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TV Show Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Jonny Lee Miller, Victor Garber, Natasha Henstridge, Loretta Devine, Sam Jaeger, Laura Benanti, James Saito, Matt Letscher, Julie Gonzalo, Jason Winston George
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Disney/ABC

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: January 31, 2008 - Present
Season Air Dates: January 31, 2008 – April 17, 2008
DVD Box Set Release Date: September 2, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon
Episodes: All 13 episodes from Season One.

In the war between the television stations CBS used to be my favorite. With shows like Criminal Minds, Jericho, and Numbers it’s easy to see why. After Jericho was canceled, CBS still had a few shows I liked, but I found my love for television switching more towards ABC. I had been a fan of Lost from the beginning, but with shows like Ugly Betty, Eli Stone, and Grey’s Anatomy I found myself watching ABC all the time.

I have watched Eli Stone since the day that it premiered on ABC. Like just about everyone else that watches television, I had caught many of the previews that aired for the show and considering the cast (Johnny Lee Miller, Victor Garber, and Loretta Devine) I knew that I had to check it out. The thing that originally caught my eye where Eli Stone is concerned was the somewhat original concept that came along with these great actors

Eli (Miller) is a ruthless lawyer that thinks he has everything until one day he wakes up to George Michael singing in his living room. Before he knows it, he discovers that he has a brain aneurysm that is causing him to see things. His aneurysm wants him to be a good person, so it gives him clues (many of which are frighteningly real) to let him know which cases he needs to take and who needs his help. While this wasn’t the type of life that Eli wanted to live, it’s obvious that he learns to adjust with the help of a nosy secretary (Divine), a disgruntled boss that is set to become his father-in-law (Garber), and an acupuncturist (James Saito) that is just trying to survive any way he can.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Norman Mailer
Director: Lawrence Schiller
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Christine Lahti, Rosanna Arquette, Eli Wallach, Steven Keats, Jordan Clarke, Richard Venture
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: Aired on television November 28, 1982
DVD Release Date: August 5, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon

Once upon a time, movies on television sported a notable cast and they were well written. These days, the majority of television movies have become a joke, relegated to being compared to direct to DVD productions that do not have the talent or clout to stand up in the theater or as a bigger production. The Executioner’s Song was made in the 80s and offers an award-winning cast, and a true-ish (it’s important to note that this is just the fictionalized account according to Norman Mailer) story that is shocking in a number of ways.

Gary Gilmore was a complex individual. Depending on how liberal you are, you might say he was a victim of the system. I am not that liberal when it comes to crime, instead believing firmly that choice comes into play in nearly all things. The Executioner’s Song is meant to give insight into the last nine months of Gilmore’s life. This includes his time with his girlfriend Nicole Baker Barrett. It is important to mention Nicole because she plays a huge part in The Executioner’s Song.

In fact, Nicole is such a central figure in Gilmore’s final months and in this film that it is hard not to sit and wonder what has happened to her. She’s almost impossible to find, but what I did dig up (according to her) was that this movie is more fictionalized than not and that the representations of her and Gilmore are wrong. Whether that is true or not is hard for anyone to know. I did not know Gilmore personally and to my knowledge Nicole has never chosen to officially tell her side, though I could be wrong about that.

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TV Show Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green, Jason Priestley, Luke Perry, Gabrielle Carteris, Tiffani Thiessen, Kathleen Robertson
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: CBS/Paramount

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: 10/4/90 – 5/17/2000
Season Air Dates: 7/12/94 – 5/24/95
DVD Box Set Release Date: July 29, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon: $39.99, Wal-Mart: $39.86
Episodes: All season five hour long episodes are included

Once upon a time Beverly Hills 90210 was a weekly part of my life. It used to be my favorite show. Admittedly, I was a teenager back then, but still it was one of those things that I couldn’t miss. These days I cannot recall finding a nighttime soap opera that compared to the drama and closet entertainment that 90210 provided. That being said, I did not watch the series from beginning to end. I was there at the beginning, but left regular viewing about the time that this season started. I would occasionally tune back in to see what the old gang was up to, but the addition of cult storylines and David (Brian Austin Green) becoming a smack-head was just too much for me.

This season is known for the change in cast, especially where the bitches of the show are concerned. Brenda (Shannen Doherty) has headed off to London and has not returned (Doherty was fired). With a free bitch spot to fill, Brenda’s spot was filled with Valerie Malone (Tiffani Thiessen, who at this time had an Amber in there somewhere). Like Doherty, she was meant to be the sexy, troublesome siren. I can’t feign particular attraction to either, though I see why some guys might like them.

Fans of Thiessen will love this season just because she is in it. I am not sure that was enough to do it for me, but there were some good moments here that reminded me of why I watched the show in the first place. Granted, this feels like a weakening shell of what the show used to be, but it still had a few redeeming moments. There were many episodes here that I watched for the first time. It’s certainly not the best of 90210, especially if you prefer Doherty over Thiessen, but you might still find this season to be enjoyable. I know that when I least expected it those old feelings crept back in and I found myself enjoying the show.

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Writer: Matt Short
Director:Billy Burgess, Jonathan Haug
Cast: Karina Michel, Matt Short
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount/Spike TV
Release Date: July 15, 2008

MANswers is a man’s man kind of show. The entire premise of this show is to cater to men that are in puberty, college, or never really grew up. It’s easy to imagine men sitting around in bonding circles scratching, eating, and laughing while watching MANswers. Then again, maybe that’s just how my circle rolls. Either way this is one of those shows that tend to be (more often than not) gender specific.

I have not met too many women that find this show appealing. There are a few that can find the humor, but generally I find that most women don’t want to know “Which Nationality is most Willing to Put Out on the First Date”, and things of that sort.

The thing that makes this show work is that it’s mindless entertainment. You don’t need to think too much. All you need to do is be a guy and laugh. It’s simple and let’s face it, we could all use a little more simplicity these days. Spike Television is known for offering the best in guy programming, so I suppose it was only a matter of time before they went where they did. The reception was taken well enough to grant the show a second season, which apparently means I am not the only one out there watching MANswers.

Release Information:
Paramount and Spike have teamed up to offer you the 25 hottest questions from the first season of MANswers. This is a pretty basic disc to promote the show. If you’re new to the show, this is a good way to acquaint yourself with how it works. If you’re not new to the show, this gives you a chance to see some of your favorite moments all over again. It offers an inexpensive way to catch the best moments of the season without having to wait for your favorite re-runs to appear.

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Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Larry Hagman, Howard Keel, Barbara Bel Geddes, Priscilla Presley, Victoria Principal, Linda Gray, Charlene Tilton, Susan Howard, Patrick Duffy, Steve Kanaly, Ken Kercheval
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Bros
Release Date:July 15, 2008

When I did the review for the last season of Dallas I mentioned how the Eighth Season was kind of like the beginning of the end. Things were unraveling and as they were, the ninth season was one of the firmest nails put in the coffin of this series. In the war between Dallas and Dynasty, the latter always won, but it was not because Dallas wasn’t good. It was because Dallas spent too much time trying to mimic the other series. The things that made this series good were the strong performances and the manly appeal to it. It was a rugged, hard-edged show at one point. Then things began sinking into an abyss that never seemed to keep Dallas afloat. I firmly believe that this was the season that was attempting to draw itself out of that abyss. Unfortunately, the methods used were not the right ones and it really led the show down it’s final road toward the end.

In the last season, people despised the fact that Miss Ellie had changed from Barbara Bel Geddes to Donna Reed, so when Bel Geddes was able to come back they tossed Reed like a sack of bricks. Of course, that didn’t really please people too much either. They were just starting to get used to a change and then a change happened again. I am not even getting into the Bobby Ewing thing. I loved Patrick Duffy as much as the next guy and naked in the shower scenes were always fun in the mid-80s, when things like that weren’t normal, but the whole it was a dream thing was just a gross disappointment to see on a show of this caliber. This was the full submergence of this sinking ship and while I was sad to see it go, I remain shocked that it lasted as many seasons as it did, beyond this point.

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Writers: Sidney Sheldon and Various Others
Directors: Various
Cast: Larry Hagman, Barbara Eden, Bill Daily, Hayden Rorke, Emmaline Henry
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: July 8, 2008

I Dream of Jeannie is one of the shows I grew up watching in reruns. The show was originally filmed and aired in the mid-1960s to 1970. This is easy to see through the color palette (the 60s and 70s just had this almost psychedelic look that was just screaming for shag carpet) that made up the entire look of the show. While this show might be dated in its appearance it was always filled with humor and even as a child of the 80s I found this show to be worth watching.

I Dream of Jeannie – The Complete Fifth Season presents the final season of the show. Prior to watching this, I didn’t remember much about this season other than there was the planning of a wedding and the show had lost some of its momentum, in terms of humor and creativity. The ‘Jeannie’ formula was starting to get old and it was time for it to wind down before its final hurrah. While I still was willing to watch the episodes in this season, I do remember that the episodes just weren’t as funny as those in the first few seasons.

Release Information:
I Dream of Jeannie debuted on television in September of 1965. The fifth season, in particular, aired from September 16, 1969 to May 26, 1970. Consisting of 26 episodes, this seasons takes a new direction with Jeannie no longer a hidden part of Tony’s life, something the cast and crew filmed halfheartedly, with the network cracking down on anything that could make the show seem less than pure. I’m not sure if their motivations for changing an already working formula were similar to the motivations that put pressure on making Jodie on SOAP straight, but it sure seems like Jeannie and Tony living together (co-habitation was acceptable in the 1960s) could have offended the impending, somewhat more conservative 1970s.

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Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Alan Campbell, William Conrad, Joe Penny
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: July 8, 2008

Back in December, I was your guy for reviewing Diagnosis Murder, so I suppose it was only natural that when Jake and the Fatman came out that I should review that, as well. If you’re wondering why that might be the case, it’s because Diagnosis Murder is actually a spinoff of Fat Man. If you like criminal dramas this one isn’t so bad. A product of its time with some behind the scenes drama attached, Fatman has some decent moments in this Volume One box set. In fact, one could wager to say that the most depressing part about this set is that it’s a split season set, and no fan wants to pay twice for the same season, while having to wait for the remaining episodes to come out.

This crime solving, prosecuting duo is a little unorthodox in some ways. The Fatman, played by William Conrad, is well acted, but anything other than smooth. He’s reminiscent of a single Uncle who has a relationship only with Cheetos and Beer. He’s pretty unkempt in the ways that you would expect criminal attorneys to be, but he makes up for it in all of his business matters. Meanwhile, his partner and the guy doing all the detective legwork is setup to be the ladies magnet. Whether he is a stud or not I cannot say, but the role he plays is set to make him look that way. While the Fatman is all about Cheetos, Styles (played by Joe E. Penny) is all about fine sophistication with expensive appearing suits, a sports car, and all of the finer things in life.

Release Information:
Jake and the Fatman was a part of some behind the scenes drama early on. The show was actually canceled in the first season though this ending was short lived. The show’s revival is due to the removal of Magnum PI from the CBS lineup. When the show was canceled CBS opted to take advantage of the Magnum setting, since they were paying for it anyway and it was incredibly expensive. This moved Fatman to Hawaii, which served to be a great move as the ratings rose dramatically.

Fans that have been clamoring for the Fatman to come to DVD will be pleased to know that Volume One of the First Season will be released on July 8, 2008. You can pre-order this on several sites on the Internet and once it is out, you should be able to find it just about anywhere that sells DVDs. If you plan to purchase it for pre-order, you can find it at Amazon for $26.99.

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Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Skeet Ulrich, Lennie James, Ashley Scott, Kenneth Michell, Brad Beyer, April Parker-Jones, Alicia Coppola, Pamela Reed, Bob Stephenson
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: June 17, 2008

I had my first taste of Jericho when Dominick reviewed the first season last year. I had heard of the show previously, but had never watched it. We decided to watch it together and after watching the first season I was thoroughly hooked. CBS cancelled the show, but brought it back thanks to some major fan outrage. Of course, they only brought it back for seven episodes.

This was one of the few shows I ended up watching while it was on television, because I was desperately hoping that they would end up extending the season or adding a third season to the lineup. Of course, CBS decided to cancel it instead. Fans are still as upset as they were the first time, though there are talks that the show might be picked up elsewhere or be made into a movie. Regardless, CBS never found their cash cow to fill the Jericho time slot and fans are able to laugh at the unnecessary decision to replace the show with something that got low enough ratings to be cancelled less than a month after the first airing.

Receiving this second season box set was bittersweet. I was glad to receive it and to review it, but I am definitely sad to see this show go, if in fact, it does. Of course, owning both the first season and now the second season means that I can watch it whenever I want, so it could be much worse. This second season includes eight episodes, one being served up as a special feature because it was the episode that would have been aired had CBS decided to keep the show on the air. As they opted to cancel, something most fans feared would happen, they aired an episode that they felt tied things up, even though most agree this was anything but the case.

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Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Barry Watson, Jessica Biel, Stephen Collins, Catherine Hicks, David Gallagher, Mackenzie Rosman
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: June 10, 2008

It’s time again for another season of the semi-clean drama, 7th Heaven to be released. Last season, I commented on how great the show was and I still feel pretty much the same way. It has its moments of greatness, offering some fun times and plenty of talking. Despite having a preacher for a parent, this household sure holds its share of drama. There is a soap opera feel to it that certainly allows people that wouldn’t find interest in a religious family to get involved with this one.

I watched the show through the majority of its run when it was on television. It wasn’t my favorite show, though when I connected with it during my last review it reminded me of why I watched it in the first place. Aaron Spelling, the producer of this show, along with such popular options as Melrose Place, Beverly Hills 90210, and even Charlie’s Angels certainly knew how to pick projects where the characters would be appealing to the audience watching them. 7th Heaven is certainly not going to be a show suitable for everyone, though it is important to note that there is much more here than the average person will be expecting.

Release Information:
7th Heaven had an extremely long run of eleven seasons, which is rare for most television dramas. The show began in 1996 and only recently ended in 2007. The show was not meant to go through eleven seasons. Actually it was canceled in the tenth season, but the final show received such good ratings it ended up being extended for another season. These box sets, released by Paramount and CBS offer all of the hour long episodes with minor, if any, editing.

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