Category: TV

Top 100 [25] TV Shows

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I’m a sucker for lists and Classic TV’s “List of the Top 100 Shows” sucked me in. Ultimately I whittled the list down to the 25 shows that I’d like to see right now. Basically, these are my favorites on the list, but the order could be argued after the top ten or so. Of course they left out some classics like “The Wild, Wild West” but you go with what they give ya…

So here’s my top 25:

Seinfeld (NBC, 1990-98)
Star Trek (NBC, 1966-69)
The Honeymooners (CBS, 1955-56)
The Twilight Zone (CBS, 1959-65)
I Love Lucy (CBS, 1951-61)
The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS, 1961-66)
Leave it to Beaver (CBS/ABC, 1957-63)
Frasier (NBC, 1993-Present)
Cheers (NBC, 1983-93)
The Andy Griffith Show (CBS, 1960-68)
The Cosby Show (NBC, 1984-92)
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS, 1970-77)
Hill Street Blues (NBC, 1981-87)
Barney Miller (ABC, 1975-82)
The Bob Newhart Show (CBS, 1972-78)
The Carol Burnett Show (CBS, 1967-79)
The Monkees (NBC, 1966-68)
Miami Vice (NBC, 1984-89)
ER (NBC, 1994-Present)
Happy Days (ABC, 1974-84)
The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS, 1948-71)
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (CBS/NBC, 1955-65)
Batman (ABC, 1966-68)
Lost in Space (CBS, 1965-68)
The Rockford Files (NBC, 1974-80)

RIP: Merv Griffin

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A few minutes ago it came over the wires that Merv Griffin had passed away from prostate cancer at the age of 82. Mr. Griffin started out as a singer, but really hit it big with his self-titled talk show which ran for more than 20 years. He is also known for being the creative genius behind two of television’s most popular and longest running game shows “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune.”
Growing up, I enjoyed watching The Merv Griffin Show. Merv always seemed like a down-to-earth guy who was having fun hanging out with the celebrities joining him for the day. He was a true success story. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and fans.

Kurt Sutter: “Awaken the Dragon” and “Forever Sam Crow”

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A couple of posts down Rafael Kayanan mentioned the Enter the Dragon re-make that Kurt Sutter is going to write and direct for Warner Bros. Since I hadn’t heard anything about this, I decided to find out the scoop.
Kurt Sutter is an executive producer, writer and occasional actor on The Shield.  Sutter told Variety that he’s..
…‘writing “Awaken the Dragon” as a contemporized drama about a lone FBI agent who pursues a rogue Shaolin monk into the bloody world of underground martial arts fight clubs.’
Enter the Dragon  is one of my all-time favorite films. I love Sutter’s work on The Shield  and have no problems with him updating, re-making or re-imagining Enter the Dragon.  If his movie is great, then it will bring more awareness to the original. If his movie tanks, it doesn’t change anything with the Bruce Lee classic.
Sounds like a win-win situation for us action fans especially if Sutter’s FX pilot Forever Sam Crow  [a drama set in the “world of outlaw motorcycle clubs] is picked up.

RIP: Tom Snyder

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Tom Snyder, best known for his late night talk show, Tomorrow (which aired at 1am after The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson), died yesterday at the age of 71.

Younger ZONErs may not know of Tom Snyder, but I fondly remember staying up late to catch his show during the summer when I was in junior high and high school. At the time, Snyder seemed like no other talk show host on television. His sets were minimal, but his guests and topics more than made up for the lack of showbiz glitz. He was cool, but not hip. Most of all, Snyder seemed like a real guy, not a tv show host. I enjoyed the hours I spent watching his programs and the memories that remain.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and fans.

Depp Steps into Dark Shadows

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When I was a kid, I loved “Dark Shadows”. For a time it was one of my favorite shows. Barnabas Collins was the man!

Johnny Depp has just signed to play tv’s coolest vampire in a movie version of “Dark Shadows”. Depp is an excellent choice and here’s to hoping that the big-screen versions of Barnabus and “Dark Shadows” live up to the legacy started on the tube.

Shatner’s Raw Nerve

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William Shatner, one of the stars of ABC’s “Boston Legal” [which is on my “Must See TV” list] has agreed to host a celebrity-interview show for the Biography Channel. “Shatner’s Raw Nerve” will be a 30 minute showcase for Shatner to interview guests ranging from politicians to actors [now there’s a stretch]. So how will this differ from other interview shows? William Shatner “will explore life’s most intriguing questions and unearth his guests’ strange and unknown stories.” Thirteen episodes have been ordered and will begin airing in 2008.

I gotta tell ya, I’ll tune in just to hear Shatner’s view on things. So beam me aboard.

Get Funnier [Hopefully]

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I was never a HUGE fan of “Get Smart”. Sure, it had it’s moments, and I can see where “Get Smart” could really work as a movie.

Despite the fact that “Get Smart” has been well cast with Steve Carell [Maxwell Smart], Anne Hathaway [Agent 99], Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson [Agent 23] and Alan Arkin [The Chief], I’m not convinced that it’s going to be a winner. This teaser trailer didn’t change my mind [although I did chuckle at “You did underestimate me and the element of surpraaaahhh – ”

 

Happy 4th!

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Happy 4th of July!

When I was a little kid, the 4th of July was for family and friends to get together for trips to the park [or each others houses] and cookouts. Fireworks were always the capper.

Then when my boys were small we always had family over. My boys would play with their cousins [water fights in the yard, basketball and video games]. We’d grill or BBQ something. And then at night I’d bring out the fireworks. I’d get one of the huge sets from Sam’s Club and the kids from the neighborhood would come down to watch the festivities. Once we’d exploded or launched or sparkled everything we’d head in and catch some episodes of The Twilight Zone marathon running on the SciFi channel.

A few years ago, I could tell my fireworks were no longer the highlight of the evening. My niece, nephew and sons were getting older and while they enjoyed getting together Roman candles and sparklers just weren’t cutting it. Ah, how time moves on.

At least I still have the Twilight Zone Marathon to look forward to! In fact starting at 7:30pm tonight you can catch six excellent episodes in a row [“The Shelter”, “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street”, “The Fear”, “To Serve Man”, “The Invaders” and “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up”.]

Have a relaxing day, don’t eat to much BBQ and be careful with those fireworks!

Top Cult TV Picks

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TVGuide.com posted a list of the All Time Top Cult Shows. And while I’ve got to admit that there were many on the list that I’ve never watched, there were more than a few that brought back fond memories. So, using just their choices, here’s my list of my top ten favorite “cult” shows:
  1. Star Trek (1966-1969) Although I’m definitely not a Trekker [or a Trekkie], I was a huge fan of the series when it originally aired. So from the time I was 8 – 11, Spock was THE MAN. Kirk was cool, but given the choice, I’d be Spock.
  2. Twilight Zone (1959-1964) It’s amazing how well many of these episodes hold up nearly 50 years later. I have so many great memories of watching the Twilight Zone when I was a kid. Thankfully, due to reruns, I was able to re-experience the classic episodes with my sons when they were young. And twice a year, I still tune in for an episode or two when the SciFi Channel does their Twilight Zone Marathons! [The next one starts tomorrow!]
  3. Dark Shadows (1966-1971) It wasn’t until Barnabus Collins was introduced on Dark Shadows [a daytime soap opera] that I tuned in. But like everyone else I was hooked. Soon enough the show was dealing with not only vampires, but werewolves [Quentin was the Man!], ghosts and time-travel. Unfortunately the movies weren’t very good and like many fads just seemed to fade away.
  4. Jericho (2006-present) I’ve been with Jericho since the first episode and have enjoyed how it has focused on the relationships of trying to survive after a nuclear attack. I’m glad that the show is returning and hope that it doesn’t loose it’s momentum. New Episodes start Friday, July 6th at 9pm on CBS.
  5. Lost (2004-present) Lost is another show that I’ve been with from the start. Although it did seem to lose it’s footing, the last few episodes of last season were definitely back on track. Now that a firm end date has been announced I plan to relax and enjoy the rest of the journey.
  6. Beauty and the Beast (1987-1990) My wife and oldest son never missed an episode. He’d have only been 4 when it went off the air… and I have so many good memories of them snuggling together to watch each show. I enjoyed Beauty and the Beast, but it wasn’t ever “Must See TV” for me [unlike my choices for shows 1-5].
  7. Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1989-1999) I enjoyed this when I watched it. But for the real MST3000 experience invite Big Beatty and Chad Hunt over to watch a movie and let them start commenting!
  8. Pee-Wee’s Playhouse (1986-1991) This was another show that I didn’t watch much, but I did enjoy the movie spin-offs.
  9. H.R. Pufnstuf (1969-1971) This one makes the list not because it was a favorite show, but because it brings a smile to my face thinking of how it drove my youngest sister crazy when we called her “Witcheepoo.” I know, I know, but I was an 11 year old. It was my duty to mess with her.
  10. The X-Files (1993-2002) This usedto be my oldest son’s favorite show. He loved it and I loved watching it with him.I don’t know why the “Wild, Wild West” didn’t make the cut. It would have been in my top three for sure.

Simmons Doesn’t Kiss Up

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Although I wouldn’t call The Henry Rollins Show a favorite, I do find myself occasionally tuning in to listen to his rants and his guests. Rollins is extremely opinionated and vocal. The episode today, which featured Gene Simmons of Kiss was particularly interesting because Rollins and Simmons came off as polar opposites.Rollins gives off a working class vibe. Each week he is dressed in t-shirt and jeans and his set has the abandoned warehouse look. It’s obvious that Rollins cultivates the “I’m just an everyman” appeal. Simmons on the other hand, never backed away from how rich he is and that he doesn’t care about how Kiss is perceived. He was cocky, but honest in all of his responses. When Rollins questioned him about how Kiss has merchandised everything from Visa cards to caskets, Simmons stopped him short with his response. Simmons said that ALL bands sell t-shirts and once you cross that line into merchandising it’s no longer about the music. It’s about making a few extra bucks. So why do people get upset that Kiss has optimized their merchandising power? LOL!

Now I’m not a Gene Simmons or Kiss fan [although I did like their song “Beth”], but I have to admit that I found Simmons and his “this is who I really am attitude” interesting. I know that Simmons has his own show on A&E and I’m not intrigued enough to start tuning in. I just wanted to give him props for his honest answers and not “kissing up” or coming across as another “everyman.”

 

Jericho to Rise Again

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It looks like CBS will bring back the recently canceled “Jericho” thanks to thousands of calls, messages and even shipments of nuts from fans of the show. “Jericho” fans arranged for a delivery of 50,000 pounds of peanuts to CBS’s New York offices. In the season finale, a character replies “Nuts!” to a demand that the town of Jericho surrender or be slaughtered. Since the show was canceled, fans of the show joined together and created a concentrated effort to bring the show back. There efforts look to have paid off since a source close to the production has been quoted as saying a decision to bring the show back at least for a midseason run, is imminent.
So Chad, is it ok to stop calling shenanigans on CBS?

Lost in Space Found

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From time to time I enjoy surfing YouTube to see what gems I can find from my childhood. Today I present the season three opening to Lost in Space.

I can remember being in elementary school and Lost in Space was THE show to watch. The show might not hold up as well as I remember it, but I’d still take the Lost in Space  robot over R2D2 and C3PO!

 

Lost is Found

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This weekend my wife and I caught up on our “Lost” viewing… 5 episodes and the two hour season finale. It was a great way to end the season… some questions answered and new mysteries created. We’re excited about the show now that it’s found its way again. Too bad it’s such a long wait until it returns, but it is good news that they are now working towards a definite ending.