Reviews

Electric Bike, from season four of Dr Katz, Professional Therapist, has the legendary Dave Chappelle as a guest and he really nails it when it comes to race relations, for example when he riffed on how two Irish were beating up an Italian, he described it as "so precise" and we know what he means. Also, Chappelle was so prescient when he riffed on how black Americans hostages don't figure much in ransom demands, and I was recalling how just last year, Travis King, "defected" to North Korea, but you can predict what happened, North Korea promptly returned him without any ransom demand. Chappelle was so on point and prescient.

I loved Memoirs because of the focus on Ben trying to motivate himself to write a memoir, and claiming he's getting no support from the publishing industry because they're not willing to offer him and advance of $20,000 or so to keep on writing. It reminded me of the struggling authors who don't get any advance but manage to write monster blockbusters. It reminded me of Indian author Vikram Seth, who after over a decade, still hasn't submitted a manuscript for A Suitable Girl, the long-awaited sequel to A Suitable Boy. Anyway, I've been a fan of Dr Katz, Professional Therapist since the mid 1990s, and I'm enjoying catching on the episodes I missed out on back then.

I saw Dealer's Choice recently, and it's hard to believe it debuted nearly 40 years ago, and it starred an up and coming actor by the name of Morgan Freeman, whose career later hit the stratosphere with Se7en. Anyway, Dealer's Choice also starred Dan Hedaya, M. Emmet Walsh, Garrett Morris (famous for being in Saturday Night Live), and Barney Martin, whose career was revived in Seinfeld. Anyway, Dealer's Choice isn't a bad episode, but I think the script needed to be tightened up somewhat to add more tension, but still, the 1980s revival of The Twilight Zone was worthy and there are some thoughtful episodes.

Mr. Motivation stars Wallace Langham and Christopher McDonald. Actually, this is McDonald's second appearance in The Twilight Zone, with his first in the 1986 episode Aqua Vita, from the first revival of The Twilight Zone. Anyway, I remember first seeing Wallace Langham as the cruel school leader in the underrated movie The Chocolate War from the 1980s that was based by the novel by Robert Cormier and was directed by Keith Gordon.

Anyway, not a bad movie and it reminded me of the 1963 episode, Living Doll from the original run of the Twilight Zone, but here the doll encourages Langham's character to do good.

Having become a fan of Seinfeld, I'm enjoying watching some of the early episodes and reflecting on the cultural phenomenon of Seinfeld, especially and particularly in light of Jerry Seinfeld's Unfrosted that was released just recently.

Maggie Jakobson (who later used the name Maggie Wheeler) guest stars as Elaine's friend Cynthia, and Elaine works to fix Cynthia up with George, and George gets excited that he could become a father after some beast with two backs activity with Cynthia. Anyway, I liked Jerry's opening monologue about the role and value of orchestra conductors, and that was quite funny.

I'm enjoying discovering the early episodes of Poirot, especially with the Scooby Gang of Poirot, Hastings, Japp, and Lemon intact to help move things along. Also the fact that these episodes run for about an hour help considerably, especially in this day and age where so much entertainment competes for our time init. Much has been written about The Million Dollar Bond Robbery, but I'd like to give credit to the performance of British actress Lizzy McInnerny who ad two roles: Nurse Long and Miranda Brooks. The make-up crew also deserves much credit for the incredible transformation of Nurse Long to socialite Miranda Brooks.

I recently found about the series Food Truck Nation, and Ben Miller, a famous food reality show contestant. Is such an eternally effervescent host as he visits food trucks around the nation and gets the customers' reactions to them.

So here we get Ben Miller checking out food trucks dishing out pasta, tacos and doughnuts (or donuts), and he's having a ball. The pasta food truck is actually owned by an Italian Prince (well Italy abolished its monarchy ages ago so I guess an ex-prince, but still). Anyway, Ben has a ball as he tastes the authentic pasta, different to the ones you get in other places.

I recently discovered Food Truck Nation, and Ben Miller is such an enthusiastic and eternally effervescent host as he visits food trucks around the nation. So here we get Ben Miller checking out food trucks dishing out delicious, pizza, and waffles, and he's having a ball. Anyway, I'd love for Ben Miller to revisit them to see if they hopefully survived the pandemic and lockdown. Anyway, watching Burgers, Pizza and Waffles made me hungry, and it made me want to petition for a food truck to come by init right. Anyway, despite this episode being five years old, it's quite on point with food truck culture.

Joe Menendez directed Off the Cuff, and I have mixed feelings as I type these imdb user reviews, because sadly with Quantum Leap being axed, so no season three, it's a shame the network didn't get the series more time to grow. For example, in season two, the introduction of Hannah Carson (played by Australian actress Eliza Taylor) was a masterstroke and really brought out the human emotional element that kind of was missing in season one. Anyway, here Ben plays a bounty hunter (I immediately though of the 1980s TV series The Fall Guy) and he bumps into Hannah. I chuckled at the joke about Johnny Carson.

Here a master chef is bumped off, and of course all fingers point to pretty much all the suspects. A character by the name of Jackson appears, and he was was played by Danny John-Jules's son, Dante Langlais John-Jules.

One thing as a long-time fan of Death in Paradise, I wonder how the Saint Marie police take the photos of the ring of suspects for their whiteboard, Quite seriously, at the crime scene do they kindly ask the suspects to calmly pose for the whiteboard init, I don't quite get it really. Anyway, more credit should also be given to the two paramedics who turn up at the crime scene. They play a pivotal role. Also you rarely see a funeral held for the victim init.

I remember this SNL episode from over a decade ago, hosted by Seth "Family Guy" MacFarlane, and most memorable was the guest appearance by Psy performing Gangnam Style in a sketch. Definitely Psy's performance of his massive monster hit Gangnam Style was a highlight of this episode. Anyway, it's a shame Psy didn't make more cameo appearances.

On a curious historical sidenote, when watching this episode, who would have thought that Kenan Thompson would still be a member of the SNL cast to this day. Is he the longest serving SNL cast member, maybe, so he's done well to stay in the graces of the powers that be.

One year after Psy released his video for Gangnam Style that imprinted itself into pop culture big time, Yvis released "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)", so 2012-2013 really had two viral videos big time. But now, Gangnam Style has over 5 billion views, and The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) has over 1 billion views.

Psy's dancing style really took the world by storm, and he was honored with a guest appearance on SNL in one of their sketches. Anyway, it's hard to believe Gangnam Style was released released 12 years ago, and it continues to grow in popularity and deservedly so init right for sure.

I hear the CBE is a high honor in England, and it's not often that Death in Paradise (which has a deep bench in terms of talented cast may I say) has a performer with a CBE, but here we have with Wendy Craig, CBE on board as Di Humphrey Goodman's aunty who gets lost literally on Saint Marie. Really the whole cast of Death in Paradise should get CBEs.

One thing I'm very, very curious about as a long-time fan of Death in Paradise. I wonder how the police obtain the photos of the suspects for their whiteboard, like really at the crime scene do they kindly ask the suspects to pose for the whiteboard init, I don't quite get it really literally and all init, so who takes the photos.

I've been a fan of Death of Paradise since it debuted over a decade ago, and A Personal Murder, from season five, focuses on Officer Dwayne Myers and his circle of friends. It's quite a poignant episode, and all credit to the writers who were bold to do go in this direction to focus on Dwayne and his world init. One issue I'm genuinely curious about as a long-time fan of Death in Paradise. I wonder how the police, really quite seriously, obtain the photos of all the suspects for their whiteboard, like really at the crime scene do they kindly ask the suspects to pose for the whiteboard init, like smile, say cheese, I don't quite get it really. Anyway, much more credit should also be given to the two devoted paramedics who turn up at the crime scene in the ambulance, as they don't get any speaking parts, so we don't really know about them.

This is kind of like a Saint Marie gala, and here DI Humphrey Goodman investigates a murder at a fashion design show. I became of fan of Death in Paradise when it debuted over a decade ago, Kris Marshall (who I first saw in Love, Actually) fits in well init.

One thing I'm curious about as a long-time fan of Death in Paradise. I wonder how the police obtain the photos of the suspects for their whiteboard, like really at the crime scene do they kindly ask the suspects to pose for the whiteboard init, I don't quite get it really. Anyway, more credit should also be given to the two paramedics who turn up at the crime scene, as they don't get any speaking parts.

Right Said Fred's I'm Too Sexy became a huge cultural phenomenon when it was released in 1992, so that was over 30 years ago init, and to this day the song lives on in pop culture. Not surprisingly I'm Too Sexy topped the charts here in America, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and number two in England. Anyway, this song would no doubt be apt for those love island reality programs where the song could easily be played on cue at the right moment. Anyway, for some reason I was feeling nostalgic about the 1990s, and this song came up out of nowhere quite seriously, so now's the time to write about it.

Political scandal rocks Saint Marie, and surprisingly there wasn't rolling television and social media coverage about this, such is the neglect of Saint Marie politics. Governor Caroline Bamber (played by Lucy Cohu) is poisoned, and DI Humphrey Goodman has to solve the political scandal before Saint Marie risks its political structure rupturing. No wonder Commissioner Patterson (played by Don Warrington, who I think has been in every Death in Paradise episode) needs to get to the bottom of things and make sense of the scandal.

Nigel Lindsay plays Andy Hammond, the Deputy Governor (a heartbeat away from the governorship), and Valery Schatz plays Francois Tromeur. Thankfully order was restored and the military didn't need to be sent in.

When I get around to watching this episode, I had no idea that Tahj Miles (Officer Marlon Pryce) would be leaving by the end of the episode. It came as a shock, but maybe because I didn't catch up on the internet articles about Miles's departure, and I'm glad I didn't init. Anyway, we farewell Pryce and his sister Jocelyn Pryce (Miai Leonie Phillip) who head off to the big smoke in Jamaica, and guess what, another surprise, with the re-appearance of DS J. P. Hooper (Tobi Bakare) who helps the Commissioner (Don Warrington, who I think has been in every episode of Death in Paradise) secure a job for Pryce. Anyway, the twist at the end with the murder was quite unexpected init. We shall see in the following episode who replaced Pryce!

Anyway, The Complex Murder opens season five of Death in Paradise, of which I became an instant fan when it debuted over a decade ago. I really enjoy watching Death in Paradise, and it's not taxing on the mind after a hard day getting through a world that's crazy and all init. Anyway, The Complex Murder guest stars Emma Rigby and Joshua Hill.

One thing, I wonder how the police obtain the photos of the suspects for their whiteboard, like really at the crime scene do they kindly ask the suspects to pose for the whiteboard init, I don't quite get it. Anyway, more credit should also be given to the two paramedics who turn up at the crime scene.

Robert Thorogood, the creator of Death in Paradise, wrote an article about the challenges of producing the series, and one revelatory part of his article was that the show barely breaks even. On reflection, when you think about the production costs, the large number of staff, the cost of flying in the guest actors from the United Kingdom, putting them up in accommodation, well it all adds up init.

Anyway, Unlike Father, Unlike Son is the season four finale, and this episode is worthy for sure. James Fox returns as Martin Goodman QC, the father of Humphrey. Honeysuckle Weeks guest stars as Mae Harmer.

James Fox, scion of the legendary Fox family (which comprises Richard "Travel Man" Ayoade amongst other distinguished members) guest stars as Humphrey's father Martin Goodman QC in She Was Murdered Twice, the penultimate episode of season four. Each season has eight episodes but it's a shame there isn't more episodes per season, like say 10 or 12 episodes. Anyway here there's a murder in a travel firm that's visiting Saint Marie and sure, there a lot of convenient plot twists and turns, but really one should enjoy Death in Paradise for what it is - it's a lot of fun and what more can we ask init.

I can't believe it's taken me ages and ages to finally post a review of Vegas (well, stylized as Vega$), which I watched ages and ages ago when I was much younger, and I recall watching it in the 1980s, and there was so much glitz and glamor galore. I had no idea that the legendary director Michael Mann (his movie Heat is one of the best) created Vegas.

Robert Urich rules Las Vegas as Dan Tanna, and he was certainly the successor to the rat pack. Anyway, Tanna as the detective did much to clean up Las Vegas.

If there's ever a reboot then I nominate acclaimed British actor Danny Dyer to play Dan Tanna.

Joe Absolom, famous for his role in Doc Martin, plays Aiden Parker in the latest murder mystery to hit Saint Marie, and despite the ongoing string of tragedy, island life pretty much continues looking ahead one day at a time. Richelle Neil plays Shelly Kennedy, who is the unfortunate beach volleyball player to get bumped off. Anyway, I'm enjoying reflecting on Death in Paradise after becoming an instant fan when it debuted over a decade ago. At the time this episode debuted, who would have thought that Goodman (Kris "Love, Actually" Marshall) would get his own spin-off series, Beyond Paradise init right.

Death in Paradise is different with the departure of Sara Martins as Camille Bordey in the previous episode, but thankfully her screen mom Catherine (Elizabeth Bourgine) remained with the show. Anyway, Tobi Bakare is introduced as Officer Hooper, so the Scooby gang groups together to fight crime in Saint Marie.

Goodman and the Scooby gang investigate an electrifying murder, quite literally, with the lead singer of pop group Flowers of Progress being electrocuted in a swimming pool. Anyway, I became a fan of Death in Paradise when it debuted over a decade ago, and I'm enjoying reflecting on the early episodes.

I'm remember seeing Valentino on television ages ago, probably in the late 1980s or early 1990s during the day, in fact I think it was the lunchtime movie. Rudolf Nureyev plays the legendary Rudolph Valentino, with Leslie Caron as Alla Nazimova

Carol Kane, famous for her role in Norman Loves Rose, plays Fatty's Girl. Anyway, I wonder if Valentino, which was released nearly 50 years ago, would better work as a mini-series or something like that, with perhaps say acclaimed actor Danny Dyer or David Schwimmer playing the role of the legendary silent actor. Anyway, Valentino is worth watching once.