Interesting.
So I learned that the Charlie's Angels in Vegas episode I was complaining about was actually the first appearance of Dan Tanna anywhere. Apparently it was a mini-promotion for Vega$, which started the week after. I wonder if they would have made it a crossover episode if Vega$ had already been going, as I figured it was.
I also discovered that Tony Curtis played Dan's boss, on the rare occasions when he'd appear in a story. I must see this.
Also, MeTV put Kojak back on and I've been eating it up. Kojak himself is just as awesome and adorable as ever, and seriously, how did I overlook the squeeableness of Crocker and Stavros? They're partnered quite often, at least in the later episodes, and there is some wonderful friendshippiness in such scenes. In my absolute favorite episode, Once More From Birdland, there's even some hurt/comfort when Crocker gets hit by a car while chasing a suspect and Stavros comes running, calling to him so worried and panicky. Gah. They are adorable, seriously.
And, unlike my feelings when watching the series before and feeling like I'd never want to go to New York with the picture they painted of it, this time I seem to be seeing it in a new light. I see the good more than the bad and I do like the thought of visiting sometime.
I've also been watching a lot of The Fugitive lately. I still stand by my opinion that it's a better show than Route 66. Both are deep and good and have excellent acting, but Route 66 was written for kids (well, teens) and The Fugitive was written for adults. Naturally the perspectives would be different and I prefer the deeper view on The Fugitive. On Route 66, it's like they're always getting surprised by what's happening and what people are doing and sometimes you see their naivete and inability to understand the older people they come in contact with. On The Fugitive, he's very serious and jaded, already quite experienced in life, and doesn't often get surprised. Of course, I still love my kids' shows when I want a little escapism from the adult world. But in this case, I'd rather have the adult show.
Both shows also have depressing episodes, naturally. I was mad with The Fugitive for some time because I got the last disc of season 2 and didn't especially like any of the episodes on it. It was only recently that I cooled enough to try it again, and then I discovered to my delight that most episodes are like the better episodes I'd seen before.
I also, for some weird reason, decided to look up information on that new Bugs Bunny show Wabbit a couple of weeks ago. I really don't care at all for the violence in Looney Tunes cartoons; I don't find it funny and it makes my skin crawl imagining stuff like that really happening. But I'll always carry a fondness for some of the characters themselves, so I try to keep abreast of what's happening with them. I have to say, while I am thrilled that Wile E. Coyote is a main character in Wabbit, I am absolutely baffled by the idea of naming a show Wabbit and yet not including Elmer Fudd somewhere in it. It just seems rather like sacrilege.
I also mused that while Wile E. and Elmer were always my favorite characters, I must have really liked Foghorn Leghorn somewhere along the way. I remember as a kid walking around singing Camptown Races and actually considering trying to imitate Foghorn's speech pattern. Thank goodness I didn't go through with that. Oh brother.
And I actually started writing that Wild Wild West fic. I re-watched the Mannix episode with Robert Conrad the other day and then the rest of the plot finally fell into place. Robert's character is a real crumb in the episode, a testament to Robert's acting abilities, and I got the idea of him and Jim West meeting and talking. Then I thought of having that as part of the Count Manzeppi fic and finally I had a plot thread that would make one of the canon main characters a main character in the story. So I commenced writing. We'll see how well it goes. I like the first chapter.
I also discovered that Tony Curtis played Dan's boss, on the rare occasions when he'd appear in a story. I must see this.
Also, MeTV put Kojak back on and I've been eating it up. Kojak himself is just as awesome and adorable as ever, and seriously, how did I overlook the squeeableness of Crocker and Stavros? They're partnered quite often, at least in the later episodes, and there is some wonderful friendshippiness in such scenes. In my absolute favorite episode, Once More From Birdland, there's even some hurt/comfort when Crocker gets hit by a car while chasing a suspect and Stavros comes running, calling to him so worried and panicky. Gah. They are adorable, seriously.
And, unlike my feelings when watching the series before and feeling like I'd never want to go to New York with the picture they painted of it, this time I seem to be seeing it in a new light. I see the good more than the bad and I do like the thought of visiting sometime.
I've also been watching a lot of The Fugitive lately. I still stand by my opinion that it's a better show than Route 66. Both are deep and good and have excellent acting, but Route 66 was written for kids (well, teens) and The Fugitive was written for adults. Naturally the perspectives would be different and I prefer the deeper view on The Fugitive. On Route 66, it's like they're always getting surprised by what's happening and what people are doing and sometimes you see their naivete and inability to understand the older people they come in contact with. On The Fugitive, he's very serious and jaded, already quite experienced in life, and doesn't often get surprised. Of course, I still love my kids' shows when I want a little escapism from the adult world. But in this case, I'd rather have the adult show.
Both shows also have depressing episodes, naturally. I was mad with The Fugitive for some time because I got the last disc of season 2 and didn't especially like any of the episodes on it. It was only recently that I cooled enough to try it again, and then I discovered to my delight that most episodes are like the better episodes I'd seen before.
I also, for some weird reason, decided to look up information on that new Bugs Bunny show Wabbit a couple of weeks ago. I really don't care at all for the violence in Looney Tunes cartoons; I don't find it funny and it makes my skin crawl imagining stuff like that really happening. But I'll always carry a fondness for some of the characters themselves, so I try to keep abreast of what's happening with them. I have to say, while I am thrilled that Wile E. Coyote is a main character in Wabbit, I am absolutely baffled by the idea of naming a show Wabbit and yet not including Elmer Fudd somewhere in it. It just seems rather like sacrilege.
I also mused that while Wile E. and Elmer were always my favorite characters, I must have really liked Foghorn Leghorn somewhere along the way. I remember as a kid walking around singing Camptown Races and actually considering trying to imitate Foghorn's speech pattern. Thank goodness I didn't go through with that. Oh brother.
And I actually started writing that Wild Wild West fic. I re-watched the Mannix episode with Robert Conrad the other day and then the rest of the plot finally fell into place. Robert's character is a real crumb in the episode, a testament to Robert's acting abilities, and I got the idea of him and Jim West meeting and talking. Then I thought of having that as part of the Count Manzeppi fic and finally I had a plot thread that would make one of the canon main characters a main character in the story. So I commenced writing. We'll see how well it goes. I like the first chapter.