Bradley's Buzz

On The Boob Tube

I am the first to admit I have fairly strange taste when it comes to, well just about everything, so it should come as no surprise that my choices in quality television are just as strange as my choices in classic 80's songs. Luckily with the advent of the DVD and people's relentless pursuit of old television shows, a lot of quality and by that I mean my quality programs have been coming to DVD, and let me tell you there was a HUGE surprise for me last month when I found out some company in Canada released the 2 disc set of The Stockard Channing Show.

I know what you're thinking, the what and who show? Well, when I was a little blond boy I loved, loved and loved Grease (now I'm just an older blond boy who loves, loves, and loves Grease) and apparantly CBS TV really loved Stockard Channing, the wonderfully classy and would be knocked up Betty Rizzo, for they gave her a TV show of her own in the spring of 1979, so she came up with Stockard Channing In Just Friends. In it, she plays Susan who upon divorcing her hubby heads to stay in LA near her sister, she gets a job at a fitness gym and makes nicey nicey with her co-workers and new neighbors. I loved it! I watched it when it was on and was horrified when it was cancelled.

But don't fear because the DVD world has come to my rescue and all the episodes of Stockard Channing in Just Friends is now in my DVD case, but there's more, oh yes so much more. When the original show kind of tanked CBS retooled and came up with The Stockard Channing Show and with no reasoning at all there was Stockard and her best friend playing completely new characters, this time Susan (yes still Susan) is in LA working for TV personality Ron Silver. In the very first episode she goes on a crusade to prove all that healthy food Ron's been eating has been getting him sick so she dons a pseudo 60's hippy look and all kinds of zaniness happen. And you guessed it, every single episode of The Stockard Channing Show is here as well.

You can't believe how excited I was to have this little bits of late 70's fun. Of course the shows aren't terribly great but Stockard is great in anything she does and it's interesting to see the usually cool and reserved woman of many a feature film act like a cross between Lucy and Mary Tyler Moore. Definitely one of the best finds of my career in finding obscure crap.

Also in constant rotation these days is the multi disc set of the 70's series Family. A drama cum soap opera about the somewhat affluent Lawrence family in Pasadena. I loved this show when I was a kid - Kristy McNichol as the sassy yet cool Buddy is only the beginning of the highlights in this series. The show ran for five years and though the first season was just a mini, I am just now finishing up with those episodes, which make me very happy as in the second season Meredith Baxter takes over the role of the eldest child from the somewhat mousy and boring woman playing her on the episodes I've seen. But let me just give you a big fat dose of what really good television can be, because this show is excellant. The acting is way way above par no question part of Miss Sada Thompson's influence as the matriarch Kate. But everyone is great and I am now in love with Willie, the middle brother who I thought was a college drop out but as it turns out he's a 17 year old high school drop out living at home and trying to deal with what he wants to be when he grows up. But be forewarned if you rent or buy any of these, the show can very depressing and I've yet to watch an episode without some tears dripping down my face. And for the ones who love trivia it should be noted that though Aaron Spelling is the exec on this it isn't Dynasty by any means and that could have something to do with the fact that also on team behind the scenes is a man named David Jacobs who went on to create Dallas and to create and produce a little piece of awesomeness called Knots Landing.

But should you think my TV viewing will be upset when I get through the double dose of Stockard and my multi Family vids, look what's coming to DVD in March! God'll get you for that, and I can't wait!

posted by swivek @ 4:43 PM