Premiering in April 1987, Married With Children became a staple of the growing Fox Network’s original prime time programming, paving the way for further original creations such as The Simpsons. The total opposite of what a TV family should be, the original working title for the show was Not The Cosbys (a reference to the perfect family atmosphere of the popular 80’s sitcom The Cosby Show). Paving the way for ABC’s Roseanne, Married With Children more than lived up to its work…
North And South (DVD) Review
Based on the best-selling novels by John Jakes, North And South premiered as a highly celebrated and critically acclaimed television series in 1985. In the spirit of Gone With The Wind, the novels cover 19th Century America before, during, and after the Civil War. As with the Margaret Mitchell classic, Jakes creates a larger-than-life cast of characters to tell his story of struggle between a Union of States divided on the issues of human bondage and states rights, loyalty t…
Scrubs (DVD) Review
Nominated for 9 Emmys and 2 Golden Globes, Scrubs premiered in Fall 2001 to moderate fanfare and a respectable Nielsen rating of #34. And although the series has yet to achieve blockbuster ratings, it has managed to build a loyal fan base devoted to its unique brand of humor and quirky characters. Created by Bill Lawrence (creator of Spin City), Scrubs is a spoof on the dearth of hospital dramas that have cropped up since ER popularized the genre. In a sense, its what Greys…
Smallville (DVD) Review
Leaping onto the television landscape in Fall 2001, Smallville follows the exploits of a young Clark Kent in the years leading up to his emergence as the beloved Superman. Following a slew of TV renditions of the character’s life since the comic book first appeared, Smallville sets itself apart by focusing on the lesser discussed niche of Clark’s earliest developmental days. Superb casting and consistent writing have combined to make Smallville one of the more popular shows o…
Star Trek (Season 3) DVD Review
Winner of countless awards and unsurpassed audience devotion, the original Star Trek TV series follows the adventures of the crew aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise as they boldly go where no man has gone before Led by Captain Kirk (William Shatner), an astronaut who displays the character traits necessary for the Earth missions survival, the Enterprise crew includes Lt. Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy), a retired commander and Vulcan theoretical scientist; chief medical officer…
The Dukes Of Hazzard (DVD) Review
In the late 70’s and early 80’s, television viewers fell in love with The Dukes of Hazzard, a weekly foray into the fictional setting of Hazzard County, Georgia. Cousins Bo and Luke Duke (John Schneider and Tom Wopat) spent each episode trying to do good, while the loveable Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) concocted various schemes for making money and having the Duke boys, who always foiled his plans, thrown in jail for violating their probation (the result of a deal with the fed…
Another bullet in the cake?
Investigative reporter Donal MacIntyre explores the disturbing rise of the racist and anti-semitic music industry across North America and Europe. MacIntyre discovers ‘hate rock’ music is attracting young people and has ties to ultra right wing movements.”
This is Viking’s review of the documentary.
Coach (DVD) Review
Nominated for 16 Emmys and 4 Golden Globes, Coach delighted fans of all ages during its celebrated nine-season run. One of the most underrated sitcoms of its era, the series covers the exploits of fictional Minnesota State Screaming Eagles college football coach Hayden Fox (Craig T. Nelson), the quintessential male chauvinist pig. But unlike many of his politically-incorrect brethren, Hayden has a heart of gold. Its this softer side that appeals to successful anchorwoman and…
Dawson’s Creek (Season 2) DVD Review
Dawson’s Creek revolves around the lives of a handful of teenagers as they struggle through the awkward and volatile years of adolescence. Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek) is the show’s main character, an introspective and optimistic dreamer who lives around the corner from his lifelong best friend Josephine “Joey” Potter (Katie Holmes). Joey is a tomboy still unaware of how beautifully she has developed into adulthood. The two are friends with Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson),…
Felicity (DVD) Review
Nominated for 2 Emmys and 2 Golden Globes, including Best TV Series – Drama, Felicity gathered a large cult following in its short four season stint. Premiering on the WB network in September 1998, the show (along with Dawson’s Creek) helped ignite a firestorm of highly successful original series on behalf of the upstart network, with such hit shows as Angel (1999), Gilmore Girls (2000), and Smallville (2001). The brainchild of writer J.J. Abrams (creator of the two hit serie…
Friends (Season 8) DVD Review
One of the top television comedy series of its time, Friends follows the lives of six friends in their mid-twenties – Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), and Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry). The six friends often spend their days in the “Central Perk” coffee house or an apartment rented by one of them. Together, they form a dynamic comic team that will keep you …
Hunter (Season 2) DVD Review
Recipient of 3 Emmy nominations, Hunter is widely considered one of the premiere action/detective dramas of its time. Much like Tom Selleck’s Magnum, P.I., Fred Dryer’s Hunter had a knack for attracting a TV audience to his unique persona, an onscreen charisma that carried an otherwise so-so series through a nine-season run. Created by Frank Lupo, brains behind the smash hit The A-Team (1982) and writer for the hit series Battlestar Galactica (1978), Magnum, P.I. (1980), and …