Lisa Marie’s Week In Televison: 3/8/26 — 3/14/26

Posted on March 14, 2026 by Lisa Marie Bowman

American Love Story: John F. Kennedy and Carolyn Bessette (FX)

This week, I watched the first three episodes of American Love Story. Ryan Murphy is only an executive producer on this one but it is still very much shows his touch. The first two episodes were okay. The third episode was self-indulgent and felt like it could have just been 15 minutes without losing anything. In the lead roles, Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly are two good-looking blanks. Daryl Hannah has spoken out about how she’s been portrayed in the miniseries and she has every right to be angry. My main issue with Ryan Murphy’s history lessons is that so many people accept them at face value without doing their own research.

Friends Like These: The Murder of Skylar Neese (Hulu)

I watched this three part crime docuseries on Sunday. It told the story of Skylar Neese, a teenage girl who was brutally murdered, for no apparent reason, by her two best friends. Though I had heard the story before, this was still sad and disturbing to watch. While one of the murderers did seem to have some guilt afterwards, the other has shown zero remorse. You really have to wonder what is happening inside some people’s minds.

Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life (Hulu)

I watched three episodes of this rather sordid docuseries on Thursday. My favorite was the fraternity that was apparently a front for a drug running operation.

Rollergames (YouTube)

On Friday, Jeff and I hung out with our friend Pat and Dani and we watched an episode of this 90s roller derby show. It was amusing, even if I had no idea what was actually going on for the majority of the show. This could very well be a future Retro Television Review.

The Simpson (Disney+)

Poochie died on his way back to his home planet.

Top of the Pops (YouTube)

Jeff, Pat, Dani, and I watched an episode of this after Rollergames. Fortunately, Jimmy Saville was not hosting.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 12/21/25 — 12/27/25

Posted on December 27, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

A Charlie Brown Christmas (Apple TV+)

It wasn’t such a bad little tree. You can read Erin’s thoughts on this classic here.

Equal Justice With Judge Eboni K. Williams (Tubi)

I watched an episode on Sunday. A woman was suing her former friend for smelling like marijuana when they got pulled over for failing to use their turn signal in Texas. The patrolman searched their car, found even more weed, and issued both of them citations. The woman felt that the friend should pay her ticket because the patrolman wouldn’t have searched the car if she hadn’t smelled like weed. The friend pointed out that the patrolman wouldn’t have stopped the car in the first place if the woman has used her turn signal. Personally, I didn’t think the woman really had a case because it was her car and she knew the marijuana was there even before she was pulled over. Judge Williams partially agreed, ruling that the friend should only have to pay half of the woman’s ticket as opposed to the entire ticket.

Saved By The Bell: The New Class (Prime)

This continues to be my go-to cure for insomnia.

The Simpsons (Disney+)

I watched two Christmas episodes. In one, Bart got caught shoplifting. That one made me cry. The second one featured Gil moving in with The Simpsons. “Eggs a la Harold Stassen, because they’re always running.” That made me laugh.

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 8/10/25 — 8/16/25

Posted on August 16, 2025 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Big Brother 27 (CBS, Parmounht+, Pluto TV, 24/7)

With my aunt in the hospital this week, Big Brother didn’t really interest me that much. I wrote about it over at the Big Brother Blog but there’s a part of me that no longer cares about shows like this. All of the fake drama and all of the crocodile tears don’t add up to much when you’re dealing with real drama and shedding real tears.

The Simpsons (Disney+)

Jeff and I watched a few episodes this week, out of the hope that they might cheer me up and give me a break from worrying. And they did. I enjoyed the episode with Mr, Burns’s son. I enjoyed the episode with Poochie. There was also an episode in which Homer enrolled in clown college. That made me smile.

Brad’s Town of the Day – Bronson, Missouri!

Posted on June 28, 2025 by Bradley Crain

My wife Sierra and I have had a lot of stress in our life lately, so I decided to take her on a little getaway this weekend to Branson, MO. This afternoon we’ve got tickets to the Sight and Sound production of “David,” and tonight we’re going to cruise Table Rock Lake on The Branson Belle.

As good as all of this sounds, my dream town would be the place imagined by THE SIMPSONS called Bronson, MO! That has to be the safest town in the world!!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 12/24/23 — 12/30/23

Posted on December 30, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

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)

I wrote about Monsters here!

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: 12/3/23 — 12/9/23

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Amazing Race (Wednesday Night, CBS)

I swear, as if I didn’t already have enough reasons to resent Big Brother, the latest season took up so much of my time and energy that I still haven’t been able to get caught up with my favorite reality show, The Amazing Race. The season ends next week and I’m still struggling to get up-to-speed with it all. That said, I did enjoy this week’s trip to Ireland.

Bar Rescue (Paramount Plus)

On Monday morning, I watched an episode from the first season. Jon Taffer went to an Irish bar in Redondo Beach. Because this was the first season, Taffer didn’t yell as much as he would in later seasons and a lot more emphasis was put on “bar science.” It was kind of nice. I’m not a huge fan of nonstop yelling. A little anger goes a long way.

Baywatch Nights (YouTube)

I wrote about Baywatch Nights here!

Check It Out (Tubi)

My review of the week’s episode of Check It Out! will post on this site in about 30 minutes.

CHiPs (Freevee)

I wrote about CHiPs here!

Dancing With The Stars (Tuesday Night, ABC)

Between Big Brother and the holidays, I didn’t really keep up with the latest season of Dancing With The Stars. (And, to be honest, So You Think You Can Dance was always the better dance competition show.) I did catch the finale this week. Congratulations to Xochitl and Van! I kind of wish Jamie Lynn Spears had made it to the finale as a competitor, just because twitter or X or whatever the heck it’s called now would have exploded.

Degrassi Junior High (YouTube)

I wrote about Degrassi Junior High here!

Dr. Phil (YouTube)

On Monday, largely as a result of watching HBO’s Love Has Won docuseries, I went down the Dr. Phil cult rabbit hole and I watched two episodes. The first featured an unstable woman who had been brainwashed by a fake psychic. I followed this up with an episode in which a cult leader was confronted by anti-cult activist Rick Ross. The cult leader started out trying to be smooth and clever but he lost it as soon as he was challenged. I’ve been pretty critical of Dr. Phil in the past but I do always enjoy watching him take down a cult leader.

On Wednesday, I watched an episode about a husband and a wife who had been having issues ever since the wife lost a good deal of weight and became “too hot.” Personally, I think everyone was too judgmental of the wife. She was just having a good time and if her husband couldn’t handle not being the center of attention anymore, well then I guess it just sucks to be him.

Fantasy Island (YouTube)

I wrote about Fantasy Island here!

Frasier (Paramount Plus)

Finally, after being so disappointed with the premiere, I watched episodes two and three of the Frasier revival. The second episode featured Frasier trying to connect with Freddy and meeting his son’s co-workers (none of whom knew that Frasier was Freddy’s father). The third and marginally better episode featured Frasier trying to overcome his “celebrity” status and be taken seriously as a Harvard lecturer.

Both episodes suffered from the same problem, which was also present in the premiere. Kelsey Grammer does his usual good work. At this point, he might as well be Frasier Crane. But all of the other characters are either underwritten or just plan unlikable. Freddy is a self-righteous jerk and, considering who his parents are and how he was portrayed as a child, it makes no sense that he would grow up to become a blue collar sports fanatic. Next door neighbor Eve is boring. Frasier’s Harvard colleagues are clichés. Watching the show is depressing because you’re like, “Frasier gave up that great apartment in Seattle for this!?” That’s the problem with reboots. No one wants to think about classic TV characters getting older and moving into a less impressive apartment.

Friday the 13th: The Series (YouTube)

I wrote about Friday the 13th here!

Hell’s Kitchen (Thursday Night, Fox and Hulu)

I got caught up on Hell’s Kitchen this week. Both Jason and Carmen need to get over themselves. I hope Ryan wins because I like listening to the sound of his voice.

Jennifer Slept Here (YouTube)

And my review is here!

Kitchen Nightmares (Monday Night, FOX)

There were two new episodes this week. Gordon Ramsay saved a historic hot dog place and then he saved an Indian restaurant. The first episode was entertaining because of all the personal drama between the owners. Seriously, don’t ever try to run a business with someone who you are no longer sleeping with. The second episode was sweet because the owner was such a nice guy but he also drove everyone crazy because he was a micromanager. By the end of the show, he was trying to enjoy being retired. It’s always kind of nice to see Chef Ramsay being nice to people, as opposed to telling them to “GET OUT!”

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

Monsters (Tubi)

I wrote about Monsters here!

Night Flight (Night Flight Plus)

On Friday night, I watched a Christmas special from some time in the late 80s. There was some fun new wave-style Christmas music, though the show was stolen by Tony Bennett’s far more traditional style.

Shrek the Halls (ABC, Saturday Night)

I didn’t realize how much I miss Shrek and the gang until I watched this 2007 special earlier tonight. Christmas is a season that even an ill-tempted ogre can enjoy!

The Simpsons (Disney+)

On Tuesday night, I watched an old episode of The Simpsons. Feeling that The Itchy and Scratchy Show needed to be shaken up with a new character, the show’s producers demanded that an obnoxious dog named Poochie be added to the cast. Homer was cast as Poochie but the viewing public did not react quite as positively to the new character as Homer was hoping. This episode made me laugh more than a few times. I especially liked that a new character named Roy suddenly showed up in the Simpson household at the same time Poochie was showing up on Itchy and Scratchy. Everyone pretended like Roy had always been there but, after Poochie was killed off, Roy also announced that he was leaving the Simpson household to move on with “two sexy ladies.”

Survivor (CBS, Wednesday Night)

Emily was voted out after Julie played an immunity idol. Boooo! Seriously, that sucks. Emily was the only person on the show that I liked. All of the stupid twists and immunity idols are causing good players to get voted out and I’m getting kind of tired of it. What I wouldn’t give for a season that was a return to Survivor basics, with no idols, no twists, and no weepy backstories.

T and T (Tubi)

I wrote about T and T here!

Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about Welcome Back, Kotter here!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 7/16/23 — 7/22/23

Posted on July 22, 2023 by Lisa Marie Bowman

City Guys (YouTube)

I wrote about City Guys here.

Claim To Fame (Monday Night, ABC)

Claim to Fame is a show where 12 relatives of celebrities compete to be the last relative standing. If someone guesses who you are related to, then you’re out of the show. If someone incorrectly guesses who you are related to, they are out of the show. It’s all really, really silly but it’s also a lot more fun than it probably has any right to be. It helps that the show is hosted by the totally charming duo of Kevin and Frankie Jonas.

I watched the first three episodes of the second season on Sunday morning. The highlight, of course, was the epic meltdown of Tom Hanks’s niece, who really only had herself to blame for being eliminated because she literally had a panic attack whenever anyone mentioned that someone on the show might be related to Tom Hanks. As I finished the third episode, I decided that Olivia and Chris were my two favorite players and that Hugo was least favorite, largely due to the fact that Hugo just seemed awfully impressed with himself.

I watched the latest episode on Monday night. Eddie Murphy’s daughter was finally sent out of the house. I say finally because everyone pretty much figured out who she was during the second episode. That said, she seemed to be a nice person.

Degrassi High (YouTube)

Old school Degrassi! As much as I hate to admit, I haven’t seen much of either Degrassi Junior High or Degrassi High but I intend to remedy that soon. On the two episodes I watched, the school bully discovered that he was HIV+ and Joey’s attempt to raise money for a new car failed. It was interesting seeing Joey when he was younger and still had hair.

Fantasy Island (YouTube)

I wrote about Fantasy Island here!

Happy Hour (YouTube)

I watched the 2nd episode of this old 90s game show on Saturday morning. Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa hosted. Ahemt had a bit too much energy for his own good but at least Mario Lopez was one of the contestants. There was an extremely creepy moment when a woman was brought out of the audience and talked about how obsessed she was with Mario. Also interesting was to note that this episode was nearly 30 years old but Mario Lopez looked exactly the same as he does today. The man seriously does not age.

The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)

I wrote about The Love Boat here!

The Master (Tubi)

I wrote about The Master here!

Night Music (YouTube)

I watched an episode of this 90s late night music show on Friday night. Bootsy Collins performed and it was very entertaining.

The Simpsons (Weekdays, FXX)

I watched two episodes of this long-running show on Thursday afternoon. In the first episode, Bart was expelled from Springfield Elementary but, fortunately, he was allowed to re-enroll after he exposed the truth about whacking day and saved the lives of a bunch of snakes. This was followed by an episode in which Marge forgot to pay for a bottle of whiskey and was sent to jail for 30 days. Needless to say, the entire town fell apart without her and was forced to settle for a Jimmy Carter statue when they couldn’t afford one of Lincoln. This led to riots, as one would naturally expect.

Stars on Mars (Monday Night, Fox)

I binged and got up-to-date with this stupid, stupid show throughout the week. As dumb as it is, it’s compulsively watchable. On the one hand, it was great to see William Shatner hamming it up as the host. On the other hand, is it really time for Lance Armstrong redemption tour?

Welcome Back, Kotter (Tubi)

I wrote about “The Sit-In” here!

Great Moments In Television History #16: Maude Flanders Gets Hit By A T-Shirt Cannon

Posted on February 13, 2022 by Jedadiah Leland

Twenty-two years ago, on this very date, this happened on The Simpsons:

Today, it is easy to forget what an impact the death of Maude Flanders had on viewers. We are now used to semi-regular characters dying on TV shows and, of course, no one really cares that much about The Simpsons any more.

In 2000, though, this was a big deal. There were weeks of speculation over which Simpsons character would die, though most of us figured that it would be Maude Flanders early on. Maude had never been a major character, as Rev. Lovejoy pointed out in his eulogy. Plus, the actress that voice Maude, Maggie Roswell, had left the show. (Roswell later returned.) At the time, killing Maude was a controversial move, especially as she died as a result of Homer acting like a jerk. (Then again, everything that ever happened in Springfield was a result of Homer acting like a jerk.) Some critics complained that the show treated her death too cavalierly and that such morbid subject matter did not belong on a show like The Simpsons. But, as the show’s producers pointed out, the death of Maude also opened the door for new storylines involving Ned Flanders and, as a result, Ned became one of the few characters on the show to actually grow as a person.

Even though Ned was invented to act as a foil to Homer and he’s been the victim of some lazy writing (especially in the more recent season), Ned Flanders has a dedicated fan base and a lot it is due to him being one of the few people in Springfield to actually show any sort of decency on a consistent basis. That Homer is incapable of understanding that Ned is the only person (outside of the family) that he can depend on is one of the show’s best and longest-running jokes. As a character, Ned was at his best when he was coming to terms with Maude’s death, learning how to date again, and even forgiving Homer for the role he played in the tragedy. (Homer never really seemed to realize that it was all his fault. Typical Homer.) The show deserved more than a little credit for how it handled the fallout of Maude’s death, from Rod and Todd’s sadness to Ned’s very temporary loss of faith. Over the upcoming years, Ned Flanders went to marry Edna Krapapple and, after the passing of Carol Wallace, became a widower for a second time.

One final note: Marvin Monroe later turned out to be alive so I wonder who was buried in his grave at teh cemetery.

Previous Great Moments In Television History:

Music Video of the Day: Deep Deep Trouble by Bart Simpson (1990, directed by Gregg Vanzo)

Posted on January 17, 2021 by Jedadiah Leland

Since yesterday, I shared Do The Bartman, I guess it only makes sense to share the 2nd Simpsons music video today. Deep Deep Trouble is more of the same but, for those of us who remember when The Simpsons was funny, it still generates a feeling of welcome nostalgia.

Deep Deep Trouble was written by Matt Groening and DJ Jazzy Jeff and it’s easy to actually imagine this as one of the Fresh Prince’s songs from the Parents Just Don’t Understand era. Bart, of course, was voiced by Nancy Cartwright. The video was directed by Simpsons animated Gregg Vanzo.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Do The Bartman by Bart Simpson (1990, directed by Brad Bird)

Posted on January 16, 2021 by Jedadiah Leland

Way back in 1990, The Simpsons were still a new phenomena and, even more importantly, the show was still funny. Today, it can be easy to forget that The Simpsons were once considered to be cutting edge. Of course, they were also a merchandizing bonanza and this lead to the release of an album called The Simpsons Sing The Blues. The first single and video released from that album was Do The Bartman, which had nothing to do with the blues but which was a big hit nonetheless.

The video, which features Bart up to his usual tricks, was directed by Brad Bird. At the time, Bird was a former Disney animator who had helped to develop The Simpsons after animating some of the original shorts that aired during The Tracey Ullman Show. Long after Do The Bartman, Bird would find fame and acclaim for his work with PIXAR, in particularly The Incredibles. He would also move into live action directing with Mission Impossible — Ghost Protocol.

Bart Simpson, of course, was and is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Later episodes of The Simpsons would poke fun at both The Simpsons Sing The Blues and the Bartman. That probably wouldn’t happen today but, back in the 90s, The Simpsons were still funny and the show was still capable of poking fun at itself.

Enjoy!