Monday, June 28, 2010

Iran-Contra Hearings (1987) (TV)

The Iran–Contra affair was a political scandal in the United States that came to light in November 1986. During the Reagan administration, senior U.S. figures, including President Ronald Reagan, agreed to facilitate the sale of arms to Iran, the subject of an arms embargo. At least some U.S. officials also hoped that the arms sales would secure the release of hostages and allow U.S. intelligence agencies to fund the Nicaraguan contras.

Iran-Contra Hearings (1987) (TV)
Cast: Oliver North, assorted

Tom Jones Live in Las Vegas (1981)

From the entertainment capital of the world, Tom Jones!










Tom Jones Live in Las Vegas (1981)
Cast: Tom Jones, assorted

North Hollywood Bank Robbery and Shootout (1997) (TV)

The North Hollywood shootout was an armed confrontation between two heavily armed bank robbers, Larry Phillips, Jr. and Emil Matasareanu, and patrol and SWAT officers of the Los Angeles Police Department in North Hollywood, California on February 28, 1997. It happened when responding patrol officers engaged Phillips, 26 and Matasareanu, 30 leaving a bank which the two men had just robbed. Twelve officers and seven civilians sustained injuries before both robbers were killed. Phillips and Matasareanu had robbed several armored vehicles prior to their attempt in North Hollywood and were notorious for their heavy armament, which included automatic rifles.

Local patrol officers at the time were typically armed with 9 mm or .38 Special pistols on their person, with some having a 12-gauge shotgun available in their cars. Phillips and Matasareanu carried fully automatic rifles, with ammunition capable of penetrating police body armor, and wore military grade body armor of their own. Since the police handguns could not penetrate the bank robbers' body armor, the patrol officers' efforts were ineffective. SWAT eventually arrived with weapons that could penetrate and several officers also appropriated AR-15 rifles from a nearby firearms dealer. The incident sparked debate on the appropriate firepower for patrol officers to have available in similar situations in the future.

North Hollywood Bank Robbery and Shootout (1997) (TV)
February 28, 1997
Cast: assorted

Magic Hour, The (1998) TV series 1998-1999

At times it seemed like anyone with any name recognition was handed a talk show. This is the one handed to Mr. Johnson. EXACTLY the same as every talk show before or since, groundbreaking was obviously not on the agenda. A fun watch just the same.

AVAILABLE EPISODES
Howard Stern
2 July 1998

Next to Last Show
5 August 1998

Final Show
6 August 1998

The Magic Hour (1998) TV series 1998-1999
Cast: Magic Johnson, Sheila E, Craig Shoemaker, Tommy Davidson, Peter Michael

Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The - Final Show (1992) (TV)

This is it, the final live show from the 22nd of May, 1992. No guests, (Bette Midler had sung her goodbye the night before as the last official guest) just friends and coworkers and one very somber, heartfelt "Goodnight". Complete with a local news (KNBC-4) retrospective and Johnny driving away in his Corvette for the final time from the same Burbank studios.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson - Final Show (1992) (TV)
Cast: Johnny Carson, Ed McMahon, Doc Severinsen

TV's Funniest Game Show Moments (1984) (TV)

With tons of archival material and special appearances by Bob Barker, Bert Convy, Bill Cullen, Richard Dawson, Mark Goodson and Gene Rayburn this is a fun watch. They don't make 'em like this anymore.



TV's Funniest Game Show Moments (1984) (TV)
Host: William Shatner

Beverly Hills 75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee (1989) (TV)

A seventy-fifth anniversary salute to the city of Beverly Hills, California. Included is the presentation of the annual Will Rogers Award to entertainer Frank Sinatra; a tour of the city's designer shops by Shelley Long; Christmas and Fourth of July ceremonies; an auto tour of the city conducted by Robin Leach; and film clips presented by Merv Griffin, showing Beverly Hills as it was in 1919 and as it is today.

Beverly Hills 75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee (1989) (TV)
Host: Merv Griffin

Beach Boys, The (1976) (TV)

The first live television appearance of the immortal band.

So much fun, fun, fun.








The Beach Boys (1976) (TV)
Cast: Mike Love, Al Jardine, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Brian Wilson

Patterns of Play (1980)

The history of tennis told through wonderful hand-drawn animation cells. Engaging and mesmerizing, this is not just for tennis fans.






Patterns of Play (1980)
Host: Unknown

Sunday, June 27, 2010

X-Rated All Male Videocassette Catalogue (1980)

This is an explicitly homosexual offering, discretion is encouraged.

There is an argument that the VCR got it's initial big push not from the ready availability of feature movies in the home as was the promise but more so by the dreaded pornography. If this sounds reasonable then by extension the gay-themed and alternative lifestyle offerings must have pushed it over the top! Those with open minds will find this silliness to be of great historical relevance and will laugh out loud at the obsolete technology and lacking production values. Others will have a problem getting past the title;)

X-Rated All Male Videocassette Catalogue (1980)
Host: Unknown

TV Laughs at Life (1995) (TV)

Shot in front of a live audience, this is a mediocre production that had potential. Uses scenes and clips from family-based TV shows (Ozzie & Harriet, Leave it to Beaver, I Love Lucy, etc.) to illuminate the way "TV Laughs at Life".


TV Laughs at Life (1995) (TV)
Host: Brett Butler

Olympic Summer Games Opening Ceremony (2000) (TV)

From Sydney, Australia this is 3 hours of festivities celebrating the Olympic spirit and Australian heritage. Celebrations like this only come around every 4 years and this was certainly spectacular.




Olympic Summer Games Opening Ceremony (2000) (TV)
Host: Bob Costas

Return to the Titanic Live... (1987) (TV)

Live..., from Paris no less. Of course, pre-recorded for your time zone.

Hosted before a live audience by the iconic Mr. Savalas. By now we've been "Titanic-ed" to death but this was all surprising and revelatory at the time. Great show even by the standards of today.

Return to the Titanic Live... (1987) (TV)
Host: Telly Savalas

It's Howdy Doody Time: A 40-Year Celebration (1987) (TV)

A birthday salute to the popular TV puppet, Howdy Doody, with clips from old shows, celebrity guests, and cast updates.








It's Howdy Doody Time: A 40-Year Celebration (1987) (TV)
Cast: Buffalo Bob Smith, Paul Reubens, Gary Coleman, Monty Hall, Milton Berle, Johnny Carson

9 to 5 (1982) TV series 1982-1988

The sit-com takes us into the further adventures of the characters from the movie of the same name.









AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 2, Episode 15
The Oldest Profession
15 February 1983

9 to 5 (1982) TV series 1982-1988
Cast: Rachel Dennison, Valerie Curtin, Sally Struthers, Edward Winter, Rita Moreno, Peter Bonerz

Six Degrees of Separation (2006) (TV)

This is an interesting albeit forgotten episode of ABC's newsmagazine "Primetime Wednesday". Follows 3 unique individuals and explores their connectivity.




 
Six Degrees of Separation (2006) (TV) - Jay Schadler
Original Broadcast Date: 12 December 2006

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Story of Wine, The (1980)

Great documentary on wine and wine making.

The Story of Wine (1980)
Host: Baron Philippe de Rothschild

9/11 Live (2001) (TV)

Live broadcast from the morning of September 11, 2001. This is 1 hour live, just post-collapse. Hard to watch but impossible to forget.

The September 11 attacks (often referred to as September 11th or 9/11) were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and many others working in the buildings. Both buildings collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville in rural Pennsylvania after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected toward Washington, D.C. There were no survivors from any of the flights.

Nearly 3,000 victims and the 19 hijackers died in the attacks. According to the New York State Health Department, 836 responders, including firefighters and police personnel, have died as of June 2009. Among the 2,752 victims who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center were 343 firefighters and 60 police officers from New York City and the Port Authority. 184 people were killed in the attacks on the Pentagon. The overwhelming majority of casualties were civilians, including nationals of over 70 countries. In addition, there was at least one secondary death—one person was ruled by a medical examiner to have died from lung disease due to exposure to dust from the collapse of the World Trade Center.


The United States responded to the attacks by launching the War on Terror, invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, who had harbored al-Qaeda terrorists, and enacting the USA PATRIOT Act. Many other countries also strengthened their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded law enforcement powers. Some American stock exchanges stayed closed for the rest of the week following the attack, and posted enormous losses upon reopening, especially in the airline and insurance industries. The destruction of billions of dollars' worth of office space caused serious damage to the economy of Lower Manhattan.

The damage to the Pentagon was cleared and repaired within a year, and the Pentagon Memorial was built adjacent to the building. The rebuilding process has started on the World Trade Center site. In 2006, a new office tower was completed on the site of 7 World Trade Center. The new 1 World Trade Center is currently under construction at the site and, at 1,776 ft (541 m) upon completion in 2013, it will become the tallest building in North America. Three more towers were originally expected to be built between 2007 and 2012 on the site. Ground was broken for the Flight 93 National Memorial on November 8, 2009, and the first phase of construction is expected to be ready for the 10th anniversary of the attacks on September 11, 2011.


9/11 Live (2001) (TV)

6 Degrees of Martina McBride (2007) (TV)

Can Six Country Music Wannabes Make It With a Little Help From a Star?

Six amateur singers attempt to track down Martina McBride in six steps or less.




6 Degrees of Martina McBride (2007) (TV)
Host: Jay Schadler

Schooled (2006) (TV)

This was a fake-out reality show where a high school was led to believe they were to compete in a series of shows. In reality, this was just a one-shot series with a payoff. Good fun and a live performance from The All-American Rejects.


Schooled (2006) TV series
Announcer: Peter Killy

Wedding Bells, The (2007) TV series

A group of wedding planners are dedicated to giving their clients the perfect wedding.










AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 1
For Whom the Bells Tolls
3 March 2007

Season 1, Episode 2
Wedding from Hell
16 March 2007

Season 1, Episode 3
Partly Cloudy, with a Chance of Disaster
23 March 2007

The Wedding Bells (2007) TV series
Cast: Chris Williams, Cleavant Derricks, Teri Polo, KaDee Strickland, Sarah Jones, Missi Pyle, Michael Landes, Benjamin King, Sherri Shepherd, Shelley Appelbaum

One, The: Making a Music Star (2006) (TV series)

Based on the international sensation, the series will follow the lives of contestants as they attend a fully functioning music academy that turns aspiring singers into music stars through professional training. The show will follow all the drama in the music academy, as it offers vocal coaching and celebrity mentors who will turn potential into talent in a state-of-the-art training and recording facility. Each week contestants will perform live for the American audience, who will have to vote to keep their favorites in the competition. In addition, the contestants' coaches will also serve as judges. The winner will receive a recording contract with a major record company.


AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 2
Results Show
19 July 2006

Season 1, Episode 3
Week Two: Music
25 July 2006

The One: Making a Music Star (2006) TV series
Cast: George Stroumboulopoulos, Kara DioGuardi, Mark Hudson, Andre Harrell

Armed & Famous (2007) (TV series)

Armed & Famous takes a handful of celebrities and follows them through the Police Academy and onto the streets of Muncie, Indiana to fight crime.








AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 1
Never Thought I'd Get Handcuffed by a Jackson
10 January 2007

Armed & Famous (2007) TV series
Cast: Erik Estrada, Trish Stratus, Jason Acuña, La Toya Jackson, Jack Osbourne

Anchorwoman (2007) (TV series)

A supermodel becomes an anchorwoman for the local news station in a southern Texas town.








AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 1
Good Evening, Tyler, I'm Lauren Jones/Are We Gonna Act All Newsy?
22 August 2007

Season 1, Episode 2
A Happy Newsroom Is a Productive Newsroom
22 August 2007

Anchorwoman (2007) TV series
Cast: Lauren Jones

Six Degrees (2006) (TV series) 2006-2007

Whom will you touch in life? Who will touch you? They say that anyone on the planet can be connected to any other person through a chain of six people.






AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 1
Pilot
21 September 2006

Six Degrees (2006) TV series 2006-2007
Cast: Jay Hernandez, Bridget Moynahan, Erika Christensen, Dorian Missick, Campbell Scott, Hope Davis, Ruby Jerins, Deborah S. Craig, Miles Chandler, Melissa Silver, Shiri Appleby

Men in Trees (2006) TV series 2006-2008

A relationship-advice guru, upon learning that her fiancé is cheating on her, decides to stay in a small town in Alaska, the most recent stop on her book tour.






AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 1
Pilot
12 September 2006

Men in Trees (2006) TV series 2006-2008
Cast: Anne Heche, Abraham Benrubi, Emily Bergl, Derek Richardson, Sarah Strange, James Tupper, Timothy Webber, Suleka Mathew, Cynthia Stevenson, John Amos, Lauren Tom, Seana Kofoed, Ty Olsson

Ex Wives Club (2006) (TV series)


Brides make way for divorcees in this ABC reality series. More than half of all marriages in the U.S. end in divorce, and this show sets out to prove that divorce can be a powerful catalyst for personal transformation. Along with life coach/author Debbie Ford, actresses and experienced divorce experts Angie Everhart, Shar Jackson, and Marla Maples meet with men and women engaged in the dissolution of their marriage and get them set on paths away from their pasts and into their futures.

AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 2
Episode #1.2
4 June 2007

Ex Wives Club (2006) TV series
Cast: Angie Everhart, Shar Jackson, Marla Maples

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

The Next Best Thing: Who Is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator? (2007) (TV)

A competition in which celebrity impersonators face off to see who is the most convincing.









AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 2
New York City Auditions
6 June 2007

The Next Best Thing: Who Is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator? (2007) (TV)
Cast: Michele Merkin, Jeffrey Ross, Lisa Ann Walter, Elon Gold

Monday, June 21, 2010

On the Lot (2007) TV series

16 aspiring filmmakers compete to become the next big Hollywood director and sign a development deal with DreamWorks.







AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 1
Auditions #1
22 May 2007

On the Lot (2007) TV series
Host: Adrianna Costa

Pirate Master (2007) TV series

Wannabe pirates compete in a high-seas adventure in search of a hidden treasure.









AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 1
I Want That Treasure
31 May 2007

Pirate Master (2007) TV series
Host: Cameron Daddo

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Back to You (2007) TV series 2007-2008


The news has hit the fan.

A pair of star news anchors work together at a local TV station for the second time.





AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 1
Pilot
19 September 2007

Back to You (2007) TV series 2007-2008
Cast: Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton, Josh Gad, Ty Burrell, Fred Willard, Ayda Field

NBC 60th Anniversary Celebration (1986) (TV)

Over the top goodness, cheesy and contrived. Almost everyone is here and best of all..., Nell Carter performs.







NBC 60th Anniversary Celebration (1986) (TV)
Cast: Debbie Allen, Steve Allen, Fran Allison, Harry Anderson, Bea Arthur, Gene Barry, Milton Berle, Tempestt Bledsoe, Tom Brokaw, Pierce Brosnan, Raymond Burr, Red Buttons, Sid Caesar, Macdonald Carey, Johnny Carson, Nell Carter, John Chancellor, Connie Chung, Dick Clark, Robert Conrad, Robert Culp, Ted Danson, Don DeFore, Angie Dickinson, Micky Dolenz, Hugh Downs, Barbara Eden, Ralph Edwards, Nanette Fabray, Kim Fields, Michael J. Fox, Arlene Francis, Soleil Moon Frye, Estelle Getty, Marla Gibbs, Melissa Gilbert, George Gobel, Lorne Greene, Bryant Gumbel, Deidre Hall, Valerie Harper, Julie Harris, David Hasselhoff, Ed Herlihy, Bob Hope, Don Johnson, Davy Jones, Perry King, Jack Klugman, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Michael Landon, Hope Lange, Sabrina Le Beauf, Jerry Lester, Shari Lewis, Hal Linden, Norman Lloyd, Shelley Long, Gloria Loring, Peter Marshall, Dick Martin, Rue McClanahan, Ed McMahon, Mitch Miller, The Monkees, Michael Nesmith, Edwin Newman, Donald O'Connor, Merlin Olsen, Jack Paar, Patti Page, Bert Parks, Jane Pauley, George Peppard, Rhea Perlman, Sarah Purcell, Charlotte Rae, John Ratzenberger, Gene Rayburn, Martha Raye, Carl Reiner, Alfonso Ribeiro, Joan Rivers, Doris Roberts, Dan Rowan, Pat Sajak, Rick Schroder, Doc Severinsen, Paul Shaffer, Dinah Shore, Bob Smith, Robert Stack, Craig Stevens, Mary Stuart, Philip Michael Thomas, Peter Tork, Daniel J. Travanti, Robert Vaughn, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Betty White, Jonathan Winters, Jane Wyatt, Robert Young

Olympic Summer Games - Women's Gymnastics Team Final (2000) (TV)

Women's Gymnastics, Team Final.


Olympic Summer Games (2000) (TV)
Host: Bob Costas

Dirty Sexy Money (2007) (TV series) 2007-2009

A lawyer is forced to take care of one of New York City's wealthiest families.










AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 1
Pilot
26 September 2007

Dirty Sexy Money (2007) TV series 2007-2009
Cast: Peter Krause, Donald Sutherland, William Baldwin, Natalie Zea, Glenn Fitzgerald, Seth Gabel, Zoe McLellan, Jill Clayburgh, Blair Underwood, Will Shadley, Lucy Liu, Shawn Michael Patrick, Laura Margolis, Sheryl Lee, Samaire Armstrong, Candis Cayne

Show Me the Money (2006) TV series

Primetime game show featuring lots of cash and for some reason, lots and lots of dancing! Hosted by TV icon William Shatner.






AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 3
Episode #3
29 November 2006

Show Me the Money (2006) TV series
Cast: Julianne Hough, Mimi Karsh, Victoria Parsons, Sabrina Song, Yesenia Adame, Vai Au-Harehoe, William Shatner

In Case of Emergency (2007) TV series

A group of thirtysomethings who all went to the same high school are reunited and realize their lives didn't turn out as planned.







AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 1
Pilot
3 January 2007

In Case of Emergency (2007) TV series
Cast: David Arquette, Jonathan Silverman, Greg Germann, Kelly Hu, Jackson Bond, Lori Loughlin

Knights of Prosperity, The (2007) TV series

A group of blue-collar guys scheme to rob a celebrity in New York City.










AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 1
Pilot
3 January 2007

The Knights of Prosperity (2007) TV series
Cast: Donal Logue, Sofía Vergara, Lenny Venito, Maz Jobrani, Kevin Michael Richardson, Josh Grisetti

Likely Stories, Vol. 2 (1983) (TV)

"Likely Stories" was one of Pay-TV's first original comedy programs. This is Volume #2.


Likely Stories, Vol. 2 (1983) (TV)
Cast: Roger Bezanis, Danny DeVito, Gerrit Graham, Bruce Kimmel, Patrick Macnee, Rhea Perlman, Paul Reubens, John Roarke, Joe Santos, Frank Sivero, Tim Thomerson

All Day and All Night (1990) (TV)

Enthralling, engrossing and absolutely entertaining. Wonderful stories of the early Memphis music scene, from the musicians themselves.





All Day and All Night (1990) (TV)
Host: Center for Southern Folklore

Shark (2006) (TV series) 2006-2008

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the courthouse.

Title character Sebastian Stark is a hot-shot L.A. lawyer.






AVAILABLE EPISODES
Season 1, Episode 1
Pilot
21 September 2006

Shark (2006) TV series 2006-2008
Cast: James Woods, Danielle Panabaker, Sophina Brown, Sarah Carter, Jeri Ryan, Henry Simmons, Sam Page, Kevin Alejandro