Benjamonster's TV

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Sundays in the 1997-98 season! ABC 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 Sep The Wonderful World of Disney Sunday Night Movie Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May ABC revamped their Sunday nights for the 1997-98 season with America's Funniest Home Videos taking a break after going from one of TV's top rated shows to an afterthought. With Disney purchasing ABC, the time was right for the return of The Wonderful World of Disney . The franchise had aired in one form or another, sometimes under different names and across all big three networks, since the 1950s. It had not aired as a regular weekly event since The Magical World of Disney left the NBC airwaves in 1990. ABC got off to a big start with the network television premiere of Toy Story an...

Here's a look at the Top 5 TV news stories this week! #1 - "SUCCESSION" TO END WITH SEASON FOUR The adventures of the Roy family will come to an end sooner than most fans wanted. Jesse Armstrong, creator of HBO's award winning drama Succession , announced that the upcoming fourth season (debuting March 26) will be the last for the series. Although Armstrong and the cast have consistently said that they didn't see the show lasting for years and years, most assumed the show would go at least one more season beyond the upcoming fourth season but that won't happen. The series, which won Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys in 2020 and 2022, seems likely to be another frontrunner for the Emmys this year despite competition from HBO's own The White Lotus, The Last of Us and House of the Dragon among other dramas like AMC's Better Call Saul, Netflix's The Crown and Showtime's Yellowjackets . I will be sad to see the Roy story come to an end, but I...

Back in the mid-1990s, Nick at Nite ran a programming block on the weekends called "Very Very Nick at Nite," which looked at four episodes with a similar theme. Now I will look at four sitcom episodes from across the decades that have a similar plot or theme. This week's topic is  Very Very High Society! This Week's Episodes Happy Days #98 "My Fair Fonzie" (First Aired: November 22, 1977) Fonzie is interested in a snobby woman and she schemes with her cousin to embarrass him at the country club. I liked this episode of Happy Days because it put Fonzie in a little bit of a defensive and vulnerable position as opposed to the usual strategy of him saving the day. The show does a good job of keeping Fonzie out of the loop longer than normal to the point that it feels almost a little sad when he's at the party (even if the jokes are pretty predictable and repetitive). It actually elevates Fonzie's eventual heroics though Fonzie is a little more oblivious ...

On Wednesdays, I take a look at a show that lasted one season or less. Here's a look at 1997's Total Security ! TOTAL SECURITY September 27, 1997 - November 8, 1997 6 episodes ABC Starring: James Remar, James Belushi, Debrah Farentino, Tracey Needham, Bill Brochtrup, Flex, Kristin Bauer, Tony Plana Created by: Steven Bochco & David Milch & Charles H. Eglee & Theresa Rebeck Plot: The inner workings of a high tech Los Angeles security firm. The firm is run by Frank Cisco (Remar) who hires private investigator Steve Wegman (Belushi) to join his team. The rest of the cast make up the rest of the security team. Brief Pilot Review: This pilot had all the trappings of a 1990s-era ensemble drama in the vein of hits like NYPD Blue (from the same creators), ER, Chicago Hope and others. The best thing about it was it felt a little bit different because of the setting. This wasn't the usual cops or doctors or lawyers ensemble. There was a law enforcement aspect but it was d...

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Saturdays in the 1997-98 season! ABC 8:00 9:00 10:00 Sep C-16 Total Security The Practice Oct Nov Dec Various Programs Jan Nothing Sacred Cracker ABC News Saturday Night Feb Saturday Night Movie Mar Various Programs Nothing Sacred Apr Saturday Night Movie May Despite many failed lineups on the night for years, ABC was at it again for 1997-98 with a trio of dramas to compete with CBS's winning lineup of dramas and NBC's "Thrillogy." Leading off at 8pm was C-16 , a new drama about a special unit of the FBI. The cast included a lot of solid names including Eric Roberts, Angie Harmon, D.B. Sweeney and Morris Chestnut. It was followed by anothe...

Here's a look at the Top 5 TV news stories of the week! #1 - RYAN SEACREST LEAVING "LIVE" Surprising news arrived on Thursday morning that Ryan Seacrest is leaving Live! after six seasons. The longtime American Idol host will depart this spring when Idol switches to live shows in Los Angeles ( Live! tapes in New York City). Seacrest has been co-hosting the morning show with Kelly Ripa since Michael Strahan's surprising departure (and subsequent drama with Ripa). Of course, before Strahan it was Regis Philbin and before Ripa, it was Kathie Lee Gifford so there have been a lot of incarnations of the show that started as Live with Regis and Kathie Lee . The next co-host will be Ripa's husband, soap and Riverdale  star and frequent guest co-host Mark Consuelos. The show will be rebranded Live with Kelly and Mark  and it seems like this could be the final destination for Ripa's revolving door of co-hosts. I have to think the real life couple will stay on the show f...

Back in the mid-1990s, Nick at Nite ran a programming block on the weekends called "Very Very Nick at Nite," which looked at four episodes with a similar theme. Now I will look at four sitcom episodes from across the decades that have a similar plot or theme. This week's topic is  Very Very Matchmaking! This Week's Episodes I Love Lucy #62 "Lucy is a Matchmaker" (First Aired: May 25, 1953) Lucy and Ethel set up their friend, Sylvia, with an eligible bachelor who is a friend of Fred's but Eddie thinks Lucy wants to date him. I've always thought this is an underrated episode of I Love Lucy . For one, it is one of the racier episodes of the show (racy for 1953 TV I mean). But more importantly, it really kicks into high gear when they get down to the hotel. The unique setting and madcap situations along with a strong guest turn by Hal March, makes the second half of the episode really strong. Even before the hotel scene, the writing sets up everything re...