THE TKTV NEWSLETTER
Season 3, Episode 29 aired October 16, 2000

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

1. Intro

Still so many new shows to talk about...

"The Fugitive" Drama, CBS, 8pm, Fridays
I like it. I'll admit, I missed the original, so I can't compare it, but comparison aside I'm really enjoying this version. Kelly Rutherford was beautifully cast as the dead Mrs. Kimble in the pilot. And Tim Daly, in the title role of Dr. Richard Kimble, is really very good. Then again, I wasn't a "Wings" watcher, so it might be easier for me to adjust to him in this role. This show does, however, make me miss "The Pretender" all that much more.

"Nikki" Comedy, WB, 9:30pm Sundays
From the promos, I thought this sitcom was going to be stupidest new show on the air this season. After watching two episodes, I can say that I was pleasantly surprised. However, the only reason I was pleasantly surprised is because I was expecting the worst. The show is full of bad jokes and mediocre acting. The concept of a couple struggling to fulfill their dreams in Las Vegas (as a dancer and a professional wrestler, respectively) is a weird one, at best. The only thing I really like about this show is the silly flashy dance numbers and the fact that they've managed to make the characters fairly endearing.

"The Hype" Sketch comedy, WB, 9pm Sundays
This is the stupidest new show on the air this season.

"Madigan Men" Comedy, ABC, 9:30pm Fridays
Gabriel Byrne in a comedy! He's good, and Roy Dotrice is fabulous as his grumpy father, Seamus. John Hensley is cute as the seventeen-year-old son, Luke. The show is full of good one-liners, but the show stealers are really Seamus's old Irish sayings. This isn't a brilliant comedy, but I think it's a good solid addition to the genre, and I look forward to more episodes. Too bad it's stuck on Fridays....

"Deadline" Drama, NBC, 9pm Mondays
Well, it's from the creator of "Law & Order," and it's very recognizable as such. This show will fit right in to the NBC drama lineup. Those who catch an episode and don't know what they're watching will assume it's been on NBC for years and that they've seen it somewhere before. The all-star cast, including Oliver Platt, Bebe Neuwirth and Lili Taylor, is amazing, and I can't wait to see how they're used in the future.

"The Geena Davis Show" Comedy, ABC, 8:30pm Tuesdays
Why is her name Teddie? Why is she so painfully stupid? Why is there so much laugh track? Who thought Geena Davis should have her own comedy? Why did Peter Horton think he should be in this show? Why is John Daley on this show instead of in "Freaks and Geeks?" Blech.

"Bette" Comedy, CBS, 8pm Wednesdays
It's fun to see someone spoofing themselves (like Jennifer Grey in "It's Like, You Know..."), but a show needs more than just that. Bette is missing something. Much like Michael J. Fox (in my opinion, one of the greatest sitcom actors in history because of his brilliant comedic timing) didn't really belong on the big screen, Bette Midler doesn't really belong on the small screen. This show is funny, and will be great fodder for super guest stars, but I wasn't overly impressed.

"Welcome to New York" Comedy, CBS, 8:30pm Wednesdays
I'm not a big Christine Baranski fan, and I've never heard of Jim Gaffigan, so I didn't think much of this show when the promos started. It turns out to be very likable. Baranski and Gaffigan are the perfect counterparts, one as the world-weary New Yorker, and the other as the naive mid-western new guy. This show does for New York what "It's Like, You Know..." wanted to do for L.A.: it makes the city itself the funniest character in the show. And the timing that Bette is missing? This show has it. I'm not really sure what Sara Gilbert is doing here, but hopefully her role will get better as the show continues.

And some more on new shows that I talked about last week:

Why does Yasmine Bleeth ("Titans") look so strange? Rumor has it she got a nose job, but it looks to me like somebody just smooshed her face. She looked much better before....

For those of you that thought I had a cut'n'paste error in my bit about "Yes, Dear" last week, I just wanted to let you know that all the repetitiveness was intentional. A friend of mine thought I was just having typing problems, but I assured him that, in fact, "Yes, Dear" and "Baby Blues" are actually that similar.

"The District" got even preachier in its second episode. It's now actually making me kinda mad, taking serious issues about crime, family, gun-control, politics, and relationships and boiling them down to simplistic solution scenarios that "7th Heaven" viewers will recognize.

I'm liking "CSI" more and more. William Peterson is very likable as Gil Grissom, and some of the cinematography (while at times a little gross) is really cool.

Some regular cast additions I'm happy to see:

Saverio Guerra (Bob) on "Becker."
Emma Caulfield (Anya) on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
Faith Ford (Shelly) on "Norm."
Diane Delano (Bobbi Glass) on "Popular."
Jason Kravits (Richard Bay) on "The Practice."

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2. Letters from the viewing audience

From Lelah:
I, too, hope "Gilmore Girls" finds an audience and stays around for a while. I hadn't even heard of it, and it was great. I'm so glad the whole "M.Y.O.B." thing got tweaked and reworked with a more likeable daughter character. Lauren Graham has much better chemistry with Alexis Bledel than she ever had with Katharine Towne (Riley on "M.Y.O.B."). It's already hard enough having "Charmed" on opposite "Will and Grace". Now "Gilmore Girls" is going to be giving the remote a workout. Either that or I'll have to figure out how to program the VCR. Why do my four favorite shows have to be on at practically the same time?
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. Kim's Commercial Comments

What is it about television that allows its characters and topics to work its way into our everyday lives? We generalize it and call these things "Pop Culture". Sometimes it's an expression ("master of my domain", "is that your final answer"), others times it's a particular fashion or hairstyle (Farrah's "wings"), and others times, it's that character that we just can't stop talking about... Today's example of this type of character isn't really a character at all. He's a real person, though from his daily acts of courage (read "fearless stupidity"), he may not seem so. Who is this icon of pop culture? Steve Irwin, better know as "The Crocodile Hunter."

Irwin's most recent escapade has taken him off the cable lineup and into even more living rooms as he proudly introduces us to the "Fear Snake." The spot is shot in the same jerky, in-his-face style as the television show. As the spot opens we see Irwin from a distance, practically dancing with a very long, very angry-looking snake. "Now this," he informs us, "is the fear snake. The most venemous snake in the world." The camera moves closer and closer and he continues, "One bite from him and it's all over."

Of course, this is just about the time where the snake whips itself around and takes a big, chunky bite out of the Irwin's arm! "Wow!" He puts the snake down (notice I say "puts it down" and not "throws it") and continues "No worries, mate. We've had the anti-venom sent from America by FedEx. In my line of work, if you're not absolutely sure, you're absolutely dead." He's leaning in toward the camera and, believe it or not, still smiling.

Someone steps into the shot to whisper into his ear. "Oh, crud! It appears we've used a different courier who hasn't arrived yet." He winces and tried to go on, "It's okay bec---" He falls over and as we hear him hit the ground, we see a black screen and the FedEx logo appear. Under the logo, the company's slogan "Be absolutely sure."

All in all, this is a very effective commercial. It capitalizes on the celebrity of the Crocodile Hunter AND leaves him in a familiar setting... something most celebrity endorsements don't do. Most of the time, we get a face and name we recognize followed by their dissertation on why we should use/buy product XYZ. This spot, on the other hand, immediately draws us in by giving us both a person and a scene we recognize. It's smart and laugh-out-loud funny! Once again, FedEx has managed to give us an ad we can be absolutely sure of.

You can view this commercial and many, many more at http://www.adcritic.com

Have a great week everybody!

Kim wants to hear YOUR comments! Do you agree with her? Disagree? Do you want to point out a great (or horrible) commercial that she should review. Write to Kim at kim@tktv.net.

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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: what actress not only is a regular cast member of ABC's "Once & Again," but is also the Borg Queen on "Star Trek: Voyager?"

First prize goes to Amy S. Congratulations!

Honorable mentions go to Joanna L. and Allan J.

The correct answer was Susanna Thompson.

This week's question is: on "Friends," to whom is Joey and Chandler's TV Guide magazine addressed?

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. Ravings of a TV Junkie by Rachel Vagts

Every spring I get very excited as network by network the new schedules and shows are announced. This excitement grows as the new show promos start to crop up all over summer programming. Before "Survivor" this was the only reason to watch summer TV, wasn't it? This year the wait was even longer because of the Olympics. For nearly three weeks NBC taunted me with ads for "Ed", "Titans" and showed the ad for "The West Wing" again and again and again until I swear I could repeat it word for word.

But that isn't the best part about the new season. For me, the best part is finding a show that you didn't necessarily thing you would like and instead be totally stunned by it. This year, that show is "Dark Angel."

I do not like science fiction. I don't like James Cameron. I had to turn the TV off before he won the Oscar for best picture for "Titanic" because he annoyed me so greatly. I didn't watch the pilot when it initially aired opposite last week's debate, but this past Monday I sat down and in the absence of the new night of David E. Kelly, I decided to give "Dark Angel" a whirl.

At first I was reading my magazine, paying some bills, but after a couple of minutes I was hooked. Really hooked. I even called out to my roommate (on the commercial) that she should come in and watch it. It now had my full attention, even to the point that I was distracted when my sister called (long-distance) and lied that I didn't have a recipe because I certainly was not getting off the couch to go look in the cupboard...

So, what makes the show work? Well, the post-modern setting is not so horribly unrecognizable that it still appeals to a non-sci fi person like me. The casting of Jessica Alba (Max) is quite inspired. She has such a unique look and holds her own with the rest of the cast. Of course I remember Michael Weatherly (Logan) from the days of "Loving," but he seems to have a great deal more depth here than he did on the soap. The rest of the supporting cast is very even and balanced. I particularly noticed how diverse they appeared. The other bike messengers that work with Max seem to represent a whole variety of ethnic backgrounds. Vogelsang, the private detective Max has hired, is a good character actor and John Savage as Lydecker looks like he will make a very good villain.

The relationship between Max and Logan may be what drew me in, but I have found the first three hours to be very intriguing. What is going on with this project? What is Max's condition? Where did she come from and where are the other children that she escaped with? I want to know more about her mother. There is her quest along with a Robin Hood-type plot as she tries to help her friends by stealing from those who have more than enough. These two parallel stories work well together.

Finally, the show is so visually appealing. Cameron's big screen antics are transitioning well to the small screen. I loved watching Max fly through the Seattle night sky as she hung onto her guy wire. In the second episode, we see her and Hannah, the woman who rescued her as a child, hanging off a dam. This is television!?! We never see this kind of stuff!

I just hope the quality holds up, but you've done your job, Mr. Cameron. I think I might be hooked.

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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7. Favorite quotes of the week

From Nikki
Dwight: You are not getting my mom drunk, Nikki.
Nikki: Look, when they clean a bear's teeth at the zoo they don't say just hop up in a chair and open wide. They shoot the thing with a dart first.

From Madigan Men
Seamus: Is that what you're wearing to school?
Luke: Yep.
Seamus: Your father used to dress like that... but that's because we were poor.

From Yes, Dear
Greg: Call me old fashioned, but I think a child is too old to breast-feed when he can unhook mommy's bra with one hand.

From Grosse Pointe
Hunter: You guys, the audition was so intense. I was sitting in the waiting room with Lara Flynn, Sarah Jessica, Sarah Michelle, and Jennifer Love. I started worrying that there was a two name minimum.

From The Geena Davis Show
Teddie: I'm the worst step-mom in the world! They're gonna be writing fairy tales about me.

From Bette
Oscar: What on earth are you doing?
Bette on a treadmill: Trying to outrun my ass.

From Welcome to New York
Marsha: That suit is brown.
Jim: I like brown.
Marsha: People in New York don't wear brown. We wear black, and that's only until something darker comes along.

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8. A totally unrelated link

Betty Bowers is a Better Christian Than You

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The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above-average drivers.