TVSquad

(S02E08) "You already broke my heart, is it necessary to shoot it as well?" - Chuck to Jill

It must be a Thanksgiving thing because Monday night TV was tremendous. And as I mentioned in my post of thanks, I'm grateful to my DVR because in addition to enjoying this Chuck episode, I also gorged myself on How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men and Samantha Who, all of them excellent installments. How lucky can you get?

Well, if you're Chuck, you only get so much luck. Of all the girls in all the world, why did his first love, the lovely Jill, have to turn out to be a spy? Make that a bad girl spy.

Not long ago Kevin hepped us all to the new Chiller channel from NBC/Universal for DirecTV. Now we have a full schedule and some details on some more of the programs that will be a part of the new horror-themed channel. Here's what folks can look forward to:

• Alfred Hitchcock Presents
• New Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985 version)
• Night Gallery
• Tales From the Crypt
• Friday the 13th: The Series
• Freddy's Nightmares
• G Vs. E
• American Gothic
• Monsters
• Twin Peaks

The new channel launches on March 1. Sitcoms Online has the full schedule here. As Kevin pointed out, it's all recycled content, but it's good recycled content (at least to a horror fan like myself), so I'm not complaining. Aside from the TV series, the new channel will also feature movies like The Shining, Psycho, Cat's Eye, The Andromeda Strain, and some of those great Abbot and Costello Meet [Blank] flicks.

One final thought: No Tales From the Darkside? What's up with that nonsense?

Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of your favorite shows, in order, every week.

(S06E01) The year was 1994. I was starting my senior year of high school and The Simpsons was starting its sixth season with an episode about Homer giving in to the demands of his children and buying a pool for his family. Everyone enjoys the new pool, but Bart tries to show off for his friends and ends up falling from the treehouse and breaking his leg. As he becomes more and more reclusive (and increasingly insane) he convinces himself that Flanders has murdered his wife and recruits Lisa to sneak into Flanders' house and find evidence. Of course, the whole idea is an homage to Rear Window, which becomes obvious when Bart peers into the apartment of a Stewart lookalike who exclaims some sinister kid is spying on him.