Tag Archives: Abbott Elementary

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 12/15/24 — 12/21/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here’s just a few thoughts on what I watched this week.

Abbott Elementary (ABC, Wednesday Night)

I got caught up with Abbott Elementary this week.  The first episode that I watched was the Ringworm episode and I have to say that I’m on Gregory’s side when it comes to the proper way to react to fungi.  I’m sure it was probably not the show’s intention but the episode felt almost like a commentary on the madness that gripped the nation during the COVID pandemic.

Ringworm was followed by the “Class Pet” episode, which I really enjoyed.  The Guinea Pig was unbelievable cute and I like any episode in which Ava is given a chance to show that she’s actually not that bad of a principal.

The Halloween episode was amusing, though the most interesting thing about it was people giving Jacob a hard time for dressing up as Pat Sajak despite Sajak’s politics.  The episode, of course, was filmed and aired before the presidential election, which was won by Sajak’s candidate.  As such, the episode felt almost like an artifact from the distant past.

The Dad Fight episode actually made me cry, both with laughter and genuine emotion.  I’m a lot like Melissa when it comes to spraining my ankle.  Gregory’s refusal to fight showed that this is a show that definitely has its heart in the right place.

This was followed by an episode about Jacob trying to lead a protest against gentrification that felt like an apology for those terrible anti-private school episodes from the second season.  This episode also featured a great Ava subplot, in which she gave a TED talk about how be a successful principal.

The final two episodes that I watched were both Christmas episodes.  Barbara put together the “Winter Show,” and then Melissa hosted “Winter Dinner.”  Both episodes were okay without being as memorable as they could have been.  One gets the feeling that the show’s writer couldn’t decide between being earnest and being snarky about the holidays and they instead went for a wishy-washy middleground.  That said, I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve seen of season 4.  It’s definitely been an improvement over the third season and I look forward to seeing how things develop.

Accused (Fox, Tuesday Night)

This week, I got caught up with the second season of this anthology show.  As always, Accused was frustratingly uneven.  Occasionally, the stories are interesting.  More often than not, though, this show often feels like it’s just trying too hard.  To be honest, I think the show needs to liven things up with maybe a comedic episode or how about an episode that takes place on a different planet?  If you’re going to go the anthology route, you really should be willing to experiment a bit.

Amerika (YouTube)

I finally finished up this very long miniseries from the 80s about what life would be like if America was taken over by communists.  Life would not be good.

Dragnet (YouTube)

I watched my two favorite episodes of Dragnet this week, the Talk Show episode and the Night School episode.  Jack Webb and Harry Morgan were a good team.  Friday and Gannon would have agreed with me about Accused.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show (YouTube)

Mary had to work on Christmas Eve!  Boo!  Poor Mary!

That Girl (YouTube)

Marlo Thomas has to work on Christmas Eve!  Boo!  Poor Marlo!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 10/6/24 — 10/12/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here’s my thoughts on what I watched this week.

Abbott Elementary (Wednesday Night, ABC)

Abbott‘s back.  Jeanine and Gregory are dating and they’re a cute couple.  That said, I can’t help but remember how The Office kind of started to become less interesting once Pam and Jim officially became a couple.  Single, neurotic people are always funnier than stable people in love.

It’ll be interesting to see how this season goes.  Last season, I got annoyed with Jeanine working for the district and the show itself occasionally got a bit heavy-handed in a way that it hadn’t during the previous seasons.  At the time, I choose to believe that season’s weaker moments were due to the season being shortened by all the strikes that were going on.  I’m hoping this new season will prove me correct.

Ava continues to be the best character on the show.

Accused (Tuesday Night, FOX)

After an incredibly uneven first season, Fox’s crime anthology show is back for a second season.  The first episode featured a psychic accused and on trial.  Felicity Huffman (who hasn’t really been seen much ever since she was implicated in the so-called Varsity Blues scandal) and William H. Macy provided some star power but the overall results were still pretty dull. I’m not a huge fan of anthology shows in general.  They always seem to be trying a bit too hard.

American Sports Story: Aaron Herndanez (Tuesday, FX)

This week, Aaron started to find fame as a pro football player with the New England Patriots, while continuing to deal with stress by hanging out with lowlifes and criminals.  While struggling to maintain the squeaky clean image that the NFL demanded from its players, Hernandez also beat up his abusive stepfather.  Much as with last week, this episode was well-done but it still feels as if the show is dragging out the story a bit too much.  This episode was about 20 minutes worth of story stretched out over 50 minutes.  Needless to say, it did start to feel a bit repetitive after a bit.  The attempt to use Aaron Hernandez’s stupidity as a way to comment on American society continues to feel a bit half-baked.

Dr. Phil (Pluto TV)

“Shut up!” Kaye yelled, when confronted about her Nigerian boyfriend, who she has never actually met despite selling her house and sending him the money.  I know Kaye was embarrassed but yelling shut up isn’t going to get her money back.

Hell’s Kitchen (Thursday Night, FOX)

One chef left the show to go to the hospital.  Another hurt his back and voluntarily withdrew from the competition.  The Blue Team had a terrible dinner service and a Chef Ramsay sent another chef home.  The Red Team is getting pretty cocky, which I’m going to assume means that they’re going to fall apart next episode.  Getting cocky is always the worst thing that any chef can do on Hell’s Kitchen.  Hell’s Kitchen remains one of the few reality shows to remain as entertaining today as when it first aired.  The show has been smart enough to stick to its formula and not change things up just to satisfy whatever the current cultural trend may be.

Homicide: Life On The Streets (Peacock)

I wrote about Homicide here!

Law & Order (Thursday Night, NBC)

This week’s episode saw SVU‘s Mariska Hargitay making a guest appearance on Law & Order and it really does show just how much things have changed as far as this franchise is concerned.  At one time, SVU was kind of like Law & Order‘s sordid and little-acknowledged bastard cousin and it was a big deal if anyone from L&O lowered themselves to make an appearance on SVU.  Now, things are reversed.  Law & Order is still struggling to find its voice in  the 2020s and it’s SVU that’s providing some star power to its struggling cousin.

On another note, I’m surprised that there’s any tech gurus left in New York as they seem to be the number one victim of choice on Law & Order.  If they’re not getting murdered, they’re going to jail.

I continue to miss Jack McCoy.

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

Miami Vice (Amazon Prime)

I wrote about Miami Vice here!

Night Flight (Night Flight Plus)

On Friday, I watched an episode from 1988.  The first half of the episode featured music videos, including X’s Devil Doll.  The second half took a look at “upcoming” films, including one in which Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Belushi teamed up to fight crime.  No, it wasn’t The Principal.

One Step Beyond (YouTube)

This week, I have continued to watch and share episodes of this old anthology show.  I’ve been having a lot of fun watching this show.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 5/19/24 — 5/25/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Abbott Elementary (Wednesday Night, ABC)

Okay, I’ll admit it.  I was wrong.  I thought last week was the finale but it turns out, the season finale was this week.  And what a finale.  Janine threw a party and learned a lesson about not being a control freak.  Gregory finally stopped being so annoying and kissed Janine.  Yay!  And what’s really great is that all of this was due to the wonderful advice of Mr. Johnson, who is one of the best characters on television right now.  I had some issues with this season but this finale made up for almost all of them.

Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

I watched the first episode of Netflix’s acclaimed stalking drama on Tuesday.  It was undoubtedly well-made but it was coming from a bit too dark of a place for me so I haven’t watched any of other episodes yet.  I’ll watch the rest of it next week.

Baywatch Nights (YouTube)

I wrote about Baywatch Nights here!

Booked: First Day In (Hulu)

I watched a few episodes of this A&E series on Tuesday night.  It follows people as they are being booked into jail.  As always with these shows, the cops came across as being cocky jerks while the people being booked were far more sympathetic.  I felt especially bad for the 70 year-old owner of a used car dealership who was booked for the crime of not putting some tag on the windshield of some of his cars.  Seriously, if you didn’t already hate the regulatory state already….

Check It Out! (Tubi)

A mini-review of this week’s episode will be dropping in a few hours.

CHiPs (Freevee)

I wrote about CHiPs here!

Degrassi Junior High (YouTube)

I wrote about Degrassi Junior High here!

Dr. Phil (YouTube)

On Sunday, I watched an episode of Dr. Phil in which Phil interviewed a woman who had coached her 4 year-old son to falsely accuse her ex-husband of being a part of a child porn ring.  The man was obviously innocent and easily passed a polygraph test.  In what can only be described as being a massive tell, the woman appeared to be upset at the fact that her husband was cleared of a terrible crime.

On Saturday, I watched an episode with a teenage girl who got pregnant because she wanted to be on 16 and Pregnant.  Ugh.  That entire episode made me want to throw something.

Fantasy Island (DVR)

I wrote about Fantasy Island here!

Friday the 13th: The Series (YouTube)

I wrote about Friday the 13th here!

Highway to Heaven (Tubi)

I wrote about Highway to Heaven here!

The Larry Sanders Show (Max)

Jeff and I watched a few episodes of this old HBO show on Thursday night.  Rip Torn made me laugh every time he spoke.  What a great actor!

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

Malibu CA (YouTube)

I wrote about this terrible show here!

Miami Vice (Prime)

I wrote about Miami Vice here!

Monsters (YouTube)

I wrote about Monsters here!

Night Flight (Night Flight Plus)

On Friday night, Jeff & I watched an episode that profiled musician Bryan Ferry.

T and T (Tubi)

I wrote about T and T here!

Welcome Back Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about Welcome Back Kotter here!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 5/12/24 — 5/18/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

This was a week of season finales.  I watched two of them.

On Wednesday, I watched the third season finale of ABC’s Abbott Elementary.  While I certainly had my issues with this season, I did really enjoy the finale.  Jacob tried to set up the perfect field trip and, needless to say, things did not go as planned.  My favorite part of the finale was, not surprisingly, Ava standing up for her school.  I know some would complain that the show is dragging out the will they/won’t they stuff with Janine and Gregory (and sometimes I get annoyed with the deliberate pace myself) but I think the show is avoiding the mistake that The Office made when it got Jim and Pam together too quickly.  Janine and Gregory are destined to be together but I think, as characters, they’re more fun when they’re single.

On Thursday, I watched the season finale of NBC’s Law & Order.  Together with last week’s episode, the finale erased any doubt I may have had about Tony Goldwyn as the new District Attorney.  In fact, there’s a part of me that kind of wishes the Nick could somehow step down as D.A. and take over Price’s job because Goldwyn is believable and compelling on this show in a way that Hugh Dancy never has been.  (Dancy is a fine actor but, as a character, Price is just too wishy washy.)  Price could become second chair and Maroun, who spent the entire third season whining about having to do her job and prosecute people, could join the Public Defender’s Office.

On Thursday, I also watched Spacey Unmasked on Max.  Spacey Unmasked is the latest documentary to feature people sitting on an empty soundstage and talking about how badly they were treated by a celebrity.  The ten men featured in the documentary all told stories about their encounters with Kevin Spacey.  Some of the men were compelling but it still felt as if the main reason this documentary was made was because Kevin Spacey is currently an easy target who really doesn’t have the resources to retaliate.  I’d have more respect for a documentary that exposed someone who is currently in power as opposed to someone who is already on his way to obscurity.

On Friday and Saturday, I binged a few episodes of Seinfeld on Netflix.  George obsessively wanting to tell someone that the “Jerk Store called and they’re all out of you!” was definitely the highlight of the episodes I watched.  I also enjoyed Kramer turning his apartment into a talk show set.

Finally, on Friday Night, I watched an old 90s talk show called Night Music on YouTube.  David Sanborn interviewed musicians and performed with them.  Sting, who I usually can’t stand, performed a really good version of Ain’t No Sunshine.

Watched And Reviewed Elsewhere:

  1. Baywatch Nights (YouTube)
  2. Check it Out! (Tubi) — My review should be dropping in about an hour!
  3. CHiPs (Freevee)
  4. Degrassi Junior High (YouTube)
  5. Fantasy Island (DVR)
  6. Friday the 13th: The Series (YouTube)
  7. Highway to Heaven (Tubi)
  8. The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)
  9. Malibu, CA (YouTube)
  10. Miami Vice (Prime)
  11. Monsters (YouTube)
  12. T and T (Tubi)
  13. Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 5/5/24 — 5/11/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Abbott Elementary (Wednesday Night, ABC)

This Abbott Elementary Mother’s Day episode was sweet and funny.  No, Janine, Kevin Hart is not your father.

Baywatch Nights (YouTube)

I wrote about Baywatch Nights here!

Check It Out (Tubi)

My review of this week’s episode will be dropping shortly.

CHiPs (Freevee)

I wrote about ChiPs here!

Coronation Street (Hulu)

On Tuesday, I watched two episodes of Coronation Street on Hulu.  They were both from January of this year.  Bethany returned home!  I have no idea who Bethany is or who anyone else on this show is but I still found it interesting to watch.  Maybe I just miss London.  Due first to the pandemic lockdowns and now to the way that anti-Semitism is spreading its shadow across Europe, it’s been a while since Jeff & I last visited.

Degrassi Junior High (YouTube)

I wrote about Degrassi Junior High here!

Dr. Phil (YouTube)

On Monday morning, I watched a really sad two-parter in which Phil talked to an old widow named Kaye who had basically become so enthralled by a catfish that she gave him the password to her bank account.  Kaye’s daughter tried to tell Kaye that her online boyfriend was a fake but Kaye was very angry and would not listen.  I felt terrible for her and her family.

On Tuesday, I rewatched the episode with the woman who was convinced that she was married to Tyler Perry, despite having never met him before.  Dr. Phil, of course, took time to point out that he knows Tyler Perry and is apparently one of his best friends.  Dr. Phil knows everyone!  I followed this up with an episode featuring a man who thought he was engaged to a Kennedy cousin named Misty.  Not surprisingly, there is no Kennedy named Misty.

On Friday and Saturday, I watched too many episodes.  Most of them were about feuding in-laws.

Fantasy Island (Daily Motion)

I wrote about Fantasy Island here!

Friday the 13th: The Series (YouTube)

I wrote about Friday the 13th here!

Highway to Heaven (Tubi)

I wrote about Highway to Heaven here!

Law & Order (Thursday Night, NBC)

On Tuesday evening, I watched last week’s episode of Law & Order and I have to say that I groaned a bit when I saw it was going to be yet another episode about a murder involving a wealthy family.  There’s a lot that I have liked about this season but I’m a bit bored with every episode revolving around the same generic wealthy characters.  Not every case has to be a society scandal.  That said, last week’s episode did feature some interesting twists and turns and personally, I think the jury made the right decision.  Overall, it was a good episode though, once again, we had to spend some time listening to Maroun whine about having to do her job.

On Friday, I watched this week’s episode.  The defendant was an ex-con who had previously been given a lenient plea deal by Nolan Price.  Because of Price’s involvement, Baxter took over as lead prosecutor on the case and demoted Price to second chair.  This not only kept Maroun out of the courtroom and minimized her involvement in the episode (yay!) but it also gave Baxter a chance to show off his abilities.  The great thing about this episode is that Price finally got called out for being so wishy-washy and self-righteous.

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

Malibu, CA (YouTube)

I wrote about Malibu, CA here!

Miami Vice (Freevee)

I wrote about Miami Vice here.

Monsters (YouTube)

I wrote about Monsters here!

Snub (Night Flight Plus)

On Friday, I watched a bunch of music videos from 1987.  It was fun!

T and T (Tubi)

I wrote about T and T here!

Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about Welcome Back Kotter here!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 4/28/24 — 5/4/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

This was another week where I wasn’t feeling particularly well so I spent more time sleeping than watching television.  Here’s a few thoughts on what I did watch:

Abbott Elementary (Wednesday Night, ABC)

I’ve been pretty critical of the third season but I absolutely loved this week’s episode of Abbott.  Yes, the whole double date thing was fun and Tyler James Williams, who can sometimes seem to be a bit one-note with his performance as Gregory, was hilarious as he grew more and more paranoid and then more and more embarrassed.  That said, for me, the best part of the show was the disastrous book club.  I would have joined forces with Melissa and Mr. Johnson.

Dr. Phil (YouTube)

On Tuesday morning, I watched an episode in which Phil interviewed a woman who claimed that she was the reincarnation of Pocahontas and, because she insisted on dressing like Pocahontas whenever she left the house and speaking in what she claimed was Pocahontas’s native tongue, she was having trouble holding down a job.  Phil said he would get her help.  Good luck with that.

I followed that up with an episode about a woman who thought images were being electronically implanted in her mind and an episode about a woman who was “married” to man who she had never met but who needed her to send him money so he could get out of Algeria.  In the end, the implant woman agreed to get help and the married woman declared herself to be divorced.

New Sounds (Night Flight Plus)

The show was called New Sounds but it originally aired in 1983 so, for me, it was old sounds.  Anyway, I watched an episode on Friday night and I enjoyed the music videos.

World’s Most Evil Prisoners (YouTube)

On Sunday morning, I watched an episode about James Robertson, a prisoner who was so determined to get on Death Row that he murdered his own cellmate.  Agck!  That was a disturbing episode.  I followed this up with an episode about Edward Johnson, who used a hammer to commit the murder that got him sent to prison and then went on to use even more hammers inside the prison.  Because of the seriousness of the crime, I will not mention a Beatles song that had a similar plot.  Considering Johnson only killed people when he had a hammer, it seemed like there was an easy solution to getting him to quit.

Watched and Reviewed Elsewhere:

  1. Friday the 13th: The Series
  2. Highway to Heaven
  3. The Love Boat
  4. Malibu CA
  5. Monsters
  6. T and T
  7. Welcome Back Kotter

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 4/14/24 — 4/20/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Abbott Elementary (Wednesday Night, CBS)

Yay!  Janine is finally back at the school, where she belongs.  Hopefully, we won’t have to spend any more time with those district dorks.  Considering how much I disliked the whole district storyline, I’m kind of thankful this is a shortened season.  I don’t know I could have handled 20 episodes of Janine working for the district.

Plus, it looks like Ava Fest was a huge success!  Congrats to all!

Baywatch Nights (YouTube)

I wrote about Baywatch Nights here!

Blind Date (YouTube)

On Saturday evening, I watched an episode featuring a guy named Igor who had a terrible date.  I wonder if, back in 1999. Igor had any idea his bad date would still be available for viewing in 2024.

Check It Out!  (Tubi)

My review of this week’s episode will be dropping in about 90 minutes.

CHiPs (Freevee)

I wrote about CHiPs here!

Degrassi Junior High (YouTube)

I wrote about Degrassi Junior High here!

Fantasy Island (Daily Motion)

I wrote about Fantasy Island here!

Friday the 13th: The Series (YouTube)

I wrote about Friday the 13th here!

Highway to Heaven (Tubi)

I wrote about Highway to Heaven here!

Law & Order (Thursday Night, NBC)

On Sunday night, I watched last week’s episode of Law & Order.  I have to admit that I cringed at first, especially when it appeared that the villain was going to be a Republican congressman.  Law & Order is always at its worse when it tries to deal with partisan politics and the stuff with the congressman was painfully heavy-handed.  (One can tell that it’s been a while since anyone in the writer’s room talked to an actual Republican.)  Fortunately, the show’s signature twist was that the congressman had nothing to do with it and the murderer was a Ukranian refugee who claimed to be suffering from PTSD.  Naturally, Maroun wasn’t sure if the woman should be prosecuted because she had family members who suffered from the same thing.  Price told Maroun to stop crying and do her job and good for him.  Anyway, this episode turned out to be stronger than I was expecting.  It was another entry in what has, so far, been a pretty good season.

On Thursday night, I watched the latest episode of Law & Order.  A chef, who had previously been wrongly convicted of rape and murder, was killed by someone.  His attorney was arrested but then Nolan started to have doubts as to whether or not the guy was actually guilty.  It turned out that it was actually the attorney’s wife who committed the murder.  This episode was obviously designed to try to make Nolan into a more likable figure.  (“Nolan Price does it again!” Shaw happily said at one point.)  But the whole thing just fell kind of flat.  The only moment that really worked for me was when D.A. Baxter told Nolan to stop whining and do his job.

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

The Masters (Sunday Afternoon, CBS)

Congratulations to Scottie Scheffler!  And yes, I do enjoy watching golf.  I like the peaceful beauty of the courses.

Miami Vice (Prime)

I wrote about Miami Vice here!

Monsters (YouTube)

I wrote about Monsters here!

New Sounds (Night Flight Plus)

This was a music video show that aired in the late 80s, I believe.  I watched an episode on Friday night.  Some of the music was good and some of it was kind of forgettable.  Such is life.

Our America With Lisa Ling (YouTube)

On Saturday, I watched an episode of this old news program in which Lisa Ling interviewed parents whose children had been taken away from them.  Lisa Ling is one of those reporters who has a tendency to do a fake “journalist voice” whenever she speaks and it kind of made it difficult for me to treat the episode with the seriousness it deserved.

T and T (Tubi)

I wrote about T and T here!

Veronica’s Video (YouTube)

I sacrificed my eyesight to review Veronica’s Video.

Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about Welcome Back Kotter here!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 4/7/24 — 4/13/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Other than the shows that I watch for my retro television reviews, I didn’t watch a lot this week.  I was busy with other things.  (Luckily, I did get to watch a few movies.)  Here’s a few thoughts on what I did watch.

On Wednesday, I watched a screener for Chaser, which is a thought-provoking and surreal science fiction series that can currently be viewed on Prime.  I was flattered to get a chance to watch it for free and to review it.  I posted a review of the show on Friday so read the review and watch the show and leave a comment detailing how much you liked my review.

Abbott Elementary returned this week.  Janine was offered a full-time job with the District and she accepted it, much to Gregory’s disappointment.  To be honest, I’m kind of bored and more than a little frustrated with Janine and Gregory.  Gregory’s inability to act on his feelings has crossed the line from being an sweet example of social awkwardness to just being annoying.  My hope, as it has been from the start, is that Janine will realize that she is meant to teach and we’ll finally be done with all of this District nonsense.  That said, I did enjoy the AI storyline and Jacob’s shock at discovering that no one was reading his emails.  We’ve all known someone or had a friend like Jacob.  I would totally subscribe to Mr. Johnson’s newsletter.

I watched an old episode of Night Flight on Friday.  It dealt with androgynous rock stars so, not surprisingly, the majority of it was made up of videos from David Bowie and Queen.

Today, I binged the new Netflix reality show, Unlocked: A Jail Experiment.  Shot in Little Rock, Arkansas, the show dealt with a sheriff who decided to give one cell block a good deal of freedom to see if they could handle it.  It was an interesting show, though a lot of it seemed to be staged.  It was hard not to notice that the camera was always in the perfect position to pick up the most drama.  I also had to laugh at the inmates who said they were worried about getting caught doing something illegal but who then proceeded to make a shank or brew jail moonshine while the cameras were pointed straight at them.  I mean, when Miller was making his shank and bragging about how he was going to use it against anyone who got on his nerves, did he not realize that show’s footage could probably be used in court?  Unlocked was a slightly more amusing version of 60 Days In.  Speaking of which, the sheriff on this show was surprisingly likable, especially when compared to the majority of the law enforcement people who have appeared on 60 Days In.

And that’s that, with the exception of the retro shows that I watch every week for this site.  As I said, I didn’t watch a lot this week.  I’m running behind on both Survivor and The Amazing Race.  And, at some point, I’d like to watch the latest seasons of The Bachelor and Farmer Wants A Wife.  Hopefully, I’ll soon be caught up.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 3/17/24 — 3/23/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Abbott Elementary (Wednesday Night, ABC)

I’m now caught up with Abbott Elementary.  Season 3 has been a bit rocky for me and, as I watched the latest episode on Thursday morning, I realized that it really did come down to the fact that it seems as if Abbott is running the risk of losing its edge.  The celebrity cameos are nice and often funny but they also take the viewers out of the reality of the show.  I’m also still not a fan of Janine working for the District.  I love teachers but I cannot stand bureaucrats.  I also think, after three seasons, it might be time for Gregory to stop looking stunned by everything.  It was funny at first but now, it’s just coming across as being a bit lazy.

That said, when this show works, it really does work.  Mr. Johnson debating how AI will effect the future of janitoring made me laugh so hard that I had to get a drink of water to stop myself from choking to death.

Blind Date (YouTube)

I watched two episodes on Tuesday afternoon.  No one found love.

Chappelle’s Show (Netflix)

On Sunday, I watched an episode in which Wayne Brady took over Dave Chappelle’s Show.  Dave later talked about the time Wayne forced him to smoke crystal meth and murdered at least three people.  It made me laugh.

Dirty Pair Flash (YouTube)

On Friday, I watched an episode in which the two main characters had to hide out at a private school, one that was haunted by a ghost.  I related to Yuri’s enthusiasm.

Dr. Phil (YouTube)

On Tuesday afternoon, I watched an episode in which Phil talked to a white kid from the suburbs who thought he was a gangster.  A real-life former gangster was brought on to talk to him about the “realities” of life on the street.  I’ve never heard so much psycho-babble in my life.

The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Chevy Chase (YouTube)

I read about this infamous 2002 Roast on Wednesday so I decided to watch it on Thursday.  It’s true that the humor was brutal.  I thought the roast of Michael Scott on The Office was brutal but it was nothing compared to what Chevy Chase was put through.  It was kind of obvious that everyone involved had been waiting for a chance to let the world know how much they hated Chevy Chase.  It was …. awkward.  I’m just not a huge fan of the whole roast thing.  It just seems mean!

Jenny Jones (YouTube)

On Monday, I watched a 1992 episode of this talk show.  Easily flustered host Jenny Jones talked to teenage girls who were dating older boys and basically made things awkward by asking them to tell her and the entire audience about their first time.

The Phil Donahue Show (YouTube)

On Monday, I watched a 1993 episode of this ancient talk show.  The pompous host talked to girls who were dating older men.  Everyone was amazingly inarticulate.

Quiet On The Set (Max)

A four-part docuseries, Quiet On The Set took a look at the rise (and eventual fall) of Nickelodeon and television producer Dan Schneider.  The centerpiece of the series was an episode-long interview with Drake Bell, in which he bravely discussed being sexually abused by Brian Peck, who was one of three Nickelodeon employees to be convicted of child sexual abuse over a short period of time.

While Drake was compelling and the series did a good job of detailing the toxic atmosphere on many of Schneider’s shows, the series also featured a few too many journalists and a few too many interviews with other former child stars who came across like they were mostly annoyed that their careers fizzled out.  Dan Schneider comes across as being a terrible boss and a selfish human being but, at the same time,  the series started out with an agenda and sometimes, I wondered how much of the narrative was shaped to fit that agenda.

In the end, the main thing I took away from watching this docuseries was the Nickelodeon really was as creepy as I always kind of suspected it of being.

Rollergames (YouTube)

I watched an episode of this old show on Saturday morning.  The roller derby was brutal!

Sally Jessy Raphael (YouTube)

On Monday, I watched a two-part episode from 1993.  Sally interviewed teen girls who were sexually active and basically spent two hours scolding them,  There was also an army of virgins in the audience who would say stuff like, “I am a virgin,” and the audience would go crazy.  It all felt very weird and judgmental.  For someone who claimed to be a feminist, Sally sure was quick to judge her guests.

Trisha Goddard Show (YouTube)

I watched an episode of this talk show (which I had never heard of before) on Sunday night.  Trisha Goddard, who was a kind of annoying British woman, talked to a 68 year-old woman whose deceased son was thought to be the father of two 27 year-old women.  For some reason, a psychic was brought out to give her opinion.  “I’m sensing the number three,” she said, for reasons that were never explained.

I watched another episode on Wednesday.  It featured a man who refused to accept that he was the father of his ex-partner’s baby, even after a DNA test proved that he was.  “That test could have been doctored!” he yelled while the audience gasped in shock.

Watched And Reviewed Elsewhere:

Baywatch Nights

Changing Patterns

Check It Out — Review to come shortly  (unless I fall asleep)

CHiPs

Fantasy Island

Friday the 13th: The Series

Highway to Heaven

The Love Boat

Miami Vice

Monsters

T and T

Welcome Back Kotter

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 2/25/24 — 3/2/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

This was an odd week.  Other than the shows that I watch for my retro television reviews, I only watch six other shows this week.  And no, Shogun was not one of them, though I do plan to watch it tomorrow.

On Wednesday, I watched Abbott Elementary and I thought it was funny, even if it didn’t really reach the heights of last week’s episode.  Abbott Elementary is definitely the best sitcom on network television but it’s still starting to show some signs of age.

Also on Wednesday, I watched the season premiere of Survivor.  It seems like a good group, even if I still wish Survivor would go back to its old format.  It does kind of bother me that every new season of Survivor has to have some whiny, socially awkward person who acts scared of everything and who were supposed to feel sorry for.  If I want to watch Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison on a reality show, I’ll watch more true crime.

On Friday night, I watched an episode of an 80s music video show called Radio 1990 and an episode of Night Flight that featured a lot of Canadians.  I also watched another chapter of the 1930s serial, The Vanishing Shadow.  They were all fun.

On Friday and Saturday, I watched several episodes of — cringe! — The Jerry Springer Show.  They’re on YouTube and I watched them as research for a future post.  There’s no way that whole show wasn’t staged.

That’s it!  Not much to this week in television.  I almost skipped this week’s post altogether but …. well, I’m a completist.  Even if I don’t do anything, I still feel it’s important to officially acknowledge my inactivity.