Favorite Episodes: A Different World

I've watched a lot of television series through the years that were popular, but not among my friends. A Different World is one of them. I didn't see any of the episodes during the original run (it went off the air when I was in elementary school), but I found the comedy in reruns during the summer of 1997 or 1998 and was hooked. In fact, by the time I got to college myself, I knew I wanted to be a Resident Assistant partly due to the portrayal of the position on this show! When I mentioned this a few months after being hired as one, most of my colleagues just stared... they weren't familiar with Whitley, Dwayne, Jaleesa, and the others. It wasn't until grad school that I really found friends who knew the series and how great it was.

It wasn't until a few years ago that I managed to actually see all of the episodes (it still runs a few times a day on TV1, and there's also YouTube...), so it's about time that I went through and selected some of my favorite episodes. Season four was particularly difficult for me to narrow down the winner! Note: my normal rules apply, meaning holiday episodes aren't eligible, and I try not to choose episodes that I have already covered substantially elsewhere.

Season 1: "Rudy and the Snow Queen" (S01E06): I had a lot of reservations about Jaleesa in the beginning, for the same reason everyone else did - she was a 26-year-old divorcee starting college. In this episode, this fact stands out, as Jaleesa's ex-husband starts dating her sister! But the more fun storyline is that Rudy comes to visit Denise but prefers spending her time with Whitley, really annoying the elder Huxtable, and making for some pretty funny moments.

Season 2: "Risky Business" (S02E13): I think one of the things that made this series great are the many crossovers between The Cosby Show folks and the college kids at Hillman. In this episode, Clair comes to give a seminar and brings along Vanessa and a friend, hoping to spike interest in the school. Well, Vanessa, of course, is more interested in boys and partying than academics and professors, so it's only a matter of time before she gets caught.

Season 3: "Under One Roof" (S03E11): This isn't the most humorous episode, but it's a good one nonetheless. Ron allows a classmate to stay over at the apartment without telling Dwayne, but after a while they're both sick of the roommate who won't pay a dime toward anything. Plus, Whitley thinks that the Dean inviting her to co-host an annual tea will be wonderful, but the Dean seems to think Freddie has a brighter future, upsetting Whitley.

Season 4: "Sister to Sister, Sister" (S04E21): It's pledge time, and Kim and Terrence are the low men on their totem poles, with Whitley and Ron acting as pledgemasters for their respective organizations. Whitley is too rough on her group and the rebel, while Ron has to get Terrence to understand the sense of family that is created by a Greek group. There are some great jokes, a couple of step moves, and the stereotypical demands.

Season 5: "In the Eye of the Storm" (S05E05): A hurricane is headed to Hillman, and when the roads flood, a bunch of people are stuck at The Pit instead of shelters. Colonel Taylor takes charge and doesn't allow Terrence to do much, but the boy does manage to save the day in the end, which I find heartwarming. The funny part of the episode is over at the radio station, where Ron and Freddie are trapped during the storm. They wind up becoming intimate but it's not a secret... the microphone is on as they talk about it!

Season 6: "Happy Birthday to Moi" (S06E15): This episode depicts Whitley well, showing that she hasn't changed all that much over the years. She convinces Kim to let her help plan her own surprise birthday party, but when Dwayne finds out, he treats the occasion badly to teach his wife a lesson. Meanwhile, with the "new generation" of students, Charmaine and Terrell try to cheat on a French midterm, but they mix up the baby monitor receiver and recorder, getting caught.

Any favorites you want to mention?

Favorite Episodes: The New Adventures of Old Christine

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

This is another show that I only heard about in passing and didn't come to watch until it had already ended. The New Adventures of Old Christine just didn't sound like it would be any good... judging only by the title. After I found out who was in it (Wanda Sykes, hello!), I gave it a try one morning when it came on Lifetime after Will & Grace. I ended up getting hooked and was watching reruns for two hours a day. It took me a while to catch all of the episodes, mostly because the reruns came on at inconvenient times and I, for whatever reason, decided not to try collecting them via DVR. This also meant that I saw a lot of things out-of-order, because I was essentially watching two different timelines of episodes that eventually caught up to where the other left off.

The show is actually very funny... and I'm glad that they cast Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the role (for which she won an Emmy, so I'm not the only one who thinks she's great here!), as she's really able to play the craziness of Old Christine well. Her character starts the series divorced with a school-age son. Her brother has moved in with her and she is struggling with her husband having a new, much younger, woman in his life. The five seasons only cranked out 88 episodes, which is on the low side, but there sure are some hilarious episodes! Now, let's take a look at the winners...

imdb

Season 1: "Teach Your Children Well" (S01E08): This was tough to choose, as there are some gems in the short first season, including "The Other F Word" and "Some of My Best Friends are Portuguese." But, in "Teach Your Children Well," Christine wants to have a great party for Ritchie, so he'll fit in more with the other children at his private school. But, she can't afford a fancy party with celebrity cameos, so she has the kids do a craft and clean the house under the guise of a "treasure hunt." She considers the event a success, even if the children didn't receive the elaborate goodie bags to which they've become accustomed at the parties of their peers. Watch episode on Amazon. Buy first season on Amazon.

Season 2: "Faith Off" (S02E19): I really liked the Marly and Lindsay characters throughout the series, and I think this is the second episode where they are the ones making the story hilarious (the first being "Crash," earlier in the season). Lindsay hires Richard to remodel her bathroom, but because he used to be a slacker, Christine is obsessed with making sure that her ex does a good job, fearing being further ostracized from the other mothers at school. But, he's gotten good at what he does, and she winds up ruining it when she tries on Lindsay's clothes. Plus, Matthew visits Home Depot for the first time, in awe at the power of tools. Watch Episode on Amazon. Buy second season on Amazon.

Season 3: "House" (S03E07): [remember, this was the shortest season because of the writer's strike] This episode is a bit over-the-top, but I still like it. Christine is working on being happy, but it becomes increasingly difficult when Richard and New Christine buy a house together - not just any house, either... the one that Christine had dreamed of owning when she and Richard were first married. She tries to keep it together but just can't manage after a while. Watch Episode on Amazon. Buy third season on Amazon.

Season 4: "Too Close for Christine" (S04E17): I had to remember my old rule of not choosing holiday episodes, otherwise "Guess Who's Not Coming to Dinner" may have taken this slot. This episode stands out to me because both storylines are hilarious. On one hand you have Matthew living with Richard and New Christine, only he struggles to live under the many strict rules New Christine imposes, like how fancy they dress for dinner. On the other, you have Barb tired of entertaining Christine, so Christine enjoys entertaining Francie, the mother of one of Ritchie's friends. However, when Francie soon starts being needier than Christine can handle, she turns to Barb for help anyway. View on Lifetime.com. Watch Episode on Amazon. Buy fourth season on Amazon.

Season 5: "Up in the Airport" (S05E17): "Subway, Somehow" makes me laugh SO HARD, but "Up in the Airport" is just a tiny bit better. Christine feels bad when Ritchie hasn't been to nearly as many places as his peers, so she arranges a family vacation to Florida, which she believes is in another country. New Christine, who uses umpteen thousand miles for the trip, forgets her wallet, and Old Christine tries to get her past security anyway. They wind up missing their flight, and their next option involves a very long trip with multiple layovers... on a sober airline. New Christine ends up not getting to go on the trip, joining Barb in peace for only a short while, as the family gives up on the trip. In the end, however, Barb and Christine drive Ritchie to the Mexican border so he'll have a country to "pin."  Watch Episode on Amazon. Buy fifth season on Amazon.

Favorite Episodes: Firefly

It's been a while since I did a Favorites Post, and because I recently went through and watched the entire series of Firefly, I thought I'd give that an entry. Now, if you're not familiar with the cult series, it was a sci-fi western that ran only fourteen episodes before FOX canceled it. Creator Joss Whedon was notably very upset about the show not thriving, though he was able to make a film to wrap up things a little bit. Firefly has grown in followers over the years, and there was a huge to-do for it at Comic-Con last year. It was only after that, in fact, that I realized I must cave and watch this series. I liked it but didn't love it, so thankfully it was short.

wikipedia

Anyway, I thought I'd mention my favorite thing about each of the episodes today, rather than my typical routine of going through and picking the best episode from each season. I'm going with the chronological order to the story, not the order in which the episodes first appeared (a very possible reason as to why the show didn't do that well when it originally aired).

1. "Serenity" This is not one of the best episodes, in my opinion, which may be the reason FOX chose not to air it first, though it does a great job of explaining who is who and how they ended up on this particular spaceship. My favorite scene is actually the flashback to war times - you really get a sense of Zoe's commitment to Mal.

2. "The Train Job" This episode definitely embraces the "sci-fi western" theme, which is why I think it aired first. It also showcases how "weird" River can be, with her "two by two, hands of blue" repeated rhyme, which is definitely the part of the episodes that intrigued me most.

3. "Bushwhacked" I was dying to understand Reavers from the moment I began watching this series, and was surprised to learn that television viewers never really got the full effect - they'd have to wait for the movie for that! In this episode, however, we only get a sparse introduction. Never fear, though... my favorite part was actually Simon and River hiding outside the ship!

4. "Shindig" The ball is my favorite, of course! Kaylee might not have known what she was doing at such a fancy event, but I loved watching her throughout it.

5. "Safe" My problem with this episode is that it really starts getting me fired up about Shepherd, for whom we never get a full backstory. On the flip side, my favorite part of this episode is how much we learn about Simon and River's past, from the time they played as children until Simon fought with his parents, believing River was in danger.

6. "Our Mrs. Reynolds" Back to the western idea again. On a related note, it's not high up on my list. However, I really liked the idea of Inara and Mal being a couple, and this episode truly shows her caring about him when she kisses him. Rarely is a romantic scene my favorite, but he was unconscious because of poison anyway.

7. "Jaynestown" I think this is the installment that I found most odd. The idea that Jayne is worshiped in a small village and didn't know about it astonishes me to a point. My favorite part of the episode, however, takes place on the ship, where River rewrites Shepherd's Bible! It was just so unexpected and funny.

8. "Out of Gas" This episode is so incredibly that I was frozen as I watched the events proceed. It's probably my favorite, as despite all of the edge-of-your-seat drama that takes place as Mal suffers from a lack of oxygen, we get so much great detail about the other characters, particularly Kaylee. 

9. "Ariel" Another great episode, though it makes me hate Jayne a little more after he tries to sell-out River and Simon. The better storyline, however, is Mal and Zoey wheeling bodies through the hospital and then stealing drugs to sell. I came close to choosing the scene where Mal almost kills Jayne, though...

10. "War Stories" I'd be surprised if you went with something other than the scene where River demonstrates that she can shoot people without looking at them. The entire rescue mission was fairly impressive, but I think I'd be like Kaylee after experiencing it - fearful of what, exactly, River is capable of doing!

11. "Trash" I can't believe Saffron is back! And now married to someone else! I think the Robin Hood aspect appealed most to me - the gang working on an elaborate heist to steal from the rich and give to the poor. Of course, nothing is straightforward on this series, so there have to be some twists, and that's where things really get exciting - like overriding a trash chute, only to wind up with the trash pickup not going as planned.

12. "The Message" This was actually the first episode I saw, years ago when I was at my husband's family's house for the holidays. And, the one scene that stuck with me from that viewing wound up being my favorite... when Tracey wakes up from "being dead" and eventually admits that he is smuggling special organs in this body. Talk about the future of medicine!

13. "Heart of Gold" Definitely one of my least-favorite episodes (those heavy western elements kill me!), this one takes place at a brothel where there's a pregnant Companion. The title of the episode really describes Mal - he'll take on a mission for Inara, and my favorite scene is the two of them together - neither wants to admit their feelings, but they're so present it's unmistakable. 

14. "Objects in Space" The obvious and overstated favorite scene in this episode is toward the end, where River reveals that she's hiding on the enemy's ship. My favorite, however, is the fact that River goes around reading minds... I guess I had kind of figured that she could do it, but I was still surprised when she started demonstrating that ability almost continuously.

AND, BONUS, the movie Serenity: This one is really easy for me. As someone who really wanted to learn more about the Reavers, my favorite part of the film was the log that the gang watches when they're on the uninhabited planet. It explains that the Alliance had wanted to chemically induce suppressed aggression, but not only did it go too far, some people had the opposite reaction, becoming the hyper-aggressive Reavers.

Well, what were your favorite parts of Firefly?

Favorite Episodes: Dinosaurs

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

How is it possible that I have been doing this for almost four years and I have never done a piece on Dinosaurs?? It was an ABC series that ran for four seasons, though it ended with just 65 episodes (the fourth season didn't come until eleven months after the third ended, and half of that final season only aired in syndication). But, the show (created by Jim Henson) was WONDERFUL! I didn't completely understand how primetime worked when it began (after all, I was in first grade), but I tuned in whenever I could, and late found the reruns on Disney to be enlightening in many ways. But first, I imagine that many of you might have never saw this gem, though perhaps you are at least aware of Baby Sinclair's "not the mama!" and "I'm the baby, gotta love me!" catchphrases. So, let's get into the basics.... in a nutshell, the show revolved around a tree-pushing father (Earl), a homemaker mother (Fran), their teenage son (Robbie) and daughter (Charlene), and their toddler (Baby). Other major characters include Fran's mother (Ethyl) who comes to live with them after she turns 72 years old, Earl's best friend (Roy), Fran's best friend (Monica, who also happens to be the first divorced dinosaur), and a rough-around-the-edges friend of Robbie's (Spike).

sharetv.org/shows/dinosaurs

I know some people felt the show was a never-ending "after-school special," but I thought it did a great job of covering a variety of topics. From Robbie trying "steroids," becoming a vegetarian, and experimenting with "drugs," to Charlene "getting her tail" and "scent," I wasn't disappointed. Plus, the show dove into larger problems including "racism," censorship, sexual harassment in the workplace, and even war. There are some strange things with the names in this episode, with a bunch of the surnames being petroleum companies (Sinclair, BP, Hess), some sibling names rhyming (Earl and Pearl, Stan and Fran), and Baby being known as "ahh ahh I'm dying you idiot" for a short time, but let's not let those bring down the series. I really enjoyed the show, and despite the fact that they were from another species and another time, I found it pretty easy to relate to the Sinclair family. So, let's get to my favorite episodes!

Season 1: "High Noon" (S01E04): This is a short season, only five episodes, so it wasn't all that difficult for "High Noon" to stand out. Here, Fran meets a nice dinosaur at the grocery store and he decides to challenge Earl for Fran. The problem is, Gary is a 50-foot dinosaur, so Earl doesn't stand much of a chance. Fran tries to get Earl to run away, but he decides to fight for his family. After Earl attacks Gary's foot, Fran decides to just tell Gary to go away, and he does.

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Episode_104:_High_Noon

Season 2: "Slave to Fashion" (S02E22): Charlene is desperate to be popular, so she begs Early for the money to buy an expensive coat, nicer than the ones everyone else is wearing. He won't give in, but Grandma Ethyl gets the coat for her! At first, Charlene's dream has come true, but because the coat is alive, the snarky creature soon begins to alienate her from everyone, particularly her best friend, Mindy.

Season 3: "License to Parent" (S03E08): This was a hard pick for me, as I think that this is the best season. But, "License to Parent" stands out over all of the others because I initially found the concept to be incredible... mothers and fathers could lose their "licenses" to parent if they were bad at it. Now, I understand that it was really more of a DCF-type thing, but it's such an amusing episode to watch, regardless. Anyway, Earl loses his temper at Baby too many times, so he loses his parenting license. He tries to regain it, but he flunks the test and has to wait 30 days to try again. This forces a "Parent Patrol" officer to move into the house. and observe Earl. Well, Earl repeatedly points out that Fran doesn't parent "by the book," either, and she also loses her license. But, the Parent Patrol have their hands full with Robbie, Charlene, and Baby, and after a gun is pulled on the children, Fran and Earl risk whatever it takes to rush in to save them. Well, the guy doesn't want it getting out that he pulled a gun, so he gives the Sinclairs back their licenses. 

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Episode_309:_License_to_Parent

Season 4: "Driving Miss Ethyl" (S04E04): Against his wishes, Earl drives Ethyl to her 60th high school reunion, only to discover that nobody else showed up... she's likely the only survivor at this point. Though Earl normally fights with his mother-in-law, he feels bad that all of her friends (including Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche!) have passed away. While they're away, Fran tries to get a good portrait of the kids to give Earl for his upcoming birthday, but of course they have other things on their minds.

Do you have favorite episode of Dinosaurs? Share 'em!

Favorite Episodes: Wings

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

After watching all of Frasier and all of Cheers, I figured that I'd work my way through Wings, as it takes place in the same universe. There are actually only a couple of episodes that feature the Cheers characters, but the show didn't even need them. Sure, it got off to a short start, but it had a long life. The storylines tended to be a little more ridiculous than your average 90s sitcom, but it's fairly easy to attribute that to the fact that the show takes place on the island of Nantucket - primarily in an airport and focusing on those who work there. Joe, Helen, Brian, Fay, and Roy lasted the entire eight seasons, but there were several major changes in other characters - Lowell left and Budd replaced him, Alex came and went, Casey showed up, and then there was Antonio, the greatest of the additions. I never really remember the show regularly showing up in reruns, though the internet believes that several channels have aired it over the years. I don't even remember how or when I first heard of the series, though it's certainly worth watching.

The series is available on Netflix streaming with only three episodes missing (update 1/4/18: Wings is no longer on Netflix); I did include YouTube clips of my favorite episode below.

Season 1: "Legacy" (S01E01) Yep, chose the pilot. In my defense, it was a six-episode first season that didn't even debut until April 19th, so there weren't a ton of choices. But, the pilot is pretty funny, and is something that is remembered throughout the series, particularly in the final few episodes. There's a lot to build up in the episode, but we are able to learn Joe and Brian's backgrounds pretty easily, plus there's a wild goose chase that brings the brothers all over the place!

screenshot

Season 2: "Sports & Leisure" (S02E04) Roy just isn't on the same page as the rest of the group, so when he ruins a fishing trip, the gang plans a game night without him. They give in and invite him to play Trivial Pursuit, and he goes... only he's not thrilled that his partner is Lowell. He spends the evening angering and insulting everyone anyway. It may seem like a strange episode to peg as a favorite, but I thought it was funny, especially the un-invite/re-invite part... it's like their middle schoolers! 

Season 3: "Das Plane" (S03E17)  I think that the Carlton Blanchard character is the funniest non-regular character on this show, so between him and the wacky hijinks, it's a real winner. Joe auctioned off a fly-anywhere plane ticket by mistake, and Carlton wants to go across the country to see his brother. Lowell, Antonio, and Brian also come, and they wind up flying a very non-direct route because of one mishap after another!

Season 4: "It's so Nice to have a Mather around the House" (S04E07)  For some reason, I must have seen an episode of Wings as a child that referenced Brian sinking Lowell's houseboat, because seeing this episode really put some pieces together for me. Lowell ends up moving in with Joe and Brian, who love his cooking and cleaning... right up until they start catching grief from an under-appreciated Lowell. It works out in the end, though, and they continue to live together for a while.

Season 5: "Come Fly with Me" (S05E10)  I like this episode because it includes all of the characters in two believable storylines. Antonio, Roy, and Fay spend an entire night trying to win radio trivia contests, figuring that, together, they could win. Of course, Roy manages to blow it, but it's still fun. Meanwhile, Joe, Brian, Lowell, and Helen go to Boston for a night of fun. They wind up at a great party, but soon realize that it's mainly hookers trying to reel in customers. The funniest part is when a guy starts bargaining with Helen and she doesn't know what's going on at first!

Season 6: "Nuptials Off" (S06E23)  This episode is my very favorite... I just can't believe how hilarious it is! Five weeks before Helen and Joe are supposed to be married, she realizes that she never got divorced from Antonio (she set the paperwork under the cash register and forgot all about it). There's not enough time for a regular divorce and Helen doesn't want to disappoint Joe with messing up even more wedding stuff, so she and Roy plan to fly with Brian to Mexico. She sends Joe fly-fishing in Maine, But, Antonio wants an annulment because he's trying to get back into the Catholic religion for the sake of his new godson. The priest believes that he can counsel the couple instead, right up until he overhears Helen talking about marriage to Joe and sex with Brian. Things are further complicates by a broken plane and a sick Lowell... Lowell manages to fix the plane, but then it seems that Joe's trip is delayed, so Casey is stuck stalling him so the rest of the gang can get off the ground. Lowell does tell Joe about the group going to Mexico, but he's hopped up on cold medicine so Joe doesn't believe him.




Season 7: "Burnin' Down the House" (S07E01)  This is a weaker season, in my eyes. There are a handful of episodes that have a decent amount of laughs, but nothing really stands out as truly excellent when it comes to overall quality. Still, the season opener offers some ridiculous jokes, which are actually made worse later on in the series. Joe and Helen come back from their honeymoon to find that Brian and Casey have burned down Helen's house - where they were planning to live. So, Joe decides that enough is enough and that Brian can't do anything right - booting him out of the business. Don't worry, though, things fall back into place for the brothers the next episode - though the two couples wind up living together for quite a while. 

wikipedia

Season 8: "Single and Hating It" (S08E04)  A traveling matchmaker hosts a mixer on Nantucket, so Brian, Antonio, Fay, Roy, and Casey all attend. Joe and Helen are supposed to celebrate their first wedding anniversary but stop off to give Brian his wallet. A bad storm comes though and they're stuck at the event, pretending to also be single. Between Antonio constantly being turned down and Brian focusing solely on the bartender, there are plenty of laughs. Of course, Helen and Joe put the episode over the edge with a pretend proposal, if you can believe it!

Favorite Episodes: Cheers

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I watched Cheers here and there as a kid. I remember my parents liked that show... or at least one of them did. It wasn't all that interesting to me (and it shouldn't have been... what would an elementary-schooler know about a bar??). After watching all of the Frasier episodes, I'd been meaning to go back and watch Cheers to see the background on the Frasier and Lilith characters. I found out that the episodes were available through Netflix streaming, and it took me several months to work my way through the eleven seasons bit by bit. I've finally finished and wanted to share some of my favorites - this is also our 1,000th post, so it seems fitting, because Cheers was the subject of #1, back in 2008. (No video links today - you can stream the series in its entirety on Netflix.)

I wasn't the biggest fan of the first couple seasons - not that I didn't like Diane (because I did prefer her to Rebecca), but I thought that it took a while for the show to do ensemble comedy on a regular basis. Plus, I would much rather have Woody over Coach. Take a look at the episodes I chose and let me know if you preferred Diane or Rebecca, Coach or Woody? Who was your very favorite character and which episodes stand out in your memory?

I maintained my general rules when choosing episodes to appear below... straying from holiday episodes because I generally mention those in holiday posts, and trying not to pick episodes that I have already substantially covered elsewhere.

Season 1: "One for the Book" (S01E11) This is an episode that focuses more on one-time customers than on the bar gang, which is interesting to me. A WWI veteran shows up for his reunion, not realizing that, at this point (1982), nobody else is alive or well enough to make it. It's a sad little plot, but the other random kid makes up for it - he's a young buck about to enter a monastery, so he wants one last night of debauchery. What puts this episode over the top, however, is that Diane is recording the events and quotes for a book.

Season 2: "Fortune and Men's Weight" (S02E17) Throughout the series, Coach did plenty of wacky things, but one that instigated the most trouble was buying a fortune-telling scale. You step on it and it gives you your fortune. Well, ever-superstitious Carla is paranoid, and logical Diane finds it absurd that the patrons are enjoying the funny predictions so much. I particularly enjoy the early hype of Carla's later staunch take on superstitions, plus it's one of a handful of episodes where Diane says one thing when she's removed from a subject, but as soon as she takes part, she does a 180.

Season 3: "Peterson Crusoe" (S03E11)  I like this episode because it has two very different but equally hilarious stories. First, there's Norm, who comes face-to-face with life and death when a physical reveals that he may be dying. He decides to move to Bora Bora, but when he learns that there was an error with his x-ray, he chickens out of a life change and hides in Sam's office... thinking he won't be discovered? The other story is Carla betting Diane that the novice could never pull in more tips than the veteran. Carla even gives Diane a head start, and is winning for much of the night - until a $20 tip in the final minute puts Diane over the edge and upsets Carla.

Season 4: "Fools and their Money" (S04E12)  Naive Woody has been doing well in recent bar pool and thinks he's ready to bet real money. He knows nothing about such things so he asks Sam to put $1,000 (Woody's life savings) in with Sam's bookie. After looking at Woody's picks, Sam doesn't place the bet, thinking that the poor kid has no chance of winning. Well, Woody should have won big, and Sam has to come clean... luckily, Woody is nice enough to believe that Sam wanted what was best for him. The best parts of the episode are Diane assuming a bookie would understand "an honest mistake" and Sam trying to convince Woody to take $1/week for 10,000 weeks. Everyone singing "Home on the Range" is good, too.

Season 5: "Diamond Sam" (S05E14)  Sam and Diane are finally on the same page about getting married, so it's time Diane received an engagement ring. Norm mentions to Sam that he can get him a discount on a knock-off, so Sam goes for it, as it'll save $4,000. In order to keep up the ruse, Sam tells a few lies and buys a few dresses. After Diane wants to have the ring appraised for insurance purposes, Sam actually has to buy the real ring, then switch it out with the one she's been wearing. It was pretty funny up to this point, and we think that things have been taken care of, but Diane then intercepts a call and learns that Sam bought a fake ring - so she throws the one she's wearing out the window while she and Sam are headed to dinner. They never find the real ring, and Sam is now out $9,000. Now, I always laugh when a guy spends a ton of money to impress a girl or to keep her from finding out the truth, but this has got to be one of the more ridiculous examples!

Season 6: "Let Sleeping Drakes Lie" (S06E18)  I think this is one of the funniest episodes in the entire series, though longtime readers know that I'm just a big fan of this type of gag. Wealthy Evan Drake is in Europe and has Norm painting his home while he's away. Rebecca is dying to see the inside of the place, so Norm lets her in... but Drake comes home early and Rebecca has to hide in his bedroom closet. Norm goes back to Cheers and explains the dilemma, ultimately getting the gang to brainstorm on how to get Rebecca out of there without Drake knowing. It takes several knee-slapping attempts, but eventually they succeed.

Season 7: "The Gift of the Woodi" (S07E19)   The obvious plot in this episode is Woody going to Kelly's birthday party, where she's gifted all sorts of expensive cars and whatnot, but he has written her a simple song. It's a classic scene and an interesting song, however, there are two smaller stories that add enough to the episode to make it a winner... Rebecca decides to utilize Lilith as a role model, someone who is serious about her work. Additionally, Cliff has a crazy scheme to cross rutabagas with beets. But, really, the bulk of the cuteness stems from Kelly not understanding that Woody doesn't have riches.

Season 8: "Indoor Fun with Sammy and Robby" (S08E19)  I think this is one of the weaker seasons, honestly. Yes, they manage to work in some jokes, but so many episodes centered around Robin and Rebecca made for a lot of boring stories. Now, those two are in this one as well, but I found the premise oddly amusing. Robin has agreed to take a day off from work to spend however Rebecca wants (so she comes up with a giant list of things to do - the beach, the zoo, a picnic, a show, etc.), but Robin winds up in a competition with Sam that keep going all day, forcing Rebecca to face her "dream day" alone. Meanwhile, Sam and Robin play darts, pool, and chess, all for the bet of one week's salary - Robin is just competitive, and Sam wants to get enough money to finally buy back the bar. The best part goes to Norm and Pete helping Sam cheat in chess.

Season 9: "Home Malone" (S09E25)  Dumb wordplay in the title aside, this episode features Sam babysitting Frederick for the first time. The little bugger outsmarts our favorite barkeep and locks himself in the bathroom. Sam tries to go out the window of an adjacent room to reach the toddler, but Frederick knows how to lock windows and doors. Sam winds up falling to the ground and re-entering the house... only for the entire thing to happen again. Sam has to watch Frederick from a window outside the playroom until Frasier and Lilith get home - not what you'd want to see as parents! The other storyline has Kelly working at Cheers as research, with Carla pulling a few fast ones and Woody worried about guys hitting on her. Both plots are worth watching, but the baby tricking its sitter is the more intriguing.

Season 10: "An Old-Fashioned Wedding" (S10E25)  Thank goodness this is an hour-long episode! Otherwise, there's no way they could have gotten in all of the chuckle-inducing moments that make this installment great! Nearly the entire episode takes place in Kelly's family's kitchen, where the Cheers gang is helping with preparing drinks and whatnot for the reception. Woody and Kelly are going crazy for one another after finally giving in to their sexual attraction, Rebecca has to frost the cake, the guys are hiding the priest's body, Cliff is sewing part of Kelly's dress, and everyone has to avoid some nasty dogs. A great wedding episode if ever there were one.

Season 11: "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Bar" (S11E14)  Robin makes a return, telling the Cheers folks that he has donated the $6M that was in Rebecca's desk and now plans to live a life of poverty. He admits to still have feelings for Rebecca, and she figures he probably hid another $6M somewhere nearby, which was his habit. Everyone tears apart the bar looking for a money belt, taking turns calling Robin on the sly for hints, but it can't be found. The deduce that the fire captain must have taken the money when the bar burned down six months prior. Carla has her kids kidnap the guy so the Cheers group can interrogate him. Rebecca, meanwhile, thinks that Robin is feigning destitution in order to test her. He stops by the bar on his way out of town, letting the guys know that there never was another money belt.

Favorite Episodes: 3rd Rock from the Sun

So, although I kinda stopped doing the series on my favorite episodes from various shows a while ago, I finally finished watching 3rd Rock from the Son, so I'm able to post that one. Similarly, I'm going to do an Arrested Development favorites post sometime in the near future, as I have just three episodes remaining on that one. And maybe there will be more in the future... I did just start watching Two and a Half Men a short while ago, hehe!

3rd Rock from the Sun had a great concept - aliens who have no idea what Earth's customs are, so they're constantly learning things for the first time. The ensemble was really great too, leading to some excellent comedic moments throughout the series... especially for John Lithgow, who won numerous awards for his portrayal of Dick Solomon. I think that the first and fifth seasons are the funniest... the first because there are so many basics that the family just "doesn't get," and the fifth because there's a lot of character build-up at that point so there are some hilarious and over-the-top hijinks.  

Season 1: "Frozen Dick" (S01E12): Dick and Mary win teaching awards, and they need to go to Chicago to accept them. But, Dick freaks out on the plane, so they have to drive (which makes Mary angry). But, when it starts snowing, Dick thinks the worst is upon them, and promptly crashes the car in the middle of nowhere. It's pretty funny. And, as a side story, Harry is working at a video store, and re-arranges all of the videos according to his own personal preferences, haha.

Season 2: "Gobble, Gobble, Dick, Dick" (S02E10): The Solomons don't know what Thanksgiving is, so the fact that everyone is buying food at the grocery store and the town is emptying out makes them think that it's the end of the world. Sally buys a turkey for each person, LoL. They find out the truth and invite over Mary, Mrs. Dubcek, and her visiting daughter, Vicki. Tommy and Dick get into a fight about how he's supposed to rebel and stuff, and Tommy ends up making a bunch of guys call their own dads. And, Harry and Vicki have sex.

Season 3: "Scaredy Dick" (S03E05): It's Halloween, and Mary has plans. Since her house gets egged when she doesn't give out treats, she has Sally and Tommy give out candy for her. But they turn out not to do exactly what they're told, hehe. Dick needs to get a physical, but keeps chickening out and running away. Meanwhile, Harry thinks that there's a ghost in the apartment.

Season 4: "Dick and Taxes" (S04E12): Harry's working at the bar now, and realizes that taxes are being taken from his paycheck. Before long, the Solomons realize that they've never filed their taxes before, and have incurred a large bill. Then, they figure out that they might try to do something "new" by lying on their return. Dick redoes the numbers and comes up with a way that the government owes them a LOT of money. But, now they're getting an audit, and Dick freaks out, thinking that their alien identities will be revealed. But, the best part is that Sally decides to fake a home business - a hair salon... but when people actually show up, she, Harry, and Tommy really do start washing and cutting hair - in the kitchen! hahaha.

Season 5: "Dick for Tat" (S05E02): Mary admits to Dick that she once had an affair with Strudwick (Dick's rival in the physics department, and also Tommy's girlfriend's father), which makes Dick think that he needs to sleep with Strudwick's wife to even the odds. It's hilarious the way he goes over to Strudwick's house and tries to seduce his wife! Meanwhile, Don is now a cop on a motorcycle, so he's a new object of obsession for Sally... until he crashes and winds up in a full body cast (though that idea doesn't really carry over to other episodes, LoL)!

Season 6: "Dick'll Take Manhattan" (S06E04 & S06E05): There are many two-parters in this series, but my favorite is this one, where the Solomons visit a parallel universe where they live in NYC. Dick is an important attorney, Salley is a sex columnist, Harry is the President of NBC, and Tommy is on SNL. Mary is a lounge singer who no longer believes in love, while Don is the Mayor, married but seeing Sally on the side. It's great.

Favorites Roundup

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

It occurred to me that I never did a Favorite Episodes Roundup in the same way that I did for Long-Running Shows and for Short-Lived Shows. So, below you will find links to each television series that I have seen every episode of and picked my top choice from each season.

Friends
Full House
Boy Meets World
Saved by the Bell
Doogie Howser, MD
Home Improvement
Lincoln Heights
Fraggle Rock
Frasier
Seinfeld
King of Queens
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Grounded for Life
Yes, Dear
The Cosby Show
Adventures of the Gummi Bears
Beverly Hills, 90210
DuckTales
7th Heaven
Jon and Kate Plus Eight
Doug
Little House on the Prairie
ALF
Gilmore Girls
TaleSpin
Rainbow Brite
Sweet Valley High
Mad About You
Step by Step
Family Matters
Brotherly Love
Salute Your Shorts
Ready or Not
The Torkelsons / Almost Home
Flash Forward
The Brady Bunch
Roseanne
Lizzie McGuire
Growing Pains
Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers
Joey
Little People, Big World
Third Rock from the Sun 

Later Additions:
Cheers
Wings
Dinosaurs
Firefly
The New Adventures of Old Christine
A Different World

Cool. Now we have those in one place. Have you done any similar lists? Thought about your favorite episodes by season for any shows that you've loved?

Favorite Episodes: Little People, Big World

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Before Little People, Big World, I really hadn't given much thought to what life might be like for someone who is only four feet tall, despite having met several dwarfs throughout my life. This show really did a nice job of showing all sorts of adaptations that can be done to enable dwarfs to participate in every activity that those of average height do. I especially enjoyed learning about the Dwarf Athletic Association, the Little People conferences, how the pedal extensions work in the cars, and the different medical complications faced by various types of dwarfs. We watched Matt and Zach undergo multiple procedures, we celebrated with the Iraqi dwarfs whom Matt helped, and we learned about other issues from the various friends who we saw throughout the series.

Little People, Big World ran for six seasons on TLC (wrapping up just last week), but they pulled off over 200 episodes, so there's a lot to go through. Season 5 is my favorite, by far. It has all of the Europe episodes, the planning for the Ireland DAAA games, plus some exploration of the state of Matt & Amy's relationship, and all kinds of other goodies, like the twins being shocked that they're behind in college preparations and Zach refusing to go on a trip that his mother can't attend. Oh, and the LP Space Camp was good, too. But here are a look at favorites from each season... keep in mind that video isn't as readily available for this show as it is for many others.

Season 1: "Zach's Future" (S01E13) It's a simple premise: Matt takes Zach to meet a bunch of dwarfs who have different jobs, so he can see that his options aren't limited. What I like about it is the variety of the careers that they show, including a Navy submarine guy. If you have Netflix, you can watch it here.

Season 2: "Zach's New Ride" (S02E35) So it's apparent in every opening sequence that Jeremy and Zach are twins, but Zach is a dwarf, while his brother is not. Zach and Jeremy have a lot of the same interests, like video gaming and playing soccer, but sometimes it's difficult for Zach to keep up with Jeremy - like when it comes to bike-riding. So, Matt finds someone who can build Zach a custom bicycle so he can keep up with Jeremy and his other friends. It just warms my heart to see Zach able to play like he's average. This one doesn't look like it's available online.

Season 3: "A Little Competition" (S03E12) Zach has some LP friends over for the weekend from out-of-town, and they do a bunch of stuff (similar to the things they do when they hang out at the LP conferences), including challenge Jeremy and his friends to a paintball game. This one doesn't look like it's online, either.

Season 4: "The Graduate" (S04E25) This is one of my favorite Molly episodes. She's the valedictorian of the 8th grade, and she has no intention of giving a speech. She also picks a great graduation dress, but when it's against the dress code, she and Amy figure out something that will work. I think it does a great job of showcasing Molly's personality. This is a small bit of the episode.

Season 5: "Dwarfs in Space" (S05E37) After the previous season saw Jacob and Amy head off and check out a Space Camp, Amy and Zach go to head up the very first Little Person Space Camp. I really like watching Zach try out a leadership role, and it was fun to watch the kids do something that had previously been pretty much unavailable to them. Again, a short bit of the episode.

Season 6: "Little Noah" (S06E10) Both storylines in this episode are fascinating. On the one hand, we have Matt trying to get a Noah's Ark replica moved to the farm, but it's not in the best shape. On the other, Amy isn't really thrilled with the idea, but when a government official trespasses on Roloff property, she takes it upon herself to do anything necessary to get to the bottom of what's going on. I still can't believe how she climbed into the car, LoL. Couldn't find any of this episode, either.

Favorite Episodes: Joey

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I've talked about Joey a few times, most notably when I was discussing short-lived shows. And, as I mentioned then, it wasn't that great of a show. The characters weren't too consistent, the plots were pretty wonky and didn't always make sense, and I wouldn't have kept watching if I hadn't enjoyed Friends so much. Still, I have seen every episode of both seasons, so it makes for a worthy entry in my Favorite Episodes series, which has now spanned almost a year. I think I'm down to the final five or so in this series (which will partially depend upon whether or not I get to finish up Arrested Development when I'm in Florida for Christmas), which I think I've said before, too... haha.

Season 1: "Joey and the Perfect Storm" (S01E05) This is a favorite because both storylines are pretty hilarious. On the one hand, there's an open apartment in Joey & Michael's complex, and they struggle to hide it from Gina, who is just dying to be closer to her little boy. This goes to extremes as an open house is scheduled and stuff. The other plot is about Joey understudying for three different plays at once, and when one calls, he's totally ready to be a different character with different lines, hahahaha. whole episode

Season 2: "Joey and the Stuntman" (S02E04) Joey's filming that movie with the kid now, and he's not doing so well at doing his own stunts, so they bring in a stuntman. Joey's also not that good at following the script, so he gets in trouble with Abby (who is hitting it off with Michael). Joey ends up using his stuntman as a distraction so he can flirt with girls. This is compounded when Alex can't seem to sort out her feelings for Joey. whole episode

Favorite Episodes: Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

We're going to start out today with two fun facts. First, I'm on an airplane right now, flying back from Thanksgiving vacation. Thanks to Google, I'm using free internet. And, thanks to my husband, I'm using a laptop in the sky, LoL. The second fact is more of an admission, really. When I was in Kindergarten, the kids at my table (we sat 4 to a table) were really into Chip and Dale. Similar to what we know in the adult world as "chatting by the water cooler," we spent snack time every day talking about what Chip and Dale had done the day before. This was 1989 and Rescue Rangers was the hip, new thing. And, since my desperation to "fit in" has plagued me my entire life, I quickly rearranged my afternoon plans to accommodate watching that show on channel X instead of my normal show on channel Y. And so, I watched Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers and talked about my favorite parts the following day. My brother and I really enjoyed the show, and I can say I've seen every episode, many of them multiple times over the years.

In the event that you've somehow missed this gem that was a staple of my early elementary years, it featured Chip and Dale, two chipmunks who solved crimes ("no case too big; no case too small") with the help of two mice - Gadget (the lone female of the group) and Monterrey Jack (who was often sidetracked from a project by his love for cheese) and a fly, Zipper. They had typical archenemies (like FatCat and Nimnul) who showed up from time to time, and there were some really inventive storylines over the lifespan of the show. It was especially cool how they used small items (they were small creatures, after all) to figure out how to fly, ride a train, catch things, etc. Anyway, I'm assuming that most people have seen some part of the series, so I'm gonna go ahead and dive into my favorites. I did want to point out that the only thing I ignored is the pilot/movie/start of the second season, since each part (it became 5 in syndication) is so great, LoL.

Season 1: "Kiwi's Big Adventure" (S01E06) This is my very favorite episode of the series, and it used to be (not sure if it still is) near the top of my brother's list as well. A bunch of birds take the Rangers' plane, and Chip is bent on trying to get it back. A big obstacle, however, is the fact that Dale wants Gadget's attention, and he's faking a broken leg to get it. Ironically, when Dale goes to save the day, he really does break a toe, LoL. And, to top it off, the crocodile looks just like the one from Peter Pan! Part 1 | Part 2

Season 2: "The Case of the Cola Cult" (S02E14) This is my second-favorite episode of the series, and I think it's one of my brother's too (I may have had an influence on what shows are his favorites, lmao). When one of Gadget's inventions goes crazy, the Rangers end up at a cola factory, and the leader is using the cuckoo cola to get mice to throw away their worldly possessions so that he can keep them for himself. Gadget, depressed that her inventions aren't going so well anymore, tries to join the cult. The guys go after her and figure out what's going on, so they fix everything, save Gadget, and all is well again. Part 1 | Part 2

Season 3: "Zipper Come Home" (S03E01) Zipper splits off from the gang (this isn't the first time her has felt under-appreciated by the group), and ends up being the King of a group of beetles. Unfortunately, it turns out that the beetles traditionally sacrifice their kings to a frog, and the Rangers end up having to save him... so he goes back to the group, LoL. I liked Zipper quite a bit, so it makes sense that my favorite episode from the short third season is Zipper-centric. (It also might be a plus that the name is a play on Snoopy Come Home, LoL.) Part 1 | Part 2

Favorite Episodes: Growing Pains

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Growing Pains was kind of a big deal for a long time, I think. It was in reruns forever (or so it seemed) on multiple networks (not too many), and once Leonardo DiCaprio became a big deal, it really kinda came to the headlines again. Now, that was already more than ten years ago (can you believe that??), but I still think the show is pretty good, despite the fact that it shows up fairly rarely on this site.

The premise (in the event you're not familiar with this family sitcom from the 80s-90s) is a psychiatrist and a journalist with three children. They've always tried to arrange it so one parent can work at home, which is a contention point a few times throughout the run of the show. The oldest, Mike, is a chronic underachiever. Carol is a brainiac. Ben is a schemer. And Chrissy, who is born a couple seasons into the show and rapidly-aged, is your cute little kid, really. No steady neighbors or close friends (Boner joins the Marines and we never hear from him again), though Luke joins the family in the final season as a foster child of sorts (and this photo is from the final season, so he is included). Now, on to the favorites!

Season 1: "Reputation" (S01E19): Mike really wants to pass a history test, so he writes answers on the soles of his shoes. Ben catches him in the act, and Mike explains that "Appomattox Courthouse" is a black friend of his, "captain of the basketball team." However, when he puts his feet on a desk at school, the answers become apparent to everyone, and everyone things Mike cheated (when, in fact, he ended up not needing to). Jason and Maggie aren't sure if they should believe him, and in the end, Mike ends up re-taking the test wearing just his underwear, LoL. Part 1 | Part 2

Season 2: "The Long Goodbye" (S02E21): The Seavers have had the same handyman for years, and he's starting to make more mistakes. The family has had it with his slow and clumsy ways, but Jason lobbies for the old guy, until he doesn't save a document on his laptop and the handyman cuts the power. This episode is particularly interesting because Ben is making a video for school and we see things mostly through his eyes. Whole Episode

Season 3: "This is Your Life" (S03E10): Ben is in the hospital for a tonsillectomy, and is pretty scared that something will go wrong. While he's under anesthesia he imagines that he goes home, only to find that the family has replaced him with another Ben. It's pretty memorable, as boring as it sounds, LoL. Whole Episode

Season 4: "Second Chance" (S04E20): Again, Ben is rocking the video camera. But the main part of the plot focuses on Carol, who finds out that her boyfriend, Sandy, was in a bad car accident. She and her parents go to the hospital to see him, and though he was okay then, he dies before she gets home. This is a really sad storyline, and I was weirded out that Carol thought that Mike would joke about that sort of thing. Whole thing, but not the best quality.

Season 5: "Ben & Mike's Excellent Adventure" (S05E15): Ben needs glue for a school project, so he and Mike go out to buy some. But they end up chasing some girls, running into the principal, allowing their parents to delay them, and more. It's kinda cute, tho it worried me that Ben would be getting such a late start on his project, LoL. Whole Episode

Season 6: "Let's Go Europe (1)" (S06E09): Jason and Maggie go on an anniversary trip to France, which is a package that they bought from Mike, now a travel agent. However, when they get to the airport, the family finds out the Mike is also going abroad, having earned a free trip due to his sales. Mike's tour gets off on the wrong foot, and Maggie getting appendicitis make for some awful starts to their respective trips. I'm a sucker for vacation episodes, LoL. Whole episode, decent quality.

Season 7: "B=MC2" (S07E12): Ben is trying to prepare for AP exams, but overhears a sarcastic comment of Jason's and thinks it's true: Ben's nothing more than a dummy. Meanwhile, dorky neighbor Dwight and Carol start to have feelings for one another, which only half-sounds like a match made in heaven, but ultimately doesn't go as one would think. Whole Episode

Favorite Episodes: Lizzie McGuire

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

So, I'm not gonna lie. I was in high school when Lizzie McGuire began, and I was in college when it ended. But I thought she was totally cool. I wanted her hair skills more than anything, but most of her clothes rocked, too. Having a little animated me would've been a neat (yet creepy) perk. I loved Miranda and Gordo, and thought the rest of Lizzie's family was interesting. Kate, Ethan, and Tudgeman rounded out a good set of characters. There were only two seasons, but they were long seasons. Let's take a look...

Season 1: "Bag Girl McGuire" (S01E11) Lizzie gets detention because of a girl in her math class. But Lizzie has a good time in detention, and becomes friends with that girl. She starts hanging out with her and dressing like her, which soon leads to acting like her. Next thing you know, Lizzie is cutting class and considering going to a high school party with no chaperones. Gordo and Miranda make an intervention video and trick Lizzie into watching it. Lizzie realizes being "good" is easier than being "bad," Meanwhile, while all of this is going on, Matt lobbies successfully for no bedtime, but he ends up going too far and falling asleep all day every day, so he ends up asking for his original bedtime once more.

Season 2: "Best Dressed for Much Less" (S02E12) Lizzie wants to win "best dressed," and thinks she needs a new pair of designer jeans to do so. Her mom offers to take her bargain-hunting, but Lizzie borrows money from Gordo and Miranda and buys the cool pants herself. Lizzie is impressed with the stuff her mom comes home with, but wears her own pants on the "voting day" anyway. The pants end up ruined, so she changes into the clothes that her mom got her and she gets lots of compliments. In the Matt storyline, he randomly gets on The Uncle Wendell Show, and gets a lot of attention from his schoolmates and such. But, when he and his parents go to the mall, Matt gets bombarded and he's not enjoying the fame anymore. Not to worry though, the show gets canceled so his fame is short-lived.

Favorite Episodes: Roseanne

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Yesterday I said I'd be back with the regular posts, and today I have a nice, long one for you, featuring the long-running Roseanne.

I always liked Roseanne. My mom wasn't a fan, so I wasn't really allowed to watch it when I was a kid. However, it used to come on reruns on TBS & Nick-at-Nite, so I watched it all the time when she wasn't around, LoL. Darlene was my favorite character, until David came around. I thought he was SO CUTE with that super-curly hair. The storylines weren't really predictable, and the problems they faced were generally ones that weren't featured elsewhere (friend marrying your husband's father, straight-A student eloping and moving away, inviting your other daughter's boyfriend to live at your house, etc.), so it offered something new to the table.

The early seasons, I felt, dealt more with blue-collar issues (though they are present throughout the series), and the later seasons had more drama, and more middle-America-type stuff. Consequently, I did enjoy the later episodes more, but that's probably because they focused more on the kids and less on the adults... and I always liked the interesting problems of the kids better than those of Crystal, Jackie, etc.

Season 1: "The Monday Thru Friday Show" (S01E12) It's Dan and Roseanne's 15th wedding anniversary, and they're trying to figure out how to celebrate. They're not getting anywhere, so Jackie decides to just take the kids for the weekend and let them spend the time at home. It's like the original staycation, LoL. Part 1 | Part 2

Season 2: "Happy Birthday" (S02E24) It's Roseanne's birthday and the family has cleared out and prepared a writing room for her. She has all of the supplies that she needs, but ends up with writer's block. One of the reasons that this episode is interesting is because we find out at the end of the series that Roseanne wrote the storylines we see for quite a while. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
Season 3: "Friends and Relatives" (S03E02) A storyline about lending money but not borrowing it. Arnie asks Dan for $1500, and Dan thinks it's for an engagement ring for Nancy, so he loans it to him. However, things don't go as planned with Dan's income, and he needs the money back. Rather than ask for it, he tries to make do. Jackie tries to loan it to him, but he won't have it. The best part of the episode is the breasts. Not only did Arnie use the money for breast implants for Nancy, but DJ starts peeping in on Becky and Darlene, haha. Part 1 | Part 2
Season 4: "Bingo" (S04E13) This is a Crystal-centered episode. She leaves her infant son in Becky & Darlene's care when she and Roseanne go out for Bingo. Roseanne wins her first game and becomes addicted, with all of the lucky charms to prove it (which is my favorite part of the episode). Roseanne and Crystal get in a fight, but it turns out that Crystal is just over-emotional because she's pregnant again and worried about caring for 3 kids while her husband is always away on business. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Season 5: "Good Girls, Bad Girls" (S05E10) Darlene wants to go to a concert with next-door-neighbor Molly. Roseanne is hesitant, but lets her go. Darlene shows up at 4am in a cab, and Roseanne is livid. Darlene says that Molly ditched her to go smoke pot, causing her to miss curfew and find another way home. Roseanne and Dan aren't sure if they should believe her until they hear Molly's lies the next day. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Season 6: "I Pray the Lord my Stove to Keep" (S06E22) Roseanne orders a new stove for the restaurant, and three get delivered at separate times. While she plans to sell the extra two for profit, DJ questions her morality. Darlene is spying on DJ, and finds out that he's been sneaking around, going to church. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Season 7: "The Parenting Trap" (S07E12) DJ starts getting erections, and it keeps happening in school. He's afraid to draw attention to himself, so he wants to make sure he's not called on to go up to the board again. Mark gives him advice to act dumb, while Dan tries to talk about it appropriately. Roseanne gives it a shot, and by telling him about her first period, instead freaks him out. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Season 8: "Disney World War II" (S08E18) The Connors have taken a trip to Walt Disney World, and everyone enjoys different things. Darlene is really excited to see Winnie-the-Pooh, and we find out a few episodes later that she and David conceive on this trip, hehe. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Season 9: "Hoi Polloi meets Hoiti Toiti" (S09E08) In the previous episode, the family is invited to visit Martha's Vineyard after Roseanne makes friends with an elitist. So, Roseanne & Jackie, Andy & Jerry, Mark & Becky, DJ, and Bev all go to spend the weekend. The rich folk aren't impressed with the trashiness of the Conners, but once Roseanne discovers that they all drink and take happy pills, she schools them on what real life is like. I also like the title (thanks to intense vocabulary lessons I actually use words like those, LoL). It's a pretty funny episode, I think maybe in the top 5 of the series (certainly the top 10). I would have embedded, but for some reason, there's a video error that makes just this episode look funny. AND, only the first two parts are online. ugh. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 not available

Favorite Episodes: The Brady Bunch

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

It seems that everyone who has ever watched television has seen an episode of The Brady Bunch. It's been around a long time (premiered in the 60s and is still around in reruns here and there), and had a really wholesome family concept. Most episodes focus on an issue that affects the entire family, and I think that was one of the reasons it did so well when it first aired. The show is not without its flaws - the fact that no toilet was ever shown is something that many people bring up, and I always found it interesting that Marcia makes such a big deal about her braces, but nothing is said at all when Bobby gets them years later.

The Brady Bunch had a lot of good episodes. I think season 1 was my favorite, since it had Cindy's school play, Jan being allergic to Tiger, the trial for the kidnapping of Cindy's doll, the payphone in the house, Marcia and Greg both running for school president, the measles episode, Marcia's braces, Peter saving the little girl at the store, and my favorite, the stamp-book collection.

Season 1: "54-40 and Fight" (S01E15) The kids are up to 94 books of trading stamps, and since the store is going out of business, they have to decide on what to trade them for quickly. The boys want a rowboat, but the girls want a sewing machine. They end up building a card house (a HUGE one, I might add), and the dog ends up making the boys lose. I do love, however, that even though Marcia has a close call with her bracelet, she never takes it off, LoL. The girls head off to pick out something, and come back with a color TV, so everyone wins in the end. I liked both the card house competition and the fact that a TV, a sewing machine, and a rowboat were all comparable value at that time, LoL. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Season 2: "The Slumber Caper" (S02E03) Marcia is planning a big slumber party, and the boys are planning to play some tricks. However, Marcia drew a cartoon of a teacher, and somebody else put a negative caption. Marcia gets a week of detention, but she convinces her parents that she's not guilty, so they still let her have the party. At the party, she finds out who the guilty culprit is. The boys do get itching powder into the sleeping bags, but I was hoping for much more. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Season 3: "Dough Re Mi" (S03E16) Greg wants to make a record, but doesn't have enough money. He decides to enter a contest with his siblings to earn the money. It's coming along, but then Peter's voice changes and Greg has to write "Time to Change" to fit. It all works out, and it's one of the most replayed segments of the show. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Season 4: "Amateur Nite" (S04E16) Similar to my favorite from Season 3, this episode features Jan needing money to cover the cost of an anniversary gift for the parents. The kids join together and win $100 on a talent show. Alice watches the show and sees the kids performing live. This is the "Sunshine Day" episode. My favorite part is when Jan talks to the salesman on the phone, hahahahaha! Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Season 5: "The Cincinnati Kids" (S05E11) The family is at a large amusement park (King's Island), and they've split up to ride different things. Jan buys a poster, and the container is the same as Mike's blueprints. They inadvertently swap poster tubes, Jan loses the one with the plans in it, and it's up to the family to race through the park to find the tube and then get it back to Mike. They keep running into each other and passing off the poster so they can get it there - - in the nick of time! (though Mike states they only have ten minutes when they start the frantic search... practically impossible to cover the park in that amount of time!) I love watching the family all run through everything. In fact, this is my very favorite episode of the entire series (so definitely watch part 2!!). Once, when it was supposed to air and a different episode aired instead, I wrote an email to the cable company about not listing the correct episode on the guide, LoL. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Favorite Episodes: Flash Forward

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I had unending love for this show. I thought the characters were all attractive, the storylines all sensible, and the style very teen-at-the-time. Although it only made it one season, Flash Forward was an amazing show. It's another Canadian show (what can I say, I like their teen shows, LoL), and I think it should have lasted longer. I don't cover one-season shows in my "favorite episodes" series much because that's kinda boring. But, at the same time, I don't want to write about each episode individually because it was a longer season, at 26 episodes. So, we're doing something unique today. It's a little out of the ordinary, but I'm going to talk about 5 of my favorite scenes from the series.

"Fresh Start All Over Again" (S01E01): I love the part when Becca thinks she can just get the principal to switch around her or Christine's schedule so they can have more time together. HA!

"On Your Toes" (S01E05): Tucker and Miles are running around trying to get a great candid photo to win a photography contest... this mainly involved them hanging around pep squad, LoL.

"Apeward Bound" (S01E18): There's a field trip to the woods, but Tucker wants to sneak out to a Planet of the Apes movie marathon during it. I like when they finally get there, haha.

"Mudpack" (S01E19): I love the very end where Tucker and Becca hold hands and jump into the mudslide together.

"Curtain Call" (S01E26): I like all the flashbacks when Tucker and Becca talk about the different times in their lives when they've liked eachother, but didn't share.

Most of Flash Forward is on Youtube, just be sure to search by the episode name if you want to find it, since there's another television show by the same title. I'd embed some clips here, but they're recorded off the Disney Channel so the quality isn't that great. Still, they're there if you want.