THE TKTV NEWSLETTER
Season 1, Episode 4 aired November 12, 1998
CONTENTS
1. Intro
2. Responses to Episode 3
3. New stuff on TKTV
4. Fashion by TV
5. TKTV's favorite TV ad
6. Don't miss
7. Favorite quotes of the week
8. It's a small world
9. TKTV's totally unrelated link
1. Intro
Yay! Carter shaved!
Okay, for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm talking about Carter on "ER," played by Noah Wyle who has the cutest little baby face that has been covered up with lots of bushy hair all season until last Thursday when he got his face stuck to a guy covered in carpet glue (this was on the show, not in real life) and his medical student had to cut him free and then he had to shave it all off because he had a big hole in his beard. So, yay! Wow, what a run-on sentence.
"Fantasy Island" is carrying on the wonderful tradition (which the original show used to share with "The Love Boat") of having great guest stars. This week we got to see Jennifer Garner play a charming woman who's really a dolphin (Garner used to have a very annoying starring role on the short lived "Significant Others" on Fox last season) and Charles Shaughnessy, who most people know as Maxwell on "The Nanny" but who I fondly remember as Shane on "Days of Our Lives." Charles ditched his usual British accent for what I think was Irish but might have been Scottish. And "Fantasy Island" also made a fabulous self-reference last Saturday when a trailer park couple got in an argument over a set of Ricardo Montalban collectible plates.
Wow, two weeks in a row "Ally McBeal" got a nudity warning... although the second time I think it was just so that they could show the recap of the week before. Dyan Cannon looks good! (if that was her real body) This week Ally had one of the best fantasy sequences I've seen in a long time. The annoying suitor that was pursuing her told her to look beyond appearances and to examine his personality, and without thinking she told him to get one. She then became two inches tall, jumped up on his shoe, and squeaked out, "I'm sorry." It's just that so many of those fantasy sequences have been so weird lately, what with her jumping onto Jack Tripper's face and people's tongues lolling out, it was great to see one that was just really funny and totally appropriate, but not really weird. I guess they're all a little weird.
Ling is becoming my new favorite "Ally McBeal" character, even if she is an incredible bitch... so glad they decided to keep her. And that wicked witch of the west theme when she walked in... it was just magic.
Well, Chris Carter says that "The X-files" is going to be lighter this year... not lighter in story-line, but there will actually be more sunlight. That's what happens when you move filming from Vancouver to Los Angeles. Setting the season opener in Arizona certainly helped. That's just fine though, 'cause "Brimstone" and "Millennium" on Fox Friday nights are dark enough for everyone. I'm not sure that "The Simpsons" and "That '70's Show" is the best lead-in for "The X-Files," but they did some great cross-pollination last Sunday. The credits trailer for "That '70's Show" was the guys playing back a recording of them stoned, and then hearing themselves come to the conclusion that "the truth is out there." Then in "The X-files," a nuclear reactor worker is caught sleeping on the job. He is supposed to be monitoring the huge panel of gauges in front him of, and a co-worker walks in a tells "Homer" to wake up. At first I thought the guy was joking, and calling him Homer just because of the perfect situation, but it turns out that the character's name was actually Homer, as his co-worker kept calling him that throughout the rest of the scene. Too bad Homer bit the dust a short while later....
"Sports Night" was so good this week. I hope lots of people who haven't watched before decided to tune in, because it was a great summary episode... perfect to catch up confused new viewers. I watched it alone and was actually laughing aloud by myself. You ever notice how you're less likely to laugh aloud when you're by yourself, even if something is really funny? Hence the introduction of laugh tracks, which the producers of "Sports Night" unwillingly added to the show at the insistence of ABC.
Poor Jimmy on "The Practice"... he tried to calm down a charged up atmosphere by saying that "tearing each other new armpits" wasn't going to help anything. A note to TV writers everywhere: if you're not allowed to use the word, then don't try to use the phrase. What should have been the conclusion of a very dramatic moment just induced giggles at the use of "armpit" when we all know what he really should have said.
Okay, so Brandon leaving "Beverly Hills 90210" was like the most anti-climactic thing ever. Although the opening sequence they debuted this week is kinda neat. Why did they even add the adorable Lindsay Price (Janet) to the opening sequence if she's still going to play such a small part? And since when has Brian Austin Green been a producer? I noticed his name pop up in the credits last night. Could Kelly get any more self-righteous? Why are they bringing back Dylan I-usually-have-a-substance-abuse-problem McKay when they've got the perfect drunk bad-boy storyline going with Noah (Vincent Young)?
So they had a homecoming dance on "Dawson's Creek" this week. I have never seen a more ridiculous portrait of teenagers dancing in my entire life. I understand that Swing is in, but still, there is no high school dance where the kids are flinging each other around like they were on Dawson's. And since when did Dawson know how to throw a punch? And since when do two 16 year-olds break up because one of them needs to "find herself" and "make herself happy?" That's what thirty-year olds do. I enjoy "Dawson's Creek," but I just occasionally wish these kids would act their age.
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2. Responses to Episode 3
Is it cheating if I write my own response? Okay, maybe it isn't exactly a response, just sort of an addendum. Remember how last week my favorite ads were those from ABC? Well, they came up with a new one. During "Fantasy Island" last Saturday, right before the commercial break, they flashed on a yellow background: "Resume Blinking." It was the first time I had seen that one, and wow, did blinking feel good.
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3. New stuff on TKTV
It's the most hyped up show this season. Its premiere had a higher rating than that of "Dawson's Creek." It's "Felicity." What's "Felicity?" Find out.
http://felicity.tktv.net
Saturday night shows are dying like flies, but one of the few new ones that's hangin' in there is the charming "Cupid." Are you staying in this Saturday night because you're still recovering from Friday night? If so, watch "Cupid," and catch up beforehand with this handy dandy site:
http://cupid.tktv.net
You may have heard, the creators of "Party of Five" are making a spin-off of the popular drama, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt as her "Party of Five" character Sarah. Although this show is not scheduled to premiere until the fall of 1999, TKTV already has a site. All the latest info on production, plot-lines, and casting can be found at:
http://timeofyourlife.tktv.net
It's the perfect lead-in for "Millennium." It's "Brimstone," part of the new darker than thou Fox Friday night line-up. Peter Horton stars as a cop who, after getting killed on the job, ended up in hell because of one little (okay, it was big) sin. Now he's hunting souls for his redemption. It's managed not to be predictable yet, which is high praise for new TV shows.
http://brimstone.tktv.net
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4. Fashion by TV
Okay, the most recent fashion trend on TV has been glaring me in the eye for the past two weeks, so I thought I'd make the call now so that when these become all the rage, I can say I told ya so. I've never been one for fashion, and I'm never on top of a trend... I got my first baby back-pack in the spring 1996, and I never did get into that whole white-T-shirt-under-the-sundress thing, but TV makes it easy.
The new trend is shirts on women that fade in color, so that they're white at the top, and then slowly get darker until by the bottom they're dark purple, or dark orange, or dark blue, or whatever color they are. The shirts are often V-neck, and button down the front, although I've seen variations.
In the past two weeks, I have seen this shirt sported by Ariel on "Fantasy Island," Phoebe on "Friends," Yvonne on "The Hughleys," Buffy on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Julie on "Felicity," and Piper on "Charmed." It hit me over the head so hard I'd have to be an idiot not to notice. Now I just need to start seeing them in stores. I like them. I think I'll pick up a purple one.
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5. TKTV's favorite TV ad: Sprite
Okay, there are a couple of reasons why I love this Sprite ad for their new Salary Cap Game. The first reason is that it caught my eye because it stars a guy I used to know from college, Judd Trichter. Judd's character is sitting on a bench, and there's a Lakers player on one shoulder, and a Pistons player on the other, and they're each trying to tell him what to do with the money he won from the Salary Cap Game. (As we established in last week's newsletter, I don't know squat about sports, so I'm sure there's someone out there who can tell me who exactly these players are.)
The other beautiful irony of this ad is the name of the game: Salary Cap. It stars basketball players advertising a game called Salary Cap! And right now the NBA is on strike because of salary issues! I love it. I'm so glad Sprite didn't freak out and cancel the promotion or something.
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6. Don't miss
- "The Birdcage" tonight on ABC
- Roommate trouble tonight on NBC
- Buddy Faro is in Talk Show Hell
- Barbara Walters interviews Mariah Carey
- Jarod teams up with Broots on "The Pretender"
- The classic "Sleeping Beauty"
- George Carlin guest stars on "The Simpsons"
- Celine Dion guest stars on "Touched by an Angel"
- Tony Danza guest stars on "The Practice" while Lindsay makes a last ditch effort to save Anderson Pearson
- Jane and Michael's wedding on "Melrose Place"
- Mud-wrestling on "Ally McBeal"
- Billy Bob Thornton and Dwight Yoakam guest star on "King of the Hill"
- Angel is discovered and Faith has a new watcher on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
- "Sports Night" begins to fall apart
- Bobby isn't getting better on "NYPD Blue"
- Everyone pulls an all-nighter together on "Dawson's Creek"
- Luke Perry returns to "Beverly Hills 90210"
- Owen disappears on "Party of Five"
For details and lots more fun TV to look forward to, see
http://www.tktv.net/upcoming.html
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7. Favorite Quotes of the Week
From "Ally McBeal"
Elaine: "Ling. Hi. Welcome."
Ling: "My therapist told me to pay no mind to those who don't matter."
Elaine: "Yes, well, if you're looking for Nelle, she's in John Cage's office, not hers. Also, if there is any way I can help, I know you're hurt, and it's just that I want to be a part of it."
Ling: "You help just by being there, Elaine. Whatever my pain, I can take heart in not being you."
Elaine: "That was very good. Did you know that you're my favorite vicious person in life?"
and then a short while later...
Ling: "The naked woman is here. She's disguised in clothes."
From "The Practice"
"What the hell is plan B?" -Lucy
and later...
"I love it when girls fight. It's better than hockey." -Lucy
Hmmm... looks like I'm showing some favoritism to David E. Kelley here, huh? Well, he is a great writer, but to even things out just a little, here's a great one from "Dawson's Creek"
"You know what I admire most about you, Brett? You work all of your muscle groups equally." -Abby
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8. It's a small world
My friends and I are always talking about what a small world it is... how we live in New York City and yet we always run into people we know in bars, restaurants, and on the street. Well, recently I've been noticing that it's an even smaller world on TV. I've actually been reading the credits of shows, and noticing that guest stars get recycled more often than redeemable bottles.
- Amy Pietz is a regular on "Caroline in the City" as Annie, but recently guested on "Conrad Bloom" as Bonnie, the unknown college friend who was getting married.
- Costas Mandylor and Ice-T were both in the now defunct NBC crime drama "Players," and were both in last Sunday's "Law and Order" movie. Dana Eskelson, also in the movie, was a popular bad guy on the now defunct Fox crime drama "New York Undercover." Ah sad, those were two of my favorite crime dramas gone down the drain last season.
- Dennis Boutsikaris has been in a number of episodes of "Trinity" and will be on "ER" tonight.
- David Garrison, who was Marcie's first husband on "Married... with Children," was a defense attorney on "Law and Order" this week.
- Ted McGinley, Marcie's second husband on "Married... with Children," can be seen on a semi-regular basis as Dana's boyfriend Gordon on "Sports Night."
- Louise Fletcher was on "Fantasy Island" October 17th, and on "Brimstone" November 6th.
- In the October 31 episode of "Fantasy Island" there was Liz Vassey (who was the female lead in "Maximum Bob" and was very popular a few years back on "All My Children"), Christine Elise (who many people will remember as Brandon's slightly wacked girlfriend Emily on "Beverly Hills 90210" and others will remember as Dr. Carter's brief love-interest on "ER"), and the very elusive Stan Cahill (who guest starred once on "Party of Five" in January of 1997).
- Laura Moss, the second to last actress to play Amanda Cory on "Another World" had a bit part in "Law and Order" this week.
- Julia Campbell played a murderous woman on "The Pretender" last weekend, but I first saw her as Charlie's last fling before his non-wedding on "Party of Five."
- Joe Flanigan appeared on "Dawson's Creek" as a lecherous sailor and on "Cupid" as Claire's new boyfriend. And he's been on both shows for the last two weeks.
- Matt Schulze appeared as a villainous invader of dreams on "Charmed" and shortly before that as a young rich guy in love with a playmate of the month on "Buddy Faro."
- Alyssa Milano appeared on "Fantasy Island" right before her new series, "Charmed," premiered.
- Tim Dekay has been seen recently on "Brimstone" and "Party of Five" among other shows.
- Kellie Waymire appeared as a nun on "Ally McBeal" and then a week later had a very small part in an episode of "The Practice" stitching up Eugene's forehead.
Okay, I'm done. It just kind of blew my mind how many of these there were when you started looking for them. Anyone have any neat additions?
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9. TKTV's totally unrelated link
http://www.davidbowie.com
David Bowie is having a contest for a co-songwriter. He wants someone to help him finish a song he has started. Check it out on his site.
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