I would probably go for Duncan MacLeod, but who do you think is...

I would probably go for Duncan MacLeod, but who do you think is the best 90s TV Action Hero?

The Sentinel 4.7

Jude Ciccolella. Story has lots of clever touches, and the episode successfully gets us to care about the guest characters. 9/10

The Sentinel 4.2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10/10

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Tue, Aug 5, 08 - My Boys, The Closer, Flashpoint, The Sentinel

06:00 My Boys
06:30 The Closer
07:30 Flashpoint
01:30 The Sentinel

My Boys. Season 2, Episode 8. "Jack and Bobby" I love My Boys because it is usually the funniest show on the air and unlike The Office (which I prefer) doesn't devote story time to heartache and sadness. Until now. And I love it. But I'm conflicted. This is awesome stuff, but this is not how I want My Boys to be. At least not every week.

The Closer. Season 4, Episode 4. "Live Wire" Less of the "breaking the rules to do what is right" and more of the "deeply flawed" this time out. The final fight between Brenda and her boyfriend was painful to watch. Painful because she was so so wrong. Oh Brenda, how can you put this right?

It was also painful to watch all the fighting between Gabriel and Daniels. It's been building all season, in little glances and comments here and there, but now that it is out in the open: I'm sad. And saddened also by Brenda's treatment of Gabriel. He used to be her favourite, once upon a time.

Soap Opera elements aside, this was another superb crime story and the whole team got a chance to shine.

Flashpoint. Episode 2. "First In Line" An honest-to-goodness genuinely wonderful hour-of-television. Wow, but I loved this. And if Hugh Dillon owned the first episode, then this one was completely supported by the considerable talents of Enrico Colantoni (how I love that man!). His work, and the work of the lead guest star (Henry Czerny) made this a beautiful hour of TV. Two fathers, two very different lives. And I loved the story, too. And I loved the fact that the show went all out and gave us a truly happy ending. I wanted it. And I needed it. I don't want all my TV to be dark. I want some good guys to win, really win. And I want to see shows where there are stories of nobility and self-sacrifice.

I am really blown away by how good Flashpoint is.

The Sentinel. Season 3, Episode 12. "Prisoner X" Another reliable old action-adventure-show chestnut: the hero goes undercover inside a prison where (it is later revealed) that the inmates are being forced to fight to the death. Good performances and a fast pace make this better than it has any right to be. It's also cool to see The Seninel using his powers inside a prison (trapped in his cell, he is able to listen to pretty much everything that is being said in the whole place). Some elements don't make sense (why have Jim and Blair got such an elaborate method of communication when they can - in fact - meet face to face) and some elements are corny (the guy in the final battle not being able to kill Jim). But I enjoyed seeing an episode that completely departs from the show's usual formula and the fight at the end was cool. Not the worst episode.

Highlight? Flashpoint (tearjerker)
Yet Another TV Review Podcast

Wed, Jul 30, 08 - Flying Blind, The Sentinel, Honey West

08:00 Flying Blind
11:00 The Sentinel
12:00 Honey West

Flying Blind. Episode 2. "Smiles of a Summer Night" Day Two of the Neil-Alicia relationship. The first few scenes (of Neil at work, and being tortured by his family) are mildly funny. The episode kicks into high gear when Téa Leoni comes on, admonishing an off-camera suitor to "Stop following me, and go back to Congress!" Lines like that sparkle. Leoni sparkles, and so does Corey Parker when he shares scenes with Leoni. The first half of the episode follows Neil and Alicia on their day together. Neil wants to rush into having sex, Alicia wants to wait. Diedrich Bader pretty much steals the whole show with a hilarious cameo as another of Alicia's suitors who carries a napkin from a previous encounter. His delivery of his few lines is so good it's worth re-watching a few times.

Later that night, while Neil is in bed (and the house is full of various visiting family members) Alicia shows up and explains that she has changed her mind: she wants to have sex. There and then. What follows is a comedy of errors as the amorous couple are interrupted on several occasions. The best part, however, is Alicia's reaction to Neil's messy bedroom and the various childhood artifacts located therein: "Most Improved Camper" trophy, etc. She is fascinated, she teases him about it, but she's not turned off.

So, in this episode we see that Alicia is just as crazy about Neil as he is about her. Which is vital to making the series work. We might not understand why she would fall for this guy, but - thanks to this episode - we can see that she has. And this too feeds into the male fantasy part of the series: a beautiful woman coming into your bedroom and not being put off by all the geeky stuff she finds in there.



The Sentinel. Season 3, Episode 11. "Breaking Ground" Yet another superb episode. The story is a bit more silly than we usually get on this show, but the interaction between Jim, Blair and - new character - Cassie makes the episode something special. Cassie is wonderful. I'm completely smitten with Lisa Akey!! She's gorgeous and her character is great fun. Not only great fun in her own right, but great fun because she makes Jim and Blair even more interesting than usual in the way they both respond to her. Virtually every scene between Cassie and the regulars is hilarious/insightful/sweet. Jim is being a jerk to her (typical Jim!) but he has really grown to like her. Blair openly fancies her (typical Blair!) and his attempts to woo her are equal parts funny and easy to identify with. The episode's best scene is probably the one where the captain warns Blair not to try anything in the station house, because of the video cameras!! I laughed hard at that one.

The addition of Cassie fascinates me. I'm currently watching second season Supernatural, where an attempt to mess with the formula has failed to impress me, yet here is another show about two men who form a close-knit team (and who obviously love one another a great deal) and the show tempts fate by changing the dynamic of the show, and introducing a brand new female character who takes the lead in the cases and impacts on the way the show works.



They revamp Supernatural and I hate it. They revamp The Sentinel and I love it. Go figure!

Maybe it's just that I like Cassie (Lisa Akey). She is absolutely gorgeous and I love Cassie's raw enthusiasm and intelligence. Plus, since I have asthma, it's cool to see a TV character with asthma. The scene in this episode where she needed to use her inhaler was perfectly done. Showing that asthma is part of her life, impacts to a degree but doesn't intrude very much.



So maybe I identify with her. And maybe it's just that she's crazy hot.

Honey West. Episode 1. "The Swingin' Mrs. Jones" Before the credits have rolled on this opening episode, Honey West, private eye, has been outwitted by the bad guys, beaten up in an alley way and lost all of her client's money in the process. Hmm. Not the best first impression I've ever seen on TV. Never mind, once the credits have rolled Honey (with bland partner in tow) is hot on the tail of the evil doers. What follows is by-the-numbers private eye fare. It is lifted somewhat by the presence of Anne Francis and the heroine's use of gadgets to trail/trap the baddies. Hidden microphones and exploding ear-rings (yes, exploding ear-rings) give the whole enterprise a great sense of fun and pizazz. But the selling point is Anne Francis. She is beautiful, very sexy and tough. Could have been on The Avengers, basically.

Highlight? The Sentinel (Lisa Akey)
Yet Another TV Review Podcast

Tue, Jul 15, 08 - 2Guys & A Girl, Welcome Back Kotter, Sentinel, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

09:00    Two Guys And A Girl
09:30    Welcome Back Kotter
10:00    The Sentinel
02:45    Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Two Guys And A Girl.  Season 2, Episode 8.  "Foul Play"  I love my sit-coms to have heart and emotion and honest drama and none come better than this fantastic episode of Two Guys And A Girl.  Berg tries to create false conflict in his relationship with Ashley because he likes it best when they fight.  It's all very funny.  Until a conversation with his dad (the awesome Steve Landesberg) causes him to reflect and (in a very serious, very sad final scene) he and Ashley break up.  It's all very honest and easy to relate to.  He's just not happy.  It's a reflection of how immature the character is, that he wants a relationship of constant drama, but there's a sign here of his growing up.  Because, whatever else you say about the lovable nitwit, you have to admit that he had the guts to be honest with Ashley.

Welcome Back Kotter.  Episode 1.  "Welcome Back)"  Welcome Back Kotter is a curious show.  A show that finds itself very funny, when I often cannot see the joke.  The studio audience are always in fits of laughter and - sometimes - the cast seem to be on the verge of doing the same.  It's always puzzled me.  It's a show I've always liked, but I've never been able to find it as funny as it finds itself.  This opening episode is a perfect example.  Kotter meets his class for the first time.  Each one gets up and does his shtick and then the episode is over.  How funny you find the episode depends on how funny you find the shtick.  I don't know where I stand.  I used to think the (oft-repeated) phrase "Up you nose with a rubber hose" was funny.  Maybe repeated exposure will get me back to that place again?

The Sentinel.  Season 3, Episode 10.  "Dead Certain"  Another superb episode.  Cassie joins the dynamic duo for the first time as they head to a small town to find out about a dead John Doe who has been stolen from their morgue.  Tinkering with a successful formula (and first-rate cast-chemistry) should be a mistake, but Lisa Akey is wonderfully cute and likable in the role.  Cassie is over-the-top enthusiastic and Jim (of course) is a jerk to her at the start.  None of this should work, but the cast make it fly.  The scene where she reveals why she can't become a cop packs more of an emotional punch that you would expect for a character you've only known for twenty minutes.

The story is great, too.  A solid mystery, a criminal conspiracy that makes sense and bad guys who pose a serious threat.  The climax, with Jim jumping from a helicopter to a plane and jamming his gun into the tail is classic Sentinel.  This is also one of the episodes where Jim uses his powers a lot and they help out on the case.  It's also one of the few times that bystanders go "Wow" when he uses his powers.  Since the show never does this, it is really cool when they decide to go this route.  And it helps that the scene in question is wonderfully played.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.  "Act I"  I laughed, I cried, I sang along!  Well, I didn't actually sing along (yet) cos I don't know the words (yet).  And I didn't actually cry even though the while affair is supremely heartfelt.  But I sure-as-heck laughed.  It's wonderful silliness.

Highlight?  The Sentinel

Tue, Jul 8, 08 - The Sentinel

10:00    The Sentinel

The Sentinel.  Season 3, Episode 9.  "Red Ice"  Another good episode.  This one starts off with an assassination at a political rally.  Jim is actually there when the shot is fired, but his super-senses do not warn him of the attack.  When he discovers why, he also discovers that the hitman is an old foe of his from his time in Peru, and the two of them are set for a rematch.  To the death!

Lots to like here.  This show never ever lets the super-powers of the hero dominate the fact that the show is a cop show first.  Even episodes like this, which have Jim using his powers a lot, are still just police dramas.  And it's a pretty solid police drama at that.  The story has two strong female guest characters (one of them from an earlier episode) and it plays them off one another in an intelligent way.  Even better, by the end of the story, the two women have found some common ground in their political differences and becomes something close to friends.

As well as interesting guest characters (one a Russian cop, the other a Russian smuggler) the show has a great foe.  A hi-tech assassin who, as Blair points out, is using technology to duplicate the things that Jim can do naturally.  All of this without ever knowing that Jim has "super powers".  In fact, the show earns much respect from me because it never goes down the route of peripheral characters wondering how Jim is able to do the things that he does.

The episode ends with a very long action sequence where Jim, Blair and the two women are trapped in a remote cabin while the Bad Guy cuts the place to shreds with gunfire.  Everything about this is good: The way it is filmed, the soundtrack/music used, the final fight scene above a waterfall, etc.

The Sentinel is great visceral entertainment.  Sometimes (like when you are very tired) you just want to sit back and see something straight-forward: an Alpha Male who tracks Bad Guys and beats them up.  The Sentinel delivers.

Tue, Jul 1, 08 - Perfect Strangers, My Boys, Good Morning Miami, Avengers, Sentinel, Acapulco HEAT, Roughnecks

06:30    Perfect Strangers
07:00    My Boys
09:30    Good Morning Miami
10:00    The Avengers
11:30    The Sentinel
12:30    Acapulco HEAT
01:30    Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles

Perfect Strangers.  Episode 3.  "First Date"  The joy of this show is in watching Balki, who is clueless about everyday life, learn about stuff from Larry, who is also clueless but hides it better.  It's all rather sweet how they lean on one another for support and - somehow - manage to educate each other as they stumble along.  The other joy, of course, is the flawless slapstick.  While the concept for the series is strong, and guaranteed to provide opportunity for laughs no matter who was cast, the slapstick/chemistry is a different matter.  Nobody but these two actors could have accomplished what Mark Linn-Baker and Bronson Pinchot.  Their easy genius at their roles is a shart contrast to the rest of the season 1 cast: Lise Cutter and Ernie Sabella who are bland and forgettable.  Basically it feels as if two characters from an inferior sit-com have wandered onto the Perfect Strangers set.  And while the early episodes are still wonderful, the show won't truly be complete until Jennifer and Mary Anne arrive.  No sign of them this week (but they are not far away) and romance is in the air, as Larry teaches Balki how to meet women.  Classic.

My Boys.  Season 2, Episode 3.  "The Shirt Contest"  The joy of this show is the friendships between the group.  I honestly can't think of a sitcom that so perfectly captures the feeling of being in a group of friends.  Aside from the chemistry of the cast, the show manages to tell interesting stories.  This episode has PJ trying to write a book with a sports celebrity and not making much progress.  While Brendan meets his ex in a very embarrasing (and relatable) situation. And while all this is going on, the gang banter as usual.

Good Morning Miami.  Episode 2.  "Power Failure"  The pre-credits sequence of this episode is awful.  It's not funny and the main character comes across as jerk.  I wonder how many potential viewers were driven away by that opening?  It's a pity, because once the credits have rolled, everything at follows is comedy gold.  Particularly the staff meeting where all the regular characters are on-screen together.  Penny and Frank get all the biggest laughs, but everyone is on top form.

It's a pity that they aired the hero-behaves-like-a-jerk-until-he-learns-his-lesson episode this early.  When you think about it, the show has an unappealing concept and lead character.  Yes, everything that happened in the pilot was wonderrful and romantic but - once he realised that the object of his affections was in a long-term relationship - the hero of the piece should have backed off.  It's really the only heroic thing to do.  Everything that he does in the series that follows could be seen as the actions of a jerk trying to break up a couple on his own whim.  That's not very likable.  What was needed here, I feel, was an opening/episode where Gavin regrets taking the job and decides to leave Dylan alone.  The audience might like him more for doing that.  Instead of behaving in such an arrogant manner.  Gavin wasn't like that in the series that followed: it was circumstances that kept throwing him and Dylan together.

So, I feel, this episode - while funny - dropped the ball completely by not driving home the concept of the series at a time when it was imporant to do so.

The Avengers.  Episode 143.  "Noon Doomsday"  For a show to have a cult following it must be rewatchable.  The episodes must have a quality in them that allows fans to go back time and time again and always enjoy what they are seeing.  If a show creates a strong sense of place, for instance, then fans will happily go back time and again to "visit" that place.  This episode of The Avengers (like many/most episodes of the show) creates a wonderful sense of time and place and populates the location with fascinating characters.  It's a truly pleasureable hour of TV.

Steed is in hospital.  A hospital that looks like a country farmhouse.  A well-guarded country farmhouse, that is.  A heavily-armed agent prowls the perimeter and the whole place is surrounded by a minefield.  The minefield is intened to keep enemies out.  Unfortunately an enemy of Steed's is coming to get him and he's managed to get an inside man to kill the heavily-armed agent on duty and he's on his way by helicopter.  So it is Steed, in fact, who is held back by the minefield.  Plus, he's recovering from injuries.  Luckily, all this happened on the same day that Tara popped by for a visit...

And there you have it.  Lots of running and shouting and action, and all of it takes place inside, between and on top of the buildings of this 'quiet' settings.  It's superb stuff.  With a story modelled after High Noon, Tara finds that none of the other hospitalised agents are willing to help (an injured) Steed take on his foe.

This is a great Tara episode.  She's constantly running around.  One minute pleading with someone to help, the next minute she's in a life or death struggle with some bad guy or others.  The fact that she's only a novice agent makes everything all the more exciting.  Steed thinks she hasn't a hope, and he has every reason to think so.  I don't think that it's a bad reflection on Steed that he has no faith in his 'partner'.  Rather he is very much aware that she is no Emma Peel and could very well get herself killed.

It's also interesting that Tara has no knowledge of Steed's injuries or the mission he was on when he got them.  It drives home the fact that they are not 'partners' at all and really do have more of a mentor/pupil relationship.  Which is one of the things I love most about this era of the show's history.

I also love the Opening Title sequence (with Steed and Tara in a field of Knights). I read earlier this week that it was filmed on July 3rd, 1968. But I can't find the website now where I read that!!

The Sentinel.  Season 3, Episode 8.  "Storm Warning"  As I've written before if a show creates a strong sense of place then fans will happily go back time and again to "visit" that place.  This is true of The Sentinel as much as of any cult show.  Most episode have that wonderful rainy city backdrop and other episodes take the characters to some unique place for an adventure.  This episode, for example, takes Jim (the cop with super senses) and Blair (his observer/watcher) to a remote island which is being besieged by heavily-armed drug-runners during a storm.

The Sentinel is very much a hit-and-miss show.  Some episodes hit their mark to perfection, and other episodes are so wide of the mark you have to wonder how it could even be the same series.  This one, thankfully, falls into the former category.  The episode does everything right.  Every element, every guest actor/character, every glance between Jim and Blair, every action sequence, every twist in the story, etc.  All are just right.  It's great fun from start to finish.

Jim only uses his powers twice in the episode and neither of those times has any real impact on the story.  That often happens on The Sentinel.  His powers are often irrelevant to the story (unless they are the story).  This week, it's just a standard cop thriller.  And it's a very good one: it's got at least one example of a siege, a shoot-out, a chase and a double-cross.  As well as all the action, you have likable main characters and a solid entertaining story.  Exactly the elements I want from an episode of The Sentinel.

Acapulco HEAT.  Episode 6.  "Feminine Intuition"  Although still beset by low production values and wooden acting (from the guest stars) this episode of AH is a step up in terms of story content and story intent.  The story not only engages us by having Ashley go up against and old partner (who has now turned bad) it establishes that the team are a potent force for good in their part of the world.

Too many scenes just look like actors sitting around their hotel rooms (which is basically what it is, I suppose) and none of the guest cast can make their characters work.  But, luckily, they don't get much screen time.  The regular cast are great in this.  The scenes devoted to the mission are solid, as are all the downtime scenes, showing the team members having fun and hanging out.  The topic of female intuition is a recurring topic of conversation all through the episode and it works perfectly against the man story.  Not only as a source of (genuine) amusement, but it also (cleverly) feeds into a super-cool bit at the end when Mike shoots a bad guy behind a closed door without knowing where he would be hiding.

Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles.  Episode 1.  "Freefall"  Here you have an exceptionally cool show about war, which doesn't make war seem cool in the slightest.  Instead the mood is depressing and oppressive.  This first episode does a great job introducing the regular characters and establishing their personalities.

Highlight?  The Sentinel

Battlestar Galactica II, Californication, Prison Break, Seinfeld, The Sentinel

Tuesday, November 13th, 2007

05:30 Battlestar Galactica
11:00 Seinfeld
11:30 The Sentinel
12:30 Prison Break
01:30 Californication

Battlestar Galactica. Razor. A needlessly muddled - and somewhat confusing - narrative is helped by strong leading performances from Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen and Michelle Forbes. The story, such as it is, is told on three fronts: the framing sequences take place in the past of the regular TV series, some of it takes place ten months before that, and a large chunk takes place a few decades before that again. Sheesh! Tricia Helfer is at her duplicitious best, and Edward James Olmos steals his few scenes (especially the last one). A few blanks are filled in, a few hints are made about the end of the whole story, and there is a good bit of doing-what-has-to-be-done-no-matter-what-the-cost. It is these sequences that lift the story and allow the series to do what it does best: hold a mirror up to the world that we live in, here at the dawn of the 21st Century. Because of this, I know that while this is not one of the best episodes, I'm still watching one of the best shows on TV.

Seinfeld. Season 8, Episode 4. How do you possibly choose a favourite bit, when - on one hand - you have George playing the bad boy, and - on the other hand - you have Elaine doing her famous dance of "the little kicks"?

The Sentinel. Season 3, Episode 7. A mediocre story is not helped by lots of guest actors with annoying accents. The story is that reliable old action-adventure-show chestnut: "the under-threat visiting dignatory who will not accept police protection". Luckily, she's romantically tied to one of the regulars. Yawnsville.

Prison Break. Season 3, Episode 6. PB has totally hit it's stride by this stage in the third season, and there is much to savour in this fantastic episode. It's fun to see Michael's plan finally go into action, and it's a total blast to see Michael and Alex working side by side for a common goal.

Californication. Episode 10. If the last one felt like a season finale, then this feels like a whole new season. Charlie is living with Hank, Mia is showing Hank's stolen book to agents (specifically Dani) and Hank himself seems to be genuinely over Karen. While not as strong as recent episodes (all the Hank/Charlie stuff is boring) there is still a lot to like here: it's cool see Mia and Dani spend so much time together and their conversations are fascinating.

Highlight? Prison Break.

Adventure Inc., The Sentinel, WKRP In Cincinnati, We Got It Made

Wednesday, September 19th, 2007

10:00 Adventure Inc.
11:00 The Sentinel
12:00 WKRP In Cincinnati
12:30 We Got It Made

Adventure Inc. Episode 1. This show ran for 22 episodes as part of the 02/03 season and it features a team of explorers, whose cases are always dangerous and exciting and sometimes feature the supernatural. Like in this opening episode, which has our three heroes running around the jungle in search of a Mayan altar. With them is a young woman who has apparently been taken over by the spirit of a bride from 1,000 years ago who never made it to the altar. The show is typical adventure fare. It's got a great lead cast, some cool action sequences and this episode was very enjoyable.

The Sentinel. Season 3, Episode 6. This show ran four seasons and features a cop with superhuman senses. This episode (one of the very best) does a great job mixing two plots and keeping the viewer guessing. Jim cuts someone off in traffic and almost gets into a fist-fight. The guy turns into a psycho stalker determined to get revenge on the bad-tempered cop. Meanwhile, Jim goes undercover on the tail of a gang of jewel thieves, one of whom (a hilarious Holly Fields) takes a shine to him. The plots moves fast, Jim uses his powers a lot (in a few episodes he never uses his powers), the regulars are hilarious together and there is long chase at the end. It's brilliant TV.

WKRP In Cincinnati. Episode 57. WKRP is a great show because no matter how silly the comedy gets, the show has an honest heart and a great respect for the characters. In this hilarious episode, Herb arrives to work with his daughter's frog in two. He has accidently spray painted the frog and it is dying. There is a lot of great comedy to be had from Herb going round on everyone unveiling the frog and getting their opinions on saving it. But the frog dies. And the whole point of the episode is that Herb, a pretty sleazy guy most of the time, is heart-broken because he's just killed something that his daughter loves. The final scene is a long one, it's just Herb and his very young daughter and it's completely devoid of melodrama and cliché. Herb just rambles on and on about how sorry he is and the kid (who has very little dialogue but still steals the scene) forgives him without fuss. It's nothing like other times we've seen this scenario played out on TV, but it sure rings true and it's a pleasure to be entertained in this way. Classy, smart TV.

We Got It Made. Episode 16. A prime example of everything that could go wrong with TV sit-coms, We Got It Made was an 80s clone of Three's Company that ran for for two seasons. Two guys hire a maid and she's a blond bombshell. Plots tend to revolve around comic mis-understandings of one type or another. In most cases the plots have to make the regular characters appear to be very dumb to make the stories work, the jokes fail to raise a smile and it can be embarrasing to watch. In most cases, but not all. The early episodes are hilarious, but the show went down very fast. Even then, it had a pretty cool cast to carry it. Teri Copley, in particular, has great comic timing. This episode revolves around the brother of one of the guys showing up. He doesn't want to be a lawyer like his big brother, he wants to be an actor. After that it all plays out like average sit-com fare, until all comes well at the end and everyone learns a lesson. However, it's not one of the worst episodes. Copley gets to play different characters and she's very funny when doing it.

Best show of the night? The Sentinel.