TVSquad

Last month we told you how The CW had given a green light for a pilot for a new show called The Graysons, which would be the story of Dick Grayson and his life before he became Robin, The Boy Wonder, Batman's sidekick. Now it looks like the network and Warner Brothers have scrapped those plans.

Variety is using the word "forced" when it describes why the project came to a halt. Seems that The CW and Warner Brothers never had clearance to go ahead with the show in the first place, and Batman Begins/Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan wasn't too thrilled with having a Batman-based TV show on the air while he's also doing the movies (though he had nothing to do with the show being pulled).

On KryptonSite, the producers of Smallville have written an open letter to all the fans of their show. This letter is about the potential upcoming spin-off or complementary series of Smallville called The Graysons, about the life of Dick Grayson and family before he put on the tights and became Batman's partner.

What disturbs me most about this letter is the fact that they mention a season nine of Smallville. Can't they let this series die already? They lost Lana and Lex. Clark is currently working with Lois Lane at the Daily Planet (despite his lack of college education) and rather than a reference to the town he grew up in, Smallville is now a reference to Clark himself. What more can he do without actually becoming Superman?

I admit to a curiosity regarding what sort of storylines they could run in the show to accomplish this goal. I suppose that alone would keep me watching, even though I believe it should end this season.

The CW has an idea for a show that might one day be the replacement for Smallville, and the hit Batman movies are probably the reason why.

The network has given the green light for a new series called The Graysons, which will follow the drama and adventures of Dick Grayson and his family before he met Bruce Wayne and got involved in that weird relationship in the mansion and the cave. As we all remember from our comic book reading (and the lousy Batman & Robin flick - I'd still like my money back), Dick and his family were acrobats, and he became Bruce's ward after the rest of the family was killed. This show will show Dick before he donned the cape, much like Smallville shows Clark before he donned the cape. (Was his nickname really "D.J." in the comics?). It will be produced by some people behind both Smallville and Supernatural.

Of course, who the hell knows if the CW will even be around after this season?

ComicBookMovie.com has an interview up with Adam West, who played the lead character in the Batman television series of the 1960s. He is asked his opinion of the current Batman movie franchise. Not surprisingly, West finds it too grim and gritty for his taste.

"It was silly and funny. With the villains, especially, it was almost Shakespearian because of the bizarre costuming and makeup," West recalls. "In those days we didn't rely on special effects as much so everyone was challenged to use their imaginations," he goes on to reflect.

Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of classic TV shows.

Even when I was a little kid, there were some things about the Super Friends (or Superfriends or Superamigos, or whatever they were calling it) that didn't sit right with me. Maybe it was because the confluence of superpowers all in one place just boggled my young mind. Maybe it was the mysterious change from Wendy and Marvin to the Wonder Twins that made me scratch my tiny noggin. Not sure. But those mysteries continue to fascinate me, even into adulthood. It's just that those mysteries are more sophisticated:

1. How did the Super Friends have time to hang out at the Hall of Justice? Every one of the SFs lived in different parts of the country: Batman and Robin were in Gotham City, for instance. So, did B&R commute from Gotham to Metropolis a few times per week? Did they use the Bat Plane or the Batmobile most of the time? Did they claim the mileage on their taxes?

Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of classic TV shows.

Welcome Back to TVSBTTHB (TV Squad Behind the True Hollywood Biography). For over a decade the team known as the Super Friends traveled the world, and the galaxy, to right the wrongs wrought by such villains as the Legion of Doom and Darkseid. But, by the mid-1980s, their services were no longer needed by the public, who watched many of their adventures on television. It was then that these heroes faded away.

So, what happened to them? Being the show that looks under every rock and inside every dumpster, TVSBTTHB was able to obtain information on all of the Super Friends: major, minor and 'what the hell are they doing on the team?'. Some of their stories are heartbreaking, others heartwarming, and the rest are just "meh." Yet, they are all fascinating and provide an extra layer of complexity to the already complicated lives of these superhumans.

Now, let's turn our attention to Superman, Batman, El Dorado, and the rest of the Super Friends.

Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of classic TV shows.

I've got to hand it to the writers of The Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show; for a mere ten minute episode, they really jam-packed 'Reflections in Crime' with a lot to make fun of ... er ... write about.

This 14th episode of The Legendary Super Powers Show is chock-full of funnies; some intentional, some ... not so much. The episode begins with Superman and Samurai playing chess, although it sounds like they are fighting, with such lines as, "Oh good move, that really hurts." We get a chuckle when we see that they are merely playing chess.

Being a proud child of the '70s, I have the fondest memories of The Super Friends cartoon. Those memories have morphed into something altogether different as I revisit the episodes, approximately thirty years later, with my three-year-old son. What used to be a fun Saturday morning romp has been elevated to a new level of appreciation. Yep, it's still all rompy fun, but I feel so good about my son watching The Super Friends for several reasons.

The Super Friends is an innocent cartoon.
In today's world of inappropriate television, it is refreshing to see a show that could be very violent be instead very innocent. There are no guns (aside from "rays" that shoot light or beams and usually transform someone into say, a dinosaur or a miniature version of themselves. Yeah, that's realistic.). There is no fighting or physical contact, unless you count wrestling with Wonder Woman and her magic lasso. Assumptions about a show with "bad guys" could keep one from watching it with their kiddos, but don't knock it 'til you try it. I'd show Owen a marathon of The Super Friends before I'd let him watch any of the violent Looney Tunes of my youth. Yeah, I turned out OK, and I know birds really don't drop anvils on coyotes and rifles really don't make people "all purple" as Owen puts it, but he's only three, for crying out loud.

Based on some of the comments on the Popwatch blog, I already know this clip is old, but since it's new to me, it's probably also new to many other people.

And also, anything with Sam Rockwell is worth checking out at least once.

Rockwell plays Batman, though he's not the dark, mysterious hero we're all familiar with. Actually, he does everything in his power to ruin things for Robin (Justin Long, the "Mac" in those Mac/PC ads) as Robin tries to woo a lady (Callie Thorne of Rescue Me) at a local restaurant.

"I'm gonna end up doing it because, uh, I'm a big pussy. Which is why I work at Intertech to begin with."

A lot of you might remember that line from the cult hit Office Space. It was said by Ron Livingston (now on Standoff), but now it's being said by the Man of Steel himself, Superman. Someone has mashed together dialogue from the movie with an episode of The Superfriends, and the results are, well, super.

The great part about this is how the person who did it actually gets the casting down perfectly. Superman, the way he is drawn here, actually does look like Livingston, and The Green Lantern really does look like Gary Cole. The editing is well done too, even getting the facial expressions and reaction shots down. I also like how Aquaman is the sleazy horndog in the group. I always suspected that about him.

Video after the jump!

Hot off the presses (DVDs are pressed right?), the first season of How I Met Your Mother is out on DVD today. Without getting into specifics, I got lucky and ended up with a copy last week. So I've had all weekend to play around with it. The simple answer is that this is a great DVD set... for all HIMYM fans. Anyone else that picks this up probably isn't going to get as excited about the special features as I did.

That being said, the special features are scant. There's not many, but what you do get is worth it. Once you get over the fact that it's only presented in full frame (Joel and I were both angry about the lack of widescreen), there's plenty to watch. I especially enjoyed the commentaries on the pilot episode and "Drumroll, Please" because Pamela Fryman sat in on those sessions. It's a rare occurrence when one person helms the directorial duties for an entire 22-episode run, but Fryman did it and created a constant visual style throughout the entire season. So her thoughts held some weight in those commentaries.

(S02E08) You mean to tell me that Atlantic City has a lot of old people crowding the slot machines and is full of garbage on the beach? Who knew?

Actually, AC, while not the "Shangri-La" that Las Vegas is, isn't as horrific as TV writers would lead you to believe. But it was a good backdrop for tonight's rare one-story episode.

So...Marshall and Lilly are back together. Like I said last week, it would have been nice for them to explore them trying to co-exist as friends in the group for a little while longer, but the deed is done. Now, they're starting to talk about marriage again; Marshall even makes Lilly get down on a knee and propose all formal-like. But instead of getting up in front of Marshall's family, who still might be a little miffed at Lilly for leaving him, they decide to elope in Atantic City.

Deborah Dozier Potter, daughter of William Dozier, is suing 20th Century Fox for $4.4 million, saying that this is the amount owed from a contract her father signed in the 1960s. Potter says that she came across the contract in early 2005 and now she wants 20th Century Fox to live up to their end of the agreement.

My mother told me that the first word I ever uttered wasn't "mom" or "dad," but "Batman," as I sat in front of our TV as a baby and watched this show. That has nothing to do with this case, but it does prove I'm friggin' old.

(S01E22) Life's short, guys. You only get one chance; don't have any regrets. As per the spoilers, in this last episode, we got both the surprise hookup, and the twist no one saw coming. Both were heartbreakingly perfect. Between this and the absolute perfection that was The Office's finale, this is the season for love ... or mistakes and heartbreak; it all depends on how you look at it. As finale's go, I haven't been this excited to see next season since I saw Ross get off the plane with Julie. What's going to happen next year? Will anything ever be the same? Wait, what happened last night? On with the show!

(S01E21) One episode left and Lily had me worried there for a while. After  her reservations the past couple of weeks, and her desperate plea for Ted to come and rescue her, I thought one of two things were going to happen. She was either going to make a move on Ted, or she really was going to make a break for it and run away. Lily's justification for being freaked out probably doesn't sit well with those of you that haven't been around friends or family right before they get married. Needless to say, it's probably not half as crazy as some of the things people have done when they've had cold feet. On with the show!