THE TKTV NEWSLETTER
Season 2, Episode 31 aired October 5, 1999

For subscription requests, simply email me personally at tk@tktv.net.

CONTENTS
1. Intro
2. Letters from the viewing audience
3. Ally... too much of a good thing      -by guest writer Dana Bonistalli
4. Don't miss
5. TV Trivia
6. Rob's Response      -by guest writer Rob Kaplowitz
7. Favorite quotes of the week
8. A totally unrelated link

1. Intro

Well, not much to say today. Since we have two great guest articles, and I'm already one day late (that's what I get for going out of town for the weekend), I'll keep it short.

The new sitcom "Oh Grow Up" on ABC is making me smile. It's got a similar flavor to "It's Like, You Know..." and Rena Sofer as the bitter wife of a gay man is fabulous. "Safe Harbor," Spelling's complimentary show to "7th Heaven," just isn't very good. It's got the same goody-two-shoes feel, but it doesn't make as much sense, and the family just tries too hard to be quirky. The WB just doesn't have good luck with the 9pm Monday time slot. "Freaks and Geeks" is probably one of the most endearing new shows of the fall season. If you went to high school, you will appreciate it (unless you were really cool in high school, in which case you can see just how miserable everyone else was around you).

What is up with people trying to spice up their shows with funky scene changes? In some cases, like "Action" (with movie editing clips) it works, but in others, like the new half-hour "Ally" and Kelley's new show on ABC, "Snoops," it just makes me a little ill.

Speaking of "Snoops," the TKTV site for "Snoops" could use some help. If you're interested in writing summaries for the show, drop me a line at tk@tktv.net and I'll send you the information on the position. If you haven't checked out the show, give it a chance. It's funny, it's new, it's sexy, and it's from David E. Kelley.

P.S. Why do they change the opening sequence of "Spin City" so much every season? I still miss the simple spinning manhole cover.

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2. Letters from the viewing audience

From Tom:
With the fall TV season upon us I thought I'd share some of my preliminary thoughts on what I have read and viewed. Now that I am a writer-guy I have to pay attention to the one hour drama. This season, I'm putting my money on "Once & Again" (which I find to be similar to "Get Real"), and "West Wing" was pretty good despite some characters who I found annoying. I think "Mike O'Malley" may have a shot, but "Stark Raving Mad" is total crap. Although I haven't seen them, I like the concept of "Popular," and "Mission Hill," which is a new animed show on the WB by former "Simpsons" writers, may be okay.

Note from TK: "The Mike O'Malley Show" was the first casualty of the fall season, having been cancelled by NBC last week.
From David:
In the premiere episode of "Ladies Man," Wendy was played by Katie Volding and Bonnie by Mariam Parris. The credits on September 27 were to Alexa Vega (as Wendy) and Shawna Waldron (as Bonnie).

BTW, in the mid-70s the same time slot on CBS had a sitcom titled "Ladies' Man." Lawrence Pressman played the only male employee in the office, co- starring Sheree North as his boss.

Note from TK: Oops. So I guess my kudos should go to Mariam Parris and not to Katie Volding as I originally thought. And we lost her anyway, so it sort of doesn't matter. TV is strange....
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. Ally... too much of a good thing by Dana Bonistalli

I want to take a moment to welcome Josh Bermont to the TKTV family. Josh will be writing the summaries of the new show "Ally" for Dana's Ally McBeal Page, which is hosted by TKTV. He will be attending Columbia College soon and plans to become an independent filmmaker.

On to my thoughts of the new Fox show "Ally." If you missed it and are asking yourself "What the heck is she talking about?", "Ally" is basically a half-hour show consisting of an old hour long episode of "Ally McBeal" with the courtroom scenes taken out. Oh, and the episodes also consist of never before seen scenes that originally ended up on the cutting room floor.

I really didn't think I would ever actually write the words that I'm about to write, but, I hated "Ally." Where to begin?

Well, let me begin with the shots used between scenes. If you missed it, the camera would go from normal speed to extremely quick speed. I noticed a lot of this in Kelley's other new television adventure, "Snoops," and I hated it there, too. If you are prone to headaches, this certainly won't help.

I don't know a single 'new' viewer that saw "Ally," but I'm guessing new viewers had it even harder than those of us who have been watching "Ally McBeal" since the beginning. Everything happened very quickly and there was no character development. Elaine was just snotty and John Cage was just strange. I was reminded how much better I thought Calista Flockhart looked in the first season, and seeing Courtney Thorne-Smith again with long hair was a shock. Characters that would be recognized by fans of the show were mentioned by other characters but we never saw them.

I know there were good reasons for doing "Ally" and it's probably so cheap to produce that Fox will keep airing it no matter how bad the ratings are. Personally, I think it takes away from its older and wiser sibling, "Ally McBeal." The third season of this Emmy-winning show begins October 25th (Fox is delaying the premiere until after baseball). I'm sure by the time it airs, if I continue to watch "Ally," I will be thoroughly confused, but I have great expectations for the upcoming season. After all, I think David E. Kelley's "The Practice" had its best season ever last season after winning its first Emmy. Maybe "Ally McBeal" can follow in its other sibling's footsteps.

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 current leading lady got her start on a show called "Girl Talk," the TV version of the board game?

First prize goes to Meg T., who correctly (and quickly) answered Sarah Michelle Gellar ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer").

Second prizes go to Andrew S. and Lindsay.

This week's question is: What short-lived new show last season starred one of the current stars of David E. Kelley's "Snoops."

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

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6. Rob's Response to Meg looking for a hero

Note from TK: If you haven't read Meg's guest article from last week, do that now before you read this.

Meg wrote: I can't seem to find him in real life, but for now, I'll keep flipping channels and dreaming.

Rob's Response:

Isn't that (the searching for what you can't find in life on TV) what TV is all about?

Can I ask, though, if sometimes TV makes us sadder/lonelier/less self-confident than we might be without it? Does seeing all of those witty pickup lines, graceful or sweetly awkward smiles, and too skinny (read as TV's version of perfect) bodies make us long for something that doesn't exist?

I've wondered at the ascension of animation. Some of its glory is that characters in animated series can do things we humans can't. Some of it is the room for irreverance. And some of it may be that those of us who are human, occasionally clumsy, or far too often simply too busy to glance around, grow tired of watching perfect people extricate themselves from humourous but awkward situations every week.

And, as even TK acknowledges, no matter what the environment, the leads are almost always beautiful. Yes, there are exceptions, on almost every show. The Quirky Best Friend. The Tough But Good Cop Partner. But look at the hits. Even shows with higher reality factors are peopled by mostly beautiful heros and heroines. Every NYPD Blue "lead cop" has been beautiful. The Sports Nighters - almost all achingly beautiful... etc.

Now, add into your evening's shows a slew of commercials - almost all featuring, yup, pretty people. Or food (usually the unhealthy type).

Food, which is the antithesis of TV's version of beauty.

I know Calista Flockhart denies any sense of anorexia. I also know that when I worked with her on a theatre project, I never once saw her eat. Anything.

Is she beautiful? Maybe to you. But we stagehands and designers used to wonder if she'd break in our embrace...

My ex- is an actress. She used to plunge into depression upon not getting a role, come home, watch tv, go out, buy ice cream, come back watch tv, go out, buy cookies, come back, watch tv, and then get even more depressed when she felt fat, 'cause she'd been eating all afternoon in the "company" of beautiful people.

I don't have much time for TV, though I do try and catch shows TK recommends (and try to tape Sunday nights on FOX, 'cause I do love the animation...) I've really liked the few episodes of Sports Night I've seen, and can always get a great laugh out of Cheers re-runs...

But I wonder if I'm not better off. Of course, I work around show people, who are ALSO all beautiful, which kind of messes with the whole theory... but at least they're HUMAN. Nobody (except guys in guy shows like the anti-heros about whom Meg complains) farts on TV. But they all do in real life. Believe me. I'm backstage with them....

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 "Spin City"
"Mike, were you okay this morning? You were acting a little weird." -Nikki
"Weird? No. I'll tell you what's weird. Aquaman. That's weird. I mean, how many crimes are committed underwater?" -Mike
"My mistake." -Nikki

From "Two Guys and a Girl"
"You can't stop the inevitable. You can only slow it down with beer." -Johnny

From "Judging Amy"
"What's anorexia?" -Lauren
"It's a disease women get from reading magazines." -Maxine

From "The Practice"
"You can find another rommate." -Lindsay
"Lindsay, who am I gonna find? Women don't like me, men just want to sleep with me, I end up wanting to sleep with them.... It's a vicious cycle." -Helen

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8. A totally unrelated link

Nude Stick Figures

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Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.