TVSquad

(S02E05) I knew it! Others have thought video games were nothing but mind-numbing entertainment that produced a generation of nerds, dweebs, and creators of Red Bull. But they were more...much more. They were keys to, pardon the phrase, weapons of mass destruction. What dual roles have other video games had during their history? Space Invaders as the guide map for the invasion of Iraq? Pac-Man the secret plan to solve America's energy crisis? And...and...what about Grand Theft Auto? Okay, that's really mind-numbing entertainment. But, that's beside the point!

This is just further proof that you need to take your children's video game consoles and toss them into the deepest pit in the farthest land. Well, except for the Wii, because you can exercise and play games at the same time. Brilliant! And, hey, if your kids ask you where they should put their missile launch codes, tell them to place them in a shoe box under their beds. Just the way you did when you were their age.

Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. Let's get on with this week's review.

In the coming years, people will probably remember Joey as one of the worst sitcoms of all time. Why? Because it took a character from a hugely successful series, Friends, and put him in a show that was about as bland as a sitcom could get.

This isn't the first time that a series that spun off main characters from a popular series has fallen on its face. In fact, aside from Frasier and maybe Archie Bunker's Place, the "falling on face" outcome seems to happen more often than not.

(UPDATE: To clarify, I'm talking about a show spun off from a hit show AFTER the hit show ends. I'm thinking of shows like The Golden Palace, Three's A Crowd, etc. Sorry if I didn't make that clear.)

Take the case of AfterMASH. After M*A*S*H ended its long run in 1983, people were still clamoring for tales of the people from the 4077th; so when plans were announced to follow three characters -- Col. Potter, Father Mulcahy, and Max Klinger -- back to life in the U.S. after the end of the Korean War, fans were overjoyed. In fact, ratings for the first half-season or so, which aired in the same Monday at 9 timeslot as M*A*S*H, were so high, the show ended the calendar year 1983 in the #1 slot.

There was a little problem, though: the show was boring as hell.