Series creators Steven Bochco and Micheal Kozoll pen Politics as Usual which first aired on 22 January, 191. The presidential visit is on the horizon, and Howard (James Sikking) is less than thrilled with how Captain Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti) is handling the situation and negotiating peace treaties with the local gangs for the walking…
Tag: 1981
Hill Street Blues (1981) – Hill Street Station, and Presidential Fever
When I was a teen every time I came across Hill Street Blues I would find myself stopping to watch it, and would even set the VCR to record it (when I remembered to). I always found it interesting in the way that it worked to show the police officers of the Hill Street precinct…
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – 4K Steelbook
In 1981 the man who created Star Wars, George Lucas, paired with the director of Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Steven Spielberg, brought us an update of the action serials of the 1930s, a return of the grand adventure. Featuring the star of Star Wars, Harrison Ford, in the lead as globetrotting…
M*A*S*H (1981/1982) – Snappier Judgement, ‘Twas the Day After Christmas, and Follies of the Living – Concerns of the Dead
Klinger (Jamie Farr) faces his court-martial with Charles (David Ogden Stiers) defending him in Snappier Judgement. The two-parter comes to its conclusion this week in a story written by Paul Perlove. It first aired on 14 December, 1981. While Charles smugly (and wrongly) thinks he will be able to properly defend Klinger during his day…
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1981) – The Dorian Secret
The final episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was written by Stephen McPherson and is a bit of rumination on guilt, justice, and terrorism. The series surprised me one last time by delivering a story on 16 April, 1981, that had a lot to say, but surprise, surprise, wasn’t allowed to thrive the…
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1981) – The Hand of the Goral, and Testimony of a Traitor
Francis Moss pens The Hand of the Goral, which first aired on 26 March, 1981. Buck (Gil Gerard) who still looks a little rough around the edges, but not so bad as the last episode, Hawk (Thom Christopher), and Wilma (Erin Gray) arrive on a far distant world known commonly as the Planet of Death….
M*A*S*H (1981) – Wheelers and Dealers, Communication Breakdown, and Snap Judgment
Thad Mumford and Dan Wilcox deliver Wheelers and Dealers which first aired on 23 November, 1981. While Potter (Harry Morgan) deals with taking a remedial driving class due to an incident on leave, B.J. (Mike Farrell) gets some news from home. It seems the second mortgage on the house is coming due and to help…
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1981) – The Satyr, and Shgoratchx!
Buck (Gil Gerard) and Twiki (Felix Silla, voice by Mel Blanc) find themselves in a bit of a fantasy story with The Satyr. Written by Paul Schneider this episode first debuted on 12 March, 1981. The Searcher arrives at a planet and Buck draws the assignment to go and catalog it. Upon arrival he and…
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1981) – The Golden Man, and The Crystals
Buck (Gil Gerard) finds him stuck in a run-of-the-mill adventure that feels a little bit like a fairy tale, perhaps because of the planetary setting and a little silly because of the reveal at the tale’s end. Written by Calvin Clements Jr. and Stephen McPherson, The Golden Man first aired on 19 February, 1981. The…
M*A*S*H (1981) – Identity Crisis, Rumor at the Top, and Give ‘Em Hell, Hawkeye
David Ogden Stiers slips into the director’s chair for Identity Crisis which was written by Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford and had an original airdate of 2 November, 1981. Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) gets some of the spotlight in this episode when he encounters a wounded soldier played by a young Joe Pantoliano. He claims…
The Mind Reels 