TVSquad

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.

(S09E11) This week's penultimate episode has the sole purpose of eliminating one last team from the race so they try to make it interesting with stunt eating and monkeys and a couple of rather tepid challenges. With one million dollars on the line and only four teams left, it seemed like a strange time to bring out challenges like fruit arranging and Buddha painting. What's left for the finale, the great knitting challenge?

As we begin, this time the Hippies not only need money, they need clothes. Yolanda donates purple pants and Eric and Jeremy throw in a couple of sandals. BJ and Tyler are really excellent beggars. If they don't win the million they could have quite a brisk panhandling career.

Finally, an eating challenge comes in the form of a fast forward. The first team to eat a bunch of deep fried crickets earns the prize. Ray and Yolanda and BJ and Tyler sit down to a meal of crickets. It takes one cricket for Yolanda and Ray to ditch the crickets.

Eric and Jeremy are enthralled by the monkeys of Thailand, partially because the life of a monkey involves lazing around and scratching fleas, pretty much their dream gig. The roadblock involves preparing a feast for the monkeys, which Eric and Jeremy are happy to do. It's pretty cute watching the monkeys sneak away with the food as fast as the teams can put it on the table. It's not so cute watching the predictably petulant Monica sulk on the sidelines when she and Joseph arrive late.

(S09E08) With Lake and Michelle gone, there's no team to really root against. So who to root for? Eric and Jeremy are just too cocky and bland for me. The hippies are charming but lackadaisical and I just can't get behind Joseph and Monica. That leaves me with Ray and Yolanda and Fran and Barry. The oldsters have definitely stepped up their game. Meanwhile, Ray and Yolanda just can't seem to get together as a team. I used to think their poor navigation was bad luck now I'm not so sure. How close a team is emotionally often plays a factor in how well they function in the race.