THE TKTV NEWSLETTER
Season 2, Episode 9 aired March 1, 1999

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CONTENTS
1. Intro
2. Letters from the viewing audience
3. Kim's Commercial Comments
4. TV Ramblings
5. Don't miss
6. The Forces of Good
     -by guest writer Tanya Sripanich
7. Favorite quotes of the week
8. A totally unrelated link

1. Intro

Well, I have been bugging my friend Tanya to write a guest article for a long time, and I finally got one out of her. She was, up until recently, a die-hard Dawson's fan. This year she has become obsessed with a show that is finally getting some recognition, from reviewers if not award-givers. That would be Buffy. I really enjoyed her article, and I hope you will too.

Speaking of awards, TKTV has two new pages up you may want to check out. For those of you who care about daytime television, TKTV has a page for the Soap Opera Awards (they were given out last Friday). If you want a quick summary, just suffice to say that "General Hospital" rightfully cleaned up.

In addition, TKTV finally has a page up for the Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations. (There are an awful lot of Awards out there, aren't there? Makes you wonder why they couldn't spare one for Buffy.) The SAG Awards are particularly cool because it's all the actors voting for each other (or, I suppose, themselves... I'm not sure of the rules). It's not some amorphous Academy, or even random fans, it's other people from the industry choosing these awards. Seems like a pretty high compliment to me. What's also cool is that there is an ensemble acting category in these awards, which I think is fairly unique.

Last but not least, I just want to say how proud I am of my father. In a TV fan's eyes, he has finally reached the ultimate goal. He was in a question on "Jeopardy" last week! He's going to hate me for saying this.... :)

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2. Letters from the viewing audience

From Dan:
I don't know if you've seen this site, but it might be useful for when people talk about commericals. The name of it is Ad Critic and there are quicktimes of the latest commercials as well as information on them (e.g., what's that song playing in the background).
From Rob:
To the previews before the show thing - they've been doing that on video tapes all the time lately, and yes, it really annoys me. Especially when, since there's no time crunch on a video, and minimal expense in producing a trailer on video, they usually give away the entire film in advance. And then they have the gall to play an add for the soundtrack to the film, which gives away any well shot looks from the film that the trailer didn't already wreck. Thank goodness for remote controls.

As to the fact that most shows don't look like they shoot in NYC, the truth is that they don't. The ONLY series shooting regularly in New York (at least, as of last year) was Caroline in the City, which actually doesn't even look that New Yorky. Everything else (yes, including NYPD Blue and Seinfeld) are LA shoots, with one week of location stuff done in NYC at the top of the season.

Note from TK: I'm pretty sure both "Law & Order" and "Spin City" shoot in NYC as well. I am always amazed how much "NYPD Blue" and "Felicity" look like they're shot in the city when they're not, though.
Letters from the viewing audience are always welcome. Please email any opinions, questions, comments, or random thoughts to TK at tk@tktv.net with the subject of "letters." Letters may be edited for length or content.

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3. Kim's Commercial Comments

Hello all and welcome to my column. As I write this I am experiencing the epitome of the made-for-tv movie... It's a little something on Lifetime called "Falling for You" starring Jennie Garth (Beverly Hills 90210) and Costas Mandylor (Picket Fences, Players). The movie is pointless, but I can't seem turn it off. I'm in a weird mood right now anyway, but I just toss it up to Party of Five withdrawals. My week just doesn't seem right without the Salingers.

Despite the absence of Charlie, Bailey, Julia, et al, this week's viewing wasn't entirely without its high points. The only problem I had with this week's column was determining which of the great new commercials I've seen I wanted to tell you all about. First off, while it's not the commercial I want to feature this week, I would like to throw out kudos and a standing "o" to Revlon for featuring Emme in its latest ColorStay spot. I imagine they went out on a woman-sized limb to put her there. And I, for one, think it's high time we started seeing a few more REAL women on television!

Soapbox: OFF

Commercial Comments: ON

What spot has me laughing? Clairol's Herbal Essences

You've seen them before. They're a little loud, a little humorous, and a little provocative. There was even one with Dr. Ruth. They're the "yes, Yes, YES!" spots for Clairol's Herbal Essences line. The latest one features a couple, presumably husband and wife. "Wife" heads into the bathroom and gets in the shower. She indulges herself in the "totally organic experience" of the shampoo. As she showers for what seems like an eternity to "husband," he moves from one part of the house to another. He is restless. He's impatient. She's taking too long! He listens to her go on and on and on... she's oohing and aahing over how great it is.

And just when he thinks he can't take it anymore it's finally his turn. He rushes into the bathroom and then into the shower. It seems she is barely finished when he screams a single "YES!" "Wife" looks at her watch and grins. She nods, then taps the face of her watch...

"Typical."

What spot has me cringing? If I had a Chevy S-10

I'm guessing this atrocity is reserved for those of us living in the southeastern US. I don't imagine that commercials for trucks are too abundant elsewhere in the country. Anyway, this spot opens with a close-up of a country boy (he looks about 17) who says, "If I had a Chevy S-10..." He goes into some spill about a race... and winning seven times... or something like that. It's just stupid. I guess it's supposed to appeal to that stereotypical southern boy-who-cares-about-nothing-but-trucks-with-big-tires-and-deer hunting. Give me a break already! I don't think I can tolerate this one even one more time. I hope you all are lucky enough to avoid it altogether.

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4. TV Ramblings

"Hyperion Bay" is becoming seriously painful to watch. I think it's already worse than "Melrose Place," and it's only in its first (and probably last) season. First, it was a show without an audience. The WB was busy hyping "Felicity," and "Charmed" was busy hyping itself, so no one paid any attention to the third new drama on the teenage network. All of a sudden, a couple of months into the season, everyone turned around and looked at the poor floundering show and realized that they needed to do something about it. Now, I have to give the WB credit. Most networks would have just given up. The fact that they tried to give this show the extra chance it needed is great... it's just not the right chance. There is no character continuity, no supercouples to root for, nobody is trustworthy anymore.... One the great bases of the original show was that although Nick resented his little brother Dennis for being able to get out of their small town and make something of himself, deep down he still cared for him like an older brother and still had his brother's best interests at heart. Now it seems that the producers are trying to take their hero and make him the most friendless person on the face of the earth. He never talks to his father anymore, his boss that used to idolize him is now stabbing him in the back, his boss's daughter can do nothing but cause trouble, his brother has decided to try to get a piece of the action for himself, his girlfriend has left him, and his high school crush is now suing his company after getting dumped. He can't even get a break when the guy who used to bully him in high school dies, 'cause that's why his high school crush is suing his company! No one's happy, no one's really friends, and the forced relationship between Sarah and Nick is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen. I hate to say this, but I'll be glad when this show goes off the air in March. I do wonder if its replacement, Aaron Spelling's "Rescue 77," will be any better....

I am gratified by the fact that there is an entire article this week in "Entertainment Weekly" about "Felicity" that says exactly what I've been saying for the last few weeks: it started out weak, but now that it's found its light-hearted comedic edge, it has turned into a quality TV show. EW also chose one of my favorite quotes from last week's newsletter to feature in their "Sound Bites" section. Nothing like having an electronic publication to pre-empt the printed. :)

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5. Don't miss

For details and lots more fun TV to look forward to, see
http://www.tktv.net/index.html?/upcoming.html

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6. The Forces of Good by Tanya Sripanich

Every Tuesday I tape my favorite show on TV. Every Tuesday night when I get home, I faithfully watch regardless of how late it is and how early I have to be up the next morning. Never mind the fact that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is quite possibly the best-written and best-acted show on television. With the best make up and best costumes. Never mind that Joss Whedon is a genius (and fellow Wesleyan grad!) and blends drama, humor and action without lapsing into cheesy earnestness in a way that many shows try to do and very few actually do. Never mind that the cast is filled with Hollywood's best and brightest young stars. These are not the reasons why I watch the show so religiously.

I watch Buffy because more than anything I want to be Buffy. I want to kick vampire ass. I want to fight for the forces of good against evil.

I want to be a smart, pretty, funny sunshiney California girl who not only looks great in a tank top but can also beat the living crap out of any old monster and demon that is unlucky enough to hang around Sunnydale. Perhaps it is her ruthlessness that appeals to my latent dark and violent side. (VERY latent dark and violent side. I can't even kill a bug.) Or perhaps it is the simplicity of her life that is just so appealing: Vampire. Bad vampire. Kill bad vampire. See? That wasn't so hard.

I would just like to be able to distinguish that clearly between good and evil. Did you see the one where she fights True Evil? And wins? I spend so much of my work and free time fighting corporate-evil and legal-evil and sort-of-evil and not-really-evil-just-annoying. What a thrill to fight True Evil! No more consoling myself that the harm I inflict in a corporate setting is really okay because it is good for the economy. No more telling myself that selling out to investment banking is okay because of the fat paychecks. If I were Buffy I'd always be good and the vampires would generally be bad.

Here, look:

Boss: This multi-billion dollar deal we are currently working on will undoubtedly mean the loss of tens of thousands of blue-collar jobs in numerous factories throughout the Midwest. But that is not our concern because they are all just faceless, nameless, lower middle class drones.

Me: Aaah! Stake through the heart!

If only real life were that simple. But it isn't. Not even close.

In real life, the line dividing good and evil is blurry and mushy. Sometimes it is thin. Sometimes it is a gulf. Most of the time there is no line. There is only "the greater good" and "the lesser evil."

Screw it. Just pass me that stake. That nice and pointy one.

TKTV is always looking for new guest writers. Do you have an idea for an article? Write to TK at tk@tktv.net with the subject of "guestwriter."

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7. Favorite Quotes of the Week

From "Law & Order"
"I don't feel good about challenging her religious conviction in court." -McCoy
"And I don't want her hurting another child." -Carmichael
"All right, split the difference. Prove that a saint can commit a murder." -Schiff

From "The Practice"
"I can give you an erection from across the room." -Judge Kittleson

From "Will and Grace"
"This is not weird, Grace. Gay republicans are weird." -Will

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8. A totally unrelated link

Twinkies Project

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