Death by Television!: 2010

Wednesday, 27 October 2010

I is for...'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!'

In honor of Halloween and because I couldn't find another 'I', I am writing about the best Halloween themed television show ever! 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!' was the third animated T.V. movie based on the Peanuts comics strip. It has been shown at Halloween every year since it was first broadcast in 1966!
I've lived in the U.K. for 10 Halloweens now and even though it's getting more and more popular here, they haven't gotten on to showing this classic movie.
Linus is writing his annual letter to the Great Pumpkin and everyone is mocking him. He even says in the letter that "more people believe in Santa Claus than in you". As everyone else goes trick-or-treating Linus waits in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin. Sally waits with him but becomes mad because she wasted her night. Charlie Brown doesn't have a good night either, as usual, when everyone else gets candy, he gets rocks. Snoopy dressed as a World War I flying ace loses and air battle with the Red Baron. He crashes into the pumpkin patch and as he rises out of it Linus thinks it's the Great Pumpkin and faints.
All of the Peanuts specials were and still are a tradition for American families. There's an innocence and yet they can be quite cruel at the same time. We either were the kid that believed in something that no one else did or we knew a kid like that. All of us at some point felt like Linus or Charlie Brown. Also all of the girls in the Peanuts are quite strong willed characters. And last but not least, the music by
Vince Guaraldi are jazz classics that soundtrack our holidays and childhoods.
For anyone's who's not experienced the joy of 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.' here's a couple clips...

Friday, 22 October 2010

H is for Holby City...

Image via WikipediaHolby as it's more commonly known is the completely mad spin off of the British medical institution 'Casualty'. It's set in the same hospital and sometimes there are crossovers. But Holby is way better than 'Casualty' because it's totally mental! It's unrealistic, the acting can be painful and story lines are crazy but that's why I love it.
All the doctor's and nurses are shagging each and barely have time for the patients. There's been so many mad gunmen shooting up the wards you'd think it was the U.S. And Patsy Kensit's face is so frozen from Botox, she can only cry with her lips. Which is better than her soon to be ex-husband on the show Joesph, the most wooden actor I have ever seen.

But the heart throb of Holby right now is Linden, played by Duncan Pow, the geeky Scottish doctor who for some reason is in love with Faye. *BREAKING NEWS! DR. LINDEN CULLEN DIED AFTER BEING HIT IN THE HEAD WITH A VODKA BOTTLE!*

Tuesday, 10 August 2010

G is for...Glee

Image via Wikipedia

"And why the cringefest that is 'Don't Stop Believin' does get it"
Glee is an international phenomenon...the guilty pleasure that nobody feels guilty about. Every episode leaves you smiling, laughing, crying, dancing and singing all at the same time.
The characters may be a little 'lets cover all the bases' with...pretty blond cheerleaders, fashionable gay kid, sassy black girl, dumb jocks, kid in a wheelchair, Asian goth girl...etc. But most of them are likeable; ex. Artie and Mercedes, or at least grow on you...I'm looking at you Quinn. Quinn's growth from a spoiled, selfish, superficial 'Cheerio' to a pregnant teenager who's been kicked out of her house to a caring adult and real friend is one of the more believable story lines.
It's the stories and characters combined with the songs that fit within and enhance each episode that make Glee an inspiring and fun show.
Oh and Sue Slyvester...possibly one of the greatest characters on television ever...besides DCI Gene Hunt. Sue is mean, competitive, ambitious, over-bearing, politically incorrect, size-ist and a little racist but for some crazy reason we all love her. She lies, cheats, steals and blackmails anybody in her way and we can't wait to see what she does next.

This is one of my favorite scenes from Glee. Artie can dance!
'Don't Stop Believin' on Five wants us to watch because we like Glee...It's screaming 'LOOK! WE HAVE SHOW CHOIRS TOOO! ALL SINGING! ALL DANCING!' But what it doesn't get, is that it's not just the songs and dancing that we watch Glee for, it's all the other stuff too. One of the show choirs could do a routine like Artie's but it wouldn't be the same without the back story.
Also, there's no Sue Slyvester trying to stop them from getting to sectionals.
And that's how Alison sees it.

Monday, 2 August 2010

F is for...The Facts of Life

'The Facts of Life' was a spin-off of 'Diff'rent Strokes'. Mrs. Garrett, who was the housekeeper for Mr. Drummond in 'Diff'rent Strokes' is now the housemother at an all girl boarding school, Eastland School. It ran for almost 10 years, from 1979 til 1988.
I loved 'The Facts of Life'! It was so cheesy and 80's! It was the master of the 'very special' episodes...dieting, homosexuality, shop lifting, suicide, censorship, date rape, racism, alcoholism, drug addiction, breast cancer, abortion, etc.
After the first season, which included a very young Molly Ringwald, the show cast of characters was cut back to the four girls we know and love...Tootie, Jo, Blair and Natalie.
Tootie was my favorite...I think it was the roller skates.

I loved all the 'crazy shenanigans' the girls got into. I wanted Mrs. Garrett to be my chaperone/advice giver/surrogate auntie. I wanted to live above a shop...which I have done and it's not that exciting.
'The Facts of Life' also introduced me and the rest of the world to George Clooney! Though most of the rest of the world didn't jump on that band wagon until 'Sisters'. Check out that sweater! Amaze at the mullet. Le swoon...
'The Facts of Life' ended when the viewing audience tired of their safe, sexless shenanigans...come on, they were in their 20's and still sharing a room!

Friday, 23 July 2010

E is for...Ed

One of my favorite t.v. shows of all time is...Ed, seriously it's in my top 10. Ed is about this lawyer Ed Stevens, as played by Tom Cavanagh, who gets fired on the same day he discovers his wife is cheating on him with a mailman, not 'their mailman' as it's repeated throughout the show. So Ed decides to return to his hometown of Stuckeyville, Ohio. Once there he buys the local bowling alley and sets up shop as the 'Bowling Alley Lawyer'. He also discovers that his first crush, Carol Vessey, is a teacher at the same high school they went to back in the day. Ed sets out to win Carol's heart.
Ed is a t.v. show that part of a long line of shows like 'Northern Exposure', 'Gilmore Girls', 'Evening Shade' and 'Picket Fences', where the small town that the lead characters live in is full of quirky locals. But of all those towns Cicely, Alaska (Northern Exposure), Stars Hollow, Connecticut (Gilmore Girls), Evening Shade, Arkansas (Evening Shade) and Rome, Wisconsin (Picket Fences)...I would want to live in Stuckeyville the most.
I wanted to be friends with Ed & Carol and Mike & Nancy and Molly. I wanted to bowl at Stuckeybowl. The relationship between Ed and Carol broke my heart on many occasions, I wanted them to be together so much. And it's not just me...the fans of Ed hold this show in a special place in our hearts. The people that love this show really LOVE it...as you can see from the over 14,000 registered fans on the Ed Fan Website Stuckeyville.com. The affection for the characters and the show is clear.
But it was also a very funny, surreal show. One episode mostly takes place in a lucid dream that Ed is having. And with Phil Stubbs played by Michael Ian Black, from cult t.v. show 'The State' amongst many others, as one of the many odd employs at Stuckeybowl who knows what shenanigans are going to happen.
Sadly, Ed is not available on DVD yet but you can sign up on a reserve list on Amazon on the link below.

Wednesday, 21 July 2010

D is for...Degrassi Junior High

Image via Wikipedia

Degrassi was a Canadian teen soap opera that ran from 1987 to 1989, but has had a couple of 'sequels' including Degrassi High and Degrassi: The Next Generation. There was nothing like Degrassi made in the U.S., it was edgy and more realistic than 'Saved By The Bell' or 'Beverly Hills 90210'. It dealt with such as drug use, child abuse, teenage pregnancy, homosexuality, racism, and divorce, and these problems were not wrapped up in one episode but continued through out the series. The show wasn't patronizing and didn't talk down to us kids. But it also didn't try to 'down' with the kids and try to be ultra cool. The characters were like people we'd actually be at school with, maybe that's because they weren't professional actors. Basically, Degrassi was like 'Skins' but for the late 80's.

Here's the YouTube link for all the Degrassi episodes:
Degrassi on YouTube
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Thursday, 15 July 2010

C - CSI...all of them...

Search Amazon.com for csi Search Amazon.com for csi

The CSI franchise started in 2000, in Las Vegas with CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. CSI: Miami followed two years later in 2002 and then CSI: NY in 2004. More than 2 billion people worldwide watch CSI...and I'm one of them.

Now I'm going to write about each city but I'm saying straight off that CSI: Vegas is my favorite. The original and still the best. The Vegas team is lead by forensic entomologist Gil Grissom, who's a little socially inept but a great scientist. And Catherine Willows, the most kick ass ginger on T.V.! I have nothing bad to say about CSI: Vegas, I have never mocked it with friends...unlike...

CSI: Miami, which is one of the most ridiculous shows on T.V....but at some point it was the most watched show on the planet. This is not because it's good, that the story lines are riveting or the acting is Oscar level or the editing is cutting edge. No, it's because it's so bad and because of the hero to the down-trodden and the enemy of all the bad guys...Horatio Cane. (I'm rolling my eyes just thinking of him) Ginger For Justice!

One of the things that make CSI: Vegas so great is the humor and the chemistry between the team members. You can actually believe that these people like each other and are friends. When one of them makes a cheesy one-liner, another one will call them on it or give them a look like 'what did you just say?'. On CSI: Miami there is no humor, at least not intentional, all the humor is from the overly earnest dialogue and acting and the crap editing and ridiculous plots and...you get the picture. I'm surprised that Horatio has any time to solve crimes, since he's always telling the children of crime victims to call him anytime.

When there was the Miami/NYC crossover to launch CSI: NY, David Caruso looked like the horrendous actor he is next to Gary Sinise, who's not only won an Emmy and a Golden Globe but has been nominated for an Oscar and a Palm d'Or. It was embarrassing.

The crossover introduced us to Detective Mac Taylor, who's wife died in the 9/11 tragedy and the rest of his team. CSI: NYC is a bit darker than the other two shows...literally, it's lit really dark. I like CSI: NY but it's getting a little crazy with all the celebrity guests...Pete Wentz & Ashlee Simpson, Nelly, Kid Rock, Nelly Furtado, Joey Lawrence,
Marlee Matlin, Sasha Cohen, Maroon 5, Julia Ormond, Criss Angel, Suicide Girls, Chris Daughtry, John McEnroe (as himself)...really it's getting ridiculous!
All the CSI series have had an unfortunate side effect to being so cool and showing us how crimes are solved...the 'CSI effect', which...

'is a reference to the phenomenon of popular television shows such as the CSI franchise raising crime victims' and jury members', even criminals', real-world expectations of forensic science, especially crime scene investigation and DNA testing.'

I know that most of the things they do on the CSI shows aren't actually correct and they don't have 'magic' computers but I still love them! And I have to admit that I often 'CSI' things myself...oh god...I really do watch too much T.V.!

Wednesday, 14 July 2010

B is for BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (ORGINAL)

Cover of "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century...

Cover via Amazon

I'm writing about both of these because they were on T.V. at the same time and were both developed by Glen A. Larson and even used the same props, costumes and sets.
I loved Buck Rogers as a kid. I guess you could say it was the beginning of my geek journey, along with seeing Stars Wars at the age of 4 years old in 1977. Obviously, being a kid I didn't know that it was cheesy and tacky but even now as an adult looking back at the shows...I still love it, maybe because it it so cheesy.
Buck Rogers was a NASA pilot on a mission in 1987 is 'accidently' frozen for 504 years and wakes up in 2491. There's all sorts of shenanigans and adventures as Buck learns about the future and Earths past. Actually, there were some pretty kick ass, strong women on Buck Rogers...Colonel Wilma Deering and main villain Princess Ardala, who wants to take over Earth and Buck.
It was also chock full of 'guest stars' including; Gary Coleman, Cesar Romero, Jack Palance, Roddy McDowell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jerry Orbach, Julie Newmar...and oh yeah, Mel Blanc as the voice of Twiki!

Battlestar Galatica was more serious and darker than Buck Rogers. From Wikipedia:

Humanity lived on twelve colony worlds in a distant star system. They fought a thousand-year war with the Cylons, warrior robots created by a reptilian race which expired long ago, presumably destroyed by their own creations. Having never been commanded to cease fire, these warrior robots waged war against the colonials. Mankind was defeated in a sneak attack on their homeworlds conceived by the Cylons, carried out with the help of Count Baltar (John Colicos). Protected by the last surviving warship, a "battlestar" (the word, presumably coined by Glen Larson, is short for the phrase "line-of-battle starship") called Galactica, the survivors fled in available ships. The Commander of the Galactica, Adama (Lorne Greene), led this "rag-tag fugitive fleet" of 220 ships in search of a new home on a legendary planet called Earth. The episodes dealt with the fleet's struggle to survive the Cylon threat and to find Earth.

But for me as a 5-6 year old; this is the show that gave me one of my first crushes, besides Shaun Cassidy, and that was...Starbuck as played by Dirk Benedict. Don't even think I knew why I like him but he was my favorite, maybe because he was charming and funny.
I haven't seen the new Battlestar but have been told by many people I should watch it...so here I go!

Sunday, 4 July 2010

How I was a Big Mouth on Big Brother's Big Mouth...

On Friday July 2nd, I was in the audience of Big Brother's Big Mouth. I don't remember how they got my number but they've been calling me for a couple years to try and get me on the show...but I've never been able to go on it because of work or school or whatever. Well, now that I'm temporarily unemployed I was able to do it!
I'm not gonna go into why I was an hour late getting to Elstree Studios, where Big Brother is filmed, but let's just say I say a lot of North London suburbs and walked quite a bit.
When I finally got to Elstree I was taken to a 'workshop', basically a building where sets and props are stored, and given to drink tickets because the booze will make us more talkative. There was a curtained off 'room' where the other audience members, about thirty of us, were drinking and watching that nights Big Brother. Some of the audience were totally over-dressed and glammed up, I found out later that they had auditioned to be on Big Brother but obviously not got on. Everybody was very nice and for some reason there were quite a few Brummies. Some of the audience had been on before and one guy had been on sixty times!
They took our bags and phones so we couldn't text who was evicted to anyone...there's a couple minute delay to what's broadcast. One of the researcher's Emma came round and talked to people who wanted to be a 'top talker'...and I was one of them! They want to find out who's going to have something good to say and who you like and dislike, who you want out of the house. The 'top talkers' get the best seats so Davina can get to you easier.
So we got to see the eviction...SUNSHINE! YEAH! BOO! I wanted her out. I thought She was annoying, patronizing and selfish and an attention seeker. So we wait around whilst Davina interviews Sunshine but don't get to see the interview. They lead us over to the studio, make us wait outside for a bit and then get taken in to the studio. As a 'top talker' I get the best seat in the house, right on the front row! I sit next to some girl from OK! magazine and we make fun of Jodie Marsh's plastic surgery.
One of the crew tells us not to read along to the telepromoter and to whoop it up when Davina introduces the audience! WHOOOOO! HOOOOO! Some rapper I never heard of performs and we have to dance. Oh by the way, I'm wearing a green dress.
Davina comes out, she looks amazing and is wearing Louboutins. We talk about Shabby and Keyva (spelling it phonetically). Shabby's friends are sitting behind me. They're really nice and cool and I like Shabby more because of them. Suddenly, Davina sticks the mic in my face and asks me if I think Keyva is flattered by Shabby attention...I quickly get over the initial shock and say 'Yes, everyone likes to get attention.'
Ad Break...Davina comes and sits next to me and I give her a little squeeze. She's lovely.
Then we talk about Ben and Marion and Dave, how they're always touching each other. I say 'They are bonding like monkeys or chimps.'
Sunshine comes out and isn't as annoying as I previously thought. She seems alright actually.
The guy who's been on sixty times says something really mean to Sunshine and everyone turns on him and boo's him. Sunshine takes it on the chin and keeps going. She shows us her nasty rug burn and grosses everyone out.
There's only a minute left and I pull a hat trick and say 'If Dave hadn't won the challenge he'd be out right now and not Sunshine.'
End of show...the rapper comes back out again we all dance and Marcus is doing karate! Brilliant.
We were told that if they like how we did we can come back and maybe even for the final! Fingers crossed!

Friday, 4 June 2010

Today on Murder, She Wrote...Dead to RIghts

Jessica reluctantly agrees to help her former researcher on a murder charge despite the fact that the woman is a pathological liar. (from http://jesmaine.tripod.com/mswseason9.html)

Jessica is still in Cabot Cove. Her assistant, Dana, heads back down south to Portland, Maine after helping research a book. Dana is applying for a job at a securities company. She's totally blagging it.

OMG! It's Hodges from CSI. He play this guy Todd at the securities company.

Dana totally messed up on the research on Jessica's book and she has to re-do all of it.

Then Dana pretends to be Jessica and gives herself a glowing reference to Ethan Stevens, the boss at the securities company. So she gets the job.

Mr. Stevens has been doing insider trading and fraud. He gets threatened by his partner. 48 hour...48 hours.

Jessica's at dinner with a publisher. Mr. Stevens, thinking he had talked to her earlier that day, comes up and says hi. Jessica is flummoxed by the conversation.

Jessica comes to the brokerage to confront Dana. She's still lying about pretty much everything. She's shocked when Jessica tells Dana that's she knows Dana a 'big fat liar'. (my words not Jessica's)

Mrs. Stevens confronts Dana and basically threatens her...'He is my major clown.'

Later on that night...Mr. Stevens is shot after saying...'Dana, what are you doing?'

Even though Dana's a 'big fat liar', she's no murderer. But she's arrested for his murder. Her prints, hair and blood were on the gun and she had GSR on her hands.

Dana's public defender, Vincent Polaski. asks Jessica to investigate the case for her because his P.I. is in rehab. He guilts her out and she ends up doing it...as long as 'she can go for 5 minutes without lying.'

Her blood was on Mr. Stevens desk because she claims to have lost an earring in his office.

The prosecutor, Bruce Hastings, looks like a cross between Gordon Gekko and Pat Riley.

Jessica and Polaski think that Dana had inside help getting a job at the brokerage because she knew too much about it. So they go Polaski's grandma, Wanda, who's a computer hacker.

Of course the inside guy is Hodges...I mean Todd. Dana and Todd went to the same high school in Vermont. Mrs. Stevens shows up with Baker Lawerence, Mr. Stevens, partner.

The police psychologist says Dana has 'borderline psychosis'...no duh.

Jessica wonders why Mrs. Stevens and Baker were in Ethan's office on the day of his funereal.

Polaski and Jessica go to check out Stevens office again. The security guard pops in and out. They hide under the desk. It's made of jasmine wood, which is 'unusually soft' there's no way she hit her head on the desk...someone had to have hit her over the head with something.

Holy Crap the prosecutor was Ethan Stevens partner in crime! And his killer!

Dana goes into therapy for her lying.

Thursday, 3 June 2010

Today on Murder, She Wrote...The Big Kill

The murderers of a fisherman and a banker have nearly the same M.O., but are the crimes connected?

(from http://jesmaine.tripod.com/mswseason9.html)

It was a dark and stormy night in Cabot Cove...The Sheriff, Mort, shows up at the cove and helps fisherman Henry carry something onto his boat, but he is clueless as to what it is, he's just being nice. And then one of the Warriors, Michael Beck, turns up and threatens the other fisherman Al.

Oh yeah...the plot...I was too busy uploading the picture of Michael Beck...money and armaments and smuggling.

Henry the fisherman calls the Sheriff and says he has something important to tell him. He does this after giving his daughter $1,000 from poker games...she doesn't believe him.

There's a traffic jam in Cabot Cove because of an over-sized truck from the evil company that MichaelBeck works for. It's owned by Chad Everett, he used to be famous too. He has a mustache in this.

The Sheriff goes to meet Henry on his boat and finds him dead...carbon monoxide poisoning.

Al has some guy tell him that he can't be 'shipping' the merchandise he has. He calls someone and threatens them.

Eve the local real estate agent is 'in love' with Chad Everett's character, Martin Fraser, and is helping out networking etc for the 'underwater imaging' thing.

He's in it too. His name is Henry Gregg. You probably recognize him, he's in everything. Usually a bad guy like in this, Carl Ward, he threatens Mr. Fraser. Wants half the money he gets from his contract.

A second body is found on the docks with almost the same wounds as Henry, it's Carl Ward!

Michael Beck's character, Brian Bentall, doesn't seem to be a bad guy, he's super smart.

Henry's daughter gets a package from him that he sent before he was killed. It's his log book and a bunch of other evidence.

Jessica goes to see the Sheriff about something...I've kind of lost track of the comings and goings of the so called plot.

Jessica sees some ropes in some guys truck and of course knows where she's seen it before. They are Mr. Fraser's boat.

AN INTERNATIONAL ARMS DEALER IS IN CABOT COVE!?!

Mr. Fraser has an alibi, he was with Eve...until breakfast both nights. Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink.

Seth the doctor says 'Gossip gets round this town faster than a phone call.' Which triggers Jessica into solving the murders.

They go to see Mr Bentall to drop some hints...oh no! He did it! But Why?

He goes to the docks to get something and they confront him.

A very old cell phone was used in the murder...seriously, it's a brick.

Poor Eve...Mr Fraser is going to jail. But don't feel bad for her, a handsome gentleman needs her to find him a home in Cabot Cove.

Judge Judy Quote Of The Day:

GROW UP!
She almost made the girl cry.

Wednesday, 26 May 2010

Today on Murder, She Wrote...Double Jeopardy

A slumlord is poisoned in the confessional as he seeks absolution from the priest – his estranged son.
(from http://jesmaine.tripod.com/mswseason9.html)

Jessica's back in NYC teaching writing classes again, she hops around doesn't she? Of course, one of her students will be involved with the mystery.

Commander Chakotay from Star Trek: Voyager is in this one. He's a priest; Father Michael, but a cool one, down with the kids cuz he's playing basketball in the beginning.

Some verdict has come in, some sleazy 'slum lord', Frank Fernandez, has been found innocent in the murder of Roberto Galvan, because there's no body. Is he the future murder victim?

Father Michael is going to run for city council to replace the guy who was murdered. Better be careful!

Of course, he goes to Jessica for advice...the slum lord comes in and threatens him, tells him to give it up and not to run. Oh my god! Frank Fernandez is Father Michael's dad! Oh the irony.

Frank's other son, Raymond, is selling crack in the slums they own. Frank is not happy about that.

Roberto Galvan's body was just found because of some flooding.

The police ask Jessica to go with him to tell the family, for moral support. Fernandez can't be charged again because of double jeopardy. The Galvan family are pissed!

Jose Galvan's girlfriend, Ruth, is freaking out because she's worried Jose is gonna do something stupid. But he's not the one who's wants to do something, it's Tony Galvan.

Raymond breaks into there plant shop and threatens the family. Mrs. Galvan tells him 'If you go after my boys, I'll kill you myself.'

Looks like Raymond is the future murder victim! Drugs, family honor, slum lording...

Frank calls Father Mike and says he wants to confess his sins to his priest. He feels bad for all the things he's done. He tells Raymond that he wants him out of his life and home because he's ashamed of him.

Frank goes into the confessional. Someone throws some kind of powder in his face, POISON! They run out, they're wearing a 'St. Julian' hoodie. Frank stumbles out into Father Mike's arms. His last words are 'Forgive father, for I have sinned.' Father Mike blesses him and then he dies.

Oh yeah...Jose's girlfriend was lurking in the shadows and she knows about plants and poisons.

Jose has a 'St. Julian' hoodie. But Tony was wearing it.

The tests come back and it's poison from Jamaica. Ruth's been to the Caribbean and works at the Galvan's plant store which sells the plants that make the poison. Dun, dun, duhhhh...

Raymond gives Father Mike $25,000 dollars but he won't take it because it's dirty money. Jessica sees the whole thing.

Jose checked out a book called 'The Toxic Handbook'. Mrs. Galvan tried to confess that it was her.

Jessica goes to the library to check on something.

Ruth confesses to Jessica that she was in the church when Frank was murdered...she was everything. She says Jose did it.

But she never saw his face just the hoodie.

Tony says he wanted to kill him but wanted to shoot him and couldn't get bullets.

Jessica's figured it out! Her and the police go to talk to Raymond Fernandez. He did it!

Raymond dated one of Jessica's just to find out what was happening in the class. He killed his father because he knew that Raymond was the one who actually killed Roberto Galvan.

My favorite line: 'Put a sock in it Raymond. She's just getting started.' - Det. Sgt. Bob Davis

Tuesday, 25 May 2010

Today on Murder, She Wrote...Final Curtain

Jessica is back in Cabot Cove.

Some 'famous' retired actor, David North who is from Cabot Cove, rents the local community center to put on a play before taking it off Broadway. They hold auditions and some bloke, Lyman Taggart, who 'drove all the way from Bangor!' goes all aggro because he sucks and doesn't get in the play.

David North was really good friends with Seth, the doctor, growing up in Cabot Cove. Even 'dating the same girls'...um, okay.

Lyman shows up at the restaurant that they're having dinner at and threatens Mr. North. Seth steps in, even though he's old and been drinking. Seth's recovers from his hangover at Jessica's and gets a call there that David's in trouble. He drives into town with Jessica.

Lyman Taggart goes all postal on Jessica in town...totally unbalanced...so obviously the murderer...or is he!?!

David is in the dressing room drinking cuz he's not feeling confident. Sam gives him a pep talk and than he's okay.

Jessica and the sheriff are watching the table read through and some annoying couple starts gabbing away. The sheriff yells 'DO YOU MIND!?!' at them and ends ups getting cast in the play.

The director and producer are talking about David's lame manager, Eric Benderson, and how he's suddenly getting 15% of the gross from the play.

It's the cast party and crazy ol' Lyman has shown up again and makes a scene. Seth is driving Jessica home and remembers he's forgotten his eye glasses, so they head back to the theater and find Eric Benderson with a massive head wound and ultra violet paint spillt all over. He dies at the hospital. Who killed him?

Turns out Lyman is nuts and is a celebrity stalker. They go to the Lighthouse Motel, randomly Lyman is there , he sees them and runs off. One of the rooms is on fire, it turns out to be Eric Benderson's room. Lyman is arrested. He says that he saw David North go into the motel...did he start the fire? Did he murder Eric?

The sheriff and Jessica go to the house that David North is staying at, they smell gas, breakdown the door and find him passed out on the bed. David claims that someone knocked him out from behind. Seth examines him and says that's impossible. Jessica says that the door was locked an n signs of a break-in...was he trying to commit suicide!?!

They found pictures under the bed in Eric Benderson's room. There is a picture of a car that David's friend, Vincent, had died in, in a car accident. Jessica's figured it out again!

David's rehearssing and Jessica just happens to stand in. Someone flips the switch and David's got UV paint all over him. He did it! Eric Benderson was blackmailing him! David was the one driving the car in the accident not his friend, Vincent! He was drunk as a skunk. David also started the fire to get rid of evidence.

Lyman was a total red herring, of course.

Seth is upset of course but stands by his old childhood friend.

For once the end shot isn't of Jessica smiling or laughing but falling asleep in front of her computer.

My favorite line: 'She's making sounds only a squirrel can hear.'

Monday, 24 May 2010

Today on Murder, She Wrote...The Sound of Murder

Jessica is in NYC. She's giving a writing seminar and some girl who looks like Janet Jackson is talking to Jessica about a record company, Road Jam Records, and some 'music mogul'.

Cut to a 'trendy' restaurant and the mogul Freddie, is making a deal some other guy. They are being wire tapped out in the alley. See Murder, She Wrote was way ahead of The Wire!

Jessica is making an audio recording for one of her books and overhears some 'upsetting' conversations.

Janet Jackson look-a-like takes Jessica to a heavy metal concert!

Ohh, there's some insider trading going on too, in a parking garage.

Jessica is at a music video shoot now, for a song called 'Bullet Proof. There's spandex clad girls in cages and the gayest male dancers ever. Oh my god, the male dancers are doing something like out of the end bit of the Queen's 'I Want To Break Free' video. There's actual bullet sound FX in the song...so of course somebody really gets shot...it's Freddie Major, the record mogul guy!

This time the bullet was taken to ballistics, unlike on Diagnosis Murder, the NYPD know how to do there jobs.

Jessica just made a bet with a police detective over the size of her squash.

Wow, Jessica can read music and use a sequencer.

Oh, the Janet Jackson look-a-like is called Holly.

There's a midget! His name is Giorgi Pappavasilopoulos but Jessica calls him Mr. P.

The whole business about the record company buyout is boring and confusing at the same time but I guess it's supposed to be important to the plot.

Jessica just figured out the murder with 'Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge', she's a genius.

Now she's messing around with a keyboard and the murderer has come into the VIP room. He's threatening Jessica with a gun now but Jessica is smarter than him. Of course the police detective from earlier busts in and saves the day!

Sunday, 11 April 2010

A - The Adventures of Pete & Pete

The Adventures of Pete & Pete is the best live action kids T.V. show...ever! It is the surreal story of small town America through the eyes of the brothers Pete Wrigleys...yes, both of them are named Pete. Big Pete is the voice of reason...usually and Little Pete is the anarchic voice of chaos...and he has two tattoos.

I of course did not watch 'Pete & Pete' as a kid...I was 20 when it started and I had just graduated from FIDM and had moved back home. I remember watching over the summer and that's what it reminded me of...the lost summers of youth. But 'Pete & Pete' was like a memory, surreal and a bit weird and how you wanted your childhood to be like but wasn't actually like.

Adults were like another race or aliens. They were usually weirder than the kids. The Wrigley brothers' Mom had a metal plate in her head that could pick up radio signals and even got it's own opening credit. And then there's Artie 'The Strongest Man in the World', Little Pete's best friend and superhero.
'Pete & Pete' was the most indie show on T.V. not only was Iggy Pop on it, so was Kate Pierson from the B-52', Juliana Hatfield, Syd Straw form the Golden Palominos, Michael Stipe, Debbie Harry, Luscious Jackson and Gordon Gano from the Violent Femmes. Also on 'Pete & Pete' were some of our great indie actors; Steve Buscemi, Martin Donovan, Janeane Garofalo, Ann Magnuson, Bebe Neuwirth the list is long and revered.

The Pete's world was somewhere we all wanted to visit...if not live in. It was an escape from our boring lives but also a reminder of how some of the shenanigans we got up to as a kid; staying up all night, a trip to the seaside, trying to remember that song you only heard once, were at the time the biggest most important adventures of our lives!