“The Rockford Files’” final, 1979-1980 season was abruptly cut to just 12 episodes due to James Garner’s back and knee ailments. (Apparently four sixth-season episodes were scripted but never shot.) Garner would not return to the Rockford role until a series of eight TV-movies aired between 1994 and 1999. For all its brevity, this final season was nominated for six Emmys, including one for best drama series and one for James Garner. Stuart Margolin won for the second year in a row the best supporting actor in a drama series Emmy for his work as the weaselly Angel Martin.
Series mastermind Stephen Cannell penned the season premiere, “Paradise Cove,” which forced Rockford to serve as night watchman for his own trailer park. It was the only episode to co-star Mariette Hartley, who was making a series of Polaroid commercials with Garner at the time. (For her trouble she was nominated for an Emmy.)
The second Cannell-scripted episode, “Nice Guys Finish Last” 6.7) could be the funniest “Rockford” ever to see air, bringing together from two separate prior episodes gallant P.I. Lance White (Tom Selleck) and goofus detective Fred Beamer (James Whitmore Jr.). (If you ever wondered why Cannell didn’t create a Selleck series instead of the rather less gifted Don Bellisario, know that is wasn’t for lack of trying. Cannell wrote and produced two pilots starring Selleck and Whitmore (!): 1978’s “Gypsy Warriors” (about a World War II special forces operation in German-occupied France) and 1979’s “Boston and Kilbride” (about a team of private investigators). Neither pilot went to series. “Magnum P.I.” began its run in 1980.
Cannell also scripted 6.8, “The Hawaiian Headache,” a war-vet caper that explored Rockford’s Korean War backstory and may have served as a template for Cannell’s “The A-Team.”
Rita Moreno reprises her Emmy-winning role as hooker Rita Capkovic in 6.9, “The No Fault Affair.”
“Sopranos” creator David Chase kicks in 6.6, “Love Is The Word,” in which Rockford learns the gorgeous blind psychoanalyst he’s been dating since the middle of last season (Kathryn Harrold) is actually engaged to somebody else.
Chase also contributes the series’ penultimate episode, “Just A Coupla Guys,” a sequel to his fifth-season mobster episode “The Jersey Bounce.”
The set appears to be extra-free.
“Moonlight” is no “Angel,” but what could be?
A supernatural hourlong from writer-producers Ron Koslow (“Beauty and the Beast”) and Trevor Munson (“Lone Star State of Mind”), “Moonlight” follows a convertible-driving Los Angeles vampire private detective (Australian Alex O'Loughlin) who falls for a blonde young mortal (Britisher Sophia Myles).
(“Moonlight” did, for the record, have “Angel” co-creator David Greenwalt on staff as showrunner for a few weeks; he moved on, citing health concerns.)
Jason Dohring turns up in a supporting role as a very old vampire, as if to remind us he played a supporting role on “Veronica Mars,” a much better Southern California P.I. series. Rudolf Martin guest stars in the pilot as a faux vampire, as if to remind us he played Dracula on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” a much better contemporary Southern California vampire series.
Had “Angel” never existed, it’d still be easy enough to identify “Moonlight” as generic, substandard television. Nothing in it feels fresh or inviting; it’s refried Anne Rice, dumbed down for broadcast, unevenly acted and hobbled by leaden wit.
Go buy "Angel," which is smarter, cooler, funnier and has its own pee-pee demon.
USA Today said:
… When it comes to grand-scale theft, it's hard to be more obvious than CBS' vampire-detective drama, Moonlight. It's basically Angel without the search-for-a-soul underpinnings that gave Angel depth, and with a more ponderous script and less adept cast. OK, so maybe it isn't Angel after all. …
The New York Times said:
… the producers are onto a conceit that seems purely accidental. Vampires with a conscience are like cheerleaders in habits: what precisely is the point? … “Moonlight” demands that we question the grounds for its existence. …
The Los Angeles Times said:
… It seemed a perfect marriage, a modern "Night Stalker," appealing both to fans of "Buffy" and of "CSI." But something got lost between concept and execution, and instead of suspense we get silliness, as if the creators (Ron Koslow, Trevor Munson, Chip Johannessen) were determined to use only the clichés of both genres. …
The Chicago Tribune said:
… a very terrible show. Actually, "Moonlight" is almost in the "so bad it's good" category. There are any number of nearly entertainingly bad things to pick apart, if you enjoy that sort of thing. The direction is flat-out awful (there are many choppy shots from bizarre, if not inexplicable, angles). Much of the dialogue is groan-inducing, the acting by some of the guest actors is jaw-droppingly wooden, and I guessed who the villain was way before the halfway mark. …
The Washington Post said:
… The most disappointing thing about this sanguinary pretty boy is that show creators Trevor Munson and Ron Koslow decided to make him a private eye. Oh, jeez, another one? And that means yet more murders and the solving thereof on what's clearly become the Criminal Broadcasting System, all crime all the time. When the narration changes from vampirical studies ("when you live forever, the past always catches up with you") to private-eye cliches ("a murderer was loose in the city"), one's heart may sink. The producers appear eager to avoid what makes their show unique. … It doesn't go quite far enough into uncharted territory but gets off to a basically promising start nonetheless, and executive producer Joel Silver (of "Lethal Weapon" and "Die Hard" fame) has seen to it that the show has a classy, snazzy surface. …
The San Francisco Chronicle said:
… just flat-out awful … may well be the worst new fall show. … It's just heinous. Absurd, laughable, painful to watch - you name it, "Moonlight" has it all. Woeful acting? Check. Cheap effects? Check. Worst writing of the new season? Check. Predictability? Pretensions? Faint imitations of superior shows? Someone at CBS shouldn't just have their neck bitten, but sliced through, for this one. …
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer said:
… an example of evil rendered poorly. It's another one of those way-out shows CBS is hoping will make viewers sit up and take notice. This vampire detective show (sorry, can't resist this) is one that first bites, then sucks. Hard.…
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said:
… displays none of the depth of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" nor the romance of Lifetime's Canadian import "Blood Ties." Instead, "Moonlight" is just a weak, generic private-eye drama with a vampire story overlay; it's "Angel" with much less creativity and more familiar, conventional plots. …
The Boston Globe said:
… As Mick St. John, vampire gumshoe, O'Loughlin is a flatliner. He sleepwalks through "Moonlight," … Much of "Moonlight" is amateurish, but nothing is more amateurish than the artificial chemistry between O'Loughlin and Myles, who looks like Kate Winslet. They exchange lines of dialogue with a stilted rhythm and no natural flow. Not that the script offers much to inspire an actor. The procedural case in tonight's episode is dashed off and obvious, as the pair investigate a professor obsessed with vampire mythology. …
The Hollywood Reporter said:
… gives short shrift to crime solving. In the two episodes provided for review, criminals are barely more than one-dimensional comic book villains. Instead, the focus is on the dangerous and forbidden relationship between Mick and Beth and his efforts to keep his past a secret. Whether there's enough material there to knit together a series remains to be seen. …
Variety said:
… the series makes scant use of its undead hero's abilities, while burdening him with a clunky Raymond Chandler-style narration … in the early going, he's more Mannix than Lestat, and other than a physical resemblance to Kate Winslet, Myles' damsel is a poor construct, owing both to the character's cliched nature and a rather uninspired performance. … does little more than serve up another moldy procedural with a splash of crimson, one which might finally prove that the easiest way to kill a vampire is with apathy.
On the day Barack Obama is inaugurated as president, Warner Home Entertainment trots out the 1997 miniseries “George Wallace,” a look at the segregation-happy longtime Alabama governor and four-time presidential candidate who once vowed, with God as his witness, “I will never be outniggered again.”
Crazy facts about Wallace: he won the endorsement of the NAACP in his first, unsuccessful run for Alabama governor in 1958 (while his chief opponent was endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan) – and his 1983–1987 term as governor saw a record number of African-American appointments to government positions.
A year before she got naked in “Gia” and two years before “Girl, Interrupted” made her a movie star, 21-year-old Angelina Jolie earned an Emmy nomination playing Wallace’s second wife Cornelia (who, wackily enough, was the niece of Big Jim Folsom, the longtime Alabama governor Wallace defeated for governor in 1962).
The miniseries was nominated for eight Emmys (including outstanding miniseries) and won three (for Gary Sinise, Mare Winningham and director John Frankenheimer).
Herc’s Popular Pricing Pantry
Last week a season of “Lost” cost $47.99. At the moment each of the first four seasons is $29.99!! (50% Off!!)
The first six seasons of “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” each just fell to $19.99!! (50% Off!!)
Last month a season of “24” went for $39.99 or more. Right now ALL of the first six seasons are $19.99!!
“Wonderfalls,” from the guy who created “Dead Like Me” and “Pushing Daisies,” is down to $19.99!!
You can now pick up a season of “Weeds” in HD for $17.95!! (40% Off!!)
TV-on-DVD Calendar
Last Week
Alvin and The Chipmonks: The Chipettes
Alvin And The Chipmunks: A Chipmunk Valentine
Benny Hill: Best Of
Ben 10: Alien Force 1.x Vol. 2
Captains and the Kings
Dallas 10.x
The Henry James Collection
House of Payne Vol. 3
Little Britain USA 1.x
The Lost Gods
Lovejoy 4.x
Make 'Em Laugh: The Complete Miniseries
Man Vs. Wild 2.x
Matlock 2.x
Mr. Mike's Mondo Video
Nature Tech
Reba 5.x
Saxondale 1.x/2.x
Skins Vol. 1
Stargate: The Ark of Truth (Blu-ray)
SuperSwank 1.x
10 Items Or Less 1.x/2.x
Tess of D'Urbervilles: The Complete Miniseries (2008)
'Til Death 2.x
Walker: Texas Ranger 6.x
When Weather Changed History
When Weather Changed History (Blu-ray)
This Week
The American Future: A History
Back At The Barnyard: Cowman
Children of the Stones: The Complete Miniseries
Criss Angel Mindfreak 4.x
Emergency 5.x
George Wallace: The Complete Miniseries
Jonathan Creek 3.x
The Last Detective: The Complete Series
Little House on the Prairie: Country School
Little House on the Prairie: Prairie Friends
MGM: When The Lion Roars
MI-5 Vol. 6
MonsterQuest 2.x
Moonlight: The Complete Series
My Three Sons 1.x Vol. 2
Paranormal State 2.x
Powerpuff Girls: The Complete Series
The Rockford Files 6.x
This American Life 2.x
Waking The Dead 3.x
January 27
All-New SuperFriends 1.x Vol. 2
America's Dumbest Criminals
The Beiderbecke Affair
Blossom 1.x/2.x
Cheers 11.x
The Girls Next Door 4.x
The Girls Next Door 1.x-4.x
Invaders 2.x
The Love Boat 2.x Vol. 1
MANTIS: The Complete Series
Meerkat Manor 4.x
Pink Panther Classic Cartoon Collection
Scooby-Doo Where Are You? 1.x Vol. 1
SpongeBob SquarePants: Spongicus
Teddy Ruxpin: Come Dream With Me - Complete Series
Voltron: Vol. 7
You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown
February 3
Afro Samurai II: Resurrection
Afro Samurai II: Resurrection (SE)
Afro Samurai II: Resurrection (Blu-ray)
Becker 2.x
Bewitched 7.x
Columbo 1990
Dave's World 2.x
Jon & Kate Plus Ei8ht 3.x
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Vol. 14
Night Court 2.x
The Partridge Family 4.x
Tom and Jerry Tales Vol. 6
February 10
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Mystery of the Easter Chipmunk
Curious George: Monkey Collection, Vol. 1
Curious George: Robot Monkey and More Great Gadgets
Faerie Tale Theatre: Brothers Grimm
Faerie Tale Theatre: Funny Tales
The Fat Albert Easter Special
Friday The 13th 2.x
A Haunting: Demon Angels
A Haunting: House of Fear
Kennedy: The Complete Miniseries
Life With Derek: Let The Games Begin!
Living With The Mek
Melrose Place 5.x Vol. 1
New Detectives 1.x/2.x
One Foot In The Grave 5.x
One Foot In The Grave 6.x
Phineas & Ferb Vol. 2
Route 66: 11 Producer's Picks <--- NEW!!
Shaun The Sheep Vol. 2
Simon & Simon 2.x
Tales From The Darkside 1.x
Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job 2.x
Wild At Heart 1.x
Wizards of Waverly Place Vol. 2
February 17
The Beverly Hillbillies 3.x
Dead Like Me: Complete Series Gift Set
Dead Like Me: The Movie
Food Paradise
The F Word 1.x
Ghost Hunters International 1.x
Law & Order: SVU 8.x
Murder She Wrote 9.x
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest 1.x
Sabrina The Teenage Witch 5.x
Smurfs 2.x Vol. 1
Wycliffe 1.x
February 24
Breaking Bad 1.x
Canterbury's Law: The Complete Series
Cities of the Underworld 2.x
Dirty Jobs Vol. 4
Enemy at the Door Vol. 1
Futurama Movie IV: Into The Wild Green Yonder
Futurama Movie IV: Into The Wild Green Yonder (Blu-ray)
Futurama Movies I-II-III-IV
Girlfriends 6.x
Jacked! Auto Theft Task Force 1.x
Just Shoot Me 3.x
The Lair 2.x
Make Room For Daddy 6.x Vol. 1 <--- NEW!!
Mighty B: We Got The B
My Wife and Kids 1.x
Oliver Twist: The Complete Miniseries (2007);
The Painted Lady: The Complete Miniseries
Summer Heights High
Trial & Retribution Vol. 2
The Universe 1.x/2.x
March 3
Chowder Vol. 2
Doctor Who: The Androids of Tara
Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor
Doctor Who: The Key To Time
Doctor Who: The Pirate Planet
Doctor Who: The Ribos Operation
Doctor Who: The Stones of Blood
East of Eden: The Complete Miniseries
ER 10.x
The Hills 4.x
Hotel Babylon 3.x
My Two Dads 1.x
Nash Bridges 2.x
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares 1.x
Return of Man From UNCLE
Rick & Steve 2.x
7th Heaven 8.x
SpongeBob Vs. The Big One
Stargate Movies: Continuum/Ark of Truth
Taggart Vol. 1
Trial and Retribution Vol. 2
Wildfire 3.x
March 10
The Adventures of Champion: Best Of
The Baron: The Complete Series
The Best Years 1.x
Caroline in the City 2.x
Cracker: The Complete Series
Family Ties 5.x
Get Smart 2.x
The Girls Next Door 4.x
The Red Green Show 2001
Samantha Brown's Passport to Great Weekends 1.x <--- NEW!!
South Park 12.x
South Park 12.x (Blu-ray)
Woody Woodpecker Favorites
March 17
Barney Miller 3.x
Ghost Hunters 4.x Vol. 2
The F Word 2.x
Head Case 1.x
Hollywood Residential 1.x
JAG 8.x
Married With Children 10.x
Mr. Belvedere 1.x/2.x
The Nanny 3.x
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 2.x/3.x/4.x
Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 2
Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 3
The Zeta Project 1.x
March 24
California Dreams 1.x/2.x
The Dog Whisperer: The Very Best Of
The Life and Times of Tim 1.x
Locked Up Abroad: The Complete Series
Midsomer Murders Vol. 12
The Riches 2.x
Room 222 1.x
Runaway: The Complete Series
Shiralee: The Complete Miniseries <--- NEW!!
Star Wars: Clone Wars -- A Galaxy Divided <--- NEW!!
The Venture Bros. 3.x
The Venture Bros. 3.x (Blu-ray)
March 31
Goosebumps: Return of the Mummy
Goosebumps: Sacrecrow Walks at Midnight
Hannah Montana: Keeping It Real
Hope & Faith 1.x
The IT Crowd 1.x
Planet Earth Vol. 3 <--- NEW!!
Planet Earth Vol. 4 <--- NEW!!
The Real Ghostbusters Vol. 1
Schoolhouse Rock: Earth
Urban Legends 1.x
Voltron Vol. 8
Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea 4.x Vol. 1
April 7
Ben 10: Alien Force Vol. 3
The Deadliest Catch 4.x <--- NEW!!
The Paper Chase 1.x
Snoopy's Reunion
April 14
Cranford: The Complete Miniseries (Blu-ray)
ExoSquad 1.x
House of Saddam: The Complete Miniseries
Intelligence 2.x
Knots Landing 2.x
Malcolm & Eddie 1.x
Skins Vol. 2
April 21
Dallas 11.x
FBI Files 2.x
Squidbillies Vol. 2
April 28
The Rookies (2008) 1.x <--- NEW!!
The Universe 3.x
The Waltons 9.x
May 5
Bleak House: The Complete Miniseries - Special Edition
Bleak House: The Complete Miniseries (Blu-ray)
Doctor Who: Battlefield
Doctor Who: The E-Space Trilogy
May 12
Spin City 2.x
True Blood 1.x
May 26
Cities of the Underworld 3.x
Gangland 3.x
Manhunters: Fugitive Task Force 1.x
June 23
Route 66 3.x Vol. 1
Selected season-sets containing
some of Herc’s all-time favorite TV!!
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$18.99 Moonlighting 1.x/2.x (25 episodes)
$18.99 Pushing Daisies 1.x (nine episodes)
$19.99 24 1.x (24 episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$19.99 Buffy The Vampire Slayer 4.x (22 episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
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$19.99 Wonder Showzen 2.x (eight episodes)
$21.49 Cheers 1.x (23 episodes)
$21.99 ER 1.x (26 episodes)
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$22.99 The Andy Griffith Show 5.x (32 episodes)
$22.99 The Tick: The Complete Series (nine episodes)
$23.99 Soap 1.x (25 episodes)
$23.99 The Bob Newhart Show 1.x (24 episodes)
$23.99 The Mary Tyler Moore Show 1.x (24 episodes)
$23.99 Taxi 1.x (22 episodes)
$23.99 Hill Street Blues 1.x (17 episodes)
$23.99 Mad Men 1.x (13 episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$23.99 TV Funhouse: The Complete Series (eight episodes)
$24.49 Gilmore Girls 4.x (22 episodes)
$24.99 Friends 1.x (24 episodes)
$24.99 The Venture Bros. 1.x (13 Episodes)
$24.99 From The Earth To The Moon (12 episodes)
$25.99 The Tick Versus 1.x (12 episodes)
$28.99 Mission: Impossible 1.x (28 episodes)
$28.99 The Wild Wild West (28 episodes)
$29.99 Lost 1.x (24 episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$30.49 Seinfeld 3.x (23 episodes)
$30.99 Newsradio 1.x/2.x (29 episodes)
$30.99 Kung Fu 2.x (23 episodes)
$30.99 The Larry Sanders Show 1.x (13 episodes)
$31.99 Murder One 1.x (23 episodes)
$31.99 Angel 5.x (22 episodes)
$31.99 Futurama Vol. 2 (19 episodes)
$31.99 Aeon Flux: The Complete Series (10 episodes)
$31.99 Curb Your Enthusiasm 1.x (10 episodes)
$31.99 Columbo 1.x (nine TV-movies)
$32.99 Oz 1.x (eight episodes)
$34.99 St. Elsewhere 1.x (22 episodes)
$36.99 The OC 1.x (27 episodes)
$36.99 The Office 3.x (24 episodes)
$36.99 Undeclared: The Complete Series (17 episodes)
$37.49 Alias 1.x (22 episodes) <--- VASTLY ENCHEAPENED!!
$38.99 My So-Called Life: The Complete Series (17 Episodes)
$39.98 Six Feet Under 1.x (13 episodes)
$39.98 Carnivale 1.x (12 episodes)
$39.99 The Dick Van Dyke Show 1.x (31 episodes)
$40.49 Deadwood 1.x (12 episodes)
$40.49 The Sopranos 1.x (13 episodes)
$40.99 Northern Exposure 3.x (23 episodes)
$41.49 Rome 1.x (12 episodes)
$42.99 SCTV Network 90 Vol. 1 (Nine 90-minute episodes)
$42.77 Fawlty Towers: The Complete Series (12 episodes)
$44.99 The West Wing 1.x (22 episodes)
$44.99 Veronica Mars 1.x (22 episodes)
$45.99 Battlestar Galactica 1.x (13 episodes plus miniseries)
$49.99 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 3.x (26 episodes)
$49.99 Star Trek: The Next Generation 3.x (26 episodes)
$49.99 Saturday Night Live 1.x (24 episodes)
$49.99 Brideshead Revisited (11 hours)
$49.99 The Wire 1.x (13 episodes)
$54.99 Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series (18 episodes)
$57.99 Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Complete Series (45 episodes)
$57.99 The Prisoner: The Complete Series (17 episodes)
$59.99 Star Trek 2.x (26 episodes)
$69.99 The Twilight Zone 1.x (36 episodes)
$74.99 Twin Peaks: The Complete Series (30 episodes)
$107.89 Once and Again 1.x (22 episodes)
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