Category: TV

CBS Network Sales Pitch: “Lost in Space”

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I was a kid when Lost in Space premiered and I loved it.

Unfortunately, the success of the Batman tv show convinced the producers that camp would make Lost in Space even more popular.  I loved Batman and the crazy villain guest stars, but wanted a more “serious” Lost in Space.

If you’ve ever seen Lost in Space, you know how much it changed after the first season.  You’ll also probably be surprised at how different Lost in Space became when compared to how it was first pitched.  Check out the video below of CBS Presents: Network Sales Pitch.

 

Source: Retroist.

“Almost Human” Almost Here

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I really hope that Almost Human is really good.

J.J. Abrams (“Star Trek” and “Mission: Impossible” franchises) and J.H. Wyman (“Fringe”), are behind it.  Karl Urban ( “Star Trek”, “Riddick Chronicles”, “Dredd”) and Michael Ealy (“Sleeper Cell”) co-star in the futuristic action series.

The year is 2048. Meet Detective JOHN KENNEX (Urban), a cop who survived one of the most catastrophic attacks ever made against the police department. After waking up from a 17-month coma, he can’t remember much – except that his partner was killed, he lost one of his legs and he is now outfitted with a highly sophisticated synthetic appendage.

Suffering from depression, mental atrophy, and more Kennex returns to the force but now teamed with an andoid partner…

History’s “Vikings” Keepin’ It Real

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History Channel’s Vikings was my biggest surprise series last year.  Although on the History Channel, Vikings isn’t a documentary, but instead a very well done drama.  I was happy to see that Vikings was renewed for a second season and that the first is now available on dvd and Blu-Ray.

Thanks to Coming Soon’s Report from the Set of History’s Vikings for reminding me.

10 of the Best Twilight Zone Episodes

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In honor of The Twilight Zone’s 54th anniversary, Flavorwire presents their choices for 10 of the Best “Twilight Zone” Episodes.

The Flavorwire list isn’t bad.  My top two favorite TZ episodes align with Flavorwire’s first two picks (Nightmare at 20,000 Feet and To Serve Man) and The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street and The Invaders would also make my top ten.

Well played, Flavorwire, well played.

‘Breaking Bad’ Creator Vince Gilligan Explains Series Finale

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I believe that Breaking Bad is probably the best television series ever.

There have been other great series, but Breaking Bad was the most consistently good series that did exactly what it set out to accomplish.

Unfortunately all good bad things must come to an end.  If you’re like me, you like to speculate about what happened to the characters after the final fade to black.  Breaking Bad series creator, Vince Gilligan and the show’s writers have their own ideas about what happened next and they shared them with Entertainment Weekly.

Breaking Bad: Francavilla is Wired & My Predictions for the Finale

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We’re about six hours away from the series finale of Breaking Bad.  My guess is you still need a little something to hold you over.

How about Wired’s profile of Franco Francavilla’s Breaking Bad minimalistic episode posters?

Or… my predictions for the Breaking Bad finale?

I think that Walter is going to die, but first he’ll earn a bit of redemption.

Here’s how I see it going down:

  • Walter will free Jesse from the White Supremacists.  I believe he will use the Scarface machine gun for this.  Although Walter initially wanted Jesse dead (blaming Jesse for Hank’s murder), I think the months alone in the cabin have given Walter time to reflect and the desire to set things right before he dies.  Jesse will be given money and Robert Forster’s character will get him away to a new life.
  • Walter will use the Ricen to kill Lydia.  By killing Lydia and the white supremacists, this will effectively stop the distribution of the Heisenberg meth.  This will also allow Walter to get his money back for his family.
  • Walter will set things up for his family’s security.  I’m not sure if they will assume new identities or the money will be filtered to them after the dust settles.
  • Walter will confess to everything.  The dust will settle after Walter confesses to everything and clears Skyler of any knowledge of his drug-related activities.  His confession will do two things: 1) Clear Skyler and 2) Cement his legacy as an “empire builder.”  I do wonder if Walt will turn himself in after everything is set for his family’s security or if he will get the family taken care of and wait until he is close to dying from the cancer.

The great thing about Breaking Bad is, you never know what is going to happen.  So don’t be surprised if I’m wrong.  Dead wrong.

Good Cop, Bad Cop: An Oral History of The Shield

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The Shield was an amazing series and remains a favorite over a decade after it premiered on FX (back when hardly anyone tuned in to FX).

If you’re a fan of The Shield, then you’ll want to check out Good Cop, Bad Cop: An Oral History of The Shield by Jason Matloff.  Before you click over, please know the article/interview, like The Shield, contains adult language and discussion and is NOT for kids.

Thanks to David Chen for the Tweet.

Want to See a Vintage Rod Serling Interview?

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If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then odds are you know of Rod Serling.  You’re probably a fan as well.

What many don’t know is that Rod Serling was a famous writer before the Twilight Zone ever aired.  Of course it was the Twilight Zone that made him a celebrity.

But I digress…

Would you like to see a full interview with Rod Serling that originally aired on September 15, 1959?  That’s two weeks before the Twilight Zone premiered and made Serling a household name.

Thanks to @NightGallery for the link!

The 25 Most Memorable Moments in TV History

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Flavorwire recently ran a list (with video clips) of The 25 Most Memorable Moments in TV History.

Let’s take a look…

25. The Wedding of Charles and Diana (1981)  Although my wife got up at the break of dawn to tune in. I couldn’t be bothered.  I don’t see what the attraction is to royal weddings, but for some there is one.  (I’m 0 for 1)

24. “Do You Believe in Miracles?” (1980)  I’m not a hockey fan, but I do enjoy the Olympics.  I didn’t see it live, but it was everywhere in the days/years that followed.  (1 for 2).

23. The End of The Fugitive (1967) I was 8 years old and saw this one when it first aired.  I watched a lot of tv shows with my mom and The Fugitive was one that we always watched. (2 for 3)

22. J.R. Gets Shot on Dallas (1980) I’ve never watched a single episode of Dallas and didn’t even tune in to see who killed ole JR.  (2 for 4)

21. Lucy Goes to the Candy Factory (1952) Although I was not born when this episode first aired, I’ve seen it many, many times.  Then again, who hasn’t?  (3 for 5)

20. The “Checkers” Speech (1952) This aired the same year that Lucy went to the candy factory.  I’ve seen it, but the “Checkers” speech wasn’t as funny as Lucy on the candy assembly line. (4 for 6)

19. Sammy Davis Jr. Visits All in the Family (1972) All in the Family was required viewing in our house (we only had one television at the time), but we all loved the show! (5 for 7)

18. Johnny Carson’s Final Tonight Show (1992) By 1992 I had stopped watching late night television (Carson, Letterman, etc.), but tuned in for Johnny’s swan song (Bette Midler anyone?).  (6 for 8)

17. The Rescue of Baby Jessica (1987)  If you’re a news junkie, you were watching.  I am and was. (7 for 9)

16. Muhammad Ali Lights the Olympic Torch (1996) I’m an Olympics fan and even bigger Muhammad Ali fan.  I saw it.  (8 for 10)

15. M*A*S*H: “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen” (1983)  I liked MASH okay early on, but had stopped watching.  I did turn in for the final episode though.  (9 for 11)

14. Election Night (2000) Like all news junkies, I was tuned in.  (10 for 12)

13. Salute at the Mexico City Olympic Games (1968) I didn’t see it live. (Was it even shown live?)  But I have seen it many times. (11 for 13)

12. Elvis Presley on Ed Sullivan (1956) Who hasn’t seen this?  Even if you weren’t born when it first aired (I wasn’t), you’ve seen it, right?  (12 for 14)

11. The Beatles on Ed Sullivan (1964)  My mom let me stay up to see this live!  It was a big deal because I was 5 or 6 at the time.  (13 for 15)

10. The O.J. Simpson Chase (1994)  We were on a family vacation in Indiana.  The entire family was glued to the tv watching live.  (14 for 16)

9. Roots (1977) Although I didn’t watch Roots when it aired in 1977 (I was a senior in high school and didn’t watch much tv), I have since seen it.  (15 of 17)

8. The Kennedy/Nixon Debate (1960) I was too young to have watched live, but since I majored in Speech Education (speech and debate), you can be sure that I’ve seen it.  (16 of 18)

7. Richard Nixon Resigns (1974)  Yep.  I tuned in with the family to see history in the making.  (17 of 19)

6. The Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)  If you watched nightly news you couldn’t have missed it. (18 of 20)

5. Walter Cronkite Denounces the Vietnam War (1968) I was 9 and remember what a big deal this was.  I was surprised, at the time, when my grandpa who was a WWII vet say he was against the war.  (19 of 21)

4. Walter Cronkite Announces the Death of JFK (1963) I was watching with my grandparents who had taken me to Florida on vacation.  I was just 5.  (20 of 22)

3. Hurricane Katrina (2005) The reports just got worse and worse as the days drug on.  It had to seem like the apocalypse to those there.  It was terrible enough for those of us watching.  (21 of 23)

2. The September 11th Attacks (2001) Who alive (other than children) didn’t watch? (22 of 24)

1. The Apollo 11 Moon Landing (1969)  I was ten years old and watched thinking that in my lifetime we will explore Mars and other planets.  Now I wonder if/when we will return to the moon.  (23 of 25)