Cheezwiz

I cannot even begin to comprehend the horrors this woman has had to endure. First from a family member, and then from someone who was supposed to be in the ultimate position of trust, who instead was an evil manipulator who capitalized on her past trauma. When Jean told her story in such a straightforward manner, and then put her head down on the desk and burst into tears, I cried too. And that retired police officer Scannell? All I could think whenever I saw him on camera was "were you there, you bastard? Were you in the room when that abuse took place?" The Catholic Church: the world's oldest and most ruthless corporation.

I'm thinking Vegas the golden retriever seems a bit shifty-eyed. Also has not been featured much lately. Hmmmm... But seriously, some good theories above. I like either Pere Blossom or Hal Cooper. I also liked the theory of a disgruntled Mr. Grundy mistaking Jason for Archie that had been posted earlier. Curious to see if they will reveal this season, or drag it into the next. After watching "The Killing" when it first aired on network TV, I no longer count on resolutions at the end of a season.

Well now the mystery of Cliff's awful hair has now been solved for me. Man, that scene with all the different wigs on display was sooooo deliciously creepy! I'm in the minority, but actually found most of this episode a bit tedious, what with everybody going behind everyone else's back, and then pouting and feeling all betrayed afterward. The 80's new wave music & Molly Ringwald were fun nostalgia trips, but apart from that I was most entertained by the goings on at Casa de Blossom, (aka Dark Shadows Manor). Just when I think this show is a rote teen soap, they'll throw in something delightfully warped like the funhouse of fake hair!

I like the actress playing Betty. She reminds me so much of the late Brittany Murphy (except Brittany had big brown eyes). Her face is very expressive, she has good chemistry with the other actors, and plays well off her bat-shit crazy parents.

Wow! A Vanity Fair from 1992! I don't recall ever seeing Marisol Nicholls in anything, but I remember Madchen Amick from Twin Peaks, and because I'm from Vancouver, I recognize Lochlyn Munro from pretty much every TV movie-of-the-week Hallmark thingy filmed here. He's our very own local "Hey! It's that guy!". I also remember seeing Skeet Ulrich in a few things back when he first emerged and they were trying to market him as another Johnny Depp. It's amusing to see all these people playing parents, and looking at the varieties of ways they've aged. Madchen Amick looked vaguely familiar to me, but I couldn't place her. Because I haven't seen her in anything in 25 years, she looks like a completely different person - not that she's aged poorly at all - she looks really great, just very different from how I remember her. I also didn't place Luke Perry immediately either - was actually shocked at his appearance. It's not so much that he looks, older (his features are still very recognizable to me), it's that he looks...I dunno, like he spent the last quarter century in a dehydrator or something? I wonder if he's an outdoorsy person who spends a lot of time in the sun or something. It's funny, he didn't appeal to me at all when he was young, but even with the extra mileage & crinkles I find him quite cute on the show.

I dunno, I could be wrong, but from the beginning I've been wondering what IS that thing on his head? That's some next level Donald Trump stuff happening there! And it's not "Blossom red", so I'm not sure what the point of a wig is? Once I noticed it, I started to feel really bad for the actor who plays Cliff, since it's so obvious, and doesn't match his eyebrows or colouring at all. I can't concentrate on anything else when he is in a scene. It looks uncomfortable - like it might scamper off his head of its own accord at any moment. But perhaps the creepiness of the Blossom family is making me imagine things.

I've been binge-watching on Netflix & can't believe I've gotten sucked into this goofy show! It was a guilty teen/soap pleasure the first few episodes, but as soon as they revealed the "Maple Syrup Empire Blood-Feud" I laughed out loud! I actually don't know how Lochlyn Munroe (who plays Daddy Cooper) managed to keep a straight face during that whole monologue he gave to Betty explaining the Blossom/Cooper feud. This show has gone from being an entertaining Dawson's Creek meets Twin Peaks meld to a straight up Saturday Night Live skit. In fact it totally reminded me of a night-time soap opera parody that Carol Burnett did back in the 80's called "Fresno" - about duelling raisin families! No matter, I am enjoying the performances by the secondary characters, and am getting a kick out seeing actors who were young and hot way back when I was young (and decidedly not hot) now playing the scheming parents. I am also a Vancouverite (friendly wave to other Vancouverites who might be on this board), so playing spot the location has been lots of fun. Archie's house is in my neighbourhood, and Veronica Lodge's apartment building is just a couple of blocks away from where I work downtown - it's not actually an apartment building. They certainly do a nice job with the filming and making the locations look pretty . On a note completely unrelated to anything else - why does Cliff Blossom have such a terrible wig?

I was entertained by this show, but am a bit surprised at how unanimously high the ratings & reviews have been. It was fun, but my mind was not blown. Overall, it seemed to be a mixed bag of strengths and weaknesses. I was a middle-schooler in 1983, and the show's inspiration comes directly from all kind of things I adore, so in theory it should have been right up my alley, but I was not completely won over. It was almost as if the filmmakers were so intent on cramming as many 80's references in, that they didn't work on polishing their scripts. For about the first half of the series, the writing was so sloppy and lazy, it felt like a network TV movie-of-the-week to me. It did seem to improve toward the end, probably because I was more invested in the characters. The Good: The kid actors - they all seemed really believable, and their interactions genuine. Loved Dustin the toothless wonder! Loved Mike's roaring toy dinosaur! Wasn't familiar with David Harbour prior to this show, but I enjoyed him as the Chief. Matthew Modine's snowy white hair. God, I remember him starring in coming-of-age movies back in that era, and he now looks like a cover model for AARP magazine. I feel ancient. The Bad: Winona Ryder - I liked the concept of her playing the Mom, but ye gods she was irritating. It was as if she launched her performance on the highest shrillest note possible and kept hammering it relentlessly. Just no nuance or modulation at all. Weak writing - plot holes everywhere. Things that were silly enough to take you out of the story. Was there really no one looking for poor Barb? Could the Chief really have slipped into a high-security military lab? Teenage love-triangle. Found it boring - was more interested in the adventures of the middle-schoolers. Felt like some of the nostalgic music choices could have been sharper too. I was a bit confused by the ambiguity of the ending ( why was the Chief leaving food offerings for eleven when she had sacrificed herself?). Will probably watch a second season, despite these complaints.

Blergh, From what I understand, Tim Reid returned to his home state of Virginia, and set up a production company there with the intention of giving back to the community. I think he alternates that with various Hollywood gigs. Hopefully it's brought him some professional and personal contentment. I'll always be a big fan - both for his work on WKRP, and the intelligent interesting projects he had a hand in afterward.

You are not the only one who appreciated "Frank's Place" Blergh! I loved it too! Fun fact: prior to his gig on WKRP, Tim Reid toured the country as part of a comedy duo with his writing partner Tom Dreesen. They billed themselves as "Tim & Tom", and were the first interracial comedy duo. They collaborated on a memoir a few years ago (also called "Tim & Tom"), which is a fascinating account of their show biz adventures both together and after they amicably parted ways. Because they were an interracial team, they had some hair-raising scrapes while on the comedy circuit in the U.S. One of the really interesting sections of the book talks about "Frank's Place". A great deal of care and thoughtfulness was put into the show during it's brief run: it was filmed on location in New Orleans, featured colourful locals as part of the cast, and had top notch writing. The show was met with universal critical acclaim, and won a truck load of awards for its high quality during its all-too-short run. I had always assumed it was cancelled due to poor ratings. Not so. Apparently it was pulling in good ratings at the time of cancellation . When the show was yanked, no one was notified in advance, and the cast and crew were stunned. The real reason? One of the episodes featured a storyline that poked fun at corporate executives. One of the network big-wigs saw it, assumed this was meant as a direct attack on him, had a fit, and promptly shut the whole show down. Basically the show was cancelled because of some executive's monstrous ego. I can only imagine how heart-breaking that must have been for Reid. He was simply too good for TV.

Just finished watching all 13 episodes. For me, this wasn't quite on the same level as other Netflix productions, but it hooked me enough to keep watching. I know it was a melodrama, but certain things strained credulity - Sissy Spacek's character was unbelievably dense, and Danny's character seemed to veer too abruptly over to the villainous dark side for my taste. To me it seemed like as much of a fuck-up as he was, he would have been capable of understanding that his siblings were frightened children who were coerced into fabricating a lie. I just didn't buy him trying to take vegeance the way he did - that part rang false. I wish they had done more of a surprise twist somehow with his character. It's a testament to Ben Mendelsohn's performance that I was somehow rooting for Danny despite the vile things he did as the show progressed. I really like Kyle Chandler, he's perfect as a solid Dudley-do-right type (I loved his cat and mouse back and forth with Leo Di Caprio in "Wolf of Wall Street") but I was completely blown away by Ben Mendelsohn. I was unfamiliar with him before watching this, and will keep a look out for other projects he's in - I think he's going to be huge. The amount of nuance he brought to that performance was amazing. For me, he was the only reason to watch this - not sure they can make Season 2 as gripping without him. I also never would have guessed in a million years that he's really Australian!

Boring season that really spun its wheels and went nowhere. Hoping Fellowes will throw Edith a bone and finally allow her happiness and a fulfilling career. Also, I just love Shrimpy. That is all.

I'm totally hooked now. This episode was so much fun - despite careening from one mess to another, and all his scheming and fast-talking, Jimmy/Saul's good nature and conscience always seem to come through. I laughed out loud at, his high-tech voice disguise, the tent scene, and loved his interplay with Mike this episode. Curious to see what he got up to in his younger years that landed him in jail. It's taking a bit of time for the series to find it's legs, but I'm enjoying the lighter tone. Looking forward to more.

Yeah, I don't know what it was that was so disturbing about Albert barfing - I happily watched heads exploding in "Raiders of The Lost Ark", and that chest-burster scene in "Alien"? no problem! As an adult I did wince at all the barfing scenes in "Breaking Bad" (I'm phobic about barfing in general), but none have scarred and messed me up as much as "Little House On the Prarie" for some reason.

I'm glad these boards exist because I'm a bit dim, and everyone's commentary has helped clear some confusion up. I started this episode a few minutes late, and couldn't tell what the hell the b&w intro was all about - mainly because I didn't recognize Bob Odenkirk at ALL with a mustache. I came in just as he was popping in the video. I was scratching my head and wondering, "why is this in b&w, who is this sad sack, and why is he watching tapes of Saul's TV ads?". Totally missed the Cinnabon reference from Breaking Bad. Now that I understand the time-jump technique with b&w, I suspect they may shift back and forth in future episodes. I also had a hard time understanding the nature of Jimmy's relationship to the Michael McKean character. I knew they were related, but not how - I honestly thought McKean was supposed to be his Dad! I thought it was strange that he called him "Chuck", but some people do call parents by their first names. Was there any dialogue in the ep that explained they were brothers? I kept training my ear to the TV in the hopes of hearing someone at the firm say "your father" or "your brother". The casting was a bit odd: they seemed slightly too close in age to be parent/child, yet too far apart in age to be siblings. Like most people, I found the opener a bit sluggish (not to mention a bit murky and confusing), but I watched the 2nd ep immediately afterward, and things have picked up steam quickly. I was delighted by the unexpected pop-ups of Breaking Bad characters, and plan to keep watching for as long as it goes. Very curious to see how they interweave prequel to Breaking Bad era to present-day. Also, I just love Bob Odenkirk.

Well the wedding was in a stunning location, but good grief, Scheana was an insufferable bridezilla. I thought it was interesting that she looked nothing like either of her parents (could she be adopted?). Hated hated hated her crop top wedding gown - awkward & totally unflattering on her. At least the bridesmaids looked nice. Poor Shay - white dinner jackets on men always make me think they look like catering staff. Schwartz looked like a complete doofus. Katie needs to run far, far away from him - she can do better. I think there might be hope for Muppet James if he extricates himself from the clutches of crazy Kristen. Looking forward to his blowout with her on next week's episode. Do not disappoint me, show!

Thanks for the info Moose! I may have to do this - it's one of my all-time favorite TV shows, and to have all the episodes would be a nostalgic treasure.

I will probably give Gilbert's book a miss, but I was truly surprised and amazed by Alison Arngrim's book. For what could have been a quick throwaway showbiz memoir, she managed to successfully weave a lot of separate strands together - her crazy family & difficult personal life, her experiences on the show, and the workings of the TV industry in general during the 70's. Even her descriptions of Melissa Sue Anderson were not mean-spirited - more an expression of bafflement at her chilly behavior than anything. She also seemed to feel something was off in Prisspot's family life that may have contributed to her demeanor. AA definitely seems like she has a lot of smarts humour and heart. Would love to have drinks with her!

I didn't read Melissa Gilbert's book as it was quite poorly reviewed - though I am slightly tempted, just to get the dirt on her relationship with Rob Lowe in the eighties. Can't be bothered with Prisspot's book, as it received even worse reviews - apparently it's little more than an episode guide to the series. Based on what Alison Arngrim wrote, Melissa Sue Anderson sounded like a really odd duck - just completely cold and standoffish, possibly in the grip of a really evil stage Mom. I would like to read the new book that just came out in November which details more of the history of the real Laura Ingalls & Rose Wilder - it's called "Pioneer Girl" and sounded quite interesting.

Many thanks for the Grantland link upthread! That article was hysterically funny - loved the description of them trying to undermine each other's relationships "with the dedication of Navy Seals". Also cracked up at the description of Scheana as a blinking barn owl! That is EXACTLY what she looks like. Two highlights of this episode: seeing Kristin getting her ass fired (though like others, I suspect she'll be back- too entertaining!), and best of all, watching the cooks in the kitchen high-fiving each other upon hearing the news. Soooo funny - I could watch that on instant replay over and over again. I'm beginning to think I way underestimated Katie. I had dismissed her as a Stassi-bot, but it was great seeing her show some back-bone and tell princess S. off earlier. She was rational and level-headed with her idiot boyfriend. Her blog is also actually pretty good! Probably better than the other chuckleheads (I don't have the energy to look).

Iran looks like a fascinating place to visit, and my GOD the food looked mouthwatering. I was hoping he'd have more shots of Esfahan, which I have seen on other TV programs & looks like a stunningly beautiful city, but the filming was mostly concentrated around the mosque. It was nice to see how open, friendly and curious the people there were. A rare glimpse of a little seen country.

I too, have a hard time deciding which character I like best, and basically it's a toss-up between Venus & Johnny Fever. I thought any episode where they were teamed up together was fantastic (ie the on-air sobriety test, the transmittor bomb-threat phone-cop episode). Loved Tim Reid in the part - so talented, and he went on to produce some excellent TV shows afterward. I also loved that when "That 70's Show" was airinng, he did some recurring guest spots. WKRP writers did some interesting back-story with his character: a mild-mannered school teacher who adopts a flamboyant persona for a radio gig. The episode that dealt with his desertion from the army was also really well done. He was able to straddle the line between silly and thoughtful in that role.

I was very excited to hear about this release. While it's not perfect, it's a vast improvement over the Season 1 DVD and edited versions of the show that wound up in syndication. Seriously thinking about splurging on this. Any feedback from people who got it for Christmas?

Best hair and skin-tight jeans in TV history!

The classic radio spots: "Red Wigglers, the Cadillac of Worms!" and of course the Ferryman Funeral Home jingle: "You know you can't deny it, someday you're gonna buy it" Hirsch, addressing Mrs. Carlson: "You bellowed, Madame?" Herb Tarlek trapped in an elevator during a fire: "I don't wanna die in this suit".