breaking a winning streak, when PJ goes on a local TV show, totally sucks, and none of the Boys can tell her. I feel a little like the Boys... This is easily the weakest episode of the run. It wasn't funny, and there was nothing much to relate to. Pretty disappointing in a show who's strength is an abundance of 'hey-that-happened-to-me' moments.
The Knights Of Prosperity. Episode 9. Since the Knights have abandoned their plan to rob Mick Jagger, the show has really opened up. Donal Logue is very funny in this episode going uncover as Oswald Montecristo, world-famous architect. Logue's character gets sucked into a world of glamour and prestige that only a world-famous architect would know, and it takes a heart-felt speech in a toilet to bring him to his senses.
Greek. Episode 9. Friends fighting was the theme of this episode. Rusty and Dale fought over the room they share (because Rusty wanted some alone-time with the utterly fantastic Jen K), while Frannie and Casey fought over the title of Omega Chi Sweetheart. As usual with this show, there were a few good laughs and a few good character moments. Jen K gives Rusty a speech, at the end, about his friendship with Dale that puts her near the top of the All-Time Best TV Girlfriends list.
So, except for a dud My Boys, it was a great night of TV with Greek being the best show, thanks to Jen K.
The Six Million Dollar Man, Californication, The Knights Of Prosperity
Sunday, September 2nd, 2007
08:00 The Six Million Dollar Man
09:00 Californication
09:30 The Knights Of Prosperity
One of the best things about the early Six Million Dollar Man is the characterisation of Steve and Oscar, and their growing friendship. This episode, from late in the first season, begins when Steve sees a hitman trying to kill a prosecutor. Steve wants to help track the hit-man, and stop the killing, but Oscar - his superior - argues that this kind of case isn't really for them to solve. It's a nice couple of scenes and it's a reminder that in it's early seasons SMDM was a serious drama series.
The story itself is one of the strongest from the first season. Steve saw the hitman with his bionic eye and can't explain this to local law enforcement. Also, when he eventually catches the baddie, it turns out that he has an iron clad alibi. Nice mystery element with a satisfying resolution.
Californication, the third episode, finds Hank back with the woman he insulted back in the first episode. For the first time in the series we see him in a slightly better light. When the woman reveals that she's been badly treated by her lover, Hank tells her that she deserves better. And he's sincere, too. Hmm. Interesting guy. To get revenge he breaks into the guy's house and steals back her dog (plus a very expensive painting). The episode ends with a killer voice-over from David Duchovny and I'm more hooked than ever.
The 8th episode of The Knights Of Prosperity, finds the gang of inept thieves trapped in Mick Jagger's Panic Room during a mis-fired robbery attempt. A few good laughs, solid character writing and a nice twist to get them out makes for a satisfying episode. Best bit? As the gang calculate, and re-calculate, the amount of time they have left until discovery, the on-screen counter keeps changing back and forth. Finally, it gives up and shows two times simultaneously.
