A Briefing With Michael

The Big Bang Theory 10.2 Very funny episode with two strong...

The Big Bang Theory 10.2

Very funny episode with two strong storylines.

The Bernadette/Penny storyline is the better one. It’s rock-solid, standard sitcom fare peppered with a lot of great one-liners. And, even better, at the core is a believable character issue for Bernadette.
The ongoing Military storyline takes a big move forward here, and the guys move buildings at the end to take on a new job for the next few months. Exciting to see the show do a multi-episode arc again.
Best scene: Sheldon not talking. That was hilarious.

Two entry in The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (Eighth Edition)

There are 22 episodes, not 24.

Ad for Sliders on Nov 8th, 1996.

Ad for Babylon 5 on Nov 2nd, 1996.

Ad for Melrose Place on Nov 4th, 1996.

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Superstore 2.8 The show is in a wonderful sweet spot right now....

Superstore 2.8

The show is in a wonderful sweet spot right now. It is still new and firing on all cylinders and there is something new and fun every week.
The ongoing love story is playing out exactly like these things always do on sitcoms. But it works. And these last two episode really prove it. We are invested now. We care. And we want Amy and Jonah to eventually find their way to each other and be the perfect couple we all know they can be.
This was the funniest Nichole Bloom has been in the series so far. Every scene. Hilarious.

The Big Bang Theory 10.1

What an amazing guest cast! Can we get a Penny’s family spin-off? They were easily the highlight of this busy and very funny episode. Other highlights include:

Sheldon’s reaction to the idea of his mother having a romance.
The vows at the end were really sweet.
Bernadette shouting “Howard!” was priceless.

Superstore 2.7

There’s a lovely twist in this one. Pulling the rug out from under us. And poor Amy.

All the storylines are strong. The pairing of Dina and Glenn driving the silliest plot, while we learn something serious about Mateo. The romantic pairing of Amy and Jonah is always cute. And this is where we meet his new girlfriend.
Realistically this is a standard twist, to be expected in romance-heavy sitcoms. But it is well done here, and really works.
Really enjoyed Marcus.
Garrett has all the best lines.

The Big Bang Theory 9.24

The a-story doesn’t really go anywhere, but the b-story provides big laughs. Especially the bit where the guys think there is a car following them.
Great to see Judd Hirsch on the show. That man simply does not age.

The Tick # 008

An departure-from-formula episode full of wonderful ideas.

The best running gag here is the idea of the dimension-spanning super-villain having a surly roommate. Their odd relationship is the source of many good laughs over the course of the half-hour.
Other humour is drawn from a successful parody of a that sci-fi/fantasy staple: the clone.
Both Arthur and the Tick have evil doppelgangers in this story.
The lengthy battle at the end is good fun, too. While the Tick fights, Arthur runs around looking for a crucial device to help him and - then - for an extension lead to power the device up.

NewsRadio 5.1

A remarkable episode which finds a tasteful way to deal with off-camera real-world tragedy, and write a beloved character off the show.
The comedy is understandably strained, but there is humour here.
Mostly, however, it is just a sad episode. These characters - these people - are grieving. And - laughs or not - that can be difficult to watch.
I deliberately took a two-year break from the show because I wasn’t ready to move on the season without Bill. I just wanted to keep the character alive a little while longer, I guess.
But now I’m watching it again. So, season five… here I come!!

Seinfeld # 034

This one won the Emmy that year for Outstanding Writing.

It’s interesting to see how underused Kramer is. He doesn’t appear until well into the episode, and all of his appearances are brief, yet he pretty much steals the show.
Those two fights that Kramer breaks up are my favourite part.
But it’s a terrific story. Takes ages for anything to happen. The characters are so strong, the build-up is just as good as when the action actually starts.

The Big Bang Theory 9.23

Great use of Stuart in this one, hiring himself out to do minor tasks for everyone.
Sheldon’s quirks are used to (successfully) generate the laughs in the queue storyline.
Comedy in the other storyline comes from character, as the writers pair Penny with Leonard’s mother. Good pairing.

Peanuts # 005

He’s Your Dog, Charlie Brown.
This one works really well because it is story-driven from start to finish.

Snoopy has been misbehaving, and driving the kids crazy, so Charlie Brown arranges for him to return to the Daisy Hilly Puppy Farm for re-training. Snoopy, however, hides out at Peppermint Patty’s.
The story is always moving forward and there is always something funny happening.
The biggest laugh for me was when he climbed on top of the bed’s headboard to get his night’s sleep.
Snoopy gets all the screentime and that works really well, even if he’s somewhat out-of-character at the start.

Famous Five 1.11

The good elements and the bad elements balance each other out in this one making for a middle-of-the-road episode.

A lot of the dialogue is stilted and unrealistic.
The villains are cartoonish. Silly. Lacking menace.
The climax is muddled. It’s not always clear what’s going on, so there’s never a sense that the youngsters are in danger.

But there is good stuff, too.

The story is good. The Five are camping inside a deserted cottage, but some crooks are trying to scare them out for some reason.
The plan the Five have (leaving and then sneaking back) is clever, and makes for some tension when Dick and Julian are inside the house with the crooks.
The location filming looks wonderful.
The opening scenes - staying in the cottage on a stormy night with three strangers standing outside - are a great hook for the story to follow.

Gargoyles 2.39

Avery Brooks, John Rhys-Davies.
Lots to enjoy here. Plenty of action and two very exciting stories, smartly told.

In the b-story, Elisa has amnesia. Something which causes her to run from Goliath in fear when he finds her. It also clouds her judgement for most of the episode, until her instincts kick in near the end and she joins forces with the gargoyles.
The a-story kicks off when the travelers arrive on Easter Island and something mysteriously starts attacking them one-by-one. Elisa is first, and she is then released with her memory wiped. The gargoyles are not so lucky. They are captured and - by the end - are facing execution.
But there’s no real villain here. Instead they face a powerful opponent whose goals are actually honourable. He is, however, wrong about the gargoyles and they are forced to fight for their very lives.
Long before the ending arrives, it has become clear to us what a lonely, tragic figure their opponent is. The conclusion brings that into even clearer focus, but - at least - offers him some companionship for the future.
Bronx took quite a beating in the early scenes, so I was delighted to see him get his own back in the big battle at the end, with some vicious moves.

Rude Awakening 1.10

Very witty script. Relentless one-liners. Delivered at rapid pace by polished cast.
Always love seeing Joanna Cassidy in anything and she is terrific here as Billie’s TV mom (from the prime-time soap she used to star on).
This is a story about Billie doing the 9th step of the 12-step programme. She is making amends. Or, at least, trying to.
It’s a good story because it comes easily from the situation that drives the series.

Frasier 9.8

Utterly delightful.

This is one of those episode that pits Frasier against Niles and it’s a delight from start to finish. Fast, funny, witty.
It starts when recurring character Kirby shows up at the radio station looking for a job. Frasier could help, but doesn’t. And then, being the guy we all love, he later feels guilty about it. When Niles sneakily keeps some good wine to himself, Frasier cons him into hiring Kirby as revenge…
It’s great to see Brian Klugman back on the show for a 5th time as the dim-witted Kirby, and the script uses him very wisely, making sure the brunt of the comedy comes from the bickering brothers.
Some of their dialogue is exceptional.
There’s an enjoyable b-story about Martin having to wear an blood pressure monitor. Very funny moments in this, too.

Scooby Doo 1.5

Departs from formula by having no ‘ghost’ for ages. And when the ‘ghost’ shows up, it doesn’t really fit into the story in progress.
It’s a story about kidnapped dogs. Scooby is used as a decoy and when he’s taken, the gang go after him.
About a third of the way in, the ghost of an Indian suddenly shows up! But the script never explains exactly why the dognappers are doing this. Or why they are using an ancient Indian village as their hideout.
Definitely the weakest episode so far. Starting off in daylight, and the lack of supernatural hook at the start, makes for a story unlike any other in the series.

Very sad to learn that Mary Tyler Moore has passed away. An extraordinary woman I’ve adored all my life. I was watching The Mary Tyler Moore Show only last Sunday. Aside from that series (which changed how sitcoms were made ever-after) her company MTM (under Grant Tinker) pioneered quality television no company had before or since. Shaping the way ALL stories are told on television. The shows that shaped EVERYTHING we watch now - Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere, etc. - passed through her hands.

But I suppose I’ll always see her as Mary Richards walking through the snow in Minneapolis.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show 3.23 Herbie Faye. The comedy highlight...

The Mary Tyler Moore Show 3.23

Herbie Faye.

The comedy highlight here is undoubtedly the part where Lou has to carry Mary around the office, after she falls and sprains her foot. Several ingenious little touches (chair, telephone, door) add to the laughter. Wonderful.
This story takes a long time to get going. It all seems really random for the first few scenes until we figure it out: Mary is having a run of bad luck!
The second half is definitely funnier, as the catastrophes add up.
Mary’s speech at the end is another comedy highlight. Mary Tyler Moore doesn’t get enough of this kind of business to do. She excels.

9/10

Just Shoot Me! # 005 The Maya-Nina a-story tracks a fairly...

Just Shoot Me! # 005

The Maya-Nina a-story tracks a fairly predictable course. Jack advises his daughter to be nice to the ex-supermodel on her birthday, which proves difficult until Maya spots a chink in Nina’s armour and they bond.
Stories like this are important in sitcoms to establish/illustrate bonds between characters who spend most of their screentime throwing insults at one another.
The Elliot-Finch b-story is much funnier.
Best gag? In the c-story Jack has been buying gadgets and one of them is a whistle that only birds can hear(!), which causes a bird to suddenly crash against the office window behind him. Very funny.

7/10

The Avengers 155 Is Tara a traitor? This is pretty much a solo...

The Avengers 155

Is Tara a traitor?

This is pretty much a solo Tara story. Steed only appears properly in the second half, and even then it is really Tara who still carries the story. Steed shows up at the end to rescue her, at least.
The first half is mysterious. The viewer has no idea what is going on.
The reveal, when it eventually comes, is both brilliant and disappointing. Brilliant because it is so genuinely devious and scarily plausible. Disappointing because it’s not fantastical. Given that show regularly employs fantasy tropes in it’s storytelling, one is inclined to expect them. Here, however, is a purely espionage-driven script.
Several great fight scenes.
Great score.