It’s the holiday season on the hill, and lots of things are going on at the precinct. Santaclaustrophobia, written by Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich, and Jeffrey Lewis, first aired on 16 December, 1982. Belker (Bruce Weitz) is undercover as a bell-ringing Santa, but a young kid keeps spoiling things by revealing he’s a cop. Hill’s…
Tag: 1983
Hill Street Blues (1982) – Requiem for a Hairbag, and A Hair of the Dog
While the investigation into Mizell’s murder continues (and is ultimately resolved after a fashion), the precinct has a lot on the go in Requiem for a Haribag. Written by Mark Frost, this episode was first broadcast on 18 November, 1982. Hill (Michael Warren) is finally getting the boil on his backside taken care of, just…
Brainstorm (1983) – Douglas Trumbull
Special effects wizard Douglas Trumbull delivered his last Hollywood movie in 1983. Problems with the production company, and the untimely death of one of the film’s leads, Natalie Wood, impacted his opinion of the Hollywood machine, and he left them behind. The film features a solid cast, Christopher Walken, Louise Fletcher and Cliff Robertson join…
M*A*S*H (1983) – Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen
On 28 February, 1983, millions of viewers bid goodbye to the 4077th and its residents over the course of two hours. It’s one of those moments burned into my brain, and I remember exactly where I was and how emotionally it affected me. The only other time I was affected in the same way would…
M*A*S*H (1983) – Give and Take, and As Time Goes By
Here we go, the penultimate installment of my re-watch of M*A*S*H. There are two episodes this week. The first one is Give and Take. Written by Dennis Koenig, this episode was first broadcast on 14 February, 1983. While Charles (David Ogden Stiers) tries to pawn off being charity collection officer, which leads to countless favor…
M*A*S*H (1983) – Strange Bedfellows, Say No More, and Friends and Enemies
Mike Farrell gets behind the camera and settles into the director’s chair again in Strange Bedfellows which was written by Karen Hall and debuted on 10 January, 1983. Charles (David Ogden Stiers) is suffering from a seasonal allergy and his snoring is keeping both Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and B.J. (Farrell) awake. It’s complicated by the…
M*A*S*H (1982/1983) – The Moon Is Not Blue, Run For The Money, and U.N., The Night and the Music
Larry Balmagia turns up the heat on the 4077th with his script for The Moon Is Not Blue. First airing on 13 December, 1982, the story finds the unit in the midst of a heatwave, and a wounded general issuing a standing order that as long as he’s in camp there will be no alcohol…
Battlestar Galactia 8: Greetings From Earth (1983) – Ron Goulart, and Glen A. Larson
Why they decided to adapt this horrible two-part episode of Battlestar Galactica to novel form is beyond me. It was a low point for the series that this story was made, it just makes matters worse to put it out in print as well. On top of that Goulart doesn’t get Starbuck. He comes across…
The Dead Zone (1983) – David Cronenberg
Christopher Walken stars as Johnny Smith, a school teacher who ends up in an accident that gives him second sight, allowing him glimpses into the past, present and future in the Jeffrey Boam scripted adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel. Directed by famed director David Cronenberg, the film is packed with recognisable names in front…
Sudden Impact (1983) – Clint Eastwood
Lalo Schifrin returns to score Dirty Harry’s next adventure which sees Eastwood not only starring as Dirty Harry Callahan, but serves as the film’s producer and director. After causing more problems for the city brass, and not following the law in his own investigations, Harry is assigned to a homicide case that will get him…
