Monk Season One (Universal-2004) Description: Tony Shalhoub plays Adrian Monk, “the defective detective.” He is a brilliant sleuth; however he also is obsessive-compulsive, germ-phobic, afraid of heights and afraid of crowds. The San Francisco police use him because of his skill as a crime-solver, but he makes everyone around him crazy. Particularly Sharona (Bitty Schramm), … Continue reading
Punky Brewster Season One 1984-1985 (Shout! Factory-2004) Description: When I was younger and Punky Brewster was on its first run, I didn’t like this show. I found its star, the perky little moppet Soleil Moon Frye, rather annoying. However, in the years since, I have actually become a fan of Soleil’s adult work as an actress, in … Continue reading
RICHARD PRICE BETTER THAN FICTION BY RONALD SKLAR If Richard Price’s life story were made into a movie, you would accuse the joint of being too far-fetched. But, as the old cliché goes, truth is stranger than fiction. Price came up in a Bronx housing project, but his gift for writing gained him entrance into the … Continue reading
Freaks and Geeks The Complete Series (Shout! Factory-2004) Description: Freaks and Geeks started out as an above average cop on The Wonder Years formula. (Why isn’t that great show on DVD yet, particularly its perfect first few seasons?) It didn’t quite get a whole season on NBC (1999-2000). However, this little show about growing up in the early 1980s … Continue reading
Toby Lightman Devils and an Angel by Jay S. Jacobs The music biz is always hungrily searching for the next big thing. They’re trying to find an artist that has the talent and the vibe and the chops to make a huge splash in the choppy waters of popular culture. It should be someone who has … Continue reading
joe mantegna one of us by jay s. jacobs When Joe Mantegna was a student at the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago, he would to pick up a play and turn the page that listed the original cast. It always fascinated him. Who originated these roles? What did they do later? Did they become a star … Continue reading
Barney Miller The First Season – 1975 (Columbia Tri-Star-2004) In 1975, New York City was on the verge of financial and moral ruin. Criminals ran rampant in the streets and terrorized the weary riders of the graffiti-drenched subways. Times Square was bursting with X-rated peep shows and drug-addicted hustlers. The city’s plea for Federal help resulted … Continue reading
The Ed Sullivan Show Rock ‘n’ Roll Classics (Rhino-2002) Your tolerance of the variety show format is equally proportional to the amount of hours you’ve viewed MTV since 1981. More than two decades have passed since the rest of television adapted to the now-taken-for-granted style of the quick-edited, odd-camera-angled, sound-bit, irony-heavy entertainment presentation. You are … Continue reading
James Pickens, Jr. Into The Lyon’s Den by Jay S. Jacobs Every year, TV Guide does a special issue called “The Best Show You’re Not Watching.” In it, they champion a TV series that has fine acting, excellent writing and good production values, but somehow has not seemed to attract a huge audience. Sometimes the honor has … Continue reading
Tom Verica American Dad by Ronald Sklar Tom Verica stars as family patriarch Jack Pryor on the NBC sleeper hit American Dreams. The role calls for the strong silent type: a challenge which is not always as appreciated as it should be in a medium that often displays the dad as the house fool. Here, Verica … Continue reading
