When the most talked-about, written-about TV programming these days is a probably-closeted entertainer (rather badly) enacting an utterly phony, NDA-mandated “relationship” with a sports figure so everyone can make more money from the rubes who buy this shit…it’s time to descend into the DVD vaults and pull out something that entertains. That actually matters.
Continue reading The Ernie Kovacs Collection: Highly-imitated, TV auteur’s classic moments still hilarious today“Bless you, buddy boy; that’s why I love you: you think like a dumb animal.”
Continue reading ‘Mister Ed’ (Season 4): Despite cast changes, sitcom returns to form in funny seasonBonanza, the single most successful television series of the 1960s (and, at 13 1/2 seasons, second only to Gunsmoke for network TV’s longest-running Western), created and produced by David Dortort and starring Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon, has been lovingly and painstakingly restored and remastered for CBS’s and Paramount’s fabulous DVD boxed set, Bonanza: The Official Complete Series. The hefty set—112 discs in four chunky volumes—was executive produced by Andrew J. Klyde, and his results are spectacular: all 431 full-length episodes have been digitally remastered (including the problematic Season 2 transfers previously released) from the original 35mm color film camera negatives, complete with original music…and with a ridiculous amount of incredibly rare, fascinating bonus material included on this set. It’s an astonishing work of television preservation.
Continue reading ‘Bonanza’ (Season 1): Epic Western ropes viewers’ hearts in first of 14 seasonsI really do need to remember a seemingly simple yet profound observation from the good doctor, John Dolittle, when he received the unasked-for gift of that fabulous pushmi-pullyu: “How thoughtful of somebody….people are awfully nice.” Such was my immediate response a week or two back when my postman delivered a rather substantial carton containing inside a fabulous treasure: a complimentary Bonanza: The Official Complete Series DVD boxed set!
Continue reading ‘Bonanza’ hits DVD – all 431 remastered episodes on 112 discs! Are you ready?Oy vey iz mir did I get myself into something.
Continue reading ‘Seventh Avenue’ (1977): Third ‘Best Sellers’ miniseries really moves!This holiday TV season, let’s go back…waaaaaaaay back, to a Thanksgiving in a more innocent time, a more gentle time, a kinder time.
Continue reading Thanksgiving ’71 on TV: Cricket on the Hearth, Laurel & Hardy, Yogi & Marine Boy – a look backAs with any kid—whether it’s your own or some crazed Manson hippie living and crapping in your crawlspace—you eventually just want them gone.
Continue reading ‘Crawlspace’ (1972): Excellent TV thriller a reminder to not invite strangers into your homeBrilliant, surreal physical comedy, where torture and pain are elevated to breathtaking grace.
Continue reading The Three Stooges Collection – Volume Four: 1943-1945 | Primal comedy transcends the agesBack when “the Big Three” were the only game in town, do you remember how exciting Septembers were, you vintage TV-crazed viewer? Sure you do. How exciting the prospect was for the upcoming slew of new TV shows, thoughtfully brought to you by your friendly networks, entirely free of charge? It was as if you had this whole new group of friends who were waiting to entertain you, and all you had to do was turn on the TV to see them, to welcome them into your home.
Continue reading ‘Once an Eagle’ (1976): NBC’s second ‘Best Sellers’ mini a sprawling epic across two world wars“We sure are going to miss good ol’ Mr. Wilson.”
Continue reading ‘Dennis the Menace’ (Season 3): With Mr. Wilson’s sudden exit, who will replace him?Hot creepers are they really trying to foist another Kennedy on us for the White House? As a VP replacement for Madame Word Salad? That family of bootlegging, pill-popping, ballot box-stuffing, movie star- shagging poon-hounds? Incrapitable!
Continue reading ‘Captains and the Kings’ (1976): Kennedyesque mini was the the first of NBC’s ‘Best Sellers’ seriesWilbur: “Read one of your comic books.”
Mr. Ed: “They depress me.”
A must-have primer for every would-be romantic kidnapper out there…although the only way Sweet Hostage would be remade today is if Bradley Cooper kidnapped Dylan Mulvaney.
Continue reading ‘Sweet Hostage’ (1975): Martin Sheen kidnaps Linda Blair in TV exploiterHey. We’re not stupid, you know. We watch serious things, too, here at Drunk TV. It’s not all cowboys and cavemen and jiggle TV. We got education. So apparently big time director Christopher “I’m Beyond Criticism Because My Movies are Long and Look Important” Nolan is ready to release a long, important-looking movie about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the “father” of the atomic bomb. Now, the staff here at Drunk TV never pass up an opportunity to ride a gravy train, so we thought we’d undercut ‘ol Nolan boy and release a review of a rival project. Not one for that laughable 1989 Roland Joffe Oppenheimer “epic” that starred Paul Newman’s trim little mustache, that creepy Noh mask guy, and Howling Mad Murdock. No, the old PBS miniseries, from 1980.
Continue reading ‘Oppenheimer’: Miniseries attempts even-handed take on ‘father of atomic bomb’ storyOy gevalt what’s with this meshugganah Easter season? The last time I put something out specifically for Easter (the Shick Sunn Classic TV epic Greatest Heroes of the Bible: Volume One review), we were in the middle of a deliberately manufactured global lockdown that was designed by our elitist overlords as a dry run for who-knows what’s to come…and God didn’t do anything about it (or them). To say I was in a snit with His rather, shall we say, casual attitude about the whole thing is an understatement, and it convinced me not write any more about Him or his people.
Continue reading ‘Greatest Heroes of the Bible (Vol. 2) – God’s Chosen Ones’: More good lovin’ from the Good BookFunny the things a grown man will do for a living.
Continue reading ‘Magnum, P.I.’ (Season 1): Beaches, beauties, & the private eye of the ’80sI don’t even know what’s up anymore with Lifetime or Lifetime Movie Network; I haven’t watched since we ditched cable years and years ago (I think they just make Christmas movies now where everyone’s best friend is some screaming Billy Eichner queen). But back in the day, those channels, particularly LMN, were a treasure trove of lurid, pulpy, old-school true-crime mellers, and Dead by Sunset―featuring one of the genre’s “Psycho Hall of Fame” performances from Ken Olin―was one of the best.
Continue reading ‘Dead by Sunset’ (1995): Juicy melodrama is exactly what true-crime lovers wantI lived this stuff…and I believed all of it.
Continue reading Classic Educational Shorts (Volume 5: Rules for School): Pencils down, class, we’re watching a film.
Drunk TV 