THE TKTV NEWSLETTER
Season 2, Episode 28 aired September 13, 1999

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

1. Intro

Okay, yeah, the Emmys were last night, but before I go into that, I just want to give Gary a public thanks for letting me know that TKTV was mentioned in the October issue of Mademoiselle magazine. In the cover article about Jennifer Love Hewitt, readers are directed to check out http://timeofyourlife.tktv.net for all the latest info on her new show. So thanks to Gary for telling me about it, and kudos to Miko who runs the TKTV Time of Your Life site!

And now, on to the Emmys. David E. Kelley made a clean sweep again last night when "Ally McBeal" won best comedy and "The Practice" won best drama.

Helen Hunt got her gazillionth Emmy for best actress in a comedy ("Mad About You"), which I think she deserved before, but not this year. John Lithgow ("3rd Rock from the Sun") won the Emmy for best actor in a comedy, which even he admitted seemed a little silly. Kristen Johnson ("3rd Rock from the Sun") won best supporting actress in a comedy. The best part of that was the fact that Michael J. Fox ("Spin City") presented it to her, and the hug between them was probably one of the most amusing moments of the night, since he's about 5'3" and she's about 6'2". David Hyde Pierce ("Frasier"), in one of the most deserving awards of the night, won best supporting actor in a comedy.

"The Practice" got best supporting actress and actor in a drama, going respectively to Holland Taylor (who totally deserved it) and Michael Badalucco (who was great, but I can't decidedly say I think he deserved it). Dennis Franz got yet another best actor in a drama Emmy for his role on "NYPD Blue," and even he admitted his shock that it hadn't gone to his ex-colleague, Jimmy Smits. Edie Falco ("The Sopranos") won best actress in a drama.

Any other info you need can be found at http://www.emmys.org. It's not the most beautiful site in the world, but it will give you what you need to know.

My favorite part of the night was when Robert Guillaume presented. Robert Guillaume, best known for his title role on "Benson" and also his stage work (particularly "Phantom of the Opera"), suffered a stroke in his "Sports Night" dressing room last January. With his permission (he says it was actually his wife's idea), the stroke was written into the script to explain his character's absence. Guillaume recovered enough to appear in the season finale of "Sports Night," and will be back on the air next season as well. With obvious effort and a sense of humor, a smile glinting in his eyes, Guillaume came out on stage towards the end of the show. He spoke slowly, but clearly, and walked with a cane. He received a much deserved standing ovation from everyone in the audience, including me sitting in my kitchen.

On a more frivolous note, TKTV has some awards of its own to give out. Best dressed (women only) goes to Sarah Michelle Gellar ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), who managed to look good, simple and her age in a turquoise sheeth with her hair in a pony-tail and little makeup. Runner-up is Lisa Kudrow ("Friends"), ever elegant in a shiny tight black glittery number with her hair up and an exquisite silver necklace. Worst-dressed was definitely Sela Ward ("Once and Again"), a beautiful woman with the bad taste to wear a burgundy dress with puffed sleeves (I think I wore something like that to an eighth grade dance once) and a huge bow right across her middle. Ward was surpassed only by the blond female interviewer out front that I saw on Fox before the start of the show. She was wearing a white bandeau with a long skirt that she obviously couldn't walk in. The whole thing was covered with drippy glittery stuff, and parts of the skirt and bandeau were missing and replaced with a see-through grey material. Even she admitted that she had to suck in her stomach all night. Those of us in my kitchen nick-named her the mermaid-interviewer-person. Ew.

Trends noticed this year: bad dresses, good acceptance speeches, and the show poking fun at itself with amusing skits from "Felicity," "Dawson's Creek," and "South Park." What do you have to say about the Emmys this year? Send us a note to tk@tktv.net with the subject of "letters" and get your opinion published in next week's newsletter.

On a final and totally unrelated note, congratulations to the Scarecrows, my pool team, for winning the division finals last Tuesday!

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2. Letters from the viewing audience

From Cindy on Gap ads:
Not only do these comercials get stuck in my head, but also in those of my 6 and 7 year-olds. We've all been singing "Mellow Yellow" around the house. We love these comercials! I'm looking forward to a new one.

A department store has somehow done a spin off of the "Mellow Yellow" comercial. It's all those beautiful gap folks, all on the white steps with the white backdrop, but they're all flailing their arms and tapping their feet, laughing and smiling and singing. I've only seen it once, so I can't recall the tune or the advertiser (Target maybe?) but it was a riot!
From Cindy on Old Navy ads:
Argh! I coudn't agree with you more! *gag* *gag* Not only is it annoying, but it gets stuck in my head...the annoying "uhh...brutha brutha." Would it improve if the people in the commercial could actually dance? I doubt it. Yes, the commercial left an inpression in my brain, which is the company's intent, but I sure won't be running to Old Navy anytime soon! I'll be shakin' my groove thing right on over to the couch to watch some Gap comercials!
From Lucy in Toronto, Ontario:
I just read Kim's Comments on the Gap: Everybody in Chords commercial. I don't think it has the same impact in Canada as it does in the US. During the 80's we had an ad campaign that used Donovan's "Mellow Yellow." Instead of, "They call me mellow yellow, that's right slick," it was, "They call me mellow yellow, just butter it." Yes, it was the theme for the Dairy Bureau of Canada's butter commercials. No matter how many beige khaki clad people I see singing, I still associate that song with a pat of butter, slowly melting on an ear of corn. Any other Canadian's feeling the same way?
From Tom:
Since the Gap actually owns Old Navy (Banana Republic, as well) it really makes you wonder if the simultaneous push to sell vests by Gap and Old Navy is just some inventory-driven scheme to sell down a poorly forecast sweatshop pre-order. :-)
From Julie:
I just wanted to thank you for putting in those comments on 90210. I have watched that show for years and my family always makes fun of me for watching it. But you hit on some really good points. Even though they do have some extreme story lines and it has become more of a soap opera lately, there are some great underlying themes. As you said, the theme of friendship and sticking with those people who you care about and who care about you through thick and thin. I also like some of the older episodes which touched on some relevent issues in todays society. For example, gun control, which was brought up when David's best friend Scott accidently shot himself. Also the way they dealt with the death of not only him, but of that guy that was running for President against Brandon, and the tragic death of Antonia (even though that was a little extreme). I recently had a friend die in a car accident and the way everyone seemed to bond together to get through it and the way that some people seemed to think they could go through it alone was much like the show. Well, this seems to be getting a little long, and I could keep going, but I basically wanted ot thank you for those great comments on 90210.
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

Wow! So many great commercials, so little time.

The past couple of weeks have been a Super Bowl of great new commercials. So great, in fact, that I had trouble picking just one to write about. But somehow I managed and, on the upside, I already have a great one picked out for next week!

What spot has me laughing? M & M's: Don't Eat Your Own Kind - Patrick Warburton

Is it just me, or is this guy everywhere? According to my research, he's done guest spots on everything from Designing Women to Northern Exposure to Mad About You to Ellen to Seinfeld to NewsRadio. I haven't seen (or don't remember) some of the earlier stuff, but he seems to be sought after for his dry, familiar tone and attitude. He seems almost, well, dumb. His bank account would probably tell a different story at this point, huh?

This M&M's spot show the three M&M characters, Plain, Peanut, and Crispy, sitting in the corner of a news/candy stand. Each is eating a bag of M&M's when Warburton walks in. "What are you doing?" he asks. A look of utter disbelief on his face.

"Eating M&M's," replies one of the melt-in-your-mouth guys.

"You can't eat M&M's," Warburton scolds.

"You're eating them."

"Well, I'm not an M&M. You don't eat your own kind. It's unnatural."

The three candies exchange blank looks, then bags of candy (so that Peanut is eating plain, Crispy is eating peanut, and Plain is eating crispy... or something to that effect). There. Problems solved, right?

Wrong. "Give me the bags," Warburton commands.

He takes the bags and walks out the door, shaking his head.

"Now that's just disturbing."

Pure, innocent, good-natured humor. Who can ask for more than that? No sex. No violence. No flashy graphics or loud music. Just a really cute spot that sticks with you. It keeps M&M's on the brain. Kudos!

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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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. TV Trivia

Last week's question was: What two regular (at any time) cast members of "Family Ties" are currently regular cast members of prime-time shows?

First prize goes to David A., who claimed it was an easy one. Michael J. Fox is on "Spin City" and Courteney Cox is on "Friends."

Second place prizes go to Dan B., John S., Zoe R., MikeyJake, Julie H., Lindsay, Sally W., Tanya S., Lela K., and Valerie V. - the next ten people to answer correctly.

This week's question is from Monique. From "The X-Files," which FBI agent ended up working in a pizza place?

Send answers to TK at tk@tktv.net with the subject of tvtrivia.

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6. Favorite Quotes of the Week

From "Mad About You"
"What are we going to do with five pounds of rigatoni?" -Paul
"We'll have a dinner." -Jamie
"For who? The three tenors?" -Paul

From "Friends"
"I met this really cute guy in the park and he like y'know, jogs, and blades, and swims, and so y'know we made a deal that he's going to teach me all sorts of jock stuff." -Phoebe
"And what are you going to do for him?" -Ross
"I'm going to let him." -Phoebe

From "Dilbert"
"It seems to me that this whole charity concept is nothing but an exercise in the redistribution of guilt." -Dilbert

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7. A totally unrelated link

Bitter Waitress

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"Wine reminds me of opera. I enjoy it even though I don't always understand what's being said." -The 5th Wave