THE TKTV NEWSLETTER
Season 2, Episode 10 aired March 8, 1999

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

1. Intro

Welcome back to the Newsletter! As I write, it is a chilly clear day in New York City, the kind of day when most people feel like they need to get outside and experience the weather. I, however, would be perfectly happy to experience this day through a thick-paned window.

Lots of new sites comin' atcha. TKTV now has a site for Aaron Spelling's new paramedic drama that is (thankfully) taking the timeslot of "Hyperion Bay" on the WB. It is premiering on March 15th at 9pm on the WB, and is called "Rescue 77." We also have a new site for the ABC conspiracy drama called "Strange World." It is about a man who has contracted a mysterious bio-engineered disease and is fighting to uncover the government conspiracies that created the disease. It premieres tonight at 10pm on ABC and then moves temporarily to the timeslot regularly occupied by "NYPD Blue," Tuesdays as 10pm. And last, but most certainly not least, TKTV now has a site for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." The site was created and is being maintained by last week's guest writer, Tanya. Tanya is also busy creating a site for what used to be her favorite show, "Dawson's Creek." That should be ready for public consumption by next week. Have fun!

TKTV has also started an updates newsletter for the show "Sports Night." The weekly newsletter will include reviews of episodes and information about what has been recently updated on the site. Reviews will be done by the "Sports Night" writer Caroline. To subscribe, email TK at tk@tktv.net with the subject of sportsnight. Also, TKTV will start using real mailing list software soon, which is going to make my job a whole lot easier, so I'm very excited.

This week in the Newsletter, Kim is back rambling about large cars again, and we have a guest writer who runs her own newsletter about the fabulous sitcom "Newsradio." Her name is Jennifer, and if you're interested in subscribing to her newsletter, you can do so by emailing her at newsradio@mailroom.com. You can find archives of the newsletter at http://alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/~lutgens/nradio.html

That's about it for this week. I'm feeling singularly uninspired to be funny today, so here's a joke from Tanya instead:

"What did the fish say when it swam into a cement wall?"
"Dam."

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2. Letters from the viewing audience

From Alex:
I haven't seen the Chevy S10 commercial, but based on how it is described, it seems pretty accurate. Having spent 4 years in the sticks, (Wisconsin) I can tell you that there are a lot of 17 year old kids with Chevy S10 pickups that they race and accessorize liberally.
From Linda:
I just started watching "Buffy" this last season and it really rocks! I must admit, if I could only watch 2 shows a week it would be "X-files" and "Buffy". I really like "Party of Five" but lately I have been somewhat disappointed with certain plot lines. But "Buffy" has yet to disappoint me - it's funny, has witty dialogue, well-choreographed action sequences and doesn't take itself too seriously (which is one of my gripes about PoF lately). And the actors on "Buffy" get to flex their acting muscles by playing some funny double roles - Willow as a bisexual vampire from a parallel universe?!? Great stuff! What I want to know is who WOULDN'T want to be Buffy?!?
From Kevin:
Ultimately, I don't think I got much out of the Lewinsky interview. The only real excitement I got out of it was when I pictured Bill and Hillary locked in different rooms of the White House throwing things at the TV. (Well, Bill was throwing things at the TV. Hillary may have been throwing things at Bill.) Still, I was impressed by Monica's relative articulateness (if that's a word). She came across as much more sympathetic than I would have pictured.
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

I'm certain you all will be happy to know that I am feeling a little more like myself this week. Unfortunately, the sweeps period is over, so it's back to a mix of repeats and sporadic new episodes. On the up side, Wednesday night was great! Although, I had expected to see Bailey AND Charlie try to beat the daylights out of Ned on Party of Five. I think what I'd REALLY like to see is Julia give him a mighty wallop the next time he hits her. But that's about as likely as David E. Kelly having writer's block...

Here goes...

What spot has me laughing? Land Rover: Still Looking

In an industry where it seems like everything keeps getting bigger, sometimes the little guy stands out because he's just that... little. The spot that has me laughing this week features a one very small boy and one very big SUV.

On what is obviously a beautiful spring day, a little boy (maybe 5 or 6 years old; we'll call him Alex) walks up to a bright, red Land Rover. He "knocks" on the Land Rover; the tinted window slowly rolls down.

Alex asks, "Is Johnny there?"

"I'll check," responds the mother-figure who answers his knock. She rolls the window back up while she looks for little Johnny. Alex waits and waits... and waits.

We clearly get the point-- this is one big SUV. Alex wanders around a little, kicks some dirt, and grows tired of waiting. When the window starts to come down again, Alex looks back up at Mom.

"Still looking," she says.

What spot has be cringing? McDonalds Happy Meal: Bargaining Table

This spot opens with a medium shot of a female lawyer as she spouts off some legal jargon. As the camera pulls back we realize the lawyer is actually the mother of the other two people at the table. The kidlets each have a small collection of Pooh & Friends "clip-ons" and are trying to make a trade.

I can't exactly put my finger on what it is I don't like about this spot. It's not a particularly bad concept; it's just annoying. Maybe it's the kids... Maybe it's the mother/lawyer. Like I said, I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's just silly.

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4. 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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5. Good News by Jennifer L.

As the author/editor of the e-mail NewsRadio Newsletter, it's my job to go on record as often as possible about how underappreciated NewsRadio is as a sitcom. Although this show is perhaps one of the best on television, NBC has changed its timeslot no less than 9 times in the past 4 years, and currently in the thick of its 5th season, nobody seems to know that it is still on. The show has been on the verge of cancelation every season since its inception, which was not helped by the lack of promotional weight thrown behind it by the powers that be at NBC.

Coming through even after the tragic death of much-loved funnyman Phil Hartman, NewsRadio has remained as funny, smart, and off-kilter as ever. The ensemble cast is a dream and the quality of a lesser episode still surpasses the bulk of anything on television. Witness the upcoming NewsRadio tribute at the Museum of Television Arts and Sciences' Paley Festival (Another honoree? The wonderful Sports Night). And yet, the Emmys have continually ignored it, except for the occasional costuming nomination and the required posthumous nomination for Phil Hartman. Not to mention the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, etc., etc.

Sadly, these are the same complaints that NewsRadio fans have been voicing for years. Mr. Hartman's death brought the wrong kind of publicity to the show. It was a tragic irony that NewsRadio received its most press ever because of Phil Hartman's demise, and from that point on, media vultures have been ready to proclaim NewsRadio dead in the water without Phil.

The fact of the matter is, the show is still good as it finds its new groove, and it's the ever-present goal of fans to make sure that more people watch the show. Some would call NewsRadio an acquired taste, and granted, it probably doesn't appeal to everybody. But if you give the show a couple of weeks, chances are, you might enjoy it. Technically it airs on Tuesday nights on NBC at 8:30pm EST. However, in another aggravating decision, NBC is benching it on March 16 to let Lateline take over the slot until May sweeps arrive, at which point NewsRadio will return.

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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6. Favorite Quotes of the Week

From "Frasier"
"I'll bring a quart of whiskey in case of snake bite." -Martin
"Dad, there are no snakes there." -Niles
"Okay, I'll bring a snake." -Martin

and

"I want Daphne. I think we belong together, just as I think you and Donny belong together and why should two people be happy when four people can be estatic?" -Niles

From "Sports Night"
"I need some guidance, 'cause I don't mind telling you I'm feeling just a little anxious about this. Number 1, is it too early in our relationship for me to be spending three days at her parents'? I mean, it's not like I'm Pacino going back to Corleone and bringing gifts to Apollonia's family. And number 2, I'm Jewish, and her family is, y'know, incredibly not. Which isn't, by the way, any sort of a problem for me but I do think it might be a problem for them, because, after all, there are those that think I killed their lord Jesus Christ. Not me directly, mind you, I didn't drive the getaway car or anything. In fact, my family's from Latvia, so we've got a pretty solid alibi. Anyway, Isaac, what do you think?" -Jeremy
"Oh my God, were you talking to me all this time?" -Isaac
"Do you want me to start again?" -Jeremy
"Yeah, but first, could you just hit me over the head with that blunt instrument over there?" -Isaac

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7. A totally unrelated link

http://www.41shots.org

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Did you ever notice when you blow in a dog's face he gets mad at you?
But when you take him in a car he sticks his head out the window.