Tag Archives: Night Music

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 11/17/24 — 11/23/24

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Believe it or not, I didn’t really watch anything this week (beyond, of course, the shows that I’ve been reviewing for my Retro Television Reviews).  I haven’t even watched the latest episode of Hell’s Kitchen yet.  What can I say?  Thanksgiving and Christmas are both approaching.  Erin’s birthday is on Sunday.  (Happy birthday, Erin!)  Jeff is leaving for Maryland on Monday.  It’s been a busy week and, for the most part, I’ve just been preparing for the next week.  And the week after that!

I did, on Friday night and early Saturday morning, watch Thanksgiving episodes of Bewitched and an old show called That Girl.  And then I watched an episode of Night Music, which had nothing to do with Thanksgiving.  All three of those were on YouTube.  That’s pretty much it, though.

So, the next time someone says I watch too much TV, I’ll point them to this post.  Sound good?

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

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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

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

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

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

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

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

Watched And Reviewed Elsewhere:

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

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 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: 5/28/23 — 6/3/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Bar Rescue (Paramount Network)

On Friday, I watched the episode that was shot in my hometown and, once again, I was disappointed to see how boring my town looks on film.  Jon Taffer transformed the bar into a taco place.  The owners abandoned the concept as soon as Taffer left.  They subsequently went out of business.

Barry (Sunday Night, HBO)

To be honest, I was happy that at least two characters in Barry managed to get a happy ending.  I was expecting everyone to be dead by the end of the show but Sally survived and appears to have found some peace.  And Fuches seems to have survived as well.  Interestingly enough, Sally and Fuches were the only two characters who, in the end, chose to come clean about who they were and what they had done.  Barry was killed by his acting mentor, losing his chance at redemption.  NoHo Hank died while still in denial about killing Christobal.  And Cusineau ended up doing life in prison and being portrayed as being not only a villain but also as being British in the inevitable movie version of Barry’s life.  Barry was a great and often unsettling show.

Beavis and Butt-Head (Paramount Plus)

Young Beavis trained for combat!  Old Beavis …. well, old Beavis and Butt-Head are depressing no matter what they do.  This week, they tried to get vasectomies because they thought that would make them more appealing to soccer moms.  It’s always kind of depressing when a Young Beavis and Butt-Head vignette is followed by one that shows what type of life they have waiting for them.

Dirty Pair Flash (YouTube)

I watched an episode of this anime on Saturday morning.  I had no idea what was going on but there were a lot of monsters and a lot of things blowing up.  It was fun!

Fantasy Island (Tubi)

I wrote about Fantasy Island here!

Hang Time (YouTube)

On Monday, I finally finished binging Hang Time.  I’ve written up all my reviews and they’ll be dropping on weekly basis through September.  Read my latest review here!

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime)

I watched the first episode of the final season on Saturday morning.  I look forward to binging the rest of the season over the upcoming week.  I’ll share my thoughts once I’ve finished watching.

The Master (Tubi)

I wrote about The Master here!

Miami Vice (Tubi)

This week, I watched the first sixteen episodes of this classic 80s cop show.  My reviews will start dropping in September.  For now, I’ll just say that I’m enjoying the show.

New Wave Theatre (YouTube)

I watched an episode of this 80s cable access show on Saturday morning.  It was a Christmas episode.  It was a bit bizarre.  I did enjoy some of the bands that played.

Night Music (YouTube)

I watched an episode of this 90s talk-and-music show on Friday night.  The music was great and, for the most part, the bands and musicians were all previously unknown to me.  It was educational in the best way.

A Small Light (Hulu)

I watched the first episode of this miniseries on Thursday.  I’m going to watch the rest of the episodes over this upcoming week so I’ll save my thoughts until after I’ve experienced the entire show.

Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)

I am now watching this 70s sitcom for Retro Television Reviews!  Read my thoughts on the first two episodes here!

Yellowjackets (Sunday Night, Showtime)

The second season is over and I’m still sorting out how I feel about it.  I enjoyed the first few episodes but then I found myself gradually growing more annoyed with the show and the characters.  The inconsistent pacing particularly got on my nerves.  Killing off Natalie, the character to whom I most related, is definitely not going to make me remember this season fondly.  I’m at the point now that whenever Lotte pops up, whether it’s the past or the present version of the character, I want to throw something at the screen.  Still, it’s an intriguing premise and, as frustrated as I get with the show, it’s worth watching for the cast alone.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 2/12/23 — 2/18/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

This week I decided to get a head start on my retro television reviews and I ended up watching and writing up reviews for three months worth of Hang Time and California Dreams.  I am exhausted and I have dueling theme songs stuck in my head.

Here are some thoughts:

Abbott Elementary (Wednesday Night, ABC)

“Fire!”  This week’s episode of Abbott Elementary was a classic and, after two somewhat uneven episodes, a return to form.  I loved Ava’s response to the fire.  I would have done the same.  “Wait, you went to a spa?”  Well, where else should she have gone?

Accused (Tuesday Night, FOX)

This week, the accused was a father-turned-vigilante, on trial for the murder of a man who molested his daughter.  The idea had the potential to be interesting but the execution was flat.  The episode’s big guest star was Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who gave a credible performance but who was also a bit on the dull side.

California Dreams (YouTube)

I watched six hours of California Dreams this weekend.  I will never get the theme song out of my head.

The Devil Next Door (Netflix)

This is a Netflix docuseries about John Demjanjuk, a retired auto worker in Detroit who was accused of being Ivan the Terrible, a notorious Nazi concentration camp guard.  While Demjanjuk was indeed a former camp guard, there’s still some debate over whether he was also Ivan The Terrible.  It was a fascinating and disturbing story.  With Demjanjuk now dead, we’ll probably never know for sure whether or not he was Ivan but that doesn’t change the fact that this rather mild-looking elderly man was a participant in the most monstrous crimes in history.

Fantasy Island (Tubi)

I reviewed Fantasy Island here!

Hang Time (YouTube)

I watched and wrote up reviews for 15 hours worth of Hang Time episodes this week.  I’m exhausted but, on the plus side, I won’t have to watch the show again until June.

The Love Boat (Paramount+)

I wrote up the first season finale of The Love Boat here!

Night Court (Tuesday, NBC)

In this week’s episode, a bunch of children led a protest in Abbie’s courtroom.  My goodness, it was truly an embarrassing episode.  Night Court doesn’t know if it wants to be goofy or edgy and the lack of focus is really becoming an issue.

Night Music (YouTube)

This was a live music program from the 80s.  The episode that I watched on Friday night featured Stevie Ray Vaughn, Van Dyke Parks, and David Sanborn.  The music was great!

The Super Bowl (Sunday Night, FOX)

I watched it for the commercials, as the game didn’t really interest me and I didn’t have any real feelings about either one of the two teams playing.  However, I will say that everyone that I know is pretty happy that the Eagles lost.  And while I don’t have anything against the Eagles as a group of individual athletes, I do kind of resent the Philadelphia Parking Authority, as a result of having watched too many episodes of Parking Wars.

The Watchers (Netflix)

I watched the first four episodes of this Netflix miniseries on Tuesday night.  The mystery was intriguing but, like so many Ryan Murphy-produced programs, it felt like there was way too much padding and I kind of started to lose interest in it all as the story progressed.  Fortunately, both Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale were well-cast.