Benjamonster's TV

On Thursdays, I take a detailed and critical look at a TV show. This year, I will be splitting full seasons into two posts so today I am looking at the second half of Season 2 of  Get Smart ! For the first half,  click here ! 46. It Takes One to Know One (1/7/67) When the number two agents keep getting killed, CONTROL installs Hymie as number two unaware that the KAOS agent is also a robot. What's worse than an episode with one robot? An episode with two robots. I have already mentioned by dislike for Hymie and it stems from my dislike for robot stories in general. On top of that, there's no Barbara Feldon so the whole episode feels a little bit off. I think the Hymie plots were something that the creators enjoyed a whole lot more than the viewers, but maybe that's just me. Maybe if I wasn't such a hater of robots, I would find this premise clever RATING: 2/10 47. Someone Down Here Hates Me (1/14/67) KAOS puts a reward on killing Max and creates other incentives to make...

On Wednesdays, I take a look at a series that lasted one season or less. Here is a look at Living Dolls ! LIVING DOLLS September 26, 1989 - December 30, 1989 12 episodes ABC Starring: Michael Learned, Leah Remini, Alison Elliott, Halle Berry, Deborah Tucker and David Moscow Created by: Ross Brown Plot: A spinoff of Who's the Boss? , this series centers on aspiring models in New York City at an agency run by Trish Carlin (Learned). The models include Charlie (Remini), a friend of Alyssa Milano's character from Boss as well as Caroline, Martha and Emily (Tucker, Elliott & Berry). Rounding out the main cast is Trish's son, Rick (Moscow). 

This week for my Top 10 Tuesday, I am going back in time to the 60s and the Top 10 Petticoat Junction Characters! 10. FLOYD SMOOT There weren't a ton of characters on Petticoat Junction even though some characters were played by multiple actors (more on that below). So Floyd Smoot was not a major character on Petticoat Junction , but he was likable nonetheless as the train conductor of the Cannonball along with Charley Pratt. He was good natured and kind and a good example of how Petticoat was a kindler and gentler show than its louder neighbor, Green Acres (though he did appear on Acres a couple times too). 9. DR. JANET CRAIG June Lockhart was put in an unenviable position on Petticoat Junction. Her character, Dr. Janet Craig, was brought on the show towards the end of its run as a replacement for Kate Bradley after Bea Benaderet's death. By the time she joined, the show was already tired plus Kate was such a force that the show felt pretty empty without her. Janet Craig wasn...

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Thursdays in the 1990-91 season! ABC 8:00 9:00 10:00 Sep Father Dowling Mysteries Gabriel’s Fire Primetime Live Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr Twin Peaks May Various Programs ABC had a pretty steady Thursday night lineup in 1990-91. At 8pm was the third season of Father Dowling Mysteries (and second on ABC). The gentle Tom Bosley drama aired at 8pm the whole season but was not renewed for a fourth season. The show was moving more from "case of the week" style to more theologically themed episodes and that change did not help matters. At 9pm was Gabriel's Fire , a new drama starring James Earl Jones as a former Chicago police officer who had been wrongly imprisoned. The series was notable for bringing...

Here's a look at the Top 5 TV news stories of the week! #1 - EMMY AWARDS RECAP The 73rd Annual Emmy Awards were held on Sunday nights and the wins were not very surprising but still deserving with Ted Lasso, The Crown and The Queen's Gambit  taking the top prizes in comedy, drama and limited series respectively. They were uneventful wins but those were also the winners in my personal awards so it was well deserved. In Drama,  The Crown completed a complete Schitt's Creek style sweep including surprise wins for Tobias Menzies (over the late Michael K. Williams) for Supporting Actor and Olivia Colman (instead of co-star Emma Corrin) for Lead Actress. In comedy,  Hacks was a threat to Ted Lasso with the expected win for Jean Smart for Lead Actress but also wins for Writing and Directing. The Limited Series genre had more spreading out of awards as Mare of Easttown took three of the four acting awards, Ewan MacGregor was a surprise winner for Lead Actor for  Halston and ...

On Thursdays, I take a detailed and critical look at a TV show. This year, I will be splitting full seasons into two posts so today I am looking at the first half of Season 2 of  Get Smart ! GET SMART: SEASON TWO 1966-1967 30 episodes Season Two of  Get Smart  is a significant improvement on Season One as the show is much more sure of itself and comfortable in being the parody spy show it strives to be. It also introduces one of the more popular characters, Siegfried, played by Bernie Kopell. I have some mixed opinions on Siegfried as you will read in this season and future seasons, but he is a fan favorite. For a second straight season, the series was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the Emmys but this season also produced the first win for Don Adams. Starring Don Adams as Maxwell Smart  (30 episodes) Barbara Feldon as Agent 99  (26 episodes) Edward Platt as The Chief  (29 episodes) Robert Karvelas as Larabee  (20 episodes) David Ketchum as ...

On Wednesdays, I take a look at a series that lasted one season or less. Here is a look at  Cop Rock ! COP ROCK September 26, 1990 - December 26, 1990 11 episodes ABC Starring: Anne Bobby, Barbara Bosson, David Gianopoulos, Larry Joshua, James McDaniel, Ron McLarty, Mick Murray, Peter Onorati and Ronny Cox Created by: Steven Bochco & William M. Finkelstein Plot: It was basically Hill Street Blues: The Musical (incidentally, that concept was what inspired this show). A gritty cop drama peppered with musical numbers. The series was set in Los Angeles and centered on a police station led by Chief Roger Kendrick (Cox). The rest of the cast made up the musically inclined detectives and officers within the precinct while they all had to deal with Mayor Louise Plank (Bosson).

On Tuesdays, I do a Top 10 list. This season, I am doing Top 10 characters from various TV shows. With the launch of the reboot series this week on ABC, I am counting down the Top 10 The Wonder Years Characters ! Close Calls: Grandpa Arnold, Mr. Collins, Doug Porter, Mr. Diperna, Miss White 10. LINDA SLOAN Linda Sloan was a character in only one episode of The Wonder Years but she made enough of an impression to land at #10 on my list. She was Kevin's lab partner who had a secret crush on him but he was too blinded by a more conventionally beautiful girl to realize the best person for him was right next to him. Kevin's plan backfired on him and we never saw Linda again, but I really wish we had. Her portrayer, Maia Brewton, had a great energy and chemistry with Fred Savage. 9. BECKY SLATER Kevin's greatest nemesis - Becky Slater - appeared on and off throughout the first couple seasons of The Wonder Years . Played by Danica McKellar's real life sister, Crystal, Becky wa...

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Wednesdays in the 1990-91 season! ABC 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 Sep The Wonder Years Growing Pains Doogie Howser M.D. Married People Cop Rock Oct Nov Dec Jan Equal Justice Feb Anything But Love Mar Apr Gabriel’s Fire May American Detective Wednesday nights on ABC in 1990-91 was the home of one of TV's most notorious flop. But more on that in a little bit. First up was a comedy block. The Wonder Years entered its fourth season. The series had gone from Tuesdays to Wednesdays then back to Tuesdays and now was back on Wednesdays in the lead-off slot. At 8:30pm was Growing Pains , sliding back half an hour. Both shows were solid performers but not runaway hi...

Here's a look at the Top 5 TV news stories this week! #1 - EMMYS ARE THIS SUNDAY! This Sunday is the Emmy Awards! It looks to be a big night for The Crown and Ted Lasso while the Limited Series categories are the most interesting to watch. Here are my predictions for the major awards! Outstanding Drama Series Will/Should Win: The Crown Should Have Been Nominated: For All Mankind Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Will/Should Win: Emma Corrin, The Crown Should Have Been Nominated: Elarica Johnson, P-Valley Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Will/Should Win: Billy Porter, Pose Should Have Been Nominated: Nicco Annan, P-Valley Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Will/Should Win: Gillian Anderson, The Crown Should Have Been Nominated: Susan Kelechi Watson, This is Us Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Will Win: Michael K. Williams, Lovecraft Country Should Win: O-T Fagbenle, The Handmaid's Tale (I didn't see much of Williams in Lovecraft c...

On Thursdays, I take a detailed and critical look at a TV show. This year, I will be splitting full seasons into two posts so today I am looking at the second half of Season 1 of  Get Smart ! Here is a look at  Part 1 ! GET SMART: SEASON ONE 1965-1966 30 episodes 16. Double Agent (1/8/66) Max pretends to turn on 99 and join KAOS without letting her in on a master plan. However, his first KAOS assignment is to kill her. Just like the episode "My Nephew the Spy," this episode takes too long to get going into its main plot. The actual plot is a pretty clever one with Max acting as a double agent even to 99. But the episode takes forever to get to the main plot and unlike "My Nephew the Spy," it's not even that great once it gets to the main plot. While 60s sitcoms can benefit from having more thorough stories than today's sitcoms with their A, B and C plots, this can be the downside. There just apparently wasn't enough plot to make it a 25 minute episode. R...

On Wednesdays, I take a look at a series that lasted one season or less. Here is a look at Uncle Buck ! UNCLE BUCK Programming Details: September 10, 1990 - March 9, 1991 16 episodes CBS Starring: Kevin Meaney, Dah-ve Chodan, Jacob Gelman, Sarah Martineck Developed for Television by: Tim O'Donnell Plot: Based on the 1989 film of the same name, Buck (Meaney) is a slob and traditional "guy's guy" who is forced into a caretaker role for his nieces Tia and Maizy (Chodan & Martineck) and nephew Miles (Gelman) after his brother and sister-in-law are killed in a car accident.

On Tuesdays, I do a Top 10 list. This season, I am doing Top 10 characters from various TV shows. With the Emmys coming up this Sunday, I am looking at last year's Emmy darling with the Top 10 Schitt's Creek Characters ! 10. RONNIE LEE Ronnie is an underrated character in Schitt's Creek . She's always ready with a sarcastic comment or an eyeroll when one of the more outrageous characters does something more, well, outrageous. But she also became a more developed character as the series went along. We started to see that there was more to her than just a sarcastic quip and she had some deeper qualities. I would have liked to see the show go a step further and maybe even put her in the center of an episode or two but oh well. 9. TWYLA SANDS It took me much longer than it should have to realized Twyla was played by a member of the Levy family. She was never given a ton of things to do, but she made the most of them with a sweet spirit and a couple surprising moments (espec...

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Tuesdays in the 1990-91 season! ABC 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 Sep Who’s the Boss? Head of the Class Roseanne Coach Thirtysomething Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Davis Rules Mar Eddie Dodd Apr Baby Talk Stat Thirtysomething May ABC had a lot of strong pieces returning to its Tuesday lineup for 1990-91. Roseanne had tied for the #1 show on TV the previous season and though it slipped to #3 this season, it was still a dominant presence. It started to be more divisive though especially after Roseanne Barr's mangling of the national anthem at a Padres game in the Summer of 1990. Leading off the night yet again was Who's the Boss? . The show made a classic ...

Here's a look at the Top 5 TV news stories this week! #1 - R.I.P. MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS The TV world was stunned this week with the passing of Emmy nominee Michael K. Williams at the age of 54. Williams was perhaps best known for an acclaimed role on a show that never broke into the Emmys - The Wire . He was an HBO darling who also earned acclaim during his time on Boardwalk Empire and received Emmy nominations for TV movies and limited series The Night Of, Bessie and When They See Us as well as the documentary series  Vice . He is considered the frontrunner to win Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Lovecraft Country this year. Voting closed shortly before his death so the vote won't be impacted by that but he still has a strong possibility of winning. I was not too familiar with Williams' work as The Wire and Boardwalk Empire remain on my "to-watch" list and I couldn't get into Lovecraft Country , but the outpouring of love from co-stars and critics is a te...

On Thursdays, I take a detailed and critical look at a TV show. This year, I will be splitting full seasons into two posts so today I am looking at the first half of Season 1 of Get Smart ! GET SMART: SEASON ONE 1965-1966 30 episodes Get Smart  launched in 1965 amidst a slew of silly fantasy sitcoms. In the midst of the Cold War and escalating tensions, it was something different. Sure it looks maybe a lot like a silly 60s sitcom now but it was something a little bit sharper and a little bit more satirical and that's why it earned so much critical acclaim. The first season, while being something different at the time, is not  Get Smart 's finest season. It's still finding its way and the balance between being a spy show and a sitcom. There are signs of things to come but a lot of the episodes in season one fall flat. Starring Don Adams as Maxwell Smart  (30 episodes) Barbara Feldon as Agent 99  (28 episodes) Edward Platt as The Chief  (29 episodes) Robert Karvel...

On Wednesdays, I take a look at a series that lasted one season or less. Here is a look at Ferris Bueller ! FERRIS BUELLER Programming Details: August 23, 1990 - August 11, 1991 13 episodes NBC Starring: Charlie Schlatter, Richard Riehle, Sam Freed, Jennifer Aniston, Ami Dolenz, Brandon Douglas, Judith Kahan, Cristine Rose Developed by: John Masius Plot: Based on the hit 1986 movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off , Ferris Bueller (Schlatter) is a popular and charismatic and sometimes troublemaker Santa Monica high school student who frequently talks to the camera. He navigates life with his neurotic best friend, Cameron (Douglas) while chasing his crush, Sloan (Dolenz). He also has to deal with his parents (Rose and Freed) and older sister (Aniston) as well as his main adversary, Principal Ed Rooney (Riehle).

On Tuesdays, I do a Top 10 list. This season, I am doing Top 10 characters from various TV shows. My Top 10 this week, in honor of the beginning of football, is Top 10 Friday Night Lights Characters! Friday Night Lights has an incredibly deep ensemble so there are also several close calls and there could have been more. There won't be this many every week! Close Calls: Smash Williams, Becky Sproles, Luke Cafferty, Joe McCoy, Billy Riggins 10. JULIE TAYLOR This was a very tough list and I was very tempted to put several of the close calls on this list at #10 over Julie because I grew to not like Julie much as a character in the final season. But she is an essential member of the Taylor family and drives so many interesting stories in the first couple seasons. There was an inherent sweetness in the young love between Julie and Matt and her dynamics with her two parents felt very real and earned. 9. LORRAINE SARACEN Matt Saracen's sweet and forgetful grandmother is one of the best...

Welcome back to a new season on my blog! Look for posts every weekday! On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Mondays in the 1990-91 season! ABC 8:00 9:00 10:00 Sep MacGyver Monday Night Football Oct Nov Dec Jan Monday Night Movie Feb Mar Apr May ABC had briefly tried to do something different on Mondays in 1989-90 but for 1990-91, it was back to normal with MacGyver leading off the night and Monday Night Football in the fall followed by a movie in the spring. Monday Night Football continued to be a strong ratings performer while MacGyver and the movie were more modest ones.