Cheers (Season 3) DVD Review

One of the most beloved TV sitcoms in American history, Cheers is the perfect show for anyone who's ever frequented a place "where everybody knows your name". The series follows the lives of the workers and patrons who inhabit a friendly neighborhood Boston bar named Cheers. Cheers is operated by a retired Boston Red Sox relief pitcher named Sam Malone (Ted Danson). Sam has three people on his staff: Ernie "Coach" Pantusso (Nicholas Colasanto), Carla Tortelli (Rhea Pearlman), and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). Regulars Norm Peterson (George Wendt) and Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger) round out a strong supporting cast of eccentric characters. Most notably, season three provides viewers with their first glimpse of Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammar), a psychiatrist who would later have his own series, Frasier...

The Cheers (Season 3) DVD offers a number of hilarious episodes and begins the ascent of Dr. Frasier Crane, imminent psychologist, as a television icon. Notably, Dr. Crane's stint on Cheers was originally intended to last for only a few episodes until his character became a regular cast member (similar to John Ratzenberger's ascent on the show). Michael Richards (Kramer from the hit show Seinfeld) makes a notable guest appearance in episode # 62. Following her breakup with Sam and abandonment of Cheers, Diane returns to the bar at the request of Coach who feels it will help Sam end his problem drinking. The Sam-Diane-Frasier love triangle lasts for the entirety of the season, culminating in the final episode where Frasier proposes to Diane while the two are on a trip across the European continent…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Cheers (Season 3) DVD:

Episode 45 (Rebound: Part 1) Air Date: 09-27-1984
Episode 46 (Rebound: Part 2) Air Date: 10-04-1984
Episode 47 (I Call Your Name) Air Date: 10-18-1984
Episode 48 (Fairy Tales Can Come True) Air Date: 10-25-1984
Episode 49 (Sam Turns the Other Cheek) Air Date: 11-01-1984
Episode 50 (Coach in Love: Part 1) Air Date: 11-08-1984
Episode 51 (Coach in Love: Part 2) Air Date: 11-15-1984
Episode 52 (Diane Meets Mom) Air Date: 11-22-1984
Episode 53 (An American Family) Air Date: 11-29-1984
Episode 54 (Diane's Allergy) Air Date: 12-06-1984
Episode 55 (Peterson Crusoe) Air Date: 12-13-1984
Episode 56 (A Ditch in Time) Air Date: 12-20-1984
Episode 57 (Whodunit?) Air Date: 01-03-1985
Episode 58 (The Heart is a Lonely Snipe Hunter) Air Date: 01-10-1985
Episode 59 (King of the Hill) Air Date: 01-24-1985
Episode 60 (Teacher's Pet) Air Date: 01-31-1985
Episode 61 (The Mail Goes to Jail) Air Date: 02-07-1985
Episode 62 (Bar Bet) Air Date: 02-14-1985
Episode 63 (Behind Every Great Man) Air Date: 02-21-1985
Episode 64 (If Ever I Would Leave You) Air Date: 02-28-1985
Episode 65 (The Executive's Executioner) Air Date: 03-07-1985
Episode 66 (Cheerio, Cheers) Air Date: 04-11-1985
Episode 67 (The Bartender's Tale) Air Date: 04-18-1985
Episode 68 (The Belles of St. Clete's) Air Date: 05-02-1985
Episode 69 (Rescue Me) Air Date: 05-09-1985

Cheers (Season 2) DVD Review

One of the top-rated sitcoms of the 1980s, Cheers founded the "must see" hours of NBC's prime time lineup. Following the exploits of a group of bar employees and their customers, Cheers became a regular hangout not just for guys like Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin, but for all of America as well. Bartender and Cheers owner Sam Malone is a retired pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, while he's joined by employees Ernie "Coach" Pantusso, Carla Tortelli, and Diane Chambers. A number of recurring characters seated around the bar appear in each episode. Almost every episode takes place entirely in the bar...

The Cheers (Season 2) DVD offers a number of hilarious episodes and ignites Sam and Diane's long-lasting, on-again/off-again romance. This is also the first season in which Cliff Clavin is an "opening-credits" member of the cast (even though he appeared in most of season one's episodes). Guest appearances by Fred Dryer (of Hunter fame), Dick Cavett, Harry Anderson (of Night Court fame), and Christopher Lloyd (of Taxi and Back To The Future fame) make for some memorable comic sequences. The season ends with Sam and Diane's romance on shaky ground…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Cheers (Season 2) DVD:

Episode 23 (Power Play) Air Date: 09-29-1983
Episode 24 (Little Sister Don't Cha) Air Date: 10-13-1983
Episode 25 (Personal Business) Air Date: 10-20-1983
Episode 26 (Homicidal Ham) Air Date: 10-27-1983
Episode 27 (Sumner's Return) Air Date: 11-03-1983
Episode 28 (Affairs of the Heart) Air Date: 11-10-1983
Episode 29 (Old Flames) Air Date: 11-17-1983
Episode 30 (Manager Coach) Air Date: 11-24-1983
Episode 31 (They Called Me Mayday) Air Date: 12-01-1983
Episode 32 (How Do I Love Thee, Let Me Call You Back) Air Date: 12-08-1983
Episode 33 (Just Three Friends) Air Date: 12-15-1983
Episode 34 (Where There's A Will) Air Date: 12-22-1983
Episode 35 (Battle of the Exes) Air Date: 01-05-1984
Episode 36 (No Help Wanted) Air Date: 01-12-1984
Episode 37 (And Coachie Makes Three) Air Date: 01-19-1984
Episode 38 (Cliff's Rocky Moment) Air Date: 01-26-1984
Episode 39 (Fortune and Men's Weight) Air Date: 02-02-1984
Episode 40 (Snow Job) Air Date: 02-09-1984
Episode 41 (Coach Buries a Grudge) Air Date: 02-16-1984
Episode 42 (Norman's Conquest) Air Date: 02-23-1984
Episode 43 (I'll Be Seeing You: Part 1) Air Date: 05-03-1984
Episode 44 (I'll Be Seeing You: Part 2) Air Date: 05-10-1984

Cheers (DVD) Review

One of the greatest television comedies in history, Cheers is an absolute must see for anyone who's ever had a regular hangout "where everybody knows your name". The shows centers itself around a friendly neighborhood Boston bar named Cheers. The bar is owned by former Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Sam Malone (Ted Danson). Sam has two employees – bartender Ernie “Coach” Pantusso (Nicholas Colasanto) and waitress Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman). Things are great for Sam until he hires a jilted graduate student named Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) to waitress in the bar. Regular barflies Norm Peterson (George Wendt) and Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger) round out a strong supporting cast…

The Cheers DVD offers a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere “Give Me A Ring Sometime” in which the gang at Cheers first meets Diane when she spends the day in the bar waiting for her fiancé, distinguished Boston University professor Sumner Sloane, to return from meeting with his ex-wife (where he hopes to retrieve his grandmother’s ring for Diane). Sumner never returns, resulting in Diane accepting a job at the bar… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include “Sam At Eleven” in which Sam’s ex-teammate turned sportscaster Dave Richards (Fred Dryer) arrives at the bar to interview Sam for the eleven o’clock news only to end up ditching him for John McEnroe, and “Pick a Con… Any Con” in which Coach is being played by a conman, prompting Sam to enlist the help of Harry the Conman (Harry Anderson) in order to get Coach’s money back. Only Coach has a few surprises of his own…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Cheers (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (Give Me A Ring Sometime) Air Date: 09-30-1982
Episode 2 (Sam’s Women) Air Date: 10-07-1982
Episode 3 (The Tortelli Tort) Air Date: 10-14-1982
Episode 4 (Sam At Eleven) Air Date: 10-21-1982
Episode 5 (Coach’s Daughter) Air Date: 10-28-1982
Episode 6 (Any Friend Of Diane’s) Air Date: 11-04-1982
Episode 7 (Friends, Romans, Accountants) Air Date: 11-11-1982
Episode 8 (Truce Or Consequences) Air Date: 11-18-1982
Episode 9 (Coach Returns To Action) Air Date: 11-25-1982
Episode 10 (Endless Slumper) Air Date: 12-02-1982
Episode 11 (One For The Book) Air Date: 12-09-1982
Episode 12 (The Spy Who Came In For A Cold One) Air Date: 12-16-1982
Episode 13 (Now Pitching, Sam Malone) Air Date: 01-06-1983
Episode 14 (Let Me Count The Ways) Air Date: 01-13-1983
Episode 15 (Father Knows Last) Air Date: 01-20-1983
Episode 16 (The Boys In The Bar) Air Date: 01-27-1983
Episode 17 (Diane’s Perfect Date) Air Date: 02-10-1983
Episode 18 (No Contest) Air Date: 02-17-1983
Episode 19 (Pick A Con… Any Con) Air Date: 02-24-1983
Episode 20 (Someone Single, Someone Blue) Air Date: 03-03-1983
Episode 21 (Showdown 1) Air Date: 03-24-1983
Episode 22 (Showdown 2) Air Date: 03-31-1983

CSI (Season 3) DVD Review

CSI follows the lives of several employees working the nightshift of the Las Vegas Police Department’s Crime Scene Investigation unit led by the quirky and methodic Gil Grissom (William Petersen), a dedicated workaholic. The crime lab team is composed of numerous technicians from different backgrounds – single mother Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) specializes in blood analysis, while the highly ambitious Nick Stokes (George Eads) tackles fiber and hair analysis. Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan), a recovering gambling addict, focuses on audio/visual analysis, while the charismatic Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) handles in element and materials analysis. Throw in a hardened homicide captain named Jim Brass (Paul Guifoyle), and a handful of other headstrong colleagues, and CSI has all the ingredients necessary for a top-rated program that thrives on drama, suspense, and tension…

The C.S.I. (Season 3) DVD features a number of dramatic episodes including the season premiere “Revenge is Best Served Cold” in which Catherine and Nick investigate an underground street racing league when one of the contestants is found dead at an abandoned airstrip just outside of town. Meanwhile, Grissom and the others are forced to investigate the mysterious death of a high stakes poker player when he drops dead in the middle of a game with three others… Other notable episodes from Season 3 include “Recipe for Murder” in which Grissom and Catherine investigate a gruesome murder at a meat packing plant, and “A Night at the Movies” in which the CSI team investigates the murder of a movie-goer who was stabbed to death in mid-film…

Below is a list of episodes included on the C.S.I. (Season 3) DVD:

Episode 47 (Revenge is Best Served Cold) Air Date: 09-26-2002
Episode 48 (The Accused is Entitled) Air Date: 10-03-2002
Episode 49 (Let the Seller Beware) Air Date: 10-10-2002
Episode 50 (A Little Murder) Air Date: 10-17-2002
Episode 51 (Abra Cadaver) Air Date: 10-31-2002
Episode 52 (The Execution of Catherine Willows) Air Date: 11-07-2002
Episode 53 (Fight Night) Air Date: 11-14-2002
Episode 54 (Snuff) Air Date: 11-21-2002
Episode 55 (Blood Lust) Air Date: 12-05-2002
Episode 56 (High and Low) Air Date: 12-12-2002
Episode 57 (Recipe for Murder) Air Date: 01-09-2003
Episode 58 (Got Murder?) Air Date: 01-16-2003
Episode 59 (Random Acts of Violence) Air Date: 01-30-2003
Episode 60 (One Hit Wonder) Air Date: 02-06-2003
Episode 61 (Lady’s Heather’s Box) Air Date: 02-13-2003
Episode 62 (Lucky Strike) Air Date: 02-20-2003
Episode 63 (Crash and Burn) Air Date: 03-13-2003
Episode 64 (Precious Metal) Air Date: 04-03-2003
Episode 65 (A Night at the Movies) Air Date: 04-10-2003
Episode 66 (Last Laugh) Air Date: 04-24-2003
Episode 67 (Forever) Air Date: 05-01-2003
Episode 68 (Play with Fire) Air Date: 05-08-2003
Episode 69 (Inside the Box) Air Date: 05-15-2003

Charlie's Angels (DVD) Review

Long before Magnum, PI put Tom Selleck on the map, Charlie's Angels owned the world of TV private eyes. Nominated for 4 Emmys and 7 Golden Globes, including 2 for Best TV Series - Drama, Charlie's Angels was a truly rare overnight sensation. The forerunner to modern day shows such as La Femme Nikita and Alias, creators Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts capped off long careers as showbiz writers by penning the unforgettable story of three sexy and vivacious private investigators. Executive producer Aaron Spelling (linked to innumerable hit shows such as Beverly Hills 90210, The Love Boat, Melrose Place, Dynasty, 7th Heaven, and Charmed among others) played a prominent role in the pop culture explosion of this series which witnessed the immediate mass marketing of Charlie's Angels trading cards, posters, lunchboxes, and endless other memorabilia - including a full-length feature film of the same name two decades later (2000). Through the duration of the series (five seasons), the cast changed continuously as Charlie's angels became media stars in their own right and left to pursue various opportunities in modeling, film, and TV…

Charlie's Angels centers around a group of gorgeous female ex-police officers hired to work for the Charles Townsend Detective Agency. A mysterious multi-millionaire with seemingly unlimited means, Charles Townsend communicates with his girls via speaker-phone and through the aid of his personal assistant, John Bosley (David Doyle). Charlie sends the girls on various undercover missions and dangerous assignments where they apprehend criminals and pursue justice with a vengeance. The original angels are Sabrina Duncan (Kate Jackson) who plays the role of the "smartest" angel, Kelly Garrett (Jaclyn Smith) who plays the part of the "street-smart" angel, and Jill Munroe (Farrah Fawcett) who plays the role of the "athletic" angel. Together, they unleash their collective talents on the criminal underworld, putting their own lives at risk in process… As the show progressed, Jill Munroe left as a regular on the series and was replaced by her sister Kris (Cheryl Ladd). The following year, Sabrina left the agency to tend to her family and was replaced by Tiffany (Shelley Hack) and later by Julie (Tanya Roberts)…

The Charlie's Angels DVD features a number of action-packed episodes including the series premiere "Hellride" in which the audience first learns of the mysterious Charles Townsend Detective Agency and the beautiful women who comprise the majority of its agents. When a female racecar driver suffers a questionable death, Charlie sends the girls out to uncover the truth. To get the job done, Sabrina poses as a racecar driver, and the girls discover the existence of a murderous conspiracy… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include "Bullseye" in which the angels uncover a drug-ring owned and operated by two corrupt military officials, and "The Vegas Connection" in which the angels and Bosley travel to Las Vegas in order to catch a deviant con artist…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Charlie's Angels (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (Hellride) Air Date: 09-22-1976
Episode 2 (The Mexican Connection) Air Date: 09-29-1976
Episode 3 (Night of the Strangler) Air Date: 10-13-1976
Episode 4 (Angels in Chains) Air Date: 10-20-1976
Episode 5 (Target: Angels) Air Date: 10-27-1976
Episode 6 (The Killing Kind) Air Date: 11-03-1976
Episode 7 (To Kill an Angel) Air Date: 11-10-1976
Episode 8 (Lady Killer) Air Date: 11-24-1976
Episode 9 (Bullseye) Air Date: 12-01-1976
Episode 10 (Consenting Adults) Air Date: 12-08-1976
Episode 11 (The Seance) Air Date: 12-15-1976
Episode 12 (Angels on Wheels) Air Date: 12-22-1976
Episode 13 (Angel Trap) Air Date: 01-05-1977
Episode 14 (The Big Tap Out) Air Date: 01-12-1977
Episode 15 (Angels on a String) Air Date: 01-19-1977
Episode 16 (Dirty Business) Air Date: 02-02-1977
Episode 17 (The Vegas Connection) Air Date: 02-09-1977
Episode 18 (Terror on Ward One) Air Date: 02-16-1977
Episode 19 (Dancing in the Dark) Air Date: 02-23-1977
Episode 20 (I Will Be Remembered) Air Date: 03-09-1977
Episode 21 (Angels at Sea) Air Date: 03-23-1977
Episode 22 (The Blue Angels) Air Date: 05-04-1977

Casablanca (DVD) Review

One of the greatest, and certainly one of the most quoted, films in cinema history, Casablanca contains all the essential elements of a Hollywood blockbuster: adventure, romance, intrigue, suspense, and of course, evil Nazi bad guys (if you doubt this last one as an essential element, then reference the success of the Indiana Jones films). With a director (Michael Curtiz) and cast second to none, Casablanca makes a strong case for consideration as the best movie ever made. And although I loath clichés, it is true that they just don’t make ‘em like this one anymore…

Casablanca unfolds in a place called Rick’s, a popular watering hole in Vichey-controlled Morocco on the outskirts of Nazi dominated Europe. An important travel hub, Casablanca plays host to numerous colorful characters with any number of varying agendas. Arms dealers, spies, and revolutionaries walk side-by-side through streets littered with pickpockets. But at Rick’s, everyone seems to enjoy themselves. Owner Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) seems content with his life of serving customers and making money, at least until the day she walks in, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), the love of Rick’s life.

Less than two years earlier, as the Nazis moved into Paris, Rick and Ilsa fell in love. But in the act of fleeing the Nazi advance, Ilsa sent Rick a note at the train station informing him that she could not go with him. She offered no explanation. Now, she was appearing in his establishment with her husband, fugitive and Nazi resistance leader Victor Laszlo.

As the hours pass, and the Nazis desperately search for Laszlo in an attempt to cut off his escape, Rick learns the truth about Ilsa and her reason for leaving. For the moment, Laszlo’s fate is in his hands. Since his days in Paris, Rick’s made a habit of being practical, both in his business life and in his personal life… But will Rick use his influence and connections to help himself or Victor Laszlo? Will his idealism prevail over his hardened pragmatism? The Third Reich is closing in, and Rick must make a decision regarding Ilsa and Laszlo before time runs out…

The recipient of widespread critical acclaim in the more than six decades since its release, Casablanca is one of the few films deemed as a “cinema classic” that actually lives up to the mega-hype surrounding it. The set design, costumes, and direction are absolutely flawless. The dialogue is superb. Bogart and Bergman are perfect as the lovers torn apart, and Claude Rains is unforgettable as Captain Renault. If you have an aversion to pre-1980 movies or some other strange reason for missing out on this one, then I highly encourage you to watch Casablanca. You won’t regret it.

Cartoons: Why I Loved Saturdays

There are a lot of reasons that most kids love Saturdays. Kids love Saturdays because it means they do not have to get up early and go to school. Kids love Saturdays because they usually get to relax or play with friends. Kids love Saturdays because it means they got to stay up late on Friday night. But as a kid I loved Saturdays for a totally different reason: Saturday morning cartoons.

One of the highlights of my childhood was watching Saturday morning cartoons. My siblings and I looked forward to it all week long. We made it through five long days of school, homework, going to bed early, and eating healthy breakfast foods in order to get to the next Saturday. And though the wait for Saturday felt like forever, eventually it always came. And with it came our special Saturday routine. Although Saturday is the perfect day to sleep in, we usually got up just as early as we would for school, and we did not even need alarm clocks! Whoever woke up first would run to wake up all the others and together we would go quickly to the family room and turn on the television and flip to our favorite channel: the one with the best Saturday morning cartoons.

Oh, we loved our cartoons. We kept track of what was happening in all our favorite cartoons and we waiting with anticipation for the next episode. We were glued to the television with eyes so huge we did not miss a thing. We would laugh outloud, talk to our favorite cartoon characters outloud, and get mad at the television outloud anytime the cartoons did not go like we thought they should. We were so into our favorite cartoons that only one thing could pull us away from the tube. Dad's pancakes.

Dad's special, Saturday-only pancakes were amazing. We could eat as many as we wanted and we could put anything in them we wanted: blueberries, chocolate chips or even M&M's. We looked forward to our Dad's pancakes almost as much as we looked forward to watching our favorite cartoons. Our parents even started letting us eat our pancakes in front of the television so we would not have to miss a cartoon! What a deal! Saturday was the only day the good cartoons were on, it was the only day that Dad made his signature, unhealthy pancakes, and it was definitely the only day we could eat in front of the television in the family room.

So while I liked not having to go to school on Saturdays and I liked being able to play with friends and stay up later, the real reason I loved Saturdays was not even my Dad's great pancakes. The real reason, the biggest reason that I grew up loving Saturdays was simple: Saturday morning cartoons.