THE TKTV NEWSLETTER
Season 3, Episode 30 aired October 23, 2000

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

1. Intro

Just a few more notes while I settle in to the new season and gear up for November sweeps.

The second episode of "Welcome to New York" was not nearly as witty as the first. I hope they get it back, because I was really pleasantly surprised by the pilot.

Who saw the "Spin City" premiere with Charlie Sheen? The new opening sequence with equal billing for Locklear and Sheen just so clearly indicates how it's become the Heather and Charlie show. It was nice to see that Michael J. Fox is still an executive producer.

I see "Spin City" trying to do the same thing with Sheen as "NYPD Blue" did with Rick Schroder. When Schroder started on "NYPD Blue" as Danny Sorenson, the characters in the detective squad were just as doubtful of Sorenson as we, the viewers, were of former child-actor Schroder being on the gritty police drama. And, just as the characters were pleasantly surprised with Sorenson's performance as a detective, so were we, the audience, pleasantly surprised by Schroder's performance as an actor.

"Spin City" is trying to do the same thing. None of the characters on the show think that Charlie can be as good as Mike was at the job of deputy mayor, just as we, the audience, don't expect Sheen to be as good as Fox as an actor on the show. The "Spin City" writers even went a step further and gave the character of Charlie the same bad-boy reputation to overcome that Sheen has himself. Unfortunately for "Spin City," Sheen's character is not all that likeable, and Sheen himself was not all that impressive in the role. In this case, the real-life parallel just serves to accentuate the poor casting decision.

The only reason I think it's great that Charlie Sheen is now the new deputy mayor of New York on "Spin City" is that this has got to be the first time in history that father and son have been up against each other on different networks in the same time slot both playing politicians. Charlie Sheen's illustrious father, Martin Sheen, is POTUS (that's President of the United States to the three newsletter viewers that don't watch "The West Wing") on NBC at the same time that Charlie is deputy mayor on ABC.

The Law & Order season opener could have been better. I think it was also a shame that it got thrown onto last Wednesday night at the last minute after the 7th game of the American League playoffs was cancelled due to the Yankees' win in the 6th game. Doesn't the season opener of one of the longest-running and most popular dramas on TV deserve a little more hype?

"Freakylinks" is growing on me, although the parallels between last week's episode and the season premiere of "Law & Order" were a little creepy. Why is it that, in both shows, a mother attempts to kill her own child? Even creepier, in both shows the mother only thinks she has succeeded, and then dooms the child to an even more horrible and drawn-out death while "disposing of the body." Ewwwwww.

I'm looking for some viewer input here. I want to hear about shows that I haven't watched yet. So tell me your opinions on "Ed," "Gilmore Girls," "Gideon's Crossing," and anything else that you find yourself watching this week. There are still more premieres to come!

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2. Letters from the viewing audience

From Lelah:
Re: Tim Daly as "Fugitive" action-hero-type-guy vs. "Wings" persona - Did you see "Year of the Comet?" I recall being very jealous of Penelope Ann Miller when Tim Daly, dashing in his mustache and devil-may-care attitude, climbed up to her tower window. Quite dreamy in his smart-ass wine collector Indiana Jones-type role. My memory might be off - it was a long time ago. I only caught a bit of "The Fugitive," but it seemed very reminiscent.
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. Kim's Commercial Comments

Remember back in the "good ole days' when that cartoon hero was trying to make a difficult decision... More often than not, he'd get a little help from his conscience in the form of an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. This week's spot uses that concept... with a twist.

Snickers: Voting Booth

A young man walks into a voting booth and closes the curtain behind him. As he reaches for the lever he hears a voice, "Psst. Vote for me!" The camera pulls back to reveal a cartoon elephant standing on the man's shoulder. The elephant continues, "My dad was President. I even look like my dad."

The voter is obviously taken aback. His expression lets us know that he has no idea what is happening. Then, a cartoon donkey (wearing a red, white, and blue top hat) falls from above and lands on his other shoulder. "Big deal!" exclaims the donkey. "My dad was a Senator." The elephant begins again with his list of ways he's like his dad while the donkey makes a list of all the things he's invented, starting with the internet ("lots of other stuff, too).

The two try to one-up each other as the poor voter, caught in the middle, looks from one shoulder to the other, sizing each one up. He shakes his head and starts opening a Snickers bar. This is the cue for the announcer to cut in with Snickers current slogan, "Not going anywhere for a while?" The shot cuts away to the obligatory shot of caramel being poured over a ridiculously large pile of peanuts. The Snickers spill continues...

The shot returns to the voting booth just in time to see the elephant jump on top of the man's head. "My dad and I wear the same pants" he says. Not to be outdone, the donkey rebuts, "I invented pants."

And that's where it ends, folks. This spot is one of the most clever I've seen in a while. It takes a concept familiar to pretty much everyone and wraps it around a very timely subject. And once you've seen it, it sticks with you. A co-worker of mine liked it so much that he actually managed to RECORD it and bring it in to the office to share! If you haven't seen this little gem yet, keep your eyes and ears open for it in the next couple of weeks. Or, of course, you can watch it online at adcritic.com.

Later!

Kim wants to hear YOUR comments! Do you agree with her? Disagree? Do you want to point out a great (or horrible) commercial that she should review? Write to Kim at kim@tktv.net.

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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: on "Friends," to whom is Joey and Chandler's TV Guide magazine addressed?

First prize goes to Carrie L. Congratulations!

Honorable mentions go to Mary T. and Ken S.

The correct answer was Miss Chinandolor Bong (alternate spellings were accepted). Those "Friends" questions always seem to get the biggest response.

This week's question is: what sister and brother actors are both on CBS dramas?

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 That's Life
Dolly: You're doing something wrong, Lydia. I can tell. You look happy.

From That '70s Show (looking at a nudie magazine)
Kelso: She is just my type. Naked.
Fes: I, too, like the naked ladies. I find them so... naked.
Donna: Yeah, that's realistic. "I think I'm gonna change the oil in my car, but first I'm going to take everything off by my cowboy boots!"
Eric: Well, sure, I mean, if you're in bare feet you could slip in the oil. C'mon, Donna, safety first.

From ER
Elizabeth: Well, that's it then. I'm not staying here anymore.
Mark: Here we go.
Elizabeth: Every faucet leaks. Your toilet actually rocks.
Mark: I kinda like that...
Elizabeth: And there are creatures scurrying around in the walls. Do you know what scurries about in walls, Mark?
Mark: Bunnies?

From Drew Carey
Lewis: I'm to blame for Drew's life. I poured salt on the slug of his soul and watched it bubble until it died. And then I danced naked in the moonlight. Oh, how I danced.

From Will & Grace
Grace: Well, well, well, look what the cat cleaned up, showered, exfoliated, powdered, lipsticked, Guccied, and dragged in.

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7. A totally unrelated link

Am I HOT or NOT?

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You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.