THE TKTV NEWSLETTER
Season 2, Episode 13 aired March 30, 1999

To subscribe or unsubscribe to the TKTV newsletter, simply email me personally at tk@tktv.net. You can even subscribe your friends....

CONTENTS
1. Intro
2. Letters from the viewing audience
3. Kim's Commercial Comments
4. Don't miss
5. Favorite quotes of the week
6. A totally unrelated link

1. Intro

Yup, a whole day late this time. Sorry sorry sorry. Won't happen again. Who am I kidding? It'll probably happen again, but I'll try really hard not to let it.

Spring in New York is an odd time. I was just telling a friend that it's the best smelling season in the city. He asked why fall wasn't just as nice smelling. Although another friend came up with a handy excuse about leaves or a lack thereof, the truth is, I have no idea. But it really is the best smelling season. And summer is definitely the worst smelling. Seasons are strange things around here. Yay air conditioning. I'm getting mine tuned up tomorrow. And my car is getting tuned up so I can safely drive myself out of the city when the hundred degree weather hits. It's much more important around here to plan how to escape from July and August heat than save up nuts for winter.

Not much to say this week. What did you all think of the premiere of "Futurama?" It broke some serious rating records on Fox, so I'm assuming a lot of you folks out there must have watched it. I'm going to have to give it some time, but I like the characters, and Katey Sagal's voice just makes me so happy. I'm not sure that the best place for it is after "The Simpsons." "The Simpsons" is just so polished and so good that anything similar after it looks bad by comparison. Luckily "Futurama" isn't staying there. After the episode this Sunday, it moves to Tuesdays to help anchor Fox's new all-animated Tuesdays. And get this! TKTV has sites for three out of the four shows that will be airing on Tuesdays. First is "King of the Hill" (for which TKTV doesn't have a site), followed by "Futurama," "The PJs," and finally "Family Guy." Remember "Family Guy?" That was that show that Fox gave you a peek of after the Superbowl. It's coming back on Tuesday, April 6th with that same episode from January if you missed it. I thought it was very funny. Good luck, Fox!

It's a pretty short newsletter this week. Kim's back in fine form, and yes, she even mentions the chicken. For those of you who heard about David Strickland's suicide (Todd on "Suddenly Susan") last week, the latest news is that on the day he died he was due to appear in court regarding drug charges. I don't even know what to say about that. My best wishes to his family and friends.

top
2. Letters from the viewing audience

From Storm: (regarding The Oscars)
What was up with Robert DeNiro's hair?

Note from TK: I'm really hoping it was for a movie.
From Paul:
Maybe I'm just a dumb man, but I thought the Oscars were painfully dragged out. I mean did we really need to see the "dance interpretation" of the main scores of the five nominees for Best Picture? The whole show could be put into an hour and everyone would still have time to cry on camera and Whoopi could have cut her costume changes in half. I guess the same case could be made for the Super Bowl, the World Series, and the NBA, but at least women are not forced to sit with their boyfriends and endure the dragged out festivities... maybe if ABC gave me my favorite dancing chicken commerical I wouldn't be so bitter....
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.

top
3. Kim's Commercial Comments

Sometimes life is just good. Besides the fact that I've had this terrible flu-bug, my boss is trying to kill me, and my dog is driving me insane, life is still good. I just saw the movie "Ed TV" starring Matthew McConaughey. And in the interest of full disclosure, let me first say that I would have gone to see this film if it had been a SILENT picture... Mr. McConaughey is, to me, the embodiment of all things strong, and manly, and sexy, and charming. I've been waiting for this one to be released ever since "The Newton Boys." With that said, hear this: This is a great movie! The cast portrays a range of emotions, most of which brought about roars of laughter from the audience. For those of you who are thinking it looks just like "The Truman Show," hear me when I say it's not. It's nothing like "The Truman Show." It's an entirely different premise and a different style of movie. Ron Howard really delivers on this one. But enough about Ed TV... let's talk about TKTV!

At this point, I'd just like to throw in that I have seen the chicken commercial. And it did make me laugh out loud. The reason I haven't featured it is because I've tried to stick to spots that are new to me since I've started writing this column.

What spot has me laughing? Volkswagen: Smarter Looking

Three guys are trying to move a mattress. One is scurrying down the street in his trusty Volkswagen while the other two (in the tradition of Dr. Seuss, let's call them Thing 1 and Thing 2) are holding the mattress and waiting anxiously on the stoop of a nearby building. As guy #1 (we'll call him Jeeves) pulls in front of the building, the light at the intersection just ahead turns red.

This is their cue to make a run for the car. Jeeves hops out of the car with a length of rope as Thing 1 and Thing 2 throw the mattress on top of the car. As they feverishly work to tie the mattress down to the top of the vehicle, they watch the light. The other drivers instantly begin to get aggravated. A man a couple of cars behind them gets out of his car. As Jeeves ties the final knot, completing their task, the light turns green.

"Done," says Thing 1. He laughs. Obviously impressed with himself. Make that obviously impressed with all three of them.

"Green," someone announces. They reach for the door handles to jump into the car and make their getaway. Unfortunately they have tied the car doors shut with the rope.

The announcer fades up, "The all new Volkswagen Golf. It's smarter-looking, at least."

I love this spot because this is something that would happen to me. Just when I think I've pulled off the perfect coup, something comes along and knocks my wind out. I imagine it happens to all of us. And while it only took me a second to say to my husband, "All they have to do is climb in through the window," I still enjoyed the humor in it.

You can watch this one online at http://www.adcritic.com/content/vw-golf-smarter-looking.html

What spot has me cringing?

10-10-*** I hate all these 10-10-321,221,345. etc., etc. spots! If it's not one former sitcom star, it's another. I mean, come on, do I really need Tony, or Howard, or Mrs. C telling me how to make long distance calls? NO! Thanks anyway. If I can't email it, I'll stick to the calling plan I have, thank you. Being the female in this household, I'm not one to flip during commercial breaks, but when I see these coming...I go for the remote!

top
4. Don't miss

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

top
5. Favorite Quotes of the Week

From "Will and Grace"
"I need this more than you." -Grace
"Please! You've had plenty of dips in the love pool. I'm still in the cabana trying out floaties." -Will

From "Sports Night"
"There's a lot of great stuff on Orion... the god and also the constellation. Most people see only the belt, which is formed by delta, epsilon and zeta - three second magnitude stars that are spaced equally in a straight line. Beneath the belt is a line of fainter stars, and of these stars theta isn't really a star at all. It's actually the brightest part of Orion nebula. So this great pink star in the sword of Orion turns out to be something... far more complicated and interesting. (pause) My father's been having an affair with a woman for twenty-seven years." -Jeremy

From "The X-Files"
"A dog? A dog dog?" -Scully
"Yo quiero Taco Bell." -Mulder

top
6. A totally unrelated link

Sesame Street Archives

top
Wow. War.