The Lookback: It's Still a Good Life

The Flashback 

        Alot of posts on this blog for lookbacks take a look at  movies or revivals of TV Shows to show us  what happens years after the series ended.  It's to answer our questions that fan-fiction writers  can also answer in fun ways.   This a new different case we are taking a look at an episode of the Twilight Zone's  update  on it's revival series from 2002. (The title of our post should give it away)   Season 3 Episode 8 of the Twilight Zone is called "It's a Good Life" based off a short story, this episode came out in 1961 and one of the famous Twilight Zone episodes.   It's about a 6 year old boy named Anthony Fremont who controls the town and everyone makes sure  they appease him or you will end up to "the cornfield" (I do like corn).  So fast forward now to 2002, the UPN revival series  has an update on this story. 

          The same town of Peaksville, Ohio (home of the Peaksville Otters, GO otters!) is still   in the fear of Anthony, who is now 40. (Played by the same actor as before)  but now he has a daughter  named  Audrey (who is played by his real life daughter), who apparently hasn't inherited the magic gift.   Also Anthony's mother apprently hasn't angered her son ,she's still around (and Cloris Leachman reprises her role as well).   Our episode begins with Audrey fell from a tree , and in normal world this would end with some kisses and hugs and everyone going inside (or chopping down the tree in anger to avenge it ) Anthony makes  Timmy's father (who was the boy playing with his daughter) go away in flames.When his daughter tells her grandmother she hates her father , there is the realization she may have the same powers.    Agnes ,the mother/grandmother, tells Audrey not to use her powers around her father or even think of them, though he can't read her thoughts but she can read his.  
     

Names not listed : people I made disappear /copyright Time Warner

          Agnes shows a neighbor that Audrey (themes in names are fun) has powers because Agnes' plan is to rid the town of her son. (Some mother she is)  Of course, you weren't wondering because you could guess what happened to Anthony's wife, cornfield.  Anges feels guilty for having the child (or jealous she didn't have the powers)  and wished she killed him a long time ago. 

Too bad my son outlawed guns/ copyright Time Warner 

        Her plan is to use her own grand-daughter to ...oh you got it already. In the show the town much like the original episode has been cut off the rest of the world and stuck in a 50's world and apparently 36 years later , it's still that way. ( I guess the clothes are hand-me-downs )   Anthony  confronts the neighbor after he sees her and his mother talking at the bowling game, it was something about Audrey. (Duh ,reads minds)  When Audrey and Agnes are looking back at pictures of the original episode they talk about watches which Anthony  made disappear and Audrey makes one re appear.  Agnes finds out that she can make things come back.    

also returned :50's retro  /copyright Time Warner

       Anthony returns home  un happy that people are keeping secrets from him about his daughter, he requests that Audrey make Agnes' photo album disappear and she does. The next day he calls a town meeting, the subject is he doesn't trust the town because of sneaky people. (Next week's topic : Taxes) He wants to send 4 people away  his mother finely cracks and  gives her feelings and she says she curses the day he was born and has been thinking of ways to get rid of him.  Agnes asks Audrey to wish away her own father , but she can't and when a man comes behind her father she makes him disappear. saving his life. Then Audrey sends Agnes away, because she was thinking mean thoughts about her.  Audrey then  makes everyone in the town go away except her father.  

Glad she fired those extras and Cloris Leachman they were getting expensive/ copyright Time Warner 

        And that's the end....(ppst  we have a few extra minutes) , Anthony  misses everyone (why?) and she makes everything he made disappear   return even cities and countries (why?)  and she wants to see New York. Anthony says that New York has a lot of people, Audrey adds they all better be nice to them or else.  Audrey suggests they could visit other places too ( I wish they had gotten their own series , it would have been fun) A couple who are driving a 2002 car , somehow show up asking for directions as Anthony and Audrey go up to them the picture goes to black and white and dissolves. 

      

      Well  that was an interesting episode of the more un noticed and maybe not as well loved 2nd revival of the Twilight Zone. It was fun to see what happened after that first episode and it was a nice touch bringing back the  two main actors and having the real daughter play as the daughter.   Somehow them going around the country or world would have been made a good drama spin off in my mind.   

   Anyway that's our look back tune in next time when  , oh hey Anthony  and Audrey ... 

VH1 Classic becoming MTV classic

TV News 

    Viacom's VH1 spinoff channel ,VH1 Classic, is getting re branded on on August 1st , which also happens to be the 35th birthday of the launch of  sister network, MTV to MTV Classic.

As announced by a video on the VH1 Classic Twitter account

Sorry we've been quiet for so long. Been working on something BIG! Take a sneak peek. #MTVClassic pic.twitter.com/8RWb7I4JZQ

— VH1 Classic (@VH1Classic) July 18, 2016

     This also continues a renaming that Viacom has been doing to it's music group's spinoff channels  over the past year with  MTV Jams being renamed under the BET James banner, Palladia being renamed as the American version of MTV Live,  VH1 Soul became  BET Soul , and CMT Pure Country became  CMT Country.

  VH1 Classic was launched in 2000 as channel that aired older VH1 music videos  but move to also air other music themed programming  and had  more focus on Adult hits and rock.
    From previews of the new line up it seems to be airing older MTV shows like "Unplugged", "Daria" , "Beavis and Butt-Head", TRL related stuff , and possibly more.  This is also looks to be the end of VH1 named channels besides VH1.

 If we get more information ,we will update this article....

Updated: 7/28/2016

    The Launch day will be at 6amet ,replacing VH1 , the first program will be the airing of MTV's first ever hour  in it's entirety , this will air at 6amet , 12pmet and  2amet.

Christmas in July : Father Christmas

Christmas in July   


          So it's July and might as well look at Christmas stuff... but what to look at?   We are going to the other side of the pond to the United Kingdom for this Christmas Special called Father Christmas , named after what the British call Santa.    The special came out in 1991 on Channel 4 , it is based on  British Author, Raymond Briggs' two short stories "Father Christmas" (1973)  and "Father Christmas :  Goes on Holiday" (1975).   This special pretty much wonders what does Santa do on the other 364(or 365 if it's a leap year) days of the year.
   For note : We are using the British version , which is unedited ,what I mean is that there was an American version that edited things out I will get to that in the article.

     The special begins with Father Christmas , who lives in England apparently, returning home from his Christmas travel.  He breaks the fourth wall (and scared me) to tell  us the audience at our wonderment of why is he moaning and groaning. (I wasn't thinking that)  He tells the audience that the other 364 days aren't peachy either and starts with a story of last year and flashback time.  Father Christmas  is thinking about going on Holiday. He builds his own camper sleigh  with wheels thing and packs up for his trip and puts his pets in kennel and heads off on his reindeer pulled sleigh. 

     France is his first stop  where he notices the French people are snickering at him  so he gets some "local clothes" and he heads to a restaurant and eats a lot of food and drinks alot of wine. (that's not what Slosh means ,Santa) Of course Santa is drunk , but also he gets food poisoning and has to use the bathroom alot.   The next day, people see his reindeer and figure , hey it might be Father Christmas. He decides he has to go to new spot.. Scotland!  

  In Scotland ,not sure where in Scotland, he goes to a pub and gets drunk again, and while drunk he decides to buy a kilt. 

well at least he's not naked/copyright Channel 4

       A girl see him and tells her mother she thinks he's Santa Claus.  The next day, he wakes up hungover and see that it has stopped raining and decides to go for a swim but the water is cold and shark infested. (Well that's not good) Father Christmas is tired of this so he picks his next spot to be Las Vegas.  ( Viva los Father Christmas) He also chooses to stay in a hotel at Nero's Palace. (not sure what he did with his reindeer)  He eats some more and swims. 

What? This is how I eat all my deserts /copyright channel 4 

      Father Christmas is in Vegas so , of course he goes to the casino ... and loses a lot.( No Lady luck for him)  There's a montage of him having fun in Vegas , he even won some slots and danced with some showgirls. (Gasp Santa!) He spends about a month there and a kid asks his mom is he Santa Claus? Father Christmas makes his leave back to England.  He gets his pets , and comes home and finds out the heavy mail load has started. He  mentions all the names he is called.  (he's hiding from every government so alias are must)  He does his daily actives while piles of mail keep coming in, He goes to pick up his suit from the dry cleaners  and sleeps while dreaming of laying in the pool with the ladies in Vegas. (Steady Santa)  It's the big day and he gets all ready and packed for his trip to deliver his goods. 

Santa really has downsized the operation/copyright Channel 4

       We get a montage with a song to match of Father Christmas doing his Christmas Eve thing. (Christmas Eveing?)  While he makes  stop in the North Pole  (don't ask) he runs into a snow person party... a crossover with Briggs' "The Snowman" the kid from the other special is there too. Father Christmas finds out he forgot to deliver a couple presents. (gasp)  He  makes a hurried trip to deliver them to the Royal Family. (Don't  worry Father Christmas , they can't cut your head off it's not that century anymore) .  Now we jump back to  the current time post and Father Christmas  tells us know we know and maybe now we won't complain as much. (But Santa , that dress really isn't for me , my name isn't Abby) Father Christmas prepares Christmas meal , takes a bath , gives his pets some presents and he opens his presents from family members , he really is happy about the alcohol gift. Then he says "Happy Bloomin' Christmas to you" 

  That's the special... guess you want to hear my thoughts (no, but go on).  Hold on, first  yes the American edit :  well that version does edit out Santa's drinking , over eating, hangovers, dancing with the show girls , and the scenes where you see his rear.  (uhhhh)   

Now our review : 

    It's  fun take on Santa , it's different to see him a little cranky ,and also it's nice  take on maybe what does Santa do on those off season. For a Christmas special (ish) it doesn't have a lot of songs , it has one and the song in the credits. Santa's character is funny if not a little to drink happy, but hey he deserved it.  

   Yes you and your kids (if you are a kid, then yes you) should watch this special. 

   That's our lookback  tune in next time when we find out why Santa reduced his reindeer to 2.  

2016 Prime time Emmy Nominations

Emmys 

   
     The 2016 Primetime television Emmy award nominees have been announced Thursday , the awards air on Sunday September 18th on ABC at 7e/4pt hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.

Here's the list :

Lead Actor  DRAMA
Kyle Chandler - "Bloodline"
Rami Malek - "Mr.Robot"
Bob ODENKIRK -"Better Call Saul"
MATTHEW RHYS  "The Americans"
LIEV  SCHRIBER  "Ray Donovan"
KEVIN SPACEY  "House of Cards"

LEAD ACTRESS  DRAMA
Claire Danes  -"Homeland"
Viola Davis - "How to  Get Away With Murder"
Taraji P Henson -"Empire"
Tatiana Maslany  -"Orphan Black"
Keri Russell -"The Americans"
Robin Wright- "House of Cards"

Outstanding Lead Actor Limited Series or Movie
Bryan Cranston  -"All The Way"
Benedict Cumberbatch- "Sherlock :The Abominable Bride"
Idris Elba- "Luther"
Cuba Gooding Jr.- "The People V. O.J Simpson : American Crime Story"
Tom Hiddleston-"The Night Manager"
Courtney B. Vance -"The People V. O.J Simpson : American Crime Story"

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Felicity Huffman -"American Crime"
Kerry  Washington -"Confirmatiion"
Audra McDonald- "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill"
Lili Taylor -"American Crime"
Kirsten Dunst- "Fargo"
Sarah Paulson -"The People V. O.J Simpson : American Crime Story"

Outstanding Drama Series
The Americans
Better Call Saul
Downton Abbey
Game Of Thrones
Homeland
House Of Cards
Mr Robot

Outstanding Comedy Series
Black-ish
Master Of None
Modern Family
Silicon Valley
Transparent
Unbreakable
Veep

Lead  Actor - Comedy
Anothony Anderson -"Black-ish"
Aziz Ansari - "Master of None"
Will Forte-" The Last Man on Earth"
William H Macy- "Shameless"
Thomas Middleditch -"Silicon Valley"
Jeffrey Tambor -"Transparent"

Lead Actress- Comedy
Tracee Ellis Ross -"Black-ish"
Lilly Tomlin- "Grace And Frankie"
Ellie Kemper-"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
Laurie Metcalf-"Dr.Jenna James"
Amy Schumer- "Inside  Amy Schumer"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - "Veep"

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
The Amzaing race
Ninja
Dancing With The Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef
The Voice

Outstanding Structured Reality Program
Antiques Roadshow
Diners, Drive-Ins and  Dives
Lip Sync Battle
Myth Busters
Shark Tank
Undercover Boss

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
Born This Way
Deadliest Cath
Gaycation with Ellen Page
Intervention
Project Greenlight
United Shades of America

Outstanding Variety Talk Series
Comedians In Cars
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Real Time With Bill Maher
Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
Documentary Now!
Drunk History
Inside Amy Schumer
Key and Peele
Portlandia
Saturday Night Live


Outstanding Limited Series
American Crime
Fargo
The Night Manager
People Vs OJ Simpson
Roots

Outstanding Television Movie
A Very Murray Christmas
All The Way
Confirmation
Luther
Sherlock

here's more categories and list here 

The Lookback: The Lost DCOM

The Flashback 

  

   Disney Channel just celebrated their 100th  made for TV by them movie  and they celebrated in an amazing way, by airing every single original movie dating back to their start in 1997. They also have them on demand and able to buy digital downloads!  But there is a Disney Channel Original Movie out there that didn't air, and was their first movie  in the DCOM era, not the things they did before.   

     That is called  "Northern Lights" and yes that is our lookback. (Get comfy... not that comfy have some pride) Also fun fact , that is important to this : this movie stars Diane Keaton ... who also was the executive producer (thanks Google , this time)   and came out on  August 23, 1997.

       The movie begins with a boy and his father  talking about The Northern Lights (the thing in the sky not this movie) then we go to an office building where a woman named Roberta  (Dianne Keaton)  works  on the phone as  a person who sells tickets to Broadway shows.  Forget all that there's a guy rescuing a cat (yay save that kitty) on power lines (uhhh) and he gets electrocuted to death (uhhh Disney, I have a question) .  Inter-cut with that scene we see Roberta doing her job  (kind of) and so far I am not sure what this movie is about.   Roberta gets a call  about the guy who was killed , so now it makes some sense , he was her brother.  There's a guy who works at some big box like store who also had a connection to the deceased.  Roberta  hasn't spoken with her brother for about 10 years.

    Copyright Disney 

       The boy from earlier was the man's,  Frank, son.  Roberta and the man from the big box store meet each other at a train station waiting for a taxi  where  a strange mumbling man in a truck picks them up on their way which was only short stop anyway.    Later on,  Roberta and the man , who's name is  Ben Rubadue find out that  Frank left his son to them.  (random)  which , understandably upsets Roberta that she would have to take care of a child with a random stranger.   She's having a hard time dealing with the situation.

yes...our images have nothing to do with the things we are taking about this time /copyright Disney 

      At a picnic that Jack is preforming at , Roberta finds out that Jack's mother is still alive  but she is unable to take care of jack and stays at a residential institution. After the incident with his mother , Jack runs away  with Ben chasing him. Jack doesn't want to leave the area because of  his mom.  Roberta sees Jack is mad at Sassy, the cat who his father died rescuing, and she talks with him  and she tells him that the reason she was mad at his father because she didn't want him to leave.  He asks her if she is going to stay but there's she doesn't want too and Jack storms off. Meanwhile, it seems that and Daphne have a liking to each other.

Gosh, get a room / copyright Disney 

    Ben tells Roberta that his wife is his ex-wife  (which is good because otherwise that would be awkward) they've been divorced for 6 years and he has decided to move  to that area and take care of Jack.  Roberta exits her hotel room and goes down and is greeted by the town's people saying goodbye to her.  While waiting to be picked up , Jack goes on the roof again, to look for the  northern lights when he slips and is hanging by the ledge. The gutter breaks and he jumps  and they catch him. She decides to stay as well.  The movie ends with the northern lights.

    So that's the movie .with some paraphrasing.   Diane Keaton's character does something you never see in a Disney Channel Movie these days... she smokes, not even with the it's bad for you warning or anything just she smokes. That is maybe a reason why  it's not aired or counted as a DCOM.. they should at least release it though , it couldn't hurt.

 For the movie itself it's a weird movie  but it has some heart and some funny moments . Everyone plays their part well, Diane Keaton's character is likeable and never comes off as mean spirited.

That's our lookback ... tune in next time when we  bury the this post and not even count it in our list.

The Peanuts Film Festival : A Boy Named Charlie Brown

Peanuts 

    While our Peanuts TV specials lookbacks  are taking  nice well deserved rest , we decided to delve in to some of the Peanuts  movies , and unlike our TV specials lookbacks where we just go in any order we decided here to start at the beginning.  "A Boy Named Charlie  Brown" was the first Peanuts feature movie that came out in 1969.

       Charlie Brown is playing baseball and his team looses their first game of the season and of course ole Chuck is not happy with that result. ( Don't worry Chuck, alot of  MLB teams have the same experience) Later on,   he tells Linus that it would be nice to win one time (insert team that's not doing too well right now in some sport here)  and Linus tells him winning isn't everything,  and that we learn more from losing than winning. Linus assures him that he will win sometime then beats him at tic-tac-toe, unknowingly.

     Next Charlie Brown, found another use for that stick /copyright Peanuts 

 
     That night Snoopy has a nightmare where he is the famous World War I flying ace and he is being shot down. which gives him a terrible  awakening and he sleeps inside for the night.  It's a new day and Charlie Brown is still feeling down and he visits Lucy (that's not the best idea) . As expected , it didn't work.  The Next Next day , Lucy jokes that Charlie Brown should do the spelling bee ( ha ha ha ?)  Linus ,on the other hand, suggests yeah he should do it.  
     

    wait wait wait...Charlie Brown is an Esquire? /copyright peanuts

   So , Charlie Brown e-n-t-e-r-s  t-h-e  s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g b-e-e  (s-o-r-r-y)  and he wins the class bee , with the word insecure. Now he gets to be part of the School  championship , so he studies.  After being crowned champion , everyone does cheers for Charlie Brown and Lucy  even makes herself ,his agent.  Being champion he  gets to go to the national  in New York City.  Charlie Brown studies some more though the  big Day to go NewYork City  he feels a little down on himself so, Linus gives his blanket to Charlie Brown for good luck. (oh my )
                       

 The Bus is ready... for the 60's  to end /copyright Peanuts 

     That may have not been a good idea for Linus because he is having blanket with drawls so , he and Snoopy take a bus to New York City. (ahh the 60's)  Charlie Brown continues studying to point he looks like he hasn't slept.  Finally , when Linus makes it to Charlie Brown's hotel room when C.B tells him he doesn't know where it is. (Darn it Charlie Brown)  Linus searches New York City for it , while Snoopy goes ice-skating at Rockefeller Center. ( Good thing it was 1960 , or he would have run into the Today show)   Linus becomes distraught that he couldn't find , so he and Snoopy go back to the hotel room.  Charlie was preparing for the contest and since , Charlie Brown seems out of his mind he uses the blanket a shoe shine cloth. Linus is reunited now.
                     

   Charlie Brown used too much starch/ copyright Peanuts 

   It's the big event  and  Charlie Brown is doing pretty well and it's down to him and some kid that looks like Schroeder . then gets the word beagle , he messes up the le part as el.  Poor Charlie Brown, especially as Snoopy is a beagle. Lucy and the others at home are disappointed.

    Hey where'd our bodies go? and What's  Schroeder doing here?/copyright peanuts 

     Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Linus  make their sad ride home.  The next day, Sally tells Linus that Charlie Brown hasn't gotten out of bed all day and has the shades closed.  Linus tells him that the other kids missed him at school and they had a baseball game and their first win of the season. (Linus is not helping) Linus peps him (We think)  by telling him the world didn't end.  Charlie Brown gets out of bed , goes outside, and sees Lucy holding a football  he sneaks up and runs to kick it and then Lucy moves it out of the way and she says "welcome home, Charlie Brown"
                                             

   She Smiles now...wait til I call my lawyer.../Copyright Peanuts 

 That's the movie.

But we have more, come  jump with us (you know after the jump)