Technically, the French composer Marius Constant did not set out to write the theme song for The Twilight Zone. In the 50s, CBS commissioned Constant to compose a number of short pieces for CBS stock music library, basically as musical stingers that could be used for radio shows. In 1960, when The Twilight Zone needed a theme song, an enterprising CBS employee combined two of Constant’s composition to create the iconic Twilight Zone theme.
Enjoy our short but haunting song of the day.
Happy Twilight Zone Day!
You know producer Buck Houghton had high hopes for the opening episode of Season 3 of THE TWILIGHT ZONE when it aired on September 15, 1961. It stars up and coming actors of the time, Charles Bronson and Elizabeth Montgomery, who were all over TV screens in the 50’s and early 60’s, with Bronson emerging as a strong character actor in movies as well. The two would be major stars within a few years, but they weren’t quite there yet.
This episode, titled “Two,” opens with “The Woman” (Elizabeth Montgomery), who is wearing a tattered dark military uniform, wandering into a bombed out, deserted city, and spotting the remains of a restaurant. Tired and hungry, she goes in and digs around until she finds an old can of chicken. As she’s opening the can, “The Man” (Charles Bronson), who’s wearing a tattered, light-colored uniform, walks in on her. Immediately attacking him with a combination of meat cleavers, bottles, pots and pans, The Man tries to hold her off until if becomes clear that he’s going to have to subdue her, which he does with one vicious punch that knocks her out cold. At this point it’s clear that these are the last two remaining survivors of a devastating war, on opposing sides no less, that completely destroyed the world. When The Man wakes The Woman up by dumping a pot of cold water on her face, he gives her back her chicken and tells her that there is no reason to fight anymore, as everyone else is dead. She doesn’t understand what he is saying so he walks off in frustration. The Woman doesn’t trust The Man, but she begrudgingly starts to follow him around to keep an eye on him. Will they kill each other? Will they join forces to survive? Could they even fall in love? Writer-Director Montgomery Pittman answers all of these questions over the course of the episode’s brisk 25 minutes.
The allegorical “Two” was a bold choice to open the popular TV show’s third season with its minimalist production set in a few sections of a single bombed-out town and featuring only two characters who barely even speak, especially Montgomery, who says two words throughout the entire episode. Not that much really happens either, so it’s the type of episode that lives or dies based on the performances of the lead actors, and Bronson and Montgomery both deliver outstanding work. Bronson, a dependable character actor at this point in his career, is especially good as The Man. His square-jawed stoicism unravels enough to reveal a weary vulnerability and desire for a connection with another person, even when they’re supposed to be mortal enemies. It’s ultimately a romantic part and Bronson kills it. For those who mostly know Bronson from his post DEATH WISH action star roles, parts like this are a revelation. Montgomery, still a few years away from beginning her iconic portrayal of Samantha in BEWITCHED, is quite beautiful even when she’s this grimy. Her performance as The Woman is even more challenging as it’s almost completely a physical performance, and she shines as her character transforms over the course of the episode.
Ultimately, “Two” may resolve its setup a little too quickly to be realistic, but I still enjoyed it immensely. The performances are outstanding and its hopeful denouement left me with a smile on my face.
“There is a sixth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone.”
66 years ago today, viewers heard those words for the first time when The Twilight Zone premiered on CBS. Those words were delivered by the show’s creator and the writer of its first episode, Rod Serling. (In future episodes, “the sixth dimension” would be relabeled “the fifth dimension.”)
The first episode of The Twilight Zone starred Earl Holliman as a man who finds himself walking down a dirt road with no memory of how he got there. He sees signs of civilization — a police station, a diner, and a movie theater — but no people. The isolation and the loneliness threaten to drive him mad but, at the end of the episode, it’s revealed to have all been a simulation performed by the military to test whether the man, as astronaut, will be able to mentally handle being alone in space.
The barrier of loneliness: The palpable, desperate need of the human animal to be with his fellow man. Up there, up there in the vastness of space, in the void that is sky, up there is an enemy known as isolation. It sits there in the stars waiting, waiting with the patience of eons, forever waiting… in The Twilight Zone.
With no supernatural or extraterrestrial elements, this episode was not typical of what The Twilight Zone would eventually become. But, on October 2nd, 1959, it was enough to launch the show and make television history. It was truly a great moment in television history.
Previous Moments In Television History:
Technically, the French composer Marius Constant did not set out to write the theme song for The Twilight Zone. In the 50s, CBS commissioned Constant to compose a number of short pieces for CBS stock music library, basically as musical stingers that could be used for radio shows. In 1960, when The Twilight Zone needed a theme song, an enterprising CBS employee combined two of Constant’s composition to create the iconic Twilight Zone theme.
Enjoy our short but haunting song of the day.
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!”
Happy 2024!
Baywatch Nights (YouTube)
I wrote about Baywatch Nights here!
Check It Out! (Tubi)
My review of this week’s episode will be dropping soon.
CHiPs (Freevee)
Dr. Phil (YouTube)
I watched way too much Dr. Phil this week. Most of them were episodes that I had already seen before and, as I sit here writing this up just 30 minutes before deadline, I’m struggling to remember much about any of them. I do remember that I rewatched the Truthfully Tricia episode. That was a wild one. As obnoxious as Tricia was, I do feel that Phil went out of his way to goad her into having a meltdown on his stage. I mean, he really wanted her to do the dramatic walk-off.
Fantasy Island (YouTube)
I wrote about Fantasy Island here!
Forgive or Forget (YouTube)
“I can forgive but I will not forget!”
Uhmm, it sounds like someone needs to look at the name of the show that they’re on. Pick one or the other!
Friday the 13th: The Series (YouTube)
I wrote about Friday the 13th here!
Hell’s Kitchen (Thursday Night, FOX)
I’m so glad Ryan got a black jacket! I know that Chef Ramsay said that he saw a lot of improvement in Jason and maybe he did and it was just edited out. Just from watching the show, it’s easy to get the feeling they kept Jason around for as long as they did because they needed a good villain. But, at the same time, Chef Ramsay isn’t really one to throw around false praise, either. His brand is being critical and angry so, when he’s not, that usually means something.
Highway to Heaven (Tubi)
I wrote about Highway to Heaven here!
The Love Boat (Paramount Plus)
I wrote about The Love Boat here!
Miami Vice (Tubi)
I wrote about Miami Vice here!
Monsters (Tubi)
Night Flight (Night Flight Plus)
On Friday night, I watched an episode that was all about songs from the 80s that were about working out and the human body. I followed this with an episode about the best indie music videos of 2023. Some of the videos were really good!
Password (Weekday afternoons, BUZZR)
I watched two episodes of this extremely frustrating old game show on Tuesday. Like seriously, how hard was it to guess some of those passwords that they used on that show?
Tattletales (Weekday Mornings, BUZZR)
I watched two episodes of this old game show on Tuesday. William Shatner and his then-wife were on one episode. They didn’t do very well.
Turn-On (YouTube)
I wrote about Turn-On here. I thought I was done with Turn-On but a friend in Australia informs me that it turns out that the unaired second episode is also on YouTube. And, as we all know, I am a completist….
Twilight Zone (Monday, SyFy and H&I)
The New Year’s Twilight Zone marathon finished up on Monday. What a great show! I think The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street is one of the most perfect 30 minute programs ever aired. I also love the episode where Dennis Weaver keeps having the same dream over and over again.
Welcome Back Kotter (Tubi)
I wrote about Welcome Back Kotter here!
As the first week of January comes to a close, here’s some thoughts on what I watched!
Abbott Elementary (Wednesday Night, ABC)
Abbott Elementary returned this week with a sweet episode in which we got to see that Melissa actually is a really good teacher and that Jacob has no idea how to do a podcast. I have to admit that I cheered a little when, at the end of the episode, Melissa revealed that, due to the contest rules being poorly written, her “classroom” had indeed won the reading competition.
The Circle (Netflix)
The Circle was back with four more episodes on Wednesday. Marvin destroyed his game by trying to be a player while Billie-Jean and Shubham ended up getting eliminated. (Shubham did not help himself by losing his temper while answering a “savage question.”) I want to like Raven but the whole “everything about Raven is perfect” narrative makes it difficult. At this point, my favorites are Tom and Xanthi & Brett. I also have to say that I found Sam to be a lot more likable this week than I did last week.
Hell’s Kitchen (Thursday Night, FOX)
Hell’s Kitchen returned and we have finally reached my favorite part of the season, when Chef Ramsay starts to show his softer and more encouraging side and the remaining chefs finally get a chance to show how good (or bad) they can be. Abe got sent home but he also get some words of encouragement. That was nice. I actually like all of the remaining chefs but it’s hard not to feel like its pretty obvious that Alex is going to win.
Law & Order (Thursday Night, NBC)
Law & Order returned with a new episode and this week and — yeesh! After several episodes that were generally intelligent, well-done, and not too heavy-handed, this week’s episode felt like a parody of Law & Order. This week’s murder victim was a undocumented immigrant who had been sent to New York City from Texas so, of course, we had to spend a lot of time listening to the cops talk about how heartless the governor of Texas was. It always amuses me how this show always features a bunch of blue collar cops suddenly talking like MSNBC analysts. I wonder if the show will do a future episode about the Democratic governor of Colorado sending people to New York? I kind of doubt it.
Anyway, it turned out the murderer was a real estate mogul who was obviously meant to be a stand-in for one of the Trump kids. In order to convict him, the prosecutors had to get testimony from a woman who worked in his office but — are you ready for this? — the woman was also an undocumented immigrant! As soon as she testified, she was deported back to Lebanon. After 20+ episodes, Sam was finally allowed to get upset about something and show a hint of personality. Whatever else you might say about this episode, it’s nice that Sam finally got some hint of a backstory. Up until last night, she was one of the most underwritten characters in the history of this show.
The show certainly tried to tug at the heart strings with this episode but it was so just so heavy-handed and clumsily written that it had the opposite effect.
Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street (Netflix)
This is Joe Berlinger’s latest Netflix true crime docuseries. Over the course of four episodes, Berlinger explores the story of Bernie Madoff. When I started watching, I was skeptical because I really didn’t feel that there was much left to be said about Bernie Madoff but both Berlinger and the show did a good job of explaining not only what Madoff did but also how he was able to get away with it for so long. Along with taking a look at Madoff’s life, the film also examined the people that he hurt (including his two sons, both of whom emerge as tragic figures).
One thing that I did learn is that, while Madoff did handle accounts for a lot of famous and rich people, the majority of his clients were just normal people who were looking for someone to handle their retirement funds. These people were victimized twice, both by Madoff and then by the government regulators. Despite the fact that none of these people knew about Madoff’s crimes, many of them lost their homes and were driven into bankruptcy when they were ordered to help pay back the money that Madoff had stolen.
The film features a lot of footage of the now-deceased Madoff being interviewed in prison. Even imprisoned and shunned by his family, Madoff still didn’t seem to feel that he had done anything wrong. This is probably the first Madoff documentary that has really convinced me that Bernie Madoff really was as evil as everyone says.
Night Flight (Night Flight+)
On Friday night and Saturday morning, I watched the Parts 3 and 4 of Night Flight’s 1983 New Year celebration. The music was good. The stand-up comedians were bad. A surprisingly coherent Ozzy Osbourne was interviewed about whether or not he had actually bitten the head off of a bat. He said it was an accident and assured the interviewer that the rabies shots were not fun.
Tough as Nails (Wednesday Night, CBS)
The blue collar reality show is back. To be honest, this show would be more interesting if it was office workers and executives being forced to do things like build buildings and unclog drains. But whatever. I like Phil Keoghan as the host. Just as with The Amazing Race, he seems to genuinely care about the people competing.
The Twilight Zone (Sunday and Monday, SyFy)
On New Year’s Day, SyFy had their annual Twilight Zone marathon! I watched a few episodes, in between watching movies and doing other things. I caught the Monsters Are Due On Maple Street and the one where Burgess Meredith breaks his reading glasses and realizes that he’ll never be able to read another book. Unfortunately, I did not catch the one with William Shatner and the Gremlin on the wing.
I watched a few more episodes on Monday. Again, I missed the Gremlin on the wing but I did see the one with the guy who was dreaming about being on death row. That’s personal favorite of mine.
I’ve been on vacation this week. Here’s what I watched.
(Yes, that’s not my best intro but seriously, I’m tired. I always take some time by myself after my birthday so that I can reflect on the year and plan the next one. It’s a tradition that is the result of having watched too many movies and read too many books about women who retreat to a lake house for a holiday and achieve enlightenment or, at the very least, write a really great book. Unfortunately, that always seems to work better in movies than in real life. In real life, I’ve spent a good deal of time inside because the average temperature this week has been close to freezing. As a result being stuck inside for hours at a time, my original plans of watching next to no television and only going online to host my weekly live tweets were quickly abandoned. When I did go outside, I got caught out in the rain more than once and I also banged up my knee and probably nearly broke my neck when I tripped over a tree root while exploring the surroundings. The sun has occasionally peeked through the clouds, mostly just to remind me of the fact that I cannot tan to save my life. I’m now catching a cold, and I’m no closer to being enlightened than I was before. This has not been my best-planned getaway, though it will make a great book someday. Anyway….)
Abbott Elementary (Wednesday Night, ABC)
“RALPH!”
This episode will always be remembered for the broken eggs and Barbara’s reaction to the way one of the mothers dressed. However, I think this episode deserves to be remembered for the brief moment when Ava has a serious conversation with Barbara about that mother. I always like the episodes where we discover that Ava actually does kind of care about her job and other people.
The Amazing Race (Wednesday Night, CBS)
I wrote about the latest episode of The Amazing Race here!
California Dreams (YouTube)
Being stuck inside, I watched a few episodes of California Dreams so that I could write and schedule a few reviews in advance.
City Guys (Tubi)
Being stuck inside, I watched a few episodes of City Guys so that I could write and schedule a few reviews in advance. Hmmm …. that sounds familiar.
Graffiti Rock (YouTube)
I watched the only episode of this 80s dance show on YouTube on Friday night. A young Debi Mazer and an adorable Vincent Gallo were amongst the dancers! It was fun to watch.
The Greatest American Hero (Weekday evenings, ACE TV)
This is an early 80s show about a klutzy teacher (William Katt) who is gifted a red suit by a group of aliens. The suit turns the teacher into a superhero but, because the aliens didn’t give him any instructions, he’s not really sure how all of his powers work. He fights crime with his girlfriend (Connie Selleca) and a drunk FBI agent (Robert Culp). One of his student was played by a very young and handsome Michael Pare.
I watched an episode on Thursday while I was having dinner. The teacher battled criminals while preparing for an IRS audit. It was actually a pretty cute show. William Katt was as likable here as he was as poor, doomed Tommy Ross in the original Carrie.
Hell’s Kitchen (Thursday Night, FOX)
It was a good dinner service but Chef Ramsey still had to send someone home. At least he was polite about it this week. I’m really liking this season of Hell’s Kitchen. I could honestly see any of the chefs winning.
Law & Order (Thursday Night, NBC)
This week’s episode of Law & Order dealt with a murder that was linked back to Iraq War burn pits. Considering that Price and Mouron are the two most self-righteous prosecutors in the history of this franchise (and that’s saying something!), I was cringing a bit at the thought of them relitigating the Iraq War. But this episode was actually fairly well-handled. I never would have expected that Cosgrove and Shaw would become my two favorite characters on this show but they’ve managed to do it. I think that’s because Cosgrove and Shaw does their job without complaining, whereas Price always has some moral dilemma going on. Seriously, McCoy needs to bring in somebody new.
Law & Order: Organized Crime (Thursday Night, NBC)
Stabler’s going to give himself a heart attack if he’s not careful. CALM DOWN, STABLER!
Law & Order: SVU (Thursday Night, NBC)
The squad was hunting a serial rapist and murderer who targeting transgender women. Greg Grunberg played one of the victims’s father, an NYPD detective who was not comfortable with his child’s identity and who was trying to hide evidence that would have confirmed that she was transgender. Eventually, however, he did the right thing and handed over the evidence that allowed the D.A. to get a conviction. Grunberg, as always, gave a good performance.
Magnum, P.I. (Weekday Mornings, Charge TV)
On a chilly and rainy Monday morning, I watched a two-part episode of the original, 1980s Magnum P.I. Magnum and his friends were being stalked by a KGB agent named Ivan. The episode ended with Magnum executing Ivan in cold blood. Ivan totally deserved it.
Night Flight (Night Flight Plus)
Friday night, I watched two episodes of this 80s entertainment digest. One episode was about the early days of rap and while the other episode that profiled Sade.
Survivor (Wednesday Night, CBS)
I wrote about the latest episode of Survivor here!
Too Close For Comfort (Weekday Afternoons, Antenna TV)
This is an old 80s sitcom, about a grouchy old man who lived on the second floor of a San Francisco townhouse. His daughters lived on the first floor. A bizarre manchild lived on the third floor. This show has been on Tubi for a while and also on Antenna TV. On Tuesday, after spending the first part of the day hiking and trying to meditate, I decided to unwind by shuffle dancing to The Chemical Brothers. Then, after that, I collapsed in front of the television and watched two episodes of this show on Antenna TV.
In the first episode, the grouchy old man and his wife were shocked to discover that a runaway girl named Sam was living with the manchild. Sam explained that she had run away from home because her father was overprotective and didn’t understand her and wouldn’t let her go out with her friends. The problem was that the actress playing Sam appeared to be nearly 40 years old so it was difficult to sympathize with her. I mean, just get a job and move out if you can’t take it. You’re an adult. Anyway, the grouchy old man explains to Sam that her father loved her and Sam went home. Yay!
This was followed by an episode in which the manchild and one of the daughters graduated from college. The manchild got a job as a mall security guard. Good for him.
The Twilight Zone (Weeknights, MeTV)
On Tuesday night, I watched The Obsolete Man. In this episode, an authoritarian government official ordered a man to commit suicide. Before dying, the man revealed the official to be a coward. The official was then ripped apart by his former supporters. This is usually described as being one of the more heavy-handed episodes of original Twilight Zone but, in this time of general government overreach, there was something satisfying about watching the smug government representative get outsmarted.
As the first week of 2022 comes to a close …. I have yet to watch the fourth season of Cobra Kai! What’s up with that? Oh well, I’ll watch it next week. This week, I was busy. Next week, I’ll ignore everything else I need to do and watch TV. How is that not a good plan?
Anyway, here’s what I watched this week:
Allo Allo (Sunday Night, PBS)
After being gone for a month due to pledge programming, Allo Allo returned to the PBS line-up on January 2nd. Having escaped from the hospital, Rene returned to the café and dealt with Michelle’s latest scheme to get the airmen out of France. It involved hiding them in a hollow bomb that would be dropped over England. The only problem is the Resistance needed a place to hide the bombs. Michelle, of course, volunteered Rene’s cafe.
While I continue to laugh at Crabtree’s mangled French, I also find myself looking forward to the every scene involving LeClerc and his attempts to disguise himself. “It is I, LeClerc.”
The Amazing Race 33 (Wendsenday Night, CBS)
I wrote about the premiere of The Amazing Race here!
The Bachelor (Monday Night, ABC)
Big goofy Clayton is the new Bachelor. Big goofy Jesse Palmer is the new host. Honestly, we need more of a break between installments of this franchise. Anyway, Monday’s episode featured Clayton meeting the girls and, of course, sending one of them home on the first night because she wasn’t there for the right reasons (plus, she was like sloppy drunk). It was such an obvious set up.
Dexter: New Blood (Sunday Night, Showtime)
I reviewed the latest episode of Dexter: New Blood here!
Joe Millionaire (Thursday Night, Fox)
On this dating reality show, a group of women are competing to end up with one of two men. One of the men is a millionaire. The other isn’t! The twist is that the women don’t know which is which. Unfortunately, the viewers do know and that takes a lot of the fun out of the show. It would be a lot more enjoyable if we were guessing along with the women. Instead, we know that the farmer is actually very wealthy and the dude who looks like a European prince is actually a construction worker.
(To be honest, this show seems more like a parody of a reality show than an actual show.)
The first episode of this new edition of Joe Millionaire aired on Thursday. One of the women was sent home because she followed one of the men on social media. The show handled this development as if it was the most serious thing ever. I guess sending one random person home on the first day is going to be a new dating show ritual. Anyway, Joe Millionaire was pretty stupid. The men were boring. The women were boring. The host is also the butler at the mansion where everyone is staying. There was a lot of nonsense over whether or not everyone was there for the right reason. (What is the right reason when it comes to stuff like this?) Who cares?
I’ll probably watch it, though. I just won’t talk about it on twitter. It’ll be our little secret, my dear readers. Sound good?
The Love Boat (Sunday Evening, MeTV)
The Love Boat and its enthusiastic crew completed their cruise to Alaska. Everyone learned an important lesson about being too competitive and the importance of following one’s heart. Yay! Needless to say, it was a pretty silly show but sometimes, it’s good to watch something silly.
And Love …. won’t hurt anymore….
The Office (All The Time, Comedy Central)
I watched a few episodes from the fourth season on Thursday. Michael hanging out in New York with Ryan was good. The dinner party remains a classic. I had to change the channel once we got to the one where Jim was playing golf with the client and, for some stupid reason, he brought along Kevin and Andy. It never felt right whenever the show featured Jim actually working.
Open All Hours (Sunday Night, PBS)
After being off the air for the month of December due to pledge programming, Open All Hours has returned to the PBS lineup. On Sunday’s episode, Arkwright longed for Nurse Gladys Emmanuel while Granville continued to stew in resentment. I don’t blame Granville. It couldn’t have been easy being a 40 year-old stockboy. I always find myself wondering what Granville did to get sold into indentured servitude in the first place.
Shipping Wars (Tuesday Morning, A&E)
A&E is now showing the old, original episodes of Shipping Wars in the morning and new episodes at night. I have yet to watch any of the new episodes, mostly because the old episodes got so annoying after Roy died that I can’t imagine that the new episodes could be any better.
Anyway, on Tuesday, I mostly had the show on for background noise. I did notice that one episode featured a bunch of people pointing guns at Roy. It was presented as being a very dramatic situation but if Roy was really going to be shot, I kind of doubt that Shipping Wars film crew would be allowed to just hang out while it was happening. Eventually, it all turned out to be an elaborate prank.
Another episode featured Jen basically destroying a butter sculpture that she had been hired to deliver. Apparently, this was no prank. On the original Shipping Wars, Jen ruined nearly every delivery she was supposed to make. It’s kind of odd that people kept hiring her.
The Twilight Zone (Sunday, SyFy)
SyFy completed its Twilight Zone marathon on Sunday. I caught two of the marathon’s final episodes, both of which were from the season when the show had an hour running time instead of 30-minute. The hour-long Twilight Zones tend to be uneven. The first episode I watched was about a ship that came across as possibly haunted submarine. It would have been an enjoyably creepy 30-minute episode but, at an hour, there was just too much obvious padding. The second episode featured a young Dennis Hopper as a Neo-Nazi loser who finds success after a mysterious benefactor takes him under his wing. The identity of the benefactor was obvious from the start (it rhymed with Jitler) but Hopper’s odd and unhinged performance made this episode memorable.
U.S. Figure Skating Championships 2022 (Saturday afternoon, NBC)
USA! USA! USA!
Through the Shattered Lens 