Retro Television Review: Homicide: Life On The Street 5.4 “Bad Medicine”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Sundays, I will be reviewing Homicide: Life On The Street, which aired from 1993 to 1999, on NBC!  It  can be viewed on Peacock.

This week, drug lord Luther Mahoney returns.

Episode 5.4 “Bad Medicine”

(Dir by Kenneth Fink, originally aired on October 25th, 1996)

Someone is selling bad heroin in Baltimore.  This episode opens with a montage of dead junkies being discovered.  Detective Munch explains to a uniformed cop why he has to stick around until it’s firmly established that the latest dead junkie died of an overdose and not something like a hit to the back of the head.  Munch says that everything he knows, he learned from his ex-partner.  Hey, Munch, Bolander’s not coming back!  You have to accept it.

Things are looking grim for Giardello’s detectives.  Megan Russert has run off to Europe.  Bolander is retired.  Felton is missing.  Frank is recovering from his stroke and still needs to pass his firearms exam.  And now, Kellerman has been accused of taking bribes while working as an arson investigator.  Kellerman is given desk duty, which means that he can’t help Lewis pursue drug kingpin Luther Mahoney (Erik Todd Dellums).

Mahoney returns in this episode, dragged into the box and accused of murdering a rival dealer.  Mahoney is his usual smug snake self but Lewis and his temporary partner, Narcotics Detective Terri Stivers (Toni Lewis), are convinced that they’ve finally got him where they want him.  First off, there’s a junkie who has been bullied into informing on Luther.  Plus, Luther slips up and reveals that he knew some facts about the murder that were not released to the press.  Is Luther Mahoney going down!?

Well, don’t get too excited.  Ed Danvers informs them that their evidence isn’t enough to get a conviction.  Juries don’t trust junkies.  Luther could have heard the details of the murder on the street.  Everyone knows that Luther is guilty but no one can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.  Luther goes free and the informant ends up dead.

Meanwhile, Frank Pambleton stops taking his medicine so that he can concentrate on passing his firearms exam.  He still fails.  Even though he was able to hit the target, he took too long reloading his gun.  Pembleton starts to take his medicine again.

Finally, Brodie still doesn’t have anywhere to live.  He stayed with Munch for one night and then voluntarily left.  (The reasons why are left ambiguous but it’s suggested that Brodie came across Munch’s private drug stash and freaked out.)  Brodie moves in with Bayliss and quickly makes things awkward by overanalyzing the Mighty Mouse cartoon that Bayliss is watching.  Brodie explains that Mighty Mouse is an agent of chaos and Bayliss looks like he’s already realized this living arrangement is not going to work.

This was a properly cynical episode, one where the main theme seemed to be that our heroes are fighting a losing war.  Giardello is running low on detectives.  Kellerman is put on desk duty because of one weak accusation.  Pembleton has to pass a firearms exam, despite rarely having to draw his gun.  In the end, men like Luther Mahoney walk free while the addicts caught in-between end up dead in the street.

That’s life in Charm City.

Song of the Day: Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Bette Davis was born 108 years ago today.  Today’s song of the day just feels right.

Her hair is Harlow gold
Her lips a sweet surprise
Her hands are never cold
She’s got Bette Davis eyes

She’ll turn her music on you
You won’t have to think twice
She’s pure as New York snow
She got Bette Davis eyes

And she’ll tease you, she’ll unease you
All the better just to please you
She’s precocious, and she knows just what it
Takes to make a pro blush
She got Greta Garbo’s standoff sighs, she’s got Bette Davis eyes

She’ll let you take her home
It whets her appetite
She’ll lay you on a throne
She got Bette Davis eyes

She’ll take a tumble on you
Roll you like you were dice
Until you come out blue
She’s got Bette Davis eyes

She’ll expose you, when she snows you
Offer feed with the crumbs she throws you
She’s ferocious and she knows just what it
Takes to make a pro blush
All the boys think she’s a spy, she’s got Bette Davis eyes

She’ll tease you, she’ll unease you
All the better just to please you
She’s precocious, and she knows just what it
Takes to make a pro blush
All the boys think she’s a spy, she’s got Bette Davis eyes

She’ll tease you
She’ll unease you
Just to please you
She’s got Bette Davis eyes

She’ll expose you
When she snows you
‘Cause she knows you, she’s got Bette Davis Eyes

She’ll tease you

Songwriters: Donna Weiss / Jackie De Shannon

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Roger Corman Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 (or more) Shots From 4 (or more) Films is just what it says it is, 4 (or more) shots from 4 (or more) of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 (or more) Shots From 4 (or more) Films lets the visuals do the talking.

Today would have been the 100th birthday of the legendary filmmaker, Roger Corman!  And that means that it’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 Roger Corman Films

Not Of This Earth (1957, dir by Roger Corman, DP; John J. Mescall)

House of Usher (1960, dir by Roger Corman, DP: Floyd Crosby)

The Masque of the Red Death (1964, dir by Roger Corman, DP: Nicolas Roeg)

The Trip (1967, dir by Roger Corman, DP: Archie Dalzell)

Happy Easter

Posted on by Dazzling Erin

by Erin Nicole

To all who are observing today, Happy Easter!

This picture, a favorite of mine, is from many years ago.  The original photograph was taken behind an abandoned Albertson’s, which has since been torn down and replaced by a Gold’s Gym.  The picture is entitled Faith but it’s not just about religious faith.  It’s about having faith in anything and how that faith can help us both get through the bad times and appreciate the good times.

I hope today is a good one for you.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Saved By The Bell 1.16 “Save That Tiger”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Saturdays, I will be reviewing Saved By The Bell, which ran on NBC from 1989 to 1993.  The entire show is currently streaming on Prime and Tubi!

This week, it’s prank war time!

Episode 1.17 “Save That Tiger”

(Dir by Don Barnhart, originally aired on December 16th, 1989)

Historically, this is an important episode.

This is the episode that establishes that Valley is Bayside’s rival.  It also introduces us to the annual prank war.  It’s the episode in which Jessie (reluctantly) becomes a cheerleader.  This episode establishes that Screech is the dork in the Bayside tiger costume.  This is also the episode in which we first learn that Mr. Belding was a wild man in high school.  His nickname?  Mad Dog!

That said, what most people remember about this episode is “Stinky” Stingwell, the principal of Valley.  Played by veteran comic Ronnie Schell, Mr. Stingwell is a prank war veteran who encourages his students to kidnap Screech and who greets Mr. Belding with a joy buzzer.  Stinky Stingwell is a great character and it’s a shame that he only appeared in one episode.

This episode ends with a cheer competition between Valley, Bayside, and an unnamed school.  Valley attempts to ruin the Bayside cheer by kidnapping Screech and putting a Valley student in the tiger costume.  When Slater and Zack find out, they pour a bunch of fire ants into the costume and this leads to the Bayside Tiger having what appears to be a seizure.  (It’s a good thing that the guy in the costume wasn’t allergic to fire ants because he could have died.  Is that the legacy they want for their prank war?)  Somehow, this leads to Bayside winning the competition.  Even though Mr. Belding said he didn’t want any more pranks, he seems to be okay with them as long as it leads to Bayside winning a trophy.

I decided to get an expert opinion when it came to judging the cheer competition so I forced my sister to watch it with me.  She said Valley should have won and I have to agree.  Their cheer was good without requiring any gimmicks like a spastic tiger.

“We won the prank war,” Zack tells us.

Eh.  Sorry, Zack.  Stinky Stingwell won this round.  TPing the school?  Abducting Screech?  Stealing the costume?  Wrapping up the school’s students in 2-ply toilet paper?  Somehow setting bobby traps in Zack, Slater, and Screech’s lockers?

Valley rules!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 3/29/26 — 4/4/26

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Baywatch (Tubi)

I reviewed Baywatch here.

Decoy (Tubi)

I reviewed Decoy here.

Degrassi: The Next Generation (Tubi)

My review of Degrassi will drop tomorrow.

Freddy’s Nightmares (Tubi)

I reviewed Freddy’s Nightmares here.

Highway to Heaven (Tubi)

I reviewed Highway to Heaven here.

Homicide: Life On The Street (Peacock)

My review of Homicide will drop tomorrow.

It’s The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (Apple TV)

Watching this charming animated special is an Easter tradition that I share with Erin Nicole.  You can read her thoughts here.

The Love Boat (Parmaount+)

I reviewed The Love Boat here.

Nero Wolfe (YouTube)

I watched an episode of this classic detective series on Tuesday.  Maury Chaykin was a great Wolfe and Timothy Hutton was a wonderful Archie Goodwin.  The late James Tolkan also appeared in the episode, wearing an eyepatch.

Saved By The Bell (Tubi)

My review of Saved By The Bell will drop in 30 minutes.

Show Me A Hero (HBO Max)

“….and I’ll show you a tragedy.”  I rewatched this 2015 HBO miniseries on Wednesday.  The miniseries dealt with the fight over low-income housing in Yonkers, New York and it starred Oscar Isaac as Nick Wasicsko, who went from being elected mayor at the age of 28 to committing suicide 6 years later.  Supporting roles were played Catherine Keener, James Beluhsi, Peter Riegert, Jon Bernthal, Winona Ryder, Alfred Molina, and Carla Quevado.  The show was written by David Simon and each episode was directed by Paul Haggis.  Not surprisingly, several actors from The Wire popped up in small roles.

Show Me A Hero really impressed me when it originally aired.  Rewatching it, it still held my attention but I could see that the miniseries was a bit more heavy-handed than I remembered and that Simon and Haggis were clearly more interested in the political storyline than they were in the stories of the people who eventually moved into the new housing developments.  Some of the performances were better than other.  Catherine Keener and Winona Ryder both overacted while, cast as the show’s three mayors, Belushi, Isaac, and Molina all gave strong performances.  Carla Quevado was exceptionally good as Isaac’s wife.

In the end, Show Me A Hero works best as a portrait of an ambitious politician who peaked too young, suffered due to things out of his control, and then spent the rest of his life trying to regain his lost promise.  Some people feel that Nick Wasicsko was a hero.  This miniseries ultimately focuses on the tragedy.

St. Elsewhere (Daily Motion)

I reviewed St. Elsewhere here.

TV 2000 (NightFlight Plus)

Jeff and I watched an episode of this old 80s music program on Friday night.  John Kassir, who played the kicker on 1st and Ten and who would later voice the Crypt Keeper on Tales From the Crypt, was one of the hosts.  He was a bit hyperactive.

 

Retro Television Review: Baywatch 1.18 “Shark Derby”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Saturdays, I will be reviewing Baywatch, which ran on NBC and then in syndication from 1989 to 2001.  The entire show can be viewed on Tubi.

This week, a lifeguard dies!

Episode 1.18 “Shark Derby”

(Dir by Gregory J. Bonann, originally aired on March 2nd, 1990)

Hey, remember Jill?

Jill, played by Shawn Weatherly, was a major character at the start of the season.  She was the tough, seasoned lifeguard who was one of Mitch’s best friends.  She was also Shauni’s mentor.  If Shauni was often silly and superficial, Jill was all business.  She also had a brief flirtation with Trevor, before Trevor vanished from the show.

As the first season progressed, Jill became less and less important.  In this week’s episode, Jill finally gets to do something,  She dies!  She dies after being attacked by a shark who was drawn to the beach by an unethical restaurant owner (Peter Brown) who has been pouring chum into the ocean and who has also placed some sort of transmitter underwater that sends out a high-pitched tone that only sharks can hear.  The restauranter is just doing it to promote his annual shark derby.  However, when one of the sharks attacks a raft full of school children, Jill swims out into the ocean to save them.  And she ends up getting bitten by a shark.  She doesn’t lose any limbs.  In fact, we don’t see any blood at all.  But, at the hospital, it’s announced that Jill has over two hundred sutures.  Yikes!

Despite getting chomped by a shark, it first appears as if Jill will survive.  But towards the end of the episode, even as she’s preparing to leave the hospital, she develops a blood cot that kills her, off-screen.  David Hasselhoff gets to show off his ability to cry onscreen.  To be honest, that’s the main reason this episode works.  We don’t really know enough about Jill to get too emotionally involved in her situation.  But Hasselhoff is so incredibly earnest and sincere in his grief that he gets to you.  Jill must have been someone amazing if the Hoff is crying.

This episode was shameless and emotionally manipulative and it was pure Baywatch.  This episode also featured a record number of slo mo of doom scenes.  The shark attacked in slow motion.  Jill and Craig yelled at people to get out of the water in slow motion.  Is it really slow motion if no one yells?  I’m not sure.

So, Jill is dead.  But the Hoff and the rest are still alive and ready to save swimmers across California.