magicdog

They did explain Piper opened a club because it was less risky to opening a restaurant but I agree that I would have sooner expected her to have had a food truck or run a catering business out of her home than running P3. IMO, someone at WB wanted to get some cross promotion with the artists signed to the Warner Records label. At least I credit them for introducing me to the music of Barenaked Ladies and Tal Bachman. Monster of the week?

A bit late but I just found out Lynn Borden, former Miss Arizona (1957) and actress best known for being "Barbara Baxter" on Hazel passed away last month at age 77. According to IMDB, her last credit was a 2006 episode of CSI NY.

Technically I think the first single mom (widowed) was Ellen Miller from the Lassie series (1954). Gene Roddenberry based much of ST technology from a contact at NASA. Much of what turned up on the show was in development for use by astronauts. Eventually many of them turned up in mainstream use (like flip phones which were "communicators" on the show). Despite the now laughable SFX, I still found the show itself very interesting and addicting. I remember seeing it for the first time in the fall of 86 I think - airing on PBS. The Rockford Files isn't the only show that holds up well. The first movie featuring Lt. Frank Colombo, Prescription: Murder (1968) seems almost current - if you can ignore the rotary dial phones! Fair enough. Although I find reruns of the other shows mentioned a bit more "alive". Perhaps it's due to having more than one standout character actor. MRFD I've been catching on ME-TV and many of those eps are still really funny to me. M3S is also a bit livelier - maybe because William Frawley & William Demarest worked so well off of Fred MacMurray and the boys. As for Hazel, I am currently watching the last season when the series was winding down. Perhaps when Antenna TV rolls back to the earlier seasons (pre-1964) I'll feel differently. I don't hate the series mind you, and he character herself I adore. I credit Shirley Booth for that.

Just finished the pilot: It's nice to see the cast have heart and enthusiasm! Since it's so early in the show's run, they weren't phoning it in as they would by season 7. Jeremy from the get go was "Chekov's Boyfriend". You just knew he'd either be the victim or the villain. It was never explained why the dead witch had a triquetra tattoo. Was she supposed to be on the lookout for The Charmed Ones? In fact, how did Jeremy know the Halliwells were Charmed? Loved the introduction of Andy! He and Prue had great chemistry from day one and were believeable as a couple/former couple. The Andy character also seems to be strongly influenced by Fox Mulder. Early on, he is shown to be a believer (or at least open minded) in witches and the craft. I liked how the magic from the beginning was not only tied to their emotions, but the magic as we saw it practiced was similar to what we saw in "All Halliwell's Eve" - the use of poppets, candles, spells, and herbs. The powers as they manifested seemed fairly natural. Prue's however did vary when she "choked" Roger (if anything, he should have been gasping for air and holding his throat not his tie) and the coffee creamer should have "jumped" from the pitcher to the cup rather than in a manner similar to Paige's TKO. The photo. It was always a symbol of how things changed between the sisters. I wish they had done something similar with Paige to help bring their relationship full circle. Trivia: The sister on the far right in the photo is NOT Alyssa Milano! I originally thought is was Lori Rom, but after seeing this pic from the unaired pilot, I'm thinking it's a stand-in. The sisters themselves. Their personalities were in place firmly despite being just the pilot. Sure they loosened up a bit more as the seasons went on, but each actress seemed to have a handle on their characters from the beginning. Prue must have been really lonely to have taken up with Roger. I also had an issue with her believing him over Phoebe regarding "the incident". The spirit board. It's a shame it was all but forgotten in subsequent seasons. It was never mentioned who did move the pointer, although I like to think it was Grams. Even from the very beginning, Piper was all about the "Nancy Drew"!

Worst: Malcolm In The Middle. Best of all, if you didn't see it, this reviewer went through the agony for you - and hits every point. Best: For me it's the Newhart finale hands down. Totally unexpected. The Monkees series finale went out on a similar note of weirdness.

I must agree. I caught some eps on Antenna TV and I can't imagine this show lasting as long as it did. Bea Arthur was way funnier on "Golden Girls" (which IMO was written better and didn't make her Norman Lear's mouthpiece) and much more likeable. Maude was great to watch when she was dueling directly with Archie (as she did in her original appearance and in the Maude pilot) but the rest of the series was about people I couldn't stand. Another show I find a bit outdated is, "Hazel". It's not a bad show really but a bit pedestrian compared to some sitcoms at the time. Other sitcoms were going into supernatural/fantasy territory ("Bewitched" & "I Dream of Jeannie") or appealing to teens by touching on unique premises ("Batman" and "The Monkees") which seemed to set them apart more. This show wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for Shirley Booth in the title role.

JLH would have performed the role in a similar manner to her Melinda character from "Ghost Whisperer". She would have been competent, but not the character Rose ultimately made it - if anything she would have been better suited if the character had been the "second coming of Phoebe" she was intended to be. Thiessen would have been the opposite - I see her as a similar type of actress to Shannen Doherty. She might have worked if Prue were to have been recast or if they had used the storyline in the comics and had Prue's soul placed in a different body. Dushku was too associated with the Faith character to have been seen as Paige although she could have done it if she was wasn't. Soleil Moon Fry could have pulled it off IMO. I had seen a few eps of her run on "Sabrina" and I thought she was pretty good, especially with her comic timing. From what I remember, Paige admitted to drinking alcohol a lot but quit drinking. We never saw her go to or mention AA meetings or intense scenes like going through the DTs or falling off the wagon. I had always thought of her as a once heavy drinker just on the brink but pulled herself back. She couldn't have been too heavy a drinker since she was going to college and trying to have a career in social work. I can see her quitting drinking after her parents died (seeing her as a wild teen in the 90s, I don't doubt she was kicking back in HS) but I don't think the show was specific in when this all occurred.

The initial idea was to make her the New Phoebe since she was the new youngest sister but IMO they should have let Paige be more Prue-ish in her personality. The backstory they gave for the character was a girl who while rebellious as a teen, a bit of a party girl (there's always been a debate if she was a recovering alcoholic or not) who took the reins of her own life, went to college, got herself her own job and an apartment in a tough city. Plus she was raised as an only child so from her I'd expect her to be someone who is independent, a bit stubborn, and accustomed to doing things without necessarily consulting others. Since her parents' death I'd expect her to feel a bit guarded and private. When Paige moved into the Manor so soon, I thought that was out of character for her; if anything, I'd have wanted to see that happen by the end of that season. Since it's been mentioned that Season 4 was a combination of two seasons worth of storylines merged into one, it makes more sense in retrospect, but still not what I'd have expected her to do.

I have almost all the dvds so I could join in.

The rest: Season 2: Morality Bites - The premise of modern day witch trials in one of the most liberal cities in the US was silly, but it worked! Plus there was the promise of how powerful the sisters COULD have been has Kern & Company bothered to develop their powers properly. P3H2O - A call back to how Patty died, her parallels to Prue and Piper, and an unintentional out for Paige to exist. Emotions were really strong here. Pardon My Past - More info about the Halliwell's ancestors, reincarnation and how past acts can haunt you. Murphy's Luck - Seeing Prue take action to protect Maggie (Amy Adams in an early role) from a Darklighter that pushes its victims to commit suicide. Also a bit of insight into Prue's state of mind earlier in her life the DL tried to exploit. Plus, Arnold Vosloo! Chick Flick - Not only a send up of horror movie tropes, but a jab or two at Charmed itself! Season 3: The Honeymoon's Over - Introduction to Cole and learning he was more than what he seemed. All Halliwell's Eve - More on the Warrens and time travel make for fun times. Sight Unseen - Cole working to destroy the sisters and having demonic rivals. Plus Abby goes psycho! Primrose Empath - a look at the responsibility of Empaths and an unstoppable demon who could only be destroyed by pure emotion. Best of all, we got to see Prue's potential power growth had she lived. Power Outage - Cole succeeds in depowering the sisters and could have killed Phoebe without a problem - except he began to have those darn feelings of love. Sleuthing With The Enemy - The first time we see Phoebe of her own free will lie to her sisters to save Cole's life. We All Scream For Ice Cream - Victor returns (as Victor 2.0) and it was amusing to me to see the girls battle kiddie demons and getting them into the truck. All Hell Breaks Loose - The stakes so high, Prue dies and nothing will ever be the same again. Season 4: Charmed Again - The introduction of Paige. Hell Hath No Fury - A well done episode overall. Brain Drain - Derivative but I liked the idea of Piper possibly imagining the whole Charmed experience. They should have worked harder to keep viewers guessing what the truth was. Black As Cole - Cole loses his powers, and we had the potential for him to find a new path - unfortunately, this would be the beginning of a rollercoaster ride for him and Phoebe. Trial By Magic - My main issue was that Phoebe could have just held out and caused a hung jury, but it was still an enjoyable episode. Plus, we get a bit more background on Paige. Lost & Bound - I liked the kid and part of me wanted him to stick around. It would have made sense for him to have been Piper's and Leo's foster son. Still, Season 5: Siren's Song - interesting premise and give's truth to the old axiom, you always hurt the one you love. Y Tu Mummy Tambien - The presence of Adrian Paul alone makes this a fun watch Sense & Sensibility - Well done all around even if there was no violence against the monkey. Sand Francisco Dreamin' - a look at the girl's dreams, and Henry Gibson as The Sandman! Season 6: Chris Crossed - Seeing Chris' mission and what happened to Wyatt. Spin City - Chris' turn as a spider demon and his anger issues with Leo. Season 7: Imaginary Fiends - Seeing a good Wyatt and a Bad Wyatt. I may be reading too much into this, but I think this episode was a veiled warning about sexual abuse. Season 8: Forever Charmed - The end, and the beginning of a new Charmed line decades into the future. Plus Billie gets a beating!

It's be tough for me to limit some seasons to 3-4 eps (especially Season 1), but I'll try: Season 1 Faves: Something Wicca This Way Comes (world building and introduction to the sisters) Dead Man Dating (very poignant at times especially between the ghost and Piper) Dream Sorcerer (their first encounter with a mortal opponent) The Truth Is Out There....and it Hurts (Seeing why some truths should remain unsaid) The Witch Is Back (getting some Halliwell history and meeting "Cousin Melinda") Wicca Envy (the episode in which Prue's bosses are defeated and the sisters affirm their willingness to remain witches) Feats of Clay (touches on Phoebe's life in NYC following Grams' death - and shows how much Phoebe grew up since she received her powers. I kind of wanted Clay to be the "C" who was Phoebe's true love after Cole was vanquished for good) Is There A Woogy In The House? (the first indication that Phoebe was the weak link in the Power of 3 and the significance of being born over the Nexus. Plus the shadow was creepy!) From Fear to Eternity (Our introduction to Barbas, and being stalked by a demon who can kill you with your fears really struck a nerve) That 70s Episode (our introduction to Grams and Patty when they were alive and seeing Little Prue & Little Piper really made me think back to my own childhood. Loved the emotions all the way around) The Power of Two (this episode intentionally or otherwise came off as very X-Files and was exciting to see the enemy defeated without the power of 3) Déjà Vu All Over Again (the "Groundhog Day" premise used to great effect, David Carradine and of course, Andy's farewell )

 The problem most fans had with this scenario is that it went against everything the sisters stood for. There were many eps in the past in which they either saved someone (like Prue's demon boyfriend from "Wrestling With Demons") or arranged to have the [mortal] bad guy punished by mortal means. Not only could Paige have orbed the gun away from the baddie, they could have orbed him back to jail. Having him dissolved by demonic acid was just out of character. Ditto. Like attracts like and it would have made sense for them to have come to know more magical witches. At the very least they could have better explored the Halliwell cousins who lived in the Manor in the 20s.

Louis Jordan? I never really thought of that one as a booty call tune so much as a song of opportunity. Funnier still how it's often played at Christmas time no less!

This always drove me nuts! Dan would have made a better romantic partner for Phoebe not Piper. The triangle was so poorly written that everyone from a mile away knew Piper was going to ultimately choose Leo. He and Jenny should NEVER have been introduced; the only reason she was had to do with the initial idea of having her being a witch and to seek out guidance from the Halliwells. When viewers voiced their displeasure over her presence, she was dropped after a few episodes.

I liked Phoebe best during seasons 1-2 and the first half of 3. Her character suffered the most as the show progressed IMO. Earlier she was a girl with no direction until magic helped her find her way. She was also the one who loved being a witch the most. By Season 6 and beyond it was all about using magic to find her Mr. Right and getting the little girl she foresaw. She became almost useless too, as her powers were never properly developed as they should have been and there was the storyline in which her active powers were stripped from her temporarily! She got the prems back but everything else was gone and never revisited. I also liked Piper during the first 3 seasons as she was relatable and not the Miss Witchy Crankypants she turned into after Season 4. Part of that character turnaround (just a theory) had to do with making Piper the eldest sister and literally taking over the "Prue" role. The intent by TPTB was to make Piper "Prue", while Phoebe was to become the mediator (the "Piper"), while Paige became the new Phoebe (the youngest and the screw up). You see this most during "Hell Hath No Fury", in which we see Piper acting Prue-ish when she learns about Paige stealing the BOS, while Phoebe is mediating by saying she merely "borrowed it". Unfortunately it made Piper perpetually grumpy. I'm not saying Piper didn't have a reason to be angry and somewhat bitter during Season 4, but her character seemed to become all about how many times she could blow up Leo. I never found that cute and if reversed, no one would have written a scene with Leo blowing up Piper. I liked Prue during the majority of her run on Charmed. I identified with her (being an elder sister myself) and understood her character and motivations as head of the Halliwells. She took her job seriously, and in Seasons 2-3 was able to lighten up a bit once she realized her sisters could take care of themselves and didn't need a "mother" anymore. I liked Paige also, although I hated that her character was rather uneven considering the background she was given. If anything she should have had a few of Prue's traits (not a clone mind you) and not been the kooky free spirit the writers kept trying to turn her into. I liked her most in seasons 4 and 5. Ditto! We did have a discussion on an old forum in which we wondered what would the show have been like if Phoebe had died and Prue had to feel guilt over that and her reaction to Paige. Many of us thought that might have been a better show but YMMV. Agreed. The latter seasons (especially 5-8) were starting to seem like "Bewitched" with the magical creatures popping up out of the woodwork. The first 3 seasons were taken a bit more seriously and introduced magical beings a bit better. Suddenly you had the 7 dwarves, nymphs, ogres etc. just stopping by looking for help or some favor. I also hated that the sisters (post Prue seasons) seemed to get progressively dumber and less in touch with their abilities. After being witches for as long as they were and having the power of three and the legend foretelling them as the most powerful witches the world had ever known, they just never seemed to live up to the hype. You had a sense that [during the Prue years] it could have happened. We should have had wise witches, not selfish hags who were willing to turn their backs on the innocents that needed them.

True, but the whole premise is basing each criminal case on a real one, so episodes can still be written closer to the current style of fictional shows, as long as they stay true to original events. I'd totally be onboard with a remake - or a reboot/continuation if they bring Reed & Molloy in for glorified cameos (perhaps their children or grandchildren are on the force, etc.) early on in the show. He certainly does! Actor Benjamin McKenzie also reminded me of Martin Milner during his time on "Southland". I later read that was no accident. For a while I half expected Martin Milner to play his uncle or something!

Alyssa Milano is upset - her breast milk was confiscated by security officials in Heathrow Airport!

I'd love to see an adaptation of the story of Reckless, a Korean racing mare who was bought by the US Marines to carry their artillery through the battles of the Korean War. She eventually was promoted to Sgt. and when she went stateside she lived her life out carefree at Camp Pendleton. I remember reading about her story as a kid and was surprised no one had made a movie about her yet! Maybe it's in development hell? I also would love to see the story of Maximilian Kolbe brought to the screen as well. When I was a catechist at my parish, I noticed a pile of comic books which told his story. Kolbe was a priest who saw a vision of the Virgin Mary who offered him two crowns: a red one for martyrdom and a white one for purity. Kolbe told her he'd take them both, and then on lived an exemplary life in the priesthood. He eventually died in Auschwitz after having sacrificed his life for that of another prisoner who begged the Nazi Commandant to spare him. Pope John Paul II canonized him in 1982 as the prisoner he saved looked on. As a Catholic, I'd never heard his story before and I have no reason why! It's quite a beautiful story of devotion, sacrifice and protecting the weak.

How? So far the lack of tolerance has been coming from non-Christians.

I'm a bit late but I wanted to express my sympathies to voiceover's loss. I hope you're holding up ok. The review of A&C's Jack & The Beanstalk is cute (and accurate), although the writer mentioned that A&C didn't interact much . There were a few other films in which this occurred, I'm guessing it was due to their own strained relationship at the time. A&C movies were a big part of my childhood! I grew up seeing their films every Sunday morning on WPIX. "Who's on First" is still a funny routine! I was thrilled to see a marathon on TCM!

I guess we must be watching different news channels or internet news sources because I definitely see Christians being attacked in one way or another daily. I don't always agree with O'Reilly but he's correct on that front.

Agreed! YJ should have run at least 4-5 seasons. I thought the 5 year time skip was too soon in its depiction; we should have had 2-3 seasons of the original YJ team while gradually bringing in more YJ members. The original team had a lot of stories to tell, and skipping ahead 5 years made me feel like we lost out on a lot. I was hoping to see the original Wonder Girl (not that I didn't enjoy Cassie as WG), and a better development of Red Arrow's and Arsenal's storylines during that period (since this adaptation had the two exist at the same time) and of course Nightwing rescuing Wally. I was also mad at CN for canceling the show just as the Darkseid storyline was getting started. Last I heard, Greg Weisman was working on the latest Star Wars animated series, so it'll be a while (if ever) before he can come back to YJ. I'd settle for a mini series or a DTV series for some answers.

I never understood the love. Your local news on average is programmed by producers and assignment editors who are barely out of college and only know what they know. They often get their news from the internet (especially HuffPo and similar sites) or the latest viral video (many don't seem that familiar with the world beyond their lifetimes - you wouldn't believe how many blank stares I'd received when I brought up that we should have a mention in the newscast for the anniversary of Pearl Harbor or the JFK assassination! ). Partially true. It also has to do with risking access to their favorite people. Anchors, reporters, etc. frequently participate in various charities and attend a lot of chi chi events so they want to keep that going. This happens even at the big news houses; CNN famously looked the other way when Saddam Hussein was torturing people in Iraq (among other things), since the management wanted to keep their access (and privileges therein) to him. Other times it's purely bias. Ever notice how rarely the WH Press Corps asks a tough question? As for TV weather, I agree that some folks find it easier to get their WX and traffic as they're getting ready to leave for work, although I live in a climate that rarely changes (as Minnesota is frigid in the winter, LV is triple digits from end of May through first week of September) and is sunny over 300 days out of the year. The only time WX becomes huge news here is if it rains or the occasional snowfall (which has happened now and then at certain elevations.

Another traffic peeve: I'm driving along when a car in front of me comes to a dead stop. Then they turn the corner or into a driveway/parking lot. Last I checked, you slow down for a right turn buut keep moving, not come to a dead stop and then proceed. If I were paid a dollar for the many times have I had to slam my brakes for these people, I'd be independently wealthy!

I'm on board with this! I rather liked the one ep in which a person M&S were speaking with who claimed the whole UFO/aliens/Area 51 stuff was all made up by the US government as a distraction. Another animated suggestion: The New Scooby Doo Movies reboot. The original incarnation (1972) had some of the most talented celebs guest starring and solving a mystery with the gang. Tim Conway, Dick Van Dyke, Cass Elliot, and Don Adams all appeared as themselves. A regular TV series may not be likely but this could work in the current DTV releases. They've already had the gang deal with Blue Falcon and the WWE wrestlers. I propose a new generation of talent selected to participate in a series of mysteries. The condition would have to be they be people who have been in the public eye for at least 20 years (to avoid the flash in the pan celeb du jour issue) and have cross section appeal.