Random clicking of news and tidbits on current and past television programming in the U.S., as well as what's happening in the TV-on-DVD market. Pop culture on the tube. Reliving our childhood one disc at a time.
Stay Tuned is premiering another new feature today: Throwback Thursday! #TBT is nothing new in the social media realm and it celebrates the great music, movies, TV shows, toys, and gadgets (just to name a few items) that marked our childhoods. Are all of them classics? Not necessarily. How about retro? Yes, yes they are and we just love it! Each Thursday we'll highlight a TV show from the past and get those memories jogging.
So without further ado, let's hop in the DeLorean and glide back a few years...
If you grew up in the late '80s/early '90s watching Nickelodeon then you might have come across an episode or commercial for Hey Dude. Nickelodeon had just begun to produce original live-action programming and Hey Dude was one of the earlier shows that broke ground on the kid's network. With the increasing growth of cable television and more youth watching television after school, Nickelodeon took advantage of the opportunity and target that demographic. Years later, shows like Hey Dude were models for the current string of original programming on Nickelodeon, TeenNick, and The N.
The setting of the show was the Bar None Dude Ranch near Tuscon, Arizona. Truth be told that after watching Hey Dude, we all wanted to go work on a dude ranch for the summer. It was like summer camp but with sweet digs and pay...and no boatload of kids. The premise of the show was divorced father Mr. Ernst acquires the dude ranch and moves to Arizona with his son Buddy and a dog that disappears after the first season. No explanation for the dog's whereabouts. She didn't die, she didn't run away...she just gone.
The ranch is staffed with female ranchhand Lucy and summer workers Ted, Danny, Melody, and Brad. Later on in the show Mr. Ernst's nephew Jake and Lucy's ex-boyfriend's son Kyle would join the show's cast.
Episodes of Hey Dude were geared towards a teenage audience and they varied in tone, theme, and storyline. Mostly comedic in nature, episodes usually followed the adventures of the summer staff as they worked on the dude ranch. You know, the normal stuff like leading overnight camping trips, telling ghost stories, competing for employee of the month, learning to swim, getting tied up by playful little kids, and misplacing a camper or two somewhere in the desert. Normal stuff. But Hey Dude also touched upon sensitive topics like cultural misconceptions, alcoholism, physical disabilities, theft and robbery, and the occasional murder (which later would be a misunderstanding). Oh and of course it wouldn't be a teenage show without frequent romances and crushes. Viewers particularly enjoyed the love-hate relationship between cocky senior staff member Ted and snobbish greenie Brad.
Hey Dude was the vehicle that launched the acting careers of David Lascher (Ted) and Christine Taylor (Melody). David Lascher would go on and enjoy long stints on Blossom and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as well as numerous television guest spots. Christine Taylor was more successful with a television and film career. Her breakthrough movie role as Marcia Brady on The Brady Bunch Movie propelled Taylor to stardom where she would film many popular movies with future husband Ben Stiller.
Fans of Hey Dude can currently purchase all four seasons on DVD, and the fifth and final season is scheduled to be released July 16, 2013. Shout! Factory acquired the rights to Hey Dude several years ago and have been non-stop in releasing the seasons. The first three seasons are available to purchase through your preferred shop for DVDs while seasons 4 and 5 are exclusive available through Shout's Shout! Select program. Shout! has done an amazing job bringing many Nickelodeon shows to DVD and the company continues to impress us with ever-increasing library of releases. Click on the link above and check out why we can't get enough of Shout! Factory.
Do you have any memories of Hey Dude? What is your #TBT show? Share with us and keep watching Stay Tuned!
Stay Tuned is delighted to present a new section on the blog, Wacky Wednesday! Basically Wacky Wednesday will bring news, blurbs, or flashbacks of the oddest, cheesiest, can't-believe this exists moments in television history. Also, who else could possibly grace this section but our old favorites Dick Dastardly and Muttley. So without further ado, we present with the first Wacky Wednesday entry...
SHARKNADO!
Sharknado is Syfy's latest original movie premiering July 11 at 9pm. The title alone pretty much sums up what this disaster flick is about but just in case you don't, we'll break it down for you. A tornado full of sharks attacks a city and kills a bunch of people. There you go. It really is that simple.
Ok we'll give you a little more detail about Sharknado. It appears that super tornadoes form out on the Pacific Ocean and suck up a bunch of sharks from the ocean floor. These tornadoes soon travel inland to where else? Greater Los Angeles! Gee, LA always gets the shaft when it comes to disaster movies. I mean from Earthquake to Sharknado, the city just can't get a break. Well the Syfy flick stars Tara Reid (Now we know where's she been hiding) and Beverly Hills 90210's Ian Ziering (Now we understand why he started working with the Chippendales in Las Vegas).
Check out the trailer below and we hope you will check out this latest sci-fi TV movie.
One thing's for certain, it definitely gives a new perspective on Shark Week. Happy viewing and remember to Stay Tuned for future updates!
On July 10, 1975, NBC premiered The Gladys Knight & The Pips Show, an hour-long variety television program that served as a summer replacement on the schedule.
While the show only lasted for four episodes, it served as a showcase for Gladys Knight & The Pips, who were at the apex of their career during the mid-1970s. The R&B hits "I've Got to Use My Imagination" and "Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me" and the pop hit "Midnight Train to Georgia" were topping the charts and enjoying extensive radio play. One of the memorable moments from the variety show was a performance of "Cherry Pie" by comedian George Carlin accompanied by the Pips. Unfortunately no video currently exists of this performance or the variety show but Stay Tuned has included video of the group's hits.
Gladys Knight and the Pips' popularity kept increasing in the 1970s and they soon were thrown into the commercial mix for McDonald's and Coca-Cola. Here's a rare gem of a 1976 Coca-Cola commercial. They just don't make commercials like they used to, am I right?
New Release Tuesday for July 9, 2013 is full of classic and current television shows so let's dive into the TV-on-DVD bin and showcase our picks and suggestions.
Classic TV-on-DVD Pick of the Week
Bonanza - Season 6
Bonanza was an American western drama that remained on the airwaves for 14 seasons. The show followed the adventures of the Cartwright family on their spacious ranch, the Ponderosa. Unlike other western shows of the time, Bonanza spent less attention on the specifics of ranching and working on the range, and focused more on the family dynamics of Ben Cartwright and his three sons (from three different mamas, mind you). The show was a worldwide success and reached its peak during the sixth season when the show finished #1 in the ratings. The show would remain in the #1 spot for several more years during its long run. If old western dramas are your thing, or you just have to watch younger versions of Lorne Greene and Michael Landon on the small screen then pick up a copy of this sixth season today.
Campy TV-on-DVD Pick of the Week
Dynasty - Season 7
Greed, money, power -- those are all words that described the excessive '80s and the show that defined that decade, Dynasty. Over-the-top storylines, Aqua Net-styled hairdos, and huge shoulder pads pretty much sums up this soap opera drama. The seventh season incorporated many changes to the creative canvas, mostly in response to declining viewership and ratings. The repercussions of a hotel blaze opens the season and it ends with a wedding party taken hostage by a presumed dead enemy of the Carringtons. Other highlights of the season include a powerful foreclosure, an oil rig explosion, fake deaths, memory loss, rekindled romances, a heart transplant, and many arrivals and departures from the revolving casting department. Oh and the usual bitch slaps and catfights are very much included. Take a look from this video.
Retro Mini-Series Pick of the Week
How the West Was Won - Season 1
Loosely based on the 1962 film of the same name, How the West Was Won is a western series that began originally as a pilot movie then followed up with a mini-series. It ultimately was picked up for a 13-episode first season and remained on the air for three years. Since its premise was based on the movie and subsequent mini-series, Stay Tuned has included it as our Retro Pick of the Week. The story is about the Macahan family escaping to Oregon at the commencement of the Civil War in order to prevent the sons from being drafted by the Union Army. It is a timeless classic and will certainly appeal not only to western genre fans but also to Civil War buffs.
Sleeper Picks of the Week
This week we have two sleeper picks because we just couldn't choose one over the other. They are both excellent shows and deserve equal amounts of exposure.
Portlandia - Season 3
This sketch comedy series, created by and starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, basically has no storyline since its premise is mostly to focus on the satirical aspects of the communities living in Portland, Oregon. Armisen and Brownstein play an array of different characters and despite its low budget and production values, there are frequent guest and cameo appearances by musicians, film and television stars. Portlandia is hit-or-miss and its audience either loves it or hates it. But if you love funny and satire, poking fun at community quirkiness, and Fred Armisen's humor then you definitely need to check out this show.
Warehouse 13 - Season 4
Warehouse 13's fourth and penultimate season continues the story of two U.S. Secret Service Agents assigned to protect mysterious and potential harmful artifacts in the secretive Warehouse 13. The season begins with the aftermath of the warehouse's destruction and the adventures continue as Pete and Myka continuing tracking down missing artifacts and preventing them from being possessed in the wrong heads. The season culminates to a finale with the agents trailing Paracelsus, the villian du season played brilliantly by Anthony Head (recognized primarily for his role as Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or the old school Taster's Choice commercials). Warehouse 13 is one of Stay Tuned's favorite gems and we have guarantee you will enjoy this sci-fi serial. If you want an inside view of the set and shenanigans then be sure to check out Eddie McClintock's Twitter page (@EddieMcClintock) for neat pics and posts.
Update:
Sci-Fi Pick of the Week
Time Trax - Season 2
Stay Tuned just learned about this release today and we couldn't be more thrilled. Part of the reason is that we are huge fans of syndicated television shows that filled the airwaves back in the 1990s. Syndicated serials were in boom during the '90s, some memorable and others down right forgettable (until we bring them up, right?). Time Trax was one of the shows that ran down the middle. This science fiction show followed police officer Darien Lambert as he tracked down convicted criminals who have escaped prison. What made Time Trax unique is that Lambert's present day was 2193 and he had to time travel back to 1993 and capture the fugitives who escaped prison in the future. Using a time machine called TRAX, Lambert wasn't allowed to return home until all the criminals were captured. Didn't that happen on Quantum Leap? Does the premise kind of sound familiar? Well FOX recently attempted the same kind of show with Alcatraz, which only lasted one season. Syndicated show buffs will enjoy this gem from the vault.
Note: The manufacture-to-order (MOD) DVD set is currently only available on Warner's Archive Collection website (Time Trax - Warner Archive Collection). There have been many negative reviews of the MOD-produced discs available through Warner Archive but Stay Tuned has obtained many television shows from the website and have encountered zero problems. Yes the downside is that these shows haven't been remastered but at least they are available. We have enjoyed seasons of Alice, Night Court, Superboy, and Falcon Crest thanks to this program, and Stay Tuned will have a future post regarding WAC's MOD library.
So what releases are you looking forward to this week?
Before we sign off, here's a little treat for you Anthony Head fans. Enjoy!
TV Fun Fact! is a new feature here at Stay Tuned that presents random trivia tidbits regarding television. We just like to throw out snippets and have our readers think about the unimportance of a specific piece of information. It is truly For Entertainment Purposes Only. Enjoy!
Melrose Place, the hit drama on FOX, premiered 21 years ago on this date. Spun-off from Beverly Hills 90210, the original cast did not include Heather Locklear.
Damn. So who feels old now? Let's just all raise our hands!
Stay Tuned continues to review Entertainment Weekly's list of the 100 All-Time Greatest Television Shows. Today we will highlight the shows occupying the #90-81 spots.
So without further ado, shall we begin the reminiscing?
#90 - Felicity
First let me say that my friend Courtney would be the ideal person to write a quick blurb about Felicity. Scratch that. She could write a whole review of the show and do an extraordinary job. She is the only person I know who has bought all the original DVD releases, watched every episode from front-to-back and back-to-front, and probably can recite the most important storylines presented in this college drama. Felicity premiered on the WB during a period when the network wanted to attract teenage viewers. Having success with other teen-centric shows like Dawson's Creek and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the WB tried its hand with a show focused on the college experience and finding oneself in that environment. The premise of the series is Felicity following her high school love to college, which then evolved into the whole Ben vs. Noel see-saw for the run of the series. Probably the most buzzed about moments of the show was when Felicity cut off her long, curly locks. The media had a field day with it and viewers kept tuning in each week to see who Felicity would choose. Felicity became a role model for teenage girls and young women. She was relatable and realistic for those who were coming-of-age.
#89 - Mystery Science Theater 3000
MST3K is a personal favorite of Stay Tuned. The show's dry humor and wittiness was ahead of its time but it gained a substantial audience and loyal cult following over time. The premise of the series was to showcase horrible, cheesy movies and literally tear them down frame by frame. The host, Joel (and later Mike), is shot into space with robots Tom Servo, Crow, Gypsy, and Cambot, and is forced to watch movies sent to him by the mad scientists. The lot of movies watch over the 10-year run of the show were just plain terrible but listening to the quips and mockery from the space gang made them watchable and propelled MST3K to an enjoyable experience. We highly recommend the MST3K vs. Gamera DVD set that Shout! Factory released a few years ago. Listening to the MST3K poke fun at a giant flying turtle monster is priceless!
#88 - Perry Mason
Perry Mason is credited as being one of the most successful and longest-running series of all time. Raymond Burr wonderfully depicted the lead title's role, and despite having a few replacement actors in the role over the 30-year span of the series and TV movies, Burr is and forever will be our Perry Mason. The series episodes were based on real-life stories written by Erle Stanley Gardner and each hour was broken into two parts. The first part of the show featured the victim's homicide and the arrest of the suspect. The second part of the hour featured defense attorney Mason making a case for his client and usually proving the innocence of the suspect. In fact, Perry Mason never lost a case. Those he didn't win were declared mistrials, of course off-screen. Perry Mason set the precedent for future legal, police, and crime dramas in part for its gritty stories and dramatic use of camera movements and orchestra scores.
#87 - South Park
Undeniably a breath of fresh air when it premiered in 1997, South Park gained recognition for poking fun and parodying current pop culture, pushing the buttons on taboo subjects like religion and politics, as well as its liberal use of graphic violence (How many times has Kenny been killed?) and obscenities. The off-beat humor and cutout technique animation has been appealing audiences, young and old, for 16 years now and it shows no sign of throwing in the towel. Thanks to finding a home on Comedy Central, South Park was able to test the boundaries and air its content on cable TV, in contrast to other animated shows regulated on network TV. Most importantly, South Park paved the road for future animated sitcoms that followed similar off-color humor and satire...*ahem* Family Guy, American Dad, The Cleveland Show, Archer, Adult Swim, etc etc. South Park found a niche that would forever change the landscape of animation in primetime television.
#86 - 24
Jack Bauer was the man. Jack Bauer lived through it all. Jack Bauer could actually say "I've had a rough day" and it would be true. FOX's 24 introduced a unique formula to the action serial model by making one whole season happen in the span of 1 day...24 hours. Each season consisted of 24 episodes and each episode represented one hour Jack Bauer had to divert the planned assassination, nuclear bomb, biological warfare, or kidnapping that plagued a particular season. Every hour brought twists and turns that complicated the main protagonists and lead up to the climatic ending of the season. Apart from Jack Bauer, everyone else on the show was pretty much expendable. Viewers clearly saw the liberty writers had at killing off key characters when Bauer's wife, Teri, was shockingly killed minutes before her rescue in the show's first season. 24 had to incorporate the flash-forward technique between seasons, usually anywhere from 18 months to 3 years, before giving Jack another bad day. I mean, how many bad days could you have in a row, at least in Jack Bauer's world? The show's popularity remains to this day and FOX has already greenlighted a limited series return for the spring of 2014. The 12-episode return will still highlight one entire day but with the exclusion of several hours between each episode. More 24? We will definitely Stay Tuned!
#85 - Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie was a family western drama that focused on the Ingalls farm life in the late 1800's. The show's core focus was on the Ingalls' family life with the struggles and pitfalls related to the farm and/or neighbors in the background. Despite suffering through disastrous floods, failed crops, loss of livestock, and even the death of the family pet, Little House tried to end the story on a light note with a bright side moral of the story. The show also tackled serious issues such as blindness (daughter Mary loses her eyesight at the end of one season), adoption, racism, and alcoholism, as well as racier subjects like drug addiction and rape. If we were left with anything from watching Little House on the Prairie, it was that you could depend on family to get through all of life's hardships.
#84 - Family Ties
What do you get when two liberal hippies get married and have a family? You get a conservative, yuppy son like Alex P. Keaton. Family Ties introduced the world to the Keaton family, a family with 1960s ideals trying to raise their kids in the '80s. Parents Steven and Elyse encountered the challenges of generational differences while raising their three (later four) kids. While it is considered a sitcom, Family Ties often brought awareness of serious issues in that half hour each week. Drug abuse, child abuse, unexpected death, and alcoholism were just some of the topics the Keatons tackled over the show's seven year run, and we realized the realities Steven and Elyse faced through their rose-colored glasses.
#83 - Oz
Oz has the distinction of being the first hour-long dramatic television series produced by HBO. Unlike similar dramas presented on network TV, Oz depicted the grittiness and despair of living behind the bars of a maximum-security prison. Nicknamed "Emerald City," the Oswald State Correctional Facility emphasized the rehabilitation and correctional learning techniques applied to its inmates. In the background, however, the seedy prison life of drug trades and power plays, as well as the struggle between rival gangs, was the true highlight of the show. Oz took advantage of the cable TV outlet and offered frequent images of violence, deaths, nudity, and sex. With an ensemble cast in place, Oz also benefited from cameo and guest appearances from big-name talent at the time. Though it has been several years since it went off the air, Oz remains in high regard as no other drama since has matched or exceeded the creative and production values of the show.
#82 - Good Times
Good Times transplanted Florida Evans, the Findlay maid from Maude, to the inner-city projects of Chicago where she lived with her husband, three kids, and nosy neighbor Willona Woods. The Evans family faced obstacles and challenges each week as they tried to keep their heads above water (hehe...that's part of the theme song) while tackling the issues that plagued the African-American community living in city projects like racism, unemployment, poor health care, welfare, child abuse, drug abuse, alcoholism, and gang-related violence. Despite losing out in the end, the Evans always had each other to face the next hurdle that stumbled across the following week. Good Times was another show featuring an all African-American cast in lead roles and became another hit for Norman Lear. Much of the success was attributed to exposing the double standards and racism within the U.S. society at the time and the show became a cornerstone model for future black shows, in particular having a strong father present in the household. When James Evans was killed off the show, Good Times lost a fundamental piece that would never be recovered in spite of many creative efforts and it contributed to the show's eventual demise.
#81 - In Living Color
In Living Color helped usher the '90s with a return to skit comedy. Mostly parodic in nature, In Living Color offered a new and comical view of pop culture. Nothing was left unscathed from the humor of the ensemble cast. TV shows and movies were skewered, music videos re-written and hilariously sung, and who could forget the introduction of memorable characters like Homey D. Clown, Benita Butrell, Fire Marshal Bill, Hand-Man, and Wanda. Apart from poking fun at the latest entertainment, In Living Color also brought a refreshing view on the American political system as well as exposing the racial and social inequities of the '90s. The show constantly pushed the limits and its creators were often in a battle with the network over censorship of certain material, which wouldn't be considered controversial by today's standards. In Living Color also helped the hip-hop and R&B music scene by allotting time from the show for musical performances by up-and-coming and popular artists. While there has been a setback for a potential reboot, In Living Color has gained its place in television history for delivering topics such as racism, sexism, and human sexuality to viewers' living rooms.
Well that pretty much sums up the second tier of EW's all-time greatest TV shows list. While we may have different opinions for the actual placement of these shows on the list, we can't help but agree that each one of these shows deserves a place on this list. They were all fundamental stepping stones for future series in their genres and they have made a lasting impact not only in our society but also in our hearts and memories.
What do you remember most about these shows? Do you have a particular favorite one? Which one can you watch non-stop in rerun heaven? Share with us your thoughts in the Comments box below.
Remember to keep an out for the next chapter in this review, #80-71. Stay Tuned for further posts from our TV guru, Max Headblog!
Stay Tuned's Sunday Show Spotlight will highlight a television show (past or present) that aired on Sunday nights. Our television memories for this day are stronger because we normally associate Sundays with church, family, dinners, homework, and early curfews and bedtimes. The purpose of the Sunday Show Spotlight is to remember those shows we used to love, as well as jog the memories of those that we have forgotten. And there will be the occasional awful, one-season example that we repressed.
Due to the long holiday weekend, the Sunday Show Spotlight will premiere next Sunday. We welcome any suggestions of candidates for the Spotlight so please chime in and leave a comment of any show in particular.
Keep your eyes peeled and remember to Stay Tuned for next week's Sunday Show Spotlight!
