Tag Archives: Night Flight

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 11/1/26 — 11/7/26

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

With Horrorthon completed, I spent a lot of time watching reality shows and true crime docudramas this week.  Here’s a few thoughts on what I watched:

1st & Ten (Prime)

I reviewed 1st & Ten here!

The Amazing Race (CBS, Wednesday Night)

I wrote about The Amazing Race here.  I’m totally rooting for Matt & Michelle and I will miss Doug & Dylan.  I’m a bit tired of Anne-Marie & Riley and their self-righteous attitude.

Bar Rescue (Weekdays, Paramount)

I watched quite a few episodes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  As I’ve mentioned before, Bar Rescue helps me to relax.  I’m not sure why.

Baywatch (Tubi)

I reviewed Baywatch here!

CHiPs (Prime)

I reviewed CHiPs here!

Crime Story (Prime)

I wrote about Crime Story here!

Dragnet (Prime)

I purchased and watched my two favorite episodes on Wednesday, the talk show episode and the night school episode.  After sitting through the results of the midterms, it was fun to watch Jack Webb put those hippies in their place.

The Greatest Event In Television History (Prime)

I needed a laugh so I watched all four episodes of this on Thursday night.  The Simon & Simon episode is my favorite.

Hunter (Prime)

I watched and reviewed this week’s episode here!

ID Special Report: The Long Island Serial Killer (HBOMax)

I watched this special on the Long Island Serial Killer on Sunday.  It didn’t really provide much new information but, then again, I think it was also a few years old.  I’d forgotten how obnoxious Nancy Grace could be.

Johnny Garage (YouTube)

I reviewed this unsold pilot here!

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I reviewed this week’s episode here!

Maury (Weekday Afternoons, The CW)

It’s amazing to me that Maury is no longer in production but the reruns live on.  How would you feel if you turned on the TV and saw yourself from ten years ago, sitting on Muary’s stage?  Anyway, on Tuesday, I watched an episode of Maury and killed a few brain cells.  Hopefully, I won’t need them for anything.

Night Flight (NightFlight+)

On Friday night, I watched an episode about some Los Angeles-based bands about which I had previously never heard.

No Big Deal (YouTube)

This is a British sitcom that was made entirely with AI.  The only thing that was not done by AI was the script but it was so predictable and the jokes fell so flat that it might as well have been.  The whole thing played out like a very stiff and rather soulless cartoon.  The AI actors looked like talking mannequins.

Pacific Blue (Prime)

I reviewed Pacific Blue here!

Private Eyes West Coast (Monday Night, The CW)

I watched an episode of this show because I was genuinely curious as to what actually airs on the CW nowadays.  Private Eyes West Coast is a Canadian show.  It stars Jason Priestly and Cindy Sampson as two private detectives.  It was actually a pretty cute show.  Priestly and Sampson had a really likable chemistry.  I might to start setting the DVR.

St. Elsewhere (YouTube)

I wrote about St. Elsewhere here!

Saved By The Bell (Prime)

My review of this week’s episode will be dropping in about 30 minutes.

Saved By The Bell: The New Class

I reviewed this week’s episode here!

Sledge Hammer! (Prime)

I wrote about Sledge Hammer here!

The Steve Wilkos Show (Weekday Afternoons, The CW)

I watched an episode on Tuesday, largely because I was surprised to discover that the CW was still a thing.  Steve’s guest took a lie detector test.  The results were inconclusive.  The guest agreed to take another test in the future but then ghosted the show and Steve’s crew.

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I wrote about Survivor here.

The Synanon Fix (HBOMax)

This Rory Kennedy-directed docuseries took a look at how Synanon went from being a trendy drug rehab program to becoming a dangerous cult.  As I mentioned further down in my review of The Way Down, I usually have mixed feelings about cult docudramas but The Synanon Fix was fascinating.

Taken: Natalee Holloway (Netflix)

The latest Netflix true crime docudrama featured a lot of interviews but not much new information.  Each episode was only 30 minutes long so I have to wonder why they divided this into multiple episodes instead of just turning it into a two-hour documentary.

The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin (HBOMax)

This was a cult docudrama.  Cult docudramas are very popular right now.  They all tend to argue that anyone — even an intelligent person — can become a member of a cult.  Personally, I have to disagree.  I think cults mostly appeal to stupid people who don’t have the confidence necessary to believe in themselves so, instead, they just believe in everything else.  Anyway, I watched this docuseries on Sunday and had absolutely no respect for the majority of the people interviewed.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 10/18/26 — 10/24/26

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Amazing Race (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I wrote about The Amazing Race here!

Bar Rescue (Weekdays, Paramount+)

I watched quite a few episodes on Monday and Tuesday, in between watching horror films and writing reviews.  They make for very nice background noise.  There’s something very relaxing about listening to John Taffer yell at a bad bar owner.

Barney Miller (Weeknights, FETV)

I watched two episodes of this classic 70s sitcom on Tuesday.  In the first episode, Detective Harris (Ron Glass) lost a court case and got extremely drunk as a result.  James Cronwell guest starred as a not unsympathetic lawyer.  The episode ended with a prison singing High Hopes in an attempt to cheer up Harris and a still drunk Harris looking for his gun.  (Luckily, Captain Miller had taken the gun away from him earlier.)  The second episode featured one the detectives getting hit with a paternity suit.  Captain Miller (Hal Linden) remained calm even while everyone else was losing their head.  It was actually a pretty funny show.  The humor was pretty much entirely character-based.

Diff’rent Strokes (Tubi)

Mr. Drummond caught Arnold and Dudley smoking!  An important lesson was learned.  Unfortunately, it was a bit too late for Dudley’s father, who was so addicted that even the prospect of lung surgery couldn’t make him stop.

In Search Of…. (YouTube)

I’ve been sharing episodes of this Leonard Nimoy-hosted docuseries all week.  What are you In Search Of?

Night Flight (Night Flight+)

I watched two episodes on Friday.  One was about 80s street music.  A more recent episode was about a less-than-impressive heavy metal band from Oklahoma.

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I wrote about Survivor here.

Thriller (YouTube)

I’ve been sharing episodes of the Boris Karloff-hosted Thriller all week.  I especially liked the Jack the Ripper episode.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 10/11/26 — 10/17/26

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Amazing Race (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I wrote about The Amazing Race here!

Austin City Limits (PBS)

I watched an episode featuring Olivia Rodrigo on Saturday morning.

Bar Rescue (Weekdays, Paramount)

I was up early on Wednesday so I could watch Sweet November on TCM.  After the movie ended, I watched two episodes of Bar Rescue on Paramount,  The first one was set at an Irish bar that needed some help.  The second one was at a North Carolina nightclub that was pouring cheap liquor into expensive bottles and then overcharging the customers.  John Taffer got mad and yelled at everyone, as he should have.

In between watching the first and the second episodes of Crystal Lake on Thursday, I ended up watching three episodes of Bar Rescue.  I only meant to watch one but I couldn’t help it.  I got drawn into all the drama and the shouting,

Baseball: Devil Rays vs Guardians (TBS, Tuesday Night)

My sister was so sweet about watching the Twilight films with me that I watched a baseball game with her on Tuesday night.

Baywatch Nights (YouTube)

David Hasselhoff and two Vikings!  I watched a classic episode this week.  Valhalla!

Carrie (Prime)

I finished Carrie on Sunday and promptly shared my thoughts.

Crystal Lake (Peacock)

My thoughts can be read here.

Diff’Rent Strokes (Tubi)

My friend Mark recommended that I watch an episode featuring Arnold, his younger stepbrother Sam, and an epileptic street performer.  The performer had a seizure in Central Park and Sam yelled, “It’s Karen!  She’s dying!”  Later, Arnold cracked a joke about the performer and got yelled at by his housekeeper, who was epileptic herself.  That served Arnold right!

The Ghost Writer (YouTube)

I watched this unsold pilot on Monday and I shared my thoughts on Thursday.

Holy Mass In Honor Of Our Lady of Fatima (EWTN, Tuesday Night)

Erin and I watched this on Tuesday.  It was very moving.

In Search Of…. (YouTube)

I watched (and shared!) a few episodes of this old Leonard Nimoy-narrated series this week.  They were pretty fun!  The entire series is on YouTube so I might watch them all.

Jail (Reelz, Weekdays)

I watched two episodes on Wednesday.  Just about everyone who was brought into the jail was drunk.  The deputies called everyone “buddy.”

Mother Angelica Classics (EWTN, Weekday Mornings)

In a show that probably originally aired in the 80s or the early 90s, Mother Angelica, the founder of EWTN, discussed the importance of faith.  At one point, Mother Angelica went to commercial because she was having “mic problems.”  It was a nice, humanizing moment.

Night Flight (Night Flight+)

On Friday night, I watched an episode about “women in rock.”  I’m pretty sure that I had watched that one before.

SCTV (Netflix)

Erin Nicole and I watched two episodes on Sunday.  Mel did his best to host Mel’s Rockpile, despite his audience not having much respect for him.  We followed this up with another Mel’s Rockpile episode.  Richard Harris came by to sing MacArthur Park.

Seinfeld (KDAF, weeknights)

Erin and I watched two episodes of this show on Tuesday night.  The first featured an old movie theater, Elaine losing a button, everyone thinking that George was crazy, and Lloyd Braun (Matt McCoy) acting strange.  The second episode features Kramer using butter to shave, Jerry purposefully bombing on stage to make Kenny Bania look bad, and Elaine and Puddy flying back to America after a European vacation.  George also pretended to be handicapped so he could get a job at a company that manufactured playground equipment.  Who wouldn’t?

Shawn’s Eyes (EWTN, Wednesday Morning)

This sweet short film from 2014 aired on EWTN on Wednesday morning.  It was a profile of Shawn, a 41 year-old man with Down’s Syndrome.  It was very touching.  Both Erin and I had tears in our eyes by the end of it.

Survivor (CBS, Wednesday Night)

I wrote about Survivor here!

Twilight Zone (Paramount+)

On Sunday, Jeff and I watched Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, with William Shatner and the Gremlin.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 6/7/26 — 6/13/26

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Election Coverage

I was hoping that the Democrats of Maine would show a little decency and reject Graham Platner but it didn’t happen.  Two years from now, everyone will claim they were against Platner from the start.

George Gently (YouTube)

George Gently and Inspector Bachus investigated a murder in 1968.  The killer turned out to be a smug child.  It was a pretty depressing episode.

Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger (Shout TV)

Jeff and I watched three more episodes of this Japanese series on Saturday morning.  The space witch is still trying to conquer the planet.  Fortunately, there’s always a giant robot around to stop her.

The Larry Sanders Show (HBOMax)

Jeff and I watched a handful of episodes of this old 90s show over the week.  Garry Shandling played a neurotic talk show host.  Rip Torn was his producer.  Jeffrey Tambor was the sidekick and Bob Odenkirk was the agent.  The show made me laugh a lot more than I expected I would.  Rip Torn could make any line funny.  One scene, with Jeffrey Tambor singing Spinning Wheel, will stay in my memory forever.

Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butthead (Paramount Plus)

I finally watched season 3 this week.  I’m amazed that Beavis and Butthead are still alive.  Tom Anderson’s War Stories are so wholesome.

Night Flight (NightFlight+)

On Friday, we watched an episode about how bands were using animation in their music videos.  The episode was from the early 80s so the animation really wasn’t that impressive.

The Simpsons (Disney+)

After watching Glengarry Glen Ross on Friday, I watched an episode featuring Old Gil  (who was clearly based on Jack Lemmon) overstaying his welcome at the Simpsons home.  “Eggs a la Harold Stassen …. because they’re always running!”

Twisted Yoga (Apple TV+)

This was yet another docuseries about a cult.  This ran into the same problem that a lot of cult documentaries run into.  It’s hard to have much sympathy for anyone stupid enough to get brainwashed in the first place.

Unlocked: A Jail Experiment (Netflix)

On Sunday and Monday, I watched the second season of this reality show about what happens when prisoners are allowed more freedom than usual.  Prisoners just aren’t that interesting.  There’s only so many times you can listen to someone say, “Treat me like a man,” before you get bored with it.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 5/24/26 — 5/30/26

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Diff’Rent Strokes (Tubi)

Kimberly developed Bulimia but it only took her one episode to both kick the habit and recover her health.

Election Day Coverage (Tuesday Night)

It was interesting to watch the results from the Texas run-off election on Tuesday night.  I was happy to see that my former Congressman Colin Allred defeated my current Congressperson Julie Johnson in a totally different district from the one in which I currently live.  When he was my congressman, Allred was a bit liberal for me but he was still tried to take care of his district.  Julie, meanwhile, just spent all of her time cursing on television.

George Gently (YouTube)

I watched another depressing episode of this UK cop show on Tuesday.

Good Times (Tubi)

Damn!  Damn!  Damn!  James, the patriarch of the family, died in a car accident.  And then Florida remarried an atheist and moved with him to Arizona because he had cancer.  She left her children behind in Chicago.  For some reason, the kids kept talking about how they had to get out of “the ghetto” and I was like, “Well, why didn’t you go to Arizona with your mom!?”  Then Florida returned home without the atheist (I guess he died) and her daughter married a crippled football player and JJ ended up as a numbers runner.  I watched a few random Good Times episodes this week.

Indianapolis 500 (Sunday Afternoon)

There’s nothing more gloriously American.

Ken and Barbie Killers: The Lost Murder Tapes (HBOMax)

This was another documentary about the Canadian serial killers, Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka.  You really can’t hate these two enough.  Bernardo is in prison.  Homolka, on the other hand, is free and living somewhere in Canada.

Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger (Shout Factory TV)

I watched three episodes of this weird Japanese series on Saturday morning.  Monsters were everywhere but luckily, so were some people who were apparently descended from dinosaurs.  I really couldn’t follow the plot but the saber-tooth tiger was cute.

Muscles and Mayhem: The Untold Story of American Gladiators (Hulu)

American Gladiators is a show that I never watched but I still found this documentary to be an interesting look at the intersection of pop culture and steroid abuse.

Night Flight (Night Flight+)

I watched two episodes on Friday night, one about afrobeat music and one about heavy metal.

Seinfeld (Netflix)

So, George like totally murdered his fiancée.

Untold: The Liver King (Netflix)

The freakish star of countless twitter ads got his own documentary about how he was essentially a fraud.  He didn’t seem to have many regrets about it.  He was kind of annoying, to be honest.

 

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 5/3/26 — 5/9/26

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Hollywood Demons: After the Bell (HBOMax)

The latest episode of Hollywood Demons took a rather superficial look at life behind the scenes at Saved By The Bell.  The formerly reclusive Lark Voorhies was interviewed and it was good to see her looking healthy and happy.  As well, Max Battimo, from Good Morning Miss Bliss, was also interviewed and talked about what it was like to not be invited to join the cast of Saved By The Bell. 

The majority of the episode focused on Dustin Diamond and his years after Saved By The Bell.  The episode tried to generate some sympathy for Diamond and I have to admit that I’ve always felt that it wasn’t right to cast him as a high school student when he was barely 12 and had so little in common with the rest of the cast.  That said, in this documentary, Dustin Diamond also came across as being mentally unhinged.  One crew member told a story about Diamond threatening a Saved By The Bell: The New Class actor with a knife.  The name of the actor was not given, though from the details provided (the incident occurred while Diamond’s mother was dying of cancer and Diamond threatened to get the actor fired), it seems that the incident took place in 1996, during the film of the New Class‘s Fourth Season.  Assuming Diamond didn’t pull the knife on any of the female cast members or Dennis Haskins, that leaves Richard Lee Jackson, Ben Gould, and Anthony Harrell.  Jackson was in his second season on the show and was the lead actor so I don’t think Diamond would have threatened to get him fired.  Gould and Harrell were new.  On twitter, I found a tweet from 2014 of someone mentioning that they had been given a tour of Hollywood by someone who Dustin Diamond pulled a knife on.  Since Harrell has been busy with his musical career, that would leave Gould as the probable target of Diamond’s abuse.  Of course, that’s all speculation on my part.  The important thing is that Dustin Diamond didn’t come across as being particularly sympathetic, despite the documentary’s best efforts.

Unfortunately, while Lark, Max, and Ed Alonzo were all interviewed, Mark-Paul, Mario, Tiffani, Elizabeth, and Dennis Haskins were not.  I’m not surprised.  When you’ve actually got a career going, you don’t want to taint it by being interviewed by a tabloid television show.  Still, considering that they were the stars of the show, not interviewing them seemed like a missed opportunity.

Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger (Shout TV)

I watched three more episodes of this odd series on Friday night.  The monsters were trippy!

Night Flight (NightFlight+)

I watched an episode on Friday night.  John Cougar Mellencamp talked about his career.

Saved By The Bell (Tubi)

My review of Saved By The Bell will be dropping soon, assuming I don’t fall asleep before I can write it.

Watched and Reviewed:

  1. 1st & Ten,
  2. Baywatch,
  3. CHiPs,
  4. Crime Story,
  5. Decoy,
  6. Freddy’s Nightmares,
  7. Hunter,
  8. The Love Boat,
  9. Pacific Blue,
  10. Saved By The Bell: The New Class,
  11. St. Elsewhere

 

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 3/22/26 — 3/28/26

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

1st & Ten (Tubi)

I reviewed 1st & Ten here!

The Addams Family (YouTube)

Cousin Itt came to visit!  I watched an episode of this classic sitcom on Wednesday with my friend Dani.  She was celebrating John Astin’s birthday.

Baywatch (Tubi)

I reviewed Baywatch here!

CHiPs (Prime)

I reviewed CHiPs here!

Dance International Magazine (NightFlight+)

Everyone on the program was dancing and I danced while watching.

Decoy (Tubi)

I reviewed Decoy here!

Degrassi: The Next Generation (Tubi)

Look for my Degrassi review tomorrow!

Diff’rent Strokes (Tubi)

Tubi showed me a random episode on Thursday.  Arnold and his stupid friend Dudley took up smoking.  Dudley’s father went to the hospital to have a lung removed.  I think there was a message in there somewhere.

Freddy’s Nightmare (Tubi)

I reviewed Freddy’s Nightmares here!

Highway to Heaven (Tubi)

I reviewed Highway to Heaven here!

Homicide: Life On The Street (Peacock)

Look for my Homicide review tomorrow!

Lonesome Dove (Tubi)

I binged Lonesome Dove on Wednesday, as a tribute to both Texas and the late Robert Duvall.  It was a great adaptation of a great book.

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I reviewed The Love Boat here!

Miami Vice (Prime)

I reviewed Miami Vice here.

Nero Wolfe (YouTube)

I watched two episodes of Nero Wolfe on Tuesday.  These episodes featured Maury Chaykin as Nero Wolfe and Timothy Hutton as Archie Goodwin.  Seymour Cassel was in one of the episodes.  I enjoyed the episodes, even if I did have a hard time following the twists and turns of the mysteries.

Night Flight (NightFlight+)

On Saturday, I watched an episode of this old music video program.  It was a countdown of the top music videos of 1983.  I like the music of the 80s.  It was very energetic.

Pacific Blue (Tubi)

I reviewed Pacific Blue here!

Saved By The Bell (Tubi)

This week’s review will drop in 90 minutes.

Saved By The Bell: The New Class (Prime)

I reviewed this week’s episode here!

St. Elsewhere (Daily Motion)

I reviewed St. Elsewhere here!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 10/19/25 — 10/25/25

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Abbott Elementary (ABC, Wednesday Night)

Gregory throws a terrible party at his apartment.  Mr. Johnson, Barbara, Melissa, and Ava go to the DMV to get their Real IDs.  It’s been a while since I’ve laughed at hard at any show as I did while watching this week’s episode of Abbott.  Even the things that I was previously getting tired of — like Gregory being socially awkward — once again made me laugh.  Abbott Elementary occasionally gets a bit preachy for my tastes but when it work, it’s truly special.

By the way, in Texas, they just give you a Real ID when you renew your driver’s license.  It’s pretty simple.  I don’t know why the states up north decided to make it complicated for everyone.

Hell’s Kitchen (Thursday Night, FOX)

Poor Bradley.  Chef Ramsay even gave him a pep talk and it still didn’t make him a better chef.

It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Apple TV)

On Thursday night, Erin and I did our annual viewing of this classic holiday special.  You can read Erin’s thoughts here.  Poor Charlie Brown.  “I got a rock!”

Law & Order (Thursday Night, NBC)

This week, a murderer claimed diplomatic immunity.  The White House demanded that the DA drop the charges because it had a weapons deal with the UAE.  Maroun was not present and was not missed.  Price and Baxter spent the entire episode giving each other strained looks of sympathy.  Both Price and Baxter are such boring characters that I sometimes struggled to remember which is which.  Hugh Dancy and Tony Goldwyn are both totally wasted by this show.

Night Flight (Night Flight+)

On Friday, I watched a “video profile” of musician Annie Lennox.  The music was great.

Rogue’s Gallery (Night Flight+)

On Friday night, I watched a documentary on Al Capone.  Now that’s crime with style!

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test (Thursday Night, FOX)

Much as with last week, I found myself wondering why anyone not in the Army would put up with being yelled at for 24 hours a day.  I would have walked off the set after an hour.

Toy Story of Terror (Disney+)

Erin wrote about Toy Story of Terror here!

The Vanishing Shadow (NightFlight+)

This old timey serial about the battle for possession of an invisibility ray continued.  It was fun in a 1930s sort of way!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 10/12/25 — 10/18/25

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Abbott Elementary (Wednesday Night, ABC)

The Abbott teachers go to a baseball game!  As our readers may have noticed, my sister loves baseball so I made sure to have her watch this episode with me.  She enjoyed it, which made me happy.  Myself, I found myself wondering why so many shows — like Abbott with Philadelphia or Dick Wolf’s Chicago shows — take place in cities that most American hate.  Like, if I was ever told that I had to pick between Philadelphia or prison, I’d probably pick prison because at least there wouldn’t be as many people yelling.  Yet, Abbott is often a rather charming show and I usually love It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.  It’s just weird how these things work.

Hell’s Kitchen (Thursday Night, Fox)

Ugh, this episode made me physically ill.  I don’t think I could ever be a professional chef, not if it means having to clean every inch of a fishing boat.  (I cleaned my kitchen before watching this episode and my back was killing me by the time I was finished.)  As for this episode and this season, it doesn’t seem like a single chef should be trusted to cook food for anyone.  Chef Ramsay is doing a lot of yelling and I agree with him.

Law and Order (Thursday Night, NBC)

This week, yet another millionaire was murdered in New York City and there was yet another crazy defense that, for whatever reason, Maroun seemed to have sympathy for.  As much as I usually like the “Law” half of these shows, the “Order” part often verges on self-parody.  Between Nolan Price’s wimpy summations and Maroun’s eagerness to protect the criminals, I’m surprised they ever get a conviction.

Night Flight (NightFlight Plus)

On Saturday morning, I watched a video profile of KISS, a band that I really didn’t know much about.  I enjoyed the juxtaposition between the fearsome makeup and their not-at-all fearsome music.

Snub TV (NightFlight Plus)

On Friday night. Jeff and I watched an episode of this 80s music show with our friends, Patrick and Dani.  It was good music.  You could dance to it.

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test (Thursday Night, Fox)

This show is just not that interesting without Jussie Smollett crying about how nobody will accept that “I just want to move on” from filing a false police report.  If it was really the world’s toughest test, I don’t think a bunch of out-of-shape reality show participants would be doing as well as they are.

Twilight Zone (Prime)

This week, I watched a few classic episodes — To Serve Man, The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street, Twenty-Two (“Room for one more, honey!”), Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up, Nick of Time, and Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.  If the Twilight Zone is not a part of your October viewing, you’re doing Halloween wrong!

The Vanishing Ray (NightFlight Plus)

I checked in with this 1930s serial on Friday night.  The bad guys were still after the vanishing ray and the good guys were still trying to protect it.  As always, this chapter ended with a cliffhanger and an invitation to return to theater next week for the next installment.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 7/20/25 — 7/26/25

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

1st & Ten (Tubi)

I reviewed 1st & Ten here!

American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson (Netflix)

Another year, another OJ documentary.  I binged this 2025 docuseries on Monday.  On the one hand, the story has been told and re-told so many times that it’s debatable whether any documentary will ever have anything new to add.  (And now that O.J. Simpson is dead, no one’s pretending that he was framed or that he was ever looking for the “real killers” anymore.)  On the other hand, the story itself such an important moment in American cultural history that there’s nothing wrong with examining it for a second or tenth time.  I appreciated that the docuseries took the time to talk about who Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman were as people before they were murdered by OJ.  (And make no mistake, that’s exactly what happened.)

The American Short Story (YouTube)

I reviewed this week’s episode here!

Big Brother 27 (24/7, CBS, Paramount Plus, Pluto TV)

I wrote about Big Brother here!

Black Sabbath: Up Close and Personal (Night Flight Plus)

On Saturday morning, Jeff and I joined our friend Pat in watching this 2007 documentary about Black Sabbath.  Some of the members were interviewed for the documentary.  Ozzy Osbourne was not (instead the documentary used archival interviews to get his thoughts) but, for the most part, everyone was very complimentary to him.  Personally, I liked the steady and straight-forward beat of the band’s music.

CHiPs (Prime)

I reviewed CHiPs here!

Degrassi High (Tubi)

I reviewed Degrassi High here!

Diff’Rent Strokes (Tubi)

I watched two episodes on Thursday.  In one, Kimberly Drummond (Dana Plato) went to a ski lodge with her friends and was considering losing her virginity when suddenly — surprise! — her father (Conrad Bain) decided to join her.  The second episode featured Willis (Todd Bridges) starting high school and being told that he had smoke weed to be cool.  Willis actually did get high in this episode and it’s amazing just how stoned he managed to get in just a few seconds.  Anyway, Mr. Drummond told Willis to stay off the grass.  This episode was disturbing because one of the high school stoners was wearing jeans so tight that …. well, let’s just say that it showed off more of him than was perhaps typical for network television.

Fantasy Island (DVR)

I reviewed Fantasy Island here!  Laurence is really letting me down as Mr. Roarke’s new servant.

Fred and Rosemary West: A British Horror Story (Netflix)

I watched this three-episode true crime docuseries on Sunday and Monday.  Fred and Rosemary West were a seemingly ordinary couple who actually murdered an untold number of young women and buried them out back under their patio.  Watching the docuseries, I was reminded a bit of the Paul Bernardo/Karla Homalka case, except in this case Fred tried to keep the police from discovering Rosemary’s role in the murders.  Fred ended up committing suicide.  Rosemary is still in prison.  It was a disturbing case.  Watching the docuseries, my heart broke for all of their victims.

Freddy’s Nightmares (Plex)

I reviewed Freddy’s Nightmares here!

From Rock Star To Killer (Netflix)

I watched this French docuseries, about the murder of actress of Marie Trintignant on Tuesday.  It was a sobering film, one that explored how many people refusing to believe that Marie’s famous boyfriend could also be a viscous abuser.  I minored in French in college so I watched the first episode without subtitles and I discovered that my French has gotten really rusty.  The remaining episodes, I watched the dubbed versions and I have to say that the dubbing was so poorly executed that I have to wonder if it was done by AI.

Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer (Netflix)

On Tuesday, I watched this 2025 docuseries, which dealt with the infamous (and still largely unsolved) Long Island serial killer case.  To be honest, I’ve seen so many documentaries and dramatizations of this story that I kind of doubt there’s really anything new to learn about it.  That said, I appreciated that the series devoted so much time to profiling the victims and showing us who they were before they became a part of a cold case.  The victims of these crimes are so often overlooked or outright dismissed.

Good Morning, Miss Bliss (Prime)

My review of the second episode of Indiana Saved By The Bell will drop in about 90 minutes.

Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service (Hulu)

On Saturday, I watched a two-part episode in which Gordon helped out three sisters who had taken over their late father’s restaurant.  On the one hand, I’m the youngest of four sisters so I could relate to the family dynamics that I saw in this episode.  On the other hand — yech!  Mice and roaches in the food!  I’m never eating out again.

Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit (Hulu)

This true crime docuseries explored the disappearance of Iowa news anchor Jodi Huisentruit.  Along with giving us the details of her life and disappearance, the series also presented us with four potential suspects.  I’ve read some criticism online that the four suspects were all cleared of involvement by the police investigation or, in at least one case, was actually just a person of interest rather than a suspect.  It’s a tragic story, nonetheless.

Highway to Heaven (Tubi)

This week’s episode …. agck!  I reviewed it here.

Homicide: Life On The Street (Peacock)

I reviewed Homicide here!

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX & Hulu)

The Lawyer returned!  After being a little bit disappointed in the first two episodes of the new season, my faith was renewed by the third episode.  Not only did the Lawyer return but we also got Dennis and Mac pretending to be EMTs, Dee screwing up yet another job, and Charlie turning into a demanding chef.  That’s the Sunny that I love!

The second episode that I watched this week, in which the Gang dealt with the consequences of dumping baby oil in a local waterway, I also enjoyed.  I always like it when Dennis tries to do his whole slick, corporate spokesman routine.

I’m still getting used to the Rob Mac name change.

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

This week was a Thanksgiving cruise!  I can’t wait for the holidays!  I reviewed the episode here!

Malibu CA (YouTube)

Oh, how I hate this show.  Anyway, I wrote about the latest episode here.

Miami Vice (Prime)

This week’s episode was all about trying to retrieve stolen bull semen.  I swear, the stuff I watch for this site!  I reviewed it here.

New York Post Presents: Luigi Mangione: Martyr or Monster (Tubi)

I watched this documentary on Saturday because I was bored.  It presented the facts of the case without digging too deeply.  I remember that when Brian Thompson was shot, a lot of my friends were (and, in many cases still are) sympathetic to Luigi Mangione and they were always a little surprised that I wasn’t, especially after everything I went though when the insurance company evicted my Dad from his rebab facility.  Myself, I don’t believe in killing and I’m not going to praise a cold-blooded murder just because the shooter wrote some dumbass manifesto.  As for Luigi, if it wasn’t for his smile, most people wouldn’t care about him.

Night Flight (Night Flight Plus)

On Friday night, Jeff and I joined our friend Pat in watching an episode of this pop culture digest from the late 80s.  The episode opened with a look at “Satan Rock,” (Hi, Ozzy, hi, Iron Maiden) and then it went on to feature the hottest music videos of 1988.  As a history nerd and a student pop culture, I always enjoy watching artifacts like this.

Pacific Blue (Tubi)

Bleh.  Bicycles.  The bike cops were especially obnoxious this week.  I reviewed Pacific Blue here!

St. Elsewhere (Hulu)

Depressing episode, this week.  I reviewed St. Elsewhere here!

TMZ Investigates: What Happened to Justin Bieber (Tubi)

I was bored this afternoon so I watched this TMZ special.  Justin appears to be going through some problems.  The TMZ team considered that it could be drug-related.  Personally, I think fame does strange things to people, especially with today’s bizarrely obsessive celeb-driven culture.  Of course, having the TMZ folks following him around probably isn’t helping Justin’s mood.

TMZ Investigates: What Happened To Liam Payne (Tubi)

I watched this on Saturday.  TMZ investigates the tragic death of Liam Payne and it’s exactly what you would expect from TMZ.  There’s a lot of speculation, a lot of faux concern, and ultimately the whole thing leaves the viewer feeling a bit icky.

Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy (Netflix)

I generally enjoy Netflix’s Trainwreck series.  I watched this entry on Friday.  It dealt with the death of nine people during a Travis Scott performance at Astroworld in 2021.  This documentary didn’t dig too deeply into how it happened, beyond suggesting that the majority of the blame should be assigned to the show’s promoters.  The desperate chant of “Stop the Show!” was haunting.

Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel (Netflix)

On Friday, I watched this documentary about the rise and fall of American Apparel.  It was weird essentially seeing my high school years turned into a “back in the day” documentary.  I guess this is what it feels like to realize you’re not getting younger.

Trainwreck: The Mayor of Mayhem (Netflix)

Rob Ford, a brash populist, is elected mayor of Toronto and makes a name for himself as a bigger-than-life reformer.  Then, he gets caught on camera smoking crack and everything falls apart.  This was my favorite of the Trainwreck documentaries that I watched, largely because Rob Ford was such a fascinating character.  I’ve read some comments online from some people who think that this documentary went a little bit too easy on Ford.  Maybe it did.  I’m not Canadian so I don’t know.  I just know it was an interesting story.

Trainwreck: P.I. Moms (Netflix)

The latest Trainwreck as is also perhaps the most pointless.  A reality show falls apart before the first episode even premieres.  The P.I. Moms, who would have been featured on the show, all argued that they deserved to be taken seriously and that they weren’t just acting for the camera but, at the same time, none of them came across as being particularly sincere so it was hard to have much sympathy for them.  It was a documentary about a bad reality show that felt like a bad reality show.

True Crime Arizona: Finding Robert Fisher (Tubi)

In 2001, it’s believed that Robert Fisher, a Navy veteran and former firefighter, murdered his wife and his two children, set his house on fire, and then disappeared into the Arizona wilderness.  Fisher has been a fugitive for 24 years and, while some speculate that he either committed suicide or died in the wilderness, people all over the country still regularly report spotting him.  This special took a look at Fisher’s crime and offered a few theories of how he managed to disappear.  The Fisher case has haunted me ever since I first learned about it and this special reminded me of why.  Fisher seemed like the type of guy you would want for a neighbor because he was good with tools and he had a clean-cut look.  Instead, he turned out to be a killer/  Personally, I think Fisher still out there.  Much like John List (the real-life inspiration for Jerry Blake in The Stepfather films), he’s probably got a new family and a new identity.  I have faith he’ll be captured eventually.

True Crime Arizona: The Missing (Tubi)

This episode looked at the cases of several indigenous women who had disappeared in Arizona and took a look at why their disappearances rarely seem to get the media attention that other true crime stories too.  This was well-produced and thought-provoking.

True Crime Arizona: Notorious Killers (YouTube)

I was so impressed by the True Crime Arizona episodes that I saw on Tubi that I then looked for more on YouTube.  This 23-minute episode took a look at some of Arizona’s most notorious killers.  I think I missed my calling.  I’d love to host True Crime Texas.