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Retro Television Review: St. Elsewhere 2.1 “Ties That Bind”

Posted on 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 Fridays, I will be reviewing St. Elsewhere, a medical show which ran on NBC from 1982 to 1988.  The show can be found on Hulu and, for purchase, on Prime!

This week, we start season 2!

Episode 2.1 “Ties That Bind”

(Dir by Bruce Paltrow, originally aired on October 26th, 1983)

The second season is here and there are changes to be found in the opening credits.

David Birney and G.W. Bailey are no longer listed in the opening credits.  I’m not sorry to see Birney go as Dr. Samuels was never that interesting of a character.  I will miss Bailey’s performance as Dr. Beale.

Norman Lloyd is now listed in the credits, appearing right after Ed Flanders.  Ellen Bry, Kim Miyori, and Eric Laneuville are also now listed in the opening credits.  That’s good.  Last season, Shirley Daniels (played by Ellen Bry) was one of the most important characters on the show and it always seemed strange that she was left out of the opening.  Mark Harmon, sporting a mustache, appears in the credits, though he didn’t appear in this episode.  The final addition to the opening credits is Nancy Stafford, who does appear in this episode.

Stafford plays Joan Halloran, the new city budget advisor who has been assigned to cut St. Eligius’s budget.  She tells Westphall and Auschlander that St. Eligius is not popular downtown.  “They call you St. Elsewhere,” she says.  Joan wants to do away with the animal research lab, which is a part of the hospital that has never been mentioned before.  (And with good reason.  Boo, animal research, boo!)  Westphall finally agrees, on the condition that the city fund Dr. Craig’s attempt to perform a heart transplant on teacher Eve Leighton (Marian Mercer).

Wisely, Dr. Craig gets a lot of screentime in this episode.  If the first season seemed to often be unsure of just how abrasive the show should allow Craig to be, the second season premiere would seem to suggest that the show’s writers realized that the more abrasive Craig is, the better.  Of course, Dr. Craig has good reason to be in a bad mood.  As he confesses to Nurse Rosenthal, he caught his son doing drugs.  Craig explains he kicked him out of the house and now, he wants nothing to do with him.

Speaking of drugs, orderly Luther (played by Eric Laneuville) finally manages to capture the thief who has been stealing all the drugs from the hospital.  Dr. White is no longer under suspicion!  Yay, I guess.  I don’t know.  Dr. White wasn’t in much of this episode but he still cames across as being a jerk.  I have to admit that I groaned a little when I saw he was still on the show.  A part of me is hoping he’ll get a redemption arc this season but, from his behavior during rounds, he still seems to be a jackass.

Speaking of jackasses, when Jerry Singleton (Alan Arkin) discovers that his wife, Fran (Piper Laurie), has had a stroke, he responds by crashing his car into the ER and then refusing to leave the doctors along while they try to save his wife’s life.  Jerry is convincing that he knows everything and he’s very demanding.  Naturally, Fran’s doctor is Jack Morrison because Morrison always gets the really depressing cases.  Fran does wake up from her coma but she neither speaks no seems to hear anything anyone says to her.  I can’t imagine this is going to end well, mostly because she’s Morrison’s patient and things never seem to go well when Morrison is involved.  (What’s really sad is that Morrison, unlike Peter White, is a good doctor!  He just has rotten luck.)

Shirley Daniels finds out that Fiscus is cheating on her with Kathy Martin, who spends most of this episode promoting cryogenics.  Shirley responds by dumping Fiscus and telling him that he’s a pig.  Fiscus tells Kathy that they no longer have to sneak around, just for Kathy to say that the sneaking around was the whole point.  She promptly dumps Ficus.

Finally, Dr. Ehrlich meets a woman, Bobbi (Jean Bruce Scott) at the laundromat.  They go back to her apartment.  She strips down to her underwear.  She has Ehrlich tie her to the bed.  Ehrlich realizes that he has to get something from his car so he runs outside and …. gets locked out.  And then he nearly gets arrested while trying to use his credit card to open the building’s door.  However, the next day, Bobbi shows up at the hospital for her “encounter group,” and the two of them are reunited.  Again, I have a feeling this is not going to end well, just because it involves Dr. Ehrlich.

Hey, this episode was pretty good!  It moved quickly, it reintroduced us to the cast, and all of the stories were actually fairly interesting.  It’s obvious that show’s producers paid attention with what didn’t work during season one and they made an effort to improve things with season two.  Compared to the majority of this first season’s episodes, the pace was quicker, the humor was sharper, and just about everyone got a moment or two to shine.  I’m looking forward to next week!

10 Films For The Weekend (5/23/25 Edition)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Here are ten films that I recommend checking out this weekend.  These films are all streaming so, if you’re stuck inside due to weather or crippling depression, give them a shot!

In Memory of My Dad

This Memorial Day is going to be a difficult one for me because it’s also going to be the one-year anniversary of the car accident that eventually led to my Dad passing away last year.  These first two films, I’m recommending in his memory.  One of them was a favorite of movie of his.  The other movie is one that makes me think about him and my mom whenever I watch it.

First off, National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978) was one of my Dad’s favorite movies.  He saw it in theaters when it was first released and, whenever he would come across the film on television, he would get the biggest smile on his face.  I love this film, too.  I reviewed it a few years ago but, for here, I’ll just say that this film works as both the quintessential college comedy and also as a surprisingly touching portrait of friendship.  As Dean Wormer, John Vernon set the standard for heartless authority figures for years to come.  Tim Matheson, Peter Riegert, Tom Hulce, Stephen Furst, Kevin Bacon, Karen Allen, Bruce McGill, James Daughton, Mark McGill, BELUSHI!  For the record, my favorite member of Delta House was always Hoover.  Animal House is currently on Prime. 

Secondly, I have to mention Dazed and Confused (1993).  Richard Linklater’s portrait of life in 1970s Texas has long been a favorite of mine.  There’s a lot of reasons, from the clever dialogue to the genuinely funny moments to the performances of the truly amazing cast.  Matthew McConaughey may have been the one to become a star but the film is full of great performances, from everyone from Jason London to Parker Posey to Wiley Wiggins and Michelle Burke to Cole Hauser and Ben Affleck to Adam Goldberg and Anthony Rapp to Nicky Katt …. well, you get the idea.  Linklater has sometimes said that he regrets that the film didn’t have more “serious” moments but I think he’s being a bit too hard on himself and the film.  There’s a definite sense of melancholy to Dazed and Confused.  These characters have no idea what’s waiting for them in the future.  This film always makes me think of my Mom and Dad because it’s about their generation.  (My Dad once told me that the film was very accurate.)  Whenever I watch this film, I’m reminded that everyone was young once and, eventually, everyone gets older.  Dazed and Confused is on Prime.

For Memorial Day

Memorial Day is an often misunderstood holiday.  It was first celebrated after the Civil War and it’s meant to be a time to honor those who sacrificed their lives defending the United States.  It’s mean to be a time of sober reflection but that’s not currently our nation’s strong suit.

I’m not a huge fan of war films but I do like Battleground (1949), a simple but moving portrait of a platoon of soldiers fighting during the Battle of the Bulge.  Battleground, made when World War II was a very fresh memory, is a touching and realistic portrait of combat, one that focuses on the humanity of the soldiers involved.  No one is presented as being superhuman or as an indestructible action hero.  Instead, they’re vulnerable, frequently frightened, and often frustrated.  At the same time, they’re also putting their life at risk for their country and battling one of the greatest evils that the world has ever known.  Battleground is a tribute to American soldiers and those who sacrificed their lives to battle the Nazis.  Amongst the ensemble cast, young Ricardo Montalban stands out as a tragic soldier.  For now, Battleground can be viewed on YouTube.

The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946) won the Oscar for Best Picture of 1946 and, while I would have given the Oscar to It’s A Wonderful Life, The Best Years Of Our Lives remains a powerful portrait of returning veterans and their struggle to adjust to life during peacetime.  Fredric March, Dana Andrews, and Harold Russell return from combat and find themselves surrounded by friends and family who have no way of understanding what they experienced while serving their country.  Wonderfully directed by William Wyler and featuring a brilliant cast, The Best Years Of Our Lives is a moving film, one that reminds us that the scars of war don’t disappear once the shooting stops.  The film is streaming on Pluto and Peacock.

For All You Car Fans

The Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for this Sunday.  Personally, I like cars and I like the people who aren’t afraid to drive fast.

Fast Company (1979)  is one of the many 70s films to be made about racing.  It’s certainly not the first to feature William Smith as a driver who loves speed and taking risks.  What sets Fast Company apart is that it was directed by David Cronenberg.  It’s a film that Cronenberg did for the money and it was also the first time that he worked with two important future collaborators, actor Nicholas Campbell and cinematographer Mark Irwin.  Even though there’s not much of Cronenberg’s signature stye here, he does show himself to be an adroit genre director.  The cars are fast, the races are well-shot, and John Saxon shows up as the villain.  Fast Company is on Tubi.

Used Cars (1980), an early film from Robert Zemeckis and screenwriter Bob Gale (who celebrates a birthday tomorrow), is one of my favorite films, a hilarious and shameless comedy that features Kurt Russell, Jack Warden, and Gerrit Graham at their absolute best.  Russell, at a time when he was still struggling to establish himself as something more than a Disney star, gives a wonderful and charismatic performance as a used car salesman with political ambitions.  This film is worth seeing for his suit alone!  Jack Warden plays twin brothers, one good and one bad.  Never look away when Gerrit Graham is in a scene because, even when he’s in the background, he can make you laugh.  This ends with one of the greatest chase scenes ever directed.  Used Cars is on Tubi and you definitely need to watch it if you haven’t already.

Odds and Ends

Of all the films that I’ve ever seen at SXSW, Shock of the Future (2019) remains my favorite.  Starring Alma Jodorowsky as a musician living in 70s Paris, Shock of the Future pays tribute to the female pioneers of electronic music.  Needless to say the soundtrack is wonderful but, beyond that, Shock of the Future is a film that captures the joy that comes from creativity and artistic expression.  It’s a film that will leave you wanting to create something wonderful.  Shock of the Future is on Tubi.

Terminal Bliss (1992) is a portrait of teenagers with too much money, too many drugs, and not much of a conscience.  It’s a film that wears its influences on its sleeve but, at the same time, director Jordan Alan (who was 19 at the time) does a good job of capturing the ennui and detachment that dominates his character’s lives.  This is a flawed film but worth seeing for Luke Perry’s performance as a young sociopath.  After years of only being available in a French-language dub, the English-version of Terminal Bliss is currently on YouTube.

Ruggero Deodato’s Raiders of Atlantis (1983) may not be as well-known as Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust or The House on the Edge of the Park but it’s still an entertainingly weird mix of Atlantis, Miami Vice, Mad Max, and Raiders of the Lost Ark.  The Atlanteans return to land of the living and, for some reason, they’re riding motorcycles and dressing like wannabe punk rockers.  It makes no sense but Deodato keeps the action moving and the cast is a who’s who of Italian exploitation, featuring Christopher Connelly, Tony King, Ivan Rassimov, Bruce Baron, and George Hilton!  The soundtrack is wonderfully over-the-top.  It can be found on Tubi!

Godzilla vs Destoroyah (1995) is one of the best Godzilla films and, unfortunately, it’s one that often seems to get overlooked.  Godzilla is at his most fearsome and destructive and Destoroyah is a more than worthy opponent.  The members of the Godzilla Task Force all get to wear cute uniforms.  Godzilla vs Destoroyah is available on Tubi.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Two Books To Read This Weekend (5/23/25)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

This weekend, I will be reading Jake Tapper and Alex Thomas’s Original Sin, their look at the Biden presidency and how Joe Biden’s (or really, Joe Biden’s aides and family’s) insistence that he run for a second term led to Donald Trump returning to the White House.  Actually, I will be continuing to read it as I started it last night.  So far, it’s an interesting read, even though I think that those who claim that Tapper is a bit too quick to let himself off the hook have got a point.  It’s definitely got me thinking about how many of our elected officials are “all there” and how many of them are just repeating whatever their staff tells them to say and do.

Now, if you feel that you don’t have time to read Tapper and Thompson’s 300-page book, you can always check out the Mockbuster version, Uncharted Fight: The Original Sin Of Biden, The Hubris of Harris, The Trump Comeback, & The Shadow of Project 2025 by — *ahem* — Jonathan Chris Tapper.  This 198 page book, which actually came out a month before Original Sin, basically just takes everything that was leaked about Original Sin and that was included in previous books by Chris Whipple and Jonathan Allen & Amie Parnes and repeats it.  The book was obviously put together quickly to capitalize on the interest around the books that hace been coming out about Biden’s withdrawal and the 2024 election.  There’s no original reporting, beyond the fact that somebody flipped through all of the other books and jotted down their main points.  If I had to guess, I’d say there is no “Jonathan Chris Tapper.”  It’s a grift, one that feels like a uniquely 2025 sort of thing.  The main reason any of these books are being published is to make money so why shouldn’t “Jonathan Chris Tapper” give it a shot?  And, to be honest, Uncharted Fight a quick read that gives you the basics so if you don’t want to spend money on four books about the election, it’s there for you, I guess.  Of course, you could probably just ask one of the many online AI programs to give you a quick summary and get the same information for far less money.  (In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if “Jonathan Chris Tapper” is an AI system.)

(Personally, I went ahead and spent money on Original Sin, Uncharted History, Chris Whipple’s Unchartered, Alex Eistenstadt’s Revenge, and Jonathan Allen’s and Amie Parness’s Fight because I’m a history nerd and I think you can never have enough sources!)

Song of the Day: Somebody Has To Pay by Susie Van Der Meer

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s song of the day comes from the soundtrack of 1998’s Run, Lola, Run.

Whisper my darling
I didn’t have the time to say goodbye to you
Flow into silence
My mouth is full of blood and my mind is too
And my mind is too

And you see me walking miles away
Somebody has to pay
And you see me walking miles away
I’m gonna take your pain with me

Golden reunion
I will always wait for you to be with me
Secrets in heaven
I’ll complete the mission if you want me to

And you see me walking miles away
Somebody has to pay
And you see me walking miles away
I’m gonna take your pain

And you see me walking miles away
Somebody has to pay
Somebody has to pay
Somebody has to pay

Somebody has to pay
Somebody has to pay

Late Night Retro Television Review: Highway to Heaven 3.24 “Ghost Rider”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night 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 Highway to Heaven, which aired on NBC from 1984 to 1989.  The entire show is currently streaming on Tubi and several other services!

This episode …. ugh.

Episode 3.24 “Ghost Rider”

(Dir by Michael Landon, originally aired on April 1st, 1987)

This episode was …. bad.  It was really bad.  I know that Highway to Heaven is a show with its own unique style and that it’s necessary to sometimes set aside cynicism and just accept the show in all of its sincere and earnest glory but I just couldn’t do it with this episode.

Birdy Belker (Didi Conn) is a ghost writer.  She writes the Roger Bolt spy novels, which are then credited to the glamorous Natasha Gudonov (Victoria Carroll).  Roger was a real spy.  He died years ago but Birdy still has a bit of a crush on him.  Birdy is also Jonathan and Mark’s latest assignment.  Jonathan decides to just wait for her outside of her apartment and introduce himself as being an angel.

“RAPE!” Birdy yells before then spraying Mark with a breath freshener that she mistook for mace.

Jonathan brings Birdy’s dead plants to life, proving that he’s an angel.  Birdy goes from being terrified to inviting two strangers into her apartment.  Birdy is single and her parents are giving a hard time about her lack of a boyfriend.  Mark suggests that Birdy buy Roger’s old car, which is set to be auctioned off.  Birdy and her father (Bobby Baum) go to the auction with Jonathan and Mark.  Uh-oh, shady Boris (Adam Gregor) wants the car as well!  However, Boris has to call his boss to see if he should bid more than $20,000.  Jonathan stares at the phone until it explodes.  Birdy wins the auction!  She has the car!

(Destroying someone’s property does not seem like proper angel behavior, to be honest.)

It turns out that the car is haunted by the ghost of Roger Bolt (Warwick Sims).  Jonathan insinuates that Roger is actually in Purgatory and helping out Birdy is his final chance to make it into Heaven.  That’s …. okay, I guess.  The problem is that Roger’s ghost doesn’t show up until 30 minutes into the episode.  A ghost is a pretty big plot point to introduce that late in the game.  Birdy is in love with Roger, up until she realizes that he’s a cad.  Still, Roger redeems himself but helping Birdy outsmart the two spies who want his old car.  Birdy becomes a celebrity, Roger goes to Heaven, and Birdy meets her new neighbor, a nerdy guy who seems perfect for her.  But then, as Mark and Jonathan are heading to their next assignment, Roger’s car starts and we hear Roger’s voice.  “Bolt, Roger Bolt.”  Okay, so did he go to Heaven or not?  Or is he still a ghost?  What’s going on!?

My honest guess is that this was meant to be a backdoor pilot, one that would have featured Birdy and Roger’s ghost getting involved in espionage on a weekly basis.  That’s really the only way that this oddly paced episode makes any sort of sense.  Tonally, it had nothing in common with any other episode of Highway to Heaven that I’ve seen.  It doesn’t work, largely because Birdy is an amazingly annoying character and Roger was a less than interesting take on the Bond stereotype.

This episode was definitely a misfire.  Luckily, the season ends next week with an episode featuring Leslie Nielsen.  That should be great!  It certainly can’t be any worse than this one.

Retro Television Review: Malibu, CA 2.13 “Lisa’s Ex”

Posted on 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.

I was a lot happier before I remembered this show existed.

Episode 2.13 “Lisa’s Ex”

(Dir by Gary Shimokawa, originally aired on January 29th, 2000)

No, not my ex!  This episode is about Lisa, the fictional character’s, ex….

You know, it’s really frustrating that this show’s most annoying character happens to have the same name as me.  I want to complain about her but, at the same time, I feel an instant bond to anyone named Lisa, including fictional characters on terrible sitcoms.

That said, Lisa — the show’s Lisa — really is the worst.  In this episode, her ex-boyfriend, a basketball played named Troy Douglas — just happens to stop by the restaurant and see her.  Troy, we’re told, is an amazing NBA player, despite the fact that he appears to be about 5’8 and not particularly athletic.  Then again, the show also told us that Scott could be an Olympic-class swimmer despite having never trained and that Jason could get a record deal despite having no talent so I guess it all makes sense.

Anyway, Lisa hangs out with Troy and ends up kissing him on the beach.  Scott breaks up with her when he finds out and then acts all mopey about it.  “She could have been the one!” Scott says while the audience goes, “Awwww!”  Seriously, Lisa — the show’s Lisa — could have been the one?  This would be the same character who talks down to everyone, complains nonstop, and who has only been dating Scott for like a week.  She’s the one?

Fortunately (?), Lisa tells Troy to get lost.  Troy seems like a perfectly nice guy but we’re only supposed to care about Scott’s heartbreak.  Lisa apologizes to Scott.  Scott kisses Lisa.  “Whoooo!” says the audience.

Every episode of every Peter Engel-produced sitcom had an episode like this.  I have to admit that none of those other episodes annoyed quite as much as this episode of Malibu CA did.  I think it’s because 1) Lisa is a terrible character, 2) Marquita Terry gives a terrible performance in the role, 3) there’s zero chemistry between Marquita Terry and Trevor Merszei (who played Scott), and 4) even Scott deserves better than the treatment he got during this episode.  Lisa apologized for kissing Troy and that’s fine but she didn’t really say anything that would suggests that she’s not going to dump Scott every time one of her ex-boyfriends shows up.  This relationship is doomed.

Speaking of doomed, Peter, Jason, Murray, Traycee, and Alex all went camping.  After hearing that a killer had escaped from a nearby mental asylum, they freaked out when a stranger approached their camp sight.  First, they tied the guy in a net.  Then Peter hit him on the head with a frying pan …. oh wait, he’s not the killer!  He’s just some innocent guy who was trying to be helpful.

“Please don’t sue,” Peter says.

Peter, I hope he sues your ass for everything you’ve got.

Late Night Retro Television Review: Monsters 3.19 “A Face For Radio”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Wednesdays, I will be reviewing Monsters, which aired in syndication from 1988 to 1991. The entire series is streaming on YouTube.

This week, it’s terror on the radio!

Episode 3.19 “A Face For Radio”

(Dir by Bruce Feirstein, originally aired on February 3rd, 1991)

Late night radio talk show host Ray Bright (Morton Downey, Jr.) is sleazy guy who describes his own show as being “hate radio.”  Over the course of one program, he tries to humiliate two female guests.  The first is a psychic (Julie Wilson) who says that she’s had visions of Ray trapped in a dark room.  The second is Amada Smith-Jones (Laura Branigan), who claims that she was once abducted by aliens.  She carries with her a cage that she says contains the alien.  Ray takes one look at the ugly and snarling little creature inside the cage and dismisses it as a puppet.  Amanda says that the alien is real and that it eats “bad” people, but only if they give their permission first.  Will Ray be stupid enough to give his permission?

You probably already guessed the answer to that question.  Though predictable in the way that anthology shows often are, this was still an effective episode.  Downey, who I understand was an actual talk show host, was very believable as the incredibly sleazy (and incredibly stupid) Ray and Laura Branigan was just as effective as the enigmatic Amanda.  As for the alien in the cage, it was actually one of the more effective monsters to appear on Monsters.  I had to laugh when Ray dismissed at as being a puppet because, after so many episodes featuring creatures that obviously were puppets, this episode featured a creature that looked very much alive.

The episode ended on a bit of a foul note, largely due to the fact that a new character showed up and started speaking with one of the fakest Texas accents that I’ve ever heard.  Otherwise, though, this was a well-done 21 minutes.