THE TKTV NEWSLETTER
Season 3, Episode 14 aired April 3, 2000

CONTENTS
1. Intro
2. Letters from the viewing audience
3. It's a Wonderland
     -by guest writer Rachel Vagts
4. Don't miss
5. TV Trivia
6. Favorite quotes of the week
7. A totally unrelated link

1. Intro

I always love it when TV shows are self-referential. This time it was CBS's new sitcom, "Grapevine." Steven Eckholdt, last seen as Robbie on ABC's recently cancelled "It's Like, You Know...," plays David on "Grapevine." In every episode of "It's Like, You Know..." at some point, a character would say the words, "It's like, you know..." So on the March 13th episode of "Grapevine," when David decided to move to L.A., I was very pleased when he said, "I took that job in L.A., 'cause it's like, you know, warm there."

I don't know. It was so subtle it might have been an accident, but since he was moving from Miami, which is just as warm if not warmer than L.A., it did seem like a completely gratuitous line.

And, once again, another Fox show has done a good job of making fun of its own network. It was once a ploy reserved for "The Simpsons," and "Family Guy" has elegantly followed suit, but seldom have I seen better use of it than in last week's episode of "Ally McBeal." Billy, suffering from occasional hallucinations, referenced the Fox show "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire" in court. He then quickly turned to Ally to make sure that the show had actually happened and he hadn't imagined it. The rest of the world only WISHES they imagined it.

Just last newsletter I warned everyone not to get too attached to NBC's new animated comedy, "God, the Devil and Bob." That didn't take long. NBC announced just a few days ago that God is dead... or rather, "God, the Devil and Bob" has been cancelled. The cancellation that DID catch me by surprise was CBS's announcement that "Cosby" is in its last season. Not that the show was getting stellar ratings or anything like that, I just sort of think of Bill Cosby as infallible, so seeing him get cancelled was a bit of shock.

We are, unfortunately, missing Kim's Commercial Comments this week, but lucky for you, Rachel watched the pilot of ABC's new drama "Wonderland" last Thursday, and was so inspired that she had to write a guest article.

There will be no newsletter next week due to a business trip I will be taking. TKTV itself will continue to be updated, however, so don't forget to check the site often and make sure you're not missing any vital TV information. The newsletter will be back April 17th.

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2. Letters from the viewing audience

From Spraguefam:
I had no intention whatsoever of watching "Making the Band," being several decades too old to be a fan of such a band, but I ended up watching it, and I found it enthralling in two ways: one, we got to see how wannabe band members are trained (that vocal coach was TOUGH, and learning those dance steps didn't look so easy either), and two, I became interested with in the boys' personalities, possibly because I have children that age. I did something rare for me: I stopped what I was doing and gave my full attention to the show. I can't wait to see who the final five are.

From Az:
I read that Sports Night might be sold to HBO. I think that's a great idea. It would be so much funnier with curses and naked people. I was highly upset with the Oscars this year. I couldn't believe how long, drawn-out and boring it was. I really think Denzel got robbed and there were no surprises. It was all very predictable and boring. Ally got rid of Billy so fast I didn't even get a chance to watch. The fastest case of a brain tumor death in history. Whatever.

Note from TK: for those who missed this momentous moment in "Ally McBeal" history, Fox will be showing an encore presentation Monday, April 10th.

Letters from the viewing audience are always welcome. Please email any opinions, questions, comments, or random thoughts to TK at tk@tktv.net with the subject of "letters." Letters may be edited for length or content.

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3. It's a Wonderland by Rachel Vagts

I love the one-hour drama format. My favorite shows, they're almost all hour-long dramas. Even my favorite half-hour show (Sports Night) really should be an hour-long drama. This past week, Thursday night...it was like Christmas for me. I saw something incredible. It made my head explode. It was called Wonderland and I'm suddenly really, really glad I have two VCRs.

Wonderland, created by Peter Berg (late of Chicago Hope), is set in a hospital very much like New York City's Bellevue. The action centers on the psychiatrists at the hospital including Michelle Forbes, Martin Donovan and Ted Levine. I'm still at the point in watching the show where I'm not quite sure what each character's name is, but I'm already completely sucked into their lives. I'm on pins and needles waiting to see that happens!

The beauty of the show is that it as moving when it's being quiet as when it's being very intense. In the pilot episode, a man who has just shot up Times Square is brought into the Emergency Room. The story is incredibly intense, with Lyla Garrity (Michelle Forbes) being stabbed in the stomach by a syringe filled with the patient's blood. The drama is increased because Garrity is 5 months pregnant and the syringe has hit the fetus' brain, possibly causing damage.

While that whole story threatens to take over the episode, I was almost moved more by the session going on between Dr. Abe Matthews (Billy Burke) and a man who was admitted after slashing his wrists...very deeply. The patient is overwrought at the thought of his wife leaving him. He would rather be dead than not be with her. Matthews, on the other hand, is so afraid of commitment that he is seeking therapy for it as well as cheating on his girlfriend. The final scene of the show has him picking through the ruins of his apartment that the girlfriend destroyed after she discovered his duplicity.

Facing more than stiff competition from powerhouse drama ER, I hope that ABC will take the time to let the show grow and develop. It's one of those pieces that may not immediately grab you. I liken it very much to two cop shows that I didn't initially get, but are now amongst my all-time favorites, NYPD Blue and Homicide. It has that same in-your-face, jumpy feel to it. I have watched the pilot twice already and still feel like I haven't quite gotten all of its nuances. Of course, not many people want to study their television, so if it will be successful it'll probably end up being watered down for the general viewing audience.

Since the show is based on an actual hospital, Berg has used this to get his cast to understand their characters. He spent 8 months at the hospital doing research and has employed two of its psychiatrists as consultants. Guest stars are required to visit the hospital to understand the complexity of mental health patients and not turn them into caricatures. With all of this groundwork, I'm surprised to see that the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill was so quick to condemn the show, saying that the show depicted people with mental illnesses as "killers, crazies and freaks." I would hope that they would understand that it is more likely to show the viewers that not all mentally ill people are dangerous, raving lunatics. Many are members of our society, functioning the best ways they know how.

I actually think Peter Berg said it best in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. He stated that the personal lives of the doctors would be included because it's hard to wrap up a mental health plot in an hour. As the battle for health insurance to cover mental illness like a physical illness, I think it's important for people to understand that 12 therapy sessions might not cure your problem.

So, bottom line...check this one out and if you have to decide between taping ER or watching it, tape this one, because you're probably going to watch it again!

TKTV is always looking for new guest writers. Do you have an idea for an article? Write to TK with the subject of "guestwriter."

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4. Don't miss

For details and lots more fun TV to look forward to, see
http://www.tktv.net/index.html?/upcoming.html

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5. TV Trivia

Last week's question was: when Jason Wiles ("Third Watch") was on "Beverly Hills 90210," what bad habit did his character fall prey to?

First prize goes to Shauna-Marie! Congratulations!

Honorable mentions (sorry, without prizes, but keep trying) go to Alex H. (formerly Alex B.) and Stefanie M.

The correct answer was, of course, that he had a bad cocaine habit.

This week's question is: what uncredited actor played Death on a recent episode of "Family Guy?"

Don't forget, this trivia quiz is sponsored by myTVshop, where you can get all your favorite TV merchandise.
http://www.mytvshop.com

Send answers to TK at tk@tktv.net with the subject of tvtrivia. Winners will be chosen at random from all the correct answers.

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6. Favorite quotes of the week

From NYPD Blue
Medavoy: "I think we now know more how a male resident of Mars would report his wife missing."

From Wonderland
Wendell: "A is for Addiction, B is for Beta Blockers, C is for Compulsion, D for Delusions, E is for Electro convulsive therapy, F is for Fear, G is for Grandiose Delusions, H is for Hallucinations, Insomnia, Judgement, Klienfelders syndrome, Lithium, Mania, Narcissism, Obsession, Panic Disorder, Quinzipants, Restraints, S is a world to itself with Schizophrenia, Seizures, Sexual dysfunction, Sleep deprivation, Substance abuse, and the big S, Suicide, T is for Tourrette's Syndrome, U is for Ulcers, V is for Violent behavior, W, Withdrawal, X, Xanax, Y is all the yellow-bellied head shrinkers that have pulled and pushed and stalled and stoked me since I was old enough to pee standing up, and Z is for Atlas who along with myself, signed onto the arduous task of supporting the entire planet as punishment for siding with his brother Titans in their war against the Cyclops releasing, thunderbolt releasing, ruler of all gods, Zeus."

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7. A totally unrelated link

Sushi Fortune Telling

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Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, except she did it backwards and in high heels.