Retro Television Review: Saved By The Bell: The New Class 2.14 “Farewell Dance”

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 Tuesdays, I will be reviewing Saved By The Bell: The New Class, which ran on NBC from 1993 to 2o00.  The show is currently on Prime.

Yay!  It’s the final country club episode!

Episode 2.14 “Farewell Dance”

(Dir by Don Barnhart, originally aired on October 22nd, 1994)

The summer is coming to an end and so is the gang’s indentured servitude at the Palisades Country Club.  The farewell dance approaches and with it comes the hope of romance and the pain of the heartbreak.

For instance, Bobby pretends to be rich so that snobby club member Michele (Ebonie Smith) will go to the dance with him.  Michele loves it when Bobby talks about how his father is a millionaire who owns a private jet and hangs out with the Queen of England.  But when Lindsay points out that Michele isn’t falling for the real Bobby, Bobby decides to tell Michele the truth.  Michele dumps Bobby and apparently, we’re meant to see Bobby as the victim here.  Bobby shouts that he wouldn’t ever go on a date with a girl who refuses to date poor people.  Uhmm, Bobby, have you considered that maybe she just refuses to date liars?  Anyway, as often happened on any episode where Bobby or Megan even thought about dating anyone who wasn’t listed in the opening credits, Bobby and Megan ended up going to the dance together.

Meanwhile, Screech is upset because Allison is going to be moving to New York to attend Julliard.  Screech announces that he’s going to go to New York with her, even though that means he won’t get his degree.  (Can’t Screech just transfer to a school in New Yor?)  Allison decides that she can’t go to Julliard because it would mean Screech giving up his dreams.  (“You have a future with Mr. Belding and Bayside,” Allison tells him.  Uhmm ….. what?)  Screech realizes that Allison has to pursue her dreams so he tells her to go to New York without him.  Allison plays Screech a really bland piano piece that she wrote for him and then they share a final dance.

The main problem with this episode …. oh Hell, you know what the main problem was.  The main problem’s initials are D and D.  Dustin Diamond gives such a cartoonish performance that it’s hard to believe that Allison would have ever fallen for him in the first place.  There are no emotional stakes when it comes to any story involving Screech because there’s nothing real about Screech.  As a character, he’s the equivalent of Bobby’s father’s private jet.

All that said, at least the county club episodes are over with!  Yay!  Always be thankful for the little things.

The “This Week in Charles Bronson” Podcast discusses Antoinette Bower, my trip to Vermont and Val McCallum!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

I’ve shared several episodes of the “This Week in Charles Bronson” podcast with our readers over the last year. I just love visiting with my Buchinsky Buddy Eric Todd about all things related to Charles Bronson. In our latest episode, Eric pays tribute to actress Antoinette Bower, who passed away on April 30th, 2026, at the age of 93. The first Bronson film he ever saw was THE EVIL THAT MEN DO (1984), where Bower plays Claire Molloch, the sister and the love of the life of political torturer Clement Molloch (Joseph Maher). In Bower’s three-decade career she starred in just about every classic TV series you can think of, including Have Gun, Will Travel, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Star Trek, and with Bronson and Kurt Russell in The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters. It’s a lot of fun revisiting much of her film work, and finding out a lot of other interesting things about her life after she retired from show business in the early 90’s.

After that, I get to tell you all about my trip to Vermont! My wife and I were able to visit Charles Bronson’s gravesite at the Brownsville Cemetery in West Windsor, as well as the property that was once his and Jill Ireland’s horse farm on Bronson Road. We were able to eat at places where he liked to eat and even go shopping at places where he liked to shop! And to top it all off, we had the good fortune to meet his son, Valentine McCallum, who still has property in the area and just happened to be visiting when we were there. Val’s an incredible professional musician and singer, and we were able to catch him performing at the Skunk Hollow Tavern on our last night in the area. I share a couple of his songs on the podcast. What I love the most is that these are very personal songs that Val performed that night. I think you’ll enjoy them. I know we sure did!

So, if any of that sounds like fun to you, take some time to give us a listen. I’m sharing the YouTube and Spotify links below, but you can find us on Apple Podcasts as well!

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special 2004 Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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

Today, we pay tribute to the year 2004!  It’s time for….

4 Shots From 4 2004 Films

Before Sunset (2004, dir by Richard Linklater, DP: Lee Daniel)

Sideways (2004, dir by Alexander Payne, DP: Phedon Papamichael)

Primer (2004, dir by Shane Carruth)

Dawn of the Dead (2004, dir by Zack Snyder, DP; Matthew F. Leonetti)

Music Video Of The Day: Pop Muzik by M. (1979, directed by Brian Grant)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

 Pop Muzik, which was written from the perspective of a DJ, was arguably the first new wave hit and this music video was extremely popular during the early years of MTV.  The video was the first to be directed by Brian Grant, who was a BBC producer at the time.  Working with a £2000 budget, Grant created a video that was revolutionary for the time.  (In the late 70s, music videos were mostly just straight performance clips.)  The success of Pop Muzik led to Grant becoming one of the busiest music video directors around.  Grant went on to direct videos for The Human League, The Fixx, Squeeze, Duran Duran, and many others.  If you were a New Wave group, Brian Grant probably directed at least one video for you.

Enjoy!

Late Night Retro Television Review: CHiPs 6.4 “Rock Devil Rock”

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 Mondays, I will be reviewing CHiPs, which ran on NBC from 1977 to 1983.  The entire show is currently streaming on Prime!

This week, Ponch learns about shock rock!

Episode 6.4 “Rock Devil Rock”

(Dir by John Astin, originally aired on October 31st, 1982)

It’s a Halloween episode of CHiPs!

Moloch (Don Most) is a singer who wears frightful makeup and sings songs like “Devil Take Me” but, once he takes off the makeup, he’s a rather meek and mild-mannered drummer who feels that he’s been forced to embrace an image that doesn’t fit him.  His manager (Peter Marshall) is convinced that Moloch can be the biggest star ever.  His manager is also trying to kill Moloch in order to guarantee that Moloch’s new record will hit the top of the charts.  He’s even included backwards messages in Moloch’s music.  Moloch will die …. Moloch will die….

Most of the Highway Patrol believes that Moloch is faking the numerous attempts on his life.  However, Ponch believes that Moloch is being targeted.  Luckily, Ponch is able to save Moloch because this is….

The Highway Patrol also holds their annual Halloween party.  Elvira, Mistress of the Dark shows up as herself and shares a dance with Ponch.  Ponch dresses up like a matador.  Bobby shows up as a Musketeer.  Getraer dresses up like General Patton but he doesn’t get to dance with Elvira.  That’s Ponch’s job.

Brad’s “Scene of the Day” features Clint Eastwood & his Dog in TIGHTROPE (1984)!

Posted on by Bradley Crain

When I was a teenager growing up in Toad Suck, Arkansas, we only had 5 TV channels. My favorite of those channels was Fox 16 out of Little Rock, because they showed a lot of movies. Many of my favorite movies to this day are the movies that showed on Fox 16 in the mid-80’s. One of those movies that they played frequently was TIGHTROPE. This being the TV edit of the movie, I was too young and naive to realize just how different of a character Wes Block was for Clint Eastwood. Sure, he was a badass cop, but he also indulged in somewhat perverse sexual activities with the ladies of the night in New Orleans. It’s actually an incredible performance and the type that helps separate Eastwood from so many of his contemporaries.

TIGHTROPE was released 42 years ago to the date on August 17th, 1984. Let’s celebrate by watching this interesting clip from the movie. It’s definitely tame compared to many others in film, but I love the payoff !

Retro Television Review: Crime Story 1.15 “Torello on Trial”

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 Mondays, I will be reviewing Crime Story, which ran on NBC from 1986 to 1988.  The entire show can be found on Tubi!

This week, Luca prepares for Vegas.

Episode 1.15 “Torello On Trial”

(Dir by Gary Sinise, originally aired on January 16th, 1987)

Buh-bye, Chicago!

Seriously, this is a huge episode.

It doesn’t start out as a huge episode.  It starts out as just another courtroom drama.  Mike Torello has been called by Ray Luca’s defense attorney to testify about the accusations that Frank Homan made against him.  By defending himself against Homan’s false claim that Torello was on the take, Torello will also be destroying the credibility of the state’s case against Luca, Phil Bartoli, and Paulie.  Torello’s not happy about it.  He’s even less happy when U.S. Attorney Brietel’s aggressive cross-examination reveals that Torello actually does have several acquaintances who are connected to the mob.  Of course, most of those acquaintances have been killed over the past few episodes.  As Brietel puts it, violence tends to follow Torello around.

Fortunately, the next day, David Abrams requests to be allowed to cross-examine Torello.  David reveals that Torello was a decorated soldier in Korea.  He reveals the Torello has been given regular commendations by the Chicago Police Department.  David makes Torello look like a saint.

As a result, the jury decides that Homan is not a credible witness.  Luca, Paulie, and Bartoli are all acquitted.  Brietel is told that the Justice Department has decided to drop the indictment against Torello.  Torello tells Brietel that the blood of anyone killed by Luca will be on his hands.  Brietel is not having a good day.

The first 35 minutes or so of this episode were solid but still felt like a standard and slightly predictable episode of Crime Story.  It wasn’t until the last 10 minutes or so that this episode really took off.

At a conference held immediately after Luca and company are acquitted, Manny Weisbrod convinces Chicago gangster Dom Tranchita (Joseph Ragno) to agree to invest ten million dollars in Luca’s plan to take over Las Vegas.  In return for the money, Manny agrees to allow Dom to continue to deal drugs in Chicago.  Luca and Paulie make plans to immediately head to Las Vegas to start their new lives.

The night, before leaving town, Luca drops in on Tranchita and shoots him dead.  Then, Luca goes over to Bartoli’s house and kills him as well.  We’re reminded that Luca is someone who can kill without hesitation.  It doesn’t matter that he and Bartoli worked together.  Luca is cleaning up all of the loose ends before he leaves Chicago.

Meanwhile, Torello is invited to a meeting in a hotel.  U.S. Deputy Attorney General Patrick Hallahan (Jann Wenner) tells him that the Justice Department is setting up a national task force to take down Luca and that it’s going to be headquartered in Chicago and Las Vegas.  He asks Torello to be in charge of it.  Torello says that he has no interest in working with the same Justice Department that tried to throw him in prison.  Hallahan reveals that Brietel has been “reassigned to Anchorage” and that David Abrams will be working with Torello.  The members of the Major Crimes Unit will be reassigned to the strike force.

There’s only one condition.  As much as Torello wants to take Luca down, he’s going to have to wait until he has enough evidence to take down the entire organization with him.

Torello nods.  He’s going to Vegas!

It makes sense really.  Torello has nothing left in Chicago.  He’s divorced, he has no real friends outside of the other members of the Major Crimes Unit.  Torello’s only purpose in life is to stop Ray Luca.  What choice does Torello have but to follow him to Vegas?  Torello is obsessed and, if he had to stay in Chicago while Luca went to Vegas, he would have been miserable.  It’s good for the government and good for the show that Torello agreed to take charge of the task force.  But, as the episode ends, it’s hard not to feel that it won’t be good for Torello’s mental health.

This turned out to be a great episode,  To be honest, I was starting to get a little bit bored with Crime Story.  But now, with the story heading in a new direction, I can’t wait to see what happens!