This sequel to Westworld is the next stop on the Sci-Fi Chronicles book. It sees Yul Brynner returning, ever so briefly, and in the oddest way possible, as the Gunslinger, while two reporters, Chuck (Peter Fonda) and Tracy (Blythe Danner)investigate the strange theme park, Futureworld, after another reporter is killed while trying to get…
Tag: rockford files
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. (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,…
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…
Magnum, p.i. (1983) – …By Its Cover and The Big Blow
Stuart Margolin is back! He directed an episode in last week’s installment, and this time he’s on-screen playing Rod, a character not so unlike Angel, the character he played on The Rockford Files, and first worked with Selleck, when he was private investigator Lance White. … By Its Cover was written by Bellisario, Rogers…
Magnum, p.i. (1983) – Legacy From a Friend and Two Birds of a Feather
Thomas (Tom Selleck) tries to deal with the death of a friend in the first episode this week, Legacy From a Friend that originally screened on 10 March, 1983, and was penned by Robert Hamilton. And… this one was directed by the Rockford Files’ Stuart Margolin! When his friend is found dead, drowned. Magnum…
The Greatest American Hero (1981) – The Hit Car and Here’s Looking at You, Kid
It’s time to join Ralph (William Katt), Bill (Robert Culp) and Pam (Connie Sellecca) for more fun this week. But first, as I was watching the opening credits, I noticed that Juanita Bartlett who wrote and served as a producer on The Rockford Files, joined Cannell as Executive Producer on this show! Alright kids,…
The Rockford Files (1979/1980) – Just a Coupla Guys and Deadlock in Parma
After 6 seasons, I’m now on the final two episodes of this landmark series. And while the first episode is a bit of a let-down in terms of a story for Rockford (James Garner), you can definitely see a blueprint for a show that helped define 21st century television (though it started in 1999)….
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 Mind Reels 