moriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer) (09/18/85)
First review of the new season, and after comparing the first episode to the
pilot of "Hell Town", I have to say this is a step up. I am *not* saying
this is worth the effort to see it every week; watching Robert Blake twiddle
with a cutesy-wisecracking Bing Crosby attitude, and then switch to
historonics in Baretta-mode (in a manner which should make armchair
psychologists sit up and take notice), for an entire hour is not rational
because there has to be SOMETHING better for a person to do. However, it is
not dreck, and certainly not pat drek. I particularly liked a speech Blake
gives at the end of the show to a prostitute; he points out that it's "up to
her" to leave her current occupation -- her life is her responsibility, and
there are no guarantees that things will go uphill, whichever way she
decides to go. That's an unusual thing to see in these days of television
(and presidential) platitudes; a touch of cold-steel truth, a pointing out
that the straight-and-narrow does not come with a money-back written
guarantee. Blake was fine here, and shows that given decent material, he
can be a fairly good actor (the television adaptation of "Of Mice and Men"
backs this up). Still, it can not fully make up for the "Highway to Heaven"
feel much of the rest of the show seems to have. If you're looking for a
good new show for this season, I'm afraid I can't help you (and after
looking at the new shows, I'm afraid there isn't much hope -- all I can see
that has *any* potential is "The Twilight Zone" and especially Spielburg's
"Amazing Stories" (which I am increasingly putting my hopes upon, like some
glitzy talisman)).
"Open Channel D..."
Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
ARPA: fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPA
UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, sb6, lbl-csam}!fluke!moriarty
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