The Nanny The Complete First Season – 1993-1994 (Sony-2005) The Nanny is a series that is sure to turn off a large portion of the population immediately. How unfortunate. It’s so much better than the initial impression it makes. For a show that celebrates life on the shallow surface, it should not be dismissed as such. … Continue reading
Davey and Goliath Volume 1 (Starlight Home Entertainment-2005) OH DAVEY!… Beloved pop culture icons Davey and Goliath first broke into the public consciousness in the late 50’s, a perfect time for their emergence against the “safe as milk” backdrop of that era. Produced by Clokey Productions Inc., under the direction of Art and Ruth Clokey (who also brought you another … Continue reading
Magnum P.I. The Complete Second Season (1981-1982) (Universal-2005) Magnum PI is the epitome of guy wish fulfillment. What would life be like if you lived in a tropical paradise, staying rent free in the huge guest house of a reclusive millionaire novelist? You have full access to a late-model Ferrari, the white sands and the sparkling … Continue reading
Dallas The Complete First and Second Seasons (1978-1980) (Warner Home Video-2004) When Dallas premiered in early 1978, it was just what America’s doctor ordered. The previous decade had turned us wussy, and there seemed to be no cure for our malaise (even our president said so). The United States had been reeling from the same old miserable … Continue reading
The Brady Bunch The Complete Third Season 1971-1972 (Paramount Home Video-2005) There is so much more to Season Three than Greg’s tremendously awkward growth spurt. This is easily the best year of the series, encompassing everything from the clan’s wild escapade in Grand Canyon to Jan reaching out to us with the immortal phrase, “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia.” Here, … Continue reading
MICHAEL RAPAPORT THE WAR ON TELEVISION by JAY S. JACOBS Michael Rapaport is one of the best color guys in show business. It’s rare that he gets the lead role, but when a director needs a legitimate, colorful, smart working-class guy for the second or third role, they dial up Rapaport. He has been the … Continue reading
EVAN RACHEL WOOD GETS PERSUASIVE By Brad Balfour With two remarkable cinematic performances under her belt, teen actress Evan Rachel Wood has successfully avoided doing the clichéd Hollywood chick flick routine. InThirteen the Southern born Wood gave us a thoroughly authentic look at the travails of a modern suburban teen but through Pretty Persuasion she gets really tested having to create Kimberly Joyce, … Continue reading
Fat Albert & the Cosby Kids The Original Animated Series – Volume 1 (Urban Works-2005) Hey! Hey! Hey! It’s Fat Albert! And it’s about time. Forget the recent lame Fat Albert feature film, a new 3-DVD collection, Fat Albert & The Cosby Kids – The Original Animated Series (Urban Works) is just the primer you need to enjoy the comical exploits of this … Continue reading
Disneyland U.S.A. Walt Disney Treasures (Disney-2001) The Disney Company, in all its market-hogging magic, can trace its TV legacy back to the medium’s inception, in 1954. It was that year in which the fledgling, struggling ABC network invested millions of dollars in the construction of the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California. In return, Walt … Continue reading
The Office Season One – 2004 (Universal Home Video-2005) In most cases, television never gets the office environment right, and most real-life office slaves – who watch TV precisely to escape their pointless daytime duties – don’t seem motivated enough to write angry letters about the infuriatingly glaring inaccuracies. Office comedies are usually put together … Continue reading
