Attention, miniskirt fans: "Ally McBeal" headed to DVD
'Twas a hot and steamy July day back in 1776 when our Founding Fathers crowded into that Philadelphia hall and cranked out a document outlining this young nation's desire for certain freedoms -- chief among them life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the God-given right of hot young female lawyers to wear ridiculously, ridiculously short skirts.
Be thankful they did, or else we never would have had "Ally McBeal," the silly, sassy, kinda stupid late-90s dramedy from David E. Kelley that, if you'll remember, finally put an end to that pesky feminist movement once and for all. (I kid, I kid.)
And now, after a protracted delay blamed on a tussle over music rights, the entire series will be available on DVD Oct. 6, seven years after ending its run on Fox.
It will be interesting to see how well the show holds up, as it always felt like such a product of its time -- the Grrl Power era of the late 20th Century. Calista Flockhart's title character became a lightning rod for critics and feminists who found Ally a demeaning example of a professional woman who cares more about finding a boyfriend, but is then too emotionally unstable to keep one. Plus my god would it kill her to eat a cookie every now and then? And they were absolutely right. Ally was a terrible role model for young women, even if she was never actually meant to be one. But none of that mattered to young, heartsick me, who was head-over-heels in love with the lightweight lawyer, and her neverending romantic and legal escapades.
Flockhart may have been the breakout star, but "Ally" boasted an impressive supporting cast, including "30 Rock's" Jane Krakowski as nosy sexpot receptionist Elaine, Greg Germann as the dubious, dictum-spouting senior partner Richard Fish, and most of all, the stuttering bag of neurosis, John Cage, played by pliable character actor Peter MacNicol (whom I'll always know as Janosz, the crazy museum curator from "Ghostbusters 2.")
The show had some excellent guest actors too. Tracy Ullman, John Ritter, Robert Freaking Downey Jr. And I especially remember an emotional episode featuring Wilson Cruz (Rickie from "My So-Called Life") as a teenage transvestite prostitute who Ally tries -- and ultimately fails -- to save from the streets. But even remembering that episode now, I recall a rather jarring mixture of somber, tearjerker drama juxtaposed with wacky hijinks.
The show was definitely wacky. That's probably the best word for it. With Ally's frequent outlandish daydreams, her tendency to fall down, the law firm's unisex bathroom, Cage's remote toilet flusher, Elaine's patented face bra, Fish's wattle obsession, and that DAMN DANCING BABY. Yes, let's address the dancing baby. I can honestly say I was a huge fan of "Ally McBeal" until that baby showed up. Why the phrase "jumping the shark" was never replaced with "dancing the baby" is a question for another day. But after that annoying little CGI toddler showed up, "Ally's" wacky quotient multiplied exponentially, until the foundation of what made the show great began to crack under the weight of all that crazy. Actors started abandoning ship, ratings dropped, and by season 5, Fox pulled the plug.
Basically what I'm saying is, it's good to see the entire series finally getting its due on DVD, but it's even better that the first season will be released separately, with presumably the second and third to follow. That way you can quit buying them before things get really bad. And they did. REALLY bad.
But when "Ally" was good, when it was cute and bouncy and sexy and sweet and gloriously moronic, it was a great show. Is anybody else looking forward to these DVDs? Am I alone in my Dancing Baby hatred?
-- Adam Reinhard, areinhard@greenbaypressgazette.com
Do we find out the secret of Ned's dead-raising power? Does Emerson meet his long-lost daughter, who turns out to be a Veronica Mars-like teen sleuth? Will Lily and Vivian ever go on that comeback tour!?
No, "Pushing Daisies," I haven't forgotten about you. Even though your unceremonious drop-kick off ABC's schedule was more than three months ago now, your loyal fans are still desperately waiting for some closure, in the form of those final three unaired — and hopefully answer-filled — episodes. After ABC cancelled "Daisies" in November (I believe the actual term was "declined to pick up a full season"), I had hoped they would at least do the show's fervent fan base the courtesy of airing the rest of the 13 episodes. But that would have required, you know, a soul or something — and besides, there was a new season of "Dancing With the Stars" to get out! So they quit at episode 10, leaving so many questions unanswered. (And a rather unpleasant taste in my mouth, following that lackluster episode with the Norweigans...)
Luckily, our wait is almost over. Sort of. Warner Home Video announced yesterday that they'll be releasing the second season DVD set of the lamentably short-lived comedy-fantasy on July 21, final three episodes included. Does that mean we'll get all the answers we're looking for? Well, no, not really. Series creator Bryan Fuller has openly admitted that he wrapped what he thought was going to be the first half of the season on a pretty huge cliffhanger — something to do with Chuck. (Does she run away to join her dad? Turn herself in for Dwight's death? Accidentally touch Ned!?! Sorry ... I'm getting carried away with questions here.)
For fans in Great Britain, on the other hand, the wait for answers is even shorter. According to British site BroadcastNow, the UK network ITV, which has been airing "Daising" overseas, will actually air the final three sometime this spring. (Lucky limey bastards.)
At any rate, this comes as a huge relief. Anybody else looking forward to this? Have any burning, unanswered questions of your own? Let's hear 'em.
Way back in the day -- like, November 2007 -- I boldly answered the Channel Surfing question, "If you had to save one TV on DVD set from a burning building" by declaring my love for the "Freaks and Geeks: Special Edition."
I take great pride in owning the Yearbook edition of my all-time favorite dramedy. I like the envious stares when people pull it off my living room shelf and realize that it's a comprehensive DVD set and not my own lame high school yearbook filled with photos of me in the Writers Club. (Yes, we had a Writers Club by default for taking Advance Placement Literature. It's a great notch on my resume.)
Quite simply, the "Freaks" Yearbook Edition from Shout! Factory is the finest DVD set ever assembled. People can touch it, but never borrow it -- an unwavering fact of life that has prevented a few friends and relatives from watching the complete series since they can only do so at my house.
For those who don't know, it's a real yearbook with the DVDs, including bonus footage galore, slotted comfortably in the back pages. Inside you'll also find tons of photos, comprehensive recaps of every episode and most important, tons of hilarious inside jokes (for example, classic yearbook messages involving little-used character, Stroker, and all-time "Freaks" fave, Nick Andopolis, complete with poor grammar and first-grade misspellings) that die-hard fans should eat up.
Am I bringing all this up to rub in your face, you sad, sad soul who only recently discovered "Freaks" because of Judd Apatow or Seth Rogen'srise to Hollywood prominence? Man, I wish!
Instead, good news all around as Amazon.com has a re-release of the special set listed for pre-order (Oct. 28) at $119. Yes, it's a fairly steep price to pay for entertainment (the original release also went for $120), and if you're new to the show, it probably isn't the most reasonable route -- though I guarantee it'll be your new favorite series, unless you had feathered jock hair like Todd Schellinger in high school. But if you're a fan and have never purchased the show on DVD -- or even if you already have the 6-disc retail box -- I can't stress this enough. YOU HAVE TO BUY THE YEARBOOK SET. Refuse and you'll be mercilessly mocked like Bill Haverchuck getting picked last for softball in gym class.
Anyway, if paging through your brand spankin' new Yearbook while doubled over in laughter as Millie and Nick sing "Jesus is Just Alright" isn't incentive enough to place an order, here's the rundown: * Six hours of additional footage on two extra discs, including:
* Three live table reads
* One-hour Q&A with the cast at the Museum of Television and Radio, shot days before the show was cancelled
If you're anything like us, aimlessly flipping past channel after channel before resigning yourself to yet another viewing of "The Fugitive" on cable TV isn't the answer this summer.
Yes, depression is already sinking in. And no ABC, those catchy little "Pushing Daisies" promos you've been airing aren't providing comfort. No new episodes until fall? What about now, ABC? WHAT ABOUT NOW?
To avoid any future TV-related outbursts, Channel Surfing has come up with a plan.
Yes, we know summer is awesome. It's a time for pasty Midwesterners to douse themselves in aloe, climb trees, grill brats and drunkenly attempt cannonballs in backyard kiddie pools. But summer is also universally thought of as "catch-up" time for TV addicts. So by no means are we encouraging just loafing on the couch during Wisconsin's brief window of summer splendor, but hey, you have to watch something, right?
So we're starting a club -- with a secret handshake, maybe a "nanoo-nanoo"-like greeting, you know, all that cool stuff. As much as Adam wants it to be like Super Summer Readers, no, you won't get a colorful ribbon, a Pizza Hut coupon ... or whatever those lil' brainiacs get for maxing out their library card. Instead, you'll just be part of our exclusive club and share with readers your TV discoveries this summer.
The rules are simple: Pick a TV show on DVD you haven't watched -- but always wanted to -- and keep tabs on it throughout the summer. You know how we do things around here, so follow a similar mentality. Feel free to file reports by e-mailing us, and that's it, you're in the club. You can write stray observations every three episodes. You can wait to finish an entire season. We haven't really fleshed out the requirements. We're just looking for submissions and to expose readers (and our Channel Surfing staff) to more shows.
As the weeks go by, we'll post your observations as well as ours. For instance, I'm making a summer commitment to two shows: "Six Feet Under" and "Undeclared." Adam might take on a first-time viewing of "The Sopranos." Anything other than "Boy Meets World' makes MJ's brain hurt.
E-mail us with any questions. Woo-hoo! We're gonna be TV buddies this summer!
As I admitted in my first posting, there's a lot I will do for my favorite television show. I've been known to cut engagements short to see the finale of "Beauty and the Geek" (sad, I know), plan my workout at the gym in time for me to get home for "The Office" and turn my cell phone off during "Project Runway."
Nothing compares to what I've done for "The Wire," though.
In less than a month - punctuated by a busy schedule at work and an unforeseen hurdle when my DVD player shorted - I've raced through four seasons of "The Wire." If you're counting, that's 50 episodes at about 55 minutes each. 2750 minutes in all. 46 hours. No wonder my DVD player died a fiery death in the middle of season 3, leading me in a wild goose chase all across town to see which no-name TV repair store could fix it and/or retrieve the DVD stuck inside (disc 4 of season 3).
Now, if you're not a fellow obsessee, you may find me pathetic. You may ask yourself, why is this crazy woman doing all this for a show that is described as an "HBO police drama series set in Baltimore, Maryland?"
Perhaps the show's marketers should have done a better job. As a self-proclaimed fan of "Law and Order," I can tell you without a doubt that "The Wire" is unlike any cop show you've ever seen because, well, it’s not one. Although the police (or the "5-0" as I've begun referring to them in my post-Wire phase) feature heavily in the show, the show is really about the complex layers of people who interact in Baltimore - the cops, the drug kingpins, the street-level dealers, the addicts, the politicians, the working class laborers, the teachers, the social workers, the kids and so on. Each season reveals another layer of Charm City, building a portrait of a decaying world that few admit exists and still fewer want to see on television.
That's exactly why "The Wire" is brilliant. It's unapologetic in its portrayal of inner city Baltimore, but you know that creator David Simon (an ex-reporter for The Baltimore Sun) and his writing partner Ed Burns (a former Baltimore cop) love their dilapidated city. All your misconceptions - how cops are the good guys and drug dealers are the bad - go out the window within the first two episodes. Instead you see people for who they are and how they got there, broken by a system of neglect and left to fend for themselves in a world that would much rather pretend they don't exist.
Depressed, yet? Don't be. "The Wire" is gloriously funny, filled with moments that straddle the line between irony and "is this really happening?" (My personal favorite is when Russell "Stringer" Bell, one of the drug kingpins, starts using Robert's Rules of Order to govern his street-level minions - come on, that's hilarious).
The show features the finest cast of characters on television who stick with you long after the closing credits, all of them flawed as hell but pitch-perfect in their imperfection. There isn't a single character whose death - and yes, "The Wire" has quite a few - you actually cheer for. Even the so-called bad guys.
If I had to pick one character as my favorite - and, believe me, this is no easy task - I'd have to go with Omar Little, the gay stickup artist whose Robin Hood-esque motto is that he only steals from and kills drug dealers, never "taxpayers." Between his distinctive scar, his signature shotgun and his catchy habit of whistling "Farmer in the Dell" while roaming the streets, what's not to love?
Sadly, "The Wire" ends its critically acclaimed five-season run this week. The series finale airs Sunday on HBO, but don't let that stop you from running out to Blockbuster and renting seasons 1 through 4. You will never regret it. It's worth buying a new DVD player, if necessary.
Do I still love “Perfect Strangers”? Well of course I do, don’t be ridikulos
I’m the first one to admit when I’m wrong. If I keep going on about something, saying it’s so great while others merely scoff, and then I’m confronted with evidence to the contrary, I’ll own up to my mistake. But I’m not wrong about “Perfect Strangers.” That show freakin’ rocked, and continues to rock to this day.
I picked up the DVD box set of the first and second seasons last week — the day after it came out — after much bullying and harassment from one Mr. Tom “I Heart ‘Saved By The Bell’” Rozwadowski. I trembled slightly as I inserted the first disc, worried that I was viewing memories of my love for the series through the rose-shaded prism of nostalgia. I was, after all, only 6 years old when the show debuted, and hadn’t seen these episodes for decades. How could a catch-phrase heavy, slapstick-based sitcom from the 80s still entertain me in this age of whip-smart, laugh-track-free comedies like “The Office” and “30 Rock”?
But then I saw the smiling mugs of Mark Linn-Baker (“Coursin” Larry Appleton), and Bronson Pinchot (Balki Bartokomous) beaming up at me from the DVD case, and I took a deep breath, and I hit play.
And I’m here to tell you, friends, that watching "Perfect Strangers," I laughed a hearty laugh. I laughed the laugh of the victorious. Because these were no mere laughs of recognition; a chuckle derived from recalling something you laughed at in years past. No, a lot of this was as new to me as if I had never seen it. What I found funny was likely what attracted audiences to the show way back before the fall of Communism: These two guys were a classic comedy pairing, a case of perfect casting that makes a sitcom great.
OK, let me backpedal. “Perfect Strangers” is not a great sitcom. Let’s reserve that title for shows like “I Love Lucy,” “All in the Family,” and “Seinfeld,” shows that really transformed the genre. But “Perfect Strangers” holds up remarkably well in the 20-plus years since it aired, and for a few very simple reasons.
1) Physical comedy. The history of physical comedy in sitcoms is both proud (“The Dick Van Dyke Show”) and not-so (“Three’s Company”). Pinchot and Linn-Baker were both skilled physical actors, and from the silly — Balki picks up a fleeing Larry, and Larry’s legs continue to pump furiously — to the devine — The Dance of Joy, which culminates in Larry voluntarily leaping into his cousin’s arms — the pair pulled off the stunts like trained acrobats.
2) Chemistry. Television shows sink or swim on chemistry between lead characters. During development, Pinchot was the first to be cast in a show originally called “The Greenhorn,” which focused on an wide-eyed sheep herder from Mypos and his misadventures in America. Comedian Louie Anderson was cast as the cousin, and a pilot produced, but ultimately Anderson was pulled from the part. In walks Mark Linn-Baker, who establishes an immediate rapport with Pinchot. Look closely during some of their exchanges in those early episodes, and you’ll see the actors come within a hair of cracking each other up. Larry and Balki had the timing and chemistry of the great (there’s that word again) comedy teams, most similarly to Laurel and Hardy. (It was Balki, after all, who kept getting Larry into one fine mess after another.)
3) Heart. As good as some of the sitcoms have been the last few years, you can’t deny they lack a certain amount of sentimentality that existed, for better or worse, in shows of the 80s. Back then you couldn’t go half an hour without learning some moral set to cheesy synthesized strings, when all the problems of the past 30 minutes would be tied up in a nice bow. This trend died a bloody death at the hands of “Seinfeld” and “The Simpsons,” but when it was handled as well as “Perfect Strangers” handled it, I find myself missing it. The end of every episode had the requisite strings and words of wisdom, but was always undercut with an almost self-conscious joke or other such gag. What’s more, the emotion was earned, because the main characters were written as such that you believed they truly cared for each other. Indeed, this is probably one of the best shows about friendship that has ever been produced. Larry and Balki would often be at each others’ throats, but at the end of the day they were dancing that Dance of Joy, and all was well.
So was “Perfect Strangers” a perfect sitcom? Of course not — don’t be ridikulos. It suffered from strained gags, trite storylines and spots of poor writing (and I do remember it getting much, much dumber as the series wore on) the same as many shows of that era, as well as some modern shows. But heck, even “The Office” and “30 Rock” aren’t perfect. At least Larry never drove his car into a lake because his GPS told him to, and the cousins never broke into a painful rendition of “Midnight Train to Georgia” out of nowhere. All shows have their high and low points. I’m just glad to see that, after all these years, "Perfect Strangers" is just as enjoyable as I remember.
-- Adam Reinhard, lifeisfunnybutnothahafunny@gmail.com
The "Lost" season 3 DVD set hit shelves a little over a month ago now, which means any fan worth his Dharma Initiative-issued beans will have scoured every nook and cranny of every episode, searching for hidden clues to the secrets of the island. "Lost" is well-known for planting "easter eggs" throughout the show -- my favorite being the shark stamped with the Dharma logo in season 2 -- that give hardcore followers pieces of an ever-expanding puzzle.
But the egg hunt doesn't stop with the show. If you want to get really crazy, every DVD set has approximately 108 million hidden bon mots scattered throughout. Mostly they're behind-the-scenes featurettes -- some insightful, some just silly -- but every now and then you'll come across something ... unsettling. The best example of this is on disc 7 of season 3, where hapless egg-hunters stumble across the full-length brainwashing video that the Others used on Karl in episode 307. The 3-minute "Clockwork Orange" freak-o-rama cobbles bizarre imagery, screeching music, and flashes of "inspirational" phrases, such as "God loves you as he loved Jacob." I don't recommend watching it straight through, or you'll end up barefoot in the woods, kidnapping pregnant women.
I didn't find, and have never been able to find, all the easter eggs by myself. Luckily there are far more intrepid explorers at work on the Internet, and they're willing to share the spoils of their search. The good people at Lostpedia -- the best source for anything "Lost," period -- have compiled a handy-dandy list for us egg-challenged fans. Now you too will be able to watch Dominic Monaghan (Charlie) and Jorge Garcia (Hurley) discuss their between-takes Scrabble match, and how Dominic manages to cheat. Or discover just what went into making those nasty-looking fish biscuits that Sawyer seemed to enjoy so much.
One amusing easter egg on the main menu of disc 3 features a television with Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) holding the signs from episode 305, asking Jack to kill Ben. If you wait, she'll hold up a sign that says, "By the way, your wife is much prettier than me." This easter egg is simply ridiculous, because no one is prettier than Elizabeth Mitchell.
The DVDs and subsequent easter-egg hunt are a great way to tide yourself over until the premiere of the new season on Jan. 31. As a bonus, executive producer J.J. Abrams' highly anticipated creature feature "Cloverfield" opens Friday. The movie -- supposedly about a monster attacking New York City, but really, with the amount of secrecy surrounding it, could be about anything -- was co-produced by "Lost" showrunner Bryan Burk and written by sometime "Lost" scribe Drew Goddard. And seeing as how director Abrams thanked the Dharma Initiative in the end credits for "Mission: Impossible 3," you'd best keep your eyes peeled for some "Lost" goodies in "Cloverfield" as well.
In case you missed our story in Thursday's WEEKEND section ...
While much is up in the air regarding the ongoing writers' strike, one thing is certain: the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers will not be exchanging Christmas cards this year.
Scrooge-like atmosphere aside, prolonged picketing could be a good thing for the TV on DVD industry. As series sets become increasingly elaborate and display-worthy, there's no time like the holidays to play catch up with a few stocking stuffers. Specificity is the key, and the Channel Surfing bloggers are in a giving mood.
For "Sopranos" fans who still can't get the smell of Holsten's onion rings out of their nostrils:
Now that you're fully recovered from the shock of that abrupt cut to black during the series finale, you can begin addressing the trauma of knowing Tony and the gang are never coming back. The acclaimed HBO series was the definition of TV voyeurism. While most fans would condemn Tony's mob lifestyle in real life, for six salacious seasons, viewers lapped up his sociopathic tendencies like Pavlovian dogs. Season 6, Part 2 features some of the series' most memorable sendoffs (Phil Leotardo's flattened head, anyone?) Above all, the set is essential because of creator David Chase's final, masterful brushstroke – an ambiguous plug pull that caused conniption fits nationwide – but one that'll be discussed for years to come. Season 6, Part 2, $54.99.
Or tap into "The Wire:"
If it's a bit too painful to reminisce so soon, recovery is a one-step program. Get into "The Wire." The underappreciated HBO series is grittier and gutsier than "The Sopranos," with its storylines guaranteed to satisfy mob buffs looking for a different kind of "game." The show follows the urban drug trade in Baltimore, with street soldiers replacing capos, but the piles of money, vials of cocaine and high-end Escalades looking all too familiar. Like Tony and his crew, "The Wire" unit signs off for a final season in January. Season 4 just came out on DVD, and while there might not be enough time to catch up, dialing in from the beginning is a case of better late than never. Seasons 1-4, $39.99-$59.99.
— Thomas Rozwadowski
For anyone wishing they were going home to Stars Hollow for the holidays … or even over to Richard and Emily's for Christmas dinner:
After seven seasons of hanging out with Rory and Lorelai, Tuesday nights without "Gilmore Girls'' still feels a little like Luke's without coffee, movie nights without junk food, Paris Geller without snark. Amy Sherman-Palladino's quirky family drama charmed us with not just its smart, pop culture-infused dialogue between BFF mother and daughter but with its whimsical small-town setting and endearing cast of whacky supporting players (a strung-out Sally Struthers and a spaced-out Sebastian Bach in the same show -- genius). Playing off that sense of nostalgia, the 42-disc "Gilmore Girls – The Complete Series Collection'' comes packaged in a retro Barbie case with a book of the show's witty "Gilmore-isms'' -- "It's not crap … It's Air Supply'' -- in alphabetical order according to episode. What "GG" fan can refuse that? The Complete Series, $258.
— Kendra Meinert
For the "Friends" fan who is finally ready to move past late-night reruns:
It's a familiar formula: Five friends, New York City, a local hangout spot. But "How I Met Your Mother" has two things "Friends" never had: a clear end in sight since the show is told in flashback by main character Ted telling his kids how he met their mother and Doogie Howser. Seriously, Neil Patrick Harris' Barney and his array of ridiculous catchphrases ("Suit Up" and "Legendary") puts "Oh My God" and "How you doin'?" to shame. Or head across the pond to meet Steve and Susan, the stars of the British hit "Coupling" who are a racier, more Seinfeldian version of Ross and Rachel. A most ill advised American version failed to take off a few years ago, but Seasons 1 and 2 (or as the Brits call it "Series 1 and 2") are a perfect way to meet the gang that includes some of England's finest comics. Seasons 1 and 2 of "How I Met Your Mother," $24.99 each. A combined Season 1 and 2 of "Coupling," $48.99.
— Malavika Jagannathan
For TGIF fans who remember when Jodie Sweetin was actually cuter, and poised to be a bigger star, than either of the Olsen Twins:
We're calling to order the inaugural meeting of FHFA — Full House Fanatics Anonymous. This is for anyone who sheepishly stops the remote on Nick at Nite to re-watch the episode where the Beach Boys randomly start singing "Kokomo" in the Tanner family living room. This is also for anyone who secretly knows that Uncle Jesse's last name mysteriously changed from Cochran to Katsopolis during the first few seasons, or worst of all, for Kimmy Gibbler apologists who still use "nerdbomber" as their insult of choice. Despite the colossal cheese factor — "Cut. It. Out." — there's more FHFA members than you'll ever know. And now they have an actual home to go to, the "Full House Complete Series Collection," or all eight seasons packaged inside a replica of the family's San Francisco residence. That definitely deserves a thumbs-up and "You got it, dude!" The Complete Series Collection, $169.99.
— Thomas Rozwadowski
For the eccentric in your circle who’s looking to fill the quirk vacuum left by “Pushing Daisies” or “Arrested Development:”
Book a trip to Cicely, Alaska. Long before he went on to mastermind “The Sopranos,” producer and writer David Chase was responsible for “Northern Exposure” – the grandfather to all the quirky, nutty shows out there. “Northern Exposure” follows the good but off-kilter folks of Cicely as seen through the eyes of an outsider, Dr. Joel Fleischman, a neurotic transplant from New York who is forced to indenture himself to the town to help pay off his medical school loans. One of the first comedy-dramas, look for especially understated comic performances from a host of oddballs who inhabit the town, including John Corbett (before he was Aidan on “Sex and the City”), Rob Morrow and Janine Turner. The Complete Series (with a parka cover), $134.99. Seasons 1-2, $36.99.
— Malavika Jagannathan
For social misfits who remember what high school was really like:
You don't need to have a Parisian nightsuit tucked away in your closet to appreciate the pain and pleasure of "Freaks and Geeks." It's a show that so perfectly captures teenage trauma and adolescent awkwardness, it's a wonder NBC even had the guts to air it for one ratings-challenged season. But for all of Sam and Lindsay Weir's trials and tribulations, it's where the exceptional, then-unknown cast (Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Jason Segel and Seth Rogen, among others) landed post-"Freaks" that makes you appreciate Judd Apatow and Paul Feig's true-to-life creation even more. The Complete First Season, $69.99.
— Thomas Rozwadowski
For social misfits who remember what high school was really like, but would rather pretend that they spent it trolling the beaches of Southern California with the rich and the beautiful:
Find out how it's done in "The O.C." Before "Gossip Girl" took on Manhattan, Josh Schwartz was busy chronicling the lives of Ryan, Marissa, Seth, Summer and the complicated Cohen clan. In its four seasons of love quadrangles, bizarre plot twists, "After School Special" moments and the delightful awkwardness of growing up over privileged, "The O.C." is teenage soap opera at its best. The Complete Series, $179.99. Season 1, $32.99.
— Malavika Jagannathan
For social misfits who wanted desperately to be like Brandon Walsh but could secretly relate to David Silver — before he went all "hip-hop'':
It's officially titled "Beverly Hills 90210 — The Third Season,'' but diehards know it as "The Season of the Dylan-Kelly-Brenda Triangle.'' And it's good stuff. The gang's senior year at West Beverly is wrought with some of the juiciest drama on one of the definitive shows of the '90s. It was the season Brenda and Donna went to Paris, Dylan picked Kelly over Brenda, Brandon developed a gambling problem, Kelly overdid the diet pills and collapsed at The Peach Pit, Burt Reynolds guest starred and Donna got drunk at prom and was expelled, which brings us to one of the great cheesy moments in all of "90210'' history: "Donna Martin Graduates! Donna Martin Graduates!'' Third Season, $54.99.
— Kendra Meinert
For "Lost" fans who still don't know what to make of that airport scene with Jack yelling, "We have to go back, Kate!"
It was confusing enough when Jack took up cartography and drove to the airport looking like late-period Jim Morrison. But when a fully made-up Kate stepped out of her car and "Lost" fans were suddenly thrust into the future … well, let's just say all bets are off now. Survival takes on a completely different meaning in Season 4, and it appears Locke is the only Lostie who realizes that leaving the island prematurely could be a disaster of epic proportions. What does Locke know? Why is Jack so tormented? Who's in the coffin? Who's Jacob? Does Ben have noble intentions, and if so, who are the real bad guys? All of the uncertainty makes Season 3 incredibly fun to watch — Paulo and Nikki notwithstanding. Season 3, $59.99.
— Thomas Rozwadowski
DVD's on the cheap:
How many times has this happened to you: You've finished your Christmas shopping only to find out that those relatives who said they couldn't make it into town for the holidays have — surprise! — nabbed a good flight deal on Priceline. So now you not only have more presents to buy, but they need to be on the cheap side. You could go the gift card route — the Christmas present of last resort — or you could actually get them something, you know, cool. Enter budget-priced DVD sets. (Note: These sets were found at Target.)
For the moody, dispossessed teen niece: "Veronica Mars, Seasons 1 and 2.'' A show not watched by many, yet loved by a very loyal few. Kristen Bell played the titular high school P.I. armed with enough sass and smarts to crack cases. The show was a perfect blend of mystery, drama, comedy and social commentary. Seasons 1-2, $14.99.
For the family who can just barely stand each other: "Arrested Development: The Complete Series.'' Any regular reader of Channel Surfing knows the love we heap upon this tragically truncated Fox sitcom. The show's intro says it all: "The story of a wealthy family who loses everything, and the one son who has no choice but to keep them all together." What's more Christmas-y than that? Seasons 1-2, $20. Season 3, $15.
For the surly uncle who'd rather be at home: "Curb Your Enthusiasm, Seasons 1-5.'' "Seinfeld'' creator Larry David's more subversive show about nothing, the mostly improvised "Curb'' stars David as a crankier version of himself, ambling through L.A. and bumping into celebrity friends. Seasons 1-5, $20.49.
What do you do when you get so many new TV on DVD sets to review, you run out of places to store them? You start making room in your bathroom, of course.
If Gord Lacey doesn't have the best job in the world, it doesn't take long to get to his name on the roll call. Creator of one of the Web's most comprehensive TV on DVD sites - the appropriately named TvShowsOnDVD.com - six years of hard work paid off with TV Guide acquiring his "baby" earlier this year.
Lacey, who also writes for the Commentary Track blog on TVGuide.com, recently chatted with the Press-Gazette. It's the first in what Channel Surfing hopes will be multiple conversations with folks who we not only enjoy reading - or in the event we nab someone from a show, watching - but who've also helped inspire this very blog.
And for our maiden voyage, we couldn't have asked for a funnier, more informed, more engaged subject than Mr. Lacey ... or as he referred to his last name, "You know, like 'Cagney and ...'"
What DVD sets would make good holiday gifts this year?
"I think 'Seinfeld' is a pretty good set. Obviously it has every episode from all the seasons. But the coffee table book is really, really nice. I just find the packaging to be really simple, but elegant. It works really well compared to some of the other sets I’ve seen.
"One of the sets I've personally had a lot of fun with is the 'Young Indiana Jones Chronicles' (Volume One.) It was a show that was never warmly received. People went, 'Eh, this is kind of educational and not really Indiana Jones.' But watching the DVD's, (creator George) Lucas has done an amazing job with the featurettes. The episodes focus on a couple different topics, for instance, one is on the slave trade, so there's a whole documentary that accompanies it. And in another episode, Indy meets (President Teddy) Roosevelt, so they have a whole documentary on Roosevelt. And these are actually in-depth documentaries. Not two minute pieces. The shortest one was 19 minutes, and the longest one was about a half hour. And there were 38 of them on the DVD set."
Do you even have a wish list anymore, or do you get to watch what you want, when you want because of your job?
"Well, my job allows me to discover a whole bunch of shows I've never watched. Recently, I've been catching a lot of documentaries, a lot of BBC stuff. Like 'Planet Earth,' and I know everybody knows 'Planet Earth,' -- 'Oh, 'Planet Earth.' It's so good!' -- but David Attenborough has done so many documentaries. I had seen most of them before getting into 'Planet Earth,' stuff like 'Blue Planet,' 'The Life of Mammals,' 'The Life of Birds' and 'Life in the Undergrowth' ... Those are all really, really neat.
"Some of the other BBC shows I'm into are the new 'Doctor Who,' which is really cool. I really, really like 'MI-5.' I don't know if you've ever seen it, but it's by far the best spy show I've ever watched. They just do stuff that you wouldn't do on American TV, like actually kill characters off. For instance, you know that Jennifer Garner isn't going to die on 'Alias' because she's the star of the show. That's just how American TV works. But in the second episode of 'MI-5,' they killed off this hot agent, and they did it in a very gruesome way. And I was watching on my couch and I went, 'Oh my god, oh my god! I LOVE this show!' It's the idea that they're going to do something different on a show that really excites me."
That gets me thinking about my current obsession, HBO's "The Wire," which I'm into really late, but glad I decided to watch before the final season airs in January.
"I was just going to mention that show. 'The Wire" is one show that, really, you have to commit to watching the entire thing. You watch one or two episodes, and you'll probably go, 'Eh.' But you watch the whole season and it all pays off. That's why I think it hasn't caught on as much as other HBO shows have."
The whole idea that you have to really think about the overall puzzle and pay attention to every scene, every bit of dialogue.
"Yeah, and it doesn't have any big name actors. Like, try and name someone in 'The Wire,' and it's 'Oh, that guy. Wasn't he on another HBO show? Or, that guy who was from 'Oz.' 'Well, what's his name?' 'Oh, I don't know' ... and (show creator) David Simon has said this before, 'The Wire' is like a book. Each episode is like a chapter. And if you were to pick up a book and read Chapter Five, you'd be like, 'What? That doesn't make any sense!'"
Looking back on TVShowsOnDVD.com's history, is it safe to say you were just a TV fan living in Canada who wanted to know when 'Family Guy' was coming out?
"I had been buying DVD's for about a year, year and a half. And while participating in some (Internet) forums, I kept noticing people were posting, 'Oh, wouldn't it be great if such and such a show came out?' A bunch of random people posting comments in random message boards doesn't get anything done. I had previously put out some petitions for 'Family Guy' and 'Kids In the Hall,' two shows I wanted to see released. I collected a few hundred names and then it became, like, 'Now what? I don' t know anyone at Fox. What am I going to do with this?' You know, because a lot of peope do petitions -- 'We demand such and such be released!' -- and then nothing happens. So then I got to thinking, 'Wouldn't it be really cool if there were one Web site where people could just go and register, then vote on the different shows they wanted released? Instead of a petition, they'd basically be saying, 'I will buy this.'
"A couple days later, I didn't really have much to do, so I started working on the Web site. I was working as a Web developer at a college, so I had the skill set. But that was a day job, the sort of thing where you do what people expect of you -- or basically, other people told me what to do, so I really didn't push my abilities. So when I sat down with the idea, I realized that in order to achieve what I wanted, I had to learn a lot of stuff to get to that goal. I started doing it, working on the Web site for about nine months, and I wanted to have 1,000 shows that people could vote on, 500 DVD's listed. So when I opened Nov. 1, 2001, that's what I had, and that first day when people started coming, it was kind of like, 'How is this happening? It's the first day.'"
So was it gradual that people started to turn to the site for information?
"I wanted to make sure that we had material on the site, because I knew our death would be to launch without content. People would go there and say, 'Yeah, it's cool. I guess it has possibilities. But there's nothing here,' and then who knows if they'd return later? So it was very difficult getting everything on there, and I put a lot of work in the site. And still, no one really knew about it. So absolutely, early on, there was no reward in doing it. At one point, I almost scrapped the site. I had been kind of losing interest because I had spent all this time on it, you know, and about halfway through I was coding stuff, and I probably ran into a couple of problems and thought, 'Man, I had all these ideas. And it's summer. What am I doing this for?' But one of my friends said, 'No. Do it and get it done. Then you can look at doing something else.'"
Was there a tipping point? Because if I think back to 2001, the DVD industry was still pretty dormant. Did it just suddenly kick into high gear and you caught the wave? Were you partly responsible for the wave?
"I started the site before TV on DVD really took off, so we were basically in a really good position to be in. We had something already in place and then a bunch of companies started to release stuff one after another. So then it was like, 'Cool!'"
Have your viewing habits changed because of the job? Is it TV overload for you?
"I get asked that all the time: 'Do you get sick of TV?' No way! That's crazy. I watch so many types of shows. I can literally go from 'The Wire' to a cartoon, and those are so different. You know, day-to-day, I watch a lot of reality shows because those aren't going to DVD. Like the 'Amazing Race.' I try to stay away from the really crappy stuff, though."
I hypothesized awhile back that maybe the writers' strike would have a positive impact on the TV on DVD industry, that some forgotten or overlooked shows, namely "The Wire," might benefit from the lack of new programming. Do you think that could be the case?
"Yeah, definitely. And I know Amazon.com is helping a lot with all of these TV on DVD sales. They've been holding two-to-three a week for the past month or so, which I think is tied more to the holidays and not the strike. But either way, a lot of people are reaping the savings."
The timing of both can't hurt. Maybe it's a perfect storm of sorts, because the advantages of TV on DVD seem to outweigh the negatives, which is why the industry is booming.
“That holds true for me. I watch most shows on DVD. It's a hell of a lot easier, and well, TV is annoying. You sit down and have to watch at a certain time. Obviously, (DVR's) have helped with that, but all this extra stuff is flying onto the screen. 'Watch 'American Idol' on Tuesday!' It's like, 'OK, I'm trying to watch this show right now.' Or then a logo suddenly appears on the bottom of a screen, or commercials pop up and interrupt my show. Look, you save a ton of time watching shows on DVD. I’m sure you've noticed that an hour-long show is 42 minutes now. Think about that. If you watch two shows a night, you've saved a half hour. If you watch four shows a night, you've saved a whole hour. That's another show you could be watching."
You covered this in a great TVGuide blog post about complete series sets potentially killing single season sets, and hurting the industry overall. I know it's a situation that has me personally frustrated, and is a big debate: the release of complete sets like “Seinfeld” with bonus material, all as a potential middle finger to folks who've bought the individual sets loyally over the years.What do you want to see done?
"I want the studios to make that extra content available. For the ('Seinfeld') coffee table book, I don't know if they can make that available because of licensing or what. But for the bonus discs, make it all available. Each one of those companies has an online store. Maybe you don't sell it at Amazon or Best Buy, but make it available at the Fox store, or the Warner Bros. store, or the Universal store. Give people the opportunity to get the extra bonus material.
"I think the studios have to look at what percentage of people who already own all the seasons are re-buying this stuff, compared to what percentage are new purchases. If its 90 percent new people buying it, 10 percent re-buying it, why don't they look at trying to capture 80 percent -- well, let's be more realistic -- 60 percent of people who already own those sets but are interested in buying the bonus discs. You look at a set like 'Stargate,' and that has four bonus discs. We're talking serious Sci-Fi fans here, and they WANT that stuff. Find a way to get them the bonus discs."
What do you hear from fans who feel like they shouldn't have to re-buy seasons they already own to get some cool extras?
"Most people are saying '(Bleep) the studio. This is (bleep).' Using those words. I don't understand the home video industry. If you fly a lot, there's a rewards plan in place. You get frequent flyer miles. 'Thank you for supporting us. Here's some bonus stuff for you.' If you buy 10 coffees, you get the 11th free … all kinds of rewards. What happens in home video? 'What, you bought 10 seasons already? Ha ha! Screw you! Here's something even BETTER than what you bought and we're not going to give it to you unless you re-buy everything we already sold you. Ha ha ha ha! Thanks for the money, sucker!'"
It's sad but true, though ultimately it might come down to patience, right?
"Hey, a lot of people out there buy so much TV on DVD, they've come to realize that there are some sets they just don't need to get right away. So they think to themselves, 'Huh, maybe I should stop collecting this set.' Because they're probably going to release something like 'The Complete Sopranos.' That's pretty much a given. In fact, I will bet someone that in November of next year, you'll see HBO release a 'Complete Sopranos.' So if I'm a consumer, and I've been slow buying those sets, maybe I only have up to Season Three, so do I really want to buy Seasons Four, Five and Six, in two parts? Hell no! I'll wait for the complete series set.
"And now, HBO lost some sales there, because we know the 'Sopranos' is going to come out. But for some series', maybe the studio has no plans for a complete set. So now fans are waiting for something that might not get released. Let's say 'La Femme Nikita,' which had five seasons, and the fifth season came out, what, a year and a half, two years ago? But there's no complete series. So now you have people waiting for a complete set that might never come."
What unreleased show or shows do you get the most e-mails about?
"'The Wonder Years' and the original 'Batman' (starring Adam West.)"
Any reason for the delays?
"Well, I think 'The Wonder Years' would be music licensing. That's probably the main reason there. And then 'Batman' is another licensing issue. Basically, Fox owns the show, but I don't believe they own the rights to the characters anymore. So they'd have to work with DC Comics to license the character again. And well, when you have two big companies arguing over profits, good luck. That show: it could be never."
What show are you most surprised that people are SO passionate about?
"Um, 'Golden Girls?' I had no idea. I was over at a friend's house last week and he has a very small DVD collection, yet he owns every single season of 'Golden Girls.' And he's like, 'I LOVE 'Golden Girls!' Do you know when 'Golden Palace' is coming out?' And I'm like, 'Um, no ...'"
What's the coolest thing you've been a part of because of the Web site?
"For me, I have to say it's 'Kids In the Hall,' because if you go back to before the site started, that was one of my petitions. And once I got the site up and running, I started looking around and seeing that there was definite interest. So I called someone at Broadway Video and starting talking to them. The first phone call was really short, like, 'Hey, I'm Gord. I run this Web site and there's a lot of interest in 'KITH' on DVD.' And they'd be, 'Oh, great! Send us an e-mail. Thanks. Bye.' So then six months later, I'd try again and it'd be the same, 'Oh, really. Lots of interest? Hmmm, we'll look into it. Thanks. Bye.' And it wasn't until 'KITH' went on tour and came to Edmonton that I was sitting there in a packed room of fans. All these people were waiting to see them while buying programs, eight pages or so, and paying $30 for them! I was like, 'This is ridiculous! This show has to be on DVD if that many people are spending money on programs! They'll buy the DVD!"
'So I called Broadway again ... and we had a more serious conversation. They flew me down to New York, and I met with them and outlined what a good set should be. I was involved in helping them pick a distributor ... and from there, I was pretty much a consultant. They'd send me tapes with timecoded episodes because they wanted chapters, especially for a sketch comedy show, that'd be important. So I was going through and writing down the timecode and where the chapters should be. It was crazy."
Well, you're Canadian. It'd be wrong not to love 'Kids In the Hall.' You also seem like you'd be a big 'Lost' guy.
"Yeah, I watch that on DVD. This past year was a little messed up. I had to go Comic-Con (in San Diego), and TV Guide wanted me to cover the 'Lost' panel ... and I was like, 'Oh, crap. I haven't watched 'Season Three' yet! And it's not on DVD!' So I had to figure out how to cover it without the season being spoiled, and I was going through all sorts of scenarios ... Luckily I have a friend who has a DVD recorder, so I called him up and asked if he recorded 'Lost." And he was like, 'Yep,' so I went over and picked up his DVD's made from recordings off TV, and this is two days before Comic-Con. The next day-and-a-half I watched the entire season of 'Lost' just so I wouldn't have things spoiled. And it was really great, because everything was fresh in my mind once I got down there. I think I watched the last episode on my flight to San Diego."
That's dedication.
"I told my boss what I did and she said, 'Gord, you are hardcore.' But you know what, first, I wanted to do a good job for TV Guide, and I just didn't want anything spoiled. I hate spoilers."
Talk a little about the TV Guide situation. When you visit your site, you can't tell that it's been bought out. Nothing changed.
"That's what has been so cool. A lot of people don't realize the site has been sold. And I took a lot of heat when the sale went through. A lot of people came at me with, 'You're a sellout! The site is gonna suck now and I'm gonna stop going to it!" And I was like, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa! Why not wait until it does suck before you stop going to it. We just announced this. Nothing's changed ... I told people over and over, 'This site is like my baby.' I'm not going to hand it to someone who is gonna kill it."
You have to appreciate the extreme loyalty from fans, huh?
"A couple of days after the sale went through, my new boss said, 'Gord, we've been getting a lot of e-mail. People are really upset and think we're going to wreck the site.' What can I say? Those are my readers. It's really good to know we have such a following."
So it's safe to say a lot has happened in six years.
"If I ever have to go back and get a normal job, I am so screwed."
Well, I assume you work at home, so how can the public not be envious?
"I make my own hours, though I do have to work 40 with TV Guide, but I work WAY more than that. Honestly, it doesn't seem like a job. When people ask what I do for a living, I always say, 'Well, you're gonna hate me,' and then I tell them them and they say, 'Wow. I really do hate you.' I sit around, watch TV and answer e-mails. 'But that's what I do in my spare time!' It's great.
And then I'm sure when your doorbell rings, you get tons of new packages.
"Of course. And I'll never forget my first DVD. It was 'Twin Peaks: Season One.' I know the guy who sent it to me, and I still keep in touch with him. I remember running around my house and (singing happily) 'Free DVD! Free DVD!' Now, oh my god, I don't know where to put them anymore."
Yeah, where do you put them?
"All over. I have a lot in my bathroom ... Seriously."
What, so 'Freaks and Geeks' right next to the shaving cream ...
"Actually, 'Freaks and Geeks' is in here."
Well, Gord, I really appreciate the time and all the work on the site. I probably kept you way too long with my questions.
"Oh, no problem. I was just gonna watch TV anyways."
The REAL fear factor? Writers aren't all that important.
Based on a previous post, an e-mailer wrote me a few weeks ago to ask if I actually thought people would rent or purchase shows like "Curb Your Enthusiasm" or "The Wire" on DVD if the writers' strike blacks out familiar favorites well into next year.
No. I don’t.
That post was rhetorical, and admittedly, a really cheap way for me to plug my new favorite show, "The Wire." (Just as evoking "Fear Factor" in this post is a cheap way for me to publish a picture of a guy sticking his face in a pile of rats.) Like I told my brother-in-law during a Thanksgiving Day conversation, for the writers to strike meant they had to completely overvalue their work while subsequently underestimating the public's ability to consume mass quantities of unscripted rubbish. That, and perhaps fail to realize that everyday folks have more to worry about than new episodes of TV shows. Yes, "Lost" is something to look forward to. But it isn't vital in the long haul - at least not in terms of rallying for the cause, rallying for art.
Don't take this the wrong way. The writers are justified to seek Internet and DVD residuals, and no one appreciates well-crafted shows like "30 Rock" and "Pushing Daisies" more than me. I hope they get everything they want. But most creative types fall into this trap. They figure, "Man, what we're doing is SO funny, SO original, SO creative! This is why we suffer for art! People can't possible live without this, right?" (I say this about our little TV blog about 50 times a day ...)
Um ... if NBC could make money airing nothing but "Deal or No Deal," "Deal or No Deal: Fear Factor Edition," "Fear Factor: Celebrity Edition with Howie Mandel and the cast of 'Biggest Loser'" and "Fear Factor's Biggest Losers eating pieces of Howie Mandel dunked in pig's blood and cow urine," trust me, they would. And they probably will based on reports of network plans as the strike lingers.
The ratings juggernaut "American Idol" proves as much. Whereas most discerning TV viewers turned that show off the minute Kelly Clarkson was crowned karaoke champion in Season One, the show has become THE pop culture phenomenon of the past 10 years. That isn't an elitist jab at the American populace (ahem, see my "I Love New York" post). Just because I loathe Ryan Seacrest's cheeseball grin doesn't mean you have to.
But a quote from Martin Short really stuck with me after I interviewed him for the Press-Gazette prior to a show he did at the Weidner Center a few months ago. Short made a guest appearance as Uncle Jack on "Arrested Development," and since it's one of my favorite shows, I asked about his involvement.
When I inquired about "AD's" fatal flaw - or the show's refusal to dumb down its comedy to get more viewers - he said, "The reality is, TV as an art form, commercial TV continues to play down and down and down and down. There's not so much pride in what's being created as there is in the overnights. Top shows are reality shows and game shows. It's much harder to accomplish a show. It's like that Stephen Sondheim line, 'All they ever like is repetition. All they ever want is what they know.'"
Not so coincidentally, the e-mailer who inspired this post eloquently ended his diatribe by writing, "Most people don't understand that it takes a great writer to make a good show like the 'Office' or 'House.' People like what they can relate to. Life is hard with all the things that make people all-'American.' They ... want what is easy. Life is too short to think about things that make your brain work."
So no, people aren't going to dig into previously neglected shows to make up for their favorites being off the air. If they're compelled to watch TV, they'll take the easy route and stick with what they're spoonfed by the greedy, "same ol', same ol'" networks. I mean, c'mon, "American Gladiators" (with Hulk Hogan as host) is returning to the airwaves! Who isn't down with that, brother?
I should hardly qualify as an authority on "Twin Peaks" since my viewing only began this year - close to two decades after the show's commercial zenith. Promptness aside, I heartily endorse the recently released "Definitive Gold Box Edition," which marks the first time "Peaks" fans can get both seasons, including the rare hour-and-a-half pilot (original and European versions), in one DVD set. Best of all, there's a spectacular full-length documentary chronicling the rise and fall of the landmark series with contributions from Kyle MacLachlan (Special Agent Dale Cooper), Ray Wise (Leland Palmer), Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer) and co-creator Mark Frost, among others. A separate feature with surrealist mastermind David Lynch, MacLachlan and Madchen Amick (Shelly Johnson) chatting over pie and coffee is also worth the relatively steep price ($99.99). Of particular note is when Lynch discusses the network-induced revelation of Laura's killer roughly midway through Season Two - largely regarded as the series' death knell - by equating it to "killing the golden goose."
It's hard to argue with the logic. Revisionist history usually rears its ugly head while discussing pop culture classics, cult or otherwise. But in the case of "Peaks," sacrificing art for commerce was - and forever will be - the wrong move. Bitterness aside, I'm thankful I never watched "Peaks" during its original run. As an ill-prepared fifth-grader, I likely would have been scarred for the rest of my life by visions of BOB or the incendiary death of a principal character in Episode 14, which will go down in TV history as one of the most disturbing, graphic scenes ever aired. Watching it this year, I was still shocked. Like, "refusing to look in mirrors and peering over my shoulder while turning out the lights" shocked. You'll never get the image out of your head.
My enjoyment also wasn't sullied by the fact that, having read critical commentary about the show years ago, I already knew the identity of Laura's killer. Coming into "Peaks" as a relatively informed newbie isn't a bad thing, and regardless, there's a heavy emotional investment still required. One, you have to embrace the bizarrely comical, particularly during the first season - which, as the documentary also notes, plays like seven mini-films as opposed to traditional, serialized TV. The progression of the Laura Palmer murder mystery is more of a MacGuffin than anything, which is why its (selfish?) resolution essentially killed the momentum of Lynch's unorthodox creation.
Knowing who killed the homecoming queen wasn't important in the broader sense of the show. Instead, her murder gave "Peaks" an eerie sense of urgency by turning a pristine logging town on its head - making suspects of everyone, and revealing dark, forbidden layers about physical and metaphysical worlds in the process. Once ABC forced Lynch to bury that connection alongside the killer (presumably for a ratings spike), the characters became disjointed - and as a result, less interesting while the series regressed without its creators' precise guidance. (Frost is a bit disingenuous about this in the documentary.) Sadly, the same soap opera conventions brilliantly parodied in Season One became the show's backbone after Episode 16, (leading to the unforgivable James storyline, amnesiac Nadine going back to high school, Donna's daddy drama and Windom Earle's over-the-top villainy.) Lynch made up for the "Days of Our Lives"-ish plot twists by taking complete control of the hypnotic Season Two finale, which it appears he knew would be "Twin Peaks'" swan song.
Despite its flaws, the series is essential viewing for fans of "The X-Files," "Lost" and perhaps even "Pushing Daisies." The new DVD set was supervised by Lynch, so the picture quality is stunning, particularly for the pilot, which was shot entirely on location in the Northwest. As standalone art, Season One is unparalleled. Even "Lost," which I'm a huge fan of, doesn't offer the same depth or, dare I say, audacity in terms of challenging the viewer with its uncompromising vision of a seemingly peaceful town rife with secrets. That cohesion and tension was missing in Season Two, and having just watched the pilot again, it's sad, even a bit hard to accept. But viewing the weaker episodes - all while knowing how the show withered from cultural phenomenon to cancelled series in such a short time - is still intrinsically captivating, if only to acknowledge the fleeting nature of art, and ultimately, the public's attention span.
* As a bonus, the Onion AV Club chose "Twin Peaks" as the first show for its new Classic TV feature. They start with a recap of the pilot on Wednesday, so if you're ambitious enough, you can watch the new DVD set along with them.
If I could play devil's advocate before turkey-induced slumber takes precedence over TV viewing (and blog posting) during the next few days, one thing the striking writers may have underestimated is how much their already abundant production could work against them.
As I prepare to watch Paul "Pee Wee" Reubens' guest appearance on "Pushing Daisies" tonight, the strike in no way has me feeling as if November sweeps month is any less, er, sweeping, than years past. Yes, a black January is right around the corner. Sure, "The Office" doesn't have any more fresh episodes. And true, "Lost" might get cut off after its episode eight bombshell is dropped next year.
But while all that bums me out, I still feel overwhelmed by the assortment of entertainment options at my fingertips. My DVR is currently stacked with unwatched B-list shows like "My Name is Earl" and "Scrubs." Food Network has been relentless in its Thanksgiving coverage - and damn, it makes me hungry, even if my cooking skills are confined to sticking Eggo waffles in the toaster. I've also yet to tackle any of the extras on my newly-opened "Twin Peaks" Gold Box DVD set, and of course, there's always the familiar, inviting glow of "Freaks and Geeks" to keep me warm and distracted as winter approaches. Essentially, it all means a dearth of fresh episodes won't leave me so incredibly desperate that I'd actually consider moving away from the TV and interacting with real people.
Most pertinent of all, I can't be the only one who is looking forward to being introduced to shows I've neglected to watch in the past. For instance, the series I'm most excited about at the moment has been out since 2002, yet I've just now completed Season One on DVD. "The Wire" is some of the most compelling television I've ever seen, and honestly, I feel ridiculous to have ignored it for this long. Having gone without a permanent commitment to HBO until this past year, I've resolved to get caught up before the fifth and final season (which thankfully, won't be affected by the strike) kicks up in January. As a result, digging deep into the richly detailed Baltimore backstory has me more fired up than anything new coming out - even "Daisies" or "Lost."
I'll eventually get around to posting about "The Wire's" unflinching depiction of urban America as I move further ahead in my viewing. But once everything goes dark, maybe this strike won't mean much to average or even rabid TV viewers because there's already a built-in excuse. A lack of new "Lost" will just mean some reheated Season Three DVD leftovers to get ready for the eventual strike compromise. Maybe longtime "Seinfeld" fans will finally stop neglecting Larry David's equally brilliant "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and revel in Season Six's impeccable ending instead of recycling the same Festivus jokes. And no more "30 Rock?" I introduce you to "Flight of the Conchords," which you've also probably never watched because a lack of premium cable got in the way.
Simply put, if you're only allowed to miss something when it's gone, can a strike's impact really be felt when previously written episodes on DVD make perfect stocking stuffers?
As someone who has watched enough of "Barney" and "The Wiggles" to be freaked-out as an adult, this fascinating New York Times article on early "Sesame Street" episodes being too gritty for children of 2007 is both hilarious and heartbreaking.
Though I grew up on a steady diet of Nickelodeon staples like "Pinwheel" and "Today's Special" (remember Jeff and his magic hat?), my two older brothers were closer to the original "Sesame Street" generation. Now with young kids, they were both understandably giddy when the first "Old School" DVD (1969-1974) was released last year. The second one (1974-1979) came out earlier this month, and while I suspect a lack of sheen won't prevent most 30-and-40-something parents from exposing their children to the early exploits of Super Grover, it's interesting to note that there's an "adults only" warning on the DVD sets.
With tongue-firmly-in-cheek, Virginia Heffernan writes, "Back then - as on the very first episode, which aired on PBS Nov. 10, 1969 - a pretty, lonely girl like Sally might find herself befriended by an older male stranger who held her hand and took her home. Granted, Gordon just wanted Sally to meet his wife and have some milk and cookies, but ... well, he could have wanted anything. As it was, he fed her milk and cookies. The milk looks dangerously whole."
Yikes. I can only imagine what the "Schoolhouse Rock" bill would say about water boarding in 2007 ...
Heffernan continues: "I asked Carol-Lynn Parente, the executive producer of 'Sesame Street,' how exactly the first episodes were unsuitable for toddlers in 2007. She told me about Alistair Cookie and the parody 'Monsterpiece Theater.' Alistair Cookie, played by Cookie Monster, used to appear with a pipe, which he later gobbled. According to Parente, 'That modeled the wrong behavior' - smoking, eating pipes - 'so we reshot those scenes without the pipe, and then we dropped the parody altogether.'
Also worth noting: Oscar's depression is untreated. Big Bird's hallucinations about Snuffleupagus (he's visible to everyone now) are Sid and Marty Krofft-style creepy. Bert and Ernie are obviously in the closet. And of course, Cookie Monster is the model for child obesity thanks to his googly-eyed gluttony.
Heffernan is clearly having a little fun with the advisory label. But overzealous adults are known for literal (perhaps insane) interpretations of children's programming, lest we forget that "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "Teletubbies" have also been attacked for promoting "unhealthy" agendas.
It's always alarming to me when history is re-written. Games of tag being banned from schools appeared to be the first salvo. Now "Sesame Street" keeps it too real for today's youth?
I've encountered more Oscars than Elmos in my 28 years on this planet. I've eaten too many chocolate chip cookies to count. And god knows what reprehensible thoughts would be running through my head if I hadn't blocked them out by memorizing the lyrics to "Rubber Duckie (You're the One)" instead.
But that's how we rolled in the hard-knock '70s and '80s. Our TV puppets were raw.
-- Thomas Rozwadowski, trozwado@greenbaypressgazette.com
The Green Bay Press-Gazette's TV Blog. Or where we write about characters named Jim and Pam as if they were actually real. Brought to you with limited commercial interruption by...
Malavika Jagannathan Metro reporter All-time shows: The West Wing Gilmore Girls The Wire Current favorites: Desperate Housewives, Top Chef, Flight of the Conchords Guilty Pleasure: E! News
Kendra Meinert Entertainment editor All-time shows: Friends Gilmore Girls Beverly Hills 90210 Current favorites: Damages, 24, Brothers and Sisters Guilty Pleasure: Rock of Love Bus
Adam Reinhard Copy editor All-time shows: Lost Arrested Development Veronica Mars Current favorites: The Colbert Report, Scrubs, The Venture Bros. Guilty Pleasure: SpongeBob SquarePants
Thomas Rozwadowski Features reporter All-time shows: The Wire Freaks and Geeks Breaking Bad Current favorites: Modern Family, Lost, Mad Men Guilty Pleasure: Saved by the Bell
Kelly McBride Education reporter All-time shows: Seinfeld Cheers The Cosby Show Current favorites: Top Chef, Project Runway, The Office Guilty Pleasure: The Biggest Loser
'Twas a hot and steamy July day back in 1776 when our Founding Fathers crowded into that Philadelphia hall and cranked out a document outlining this young nation's desire for certain freedoms -- chief among them life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the God-given right of hot young female lawyers to wear ridiculously, ridiculously short skirts.
Flockhart may have been the breakout star, but "Ally" boasted an impressive supporting cast, including "30 Rock's" Jane Krakowski as nosy sexpot receptionist Elaine, Greg Germann as the dubious, dictum-spouting senior partner Richard Fish, and most of all, the stuttering bag of neurosis, John Cage, played by pliable character actor Peter MacNicol (whom I'll always know as Janosz, the crazy museum curator from "Ghostbusters 2.")
* Six hours of additional footage on two extra discs, including:
I’m the first one to admit when I’m wrong. If I keep going on about something, saying it’s so great while others merely scoff, and then I’m confronted with evidence to the contrary, I’ll own up to my mistake. But I’m not wrong about “Perfect Strangers.” That show freakin’ rocked, and continues to rock to this day.
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