Alex (Micheal J. Fox) learns the difference between countries fighting for honour, and two people playing chess for the love of the game in Checkmate. Written by Micheal J. Weithorn, it first aired on 30 January, 1986. Alex is gearing up for a showdown with a Russian chess champ, Ivan Rozmirovich (Albert Macklin) and despite…
Tag: 1986
Family Ties (1986) – The Disciple, Where’s Poppa?, and Fool for Love
Poor Jennifer (Tina Yothers) gets more than she wanted or bargained for when she asks Alex (Michael J. Fox) to help her with her oral presentation in The Disciple. Written by Rich Reinhart, this episode was first broadcast on 9 January, 1986. Jennifer has to present a report on how a bill becomes a law,…
Family Ties (1985/1986) – How Do You Sleep?, You’ve Got a Friend, and Nothing But a Man
How Do You Sleep? gives us a cold opening, which is unusual for the show, and gives us Alex (Micheal J. Fox) suffering his sixth night of insomnia. Written by Marc Lawrence, this episode debuted on 12 December, 1985. Alex finds himself struggling, he’s exhausted but is also troubled and worried about all the things…
Hill Street Blues (1986) – Fathers and Guns, and More Skinned Against Than Skinning
There are lots of emotional troubles to be had in Fathers and Guns. Written by Jeffrey Lewis from a story by Lewis and Jerry Patrick Brown. It first aired on 9 December, 1986. Belker (Bruce Weitz) is still learning to be a new father, and the stress of the job, and the world have infiltrated…
Hill Street Blues (1986) – Amazing Grace, and Falling From Grace
The character of Grace (Barbara Babcock) returns this week, and she’d been gone so long that I didn’t even make the connection with the episode’s title! She returns with a bit of a shocking change of character, she’s become a nun! Amazing Grace was written by Robert Ward from a story by Ward and David…
Invaders From Mars (1986) – Tobe Hooper
I remember when Invaders From Mars came out in 1986. I knew it was a remake, having read about it in Starlog magazine, and while I didn’t recognize the names of those involved as I grew they would become very familiar to me. What I remember most is reading the novelization when I grabbed it…
Hill Street Blues (1986) – I Come on My Knees, and Say Uncle
I Come on My Knees first aired on 6 November, 1986 and was written by David Milch. There’s a lot going on in this episode, and once again the silly melodrama has been pushed aside. Sure there are fun character moments, but as a whole the series seems to be determined to finish incredibly strong….
Hill Street Blues (1986) – The Best Defense, and Bald Ambition
With the public defenders going on strike, the precinct has to exercise caution in pursuing arrests, as the courts are going to be jammed until the strike is over, and the holding cells will be full. The Best Defense was written by Steve Bello and Robert Ward from a story by Bello, Ward and Jonathan…
Running Scared (1986) – Peter Hyams
Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal are Chicago cops who are toying with the idea of retirement and moving to Key West to run a bar in the buddy-cop film Running Scared. Director Peter Hyams was coming off some success following 2010: The Year We Make Contact and recruited the actors for he film, and other…
Hill Street Blues (1986) – Suitcase, and A Case of Klapp
The seventh and final season of Hill Street Blues began on 2 October, 1986 with the episode Suitcase. It was written by David Milch and John Romano from a story by Milch, Romano and Darrell Vienna. A small cub plane comes down near the precinct and someone gets away from it on foot with a…
