Retro Television Review: Malibu, CA 2.10 “The Comeback”

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Thursdays, I will be reviewing Malibu CA, which aired in Syndication in 1998 and 1999. Almost the entire show is currently streaming on YouTube!

Yes, this is from the first season. I don’t care. I refuse to waste my time looking for a second season advertisement.

Will Scott make it to the Olympics? Let’s try to find out.

Episode 2.10 “The Comeback”

(Dir by Gary Shimokawa, originally aired on December 11th, 1999)

Here’s what the imdb has to say about this episode:

Scott is excited about working with a new therapist, Ted from California University, and he believes against all odds that he will be in shape for the Olympic swim team trials. Trying to rush along his rehabilitation, he persuades Ted to let him get back in the water. Scott says he feels great and his comeback is progressing very rapidly, but he’s been taking medication to ease the pain his shoulder is causing him.

Yikes! It sounds like Scott is hooked on drugs and, since this is a Peter Engel-produced sitcom, I think it’s safe to assume that Scott is not going to qualify for the Olympics. Using drugs on any Peter Engel sitcom means that you surrender whatever you current dream may be. We all remember what happened to Tiffani on California Dreams and Jessie on Saved By The Bell.

Oh well. The idea of Scott just suddenly turning out to be a good enough swimmer to qualify for the Olympics never made much sense to begin with. People spend their entire lives training for the Olympics. Scott didn’t even know he was a fast swimmer until the second or third episode of this season. Indeed, he should probably sue whoever gave him the false hope of thinking he could qualify in the first place.

This is yet another episode that has not been uploaded to YouTube so I can’t really do a proper review. However, next week’s episode has been uploaded so, next Thursday, I will once again be watching Malibu, CA. Yay, I guess.

Retro Television Review: Malibu CA 2.9″Starstruck”

Posted on April 24, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Yes, this is from the first season. I don’t care. I refuse to waste my time looking for a second season advertisement.

Yes, it’s that time once again. Sorry, everyone.

Episode 2.9 “Starstruck”

(Dir by Gary Shimokawa, originally aired on December 4th, 1999)

Here’s what the imdb says about this week’s episode:

Jason has been having a great time with Alex and he admits to Murray that he’d like to date her. However, his film star friend Josh Denmark tells him that he too would like to date Alex. The two have competed for the same girls in the past and both agree not to date Alex. Murray, though, encourages Jason to ask Alex out, and he takes his advice. But it seems that Josh has already asked Alex out and she accepted.

Now, as you probably guessed, this is yet another season 2 episode that was not uploaded to YouTube. If I had known so much of season 2 was not available, I never would have started reviewing this stupid show to begin with and I’d be a lot happier right now. That said, in another few weeks, we will reach some episodes that actually have been uploaded. This post is a placeholder, in case I ever do find this episode. Plus, for whoever may be interested, you now know that Josh Denmark is a semi-regular character and so is Alex, the lifeguard who replaced Stads. I guess Jason is over Stads now. As for Scott, I guess he’s still training for the Olympics. *snicker* God, what a stupid show.

According to the imdb, this was the final episode to feature the character of “film star” Josh Denmark so I’m going to guess he turned out to be a jerk and left to film another movie. (That’s what usually happened whenever this plot played out on a Peter Engel-produced sitcom. Remember Johnny Dakota from Saved By The Bell?) The fact that this episode is called “Starstruck” leads me to suspect that Alex learned that there’s more to life than fame.

(It’s almost as if I don’t actually have to actually watch this show to know what happened.)

Anyway, hopefully I’ll get to do an actual review in the future.

Retro Television Review: Malibu CA 2.8 “Guess Who’s Coming To Malibu”

Posted on April 10, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Yes, this is from the first season. I don’t care. I refuse to waste my time looking for a second season advertisement.

Reviewing Malibu CA feels a bit pointless now that I’ve discovered that half of the season two episodes weren’t ever uploaded to YouTube but I made a commitment and my own OCD tendencies are holding me to it. Let’s try to take a look at the latest episode.

Episode 2.8 “Guess Who’s Coming To Malibu”

(Dir by Gary Shimokawa, originally aired on November 27th, 1999)

Here’s what the imdb has to tell us about this episode:

Peter is thrilled to be named businessman of the year by the Malibu Business Association. Murray is excited that his favorite actor Josh Denmark is in Malibu shooting a film. Jason recalls that he knew Josh a few years back in music camp. Together they sneak onto the set to see Josh and disrupt the shoot. Josh remembers Jason, the two reminisce and plan to meet again. Later Josh comes by the Lighthouse with female fans following him. Jason offers to let Josh stay at the Collins house to escape the crush of fans. Jason asks his dad after the fact if Josh can stay and Peter says no way, it will be too disruptive with his awards banquet coming up and Scott’s Olympic training. Josh’s flattery helps Peter soften his position a little.

Wow, Jason just knows everyone! Didn’t they already do an episode during the first season about a movie star who needed a place to hide so she ended up staying at the Collins house? We’re only two seasons in and the show is already repeating itself. It’s also interesting to note that Scott’s Olympic training is still going on. When last we checked, he had only recently started swimming again. And yet, he’s already a potential Olympian. I learned how to play golf two years ago. Maybe I should try out for the Olympic team.

This is another second season episode that has not been uploaded to YouTube. I know, it breaks my heart, too. Consider this to be a placeholder. If the episode ever does show up on YouTube, I will review it here.

Retro Television Review: Malibu CA 2.7 “The Long Goodbye”

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Yes, this is from the first season. I don’t care. I refuse to waste my time looking for a second season advertisement.

This week, Jason ruins his life. Or at least, that’s what I assume happened.

Episode 2.7 “The Long Goodbye”

(Dir by Gary Shimokawa, originally aired on November 20th, 1999)

Here’s the plot of this week’s episode, according to the imdb:

After a successful audition before Alex’s uncle the producer, Jason gets the go-ahead to make a demo recording. He’s surprised to see that the producer sent to work with him is a woman: a young, attractive one. Jason works with Kendall and there seems to be a spark between them. Stads calls from Europe. Jason tells her about the demo but not that the producer is female.

Wow, that sounds great! (If you’re detecting heavy sarcasm, you are indeed a perceptive reader.) Too bad this episode is one of the ones that has not been uploaded to YouTube. Or actually, maybe it’s not that bad that I have an excuse not watch it. I’ve never bought into the whole idea of Jason being this massively talented singer and songwriter. According to Wikipedia, this episode was the last appearance as Stads so I’m going to guess that Jason not mentioning his producer being female led to a break-up. Oh well!

Consider this a placeholder. If this episode ever is uploaded, I’ll review it.

Retro Television Review: Malibu, CA 2.6 “Dancing Fools”

Posted on March 20, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Thursdays, I will be reviewing Malibu CA, which aired in Syndication in 1998 and 1999. The entire show is currently streaming on YouTube!

Yes, this is from the first season. I don’t care. I refuse to waste my time looking for a second season advertisement.

Eh, this show. I’m never looking forward to having to watch this show.

Episode 2.6 “Dancing Fools”

(Dir by Gary Shimokawa, originally aired on November 13th, 1999)

Here’s how the imdb describes the plot of this week’s episode of Malibu, CA:

Lisa receives a gift (a human skeleton!) from a secret admirer. Scott finds out that Murray is the one who sent it to her. Lisa needs an additional $1800 for tuition. Jason tells her about the swing dance contest at the Malibu Country Club with a prize of $2000. When she finds out Murray and family are all members, she gets him to be her partner for the contest.

Wow, that sounds stupid! In fact, it sounds so stupid that I’m relieved that it’s one of the few episodes of this show that has not been uploaded to YouTube. I’ll keep this post here as a placekeeper in case I ever do get to see the episode but I’m not really planning on spending a lot of time looking for it, to be absolutely honest. I’ve seen enough Peter Engel-produced sitcoms that I can imagine how this went. Murray has a crush. Lisa (the character, not me!) is dismissive until he dances with her at the Country Club and then she realizes that he actually is a great guy. “Awwwwww!” the audience says.

In my imagination, it was a great episode!

Retro Television Review: Malibu CA 2.5 “Off The Deep End”

Posted on March 13, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Thursdays, I will be reviewing Malibu CA, which aired in Syndication in 1998 and 1999. The entire show is currently streaming on YouTube!

Yes, this is from the first season. I don’t care. I refuse to waste my time looking for a second season advertisement.

This week …. well, we’ll get to it in a minute.

Episode 2.5 “Off the Deep End”

(Dir by Gary Shimokawa, originally aired on November 6th, 1999)

Well, this is embarrassing. I sat down, ready to face my weekly chore of watching the next episode of Malibu CA, and I promptly discovered that the fifth episode of season two has never been upload to YouTube.

Now, to be honest, this isn’t exactly a tragedy. I don’t particularly like this show and it’s not like my reviews of an obscure sitcom from the 90s are responsible for much of this site’s daily traffic. It does bother me as a completist. If I ever find a free copy of this episode, I’ll review it. But, to be honest, I’m not going to spend that much time looking.

Here’s the plot summary, via the imdb:

Peter has been ignoring Scott’s swim meets and now only three are left before the Olympic trials. Fearing that he’s doing the same thing to Scott now that he did to him when he was younger, Peter now tries to get as involved as possible. He’s taking care of Scott’s diet, hiring a masseuse, and making Jason do all the chores.

It’s tempting to try to review this episode without even watching it. I’ve seen enough of these Peter Engel-produced teen sitcoms that I can imagine almost everything that probably happens in the episode, from Scott getting angry at Peter for being overbearing to Peter apologizing for not having been there for Scott in the past to Jason coming up with some crazy scheme to try to get Murray to do all the chores for him. I’m pretty sure all of this happened to someone on Saved By The Bell: The New Class as well.

But no, I have my ethics. I’ll wait until I can actually watch the episode and I say that with the full knowledge that I may never see the episode. And I’m kind of okay with that.

Retro Television Review: Malibu CA 2.4 “Chasing Stads”

Posted on March 6, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Thursdays, I will be reviewing Malibu CA, which aired in Syndication in 1998 and 1999. The entire show is currently streaming on YouTube!

Yes, this is from the first season. I don’t care. I refuse to waste my time looking for a second season advertisement.

Bye bye, Stads!

Episode 2.4 “Chasing Stads”

(dir by Gary Shimokawa, originally aired on October 30th, 1999)

After getting fired from her lifeguarding job after she follows Jason’s advice and complains about not getting promotion, Stads proceeds to accidentally burn down her apartment building when she used a faulty hair dryer. We hear a news report that says it’s the worst “apartment building” fire in Malibu history so I’m going to guess that people died.

Stads should be going to jail on a manslaughter charge. Instead, she hops on a plane and goes to Europe for a year. This is the same Stads who, earlier in the show, was saying that she was flat broke. Stads is gone and Jason is sad so he hops on a plane and joins here in Switzerland, where he gets a job working with her in a hotel. I guess Jason’s gone now. Yay!

Oh wait. It turns out that Jason is dreaming of pursuing his musical career and to do that, he needs to return to Malibu because God knows it’s not like there are record companies in Europe. Jason promises he’ll wait for Stads. “I’m going to miss you.” Stads says. Awww!

I, on the other hand, am not going to miss Stads because the show transformed her from being a fairly interesting character — a socially awkward lifeguard who was unlucky in love but totally capable of saving lives — into a fairly annoying killjoy whose main purpose was to roll her eyes and get mad at every single line of dialogue. In the end, Stads represented the fact that the writers of this show had no idea how to write female characters. In the world of Malibu CA, you could be a ditz or a …. well, I gave up cursing for Lent but you know what I’m saying.

Myself, I’m just trying to figure out the logistics of Jason suddenly showing up in Switzerland. How did he pay for the trip? How did he get over there so quickly? Did he give his two-weeks at the restaurant? Did he tell his dad or his brother? Were they cool with him just moving to another country? This episode certainly establishes that no one’s in high school any more so is their father okay with his two sons skipping college despite not really having any of the skills necessary to survive in the real world? Seriously, this episode raised too many questions.

Meanwhile Lisa Jones tried to break Murray of his soap opera addiction. It was pretty dumb. Marquita Terry may have improved an actress since Malibu CA, I don’t know. And let’s be honest …. it’s not like the show was really giving her great material work with. That said, we are four episodes into the second season and her performance on the show is making Trevor Merszei and Jason Hayes look like Oscar winners.

Oy vey, this show.

Retro Television Review: Malibu CA 2.3 “Aloha”

Posted on February 20, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Thursdays, I will be reviewing Malibu CA, which aired in Syndication in 1998 and 1999. The entire show is currently streaming on YouTube!

Yes, this is from the first season. I don’t care. I refuse to waste my time looking for a second season advertisement.

Even by Malibu CA standards, this week’s episode is incredibly stupid.

Episode 2.3 “Aloha”

(Dir by Gary Shimokawa, originally aired on October 23rd, 1999)

Peter can’t figure out why no one is coming to his restaurant.

Gee, Peter, maybe it’s because your idiot sons work there and are constantly screwing everything up. Maybe it’s because your only waitress is constantly complaining about everything in the most overdramatic way possible. (Seriously, after only three episodes, Lisa — the Malibu CA character, not me! — is perhaps the most annoying human being ever.) Maybe that all has something to do with it….

No, actually, it’s because there’s a new restaurant called Aloha, which features the Cocoanuts, a group of girls who wear bikinis and dance while the patrons are eating. I can’t imagine anyone going to this restaurant on a date but apparently, all of the single men on the beach love it. Murray has eaten at the restaurant 21 times in a row! Jason and Scott go down to Aloha with their father and Jason immediately starts dancing with the girls. Peter accuses both Jason and Murray of betraying him.

It’s easy to laugh at Peter’s misfortune, especially since it’s his own damn fault for being a terrible business owner. But when he announces that he might lose the restaurant because he stupidly took out a loan, Jason and Scott bully Murray into using his trust fund to invest in The Lighthouse. Co-owner Murray wants to have a pirate night. “Arggh!” Peter says.

Anyway, Jason and Scott eventually bully Murray into applying to be one of the Cocoanuts and after Murray is hired, everyone stops going to Aloha and they return to the Lighthouse because there are only two restaurants in Malibu. Myself, I’m wondering how exactly Murray got hired. On the show, it’s suggested that Murray was hired because, otherwise, he would have sued the owner of Aloha for sex discrimination. That’s not exactly how that law works, though. Even if the owner did hire Murray to work at Aloha, he wouldn’t be required to make Murray one of the dancers. He could have just used Murray as a waiter or dishwasher or …. WAIT ON MINUTE! Murray already has a job! Just two episodes ago, he was working at The Lighthouse! What the Hell!?

There’s an equally stupid B-plot. Traycee wants to date the guy who changes out the coke machine on the beach. He’s not into flashy celebrities who Traycee works a dark wig and glasses and pretends to be a librarian. It all seems to be working until he sees Traycee in a bikini and realizes that she’s not actually a librarian …. WHAT!? Why would Traycee, whose entire life is about being famous, like this guy in the first place? And why are Lisa (the character, not me!) and Stads still on the show when its obvious that the show really doesn’t have anything for either of them to do? It would perhaps help if Lisa and Stads didn’t both have exactly the same killjoy personality. Anyway, Traycee ends up single again but she lands on the cover of Soap Opera Digest.

God, this show was stupid.

Retro Television Review: Malibu CA 2.2 “Jason’s Song”

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Thursdays, I will be reviewing Malibu CA, which aired in Syndication in 1998 and 1999. The entire show is currently streaming on YouTube!

I know that’s the first season cast but I don’t care.

This week …. ugh.

Episode 2.2 “Jason’s Song”

(Dir by Gary Shimokawa, originally aired on October 16th, 1999)

Lisa is just the worst!

No, silly, not me! I’m the best. I’m talking about Lisa, the newest character on this show. Lisa is the medical student who was hired to work as a waitress at the restaurant. This week’s episode finds her desperately looking for an apartment and moving in with …. Traycee! The problem is that Lisa can’t stand Traycee because Traycee loves the color pink and is a careless driver. What’s wrong with that? I love the color pink and …. well, I am a good driver. But still, Lisa throws such a fit over moving in with Traycee and Marquita Terry (who plays Lisa) gives such a cartoonishly over-the-top performance in the role that you can kind of end up feeling that Lisa is …. well, she’s the worst.

Things are resolved when Lisa throws one of Traycee’s possessions of the balcony in frustration. I hate to say it but, even though it’s only been a few hours since I watched the episode, I cannot remember what exactly Lisa threw. Was it a CD? Let’s say it was a CD because I refuse to rewatch this episode because, as I will discuss in the next paragraph, this episode deeply offended me. The important thing is that, when the cop shows up at the apartment looking for who threw the whatever at him, Traycee takes the blame and …. GOES TO JAIL! (Editor’s Note: I checked and it was a CD. — Erin)

See, that’s why I’m not going to rewatch this episode. Getting arrested and going to jail is a big deal. Lisa allowed Traycee to potentially get a criminal record. If the show wants me to sympathize with Lisa then Lisa should have gone to the police and told the truth and dealt with the consequences. Lisa was the one dumb enough to throw whatever it was that she threw. This is on Lisa and I don’t care how frustrated she was, she’s the one was an idiot. Instead, Lisa stays at the apartment and paints one door pink and puts up some fake hearts. When Traycee returns …. FROM JAIL! …. she is overjoyed. Lisa and Traycee are friends. Yay? No, no yay. TRAYCEE WENT TO JAIL FOR YOU! Traycee probably got charged with a misdemeanor and had to pay a fine. Someone probably had to bail her out. Throwing something off of a balcony and hitting a cop is not a little thing. Someone with that little self-control should not be a doctor. Lisa spends almost this entire episode shaking with rage. Was no one directing this episode? Was no one asking for a second take? What the Hell was going on?

While this was going on, Jason pursued his musical career and fell under the influence of Jesse Mercer (Rex Smith), who was once in a band with Jason and Scott’s father. (The Disco Dudes, I think they were called.) Jesse proves to be a bad influence. Recently promoted to night manager and having been given a laptop by his father, Jason sells the laptop for a new guitar. What a prick. Jesse agrees to play a fundraiser for the lifeguards but bails at the last minute. Don’t worry. Jason has a guitar and he’s learned an important lesson.

This storyline actually featured a pretty good performance from Rex Smith but it was hard not to notice that it was basically just the Fabolous Belding Boys with Edward Blatchford (now cast not as the cool Belding brother but instead as Jason and Scott’s dorky father) playing the role that Dennis Haskins originally played. If that sentence doesn’t make sense to you, you’ve never watched Saved By The Bell and you’re lucky.

Ugh, this show.

Retro Television Review: Malibu, CA 2.1 “Race Your Dream”

Posted on February 6, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Thursdays, I will be reviewing Malibu CA, which aired in Syndication in 1998 and 1999. The entire show is currently streaming on YouTube!

It’s the second season but I’m too lazy to change the graphic. Sorry, not sorry.

Today we begin season 2 of the bane of my existence.

Episode 2.1 “Race Your Dream”

(Dir by Gary Shimokawa, originally aired on October 9th, 1999)

The second season of Malibu CA starts with a few changes.

It’s firmly established that Scott and Jason are no longer in high school so I guess they graduated and, instead of going to college, they’re still working as busboys at their Dad’s restaurant. I don’t know what type of message that sends but it’s probably not a good one. (Also, I guess the show decided to forget about Scott having a job as a sportscaster.)

Murray is now working at the restaurant as well.

Priscilla Inga Taylor has officially joined the cast. Gina May is no longer on the show. Sam actually went to college after graduating.

Stads is still on the show and somehow, she’s even bitchier than usual in this episode. And when I say “bitchy,’ I don’t mean that she’s an empowering diva who won’t let anyone stand in her way. I mean that she’s whiny and in a bad mood for now particular reason.

Lisa Jones (Marquita Terry) is a medical student who gets a job as a waitress at the restaurant. You’d think I would relate to her since we share the same name but nope. During her job interview, she specifically points out that no one else at the restaurant is doing a good job. It’s true but still kind of rude. Admittedly, I’ve never had to actually interview for a job but it seems like criticizing the place where you want to work would be a mistake. That’s especially true if you’re interviewing for a job that literally thousands of other people could do.

Scott has a crush on Lisa. Lisa thinks Scott is a slacker. Jason lies and says that Scott is in training for the U.S. Olympic try-outs. WHAT!? That’s what he came up with! Maybe he could point out that Scott had a job as a sportscaster. Or maybe he could reveal that Scott is the assistant manager of the restaurant. Instead, he said that Scott is trying out for the OLYMPIC SWIM TEAM! SERIOUSLY, LET THAT SINK IN!

Of course, Saved By The Bell: The New Class had an entire season where everyone on the show was a member of the swim team so maybe Peter Engel just had a thing for swimming.

Lisa is friends with someone who actually is a competitive swimmer. She introduced him to Scott. Scott gets challenged to a race. Scott agrees. He loses but only barely because …. WHAT!? SCOTT IS SWIMMING AGAINST AN OLYMPIC ATHLETE! What the Hell was wrong with our Olympic team in the 90s that a member of it could nearly get beaten by some Malibu beach bum? WHAT THE HELL!?

THE SHOW IS STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! STUPID MINDS!

Anyway, Lisa is impressed that Scott tried. And Scott is told that there’s an outside chance that he actually could make the Olympics if he starts training….

SERIOUSLY, THIS IS SO STUPID! Not even One World was this stupid! Not even Hang Time had the audacity to suggest its characters were going to magically make the Olympic team. (It is true that Scott is revealed to have been a good swimmer in high school. I’m a good dancer. It still doesn’t mean I’m joining The Paris Opera Ballet anytime soon.)

So, basically, season two is going to be the same as season one.