I remember seeing Blue Thunder when it was released on home video. Or perhaps it was on a free weekend of Super Channel or First Choice. I remember enjoying it as a kid, loved the helicopter, the nude girl doing yoga, Roy Scheider, and the helicopter. It’s been decades since I watched it, and I…
Tag: joe santos
Quantum Leap (1989) – How the Tess Was Won and Double Identity
Oh, boy. Deborah Arakellian penned the first episode up for review this week, How the Tess Was Won, and it aired 14 April, 1989. Sam (Scott Bakula) finds himself as a vet named Doc, in a pig pen on 5 August, 1956, and about to be roped into a competition to win a ranch,…
Magnum, p.i. (1988) – Resolutions Part I & II
This is it, after eight seasons, one of my all-time favorite series comes to its conclusion. Chris Abbott and Stephen A. Miller wrote both parts of the two hour conclusion that aired on 1 May, 1988. Part one sees Magnum (Tom Selleck) is visiting home in Tidewater, Virginia, recalling his life, his time with…
Magnum, p.i. (1987) – Tigers Fan and Forever in Time
Loss hits private investigator, Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck), pretty hard this week, as we continue our travels in Hawaii in the show’s final season. Tigers Fan was written by Bruce Cervi, and originally aired on 4 November, 1987. When his friend, and fellow Detroit Tigers fan, Lt. Yoshi Tanaka (Kwan Hi Lim) is murdered,…
Magnum, p.i. (1986) – A.A.P.I. & Death and Taxes
Luther Gillis (Eugene Roche) is back in Hawaii for the first episode this week, A.A.P.I. This one aired on 22 October, 1986 and was penned by Reuben Leder. It seems Thomas (Tom Selleck) is being honored with the Local PI of the Year Award. Unfortunately, the presenter, Jean Claude Fornier (Paul Verdier) dies, and…
The Greatest American Hero (1983) – Space Ranger and Thirty Seconds Over Little Tokyo
If this beloved series was getting shakey before, we can see now that the show is starting to fall into real trouble. First up is Space Ranger, a story hinged on all manner of coincidence and bad writing from Rudolph Borchert (though it may not be his fault entirely as the studio was seriously…
The Rockford Files (1979) – No-Fault Affair and The Big Cheese
Rita Moreno is back again as Rita Capkovic in the first episode up this week. No-Fault Affair was written by Juanita Bartlett, and originally aired 30 November, 1979. The phone gag this time around features someone calling thinking the number was for dial-a-joke. Rita has aspirations of becoming a hair dresser, she’s been to beauty school,…
The Rockford Files (1979) – Nice Guys Finish Dead and The Hawaiian Headache
Cannell himself wrote the first episode up this week, and it may in fact be my favorite one of the season, as it sees the return of Tom Selleck as Lance White, and James Whitmore Jr. as gumshoe obsessed Freddie Beamer. Nice Guys Finish Dead originally aired on 16 November, 1979, and featured a phone…
The Rockford Files (1979) – Guilt and The Deuce
Jim (James Garner) finds himself in all manner of trouble this week… First up is Guilt, that was written by Juanita Bartlett and originally aired 19 January, 1979. The phone message this time around features a message from Angel (Stuart Margolin) who gets a hot tip about a horse, but needs to bum some…
The Rockford Files (1979) – With the French Heel Back, Can the Nehru Jacket be Far Behind? and The Battle-Ax and the Exploding Cigar
Private investigator Jim Rockford has his hands full again with this week’s dual installment. First up is With the French Heel Back, Can the Nehru Jacket be Far Behind? which aired 5 January, 1979 and was written by Rudolph Borchert. The phone gag this time around features a phone call from Coop (Bo Hopkins) about…
The Mind Reels 