THE TKTV NEWSLETTER
Season 3, Episode 16 aired April 24, 2000

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

1. Intro

I hope everyone had a nice Passover/Easter/really rainy week. Okay, so maybe it didn't rain everywhere, but here in New York it felt like fall again, with temperatures in the forties and rain and gloom. Then my parents call from sunny California and complain that it was overcast and went all the way down to the sixties. Hmph.

Anyway, we actually had some sun today, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this bodes well for spring to break through yet. I'm looking forward to walking around without a coat.

I must say, when "NYPD Blue" didn't premiere until January, I was a little concerned, and I couldn't figure out what ABC was thinking. But wow, it's been great having new episodes every single week. The friendship developing between Sorenson and Russell is an extremely unique television relationship, and Henry Simmons as the new detective, Jones, is making me very happy. It's a very well written character, and they make great use of Simmons's specific physical and vocal characteristics. I like him so much better now than when he was the wooden lawyer on "Another World."

That's it for the intro this week. Short and sweet. Have fun with May sweeps, starting at the end of this week!

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2. Kim's Commercial Comments

Hello again TKTV viewers. I hope everyone had a great holiday and managed to work in a little R & R. I know I did. It seems, by the way, that summer is almost upon us. Reruns are being mixed in with new episodes on a regular basis, pre-emptions are becoming more frequent, and I can barely keep up with the network schedules. So why am I rambling on about this? Good question. I guess to remind you all that the season is going to be ending soon and the schedules are unpredictable... so pay attention to the listings to be sure you don't miss any important episodes. Okay, lecture's over. On to the commercials.

What spot has me laughing?

As you guys have probably noticed, from time to time I will write about a spot I really like and not have a spot I don't like. It seems like I remember the good ones and block out the really annoying ones. This week, however, is the exception.

Nothing has really jumped out at me this week as an impressive spot. Nothing was particularly funny or fantastic. And I'm offering up a challenge to all those advertising execs out there (because you know they're reading, right?) to bring me something wonderful. Or maybe you members of the TKTV viewing audience have seen something great you'd like to let me in on. Let me know and I'll give you my two cents worth, okay?

What spot has me cringing? Hardees: Celebrity Used-to-bes and Want-to-bes

The latest series of spots from Hardees has abandoned that clever star voiced by Norm Macdonald for a group of pseudo-celebrities. The stars in these spots are singing and "dancing" to songs with badly re-worked lyrics meant to fit into the commercial. One spot features Vonda Shepherd (don't get me wrong, here... I enjoy Shepherd's music, but I'm making a point), another Boyz 2 Men, and another Lace.

These commercials lack the modern style to make them stand out amongst the rest. They have a look and feel of early to mid '80s television. And that just doesn't cut it these days. Spots need to be one of two things: hilarious or hi-tech. There really is no middle ground in my opinion. Anything that doesn't fit into one of these two categories will be lost in the channel-surfing shuffle.

So I say to Hardees, "Bring back the star!" Yes, he was a little bit silly. And yes, I've seen better commercials. But he makes me laugh. And he makes remember that Hardees has a whole new line of burgers. And isn't that the point? The only thing these new commercials make me remember is where the mute button is on my remote control!

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

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3. Don't miss

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

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4. TV Trivia

Last week's question was: what Fox animated show's entire second season was a one-episode Christmas special?

First prize goes to Sidnaya. Congratulations!

Honorable mention (sorry, without a prize, but keep trying) goes to Margaret G.

The correct answer was Eddie Murphy's "The PJs." It ran 13 episodes in its first season, 1998-1999, and then this season it has only had one episode, "How the Super Stoled Christmas," which aired December 17th, 1999, and re-aired a few days later.

This week's question is: which previous "Beverly Hills 90210" regular cast members will be returning for the series finale which airs May 17th, 2000?

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.

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5. Favorite quotes of the week

From Titus
Titus: "You know the difference between a plain old geek and an internet geek? Four-hundred million dollars."

From Ally McBeal
Ling: "Ally?"
Ally: "I was being chased."
Ling: "Pygmies?"
Ally: "Worse. Disco."

From Judging Amy
Maxine: "If wisdom doesn't come with age, then why bother getting old?"

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6. A totally unrelated link

La Bastille - Currently the world's largest fully-functional Tetris game

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Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love. -Charlie Brown