TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
01-20-15, 02:43 AM
#351
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Thread Starter
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
I've just finished Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season Five on Blu-ray. My (admittedly lengthy) remarks, spoiler'd mostly for length:
Spoiler:
01-20-15, 05:33 AM
#352
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
Last night, I pulled a random box set off the shelf and it was Dragnet 1969 and I looked on the list of episodes and there was one about the Martin Luther King assassination, so, since it was still MLK Day, I thought it most appropriate to watch it. It was about the LAPD's response to the assassination and how they were able to keep order while other cities had riots. All done from the P-O-V of the Emergency Control Center, where Friday and Gannon are assigned. Interestingly, there were bomb threats called in for the memorial held that weekend at the Coliseum and the LAPD response was to search for bombs there and then let the event continue and hope the bomb threats weren't real. No public announcement either. This episode aired seven months after the assassination.
Then I watched my very first episode of The Fugitive. The episode was called "Come and Watch Me Die" and it had the Fugitive (David Janssen) living incognito as a farm hand who's suddenly ordered by the local lawman to be deputized and drive a school bus carrying a murder suspect, the lawman and four angry witnesses to the County Sheriff's seat. One of the witnesses is Bruce Dern! And when they stop at a diner to eat, who's the waitress? Diane Ladd, Dern's then-wife! (The two of them are the parents of Laura Dern.) It was an excellent episode, very suspenseful, and it doesn't go where you think it will.
Then I watched my very first episode of The Fugitive. The episode was called "Come and Watch Me Die" and it had the Fugitive (David Janssen) living incognito as a farm hand who's suddenly ordered by the local lawman to be deputized and drive a school bus carrying a murder suspect, the lawman and four angry witnesses to the County Sheriff's seat. One of the witnesses is Bruce Dern! And when they stop at a diner to eat, who's the waitress? Diane Ladd, Dern's then-wife! (The two of them are the parents of Laura Dern.) It was an excellent episode, very suspenseful, and it doesn't go where you think it will.
Last edited by Ash Ketchum; 01-20-15 at 11:38 AM.
01-20-15, 11:37 AM
#353
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Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
I just got in my first double credit viewing. Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 is actually eligible for both challenges, since it is a made for TV HBO documentary.
01-20-15, 01:06 PM
#354
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
I opted to watch some of both Chuck and ST:TNG last night.
Chuck was interesting but I only watched a couple of episodes so don't really have a good feel for how I might like it once it really gets going. There was a bit too much "She's the bad one" - "He's the bad one" back-and-forth between the 2 agents attempting to get control of Chuck and the information he carries. If I were watching this on "Live TV" I'd probably bail at this point since nothing's really jumped out and grabbed me, but since I picked up the entire series from BL a few months back I'll stick with it.
Season 1 of ST:TNG has started out as weakly as I remember. The first 3 episodes are essentially poor reworkings of ST:TOS episodes. The acting is not too good, effects just average, scripts are somewhat trite/cliche, and the overall pacing feels off. So far the best episode has been #4, "The Last Outpost," but that's mainly been due to the first appearance of the Ferengi as the episode is just another "superior being forces Humans and another race to fight to see if they deserve to be spared" type.
I already hate the Wesley Crusher "deus-ex-machina" effect and it's only been seen partially in effect *once*. I'm somewhat dreading the next episode, "Where No One Has Gone Before," as I recall it being the one where Wesley is given a "field promotion" (in spite of the fact he's *not even been accepted to the Academy*!) which allows him to be on the bridge all the time. It was the primary tipping point toward my not liking the series in my original journey. Both due to his now regular appearance but also a "softening" of Picard's character. Based on what we'd seen up to that point he was *very* adamant about training and "children" not being allowed to set foot on the bridge.
I've also been surprised that Riker is not the "stuffed shirt" type I'd come to think of him being in later episodes.
I never noticed how Data's skin has a green tint in these early episodes (with "Encounter at Farpoint" seemingly doing the "effect" with green gels on the lights). Was that a "Frankenstein's Monster" type implication? Does he keep that coloration? I seem to recall he looks somewhat "pale" in the movies but not green.
I'm really trying to keep an open mind as I work my way through S1 as I've read S2 gets better after a few episodes and things really pick up in S3 but it's really hard to do as what I'm seeing just reinforces why I gave up on the series during its original run.
Chuck was interesting but I only watched a couple of episodes so don't really have a good feel for how I might like it once it really gets going. There was a bit too much "She's the bad one" - "He's the bad one" back-and-forth between the 2 agents attempting to get control of Chuck and the information he carries. If I were watching this on "Live TV" I'd probably bail at this point since nothing's really jumped out and grabbed me, but since I picked up the entire series from BL a few months back I'll stick with it.
Season 1 of ST:TNG has started out as weakly as I remember. The first 3 episodes are essentially poor reworkings of ST:TOS episodes. The acting is not too good, effects just average, scripts are somewhat trite/cliche, and the overall pacing feels off. So far the best episode has been #4, "The Last Outpost," but that's mainly been due to the first appearance of the Ferengi as the episode is just another "superior being forces Humans and another race to fight to see if they deserve to be spared" type.
I already hate the Wesley Crusher "deus-ex-machina" effect and it's only been seen partially in effect *once*. I'm somewhat dreading the next episode, "Where No One Has Gone Before," as I recall it being the one where Wesley is given a "field promotion" (in spite of the fact he's *not even been accepted to the Academy*!) which allows him to be on the bridge all the time. It was the primary tipping point toward my not liking the series in my original journey. Both due to his now regular appearance but also a "softening" of Picard's character. Based on what we'd seen up to that point he was *very* adamant about training and "children" not being allowed to set foot on the bridge.
I've also been surprised that Riker is not the "stuffed shirt" type I'd come to think of him being in later episodes.
I never noticed how Data's skin has a green tint in these early episodes (with "Encounter at Farpoint" seemingly doing the "effect" with green gels on the lights). Was that a "Frankenstein's Monster" type implication? Does he keep that coloration? I seem to recall he looks somewhat "pale" in the movies but not green.
I'm really trying to keep an open mind as I work my way through S1 as I've read S2 gets better after a few episodes and things really pick up in S3 but it's really hard to do as what I'm seeing just reinforces why I gave up on the series during its original run.
Last edited by BobO'Link; 01-21-15 at 12:07 AM.
01-20-15, 04:15 PM
#355
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
I just started watching this and was startled to realize that it's not in Japanese, but is dubbed in Mandarin.
01-20-15, 06:44 PM
#356
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
Three episodes into the second series of Danger 5 and it's popping along nicely. Tonight's episode started has a 'framed rogue operatives on the run (with some ninja seasoning)', then turned into Jurassic Park and finally morphed into an 80's action cartoon. Some questions yet to be answered:
Spoiler:
01-20-15, 06:53 PM
#357
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
Three episodes into the second series of Danger 5 and it's popping along nicely. Tonight's episode started has a 'framed rogue operatives on the run (with some ninja seasoning)', then turned into Jurassic Park and finally morphed into an 80's action cartoon. Some questions yet to be answered:
Spoiler:
01-20-15, 09:59 PM
#358
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Thread Starter
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
Season 3 of ST:TNG has started out as weakly as I remember. The first 3 episodes are essentially poor reworkings of ST:TOS episodes. The acting is not too good, effects just average, scripts are somewhat trite/cliche, and the overall pacing feels off. So far the best episode has been #4, "The Last Outpost," but that's mainly been due to the first appearance of the Ferengi as the episode is just another "superior being forces Humans and another race to fight to see if they deserve to be spared" type.
The important thing to remember is that none of the S1 writers were still on the show past the third season, and there was also a shakeup at the producer level, too. The only things that really matter from the first two seasons that recur in the good seasons are the establishment of Q, Lore, the Borg, and the death of Tasha Yar - and I can't imagine anyone interested in Star Trek not being intelligent enough to glean what they need to know about those things from the episodes in which they are revisited. TNG S1-2 really are the most disposable seasons in the entire franchise.
01-21-15, 01:12 AM
#360
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
It wasn't until I got to the title, "The Last Outpost", that I realized you meant S1 and not S3. WHEW! Yeah, that first season is particularly hard to watch. I'm a bit annoyed right now myself that I haven't logged a viewing of it since I started tracking at-home viewings in DVD Profiler at the end of 2009, and I feel compelled to rewatch it just so I can account for having done so...but I really just don't wanna!
The important thing to remember is that none of the S1 writers were still on the show past the third season, and there was also a shakeup at the producer level, too. The only things that really matter from the first two seasons that recur in the good seasons are the establishment of Q, Lore, the Borg, and the death of Tasha Yar - and I can't imagine anyone interested in Star Trek not being intelligent enough to glean what they need to know about those things from the episodes in which they are revisited. TNG S1-2 really are the most disposable seasons in the entire franchise.
I've now watched up through episode 7. While it's "OK" it's "just OK" with still too many episodes that feel like re-writes of TOS episodes. In a way that's to be expected considering the writing staff at this time but I have to wonder if that's mostly Roddenberry's influence on them. I just don't see D.C. Fontana and David Gerrold being that lazy although Fontana is apparently responsible for several. I've read that Roddenberry virtually rewrote the first 15 episodes and believe this as they all smack of his interference. Many episodes have that "More advanced being messes with the crew" theme to focus on some human foible for which Roddenberry seems to have a agenda he's pushing.
In that vein, many of the synopsis sound like they'd have been excellent TOS episodes. That is true of several I've already seen and I feel they'd have been better with the original cast. I often get the impression that many of the episodes are actually derived from scripts/treatments meant for TOS, or the aborted "Phase Two" series, as several new crewmembers frequently feel to have been shoehorned into episodes for no reason other than to give them screen time.
The episode "Where No One Has Gone Before" wasn't as bad as I was expecting and actually explains why Wesley got special treatment, although I still do not care for his presence. Remove Wesley and it's one of the better episodes so far. I still maintain had the character been less of a presence many episodes would benefit.
Data is no longer being made to look greenish and is the pale skinned version I remember.
Up next is another episode with the Ferengi - I hope it's better than the first. They were "interesting" in that first encounter episode but many of the mannerisms they exhibited seemed odd and out of place having recently seen many episodes of DS9 which focused on their species.
01-21-15, 01:33 AM
#361
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Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
In that vein, many of the synopsis sound like they'd have been excellent TOS episodes. That is true of several I've already seen and I feel they'd have been better with the original cast. I often get the impression that many of the episodes are actually derived from scripts/treatments meant for TOS, or the aborted "Phase Two" series, as several new crewmembers frequently feel to have been shoehorned into episodes for no reason other than to give them screen time.
Styling the show more in keeping with the aesthetic of the movies than with TOS was a wise choice, though even the look of S1 doesn't feel quite right. There's no clearer demonstration of the importance of lighting than contrasting TNG S1 and, say, S3 or anything after it. The dimmer lighting of S1 and S2 is a visual contribution to its dullness.
As for me, I've decided it's time to go back to Psych, beginning with The Complete First Season. It's been awhile since I last saw anything from the show at all, much less this early in its run. So far I've only re-watched the "Domestic Pilot" and most of the Disc 1 bonus features. I entirely forgot that Anne Dudek was Timothy Omundson's partner in the pilot instead of Maggie Lawson! I like Dudek, but Lawson was pitch-perfect for the show.
01-21-15, 03:11 AM
#362
Senior Member
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
I'm shooting for a strong finish. I began Someday, my first K-drama, over the long weekend, and began Afterlife tonight, mostly because Andrew Lincoln is one of its stars. I was interested in seeing what he was like playing a role other than Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead (I didn't know that he was English until I came across Afterlife).
I'm happy to have completed the first season of Elementary (watched the first few episodes during The Fifth Annual May Make-Your-Own Challenge) and expect to finish the second season of Veronica Mars this month, and expect to finish the next series of each during The Action/Adventure/Crime /Mystery challenge in March.
I'm happy to have completed the first season of Elementary (watched the first few episodes during The Fifth Annual May Make-Your-Own Challenge) and expect to finish the second season of Veronica Mars this month, and expect to finish the next series of each during The Action/Adventure/Crime /Mystery challenge in March.
01-21-15, 05:33 AM
#364
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
Up next is another episode with the Ferengi - I hope it's better than the first. They were "interesting" in that first encounter episode but many of the mannerisms they exhibited seemed odd and out of place having recently seen many episodes of DS9 which focused on their species.
01-21-15, 10:32 AM
#365
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Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
Chuck was interesting but I only watched a couple of episodes so don't really have a good feel for how I might like it once it really gets going. There was a bit too much "She's the bad one" - "He's the bad one" back-and-forth between the 2 agents attempting to get control of Chuck and the information he carries. If I were watching this on "Live TV" I'd probably bail at this point since nothing's really jumped out and grabbed me, but since I picked up the entire series from BL a few months back I'll stick with it.
That's funny. I can speak neither language, but I can generally recognize Japanese so I must not have been paying close enough attention, figuring I wouldn't be able to understand it.
01-21-15, 11:29 AM
#366
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Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
I was in the mood for peplum, and broke out my MC Warriors 50 movie set, and watched Sons of Hercules. I didn't plan on watching it for the challenge, but I remembered what I learned in last year's B movie challenge. It was a spliced together TV movie from a series about the Sons of Hercules.
01-21-15, 01:01 PM
#367
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
I was in the mood for peplum, and broke out my MC Warriors 50 movie set, and watched Sons of Hercules. I didn't plan on watching it for the challenge, but I remembered what I learned in last year's B movie challenge. It was a spliced together TV movie from a series about the Sons of Hercules.
Here's a list of the films in that package (original English title in parenthesis):
Ursus, Son of Hercules (Ursus in the Land of Fire) 1961
Mole Men vs the Son of Hercules (Maciste, the Strongest Man in the World) 1962
Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules (Maciste vs the Monsters) 1962
Venus Against the Son of Hercules (Mars God Of War) 1962
Triumph of the Son of Hercules (The Triumph of Maciste) 1962
Ulysses vs the Son of Hercules (Ulysses Against Hercules) 1962
Medusa vs the Son of Hercules (Perseus the Invincible) 1962
Son of Hercules in the Land of Fire (Ursus in the Land Of Fire) 1963
The Tyrant of Lydia vs the Son of Hercules (Goliath and the Rebel Slave) 1963
Messalina Against the Son of Hercules (The Last Gladiator) 1963
The Beast of Babylon vs the Son of Hercules (Hero Of Babylon) 1963
The Terror of Rome vs the Son of Hercules (Maciste, Gladiator of Sparta) 1964
Son of Hercules in the Land of Darkness (Hercules, the Invincible) 1964
The Devil of the Desert vs the Son of Hercules (Anthar the Invincible) 1964
That MC Warriors set has several of these. I've never checked to see if all of them have had any type of release.
I think I watched my set last year for the Drive-In Challenge but you've got me wanting to put one in for a dose of peplum.
*EDIT*
Nope... if I watched any of 'em I didn't list any. I checked the challenges they'd fit and found none of them listed! Maybe it's not been watched at all?! Now I *really* want to work in a couple!
Last edited by BobO'Link; 01-21-15 at 01:07 PM.
01-21-15, 02:58 PM
#368
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
Fortunately for you, the three only turn up a few times throughout the series. Q is in eight episodes (none in S5, which I recently blabbed about in this thread), the Borg are in four stories/six episodes (two 2-parters), and Lore is only in three stories/four episodes (one 2-parter). The fact that one of those 2-parters includes the Borg and Lore is either fortunate or unfortunate for you, depending on your perspective.
So with that episode count the Borg actually appear *more* in Voyager than TNG! I never much cared for them in Voyager either but their appearances seemed more believable. That's probably due to Voyager actually being in their "back yard."
I'm 8 episodes in and it now looks like they have Worf's character makeup settled down. In those first episodes his hair looks somewhat "poofy" and the headpiece looks somewhat bulbous. Due to the oddity of the makeup he looked almost anorexic on some of those early episodes.
Tonight's viewing will begin with the next "Q" episode. I can hardy wait (hmmm... how do you get sarcasm to come across in print)...
01-22-15, 11:59 AM
#369
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
Watched 28 episodes from 24 different shows over the three-day weekend. And there were some iconic shows in there: Bat Masterson, Death Valley Days, Dragnet, The Fugitive, Police Story, Kamen Rider, Space Battleship Yamato, Robin Hood, Batman, X-Men and from Hong Kong...Legend of the Condor Heroes!
Since then, I've pulled more icons off the shelf and put in the first weekly episode of "Kung Fu" and, vaguely related, the first two episodes of "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers." Now that show really holds up. I could spend the rest of the Challenge watching just Power Rangers, but I want to hit up some other icons, including Bonanza, the Cisco Kid, Naked City, Combat, and from Japan--Zatoichi, Lone Wolf and Cub, Astro Boy and...Ultraman!
Since then, I've pulled more icons off the shelf and put in the first weekly episode of "Kung Fu" and, vaguely related, the first two episodes of "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers." Now that show really holds up. I could spend the rest of the Challenge watching just Power Rangers, but I want to hit up some other icons, including Bonanza, the Cisco Kid, Naked City, Combat, and from Japan--Zatoichi, Lone Wolf and Cub, Astro Boy and...Ultraman!
01-22-15, 12:08 PM
#370
DVD Talk Legend
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
I've been real pleased with my progress in this challenge. I'm on target to reach the 200 hour mark and I've cleared quite a bit of unwatched content out this month. I'm just as anxious to begin watching some films for the Academy Award challenge this weekend, so I anticipate I'll be slowing down a bit in a couple of days.
I think others have stated this before, but I could probably watch TV content all year long. Being able to switch from comedy to drama, classics to newer content, etc., makes it near impossible to burn yourself out on things.
I think others have stated this before, but I could probably watch TV content all year long. Being able to switch from comedy to drama, classics to newer content, etc., makes it near impossible to burn yourself out on things.
01-22-15, 12:34 PM
#371
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Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
The great thing about TV is that it's not a genre so you can get a lot of variety. And watching the NFL playoffs for "credit" is the best! 
I just finished the complete run of How I Met Your Mother. This started back in November when we watched season 9 because I liked Cristin Milioti in A to Z, then we ended up going back through the entire series. It definitely had some low points, but was very entertaining overall. I think bingeing makes it easier to forgive a bad episode because you can immediately go to the next one. A bad season or a bad show, however....
I've slipped off my schedule a bit and need to pick up the pace to hit 200. Taking weekends off except for football is not the best strategy.
I just finished the complete run of How I Met Your Mother. This started back in November when we watched season 9 because I liked Cristin Milioti in A to Z, then we ended up going back through the entire series. It definitely had some low points, but was very entertaining overall. I think bingeing makes it easier to forgive a bad episode because you can immediately go to the next one. A bad season or a bad show, however....
I've slipped off my schedule a bit and need to pick up the pace to hit 200. Taking weekends off except for football is not the best strategy.
01-22-15, 03:53 PM
#372
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
Another night and more TNG.
I still don't like "Q" or similar type episodes. In all fairness I didn't like those much when they appeared on TOS so that really doesn't take away from the series.
I really didn't expect to enjoy the episode "Haven" as much as I did. It's one I *do* recall from the original airings. I'd have to say the character, Mr. Homm, was the high point of the episode. During the dinner party when he rang the gong after *every* bite Lwaxana Troi took I chuckled. It made me wonder how much cacophony there would be if *everyone* were a Betazoid and held the religious beliefs that strongly! I also liked this exchange:
Counselor Troi: Stop this petty bickering, all of you! Especially you, Mother!
[runs out of the dining room]
Lt. Cmdr. Data: [polite tone] Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most intriguing.
Then was the first of the Holodeck episodes, "The Big Goodbye." I expected to hate it but it's actually one of the *good* examples as well as one of the better episodes so far - in spite of one major "flaw". I was somewhat surprised that being able to interact in such a created environment was all "new" to the crew and this was one of the first "programs" of its type. I got a chuckle from his reaction when Data was taking the floor lamp over to Dr. Crusher and it became unplugged followed by Picard plugging it back in - all without Data noticing. It's a good episode in that it's *not* about the goings on *in* the Holodeck but deals more with a malfunction and getting out safely. BUT getting out was essentially done deus-ex-machina style (the "flaw" in the episode).
Gates McFadden is especially fetching in that period clothing.
So... that's 2 out of 3 episodes which were rather enjoyable. Hopefully that ratio will continue!
I still don't like "Q" or similar type episodes. In all fairness I didn't like those much when they appeared on TOS so that really doesn't take away from the series.
I really didn't expect to enjoy the episode "Haven" as much as I did. It's one I *do* recall from the original airings. I'd have to say the character, Mr. Homm, was the high point of the episode. During the dinner party when he rang the gong after *every* bite Lwaxana Troi took I chuckled. It made me wonder how much cacophony there would be if *everyone* were a Betazoid and held the religious beliefs that strongly! I also liked this exchange:
Counselor Troi: Stop this petty bickering, all of you! Especially you, Mother!
[runs out of the dining room]
Lt. Cmdr. Data: [polite tone] Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most intriguing.
Then was the first of the Holodeck episodes, "The Big Goodbye." I expected to hate it but it's actually one of the *good* examples as well as one of the better episodes so far - in spite of one major "flaw". I was somewhat surprised that being able to interact in such a created environment was all "new" to the crew and this was one of the first "programs" of its type. I got a chuckle from his reaction when Data was taking the floor lamp over to Dr. Crusher and it became unplugged followed by Picard plugging it back in - all without Data noticing. It's a good episode in that it's *not* about the goings on *in* the Holodeck but deals more with a malfunction and getting out safely. BUT getting out was essentially done deus-ex-machina style (the "flaw" in the episode).
Gates McFadden is especially fetching in that period clothing. So... that's 2 out of 3 episodes which were rather enjoyable. Hopefully that ratio will continue!
01-23-15, 09:54 AM
#373
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
I just finished Season 1 of Ancient Aliens, and noticed something I had not noticed before, in season 1, there are actually opposing viewpoints discussed by one or two people.
01-23-15, 10:24 AM
#374
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
I just learned that a YouTube channel I liked under the name of "a countryboy," which had hundreds of old TV episodes, has been taken down. I was hoping to watch way more episodes of "This Man Dawson," a gritty crime series from 1959 or so, but now it doesn't seem likely. I just hope my efforts to let people know about it didn't bring it to the wrong person's attention (i.e., the "rights" owner of some of those shows).
I found other channels with some of these shows, including "Kraft Suspense Theatre," so I better watch those quick.
Here's a sample of the latter, an episode with John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txAXVttO434
I found other channels with some of these shows, including "Kraft Suspense Theatre," so I better watch those quick.
Here's a sample of the latter, an episode with John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txAXVttO434
01-23-15, 11:52 AM
#375
Re: TV on DVD* Challenge: The Fifth Season Discussion Thread
"Datalore" - Brent Spiner did a great job in his dual role but the script just wasn't there to support his efforts.
"Angel One" - A matriarchal society - again with plot holes and poorly written script. I read this is the episode that got Gates McFadden removed from S2 as she complained it was sexist.
"11001001" - Easily the best of the 5 I viewed. It was fairly clever, if somewhat implausible at times, but, other than that the computer system on the Enterprise had enough "space" to hold a entire planet's database/information, that the entire crew and families could be evacuated in under 5 minutes, and that it'd make more sense to separate the saucer to save at least *half* the ship (plus if the failing containment field is in the saucer section there'd be no need to evacuate the families), there were no bad holes in the logic. At least that data completely filled the data banks on the Enterprise.
"Too Short a Season" - A pet peeve is young actors made up to look very old as it *rarely* works well. All kinds of cliche' behavior is typically used so as to make you think they really *are* old but that too is often rather poorly done. This episode is no exception. The "aging" makeup is horrible and the "old" acting is worse. It was so distracting I really couldn't say if the rest was OK or not.
"When the Bough Breaks" - At least it wasn't malevolent kids trying to take over the Enterprise. Still it just didn't do much for me and was rather lackluster. You would think they'd need more than 7 kids to repopulate the planet. With that few interbreeding would become a issue in just a few generations. It's the one episode I've seen so far where Wesley was truly useful.
I woke up early so watched "Home Soil" before getting ready for work. It reminded me too much of the TOS S1 episode "The Devil in the Dark" where the miners found the Horta. It was a *bit* different in the "creature" part and that it was terraforming rather than mining which stirred up the life form but not enough to make it stand out or be effective if you've seen the original.
So far I'd place this season in roughly in the same category as S3 of TOS. Passable but nothing to get worked up over. Even then I've not seen any episodes as good as the standout ones in that original season.