I'm always amazed at how many seasons JAG lasted. It started on NBC in 1995 then went to CBS, and I really thought it was the type of show that wouldn't last beyond three seasons, but it lasted ten! I thought the same thing about NCIS, and look at what happened there too. Obviously I don't do well predicting how shows with all caps in their titles will do.
(S04E02) First things first. If you are not a connoisseur of '90s superhero cartoons or a huge nerd that has been closely following Venture Bros. news all the way through production, you may have missed out on the full "Handsome Ransom" experience. That is not to say the unaware couldn't have a good time, but things were made ten times funnier if a viewer knew that the not-so-pure Captain Sunshine was voiced by Kevin Conroy, aka Batman.
After the Superman/Batman story Public Enemies, DC Entertainment's next Direct-to-DVD animated release for Spring 2010 will be called Crisis on Two Earths and will star the animated Justice League. Will it be the same Justice League that was on Cartoon Network for four years? I doubt it. The animated features tend to be in their own, self-contained universes.
The story involves the League fighting their evil, other-dimensional counterparts. It's based on the classic "Crisis" stories from the comic books.
I do wish the story was in the Cartoon Network Justice League universe because I liked that theme song. However, the fact that the Hal Jordan Green Lantern appears in the promo picture and the television version used the John Stewart Green Lantern pretty much confirms that it won't be. The writer behind the story is Dwayne McDuffie, who was one of the folks behind the Justice League cartoon. So even if it's not that version of the group, it'll likely still be a quality story.
Much like the Disney acquisition of Marvel Entertainment, television is only a part of what this change represents. However, it does affect the television industry and should be mentioned on this blog. DC Comics has changed its name to DC Entertainment to encompass more forms of media, such as television and movies. Also the president of DC, Paul Levitz, has been replaced by a Time Warner officer named Diane Nelson.
While there are those that might disagree with me, this move looks like it's a response to Marvel's success with its movie franchises. Even though DC has done better on television (Smallville, plus various cartoons like The Brave and the Bold), movies are where the big bucks are. Granted, DC and Warner Brothers have had major success with its Batman movies, but it hasn't built any other franchises.
And as with the Marvel acquisition, we'll have to wait and see what the long-term effects of this corporate change will be. DC also loses the rights to Superman in 2013, so exciting things are afoot.
As usual, it's a list that will get the debate going. Shows that without a doubt deserve to be on the list: The Twilight Zone, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Star Trek, The Andy Griffith Show, I Spy, and Bewitched.
Shows that without a doubt don't belong on the list: The Flying Nun, Hogan's Heroes, and The Mod Squad. Sure, I enjoyed those shows when I was younger, but I really don't think they belong in the "best" category (I'll let you debate another show on the list, Batman - great or just "campy" great?)
Well. This week has a little bit of everything, no matter what the TV fan is looking for. We have current shows (NCIS, House, Scrubs), recent shows that have been canceled (Life, Samantha Who?), classic shows you probably thought you'd never seen on DVD (Wiseguy, Wanted: Dead or Alive), kid shows (Suite Life on Deck, Sonny with a Chance), cartoons (Batman, Dungeons & Dragons), and quirky reality and/or documentary shows (Dog The Bounty Hunter,MonsterQuest, The Universe).
There's also two DVD sets called TV Sets, which are a mix of various episodes of sci-fi shows (Star Trek, The 4400, Medium) and crime shows (Streets of San Francisco, Dexter, CSI: NY).
I'm sure some of you would like to forget about the campy '60s Batman TV show starring Adam West and Burt Ward as corny comic book crime fighters. Me? I love it.
I grew up watching reruns of the show, and its goofy blend of cartoon-y action, aw-shucks charm and over-the-top acting still makes me smile. Cartoon Network's great Batman: The Brave and the Bold is heavily influenced by the '60s series, and some episodes even feature unabashed references to the old show.
Bizarre but fun list over at Topless Robot, the 11 most disturbingly adult scenarios in 90's cartoons. There's child abuse revelations on X-Men, Batman having a heart attack, and this one from Captain Planet, as the gang is attacked by ... drug addicts.
The movie side of the annual pop-culture cavalcade opened with one of the biggest names in the history of film and what could very well be one of the biggest names in the future of film. Director James Cameron screened a solid 25 minutes of his forthcoming sci-fi epic Avatar. Blogger Todd Gilchrist got a hint of the plot and special effects movie-goers can expect when the film hits theaters later this year and said it "promises to be both hugely entertaining and technically groundbreaking." Man, that's got me worried. That's what they also said about Titanic.
It's been a long time since the Super Friends were on television. To prove it, DC Comics has released a preview of the new Superman/Batman: Public Enemies video, the latest in their animated onslaught of the direct-to-DVD market.
Like most of the stuff DC Comics produces for the animated market, this one is based on a comic book. The basic plot is the Lex Luthor is the President of the United States and declares Superman and Batman as, you guessed it, public enemies.
Looking at the preview, two thoughts come to mind. First, the American animation style is no longer present in action movies (although it's still around for comedies) and has been superseded by the Japanese style. The movie looks like anime, plain and simple. Second, there are an awful lot of villains in the movie, plus quite possibly the coolest-looking mad-scientist rocket ever.
Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.
After the Superman/Batman story Public Enemies, DC Entertainment's 
Much like the 
It's time for another TV list! Everybody loves lists, right? This one has 
Here are the new TV DVDs, in stores tomorrow.
I'm sure some of you would like to forget about the campy '60s 
At 8, ABC has a new Surviving Suburbia, followed by a new episode of The Goode Family.
At 8, FOX has a new Don't Forget The Lyrics.
It's been a long time since the Super Friends were on television. To prove it, DC Comics has released a preview of the new Superman/Batman: Public Enemies video, the latest in their animated onslaught of the direct-to-DVD market.
Mike Henry and Daryl Hall on a Cleveland Show Thanksgiving
The TV Squad Podcast: The Prisoner, '80s TV, soap news and more
Let's talk about spoilers ...
