peacefrog-62091 Reviews

Quantum Leap: Lee Harvey Oswald - October 5, 1957 - November 22, 1963: Part 1 (1992) Season 5, Episode 1

Well Done, but Definitely the Show's Jump the Shark Episode

[7/10 · 28 September 2022]

The whole premise of Quantum Leap in the previous 4 seasons is that Sam would leap into normal, non-famous people with non-world altering problems.

Well this episode changes that, being the first of many season 5 episodes where he either leaps into a famous (or infamous in Oswald's case) or someone close to them. Elvis, Dr. Ruth and Marilyn Monroe will all be fair game after this.

Now don't get me wrong , this-two parter was well done and I appreciate Bellisario's rebuttal to Oliver Stone's JFK, which unfortunately many people took to be factual. And it is still good entertainment. But, it really was going too far, especially since the writers also added the aspect of Sam leaping uncontrollably between different times in Oswald's life, something that we were never made aware of was possible during the previous 4 seasons.

Much like the 3 part Happy Day's Episode "Hollywood" that gave birth to the Jump the Shark term, it definitely a must see, even if just to see where the show started to stray from it's original premise.

Quantum Leap (2022–2024)

Just Getting Worse

[4/10 · 27 September 2022]

So, I decided to give this series a chance to redeem itself after the simply abysmal first episode. I didn't like the premise of focusing on the team outside the Leap so much, but had hoped that was just in the first episode to give background. Well, this aspect only got played up more in the second episode as were the woke aspects - I mean you have a Space Shuttle Crew from 1993 and there is not a single white guy to be found. Ridiculous.

In addition to the problem of focusing too much on events outside the Leap, this show is total devoid of the humor that punctuated the original and is missing the chemistry between the leaper and his hologram helper. The exchanges between Sam and Al in the original were often the highlight of an episode and that is totally missing here as the dialogue between Ben and Addison is kept so damn serious and the idea of chemistry has to therefore be hoisted upon the viewers in the guise of them being engaged to each other.

Working under the title of the original in hopes of sucking viewers in, this is just another poorly executed sci-fi show and forced woke series attempting to piggy back on a far superior original.

Below Deck (2013– )

Classic Reality Television. One of the Best.

[9/10 · 10 July 2022]

This show is the perfect example of when a reality TV show is clicking on all cylinders: compelling characters, juicy drama and crazy situations. But, being that it takes place on a yacht with a revolving door of guests to please and new crew members to break in, it stays fresh and the histrionics don't have to be manufactured quite so often as in other reality shows like the Real Housewives' series.

The series really hit its stride with the arrival of resting b*tch face, head stew Kate, in season 2. It then reached its peak in season 3 with the drama brought to the table in the forms of surly chef Leon, the quirky antics of deck hand Connie and the incredibly memorizing behavior of 3rd stew Raquel "Rocky" Dakota. After a few so so seasons 4 and 5, it returned with perhaps its best ever production in season 6, which just serves to demonstrate that this show's ability to not become stale and repetitive or just plain mundane in later seasons like, for example, Jersey Shore did. Even its latest season, number 9, had enough curve balls in it to keep me interested. The OG of the Below Deck franchise still seems to still have plenty of legs left.

Mindhunter (2017–2019)

Spent too much time on investigators' personal struggles.

[6/10 · 10 May 2022]

Maybe if they had devoted more time to the actual 'Mindhunting" they would have had time to finish the BTK storyline and give Ted Bundy more than a passing mention. Not delving into Bundy is like doing a story about the history of baseball and leaving out the New York Yankees and Babe Ruth.

Good premise and executed well in the first season but devolved into a soap opera with the main cast by season 2, like they forgot what the subject matter was. Very disappointing as it should have been so much better.

Kevin Can F**k Himself (2021–2022)

Wonderfully original. Annie Murphy is hypnotic to watch.

[8/10 · 28 June 2021]

WOW, what a great idea. Time to turn the tables on those sitcoms of yesteryear where the lead character is a "lovable" manchild who married above his weight and the only way the wife gets back at him is with wisecracks.

What would it have been like had Alice Kramden, for example, started contemplating killing Ralph and beginning a new, better life? Simply genius as is the switch between the multi camera with laugh track when she's with Kevin to the single camera shots when she's taking the lead in her own life.

Annie Murphy is so talented and charismatic; this is the perfect vehicle for her. Her screen presence is so powerful. It's just a pity that some viewers apparently don't know what's going on here: the satire of the sitcom wife and the harsh realities and drama of the effect that such a life, if real, would have on the psyche of that person. Absolutely brilliant. Hope this lasts.

Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (1988)

Best PA film since the 2nd one. Don't understand the nasty reviews.

[7/10 · 26 May 2021]

After the 2nd PA movie, most were either mundane and boring or downright atrocious. This one was very good. The Miami Beach setting, the focus on George Gain's character, the main villain hilariously played by Rene Auberjonois (how's my hair), as well as the hilarious scenes with Harris and Proctor, who are at their very best, all make for a very fun and entertaining picture.

Starsky and Hutch: Discomania (1978) Season 4, Episode 1

Much Better Beginning to Season than Season 3

[8/10 · 8 May 2021]

Back in the fall of the 1978, the excitement usually reserved for S&H season premieres had waned due to the Soap Opera/Afterschool Special train wreck of season 3. But, the boys were back in good form with a catchy new theme song, borrowed from season 2's definitive one and a very season 2 type plot and interesting setting involving the pursuit of a serial killer who targets disco dancers. And the mood set and story telling was very season 1 like in it darkness. It seems like everyone concerned was trying to put season 3 behind them.

A wealthy but lonely middle aged man, ruminating over the lost love of someone named Sharon, takes his madness out on women who frequent a certain disco. Our heroes are dispatched to put a stop to it and are aided by a very attractive but married Sgt. Lizzie Thorpe. Thankfully, we avoid this time the usual S&H fighting over her.

This episode offers a great snapshot of the 1970s era disco culture, which was just about to wain. Adrian Zmed of future TJ Hooker fame makes an early screen appearance as an initial suspect and his interaction with S&H in the interrogation room are good and eventually lead them to the real killer along with a clue scratched into Lizzie Thorpe's car. The scene where are heroes descend upon the killer's home, only to turn around and leave to Lizzie's horror, before Starsky realizes the clue was Mercedes, is very dramatic and excellent. Overall, a return to the S&H we knew from seasons 1&2, although there were for viewers to see it thanks to season 3.

Starsky and Hutch: Huggy Bear and the Turkey (1977) Season 2, Episode 20

The WTF? Episode of Season 2.

[5/10 · 21 April 2021]

Really not a S&H episode at all, but an attempt at spinning off the Huggy Bear character into his own series as one half of a salt and pepper detective team. Thankfully, because of this episode's reception, it never got off the ground.

Starsky and Hutch: Starsky and Hutch on Voodoo Island (1977) Season 3, Episode 1

This is where they started to lose people.

[4/10 · 16 February 2021]

As someone who watched the show back in 1970s when it first aired, I can tell you that beginning with the season 3 opener, things took a drastic turn for the worse. In the fall of 1977, we were all looking forward to the debut of season 3 of Starsky and Hutch. And boy we were in for a shock, starting with the new unmelodic theme song, changed over from the beloved season two definitive one. Then this whole business of our heroes being "kidnapped" for their assignment briefing, which itself was a ridiculous premise, on loan to the Federal government! Things just got worse from there and became a jumbled mess with too many characters and unintentional two female lead look-alikes. The undercover characters S&H portray are completely pointless and silly. And don't even get me started on their succumbing to the "voodoo powder". Part II is only slightly better, as much as S&H have abandoned their stupid covers and start acting like themselves again. But then it is ruined by a dopey twist and car chase. All in all, very little is redeemable in this two-parter and worse yet, it was a forewarning of the series decline in season 3, which was the most blah of the entire series, alternating between the unrealistic and dopey like this episode, the mundane and the afterschool special type viewings. At least in season 4, there were attempts to recapture some of the grittiness of season one and the cheesy charm (but with grittiness too) of season two. But alas, by then, too many viewers had already tuned out.

Starsky and Hutch: The Vampire (1976) Season 2, Episode 7

Fun and Memorable Outing.

[9/10 · 14 October 2020]

As a kid, I was a loyal viewer of S&H. Years later, when I watched them again for the first time, this was definitely an episode that I remembered. The interplay between Starsky the believer and Hutch the non-believer is hysterical, as is the bits with Phil Leeds, Supernat and Huggy's vampire kit. Saxon is great because he had such a screen presence. GW Bailey always plays a great slime ball. and while Susan Somers didn't have a lot to do, but like Saxon, she always popped off the screen. Now, I have to say that even as a kid in 1976, I knew that John Saxon's character wasn't supposed to be a real vampire. Not sure about the confusion of some over that. It was obvious that Saxon was simply using the cane as a cover to appear non-threating, like Ted Bundy with his cast. But. in any event, this was not meant to be a serious S&H episode, so I have to laugh at some of the reviews that pick apart perceived plot holes and complain about the story not being well told. S&H is about the relationship between the two partners, first and foremost, not every episode has to be a knock down, drag out endeavor.

Columbo: Suitable for Framing (1971) Season 1, Episode 4

Good, But Overrated Because of the Ending

[6/10 · 14 August 2020]

Awesome gotcha moment, but Ross Martin is not that compelling of a Columbo villain compared to the likes of Jack Cassidy or Robert Culp. Fans tend to put too much stock into the ending, but Columbo has so many other more formidable bad guys to deal with and Ross Martin has less screen presence as a baddie.

What I can't get past is the villain thinking it was a good idea to frame his Aunt Edna whose character appears wholly incapable of murder and his heavy handedness in insisting that the police search her house. This was certainly a tight little episode but, due to the implausibility of this clumsy frame-up attempt, I believe this one doesn't belong in the best of the best Columbo episodes though so many put it there simply because of the ending.

American Pickers (2010– )

Good Cop, Bad Cop Pickin"

[7/10 · 6 July 2020]

Fun show to watch because you'll never know where they'll be or what they'll find. They can be in Alabama one week, Michigan the next and New Jersey after that and the findings can range from a $10 oil can to $100,000 motorcycle.

I think another reason it works is because of the massive dichotomy between the two main leads. Mike Wolfe is a tall, thin, easy going, good natured, sociable guy who often ponies up more money than the seller is asking for. Mike takes pride in being somewhat of a nerd. His partner Frank Fritz, on the other hand, is a short, fat, cocky, unsociable cheapskate who acts as if he's cool.

Mike is the one who makes the most and biggest deals. He is often making many square deals with the sellers while engaging in meaningful banter with them while Frank spends the episode ruminating over an object and plotting to get it cheaper by finding something else to "bundle" with it. Mike loves bikes, both motorized and unmotorized and buys a lot of them. Ditto vintage VW vans. When Mike loves something, he steps up. Fritz, will not buy something unless he thinks he's getting an absolute bargain. For example, he claims to love Corvettes, but has yet to buy one after running across at least 2 dozen during the show's run because the buyer knows what they have and Frank can't chisel them out of it like he does on lesser known items.

But the variety of the locations and items as well as the immense contrast and between Mike and Frank is what makes the show so fascinating, so I rarely miss an episode.

Perry Mason (2020–2023)

This isn't a Reimaging People, It's a Backstory.

[7/10 · 25 June 2020]

The Perry Mason you see here will become the Perry Mason you want him to be. This is merely the story of how he got there. Quote from one of the books, which started in the 1930s are: "You're a better detective than you are a lawyer. When you turn your mind to the solution of a crime, you ferret out the truth". Did you really expect someone who went through the horrors of WWI to easily transition back to society? Enjoy this for what it is: a film noir style prequel. The acting is good, and the depiction of the 1930s is incredible to look at and most of the characters smoke, which is accurate. Sit back and enjoy the show for what it is and stop, erroneously, citing the 1960s characterization by Raymond Burr as some sort of baseline.

Chopped (2007– )

Great Concept, But Suffers From Poor Judging and Editing

[27 May 2020]

I think the whole premise of this show is fantastic with the 4 crazy ingredients having to be whipped into a dish in a limited amount of time and the winner must survive 3 rounds where 1 person is "Chopped" after each course

But, the judging appears to be disingenuous and biased. They seem to favor personalities, stories and potential over the actual dishes served. They let their favorites through even when given uncooked dishes or those missing a basket ingredient. This is the only show of this type of the ones I watch (the others are Guy's Grocery Games and Forged in Fire) where I can't consistently guess the winner based on the judges' comments. Is this because the judges let through who they like best without regards to the established criteria/parameters or is it just a case of poor editing? Anyway, if you ignore that aspect, it is very entertaining to watch just to see what the chefs come up with in each round.

Magnum P.I. (2018–2024)

Deserves Credit for Evolving

[6/10 · 14 November 2019]

I think this is a rare case of producers listening to the complaints. This show morphed sometime late in its first season from a mindless PC action shoot em' up to a homage to the original. All of a sudden, the escapism, cheesiness and light-hearted character banter of the original surfaced and the CGI dependent action decreased. While the show still suffers from a miscast Magnum and Higgins, the spirit of the original has been captured everywhere else. And the newfound tension between the aforementioned two actually works.All in all, this is not as bad as it originally seemed.

Charlie's Angels (1976–1981)

The Show that Launched an American Icon

[7/10 · 24 May 2019]

In 1976, Charlie's Angels took the television world by storm. A revolutionary concept for its time, featured 3 strong, independent female leads, Kate Jackson as Sabrina Duncan, Farrah Fawett Majors (as she was known at the time) as Jill Monroe and Jacklyn Smith as Kelly Garrett. David Doyle rounded out the cast as Bosley, the go-between for Charlie, who was never seen, and his 3 Angels.

Season 1 would be as perfect as it gets, with the chemistry between the 3 leads being undeniable. But, what really made the show a sensation was the" IT" factor provided by FFM. From her iconic hair to her cheesecake poster, people just couldn't get enough of her. She did not yet have the acting chops she would display in movies later, but no one cared. At that time, Kate was the established actress in the group and her "brains" character of Sabrina contrasted nicely with FFM's athletic glamour girl and Smith's orphaned beauty personas. And even though Farrah garnered most of the attention, people viewed their characters equally because something just "clicked" between the 3 and the show was more about the interaction of characters than the plots.

Kate Jackson is on record saying that the quality of the show lessened with the departure of FFM and for some reason she never warmed to her replacement, the very capable Cheryl Ladd, who played Jill's sister Chris. While still enjoyable, the show did lose the "pizazz" that FFM provided and there was a noticeable lack of chemistry between Sabrina and Chris. Many of the new plots involved Kelly and Chris taking on superficial roles together, whether as beauty contestants, ice skaters stewardesses or cheer leaders with Sabrina taking a more dignified cover.

Once Jackson left after season 3, the show lost steam, not because of Shelly Hack as the upper crust Tiffany Welles, but because of the loss of the Sabrina character. While still watchable, it was obvious that the show was losing steam.

In season 5, Hack was out, and Tanya Roberts was in as Julie Rogers, an ex-model who was mentored by a parole officer. Finally, the Angels had the original concept of blond, brunette and auburn haired angels. But, it was too little too late and the show had run it's course.

Bottom line is that this was a show ahead of it's time, featuring 3 independent female leads, launched the career of an inimitable and memorable celebrity, and despite major cast changes, survived 5 seasons.