Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to actress and advice columnist Elizabeth Berkley. Today’s scene that I love comes from the most famous episode of Saved By The Bell. Are you excited?
Tag Archives: Saved By The Bell
Late Night Retro Television Review: Good Morning, Miss Bliss 1.2 “Love Letters”
Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Saturdays, I will be reviewing Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which ran on the Disney Channel from 1988 to 1989 before then moving to NBC and being renamed Saved By The Bell. The entire show is currently streaming on Prime!
This week …. well, it’s all really stupid.
Episode 1.2 “Love Letters”
(Dir by Burt Brinkerhoff, originally aired on December 7th, 1988)
Miss Bliss thinks that Mr. Belding has sent her a love letter! Mr. Belding thinks Miss Bliss had sent him a love letter! Much awkwardness follows. Of course, the truth is that they both have a love letter that Zach wrote to Lisa (the character, not me) on behalf of Screech. Screech, meanwhile, writes Zach’s term paper on the War of 1812, which is probably the easiest war to write a paper on. I mean, if Zach can’t handle the War of 1812 on his own, he really is doomed.
This was a dumb episode, one that was later remade as an episode of Saved By The Bell during the infamous Tori season. The remake even went as far as to have Zach write a love note to Lisa for Screech and Mr. Belding and another teacher thinking that the note was written for them. Somehow, no one stopped and said, “Hey, hasn’t this happened before?” The remake was just as dumb as the original.
I will say this. Dustin Diamond is actually …. dare I say it? …. likable in this episode. Watching this episode, I could actually understand why Diamond was at the center of so many early episodes of Saved By The Bell because it appears that, before he started doing the squeaky, cartoonish voice thing and got totally typecast as the most annoying person on the planet, Dustin Diamond actually was a good child actor. There’s a sincere sweetness to his crush on Lisa in this episode. It’s quite a contrast to the deranged stalker that he would later become.
I should also note, for Saved By The Bell historians, this episode is the first to establish that Screech has a crush on Lisa and that Lisa, who is kind of mean in this episode, wishes that Screech would get lost. At the start of the episode, Lisa stuffs Screech in a locker. That seems a bit extreme to me. It’s always struck me as strange how the people on these shows were always getting stuffed into lockers. I went to a lot of different schools when I was growing up and I never once saw that happen to anyone. And yet, on Saved By The Bell and a host of other Peter Engel-produced sitcoms, it’s like a daily occurrence. I would think that it can’t be healthy to be stuffed in a locker. I can’t imagine the air quality is very good inside one of those metal caskets.
This episode also presents Screech and Zach as not being the childhood friends that Saved By The Bell later presented them as being. (Indeed, Screech mentions that no one will believe that he and Zach are actually friends.) Then again, this episode also takes place in Indiana instead of California so I guess it’s best not to worry too much about continuity.
On the How Condescending Is Miss Bliss scale, this episode score a solid 7 out of 10. She wasn’t anywhere near as a condescending as she would be in some of her later episodes but her comment when Mr. Belding asks her for the identity of the person who actually wrote the letter — “Why should I tell you? You just dumped me.” — pushes the score up to a 7.
Next week, Miss Bliss loses a lot of money when she stupidly allows the kids to invest it. What a terrible teacher. We’ll see what happens!
Late Night Retro Television Review: Good Morning, Miss Bliss 1.1 “Summer Love”
Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Saturdays, I will be reviewing Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which ran on the Disney Channel from 1988 to 1989 before then moving to NBC and being renamed Saved By The Bell. The entire show is currently streaming on Prime!
With Check It Out! finished, it’s time to review a new show. Continuing this feature’s tradition of highlighting the work of executive producer Peter Engel, it’s time for Good Morning, Miss Bliss, the show that would eventually become Saved By The Bell!
Episode 1.1 “Summer Love”
(Dir by Burt Brinckerhoff, originally aired on November 30th, 1988)
It’s the first day of school at JFK Junior High, located in beautiful Indianapolis, Indiana.
Miss Carrie Bliss (Hayley Mills), our narrator, is looking forward to a new year as a history teacher. The school’s principal, Richard Belding (a surprisingly thin Dennis Haskins) is worried about a new year of out-of-control students and angry parents. Miss Bliss’s best friend, Ms. Tina Palladino (Joan Ryan), worries that Mr. Belding has given her a bad schedule because of a disappointing school play she directed the previous year.
Miss Bliss has a date, the first one since her husband died. Brian (Barry Jenner) is handsome and successful but romance will have to wait as Miss Bliss deals with the problems of her homeroom students. Over the summer, pathological liar Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) told a girl named Karen (Carla Gugino, in one of her first roles) that he would soon be starting the 9th grade. Of course, Zack is actually starting the 8th Grade but he figured that he would never see Karen again so why not…. oh my God, this kid is a terrible human being! Anyway, Karen transfers to JFK and Zack has to pretend to be in the 9th Grade. He does this despite the fact that all of his friends, Mickey (Max Battimo), Nikki (Heather Hopper), Lisa (Lark Voorhees), and the nerdy Screech (Dustin Diamond), are in the 8th Grade and Zack’s homeroom is in an 8th grade classroom.
Got all that?
Needless to say, this episode would not be remembered today if not for the fact that it was the first appearance of Mr. Belding, Zack Morris, Lisa Turtle, and Screech Powers. These characters were, of course, later retconned to be Californians when Saved By The Bell started. Miss Bliss did not make the transition to California and for that, we should all be happy. Even in this first episode, Miss Bliss comes across as being a self-righteous know-it-all who obviously feels that she’s too good for a junior high in Indiana. In her first scene, she brags about getting a good class schedule, dismisses Tina’s concerns about her own class schedule, and then smirks as Mr. Belding talks about his anxiety. This would pretty much be Miss Bliss’s signature style for the rest of the short life of Good Morning, Miss Bliss.
How do our regulars do in their first appearance as the characters that would make them famous? Dennis Haskins gives a semi-realistic performance as Belding, playing him as being a harried pencil-pusher as opposed to the cartoonish figure he would become later on. Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Lark Voorhies do well-enough as Zack and Lisa, though both of their characters are far more simpler here than they would become later. Dustin Diamond was only 11 year old when he was cast as Screech and he looked and comes across as being several years younger. (I recently saw an interview with Mark-Paul Gosselaar where he explained that the main reason why Diamond struggled to fit in with the rest of the cast was because he was considerably younger than everyone else on the show. I would say that he was probably too young. Imagine looking back on your life as an actor and realizing that you were permanently typecast by a role you first played when you were 11.)
Anyway, this was a forgettable but historically important episode. Just imagine if it had never aired.
Rest In Peace, Peter Engel
I just read the news that Peter Engel passed away yesterday. My Retro Television reviews started with four Engel-produced shows, California Dreams, One World, Hang Time, and City Guys. Right now, I’m reviewing one of his later shows, Malibu CA. I would be lying if I said all of those reviews have been positive. I loved California Dreams and Hang Time won me over but the only good thing about Malibu CA is that it’s not Pacific Blue.
But here’s the thing. Peter Engel, regardless of what I may think of some of his later shows. made pop cultural history with Saved By The Bell. When I was a kid, you couldn’t turn on a TV without finding Saved By The Bell reruns playing somewhere. (Myself, I only wish Saved By The Bell: The New Class was as easy to find.) Today, Saved By The Bell has faded a bit from our collective memory, a relic from the childhoods of many elder millennials and their Gen-X siblings. That reboot on Peacock was never quite as good as I used to tell myself it was. But the original show can still be found on Prime, just as California Dreams and Hang Time can be found on YouTube. The Engelverse will live forever.
Peter Engel, RIP.
Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 12/29/24 — 1/4/25
It’s a new year but there’s still much to watch. Here’s some thoughts on what I viewed during the first week of 2025!
CHiPs (Prime)
Freevee may be dead but CHiPs continues on Prime. My reviews of the show will return on Monday.
Cobra Kai (Netflix)
I watched the 2nd part of the final season of Cobra Kai on Friday. I know the regular complaint about Cobra Kai is that every season is pretty much the same and there’s actually some validity to that comment. But I don’t care. It’s a fun show and William Zabka is a joy to watch. From the start, I know this latest set of episodes would end with yet another huge brawl but, at this point, I’d be disappointed if they didn’t. The showrunners know exactly why people watch this show.
Dark (Netflix)
Case and I have been watching this atmospheric German show on Netflix. This week, we finished up the first three episodes. Case has watched the show before. He said it would appeal to my “analytical mind” and so far, he’s very much correct about that! I’m enjoying uncovering the mysteries of this macabre mystery.
Days of Our Lives (Peacock)
On Saturday, I got caught up with Days of Our Lives on Peacock. One thing that I like about this show is that you can go for six months without watching and still feel like you can jump right back into the storylines when you come back! I enjoyed watching all of the citizens of Salem celebrate Christmas and New Year’s. And I’m glad to see that Patch is still with us.
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest (Tuesday Night/Wednesday Morning, ABC)
Jeff and I spent New Year’s Eve at my BFF Evelyn’s annual “Screw The Year That Was” party. The big annual countdown was playing on the television in one of the rooms at Evelyn’s place and I glanced in on the show occasionally. I’ve never really gotten into any of the televised New Year’s Eve celebrations. I don’t really have the attention span for them. I just find it interesting that it’s still Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, even though Mr. Clark passed away quite some time ago. It’s like Ryan Seacrest is a medium or something, letting us hear from Dick Clark from beyond the grave.
Going Dutch (Thursday Night, Fox)
After getting barraged by commercials for this show on an almost nonstop basis, I felt as if I had to watch the premiere. Denis Leary plays an army officer sent to enforce discipline on a base in the Netherlands. The base’s former commander? His daughter! I was glad that this show didn’t use the tired mockumentary format that is so popular nowadays but, overall, it still didn’t do too much for me. The mix of family drama and goofy humor just didn’t work,
Hell’s Kitchen (Thursday Night, Fox)
Hell’s Kitchen returned this week, with both Joe and Anne-Marie being eliminated from the competition. Like Chef Ramsay, I was surprised that Joe didn’t last long enough to receive a black jacket. As for Anne-Marie, she probably should have been eliminated weeks ago. She’s just too scatterbrained to be the head chef. (For the record, she would still do a better job in the position than I ever would!)
King of the Hill (Hulu)
On Sunday, after the news broke about the death of Jimmy Carter, my sister Megan and I watched the episode of King of the Hill in which Carter attempted to broker peace between Hank and his father. It turned out to be too big a job for even Jimmy. This was a classic episode and it featured one of my favorite King of the Hill lines. Upon meeting Carter, Hank says, “You ran our country …. (voice filled with reverence) America.”
Miami Vice (Prime)
I got back to watching Miami Vice this week. Watch for my review on Monday!
Saved By The Bell (Prime)
I wasn’t feeling well on Sunday night so Megan and I watched a few episodes from the Ms. Bliss era. We both agreed that Ms. Bliss was kind of a bitch.
The Twilight Zone (SyFy, Tuesday and Wednesday)
I caught a few episodes of the annual New Year’s marathon. This is a classic show and I always try to find times to catch my favorites, like The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street, Eye Of The Beholder, Shadowplay, and that one with the nurse saying, “Room for one more, honey!”
Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 1/7/24 — 1/13/24
I’m sitting here as a cold front rolls through my town. The temperature is way below freezing and it will remain that way for at least the next three days. So, I look forward to hiding underneath a lot of blankets and watching a lot of TV between now and Thursday morning.
Here’s some thoughts on what I watched this week:
Baywatch Nights (YouTube)
I wrote about Baywatch Nights here!
Check It Out (Tubi)
My review of Check It Out will be dropping later tonight.
CHiPs (Freevee)
Degrassi Junior High (YouTube)
My review of Degrassi Junior High will (finally) post tomorrow! Keep hope alive!
Dr. Phil (YouTube)
On Tuesday afternoon, I had a two-part episode of Dr. Phil on as background nose. Dr. Phil was talking to people who felt their sons and daughters had been brainwashed by a cult in Louisiana. And indeed, they had been. Cults are weird. I never know how to react to people who fall for that stuff.
Fantasy Island (YouTube)
I wrote about Fantasy Island here!
Friday the 13th (YouTube)
I wrote about Friday the 13th here!
Highway to Heaven (YouTube)
I wrote about Highway to Heaven here!
The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)
I wrote about The Love Boat here!
Maury (YouTube)
On Friday, I used two paternity tests episodes of Maury for background noise while I was watching. I feel very disappointed in myself. On Saturday, I disappointed myself even further by watching an episode of Maury that featured lie detector tests.
Miami Vice (Tubi)
I wrote about Miami Vice here!
Monsters (Tubi)
Night Flight (Night Flight Plus)
On Friday, I watched an episode of this show from the 90s. It featured music video profiles of The Kinks and The Cure, along with a tour of Universal Studios.
Sally Jessy Raphael (YouTube)
I watched an episode of this ancient talk show on Thursday. Sally talked to kids who were being bullied and then confronted the bullies on the air. I felt bad for all of the bullied kids, except for the one who said being bulled made him hate America. If that’s how you feel, move.
On Friday, I watched an episode about women who could not forgive their men for cheating. I don’t blame them but I bet half of them ended up marrying the guy anyways.
Saved By The Bell (Sunday Morning, MeTV)
Casey Kasem hosted a dance contest and encouraged everyone to do the sprain. Jessie freaked out because a short guy wanted to date her. A new substitute teacher taught everyone to appreciate Shakespeare. Wow, this was a dumb but addictive show.
The Steve Wilkos Show (YouTube)
On Tuesday afternoon, I put on an episode of Steve Wilkos for background noise. Steve was screaming at a woman who he felt was an unfit mother. And who knows? Maybe she was an unfit mother. But Steve definitely came across as being a bully and his chanting audience didn’t help matters.
On Saturday morning, I watched an episode in which Wilkos threw several chairs across the stage while the crowd chanted, “Steve! Steve! Steve!”
T and T (Tubi)
Turn-On! (YouTube)
I wrote about the second episode of Turn-On! here!
TV 2000 (Night Flight Plus)
On Friday night, I watched an episode of this old music video show. The episode was from 1985 and it featured a lot of good music, along with some slightly annoying hosts.
Welcome Back Kotter (Tubi)
I wrote about Welcome Back, Kotter here!
Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 12/24/23 — 12/30/23
Happy holidays! I’ve been visiting my sister Megan this week. Unfortunately, I’ve also been dealing with a cold this week. As a result, I’ve spent a lot of time in my sister’s guest room, getting caught up on all the daytime dramas!
Here’s some thoughts on what I watched:
All You Need Is Love (Night Flight Plus)
On Friday night, I watched an episode of this documentary series about the history of American music. The episode dealt with the birth and popularity of jazz. It featured a lot of very good music. It also featured an interview with Hoagy Carmichael, who Ian Fleming often claimed James Bond was meant to physically resemble.
The Bold and the Beautiful (Weekday afternoons, NBC)
This week, I got caught up with this wonderfully over-the-top daytime drama. I think it had been over a year since I last watched an episode of The Bold and the Beautiful so it was nice to see that everyone was still bold and still beautiful.
California Dreams (DVD)
Megan and I watched a few episodes of California Dreams throughout the week. Megan agreed that I basically am like the red-headed version of Lorena Costa.
Days of Our Lives (Weekdays, Peacock)
Days of our Lives is on Peacock now. Just as with The Bold and the Beautiful, it had been a while since I watched this show. I watched several episodes this week but I’d be lying if I said I paid too much attention. That said, the show was a nice distraction for when I was feeling ill.
Dr. Death (Peacock)
My sister Megan and I binged the second season of this show on Monday and Tuesday. It was an interesting story, even if it wasn’t quite as strong as the first season. I love Mandy Moore but she was a bit miscast as a tough New York journalist.
Dr. Phil (YouTube)
I watched a few episodes of Dr. Phil this week but I mostly just used them for background noise. I did make sure to pay attention to the episodes about the girl who was convinced that she was pregnant with Jesus.
The Garden: Commune or Cult? (Max)
Megan and I binged this show on Wednesday night. Personally, I think The Garden is more of a commune than a cult but mostly it’s just a place full of really annoying people. Living off the grid has some appeal when it comes to not paying taxes but I’m just not a fan of living off the land. I guess my ideal living situation would be to live in the city but not have to pay for anything.
General Hospital (Weekday Afternoons, ABC)
It kind of bothers me that this show has scenes that take place outside of the hospital.
Jennifer Slept Here (YouTube)
I wrote about the final episode of Jennifer Slept Here …. here!
The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)
I wrote about The Love Boat here!
Monsters (Tubi)
Murder In Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning (Max)
Megan and I watched this last night. This three-part docudrama dealt with a murder that occurred in Boston in the 80s. The same story served as the basis for a movie that I reviewed back in October. It’s an interesting story, though the docuseries was more interested in the cultural context of the crime than the crime itself.
Night Flight (Night Flight Plus)
I watched an episode on Friday about 80s cover tunes.
The Office (Sunday Morning, Comedy Central)
I watched two Christmas episodes on Sunday. One was the Benihana Christmas episode from the Steve Carell years. The other episode was from the post-Carell era. The differences in quality were dramatic. That show really went downhill after Steve Carell left.
Saved By The Bell (DVD)
Megan and I watched a few episodes of Saved By The Bell over the week. We hit all the classics, No Hope With Dope, the episodes where Kelly dumped Zach for Jeff, the episode where Jessie got hooked on caffeine pills, and the rockumentary.
The Simpsons (Monday Morning, TBS)
I watched two Christmas episodes on Monday. Fortunately, they both featured Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob because both of them would have been pretty dire without his ability to turn even the lamest of lines into comedic gold. One episode featured Bart getting lost in an underground missile silo. The other featured Bob taking a job as a Santa’s Village Santa and helping to expose Mr. Burns as the person who stealing the town’s Christmas presents. Both episodes were oddly mean-spirited at times, as if the show’s writers were trying to impress the Family Guy crowd.
T and T (Tubi)
Next week, I’ll be reviewing the episode that I watched this week.
Twilight Zone (SyFy)
Today, I’ve enjoyed several episodes of SyFy’s annual New Year’s Twilight Zone marathon. This is one of those traditions that I hope never goes away.
The Young and the Restless (Weekday afternoons, NBC)
I’m happy to say that everyone is still restless, even if they’re not quite young.
Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 8/20/23 — 8/26/23
I spent most of this week watching horror movies and Big Brother. Sometimes, I couldn’t tell which was which. Here’s some thoughts on what I did watch this week!
Big Brother 25 (24/7, CBS and Paramount Plus)
I wrote about Big Brother here!
The Challenge USA (Sunday and Thursday Night, CBS)
I watched it on Sunday, I didn’t watch it on Thursday. I don’t remember a thing that happened on Sunday, beyond the fact that I was annoyed by the fact that I was being asked to pay attention to someone named Bananas. To be honest, I’m getting kind of bored with reality TV. For instance, once this season of Big Brother is over, I never want to see any of the houseguests again. The idea of following them from show to show is just so cringey to me.
City Guys (YouTube)
Yay! I’m finally done with City Guys!
Dirty Pair Flash (YouTube)
I watched another episode of this old anime series on Saturday morning. I have absolutely no idea what’s going on. A lot of stuff exploded so that was kind of fun.
Dr. Phil (YouTube)
Sunday morning, I watched an episode featuring a mother who was convinced that her daughter was lying about having stomach cancer and stealing money from people online. It turns out the mom was right!
Saturday afternoon, I watched an episode about a 17 year-old girl who was planning on moving out of her home so that she could live with an 18 year-old that she had never personally met. Dr. Phil did not think this was a good idea.
Fantasy Island (YouTube)
I wrote about Fantasy Island here!
The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)
I wrote about The Love Boat here!
Republican Party Presidential Primary Debate (Fox News)
I watched it but I’m going to keep my opinions to myself. I will say that there were some candidates who seemed to be considerably more impressive than others.
Sally Jessy Raphael (YouTube)
I watched two episodes of this 90s talk show on Saturday. One episode was about teenagers being pressured by their friends and family to lose their virginities. The other was about husband, wives, and secrets. The audience booed everyone.
Saved By The Bell (Sunday Morning, MeTV)
It was student/teacher week! Zack became principal. Kelly taught history! Mr. Belding roamed the hallways! Lisa and Screech took over the athletic department and Slater and the jocks passed their history test just in time to lead Bayside to a 28-21 victory over Valley. This particular episode never made any sense to me.
Stars on Mars (Monday Night, FOX)
To be honest, Marshawn Lynch probably should have been sent back to Earth much sooner than he was. But, then again, everyone else kept leaving voluntarily so it’s not like there were really many opportunities to do so. This is one of those shows that, in the future, I will probably claim to have never heard of.
T and T (Tubi)
Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)
I wrote about Welcome Back, Kotter here!
Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 8/6/23 — 8/12/23
Big Brother (24/7, CBS and Paramount Plus)
I wrote about Big Brother here!
The Challenge USA (Thursday Night, CBS)
The latest season of this reality show premiered this week. I kind of watched it but, to be honest, I got bored and tuned out after 20 minutes or so. As far as I can tell, The Challenge mostly seems to exist to give work to former reality show contestants who don’t want to return to their former lives.
City Guys (YouTube)
Claim to Fame (Monday Night, ABC)
The remaining contestants finally figured out that Hugo was Jimmy Carter’s grandson and they sent him packing. I’m enjoying this show, though I’m still annoyed all of my favorites have been eliminated. That said, Hugo wasn’t one of my favorites so this week was a good one.
Dr. Phil (YouTube)
Despite being opposed to Dr. Phil on general principle, I did have the show on for background noise while I was getting some work done on Tuesday. The first episode featured an out-of-control teen who got sent to rehab. Phil said that the parents were ultimately to blame and, for once, I agreed because her parents really were the worst! The 2nd episode featured a man who somehow thought it would be okay to live with both his wife and his mistress in the same house. Dr. Phil explained why this arrangement probably would not work. The 3rd episode featured a woman who hired a nanny off of Craig’s List and who was shocked when the Nanny turned out to be a bit shady. The fourth episode featured a former beauty pageant contestant who was now an out-of-control teen. Dr. Phil sent her to a mental health facility, which led to a lot of tears. It was awkward. I’m not sure I agree with Dr. Phil’s solution. I think it was more about making the audience happy than helping the child. Finally, for the fifth episode, I watched an episode about two sisters who claimed they would never accept their new stepmother. The family was a complete mess. I felt bad for the stepmother.
The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)
I wrote about The Love Boat here.
Saved By The Bell (MeTV)
On Sunday morning, I watched three full hours of Saved By The Bell. Zack started dating Kristy, the new wrestler. But then, in the next episode, he was suddenly trying to date Slater’s ex-girlfriend from Germany, showing that Zack definitely had commitment issues. Zack then had an operation on his knee and returned to school in time to convince everyone to not allow oil drilling on Bayside’s property. (Poor Becky!) Then, it was time to rig a chess tournament and head to the mall so that he and his friends could buy tickets to (snicker) the U2 concert. The common factor in all of these episodes was everyone putting way too much faith in Screech.
Solid Gold (YouTube)
I watched an episode of this old 80s music show on Sunday night. The episode I watched was from 1982 and it featured some good music and a lot of dancing so I enjoyed it.
Stars on Mars (Monday Night, Fox)
The Lance Armstrong redemption has come to an end as Armstrong left “Mars” this week.
T. and T. (Tubi)
Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)
I wrote about Welcome Back Kotter here!
Yes, Minister (Monday Morning, PBS)
In the special one-hour Christmas special, Jim Hacker became Prime Minister! While it’s true that he became PM because everyone was impressed by the fact that he had no strongly held beliefs, it was still hard not to be happy for him. I love this show.
Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 3/26/23 — 4/1/23
Here’s some thoughts on what I watched this week!
Accused (Tuesday Night, FOX)
This week’s episode featured a couple seeking revenge on a white supremacist who drove a car into a protest and who was never punished for his crime. The search for vengeance is usually a compelling topic and the episode had the potential to explore some very interesting ethical issues but, as has been the case for many of Accused‘s more recent episodes, it was all a bit too heavy-handed to really work. It didn’t help that this week’s episode was rather poorly acted by almost everyone involved. A part of me thinks that Accused‘s biggest weakness is its anthology format. Between introducing a new group of characters on a weekly basis and also trying to tell a complex story, Accused often seems as if it’s trying to cram a bit too much into just 45 minutes of runtime.
The Bachelor (Monday Night, ABC)
It’s over, that’s the important thing. It’s hard not to feel that, for all of the drama surrounding sex week, Zach mostly just slept with Gabi because he knew he probably wasn’t ever going to see her again after he dumped her for Kaity. This was a season of The Bachelor that left me feeling just a little bit icky so let us never speak of it again.
Dirty Pair (YouTube)
I watched this 90s anime on Saturday morning. The plot was next to impossible to follow but a lot of things blew up and the theme song was pretty cool.
Farmer Wants A Wife (Wednesday Night, FOX)
Agck! Listen, just because you marry a farmer doesn’t mean that you have to castrate a bull. Seriously, I’ve spent some time on some farms and I’ve seen some bulls and I assume that I’ve met some people who have castrated bulls but it was definitely not something that I needed to know about or be in any way involved with. Just saying.
Five Days At Memorial (Apple TV+)
I started watching this absolutely devastating miniseries on Saturday. I’ve still got one episode left to watch so I’m going to hold off on saying much more about the show until I’ve watched that episode. I will say that Five Days At Memorial, which deals with what happened at a New Orleans hospital in the aftermath of Katrina, features some truly horrific images but it’s not just out to shock the audience. There’s a lot going on beneath the surface and it’s impossible to watch this series without wondering what you would have done if you had found yourself in the same situation as the doctors and the nurses at Memorial Hospital. I’d like to think that I would have refused to abandon my patients. I would also like to think that I would have been the one person willing to stand up to the doctors who had decided to play God. But, in the end, it’s impossible for me to say what I would have done in that situation because I’ve never been in that situation.
Ghosts (Thursday Night, CBS)
Todd, the obnoxious podcaster, returned! Alberta was happy when her great-granddaughter checked into the B&B but Alberta was much less happy when it looked like she might hook up with Todd. This was a sweeet episode. Not only was it nice to watch Alberta discover that her talent had been passed down to her descendants but it’s always enjoyable to watch the ghosts recoil from Todd’s very presence.
Half Nelson (YouTube)
Law & Order (Thursday Night, NBC)
I enjoyed this week’s episode of Law & Order, mostly because everyone from Cosgrove to Sam to McCoy got a chance to call Price out for being arrogant and self-righteous. Sam is typically such an underwritten character that it was immensely satisfying to watch her shut down Price with an armor-piercing one liner. (It’s just unfortunate that the show left some ambiguity as to whether Sam’s anger was motivated by her ethics or her feelings for Price.) Price definitely did not prove the judge’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and I imagine the verdict will get overturned on appeal. To be honest, I kind of suspect that’s what happens with most of the guilty verdicts on this show because some of Price’s legal strategies are seriously unconstitutional.
(No, I don’t know why I’m taking Law & Order so personally. If I can figure out why, I’ll let you know.)
The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)
I wrote about The Love Boat here!
Night Court (Tuesday Night, NBC)
I watched it but I don’t remember a thing about it. I do know that I groaned whenever anyone other than Abbi and/or Dan was onscreen.
Poker Face (Peacock)
“Play Staplehead!” I watched the fourth and the fifth episodes of Poker Face this week. After initially being hesitant about the show, I have to say that I’m pretty much hooked now. The fourth episode, with the heavy metal band murdering their drummer so that they could steal a song that he unwittingly stole from an old sitcom, was wonderfully executed.
Saved By The Bell (Wednesday, E!)
E! was doing a Saved By The Bell marathon! I watched the No Hope With Dope episode. I loved how everyone else was talking about celebrities who had died as a result of doing too much cocaine and Jessie immediately started talking about how she was hooked on caffeine pills for a week. Like, I get the feeling Jessie probably brought up that experience a lot and her friends probably got tired of having to listen to her go on about it.
Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)
I wrote about Survivor here. Poor Matthew! He seemed like a genuinely good guy and my heart broke for him when he talked about how much pain he was in. That said, if I never have to watch that clip of him falling off a cliff again, I’ll be happy. Seriously, I was shocked he wasn’t pulled from the game earlier. (I do hope that he gets a second chance.)
Tulsa King (Paramount Plus)
I finally got around to watching the first episode of this show. Sylvester Stallone plays an old school mobster who is released from prison and sent down to Oklahoma by his bosses. The Family says that they want Stallone to set up business down there but actually, they just want to get him out of New York. I have to admit that, as much as I like Stallone, I didn’t care much for the first episode. Maybe if everyone in Tulsa was a jerk, it would be fun to watch Stallone threaten them but everyone seemed to be so nice that I just wanted Stallone to go back to New York. I’ve been assured, though, that the show gets better so I’m not going to give up on Tulsa King just yet.
Waco: American Apocalypse (Netflix)
This three-part docuseries about the siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco is a real Rorschach test. Do you watch it and see a story about a manipulative and dangerous cult leader or do you watch it and see a record of law enforcement incompetence and government arrogance? Either way, it was a fascinating and thought-provoking look at the tragic siege.
Welcome to Chippendales (Hulu)
I binged this miniseries on Sunday. It was enjoyable in its own tacky way. Murray Bartlett was well-cast as the doomed choreographer. Kumail Nanjiani should play more villains.
Yellowjackets (Showtime)
I’m glad that Yellowjackets is back for a second season and I’m intrigued to see what happens. But seriously, I am so worried about what’s going to happen to the new dog!
Through the Shattered Lens 