moriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer) (03/11/86)
Well, as the repeats are just around the corner, I thought I'd list the shows which are (at least when I posted this) still around and kicking, and worth watching. ST. ELSEWHERE In my opinion, the finest continuing series on TV today; I don't think there's another show on that usually surprises me once a week. If you've grown up in a TV household, you probably discovered (around 15) that most shows were boring because you could predict what was going to happen next -- you'd seen the same situation worked over and over and over again. Sure, St. E. has it's share of stinkers -- but I always feel that they're willing to go out on a limb to try something different out; and it often works. THE TWILIGHT ZONE What can I say? I think there have only been two shows this year where I didn't think it worth watching for at least one of the anthology stories. Another good example of non-predictable TV -- but on anything bearing the TZ name, you EXPECT the unexpected. The quirky humor was also appreciated ("The Uncle Devil Show", "Eye of Newton"); but the best were the shows that got you involved with the characters, could get you to care. I really enjoyed last week's episode with the time-travelling historian who stops Kennedy's assasination; the few holes in the mechanics of the plot were to be overlooked for the excellent and innovative idea (OK, I haven't read a lot of science fiction -- innovative for TV). Or the Arthur C. Clarke Christmas story of the spaceship finding the star of Bethlehem -- and it's long-dead inhabitants. Or the boy who befriends a Pilgrim girl. Or, or, or... great stuff. The bright light of this year. Three things in particular to point out about TZ: the talent who get involved! Matheson, Ellison, King, Silverburg, Bradbury (I actually didn't think too much of this) for writers, or episodes based on their stories. Tobe Hooper, William Friedken, and others among the directors. Sometimes uneven, but usually innovative special effects (I thought the holographic replay of the cars in Dallas extremely well done last week). I can only hope that they continue to do so well (I notice that Ellison is finally not listed as creative consultant). HILL STREET BLUES Certainly not as good as when it first began, it does oftentimes seem to be suffering from iron-poor blood. But the majority of the time it rises to the occasion; when you get to know characters as well as their audience has, you can skimp a little more on always having dramatic situations. MOONLIGHTING Hey, hey, hey! What can I say? I didn't like the first few episodes, got caught up on the meta-humor discussion goin' around, caught the show, loved the MH, thought the dialogue was great (reminds me of Cary Grant and Rosiland Russell in HIS GIRL FRIDAY). Is it great comedy? I dunno. Is it weird? A lot of the times. Is it stylishly quirky and humorous? Hey! Do bees be? Do bears bear? SPENSER FOR HIRE I've read all the books by Robert Parker, so I was pretty skeptical when it came on. I'm *still* skeptical, due to uneven writing, but I have learned a trick to figure out if it's worth watching. If, during the episodes opening credits, the writer of the episode is listed as "Robert Hamilton", it's worth seeing; otherwise, you're taking your chances. All I can say is this: I'm half wondering if Robert Parker is writing under a Hamilton alias. The dialogue is right on the nose, particularly in Hawk's case, who is played by Avery Brooks in a way that I am sure, somewhere in my mind, that he IS Hawk. I've gotten used to Urich as Spenser -- he's obviously trying. I haven't decided which I dislike the most: the actress who has completely misinterperted the Susan Silverman role, or Richard Jaekal as Martin Quirk, who is way too chummy and far to non-hard-nose (soft nose?) with Spenser. THE EQUALIZER I've said it before and I'll say it again; this show is good. Sometimes it's kinda good, with too much violence (but realistic violence -- it is not pretty) instead of plot. But most of the time, it weaves several plots together, including a contious story that has wafted through the last year's episodes about what is going on in the CIA offices where Robert McCall used to work. Good character actors, good characters, and a feeling of gritty realism (if you had to get someone out of a loan shark's hands, how would you do it? Hire the A-Team. Hell, no, you'd blackmail the sucker!). And McCall's on-again, off-again agents are great, particularly the sleazebag who runs between The Agency and the red-light zone, and Micky Costameyer, McCall's most unusual and frequent agent. SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE HOWEVER!! Only for Dennis Miller's Weekend Update. Everything else is too unpredictable. I just set my tape machine from midnight to quarter after. On other fronts, Miami Vice fell into mediocraty almost as soon as it hit popularity (maybe there's a moral there), and Amazing Stories faded into sugar-coatedness. Better luck next year... "You know, sir, that there *is* a precedent for wheelchair detectives..." "Shut up, Alfred." Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer ARPA: fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPA UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, sb6, lbl-csam}!fluke!moriarty <*> DISCLAIMER: Do what you want with me, but leave my employers alone! <*>
trudel@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Jonathan D.) (03/18/86)
> > SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE HOWEVER!! Only for Dennis Miller's Weekend Update. > Everything else is too unpredictable. I just set my > tape machine from midnight to quarter after. Hmf! I would agree, but I would also like to add my favorite - the pathalogical liar. In all honesty, he doesn't really lie, he calls 'em as he sees 'em, yeah, that's it. As I was saying to my wife the other day, er..um Morgan Fairchild, that's my wife, yeah, I said that that guy should be in charge of the network. Uh, he IS in charge of the network, yeah, that's it, he also OWNS the network. As a matter of fact, he originated NBC back in the early 20's, that's it. Did you hear that the ratings are right up there at 9.....Um doing just fine. As a matter of fact, it's doing better than Cosby...Yeah, that's it... -- Jonathan D. Trudel arpa: trudel@blue.rutgers.edu uucp:{seismo,allegra,ihnp4}!topaz!blue!trudel Personally, I like my flying brains dark and evil.