THE TKTV NEWSLETTER
Season 3, Episode 28 aired October 9, 2000

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

1. Intro

Oh wow, I have a lot to say about the premieres. I'll try to keep it short and sweet and get to the point about each show.

"Tucker" Comedy, NBC, 8:30pm Mondays
If "Malcolm in the Middle" didn't already exist, this show might not be so bad, but unfortunately it's a blatant rip-off of the endearing Fox comedy. Tucker (Eli Marienthal), a cute nerdy kid of about Malcolm's age, is living with his hateful aunt, his bullying older cousin, his removed but jolly uncle, and his understanding long-suffering mother. I was looking forward to seeing Katey Sagal ("Married... with Children" and "Futurama") back on TV, but her character (Tucker's aunt Claire Wennick) is just petty, and not nearly as endearing or even funny as Jane Kaczmarek's Lois on "Malcolm."

"Yes, Dear" Comedy, CBS, 8:30pm Mondays
Did anyone catch the short-lived animated comedy "Baby Blues" on the WB late this summer? "Yes, Dear" is even more like "Baby Blues" than "Tucker" is like "Malcolm," and this time I think it might not even have been done on purpose. On "Baby Blues," a young couple experiences the trials and tribulations of marriage with a new baby, while their next door neighbors are seasoned parents of three who have given up on romance. On "Yes, Dear," a young couple experiences the trials and tribulations of marriage with a new baby, while the mother's sister and her husband are seasoned parents of two who have given up on romance. In an episode of "Baby Blues," the experienced father shows the new father how baby-sitting can be fun, but actually ends up getting him into trouble, while the two mothers spend a relaxing day bonding. In the pilot episode of "Yes, Dear," the experienced father shows the new father how baby-sitting can be fun, but actually ends up getting him into trouble, while the two mothers spend a relaxing day bonding. "Yes, Dear" is cute, but I feel like I've seen it all before. Liza Snyder (last seen on the Christina Applegate sitcom "Jesse") is still great, though.

"Titans" Drama, NBC, 8pm Wednesdays
Wah. I was disappointed with this pilot the same way I was disappointed by the series finale of "Melrose Place." I was expecting fireworks and all I got were sparklers. The acting quality was poor, and the episode just really set the stage for the rest of the series by introducing us to characters and situations, rather than grabbing us and making us not be able to turn off the TV. I realize that pilots have to set the stage, but they also have to grab people's attention, and I didn't feel grabbed. I'm still gonna watch, but if it doesn't get better I'm going to be very disappointed.

"Freakylinks" Drama, FOX, 9pm Fridays
The big promotion for this show was that it was from the creators of "The Blair Witch Project." Somehow, I guess they felt that if they didn't do some amateur hand-held camcorder work, no one would believe it was really them. Some of the real cinematography was actually pretty good, but I wonder if they'll be able to keep up that quality for every episode. My biggest problem was that it smacked of "The X-Files." Derek loses his brother in a strange suicide, which causes him to dedicate his life to discovering what happened. (Sound like Mulder dedicating his life to figuring out what happened to his sister?) From what I've heard, it seems like the story arc style will also be similar, where there will be interim episodes unconnected to the conspiracy surrounding Derek's brother, but the big episodes will be part of that underlying theme. I will say one thing for the pilot: it was scary!

"That's Life" Drama, CBS, 8pm Saturdays
I was pleasantly surprised by this show. I'm not a big Heather Paige Kent fan (she was fairly unimpressive on NBC's recent "Stark Raving Mad"), and the hokey premise of a thirty-something Italian-American Jersey chick dumping her fiance and deciding to go to college sounded totally uninteresting. However, the show is smart and quick, and Kent is endearing as a woman who has held just about every menial job under the sun, and now wants an education. I'll admit, I was prepared to watch about one episode of this show and give up on it, but now I think I'll be watching next week. Oh, and I'm a big fan of the opening sequence with the paintings appearing over each other. Very slick.

"The Trouble with Normal" Comedy, ABC, 8:30pm Fridays
This show was just as bad as I thought it would be. Rescue Paget Brewster and Jon Cryer from this dud and cancel it already. And who thought it was a good idea to premiere "The Trouble with Normal" and "Normal, Ohio" (John Goodman's new sitcom on Fox) in the same season? Probably the same people who launched "Once and Again" (ABC) and "Now & Again" (CBS) at the same time last season.

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" Drama, CBS, 9pm Fridays
Very dry title. Okay show. George Eads on a serious drama is weird, since I last saw him as the comical and shallow Thumper on the short-lived CBS sitcom "Grapevine." The choice of "Who Are You" by The Who as the theme song makes very little sense, title aside.

"The District" Drama, CBS, 10pm Saturdays
I'm glad I never watched "Coach," because I think that would make it harder to accept Craig T. Nelson as the new chief of police of Washington, D.C. This show is entertaining, but a little too formulaic, predictable and self-righteous.

I also have a few things to say about returning shows.

I know, I know, "Two Guys and a Girl" is one of the silliest shows on television, but it still makes me laugh.

I always enjoy "The Practice." I hadn't watched all summer, and I was reminded last night of just how good the theme song is. It was also interesting to see Daniel Davis as a judge, since I only know him as the butler from "The Nanny." I hope he sticks around for awhile, he was pretty good.

Stay tuned for next week's newsletter, when we'll talk about "Ed," "Gilmore Girls," "Dark Angel," "The Fugitive," and more premieres from this upcoming week.

(Please feel free to re-use these opinions and comparisons at your own water cooler during the upcoming week... and tell your friends and co-workers to subscribe to the newsletter!)

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2. Letters from the viewing audience

From Lelah:
I can't wait to watch Dark Angel. I used to LOOOOVE the rare Sunday afternoons when I would catch The New Flipper. Jessica Alba was my favorite - of course she was 14 and obsessed with mermaids. Lately, the things I read seem to illustrate that she's grown up, and is perhaps not quite as sweet as she once was. I hope I still like her. I hope she's not all diva-ed out.
From Michelle:
I watched the series premiere of Gilmore Girls last night. What a great show! Even my husband liked it and that is saying a lot. My fear is that it is on against powerhouse Friends which is my staple. I guess my VCR will be going strong. Let's hope Gilmore Girls finds an audience and stays around for a while.
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. Don't miss

Premieres continue... 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

Okay, I was supposed to mention this last week, but somehow it completely slipped my mind. myTVshop, who sponsored this Trivia Quiz, has temporarily shut down operations, and therefore will no longer be able to provide the hats and T-shirts that have been prizes for the TKTV Trivia Quiz. Hopefully, this won't last very long, but for now the TKTV Trivia Quiz is once again prizeless. You still get your name mentioned in the newsletter! And keep polishing those trivia skills, 'cause prizes will be back soon.

Last week's question was: what top-paid movie actress has guest starred on episodes of both "Friends" and "Law & Order?"

First prize goes to Jess0147. Congratulations!

Honorable mentions go to Jena S. and Ken S.

The correct answer was Julia Roberts.

This week's question is: what actress not only is a regular cast member of ABC's "Once & Again," but is also the Borg Queen on "Star Trek: Voyager?"

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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6. Favorite quotes of the week

From The Hughleys
Darryl: Women are from Venus, and that's why men invented the damn telescope!

From Norm
Norm: It's Taylor's birthday, sir. She's a wonderful girl that brightens every life she touches... but today she's my ticket to cake.

From CSI
Catherine: Stick with it, at least until you solve your first, and if after that you don't feel like King Kong on cocaine, then you can quit.

From That's Life
Dolly: Now you listen to me, and if you only listen to one thing I say for your whole life, let it be this. Take care of your skin. God only gives you so many layers.

From Freakylinks
Jason: Is business really that bad?
Derek: Well, let me put it this way: if we were a horse, they would have shot us by now.

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7. A totally unrelated link

Prawnography.net - Where prawn goes porn

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Happy Columbus Day/Yom Kippur!