Today, we present to you 2015’s The Flight Before Christmas!
Mayim Bialik and Ryan McPartin are both on the same Christmas Eve flight. Bialik plays a woman who has given up on romance. McPartin plays a man who is flying to Boston to ask his girlfriend to marry him, even though it’s obvious that they’re not right for each other. At first, our two main characters don’t get along but then their flight is temporarily diverted to the most romantic place on Earth …. Bozeman, Montana!
You can guess what happens. You’ve probably already guessed that it occurs at a quaint Bed & Breakfast. But did you guess that Brian Doyle-Murray plays a jolly man named Noel Nichols and that …. oh, you did? Well, good for you.
It’s a cute movie, nonetheless. If there is a Santa Claus, I hope he’s played by Brian Doyle-Murray.
It’s the holiday season, which means that it’s time for some holiday music from the amazing Lindsey Stirling. There’s a lot of pure joy to be found in this video.
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 1st and Ten, which aired in syndication from 1984 to 1991. The entire series is streaming on Tubi.
The Bulls are in the playoffs!
Episode 2.7 “Yinessa’s Interview”
(Dir by Burt Brinckerhoff, originally aired on December 30th, 1986)
Last week, training camp finally ended.
This week, the Bulls are in the playoffs!
Wow, we skipped the entire regular season. Well, that’s okay. It was obvious from the start that the Bulls were going to make it to the playoffs so why hold off on the inevitable? Tom Yinessa has led the Bulls to a spot in the Wildcard and woo hoo!
The only problem is that Yinessa hasn’t had time to get laid. When he does try to make time for Christy (Betsy Russell) — who I guess is his new girlfriend because she wasn’t his girlfriend an episode ago — they are interrupted by reporter Donna Starkey (Brianne Leary), who needs to finish up her interview with Yinessa. Christy leaves angry but then she returns to make up for Yinessa, just to discover him on the verge of fooling around with Donna.
While all of this is going, the other team tries to fool the Bulls by sending them a fake playbook. Coach Denardo thinks that it’s genuine but T.D. Parker is like, “I’ll kill you if you use that playbook! I’ve done it before!” Also a woman tells Jethro that he’s the father of her son. Jethro is skeptical but he agrees to get a paternity test.
Donna writes an article about how Yinessa is an unimpressive quarterback. But the Bulls still win their playoff game by relying on defense. Mad Dog Smears angrily notes that reporters never want to interview anyone defense …. wait a minute, where’s Dr. Death? Seeing as how the defense wins the game, this seems like a weird episode not to feature Dr. Death.
The Bulls win their game but Yinessa no longer has a girlfriend. Womp womp.
This episode was weirdly unsubstantial. It may be because of how the episodes have been edited for syndication to remove all of the nudity and cursing but 1st & Ten never seems to be able to develop any sort of narrative momentum. Instead of each episode building towards something, it’s usually just 20 minutes of random events that never seem to really be tied together. One could say the same thing of life in general, I suppose.
This is my final 1st & Ten review of 2025. Retro Television Reviews is taken a break for the holidays but this feature will return in January. My next 1st & Ten review will be on January 7th, 2026.
Welcome to 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 the original Love Boat, which aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986! The series can be streamed on Paramount Plus!
This week, the sixth season of The Love Boat comes to a close.
Episode 6.29 “Fountain of Youth/Bad Luck Cabin/Uncle Daddy”
(Dir by Robert Scheerer, originally aired on May 7th,1983)
The sixth season of The Love Boat ends on a rather silly note.
A newlywed couple (David Naughton and Lynda Goodfriend) board the ship and a coked-up Julia assigns them to a cabin that is known for being cursed. Couples who stay in the cabin always break up. Gopher and Julie try to make sure that the couple doesn’t fall victim to the curse.
Henry Harper (Ted McGinley), who appears to be in his 20s, boards the boat and tells elderly Dwight Schofield (David Wayne) that he’s the same Henry Harper that Dwight went to college with. Henry claims that he’s discovered the Fountain of Youth! Actually, this Henry Harper is the grandson of the original Henry Harper and this is all an elaborate scheme to get revenge on Dwight for cheating the first Henry Harper out of an oil well. Dwight, however, falls for it and tries to buy the Fountain of Youth. Grandson Henry, meanwhile, falls in love with Dwight’s granddaughter (Michele Tobin) who is all like, “I like you but I can’t be with someone from the Twilight Zone.” Grandson Henry eventually admits the truth and all is …. forgiven? Really?
Those two stories were pretty dumb. Fortunately, the third story was an Isaac story and, as he always did whenever he got a chance in the spotlight, Ted Lange really delivered. Isaac wants to marry Gayle Davis (Tracy Reed) so he can become the stepfather of Bobby Davis (Shavar Ross). In the end, Isaac realizes that he doesn’t love Gayle and the marriage wouldn’t work. It was a pretty simple story but Lange always did such a good job of portraying Isaac’s essential decency that it was hard not to get caught up in whether or not he was actually going to leave the Love Boat crew. Fortunately, Isaac will still be pouring drinks during season 7.
This is not only the final Love Boat episode of Season 6 but it’s also my final Love Boat episode of 2025. Retro Television Reviews is taking a break for the holidays so that I can focus on both the Awards Season and Christmas movies. The Love Boat will return on January 7th, 2026.
In 2011’s Christmas Lodge, Mary (Erin Karpluk) recovers from a recent break-up by restoring the run-down lodge where she used to spend the holidays with her family.
That’s pretty much the entire film. When I reviewed the film a few years ago, I admitted that there really wasn’t much conflict to be found in it but I also argued that was a part of the film’s appeal. It’s a holiday movie and, as such, it’s earnestness and sincerity is its main appeal.
Today’s song of the day come from the Georges Delerue-composed score of Jean-Luc Godard’s 1963 film, Le Mepris. If this song sounds familiar but you haven’t seen Le Mepris, you may have heard it in Martin Scorsese’s Casino.
Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Tuesdays, I will be reviewing Pacific Blue, a cop show that aired from 1996 to 2000 on the USA Network! It’s currently streaming everywhere, though I’m watching it on Tubi.
James Franco is in this episode!
Episode 3.8 “Matters of the Heart”
(Dir by Terence H. Winkless, originally aired on October 5th, 1997)
Cory goes undercover to bust a man who is selling babies to couples who can’t have children. Cory pretends to be pregnant and meets the couple who want to buy her baby. What Cory discovers is that the couple would be loving parents. She realizes that she can’t bust them. Palermo is not amused, pointing out that everyone involved is breaking the law.
Meanwhile, Cory has been caring for a baby who was originally meant to be sold to the same couple. Chris is upset. What if the baby cries and wakes her up? Well, Chris, I guess you’ll get to whine about it like you are about everything else. At the end of the episode, Cory arranges for the baby to be adopted by the couple who wanted to buy her in the first place. Palermo, having suddenly changed his tune, says, “This is a wonderful thing you’re doing.”
Meanwhile, TC goes undercover too! He’s busting a drug dealer who is selling amphetamines to extreme athletes, one of whom is played by James Franco! Remember, during the early days of this site, when I had that huge crush on him? I know a lot of people would say that I shouldn’t admit to that, considering the scandal that pretty much ended his career but …. eh, why deny it? Who hasn’t had a crush on someone who later turned out to be kind of sleazy? It’s a part of growing up. Back in 2010, it all came down to two things: I was young and I found him to very, very appealing, in much the same way that I always used to fall for dysfunctional poets and long-haired guitar players in high school and college. Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh, right — Pacific Blue. As far as the show goes, TC is successful despite the fact that he comes across as being a cop the entire time.
This episode …. actually, I’m surprised to say that this episode kind of worked. Not the stuff involving TC obviously, all of that sucked. In the role of TC, Jim Davidson was too expressionless and dull to be convincing as someone who could possibly pull of an undercover operation. But Cory’s storyline worked, largely thanks to Paula Trickey’s performance. (Trickey was one of the more talented members of the cast but Pacific Blue rarely seemed to understand that.) I have to admit that I even teared up a little at the end as Cory said goodbye to the baby that she had spent weeks caring for.
Seriously, me tearing up while watching an episode of Pacific Blue! What a strange world. Maybe it’s the holiday spirit!
On that hopeful note, I finish up my final 2025 review of Pacific Blue. Retro Television Reviews will be off for the holidays, so that I can concentrate on Awards Season and Christmas movies. Pacific Blue will return on January 6th, 2026!
In 2016’s Broadcasting Christmas, Melissa Joan Hart (who will always be Sabrina to me) plays Emily Morgan.
Emily is a television news journalist in Connecticut. She specializes in doing human interest stories. Years ago, Emily was up for a job with a station in New York but she lost out to her then-boyfriend, Charlie Fisher (Dean Cain). Charlie went to New York and Emily has never really forgiven him. As the Christmas season approaches, Emily finds herself reporting about the fact that America’s top morning show, Rise & Shine, is looking for a new co-host. Being considered are a basketball player, a reality TV star, and …. CHARLIE! Emily has a meltdown on air and says that she feels that she should be the new cohost of Rise and Shine. Emily’s rant goes viral and, soon enough, she’s invited to come audition for the spot.
Emily, Charlie, Abby (Krista Braun), and Jimmy Eubanks (Todd Litzinger) will be auditioning over the holiday season. They’ll take turns co-hosting with Veronika Daniels (Jackee Harry) and they will also be expected to come up with human interest stories. Emily and Charlie immediately start working hard, trying to make a good impression while also trying to resist the fact that they’re clearly both still in love with each other. Jimmy Eubanks doesn’t work at all. And Abby — well, Abby knows that she’s going to get the job and the auditions are all just for show.
Except, Abby doesn’t get the job. She gets a chance to plan a celebrity wedding and abandons the show. Now, it’s just between Emily and Charlie. Will they be able to balance falling in love with competing for the same job? Will Emily find her confidence? Will Charlie make peace with the fact that his famous father was instrumental in getting New York to select him over Emily? And how does a hundred year-old fruitcake fit into it all?
Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Yes, it’s a Hallmark holiday film and, as soon as you see their names in the credits, you immediately know that Melissa Joan Hart and Dean Cain are going to end up back together. It’s the type of film where New York is safe and beautiful and the snow falls constantly without anyone ever getting a red nose or a scratchy throat. The film’s portrayal of the behind-the-scenes shenanigans at a network show feel especially false. One doesn’t necessarily watch a film like this expecting to see anything reflecting reality but the whole idea that Veronika would have four people on her show without fully knowing what they’re planning on doing when they appear requires a huge suspension of disbelief.
That said, it’s a sweet-natured movie. Melissa Joan Hart and Dean Cain make for a cute couple and I have to say that, between her Hallmark films and her Lifetime films, Hart has shown herself to be one of the stronger performers appearing in these type of films. That’s the holiday spirit for you. Any other time of the year, I would probably roll my eyes at this film. But, watching it in December, I was just happy that Emily and Charlie realized that they still loved each other.
The Bulls are in the playoffs!
Through the Shattered Lens 