Tag Archives: Sally Jessy Raphael

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

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

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

All You Need Is Love (Night Flight Plus)

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

Beavis and Butt-Head (Thursday, Paramount Plus)

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

Fantasy Island (Tubi)

Read my latest Fantasy Island review here!

Forgive or Forget (YouTube)

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

Happy Hour (YouTube)

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

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

The Master (Tubi)

I wrote about The Master here!

The Maury Povich Show (YouTube)

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

Sally Jessy Raphael (YouTube)

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

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

The Steve Wilkos Show (YouTube)

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

Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about Welcome Back, Kotter here!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 5/14/23 — 5/20/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Barry (Sunday Night, HBO)

The latest episode of Barry scared the Hell out of me.  I literally screamed when that person dressed in all black appeared behind Sally.  That said, I also laughed at Monroe “The Raven” Fuches and his first few days of freedom.  NoHo Hank has apparently made himself into quite a successful businessman but he’s still in denial about the role he played in Cristobal’s death.  And, of course, Gene Cousineau remains Gene Cousineau.  I just can’t shake the feeling that none of these characters are going to survive the series finale.

Beavis and Butt-Head (Paramount Plus)

Beavis and Butt-Head discovered that the secret to being popular was acting depressed.  And then they probably rendered themselves sterile with shock treatment.  After that, Beavis got rabies.  That was kind of disturbing.  I’m going to guess that Butt-Head eventually got rabies as well.  Oh well.

Black Bird (Apple TV+)

I watched the first four episodes of this true crime miniseries this week.  It’s a fascinating show that I’ll write about more after I finish it.  Paul Walter Hauser is extremely unsettling as Larry.  Taron Egerton has the charisma of an old school movie star.  This show also showcases the late Ray Liotta in the role of Egerton’s loving father.  The role allows Liotta to show his kind side, along with the tough side that he was best known for.  Along with everything else that makes this show memorable, it serves as a tribute to Liotta’s skill as an actor.

Forgive or Forget (YouTube)

Laurie Sue appeared on the show to confess to her husband that she had cheated on him with her first cousin and that she had subsequently danced and stripped at a laundry mat.  He forgave her.  Personally, I suspect that they were both lying about what happened and just wanted a chance to appear on television.  Laurie Sue’s story was followed by two men who cheated on their pregnant fiancées.  Mother Love helped everyone work out their problems.  “Never underestimate the power of forgiveness!” Mother Love declared while the audience applauded.  I suspect Mother Love may have been a cult leader.

On Monday, I watched an episode featuring a teenage moron named Andrew who trashed the house while his father was in the hospital, having his toe amputated.  His father forgave him, even though Andrew definitely did not deserve it.

I Remember Gorgeous George (YouTube)

This was a 1980s documentary about pro-wrestling.  I watched it on Sunday morning.  I’m not really a wrestling fan but, that said, I can appreciate it as a unique example of Americana.

Law & Order (Thursday Night, NBC)

This uneven season came to an end with a heavy-handed look at gun control.  Basically, the message of this week’s episode was that it’s okay to kill someone as long as you have the right political beliefs.  Once again, justice was pushed to the side because of Price’s PTSD.  Seriously, what a disappointing way to end the season.

The Master (Tubi)

I wrote about The Master here!

Night Flight (Night Flight Plus)

On Saturday morning, I watched a 30-minute profile of the band Bananarama.

Sally Jessy Raphael (YouTube)

“I can’t believe my kid’s a skinhead!” was the title of the episode that I watched on Sunday and indeed, the parents were shocked.  Sally lost control of the audience early on.  I followed this up with an episode called “Serial Killer Fan Vs. Victims Families.”  Yikes!

On Tuesday, I was in a bad mood so I watched an episode called “My Teen Is Going To End Up A Criminal.”  Wow, those teens had some issues!  And I bet they did all end up as criminals.

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I wrote about Survivor here!

Take Off To Comedy IX (Night Flight Plus)

I watched this 90s special on Friday night.  It was a collection of comedy clips, including a stand-up comedian talking about why he gave up cocaine.  Just from his manic delivery, I don’t think he ever gave up cocaine.

Waco: The Aftermath (Showtime)

I watched the remaining episodes of Waco: The Aftermath this week.  I understand that the show has apparently not been well-received by critics.  I’m going to guess that’s because the show was ultimately as a critical of the government as it was of its enemies.  To me, the show provided a look at how the efforts to combat the monster often make the monster even stronger.

Yellowjackets (Sunday Night, Showtime)

I’m now caught up with Yellowjackets.  Of course, I knew that Shauna’s baby was not going to survive but that didn’t make the episode any less powerful or sad or unsettling.  This season has definitely been a bit more uneven than the first season but it’s still a very intriguing show.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 5/7/23 — 5/13/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Accused (Tuesday Night, FOX)

The season finale of Accused started out strong but, towards the end, it felt like propaganda for euthanasia.  Plus, the big twist — i.e., the accused taking the blame for a crime that was actually committed by a loved one — was one that the show had already done before.  It’s a bit early for this show to be repeating itself.  That’s one reason why I think Accused would be well-served by having a regular set of writers and a regular set of directors as opposed to bringing in new people for each episode.  That said, Keith Carradine gave a powerful performance as the man on trial.  The first season of Accused was extremely uneven but hopefully, they’ll work out the kinks by the time the second season begins.

Barry (Sunday Night, HBO)

The rumors were true!  There has indeed been a time jump and Barry and Sally are now living in the middle of nowhere and raising their son, John.  Sally, who now wears a dark wig and works as a waitress, is miserable and, on Sunday’s show, nearly strangled a guy.  Barry is oddly obsessed with Abraham Lincoln.  Barry spends a lot of time with John and obviously considers himself to be a good father but, ultimately, Barry is just as manipulative towards his son as Monroe Fuches was towards him.  When Sally came across a news story about Gene Cusineau coming out of hiding to consult on a Barry Berkman biopic, Barry replied, without hesitation, “I have to kill Gene Cusineau.”  That’s where this week’s unsettling episode of Barry ended.

As I watched this week’s episode, it occurred to me that if someone ever did decide to do a new version of The Shining, Bill Hader would be an ideal Jack Torrance.

Beavis and Butt-Head (Paramount Plus)

Episodes that feature both the young and the old Beavis and Butt-Head are so depressing.  It’s so easy to laugh at them when they’re young and they’re trying to plant cigarettes and destroying the community garden.  But then you see what the future has waiting for them.  Butt-Head’s a fat alcoholic and Beavis looks like he’s about 70 years old when he should just be in his 40s.  It’s sad but it’s also funny.  I do take some comfort in the fact that Beavis and Butt-Head always seem to be blissfully unaware of how terrible their lives truly are.  Beavis never seems to give up hope.

Bubblegum Crisis (YouTube)

I watched an episode on Saturday morning but, to be honest, I was half asleep.  All I know for sure is that a lot of stuff blew up.

Forgive or Forget (YouTube)

On Sunday, I sat through three episodes of this old 90s talk show on YouTube.  A son demanded that his mother apologize for robbing him.  (She didn’t.)  A man told his fiancée that he was an exotic dancer just for her to then reveal that she was a stripper.  (The audience went crazy.)  A woman demanded that her friend apologize for “sleeping with my first love.”  (“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the friend replied.)  Mother Love said to never forget the power of forgiveness.

On Friday, I watched one more episode.  A woman begged another woman to forgive her for backing out of an adoption arrangement.  No one was forgiven.  Mother Love started to cry.

Jury Duty (Freevee)

I absolutely loved this 8-hour, semi-improvised comedy about jury duty.  Essentially, the series followed one guy as he took part in a very strange court case and got to know his fellow jurors (including James Marsden, who played a comedic version of himself).  The catch was that everyone else in the court room was an actor and our hero was being filmed without even knowing it.  It was wonderfully weird, funny, and ultimately rather sweet.  It helped that the main guy, Ronald Gladden, came across as being incredibly likable and nice, even when James Marsden went out of his way to annoy him.  Give Marsden an Emmy!

Law & Order (Thursday Night, NBC)

This was a pretty dumb episode this week.  Cosgrove got shot by this week’s suspect after the suspect got out on bail.  Because he was captured at the scene, everyone knew who shot Cosgrove but, at the trial, no one brought up the fact that the suspect had shot a cop and, unless I missed it, I don’t think he was ever charged with shooting Cosgrove either.  Instead, Price was worried he wouldn’t be able to get a conviction on the crime that the guy was originally accused of and I was just like, “Uhmm, he shot a cop while trying to kill the state’s main witness against him.  Isn’t that pretty good evidence that the cops were onto something when they arrested him?”

Cosgrove considered retiring and going to Florida but, at the end of the episode, it appeared that he was planning on staying in New York.  I got the feeling that entire storyline was just included as some sort of “That that!” to Florida.  But, honestly, Cosgrove is 50 years old and politically and culturally conservative.  Why wouldn’t he want to move to Florida?

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about this week’s episode here!

The Master (Tubi)

Since Freddy’s Nightmares is no longer available on Tubi, I decided to watch and review all 13 episodes of this 80s ninja show instead.  You can read my review of episode 1 here!

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Tubi)

Apparently, after the show went off the air, NBC edited the first two episodes of The Master together and they released the result theatrically under the name Master Ninja One.  And then, years later, the guys at Mystery Science Theater 3000 watched Master Ninja One and spent a lot of time pointing out Lee Van Cleef’s stunt double.  Anyway, I watched the Mystery Science Theater version on Thursday, after I finished writing up my review of The Master.  It made me laugh!

Night Court (Tuesday Night, NBC)

The season came to an end much as I predicted it would.  Abbi and Rand broke up.  Dan went to Louisiana and became a judge but I imagine he’ll be back whenever season 2 starts because, if there was anything that was consistent about the first season, it’s that the action always grinds to a halt whenever John Larroquette isn’t onscreen.

Sally Jessy Raphael (YouTube)

I watched an episode on Monday night.  Sally talked to parents who had out-of-control children.  The kids were forced to take part in the Scared Straight program.  Did it do any good?  Probably not.

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I wrote about this week’s episode over at Reality TV Chat Blog!

The Traitors (Peacock)

I binged this enjoyably silly reality show over the course of the week.  Basically, a combination of newbies and reality TV vets moved into a Scottish castle and tried to figure out which of the three of them had been designated as “traitors” by host Alan Cumming.  The traitors could “kill” a guest every night.  (Well, not literally.)  I was happy to see Survivor’s Cirie Fields do well and outlast Big Brother‘s Rachel Reilly.  “I’m an icon!” Rachel exclaimed at one point.  (Truth be told, I may complain about Rachel whenever she shows up on yet another reality show but she knows exactly what the audience wants from her and she plays her role well so good for her!)

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 4/30/23 — 5/6/23

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Accused (Tuesday Night, Fox)

As frustratingly uneven as Accused can be, this week’s episode was enjoyably melodramatic and over the top.  A teenage girl’s attempt to find her real father led to her discovering that he not only lived right next door but that she was also on the verge of dating her half-brother!  In this case, the big crime was breaking into a sperm bank.  In many ways, it was a silly episode but it was also undeniably enjoyable.  Accused should do more weird episodes like this and give the politics a rest.

Barry (Sunday Night, HBO)

Wow, what an unsettling episode this week!  Cristobal is dead.  NoHo Hank is back in the Chechen mob.  Gene shot and probably killed his son.  And, according to the time jump towards the end of the episode, Barry and Sally ended up living on a farm with a son named John.  And, in the world of Barry, Sian Heder is following up CODA with the worst comic book movie since The Eternals.  I’m looking forward to seeing where all of this goes but I have a feeling the show is building up to the most traumatic conclusion of all time.  We’ll see if I’m right!

Beavis and Butt-Head (Paramount Plus)

Beavis and Butt-Head fell in the sewer and thought they were in Hell.  Then, after that, Beavis ended up in the hospital and nearly died due to Butt-Head continually punching him in the testicles.  Guys are weird.

The Coronation of Charles III (Saturday Morning, Everywhere)

Supposedly, the British are indifferent to Charles III’s official coronation but it certainly has been a big deal here in the States.  Honestly, maybe the entire Royal Family should just move over here and take over again.  They would be greeted as liberators!

Forgive or Forget (YouTube)

It was raining on Wednesday afternoon so Jeff and I watched some old 90s talk shows on YouTube.  In an episode of Forgive or Forget, delinquent daughters were giving their mothers trouble.  The show’s host, Mother Love, yelled at everyone and forced them to go backstage and think about all of their sins before then choosing whether or not to come through the door of forgiveness.  Towards the end of the show, the format changed a little as a former out-of-control teen asked her mother to forgive her, just to have her mother refuse to come through the door.  What a terrible mother.  Seriously, this was a weird show.

Geraldo (YouTube)

It was raining on Wednesday afternoon so Jeff and I watched some old 90s talk shows on YouTube.  We watched a 1996 episode of Geraldo, featuring a young-looking but still overdramatic Geraldo Rivera talking to girls who were in gangs.  The highlight of the epiosde was when the current gang girls were confronted by former gang girls who accuse them all of being bad mothers.  “My babies are more important than my homies!” one former gang girl announced while the audience went crazy.

Half Nelson (YouTube)

I wrote about the finale of Half Nelson here!

Jenny Jones (YouTube)

It was raining on Wednesday afternoon so Jeff and I watched some old 90s talk shows on YouTube.  On the Jenny Jones show, the permanently flustered host talked to mothers and daughters who teamed up to “play more than one guy.”  The mothers and the daughters would come out on stage.  The audience would boo.  “Be an appreciator, not a hater!” one mother yelled back.  Nothing was really resolved by the end of this episode.  To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what the point of it all was.

The second episode that we watched feature couples taking lie detector tests to determine whether or not they were cheating.  The audience booed a lot.  No cheating allowed!  “WHY YOU STAYING WITH THAT MAN!?” some guy in the audience yelled.  Jenny Jones looked really nervous.

Law & Order (Thursday Night, NBC)

This week, Cosgrove’s daughter became an important witness in Price’s case against the accused murderer.  To me, it seems that, as soon as it became apparent that his daughter could be a part of the case, Cosgrove should have been taken off the investigation but Law & Order takes place in a world where “conflict of interest” is no big deal.

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about this week’s episode of The Love Boat here!

Night Court (Tuesday Night, NBC)

Dan’s been appointed to a judgeship in Louisiana and is planning on leaving New York City without telling anyone.  Dan is not the sentimental type.  However, Abbi and Rand insist on throwing him a going away party.  As usual, this show works best when it focus on John Larroquette and Melissa Rauch.  I spent most of this episode marveling at just how tall Larroquette is.  Especially standing next to Melissa Rauch, Larroquette appeared to be about 9 feet tall.  (Of course, Melissa Rauch is only like 4’11 herself.)  Anyway, Dan was about to leave for Louisiana when he got a call that Abbi was in jail and needed him to defend her.  This led to the dreaded “To Be Continued” card.

Night Flight (Night Flight Plus)

This week, I watched a compilation of three episodes from 1991.  I learned about European Rock and guitar gods!

Radio 1990 (Night Flight Plus)

This was apparently an entertainment-related news show that aired on PBS in the 80s (despite the name).  I watched an episode from 1983 on Saturday morning.  My favorite part was “Radio 1990 on the movies.”  The week the show aired, the number one movie was Sudden Impact and Scarface had just been released.

Sally Jessy Raphael (YouTube)

It was raining on Wednesday afternoon so Jeff and I watched some old 90s talk shows on YouTube.  The episode that we watched of this show dealt with out-of-control teens.  The teens were angry and bratty but then they all got sent to boot camp.  Most studies have confirmed that the whole boot camp thing was usually counter-productive but audiences just loved to watch wannaba drill sergeants scream at a bunch of bratty kids.

Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I wrote about this week’s episode of Survivor here!

Horror on TV: Sabrina The Teenage Witch 1.5 “A Halloween Story”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

I used to love watching Sabrina The Teenage Witch when I was younger!  This was mostly because I wanted to grow up to be a teenage witch.

Sabrina’s very first Halloween episode was first broadcast on October 25th, 1996.  In A Halloween Story, Sabrina must use magic (surprise! surprise!) in order to be able to attend two Halloween parties at the same time.  As so often happens with Sabrina, the laughs are surprisingly clever and the ending is nicely heart-warming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orPkpCPR214