THE TKTV NEWSLETTER
Season 3, Episode 12 aired March 20, 2000

CONTENTS
1. Intro
2. Letters from the viewing audience
3. Kim's Commercial Comments
4. Don't miss
5. TV Trivia
6. A plea from a "Roswell" fan
7. A totally unrelated link

1. Intro

My intro is going to be short and sweet today, because we have a great guest article on the WB's new show, "Roswell," and all I really want to do is encourage all the TKTV Newsletter viewers to go look at the TKTV site.

I hear from viewers all the time how they forget that the Newsletter is actually connected to a site. Well, the site has just been redesigned, and if I do say so myself, it looks great. Many thanks to Chris, Tim and Slava, without whom this never would have happened.

So go check it out. There will be some more improvements over the next couple of weeks, but really, it's like a whole new site already. And I hope everyone has a good week! Don't miss the Oscars next Sunday. Who care who wins? I just want to rag on some outfits....

top
2. Letters from the viewing audience

From David:
In your article on the "Get Real" meningitis episode, you didn't mention that the thespians involved -- Jesse Eisenberg as Kenny and Hallie Kate Eisenberg as Alexa -- are real-life sibs. Also, Mary Parker Green is Catholic, not Protestant.
From Michaela:
A bit of trivia (and, I'm sure, an explanation as to why she was cast on "Get Real"): the Pepsi girl is actually the sister of the kid who plays Kenny....
Note from TK: Yeesh, I can't believe I missed this! Thanks to both David and Michaela for giving me that very interesting tidbit.
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

What spot has me laughing? Jeep: Grim Reaper Or, as I like to call it, "Death Takes A Holiday"

This spot has been around for a while, but it is still worth mentioning. First of all, "laughing" is not really the best descriptive word to use here. Let's just say that it's my pick for this week.

The spot opens with an overhead shot of a baby bird that has obviously fallen from the nest. It's crying and flapping its useless little wings. The camera zooms out with eerie speed to a shot of the Grim Reaper. Clad in the customary shroud and carrying his scythe (you know... that really, really big knife on a stick), he is obviously going to take the life of this helpless baby bird.

Right?

Nope. He picks the little guy up and carefully places him back in his nest. As he puts the bird down, Lovin' Spoonful's 'Daydream' begins to play... "What a day for a daydream..."

Next we see the Grim Reaper at the water's edge, skipping rocks. There's a fantastic shot of one of these rocks headed straight at the camera. Then it seems that he's found a bicycle and he's riding through a wide open field, coasting down a hill with his feet off the pedals. He has his scythe in one hand and a toy airplane in the other. He gives the airplane a good sail through the air about the time that the announcer comes up.

"Jeep Cherokee. How will it change you?"

The spot ends with a couple of cool shots. The first is a shot of the Grim Reaper sitting on top of his Jeep Cherokee using a reflector to work on his tan and the second is him using the scythe as a golf club.

The concept is fantastic and the camera work is unbelievable. This spot is a first class production all the way through. If you haven't seen it, check it out at adcritic.com.

What spot has me cringing? GTE Wireless: Free Long Distance

A man sits down on a park bench to read a book. Behind him, on another bench, are two women who, from his perspective, are having a conversation about their families. What he doesn't know is that each woman is talking on her GTE Wireless phone to a friend or relative in some distant city.

The conversations seem to intertwine with exchanges like, "How's Dad doing?"

"We're going to have to have him neutered."

And "And Daniel?"

"He's been drinking out of the cat's bowl again."

This goes on until the guy behind them can't take it anymore. He gets up and rushes away.

I give them points for clever writing, but something about this spot makes me want to get up and run away, too.

Until next week...

top
4. Don't miss

Wow, with all the new series premieres it almost feels like Fall... For details and lots more fun TV to look forward to, see
http://www.tktv.net/index.html?/upcoming.html

top
5. TV Trivia

Last week's question was: in what movie did current "Law & Order" stars Sam Waterston and Jerry Orbach both appear?

First prize goes to MikeyJake! Congratulations!

Honorable mentions (sorry, without prizes, but keep trying) go to Shannon W. and Tanya S.

The correct answer was Woody Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors," which I accidentally caught on late-night television last week.

This week's question is: on what animated series do voices from both "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "That '70's Show" now regularly star?

Don't forget, this trivia quiz is sponsored by myTVshop, where you can get all your favorite TV merchandise.
http://www.mytvshop.com

Send answers to TK at tk@tktv.net with the subject of tvtrivia. Winners will be chosen at random from all the correct answers.

top
6. A plea from a "Roswell" fan

Most of you have probably seen, heard of, or read about the season's new hit shows such as Angel, Judging Amy, and of course, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. However, there is one show that is being overlooked by TV viewers, one that deserves attention. This show is Roswell.

In early March, the WB network announced that only two of the following four shows would be renewed for next season: Angel, Roswell, Popular, and Jack and Jill. Angel has already been given the go-ahead, leaving the remaining shows to vie for the one open slot. Roswell receives better ratings than both Jack and Jill and Popular, but the network seems to have a soft spot for Popular, putting Roswell's fate in jeopardy.

For those who are not familiar with Roswell, here is a bit of background. The show takes place in present day Roswell, New Mexico, and focuses around five main characters: Max, Liz, Michael, Maria, and Isabel. Max, Michael, and Isabel are aliens, descendants of the supposed spaceship crash in 1959. After an incident forces Max to tell their secret to Liz and Maria (both humans), the five must stick together to hide the aliens' identity from the town, especially the suspicious sheriff. At the same time, Liz and Maria try to help their new friends discover where they came from, discovering romance and adventure along the way.

A pitch-perfect cast lights up the screen in this delightful balance of romance and science fiction. Clever writing makes the show funny, edgy, and poignant at the same time. Although it has gotten rave reviews from the critics, Roswell has yet to make a big impact in the ratings, not to mention that the production cost of a sci-fi show is larger than that of a regular one-hour drama. It is the belief of the fans of Roswell that the show can find its audience during its sophomore season, especially with the demises of teen shows Party of Five and Beverly Hills 90210 and sci-fi legend The X-Files. However, this means that Roswell has to survive cancellation, which could prove difficult.

If you are interested in helping save this great show, check out http://www.fanforum.com/howto/SOSsite/index.shtml. This site is dedicated to getting Roswell renewed for next season, and lists numerous ways you can help, including petitions, letter writing campaigns, and donations. Don't forget to tune in to Roswell every Wednesday night at 9 on the WB. If you're a first time viewer, this is the perfect time for you to get familiar with the show, because reruns will be shown for the next few weeks. Take note, on April 10th, Roswell will be moving to Monday nights after 7th Heaven with all new episodes. Also, tell everyone you know about the show and its predicament, as many people are unaware of the situation. The most important thing right now is to get the word out and visit the above site. There is still hope, but Roswell's not out of the woods yet! Please do your part and help save Roswell!

Sincerely,
A Roswell Fan

TKTV is always looking for new guest writers. Do you have an idea for an article? Write to TK with the subject of "guestwriter."

top
7. A totally unrelated link

SexyChyck Dot Com

top
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to use the internet and he won't bother you for weeks.