THE TKTV NEWSLETTER
Season 2, Episode 34 aired November 1, 1999

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

CONTENTS
1. Intro
2. Letters from the viewing audience
3. Decisions, decisions!
4. Don't miss
5. TV Trivia
6. Favorite quotes of the week
7. A totally unrelated link

1. Intro

Kim has a great surprise for us this week. Instead of her usual commercial comments (don't worry, they'll be back) we're getting a two-week installation of some of personal recommendations for good TV. If any of you newsletter viewers out there have your own recommendations, please send them in. We all need to expand our horizons with good TV.

I hope everyone had a good Hallowe'en, including Fox's showing of the usual "Simpsons" Treehouse of Horror episodes and the very special gruesome "The X-Files." With much help from my incredible friend Farrah, I managed to create the best costume I think I've ever had for Hallowe'en. I was Medusa. With some help from some pipe-cleaners, rubber bands, and a lot of braiding by Farrah, I had some serious snakes coming out of my head. The weather in New York was incredible, so that I could go out in a long black dress and shawl and not have to worry about a bulky winter coat. It seems like Hallowe'en in the Northeast is always unusually warm or unusually cold.

Something occurred to me this week while I was watching "Beverly Hills 90210." Why is it that all of the actors that play major male characters (Jason Priestly, Brian Austin Green, Ian Ziering) have been producers of the show while none of the actresses who play major female characters (Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling) have ever been? And is anyone still watching this show? This season I've finally given up on it for the most part in favor of other Wednesday night TV. I watch the occasional episode when other Wednesday night shows are in reruns, but otherwise it makes so little sense these days that I don't really feel like wasting an hour each week watching it. I'll definitely be tuning in for the finale this spring though.

For those of you who care, the server move has not been completed yet, and should be happening this week, so if you try to visit the site and can't reach it, keep trying. IP address changes are always a nightmare. Enjoy the newsletter!

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2. Letters from the viewing audience

From TheJosie1:
Regarding the "I pooped in the potty" commercial Kim hated last week: LOL the commercial is funny to me. I have three children and can definitely appreciate their interesting outlook on life and everyday things. When I see it, it reminds me of some of the lovely (yet embarrassing) moments that I have shared with my kids. =) Definitely a commercial that's geared towards parents, which is probably appropriate since it's for Toys R Us. Anyways, I understand it bothering you and making you "cringe" but it gets me laughing every time. =)
From DMA:
Hi, TK. I just wanted to add a sighting of "Yale alums on the small screen" to your list. Ellen Blain, TD'98, was on last week's "ER", where she played the girlfriend of a patient who attempted suicide. Congrats to Adrienne and Obi as well (although I missed both their appearances, and will now have to await the reruns!).
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. Decisions, decisions! by Kim

Now that the World Series is over it seems like its about time that the fall television schedule should be "regular." And even though I know that in a few short weeks, we'll start to hear even more about who or what is going to get the axe, for now I can start to make some decisions.

The good news is that at the start of every new season there seems to be more and more great choices out there. I love that there is so much good TV on these days that I can't seem to watch it all (not even with three television sets and two VCRs)! And so, I've had to make some decisions. They're not set in stone (thank goodness), but they are pretty firm for now. I thought I'd offer my choices up to the TKTV viewing audience... just in case you're missing out.

Sunday: Third Watch (NBC), Snoops (ABC), & The Practice (ABC)
Sunday night used to be a disgusting mix of made-for-tv movies and news magazines... neither of which I was ever even remotely excited about. NBC's newest ER/Law & Order hybrid is definitely Must See TV in my book. The first episode was so gripping I felt like I was watching an action movie. And while that may not be the most artistically-respected of the film genres, it does have its place. There are familiar, but now famous, faces everywhere from Michael Beach (ER, Waiting to Exhale) to Coby Bell (L A Doctors) to Eddie Cibrian (The Young & The Restless, Sunset Beach) to Kim Raver (Trinity) to Jason Wiles (BH 90210, Higher Learning). It has that "ripped from the headlines" Law & Order style of story-telling but in a way that L&O never has, it also has a way of making me involved with the characters. Michael Beach is outstanding as "Doc" Parker, and the rest of the cast has been fantastic so far, despite the fact that they are all waay too beautiful.

After Third Watch I switch it to ABC for the rest of prime time. Snoops still needs some work but its hip and the stars are gorgeous and they get to play with lots of cool toys. I say its better now than it was in its first episode and I'm willing to ride it out. And what can I say about the Practice that hasn't already been said at least a thousand times. This is the best hour on television. I feel like a traitor saying so because ER has long been #1 in my eyes. But there's just something so disturbingly real about those lawyers and the messes they get themselves into that I just can't get enough of. If you could only watch one hour of television a week... this should be the hour!

Monday: Time of Your Life (FOX), Ally McBeal (FOX)/Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS)
After only one episode I can't say I'm in love with Jennifer Love Hewitt's PoF spin-off, but I have to admit that it was better than I expected. I mean, let's face it. Spin-offs rarely come close to the original series. There are exceptions, namely Frasier, but as a rule these series are just feeble attempts by the networks to cash in one more time on a successful series. There are a couple of familiar faces here as well. Beginning with Diego Serrano II (Another World), Jonathon Schaech (That Thing You Do, Hush), Jennifer Garner (Significant Others) and ending, of course, with Love (who has too many credits to list). We'll see how it goes in the next couple of episodes, but I'm willing to miss out on Brooke Shields and Kirstie Alley to see as neither of their shows has charmed me much this season.

After ToYL, I'm sticking with FOX for Ally McBeal. I know it's crazy, but I've said it before. It makes me laugh. It's like a cartoon with real people. It's so far out there that I don't even pretend to think that these things would actually happen in real life. I just enjoy the laughs and can't wait to see what Ally and the gang are going to do next. This is a show that has one purpose: to make people laugh. And who can't use more of that?

I've only recently become aware of Everybody Loves Raymond. I've heard of it, but it's been over there in a vast empty space (also known as CBS) I rarely go to. Lucky for me, my husband stumbled onto it. The first time I watched it, I only did so because it had been a really long day and I was too lazy to go to the other room and look for something else to do. But since then I've gone back again and again. I set the VCR for this one while I watch Ally. The writing is excellent and the cast couldn't be better. It Everybody Loves Raymond were on ABC or NBC, it would be a runaway hit!

Tuesday: Spin City (ABC), It's like, you know (ABC)/That 70's Show (FOX), Dharma & Greg (ABC)/Will & Grace (NBC)/Party of Five (FOX), Sports Night (ABC), Once & Again (ABC)
Remember when Thursday night used to be considered the best night on television? That idea, my friends, is a thing of the past. Tuesday night has come in like a lion and taken over. I don't know how people with only one VCR survive. My Tuesday night television has gotten so complicated that I sometimes have to sit down and figure out what I'm going to tape where so that I'm sure I don't miss anything. I get up early on Wednesday mornings so that I can get a head start on watching the tapes (I don't want to miss out on any water cooler conversation).

I haven't really wasted a lot of time on Ally. I watched the first episode, and while I see where FOX is going with it, I just felt like I was watching a rerun. Spin City & It's like, you know, on the other hand, are worth the effort. But no matter what you're doing, when the times comes, you have to (and yes, that is an order) be watching That 70's Show. It's original. It's well-written. It's HILARIOUS! Even the parents on this little gem are funny. There not just extras thrown in (in the style of Jim & Cindy Walsh, 90210) so we don't have to wonder if the kids are actually orphans. They are definitely a part of the humor.

A Party of Five fan for years, I can't (read: won't) miss an episode. I have every one on tape and am not ashamed. I don't even miss the credits of this show. I cheered last Tuesday when Scott Grimes was in that opening sequence. These are characters I've grown to care about. With contracts running out all over the place, I'm afraid the party is almost over, so I'm not going to miss a minute. Every episode of this show moves me in some way. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry, it makes me angry.

Dharma & Greg and Will & Grace are a couple of couples who also guarantee good laughs. These mismatched misfits are always wacky and again, the writing is excellent.

I can't say enough good things about Sports Night and Once & Again. Sports Night is just so fast-paced and Sela Ward & Billy Campbell are just so charming. 90 minutes of gold. Although, the men in the household will probably turn away from Once & Again. It's probably a little too much of a "girl show" for them.

That gets us through Tuesday night and the first half of the week. In the next TKTV newsletter, I'll cover the rest of the week. I'll even tell you what new drama has me turning away from Must See TV Thursday nights.

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 was the food that Joanie cooked for dinner on "Providence" last season that made her realize she might have a future in baking and selling dog treats?

First prize goes to Scott M., who was the only person to correctly answer meatloaf.

This week's question is from trivia whiz MikeyJake. What TV series co-starred Sarah Michelle Gellar ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Mira Sorvino, and Brittany Daniel (currently on "Dawson's Creek" as Eve)?

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

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6. Favorite Quotes of the Week

From "Two Guys and a Girl"
"Hallowe'en's about coming together as a community to scare the hell out of eight-year-olds who pee their Aquaman costumes." -Sharon

From "Dharma and Greg"
"The sex was unbelievable. It was more than unbelievable... it was... it was circus sex." -Greg

From "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
"I dunno, I was going for ferocious scary, but it's coming out more dryly sardonic." -Xander carving a pumpkin
"It does appear to be mocking you with its eye holes." -Willow
"Yeah, its nose hole seems sad and full of self-loathing." -Oz

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7. A totally unrelated link

Elvis: Dead or Alive?

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Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember: Amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.