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(April 2003) Feedback on 'Old TV Shows - And New'Jack R Herman (December 1999) JACK R HERMAN writes (December 1999): I have a fond memory of Uncle Martin but for an alien he was pretty inalienable. The thing I really liked about Mork (let's forget ALF as a Hollywood aberration) was that he was so alien that he did not fit into the mundane background at all. I am somewhat taken aback by your description of Buffy in such 'high concept' terms (ie classing any scenario by describing it as a cross between two other shows). Buffy is almost sui generis. Unlike the other quasi-horror shows that have emerged in the wake of that X show (and to some extent, unlike the movie version), Buffy does not take itself seriously and never has. And unlike all those sub-twenty soapers, the scripts are literate, the people interesting and the acting acceptable. In other words, I like Buffy and hate 90210 and its clones. It's been interesting to go back and watch the development of the characters: to see Cordelia in a far more bitchy role; the pre-witch Willow; and the more enigmatic Angel. The show is about the only must-see on TV at the moment (apart from Frasier which is finally back this week). I reply (April 2000): Please don't take my remarks on "Buffy" too seriously - afterall I have never ever watched an episode of "Beverly Hills 90210." MICHAEL O'BRIEN writes (December 1999): I was dismayed at the re-run of episode 1 of The Mary Tyler Moore [Show] that was on TV last month. They'd cut so much out of the episode that Ted Baxter's first appearance ended up on the cutting-room floor! Sabrina the Teenage Witch does a good job on including jokes for all age groups; I was impressed that their first episode include[d] a gag about Heisenberg ("There's a lecture on The Uncertainty Principle - it's at either 11 a.m. or 2 p.m.") JEANNE MEALY writes (December 1999): It was fun to hear about your TV viewing. I recently saw a biography of Ray Walston. He's immensely talented and has quite a performing history, which undoubtedly lent quality to his appearances on "My Favorite Martian." I agree fully with you about the potential that "Sliders" has, but rarely reaches. I stopped watching even before they no longer had any of the original cast. GERALD SMITH writes (December 1999): I was at a meeting in our Hurstville office a few months back. During a break a few of us went down to the cafeteria for a coffee. I sat in the line of vision to the TV. I noticed something on the screen. It couldn't be. It was. "My Favourite Martian", black and white repeats (in fact, the pilot episode). I too used to love this show (but not enough to tape it now). Copyright © 2003 by Michael F. Green and others. All rights reserved. Last Updated: 30 June 2003 |