Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 8/21/22 — 8/27/22

Posted on August 27, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Again, this week was mostly about getting ready for October. Here’s a few thoughts on what I did watch:

Allo Allo (Sunday Night, PBS)

Once again, Rene was mistaken for dead. He even attended his own funeral, while disguised as Officer Crabtree. Crabtree, of course, retired to Madame Fanny’s old bedroom, which led to all sorts of chaos when Fanny showed up. It was, needless to say, a crazy time in Nouvion.

The Bachelorette (Monday Night, ABC)

Hometown dates! Who cares? Meatball’s not on the show anymore. Gabby appears to be heading for another heartbreak while Rachel just can’t catch a break. First, hardly any of the men wanted to date her. Then, Tino’s family decided that they all hated her. This is a messy season and it’s hard not to feel that it’s not going to end well for either one of the Bachelorettes. Next week’s Men Tell All should be interesting and hopefully, Meatball will make a case for why he should be be the next Bachelor.

Big Brother (Everyday, CBS and Paramount+)

I’ve been writing about this season over at the Big Brother Blog! This season was going well until production came up with one of the worst twists in the history of the show. Jasmine and Joseph are both gone. Jasmine lost her fake limp and her fake accent when she was evicted. For all the excitement over the Leftovers building a strong and positive alliance, it now appears that the show could very well be won by yet another unlikable showmance. Do these words make sense to anyone who doesn’t watch Big Brother?

The Challenge (Wednesday Night, CBS)

Bye, Leo. I’m still predicting a Tyson victory.

Full House (Sunday Evening, MeTV)

The first of Sunday’s episodes found DJ requesting that she finally be given a room of her own, which was a totally justifiable request considering how much older she was than her sisters and that Michelle, for some reason, had an entire room to herself while DJ was expected to share with Stephanie. While DJ prepared to move and Stephanie dealt with feeling rejected, Becky and Jesse went to childbirth class, which was being held in the living room for some reason. Becky got mad at Jesse because Jesse was being insensitive and talking about Elvis. I assume they resolved the issue. The second episode featured Danny freaking out because DJ was growing up and getting interested in boys and asking him to respect her privacy. They worked it out.

Inspector Lewis (YouTube)

On the episode that I watched on Tuesday, David Soul played the murder victim. Hathaway solved the mystery while Lewis dealt with a toothache.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Hulu)

On Wednesday, I watched “Conscience,” an episode from season 6 of NBC’s long-running legal show. Kyle MacLachlan gave an intense performance as a man on trial for shooting and killing the 13 year-old who had previously murdered his son. It was a good episode, thought-provoking and well-written. It was an example of what the Law & Order franchise used to be like.

On Saturday, I watched a second episode from season 6. In “Doubt,” Benson and Stabler found themselves dealing with a case in which a woman accused her teacher of raping her. The teacher insisted it was consensual rough sex. The episode ended before the verdict was read, leaving it to the audience to try to decide who was telling the truth.

Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head (Paramount+)

This week’s episode started with Butt-Head getting prescribed a new, grape-flavored medication that caused him to become so nice that Beavis freaked out. Perhaps the funniest part of this segment was Butt-Head asking Mr. Van Driessen to lunch and then listening attentively while Van Driessen talk about the teacher’s union. The second part of the episode featured the return of Smart Beavis and Smart Butt-Head, who provided us with a look at a universe where Beavis and Butt-Head were middle-aged. Butt-Head was obese and could barely walk. Beavis was an alcoholic with broken teeth. It was realistic and kind of depressing. However, it’s always nice to Smart Beavis and Smart Butt-Head. “Very droll, yes.”

Night Flight (NightFlight+)

This was apparently an old 80s TV show that used to run on the USA network and which took a look at entertainment news. I watched two episodes on Friday, largely as historical research. The first episode dealt with the 1986 Academy Awards and featured a lot clips from the nominees. The second episode was from 1984 and it dealt with music videos that had been deemed too violent to be aired on MTV. The second episode was fun because it claimed to be a serious look at music video violence but instead, that was just an excuse to show the videos. Cecil B. DeMille would be proud.

The Office (Weekday Nights, FaveTV)

I discovered two things this week. Number one, I discovered that there’s a station called FaveTV. Number two, I discovered that they air The Office late at night and early in the morning. I watched two episodes on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The first featured Michael and Dwight hanging out with Ryan in New York City. Ryan attempted to talk to them about his drug use. Michael started talking about how he couldn’t understand The Wire. Dwight sang an Amish lullaby. The second was the classic episode in which Stanley demanded to know, “Did I stutter!?” This is one of my favorite episodes, both because of the final conversation between Stanley and Michael and for the B-plot of Pam forgetting her contacts. I could relate. Even though I can watch these episodes anytime I want on Peacock and I own the entire series on DVD, it was still kind of fun to watch it on an ordinary channel. It made me feel nostalgic for the day before instant gratification.

Open All Hours (Sunday Night, PBS)

Arkwright continued to cheat his customers while Granville wondered if there was anything more to life beyond being an indentured servant.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 8/14/22 — 8/20/22

Posted on August 20, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

I came home on Monday and I ended up spending most of the week making plans for our annual October horrorthon. So, I have not watched much. (Well, I have watched a lot of the Big Brother Live Feeds, I will admit to that.) Here’s a few thoughts on what little I did watch this week:

The Bachelorette (ABC, Monday Night)

Eh. Everyone went to Amsterdam and learned about sadomasochism. Considering that they’re voluntarily on a reality show, it would seem that should be something that they all should already know about. Logan was kicked off the show because he failed his COVID test. Gabby not only has better men than Rachel but she also gets to go on more interesting group dates. It’s just not the same without Meatball.

Better Call Saul (AMC, Monday Night)

Better Call Saul came to a close last night with one of the best finales that I’ve ever seen. As someone who spent this entire final season convinced that there was no way that Jimmy/Saul/Gene was going to still be alive at the end of the show, I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief when it turned out that everyone in prison knew who he was and loved him. It was a great wrap-up and here’s hoping that Bob Odernkirk finally gets his Saul Emmy.

Big Brother (CBS and Paramount+, All The Time)

Well, so much for the Leftovers! They were a fun alliance while it lasted but Kyle would rather get laid than actually win the game. What’s funny is that there’s no way Alyssa is going to be as interested in Kyle once they’re no longer locked in the House together and she actually has other options. This relationship is going to be almost as short as their sex sessions. (“I’m not very good at sex,” Kyle told her, after lasting 45 seconds. KYLE, YOU’RE ON THE LIVE FEEDS, SWEETHEART! YOUR MOM IS PROBABLY WATCHING!)

Thursday’s episode was two hours long and it turned out to be a disaster. I’m assuming that they were originally planning on doing a double eviction on Thursday but, for whatever reasons, they changed their minds at the last minute and basically had use every piece of filler they could find to fill out the time slot. Either way, most Big Brother viewers felt a bit betrayed by production this week.

I’m still writing about the show over at the Big Brother Blog.

The Challenge (CBS, Wednesday Night)

Well, so much for Kyland. With Kyland’s elimination, that means that all of the former members of the Cookout are not out of the Challenge and Alyssa is the last member standing of the Big Brother 23 cast. Myself, I’m hoping that Tyson wins. Why not? He represents an entertaining era of Survivor that I fear may be over now that the show seems to be determined to be “the nice reality show.” Go Tyson!

Inspector Lewis (YouTube)

On Tuesday, I watched another episode of Inspector Lewis. YouTube warned me that this episode was “age-restricted,” which was not a warning that I had ever seen on this show before. Anyway, it turned out that the age-restriction was because Lewis and Hathaway found themselves investigating a series of BSDM-style murders. It was a bit of a sad episode, to be honest. Oxford is a dangerous place.

Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head (Paramount+)

Oh, poor Beavis! He really does deserve a better best friend. This week’s episode found Beavis actually making a new friend but, unfortunately, the guy turned out to be even more obnoxious (if a bit more articulate) than Butt-Head. Beavis’s frantic efforts to get away from his new friend were hilarious. For that matter, I also laughed when Beavis and Butt-Head ended up getting stuck in a giant glue trap that they had set up to try to catch the racoons that were breaking into their kitchen. How are those two still alive?

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 8/7/22 — 8/13/22

Posted on August 13, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Being up at the lake this week, I haven’t watched a lot but here’s a few thoughts nonetheless.

Allo Allo (Sunday Night, PBS)

Allo Allo was a bit weird this week and I think it’s because Sunday’s episode was the first episode of the show’s final season. Watching it, it was pretty obvious that the show’s writers and directors had run out of new ways to hide the painting and, for the first time, the show felt like it was kind of going through the motions. Apparently, the show’s star, Gorden Kaye, was in a very serious car accident before the 9th series was filmed and, when the episode started with Rene’s traditional recap, I couldn’t help but notice the very prominent scar on his forehead.

As for the episode, everyone in Nouvion knows that the Allies will be invading at any minute. The Resistance is awaiting liberation. The Germans are making plans to flee. (And, because Richard Gibson declined to return to the role, Herr Flick has had plastic surgery.) Officer Crabtree still cannot speak French. And Rene has been abducted by the communist resistance.

The Bachelorette (Monday Night, ABC)

The dates in Bruges were wonderfully romantic and I loved the fireworks display that ended Aven and Rachel’s date. But then it was time for the Rose Ceremony and …. Boooooo! Meatball did not get a rose. I’m over this season.

Better Call Saul (Monday Night, AMC)

This week, Bob Odenkirk and Carol Burnett proved themselves to be dramatic powerhouses. With Kim telling Jimmy to turn himself in and Howard’s wife now having the true details of Howard’s downfall, it’s slightly frightening to think of where this is all going to end up leading. There’s only one episode left and I’ve pretty much given up on Jimmy/Saul/Gene getting a happy ending out of this.

Big Brother (All Week, CBS and Paramount+)

Seeing Daniel, one of the most annoying houseguests in the history of the show, get voted out really made my week. For those of us who are still angry over the way the show catered to bullies like Paul during season 19 and Jackson during season 21, this latest season of Big Brother has been cathartic. I’ve actually been enjoying writing about it over at the Big Brother Blog.

The Challenge (Wednesday Night, CBS)

Derek X. became the latest cast member of Big Brother 23 to get eliminated from the show. For all the talk about how strong the cast of Big Brother 23 was, they kind of suck at The Challenge.

Full House (Sunday Evening, MeTV)

The first episode featured Michelle graduating from preschool. Jesse took it upon himself to turn Michelle and her classmates into a band called …. I am not kidding — Jesse’s Little Rippers. They performed a horrific rendition of Twist and Shout. Could no one tell Jesse that not everything was about him and his lameass band? The second episode featured Aunt Becky discovering she was pregnant and worrying that this might make it difficult for Jesse to go on tour with the Rippers and …. well, I’m not going to repeat myself. Seriously, everyone deserved better.

Inspector Lewis (YouTube)

A gossip website led to multiple murders in Oxford. Lewis was stunned to discover the Internet could be such a dangerous place. Hathaway towered over everyone else on the show.

Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butthead (Paramount Plus)

Beavis and Butthead nearly died twice in the latest episode of their show. First, they got trapped on a roof. Then they got trapped on a piece of wood that sailed out to sea. Actually, they were still stranded when the show ended so they might be dead now. That’d be a shame. They really don’t seem to mean as much harm as they cause.

Open All Hours (Sunday Night, PBS)

Granville painted something silly on the window of the shop so Arkwright beat him up in the stockroom. Then the milk delivery came by and Nurse Gladys Emmanuel pulled up in a hearse or something. I don’t know, it was a weird episode.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 7/31/22 — 8/6/22

Posted on August 6, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Yes, I watched a lot of old TV shows this week. I was doing some work around the office and the retro channels always seem to keep me focused.

Here are this week’s thoughts on what I saw!

Allo Allo (Sunday Night, PBS)

Fortunately, the attempted execution of Rene and Edith failed and they were safely returned to Nouvion. Unfortunately, before they got back to their café, the Resistance attempted to run the business and thoroughly screwed things up. Meanwhile, realizing that the war not going particularly well for them, the German occupiers made plans to leave France and perhaps relocate some place with a warmer climate. While all of this went on, Officer Crabtree continued to wish everyone a “Good Moaning,” because Officer Crabtree was a professional.

The Bachelorette (Monday Night, ABC)

This week’s episode was extremely awkward to watch, with Rachel feeling insecure when compared to Gabby and the bachelors themselves not being particularly sensitive about the situation, but at least Meatball was given a second chance. Seriously, this entire franchise will be redeemed if Rachel ends up getting engaged, even if it’s just temporarily, to Meatball.

Better Call Saul (Monday Night, AMC)

I am so worried about what’s going to happen to Jimmy/Saul/Gene! During this week’s episode, we flashed back to Saul first meeting Walt and Jesse and then we flash forwarded to Gene treating Buddy and Jeff in much the same way that Walt used to treat Jesse. Especially after Gene’s phone call to Kim, I’m starting to worry that Gene is becoming just as self-destructive as Walt was at the end of Breaking Bad. Considering that there’s only a few episodes left before this show ends, that’s not a good development for those of us who are hoping that Jimmy/Saul/Gene gets some sort of a happy ending.

Big Brother 24 (Everyday, CBS and Paramount+)

I’m writing about the latest, surprisingly entertaining season of Big Brother at the Big Brother Blog! This week, Nicole was voted out and proved to be as delusional on her way out and she was on her way in. Even after Julie Chen explained to her why she had been targeted and voted out, Nicole still didn’t get it.

The Challenge (Wednesday Night, CBS)

This week, yet another former member of Big Brother 23‘s Cookout was eliminated. Azah is out of the game, leaving Kyland as the last member of the Cookout standing. Considering what happened when Kyland was voted out of the Big Brother House, it somehow seems cosmically appropriate that he’s managed to survive the Challenge while the other members of his former alliance have been eliminated. That said, I hope Derek X. wins the show.

CHiPs (Weekday Afternoons, Charge TV)

I watched two episodes of this 70s motorcycle cop show on Monday. Both episodes were pretty much the same. There was a big accident on the freeway. There was a lot of motorcycle cop action. There was some pretty California scenery. The bass-driven theme song is the main thing that I remember about the two episodes. The show was bland but the music was great.

Diff’Rent Strokes (Weekday Afternoons, Rewind TV)

Diff’Rent Strokes is one of those old sitcoms that I’ve heard a lot about but I’ve never really watched, just because everything I’ve ever heard about it just made it sound like a pretty stupid viewing experience. That said, I did need some background noise on Monday so, when I saw that the show was now on Rewind TV, I decided to catch two episodes.

In the first episode, old Mr. Drummond attempted to go camping with his new stepson but things got complicated when his stepson’s biological father also decided to tag along. In the second episode, Mr. Drummond decided to do the Undercover Boss thing by working in one of his factories. He discovered that he wasn’t popular with his workers and that he needed to pay them more. Surprisingly, no one saw through his disguise, despite the fact that it only consisted of a fake mustache that didn’t even match his hair color. It was all pretty dumb. For a rich man, Mr. Drummond lived in a really boring penthouse. Like seriously, if you’re that rich, update your décor.

Family Ties (Weekday Afternoons, Rewind TV)

I used two episodes of this very 80s sitcom for background noise on Monday. On the first episode, Elyse (the mother of the family at the center of the show) was struggling with her conscience about whether or not she should fire a recently divorced but extremely annoying employee. It was kind of obvious that Elyse needed to fire her but Elysa was a former hippie and, as a result, had no idea how to wield authority. On the second episode, an impossibly young Michael J. Fox had to babysit his bratty younger sister. He took her to a poker game. She got annoyed with being treated like an afterthought and wandered off. Luckily, everything worked out in the end and lessons were learned all around.

Fantasy Island (Monday Morning, GetTV)

I watched two episodes of the original Fantasy Island on Monday morning but I have to admit that I was half-asleep during both of them.

The first episode featured two fantasies. In the serious fantasy, a jazz trumpeter went back in time to New Orleans so that he could play with his idols. In the comedic fantasy, a woman and the two men who were in love with her got stranded on an island in the Bermuda Triangle. The goofier of the two men was played by football player Joe Namath. His performance here was better than his performance in C.C. and Company but not by much.

In the second episode, the main fantasy dealt with a private detective who wanted to solve a case with Humphrey Bogart. The guy playing Bogart did a passable imitation. The other fantasy featured Michelle Phillips as a woman who wanted to be “the most famous equestrian in history.” She thought this would mean that she would be famous but instead, the Island took her words literally and she was transformed into Lady Godiva. First off, why did the island take her words literally when it didn’t do that for anyone else? And secondly, is Lady Godiva really the most famous equestrian in history? Oh well, the important thing is that everyone learned a lesson.

Full House (Sunday Evening, MeTV)

I watched two episodes of this show on Sunday and I’m sure I lost at least two brain cells as a result. The first episode featured Uncle Joey auditioning to be the voice of a cartoon chipmunk or something like that. Frankie Avalon was the episode’s special guest star. Remember Frankie’s cameo in Casino? “I have 8 children. It was my pleasure.” This was followed by an episode in which Aunt Becky told Danny that DJ was sneaking out of the house to hook up with her boyfriend. DJ got mad and said, “I thought you were my friend!” Poor DJ. I don’t blame her for wanting to escape the Full House.

Ghost Whisperer (Weekday Mornings, Start TV)

I watched an episode on Monday. Melinda was (understandably) concerned that Aiden was now seeing and talking to ghosts. When the ghost of a girl who had recently died of Leukemia insisted on taking Aiden on a journey through town, Melinda had to track them down and find out what the girl wanted. Fortunately, since this was Ghost Whisperer and not Medium, things worked themselves out.

Hart to Hart (Monday Morning, GetTV)

In this very 80s detective show, a fabulously rich married couple (played by Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers) traveled the world, spent a lot of money, and occasionally solved mysteries. Their loyal chauffer was Max, played by the gravelly voiced Lionel Stander.

I watched two episodes of Monday morning. In the first episode, the Harts were taking part in a car race in Greece. A Greek tycoon wanted to kill off Jonathan Hart so that he could take over Jonathan Hart Industries. Fortunately, he didn’t succeed. If he had, I imagine they would have had to change the title of the show. The second episode featured a mysterious woman who claimed to Jennifer Hart’s half-sister. Needless to say, Jonathan did some investigating and it turned out that there was more to the story.

Anyway, the two episodes that I saw were kind of dull plotwise but I did enjoy the show’s shameless celebration of money and glamour. It was all very 80s.

Inspector Lewis (YouTube)

I watched an episode with my TV Mysteries friends on Tuesday night. A buried body was discovered. Hathaway and Lewis investigated. Lewis was in a notably cranky mood in this episode and even dismissively referred to one woman as being “Miss Marple.” My theory is that Lewis had a drinking problem. Usually, Hathaway was able to cover for him but this week, Lewis just lost control.

King of the Hill (Hubi)

Early Friday morning, I watched the episode in which Hank and his undefeated softball team took an exhibition game against the Ace of Diamonds and His Jewels just a bit too seriously. “Believe to achieve.”

Kojak (Monday Morning, GetTV)

Kojak is a show from the 70s, about a bald homicide detective who calls people baby and who sucks on lollipops. Kojak was played by Telly Savalas, who was also Blofeld in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and the Devil in Lisa and the Devil.

The episode that I watched on Monday morning was the first episode that I had ever actually seen of this show, though I had read about it in the past. In this episode, Ruth Gordon played a psychic who had been having dreams in which she saw women being murdered. Luckily, Kojak was there to eventually capture the killer. Neither Gordon nor Savalas were particularly subtle performers and, in this episode, they both seemed to enjoy competing to see who could best steal every scene that they shared. Add to that, the killer was played by Andy Robinson, who also played Scorpio in Dirty Harry. It was kind of entertaining to watch.

Magnum P.I. (Weekday Mornings, Charge TV)

On Monday, I watched an episode of the original 80s Magnum, P.I. Magnum’s friend T.C. was in a coma. Magnum had to figure out why T.C.’s helicopter crashed. Luckily, the mystery was solved and everyone survived. The Hawaiian scenery was lovely.

Medium (Weekday Morning, Start TV)

On Monday’s episode, Allison had a dream about a courtroom shooting and also discovered that she wasn’t the only psychic offering up her abilities to the legal system.

Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head (Paramount+)

I watched the first two episodes of this show on Thursday night, immediately after the Nicole eviction on Big Brother. I laughed and I cringed. Beavis and Butt-Head don’t look like they use deodorant so that worries me. You can read Jeff’s review of the show here!

Open All Hours (Sunday Night, PBS)

It’s been a few months since I last watched Open All Hours. I checked it out this week. Arkwright was cheating his customers and Granville was consumed with resentment.

Traffik (DVD)

I watched Traffik on Wednesday and Thursday and I wrote about it here.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 7/24/22 — 7/30/22

Posted on July 30, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

It was a good week. I got my car inspected, I watched a lot of Big Brother, and I worried about very little.

Here’s a few thought on my week in television:

Allo Allo (Sunday Night, PBS)

Once again, Rene and Edith found themselves in front of a firing squad. This seemed to happen fairly frequently in Nouvion. Of course, they were only being executed because the Communist Resistance thought they were actually Hitler and Goering. No, it didn’t make any sense but that’s the charm of this show.

The Bachelorette (Monday Night, ABC)

Things got a bit awkward this week when it was announced that the remaining bachelors would have to decide whether or not they were there for Rachel or Gabby. With everyone flocking to Gabby, Rachel found herself struggling to find anyone willing to take her rose. Let’s just hope that she agrees to let Meatball come back. Of course, even if Rachel doesn’t give Meatball a second chance to accept her rose, I imagine we’ll see him again on every future season of Bachelor in Paradise….

I can only imagine how weird those sentences read to anyone who doesn’t watch the show.

Better Call Saul (Monday Night, AMC)

Better Call Saul was brilliant this week, giving us a look at what Jimmy’s life is like now that he is “Gene” and he’s a Cinnabon manager. On the one hand, it was nice to see that Jimmy hasn’t lost his edge. He’s still the smartest guy in the room and he’s knows it. On the other hand, even in triumph, Jimmy was a bit of a pathetic character. He may have won but he couldn’t celebrate his victory.

There’s only a few episodes left. Will they all be in black-and-white? Will we learn Jimmy’s ultimate fate? Actually, do we want to know Jimmy’s fate? As clever as he is, it’s hard to imagine this story ending well for him.

Big Brother 24 (Everyday, CBS and Paramount Plus)

Wow, this was actually a good week of Big Brother! Finally, Taylor has an alliance! Finally, we got a true blindside! Finally, the show is no longer hiding the truly over-the-top bullying that’s been going on inside the House! For once, the feeds are actually worth paying for and the Casuals actually got to see how terribly some of the people in the House have behaved. (Looking at you, Daniel.)

Of course, this won’t mean anything to you if you don’t watch or like or know about Big Brother. And that’s okay. It’s not a show for everyone and I’m sure that CBS will find a way to screw up all the fun because that’s kind of what they do. But for now, this season is actually entertaining and I’m actually enjoying writing about it over at the Big Brother Blog!

The Challenge (Wednesday Night, CBS)

For those of us who remember what happened during Big Brother 23, this was an interesting episode to watch. On Big Brother, Xavier engineered Kyland’s eviction and the two of them nearly came to blows before Kyland left the House. It was seriously one of the most awkward eviction episodes either. (Kyland went as far as to say that Xavier’s nephew would be ashamed of the example he was setting.) On The Challenge, Kyland (along with Alyssa) was pretty much responsible for sending Xavier (and Shan) to the challenge that resulted in Xavier being eliminated from the game. You have to wonder what will happen when the two of them inevitably end up getting selected for the next all-star season of Big Brother.

Full House (Sunday Afternoon, MeTV)

On the first episode, Stephanie was pressure to throw the little league game. In the second episode, Michelle kept calling Tokyo on the family’s landline and presumably costing Danny a fortune. (I doubt Joey, Jesse, or even Becky ever bothered to help pay the bills around the Full House.) No one really got upset about Michelle being a brat because, as far as I can tell, they were all totally terrified of Michelle.

Inspector Lewis (YouTube)

I watched another episode of Inspector Lewis on Tuesday. Someone was using LSD and arsenic to commit murders in Oxford. One of the unfortunate victims was named Elmo. Among me and my friends, many Sesame Street jokes were made.

Saved By The Bell (Sunday Morning, MeTV)

The first episode I watched featured the Bayside High Class of ’92 finally graduating! Screech stepped aside so that Jessie could be valedictorian. The gang ruined the school’s ballet so that Zack could earn the last credit that he needed to graduate. To top it all off, Zack got to give the graduation speech because Jessie announced that Screech was actually valedictorian and then Screech announced that no one wanted to hear from him as long as Zack was in the auditorium. Screech was probably right but still….

This was followed by an episode set in the “future,” in which the Class of ’02 watched a videotape featuring the Class of ’92. It was a clip episode and lazy even by the standards of the original Saved By The Bell.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 7/17/22 — 7/23/22

Posted on July 23, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

This was a relax and get healthy sort of week for me. I didn’t watch much but I enjoyed what I watched.

Allo Allo (Sunday Night, PBS)

I finally got a chance to check back in with Allo Allo this week, having missed the last few episodes due to my focus on the potential Emmy nominees. To my shock, I discovered that both the Italians and the British airmen had left Nouvion. The war continued however, with both the communist Resistance and the other Resistance trying to capture Lt. Gruber and Col. Von Strom under the impression that they were actually Hitler and Goering. It was all a bit complicated, to be honest. Michelle has become my favorite character because “I shall repeat this only once” is just a badass way to start a conversation.

The Bachelorette (Monday Night, ABC)

As long as the “meatball enthusiast” makes it to the end, this will be a successful season. I don’t know, I think I liked this franchise more before everyone started talking about “Bachelor Nation” and all that nonsense. Now that everyone’s in on the joke, it’s just not as much fun.

Better Call Saul (Monday Night, AMC)

Kim left Jimmy and Jimmy finally appears to have completed his transformation into Saul Goodman. To be honest, this is how I always figured the final episode of Better Call Saul would go. However, there’s still four episodes left in the series. Now, it wouldn’t surprise me if the final episode deal with Jimmy’s life after fleeing New Mexico but what’s going to happen in the other three?

Big Brother (All week, CBS and Paramount Plus)

What a week for Big Brother fans! Due to the Congressional hearings (which have been a bit hit on Twitter but apparently nowhere else), Thursday’s live eviction show was preempted. At first, CBS said that Big Brother would instead air on Friday. Then, for some reason, they decided to just do a two-hour special on Sunday. CBS also initially announced that the feeds would be down for four days, from Thursday until after Sunday’s show. After the people who actually pay money to have those feeds complained, CBS relented and the feeds come back on Thursday night …. which, of course, now means that everyone knows what is going to happen on Sunday. It’s just another example of what a disorganized mess this season has been so far.

So, we all know that Pooch (yes, that was his name) was voted out of the house and that Turner (yes, that’s his name) is the new HoH. And we know that Michael and Brittany are on the block and the plan is to backdoor Taylor. Hey, I don’t have to watch the show on Sunday now!

Anyway, I wrote about all of this at the Big Brother Blog. I was kind of looking forward to having four days off, to be honest with you….

The Challenge (Wednesday Night, CBS)

Go, Tyson, go! Sorry, I’m still struggling to get into this show but Tyson’s a Survivor so I’ll cheer for him.

City Homicide (Weekday Nights, DigiTV)

This is an Australian show that I discovered on Thursday, when I came across it on DigiTV. Basically, it’s CSI, just with Australians instead of Americans. The episode that I watched dealt with a murder at a public school.

Full House (Sunday Afternoon, MeTV)

Having married Aunt Becky, Jesse attempted to move out of the Full House. Michelle demanded that Jesse return so, of course, that’s what Jesse did and Becky cheerfully agreed to spend the rest of her life living in the attic and helping Danny raise his daughters. This was followed by an episode where Michelle gave her pet goldfish a bath and KILLED it! I’m sorry, Michelle was a little demon child.

Ghost Whisperer (Weekday Afternoons, Start TV)

I watched an episode of Ghost Whisperer on Monday. It had been a while since I last watched this show. As much as I love Ghost Whisperer, I was a little bit disappointed to discover that Monday’s episode was from that really weird story arc where Jim died but then possessed someone else’s body. This particular episode ended with Jim coming back to life but I have to admit that, for the rest of the series, I was always confused as to whether or not everyone knew he was Jim or if they thought he was Sam. That said, I still enjoyed watching the episode because it was Ghost Whisperer.

Medium (Weekday Afternoons, Start TV)

On Monday, after watching Ghost Whisperer, I watched an episode of Medium, which was basically the super serious version of Ghost Whisperer. The medium (played by Patricia Arquette) found out that her brother had psychic powers as well! Medium was never quite as much fun as Ghost Whisperer but Patricia Arquette and Jake Weber were an adorable couple.

The MLB All-Star Game (Tuesday Night, AMC)

I watched this very long baseball game with my sister, mostly as a way of making up for making her watch a film called Blood Game two weeks ago. Her team won so I was happy for her, even though I wish both teams could have won. Everyone should be a winner!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 7/10/22 — 7/16/22

Posted on July 16, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

I spent most of this week watching movies. The Emmy nomination period is over with and, as a result, so is a lot of my interest in television. I am still watching Big Brother, of course. How could I ever stop watching that? That’s the power of addiction.

The Bachelorette (Monday Night, ABC)

There’s two Bachelorettes, which is only right considering what a mess the last season of The Bachelor was. We’ll see how this plays out. To be honest, I’m suffering a bit of fatigue with this franchise. It was more fun to watch before everyone decided that they were also in on the joke. Jesse Palmer seems like he’ll be a better host than Kaitlyn and Tayshia. So, we’ll see! (Can you tell that I didn’t really pay much attention to the first episode?)

Better Call Saul (Monday Night, AMC)

Better Call Saul returned with a bang this week. For those who thought Lalo would be around for a while longer, nope. I still feel bad for Howard, who will apparently now forever be branded a drug addict. I’m also increasingly concerned about what’s going to happen to Kim because pretty soon, Walter White and his sidekick are going to show up and Kim was never seen or spoken of in Breaking Bad.

Big Brother 24 (All week, CBS and Paramount+)

My thoughts on this latest season of Big Brother can be found over at the Big Brother Blog. This big news this week was that Paloma, who was obviously a favorite of production’s, self-evicted after having what appeared to be a hypomanic episode in the House. Julie Chen Moonves made a big deal about saying that production wished the best for Paloma and that they were only concerned with her mental health but rumor has it that production actually asked Paloma to stay in the game, even after it became obvious that she was struggling. Anyway, that’s Big Brother for you! (That’s also why I would never go on that show.)

Boy Meets World (Disney Plus)

On Thursday, I was bored enough to watch an episode of this late 90s sitcom. Shawn joined a cult. Mr. Turner got into a motorcycle accident. As with most episodes of Boy Meets World, it was 50% cringey and 50% effective. This episode featured a good performance from Rider Strong but it also featured Ben Savage going totally over the top as he shouted, “This is a hug, Shawn! THIS IS A HUG!”

The Challenge (Wednesday Night, CBS)

Survivor alumni faced off against Big Brother alumni and Love Island alumni and some Bachelor alumni. To be honest, I may have had the television on but The Challenge really has yet to capture my attention.

Hawkeye (Disney Plus)

I’m still mad that Natasha sacrificed herself in Avengers: Endgame so Clint could be reunited with his family. That said, this series was enjoyable when taken on its town terms. It may be because my last name is Bowman but I’ve always liked archers. Vincent D’Onofrio seemed to be having fun as a crime lord and Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfield were believable as father and daughter.

Inspector Lewis (YouTube)

I watched another episode of Inspector Lewis on Tuesday. I watched it with a group of friends on twitter and I have to admit that the tweets were so lively that I actually didn’t may attention to the episode. Sitting here and typing this up on Saturday, I have no idea what happened but I do remember that Hathaway seemed troubled.

Loki (Disney Plus)

My God, could Tom Hiddleston be any more adorable? The plot of this show was typical Marvel nonsense but Hiddleston’s devilish performance made it fun and worth watching.

Stranger Things (Netflix)

I watched the latest season and, as you can tell from my personal Emmy nominations, I liked it. I’m going to hold off on saying anything more because I’m planning on reviewing each episode individually at some point in the near future. By the time I get around to reviewing it, everyone will probably have moved on but oh well. That’s one of the benefits of having your own site and being your own boss. You can set your own schedule.

Lisa’s Week In Television: 9/26/21 — 10/2/21

Posted on October 2, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

If it seems like I watched an excessive amount of old TV shows this week, that’s because I did. While I was working this week, I kept the TV turned to the retro channels. The only exception to that rule was on Friday when I watched three daytime dramas. For the most part, these shows served as background noise while I was making plan for this year’s Horrorthon but, at the same time, I have to admit that I do kind of like occasionally watching the old TV shows. I’m a history nerd and, at their best, those shows are like stepping into a time machine and seeing the way people used to dress, talk, and, for better or worse, think.

This week also saw the end of Big Brother, which means that I can now devote all of my time to horror films. Yay!

With all that in mind, here’s my week in television:

Allo Allo (Sunday Night, PBS)

With the Germans and the Italians holding a conference to determine their plans for invading England, it falls on Rene to discover their plans to send that information to the Resistance, via the use of a homing duck. Yes, a duck. There’s probably worse ways to do it, to be honest. I know that the ducks in our neighborhood are pretty resilient. Needless to say, Rene complained quite a bit but still did what he had to do.

Bachelor in Paradise (Tuesday Night, ABC)

Ivan had to leave the show because he snuck out of his room during lockdown and tried to see one of the future contestants. This show certainly does have a lot of rules for something that is essentially just a second-rate knock-off of Paradise Hotel.

Bewitched (Weekday Afternoon, Antenna TV)

I watched two episodes of this classic sitcom while doing some work around the office on Tuesday. Unfortunately, both episodes were from the Dick Sargent years. (I prefer the episodes with Dick York’s hapless Darrin to the episodes that feature Dick Sargent flying into a rage every few minutes.) The first episode features Sarena causing trouble, which was fun. The second episode featured Endora casting a hex on Darrin, which was fun if just because Darrin was such a pain in the ass that he certainly deserved it.

Big Brother (24/7, Paramount Plus and CBS)

It’s over! I wrote about the show and big finale over at the Big Brother Blog!

The Bold and the Beautiful (Weekday Afternoons, CBS)

Last year, when the COVID lockdowns first kicked in, I got sucked back into the world of the daytime dramas. However, up until this week, it had been a few months since I had watched any of them. I guess I just got bored with them. That said, this Friday, I decided to check in with a few of them, just to see what was going on.

The Bold and the Beautiful remains my favorite, just because it’s so self-aware and intentionally over the top. This Friday’s episode featured a lot of people having heated discussions and it was fun to watch. The drama, the eye rollings, the flaring nostrils, the little smirks — Hell, I might have to start setting the DVR for these shows again!

CHiPs (Weekday Afternoon, Charge!)

I watched two episodes of this 70s cop show on Thursday. The show itself was pretty bland but the California scenery was lovely and that opening theme music really gets stuck in your head. They knew how to work a bassline in the 70s.

Cold Case (Weekday Afternoon, Start TV)

Remember this show? Cold Case followed the adventures of Lily (Kathryn Morris), the deathly pale cold case detective who never seemed to wash her hair. On Wednesday, I watched an episode in which Lily and the cold case squad investigated the murder of a woman who made a tape for a dating service shortly before her death. As always, the show started off on an interesting note but then got unbearable once Lily and the gang started doing their thing.

Crossing Jordan (Weekday Afternoons, Start TV)

On this crime show, Jill Hennessy played Jordan, a coroner who investigated crimes for some reason. This was one of those overly quirky crime shows that aired in the aughts, so naturally Jordan has a crew of odd co-workers and a potential boyfriend played by Jerry O’Connell. Fortunately, Miguel Ferrer was also on the show, lending it all some much needed gravitas.

I watched two episodes on Wednesday. In the first one, Jordan researched the darkest corners of the internet. (GASP!) It was interesting to watch, just because the episode was made before Twitter and Facebook really became things. This was followed by an episode in which Jordan investigate the death of corporal who had gone AWOL from Afghanistan. Crossing Jordan was always at its worst when it tried to be political.

Considering how annoying I found this show to be, both during its original run and in reruns, I’m kind of surprised I watched two episodes. Was I just too lazy to change the channel? It’s possible.

CSI: Miami (Weekday Mornings, Charge!)

I don’t care what anyone says. Between David Caruso putting on the sunglasses and Emily Proctor’s Southern accent, CSI: Miami was the best of the various CSIs. I watched two episodes on Thursday. The first one dealt with a man who died at a race track and it was okay but kind of forgettable. The second one dealt with the mysterious world of the internet and there’s nothing I love more than when CSI: Miami explores the dark web! While the team explored the internet, Horatio protected his niece from a killer and did that thing where he delivered one-liners in an extremely serious voice. It was fun!

Dennis The Menace (Weekday Afternoons, Antenna TV)

Dennis the Menace? More like Dennis the sociopath! I watched two episodes on Tuesday. When Dennis wasn’t harassing Mr. Wilson, he was making everyone else’s life a living Hell. GO AWAY, YOU LITTLE BRAT!

Friday the 13th: The Series (YouTube)

Getting to discover old shows like this is one of the truly fun things about our annual horrorthon at TSL.

General Hospital (Weekday Afternoons, ABC)

Oh my God, Sonny might still be alive! On Friday, I watched this show for the first time in months and I was immediately reminded of why I love General Hospital, despite the fact that I find the title to be misleading. The show features nonstop drama, much of it revolving around gangsters named Sonny who know how to fake their own death.

Ghost Whisperer (Weekday Mornings, Start TV)

As I’ve written in the past, I love Ghost Whisperer! The episode that I watched on Wednesday featured a ghost leading Melinda to a munitions dump that was full of unexploded bombs. I don’t believe in ghosts but, if they did exist, I would hope they would be willing to confide in me as easily as they do Melinda.

I Dream of Jeannie (Weekday Afternoons, Antenna TV)

I watched two episodes of this old show on Tuesday, while I was doing some work around the office. The first episode featured Jeannie’s sister trying to steal away Major Nelson. The 2nd featured a con artist (played by Milton Berle) trying to outsmart Jeannie! Oh no! The 2nd episode took place in Hawaii, which was nice. I loved visiting Hawaii.

Hazel (Weekday Mornings, Antenna TV)

Hazel is an old sitcom about a live-in maid who insists on trying to run everyone’s life. On Tuesday, I had the TV in the office tuned to Antenna TV and, as a result, two episodes of Hazel served as background noise while I worked. In one episode, Hazel’s employer was convinced that the neighbors were interfering with his TV reception. In the second episode, Hazel came to the defense of a friend who was accused of being a corporate spy. I felt bad for Hazel, who apparently didn’t have much of a life outside of work.

Knight Rider (Weekday Afternoons, Charge!)

I’ve often heard of this old show but Thursday was the first time that I ever watched an episode. In fact, I watched two episodes. Youngish David Hasselhoff driving a car that talks in the voice of Mr. Feeney? What’s not to love!? Actually, to be honest, it seemed like the type of show that would get pretty boring once the novelty wore off. The car was cool, though. The first episode featured the Hoff and the car saving a building from detonation. The second found the Hoff driving the car in a race and protecting a journalist. In both cases, everything turned out for the best.

McHale’s Navy (Weekday Mornings, Antenna TV)

This was an old sitcom about a bunch of sailors in the Navy. It was obviously made at a time when America was not at war because you wouldn’t trust any of these people to be able to handle a combat situation. Ernest Borgnine played the McHale of the title. I had the show on for background noise while I was doing some work around the office on Tuesday. Antenna TV aired two episodes but I didn’t pay much attention to either one. One featured a chimpanzee. The other featured McHale trying to run a beauty contest. Ernest Borgnine seemed to be having fun.

Medium (Weekday Afternoon, Start TV)

Medium was the serious version of Ghost Whisperer, starring Patricia Arquette instead of Jennifer Love Hewitt. It will always be interesting to me that Patricia basically spent the first decade of this century starring in Medium and filming Boyhood on the weekends. Anyway, Medium was always a bit too dour for me but Patricia Arquette and Jake Weber both gave good performance every week that the show aired. It was a show for grown-ups, one that unfortunately aired when I was anything but.

Start TV always shows Medium after Ghost Whisperer, which makes it impossible not to compare the two shows. On Wednesday, I watched an episode in which Patricia developed a sensitivity to light. She started wearing sunglasses but whenever she put them on, everyone that she saw would have a number on their head that states how many days they have left to live. AGCK! Actually, by Medium standards, this was a fun episode.

Moone Boy (Sunday Night, PBS)

PBS’s airing of Moone Boy came to a touching end with two final episodes on Sunday. The first featured Dessie trying to open a Catholic book shop. It soon became popular with people of all religions, including Scientologists! The second episode featured the death of Martin’s grandfather and the return of his grandfather’s imaginary friend, George Gershwin (played by Paul Rudd). It was the a very, very sweet episode, one that took an honest but humorous look at aging, maturing, and death. The final scene brought tears to my mismatched eyes, What a good show! I’m glad I got to see it.

Open All Hours (Sunday Night, PBS)

I didn’t really pay much attention to this episode but I’m pretty sure a dog ordered Granville to go on a rampage. I’m a little bit worried about Granville, to be honest. He seems to let things get to him.

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

You can read my thoughts on the latest episode of Survivor here!

Talking Dead (Sunday Night, AMC)

Talking Dead was a bit bland this week, which was a shame considering how good the latest episode of The Walking Dead was. For the record, the guests were superfan Yvette Nicole Brown and, via satellite, Lauren Ridloff.

That Girl (Weekday Afternoons, Antenna TV)

On Tuesday afternoon, I had the TV in the office tuned to Antenna TV, largely because I had a lot of work to do and retro sitcoms are often the perfect background noise. Among the shows that aired were two episodes of That Girl, which is a show that I had heard of but never watched before. Marlo Thomas plays Anne Marie, an actress. I appreciated the fact that Anne and I share a middle name.

Anyway, I didn’t really pay much attention to the two episodes that aired. I had a lot of work to get done. The first episode featured Anne dealing with a potential audit from the IRS and it was nice to see that people in the 70s hated the IRS as much as I hate them right now. The second episode featured Anne Marie trying to encourage a singer who was planning on becoming a nun. In both cases, everything worked out for the best.

Three’s Company (Weekday Afternoons, Antenna TV)

I watched two episodes of this very 70s sitcom on Tuesday. I should admit that I only had it on for background noise while I was finishing up some work so I didn’t pay much attention to it. I’ve seen a few episodes of this show over the year and I’ve never really seen the appeal. I’m just like, “Just explain what really happened and get on with your life!”

Anyway, the first episode features James Cromwell — yes, that James Cromwell — as a vice cop who thought Chrissy was a prostitute so he came back to the apartment to arrest her but Jack thought he was just a jerk so he punched him and then Cromwell tried to arrest everyone but then Mr. Roper said that Jack was gay so Cromwell let him go because it would be too embarrassing to admit that he got punched out by a gay guy. God, that was exhausting. This was followed by an episode where everyone thought the apparently asexual Mr. Roper was having an affair because every character on the show was an idiot.

Unforgettable (Weekday Afternoon, Start TV)

On this show, Poppy Montgomery played a detective who had the ability to remember every single thing she had ever seen or heard. It was a really interesting premise and Poppy Montgomery was a good series lead but the show was never as interesting as it should have been. The episode I watched on Wednesday featured Poppy and Dylan Walsh transporting a witness down to Florida. It was a pretty basic show but Poppy and Dylan had an enjoyable chemistry.

The Walking Dead (Sunday Night, AMC)

This week’s episode was pretty good and I wrote about it here!

The Young and the Restless (Weekday Afternoons, CBS)

After having not watched the show for a month, I watched Friday’s episode. There was a lot of talking. Mariah and Tessa were debating whether or not start a family. Victoria and Nick’s rivalry was threatening to ruin a wedding. As usual, there were a lot of restless people on the show. I enjoyed it. I like watching attractive, rich people argue.

In conclusion …. actually, this post is already over 2,000 words long so we probably don’t need a conclusion. It was a good week!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 9/19/21 — 9/25/21

Posted on September 25, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

I spent most of this week planning and preparing for the big October horrorthon (yes, it does take a month to prepare) but I did watch a bit of television. I also made the decision not to watch American Crime Story: Impeachment, despite having the two most recent episodes on the DVR. The first episode just didn’t capture my interest and there’s way too much that I want to do to spend any more time than necessary on the Clintons. So, Impeachment is now off my DVR. If I hear that it’s good, I might get caught up with it later.

Here’s some thoughts on what I did watch this week:

Bachelor In Paradise (Tuesday Night, ABC)

I’ve stopped paying attention to what actually happens on this show. Some of that’s because I’ve been busy getting ready for October. More of it, though, is just because this show is primarily about watching attractive people hang out on the beach. Actually paying attention to what they’re talking about would just take away from the fun of it all.

Big Brother (24/7, Paramount Plus and CBS)

Yay, it’s almost over! The highlight of this week was Kyland nearly getting into physical altercation with Xavier over being voted out of the house. I had mixed feeling about the whole thing. It was interesting television but I didn’t particularly feel good about watching it. I wrote more about this show over at the Big Brother Blog!

Dancing With The Stars (ABC, Monday Night)

I used to love this show but I’ve kind of been over it for a while. I will still set the DVR for this season but, after just one episode, I really have a hard time imagining anyone other than JoJo and Jenna winning. I’m torn, because I liked Dance Moms, The Office, and the Spice Girls. I guess I’m Team Melora/JoJo/Melanie. I would definitely prefer not to have Mr. Peloton win.

Friday the 13th: The Series (YouTube)

This is an old 80s horror show, which ran for about three seasons and was about a cursed antique store. (Jason Voorhees is nowhere to be seen.) All three seasons, I recently discovered, been uploaded to YouTube. I watched a few episodes this week in preparation for our upcoming Shattered Lens Horrorthon! I’ll have more to say about this show in October.

King of the Hill (Wednesday afternoon, FX)

The episode where Hank and Bobby enter the father/son shooting contest despite the fact that Hank’s a terrible shot is one of the few cartoons to consistently make me cry. It’s such a sweet episode.

Ordinary Joe (Monday Night, NBC)

This is a new series about a guy named Joe. The day he graduates from college, he has to make a decision. He can either go talk to the girl he just met or he can talk to his girlfriend or he can talk to his uncle. The show features three alternate realities, each determined according to whom he decided to speak with. In one reality, Joe is a rock star. In another, he’s a cop. In another, he’s a nurse. Unfortunately, he’s pretty boring in all three of those realities. The idea behind this show is interesting but the pilot suffered from some pretty obvious This Is Us-style plotting. We’ll see how the rest of the series does, though. The premise has enough promise that I’ll give it a second and probably even a third chance.

Smash (Friday, E!)

Yes, E! did indeed do a Smash marathon on Friday. I watched an episode or two, perhaps hoping the show would turn out to be more fun than I remembered. Smash is the show that made the term “hate watch” well-known. To be honest, it was rarely even interesting enough to be a hate watch. The Marilyn musical feels like it really would be a pain to sit through. This is the show that begged us to believe that Katharine McPhee could somehow be a better Marilyn Monroe than both Megan Hilty and Uma Thurman. It was a disappointing show, let’s just leave it at that.

(Dammit, now I want to rewatch the whole thing.)

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

Yay! Survivor’s back! I wrote about the 41st Season Premiere at the Reality TV Chat Blog!

The Ultimate Surfer (Tuesday Night, ABC)

I honestly didn’t even realize that Tuesday was the finale until a few minutes before the show ended. That’s how much I was actually paying attention to the show. As I’ve said before, the appeal of this show was essentially that it featured attractive, wet people. Congrats to the winners.

The Voice (Monday Night, NBC)

I watched a bit of The Voice but I have to admit that I got bored with it. The singers are good but they’re all good in the same generic way. Blake and Kelly are the fun judges. I would probably want to be on Kelly’s team, just because we’re both from Texas.

The Walking Dead

I wrote about this week’s episode here.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 9/12/21 — 9/18/21

Posted on September 18, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Again, this was another week where I didn’t watch much. But I have a good reason. Number one, I was up at Lake Texoma for the first part of the week and I forgot to set the DVR to record a few shows. Number two, I accidentally DVRed a reshowing of the first episode of Impeachment and I missed the second episode and, since I didn’t care much for the first episode, I didn’t bother to rewatch. Number three, I somehow totally forget abut the Brooklyn Nine Nine finale. That was such a good show but I always had a hard time figuring out when it was actually airing. Finally, I watched quite a few movies this week as I continued to prepare for October!

So, here’s a few notes on what little television did I watch:

Allo Allo (Sunday Night, PBS)

Having avoided (through a convoluted set of circumstances) marrying the head of the community resistance, Rene found himself being targeted for death by that same resistance. Rene was forced to once again fake his own death and then wander around the village disguised as his father, which meant putting on a fake beard. Rene even resorted to asking Herr Flick to “lock me up in one of your dungeons for a few days,” but Flick refused because they couldn’t just have people wandering in from off the street. Rene even asked Office Crabtree to arrest him. “Are you confessing to a cream?” Crabtree responded, in his broken French. It was all a bit complicated and, in the end, nothing really worked out. But it made me laugh and that’s the important thing.

Bachelor in Paradise (Tuesday Night, ABC)

Because I forgot to set the DVR, I only saw one of this week’s episodes of Bachelor in Paradise. Lil Jon was the new host because eventually, every reality show will be hosted by Lil Jon for a week. I didn’t really pay too much attention to the show, to be honest. I had just gotten back from the lake and I was tired.

Big Brother (All the Time, CBS and Paramount Plus)

It’s almost over and I’m happy about that. I like Big Brother but I always get a bit bored with it towards the end. I’m still writing about the show over at the Big Brother Blog.

Hell’s Kitchen (Monday Night, FOX)

I was happy that Trenton won, even though he did occasionally act like a bit of a jerk. Still, he obviously earned his victory and I’m sure that Megan will find success as well, even if she didn’t ultimately win Hell’s Kitchen. I really liked this season. The kinder, gentler Chef Ramsay was fun to watch and, for once, he really seemed to actually enjoy working with the younger chefs. Who would have thought that Hell’s Kitchen would end up becoming the most positive and feel-good reality show of 2021?

Moone Boy (Sunday Night, PBS)

Two episodes of Moone Boy aired on Sunday. I recorded both. The first featured the Moones trying to fool granddad into giving up his house so that Fidelma, Dessie, and the baby would have some place to live other than with them. Meanwhile, Martin wandered about with a video camera, hoping to capture something that could be sent to Ireland’s version of America’s Funniest Home Videos. Fortunately, it turned out that Grandad’s home was full of bats and when they attacked Dessie, Martin had his video! The second episode featured Martin and Padraic all excited about the idea of aliens having landed in Boyle. Can you blame them?

Open All Hours (Sunday Night, PBS)

After overordering, Arkwright desperately tried to get his customers to buy extra apples. Meanwhile, Granville continued to wonder how his once promising life had descended into the living Hell of being a 40 year-old stockboy.

The Ultimate Surfer (Tuesday Night, ABC)

Though two episodes aired this week, I only watched the 2nd episode. I still have no idea what’s happening on the show, beyond that it features a lot of attractive people getting wet. But, sometimes that’s all a show needs.

The Walking Dead (Sunday Night, AMC)

I wrote about the latest episode of The Walking Dead here.

Yes, Minister (Sunday Night, PBS)

PBS aired two episodes of Yes, Minister and I recorded both of them, despite having seem both of them before. That’s just how good this show is! The first episode featured Jim unsuccessfully trying to reduce the power and size of the civil service. The second episode featured a lively debate about whether or not the government should allow citizens to have any privacy. Even though this show is over 40 years old, both episodes continue to feel extremely relevant to our current situation. That’s the mark of a good show.