TVSquad

Hey, say that headline 5 times real fast.

I was watching Ebert & Roeper this weekend, and the fill-in for Ebert (he should be back in 2007) was actor and director Mario Van Peebles, who most recently won acclaim for directing the movie Baadasssss!, playing Malcolm X in Ali, and as a cast member on the show Rude Awakening a few years back. But back in the late 80s he starred in a really fun Stephen J. Cannell show titled Sonny Spoon, about a con man who helps people (and himself) out of various jams. He used his connections on the street, the help of a bar owner (real-life dad Melvin Van Peebles), and, best of all, several disguises to solve the crime. You don't see that enough on television these days, people using funky disguises. I think some of the heist shows have used them here and there, but it was a major part of Sonny Spoon. And the show was hip without being annoying, and was just really entertaining.

I've been waiting for this.

Stingray is finally coming to DVD! No, I'm not talking about that show with the puppets. I'm talking about the short-lived NBC show from the mid-80s starring Nick Mancuso. He played a mysterious stranger with no-name who helped people out of jams and solved crimes. He didn't ask for money, he only asked that you do him a favor in the future. Whatever it is, you must do it. He would use the favors not for personal gain, but to help others in trouble. The show was stylish, fun, and even had some cool original songs.

There's no official word that has been announced. I got this info from someone at Stephen J. Cannell's site. You can check out TVShowsonDVD.com for more info, or keep tabs on Cannell's site to see when the set will be released.

I'll be first in line.