So here's your topic. I'll fix it so you can start more topics here if you email me. Are you happy now?

So terry didn't actually start this one, eh? Well, mystery host, for starters, as much as I love Lea Thompson (which isn't much) she is a painfully bad actress and even worse, totally lacking in comedic skills. Her abilities seem limited to mugging cutely (flashing dimples) and pulling her eyebrows together in consternation (I believe that would represent the fabled emotional range from A to B). I thought she did surprisingly well in the SF. Dell is nice but too bland. Charlie (is that the rollerskat ng guy?) is cute, I'll keep him. The neighbor whose name escapes me needs her own show; she is not doing well as a sidekick. While I don't drool over Mr. Gets, he is the only reason I tune in (which isn't every week; if there's anything else competing I watch the competition). That sarcastic black wit is irresistable. So I'm sorry my suggestions are so unhelpful: can we make it Richard In The City? And can I just say how much I hate that Julia actress? She's worse that Ms. Thompson.

Hope you read my tagline next to my name--obviously I'm in a cranky mood! It just makes me mad when a show is just a little not-right. It's like listening to the radio a little off station. Ya just wanna FIX IT!!!!

Will the mystery host please pitch in some comments. You're right I just copied and pasted this from a previous item in this conf.

Well, OK, I'll be non-mysterious host now. And yes, I'm happy -- thanks Terry! I have to agree with aubrey that Lea Thompson isn't terribly good. Even in the season finale, her bit on the phone was kind of cutesy-annoying, not exactly the kind of thing that makes me root for her to get Richard. I thought she was a better actress than she appears -- do you think it's just the writing? How can people be so good at writing nasty one-liners for Richard, and be so poor at making the lead woman believable? So my fix-up would involve giving Caroline some depth (maybe someone back home dies and we don't have her doing snappy one-liners five minutes later) to bring her closer to Richard, instead of such a stupid "zap I love him!" plot line.

Continuing (aren't you sorry you asked?) with that idea, wouldn't it be interesting to see Richard trying to cheer up Caroline instead of vice-versa, for a change? I guess the only reason I'll watch this show is that I'm a hopeless romantic and those longing looks between characters get to me. Otherwise, I'm questioning my sanity. Anyway, I kind of like what they've done with Charlie (him saving the card company and thus, hopefully, changing his role & seeing some character development). But all the characters need depth. Any suggestions?

Malcom Gets was on Remember WENN last Saturday.

I saw that, but unfortunately was in the North Woods without a TV set for the week. How was he? for that matter, what's the story with Victor on WENN? We were so upset to miss the season opener after waiting all summer to find out what happened.

Lorie, Victor is alive, but is now a spy (for the allies), and is broadcasting in Europe for the Nazis under the name Jonathon Arnold. Eugenia has gotten her day job back. And Scott Sherwood is not an old friend of Victor's.

Thanks! That explains a lot just from the episode I did see this weekend.

Your welcome. I love watching Remember WENN, but I must admit I have never seen Caroline in the City.

Wow, no one's posted here for ages. I like Malcom Gets and he deserves better than Caroline in the City. He sould perhaps be in, say... Remember Wenn? As a regular of course not as a guest star as he was in the first episode of the third season. I can't believe that I actually ran into people who like Remember Wenn in here! That show is such a gem. Thank God for cable. Hey, maybe there should be a Remember Wenn topic here at Spring. Anyonw care to start one? Just a thought. Alicia

Alicia, watch what you ask for! Before you know it, Terry will come in here and start a new thread and blame it on you. :-) That's actually how this one got started,when I whined about liking Malcomb G. in another topic. Yes, WENN is a wonderful show. I didn't get to see it until very late Saturday night, so I may have been too sleepy to judge, but I thought that was one of the nicer Hillary-centered episodes. (Though I love the show, I was getting too much Betty earlier this season. But on the Betty topic, how many letters were in the name C.J. chose for the person he loved? Told you I was sleepy--I didn't think about it until later.) Who are your favorites on WENN? Do you agree with me that they've neglected Mackie of late and let him be comic relief instead of the interesting guy we've seen in the past? Lorie

What topic would y'all like, you can create topics yourself if you like! More topics are good if they get responses!

REMEMBER WENN (am I being very naughty?) (Lorie)Alicia, watch what you ask for! Before you know it, Terry will come in here and start a new thread and blame it on you. :-) (Terry)What topic would y'all like, you can create topics yourself if you like! More topics are good if they get responses! So is it really okay if I talk about WENN for just a little bit? (Lorie) I thought that was one of the nicer Hillary-centered episodes. (Though I love the show, I was getting too much Betty earlier this season. But on the Betty topic, how many letters were in the name C.J. chose for the person he loved?) Yes, it certainly was a Hillary-centered episode. She was getting to be soooo annoying but she cooled off. And C.J. chose a name w/ 5 letters I'm pretty sure. Does every guy in Pittsburgh have a crush on Betty? (Lorie)Who are your favorites on WENN? I love them all. But I wish that Victor shows up more often. Do you know why the actor who plays Victor isn't regularly on WENN anymore? I really like (oh! I can't believe I forgot his name!) the old guy, Grandpa WENN. He is so adorable and he has very funny lines, but they can get old sometimes. Do you agree with me that they've neglected Mackie of late and let him be comic relief instead of the interesting guy we've seen in the past? YES!! I'd say the same of Scott Sherwood. Did you like it better when WENN was aimless and had no plot? I really liked the first season, but now...I don't know. I still love the show because it's the best thing on the air but I prefer when it was more of a family setting. OK, NOW MALCOM GETS I have to admit that I quit watching CITC this season after the first episode. I'm disappointed but maybe I'll give it one more chance. Did anyone notice his poofy hair? what is that, James Dean or something? I wanted to go see a musical that Malcom was in a couple of weeks ago at UCLA but it ran only a week and I didn't feel much like going UCLA and getting on the 405, the most hellish freeway in L.A.! Alicia

Alicia wrote: Does every guy in Pittsburgh have a crush on Betty? Yes, it sure seems that way from here. I'll admit she's more attractively portrayed than anyone else at the station -- Maple is kind of slutty-nice, but not what I'd imagine C.J. interested in. But they do seem to overdo everyone's protectiveness and admiration of Betty -- or at least they did in the first few shows this season, when she was pretty much systematically getting kissed by every guy in the joint! But I wish that Victor shows up more often. Do you know why the actor who plays Victor isn't regularly on WENN anymore? Sorry, I don't have a clue why Victor is gone. I've assumed the actor went on to other things, and I have seen him in either a movie or a guest shot on TV, but certainly not anything long-term. I really like (oh! I can't believe I forgot his name!) the old guy, Grandpa WENN. He is so adorable and he has very funny lines, but they can get old sometimes. Yes, he is adorable and no, I can't think of his formal name either. The switchboard lady refers to him as "Tom," but everyone else calls him "Mr. ?" He's very sweet at times, and pretty silly at others. Do you agree with me that they've neglected Mackie of late and let him be comic relief instead of the interesting guy we've seen in the past? YES!! I'd say the same of Scott Sherwood. Yes, Scott has potential, but I think the show is as conflicted as the Betty character herself. For that matter, bringing back Victor this year -- what was that about? Did they decide Scott would never have a chance at viewers' hearts (and thus, Betty's heart) unless his rival was alive, not dead? Did you like it better when WENN was aimless and had no plot? I really liked the first season, but now...I don't know. I still love the show because it's the best thing on the air but I prefer when it was more of a family setting. I'll agree with that, but it does seem the opposite of most shows--usually that first season of getting to know the characters is kind of shallow and uninteresting compared to later seasons (I'm thinking of Star Trek The Next Gen and how painful I find first-season reruns). But WENN seems to get goofy more often now. Example, Hillary & Jeff are married--no they're not--yes, they are--oops, now they're divorced. What???? OK, NOW MALCOM GETS Did anyone notice his poofy hair? what is that, James Dean or something? I wanted to go see a musical that Malcom was in a couple of weeks ago at UCLA but it ran only a week. Yes, hate the hair and hate most of what I've seen this season, too. That man needs a better job! And he sings and dances? How exciting to live near LA and be able to hear about things like that. I'd never have guessed from his Caroline persona that the man does musicals. Now this isn't strictly drool, but have you seen Jason Alexander in any musicals? I saw him years ago on B'way in "The Rink" with Liza M. and Chita R., when he was a featured chorus boy. I cherish the memory, and imagining MG in a musical brought it to mind. How many people who know Jason A. only from movies and Seinfeld would guess he sings and dances? Enough rambling-- and sorry I'm not up on this cut-and-paste html stuff. Lorie Alicia

Gosh, that sure is a confusing bit of rambling! Sorry, everyone.

No that's great!

JASON ALEXANDER (Lorie) How many people who know Jason A. only from movies and Seinfeld would guess he sings and dances? Actually, Jason Alexander is pretty well known for his singing and dancing. A couple of years ago he was in the TV version of Bye bye Birdie. Also, what's ironic is that Jason Alexander was in a musical in the same theatre as Malcom just prior to Malcom's musical! Talk about a small world! And Malcom was quite active on Broadway before CITC. I saw him do a musical number on the Rosie O'Donnell show when he was a guest there along with Cher! It's my favorite Rosie episode. And he smiled a lot! He barely does on CITC and only smirks occasionally.

(Alicia wrote) what's ironic is that Jason Alexander was in a musical in the same theatre as Malcom just prior to Malcom's musical! Talk about a small world! And Malcom was quite active on Broadway before CITC. I've never been so depressed about living in the Midwest and not on a coast in my life. When we get Broadway shows, we get them minus the stars (or with sitcom stars from the 80's or something horrid like that). And no one who does current tv shows has time to come to Chicago to perform. Thankfully, I can keep admiring them from afar. And live performances don't have instant replay (or even reruns) so a cherished moment can be relived. Or, if you're like most of us here, videotaped and re-run again and again and again until every bit of drooling possible has been done!

Oops, I forgot. I checked with my husband, Master of Trivia, and he says that Grandpa WENN is Mr. Eldridge. Just thought I should clear that up since not being able to remember a name drives me CRAZY!

REMEMBER WENN (Lorie)Oops, I forgot. I checked with my husband, Master of Trivia, and he says that Grandpa WENN is Mr. Eldridge. Oh yes! Mr. Eldridge, of course. I can't wait until tomorrow night's episode. I still don't understand Jeff's "other marriage." What in the world is going on? Is it a secret life or has he become an agent like Victor? It seems like it's just you and me here Lorie, and Terry occasionally. Alicia

Yep, and Terry is EVERYWHERE. Believe me, I've been in lots of other conferences and he's about the only regular there. I'm just checking in, killing time until tonight's episode of WENN. With the help of one of my cats, who keeps stepping on my keyboard (so ignore anything odd). Then I'll switch stations to drool a little bit at Highlander, one of the shows I look forward to on Saturdays. Take care, Alicia, and enjoy the show tonight!

(Lorie)Do you agree with me that they've neglected Mackie of late and let him be comic relief instead of the interesting guy we've seen in the past? Wouldn't you say last Saturday's episode was a Mackie episode? Jeff is gone and Betty was mostly gone during this episode also. Are all the actors taking there turns in vacations time or something? I mean the season just started for chrissake! I was going to give CITC one more try tonight but I completely forgot to watic it! Slipped my mind. But I really need a dose of Malcom. And when will they ever get rid of that Julia woman? She gets on my nerves! Alicia

Yes, Saturday's show was a Mackie show, but something about it still annoyed me. I haven't figured out what, so I'm going to try to see the rerun of it on Wednesday night. And I don't know what is going on with people's schedules on that show. My gosh, if anyone was willing to pay me to show up and act, I'd do it for more than 4 weeks in a row! Anyway, when I think of Mackie shows, I remember the one with the blind fan (who is someone well-known, but the name as usual slips my mind). That was a wonderful show about him, but not completely about him, either. And lately they seem to be trying too hard for that warm fuzzy feeling (or tieing everything up too neatly at the end). Speaking of trying too hard, CITC was pretty awful. You didn't miss much, although they did some nice stuff with Annie, the girlfriend from across the hall. But Leah Thompson is still very much on my nerves, and the show itself just seems to still be lacking in a "touch" or unified feeling. Sometimes it seems like it is written by committee, and the committee doesn't have time to talk to each other (or watch the shows, either). Lots of grousing today. Hope I'm not so grumpy I bring anyone else down! Lorie

(Lorie)Yes, Saturday's show was a Mackie show, but something about it still annoyed me. I haven't figured out what, so I'm going to try to see the rerun of it on Wednesday night. I know what you mean. It was a Mackie show but something was lacking. Maybe the writer(s) are getting lazy. And bringing out Mackie's "dark" past seemed to come out of the blue. And the show is kind of getting predictable. I just hope it doesn't lose touch with originality. Anyway, when I think of Mackie shows, I remember the one with the blind fan (who is someone well-known, but the name as usual slips my mind). That was a wonderful show about him, but not completely about him, either. I love that episode too. The blind girl was Molly Ringwald. That was such a sweet episode. My all time favorite episode is the first episode I ever watched. It's when that director comes to the station to finish a Rudolph Valentino silent film and he wants the staff to dub in the voices. Speaking of trying too hard, CITC was pretty awful. You didn't miss much, although they did some nice stuff with Annie, the girlfriend from across the hall. I like Annie. Amy Pietz plays her role pretty well. A lot better and funnier than Lea Thompson. Lots of grousing today. Hope I'm not so grumpy I bring anyone else down! No problem. I'm not so happy myself since no one at the "Current TV Cuties" Topic seems to know who Paul Gross is. :-) Alicia

So sorry, that was me just being a jerk over there. I know who Paul Gross is, I was just trying to be funny (since so many others don't seem to know who he is). He is a cutie, I've seen the show just a few times. I'd be making my entries easier to read, but I'm still having HTML hell. When I try to italicize, I get an error message when I submit my responses about "missing closing I tag." Since I've been typing in what I think is the closing "I tag" (an i with a /, tho I've also tried an i with \), I'm not pleased. Guess it's time to go back to RoP and re-read the tutorial. Lorie

Whew! Someone actually knows who my Paul is! For a second I was seriously doubting my sanity and that perhaps I was just hallucinating the whole thing.

You're having italics problems. Tales of the City is in paperback too.

(terry)Tales of the City is in paperback too. Yeah, I know. I checked it out at the bookstore today, but I bought a copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass instead. I think I'll read Tales next. And I think I said it was by Ted Maupin. I made a boo-boo. It's Armistead Maupin. And there's also a sequel, More Tales of the City.

Close, it was by 'tead Maupin.

Alicia, Paul Gross your cutie was pictured in one of the recent TV Guides -- so everyone should know who he is now. I read the article (because of you) and they said that he will not be reprising his role in Tales of the City 2 (or whatever the sequel is called) because he's too busy with Due South.

No WAY! He's on TV Guide???????? Which one? This week's? And he's too busy with Due South? That's good! That means that there's going to be more episodes. He's executive producer of that show. But too bad he's not going to be in "More tales of the city." BTW, this Saturday's episode of WENN looks like it's going to be a Maple episode. Something about the way she talks. And you're right. They try too act to family-ish at the end of the episode. It was so syrupy sweet, almost corny. And I want Betty and Jeff back! Gosh the episode looked half empty. Thanks Lorie for the TV Guide tip :-) Alicia

Alicia--he's not the cover boy, he's pictured (a nice full page shot, tho) INSIDE what I believe is last week's issue (sorry, TV guide confuses me and I don't understand the issue numbering stuff. If you can't get this, e-mail me at Lorie945@aol.com with your address and I'll mail the page to you. Sorry I can't scan it in here, but I'm technologically far behind most of the people here. Re WENN: Yes, it would be nice to see some further development of Maple. And yes, it was the ending of the episode that rang false for me, too. And what is going on with the cast of this show? I can't believe they're all off making movies or something. What's the point of an "ensemble" show when you only get about 1/2 the ensemble at a time? Grouse for the day.

Lorie, Did you watch tonight's episode of WENN? It was a riot, I thought, especially when Scott Sherwood tried to do a Maple impression. I was laughing my head off. I just couldn't stop laughing. Next week's episode looks real real good. Victor's BACK! and so is Jeff. The cast is all together now. Well, just for that episode, at least. Maybe it'll explain Jeff's second wife. But I'm so excited that Victor is going to be in it. Poor Malcom! We've abandoned him. But I can't wait until the rerun of his guest spot on WENN. Alicia

Yes, I think this is now the official WENN page. I thought "A Girl Like Maple" was one of the best shows this season. Funny, touching, everyone true to character and trying to help out a friend. Very nice. Maple's gargling had me giggling, but then everyone doing Maple was wonderful. Kind of lucky for Maple she didn't hear Scott's impression of her, though -- she'd never speak again! And that coming attraction was the BEST thing about the night. How wonderful to have the entire cast together, even if it's just in a play written by Gertie. I knew you'd pick up on Victor being there and be crowing about it today! Can't wait till Saturday (as usual, for more reasons that just WENN!).

Me neither, I can't wait until Saturday. And Sunday. I used to think that weekend tv was the worst, but now it's the best! On Sat. I've got WENN and on Sun. I've got Due South. I love the weekend more than ever. And it's only Monday today. I'm so disappointed that WENN doesn't ever get nominated for an Emmy other than for best costume/wardrobe. I know that last year it got nominated for best tv comedy ensemble for the SAG awards. It was up against these big name shows like Seinfeld, and it was the darkest horse in the category. Of course I was rooting for it. Probably 99% of the audience didn't even know WENN existed and were very puzzled that night. Alicia If anyone would like to speak up for Malcom, please do!

Even without TV, I'd be living for the weekends. But I agree, the quality of TV on weekends has improved. Or maybe my tastes are changing. Usually the PBS Masterpiece Theater stuff is interesting to me now, which wasn't always the case. As a kid my mom watched it and had me hooked on Upstairs, Downstairs; I, Claudius; and Duchess of Duke Street. But for years I hadn't paid any particular attention to it. Lately, it's been very enjoyable. Oh, just a program note. On the A&E Jane Eyre, I really liked Mrs. Fairfax. During the credits I noticed her name, Gemma Jones, and wondered why it sounded so famliar. She was the Duchess of Duke Street as mentioned above!

Gemma Jones is also in Sense & Sensibility. She's the mother of the 3 sisters. She's also in something recent too but I can't remember it. I'll probably stay up all night and won't be able to sleep until I get it.

Is that the Emma Thompson S&S? Not that I can think of any others, but one never knows around here. I hope it didn't ruin your sleep!

Yes it is the Emma Thompson S&S. I love that movie. It's one of my favorites. Loved AR but did not like HG at all.

I'll agree. That one really had me liking AR for the first time, since I'd only seen him play villains before. But I honestly haven't ever liked HG enough to think he was the "only" person for a part. He's fine, he's just not drool material to me. Competent actor, yes (just competent, not great). Heart-throb, no, definitely not. Unless someone has a "hair-in-eyes" fetish.

I, too, find HG hysterically funny, but not in the least sexy. Isn't that funny? What do you think the beautiful Elizabeth sees in him?

What does any woman see in her man? Honestly, I have many friends and a sister-in-law who seem to find the strangest, worst-for-them men attractive. But since I dated a jerk for many years before finding my best friend-hubby, I can't criticize them. Just give them tissues when they cry, and grin and bear it when we socialize with the guys along. Of course, we'd like to believe celebrities are above all that, but sometimes I think it's worse for them. Added to the mix of sexual attraction and psychological needs are elements of publicity, even-more-intense-than-usual fears of aging, and probably elements of power, jobs, and prestige. I'd say it makes me glad to be a nobody, but I'd be lying. Unlike Emily Dickinson, I'm not proud to be a nonentity in the universe. Actually, I thin,k she was kidding herself, too.

I have mixed feelings about fame too. I would love to be well-known but only without the tabloids and all the other bad stuff that comes with it. Nevertheless I think it'd be trippy to be well known.You know, you're siginificant, you're important. People know you. But I hate the fact that I would have no privacy at all. Privacy is something that I would not give up for fame. It's too big a price to pay. Alicia

I guess that's very true. I wasn't exactly thinking about my life and lack of privacy -- I was thinking more about being remembered or having an impact after my death.

(Lorie)I guess that's very true. I wasn't exactly thinking about my life and lack of privacy -- I was thinking more about being remembered or having an impact after my death. Being remembered after death... I don't know if that concerns me much since I won't be around to experience it. Speaking of being remembered... Remember WENN I was confused by this episode. Perhaps you can enlighten me about Eugenia, her German friends, and the British counter-intelligence spy. How are all connected? And what's this thing about her music teacher and the operas "Lohengrin" and "Tristan und Isolde?" It seems that now each character gets their own episode. I guess they take turns. One aspect of the show that's been bugging me is how do these poor radio afford their wardrobes! They have a different outfit and hat during each episode. In the first season, you saw the same outfit at least more than once. Now, it's a brand new costume- more like costumes- for each episode. I guess the wardrobe budget for the show just got an influx of cash. Tomorrow: DUE SOUTH!!! Hoorah! Alicia,DueSer

Due South? Time and station please?

Hi Terry, In Southern California Due South airs on KCBS on Sundays at 2pm. For local listings check out the official website: www.duesouth.com WARNING: The show gets pre-empted frequently. So if you miss it one week don't give up. Like today: on my station, it got pre-empted to 1:35 am Monday because of AUTO RACING! ARRRRRRRGH I hope you catch a show and enjoy it. Alicia

I'll check our local listings Sunday.

Hi Alicia! Yes, Remember WENN was more than a bit confusing this weekend. I'm going to try to see the re-runs tonight (I'll be on the road, so I hope my hotel has AMC) and see if it makes any more sense to me. I'll agree that the characters each having such a "spotlight" show is a bit annoying. And yes, they seem to have found a bigger stash of vintage clothing for the war years. In the first season, Hillary's clothing in particular was often repeated. And since Betty was supposed to be a broke intern from the Midwest, she didn't have new and incredibly well-matched clothes every Saturday. Sigh for believability in TV. Hope you enjoyed your Due South fix! Lorie

(Lorie)Hope you enjoyed your Due South fix! Oh, did I ever! The last episode was hilarious. And Paul Gross' wife was in it. She played the villain, a Russian spy. I thought I would be seething with jealousy but I ended up liking her quite a lot. She and Paul have great chemistry. There was this one scene where he wrestles her to the ground! I'm going to try to catch a re-run of WENN, too, to clear up the confusion. I hope I don't forget. I'm so sleep deprived these days that I can't even see straight. Alicia

Malcom Gets Okay, I finally saw a full episode of Caroline today since the season premier. This one was okay but Malcom didn't figure in too much in this ep. I really enjoyed the little bit about Annie and Seth. Seth would be my sort of type of guy but only if he were less of a wuss. So Richard and Julia are still together. Does he really love her????? Charlie and what's his name (The Duo) are up to their antics as always. They always add comic relief to the eps. Lea Thompson still gets on my nerves. She is not funny. Is she even supposed to be funny? Remember WENN This episode was...all right I guess. It as so-so. I think the first season was the best, but the first time is of course always the best. Just wish that it was more of a ensemble show because the show doesn't hold that unity anymore with all these eps that now concentrate on just one character. Due South Since I'm in this topic anyway I might as well put in my $.02 worth. Sunday's episode was quite funny. Paul Gross gave an exceptionally great performance. This episode was written well and produced well. I just hope that the rest of the season remains like this because it's been quite finicky. Alicia

(Alicia) I finally saw a full episode of Caroline today since the season premier. Oh, it figures that you saw last night's episode. I didn't, so I can't comment! So Richard and Julia are still together. Does he really love her????? Your guess is as good as mine. The writers don't seem to have their minds made up, really. Supposedly she was his grand passion before he met Caroline. Doesn't have very good taste, does he? Lea Thompson's character is so obnoxious that I've stopped liking her-- I assume in person as a real person she's just as annoying! (Alicia) Remember WENN Oh, gosh, I missed this too! I was out of town for my union's convention all weekend, working on Saturday night -- and my hotel didn't have AMC, anyway. What a lousy trip it would have been if I'd had the time to watch TV. But I really didn't. I even missed Law & Order/Homicide's two-parter (and yes, the hotel did manage to have network TV). Lorie

CITC Julia's role seems to have been reduced a lot. She only appears in the episode and doesn't even have one line. Well, maybe she did but I don't remember. Oh yes she had a couple of lines during the credits. Actually the little bit they had during the credits were the funniest moments in the entire ep. So basically I had to endure 30 minutes of CITC until it got to the funny part in the credits of all places! It seems like they talk more about Julia than she actually saying something for herself. I doubt she's going to be a permanent cast member so I wonder how they're going to give her the ax. Early Edition I know I'm going to regret this a LOT but I watched an episode of Early Edition and I really like it but it's on CBS. I hate CBS because it cancels all my favorite shows. Early Edition is definitely going to be canned. It was supposed to during the 1st season but they gave it another chance. I like EE a lot. It sort of resembles Due South. They have the same charm. Alicia

Yes, I like EE, too. But it probably is doomed. Well, at least it proves that there are still people out there with good ideas for low-tech shows with interesting characters.

Remember WENN Tonight's episode was GREAT! I absolutely loved it. It was like old times when it was an ensemble show. I especially enjoyed the scene between Hillary and Joseph Grayhawk (Rondo). They were hilarious. I was ROTFLMAO. I wish all the episodes were like this one. I also liked the very first episode of this season. I am definitely going to see the re-run again on Wednesday. Early Edition Another good episode. Chuck was his usual funny self. And Gary was his usual gorgeous self. Loved the football slapstick. **************** Can't wait for Due South tomorrow. Looks like it's going to be a good episode. **************** I'm going to check out CITC again this Monday. Hopefully, Malcolm will have more scenes than the last episode. Alicia

CITC I really liked last night's episode. It was a "Richard" episode just the way I like it. My favorite scenes are those with Marvin Hamlisch, especially when it's just Richard, Annie, and Marvin, but of course Lea Thompson intrudes and ruins it- party-pooper. I still say that it should be "Richard and Annie in the City." I was glad that Julia wasn't in this ep. She makes me cringe. She wasn't even mentioned during the entire ep. Oh, I almost forgot. Malcolm is going to host this AIDS charity event at the Shubert Theater in L.A. It's a musical medley sort of show with the cast of Rent and Ragtime. I wish I could go but it's on Dec. 5 and I can't make it on that day. Tickets are pretty affordable too. I really want to hear him sing a little number or something. He'a a talented singer. Heard him sing on Rosie and of course during last night's ep. Maybe he should have stuck with musicals instead of going into tv. Happy Thanksgiving, Alicia

Hi Alicia! Hope your Thanksgiving day was great. It's my favorite holiday,and thus I was home all week cooking and cleaning to be ready. Just a small group this year, only six of us, but it still was very nice. I agree--last week's WENN was one ofthe best this season. Just like the old days. Did you see that AMC is selling videotapes of some first season episodes? The onewith Molly Ringwald was part of it, as well as the Christmas episode with Betty Buckley and PEter Noone. Didn't see CITC, sorry to say. I'd like to see Malcombe showing off some of his talents again. Isn't it funny how lame Lea T. seems? I originally didn't like the Annie character much, but now I much prefer her to Caroline. Have a great weekend.

Thanksgiving This year Thanksgiving barely felt like it was there. It used to be a pretty big occasion but now it's almost nonexistent. Our family now lives pretty much apart so we don't have big gatherings anymore. We used to though and they were pretty fun. My cousin from Argentina came for a whole week and left yesterday. He's attending a boarding school in Tennessee (of all places!) so he had the whole week off for Thanksgiving. I finally got the chance to buy the Due South soundtrack during Thanksgiving while I w s taking my cousing around places. I'm listening to it right now! I think I might be making a little trip to Canada this summer for the DS convention in Toronto if everything goes right.(cross my fingers!) Remember WENN So they're selling tapes, eh? I guess it's getting to be real popular now or something. I missed yesterday's episode since I had to see my cousin off at the airport. I wonder wenn :) this season ends and if there is going to be another one. ~Alicia

Good question. There was no WENN this weekend, just so you know you didn't miss anything. Some kind of Charlie Chan marathon was on instead! Yikes. On a typical Saturday, when my spouse is working and I'm home alone and bored, that would have been disastrous. Fortunately, hubbie was off this weekend and we were out of the house attending an anniversary party for his cousin. Very nice evening, lots of dancing and no chance to miss Betty Roberts and her gang. Going to Toronto for the convention sounds really fun. I hope you get to do it! I've been to a few fan conventions myself (one for Star Trek, which was a hoot, and one for silent movie affecionados). They can be very enjoyable, and maybe you'll get to meet PG in person? Or at least get an autograph?

You're a silent movie fan?!? I am! My favorite silent film star is Buster Keaton. I even belong to the Damfinos: The International Buster Keaton Appreciation Society. BTW, AMC is showing Chaplin movies this month. What a relief that I didn't miss anything on Saturday. Today, on WENN, it was a re-run of "A girl like Maple." Which I remember as being quite funny the first time I watched it. I wanted to see it again but my sister was hogging the tv. ~Alicia

Yep, I confess to loving silents. I saw the Chaplin business this month, just don't know how many I'll get to see. Oh, I've probably seen them already, but you know. My favorite silent film star is Buster Keaton Buster is great! I've probably seen fewer of his movies than Chaplin's, but I've liked them all. Also Harold Lloyd and Mary Pickford, who was featured at the above-mentioned convention. I hadn't seen many of her films until then, but was very impressed (particulary with seeing them on a large screen). I used to date a guy who loved silent films and showed 8 mm versions of them on a screen at home. Much better than watching them on TV. Have you ever seen any of these in a movie theater? I honestly think you get a better appreciation, even for something you've seen a million times. One year I saw "It's a Wonderful Life" at a revival house, and there were things in the frame that I'd never seen at home on TV (even tho that wasn't cinemascope). Sometimes TV screens are just too small. And sometimes i 's better to experience a film with other people around (the way it was originally meant to be seen). Don't mean to blab, just was excited that you like silent movies, too. A few years back AMC's film preservation festival was devoted to them (much better than the Tarzan theme this year). Some of the special effects in silents were amazing! And some, sadly, pretty lame. But when you consider how many years ago, and without computer assistance! And of course, Buster's stunts were amazing!

Have you ever seen any of these in a movie theater? Yes, I've seen some silent movies in theaters. There was this one great silent movie theater in L.A. but it's closed now because the owner was gunned down during a robbery. The scary thing is that the night he was murdered at the theater I was supposed to be there. I was planning to go see "Sunrise" and I was looking very forward to it. But when the day arrived I was just too tired to go out at night. Plus there was no one who wanted to go with me since I'm the only person I know that loves silent movies. Anyway I eventually got to see "Sunrise" a couple of days later on AMC. What a coincidence!Then a week later I happen to read a newspaper article about a guy who's trying to save the theater. I was so shocked. The people in the theater who heard the gunshots just ignored it at first until they saw the gunman run down the aisle. "Sunrise" wasn't even shown that night because the incident happened during a film short. Anyway that was the best movie theater in the world. It was very intimate and I have really fond memories of that place. I even got to meet Buster's widow, Eleanor Keaton, a few years ago when the theater celebrated Buster's centennial. Another place that I've been is the theater at the LA county museum of art. They ran an entire series of Buster's movies. I went to half of them. And on most nights it was packed which was encouraging to see. Watching silents in a movie theater is definitely an awesome experience. It's a 100% better than watching it on TV. A few years back AMC's film preservation festival was devoted to them (much better than the Tarzan theme this year). I watched it too. That's how I got into silent movies. It was the first time I saw BK and I instantly became a BK fan. I haven't seen all the Chaplin films. My favorite out of all the ones I've seen is "The Gold Rush" I even remember seeing it when I was a little kid, especially the scene where he's eating a shoe. I also really like "The Kid" the music is beautiful in that film, even though it is a bit lachrymose. I hope you enjoy your weekend. BTW, El Ni�o hit today. It's raining cats and dogs here. ~Alicia

Snowing here this morning, but hopefully it's just becoming rain (thanks, el nino!) and I won't need these heavy boots again tonight. I'm sorry I've been very sporadic about checking in lately -- just backed up at home and at work. I'm doing props for a church pageant which has performances this weekend. So lots of late nights, glueing styrofoam and painting it to look like other objects (plum puddings, sword blades, etc.) And now I'll be out of town a few days for my real (daytime) job! Well, it's an honor to have a long-distance friend to discuss silent movies, Malcomb Gets, Paul Gross, and other topics with, even if I'm not here every day telling you so. I look forward to the times when I have the time to check in at the Spring (and lurk on some other boards, too). Take care. Lorie

El Ni�o is gone now and a freezing arctic wind has moved in. Wind wind wind blowing everywhere. There's trash all over the yard. I even found a pantyhose lying on the driveway. I'm feeling exhausted. I usually go on-line everynight but nowadays I'm so busy that I only go on every couple of days. I always look forward to loggin on to The Spring. I always enjoy reading your messages and it's an honor for me also to have you as my virtual friend. We really cover wide-ranging topics, don't we? I haven't been keeping up with Colin Firth for several weeks now so I was surprised when someone mentioned that he's in "Good Will Hunting." Is this true? Happy Holidays! Alicia

Hi Alicia! I haven't been here very much, and I certainly haven't made it through all the Firth messages yet. I'll let you know what I do find out, though. Yes, you are a wonderfully diverse cyberfriend. It's amazing to me how we roam off topic. I hope your weather has improved again and that you are enjoying this hectic month of holiday madness. Today I spent my lunch shopping in my favorite place, a bookstore right near my office. The true purpose was to get a birthday book for my 5-year-old nephew, but I wound up getting my husband an audio book, getting myself a regular book, and just basically having a wonderful time. That's about the only kind of store I enjoy browsing. Oh, I used to enjoy the studio stores (like Warner Bros.) back when they were repositories of old videos. But now they are just full of clothing I'd never wear (logos, ca toon characters and the like). That's my off-topic digression for today. Take care. Lorie

Christmas madness Christmas is sooooooooooo beyond me right now. I barely bought any gifts yet. This year it's really going to be last minute. Oh the horror! I have 0 time. It's deadlines, deadlines, deadlines everywhere. I just feel an ulcer coming on. Okay, I should stop whining. That should be my New Year's resolution. I wish I can go into a bookstore now. Or at least the library. I have tons of reading to catch up on. I love being in the bookstore, It's truly one of my favorite places. I spend a lot of time in the Film/performing arts section and of course at the magazine rack. The weather here is pretty warm now. Take care, Alicia

Hi Alicia: I'm going to be away for a few weeks. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a very happy 1998. Oh, and speaking of Christmas-y things, did you hear that WENN is showing their Christmas special from last year this week? It's a one-hour episode, it was very good as I recollect -- tho I hate re-runs mid season. Anyway, take care of yourself and don't get overly stressed about the gifts, etc. That's not what's important, really, and I'm not going to get religous. I just mean that spending time with people you care about is the real gift we all give at this time of year. Of course, when I'm bored and lonely in January, it doesn't seem fair that this month, I have multiple invitations for the same day. Oh well. Lorie

Dear Lorie, I hope you enjoy your trip even though it's for business. I really like the Christams episode of WENN. I must have watched it several times last year. You know this year I was so busy with gifts that I totally forgot about Christmas. You're right, it's about being with the people you love. I usually make sure to not have a skewed perception of Christmas but this year things wre so hectic that I could barely remember my name. Anyway, I hope you have lots of fun during the Holidays and receive lots of gifts that will cheer your heart :) Merry Chritmas and Happy New Year, Alicia

Merry Christmas to you, too, Alicia. I hope things have calmed down a bit and you're able to enjoy yourself now! I just grabbed a minute to sneak on-line and see what's happening, so take care and I'll be back in touch in the new year. Lorie

Happy New Year Lorie! I don't know if you're back from the trip yet, but Happy New Year anyway. Remember WENN's season just ended and you know what? I missed the season finale!!!!!! I forgot to tape it and they didn't have re-runs on Wednesday. Now on to another disaster. KCBS, the channel that airs Due South, just decided not to show DS anymore because they can't fit it in the first quarter of 1998. Well, can't they fit it even at 2am in the morning? How can they have no space????? They can get rid of some sports programming can't they? I wonder if they're going to fit it in the second quarter. Arrrrgh. Okay, some good news. I was able to relax for awhile this time. I went up north to Napa Valley, the Wine Country. It was pretty fun. I got to go on the Wine Train and everything. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go on a Balloon ride because it's too expensive. But I don't think I would want to any way. Have a mild fear of heights. Caroline in the City has been interesting lately. Annie just blurted to Richard that Caroline loves him. They're going to confront each other on Monday. And nothing is going to happen. Hope you're enjoying yourself in Chicago. By the way, do you ever run into tv shows filming around town, like Early Edition? Alicia

Hi Alicia, and a happy new year to you, too. I'm so sorry to hear about DS not being aired on your station. And no, I don't understand how they do the programming decisions. Our cable provider has been promising us "broadband", purportedly the wave of the future, yet in the meantime they've cut our stations and some switch during the day from one network to another. Argh! Anyway, I'll hope for the best on DS coming back in April. Take heart -- you are not the only person who missed the WENN finale. Unfortunately, I've also been missing most of my TV shows - so I missed all the interesting stuff on Caroline, too. Well, I probably spend too much time watching TV anyway. And this means the reruns will be "new to me" as NBC advertised last year. Any resolutions for 1998? I haven't formalized them yet, but I am working on some self-improvement that doesn't involve TV! Best to you, Lorie

Hi Lorie! Good to hear from you again! I've been feeling pretty good lately. On Sunday, I rented "Strictly Ballroom" it's an Australian film. I am absolutely in love with it. You've got to see it! I've seen it four times already. I'm practically watching it everyday. I don't think I've loved a film before this much. The dancer/actor in it, Paul Mercurio, is absolutely amazing in it. I love watching him dance. Anyway, you've got to go rent it. CITC The end of Monday's ep was sort of sad. Richard and Caroline have moved on. I've been watching less tv these days, but I've been renting a lot of videos instead. And I'm too busy watching Strictly Ballroom to watch tv. Anyway, it seems that nothing pretty much is good anymore and now that DS is not on anymore, I don't see any point in watching tv. See you later, Alicia

Hi Alicia! Thanks for the recommendation. Next weekend I'll try to rent it. This weekend is already booked. I didn't get to see Caroline or much of anything else this week. When I was watching, everything was re-runs I'd already seen. I just don't understand TV schedules anymore. I never answered your question about filming that takes place in Chicago. Sadly, I've never run into any major stars while downtown. Usually I hear about them being here after the fact. But the union where I work isn't exactly int he hot part of town for movies, either. But the town where we live, Oak Park, is often used in movies. One Sunday we went out for brunch and realized something was up. Some baseball movie was being filmed, and they were actually using the exterior of the restaurant. Throu hout brunch, we watched crew people come in and use the restaurant's restroom facilities. The only recognizable person was the director, Daniel J. Stern. But knowing when DJS went to the restroom isn't exactly exciting, and we didn't ask him for an autograph or speak to him. I'm afraid that I'll always be too inarticulate when I meet celebrities in person to have any good stories. I once stood in line at a book signing to get Kenneth Branaugh to inscribe a book for my husband. When I was up there, all I could think of to say is "my husband really likes your movies." Duh! Glad to hear you're feeling good. Stay healthy and happy, and have a great weekend! Lorie

You met Kenneth Branaugh! Wow. I absolutely loved him in "Much Ado About Nothing." One of my favorite movies of all time. He is so charming and adorable. But it's sad that he and Emma broke up. They had such good chemistry together. I'm afraid that I'll always be too inarticulate when I meet celebrities in person to have any good stories. I totally understand this. I could NEVER approach them. I'm afraid it's going to ruin the whole celebrity persona thing. I only see them as imagages and in their character, so if I actually met them, it would be too bizarre. I guess I can't see them as real people. I'm even afraid to go backstage after an opera performance to meet my favorite singers. Even though I see them live on stage, I can't get them out of character, and actually meet with them and have a conversation. Anyway, I think I have a disease in my brain or something. I can't stop watching Strictly Ballroom. I have to watch it everyday. At least a part of it if not the entire film. I'm a sick person. It's almost as if I can't go through the day or my day isn't complete if I don't watch it. Maybe I should go a see a shrink. But I can't trust them. I hate talking about personal thoughts and problems with complete strangers. I'm afraind that I'm going to break down in front of them and just lose it emotionally. I'm going to see if I can go a day without watching Strictly Ballroom. Wish me luck! Alicia

Of course I wish you luck if you really want to go a whole day without the movie, but if you're enjoying yourself (and it's not unhealthy or fattening, right?), go for it. See it till you're sick of it. I'm gonna have to rent this movie. Anyway, I'm glad to hear you liked Much Ado. We saw that about 4 times in the theaters, and we own the video, too. My husband is the Branaugh fan, he loved Henry V, but when we saw this movie and the men came riding up and the music swelled -- he loved it, he laughed out loud for happiness (not humor), and that became his new favorite. We actually did make it through Hamlet, but that was harder. We enjoy Shakespeare in general and have gone to Stratford, Ontario for the festival a few times (wish we could go every year, but finances prohibit it). Anyway, that obsession with Much Ado should make you feel a little better about Strictly Ballroom. I hope. At least you're obsessed with a quality film. Sometimes I get on a kick where I keep watching a bad movie, over and over. But I've always loved re-reading books I enjoy, and seeing a movie to death. So I'm probably not the person to help you over your obsession! Lorie

It's funny about Much Ado because I watched that about a thousand times just like Strictly Ballroom. I bought the screenplay, have the video, but I don't have the soundtrack though. The first movie that I was really obsessed with was A Streetcar Named Desire. Couldn't stop watching it. Then, it was Much Ado and now it's Strictly Ballroom. But I think SB has been my strongest obsession yet. Anyway, yesterday I actually managed to not watch SB for the first time. But of course today I watched it again. So I guess I can't quit cold turkey. I'll have to start by not watching it every other day. Taking it one step at a time :) Someone asked me if he could borrow it so I'll have to part with my video for a couple of days. I wonder how I'll handle it. Anyway, to prepare myself for it I did something crazy. I recorded the entire movie on cassette tape. It's insane isn't it? I have a serious mental disorder. Anyway, I'm not watching CITC tonight. I don't think I'll watch it for a long time. I can only handle a couple of shows consecutively. I hope everything's going all right in Chicago. Here in Cali we had a small earthquake last night. I didn't feel it though. Cheers, Alicia

Glad to hear the earthquake wasn't too serious -- do you think it was a result of the built-up pressure of NOT watching SB? Anyway, I don't think movie obsession is a serious mental disorder. Maybe just a marginal one, one that so many of us here are prone to. Yet we all seem like nice enough people. And some of us are quite productive in the real world (I'm not included in that group, unfortunately). I myself was feeling a bit selfish with our ongoing dialog here on the Spring, but having added a few conferences to my list, I see that we aren't the only ones indulging ourselves off-topic. So I refuse to be guilty about it. My hubbie has performances of his shows this weekend, so I'm going to try to rent SB myself and have something fun to watch when I get lonely. I'll let you know what I think of it. Lorie

Can't wait to hear what you think of SB. I hope I didn't hype it up too much for you. I watched it completely not knowing what it was about. Those are usually the movies that I end up loving. If I know something about it or someone talked about it before, I usually don't like it as much as I should. On the night I rented SB I was supposed to rent Twelfth Night but it was out so I got SB instead out of the blue. I guess it's fate. Alicia

Well, my husband won't let me rent SB while he's unable to see it, but maybe I can talk him into it if I agree to watch it Saturday during the day while he's still home... Will keep you posted. On the topic of seeing and loving movies when you haven't heard word one about them, that's actually how I saw Star Wars for the first time (way back when). A girlfriend and I went to see it the night it opened, and before any of the magazine review hype had been read by me (I'm not sure if my friend was as innocent as I). Anyway, it blew me away. Nowadays that's harder, because my hubbie loves to read about coming attractions, and the films seem to be hyped more on TV before their release. Or maybe I'm just home watching more TV to see it (oh, for those college days when I didn't own a TV). So it usually happens with books, now, for me. I love discovering a new author and finding a place to go imagine in. Enough rambling for today. Hope everything is well with you and that you aren't experiencing aftershocks or anything nasty. Here, there's snow and it's finally behaving like January in Chicago. Lorie

Star Wars I was soooooo reluctant to see it. Everybody kept saying how great it was. I had absolutely no clue what it was about. I saw little snippets of it on tv but never long enough to see what the story was. I just had this prejudice against it that it was super-boring. However, when it was re-released last year, I finally went to see it. I was absolutely blown away. I watched all three movies within the same week on the screen. I guess that made the difference. If I saw it on tv maybe I wouldn't have been so impressed. I met George Lucas once before when I wasn't interested in Star Wars at all. He was the producer of that one tv show "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles." Remember it? Well, it used to be my favorite show of all time and of course it got cancelled! Anyway, despite that, it was featured in the Television Festival run by the Museum of Television and Radio. So I went to this seminar/forum/whatever, and he was there along with some actors, writers, and those type of people. We were supposed to ask questions a out the tv show but people kept asking question about Star Wars. They kept asking when it would be re-released and other things. I remember being so annoyed at that because I didn't care about SW at all back then. Now, I think back on it, and I regret not appreciating it as much as I should have. Oh well. Now if I met George Lucas again, I'd react not so indifferently as I did before. Okay, that was really long. Oh I have good news. DS is back on tv. It's now at 2:45 am! Well it's better than nothing. Alicia

Glad to hear your Boy is back on, even at that ungodly hour. Re Star Wars and other movies on the big screen-- usually when I see something on video, it just isn't terribly impressive. With some very violent films, that's a better way for me to see them since I don't enjoy graphic bloodshed much and don't need to feel that I was personally splattered. But for most films, new and old, the best way to see them is in a theater on the big screen. Something as oft-seen as It's a Wonderful Life or Citizen Kane had images I'd always missed when I saw them at a revival house in Chicago (The Music Box, a 1930's theater that has twinkly stars in the ceiling and was never cut into multiplexes). So I always try to get out and see movies I want to see while they're in theatrical release. Yes, that isn't cheap, despite matinees. And often I'm disappointed. (I think it was over on the movies conference where you were complaining about the quality of new films.) But you see so much more, and you judge more competently, on the big screen. Lorie

Glad to hear your Boy is back on, even at that ungodly hour. KCBS, the channel that airs DS is annoying me. The last episode I watched was the first of a two part episode. This Monday morning, I recorded the second part and it was not there! I'm left hanging in suspense. I guess KCBS is not going to air DS anymore. THANKFULLY, another local channel KCAL is airing DS but from the beginning, so I have to wait for 2-3 months until I can see the second part if KCBS doesn't show it. So I always try to get out and see movies I want to see while they're in theatrical release. But you see so much more,and you judge more competently, on the big screen. Yes,it is best to see a movie on the big screen. But who has the time? Actually even when I do have the time, I'm not in the mood to drive to a theater even though it's only 7 minutes away. I don't know. Movies don't excite me as much as they used to. Once in a while I run into a little gem like Strictly Ballroom (this time on video), Shall We Dance?, and Sense and Sensibility, among others. I guess I'm losing interest in movies because I'm getting more into concerts and opera. Also, I think I'm starting to enjoy foreign films more than American movies. Alicia

Alicia: Concerts and opera sound great to me. But don't you have an art house nearby that shows the foreign films? And what about more live theater? I have to ask because my husband acts and works for a community theater -- I know it's even more expensive than movies, but we still try to subscribe several places every year. No, we can't deduct it on our taxes, tho! Don't you hate having to find a show you missed in re-runs? It's great that stations will show them in order, but some of the shows I watch are run every day -- so it's even easier to miss it again and again (and wind up seeing the same shows you have seen day after day, instead of the ones you want to see). Anyway, I wish you better luck on catching up on DS. Lorie

And what about more live theater? I've been trying to get in to theater but it's been difficult. I probably see one play a year. Isn't that tragic? Last year I saw two plays and they were both great! I saw Neil Simon's Proposals and David Hare's Skylight. This year I'm planning to see a play on Oscar Wilde and his trial. I forgot what it's called. I think the title has the number 3 in it or something. I'm not a big fan of Wilde but the premise of the play seemed interesting. I don't know, but theater in L.A. just seems...blah. It's diffic lt to find a good company or production. Maybe I'm wrong since I haven't seen a whole lot of plays in L.A. I just can't seem to put any faith in L.A. theater. But this year I'm definitely going to make an effort to watch plays. There's an excellent theater company just 15 minutes away from where I live. I think I may go there once soon. I heard lots of good things about it. Re-runs I can relate to your problem. I must have seen the same show about 10 times during the re-runs while trying to catch a show I missed. I just discovered a little show on Comedy Central called The Kids in the Hall. I heard of it before and I just started watching it last week. They air the re-runs everyday. It's like SNL but condensed into 30 minutes instead of 1.5 hours. It's a troupe of 5 very funny Canandian comedian actors. They do hilarious comedy sketches. It's the only show I'm excited about these days since DS is only around sporadically and Remember WENN is in re-runs. Even Early Edition has been getting a little stale these days Talk to you later, Alicia

I just discovered a little show on Comedy Central called The Kids in the Hall. Yes, I've seen it too. Better than SNL by all means, particularly the new ones (I'm nostalgic to still enjoy the "Best of" oldies, at least those I haven't seen one million times). Other TV gems for you to try & see if you like: If you get cable, Nickelodeon (I'm sure that's misspelled) broadcasts re-runs as "Nick at Night" in the evenings. From 8 to 9 PM (central time) they are showing The Wonder Years, which I never saw when it was first-run and which is quite good. Of course, you're a little young for it to have the same emotional resonance that it does for me, but fashions aside, the themes are pretty universal. Have we already discussed Law & Order? It's one of my favorites, and they are back to showing new ones on Wednesdays. A&E shows reruns on cable. Anyway, that's about it for TV. As for live theater, that can be difficult. Chicago is blessed with lots of quirky troups, as well as getting the road companies of Broadway shows. Those, no one can afford! At least, no one I know. But the smaller companies usually have ticket prices that are reasonable, if not pain-free. And despite both of us being interested in theater (it's how we met, I was doing tech work and he was acting in the same community show), we don't see as much as I'd wish. We subscribe to a local theater and a larger suburban mainstream theater. But those unique shows are very hard to get out and see, particularly when the husband is working in a show himself (so he's performing at the same time they are, and I live like a hermit!). Anyway, enough babble for today. Take care and I'll talk to you soon. Lorie

The Wonder Years! I love that show. I used to watch that show on syndication all the time. I never saw it when it was first-run either. I know a girl that went to the school that it was filmed at. It's strange now when I see Fred Savage in "Working" on NBC. He's so grown up. He's not the awkward teenager anymore. Now he's the awkward twentysomething. Another show that I absolutely treasure on Nick at Night is "Taxi." That show is sooooooo hilarious. But it's too bad that it's so late at night. Another show that I used to really enjoy on Nick was "Welcome Back, Kotter" but it's not on anymore. I wonder if it's on TVLand. Law & Order Everyone tells me how good it is but I never got to see an entire episode. I don't know, I'm not into the lawyer stuff. That's why I can't watch other good shows like Ally McBeal and The Practice. But I really like Sam Waterston and A&E shows the eps with Chris Noth, right? I really like him too. I wonder if they could both be in the same ep. Fat chance. There was a Kids in the Hall Marathon last night. I am so addicted to that show now. Canadian tv rocks! :) Alicia

I used to really enjoy "Welcome Back, Kotter" but it's not on anymore. I wonder if it's on TVLand. That one I can't answer, because I don't have TVLand. Wish we did. Our cable company is always playing games with the lineup, usually dumping oddball things I enjoy (like Bravo). And of course, whenever they do that, the station seems to be showing stuff I'd like to see. I used to love Kotter, too, but haven't seen it in a long, long time. I guess it would be fun to see them all again. Law & Order The "lawyer stuff" is pretty intense, so maybe you wouldn't enjoy it. But it is a good (well-written) show, and I absolutely love Sam Waterson. Saw him as Benedick in a PBS "Much Ado" as a young girl and wanted to marry him ever since. He usually does fine quality work, and L&O is no exception. I wonder if they could both be in the same ep. Fat chance. Actually, they were both on the show for a while--I think it was only one season, but it might have been two. And some of those are shown on A&E, too. Chris Noth is another person that I'd like to see more of...wonder why he's kind of dropped off the TV radar. Maybe doing live theater? There was a Kids in the Hall Marathon last night. I am so addicted to that show now. Canadian tv rocks! Yes, it does. And I thought of another (I think Canadian) show I've only seen a little of, but would love to see more of: Forever Knight. Vampires! I know, you're revising your whole opinion of me. But it has been very good when I've seen it, albeit a little hard to follow because sometimes I don't understand the relationships (or who's a vampire, etc.) Geriant Wyn Davies (probably spelling him wrong) used to perform Shakespeare at Stratford, Ontario during those years we went regularly. Saw him as Henry V, for example (before the Branaugh movie version came out and spoiled us). He's a fine actor, maybe that's why I like the show despite the fang stuff. So now that you know I dig shows about immortals (Highlander) and vampires, will you still talk to me? Lorie

Oh, by the way, about Fred Savage: Now that I've been seeing The Wonder Years and Working, I think I'm developing into a dirty old lady. He's probably the only 20-something guy on TV that I drool over (probably because some of them could be younger than I'm thinking, since I'm firmly convinced I'm becoming delusional about my age. On Nothing Sacred this weekend, I was totally shocked when I realized the character of Sister Mo was supposed to actually be YOUNGER than I am! How dare they! I thought she was 40-something, and they'r saying she's mid-30's! Any Nun must be older than ME! Like I said, completely delusional.)

Bravo My cable didn't have Bravo and I suffered for years and now they were nice enough to add it the line-up. However, the downside is that they added just after Bravo stopped airing re-run of "Tales of the City." So now, there's nothing to watch really. Their programming has been quite dull for the past weeks but I'm sure things will pick up. The last interesting thing I saw on Bravo was a profile on David Hockney who happens to be one of my favorite artists. Kotter "Up your nose with a rubber hose" Later, they had to change that line to "garden hose" because some idiots thought there was something inappropriate with the word "rubber." I really miss Horseshack. L&O Sam Waterston and Chris Noth were in the show together? I thought SW replaced CN when CN dropped the show. Wow, I guess that means I should catch those eps on A&E. Forever Knight There's nothing with FK. I found out about the show through other DS fans and now I'm really interested in it. I haven't been able to catch an entire show yet. But one of these days... Same thing with Highlander. I saw a little bit of it on Saturday I think but it was late and I was getting sleepy. Take care, Alicia

Hi, Alicia. Glad to hear from you. Well, I'm fresh out of ideas for TV you should try to catch, so I think instead I'll rent some movies this weekend and particularly try to catch Strictly Ballroom so we can talk about it. (Your obsession seems to have died down a bit, so it's probably safe!) Law & Order: Sam Waterson replaced Michael Moriarty, who is still grumpy about it (I think he thought he was irreplaceable), and makes comments about such a "lightweight" playing the Assistant D.A. Personally, having seen both of them in a lot of movies, I think acting-wise, they are equals. Sex appeal wise, SW wins hands down. And just in the category of "seems like a nice guy to get to know," Sam again comes in first. What else is going on in life? Oh, speaking of Sams, I used to love Quantum Leap and both Dean Stockwell and Scott Bakula. Scott is another of those multi-talented guys who can sing and dance, but woefully we don't see much of it. He did a special with Carol Burnett where he was wonderful, but seems to have dropped off the face of the earth since then. And Dean S. is always fun, tho he seems to get typed as nasty mafia guys instead of getting the opportunity to really show his acting talents. Always get back to that drooling, don't I? Well, this is the right place. Hope you're having a good day (and week). I'm about to leave work and go play with my guy for the afternoon. Lorie

Hi Lorie! Strictly Ballroom Yep I certainly watch less of it now. But I watched it yesterday for the tenth time. I couldn't watch it for an entire week because I let someone borrow it and it's going to be our of my hands again next week. I'm trying to get a hold of the screenplay now. I think I might order it from Amazon. They have everything. I rented Remeo + Juliet today because the director is the same guy who directed SB. I still don't like the movie from the first time but anything related to SB I'll watch. L&O That's right! It's Michael Moriarty! I got him mixed up with Chris Noth. MM made such a BIG deal about SW. Well, I'm not sure I like MM that much but I do like CN and SW. Quantum Leap That was such an awesome show. Unfortunately by the time I found out about it it was almost off the air. And I couldn't even watch it on cable because I didn't have sci-fi. A lot of people compapare EE to QL. Speaking of QL, doesn't the show sort of remind you of McGuyver? I used to love that show but I only got to watch it when I lived in Argentina. In the US, I barely saw it. I did a bit of drooling myself today. I rented Twelfth Night and Toby Stephens and the actor who played Sebastien were delightful to watch. Imogen Stubbs was in it to my surprise. A real contrast to her Lucy Steele role in Sense & Sensibility. That's all for now. Cheers, Alicia

Strictly Ballroom -- I let someone borrow it and it's going to be our of my hands again next week. Boy, I'm amazed at your generosity, knowing how much you love that film. I'm trying to get a hold of the screenplay now. I think I might order it from Amazon. They have everything. I've only been to their website once, but it was very exciting. I think the reason I haven't gone back is I'm afraid I'll enter my credit card number and never stop! Speaking of QL, doesn't the show sort of remind you of McGuyver? I used to love that show I have never seen any episodes of McGuyver, sad to say. I suppose this comes from not coming on-line in those days to hear about the good tv. Too bad about the QL re-runs all being on cable. Of course, they're not on at a time when I can watch, either. I thought the show was very good in the first seasons, and tho the later ones were probably more exciting, sometimes they changed the premise a bit from the first years. But always interesting. I did a bit of drooling myself today. I rented Twelfth Night and Toby Stephens and the actor who played Sebastien were delightful to watch. OK, SB and 12th go on the video store list for this weekend. Of course, I always say that and rarely get out to rent them! Imogen Stubbs was in it to my surprise. A real contrast to her Lucy Steele role in Sense & Sensibility. Cool. I always enjoy seeing actors in more than one memorable role. I am honestly going to try to get to a video store this weekend, although I probably should be concentrating on cleaning and fixing up my house. Have some projects on tap; one to recover the TV room chairs we always sit in -- boy, do they need it. Hope you have a great weekend. Wish me luck! Lorie

Strictly Ballroom Yep, I'm letting a lot of people borrow it because I want everyone to know how good it is. I like to share good things around. I just found out today that there's going to be an Australian Food and Film Festival in February. However, I think they're only showing new Australian films. I wish SB was on the screen again. I hate watching movies that were "formatted to fit your tv screen." I don't think there is a wide-screen version of SB. Twelfth Night I really liked Toby Stephens in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall so after a long time of wishing to see him in other films I rented TN. It's not as hilarious as Much Ado About Nothing but it's still worth watching. It has it's hilarious moments. The only person that I think was miscast is Ben Kingsley. Anyhow, I really liked reading the play and I hope that some day I can see it on stage. Due South I'm finally going to see a new episode today! Very exciting!!!!!!!! And Early Edition has a new episode today also. Once the Winter Games start on CBS though, I won't see EE for three weeks! Pity! I hope you are successful in going to the video store! Alicia

Dear Lorie, I got the Strictly Ballroom screenplay today! It's wonderful. I ordered it on-line from Barnes and Noble. Got a pretty good discount, too. I saw Forever Knight for the first time this week. I really liked it. But the premise of the show is a bit confusing. Perhaps, you can enlighten me. The only thing is that it's on at 10pm. That's when I'm usually on-line. I've yet to catch an ep of Law & Order. I think Due South and I were never meant to be. I keep missing the episodes. Either the tv station doesn't air it or my VCR goes haywire. Anyway, I asked someone to dub the episodes I missed. There's a BIG rumor that Early Edition might be cancelled forever. And I think it's true. Well, I'm gonna have to start writing to CBS. Wish me luck! Alicia

Hi Alicia! Welcome back. Rented SB last weekend and loved it. Even my husband enjoyed it. However, I'm not sure how you were able to watch it so many times--the mother and the other nasty characters would get on my nerves too much! So you must have been using the fast forward button to get to the romantic stuff, right? Why haven't we seen more of those actors? You must know the low-down, so let me know. They were very wonderful together, and the dancing was beautiful to see. About Forever Knight, I'll tell you anything I know. Unfortunately, my own ability to see episodes has been limited and I don't know all the answers. If you have specific questions, I'll see if we can mutually enlighten each other. I'm not even sure about all the characters' names (so I think of them as woman-partner, romantic m.e., man-partner, older vampire, etc.) Too bad about EE! Sometimes it isn't the fault of the network or even the show itself. A show with a gimmick can be very repetitious, but if the writers are creative and move beyond the gimmick into complex, more interesting plots, then a "casual watcher" can't surf into the show and understand what's going on. (come to think of it, kind of like Forever Knight) Anyway, I hope it's just a rumor. When I think of the junk that stays on TV forever! Grouse for the day, Lorie

Dear Lorie, Good to hear from you again. I'm glad you liked Strictly Ballroom. And you know what? Even though the mother is annoying I never fast-forward through her parts. She's as annoying as the mother in Pride&Prejudice. I don't know which one gets on my nerves more. My favorite dance number in SB is when Fran and Scott dance the rumba to "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" backstage. It was very intimate and beautifully choreographed. My favorite song in the movie is of course "Time after Time." It was very well chosen. The actors aren't around much. I did a search on Paul Mercurio and came up with several movies: "Exit to Eden" "Joseph" (TNT movie), "Back of Beyond" "Dark Planet" "Red Ribbon Blues." Tina Morice (Fran) "Hotel Serrento" (?) and a sequel to that movie. Bill Hunter (Barry Fife): "Muriel's Wedding." Pat Thomson (Shirley Hastings) passed away. That's all I know for now. Forever Knight I know that the vampire's name is Nick Knight. And how did he become a cop? And does he have a platonic relationship with his partner like Mulder and Scully in X-files? I have more to say but I'm pressed for time. Alicia

Hey Alicia: Yes, as far as I know the partner isn't the romantic interest in Forever Knight. His "girlfriend" for lack of a better word is the Medical Examiner, who you may not have seen depending on the episode. She's got darker, longer curly hair vs. the tall, thin, blonde partner. Knight has been a vampire for hundreds of years. The guy who "brought him over" is still around and involved in his life, too, tho I can't remember his name. On certain episodes he was a talk-radio personality (late night, of course). And Nick is a late-night cop for the same reason, I guess. At some point in his vampire life, he became so guilty over all the death and pain he'd caused that he got involved in "good causes" to help assauge the guilt. For example, I saw an episode that indicated he was a resistance fighter in France during WW2. Being a cop seems an extension of that. The other thing that's confusing is he's trying to be -- for lack of a better word -- celibate about drinking blood. That is, he's not doing it any more (usually) because he feels that the more you do, the more you need or something like that. Since sex and drinking blood are tied together, his ME and him have some interesting conversations but I've never seen a present-tense love scene. Just lots of flashbacks with heaving bosoms and white necks. So. There may be more I know, but I can't think of it right now. Strictly Ballroom: I think I did recognize Paul M. from that TNT Joseph movie. I suppose in Australia they're big-time, but we don't see them much. Anyway, I really liked the movie, too, and I do want to see it again. Ah, the romance of dance! In the meantime, tho, I'll just enjoy the romance of pairs figure skating. Take care, Lorie

Strictly Ballroom My favorite dance number in SB is when Fran and Scott dance the rumba to "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" backstage. It was very intimate and beautifully choreographed. My favorite song in the movie is of course "Time after Time." Do you mind if I butt in? SB is one of my favorite movies. My favorite dance sequence is actually when Fran's father teaches Scott a true Pasa Doble (sp?). His willingness to learn from others was one of the things I liked about Scott. I like the Time after Time bit, and the homage ;-) to those old Coke commercials. Paul Mercurio in "Joseph" He is mainly in the second half of the movie, which is based on the biblical Joseph. I found the story to be very good, and PM spends most of the time dressed in an Egyptian style Loin cloth. Forever Knight I know that the vampire's name is Nick Knight. And how did he become a cop? I am unsure on he became a cop, but he chose to be a cop in order to compensate for the evil he had done previously. In the flashbacks, sometimes he is a cop, sometimes a doctor. And does he have a platonic relationship with his partner like Mulder and Scully in X-files? Skanky is his partner. However, the female coroner, who knows Nick is vampire, seems to have a similar relationship a la the X-files, though I can't say for sure, I have only seen 1 X-files episode.