100 Greatest TV Shows

[Hulk With A Mustache]

Tomorrow, numbers 58 and 57. Here are the hints:

A smart man, and we're moving on up to the Eastside to a deluxe apartment in the sky!

[Beav]

Get Smart and the Jeffersons... I miss Wheezie...

[Hulk With A Mustache]

It's that time for the counting. Here's number 58:

58. Wiseguy



Genre: Crime Drama.
Created by: Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo.
Executive Producer(s): Les Sheldon, David J. Burke, and Peter Lance.
Starring: Ken Wahl (Vinnie Terranova), Jonathan Banks (Frank McPike), and Jim Byrnes (Daniel "Lifeguard" Burroughs).
Country of Origin: United States.
Number of Seasons: 4.
Number of Episodes: 75.
Running Time: 60 minutes.
Original Channel: CBS.
Original Run: September 16, 1987 – December 8, 1990.
Spinoffs: A TV reunion movie aired on ABC in 1996.

Wiseguy was created by Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo. The show focused on Vincent "Vinnie" Terranova, an undercover agent of the OCB (Organized Crime Bureau), a fictional division of the FBI. The characters on the show included:

Vincent Terranova (Ken Wahl): Vincent Michael "Vinnie" Terranova is an undercover agent in his late 20s to mid-30s. His job is to infiltrate criminal organizations, gather evidence, and then destroy the organization and bring the guilty parties to justice. At the beginning of the show, he is estranged from his family because of several prison sentences (meant to establish his "wiseguy" credentials with the criminal underworld). His Italian-born mother, Carlotta (Elsa Raven) calls him "Vincenzo" but we are given to understand that his legal name is Vincent. Note: there was a real-life wise guy named Vincenzo Terranova, often anglicized as "Vincent", brother of Ciro Terranova and fellow leader of the Morello crime family; he was killed in 1922.

Frank McPike (Jonathan Banks): Frank McPike is Vinnie's superior officer, who assigns Vinnie to cases, supplies him with important information and coordinates back-up support. Since McPike is a known law enforcement official and Vinnie is deep undercover, McPike will often have Vinnie arrested on a trumped-up charge, so that he can talk to Vinnie without revealing his identity.

Daniel "Lifeguard" Burroughs (Jim Byrnes): Lifeguard (whom Vinnie communicates with almost exclusively by telephone) is Vinnie's other contact person. Vinnie (ideally) calls him every morning with the latest updates on the case, and Lifeguard provides him with quick updates. He also, under the name of Mike Terranova, provides Vinnie with an emergency contact number (555-4958, a play on Vince's agent number), without revealing Vinnie's true identity. (The cover location is "Sailor Hardware"; the codephrase "Uncle Mike" indicates an emergency request for assistance.)

The show differed from previous crime dramas in its use of "story arcs", and in its focusing as much on the sometimes unpleasant consequences of the protagonist's actions, as on the mechanics of the detective work. The arcs on the show included:

Sonny Steelgrave: Vinnie was launched into the first arc upon his release from prison. Sonny Steelgrave (Ray Sharkey) was the leader of Atlantic City Mafia; his brother Dave assassinated Vinnie's training agent, who had been investigating the Steelgrave organization. Vinnie infiltrated Steelgrave's "family," and worked his way up to be Sonny Steelgrave's right-hand man after Dave Steelgrave's death and the apparent defection of one of Steelgrave's captains. When Vinnie finally tried to bring him to justice, Steelgrave committed suicide rather than face prison. Vinnie was never able to exorcize the guilt he felt over his betrayal of Sonny.

Mel Profitt: Vinnie, using his reputation developed as a result of infiltrating the Steelgrave crime family, made contact with a hitman/assassin named Roger LoCocco (William Russ). However, Vinnie soon discovered a much bigger target: Roger's boss, the (mentally unstable) multi-billionaire international criminal mastermind and arms dealer Mel Profitt (Kevin Spacey), and his sister Susan (Joan Severance). Mel had a heroin addiction which further contributed to his unstable emotional state. After much international intrigue involving Mel, Susan and LoCocco (who turned out to be a CIA agent, under even deeper cover than Vinnie), the entire organization was destroyed. Susan killed Mel (after he begged her to), and had a torrid affair with Vinnie, but subsequently went insane and was committed. It is worth mentioning that the arc alluded to an incestuous relationship between Mel and Susan. Roger was seemingly killed in an explosion, but he briefly appeared to Vinnie afterwards. Disgusted with his own lies and deceptions ("I've turned friendship and loyalty into a sick joke"), Vinnie attempted to quit the OCB, but McPike talked him into taking a six-month sabbatical instead.

White Supremacy: At the beginning of the second season, Vinnie had no intention of rejoining the OCB, and was trying figure out what to do with his life. When his brother Pete (Gerald Anthony) is killed by a white supremacist, however, Vinnie returned to the OCB, on the condition that he could go after his brother's killer. He quickly fell in with a supremacist group, headed by the opportunistic used car salesman and con man "Dr." Knox Pooley (Fred Thompson), and his "true believer" follower Calvin Hollis (Paul Guilfoyle). While Pooley's organization, the "Pilgrims of Promise," is both racist and anti-Semitic, the character himself is portrayed as hypocritical and amoral. Vinnie quickly brought down the organization, but the slippery Pooley escaped prosecution and was last seen in Florida, selling condominium timeshares to Jewish retirees. The story suggested Pooley was nothing but a swindler and Hollis the dangerous one.

Garment Trade: David Sternberg (Ron Silver) and his father Eli (Jerry Lewis) ran a clothing business, and were being squeezed by the fearsome gangster Rick Pinzolo (Stanley Tucci). David goes to the OCB for help, thus Vinnie is recruited to act as security for the Sternbergs. After a small-time loanshark attacked and injured Vinnie, he was temporarily replaced by retired agent John Henry Raglin (Anthony Denison). (Note: in reality, star Ken Wahl had broken his ankle in an on-set accident, and was written out while he recovered.) Raglin brought down and killed Pinzolo but not in time to save Eli's business or David's life. Joan Chen appeared in one episode of this arc, as a rebellious Chinese sweatshop worker with whom the married Raglin briefly has an affair.

Dead Dog Records: Upon his recovery, Vinnie's next assignment took him into the music business, where he dealt with music impresario Isaac Twine (Paul Winfield) and his wife Amber (Patti D'Arbanville). Debbie Harry, Tim Curry, Deidre Hall and Glenn Frey also appear during this story arc. The high octane deals appear to provide something Vince craves; we get the impression, if he quits OCB for good, he'll be back.

Mafia Wars: At the beginning of the third season, Vinnie had not been assigned any recent cases, but, in usual Wiseguy fashion, a case found him. Vinnie's stepfather, Don Rudy Aiuppo (George O. Petrie) was shot and wounded, leaving Vinnie the temporary head of the local Mafia commission! Vinnie investigated the other members, including Albert Cericco (Robert Davi). Eventually, Vinnie brought down most of the commission, only to find Aiuppo had been manipulating him to exact revenge on some rivals. An enraged Vinnie angrily told Aiuppo that, stepfather or not, he wanted nothing more to do with him.

Washington, D.C. Economics: Vinnie was summoned to the Justice Department and put in charge of an investigation of Japanese Yen counterfeiting, unaware that the whole thing was a setup by certain unscrupulous government figures who sought payback for damaging fallout from the Mel Profitt case. Based on the real-life Operation Bernhard, the conspirators aim to undermine the Japanese economy by printing large amounts of counterfeit Yen, smuggling them into Japan on cargo aircraft, and then announcing it all in order to devalue the currency. After the revelation, a convenient scapegoat is supposed to take the blame, in this case, Vinnie. When the plan is foiled en route, Vinnie nevertheless becomes the focus of an investigation, and is only saved when a third party "connects the dots" for the investigating committee.

Lynchboro/Seattle: Vinnie was made a deputy of a small town in Washington State, where local strongman Mark Volchek (Steve Ryan) was essentially treating the town like his own personal dictatorship. Vinnie was on his way to adding Volchek to his list of victories when he witnessed the electrocution suicide of the town Sheriff (David Strathairn), which brought back flashbacks of Sonny Steelgrave. Unable to cope with the memories, Vinnie fled, but not before contacting Roger LoCocco, who took his place, and working with McPike, brought Volchek to his senses and freed the town. (This story-arc was, in mood and setting, eerily prescient of the early episodes of the show "Twin Peaks," which debuted a few weeks after the sequence was aired.) After the Volchek investigation had ended McPike went looking for Vinnie, who had taken a job with a Seattle company that was illegally dumping medical waste. Embroiled in the company manager's desperate attempts at covering up, Vinnie fled in repulsion from hired assassins as well as from his own burgeoning violent impulse, to find respite in a city church. Just as McPike found him in hiding there, a would-be assassin's bullet missed Vinnie and critically wounded McPike, propelling Vinnie on a final pursuit of justice.

Guzman/New York DA: When the fourth season started, McPike had (apparently) fully recovered from his gunshot wound, so much so that while sitting shirtless in one scene, there was no scar tissue on his chest. Vinnie had been investigating the Miami mafia, and suddenly went missing. His apartment was empty, but showed signs of a struggle. McPike went down to Miami, hooked up with disbarred U.S. Attorney Michael Santana (Steven Bauer, the new series lead replacing Wahl), and soon discovered that Vinnie had been murdered by a death squad. (In reality, there had been a major dispute between star Ken Wahl and the producers, and he was no longer with the show.) Soon, McPike and Santana were infiltrating the organization of Cuban-American crime lord Armando Guzman (Maximilian Schell), and with the help of U.S. Attorney Hillary Stein (Cecil Hoffman), destroyed his organization as well. With the Guzman investigation closed, McPike convinced Santana to become an official OCB agent, but just as he was entering the job, the entire OCB organization was eliminated due to federal budget cuts. McPike, Santana and Lifeguard were immediately hired by the New York District Attorney's office, and began to investigate the New York drug underworld, as well as its death grip on a particular inner city high school run by the hardline and humanitarian educator Jesse Hains (Billy Dee Williams). However, their investigation was cut short by Wiseguy's declining ratings and cancellation by CBS.

There were also several stand-alone episodes between the arcs, most of which dealt with the personal lives of the main characters. In 1996, a reunion Wiseguy movie starring Ken Wahl aired on ABC. In the movie, Vinnie (who was still alive; as far as this movie was concerned, the fourth season had never happened) had spent several years on wiretapping duty, as punishment for being Aiuppo's dupe during Season 3's Mafia angle, and (presumably) abandoning his duty during the Volchek investigation. Vinnie is ordered to infiltrate the organization of criminal boss Paul Callendar (Ted Levine). The movie had many of the same themes as the TV show, including Vinnie's constant conflict in betraying the people he had grown to care about. While the movie was a critical success, its mediocre ratings (it aired against NBC megahits Friends (TV series) and Seinfeld) and Ken Wahl's recurrent back and neck problems (he had been in a motorcycle accident in 1993 that severely hurt his spine so much so that his website lists him as disabled) seem to preclude another Wiseguy revival. The movie was rerun on Sleuth in 2008.

Vinnie Terranova (Ken Wahl) wasn't a bad guy: he just played them on TV, as a deep-cover agent who insinuated himself into crime organizations. And, much like his name (first and so far only Terranova in TV history), Wiseguy was a groundbreaking TV show. On crime shows, there had always been the good guys and the bad guys, and nothing in between. That is, until Wiseguy hit the airwaves. It’s tragic bordering on sacrificial that the CBS show was so short-lived, because it truly was ahead of its time. For one, there was the show’s reliance on story arcs, multiple episode story lines which had really only been seen in soap opera and pro wrestling before Wiseguy started using them. Where past cop shows were obliged to wrap up their investigations in 30 or 60 minutes, Wiseguy's lasted months. Today, the story arc is a TV-drama standard; Lost, 24, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and countless others owe a big thanks to Wiseguy. But, the story arcs weren’t really a gimmick to keep people tuning in (and, if they were, they failed since the show got cancelled); they had a purpose. The arcs were an artistic device that allowed Vinnie to risk not only his body but his soul as he developed troubling empathy for his prey. Sure, the show had the usual dose of gritty murder and mayhem, but it also managed to be unusually poignant: Terranova ventured deep into the lives of society’s presumptive scum of the earth, so deep that he often felt a complex empathy, even affection, for them. “It wasn’t about cops and robbers,” said creator Stephen J. Cannell. “It was all about the seduction of Vinnie Terranova—this guy’s moral center and what was happening to his compass.” It helped that the seducing was being done by the “real stars” of the show: the captivating villains, played by such powerhouse guest actors, like Ray Sharkey as ruthless Mob kingpin Sonny Steelgrave, Tim Curry and Paul Winfield as music executives, Jerry Lewis as embattled garment-industry exec Eli Sternburg, and Kevin Spacey, who delivered one of TV's all-time great guest turns as the decadent, volatile arms dealer Mel Profitt, who held a gun on Vinnie in a game of Russian Roulette and deadpanned, "The idle rich are so hard to entertain." That type of casting may be common today, but in the late 1980s, recruiting big names for supporting TV roles was a rarity. Sadly, though, Wiseguy never really got the attention it deserved. Really, Wiseguy wasn't before its time but rather between its times. Miami Vice was already king of the dark cop drama (and had a few story arcs itself). And, Tony Soprano hadn't yet ushered in the era of the antihero. That pretty much left Vinnie Terranova and the shady characters who filled out his (under)world cancelled. But, it still lives on in the hearts of its fans.

[Hulk With A Mustache]

57. The Jeffersons



Genre: Sitcom.
Created by: Norman Lear.
Executive Producer(s): Ron Leavitt, Mike Milligan, Jay Moriarty, Michael G. Moye, and George Sunga.
Starring: Sherman Hemsley (George Jefferson), Isabel Sanford (Louise “Weezie” Jefferson), Roxie Roker (Helen Willis), Franklin Cover (Tom Willis), Marla Gibbs (Florence Johnston), Paul Benedict (Harry Bentley Seasons 1-7, 10-11), Mike Evans (Lionel Jefferson, Seasons 1, 6-7), Damon Evans (Lionel Jefferson Seasons 2-3), Berlinda Tolbert (Jenny Jefferson Seasons 1-7), Zara Cully (Olivia Jefferson Seasons 1-3), and Jay Hammer (Allan Willis Season 5).
Country of Origin: United States.
Number of Seasons: 11.
Number of Episodes: 253.
Running Time: 30 minutes.
Original Channel: CBS.
Original Run: January 18, 1975 – June 25, 1985.
Spinoffs: The show was a spinoff of All In The Family. The show itself had a spinoff, Checking In, which focused on the Florence character. However, it only lasted four episodes.

The show was the brainchild of prolific television producer Norman Lear. It focused on an upper middle-class, African American couple, George and Louise Jefferson. Unlike some of his other shows, it was less sharply political in tone and The Jeffersons evolved into more of a traditional sitcom, relying more on the characters' interactions with one another rather than explicitly political dialog or story-lines. Nevertheless, it was one of the first shows to depict an upper class African American. It was also the first series to prominently feature an interracial couple: Tom and Helen Willis. The show was launched as the second spin-off of All in the Family, on which the Jeffersons had been the neighbors of Archie and Edith Bunker. During the January 11, 1975, episode of All in the Family, Edith Bunker gave a tearful good-bye to her neighbor, Louise Jefferson, as she and her husband, George Jefferson, and their son, Lionel, moved from a working class section of Queens into a luxury apartment in Manhattan, thus launching a spin-off of All in the Family and creating the 11-year run of The Jeffersons. George had long ago begun his career as a dry-cleaner and now was operating seven stores in ghetto sections of New York City. Louise made friends with Tom and Helen Willis, an interracial couple, who George insultingly called "zebras". Tom and Helen Willis had two children: Allan Willis, their overzealous college drop-out who abandoned the family, passed as a full-blood Caucasian and lived in Paris for two years, and Jenny, their beloved, hard-working, fashion designing, daughter, who dated Lionel. Jenny and Lionel were married on Christmas Eve, 1976, but then divorced in the winter of 1985, due to marriage problems and disagreements regarding their daughter, Jessica (Ebonie Smith). Also in the series was five-time Emmy-nominee Marla Gibbs as Florence Johnston, their backtalking, wisecracking housekeeper. Florence turned out to be a decent Christian, and dated several men. She often teased George, mostly about his short stature and receding hairline. Paul Benedict arrived as Harry Bentley, a loyal, kind, friendly British next-door neighbor, who worked as a Russian language interpreter at the United Nations. Bentley was written out at the end of the show's seventh season, implying that he moved to the Soviet Union from 1981 until 1983, when he returned into the United States. A common sight-gag of the show was George slamming the door in Bentley's face mid-conversation. Bentley also had a bad back, and frequently enlisted George to walk on his back, since he was the same weight as a Japanese woman who had treated his back in that manner. He also became known for addressing the Jeffersons as "Mr. J" and "Mrs. J". The series also starred the late Zara Cully as Mother Jefferson, who constantly put Louise down as not being a good wife. Cully appeared in the first two seasons of the series, but was written out in the third season (Mother Jefferson died in 1978, due to a heart attack). No episode was centered on Mother Jefferson's death. Cully was removed from the credits after the fourth season. Cully made two appearances during the 1976—1977 season, and three appearances in the 1977—1978 season. Ned Wertimer played the doorman, Ralph Hart, throughout the series. Another character, often spoken about, but rarely seen was Mr. Whittendale played by Jack Fletcher as the building owner. The show had one spin-off, titled Checking In. The short lived series was centered around the character, Florence. Checking In only lasted four episodes, after which Florence returned to The Jeffersons. The Jeffersons premiered January 18, 1975. In its first season (1974—1975), the show ranked at #4, surpassed by its parent series, All in the Family, which landed at #1 for the fifth year in a row. The show's ratings for the following years placed it in the Top 30 but, during the 1977—1978 and the 1978—1979 seasons, (Season 4 and 5), it fell from the top 30, but landed again in the Top 10 from 1979 until 1982. In the spring of 1982, The Jeffersons landed at #3, only surpassed by Dallas and 60 Minutes. As a result, the series appeared on the Nielsen Ratings on the Top 20 for two seasons, and in the summer of 1984, the series landed at #19. The Jeffersons produced and broadcast 253 episodes in total over its 11-year run. For playing their roles as: George Jefferson, Louise Jefferson, and Florence Johnston, both Sherman Hemsley (George) and Marla Gibbs (Florence) was nominated with five Emmy Awards from 1981 until 1985, but Isabel Sanford received her Emmy Award in 1981, although she nominated for six Emmys from 1979 until 1985, and five Golden Globe Awards. Isabel Sanford is the second African-American actress to win an Emmy Award; Gail Fisher preceded her in 1970). Before Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford received their starring roles on The Jeffersons, Isabel Sanford first appeared as Louise Jefferson in the All in the Family episode "Lionel Moves Into the Neighborhood", which was broadcast on February 2, 1971, that focused on Lionel, George and Louise moving to a working class section in Queens (George would not appear until 1973). Originally scripted in the series, Norman Lear created the George Jefferson character for Broadway veteran Sherman Hemsley, who was currently starring in the Broadway musical, Purlie. Norman Lear kept holding the George Jefferson character for Hemsley, after Purlie was finished. Sherman Hemsley shined as George on All in the Family, while George's older brother, Henry Jefferson, was written out of the series. The episode where George is introduced was the final appearance of Mel Stewart as Henry and it wasn't until the final minutes that the two actors shared their one and only scene together. Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford and Mike Evans kept making appearances until 1975, when Norman Lear gave them their own series. The roles of the interracial family, Tom, Helen and Jenny, who had appeared on All in the Family, were recast, with veteran actor, Franklin Cover as Tom, Roxie Roker (real life mother of Lenny Kravitz and cousin of Al Roker) as Helen, and Berlinda Tolbert playing the role of Jenny. The series grew larger in the second and third seasons, and top the 30-rated television programs (#21 in 1975-1976, and #24 in 1976-1977). Mike Evans left the show at the end of the first season to work on writing over 47 episodes of Good Times, so his replacement was Damon Evans, who reinstated the role of Lionel Jefferson for Seasons Two to Four, when he left in early December 1977, for an unknown reason. In the 1978—1979 season, Berlinda Tolbert only appeared in one episode of the fifth season, also for an unknown reason. The characters of Lionel and Jenny were written out, and a one-note cast member, Jay Hammer appeared as Allan Willis, a college drop out, and Jenny's globetrotting white older brother, who only appeared in eight episodes. Evans and Tolbert returned in the 1979—1980 season, with Tolbert's character, Jenny, written back on the series saying she was pregnant with a daughter named Jessica. However, Evans only appeared for another season, as well as Tolbert, marking for seventh year as a series regular. The characters of Lionel and Jenny were written out stating they had marriage problems, as a fact, Evans appeared in two episodes in the 1981-1982 season, and one episode in the 1982-1983 season. While, Tolbert appeared as a recurring character and more of a background character in the later seasons of the series. In the later seasons of the series, George stopped his racist comments. This implied that Tom, Helen and George started to like and know each other a little better. In the spring of 1981, Paul Benedict left the show for two seasons, and returned in the final two seasons of the series. However, the ratings sank above the top 30 and The Jeffersons aired its last episode on July 2, 1985 after 11 years on network television and lasting over 253 episodes. The show ended in controversy after CBS abruptly canceled the series without allowing for a proper series finale. The cast were not informed until after the June 25, 1985, episode "Red Robins," and actor Sherman Hemsley said he found out that the show was canceled by reading it in the newspaper. The cast later reunited in a stage-play based on the sitcom.

Perhaps the best-known spinoff of All In The Family actually had a lot in common with that seminal series. Also produced by Norman Lear, The Jeffersons had a lead character, George Jefferson, who could match Archie Bunker insult for insult when it came to bigotry (George joked about playing “Pin The Tail On The Honky”). Like Edith Bunker, George’s wife Louise, whom George usually called “Weezie,” loved him despite all his bluster. And like Gloria Bunker Stivic, Lionel Jefferson pleaded with his father to be more open-minded. But, this family wasn’t just the Bunkers in blackface. After the Jeffersons moved on up to their “deluxe apartment in the sky” on Manhattan’s East Side, the sitcom broke new ground in its own right. As George insulted the Willises, the first interracial married couple in sitcomland, we got a hint of something we hadn’t seen on TV before: the anxieties of the black middle and/or upper class, i.e. the conflict of trying to be accepted by rich white people don’t really want them there and the poor black people who see them as sell outs. And, in George Jefferson, we saw a positive role model: a successful African American business man who took no guff. The show spent three seasons in the Top 10, but it inevitably grew softer and less relevant. George and Tom Willis bought a bar together. The smart-alecky maid, Florence, made it clear she liked George after all. And, by the end of the show, The Jeffersons had been eclipsed by Bill Cosby’s the Huxtable clan, who seemed to live in a color-blind world. But thank goodness for The Jeffersons. Outrageous as it could be, its barbed humor made us think about the issues that arose when African Americans finally got a piece of the pie.

[Hulk With A Mustache]

Tomorrow, numbers 56 and 55. Here are the hints:

Two mountains, and a fake cable channel.

[Hulk With A Mustache]

It's countdown time. Here's number 56:

56. Twin Peaks



Genre: Drama, Mystery, and Horror.
Created by: David Lynch and Mark Frost.
Executive Producer(s): David Lynch & Mark Frost.
Starring: Kyle MacLachlan (Special Agent Dale Cooper), Miguel Ferrer (Albert Rosenfield), Michael Ontkean (Sheriff Harry S. Truman), Michael Horse (Deputy Tommy “Hawk” Hill), Harry Goaz (Deputy Andy Brennan), Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer and Maddy Ferguson), Ray Wise (Leland Palmer), Grace Zabriske (Sarah Palmer), Mädchen Amick (Shelly Johnson), Eric Da Re (Leo Johnson), Don S. Davis (Major Garland Briggs), Charlotte Stewart (Betty Briggs), Dana Ashbrook (Bobby Briggs), Richard Beymer (Benjamin Horne), Jan D’Arcy (Sylvia Horne), Sherilyn Fenn (Audrey Horne), Robert Davenport (Johnny Horne pilot), Robert Bauer (Johnny Horne rest of the series), David Patrick Kelly (Jerry Horne), Warren Frost (Dr. William Hayward), Mary Jo Deschanel (Eileen Hayward), Lara Flynn Boyle (Donna Hayward), Jessica Wallenfalls (Harriet Hayward), Alicia Witt (Gersten Hayward), Joan Chen (Josie Packard), Dan O’Herlihy (Andrew Packard), Piper Laurie (Catherine Martell), Jack Nance (Pete Martell), Peggy Lipton (Norma Jennings), Chris Mulkey (Hank Jennings), James Marshall (James Hurley), Everett McGill (Big Ed Hurley), Wendy Robie (Nadine Hurley), Kimmy Robertson (Lucy Moran), Heather Graham (Annie Blackburn), Michael J. Anderson (The Man From Another Place), Carel Struycken (The Giant), Frank Silva (Bob), and Al Strobel (Mike).
Country of Origin: United States.
Number of Seasons: 2.
Number of Episodes: 30.
Running Time: 48 minutes.
Original Channel: ABC.
Original Run: April 8, 1990 – June 10, 1991.
Spinoffs: After the show was cancelled, a movie was made to wrap up some loose ends, “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.”

David Lynch, who had experienced previous success with the acclaimed “The Elephant Man” (1980) and “Blue Velvet” (1986), was hired by a Warner Bros. executive to direct a film about the life of Marilyn Monroe, based on the best-selling book The Goddess. Lynch recalls being "sort of interested. I loved the idea of this woman in trouble, but I didn't know if I liked it being a real story". Lynch's agent, Tony Krantz suggested the director work with his friend and writer Mark Frost. He worked on The Goddess screenplay with Lynch. Even though this project was dropped by Warner Brothers, Lynch and Frost became good friends, and wrote a screenplay titled One Saliva Bubble, with Steve Martin attached to star in it. However, this film was not made, either. Krantz, had been trying to get the filmmaker to work on TV since Blue Velvet, but he was never really that interested in the idea. Krantz took Lynch to Nibblers restaurant in Los Angeles and said to him, "You should do a show about real life in America - your vision of America the same way you demonstrated it in Blue Velvet". Lynch got an "idea of a small-town thing" but he and Frost were not keen on it but decided to humor Krantz. Frost wanted to tell "a sort of Dickensian story about multiple lives in a contained area that could sort of go perpetually". Frost, Krantz and Lynch rented a screening room in Beverly Hills and screened the Peyton Place film and from that developed the town before its inhabitants. They drew a map and knew that there would be a lumber mill located in the town. Then, they came up with an image of a body washing up on the shore of a lake. Lynch remembers, "We knew where everything was located and that helped us determine the prevailing atmosphere and what might happen there". Frost remembers that he and Lynch came up with the notion of the girl next door leading a "desperate double life" that would end in murder. Lynch and Frost pitched the idea to ABC during the time of Writers Guild of America, East strike in 1988 in a ten-minute meeting with the network's drama head, Chad Hoffman, with nothing more than this image and a concept. According to the director, the mystery of who killed Laura Palmer was initially going to be in the foreground, but would recede gradually as viewers got to know the other townsfolk and their problems they were having. Lynch and Frost wanted to mix a police investigation with a soap opera. ABC liked the idea, and asked Lynch and Frost to write a screenplay for the pilot episode. Frost wrote more verbal characters, like Benjamin Horne, while Lynch was responsible for Agent Cooper. According to the director, "He says a lot of the things I say". Originally, the show was entitled Northwest Passage and set in North Dakota, but the fact that a town called Twin Peaks really existed (much like Lumberton in Blue Velvet) prompted a revision in the script. They filmed the pilot for $1.8 million with an agreement with ABC that they would shoot an additional "ending" to it so that it could be sold directly to video in Europe as a feature if the TV show was not picked up. However, even though ABC's Bob Iger liked the pilot, he had a tough time persuading the rest of the network brass. Iger suggested showing it to a more diverse, younger group, who liked it, and the executive subsequently convinced ABC to buy seven episodes at $1.1 million apiece. Some executives figured that the show would never get on the air. However, Iger planned to schedule it for the spring. The final showdown occurred during a bi-coastal conference call between Iger and a room full of New York executives; Iger won, and Twin Peaks was on the air. The episodes of Twin Peaks have a distinct structure: following a recap of events relevant to the upcoming narrative, the series begins with the music piece "Falling," sung by Julee Cruise. This is accompanied by a shot of a robin, and then of the Twin Peaks saw mill. The opening credits generally appear alphabetically. The majority of episodes end with a suspenseful twist or cliffhanger, revealed just seconds before the ending, which usually featured a photograph of Laura Palmer, and the credits imposed over the picture. The towns of Snoqualmie and North Bend, in Washington, which were the primary filming locations for stock Twin Peaks exterior footage (many exterior scenes were actually filmed in wooded areas of Malibu, California), are only about an hour's drive from the town of Roslyn. Lynch and Frost went on a location scout to Washington and a friend of Frost's recommended Snoqualmie Falls. They drove there and found all of the locations that they had written into the pilot episode. This town was the setting of the series Northern Exposure, which debuted the same year, and also focused on the eccentric populace of a small northwestern town. A scene in the Northern Exposure first-season episode "The Russian Flu" was shot at Snoqualmie Falls, which was also featured in the opening titles sequence of Twin Peaks. The background behind the actors of Invitation to Love is not a studio set, but the interior of the Ennis House, an architectural landmark of Frank Lloyd Wright in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles. At several points during the filming of Twin Peaks, Lynch improvised by incorporating on-set accidents into the story. The most notable of these occurred when set decorator Frank Silva was accidentally filmed in a mirror during Sarah Palmer's vision at the end of the pilot. When David Lynch saw Silva's face, he liked it so much he kept it in the show, and cast Silva as "BOB", the mysterious tormentor of Laura Palmer. During the filming of the scene in which Cooper first examines Laura's body, a malfunctioning fluorescent light above the table flickered constantly, but Lynch decided not to replace it, since he liked the disconcerting effect that it created. Also, during the take, one of the minor actors misheard a line and, thinking he was being asked his name, he told Cooper his real name instead of saying his line, briefly throwing everyone off balance. Lynch was reportedly pleased with the lifelike, unscripted moment in dialog, and kept the "mistake" in the final cut:

ATTENDANT: I have to apologize again for the fluorescent lights. I think it's a bad transformer.
COOPER (Kyle MacLachlan): That's quite all right.
TRUMAN (Michael Ontkean): Agent Cooper, we did scrape those nails when we brought her in.
COOPER: Here it is. There it is. Oh my God, here it is!
COOPER (to attendant): Would you leave us, please?
ATTENDANT: Jim.
COOPER: Uh.... would you leave us alone, please?
ATTENDANT: Oh. Certainly.

Twin Peaks is well known for its array of quirky and bizarre characters. Twin Peaks features members of a loose ensemble of Lynch's favorite character actors, including Jack Nance, Kyle MacLachlan, Grace Zabriskie, and Everett McGill. Isabella Rossellini, who had worked with Lynch on Blue Velvet, was originally cast as Giovanna Packard, but she dropped out of the production before shooting began on the pilot episode. The character was then reconceived as Josie Packard, of Chinese ethnicity, and the role given to actress Joan Chen. It is also notable for the casting of several veteran actors who had long been absent from the screen, including 1950s movie stars Piper Laurie and Russ Tamblyn, and former The Mod Squad star Peggy Lipton. The main character of the series, Agent Dale Cooper, played by Kyle MacLachlan, would appear in all thirty episodes of Twin Peaks, including the pilot. Due to budget restraints, Lynch intended to cast a local girl from Seattle, reportedly to "just to play a dead girl". The local girl ended up being Sheryl Lee. Lynch stated "But no one — not Mark, me, anyone — had any idea that she could act, or that she was going to be so powerful just being dead." Indeed, the image of Lee wrapped in plastic became one of the show's most enduring and memorable images. And then, while Lynch shot the home movie that James takes of Donna and Laura, he realized that Lee had something special. "She did do another scene — the video with Donna on the picnic — and it was that scene that did it." As a result, Sheryl Lee became a semi-regular addition to the cast, appearing in flashbacks as Laura, and becoming a recurring character — Maddy, Laura's cousin who also becomes another victim of BOB. The character of Laura would not be seen in any episodes, only through videos and photographs. Lee, however, had a dual role in portraying Laura's similar-looking cousin Maddy Ferguson, appearing in the late stages of season one. The character of MIKE's appearance in the pilot episode was only originally intended to be a "kind of homage to The Fugitive. The only thing he was gonna do was be in this elevator and walk out", according to David Lynch. However, when Lynch wrote the "Fire walk with me" speech, he imagined MIKE saying it in the basement of the Twin Peaks hospital – a scene that would appear in the European version of the pilot episode, and surface later in Agent Cooper's dream sequence. MIKE's full name, Phillip Michael Gerard, is also a reference to Lieutenant Philip Gerard, a character in The Fugitive. Lynch met Michael J. Anderson in 1987. After seeing him in a short film, Lynch wanted to cast the actor in the title role in Ronnie Rocket, but that project failed to get made. While editing the alternate ending of the foreign version of the pilot episode, an idea occurred to Lynch on his way home one day: "I was leaning against a car — the front of me was leaning against this very warm car. My hands were on the roof and the metal was very hot. The Red Room scene leapt into my mind. 'Little Mike' was there, and he was speaking backwards . . . For the rest of the night I thought only about The Red Room". The premise of the show involved the murder of Laura Palmer and the quest to solve it. The series was set in 1989, with each episode, barring occasional exceptions, representing a single day in the chronology. As with much of Lynch's other work (notably Blue Velvet), Twin Peaks explores the gulf between the veneer of small-town respectability and the seedier layers of life lurking beneath it. Each character from the town leads a double life that is slowly uncovered as the series progresses. It attempts to expose the dark side of seemingly innocent lives. The show further resembles Lynch's previous and subsequent work, in that it is difficult to place in a defined genre: stylistically, the program borrows the unsettling tone and supernatural premises of horror films, and simultaneously offers a bizarrely comical parody of American soap operas with a campy, melodramatic presentation of the morally-dubious activities of its quirky characters. Finally, like the rest of Lynch's oeuvre, the show represents an earnest moral inquiry distinguished by both weird humor and a deep vein of surrealism. A popular feature of the series was Frost and Lynch's trademark use of repeating and sometimes mysterious motifs, trees (especially fern and palms), water, coffee, donuts, owls, logs, ducks, fire, and numerous embedded references to other films and TV shows, such as The Twilight Zone (mysteriously malfunctioning electrical equipment), and The Patty Duke Show (the phenomenon of identical cousins). Here are the plots of each season:

Season One: On the morning of February 24, in the town of Twin Peaks, Washington state, lumberjack Pete Martell discovers a naked corpse tightly wrapped in a sheet of clear plastic on the bank of a river. Following the arrival of Sheriff Harry S. Truman, his deputies, and Dr. Will Hayward on the scene, the body is discovered to be that of homecoming queen Laura Palmer, the most popular girl at the local high school. The news spreads among the town's residents, particularly Laura's family and friends. Meanwhile, just across the state line, a second girl, Ronette Pulaski, is found walking along the railroad tracks in a fugue state. Because Ronette was discovered across the state line, FBI Agent Dale Cooper is called in to investigate. Cooper's initial examination of Laura's body reveals a tiny typed letter 'R' inserted under her fingernail. He recognizes this as the "calling card" of a killer who took the life of Teresa Banks a year earlier in a town located "in the southwest corner of the state" (revealed in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me to be Deer Meadow). Cooper quickly establishes that Laura's character and relationships are not as they first appear, and that she's far from the wholesome homecoming queen that those closest to her believed her to be. It is revealed that Laura was two-timing her boyfriend Bobby Briggs with sullen biker James Hurley, a fact known to Laura's best friend Donna Hayward. Cooper also finds traces of cocaine in Laura's diary, indicating a drug habit she shared with Bobby. Meanwhile, Donna and James begin an investigation of their own into Laura's death, and find themselves embarking on a romantic relationship with each other. Laura's cousin Maddy Ferguson arrives to stay with Laura's parents prior to the funeral. Maddy, who resembles Laura closely, befriends Donna and James and helps them in their efforts to find the killer, even impersonating Laura at one point to fool Laura's psychiatrist, Dr. Lawrence Jacoby. During his investigation, Cooper stays at the Great Northern Hotel owned by the Horne family. The Hornes' sultry daughter Audrey develops a crush on Cooper that initially appears to be mutual. However, Cooper later rebuffs her advances, on the grounds that she is a high schooler, and that she is involved in the case he is working on. With Audrey's help, Cooper traces Laura's cocaine usage to a brothel called One-Eyed Jack's, which Audrey later infiltrates on Cooper's behalf. It is revealed that Laura had also been working as a prostitute there. Cooper also experiences a bizarre dream, in which he sees a one-armed man called MIKE, who chants a strange poem: "Through the darkness of future past / The magician longs to see / One chance out between two worlds / Fire walk with me." MIKE tells Cooper about another man called BOB, and how they went "killing together." BOB also appears as a man with long, gray hair, dressed in denim, who swears to Cooper, "I will kill again." As the dream continues, MIKE shoots BOB. Cooper then finds himself twenty-five years later, sitting in a mysterious red-curtained room. It is here that he meets the diminutive Man from Another Place, who intones clues to Cooper in the form of strange phrases, and then proceeds to dance to a jazzy beat. Also present is the spirit of Laura Palmer (although the little man at first claims she's his cousin), who kisses Cooper, and then whispers into his ear the name of her killer. When he awakens, Cooper is unable to recall the killer's name. Cooper and the local police force are then able to track down Mike, whose full name is Phillip Michael Gerard. Gerard appears to be nothing more than a shoe salesman, and claims to know nothing of the BOB that Cooper describes. However, it eventually becomes clear that Gerard is possessed by an "inhabiting spirit" (the true "MIKE"), who reveals to Cooper and his colleagues the true nature of BOB — BOB is a fellow inhabiting-spirit who has possessed someone in Twin Peaks "for over forty years." All of the information that Cooper has gained from psychic and empirical means, including the mysterious utterances of an eccentric local woman known as The Log Lady, leads him to a number of suspects; but when he discovers the existence of Laura's secret second diary, he realizes that therein lies the key to solving the mystery. Harold Smith, a local man who was one of Laura's confidants, holds this diary. The secret diary reveals that from a very early age Laura was abused by a figure called "Bob," and that her use of drugs and sex are the means she has used to numb herself and escape from him. Cooper is shot by an unknown assailant at the end of the first season.

Season Two: After Cooper is shot, he is left lying in the room. In his injured and only partially lucid state, Cooper experiences a vision in which a Giant appears to him. The giant reveals three things to Agent Cooper: "the owls are not what they seem", "there is a man in a smiling bag", and "without chemicals, he points", finally telling him "you will require medical attention". The giant then takes Cooper's gold ring, explaining that when the three premonitions are understood to Cooper, his ring will be returned. On the night before she is to leave town, Maddy is brutally murdered by Laura's father, Leland, who is revealed as the man who is possessed by BOB, as seen when BOB's spirit occasionally takes visual form in the place of Leland's figure. Cooper and Truman apprehend him, and as they interrogate the crazed Leland, it becomes clear that Leland has little to no memory of his grotesque actions while under BOB's influence. After confessing to two murders, BOB forces Leland to smash his own head against the wall of his cell. As Cooper and Truman rush to his side, Leland's memories of what he has done return to him, and in his dying moment, Leland claims to see Laura. However, as Cooper and the others note, if BOB has truly left Leland's body, it means his spirit is now loose in the woods of Twin Peaks, taking the form of an owl. With the murder investigation concluded, Cooper is then all set to leave Twin Peaks when he is framed for drug trafficking by the criminal Jean Renault, and is temporarily suspended from the FBI. Renault holds Cooper responsible for the death of his brother Jacques, who was murdered by a grieving Leland Palmer when Jacques was under suspicion for Laura's murder. After Renault is killed in a shoot-out with police, and Cooper is cleared of the charges, his former FBI partner and mentor Windom Earle comes to Twin Peaks to play a deadly game of chess with Cooper, in which each piece of Cooper's that he takes means someone dies. As Cooper explains to Truman, during his early years with the FBI alongside Earle, Cooper had begun an affair with Earle's wife, Caroline, while she had been under his protection as a witness to a federal crime. Earle went mad and killed Caroline, tried to gut Cooper with a knife, and was subsequently committed to a mental institution. Now having escaped and come to Twin Peaks, Earle hides out in the woods so that he may go about plotting his revenge scheme. As this is going on, Cooper continues to try to track down the origins and whereabouts of BOB, and learns more about the mysteries of the dark woods surrounding Twin Peaks. It is here he learns of the existence of the White Lodge and the Black Lodge, two mystical extra-dimensional realms whose gateways reside somewhere in the woods, and which are occupied by spirits that appear in Cooper's dreams and visions (metaphorically referred to as owls — "The owls are not what they seem", later named as "dugpahs" in a tape showing a younger Windom Earle lecturing on the existence of the two lodges). Hawk lends insight on the existence of the black and white lodge, warning "you may be fearless in this world, Cooper, but there are others". Hawk explains that these places are known to his people, places where spirits pass on their way to purification, elaborating that any soul that enters without perfect courage will be utterly annihilated. Cooper also falls in love with a new girl in town, Annie Blackburn (Heather Graham). When Annie wins the Miss Twin Peaks contest, Windom Earle kidnaps her and takes her to the Black Lodge entrance in Glastonbury Grove. Cooper realizes that entrance into the lodges has been Earle's long standing design and the greater reason for his return to Twin Peaks, it being a source of interest for both Earle & Major Briggs during their mutual time spent on project Bluebook. The Black Lodge then is revealed to be the place where BOB, the Little Man from Another Place, and the Giant come from, and where the red-curtained room of Cooper's dream is located. Cooper follows Earle into the Lodge, and has a set of bizarre encounters with doppelgangers of dead characters, including Caroline, Earle, and Laura and Leland Palmer. During Cooper's journey, Windom Earle is apparently killed when his soul is consumed by an enraged BOB after Earle tries to claim Cooper's own soul in trade for Annie's life. Cooper, whose perfect courage begins to fail, then tries to escape, but cannot find the exit in the non-linear path of the Black Lodge. He is chased by his own smiling doppelganger as he tries to find a way out. The Cooper doppelganger succeeds in overtaking Cooper, taking his place while Cooper presumably stays inside the Black Lodge. Doppleganger Cooper returns to the woods, with Annie by his side, both found unconscious on the ground by Truman. Some time later, Cooper awakens in his room at the Great Northern Hotel, and is tended to by Truman and Doc Hayward. Cooper states several times with monotony that he needs to brush his teeth. Locking the door behind him, Cooper then smiles uncharacteristically as he pours toothpaste into the sink. He then slams his head into the mirror, and when Cooper's bloody face turns toward the camera, he laughs — his reflection is that of BOB. Apparently the Cooper doppelganger has exited the Black Lodge, thus taking the real Cooper's place. The series then ends on this cliffhanger.

Before the two-hour pilot premiered on TV, a screening was held at the Museum of Broadcasting in Hollywood. Media analyst and advertising executive Paul Schulman said, "I don't think it has a chance of succeeding. It is not commercial, it is radically different from what we as viewers are accustomed to seeing, there's no one in the show to root for." Initially, the show's Thursday night time slot was not a good one for soap operas as both Dynasty and its short-lived spin-off The Colbys did poorly. Twin Peaks was also up against the hugely successful sitcom, Cheers. Initially, the show received a positive response from TV critics. Tom Shales, in the Washington Post, wrote, "Twin Peaks disorients you in ways that small-screen productions seldom attempt. It's a pleasurable sensation, the floor dropping out and leaving one dangling." In the New York Times, John J. O'Connor wrote, "Twin Peaks is not a sendup of the form. Mr. Lynch clearly savors the standard ingredients...but then the director adds his own peculiar touches, small passing details that suddenly, and often hilariously, thrust the commonplace out of kilter." The two-hour pilot was the highest-rated movie for the 1989-1990 season with a 22 rating and was viewed by 33% of the audience. In its first broadcast as a regular one-hour drama series, Twin Peaks scored ABC's highest ratings in four years in its 9 pm Thursday time period. The show also reduced NBC's Cheers's ratings. Twin Peaks had a 16.2 rating with each point equaling 921,000 homes with TVs. The episode also added new viewers because of what ABC's senior vice-president of research, Alan Wurtzel, called, "the water cooler syndrome," in which people talk about the series the next day at work. During the first and second season, it was the search for Laura Palmer's killer that served as the engine for the plot, and caught the public's imagination, although the creators admitted this was largely a macguffin; each episode was really about the interactions between the townsfolk. The unique (and often bizarre) personalities of each citizen formed a web of minutiae which ran contrary to the quaint appearance of the town. Adding to the surreal atmosphere was the recurrence of Dale Cooper's dreams, in which the FBI agent is given clues to Laura's murder in a supernatural realm that may or may not be of his imagination. The first season contained only eight episodes (including the two-hour pilot episode), and was considered technically and artistically revolutionary for television at the time, and geared toward reaching the standards of film. It has been said that Twin Peaks began the trend of accomplished cinematography now commonplace in today's television dramas. Lynch and Frost maintained tight control over the first season, handpicking all of the directors, with some that Lynch had known from his days at the American Film Institute (e.g., Caleb Deschanel and Tim Hunter) or referrals from those he knew personally. Lynch and Frost's control lessened in the second season, corresponding with what is generally regarded as a lessening of quality once the identity of Laura Palmer's murderer was revealed. Lynch never wanted to solve the murder but Frost felt that they had an obligation to the audience to solve it and this created tension between the two men. Its ambitious style, paranormal undertones, and engaging murder mystery made Twin Peaks a surprising sleeper hit. Its eccentric characters, particularly Kyle MacLachlan's Dale Cooper, were unorthodox for a supposed crime drama previously known to American audiences, as was Cooper's method of interpreting his dreams to solve the crime. Following the cliffhanger finale of the first season, the show's popularity reached its zenith, and "Peaksmania" seeped into mainstream popular culture (such as Saturday Night Live, in which Kyle MacLachlan hosted and performed a sketch that parodied the show). For the 1990 Emmy Awards, Twin Peaks led all series with eight nominations, although it only won two awards: Outstanding Costume Design for a Series and Outstanding Editing for a Single-Camera series. However, Twin Peaks’s popularity didn’t last long. With the resolution of Twin Peaks main drawing point (Laura Palmer's murder) in the middle of the second season, and with subsequent storylines becoming more obscure and drawn out, public interest finally began to wane, and "Peaksmania" seemed over. This discontent, coupled with ABC changing its timeslot over a number of occasions, led to a huge drop in ratings after being the most-watched television programming in the USA in 1990. On February 15, 1991, ABC announced that the show had been put on "indefinite hiatus", a move which usually leads to cancellation. This wasn't quite the end, though, as there was still a large enough fanbase for viewers to begin an organized letter-writing campaign, dubbed C.O.O.P (Citizens Opposed to the Offing of Peaks). The campaign was successful, and ABC agreed to another six episodes to finish the season. In the final episodes, Agent Cooper was given a love interest, Annie Blackburn (Heather Graham), to replace the intended story arc with Audrey Horne. The series finale did not sufficiently boost interest, and the show was not renewed for a third season, leaving an unresolved cliffhanger ending that continues to be debated. David Lynch himself returned to direct the finale of the series, annoying a few of the actors and writers, as they had previously felt "abandoned" by him. The writers, for their part, didn't appreciate his changes to their scripts. In the featurette "A Slice of David Lynch", included with the 2007 "Gold Box Edition" DVD release of the complete series, Lynch expressed his regret at having resolved the Laura Palmer murder, stating he and Frost had never intended for the series to answer the question and that doing so "killed the goose that laid the golden eggs". Lynch directly blames network pressure for the decision to resolve the Palmer storyline prematurely. Later, David Lynch, having been long unhappy with ABC's "meddling" during the show's production, sold the whole show to Bravo for a small, undisclosed sum. Bravo began airing the show from scratch again, along with Lynch's addition of introductions to each episode by the Log Lady and her cryptic musings. After the show ended, Lynch made a movie based on it: “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.” The movie can be viewed as both prologue and epilogue to the series. It tells of the investigation into the murder of Teresa Banks and the last seven days in the life of Laura Palmer. These two connected murders were the central mysteries of the television series. Thus, the film is often considered as a prequel, but it is not intended to be viewed before the series and also has sequel qualities. Most of the television cast returned for the film, with the notable exceptions of Lara Flynn Boyle who declined to return as Laura’s best friend Donna Hayward, who was replaced with Moira Kelly, and Sherilyn Fenn due to scheduling conflicts. Also, Kyle MacLachlan was reluctant to return so his presence in the film is smaller than originally planned. Fire Walk With Me was received poorly, especially in comparison to the series. It was greeted at the Cannes Film Festival with booing from the audience and met with almost unanimously negative reviews by American critics. The film fared poorly in the United States, partially because it was released almost a year after the television series was canceled (due to a sharp ratings decline in the second season) and partially due to its incomprehensibility to the uninitiated. It grossed a total of USD $1.8 million in 691 theaters in its opening weekend and went on to gross a total of $4.1 million in North America.

When the corpse of Laura Palmer first turned up naked, wrapped in plastic, bluish, and beautiful in the Pacific Northwest town of Twin Peaks on April 8, 1990, she breathed new life into the genre of TV drama. Twin Peaks sprang from the twisted psyches of David Lynch (the man behind such disturbing cinematic nightmares (I mean that in a good way) such as “Eraserhead” and “Blue Velvet”) and Mark Frost. The series focused on the death of Palmer, a deceptively innocent prom queen, and the ensuing FBI investigation by Agent Dale Cooper, who unearthed the sinister evils hidden in the seemingly tranquil town. With the show, Lynch and Frost made something really weird happen, and I'm not talking about Laura Palmer's murder, a dancing dwarf, a Log Lady, or an owl. They turned primetime TV into a giant indie art-house theater, and regular American channel surfers by the millions became its black-turtlenecked denizens. The story of a teen girl's death in the Pacific Northwest and the pie-eating, deadpan-soliloquy-spouting FBI agent investigating it carried on the theme from Lynch movies like “Blue Velvet”: sordid secrets and ancient horrors hid behind a facade of wholesome Americana. And, like all of Lynch’s work, Twin Peaks wasn’t afraid to make audiences switch on their brains and open themselves up to a little discomfort. The stylized images (from an executed mynah bird’s blood splattered on rows of perfectly stacked doughnuts to Laura’s hysterical father being lowered into the grave on top of his daughter’s coffin) and off-putting plot devices (Cooper often go his leads from a backward-speaking dwarf who appeared to him in his dreams) were sometimes nonsensical and always creepy. Nevertheless, Twin Peaks proved that TV could equal or surpass film in its storytelling ambitions, and the fiercely loyal cult following that quickly sprang up around the show proved that America was aching for a sexy surreal crime drama alternative to the doddering detectives, i.e. Benjamin Matlock and Jessica Fletcher, of the day. However, while the hype surrounding the series premiere was immense, the numbers and network support soon dwindled, and the show crumbled in April of 1991 (a two hour finale would air in June). Even so, the show had changed the medium, as Agent Dale Cooper’s journeys into the depths of spookyville were reborn in shows like The X-Files and Lost. Twin Peaks may have had the shelf life of a freshly poured cuppa joe, but it was damn fine nonetheless.

[Hulk With A Mustache]

55. SCTV



Genre: Variety, Sketch comedy.
Created by: Bernard Sahlins and Andrew Alexander.
Executive Producer(s): Andrew Alexander, Jack E. Rhodes, Len Stuart, Bernard Sahlins, Scott Baker, Charles Allard, Jerry Appleton, and Doug Holtby.
Starring: John Candy, Robin Duke, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, Tony Rosato, Martin Short, and Dave Thomas.
Country of Origin: Canada.
Number of Seasons: 6.
Number of Episodes: 135.
Running Time: 30 minutes (1976-1981), 90 minutes (1981-1983), and 45 minutes (1983-1984).
Original Channel: Global (1976-1979), CBC (1980-1983), NBC (1981-1983), and Superchannel (1983-1984).
Original Run: September 21, 1976 – July 17, 1984.
Spinoffs: None.

The basic premise of SCTV is that it is the television station for the city of Melonville, in an unknown state or province. Rather than broadcast the usual TV rerun fare, the business puts on a bizarre and humorously incompetent range of cheap local programming. This can range from a soap opera called "The Days of the Week", to game shows like "Shoot At The Stars", in which celebrities are literally shot at like targets in a shooting gallery, to full blown movie spoofs like "Play it Again, Bob" in which Woody Allen (Rick Moranis) tries to get Bob Hope (Dave Thomas) to star in his next film. In-house media melodrama was also satirized with characters like John Candy's vain, bloated variety star Johnny La Rue, Dave Thomas' acerbic critic Bill Needle, Joe Flaherty's wheelchair-bound program manager Guy Caballero, and Andrea Martin's flamboyant, leopard-skin clad station manager Mrs. Edith Prickley. SCTV parody shows included Natalie Wingneck, a Tarzan-style spoof in which Martin played a girl raised by geese after her family died in a plane crash. A parody of the popular western drama Grizzly Adams, retitled Grizzly Abrams, depicted the burly wilderness hero as the owner of a wild tortoise which took weeks to lead police to the skeletal remains of its master, trapped beneath a fallen log. The TV station concept provided SCTV the ability to lampoon virtually any television genre, as well as commercials, promos, network IDs, and more. Some of the most memorable sketches involved parodies of low-budget late-night ads, like Al Peck's Used Fruit (they enticed viewers to visit by offering free tickets to Circus Lupus, the Circus of the Wolves; mocked-up photos depicted wolves forming a pyramid and jumping through flaming hoops). Equally memorable were the faux-inept ads for local businesses like Phil's Nails and Tex and Edna Boil's Organ Emporium. Impersonations were also an integral part of the comedy, with almost every cast member playing multiple roles as well-known personalities. Some impressions included:

John Candy as Orson Welles, Julia Child, Luciano Pavarotti, Glen Milstead as Divine, Curly Howard, Richard Burton, Tip O'Neill, Jimmy the Greek, Hervé Villechaize, and Alfred Hitchcock.

Robin Duke as Shelley Winters

Joe Flaherty as Gregory Peck, Gavin MacLeod, Donald Sutherland, Peter O'Toole, Kirk Douglas, Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, Bing Crosby, William F. Buckley, Jr., Geraldo Rivera, Charles Bronson, Alan Alda, Gene Siskel, Richard Nixon, Jack Klugman, Slim Whitman, Larry Fine, and Salvador Dalí.

Eugene Levy as Ricardo Montalban, Henry Kissinger, Judd Hirsch, John Charles Daly, The Andy Griffith Show's Floyd Lawson, Milton Berle, Neil Sedaka, Howard Cosell, Ralph Young, Perry Como, and Gene Shalit .

Andrea Martin as Barbra Streisand, Linda Lavin, Joyce DeWitt, Indira Gandhi, Connie Francis, Arlene Francis, Ethel Merman, Karen Black, Marsha Mason, Brenda Vaccaro, Charo, and Mother Teresa.

Rick Moranis as Merv Griffin, Woody Allen, Gordon Lightfoot, Ringo Starr, Dick Cavett, George Carlin, Brent Musburger, Michael McDonald, Al Waxman, David Brinkley, and James Stewart.

Catherine O'Hara as Katharine Hepburn, Morgan Fairchild, Jane Fonda, Dorothy Kilgallen, Mary Tyler Moore, Elizabeth Taylor, Lucille Ball, and Brooke Shields.

Tony Rosato as Lou Costello, Ella Fitzgerald, Lou Ferrigno, Ed Asner and Tony Orlando
Martin Short as Jerry Lewis, Pierre Trudeau, Dustin Hoffman, David Steinberg, Robin Williams, Fred Rogers, Ambassador Ken Taylor, Pee Wee Reese, Deliverance banjo-boy Hoyt Pollard, Jamie Farr, Scott Baio, Denny Terrio, Howie Mandel, Howie Meeker, Tony Sandler (of Sandler and Young), Tom Hayden, Gore Vidal, and Brian Linehan.

Dave Thomas as Bob Hope, Richard Harris, DeForest Kelley, Liberace, Bennett Cerf, Michael Caine, G. Gordon Liddy, Roger Ebert, Neil Simon, Lee Iacocca, Carl Sagan, John Ritter, Walter Cronkite, and Fred Travalena doing Jim Neighbors as Gomer Pyle.

Popular sketches and characters on the show included:

Mailbag: SCTV's take on a vox populi segment where near-apoplectic host Bill Needle would answer viewer mail. The shows length was continually cut, however, until Needle was down to mere seconds of airtime.

Farm Film Report aka Farm Film Celebrity Blow-Up: Two hicks named Big Jim McBob (Flaherty) and Billy Sol Hurok (a spoof of Billie Sol Estes and Sol Hurok, played by Candy) interview celebrities and ultimately encourage them to blow up (creating the catch-phrase "blow'd up good, blow'd up real good!"). Exploding guests included Dustin Hoffman, David Steinberg (both played by Short), Bernadette Peters (Martin), Meryl Streep (O'Hara), and a lispy Neil Sedaka (Levy).

Polynesiantown: a parody of modern-day film noir. In its attempt to emulate the movie Chinatown, this extended one-shot sketch ended with a crane shot that pushed the show so over budget that the sketch's producers got in trouble with the network. The shows writers incorporated this behind-the-scenes drama into the shows long-term continuity, causing fictional actor/producer/superstar Johnny LaRue's career to go into a tailspin as a result of this budget mishap.

The Sammy Maudlin Show: Joe Flaherty was the afro-coiffed, knee-slapping, overly-effusive host welcoming a panel of "stars" who did nothing but heap lavish praise on each other and applaud their pointless profundities. Originally a parody of Sammy Davis, Jr.'s short-lived gab-fest, Maudlin (the word means overly sentimental, treacly) evolved into a late-night universe all its own. Eugene Levy is "a comic in all seriousness" as egomaniacal funnyman Bobby Bittman (whose younger brother Skip Bittman, played by Moranis, eventually appeared on Maudlin as well, with disastrous results); Andrea Martin skewered Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft with "real terrific" combo-character Lorna Minnelli; Catherine O'Hara inhabited pill-popping boozer Lola Heatherton, a Joey Heatherton-Lola Falana amalgam who greeted fans with her trademark shriek, "I love you! I wanna bear your children!"; John Candy portrayed constantly-chuckling Ed McMahon-style sidekick/sycophant William B. Williams, who often wound up kneeling on the floor as guests came out and the couch filled up. The Maudlin regulars would later appear together in the Rat Pack movie parody Maudlin's Eleven.

Mel's Rock Pile: a knockoff of the Citytv dance show Boogie and closely resembled American Bandstand. Hosted by "Rockin' Mel" Slirrup (Eugene Levy), a nervous, bespectacled nerd who played lame pop songs for surly in-studio teen guests. One memorable episode of Mel's Rock Pile featured an appearance by Sex Pistols-type band The Queen Haters, featuring the entire Short-era cast in perfect '80s punk-band mode.

Martin Short's Jackie Rogers, Jr.: an earnestly smarmy albino Las Vegas headliner with a grating, lisping laugh in a manner similar to Sammy Davis, Jr. He's partial to sequined jumpsuits, Jack Jones-style song standards, and "eligible ladies". Later, Rogers would run for political office but drop out of the race when he realizes it's cramping his show-biz lifestyle.
Martin Short's somewhat-unclassifiable uber-nerd Ed Grimley (later featured on Saturday Night Live when Short became a regular) was an SCTV fixture, appearing on numerous assorted shows, commercials, promos, and "behind-the-scenes" dramas.

Half-Wits and High-Q: parodies of quiz shows College Bowl and Reach For The Top hosted by a highly-irritable Alex Trebek approximation named Alex Trebel (Levy), a thinly-veiled riff on the real-life Jeopardy! host.

The 5 Neat Guys: an absurdly clean-cut, '50s style vocal group (á la The Four Freshmen), were portrayed by Candy, Flaherty (as the drunk one), Levy, Moranis, and Thomas. The "5" sang songs like "I've Got a Hickey on My Shoulder", "Pimples and Pockmarks" and other memorable tunes. Several of their songs contrasted with their squeaky-clean image, however, such as "She Does It", "Patsy Has the Largest Breasts In Town", and "Who Brought the Egg Salad Sandwiches?".

Brock Linehan: another Martin Short character, a talk-show host parody of real-life Canadian interviewer, the late Brian Linehan. Linehan was famous for his over preparation, which Short satirized by going in the opposite direction: on SCTV's version of the Linehan show, called Stars in One, all the research compiled about any particular episode's guest was totally and completely wrong, making for some unhappy guests and one frustrated, uneasy host.

Harry, the Guy with the Snake on his Face (John Candy): Harry ran Melonville's adult book and X-rated video stores.

"Video deejay" Gerry Todd (Moranis): the host an all-night "televised-radio" type of video show. Moranis' turtleneck-sporting, smooth-talking radio-personality parody was perfectly pitched, complete with casually-pronounced "vuddeeo," and eerily presaged the first group of MTV VJs.

Mayor Tommy Shanks (John Candy): Melonville's "easygoing" (corrupt) mayor who is prone to sudden fits of rage and physical violence, yet gives regular fireside chats on SCTV while a stuffed dog sits motionless by his side. Throwing out one non-sequitur after another, Shanks manages to convey absolutely nothing of relevance during his broadcasts. Eventually, Shanks succumbs to mental illness and is institutionalized. While still in the institution, he runs for re-election with the campaign slogan "Get me outta here!" and wins by a landslide.

SCTV News (later Nightline Melonville): anchored by Joe Flaherty as mostly professional (but alcoholic) newscaster Floyd Robertson and Eugene Levy as geeky, clueless Earl Camembert, a model of oblivious self-importance. The members of the SCTV news-team were named after Canadian news anchors Lloyd Robertson and Earl Cameron respectively, but otherwise bore no resemblance to their real-life counterparts. Unlike Saturday Night Live's similar news parody Weekend Update, which typically uses actual news headlines as set-ups for more satirical humour, SCTV News used more absurdist humor, with its news stories often focusing on events happening within the Melonville continuity. Another source of humour for this segment was the contrast between the hapless Camembert (whose name is pronounced "Canenbare") and the more respected Robertson, who usually ended up playing straight man to Camembert's antics. A running gag involved the news team's tendency to give the good news items to Robertson (such as the tiny Republic of Togo's threats against the USSR) and the trivial or poorly-prepared stories to his co-anchor (such as a fire at a doily factory).

Monster Chiller Horror Theatre: This fright-film showcase featured laughably non-frightening z-movies like Dr. Tongue's 3-D House of Stewardesses. Dr. Tongue was played by John Candy and Monster Chiller Horror Theatre was hosted by Flaherty character Count Floyd, who was revealed in a later episode to be SCTV News anchorman Floyd Robertson working a second job. This was a tip of the hat to the fact that in the early days of television, a channel's kiddie show host was often a member of the news staff in a clown suit or police uniform.

The Shmenge Brothers and their polka band, The Happy Wanderers: Like Bob and Doug McKenzie, the Shmenges were breakout characters and their popularity resulted in the HBO special The Last Polka (a parody of Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz). (John Candy would go on to play another polka clarinetist in Home Alone, which also starred Catherine O'Hara). In one episode, the Shmenges performed a memorable tribute to composer John Williams.

Dave Thomas as actor Richard Harris in a skit where "Harris" sang an extended version of his famous hit "MacArthur Park", then dances endlessly in total agony during the elongated orchestral stretch while the show moves on to other skits. The song finally ends when an audience member hurls a brick at his chest.

The famous CCCP1-Russian television episode in which SCTV is taken over by Soviet programming: At first, nothing seems out of the ordinary at the station: on the air, Eugene Levy plays Perry Como in a promo for Still Alive, a TV-special in which Como's trademark relaxed style is taken to ludicrous extremes. The nearly-comatose Como sings one song while propped up against a dancer, another swaddled in bed with the covers pulled up to his chin, and performs a third number sprawled face-down and almost-motionless on the floor, mic lying next to his mouth, one finger moving to the beat. But SCTV is suddenly knocked off the air, replaced by an illegal signal from the Soviet television network. Throughout, the old Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which is abbreviated USSR in English but CCCP in Russian, is referred to as "three-C-P-one". From there, all the "shows" are Russian-themed spoofs: Tibor's Tractor, a situation comedy about a talking tractor similar to My Mother the Car, only with the voice of Nikita Khruschev; a game-show, What Fits into Mother Russia?, which celebrates the USSR's massive size; Upo-Scrabblenyk; and Hey, Giorgy, "everybody's favorite Cossack," with the memorable line "Uzbeks drank my battery fluid!", uttered when Rick Moranis's Lada won't start outside an alehouse. (Popping the hood reveals the old-style battery's six cells sporting bendy straws.)

A Jazz Singer parody which reversed the story by having musical guest Al Jarreau play a popular jazz singer who wants to become a cantor (hazzan). His father is a disapproving pop-music impresario played by Eugene Levy's befuddled Sid Dithers. Hasidic Dithers, four feet tall and cross-eyed behind Coke-bottle glasses, spoke with a thick early vaudeville-style Yiddish accent ("San Fransishky? So how did you came: did you drove, or did you flew?"). The payoff of this parody made for a classic SCTV moment: Jarreau has become a synagogue cantor, fulfilling his dream against his father's wishes, and he wonders if his father will ever speak to him again – until, during the service, he is interrupted by a disco-clad Dithers standing in the doorway in dancing shoes, spangled jacket, and corn-rowed hair.

The episode in which a janitorial union went on strike, forcing stations to broadcast the network feed from CBC Television. Parodies ensued, such as Hinterland Who's Who, Front Page Challenge and It's a Fact, among others. Meanwhile, Eugene Levy's Sid Dithers played the union president, barely able to see over the conference table as he detailed the progress of the strike-talks ("Fifteen minutes for lunsch? Ye can't even blow on your shoop!")

Magnum, P.E.I.: John Candy plays a savvy private investigator a la Magnum, P.I., chasing his quarry through the scenic potato patches of Prince Edward Island.

The Great White North: Ironically, the most popular sketch was intended as throwaway filler. Bob & Doug McKenzie, dim-witted beer-chugging brothers in a recurring Canadian-themed sketch called Great White North, were initially developed by Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas (Bob & Doug, respectively) as a sardonic response to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) mandate requiring Canadian-based programs to feature two minutes of "identifiably Canadian content" in every episode. The characters ultimately became icons of the very Canadian culture they parodied, spinning off albums, a feature film (Strange Brew), commercials, and numerous TV and film cameos. Bob and Doug helped to popularize the stereotypical Canadian trait of adding "eh" to the end of sentences, a facet of Canadian life that is often gently ridiculed in American shows featuring Canadian characters. Recently, Moranis and Thomas recreated Bob and Doug in the form of a pair of moose in the animated feature Brother Bear from Disney. During Canadian rock band Rush's 2007 Snakes And Arrows tour, Moranis and Thomas reprised their Bob and Doug Mackenzie roles in an introductory clip projected on the rear screen for the song "The Larger Bowl". Previously, Rush used Joe Flaherty in his Count Floyd persona to introduce their song "The Weapon" during their 1984 Grace Under Pressure Tour.

The shows NBC years brought with them a network edict to include musical guests (in part because of their use on Saturday Night Live, which NBC executives considered the model for SCTV, despite their being very different shows). At first, the SCTV cast, writers and producers resisted special guests, on the theory that famous people wouldn't just "drop into" the Melonville studios. However, they soon discovered that by actually working these guests into different shows-within-shows, they could keep the premise going while also giving guest stars something more to do than show up and sing a song. As a result, Dr. John became a featured player in the movie "Polynesiantown," John Mellencamp (then still known as John Cougar) was Mister Hyde to Ed Grimley's Doctor Jekyll in "The Nutty Lab Assistant," Natalie Cole was made into a zombie by a cabbage in "Zontar," and the Boomtown Rats were both blown up on "Farm Film Celebrity Blow Up" and starred in the To Sir With Love parody "Teacher's Pet." It reached a point where Hall & Oates appeared on a "Sammy Maudlin Show" segment, promoting a new film called "Chariots of Eggs," which was a parody of both Chariots of Fire and Personal Best, only to show scenes from the faux movie as clips. Even The Tubes and Plasmatics appeared on the "Fishin' Musician." This, along with SCTV's cult status, led to the show's celebrity fans clamoring to appear. Later on, Tony Bennett credited his appearance on Bob and Doug McKenzie's variety-show debacle "The Great White North Palace" as triggering a significant career comeback. Sketch comedy giant Carol Burnett did an ad for the show in which an alarm clock goes off next to her bed, she rises up suddenly and advises those who couldn't stay up late enough (the NBC version aired from 12:30 to 2 a.m.) to go to bed, get some sleep, then wake up to watch the show. Burnett later briefly appeared in a climactic "courtroom" episode of "The Days of the Week." Former SNL cast member and film actor Bill Murray also guest-starred on a "Days of the Week" installment, as a photography buff scrambling to make it to the wedding of singer-songwriter Clay Collins (Rick Moranis) and town slut Sue-Ellen Allison (Catherine O'Hara) in time to take pictures of the event. In that same episode, he also played two other roles: Johnny LaRue's biggest fan who is subsequently hired to be LaRue's bodyguard (and who pushes his homemade LaRue t-shirts when possible); and he also appeared as Joe DiMaggio in a commercial for DiMaggio's restaurant, where he promised anyone who could strike him out a free meal (the strikeout challenges then took place in the middle of the dining room, with many patrons injured by speeding baseballs). One other point of contention between SCTV and several different networks they were on was the use of laugh tracks. As SCTV wasn't a live show, it paced its comedy accordingly, and several pieces were more outré than standard network fare. The use of a laugh track often stepped clumsily on the punchlines as a result, and there are some reports that the laugh track editor admitted to not getting SCTV's humour and just threw laughs in wherever they would fit. The laugh track used in early episodes was actually recorded using audience reactions during live performances in the Second City theatre. SCTV was initially produced starting in 1976 at the Toronto studios of the Global Television Network, then a small regional network of stations in Southern Ontario. For the first two years of the show, new episodes were seen every second week during the regular TV season from September to March. There were thirteen episodes produced in 1976/77, and another thirteen in 1977/78; these two years of alternate-week programming were considered one 'season' for syndication purposes. All of the original cast (except Harold Ramis) were from the Toronto branch of The Second City theatre improv troupe, and many of them had previously worked together on The David Steinberg Show. Ramis was also a Second City vet, but with the Chicago troupe. The original SCTV cast consisted of John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Ramis and Dave Thomas. All also served as writers on the show, although Martin and O'Hara did not receive writing credits on the very earliest episodes. Ramis served as SCTV's original head writer, but only appeared on-screen as a regular during the first season. The show also usually employed at least one or two other writers outside of the cast, but throughout its run SCTV's content was largely created by the on-screen performers. SCTV became a weekly series on Global for the 1978/79 season, and was seen in syndication throughout Canada and parts of the United States. The show was temporarily off the air, but returned to production after producer Andrew Alexander and Allarcom-ITV Edmonton owner Dr. Charles Allard struck a deal to produce SCTV in Edmonton, Alberta. In 1980, after a one year hiatus, SCTV moved to CBC for its third season, and the show's production base moved to ITV Studios (Global TV) in Edmonton, where the show was produced for the 1980-1981 season, and part of the 1981-1982 season, wrapping production in December 1981. Candy, O'Hara and Ramis dropped out of the show at this juncture; added to the cast (and writing room) were Tony Rosato, Robin Duke and Rick Moranis. Moranis, a friend of Dave Thomas, would be the only cast member not to have come from the ranks of Second City. In 1981, SCTV was picked up as a 90-minute show by NBC as a mid-season replacement (for The Midnight Special), airing first as SCTV Network 90, then as SCTV Network, late Friday nights. For this iteration of SCTV, Rosato and Duke dropped out (and ended up as cast members of Saturday Night Live), and Candy and O'Hara returned. During its network run, the show garnered 15 Emmy nominations, winning two (both for outstanding writing in a variety or music program). The show continued to air on the CBC in Canada as a full hour, edited down from the NBC shows. In 1982, the show moved back to Toronto. Writer/performer Martin Short was added to the cast in late 1982, but several episodes later Catherine O'Hara left again, as did Thomas and Moranis. In the fall of 1983, NBC wanted the late Friday night timeslot for the new Friday Night Videos. SCTV was offered a slot on early Sunday evenings by NBC, but because they would have had to alter their content to appeal to "family" audiences, they declined. Instead, for their final season, the show moved to pay-TV channels Superchannel in Canada and Cinemax in the United States, changing the name slightly to SCTV Channel. For this final season, the cast consisted solely of Flaherty, Levy, Martin and Short, although Candy, Thomas, and O'Hara all made guest appearances. Additionally, writer/performers John Hemphill and Mary Charlotte Wilcox, though never full cast members, appeared semi-regularly throughout Seasons 5 and 6. SCTV initially adapted its comedy from existing sketches and improvisation from the Second City stage show. However, especially after expanding to a ninety minute format, SCTV quickly pushed the envelope on television sketch comedy. While showing some influence from Monty Python's Flying Circus and Saturday Night Live, SCTV eschewed both the live television format and even filming before a live studio audience. This was mostly to save money, but it also allowed more attention and care to be taken in building a premise and supporting it. Having a moderately low budget and limited resources, SCTV got a reputation for making the most out of what it had, reusing sets and particularly taking advantage of expert makeup and hairstyling. With the luxury of being able to take long periods of time in the makeup chair, elaborate characters could be built. Not being bound by expensive and elaborate prosthetics, cast members and makeup artists worked together to create their characters, referring to the process in interviews as "improvisation in the chair." To add to the feel of the show, which after all was supposed to be a low budget local television station that went national, the SCTV crew recruited their dance troupe from the writers on the show, led by costumer Juul Haalmeyer. The "Juul Haalmeyer Dancers" were spectacularly maladroit, parodying dance teams on variety shows through their sheer ineptness, and ultimately attracting a cult fandom of their own. (Juul Haalmeyer himself reports still being asked for autographs years later.) The core premise of the show allowed for tremendous variety in presentation, but unlike Monty Python, which often would cut from one sketch to another without any resolution, the SCTV format required television style bridges. One technique they used was to build premises into "promos" for shows that would never run (such as "Melvin and Howards," a parody of the movie Melvin and Howard which featured Melvin Dummar, Howard Hughes, Howard Cosell, Curly Howard and Senator Howard Baker on a road trip singing old tunes). Another was to take longer pieces that failed and cut them into promos or trailers. These short elements wound up being the equivalent of "blackout" pieces on the Second City stage. However, the internal logic of the series, that this actually was a television station producing low budget programming, was never lost. SCTV's techniques helped inform and influence later shows, with clear influence on The State, the Upright Citizen's Brigade, and The Kids in the Hall. Later shows built a tight theme, sometimes acting as a metaparody, as in the Emmy-winning "Moral Majority" episode where advertisers and special interest groups forced significant changes to SCTV’s programming, "Zontar" (a parody of the John Agar film Zontar, Thing from Venus) which featured an alien race seeking to kidnap SCTV’s on air talent for "a nine show cycle plus three best-ofs" (which was the actual deal NBC worked out with SCTV that season), and an ambitious parody of The Godfather featuring an all out network war over pay television between SCTV, CBS, NBC, ABC and PBS. (The last featured mafia style hits on the sets of The Today Show, Three's Company and The NFL Today, as well as an extended sequence with guest star John Marley reprising his Godfather role of Hollywood mogul Jack Woltz.) While these shows continued to incorporate the broad range of television parodies the show was known for, they also had a strong narrative thread which set the show apart from other sketch comedy shows of the time. The show would also have a huge influence on The Simpsons. In the DVD commentary for Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment (in which Dave Thomas guest-stars), everyone says how much they loved the show and how influential it was because "it was so funny". Matt Groening goes on to say that he was specifically inspired by the town of Melonville, its own little universe with many recurring characters, and that that was the type of universe he wanted for The Simpsons. Both Dave Thomas and Andrea Martin have guest-starred on The Simpsons. Mystery Science Theater 3000 (another humorous program that also enjoyed a "cult" following like that of SCTV) at times featured references to the show and its characters; for example, during the film Space Mutiny, a character with an outrageous hairdo is said to resemble Ed Grimley and prompted numerous impersonations of said character. In another example, near the end of the film Danger! Death Ray a character throws a watch out of a window, prompting Crow T. Robot to cry, "SCTV is on the air!" The entire troupe was given a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in 2002. Also, John Candy, Martin Short, Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara have individual stars. In 1984, after production on the series finally ended, the Second City Television syndicated half-hour episodes and SCTV Network 90-minute episodes were re-edited into half-hour shows for a revised syndicated package, which consisted of 156 re-edited half-hours. In 1990, a separate package of 26 half-hours (edited from the pay-TV SCTV Channel episodes) aired on The Comedy Channel (and later Comedy Central) in the United States. Like the original syndicated series, the US and Canadian versions of the 1984 package differed, with the Canadian half-hours a couple of minutes longer; the running order of episodes also differed between the two countries. By the late 1990s, the re-edited SCTV Channel episodes were added to the regular SCTV syndicated package; three additional half-hours (all from the 1980-1981 season) were restored to the package, knocking the episode count up to 185 half-hours. For years, SCTV was unavailable on video tape (apart from one compilation, The Best Of John Candy On SCTV), or in any form except these re-edited half hour programs. Originally, the producers and editors putting the original shows together never bothered to get clearance to use copyrighted music: for example, the "Fishin' Musician" show ended with Bing Crosby singing "Gone Fishin'", even though SCTV never obtained the clearance rights to use copyrighted music recordings. Whenever anyone uses copyrighted material, such as music in a film, TV program or documentary, clearing the music rights with the copyright owners is a standard procedure. This procedure not only has to be done for TV Broadcasts, but also for any Home Video formats released. Each format, such as VHS or DVD, needs to have the rights cleared all over again for that format. Clearance is negotiated between the producers of, say a program like SCTV and the Music Publishers, such as ASCAP or BMI. These Music Publishers can ask for any amount they wish. There is no regulation on the fees they can ask for. It has been mistakenly believed that the sole reason for SCTV not appearing on DVD before, is that the series did not originally get clearance for the numerous music cues used throughout the six seasons that SCTV was produced. Although the producers did neglect to clear the music for SCTV during production, this has no legal bearing on the use of the music for the DVD releases. However, this could indeed have had a detrimental effect on how smoothly those rights were granted for the use of music on the DVD releases. The ease of obtaining music clearance rights for a given music cue may depend upon the context in which that music cue is used, as well as the willingness of the copyright holder to allow the use of their music in any shape or form. The shows couldn't be reproduced on DVD or video tape until after the laborious rights issues were resolved and clearances were received. In some cases (as with the aforementioned Crosby song) clearances couldn't be secured after the fact and new music had to be edited in its place for the 2005 DVD releases of the 90-minute shows. In a few cases where the music is intrinsic to the premise of the sketch (such as the sketches "Stairways to Heaven" and "The Canadian National Anthem") and rights could not be obtained, sketches have been dropped from the DVDs. Shout! Factory has released SCTV on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. To date, all episodes from Season 4 & 5 (which aired on NBC) have been released in 4 Volumes and a Best-of DVD has been released which features episodes from Seasons 2 & 3. It is not known if the remaining episodes (Seasons 1-3,6) will be released at some point. On May 5 & 6, 2008 most of the cast reunited for a charity event 'The Benefit of Laughter' at the Second City Theatre in Toronto. Eugene Levy, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, and Joe Flaherty took part. The event was a fundraiser for The Alumni Fund, which helps support former Second City cast and crew members facing health or financial difficulties. There is no word yet if the performances will be released. The initial press release for this event also included Dave Thomas, but he reportedly bowed out due to illness.

Like Saturday Night Live, SCTV had a history of launching comedy's Next Big Things (John Candy, Rick Moranis, Harold Ramis, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, and Eugene Levy) but without the bothersome distraction of being a massive hit. Originating in Canada, the sketch show had a certain modesty that fit the stereotype of the self-effacing Canadian; even its most popular creation, Bob & Doug McKenzie's "Great White North," was a good-natured parody of government-mandated, low-budget "Canadian culture" programs. And, it was quite ironic that the Canadian show was a bull’s eye critique of American pop culture. Though, it wasn’t just a Canadian SNL. Yes, both skewer pop culture (and SCTV did air on SNL’s network NBC for 2 seasons), but SCTV was not content to heave mere satiric spitballs; the Second City comedy troupe created an entire ersatz TV network based in the fictional town of Melonville. Its roster of shows-within-the-show ran the gamut from scary-movie anthologies (Monster Chiller Horror Theater with such movies as “Dr. Tongue’s 3-D House of Stewardess”) to soaps (The Days of the Week) to talk shows (The Sammy Maudlin Show). It was wry where SNL was brash and meta where SNL was direct (each show took place in the context of a fictional low-budget TV network). That's not to say SCTV was dull and cerebral, what with the Shmenge Brothers and the blowing things up "real good," but SCTV dared to be little, and was bigger for it. More important though, its fourth-wall-breaking conceit put the very idea of celebrity under a microscope. It laid bare the raging egos and petty vendettas of its sprawling cast of characters, a ball that The Larry Sanders Show would take and run with nearly a decade later. In the process, SCTV established a slew of real and fabricated careers, like Joe Flaherty’s sleazoid station owner Guy Caballero, John Candy’s blustering ranconteur Johnny LaRue, Andrea Martin’s leopard-clad battle-axe Edith Prickley, Martin Short’s Ed Grimley (the only character to appear on SNL and SCTV, though he was referred to as Ed Grimley, Jr. on SNL), and Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis’s aforementioned McKenzie brothers. But, behind the nonstop hilarity, SCTV’s subtext seemed to be: fame is cheap and getting cheaper, while the public’s craving for it knows no bounds. Looking back in our collective rearview mirror at Jim and Tammy Faye Baker, Kato Kaelin, Joey Buttafuoco, Omarosa, and practically everyone who had a famous YouTube video, it’s shocking to see how prophetic these jokers were.

[Hulk With A Mustache]

Tomorrow, numbers 54-51. Here are the hints:

The precursor to ESPN, times of amazement, a colorful cop show, and a musical (in name only) family.

[sryans]

a colorful cop show

NYPD Blue

[Hulk With A Mustache]

Countdown time, once again. Here's number 54:

54. ABC’s Wide World Of Sports



Genre: Sports.
Created by: Edgar J. Schreick.
Executive Producer(s): Roone Arledge.
Starring: Hosts: Jim McKay (1961-1986), Becky Dixon (1987-1988), Frank Gifford (1987-1992), John Saunders (1993), Julie Moran (1994-1995), and Robin Roberts (1996-1997); Event announcers: Mike Adamle, Jack Arute, Jules Bergman, Bob Beattie, Larry Birleffi, Tim Brant, Charlie Brockman, Howard Cosell, Dave Diles, Don Drysdale, Chris Economaki, Jack Edwards, Larry Evans, Bill Flemming, Terry Gannon, Frank Gifford, Curt Gowdy, Phil Hill, Keith Jackson, Jim Lampley, David Letterman, Jim McKay, Clem McSpadden, Don Meredith, Al Michaels, Brent Musburger, Larry Nuber, Bud Palmer, Sam Posey, Bob Rose, Hughes Rudd, Maria Sansone, Chris Schenkel, Jackie Stewart, Al Trautwig, Rodger Ward, Jack Whitaker.
Country of Origin: United States.
Number of Seasons: 37.
Number of Episodes: Unknown.
Running Time: Unknown.
Original Channel: ABC.
Original Run: 1961 – 1998.
Spinoffs: A bowling event in 1961 was so popular that it led to ABC Sports covering the Pro Bowlers Tour in 1962. It also spawned The American Sportsman and The SuperStars. There was also a Canadian and Mexican version in the 1970s and 1980s.

The show debuted April 29, 1961, featuring the Drake Relays from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, along with the Penn Relays from Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was the creation of Edgar J. Scherick through his company, Sports Programs, Inc. After selling his company to the American Broadcasting Company, Scherick hired a young Roone Arledge, to produce the show. Arledge would eventually go on to become the executive producer of ABC Sports (as well as president of ABC News). Scherick became Vice President of Network Programming at ABC. Several years later, he became a film and television producer, with over seventy titles to his credit. The show was hosted by Jim McKay. Wide World of Sports was intended to be a "fill-in" show for a single summer season, until the start of fall sports seasons, but became unexpectedly popular. The goal of the show, which originally ran for ninety minutes on Saturday afternoons and featuring two or three sports, was to showcase sports from around the globe. These included many types not normally seen on American television, such as hurling, rodeo, curling, jai-alai, firefighter's competitions, surfing, logger sports, demolition derby and badminton. Traditional Olympic sports such as figure skating, skiing, gymnastics, and track and field competitions were also regular features of the show. The broadcast was hosted for most of its history by Jim McKay. Wide World of Sports aired from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time and later 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 Eastern Time. The show was introduced by a stirring, brassy musical fanfare (composed by Charles Fox) over a montage of sports clips and dramatic accompanying narration by McKay:

“Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition… This is ABC's Wide World of Sports!”

It was written by Stanley Ralph Ross. The melodramatic introduction became a national catch phrase that is often heard to this day. While "the thrill of victory" had several symbols over the decades, ski jumper Vinko Bogataj, whose dreadful misjump and crash of March 21, 1970 was featured from the late 1970s onward under the words "...and the agony of defeat", became a hard-luck hero of sorts, and an affectionate icon for stunning failure. Previously, the footage played with that phrase was of another ski jumper who made a long, almost successful jump, but whose skis lost vertical alignment shortly before landing, leading to a crash. Later in the 1990s, an additional clip was added to the "agony of defeat" sequence after Bogataj's accident. Footage of a crash by Alessandro Zampedri, Roberto Guerrero and Eliseo Salazar during the 1996 Indianapolis 500 shows a car flipping up into the catchfence. The "oh no!" commentary that accompanies it, however, is dubbed from commentary by Benny Parsons of a different crash in a different race (1997 NASCAR Purolator 500). Bogataj's mishap is also commemorated in Rich Hall's book Sniglets as "agonosis," which is defined as "The syndrome of tuning in on Wide World of Sports every weekend just to watch the skier rack himself." The show had some spinoffs: In 1961, Wide World of Sports covered a bowling event in which Roy Lown beat Pat Patterson, it was so successful that in 1962, ABC Sports began covering the Pro Bowlers Tour. In 1964, Wide World of Sports covered the Oklahoma Rattlesnake Hunt championships. The following year The American Sportsman premiered, and it would stay on for nearly 20 years. In 1973 the Superstars was first televised as a segment on Wide World of Sports, the following year, The SuperStars debut as a weekly winter series that lasted for 10 years. During the 1970s and 1980s, a Canadian version was aired by the CTV Television Network. Licensed by ABC, the CTV broadcast included a mix of content from the American show, and segments produced by CTV and its affiliates. During the 1970s and 1980s, there was a Mexican version, aired by Imevision, the TV channel of the Mexican government, known as DeporTV, El Ancho Mundo del Deporte (DeporTV, the Wide World of Sports). The logo and motto were later dropped by TV Azteca. Wide World of Sports was the first program to show coverage of Wimbledon, The Indianapolis 500, NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, Daytona 500, The U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Little League World Series, The Open Championship, X-Games, Grey Cup and many others. In 1963, the producers of ABC Sports began selecting the Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year. Its first winner was track and field star Jim Beatty for its first under 4 minute mile run indoors. Through the years, this award was won by the likes of Muhammad Ali, Jim Ryun, Lance Armstrong, Mario Andretti, Wayne Gretzky, Carl Lewis and Tiger Woods. The award was discontinued in 2001. In later years, with the rise of cable television offering more outlets for sports programming, Wide World of Sports lost much of its appeal. Ultimately, the Wide World of Sports name was used as an umbrella title for ABC's weekend sports programming. Wide World of Sports discontinued its traditional anthology series format in 1997. In August 2006, ABC Sports was effectively displaced by the concept of ESPN on ABC. The Wide World of Sports name continues to occasionally be revived for Saturday afternoon sports programming on ABC, most recently during the 140th Belmont Stakes as a tribute to the recently deceased Jim McKay.

Now, why would I include a show that basically just aired sporting events of competitions that most people would argue aren’t really sports? Because, if it wasn’t for ABC’s Wide World Of Sports, then there wouldn’t be all those thousands of sports channels on TV today. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing I will leave up to you. Nevertheless, Wide World Of Sports gave TV viewers a taste of athletic competition the likes of which people hadn’t really seen before, which was a pretty big task considering the country it aired in. The gazillion dollars spent on David Beckham notwithstanding, the idea of sports making Americans aware of the larger world is something of a contradiction in terms. We are the country that plays football with our hands and has a two-nation sports league with only one team in Canada that holds a "World Series," added to the fact that we usually call our champions “World Champions” despite the fact the teams of two American cities fought for that “World Championship” (And, yes, I’m aware that there are many pro athletes who were born in other countries, but we still make them come play in America). But for decades Edgar J. Scherick and Roone Arledge's ambitious anthology assembled games from hurling to jai alai, gave weekend couch potatoes a global perspective long before ESPN, and set the standard for nonfiction TV production. And, they did it all in such an amazing way. By exploiting the speed of jet transportation and flexibility of videotape, Scherick was able to undercut NBC and CBS's advantages in broadcasting live sporting events. In that era, with communications nowhere near as universal as they are today, ABC was able to safely record events on videotape for later broadcast without worrying about an audience finding out the results. As for Arledge, he had a genius for the dramatic story line that unfolded in the course of a game or event. He also hired legendary sports broadcaster Jim McKay to host and sometimes announce the show. McKay's honest curiosity and reporter's bluntness gave the show an emotional appeal which attracted viewers who might not otherwise watch a sporting event. But more importantly from Arledge's perspective, Wide World of Sports allowed him to demonstrate his ability as an administrator as well as producer. Arledge personally produced all ten ABC Olympic broadcasts, created the primetime Monday Night Football, and coined ABC's famous "Thrill of victory, agony of defeat" tagline, although ABC insiders of that era attribute the authorship to McKay. Hell, Arledge was so good at producing sports that ABC hired him to produce their news division while he was still in charge of ABC Sports and despite the fact that the only news experience he had was during the hostage crisis of the 1972 Munich Games, and he ended up leading ABC’s World News Tonight to a ten-year domination of the network news ratings. Not bad for a sports producer. Wide World of Sports showed American fans that there was more to "the constant variety of sport" than the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB and changed the landscape of sports television, even if that poor "agony of defeat" ski jumper had to sacrifice himself to get their attention.

[Hulk With A Mustache]

53. The Wonder Years



Genre: Comedy, Drama.
Created by: Carol Black and Neal Marlens.
Executive Producer(s): Bob Brush, Michael Dinner, Jill Gordon, Sy Rosen, and Bob Stevens.
Starring: Fred Savage (Kevin Arnold), Dan Lauria (Jack Arnold), Alley Mills (Norma Arnold), Olivia d'Abo (Karen Arnold), Jason Hervey (Wayne Arnold), Danica McKellar (Gwendolyn “Winnie” Cooper), Josh Saviano (Paul Pfeiffer), and Daniel Stern (Kevin Arnold as an adult, the narrator).
Country of Origin: United States.
Number of Seasons: 6.
Number of Episodes: 115.
Running Time: 22 minutes.
Original Channel: ABC.
Original Run: January 31, 1988 – May 12, 1993
Spinoffs: None.

The show was created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988 after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII. Set in 1968-1973 (each season took place exactly twenty years before the then current year), the series tackles the social issues and historic events of that time through the eyes of main character Kevin Arnold, a teenage American student, growing up in the late 1960s and early 1970s.. Kevin also deals with typical teenage social issues, including those prompted by his main love interest, Winnie Cooper, as well as typical family troubles. The story is narrated by an older, wiser Kevin (voiced by Daniel Stern), describing what is happening and what he learned from his experiences in an alternately nostalgic and ironic tone. The other main characters on the show included: Jack Arnold (Dan Lauria): Kevin's father, a moody man and a Korean War veteran; he mentions having been in the US Marine Corps and he is seen in photographs wearing the uniform of a First Lieutenant. He works at NORCOM, a large electronics corporation in a middle management position he loathes. Later, he starts his own business, building and selling handcrafted furniture. The last episode reveals that he dies of a heart attack in 1975 (around the end of Kevin's freshman year of college i.e. two years after the time of the show's finale); Norma Arnold (Alley Mills): Kevin's stay-at-home mother. She met Jack as a college freshman. When he graduated, she moved across the country with him and didn't finish college. She eventually gets her degree late in the series, and starts working at a software startup called Micro Electronics; Karen Arnold (Olivia d'Abo): Kevin's older, hippie sister. She continually clashes with her overbearing father due to her free-spirited ways and his traditional views while her mother usually acts as the mediator. She has a falling out with her father when she moves in with her boyfriend Michael (David Schwimmer) during her freshman year of college. A year later, the pair gets married in an outdoor wedding and moves to Alaska; Wayne Arnold (Jason Hervey): Kevin's older brother, who enjoys physically tormenting Kevin and Paul. He takes over the furniture business when his father dies. Wayne is typically portrayed as a loser when it comes to serious romantic relationships; Gwendolyn "Winnie" Cooper (Danica McKellar): Kevin's main love interest. In an episode entitled "The Accident" and in the final episode, it is stated that every important event in Kevin's life somehow involves Winnie. She lives on the same block as Kevin. Their first kiss and her older brother's death while serving as a soldier in the Vietnam War play an important part of the pilot episode. In one episode, her parents separate over their grief of the death of their son. In the epilogue of the final episode, it is revealed that Winnie goes on to study art history in Paris. Kevin and Winnie write a letter to each other every week for eight years until she returns. Despite their life-long romance, they never marry and end up living separate lives: and Paul Joshua Pfeiffer (Josh Saviano): Kevin's lifelong best friend, an intelligent and excellent student. He is allergic to several substances. Paul is Jewish, which is the focus of an episode where he becomes Bar Mitzvah. In the final episode it is revealed that he goes to Harvard University. The story begins with Kevin, Paul, and Winnie on the verge of starting junior high school in 1968. The elder Kevin narrates that, like many schools that year, his junior high was re-named to Robert F. Kennedy. In the pilot, Winnie's older brother is killed in action in Vietnam. Kevin meets Winnie in a nearby wooded area called Harpers Woods, and they end up sharing their first kiss. This unsaid relationship between Winnie and Kevin remains dormant for a long while, with Winnie starting to date a popular 8th grader named Kirk McCray, and Kevin briefly going steady with Becky Slater. After Kevin breaks up with Becky due to his feelings for Winnie, Becky becomes a recurring nuisance for Kevin. Winnie eventually dumps Kirk as well, and Kevin and Winnie share a second kiss at the start of the 1969 summer vacation. Around Valentine's Day 1970, Winnie temporarily dates Paul, who has broken up with his girlfriend Carla. Winnie and Kevin start dating each other soon after. Just before the summer break, Winnie and her family move to a house 4 miles away. Although Winnie attends a new school, Lincoln Junior High, she and Kevin decide to remain together and maintain a successful long distance relationship. A beautiful new student named Madeline Adams joins Kevin's school quickly catches Kevin's eye, but it is Winnie who breaks up with Kevin after she has met Roger, a typical jock-type at her new school. Both relationships don't last long, but Winnie and Kevin are not reunited until a car accident hurts Winnie. After graduating from Junior High, Kevin and Winnie both go to McKinley High and Paul goes to a prep school. Kevin has several brief flings during the summer of 1971 and the 1971/72 academic year. After Kevin's grandfather gets his driver's license revoked, he sells his car to Kevin for a dollar. Paul transfers to McKinley High after his first semester at prep school when his father runs into financial troubles. Winnie and Kevin are reunited when they go on a double date to a school dance and find themselves more attracted to each other than their respective partners. Facing peer pressure in the episode "White Lies", Kevin implies to his friends that he had had sex with Winnie, but the spreading rumor causes Kevin and Winnie to break up for a few episodes. In late 1972 Wayne starts working at NORCOM, and starts dating his co-worker Bonnie, a divorcee with a son, but the relationship does not last. Kevin's dad quits NORCOM, and starts up a furniture manufacturing business. In the finale double episode, Winnie decides to take a job for the summer of 1973 as a lifeguard at a resort. Kevin, anxious to experience a taste of adult life, plans a cross-country trip with his friends. Kevin's dad, Jack, vehemently objects to Kevin's plan and ultimately Kevin abandons his planned trip. Kevin returns to his job at his father's furniture factory and telephones Winnie, who by all accounts is distant and seems to be enjoying her time away from Kevin. Eventually, Kevin and his father have a huge fight and Kevin announces that he is leaving, reasoning that he needs to "find himself." Kevin hops in his car and heads to the resort where Winnie is working, hopeful that she can secure him a job and they can spend the rest of the summer together. Much to Kevin's chagrin, Winnie does not appear too pleased with Kevin's arrival and maintains her distance. Kevin is finally able to secure a job at the resort's restaurant and resides in the bus boys' dorm. Feeling confused and frustrated over Winnie's behavior, Kevin searches out other activities to occupy his time. Kevin decides to play poker with the resort's in-house band members. Kevin wins big and goes searching for Winnie, anxious to share the tale of his good fortune. When Kevin finds her, Winnie is engaged in a passionate kiss with a male lifeguard. The next day, Kevin confronts Winnie about her actions, and they have a huge fight. The fallout with Winnie leads Kevin to play another round of poker with the band. This time Kevin ends up losing everything, including his car. Desperate, Kevin confronts Winnie and her new beau at the restaurant and ends up punching him in the face. Kevin then leaves the resort on foot. On a desolate stretch of highway, Kevin decides to begin hitchhiking. He finally gets picked up by an elderly couple and much to his surprise he finds Winnie in the backseat. Winnie was fired over the fight Kevin instigated at the resort. Kevin and Winnie begin to argue and the elderly couple get fed up and decides to drop them both off. A flash rain storm begins and Kevin and Winnie search for shelter. They find a barn and discuss how much things are changing and the prospects for the future. At first Winnie tells Kevin that she doesn't see them ending up together but quickly recants, telling Kevin "I don't want it to end." Kevin and Winnie share a passionate kiss and spend the night together. It is implied, and generally believed by fans of the show, that they make love for the first time during this moment, but it wasn't confirmed by the narrator one way or the other. They soon find their way back to their hometown and arrive hand-in-hand to a 4th of July Parade. During this parade, Kevin (Daniel Stern) describes the fate of the show's main characters. Kevin made up with his father, returned to work, graduated high school in 1974 and then left for college. Paul studies law at Harvard. Karen gives birth to a son in September 1973. Kevin's mother becomes a businesswoman and board chairman. Kevin's father dies two years later, and Wayne takes over his father's furniture business. Winnie studies art history in Paris while Kevin stays in the United States. Winnie and Kevin end up writing each other "once a week" for the next eight years. In the final epilogue, Kevin mentions how he is there, along with his wife and child, to greet Winnie when she returned to the United States in 1982. The final sounds, voice-over and dialogue of the episode and series, is that of Kevin (Daniel Stern) providing concluding narration with the sound of children playing in the background:

Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you're in diapers, the next day you're gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town, a house, like a lot of houses. A yard like a lot of other yards. On a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back...with wonder.

A young boy (Stern's real life son) can be heard asking his dad to come out and play during a break in the final narration. Kevin's (Daniel Stern) narrative responds, "I'll be right there" as the episode closes.

The show achieved a spot in the Nielsen Top Ten for two of its six seasons. TV Guide named the show one of the 1980s' 20 best. After only six episodes aired, The Wonder Years won an Emmy for best comedy series in 1988. Moreover, at the age of 13, Fred Savage gained the honor of being the youngest actor ever nominated Outstanding Lead Actor for a Comedy Series. In addition, the show was awarded a George Foster Peabody Award in 1989, for achieving two seemingly contradictory effects. In total, the series won 22 awards, and was nominated for a further 54 more. Unlike most long-running popular American TV sitcoms, The Wonder Years has still not yet been released on DVD as official season box sets due to the cost of securing the music rights. Because of this, The Wonder Years routinely appears high on the list of TV shows in-demand for a DVD release. Officially, The Wonder Years has so far only been released as two 'best-of' DVD sets, without the original music: The Best of The Wonder Years July 24, 1999 and The Christmas Wonder Years July 24, 1999. Both sets are now quite rare and exceptionally expensive. However, an unofficial box set has been made available by the web site www.poppingtags.com. It is only available in a seven disc set that includes all six seasons. Unfortunately, its bootleg characteristics are quite visible in each episode since it was recorded directly from cable and contains the "ABC Family" logo at the bottom of the screen.

Here was the first series about kids don by people who actually had been kids, or so it seemed, such was the power of its humor and insight. Charting the life of a middle American boy named Kevin Arnold, played with unusual deftness by Fred Savage, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the ABC series adroitly captured the contradictory rush of emotions, sometimes ecstatic, sometime wrenching, that course through a real 12-year-old’s mind as he faces the world. The scenes are vintage small-town boy: when Kevin visits the factory where his father is manager, he swells with pride as Dad chews out subordinates for slacking off but later is crushed to hear his dad get a similar tongue-lashing from his boss. When Kevin is paired with the dowdiest girl at a school dance, he finds he actually likes her, but when his friends later poke fun at her, he remains silent. “In seventh grade, who you are is what other seventh-graders say you are,” explains the grown-up Kevin (narrator Daniel Stern, who, though never seen, acted as a poignant pundit, bringing viewers inside the main characters mind as no show had before). Unfortunately, though, the show had a built-in biological clock: How wondrous would the adolescent years be when Kevin had to cope with issues like drugs and sex, especially in a time when both were rampant? The producers had always joked that they would end the show when the period music became disco, but it actually didn’t last that long; in 1993 (1973 in the show’s time), The Wonder Years aired its last episode. Kevin, now 17, grew disgusted with a job at his dad’s factory and walked out, into the arms of his girlfriend Winnie. But for six seasons, his wonders, and the viewers’, had never ceased.

[Hulk With A Mustache]

52. NYPD Blue



Genre: Police procedural, Drama.
Created by: Steven Bochco and David Milch.
Executive Producer(s): Steven Bochco, David Milch, Matt Olmstead, Nicholas Wootton, Bill Clark, Mark Tinker, Hans VanDoornewaard, William M. Finkelstein, and Gregory Hoblit.
Starring: Dennis Franz (Det./Sgt. Andy Sipowicz), David Caruso (Det. John Kelly Season 1 and four episodes of season 2), James McDaniel (Lt./Capt. Arthur Fancy Seasons 1-8), Sherry Stringfield (ADA Laura Michaels Season 1), Amy Brenneman (Officer Janice Licalsi Season 1 and two episodes of season 2), Nicholas Turturro (Ofc./Det./Sgt. James Martinez Seasons 1-7), Gordon Clapp (Det. Greg Medavoy), Sharon Lawrence (ADA Sylvia Costas Seasons 2-5, recurring previously and after), Gail O'Grady (Donna Abandando Seasons 2-3, recurring previously), Jimmy Smits (Det. Bobby Simone Seasons 2-6 plus one episode in season 12), Kim Delaney (Det. Diane Russell Seasons 3-8, recurring previously and after), Bill Brochtrup (John Irvin Seasons 7-12, recurring previously), Justine Miceli (Det. Adrienne Lesniak Season 3, recurring Season 2), Andrea Thompson (Det. Jill Kirkendall Seasons 5-7, recurring Season 4), Rick Schroder (Det. Danny Sorenson Seasons 6-8), Henry Simmons (Det. Baldwin Jones Seasons 7-12), John F. O'Donohue (Det./Sgt. Eddie Gibson Season 11, recurring previously), Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon (ADA Valerie Haywood Seasons 8-11), Charlotte Ross (Det. Connie McDowell Seasons 8-11), Esai Morales (Lt. Tony Rodriguez Seasons 8-11), Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Det. John Clark, Jr. Seasons 9-12), Jacqueline Obradors (Det. Rita Ortiz Seasons 9-12), Currie Graham (Lt. Thomas Bale Season 12), and Bonnie Somerville (Det. Laura Murphy Season 12).
Country of Origin: United States.
Number of Seasons: 12.
Number of Episodes: 261.
Running Time: 60 minutes.
Original Channel: ABC.
Original Run: September 21, 1993 – March 1, 2005.
Spinoffs: None.

The show was created by Steven Bochco and David Milch and inspired by Milch's relationship with Bill Clark, a former member of the New York City Police Department who eventually became one of the show's producers. The show was initially a vehicle for David Caruso. In a departure from previous Bochco series, John Kelly was the main character and the first season revolved around him and his professional and personal lives (promo shots for the show depicted Caruso in the foreground and other first-season characters set off behind him). Season 2 saw the departure of John Kelly, and with his departure, the decision was made to return to a more ensemble series. Dennis Franz, as Andy Sipowicz, a veteran New York City Police detective, eventually evolved into the show's lead character, taking more and more of a mentorship role as the series progressed (to the point of finally being promoted to sergeant and running the detective squad at the end of the series finale). His principal co-stars included (Season 2 and beyond) Jimmy Smits as Det. Bobby Simone (1994-1998), Rick Schroder as Det. Danny Sorenson (1998-2001) and Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Det. John Clark Jr. (2001-2005). Each was paired with Franz's Sipowicz, providing a younger and more suave foil to the abrasive, tragedy-prone detective. In Season 1, John Kelly and Andy Sipowicz are detectives in the 15th squad. Sipowicz is the elder partner but is a drunk and a threat to the partnership lasting much longer. Kelly has a genuine affection for his partner but becomes increasingly exasperated by Sipowicz's behavior which eventually leads to Sipowicz being shot by a mobster during one of his frequent liaisons with a hooker. Whilst his partner is recuperating, Kelly is teamed up by the squad's Lieutenant, Arthur Fancy, with a young cop from Anti-Crime, James Martinez. Kelly's personal life is no less frenetic as he is going through a divorce from his wife, Laura, and is embarking on an affair with a uniformed cop, Janice Licalsi. To complicate matters further, Licalsi has been ordered to do a 'hit' on Kelly by mob boss Angelo Marino otherwise Marino would turn in Licalsi's father, who is on his payroll. Instead, Licalsi murders Marino and the repercussions come back to haunt both her and Kelly. Sipowicz, meanwhile, sobers up and embarks on an affair with A.D.A. Sylvia Costas whilst the other detective in the squad, Greg Medavoy, embarks on an affair of his own with the squad's new P.A.A., Donna Abandando. In Season 2, Licalsi is found guilty of the manslaughter of Marino and his driver and is given a two year sentence. Because of his involvement with Licalsi, and the belief that he withheld evidence that could have given her a longer sentence, Kelly is transferred out of the 15th and chooses to leave the department altogether. He is replaced by Bobby Simone, a widower whose previous job was that of driver for the Police Commissioner. This does not sit well with Sipowicz but in time he learns to accept his new partner and, as his relationship with Sylvia leads down the aisle, asks Simone to be his best man. After an affair with a journalist who uses information that he gives her in an article, Simone begins a relationship with another new officer in the squad, Diane Russell. Sipowicz, still a recovering alcoholic, recognizes in Russell's behavior that she also has a problem and, after much prompting, she herself goes to AA. Elsewhere, due to his lack of self-belief that a woman like Donna could love him, Medavoy's relationship with her breaks down, due in no small part to Donna's visiting sister. At the beginning of Season 3, Sylvia is two weeks late and it transpires that she is pregnant with Andy's child. A baby boy, Theo, is born towards the end of the season. This is contrasted with the fate that awaits Sipowicz's older son, Andy Jr., who announces that he is to join the police force. Andy is finally bonding with his estranged son when he is gunned down, which leads the elder Sipowicz to fall off the wagon. Andy Jr.’s murderers are killed themselves by Simone in an act of self defense. Bobby and Diane, whose relationship had been put on hold while she attended AA, restart their relationship only for Diane to begin drinking again when her abusive father beats her mother. Her father is eventually killed and her remaining parent becomes the prime suspect. James Martinez and new detective Adrienne Lesniak begin an affair but only after Lesniak tells Medavoy that she is gay; Martinez later breaks up with her due to her controlling and unpleasant behavior, and Lesniak eventually leaves the squad. Medavoy himself leaves his wife, recognizing that she is holding him back but it is too late to save his relationship with Donna who leaves to take up a job with Apple. During the next two seasons, there are a few minor cast changes: Donna is replaced by several PAA's, most notably by Lourdes Benedicto, who plays Gina Colon, a character that eventually marries Martinez and is written out; and Andrea Thompson who plays Det. Jill Kirkendall and is partnered up with Russell. Sipowicz's battle with prostate cancer and the up-and-down Simone/Russell relationship, which included Russell's revelation of an incestuous relationship with her father. Also during this time, Franz would win four Emmy Awards, and both Delaney and Clapp would each win an Emmy for supporting roles. Season 6 becomes a major turning point in the history of the series, as Smits decides not to renew his contract and leaves the show. His exit is explained as Simone becoming ill with an enlarged heart, shortly after marrying Russell in a civil ceremony, and his body's subsequent rejection of a heart transplant. Smits was replaced by Rick Schroder as Det. Danny Sorenson. Also during Season 6, two other critical incidents occur: the cocaine overdose death of PAA Dolores Mayo (played by Lola Glaudini), and the shocking death of Costas, gunned down at the courthouse trial of the suspect accused in Mayo's death by her distraught father. Costas's final words of 'Take care of the baby' to Sipowicz leads to his total initial withdrawal from the squad. Yet, his keen perceptiveness allows him to gain a confession from the accused suspect, who tried to buy his way out of trouble. Furthermore, Sipowicz reaches a level of understanding with PAA John Irvin (portrayed by Bill Brochtrup), whose homosexuality was a foible for Sipowicz in their interactions to that point. The next two seasons see the continuation of the Sipowicz/Sorenson relationship, along with more changes in the squad: departing during this time were Kirkendall, Martinez, Fancy as squad leader (through a promotion to write him out), and even Russell herself for a leave of absence to grieve the loss of Simone. Arriving to replace them would be Det. Baldwin Jones, played by Henry Simmons, Det. Connie McDowell played by Charlotte Ross, and Lt. Tony Rodriguez, played by Esai Morales. At the end of Season 8, Sorenson is approached by the owners of a strip club to work for them providing information and such. After reporting this to Lt. Rodriguez, Sorenson goes undercover, but then turns up missing after a stripper he was seeing turns up dead in his apartment (not by his doing as it turns out). The Sorenson character would be written out at the start of Season 9 at the request of Schroder, who wanted to spend more time with his family in Montana. The fourth and final phase of the show would take place over the final four seasons. In addition to the 'Sorenson missing' storyline, Season 9 would also initially tie-in with the September 11 terrorist attacks. A suspect trades immunity for a robbery and shooting in exchange for information on a buried rug in Brooklyn that turns out to include Sorenson's dead body. Filling the void as partner for Sipowicz is newly promoted Det. John Clark, played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar. As with Simone and Sorenson, there is initial tension between Clark and Sipowicz, largely due to an old feud from years earlier involving Sipowicz and Clark's father, John Clark Sr. (played in guest spots by Joe Spano). Season 9 also sees the introduction of Det. Rita Ortiz played by Jacqueline Obradors. The remaining four years would see a continuing focus on Sipowicz as the main character, as had been the case since Simone's death. Another unlikely romance would develop between Sipowicz and McDowell. This came about due to her ability to stand up to Sipowicz's gruffness, and her tender relationship with Theo (played by Austin Majors). They would eventually marry, and after adopting McDowell's sister's baby daughter (following the sister's murder by her husband, Connie's brother-in-law), they would have a child of their own as well. The McDowell character would eventually become an off-screen character only in the final two seasons, due to issues between Ross and show executives. Other departures and arrivals: Rodriguez would be written out following a dispute with an IAB captain who shot him in a drunken rage; replacing him initially as head of the squad was Sgt. Eddie Gibson, played by former actual NYPD officer John F. O'Donohue, who had previously served in the squad both on night watch and briefly on the 'day tour'; Gibson was then removed and replaced at the start of Season 12 by Lt. Thomas Bale, played by Currie Graham; arriving and then departing was ADA Valerie Haywood, played by Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon; and replacing McDowell was young Det. Laura Murphy, played by Bonnie Somerville. The final few episodes involve the impending retirement of Det. Medavoy, long the bumbling but well-meaning court jester in the show, and Sipowicz's attempts to take the Sergeants exam. March 1, 2005 saw the show's 261st and final episode, "Moving Day", bringing an end to the show's 12 year run. Rather than have another huge controversial event or kill off a character, the decision was to have the final episode be like just another day on the job only with Andy as the new squad room leader. In the final scene, previous squad leader Lieutenant Bale wishes Andy good luck with his new position, looks around his old office and says "It's yours." Then all the detectives come in, one by one, to wish Andy goodnight. The last one to say goodbye is John Clark with "Good night, Boss." Andy surveys his new office, puts his reading glasses on, and begins to go through the paper work on his desk. The camera then moves out through the 15th precinct squadroom and out the door, it moves up and then we see the squad room sign over the door one last time. The show was known for some controversy. Fifty-seven of ABC's 225 affiliates preempted the first episode because of protests led by Rev. Donald Wildmon and his American Family Association (AFA). The preemptions were mostly in smaller markets, comprising 10-15% of potential viewers which limited the impact of the protest. The show's ratings success led most affiliates (and advertisers) to end their opposition. By the end of the first season the show was a Top 20 hit and protests by the AFA were countered by support from Viewers For Quality Television and recognition from Emmy and People's Choice Awards. The program earned Franz a best-actor Emmy for the first season (one of four he received for the role) and a best drama series Emmy for the show's second season. Cast members who appeared nude included Caruso, Stringfield, Brenneman, Franz, Smits, Lawrence, O'Grady, Delaney, Miceli, Thompson, Schroder, Simmons, Ross, Gosselaar and Obradors. Gordon Clapp had also filmed a nude scene to be aired in the series' 11th season but it was broadcast only in a heavily edited version in the wake of the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy. In 2005, L. Brent Bozell III told Time that the nudity on the series influenced him to establish the Parents Television Council, in which he served as president from 1995 to 2006. The PTC has directly criticized several episodes of the show for perceived vulgarity and filed complaint with the FCC over the use of obscene language in several episodes aired in early 2003, at the last half of the tenth season of the show, associating the series with a perceived increase in profanity and violence on prime-time television from the late 1990s to early 2000s. The FCC ruled that the language in the episodes was indecent but decided not to fine ABC because the episodes aired before a 2004 ruling that obscenities would lead to an automatic fine. However, on January 25, 2008, Broadcasting & Cable reported that the FCC would propose a $1.4 million fine against ABC over the episode "Nude Awakening" that aired on February 25, 2003, due to scenes of "adult sexual nudity". According to NYPD Blue: A Final Tribute a retrospective broadcast on the same night as the last episode, the controversy wasn't limited to what was on the screen. David Milch, the show's co-creator and head writer, was a controversial figure on the set during the seven years he was with the show. His working style and tendency to leave writing to the last minute contributed to a frustrating working environment for some of the cast and crew. Smits left the show when his contract ended because of it. Milch cites his own alcoholism and other addictions as factors contributing to the difficult environment. In spite of the controversy, Milch is usually credited as a major creative force during the years he worked on the show; Milch won two Emmy Awards for his writing, shared another as executive producer and shared in a further ten nominations for his writing and production. Since 1997, due to the show's popularity, reruns of the series have also been running heavily in syndication, initially on FX and Court TV. As of 2008, in the United States, repeat broadcasts of the show can be seen on the TNT cable network.

The title wasn’t just an allusion to cocreators Steven Bochco and David Milch’s previous cop-show masterpiece Hill Street Blues. It’s a cheeky pun to boot: NYPD Blue was the bluest show in prime time history. But, the controversial cusswords and bare butts were merely a come-on to get curious viewers to tune in to a truly mature drama, one that featured fully fleshed-out characters grappling with such tough issues as racial prejudice, prostate cancer, domestic violence, and alcoholism. When NYPD Blue premiered on ABC in 1993, it made instant sex symbols out of a pair of unlikely mugs: redheaded, pale faced David Caruso (as perpetually simmering Det. John Kelly) and bald, potbellied Dennis Franz (as his deeply irascible partner, Det. Andy Sipowicz). The headlines about Blue’s “adult content” were soon replaced by stories about Caruso’s temperamental on-set behavior, and his departure early in the second season raised questions about the show’s future. But, the show continued for 11 more seasons, with Sipowicz getting three different partners: First, Jimmy Smits (who had worked with Bochco on L.A. Law) seamlessly segued into the lead role of Det. Bobby Simone, a widower whose grief was assuaged by his romance with fellow cop Diane Russell (Kim Delaney). Then, a pair of former kid stars joined the show hoping to shed their good boy image. Rick Schroder, of Silver Spoons fame, was first, as Det. Danny Sorenson, a confident young detective who later fell from grace because of alcohol and was killed by a mob hitman. Then, Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Yes, Zach Morris was on NYPD Blue!) stepped in as Det. John Clark, Jr., who nearly ended up like Sorenson with alcohol and sex addiction but cleaned up his act. It may have been weird seeing two former child stars playing such adult, but maturing was what the show was about. With NYPD Blue, Bochco built on the groundbreaking Hill Street Blues, bringing the cop show into the 1990s with evocative dialogue and first-rank acting. Yet Blue’s episodes were also a throwback to an earlier era of sprawling urban tableaux like “The French Connection” and “Prince of the City,” with TV now offering the kinds of great, gritty crime dramas that movie studios don’t really make anymore.

[Hulk With A Mustache]

51. The Sopranos



Genre: Crime Drama.
Created by: David Chase.
Executive Producer(s): David Chase, Brad Grey, Ilene S. Landress, Terence Winter, and Matthew Weiner.
Starring: James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano), Edie Falco (Carmela Soprano), Robert Iler (Anthony “A.J.” Soprano, Jr.), Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Meadow Soprano), Lorraine Bracco (Dr. Jennifer Melfi), Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltisanti), Dominic Chianese (Corrado “Junior” Soprano, Jr.), Steven Van Zandt (Silvio Dante), Tony Sirico (Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri), Drea de Matteo (Adriana La Cerva), Aida Turturro (Janice Soprano Baccalieri), Steven R. Schirripa (Bobby “Baccala” Baccalieri), Nancy Marchand (Livia Soprano), Vincent Pastore (Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero), Joe Pantoliano (Ralph Cifaretto), Vincent Curatola (Johnny “Sack” Sacrimoni), Frank Vincent (Phil Leotardo), John Ventimiglia (Artie Bucco), Federico Castelluccio (Furio Guinta), Sharon Angela (Rosalie Aprile), Kathrine Narducci (Charmaine Bucco), Steve Buscemi (Tony Blundetto), David Proval (Richie Aprile), Joseph R. Gannascoli (Vito Spatafore), and Dan Grimaldi (Patsy Parisi).
Country of Origin: United States.
Number of Seasons: 6.
Number of Episodes: 86.
Running Time: 50 minutes.
Original Channel: HBO.
Original Run: January 10, 1999 – June 10, 2007
Spinoffs: None.

Prior to creating The Sopranos, David Chase had been a television writer for over 20 years and was well-known in television circles for his dark, edgy writing. He had been employed as a staff writer/producer for several television series (including Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Rockford Files, I'll Fly Away, and Northern Exposure) and had created one original series, Almost Grown, in 1988. Before his success with The Sopranos, Chase had won two Emmy Awards: one in 1980 for writing the TV movie “Off the Minnesota Strip,” and one in 1978 for his work on The Rockford Files (shared with fellow producers). The story of The Sopranos was initially conceived as a feature film about "a mobster in therapy having problems with his mother." After some input from his manager, Lloyd Braun, Chase decided to adapt it into a television series. In 1995, Chase signed a development deal with production company Brillstein-Grey and wrote the original pilot script. Drawing heavily from his personal life and his experiences growing up in New Jersey, Chase has stated that he tried to "apply [his own] family dynamic to mobsters." For instance, the tumultuous relationship between series protagonist Tony Soprano and his mother, Livia, is partially based on Chase's relationship with his own mother. Chase was also in therapy at the time and modeled the character of Dr. Jennifer Melfi after his own psychiatrist. Chase had been fascinated by the Mafia from an early age, having been raised on classic gangster films like “The Public Enemy” and the crime series The Untouchables as well as witnessing such people growing up, and decided to use a Mafia backdrop for his show because he felt a series about a television writer in therapy would not be particularly interesting to watch. He also thought the setting would allow him to explore themes such as Italian-American identity and the nature of violence, among many others. Chase himself is Italian-American, his original family name being DeCesare. Chase and producer Brad Grey, of Brillstein-Grey, pitched The Sopranos to several networks; FOX showed interest but passed on it after Chase presented them the pilot script. Chase and Grey eventually pitched the show to then-president of HBO Original Programming, Chris Albrecht, who recognized the originality and potential of the show, and decided to finance the shooting of a pilot episode. Albrecht is quoted as saying:

I said to myself, this show is about a guy who's turning 40. He's inherited a business from his dad. He's trying to bring it into the modern age. He's got all the responsibilities that go along with that. He's got an overbearing mom that he's still trying to get out from under. Although he loves his wife, he's had an affair. He's got two teenage kids, and he's dealing with the realities of what that is. He's anxious; he's depressed; he starts to see a therapist because he's searching for the meaning of his own life. I thought: the only difference between him and everybody I know is he's the Don of New Jersey.

The pilot episode (called "The Sopranos" on the DVD release but commonly just referred to as "Pilot") was shot in 1997. Chase, having previously directed episodes of The Rockford Files and Almost Grown, directed it himself. After the pilot was finished and shown to the HBO executives, the show was put on hold for a year before HBO eventually decided to produce it and ordered a full 13-episode season. The show premiered on HBO on 10 January 1999 with the pilot episode. The Sopranos is the second hour-long television drama series produced by HBO, the first being the prison drama Oz. Series creator David Chase served as show runner, executive producer, and head writer during the eight years the show was in production. In addition to writing several episodes per season, he would oversee all the editing and do extensive re-writing of episodes written by other writers. Many members of the creative team behind The Sopranos were handpicked by Chase, some being old friends and colleagues of his, others were selected after interviews conducted by producers of the show. Many of the show's writers wrote for television prior to The Sopranos. Writing team and married couple Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, who together wrote or co-wrote 19 episodes of the series between 1999 and 2006, had worked with Chase on Northern Exposure. During the early stages of the show's development, Chase approached the two about a position as staff writers. Two-time Emmy Award-winner Terence Winter, who became a writer for the show during its second season, practiced law for two years before deciding to pursue a career as a screenwriter, eventually catching the attention of Chase. Matthew Weiner, a staff writer during the show's final three seasons, wrote a spec script for a show called Mad Men in 2000 (it was eventually produced by AMC in 2007). The script was passed on to Chase who, after reading it, was so impressed that he immediately offered Weiner a job as a writer for The Sopranos. Two cast members have also written episodes for the show: Michael Imperioli, who plays Christopher Moltisanti, is also a screenwriter and has written five episodes of the series, many of which deal with Italian-American issues; Toni Kalem, who plays Angie Bonpensiero, also wrote the season five episode "All Happy Families...". Before directing The Sopranos, many of the directors worked on other television series. Many of the directors also have backgrounds in independent films. The main directors of the series were Tim Van Patten (20 episodes), John Patterson (13 episodes), Allen Coulter (12 episodes), and Alan Taylor (9 episodes), all of whom have a background in television. Recurring cast members Steve Buscemi and Peter Bogdanovich have also acted as directors for the series, Buscemi having directed four episodes and Bogdanovich one. David Chase directed two episodes himself, the pilot and the series finale. Alik Sakharov was the show's original director of photography, later alternating episodes with Phil Abraham. The show's photography and directing is noted for its feature film-quality. This look was achieved by Chase collaborating with Sakharov: "David wanted a look that would have its own two feet. [...] From the pilot, we would sit down with the whole script and break the scenes down into shots. That's what you do with feature films." Like the characters they portray on the show, many of the actors on The Sopranos are Italian-American. Because Italian-American actors are often cast as Mafia-types in Hollywood productions, many cast members had appeared together in films and television series before joining the cast of The Sopranos. The series shares a total of 27 actors with the 1990 Martin Scorsese gangster film “Goodfellas,” including main cast members Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, and Tony Sirico. A total of eight The Sopranos actors also appeared in the 1999 comedy “Mickey Blue Eyes.” The main cast was put together through a process of auditions and readings. Actors often didn't know whether David Chase liked their performances or not. Michael Imperioli, who beat out several actors for the part of Christopher Moltisanti, recalls "He's got a poker face, so I thought he wasn't into me, and he kept giving me notes and having me try it again, which often is a sign that you're not doing it right. I thought, I'm not getting this. So he said, 'Thank you,' and I left. I didn't expect to hear back. And then they called." James Gandolfini was invited to audition for the part of Tony Soprano after casting director Susan Fitzgerald saw a short clip of his performance in the 1993 film “True Romance.” Lorraine Bracco, who had previously played the role of mob wife Karen Hill in Goodfellas, was originally asked to play the role of Carmela Soprano. She took the role of Dr. Jennifer Melfi instead because she wanted to try something different and felt the part of the highly educated Dr. Melfi would be more of a challenge for her. Tony Sirico, who has a criminal background related to the Mafia, signed on to play Paulie Walnuts as long as his character was not to be a "rat." David Chase invited musician "Little Steven" Van Zandt (known as the guitarist of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band) to audition for a part in his series after seeing him live at the 1997 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony and being impressed with his appearance and presence. Van Zandt, who had never acted before, eventually agreed to star on the show on the condition that he didn't take a part a professional actor was also trying out for. Chase then created the character of Silvio Dante especially for Van Zandt. Silvio Dante's wife on the show is played by Van Zandt's real-life wife. With the exception of Oscar nominee Lorraine Bracco (Goodfellas), Dominic Chianese (The Godfather Part II, along with stage work) and Emmy-winner Nancy Marchand (Lou Grant), the cast of the debut season of the series was made up of largely unknown actors. After the breakthrough success of the show, many cast members were noted for their acting ability and received mainstream attention for their performances. Subsequent seasons saw some well-known actors (Joe Pantoliano, Robert Loggia, Steve Buscemi, Frank Vincent) join the cast along with well-known actors in recurring roles such as Peter Bogdanovich, John Heard, Robert Patrick, Peter Riegert, Annabella Sciorra, and David Strathairn. Also there were several well known actors who appeared in just one episode, such as Charles S. Dutton, Sydney Pollack and Ken Leung. The characters on the show include: Anthony "Tony" Soprano (James Gandolfini) is the quick-tempered and fierce Underboss/de facto Boss of the New Jersey-based DiMeo crime family and patriarch of the Soprano household. Tony begins to suffer from depression and have many panic attacks after years of stress over his "business", repressed emotions and a difficult childhood. He seeks treatment from Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco). Adding to Tony's complicated life is his strained relationship with his wife Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco) and their two children, Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and Anthony Junior (Robert Iler). The starring cast includes members of Tony's extended family including his mother Livia (Nancy Marchand), sister Janice (Aida Turturro), uncle Corrado "Junior" Soprano (Dominic Chianese), who is the technical Boss (although, eventually, semi-retired until he's completely out of the business due to health issues) of the crime family, cousin Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi) and nephew (actually cousin-by-marriage) Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli). Both Livia and Janice are shrewd manipulators with emotional problems of their own. Tony's Uncle Junior is involved in his criminal organization and their family bond vies with their criminal ambitions. Both his cousin Tony and nephew Christopher are also involved with his "other" family and their actions are a further source of conflict. Christopher struggles with drug addiction and alcoholism, and a desire to gain respect, while Tony Blundetto hopes to go straight but has a violent streak. Tony's close circle within the DiMeo crime family includes Silvio Dante (Steven Van Zandt), Paul "Paulie Walnuts" Gualtieri (Tony Sirico) and Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore). Silvio is Tony's consigliere and best friend. Paulie and Big Pussy are longtime soldiers and close allies who have worked with Tony and his father; Paulie soon becomes capo and eventually is further promoted to underboss. Also in Tony's criminal organization are Patsy Parisi (Dan Grimaldi) and Furio Giunta (Federico Castelluccio). Patsy is a quiet soldier with a head for figures. Furio is imported muscle from Italy who acts as Tony's feared enforcer. Other significant characters in the DiMeo family include Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri (Steven R. Schirripa), Richie Aprile (David Proval), Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano), Eugene Pontecorvo (Robert Funaro) and Vito Spatafore (Joseph R. Gannascoli). Bobby is a subordinate of Junior's whom Tony initially bullies but later accepts into his inner circle. Cifaretto is a clever, ambitious top-earner but his arrogance and tendency to be obnoxious, disrespectful and very violent make Tony resentful. Richie Aprile is released from prison in season two and quickly makes waves in the organization. Pontecorvo is a young soldier who becomes a made man alongside Christopher. Spatafore works his way up through the ranks to become top earner of the Aprile Crew but has a secret in his personal life. Friends of the Soprano family include Herman "Hesh" Rabkin (Jerry Adler), Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo), Rosalie Aprile (Sharon Angela), Angie Bonpensiero (Toni Kalem), along with Artie (John Ventimiglia) and Charmaine Bucco (Kathrine Narducci). Hesh is an adviser and friend to Tony, and served in this role under Tony's father. Adriana is Christopher's long time girlfriend; the two have a tempestuous relationship. Rosalie is the widow of the previous DiMeo boss and a close friend of Carmela's. Angie is Salvatore Bonpensiero's wife who later goes into business for herself. Artie and Charmaine are school friends of the Sopranos and owners of the popular restaurant Vesuvio. Charmaine wishes to have no association with Tony and his crew due to his criminal activities, and often has to insist because Artie, a law-abiding and hard-working man, is drawn to Tony's way of life. John "Johnny Sack" Sacramoni (Vince Curatola), Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent) and "Little" Carmine Lupertazzi, Jr. (Ray Abruzzo) are all significant characters from the New York-based Lupertazzi crime family, which shares a good amount of its business with the Soprano organization. Although the Lupertazzis' and DiMeos' interests are often at odds, Tony maintains a cordial business-like relationship with Johnny Sack, preferring to make deals that benefit both families. His second-in-command and eventual successor, Phil Leotardo, is less cordial and is harder for Tony to do business with. Little Carmine is the son of the family's first boss and vies for power with the others. The plots of the show included:

Season 1: The series begins with Tony Soprano collapsing after suffering a panic attack. This prompts him to begin therapy with Dr. Jennifer Melfi. Gradually, the storyline reveals: details of Tony's upbringing, with his father's influence looming large on his development as a gangster, but more so that Tony's mother, Livia, was manipulative and possibly psychotic; his complicated relationship with his wife Carmela, as well as her feelings regarding her husband's cosa nostra ties; the lives of his children, Meadow and A.J., who both have increasing knowledge of their father's mob dealings; federal indictments being brought as a result someone in his organization talking to the FBI; and his own Uncle plotting his death. Tony's Uncle Junior had been installed as boss of the family (following the death of previous boss Jackie Aprile, Sr. from cancer), while actually Tony controls most things from behind the scenes. Furious at Junior's plan to have him killed, Tony responds to the attempt on his life with a violent reprisal and confronts his mother for her role in plotting his downfall. She has a psychologically triggered pseudo-stroke. Junior is arrested by the FBI.

Season 2: At the beginning of the second season, Jackie's brother Richie Aprile is released from prison and proves to be uncontrollable in the business arena as well as starting a relationship with Tony's sister Janice, who has arrived from Seattle. Tony's friend "Big Pussy" returns to New Jersey after a conspicuous absence and Tony realizes he is an FBI informant. Tony, Silvio Dante, and Paulie Walnuts kill Big Pussy on a boat then wrap him up in chains and throw him overboard. Christopher Moltisanti becomes engaged to his longtime girlfriend Adriana La Cerva. Matthew Bevilaqua and Sean Gismonte, two low-level soldiers dissatisfied with their lack of success in the Soprano crew, try to make a name for themselves by attempting to kill Christopher. Their plan backfires; Christopher survives the attack (though he is critically wounded), and kills Sean in self-defense, while Tony and Big Pussy murder Matthew soon afterward. Junior is placed under house arrest as he awaits trial. Richie, frustrated with Tony's authority over him, entreats Junior to have Tony killed. Junior feigns interest, then informs Tony of Richie's intentions, leaving Tony with another problem to address. However, the situation is diffused unexpectedly when Janice kills Richie in a violent argument; Tony and his men conceal all evidence of the murder, and Janice returns to Seattle.

Season 3: The third season sees the return of the ambitious Ralph Cifaretto after a long absence in Florida. He gets involved with Rosalie Aprile, widow of the former boss, Jackie Aprile, Sr. Despite a personal animosity and a wariness toward his destructive behavior (Ralph murdered a stripper at the Bada Bing, prompting Tony to assault him, violating Mafia code regarding conduct toward fellow made men), Tony promotes him to caporegime because of his professional success. Meadow, now a freshman at Columbia University, begins dating Noah Tannenbaum, who is half-Jewish and half African-American; he becomes the target of Tony's racist ire, and Noah eventually ends their relationship. Jackie Aprile, Jr. becomes involved with Meadow, and then descends into an increasingly reckless life of drugs and crime. Tony initially attempts to chalk up Jackie Jr.'s erratic behavior to a forgivable incident of his youth, and tries to prevent an escalation by having a frank and direct talk with Jackie. Despite Tony's counsel—and warning—Jackie crosses a line by organizing a botched robbery attempt on Ralph's card game. Tony decides to give Ralph the decision regarding Jackie Jr.'s punishment. Despite his role as a surrogate father, Ralph ultimately decides to have Jackie Jr. killed. Livia dies of a stroke. Tony begins an affair with Gloria Trillo, who is also a patient of Dr. Melfi. Their relationship is brief and tumultuous. Junior is diagnosed with stomach cancer; following chemotherapy, it goes into remission. A.J. continues to get in trouble at school, despite success on the football team; this culminates in his expulsion.

Season 4: In the fourth season, New York underboss Johnny Sack becomes enraged after learning of an inappropriate joke made by Ralph about his wife. He seeks permission to have him killed in retribution, but is denied; tensions between the two eventually cool. Tony later murders Ralph in a violent rage because he believes Ralph killed their racehorse Pie-O-My in a stable fire. Following the death of Bobby Baccalieri's wife, Janice pursues a romantic relationship with him. Christopher's addiction to heroin deepens, prompting his associates and family to organize an intervention, after which he enters a drug rehabilitation center. Adriana befriends a woman who is a secretly an FBI agent; when Adriana terminates their friendship suddenly, she is brought in and compelled to become a federal informant. Junior faces his RICO trial; it is ultimately declared a mistrial. Carmela, whose relationship with Tony is tense due to financial worries and Tony's infidelities, develops a mutual infatuation with Furio Giunta. Fearing the consequences of engaging in a relationship with the wife of a mob boss, Furio flees back to Italy, leaving Carmela despondent. After Tony's former mistress calls their home and drunkenly details his improprieties, Carmela throws Tony out. Tony is approached by Johnny Sack with a proposal to murder Carmine Lupertazzi, which he eventually turns down.

Season 5: In the fifth season, Tony's cousin Tony Blundetto is released from prison alongside other mob figures. Carmine dies unexpectedly and his failure to nominate a successor leads to a power struggle in New York. Despite trying to avoid returning to organized crime, Blundetto gets involved in the conflict against Tony's orders. When Blundetto kills the brother of Phil Leotardo, Johnny demands that Tony turn him in. Refusing to do so provokes the New York faction, and eventually Tony elects to kill Blundetto himself rather than hand him over to be tortured. Tony and Carmela remain separated, with Tony living at his parents' former house with childhood friend Artie Bucco, who was also left by his wife. Carmela, now the sole authority figure for A.J. in the Soprano house, becomes frustrated as her rules lead her son to resent her; eventually she allows A.J. to live with his father. She has a brief relationship with Robert Weigler, A.J.'s school guidance counselor; he breaks it off abruptly when he suspects that she is manipulating him to improve A.J.'s grades. Tony and Carmela reconcile their marriage; Tony promises to remain faithful, and also agrees to pay for a piece of real estate Carmela wishes to develop. Adriana continues working as an FBI informant. After being implicated in a murder at her nightclub, federal agents give Adriana an ultimatum: get Christopher to cooperate or go to prison. She confesses her secret to Christopher; initially angry, he then becomes more receptive to the idea of entering witness protection. However, he finally has another change of heart and tells Tony about Adriana. Tony, with Christopher's understanding, orders Silvio to kill her. Tony approaches Johnny Sack to put an end to the bloodshed between their families and get back to business. As they meet Johnny Sack is arrested by the FBI.

Season 6: At the beginning of the sixth season, Tony is shot by the now senile and confused Uncle Junior. Rendered comatose, Tony dreams he is a salesman on a business trip, where he mistakenly exchanges his briefcase and identification with a man named Kevin Finnerty. Tony's recovery from the shooting changes his outlook, and he tries to mend his ways. However, he is faced with more problems in his business life. Vito Spatafore is outed as a homosexual and Tony is urged to deal with the problem by Phil Leotardo, now acting boss of New York with Johnny Sack in prison. When Tony fails to act, Phil intervenes and kills Spatafore. Tony's crime family commits a reprisal murder and once more it appears that the families are on the verge of all-out war. In the second part of the sixth season, Tony considers killing several of his associates for relatively minor infractions. Christopher is unable to leave the mob, deflecting his problems by relapsing into drug addiction and killing his old Narcotics Anonymous sponsor. He is then seriously injured in a car accident that he causes while driving under the influence of narcotics. Tony, the sole passenger, is unharmed and suffocates Christopher to death. A.J. is dumped by his fiancée and slips into depression, culminating in a failed suicide attempt in the backyard pool. Dr. Melfi is convinced by friends that Tony is making no progress and may even be using talking therapy for his own sociopathic benefit. She drops him as a patient. Johnny Sack dies from lung cancer while imprisoned and Leotardo consolidates his position in the Lupertazzi family. He has his opposition for leadership killed and then officially takes over. In a resumption of their past feud Phil will not compromise with Tony on a garbage deal. When Tony assaults a Lupertazzi soldier for bothering Meadow on a date Phil seizes a chance for revenge. Phil orders the execution of Bobby Baccalieri, who is shot to death, Silvio, who ends up comatose, and Tony, who goes into hiding. A deal is brokered where the rest of the Lupertazzi family agree to ignore the order to kill Tony, and give Tony an opportunity to go after Phil. An FBI agent informs Tony of Phil's location and Tony has him killed. With Phil’s death, the threat from New York is extinguished and Tony, Carmela, Meadow, and A.J. meet for dinner.

The Sopranos is noted for David Chase's multifaceted, symbolism-heavy style of writing and the series has consistently been the subject of feverish analysis. The show operates on a rich number of levels. Chase and his co-writers have addressed a large number of psychological, philosophical, social and political themes throughout the series' run. A distinctive aspect of The Sopranos is the dream sequences. Series creator David Chase, who writes most of the dream sequences, states of them, "We've used those dreams to further the narrative. For example, 'Funhouse' could have been a story in which Tony gets some information that Pussy's the rat and he tracks it down and we do some stultifying procedural until we have the proof in hand. And I just couldn't go through that. I can't stand that (stuff). So we just decided it would be more interesting, that on some level Tony knows this, that his friend is betraying him, and it makes him ill in combination with some bad chicken, and his subconscious erupts like that and gives him the information." The dream sequence includes Tony talking to Big Pussy as a fish and realizing his friend is an FBI informant. In the dream, Pussy (the fish) tells Tony, "You knew. You passed me over for promotion." Another famous dream is the sequence in "The Test Dream" that is over 20 minutes in length. Season six contains the longest continuous "dream" sequence with Tony as a regular man having his identity mistaken for a man named Kevin Finnerty. In the dream, Tony is stuck in Costa Mesa, California, a city he had traveled to for business, and because of mistaken identity, he cannot travel home. Finnerty is portrayed as a salesman who lives a conservative, law-abiding life. During this sequence, he has a memorable run-in with Buddhist monks at a nearby monastery. The mobsters in the series are depicted as tough, savvy, and street-smart but lacking heavily in formal education and a deeper understanding of themselves and their world. The mobsters' educational and linguistic shortcomings, particularly those of Paulie Walnuts and Christopher, are often a source of humor. The characters themselves are frequently oblivious of their use of malapropisms and misunderstandings of basic history and common knowledge. The gangsters' incompetence is in some way displayed in every episode of the series. Some of the more notable examples include:

Much of the episode "Pine Barrens" is devoted to the failings of Paulie and Christopher as they attempt to survive a single day and night in a snowy wilderness after a botched execution. Earlier in the same episode Christopher shows his ignorance of history when he expresses disbelief that the Cuban Missile Crisis actually occurred by saying: "That was real? I saw that movie. I thought it was bullshit".

Bobby Baccalieri draws the ire of Tony while discussing world events and biblical prophecy by erroneously stating that "Quasimodo predicted all of this." Tony then corrects him by saying that he meant Nostradamus and that Quasimodo was the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Baccalieri then continues the conversation by mentioning the backfield of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, now thinking that a hunchback is like a half back.

Although more intelligent than his cohorts, Tony often uses malapropisms and repeats things that Dr. Melfi says to him elsewhere, only to get the phrase entirely wrong or to completely miss the point. Some of his more famous malapropisms include "revenge is like serving cold cuts" (a mangling of the expression "revenge is a dish best served cold") and describing "amour fou" (a french expression meaning "crazy love") as "our mofo."

Recurring character "Little Carmine" Lupertazzi's delusions of eloquence are a consistent source of comedy for viewers. He often muddles metaphors, once telling Tony that "You're at the precipice of an enormous crossroad." "I have nine pictures under my sub-species," he at one time says of his movie-producing. He also explains the final scene of the fictitious mafia/slasher movie Cleaver as a mix of "the sacred and the propane."

Some mobsters are portrayed as intelligent and well-spoken in contrast, though they appear to be exceptions to the rule. For instance, Johnny Sack, Silvio Dante, Ralph Cifaretto, and Tony Blundetto are all highly intelligent (Blundetto allegedly has an IQ of 158) and almost never use malapropisms. Chase has stated that the Martin Scorsese gangster film “Goodfellas” was a source of inspiration for him, calling the 1990 movie his "Koran". The Sopranos began with four starring cast members (Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Tony Sirico and Vincent Pastore) who had appeared in Goodfellas. Later Frank Vincent, another Goodfellas cast member, joined the cast as Phil Leotardo. Joseph Gannascoli, who can be seen briefly in the film as an uncredited extra, joined the cast as Vito Spatafore. Recurring characters played by actors who also appeared in Goodfellas include Barbara Soprano Giglione (Nicole Burdette), Larry Boy Barese (Tony Darrow), Carmine Lupertazzi (Tony Lip), FBI Chief Frank Cubitoso (Frank Pellegrino), Albie Cianflone (John "Cha Cha" Ciarcia), Mary De Angelis (Suzanne Sheperd), Beansie Gaeta (Paul Herman), Joanne Moltisanti (Marianne Leone, also played by Goodfellas alumna Nancy Cassaro in one earlier episode), Doc Santoro (Dan Conte) and Pat Blundetto (Frank Albanese). Anthony Caso appeared in The Sopranos episode "46 Long" as Martin Scorsese and had a small part in Goodfellas. Actor Chuck Low appeared as Jewish character Morrie in Goodfellas and Hasidic hotel owner Mr. Teitlemann in The Sopranos. Actors who have had small roles in The Sopranos and Goodfellas include Tobin Bell, Gene Canfield, Gaetano LoGiudice, Vito Antuofermo, Frank Adonis, Anthony Alessandro, Victor Colicchio, and Angela Pietropinto. A total of 27 actors have appeared in both productions. “Goodfellas” star Ray Liotta was also an early candidate to play Tony Soprano. Later on, Liotta also turned down the role of Ralph Cifaretto, which eventually went to Joe Pantoliano. Michael Imperioli (who, in “Goodfellas” was shot in the foot), shoots a store attendant in the foot. As he screams in pain, yelling "You shot me in the foot!", Imperioli exits, saying "It happens..." Also, Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent) kills Angelo Garepe (Joe Santos) in "The Test Dream"—similar to the way he died in "Goodfellas" as Billy Batts. Many of the characters are interested in “The Godfather” series of movies and some of the actors who portray them also appear in the films. For example in “The Godfather Part II,” Dominic Chianese (Corrado "Junior" Soprano) plays Johnny Ola. In "The Godfather" and "The Godfather Part II", Richard Bright (Frank Crisci, Episode 4.4 "The Weight" ) appears as "Al Neri" (IMBD). In The Godfather, Tony Lip (Carmine Lupertazzi) and Lou Martini, Jr. (Anthony Infante) appeared as wedding guests. In The Godfather Trilogy (a re-edited version of all three Godfather movies), Richard Maldone (Albert Barese) had a small role as Joey. Tony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts) claims to have been in “The Godfather Part II” but he is not visible in the film. Christopher Moltisanti is also fascinated with the films' depictions of the Mafia. They have all watched the films so often that Paulie, for example, refers to The Godfather star Al Pacino in conversation simply as "Al," Paulie's car horn plays "Love Theme From The Godfather", and several of the characters refer to the movies by their numbers: the first movie in the trilogy is simply referred to as "one." Tony and his crew sometimes discuss favorite scenes from the films. Silvio Dante in the early seasons would impersonate Al Pacino, from “The Godfather Part III,” saying, "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in." He has done impersonations of the scene in The Godfather Part III between Michael Corleone and Al Neri where Michael says "Our true enemy has yet to reveal himself," (followed, tellingly, by an immediate cut to a shot of Big Pussy). The mobsters compare themselves to the cinematic images of organized crime in The Godfather trilogy, as well as other well known films about the Mafia, such as Goodfellas. Late in Season One, Christopher bonds over the Godfather movies with hip-hop mogul Massive Genius, who insists that the third one is "misunderstood."

Okay, confession time: to put my list together, I used a few other lists: the ones from Time.com, TV Guide, and Entertainment Weekly. In fact, Entertainment Weekly put their list in a book. It’s a good book, and if you get the chance to see it, you should pick it up. But, be forewarned: it will be a little disappointing. For one, they only put the top 20 shows into a list. Then, they put the other 80 in categories: comedies, dramas, talk/variety shows, and guilty pleasures. And, the book was made before 1999. Why do I mention this? To get a sense of how The Sopranos changed TV. You see, Entertainment Weekly made their list before 1999, and their list of dramas includes the likes of Kojak, Peyton Place, Dr. Kildare, Columbo, Family, Little House On The Prairie, The Waltons, and The Rifleman. Now, these aren’t bad shows, but I seriously doubt The Rifleman would get on the list if Entertainment Weekly made that list today. But, The Sopranos definitely would. This mafia saga showed just how complex and involving TV storytelling could be, inspiring an explosion of ambitious dramas on cable and off. Shows like The Shield and Lost probably would never have been made if David Chase hadn’t had to balls to make a show like The Sopranos. In Tony Soprano's world, it wasn't the Mob that kept pulling you back in to old, destructive patterns, it was your family: your controlling mother (Livia), your maddening wife (Carmela), your feckless kids (A.J. and Meadow), and your reckless nephew (Christopher). To call it a Mafia drama would miss the point completely. The Sopranos is the quintessential family drama. It infused themes of love and betrayal with foreboding subtext and jet-black humor, and it gave rise to TV’s supreme antihero, Tony Soprano. The big-F Family drama of the declining Mafia business also offered popcorn entertainment alongside the deeper insights. It also has some of the best acting TV has ever seen. Both James Gandolfini and Edie Falco won three Emmys for Best Acting their portrayals as Tony and Carmela respectively, and Joe Pantoliano, Michael Imperioli, and Drea De Mateo have won Emmys for their supporting roles. And, Lorraine Bracco (in the Lead Actress and Supporting Actress categories), Dominic Chianese, Nancy Marchand, Aida Turturro, Steve Buscemi (who was also nominated for directing the Pine Barrens episode), John Heard and Annabella Sciorra all received Emmy nominations. Sure, some fans may have hated the series' abrupt ending, but the fact that the show's last moments obsessed us demonstrates that America never stopped believin' in the power of this story.

[Hulk With A Mustache]

Tomorrow, we reach the half-way mark with 50-47. Here are the hints:

The correct value, the continuation of boldly going where no man was gone before, a holy place somewhere, and a garbage man and his junior.

[Hulk With A Mustache]

We have reached the half-way mark. Only 50 left. Speaking of 50:

50. The Price Is Right



Genre: Game Show.
Created by: Bob Stewart.
Executive Producer(s): Frank Wayne, Syd Vinnedge, Bob Barker, Mark Goodson, and Bill Todman.
Starring: Bob Barker (Host 1972–2007), Drew Carey (Host 2007–present), Johnny Olson (Narrator 1972–1985), Rod Roddy (Narrator 1985–2003), Rich Fields (Narrator 2004–present), Janice Pennington (Model 1972-2000), Holly Hallstrom (Model 1977-1995), Dian Parkinson (Model 1975-1993), Anitra Ford (Model 1972-1977), Kathleen Bradley (Model 1990-2000), Rachel Reynolds (Model 2003-2008), Paige Brooks (Model 2001-2004), Lanisha Cole (Model 2003-2007), Shane Stirling (Model 2003-2006), Brandi Sherwood (Model 2004-2007), Phire Dawson (Model 2006-2008), Chantel Dubay (Model 1996-1999), Nikki Schieler Ziering (Model 1999-2002), Claudia Jordan (Model 2001-2003), Gena Lee Nolin (Model 1994-1995), Gwendolyn Osborne (Model 2006), Gabrielle Tuite (Model 2006-2007), and Heather Kozar (Model 2001-2002).
Country of Origin: United States.
Number of Seasons: 36.
Number of Episodes: 6,921 as of July 17, 2008.
Running Time: 60 minutes (with commercials) (1975-Present); 30 minutes (1972-1975).
Original Channel: CBS (also in first-run syndication).
Original Run: September 4, 1972 – present.
Spinoffs: The show’s popularity has led to some primetime specials: a syndicated primetime version from 1972 to 1980 hosted by Denis James from 1972 to 1977 and Bob Barker for the remainder of the run; a syndicated primetime version from 1985 to 1986 hosted by Tom Kennedy; The Price Is Right Special, a 1986 summer weekly primetime series on CBS hosted by Barker; The New Price Is Right, a 1994-1995 short lived primetime version hosted by Doug Davidson; and The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular (formerly The Price Is Right Salutes). There are also versions of the show in many countries around the world: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, French-Canadian, China, Colombia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Mexico, Morocco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, The Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

The most recognized incarnation of the show premiered September 4, 1972 on CBS with Bob Barker as host. The show was first called The New Price Is Right to distinguish itself from the earlier Bill Cullen version (1956–1965), but it proved so popular in its own right that, within a year, the producers decided to drop the word "New". During the week of September 8, 1975 CBS experimented with a one-hour version of the show in order to celebrate its third anniversary. The ratings for the week were strong enough to convince the network that the arrangement would work well permanently. CBS made the move on November 3, fitting the show to its current six pricing game/two Showcase Showdown format. The show has since remained virtually unchanged, having entrenched itself in the 11:00 a.m. (Eastern time) time slot since 1979. New pricing games are generally added each year, while games that have become unpopular or confusing are removed. In addition, prizes and pricing games have kept pace with inflation, resulting in some of the original pricing games that were designed for four-digit cars to be adjusted to allow for five-digit prizes. Apart from minor aesthetics, the current show otherwise maintains a nearly identical appearance to a show produced in the 1970s. Beginning with the 36th season, CBS broadcasts each episode on the Innertube video on demand service available at CBS.com. Bob Barker began hosting The Price Is Right in 1972 and completed a 35-year tenure in 2007. Barker was hired as host while still hosting the long-running stunt comedy show Truth or Consequences, and his retirement coincided with his 50th year as a television host. His final show aired on Friday, June 15, 2007, and was repeated in primetime, leading into the network's coverage of the Daytime Emmy Awards. In addition to hosting, Barker also served as executive producer from 1988 until his retirement, and was responsible for creating several of the show's pricing games and launching the prime-time spinoff. Barker had significant creative control over the series, particularly after 2000. Reruns of the Barker version ran throughout the summer until his June 15 final episode was once again aired on October 12, 2007. After he became a noted animal rights advocate in the early 1980s, Barker signed off of each broadcast with a public-service message to "help control the pet population; have your pets spayed or neutered". Carey carried on the tradition upon becoming the new host, although he says it in a slightly different way. In March 2007, CBS and FremantleMedia began a search for the next host of the show. Drew Carey was chosen, and made the announcement of his selection in a July 23, 2007 interview on the Late Show with David Letterman. Carey's first show aired October 15, 2007. The Price Is Right has had three permanent announcers over the course of its run on CBS: Johnny Olson (1972–1985); Rod Roddy (1986–2003); and Rich Fields (2004–present). Several announcers have substituted on the show over the years, most prominently including Gene Wood (1985), Burton Richardson (2001-2004) and Randy West (2003). They traditionally enjoyed greater exposure than the typical television announcer, frequently appearing on-camera throughout the show and in Showcase skits. To help display its many prizes, the show has featured several models who were known during Barker's time on the show as "Barker's Beauties". Some of the long-tenured Barker's Beauties included Kathleen Bradley (1990–2000), Holly Hallstrom (1977–1995), Dian Parkinson (1975–1993), and Janice Pennington (1972–2000). Pennington and Bradley were fired from the program in 2000, allegedly for testifying on behalf of Hallstrom in a wrongful-termination lawsuit against Barker and the show. Following the departure of Heather Kozar and Nikki Ziering, producers decided to use a rotating cast of models. Claudia Jordan was the last "permanent" model to appear on the show, in 2004. Carey does not use a collective name for the models, but refers to them by name. The highly successful game show production team of Mark Goodson and Bill Todman was responsible for producing the original as well as the revival versions of the game show. Longtime Goodson–Todman staffer Bob Stewart is credited with creating the original version of The Price Is Right. Roger Dobkowitz was the program's producer, having worked with the program as a production staffer since the current version's debut after graduating from San Francisco State University in 1972. Occasionally, Dobkowitz appeared on camera when answering a question posed by the host - usually relating to the show's history or records. FremantleMedia and Dobkowitz parted ways at the end of season 36. Variety reported that it was unclear whether Dobkowitz was retiring or was fired. Kathy Greco, Stan Blits, and Sue MacIntyre are co-producers of the show, and Adam Sandler is associate producer. Frank Wayne, a Goodson–Todman staffer since the 1950s, was the original executive producer of the show's current version; Barker assumed that role after Wayne's death in 1988. Previous producers have included Jay Wolpert, Barbara Hunter, and Phil Wayne Rossi (Wayne's son). Bart Eskander is the current director; Marc Breslow and Paul Alter each served long stints as director previously. Aside from Barker, the show's production staff remained intact after Carey became host; longtime FremantleMedia executive Syd Vinnedge was named the program's new executive producer. Greco, Blits, and MacIntyre were reassigned to their position also during the season. While retaining some elements of the earlier generation show, the 1972 revival added many new distinctive gameplay elements, and now has the distinction of being the longest continuously running game show in North American television history, with more than 6,900 episodes aired. The gameplay on the show includes four distinct competition elements through which nine preliminary contestants eventually are narrowed to two finalists:


One Bid: One Bid is a qualifying game, played with four contestants standing at the foot of the stage ("Contestants' Row"). A prize is shown, and each player bids a price. The contestant who bids closest to the actual retail price of the prize, without going over, wins it and advances on to the stage for an individual pricing game. A contestant that bids the exact price (a "Perfect Bid") also receives a cash bonus - $500 on the daytime episodes, (originally $100) and $1000 on the Primetime shows. If all four contestants overbid, they all must bid again. Four initial contestants are chosen from the audience at the start of the show to play the first One Bid round; before each of five subsequent One Bid rounds, a new contestant is chosen from the audience to replace the previous winner.

The Pricing Games: The pricing game is where the contestant can win a larger prize such as cash, home furnishings, or a motor vehicle. Six pricing games are played per episode, one by each winner of the One Bid rounds. The producers select from a long list of pricing games; there are currently more than 70 used. The selection and order of games to be played on an episode is previously determined by the producer. The pricing games include: Any Number, Balance Game '06, Barker's Bargain Bar, Bonkers, Bonus Game, Bullseye '76, Buy or Sell, Card Game, Check Game, Check-Out, Clearance Sale, Cliff Hangers, Clock Game, Coming or Going, Cover Up, Credit Card, Danger Price, Dice Game, Double Prices, Eazy az 1 2 3, Five Price Tags, Flip Flop, Freeze Frame, Gas Money (to debut on Season 37 Premiere), Golden Road, Grand Game, Grocery Game, ½ Off, Hi Lo, Hole in One, It's in the Bag, Let 'em Roll, Line em Up, Lucky $even, Magic #, Make Your Mark (aka Barker's Markers), Make Your Move, Master Key, Money Game, More or Less, Most Expensive, Now....or Then, One Away, 1 Right Price, 1 Wrong Price, Pass the Buck, Pathfinder, Pick-a-Number, Pick-a-Pair, Plinko, Pocket ¢hange, Punch a Bunch, Push Over, Race Game, Range Game, Safe Crackers, Secret "X," Shell Game, Shopping Spree, Side by Side, Spelling Bee, Squeeze Play, Stack the Deck, Step Up, Swap Meet, Switch?, Switcheroo, Take Two, Temptation, Ten Chances, That's Too Much!, 3 Strikes, Triple Play, and 2 for the Price of 1.

Showcase Showdown: The Showcase Showdown determines which contestants will play for the Showcase prize packages at the end of the show. There are two showdowns in each episode, after the third and sixth pricing games. Each showdown features the three contestants who played the preceding three games; order of play is in ascending order of the value of prizes already won. Each contestant spins a large wheel which is segmented and marked with the values from five cents to a dollar, in increments of five cents, in random order. The winner of each Showdown is the contestant who spins the highest value in one spin or the total of two spins without exceeding a dollar. A total of exactly one dollar wins $1,000 and another spin for a bonus cash prize of either $5,000 or $10,000. In the event of a tie, a spin-off is held in which each of the tied contestants is given one spin with the highest value winning. The two Showdown winners in each show compete in the Showcase following the second Showdown.

The Showcase: The two contestants are shown a large prize package. The contestant who has greater winnings thus far in the show may bid on that showcase it or pass it to their opponent. A second prize package is shown and whichever contestant has not yet bid must bid on that showcase. The contestant who bids closer to the combined "actual retail price" of the items in their showcase without going over, the contestant wins their showcase. If the winning contestant also bids within $250 of the price of their showcase, they win both showcases. If both contestants bid higher than the price of their showcase, a "double overbid" is declared, and neither contestant wins their showcases.

Prizes: Over the course of the show's 36 year run, The Price Is Right had given away more than US$800,000,000 in cash and prizes. One Bid prizes generally range in value from $400 to $3,000 in the daytime show. The prizes offered in pricing games vary significantly, ranging from under $3,000 (Clock Game) to the more rare prizes worth $50,000 or more (Plinko, Triple Play or Golden Road). Most games are played for prizes worth between $4,000 and $9,999, or a new automobile. Showcases typically award a prize package worth between $15,000 and $40,000 in most daytime episodes, resulting in the typical top prize for a person who wins both a pricing game and a showcase to be around $30,000 to $50,000. Ceremonial episodes, such as a major season premiere or finale, or a milestone episode (such as the 5000th), will see the budget increased to values similar to the prime time series. Many of the show's prizes and grocery items are provided through product placement. From 1991 to 2008, almost all automobiles offered on the show were made by companies based in the United States, specifically the Big Three automobile manufacturers (although cars made by these companies' foreign subsidiaries were also eligible to be offered). The move was made by executive producer Bob Barker as a sign of patriotism during the first Iraq war in 1991. Since Barker's retirement, cars made by foreign companies in American auto plants (most commonly Hondas, especially since American Honda is based in Ohio, the home state of Drew Carey) have also been offered. The current record for the most money ever won on the daytime show is currently held by Vickyann Sadowski. On the 35th season premiere on September 18, 2006, Sadowski won three cars: a Dodge Caravan won in Push Over, and by winning both showcases also won a Dodge Viper in her showcase and a Saturn Sky Roadster in the other. Her grand total for the show was $147,517.

Many audience members arrive early on the day of a taping. Most have already received tickets for that day's show, although some hope to get same-day tickets. Audience members are then given the iconic nametags with a temporary identification number, which is also written on the person's ticket. Audience members are eventually brought through in groups of twelve for brief interviews with the production staff. A Social Security Number (or some national I.D. number for non-U.S. audience members) is required to be submitted. Contrary to popular belief, contestant names are not chosen at random; rather, the interviews determine possible selections for the nine contestants per taping from among the pool of approximately 325 audience members. With few exceptions, anyone at least 18 years old who attends a taping of the show has the potential to become a contestant on The Price Is Right. Those ineligible include current candidates for political office, employees of CBS or its affiliates, the production company or any firm involved in offering prizes for the show, and anyone who has appeared as a contestant on another game show within the previous year, two other shows, or starting in November 2007, any version of this show, in the previous ten years. One contestant has appeared on the show in both 1978 and 2008. The show staff alerts potential contestants, in person, on the show's Web site, and on the tickets themselves, to dress in "street clothes" and not to wear costumes, such as those used to attract attention on Let's Make a Deal, another show that featured contestants selected from the audience. Those who have attended tapings in June 2008 noted producers have disallowed audience members from wearing fake eyeglasses designed to look similar to those worn by host Drew Carey. Instead, contestants will often wear shirts with hand-decorated slogans. Members of the armed forces will often wear their uniforms, a tradition on many game shows. (Both Barker, a Navy veteran, and Carey, a former Marine Corps Reservist, served in the armed forces). The program is usually produced in about an hour. Two episodes are usually taped each day, and there are normally three taping days per week. The program is taped in advance of its airdate; for example, the show broadcast on February 28, 2008, was taped on the preceding January 16. As with many other shows that start production in the summer, the lead time varies during the season. The audience is entertained by the announcer before taping begins; after the taping session, there is a drawing for a door prize. The current version of the series was originally a Mark Goodson–Bill Todman production in association with CBS. After Todman died in 1979, the unit became known as simply Mark Goodson Productions, and was announced as such on The Price Is Right from 1984 to 2007. Today, the series is produced by The Price is Right Productions, Inc., a joint venture of RTL Group and CBS. For the sake of tradition, and through special permission from RTL's subsidiary FremantleMedia North America, the show continued to use the Mark Goodson Productions name, logo, and announcement at the end of each episode until Barker's retirement, even after Fremantle purchased and merged with the Goodson company. The show is now credited as a FremantleMedia production in association with CBS. The Price Is Right has been taped at Studio 33 in CBS Television City for its entire run. The studio, which is also used for other television productions, was renamed the Bob Barker Studio in the host's honor on the ceremonial 5,000th episode in 1998. Contestants' Row is placed at the front of the audience, with the scoring displays located on the edge of the stage deck. On stage are three sets of large, paneled, sliding doors, as well as a platform with a rotating wall (the Turntable). Pricing games and prizes are typically placed in these areas. There are also a "Giant Price Tag" prop, a large fly curtain, and other covers used to conceal prizes, games and other staging elements. The announcer sits at an off-camera podium stage left, while the production crew is in an area stage right. The set was updated in 2007, when Carey took over as host. The predominant earthtone colors were brightened to project a modern look, while the set props largely remained as they were for Barker's shows. Further changes on the set were added late in Season 36, as June 2008 tapings were the first with the new transition into full HDTV broadcasts in daytime for Season 37. The production crew is now concealed behind doors that may be closed to prevent this area of the stage from being seen in the 16:9 broadcasts; during the July 2, 2008 broadcast, Kathy Greco was shown closing the new door that conceals the production section. Three syndicated versions of The Price Is Right have aired. The first, which was launched at the same time as the daytime show, aired weekly until 1980. It was distributed by Viacom Enterprises, which started as the syndication arm of CBS, and was hosted by Dennis James until 1977 and then by Bob Barker. James, a figure from the early days of TV, was originally intended to host both the network and syndicated versions of the program, but CBS executives preferred Barker for the daytime show. Goodson-Todman compromised and gave Barker the daytime show while creating a syndicated version of the show for James (Barker was still hosting Truth or Consequences and custom of the time did not encourage hosts to host multiple syndicated shows at once). This version retained the 1972 half-hour format for its entire run, and did not add the daytime show's Showcase Showdown or double-showcase winner rules. In most of the U.S., stations carried the syndicated Price Is Right as one of five different programs every night of the week in one of the available timeslots created by the 1971 FCC Prime Time Access Rule. Usually, the time slots were one of the two half-hours between 7–8 p.m. in the Eastern and Pacific time zones, and 6–7 p.m. in the Central Time Zone (Mountain Time Zone stations' practices varied). James' contract expired in 1977, and Barker took over the nighttime version that fall (after Consequences ended its run). The series was cancelled after 300 episodes in 1980, after weekly syndicated game shows had fallen out of popularity in favor of daily offerings. Having a run of eight seasons, it was one of the longest running weekly syndicated game shows of the era. Five years later, in 1985–1986, veteran host Tom Kennedy starred in a daily version which was faithful to the traditional half-hour format and was syndicated by Television Program Enterprises, now part of CBS Television Distribution, along with reruns of Match Game. Kennedy's version was the first to extensively adjust the show's pricing games to accommodate five-digit prizes (the daytime series had only done so sporadically until this point), a pattern followed by CBS's prime time specials that would air toward the end of this syndicated series' run. The series failed to earn prime access slots as its predecessor did, due to increased competition from shows such as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, and often found itself in late night slots. It also had the unfortunate circumstance of airing in the season that announcer Johnny Olson died; Gene Wood filled in full-time as announcer (as opposed to the rotating auditions on the daytime show) until Rod Roddy was chosen as Olson's successor. This show produced 175 episodes; to date, this is the only one of the syndicated series to have been seen in reruns (GSN aired it in the late 1990s). In 1994, The Young and the Restless actor Doug Davidson hosted The New Price Is Right, another daily version syndicated by Paramount Domestic Television. This series featured several significant changes, including eliminating Contestants' Row, a different format for the Showcase Showdown, a one-player showcase, and a completely different set. This version was even less successful; it lasted only 20 weeks and 80 episodes. Several stylistic elements of this series would later be integrated into the daytime series, while the one-player showcase was a concept based on many European versions. CBS attempted to break NBC's dominance of Thursday night primetime by The Cosby Show and Family Ties with a six-episode summer series, The Price Is Right Special, beginning in August 1986. In these episodes, host Barker and announcer Roddy wore tuxedos, and colored spotlights surrounded the "Big Doors". On August 23, 1996, CBS aired an hour-long 25th Anniversary Special, using the half-hour gameplay format and featuring a number of retrospective clips. A 30th anniversary special was recorded at Harrah's Rio in Las Vegas in 2002. This one-time road trip enticed 5,000 potential contestants to line up for 900 available tickets, causing an incident that left one person injured. A second primetime series was a six-show series saluting various branches of the United States armed forces, police officers, and firefighters aired during the summer of 2002, as a tribute to the heroes of the terrorist attacks of 2001. During The Price Is Right Salutes, a $1.00 on the bonus spin in the Showcase Showdown was worth $100,000 instead of the usual $10,000; this prize went unclaimed.

The success of the primetime series, which aired mostly in the summer, along with the rise of big-money "million dollar" game shows, led to CBS launching the current primetime series in 2003, The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular, which has aired 26 episodes. In the first sixteen $1,000,000 Spectaculars, the bonus spin payoff for the Showcase Showdown was again increased, this time to $1 million. Beginning on the fourth $1,000,000 Spectacular, the winner of the Showcase earned a million-dollar spin if there was no bonus spin during either Showcase Showdown; during these post-Showcase spins, hitting a green section did not earn any money. The million-dollar spin was eliminated for Season 36 and was replaced with two other methods of winning the prize: One pricing game per episode was selected as a "million-dollar game" with an additional requirement that the contestant needed to fulfill to win the money; and in the Showcase round, the double showcase win rule was adjusted to include the million dollar prize if the winning contestant came within $1,000 (later $500) of the actual retail price of their showcase. On the primetime series, larger and more expensive prizes are generally offered than on the daytime show. Contestants' Row frequently offers prizes usually seen in pricing games, and many pricing games, including those played for money, offer larger prizes than on the daytime show. The Showcase frequently offers multiple or very expensive cars. The 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike led CBS to commission another six-episode (and later expanded to ten episodes based on the success in the Nielsen ratings) primetime series. This prime time series featured Drew Carey in a tuxedo, like the 1986 series. A contestant on the first episode won $1,000,000 with a winning Showcase bid that was less than $1,000 below his actual showcase price; another $1,000,000 win was recorded at the end of the third show. A third $1,000,000 win was recorded on the fifth airing April 4th in a pricing game. That led to the prize indemnity insurance provider ordering the million-dollar showcase range be changed from $1,000 to $500 for the second series of tapings. In 2006, The Price Is Right was featured on the series Gameshow Marathon, hosted by Ricki Lake. This version combined aspects of the 30 minute and 60 minute versions of the show - with the celebrity contestants playing only three pricing games, followed by a Showcase Showdown where the two contestants with the highest scores would go on to the Showcase. The winner of the Showcase would be entitled to a spot in Finalists Row. The program has been generally praised and remains a stalwart in television ratings over its long history. The introduction of the program ushered in a new era of game show—moving away from the knowledge-based quiz show format, creating "a noisy, carnival atmosphere that challenged cultural norms and assumptions represented in previous generations of quiz shows". Until Barker's retirement in 2007 (and for several months after Carey took over hosting duties as well), JumpTheShark.com had listed the series as one that had "never jumped" the shark, one of a limited number of shows that earned the distinction. Responses since Carey's arrival have been more divided. Beginning in the mid-1990s, the program production company, and in some cases, Barker, as executive producer, was sued by seven women. A majority of the lawsuits involved Barker's Beauties and other staff members in cases of sexual harassment, wrongful termination and racial discrimination. Allegations of sexual harassment brought by model Dian Parkinson led to Barker calling a press conference to admit a past consensual sexual relationship with her, while denying any harassment and alleging instead that she was only angry with him for calling off the relationship. Barker was widowed in 1981 following the death of his wife, Dorothy Jo. It has also been alleged that Barker and senior staff created a hostile work environment, particularly to those who would testify for the plaintiffs suing Barker. Responding to the controversy just before his retirement, Barker told an interviewer, "They've been such a problem. I don't want to say anything about them. They're disgusting; I don't want to mention them." All the lawsuits, except for one, were settled out of court at the production company's insistence. All episodes of the daytime series and all of the prime-time specials exist, as Goodson-Todman and CBS kept the tapes for later reruns (unlike the other networks, who were much more prone to wiping of daytime game shows well into the late 1970s). Reruns aired on Game Show Network through the 1990s, but the agreement was not renewed in 2000 and episodes have not been seen since. Both daily syndicated versions, the Kennedy version of the mid-1980s and The New Price Is Right of the 1990s exist in their entirety; the Kennedy version aired in reruns on Game Show Network in the 1990s. The 1972-1980 weekly nighttime series is believed to exist in its entirety, as well, although it hasn't been seen rerun since its 1980 cancellation. CBS controls online video of The Price Is Right's Carey-hosted episodes and posts select clips on YouTube as well as certain full episodes on AOL Video.

Why include The Price Is Right on the list of the greatest TV shows of all time? Well, isn’t it obvious!? Everyone loves this show! It is the rare show that can bring young and old, black and white, gay and straight, religious and atheist, and everyone in between together in order to shout random numbers at people trying to guess the prices of things. Much-loved but less respected than brainiac quiz shows like Jeopardy! and Twenty-One, The Price Is Right has earned its longevity by making the skills of everyday consumer life into entertainment. It is capitalist porn at its purest. The Price Is Right makes no pretense about European history or headscratching word puzzles. It’s all about prizes, lots of fabulous prizes, and overexcited contestants who “come on down!” to guess their market value, and guessing the correct price of things is all that is really required of them. Well, that and being able to get that huge wheel to make one turn around. The show's contestants aren't held up as smarter than the home viewer. They are the home viewer, excitability, comfortable T-shirts and all. The show's populism extended to its recently retired host Bob Barker, who was so much more accessible (literally, letting contestants hug and paw him) than the lectern-ensconced hosts of other game shows. Plus, there are games, from Plinko to One Way, with big prizes like $50,000 and a new cars, to those games with the crappy prizes (the look of disappointment on the contestants’ faces when they see the crappy prize they have to play for is just as sad as the look of disappointment on the faces of contestants who lose a game with a cool prize). And, yeah, it’s not as smart as some of the other shows on the list, but who cares!? It is the one show that pretty much anyone and everyone can agree on to watch. How can you put an actual retail price on that?

[Deleted]

im guessing 49 is Star Trek TNG and 47 is Sanford and Son.

[Gopher Mod]

49 is Star Trek: The Next Generation
48 is St. Elsewhere
47 is Sanford and Son

[Hulk With A Mustache]

49. Star Trek: The Next Generation



Genre: Science fiction.
Created by: Gene Roddenberry.
Executive Producer(s): Gene Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Wendy Neuss.
Starring: Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander William Riker), LeVar Burton (Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lieutenant Commander Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi), Brent Spiner (Lieutenant Commander Data and Lore), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), Denise Crosby (Lieutenant Natasha "Tasha" Yar and Sela), and Diana Muldaur (Dr. Katherine Pulaski).
Country of Origin: United States.
Number of Seasons: 7.
Number of Episodes: 178,
Running Time: 45 minutes.
Original Channel: First-run Syndication.
Original Run: September 28, 1987 – May 23, 1994.
Spinoffs: The show is a spinoff of Star Trek: The Original Series. Three other Star Trek shows followed TNG: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise. There were also four movies based on TNG with the original cast: “Star Trek: Generations,” “Star Trek: First Contact,” “Star Trek: Insurrection,” and “Star Trek: Nemesis.”

After the box-office success of the Harve Bennett-produced Star Trek-based movies, Paramount decided to create a new Star Trek series in 1986. Roddenberry initially declined to be involved but came on board as creator after being unhappy with early conceptual work. The creation of Star Trek: The Next Generation was announced on October 10, 1986. The show was, unusually, broadcast in first-run syndication rather than running on a major network, with Paramount and the local stations splitting advertising time between them. Roddenberry hired a number of Star Trek veterans, including Bob Justman, D. C. Fontana, Eddie Milkis, and David Gerrold. Paramount executive Rick Berman was assigned to the show at Roddenberry's request. The Next Generation was shot on 35mm film, and was one of the first television shows with sound recorded in Dolby Surround. The filming negatives were scanned in a straight-to-video device. The first season was marked by a "revolving door" of writers, with Gerrold and Fontana quitting after disputes with Roddenberry. Season One has been criticized as aimless and formulaic. Mark Bourne of The DVD Journal wrote of season one: "A typical episode relied on trite plot points, clumsy allegories, dry and stilted dialogue, or characterization that was taking too long to feel relaxed and natural." Other targets of criticism include poor special effects and plots being resolved by the deus ex machina of Wesley Crusher saving the ship. However, Patrick Stewart's acting skills won praise and critics have noted that characters were given greater potential for development than those of the original series. While the events of most episodes of season one were self-contained, many developments important to the show as a whole occurred during the season. The recurring nemesis Q was introduced in the pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint," the alien Ferengi first appeared in "The Last Outpost," the capabilities of the holodeck were explored, and the history between Will Riker and Deanna Troi was investigated. Later season one episodes set the stage for serial plots. The episode "Datalore" introduced Data's evil twin brother Lore, who made several more appearances in later episodes. "Coming of Age" dealt with Wesley Crusher's efforts to get into Starfleet Academy while also hinting at the threat to Starfleet later faced in "Conspiracy". "Heart of Glory" explored Worf's character, Klingon culture, and the uneasy truce between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, three themes that would play a major role in later episodes. Tasha Yar left the show in "Skin of Evil", and the season finale, "The Neutral Zone", established the presence of two of TNG's most enduring villains: the Romulans and, in a foreshadowing manner, the Borg. The series premiere became the first television show to be nominated for a Hugo Award since 1972. Six first-season episodes were each nominated for an Emmy Award; "11001001" won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series, "The Big Goodbye" won for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series, and "Conspiracy" won for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Series. "The Big Goodbye" also won the Peabody Award for excellence in television programming. The show underwent significant changes during its second season. Beverly Crusher was replaced as doctor during the season by Katherine Pulaski, played by Diana Muldaur who was twice a guest star of the original Star Trek. The show's recreational area, Ten-Forward, and its mysterious bartender/advisor, Guinan, played by Whoopi Goldberg, appeared for the first time in season two. Owing to the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike, the number of episodes produced was cut from 26 to 22 and the start of the season was delayed. Because of the strike, the opening episode, "The Child", was based on a script originally written for Star Trek: Phase II, a previous attempt to create a new weekly Star Trek series, while the season finale, "Shades of Gray" was a clip show. Both episodes were critically panned. Nevertheless, season two as a whole was widely regarded as significantly better than season one. Its focus on character development received special praise. Co-Executive Producer Maurice Hurley has stated that his primary goal for the season was to plan and execute season-long story arcs and character arcs. Hurley wrote the acclaimed episode "Q Who?", which featured the first on-screen appearance of TNG's most popular villain, the Borg. Season two focused on developing the character Data, and two highly-regarded episodes from the season, "Elementary, Dear Data" and "The Measure of a Man" featured him prominently. Miles O'Brien also became a more prominent character during the second season, while Geordi La Forge found a position as chief engineer. Klingon issues continued to be explored in well-regarded episodes such as "A Matter of Honor" and "The Emissary", which introduced Worf's lover K'Ehleyr. Five second-season episodes were nominated for six Emmys; "Q Who?" won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series. In the third season, Michael Piller became head writer, and Gene Roddenberry took less of an active role, with Piller and Berman becoming the executive producers. Doctor Crusher came back to replace Doctor Pulaski who was always noted as a guest star in the second season. Ronald D. Moore joined the show after submitting a spec script that became "The Bonding"; he became the franchise's "Klingon guru." Six third-season episodes were nominated for eight Emmys; "Yesterday's Enterprise" won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and "Sins of the Father" won for Best Art Direction for a Series. Brannon Braga and Jeri Taylor joined the show in its fourth season. Seven fourth-season episodes were nominated for eight Emmys; "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II" won for both Outstanding Sound Editing in a Series and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Series. The fifth season's "Unification" opens with a dedication to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, who died October 24, 1991. Although Roddenberry's health had been deteriorating before his death, and his involvement with the series diminished, he continued to be credited as executive producer. Simultaneously, responsibility for the show gradually shifted to Berman, who took over the franchise upon Roddenberry's death. Seven fifth-season episodes were nominated for eight Emmys; "Cost of Living" won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series and there was a tie between "A Matter of Time" and "Conundrum" for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects. In addition, "The Inner Light" became the first television episode since the 1968 original series Star Trek episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" to win a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. Three sixth-season episodes were nominated for Emmys; "Time's Arrow, Part II" won for both Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Hairstyling for a Series and "A Fistful of Datas" won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series. The seventh season was The Next Generation's last. The finale, "All Good Things...," was a double-length episode (separated into two parts for reruns) aired the week of May 19, 1994, revisiting the events of the pilot and providing a bookend to the series. Toronto's SkyDome, which was renamed 'Rogers Centre' in 2005, played host to a massive CITY-TV-sponsored event for the series finale. Thousands of people packed the stadium to watch the final episode on the stadium's Jumbotron. Five seventh-season episodes were nominated for nine Emmys, and the series as a whole was the first syndicated television series nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. "All Good Things..." won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects and "Genesis" won for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Series. "All Good Things..." also won the second of the series' two Hugo Awards. The cast underwent several changes through the series' run. Denise Crosby chose to leave the show shortly before the first season ended. Michael Dorn's Worf replaced Tasha Yar as security chief and tactical officer. Crosby returned to portray Yar in alternate timelines in "Yesterday's Enterprise" and "All Good Things..." Crosby also played Yar's half-Romulan daughter, Sela. Gates McFadden left the series after one season; Beverly Crusher was replaced by Katherine Pulaski, played by Diana Muldaur. Muldaur never received billing in the opening credits, and instead was listed as a special guest star in the credits shown during the first act. Pulaski proved unpopular with viewers and was dropped at the end of the second season. McFadden reprised her role as Crusher. Wesley Crusher was also written out of the show. According to actor Wil Wheaton's website, he wanted to leave the show because he was frustrated by having to fit other roles around his Trek schedule despite his character's decreasing role in the series. Wesley Crusher reappears in several later episodes. The episodes follow the adventures of the crew of the Galaxy-class USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D.[8] As the United Federation of Planets flagship, the Enterprise is designed for both exploration and diplomacy but is capable of, and formidable in, battle when necessary. Patrick Stewart's voiceover during each episode's opening credits was patterned after that of the original series, but the phrase "continuing mission" replaces Star Trek's "five year mission", and the gender-neutral phrase "no one" replaces "no man":

“ Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before. ”

The Enterprise's crew contact and discover many races and species with whom they interact as a means for exploring the "human" condition. Dramatic devices such as time travel or temporal loops, natural disasters, holodeck malfunctions, and other internal and external conflicts often occur without alien encounters, though these, too, are used to explore issues of humanity. The show's theme combines the fanfare from the original series theme by Alexander Courage with Jerry Goldsmith's theme for “Star Trek: The Motion Picture.” The Next Generation has other similarities to Star Trek: The Motion Picture, itself spun from the plans for Star Trek: Phase II. The movie's Willard Decker and Ilia bear similarities to The Next Generation's Will Riker and Deanna Troi. The series' second-season premiere was based on a Phase II script, as was the courtroom drama "Devil's Due". Some sets used in the Original Series-era films were redressed for The Next Generation, and in turn used for subsequent Original Series films. Part of the transporter room set in The Next Generation was used in the original Star Trek's transporter set. Variants of Enterprise's LCARS computer interface appear in the Deep Space Nine and Voyager spinoffs and the Next Generation-era films. The series also established the five-number stardate, with the second digit corresponding to the season; Deep Space Nine's opening stardate of 46379 aligns with The Next Generation's sixth season, and Voyager's 48315 places it in what would have been The Next Generation's eighth season. Three original Star Trek main actors appear as their original series characters in The Next Generation: DeForest Kelley as Leonard McCoy in "Encounter at Farpoint", Leonard Nimoy as Spock in both halves of "Unification", and James Doohan as Montgomery Scott in "Relics." Mark Lenard played Sarek for both "Sarek" and "Unification, Part I", and Majel Barrett reprised her role of voicing the Enterprise's computer, as well as playing Deanna's mother, Lwaxana Troi. A script that reportedly featured the character of Harry Mudd, a recurring criminal in Star Trek, was cancelled when Roger C. Carmel died. The Romulans reprise their antagonistic role in The Next Generation, although the Klingons reappear as Federation allies. The Next Generation introduces two characters who would later have lead roles in Deep Space Nine: Miles O'Brien (played by Colm Meaney) and Worf. The character who eventually became Kira Nerys was initially intended to be a reprisal of Michelle Forbes' Next Generation character, Ro Laren. Additional Next Generation characters who appear in Deep Space Nine include Q, the Duras sisters, Klingon Chancellor Gowron, Klingon Kurn (Worf's brother), Alexander Rozhenko (Worf's son), Keiko O'Brien (Miles' wife), Molly O'Brien (Miles' daughter), Lwaxana Troi, Thomas Riker, Vash, and Gul Evek. Reginald Barclay, Deanna Troi, Q, William Riker and Geordi La Forge appear in Voyager. Tom Paris, a main character in Voyager, was based on the Next Generation character Nicholas Locarno; Robert Duncan McNeill, who played Locarno, went on to play Paris. Deanna Troi and William Riker appear in the Enterprise finale "These Are the Voyages..." The Ferengi, conceived but panned as The Next Generation's recurring antagonists, appear in subsequent Star Trek spin-offs. The Next Generation also introduces the Borg, Cardassian, Trill, and Bajoran species, along with the Maquis resistance group, all of which play a part in both Deep Space Nine and Voyager. Deep Space Nine's Julian Bashir, played by Alexander Siddig, appears in The Next Generation's "Birthright, Part I", and Armin Shimerman played Quark for "Firstborn". Michael Dorn (Worf) appeared in “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” as his ancestor Klingon Colonel Worf. Brent Spiner (Data) appeared in several Star Trek: Enterprise episodes as Noonien Soong's ancestor, Arik Soong. Diana Muldaur (Pulaski) appeared in The Original Series episodes "Return to Tomorrow" as Lt. Commander Ann Mulhall, and "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" as Dr. Miranda Jones. Majel Barrett Roddenberry (Lwaxana Troi and the ship's computer) appeared in The Original Series as recurring character Nurse Christine Chapel, though she was originally cast as "Number One" in the pilot. She also was the voice for the Federation computers in every series. Jonathan Frakes and LeVar Burton (Riker & La Forge) have also directed episodes of Deep Space Nine and Voyager. Burton also directed episodes of Enterprise. The following actors from other Star Trek productions have appeared in guest spots on The Next Generation as other characters. Armin Shimerman (Quark of Deep Space Nine) appeared in "The Last Outpost" as the Ferengi Letek, "Haven" as the face of a Betazoid gift box, and "Peak Performance" as Ferengi DaiMon Bractor. Max Grodénchik (Rom of Deep Space Nine) appeared in "Captain's Holiday" as Ferengi Sovak, and "The Perfect Mate" as Ferengi Par Lenor. Ethan Phillips guest stars as the Ferengi Farek. He later appears in Star Trek: Voyager as Neelix. Marc Alaimo (Dukat of Deep Space Nine) appeared in "Lonely Among Us" as Antican Badar N'D'D, in "The Neutral Zone" as the Romulan commander Tebok, in "The Wounded" as the Cardassian Gul Macet, and in "Time's Arrow" as the poker player Frederick La Rouque.
Salome Jens (the Female Shapeshifter of Deep Space Nine) appeared in "The Chase" as an ancient humanoid. James Cromwell, who plays the prime minister in “The Hunted,” also plays the role of Dr. Zefram Cochrane in “Star Trek: First Contact” and Star Trek: Enterprise episode “Broken Bow,” Jaglom Shrek in Star Trek: TNG episodes Birthright Parts 1 and 2 in season six and Hanok in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode Starship Down. Four films feature the series' characters: “Star Trek: Generations” (1994), “Star Trek: First Contact” (1996), “Star Trek: Insurrection” (1998), and “Star Trek: Nemesis” (2002). Three other Star Trek TV series succeeded The Next Generation: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999), Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001), and Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005). The series has also inspired numerous novels, analytical books, websites, and works of fan fiction. On October 7, 2006, one of the three original filming models of the USS Enterprise-D used on the show sold at a Christie's auction for USD $576,000, making it the highest-selling item at the event. The series' first season was released on DVD in March 2002. Throughout the year the next six seasons were released at various times on DVD, with the seventh season being released in December of 2002. To commemorate the series 20th anniversary, CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment released Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Series on October 2, 2007. The DVD box set contains 49 discs.

The Original Series may have given birth to the Star Trek universe, but it was The Next Generation that assured it would live and grow into a huge phenomenon that it is today. When the show premiered in first run syndication back in 1987, it marked a new phase in Star Trek’s history and was very different from the first series (A Klingon crew member on the Enterprise!), but it still captured Star Trek’s spirit: a futuristic world with a society that accepts anyone and everyone for who they are. And, it had one hell of a captain: Jean-Luc Picard, played wonderfully by Patrick Stewart (which shouldn’t be a surprise considering that Stewart is one of the best Shakespearean actors on the planet). But, that’s not to say the other actors weren’t great. Jonathan Frakes was terrific as Commander William Riker, playing the role with a great mix of humanity, humility, and a little anger. Brent Spiner did a good job as Data, even though he had the hard job of playing a character with no emotions. And, Michael Dorn’s Worf has pretty much become the standard bearer for future Klingons. However, The Next Generation suffered a problem the other Star Trek shows suffered from. Like every installment in the Star Trek canon, The Next Generation's hit-to-miss ration was roughly even. When it was good, The Next Generation was the closest thing imaginable to sci-fi heaven. I mean, you had the Borg and Picard becoming one of them, the recurrence of John de Lancie's hilarious Q, and any episode involving Worf and his fractious Klingon family was enough to keep you glued to the set. And, when it was bad, Oh Boy! There was too much 'Prime Directive' moralizing, one too many pointless holodeck episodes, and Wesley Crusher, the most irritating character ever created. These were a small price to pay for such a sublime interstellar experience.

[Hulk With A Mustache]

48. St. Elsewhere



Genre: Medical drama.
Created by: Joshua Brand and John Falsey.
Executive Producer(s): Mark Tinker and Bruce Paltrow.
Starring: Ed Flanders (Dr. Donald Westphall), William Daniels (Dr. Mark Craig), Bonnie Bartlett (Mrs. Ellen Craig), David Birney (Dr. Ben Samuels 1982-1983), Ed Begley, Jr. (Dr. Victor Ehrlich), David Morse (Dr. Jack Morrison), Cynthia Sikes (Dr. Annie Cavanero 1982-1985), Howie Mandel (Dr. Wayne Fiscus), Barbara Whinnery (Dr. Cathy Martin 1982-1986), Terence Knox (Dr. Peter White 1982-1985), G.W. Bailey (Dr. Hugh Beale 1982-1983), Christina Pickles (Nurse Helen Rosenthal), Denzel Washington (Dr. Phillip Chandler), Kavi Raz (Dr. Vijay Kochar 1982-1984), Kim Miyori (Dr. Wendy Armstrong 1982-1984), Norman Lloyd (Dr. Daniel Auschlander), Ellen Bry (Nurse Shirley Daniels 1982-1985), Eric Laneuville (Orderly Luther Hawkins), Nancy Stafford (Joan Halloran 1983-1984), Mark Harmon (Dr. Robert Caldwell 1983-1986), Paul Sand (Dr. Michael Ridley 1983-1984), Stephen Furst (Dr. Elliot Axelrod (1983-1988), Jennifer Savidge (Nurse Lucy Papandrao), Sagan Lewis (Dr. Jaqueline Wade 1983-1988), Byron Stewart (Orderly Warren Coolidge 1984-1988), Judith Hansen (Dr. Emily Humes (1984-1985), Brian Tochi (Dr. Alan Poe 1984-1985), Saudra Sharp (Nurse Peggy Shotwell 1984-1986), Florence Halop (Mrs. Hufnagel 1984-1985), Alfre Woodard (Dr. Roxanne Turner 1985-1987), George Deloy (Ken Valere 1985-1986), Deborah May (Terri Valere 1985-1986), Bruce Greenwood (Dr. Seth Griffin 1986-1988), France Nuyen (Dr. Paulette Kiem 1986-1988), Cindy Pickett (Dr. Carol Novino 1986-1988), Patricia Wettig (Joanne McFadden 1986-1988), Ronny Cox (Dr. John Gideon 1987-1988), Helen Hunt (Clancy Williams 1984-1986), and Chad Allen (Tommy Westphall 1983-1986).
Country of Origin: United States.
Number of Seasons: 6.
Number of Episodes: 137.
Running Time: 60 minutes.
Original Channel: NBC.
Original Run: October 26, 1982 – May 25, 1988.
Spinoffs: None.

St. Elsewhere was created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey. The series was set at St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood, said at the time to be based on Boston City Hospital, now Boston Medical Center. The hospital's nickname, "St. Elsewhere," is medical industry slang for poor hospitals that serve patients not wanted by the more prestigious institutions. As a medical drama, St. Elsewhere dealt with serious issues of life and death, though episodes also included a substantial amount of black comedy. Although the series never ranked higher than 49th place in the yearly Nielsen Ratings, it maintained a large enough audience to last six seasons and 137 episodes, and the show's famously provocative ending is frequently mentioned in discussions about television series finales. It was produced by MTM Enterprises, which found success with Hill Street Blues around the same time. (The shows were often compared to each other for their ensemble casts and serial storylines.) The series had a large ensemble cast, a "realistic" visual style, and a profusion of interlocking stories, and could be regarded as something of a "serial" for its ongoing storylines that continued over the course of many episodes, and sometimes many seasons. Its influence can be seen in Northern Exposure, another Brand-Falsey series, as well as in other medical dramas, such as ER and Grey's Anatomy. The series was well-regarded by critics, including the influential David Bianculli of the New York Daily News, and received 13 Emmys during its six-season run. The producers for the series were Bruce Paltrow, Mark Tinker, John Masius, Tom Fontana, John Falsey and Abby Singer. Tinker, Masius, Fontana, and Paltrow wrote a number of episodes as well; other writers included John Tinker, John Ford Noonan, Charles H. Eglee, Eric Overmyer, Channing Gibson, and Aram Saroyan. In addition to established actors Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd and William Daniels, St. Elsewhere is also noted for a strong ensemble cast that included Denzel Washington, David Morse, Alfre Woodard, Mark Harmon, Bruce Greenwood, Helen Hunt, Christina Pickles, Kyle Secor, Ed Begley, Jr. and Howie Mandel. The final episode of St. Elsewhere, known as "The Last One", ended in a context different from every other episode of the series. As the viewer pans away from snow beginning to fall at St. Eligius, the scene changes to Donald Westphall's autistic son Tommy, and Daniel Auschlander in an apartment building. Westphall arrives home from a day of work, and it is clear that he works in construction from the uniform he wears and from a conversation in this scene. "Auschlander" is revealed to be Donald's father, and thus Tommy's grandfather. Donald laments to his father, "I don't understand this autism thing, Pop. Here's my son. I talk to him. I don't even know if he can hear me, because he sits there, all day long, in his own world, staring at that toy. What's he thinkin' about?" The toy is revealed to be a snow globe with a replica of St. Eligius inside. Tommy shakes the snow globe, and is told by his father to come and wash his hands. Donald Westphall places the snow globe on the family's television set and walks into the kitchen and the camera closes in on the snow globe. One of the more common interpretations of this scene is that the total series of events in the series St. Elsewhere had been a product of Tommy Westphall's imagination, with elements of the above scene used as its own evidence. One of the results of this has been an attempt by individuals to determine how many television shows are also products of this Tommy Westphall's mind because of shared fictional characters: the "Tommy Westphall Universe". The series finale brought in 22.5 million viewers and was the highest-rated program that week. After struggling in syndication, the reruns had cable runs on TV Land, Bravo and currently, AmericanLife TV. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has released the complete first season of St. Elsewhere on DVD in Region 1 for the first time. Despite a large and loyal fan base, Fox Home Entertainment has stated there are currently no plans to bring any remaining seasons to DVD.

“I’m still amazed when people talk about St. Elsewhere,” said producer Tom Fontana. “At the time, we were just trying to do it. We never sat back and went, ‘God, we’re really contributing to television history.’” But they were. Without St. Elsewhere, there would be no ER, House, or Scrubs (which even had four actors from St. Elsewhere guest star in an episode). St. Elsewhere was important not so much for the diseases its doctors cured as the afflictions they suffered. Earlier hospital dramas like Ben Casey and Marcus Welby, M.D. had portrayed doctors as medical supermen who rarely, if ever, lost their patience or their patients. What Hill Street Blues (also produced by MTM) did for TV cops, NBC’s St. Elsewhere did for TV docs: it humanized them. Neither soap stars nor Welbyesque saints, Elsewhere's characters dealt with infidelity and moral crises. Boston’s St. Eligius, sarcastically nicknamed St. Elsewhere because of its reputation for taking cases no other hospital wanted, housed a fascinatingly flawed staff: Dr. Mark Craig (Daniels) was a heartless heart surgeon with a failing marriage; Dr. Peter White (Knox) was a rapist who was killed by a nurse; Dr. Robert Caldwell (Harmon) was a womanizer who once had to have his member surgically removed from his zipper and later contracted AIDS. St. Elsewhere’s ever-changing ensemble cast ranged from the sublime (Denzel Washington and Alfre Woodard as young doctors in love) to the ridiculous (prop comic Howie Mandel and “Animal House” alum Stephen Furst as hapless sophomoric M.D.’s). The show also pioneered the quirky humor of modern dramedies, full of in-jokes and pop culture references (fictional TV doctors would sometimes be paged on Eligius' intercom). Its story lines similarly merged deadly serious issues (cancer, AIDS, suicide), with darkly comic subplots, several of them involving Florence Halop as a perennial patient Mrs. Hufnagel, who died in a freak hospital bed accident. The writing staff of St. Elsewhere turned out dazzlingly inventive scripts and would later work on such top-quality dramas as Homicide: Life On The Street, Oz, Chicago Hope, Northern Exposure, and NYPD Blue. And, yes, there was that infamous loved and hated surreal series finale, when it was suggested that the whole show had been a hallucination by Tommy Westphall (Allen), the autistic son of the hospital’s ex-chief of staff, Dr. Donald Westphall (Flanders) who turned out not to be a doctor at all. While that might have a huge stinker, you can’t let one bad finale ruin what was a great show. Beside, it was a beautiful dream while it lasted.

[Hulk With A Mustache]

47. Sanford And Son



Genre: Sitcom.
Created by: Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin, based on Steptoe and Son created by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
Executive Producer(s): Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin.
Starring: Redd Foxx (Fred G. Sanford), Demond Wilson (Lamont Sanford), LaWanda Page (Esther Anderson), Whitman Mayo (Grady Wilson), and Don Bexley (Bubba Bexley).
Country of Origin: United States, but based on a U.K. show.
Number of Seasons: 6.
Number of Episodes: 135.
Running Time: 25 minutes.
Original Channel: NBC.
Original Run: January 14, 1972 – March 25, 1977.
Spinoffs: Grady, a 1975-1976 spinoff about Grady Wilson; The Sandford Arms, a 1977 spinoff that featured many recurring characters from the show; and Sanford, a 1980-1981 spinoff featuring just Fred Sanford.

The show was created by Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin and was produced by Lear and Yorkin's company Tandem Productions, which was also responsible for All in the Family. The two shows had a few things in common. They were both based on popular British sitcoms and both were pioneers of edgy, racial humor that reflected the changing politics of the time. Both series also featured outspoken, working-class protagonists with overt prejudices. Sanford and Son helped to redefine the genre of black situation comedy. Sanford and Son starred Redd Foxx as Fred G. Sanford, a 65-year-old junk dealer living at 9114 S. Central Ave. in the Watts neighborhood of southern Los Angeles, California; and Demond Wilson as his 28-year-old son, Lamont Sanford. Redd Foxx played Sanford as a sarcastic, stubborn, and argumentative antiques and junk dealer, whose frequent money-making schemes routinely backfired and created more troubles. Lamont dearly would have liked to enjoy independence but loved his father too much to leave him to his devices and schemes. Although each owned an equal share in the business and technically Fred was the boss, Lamont often found himself doing all the work and having to order his father to complete tasks and duties. Other characters on the show included:

Esther Anderson (LaWanda Page), also known as Aunt Esther, is the Bible-toting sister of Fred's late wife Elizabeth. Esther is a staunchly religious Baptist who finds little use for humor. Fred has an intense dislike for Esther, which she gladly returns. His trademark response to her entrance is to make an exaggerated grimace. He would then spew forth colorful insults and liken her to animals and fictitious monsters such as King Kong and Godzilla. Her usual reaction to his antics is to cringe her face and yell, "Watch it, sucka." Sometimes, cracking from the constant barrage of insults, she would swing her purse wildly in Fred's direction whilst angrily calling him a "fish-eyed fool" or "heathen". Her long-suffering but loving alcoholic husband Woodrow (played by Raymond Allen) began appearing infrequently later in the series. Woodrow eventually 'dried out' so he and Esther could adopt a young orphan, played by Eric Laneuville. Fred and Esther did call a temporary truce, of sorts, in the episode "My Fair Esther"

Grady Wilson (Whitman Mayo) is Fred's closest friend who appears regularly on the show. Grady's catchphrase is "Good Goobly Goo!" and is uttered by him when something good would happen or he was in a pleasant mood. Grady was Fred's 'sidekick' and would often be involved in get-rich-quick schemes concocted by Fred. When Foxx had a contract dispute with (and walked out on) the show, several episodes were filmed without him. These episodes involved Grady as the central character who was watching over the business and Lamont whilst Fred was 'away' on vacation in St. Louis. Grady was actually named after actor Demond Wilson. Demond Wilson's full name is "Grady Demond Wilson".

Bubba Bexley (Don Bexley) is another of Fred's friends who appears frequently. Bubba is known for his infectious belly-laugh and jovial persona. Bubba is primarily a straight man to set up punchlines for Fred. His loud greeting of "Hey Fred!" drove Fred and Lamont crazy.

Rollo Lawson (Nathaniel Taylor) is Lamont's best friend. Fred will often make disrespectful remarks towards Rollo, usually stating that he thinks Rollo is a criminal, which Rollo doesn't deny. Rollo appears in the show every so often to come pick up Lamont so they can go out and chase women. Also, they sometimes go to stag films or what Rollo calls "skin flicks".

Donna Harris (Lynn Hamilton) is Fred's on again, off again girlfriend who later becomes his fiancée. She is employed as a practical nurse. Donna is an even-tempered lady who takes in stride Fred's shenanigans and occasional trysts. She also appears to be a bit more of an upper class individual in contrast to Fred's somewhat blunt, crude persona. Lamont, being the overprotecting son, detests Donna at first (infamously branding her as "The Barracuda"), but by Season 6 has completely warmed up to her. Like Lamont, Esther was mildly hostile to Donna, at first, but soon warmed up to her.

Julio Fuentes (Gregory Sierra) is the Sanfords' Puerto Rican next-door neighbor who befriends Lamont. When Julio and his family moved in next to the Sanfords, Fred took an immediate disliking to them and remarked, "There goes the neighborhood". Despite Julio's friendliness, Fred often made crude ethnic jokes about Julio and openly wished he would return to Puerto Rico. However, Fred stood up for Julio's nephew at his elementary school, which had threatened to drop him to a lower grade due to lack of proficiency in speaking English; Fred tutored him for some time as well. In the fifth season, Julio moved away. The Sanfords bought his former home and converted it into a boarding house named "The Sanford Arms."

Ah Chew (Pat Morita) is a Japanese-American friend of Lamont who Fred belittled every chance he gets. Fred insults Ah Chew on numerous occasion using clichéd Oriental jokes. Fred actually befriends Ah Chew in a later episode because he wants to use him as a cook when he opens a Japanese restaurant, "Sanford and Rising Son", in the Sanford house. Despite this arrangement, Fred still hurls verbal abuse at Ah Chew. In the fifth season episode "Sergeant Gork", Pat Morita portrays Colonel Hiakowa, in a flashback where Fred tells Lamont's fiancée’s son, Roger, of his supposed heroism in World War II.

Officer "Smitty" Smith and Officer "Hoppy" Hopkins are a pair of police officers who occasionally show up at the Sanfords' residence. One officer was black, Officer "Smitty" Smith (played by Hal Williams), and one white, Officer "Hoppy" Hopkins (played by Howard Platt). Often, Hoppy would incorrectly use slang, which Smitty would correct (e.g., "cold" instead of "cool" or "Right up" instead of "right on") Conversely, the ever-professional Hoppy would deliver a speech filled with police jargon and big words, which would confuse Fred and/or Lamont thus giving a collective head turning to Smitty, who would then translate Hoppy's speech into 'Jive'. Later in the series's run, the officers would often appear individually. Unlike Ah Chew and Julio, Hoppy was the only non African-American character on the show who remained free of Fred's usual insults. Freeman King appeared in one episode ("The Reverend Sanford" in season 6) as Officer Jim, a fill-in for "Smitty."

Officer "Swanny" Swanhauser (Noam Pitlik) was originally Officer Smitty's Caucasian partner who was replaced early in the second season with Officer Hopkins. Swanny was basically the same as Hoppy, but his demeanor was much more serious and humorless. Like Smitty, Swanny was never racially insulted by Fred.

May Hopkins (Nancy Kulp) is Officer Hoppy's prim and proper mother who appeared in the fifth season. She was a retired store detective who rented a room at the Sanford Arms next door. Landlord Fred would often insult her when she paid a visit. Much like her son, Mrs. Hopkins would incorrectly use slang, but the more experienced Hoppy would correct her.

Janet Lawson (Marlene Clark) is a divorcee Lamont began dating in the fifth season. Janet also had a young son, Roger (Edward Crawford). The Lawsons appeared occasionally until Lamont and Janet broke up indefinitely in the sixth and final season, due to the return of Janet's ex-husband.

Melvin White (Slappy White) is an old buddy of Fred's who appears in the first season.

Leroy & Skillet (Leroy Daniels & Ernest 'Skillet' Mayhand) are a rambunctious pair of Fred's friends who like to play poker, billiards or joke around. They appeared in the second and third seasons.

Otis Littlejohn (Matthew "Stymie" Beard) is another friend of Fred's who appeared infrequently in the third and fourth seasons

Frank Nelson appeared as various characters in the fifth and sixth seasons using his catchphrase "Yeeees?".

On the show's premiere in 1972, newspaper ads touted Foxx as NBC's answer to Archie Bunker, the bigoted white protagonist of All in the Family. (Both shows were adapted by Norman Lear from BBC shows.) Fred G. Sanford was a widower (he had moved to Los Angeles from St. Louis), whose wife Elizabeth had died some two decades before. Fred had raised Lamont alone and missed Elizabeth deeply. According to Fred, his son was named for Lamont Lomax, a (presumably fictional) pitcher from the Homestead Grays. Fred was also known for insulting his sister-in-law Esther, who had disapproved of Fred marrying her sister. He would often contort his face upon Esther's entrance and make disparaging remarks to her, comparing her with King Kong and Godzilla and using colorful metaphors to describe her. Despite his stubbornness, Fred would sometimes redeem himself with acts of kindness, even to those (like Esther) who he insists he doesn't like. In the last episode of the series, Fred earned his high school diploma, and was the valedictorian of his graduating class. Earlier in the show's run, it adhered more closely to the format laid out by its British predecessor, Steptoe and Son, with Fred and Lamont often at loggerheads over various issues. Fred and Lamont were also depicted as being equally manipulative (Fred with his constant threats of "the big one" and his "arthur-itis"; Lamont with his attempts to drive a wedge between Fred and his girlfriend, Donna, who he saw as usurping his mother's place). At times, Lamont was actually depicted as the greedier of the two; for example, in one episode he refused to sell two coffins for less than what he thought they were worth, despite the fact that they clearly upset his somewhat superstitious father. As well, Lamont sometimes received his comeuppance for being disdainful of his father's habits and ways (an example of this would be the time Lamont was upbraided by a Nigerian woman he hoped to impress by "adopting" African culture; she considered his attitude towards Fred to be disrespectful). There were even moments when Lamont was shown to be naive and foolish, such as the episode where he invited his new "friends" over to play poker; his more experienced father saw right away that they were actually out to cheat Lamont, after they had gained his confidence by letting him win a few smaller-stakes games. As the series progressed, however, it became more focused on Fred's antics and schemes, with Lamont often adopting the role of the gentler, more open-minded progressive who attempted to broaden his father's horizons. A notable example of the softening of Lamont's character is his change in attitude towards Donna, Fred's girlfriend; early in the show's run, Lamont derided her as "the barricuda" and was openly hostile towards her (to say nothing of attempting to ruin her relationship with his father at least twice), yet an episode later in the series' run saw Lamont inviting Donna out to dinner with himself and his girlfriend, remarking that it would do his reputation good to be seen with "two lovely ladies". Similarly, Fred was initially depicted as a man who, if not always ethically or culturally sensitive, had the wisdom of experience. As the show went on, Fred was seen getting into increasingly ludicrous situations, such as faking a British accent to get a job as a waiter; convincing a white couple that an earthquake was really the "Watts subway"; taking over a play featuring George Foreman; or sneaking into a celebrity's private area, such as Lena Horne's dressing room or Frank Sinatra's hotel room. Many of these situations invariably revolved around Fred trying to make a quick buck. One constant remained through the show, however, and that was the loyalty of father and son to each other. Even in the show's earliest episodes when one or the other left the house, seemingly for good (Lamont moved out at least twice, and at one point he even put Fred in an old folks' home), something always occurred that returned things back to normal (Lamont got homesick and worried about his father, or something didn't work out and Lamont schemed his way back in; Lamont felt lonely without his father around the house thanks to a plan Bubba and Fred hatched). Perhaps the best example of this bond between father and son occurred in the episode where a friend from Fred's past showed up and claimed to be Lamont's real father. After hearing the news, Lamont told a tearful Fred that he was "the only pop I've ever had" and as far as he was concerned, it was "always" going to be Sanford and Son (in the humorous twist that closed the episode, it turned out the friend had accidentally slept with Aunt Esther, thinking she was her sister Elizabeth). Sanford and Son was enormously popular during most of its run, and was one of the top ten highest-rated series on American television from its first season (1971-72) through the 1975-76 season. With its coveted 8pm Eastern Friday night time slot, Sanford and Son put enough of a dent into the middling audience of ABC's The Brady Bunch to drive it off the air in 1974. Sanford and Son peaked at #2 in the Nielsen ratings during the 1973-74 season, and stayed there for three years in a row. The series was second only to All in the Family in terms of ratings. The show was still quite popular when it was cancelled (due entirely to Foxx's departure from the show) in 1977. In the midst of taping episodes for the 1973-74 season, Redd Foxx walked off the show in a salary dispute due to a feud with NBC in which he demanded a salary that the network claimed it could not afford. His character was written out of the series for the rest of the season. The continuity of the show explained that Fred Sanford was away in St. Louis attending his cousin's funeral and leaving his friend Grady (Whitman Mayo) in charge of the business. NBC sued Foxx and as part of the settlement, Foxx later returned. Less than ten episodes before Fred "left for St. Louis" to observe the death of his cousin, his uncle Leotus Sanford died... and he had to go to St. Louis. After the series was canceled in 1977 (due entirely to Foxx's departure; the ABC television network gave Foxx a big raise to do a variety show and NBC refusing to give Wilson a raise), a failed, short-lived continuation featuring supporting characters titled The Sanford Arms aired. Whitman Mayo starred in a spinoff series, Grady, during the 1975-76 season. In 1980-81, Redd Foxx attempted to revive his old hit with the short-lived Sanford (so named because Demond Wilson declined to reprise the role of Lamont for the new series). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released all six seasons of Sanford and Son on Region 1 DVD between August 2002 and June 2005.

Talk about questionable African-American role models: Fred Sanford, the main character in Sanford And Son, was a cantankerous 65-year-old junk dealer given to lusting after women, insulting whites and non-black minorities, tippling “champipple” (champagne and Ripple), dreaming up scams, and generally making life miserable for his son Lamont, AKA “Dummy.” Some critics carped that the show fostered the most noxious ethnic stereotypes since the heyday of Amos ‘n’ Andy, but for four of the six seasons it ran, this non-PC sitcom ranked among the top 10, scoring high marks with viewers. Originally touted as a sort of black All In The Family (both shows were produced and created Norman Lear, who adapted the idea for Sanford And Son from the British TV show Steptoe And Son), it featured a multiethnic cast that included Lamont’s Puerto Rican buddy Julio (Gregory Sierra) and the Asian handyman Ah Chew (Pat Morita); and a variety of crotchety characters, such as Grady (Mayo), Bubba (Bexley), and the quick tempered Aunt Esther Anderson (played with such great sass by LaWanda Page), floated in and out of the episodes. However, it was the curiously affecting love-hate relationship between the two title characters that generated the most laughs. Never was there a more unlikely comic adapted so effectively to a sitcom as Redd Foxx. Foxx, whose stage act liberally employed words and references that you still can't use on broadcast TV, was cleaned up but not smoothed over as the junkyard proprietor, serial over-actor, widower, and ornery cuss Sanford. But, Foxx's transition to TV wouldn't have worked without the understated work of Demond Wilson as his son Lamont. Lamont was the suffering grown-up, dreaming of building up the family business (or ditching it and moving out) and chafing at having to keep Fred out of trouble. Fred was the manipulative child, having another in a series of "heart attacks" ("I'm coming to join you, Elizabeth! This is the big one!") whenever he needed sympathy. Sanford and Son may not have played to the champagne crowd, but it went down like a smooth glass of champipple.