moriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer) (10/29/85)
Well, the magic two month milestone has passed, and I have to
look back and ask myself, just how much television am I watching
these days? With a video machine, it makes it much easier to
avoid the problem of every having to be home for anything, but the
constant fear of Couch Potato-dom often raises its ugly head. On
the other hand, maybe I can pretend to be doing these reviews in
the Best Interests of those of you who are wondering what's Good
out there. Well, here are a few judgements, combined with a few
comments, sorted into three categories.
ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT MISS EXCEPT FOR NUCLEAR WAR. MAYBE.
-Hill Street Blues. Last year was the best season they've had in three
years, but this one has been just as good if not better. And this is a
relief, after all the prophesizing of doom by various people about what
would happen when Bocho was gone and they loosened up the format.
Generally speaking, I don't find the show all that much different in
format, except that it usually has a brief scene before the role call,
which is a nice touch. The Furillo Commission thing has been riveting,
Harry went out with style, Patsy could come back any time, and Ray is still
present thanks to the commission. And the usual high style of acting is
still very present. My only beefs were the incredibly gift-wrapped ending
of Harry's killer, Leo's sudden departure (what about his ex-wife?), and
Howard shows absolutely no development as a character in the last four
years, except as a Warner Bros. Cartoon character. Still the best.
-At The Movies. More for the content than for the critics, who seem to be
showing emotional stress these days.
ALWAYS TAPE THEM, AND ALMOST ALWAYS WATCH THEM.
-St. Elsewhere. Not for everybody, but then they don't try to be. Still
has the rather manic, weird nature of the last season, but seems to be on a
slight (very slight) downward trend. However, William Daniels continues to
do a very nice job as Dr. Craig, and the regulars do their normal competent
job. Oh, yeah -- Fiskus and Billie Newman? Yoiks...
-The Twilight Zone. I did not expect this to win in the Battle of the
Network Anthologies, but it has, with consistently funny or well-thought
out episodes. Stories like "The Healer", "The Wish Bank", "Nightcrawlers"
and "Ye Gods" continue to remind me of the general level of quality brought
by the old show (please to remember before flaming: the original had many
great shows, but it had just as many mediocre ones, and it much of it's
greatness rested on its high good/mediocre ratio COMBINED with a multi-year
run. Have some patience...), and updated to make it palatable to modern
viewers. And very important to me, the feeling that the writers are still
*experimenting*, still stretching their imaginations somewhat. An amazing
collection of people have contributed: William Friedken, Harlan Ellison,
Melinda Dillon, the guy who did NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (his name escapes
me...), the Grateful Dead, even Huey Lewis (on the harmonica!). Kudos to
all involved with this very fine show; I can't speak for Rod Serling, but
I'm pleased.
-The Equalizer. Ok, ha-ha, I didn't think this was going to be any good,
either. After reading the capsule description in the preview issue of TV
guide, I wrote it off as another in the genre of "Waste-His-Ass" movies and
TV (see my article in net.movies for more details). But... week after
week, I have seen things which bring me back for more. 1) Good writing.
2) Good plots. 3) Good photography. 4) An immensely interesting, complex
and three-dimensional lead character. Robert McCall (Edward Woodward) may
be the first mass media character to come out in four years who actually
fits the term "good man". Or maybe hero. No, not
jump-and-dodge-machine-gun-bullets-and-save-the-family-of-migrant-workers
super-hero dude you get on most shows. This appears to be a thinking
person's hero -- he has the means and methods to accomplish good in a
realistic environment (after many years in the CIA -- the fellow who played
Gary Seven on Star Trek shows up occasionally as his old boss), but he
seriously questions how he does things. He gets tired, he gets lonely, he
screws up sometimes. He doubts whether he's right, or whether he's doing
any good. But he doesn't let his personal speculations drag him into
inactivity; and he helps people out as true charity. We seem to uncover
another facet of his personality every episode, and I for one am going to
continue watching this progression. Character development and
three-dimensional writing are rare, especially when the show has such a
potential to fall on it's face -- the networks would love a "Death Wish"
show. But realistic violence nontheless, I think this is quite a program.
-The Cosby Show. Look at it this way -- the man is FUNNY. He makes me
laugh. He makes me laugh consistently. Good for him. I am particularly
impressed that so many young kids are watching this. Can't hurt.
-Mad Movies with the L.A. Express. A local syndicated show here in
Seattle, with old movies (and home movies) dubbed ala WHAT'S UP TIGER
LILLY. Very good so far (the Sherlock Holmes movie with Rathbone and Bruce
had me in fits). Better than J-MEN FOREVER, even.
YEAH, I'LL TAPE IT AND PROBABLY WATCH IT, ESPECIALLY AS I CAN
FAST-FORWARD OVER THE COMMERCIALS...
-Spenser. I've read the books, and while it still fails miserably in
points (Frank Belson in particular), Urich is good, Brooks as Hawk is
phenomenal, and the stories have been getting truer and better every week.
Worth experimenting, I think.
-Cheers & Night Court. Real hit-'n-miss stuff; Cheers has been variable
and rather tapped out for the last two years, but still gets laughs on some
occasions. Night Court has always ridden a very fine line between zany and
cute and (ugh) "heartwarming", and it still trips quite a bit. The quality
content of either of these can usually be determined in the first four
minutes.
-Amazing Stories & Alfred Hitchcock Presents. The former has been the most
overhyped show of the season -- only this last Sunday's episode ("Mummy
Daddy") has been good enough to praise (but that one WAS good, with
wonderful horror movie cliches lampooned, nice photgraphy and a neat
Spielburg parody by Brandon Pinchot). Hitchcock has been sometimes good,
but usually predictable -- the last two episodes were figurable in the
first 4 minutes, even though the former sported Barbera Hershey and Buck
Henry. Variable is the keyword here.
-Misfits of Science. About the same level of The Greatest American Hero --
some fun but variable. Definately the most ORIGINAL (maybe weirdest)
opening credit sequence in years... I love it! Characterization is worked
on in odd moments, all the male actors have three names, Basil Poulderis
does the music (eh?) and why in the Hell does every episode open with
someone making hamburgers on a grill? Are we having fun yet?
-Miami Vice. Biggest letdown of the year. After an INCREDIBLY good
opening movie, the show has been week after week of very thin stuff. Hey,
I don't expect Vice to have good dialogue or plots -- that's not what it's
famous for (though it occasionally surprises me). But the last few shows
have lacked the pizazz usually found in the last season -- the photgraphy
is lackluster and Jan Hammers music is not used to any effect at all. In
short, it looks like a Miami Vice Imitator. Work on it, guys...
That's it. That's all.
"But Billy Joe, lynchin' ain't fer mummies.
Lynchin's fer cattle rustlers."
"Lynchin's fer EVERBODY!"
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! <*>seb@mtgzz.UUCP (s.e.badian) (11/05/85)
Well, if Jeff can say what his favorite TV shows are, so can I. I have to say that I agree with most of his choices, though maybe not in degree. Not to be missed(mainly because if you miss one, you lose track of the plot): St. Elsewhere - I like it even better than Hill St. Blues, and in the long haul, I think it has better staying power. Rumor has it that many of the old favorites from HSB will be leaving next year when their contracts are up. It will be very, very difficult to hold the show together without Hill, Renko, Firiollo, Bates, and Coffee. St. Elsewhere has managed to weather cast changes extremely well, and has actually used them to its advantage. The cast it great, the stories are about real people. I love it. HSB - I still love it, but I don't think it's as good as years past. It seems that the plots have become less complex. Very few of the plots run longer than one show. Some people may like the less complicated plots, but I think they've gotten a bit too predictable. The acting is still great. The stories still grab you and hold you to the tv for an hour. Shows I hate to miss: Kate and Allie - Not in Jeff's list. You should check it out. One of the funniest shows on TV. I like it better than Cosby because it's not just one person's show. Jane Curtin and Susan St. James are perfect together. Jane Curtin has shown that you can go from Saturday Nite Live and do something other than the silliness that SNL thrives on. Susan St. James shows that she isn't just McMillan's wife, but a very funny lady. It's nice to see two single mothers coping with middle age and raising the kids. Though not entirely realistic (how many divorcees can afford to share a very large duplex in a nice neighborhood of Manhattan?), I think it certainly is not the typical TV family show. Bob Newhart - This show has gotten better this year. Bob is, well, Bob. Understated, but very funny. Most of the rest of the cast is very good. Larry, Darryl, and Darryl have been fleshed out. They are just hilarious. Stephanie is a pip, and Michael is perfect for her. The only let-down is Johanna, who is not a particularly interesting character. Along with Kate and Allie, this show has been getting some very good ratings. Almost gives me hope in the tv watching public. Cagney and Lacey - Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly are so good together. Their characters are very different, but they work so well together. Tyne Daly keeps on garnering Emmy's but I think Sharon Gless deserves one as well. They are tough, gritty cops. But the show manages to minimize violence compared to other cop shows. I like that. From what I've read this show is extremely popular among successful women. I think we like to see other successful women handling life and all its problems. That's all of my favorites. I didn't repeat the other shows I really like that Jeff mentioned. I just wanted to put my plugs in for my favorites. Particularly Kate and Allie. My dad owns stock in the company that produces it. No kidding! Everyone write CBS and tell them how much you like it! Sharon Badian ihnp4!mtgzz!seb