Tag Archives: Happy Hour

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 4/6/25 — 4/12/25

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidinfluencing (Netflix)

The latest Netflix docuseries takes a look at kid influencers and the adults who get rich off of them.  The first two episodes were a disturbing portrait of manipulation and exploitation.  The third episode got bogged down with politics, with Taylor Lorenz demanding that the social media be regulated and various politicians making an unwelcome appearance.  The problem with the third episode is that it often felt as staged as the youtube videos that dominated the first two episodes.  That said, overall, this was a sobering call for parents to be a bit smarter about keeping track of what’s going on with their children, especially when it comes to their online lives.

Happy Hour (YouTube)

I watched an episode of this 90s, celebrity-driven game show on Friday night.  Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa were the hosts.  Dweezil was the epitome of cool while Ahmet kind of needed to calm down a little.

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

Erin and I watched this holiday classic on Saturday afternoon.  You can read her thoughts about it here.

 

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 11/24/24 — 11/30/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Spending this Thanksgiving week with my sisters, I didn’t watch a lot of television.  I did watch and review episodes of Homicide, Degrassi High, Miami Vice, CHiPs, Fantasy Island, Baywatch Nights, The Love Boat, and Monsters.

And, earlier today, I watched episodes of CHiPs, Degrassi High, Baywatch Nights, Monsters, Malibu CA, Check It Out, and Friday the 13th: The Series and I wrote up reviews that will post over the course of the upcoming week.  It’s always nice to have a head start on all of that.

On Tuesday, Erin and I watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.  Charlie Brown really was way too nice about Peppermint Patty inviting herself over to his house and then getting upset over being served popcorn.  Myself, I love the fact that Snoopy had a fully cooked turkey that he basically hid from everyone else until it was just him and Woodstock at the house.

On Wednesday, I watched the latest episode of Hell’s Kitchen.  I was not surprised to see Lulu eliminated.  I hope Brandon wins this season.

I watched bits of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and also the four football games that were played on Thursday.  My cousins were really into the football games.  I said I thought it would be nice if everyone could win and I got booed and accused of being a commie.  As for the parade, it just made me wish that I was in New York to see it in person.  Maybe next year!

On Friday, I watched episodes of two old 90s shows — Rollergames and Happy Hour.  They were both enjoyably dumb.

And that’s it for this week!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 6/2/24 — 6/8/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Ugh.  We got our power back on Sunday but this week still kind of sucked for me.  I’ve just been in a funk, as you can probably tell by how little I’ve posted over the past few days.  Going a week without power really threw me off of my rhythm.  Even with the return of the lights, there’s been a lot of cleaning up to do, around both the house and the neighborhood.  For that reason, I’ve put a lot of my regular posts on a temporary hiatus.  My regular Retro Television Reviews, for instance, will return on June 17th.

So, I guess my point is — don’t give up on me!  I’m in a funk right now but it happens and I’ll snap out of it, definitely sooner than later.

As far what I watched on television this week:

Degrassi: The Next Generation (Pluto TV)

I’ve watched only one show this week but I also watched 14 seasons of it.  It takes a total of 7 and a half days to binge the entirety of Degrassi: The Next Generation.  When the lights came on, Pluto was showing the very first episode, in which Emma ran afoul an online stalker and, as I write this, Pluto is approaching the final episodes, in which Tristan and Miles took the title of the worst Degrassi couple ever.

For the last seven days, I have been binging Degrassi.  I haven’t rewatched every episode, of course.  I’ve had to sleep.  I’ve had to take care of my day-to-day responsibilities.  But, when I needed to relax, I sat down on the living room couch and watched Degrassi.  I reexperienced everything from Manny’s pregnancy to Craig’s breakdown to Ellie’s cutting to Jimmy’s shooting to Spinner …. well, acting like Spinner.  Unfortunately, the show itself became a bit less interesting as the old cast left and the new students enrolled.  (I’ve never been able to bring myself to care about Connor.)  Later seasons of the show got a bit preachy and it was hard not to get annoyed by the fact that everyone was apparently in a band.  (House arrest …. house arrest…. really gets stuck in your head.)

Still, revisiting this show helped to call my nerves during an otherwise stressful week.  Thank you, Degrassi and Pluto!

From Inmate to Roommate (A&E)

I watched two episodes of this new reality show on Saturday.  The show follows ex-cons as they leave prison and move in with people who have never been to prison.  The two episodes were actually interesting, just because of the contrast between the former prisoners and their new roommates.  None of the convicts really seem like they benefitted from being in prison.  My personal favorite moment was when the leftist, justice reform activist discovered that his new former inmate roommate had no interest spending his first day of freedom at a political protest.

Happy Hour (YouTube)

I watched an episode of this silly 90s game show on Saturday.  Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa hosted.  Among the celebrities in the competition: Adam West, Vivica A. Fox, Kathy Griffin, Diedrich Bader, and Taylor Dane.  The show provided several excuses for Dweezil and Ahmet to perform.  Dweezil was (and is) obviously a great guitarist, even when performing on a show as silly as this one.  As a vocalist, Ahmet …. well, Ahmet tried really hard.

Midnight Special (YouTube)

I watched an episode of this old variety show on Friday night.  The episode was from 1973 and featured some mellow music and the comedy stylings of Fred Willard (amongst others).  In fact, the whole thing was almost too mellow for me.  I like loud music to which you can dance.  Paul Williams showed up and talked about his role in the upcoming film, Battle for the Planet of the Apes.  He really didn’t do a very good job selling the movie.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 1/28/24 — 2/3/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

This previous week …. bleh.  Let’s just take a look at what I watched.

The Bachelor (Monday Night, ABC)

Eh.  I’m pretty lukewarm on the new bachelor.  He seems like a nice guy but he’s kind of boring.

Baywatch Nights (YouTube)

I reviewed Baywatch Nights here!

Check it Out (Tubi)

I’m running behind but I’ll have a review of this week’s episode up sometime on Sunday.

CHiPs (Freevee)

I reviewed CHiPs here!

Degrassi Junior High (YouTube)

I reviewed Degrassi here!

Fantasy Island (YouTube)

I reviewed Fantasy Island here!

Football (Sunday)

Did I watched two football games on Sunday?  According to my notes, Jeff and I watched two playoff games but I’ll be darned if I can tell you a dang thing about either one of them.

Friday the 13th (YouTube)

I’m running behind but I’ll have a review of this week’s episode up sometime on Sunday.

Happy Hour (YouTube)

I watched an episode of this old 90s game show on Saturday morning.  Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa asked bizarre questions to celebrities.  Dweezil was cool but Ahmet was like the hyperactive cousin that no one wants to deal with at the family reunion.  Amongst the celebrities were Chuck Woolery, Alexandra Paul, Patton Oswalt, and that “Let’s Get Ready To Rumble” ring announcer dude.

Highway to Heaven (Freevee)

I wrote about this week’s episode here!

Judge Dad (YouTube)

On Sunday, I watched an episode in which Judge Dad dealt with a woman who claimed her Canadian husband only married her for a visa.  Judge Dad interrupted the show so he could do a commercial for some sort of special food delivery system.  I followed this episode with an episode in which Judge Dad admonished a man for slashing his ex’s tires.  Both episodes featured the same disclosure.  Judge Dad is not a lawyer and the cases are fiction.

Law & Order (Thursday Night, NBC)

I got caught up with the first three episodes of the new season this week.  I am really impressed by Reid Scott, who is this season’s newest cast member.  He and Mehcad Brooks are working well together and Brooks, for his part, is no longer quite as stiff as he was the previous season.  Sam Waterston, bless him, is obviously not in the best of health and I really hope he retires after this season and enjoys life.  So far, Nolan Price appears to have mellowed out, especially when compared to previous two seasons.  But what has happened to Maroun?  She was finally showing some sparks of having a personality at the end of the previous season but now, she’s back to being a humorless scold who wears too much lipstick.

The first three episodes of the new season were all fairly good.  I cringe whenever the blue collar cops on Law & Order start talking like MSNC pundits (and I still laugh whenever I remember last season’s “Did you all see Morning Joe?”).  Law & Order will probably never be the beacon of quality that it once was but this season is off to a good start.

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I reviewed the third season finale here!

Miami Vice (Tubi)

I reviewed Miami Vice here!

Monsters (Tubi)

I wrote about Monsters here!

Sally Jessy Raphael (YouTube)

Sally talked to women who felt their marriage were in trouble.  All of the husband were total deadbeats.  One guy came out on stage wearing his uniform from McDonald’s.  I’m sure the bosses were really happy about that.

So Here’s What Happened (YouTube)

I wrote about this obscure pilot here!

Square Pegs (YouTube)

This was a sitcom from the early 80s, about two girls trying to be popular in high school.  I watched the pilot on Friday night and I smiled a few times.  Trying to fit in is a timeless subject.  One of the girls was played by Sarah Jessica Parker, who I love because, like me, she’s a part of the Big Nose Crew.  BNC FOREVER!

T and T (Tubi)

I wrote about T and T here!

Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about it here!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 11/19/23 — 11/25/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!  Here’s a few thoughts on what I watched this week, in between shopping, eating Thanksgiving dinner, and celebrating Erin’s birthday!

The Amazing Race (Wednesday Night, CBS)

The Race continued!  My sister and I need to get on this show while we still can.

Baywatch Nights (YouTube)

I wrote about Baywatch Nights here!

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (Apple TV+)

Erin and I watched this on Wednesday night, as we do every November.  You can read her thoughts here!

Check It Out (Tubi)

I watched another episode of this show earlier today.  Unless I fall asleep, I’ll be posting a review of it in an hour or two.  (Warning: There’s a very good chance that I might fall asleep.)

CHiPs (Freevvee)

I wrote about CHiPs here!

Degrassi Junior High (YouTube)

I wrote about Degrassi here!

Dr. Phil (YouTube)

I watched an episode of Dr. Phil this afternoon, just because I needed some background noise.  Dr. Phil was yelling at a woman who was cheating on her husband.

Fantasy Island (Daily Motion)

I wrote about Fantasy Island here!

Football: Commanders vs Cowboys (Thursday Afternoon)

Football: 49ers vs Seahawks (Thursday Night)

Football: Packers vs Lions (Thursday Morning)

Yep, the family was watching football all Thursday and I occasionally glanced at the television.  I was happy that the Cowboys beat the Commanders.  I can’t remember who won the other games.  I accidentally called the Commanders by their original name and I got yelled at by my cousin.  Bleh.

Happy Hour (YouTube)

I watched an episode of this 90s, celeb-themed game show on Saturday morning.  Unfortunately, one of the celebs was Danny Masterson so I cringed whenever the camera went past him.

Highway to Heaven (Tubi)

I wrote about Highway to Heaven here!

Jennifer Slept Here (YouTube)

I wrote about Jennifer Slept Here on Thursday.

Kitchen Nightmares (Tuesday Night, Fox)

On Tuesday, I watched the latest episode of Kitchen Nightmares, which featured Gordon Ramsay helping out a married couple who were on the verge of divorcing over their restaurant.  I always like it when Gordon shows off his nice side and he seemed to really care about this couple.  On Wednesday, I rewatched the classic Amy’s Baking Company episode on Hulu.

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (Thursday Morning, NBC)

It’s not Thanksgiving without the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade playing in the background.  I watched some of it with my family.  I liked the balloons but I got tired of all the reporters talking.

Monsters (Tubi)

I wrote about Monsters here!

Snub (YouTube)

This is a British music show from the late 80s.  I watched the first episode on Friday night.  Three bands performed.  I particularly liked Fugazi’s performance.

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

Crazy Eye Kendra is gone so that’s a good thing!

T and T (Tubi)

I wrote about T and T here!

Welcome Back Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about Welcome Back Kotter here!

WKRP In Cincinnati (DVD)

On Tuesday night, Jeff and I watched the classic “I thought turkey could fly” episode of this 70s sitcom.  This episode always makes me laugh.  Jeff has the entire series on DVD so who knows?  This could be a future entry in my retro television reviews!

Yes, Prime Minister (Monday Night, PBS)

This week’s episode was amazingly cynical, even by the standards of this rather cynical show.  Sir Humphrey effortlessly manipulated Jim Hacker into nominating a corrupt banker to an important post.  Somehow, it was also quite funny.  There’s just something about the way that poor, earnest (if occasionally pompous) Jim Hacker continually falls for every scheme that Sir Humphrey comes up with.  It helps that the schemes usually seem to turn out for the best.  If anything, Sir Humphrey might have a point about the importance of not giving the Prime Minister too much room to think for himself.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 7/16/23 — 7/22/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

City Guys (YouTube)

I wrote about City Guys here.

Claim To Fame (Monday Night, ABC)

Claim to Fame is a show where 12 relatives of celebrities compete to be the last relative standing.  If someone guesses who you are related to, then you’re out of the show.  If someone incorrectly guesses who you are related to, they are out of the show.  It’s all really, really silly but it’s also a lot more fun than it probably has any right to be.  It helps that the show is hosted by the totally charming duo of Kevin and Frankie Jonas.

I watched the first three episodes of the second season on Sunday morning.  The highlight, of course, was the epic meltdown of Tom Hanks’s niece, who really only had herself to blame for being eliminated because she literally had a panic attack whenever anyone mentioned that someone on the show might be related to Tom Hanks.  As I finished the third episode, I decided that Olivia and Chris were my two favorite players and that Hugo was least favorite, largely due to the fact that Hugo just seemed awfully impressed with himself.

I watched the latest episode on Monday night.  Eddie Murphy’s daughter was finally sent out of the house.  I say finally because everyone pretty much figured out who she was during the second episode.  That said, she seemed to be a nice person.

Degrassi High (YouTube)

Old school Degrassi!  As much as I hate to admit, I haven’t seen much of either Degrassi Junior High or Degrassi High but I intend to remedy that soon.  On the two episodes I watched, the school bully discovered that he was HIV+ and Joey’s attempt to raise money for a new car failed.  It was interesting seeing Joey when he was younger and still had hair.

Fantasy Island (YouTube)

I wrote about Fantasy Island here!

Happy Hour (YouTube)

I watched the 2nd episode of this old 90s game show on Saturday morning.  Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa hosted.  Ahemt had a bit too much energy for his own good but at least Mario Lopez was one of the contestants.  There was an extremely creepy moment when a woman was brought out of the audience and talked about how obsessed she was with Mario.  Also interesting was to note that this episode was nearly 30 years old but Mario Lopez looked exactly the same as he does today.  The man seriously does not age.

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

The Master (Tubi)

I wrote about The Master here!

Night Music (YouTube)

I watched an episode of this 90s late night music show on Friday night. Bootsy Collins performed and it was very entertaining.

The Simpsons (Weekdays, FXX)

I watched two episodes of this long-running show on Thursday afternoon.  In the first episode, Bart was expelled from Springfield Elementary but, fortunately, he was allowed to re-enroll after he exposed the truth about whacking day and saved the lives of a bunch of snakes.  This was followed by an episode in which Marge forgot to pay for a bottle of whiskey and was sent to jail for 30 days.  Needless to say, the entire town fell apart without her and was forced to settle for a Jimmy Carter statue when they couldn’t afford one of Lincoln.  This led to riots, as one would naturally expect.

Stars on Mars (Monday Night, Fox)

I binged and got up-to-date with this stupid, stupid show throughout the week.  As dumb as it is, it’s compulsively watchable.  On the one hand, it was great to see William Shatner hamming it up as the host.  On the other hand, is it really time for Lance Armstrong redemption tour?

Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about “The Sit-In” here!

 

 

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 6/4/23 — 6/10/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I spent most of this week watching movies so this is probably not going to be my most impressive week in television.  That said, here’s a few notes on what I did watch!

All You Need Is Love (Night Flight Plus)

“Welcome to a guided tour of the world of popular music….”  This documentary series aired in the 70s and it traced the history of pop music, from the tunes of Tin Pan Alley to Broadway to rock and roll.  I watched the first, introductionary episode on Friday night.  It was interesting to see how everything linked up.

Beavis and Butt-Head (Thursday, Paramount Plus)

This week’s episode of Beavis and Butt-Head was okay.  I was happy, for instance, that the folks at the American Legion hall beat up Old Beavis and Butt-Head because no one should be allowed to get away with stolen valor.  The dog park thing was funny as long as you assume that the racoon didn’t have rabies.  The highlight of the episode was the way the boys reacted to the video of the woman who turned her  car into a chia pet.  “Is there any way to turn down someone’s personality?”

Fantasy Island (Tubi)

Read my latest Fantasy Island review here!

Forgive or Forget (YouTube)

On Tuesday, I watched an episode of this Mother Love-hosted talk show.  A man asked his best friend to forgive him for skipping her wedding.  She did.  Another woman asked her friend to apologize for not supporting her when she had experimental weight loss surgery.  An apology was given.

Happy Hour (YouTube)

This was a bizarre panel show from the late 90s.  It featured musical performances from Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa, dance numbers featuring the half-naked Bombshells, and two teams competing in arbitrary games that had no rules.  The episode that I watched on Saturday morning featured, among others, Lisa Loeb, Kelly Packard, Fred Willard, Sable, Jane Pratt, Chris Hardwick, and Aries Spears.  At one point, an odd man named Todd emerged from the audience and competed with Kelly Packard to see who knew the most about Kelly’s time on California Dreams.  Todd was kind of creepy and I hope Kelly got a restraining order on him after the show.

Anyway, it was a fun and strange hour.  I enjoyed the dancing.

The Master (Tubi)

I wrote about The Master here!

The Maury Povich Show (YouTube)

On Monday, I watched a 1992 episode of a talk show hosted by Maury Povich.  (I’m not sure but I think The Maury Povich Show was a different show from Maury’s better-known sleazefest, Maury!)  The episode featured Povich interviewing the director and the star of a film about Jeffrey Dahmer.  The families of Dahmer’s victims yelled at them.  A local reporter showed up and condemned the film.  The families yelled at the reporter for writing a book about Dahmer.  There was a lot of yelling.  Maury said that he held the first amendment sacred.

Sally Jessy Raphael (YouTube)

On Monday, I watched an episode where mothers sent their out-of-control teens to boot camp.  Personally, I’ve always felt that the whole boot camp thing was more about making the parents feel good than actually doing anything for their children.  I followed this up with an episode about women who were dating controlling men who would not let them escape their toxic relationships.  The worst of the men showed up wearing a Canada t-shirt.  It’s like he knew he was going on a nationally syndicated television show, he probably knew he was going to be portrayed as a villain, and he thought to himself, ‘I’m going to make sure they know I’m Canadian!”  I then watched a third episode, featuring more women married to sleazy men.  I hope they all got divorced after the show was filmed.

On Tuesday, I watched an episode in which Sally talked to people whose families were being destroyed by infidelity.  I imagine everyone who appeared on this episode is now divorced.  I then watched a second episode about stepfamilies in crisis.  I blamed the stepparents.

The Steve Wilkos Show (YouTube)

I watched an episode on Tuesday.  Steve sent two snotty teenagers to the Scared Straight program.  Steve was such a joke but somehow, he was never quite as sleazy as his former boss, Jerry Springer.

Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about Welcome Back, Kotter here!