"THE FRANK MORGAN SHOW"

On Wednesday, I went to the Paley Center for Media so that I could check out a few TV projects by the late Robert Culp which had piqued my curiousity. Well, that, and to also renew my membership which ended that day.

The three TV projects were two historical programs keyed to the Bicentennial - "Give Me Liberty" with Richard Kiley and "Land Of The Free" with Burgess Meredith, both from 1974. The other one was a 1970 ITV movie written by John Mortimer - "Married Alive" with the loverly Diana Rigg.

I'll have more on my experience with those later, but I really wanted to tell you about the big bonanza - and I ain't talking Cartwrights here. I'm talking about an hour and an half of Frank Morgan goodness, truly a lost treasure!

You know Frank Morgan - he played Professor Marvel as well as the title character in 'The Wizard Of Oz'. As a kid, I always liked him in the role, but I favored Bolger's Scarecrow and Lahr's Lion more. Only now that I'm older have I come to realize that Frank Morgan is the actor to watch in the movie. He's absolutely brilliant!

I always was sorry that there was nothing to represent him in Toobworld, as he died in 1949, when television was in its infancy. But then a few weeks ago I was in Midtown, at my favorite source for bootleg DVDs of old TV shows; I was there looking for more 'You Are There' compilations so that I won't run out of characters for the "As Seen On TV" showcase here in Inner Toob. And just by luck, I was able to meet the guy who supplies all of those DVDs for my source. (Like I'd tell the authorities where it is!)

Anyhoo, we got to talking, which he was happy to do so long as I kept grabbing his 20 buck cases, and he told me that one of his "holy grails" was 'The Frank Morgan Show'. He knew the Paley Center had the only 3 episodes that were made and if he could find an inside source, this would be his goal: to dupe only this show out of everything in their collection. Apparently, the 'Wizard Of Oz' collectibles market is very lucrative and they'd pay top dollar for copies of this show.
Frank Morgan was contracted to do a TV series in those early days, one of the earliest of sitcoms, to be shown on the NBC network. He was able to complete the pilot and the next two episodes before he died unexpectedly of a heart attack.

According to the book "The Chimes At Midtown" (about the history of NBC, which I have in the Toobworld Central library) the premise of 'The Frank Morgan Show' was this: Morgan played an old con artist, grifter, and master of disguise named Frank Martin (no imagination wasted in coming up with that name!), who had abandoned his family many years before when his son was just a child. Eventually he was declared dead and his wife remarried, with her new husband adopting the son and legally changing his name.

Years later, young Francis Millbrook is grown up, a veteran of WWII, and has established himself in the District Attorney's office. Because of some big case he won, Millbrook finds himself running for Congress. But then a few days before the election, suddenly Frank Martin reappears in everybody's life. Now it's a mad scramble to keep him out of the way, and more importantly out of the papers, until after the election - which the polls showed as being very close. (Joseph Kearns was the guest star in the pilot, playing "The Distinguished Gentleman" who's running for re-election against Milbrook. Yep - that's how he was listed in the credits, no name.)
Quickly assaying the situation, Frank Martin presents himself as Franklin Pynge Salter, which is a play on his old con man nickname of "Frankie Pinch O' Salt" (because you had to take a grain of salt with everything he'd tell you). And without his son's knowledge until it's too late, he inserts himself into the campaign as an advisor. And the hokum he spins for the reporters, worthy of Bilko with a dash of Professor Irwin Corey, gives his son the edge in the election. (And it turns out that people listening to him on the radio thought they would be voting for him the next day.) And that's basically what happens in the first episode, "Prodigal Dad".

The only real downside was how they worked the commercials for Duz detergent (the show's sponsor) right into the storyline with each episode, even if it didn't really fit. Even at the Capitol building, they had to have a kitchen scene! It reminded me of how 'Martin Kane' made a point to involve their cigarette sponsor in each episode.

The other players in that pilot episode survived to the actual series - Robert Lowery as Francis Milbrook and Carole Matthews as daughter-in-law Claire Milbrook. Both were dull as dishwater in this, which is somewhat appropriate since the sponsor was Duz. But then I guess the point was they'd make Frank Morgan shine even more.

And as their son Jib, Georgie Noakes played the role. (I should bring my sister down to see this just for him! She's a fanatic for "It's A Wonderful Life", and I'm sure she'd recognize Georgie Noakes as young Harry Bailey.)
Frank's ex-wife Eleanor and her cantankerous sourpuss of a second husband Oliver Milbrook didn't show up until the third episode but they were mentioned a lot in the pilot. (They were played by Lee Patrick and Will Wright. Ms. Patrick was just getting warmed up for her later 'Topper' role.) Best of all, character actor Clinton Sundberg proved to be a great foil as Winston Tattersall, the campaign manager who was going to be Francis Milbrook's chief of staff down in Washington. (We never do learn what district Milbrook is supposedly representing.)

Winston sees Frank Morgan's character as a potential rival and is always trying to dig up some dirt on him.

There are two running routines throughout all three episodes: one is that Frank always calls Winston Tattersall "Winnie" which causes no end of frustration for Clinton Sundberg. The other is that no matter when a picture is taken in which "Franklin Pynge Salter" should show up, somehow he's never caught off-guard and always finds a way to hide his identity from the camera. (The funny thing was that it reminded me of last week's episode of 'How I Met Your Mother' in which no matter what situation, there was no way to take a bad picture of Barney Stimson. It also reminded me of how 'Bret Maverick' did everything he could to avoid getting his picture taken, at least in the sequel.) Oh, there was another special guest star in that pilot episode; at least, I think so - he certainly didn't get any credit! I think it was the Lassie then "acting" in the movies who appeared as Jib's collie Silky.

The second episode is "Running For Office Space" and is all about the family's move to Washington DC. And thanks to Frank Martin's con man skills, he's able to snare the best office of all in the Capitol for his son, even though he's a freshman Congressman.

Leo G. Carroll is the episode's guest star as a slightly befuddled old lion of Congress who can't quite ever fathom what this "Franklin Pynge Salter" is all about. But thanks to the intervention of old Frankie Pinch O' Salt, Francis Milbrook becomes a co-sponsor on a bill that Congressman Weatherby had been pushing for years. Not only that, he sees it get passed with a majority.

Oh, and Zasu Pitts has a cameo as a slightly flustered protestor outside the Capitol who doesn't know what to do with herself once the bill, which she also championed, finally gets passed.

The third episode is "A Little Something On The Side". A nosy reporter played by Arnold Stang gets the idea that there must be something to the fact that both "Franklin Salter" and Francis Milbrook both have similar first names. But by the time the episode ends, it's stuffy stepfather Oliver who's suspected of being Frank Jr.'s actual father and that Eleanor was having an affair with him before her husband's death. The situation gets so escalated that eventually Arnold Stang's reporter is accusing Oliver of killing Frank Morgan's character back in the day. And it's only Frankie Pinch O' Salt's crafty shenanigans that gets them all out of hot water without revealing who he really is. (Frankly I'm surprised that for those times the topic was even attempted in the sitcom.)

Sadly, on the night before they were to start filming the fourth episode of 'The Frank Morgan Show', the actor unexpectedly suffered a major heart attack in Beverly Hills. This was on September 18, 1949, and the show was supposed to premiere the following week on NBC. I'm not sure if these three episodes aired or not - 'The Frank Morgan Show' was supposed to air on Wednesday nights at 8 pm before 'The Clock', and the replacement show, 'The Crisis', didn't premiere until October. So it is pozz'ble.....

All that remains of that last episode is a publicity picture of Morgan and the actors who played his son and daughter-in-law, with a menacing George Macready. (If I'm not mistaken, he was to play a determined FBI agent egged on by Clinton Sundberg's character of "Winnie" Tattersall to find the dirt on Frank Martin.

The production quality on the surviving recordings is not all that could be hoped for, but at least they were able to bring Frank Morgan into Toobworld. And on the pilot Nat Hiken was given credit for the story - considering his work years later with 'Sgt. Bilko', I'm not surprised, because that monologue which "Franklin Pynge Salter" delivers to rally the troops had bits of Phil Silvers all over it.

Normally, I would be surprised by the lack of any information on this series in the IMDb, but we all know how reliable THAT is! In fact, that Robert Culp program I went to see, "Land Of The Free" with Burgess Meredith isn't listed either......

So that was my day, a day like any other, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times. And today will always be one I cherish.....

BCnU!

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THREE MINUTE THEATER

Recently I entered a (very) short play into the annual "Three Minute Theater" competition here in New York City. The rules are simple - write an original play that runs no longer than three minutes.

I made it to the next stage, where I was asked to produce a staging of my play. So I asked a young actor named Ray D. Amell (best known in TV for a stupid human trick on 'The Jay Leno Show') to play George, and Natalie Major, a singer-songwriter, to play his sister Karen. An old college buddy, Michael Hillyer, was nice enough to direct it; and I even got John O'Creagh (last seen in Toobworld in an episode of 'Life On Mars') to pose as Old Man Holvak with Natalie for the painting. (That's just off to the right in the picture above.)

Unfortunately, somebody on the committee finally took a good look at the script and decided it really wasn't very original. But we had fun while it lasted!

So I thought I'd share the play now with you......

THICKER THAN WATER

THE PEOPLE:
GEORGE
KAREN
(THE FAMILY HOLVAK)

(Scene: a darkened room. We can just barely see the shape of a man sitting in a chair on the far right of the room.)

(A woman enters. She attempts to do the clap on routine for the lights.)

Karen (grumbling): Turn on.....

George: Are you afraid of the dark?

Karen: Bless me, Father!

(Karen stumbles to the nearest lamp and switches it on.)

Karen: George!

George: Karen....

Karen: Good grief! You again?

George: Baby, I'm back.

Karen: Who do you think you are? Wait til your father gets home!

George (laughing): Daddy-O? The biggest loser! Don't wait up. (Shows fake sense of mourning) General Hospital, imagine that! Daddy dearest, one foot in the grave....

Karen: What do you want, big brother?

George: Let's see.... in search of cool millions, believe it or not.

Karen: Over my dead body!

(George pulls out a gun.)

George: You asked for it.

Karen: The gun!

(Karen runs to the phone, but can't get a dial tone.)

George: Call for help?

(George holds up the severed phone line.)

Karen (pleading): Let's talk.... Let's make a deal......

George (mocking): Sister, sister.....

(George tosses a coin.)

George: Shoot... don't shoot....

(He checks result of the coin toss.)

George: Goodnight, sweetheart.

(George shoots Karen. She collapses on the floor.)

George: Goodness gracious me! Dead at 21......

(Pocketing the gun, George goes through her pockets until he finds a ring of keys.)

George: Thanks.

(George crosses the room to a picture hanging on the wall and studies it.)

George: Imagine that! You're in the picture!

(No response from Karen. With a shrug, he pulls the painting back to expose a safe.)

George: Eureka!

(He inserts the key but before it opens, huge pincers bolt out of the wall and crush him between them.)

George: The Vise!

(He dies.)

(Karen lifts her head.)

Karen: The Family Holvak... cursed!

(She collapses in death.)

The End

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AS SEEN ON TV: "MARCONI"

"GUGLIAMO MARCONI"

AS SEEN IN:
"Sherlock Holmes And The Incident At Victoria Falls"

AS PLAYED BY:
Steven Gurney

BCnU!

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FOR SHAME, ABC! FOR SHAME!

"[T]his is 'Lost.' The final season of 'Lost.'

It's sacred ground.

You don't clutter the screen during one of the show's final, pivotal episodes.

Or you piss people off."

Mike Schneider

Variety

But what do you expect? As either Morley Safer or Harry Reasoner - or maybe even Eric Sevareid - said, "TV executives should be nibbled to death by ducks."

BCnU!

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CAPRICA 1.9 - "End Of The Line"

WRITER: Michael Taylor
DIRECTOR: Roxann Dawson
GUEST CAST: James Marsters, Polly Walker, Scott Porter, John Pyper-Ferguson, Alex Arsenault, Leah Gibson, Jill Teed, Hiro Kanagawa, Genevieve Buechner, James Pizzinato, Liam Sproule, Teryl Rothery, Johnson Gray & Zak Santiago

[SPOILERS] A lot happened in Caprica's mid-season finale (more than the past four episodes combined) and it delivered a real buzz in its final moments, leaving you excited about where the show's headed when it returns in October. But at the same time it felt rather forced and at odds with the measured pace that's been the show's style. It was as if the producers decided to throw three episodes worth of developments into one episode, almost out of desperation.

We may as well just tick off the big developments: Joseph (Esai Morales), now a sofa-bound holoband addict, managed to locate Tamara (Genevieve Buechner) in New Cap City, only to watch as she (faked) her own death and "de-rezed" him from the game; Amanda (Paula Malcomson) sank into depression, pushed into a suicide bid when it became clear Daniel (Eric Stoltz) had indeed stole the MCP chip from rival Vergis (John Pyper-Ferguson); lab assistant Philo (Alex Arsenault) was ordered to destroy what makes the Zoe-Cylon's chip unique, forcing Zoe (Alessandra Torresani) to reveal her presence within the robot body to him, and go on the run in a stolen vehicle; Daniel decided to sell the C-Bucks team to Vergis to save his business from financial ruin, and was later told the military want their agreed 100,000 Cylon soldiers ready by next week; and Lacy (Magda Apanowicz) was given a crate to transport Zoe-Cylon safely to Gemenon by Barnabus (James Marsters), in exchange for planting a bomb in his STO rival Sister Clarice's (Polly Walker) car.

Again written by Michael Taylor, "End Of The Line" certainly contained plenty of moments I wasn't expecting (such as Zoe accidentally killing her boyfriend Philo during her escape), but some of the developments didn't feel worth the two-month buildup (like Tamara giving her father a reason to end his search for her), while others just felt confusing (like Daniel deciding to erase the unique elements of the MCP chip, which is undoubtedly the only thing that's made that otherwise useless chip work!) I'm still scratching my head over that latter development, and wondering why Daniel didn't threaten Zoe-Cylon with what's effectively death as one of the trials during "Ghosts In The Machine".

Elsewhere, Barnabus became a touch more interesting as a fanatical terrorist who's prepared to kill other higherups like Sister Clarice in order to remain top dog, but my patience is stretching thin with Amanda's character because the writers have saddled her with playing a drunk prone to hallucinations. I guess there's potential in the idea that Sister Clarice considers Amanda to be a prophet of sorts -- here avoiding a fiery demise at the hand of Barnabus when she was distracted by seeing Amanda jump off a bridge -- so maybe it'll help if Amanda is introduced to the STO's teachings and is told she's perhaps an instrument of the One True God.

And what of Joseph? Considering the fact Caprica was pitched as this big warring family drama, the Adamas have been a big disappointment so far. Graystone vs. Vergis has felt like a more plausible and interesting threat than the early Adama/Graystone skirmishes ever were, Joseph's been stuck wandering around V-world for weeks recently, and his search concluded in a rather offhand way here. And the little twist that Joseph's sexy virtual guide, Emmanuelle (Leah Gibson) was his besotted secretary Evelyn (Teryl Rothery) all along -- who had likely talked Tamara into faking her suicide so she could get Joseph all to herself in the real-world, likewise passed by with no sense of impact.

Overall, Caprica definitely some work to do. It's certainly more entertaining now than it was in the first month on-air, and has even pulled off a few genuinely thrilling episodes along the way, but it's not quite as good as it thinks it is yet. There are too many characters or subplots that aren't interesting or feel tired (Amanda's visions, Sister Clarice, the STO), so most of the heavy lifting's being done by Daniel's corporate feud and Zoe's existential nightmare. The promise of a very exciting and interesting storyline with the "immortal" Tamara in V-world also hasn't come about yet, although there's still time for that to take shape.

Asides

• The character of Sister Clarice hasn't worked, the producers have even admitted they're having problems with her storyline, so it was a missed opportunity to not kill her off in the bomb. Then again, she's part of those expensive opening credits, so the actress must be under contract, so they'll have to do something with her.


• This episode was directed by Roxann Dawson, best known for playing B'Elanna Torres in Star Trek: Voyager, who's now a fairly prolific TV director after getting her behind-the-camera break on Trek. In fact, her recent career echoes that of Voyager co-star Robert Duncan McNeill (Tom Paris), who is havily involved filming Chuck. Dawson did a good job with a large-scale episode here.


• Maybe it's just me, but everytime I see an action sequence in Caprica I keep thinking it's been shoehorned in at the behest of Syfy because of early complaints the show is boring. The car chase sequence with Zoe-Cylon and two Hunter-Killers from The Terminator (weren't they?) was returned to so often (as part of a pointless flashforward device) that it irritated me.


• Is Tamara pronounced "Tam-ra" or "Tam-ar-a"? Is one American, one English? I've always said the latter. "You say Tamra, I say Tamara... let's call the whole thing off."

30 MARCH 2010: SKY1 (HD), 9PM

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Review renovation

After giving it some thought, I've decided to halt my reviews of Damages and FlashForward. I have too much on my plate right now, so I'm struggling to find time to write about them. The reason I've chosen to end reviews of those shows is because they get the least feedback and (in FlashForward's case) I've grown tired of writing about it. I'll continue to watch both, so if there's a particularly startling episode I'll probably post something, and FlashForward's finale will definitely be reviewed... but weekly reviews will cease with immediate effect.

Taking another look at my sidebar's "On The Box" grid of the TV I'm reviewing weekly, there's still an awful lot to get through! It's therefore possible I'll have to drop more shows in the coming weeks, or at least reduce some of the less popular reviews to brief recaps and thoughts.

The only shows that are 100% safe, because I enjoy tackling them, are: Breaking Bad, Chuck, Glee, Doctor Who, Lost and Mad Men. The ones most at risk are: Fringe and Human Target. The ones I'm undecided about are: Ashes To Ashes, The Pacific and V, where continuation will depend on reader response, or more time becoming available to me.

If you have any guidance to offer (which reviews do you read, which don't you care about?) feel free to let me know. It'll help me decide; particularly regarding the appetite for Fringe, Human Target, Ashes To Ashes, The Pacific and V reviews.

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Seven and One: Kevin!

It's time to roll out another Seven and One! This week's Millennium fan is Kevin (Icubud)! Thank you Kevin for standing up and explaining your Millennium love to one and all. If you wish to complete a Seven and One yourselves and follow Kevin's wonderful example, simply email us on the address at the end of the blog entry. Remember, we have a basic and advanced Seven and One - take your pick which you would prefer to answer. Both are listed at the bottom of this post!

So without further ado! Shout out your Millennium wuv Kevin!

1. About You.

My name is Kevin, a.k.a. icubud, I work as an analyst at consumer goods corporation. In my spare time I am either reading [currently Stoker’s “Dracula”), creative writing, completing assignments as I am pursuing an MBA, or hanging out with my wife catching up on all the DVR shows of the week over the weekend.

2. Why are you a fan?

Millennium was the pick for me from the very beginning. The character, career, and life’s baggage of Frank appealed to me. The concept of the family, new starts, and the yellow house spoke volumes visually that many people wish they had the opportunity to actually do. As the show developed and we learned more about the millennium group, good vs. evil, conspiracy theories, and the Old Man – Frank’s journeys were my journeys too – and what a ride.

3. How long have you been a fan?

Since première of the pilot episode and now own the series in DVD format as they were released.

4. What's your favorite episode?

Unfair question but expected. Mikado, Roosters & Owls, Hand of St. Sebastian - and pretty much all the others.

5. What's your favorite scene or moment?

• The tender scenes with Jordan – it was so easy to see they enjoyed working together.
• Frank kicking in Watts patio door
• Scenes when the devil is watching him on Halloween.

6. If a movie was made which characters would you like to see in it?

Everyone back as themselves. Story line would need to be good vs. evil and "take it on" without holding back. Frank, Scholars, anthropologists, criminalists, etc. vs. the evil.

7. Why do you think Millennium should come back?

The story was not allowed to play out and Chris Carter and team rarely gave it the full focus of their attention and creativity. Just think how MORE awesome the show would have been!

8. What are you watching right now?

Fringe, Criminal Minds, NCIS, Chuck, UK’s “Demons”, Numbers, 24, and Bones

Email your "seven and one" profile to info@backtofrankblack.com and we'll share you those responses to the Millennium world! We have a choice of 2 questionnaires - up to you which you use!


HARD SET (new!):
1. About You.
2. What was the most horrifying moment in the show?
3. What's your favourite quote from the show?
4. What's your favourite piece of music in Millennium (incidental or song)?
5. What is your opinion as to the nature of Frank's Gift?
6. What's your favourite episode ending?
1. If you were given the chance to make a Millennium movie, what would you focus on and why?

EASY SET:
1. About You.
2. Why are you a fan?
3. How long have you been a fan?
4. What's your favorite episode?
5. What's your favorite scene or moment?
6. If a movie was made which characters would you like to see in it?
1. What are you watching right now?

Don't be shy!

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CHUCK 3.12 - "Chuck Versus The American Hero"

WRITERS: Matt Miller & Phil Klemmer (story by Max Denby)
DIRECTOR: Jeremiah Chechik
GUEST CAST: Brandon Routh, Bonita Friedericy, Mark Sheppard & Pepper Binkley

[SPOILERS] Originally intended to be season 3's penultimate episode, "Chuck Versus The American Hero" had the requisite big moments and exciting developments you'd expect, all converging into an enthralling final act that setup next week's erstwhile finale. As is common for Chuck, it was messy and unconvincing in certain areas, but I generally can't hate episodes that are as fast-paced and involving as this one became...

This week, Chuck (Zachary Levi) was in Washington D.C to meet with General Beckman (Bonita Friedericy) in person, to be given details of his assignment in Rome. However, after voicing his concerns about such a momentous lifestyle change (and what's his cover with his sister going to be?), Beckman agrees to give Chuck a week's leave to get his head straight. This means Chuck has seven days to make all his dreams come true, by winning Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) back so they can become a Mr & Mrs Smith-style duo, or otherwise quit the spy game. But it's not going to be easy, as he quickly realizes Sarah's lost her ardor for him -- because she believes he killed a man as part of his "Red Test" (when in reality it was Casey who fired the lethal shot from afar, and has sworn Chuck to secrecy.)

Fortunately, Casey (Adam Baldwin), Morgan (Joshua Gomez) and Devon (Ryan McPartlin) all have reasons to help Chuck get the girl, so they put a plan into action to help Chuck convince Sarah he loves her, which involved making sure her boyfriend Shaw (Brandon Routh) was distracted during a dinner date so Chuck could lay his cards on the table. Unfortunately, Ring agents have been circling Shaw with the intention of kidnapping him, and their plans became entangled with Chuck's.

It's something of a miracle that "... Versus The American Hero" worked as well as it did, as it was being held together by the glue of audience interest in the Chuck/Sarah relationship, which has been bent, strained and pushed in so many directions over the course of three seasons. It's a testament to Levi and Strahovski that it hasn't become so tedious, although I keep wondering how far Chuck can last before it'll have no option but to get those characters together, engaged and married. Would the show work with a married spy couple at the centre of it all? Anyway, for now there are obstacles forever being thrown into the path of true love, and having Sarah believe Chuck's tarnished his soul by murdering someone was -- well, hypocritical -- but also an interesting angle. Although it never made sense to me why Casey didn't just confide in Sarah that he made the kill from the start.

What made this episode was its final act, with Shaw kidnapped by the enemy and delivered to Ring's HQ to meet The Director (Mark Sheppard), who reveals that his wife wasn't killed by a Ring operative, as he's always believed, but that she was the victim of Sarah's "Red Test" (seen in flashback last week). Yes, Shaw's new girlfriend killed his beloved wife (who must have been a double-agent), and his vendetta against the Ring has been misplaced. A fine twist, if something we should have predicted in retrospect, but Shaw's barely mentioned his wife so that lynchpin of his character wasn't foremost in most people's minds.

It was great seeing Chuck go solo to rescue Shaw, after realizing how much Sarah cares about him, but even better when the rescued Shaw awoke in hospital after an explosion had destroyed the Ring's HQ and made a beeline for Sarah to whisk her away under false pretenses, for some payback I'd assume. And for 'shippers, Chuck had finally made his feelings for Sarah abundantly clear ("I love you") and it looked like she was packing to go with him after Casey confessed he shot the mole, before Shaw interrupted things.

Overall, this episode was crammed full of incident in its last 20 minutes, and packed a twist I didn't see coming, which made it the perfect lead-in for next week's unofficial finale before an additional six episodes. The only irritation with Chuck in general is that it's very unlikely to ever evolve into a new form, so you just know we'll end up with Sarah, Chuck and Casey back in the Castle going on missions together. The show can stretch boundaries, change relationships and reveal secrets, but it's essentially going to adhere to the format established in season 1. So there'll be no international adventures of Mr & Mrs Bartowski or Team Chuck working in Italy. To be honest, that's probably very wise, as the best episodes of season 3 have been the ones that more closely resembled earlier seasons ("First Class, "The Beard", "Tic Tac"), but the trick has always been keeping things familiar with a sense of plausible evolution.

Asides

• Shaw; quite a misfire for season 3, despite some early promise, no? It wasn't entirely Routh's fault, it was just that the character was either a gooseberry, a spare part, or uninteresting. Hopefully, now that he's turned into a vengeful widower, his arc will end with a bang.


• Ellie. Oh, I can't even find the strength to write about Ellie. Just send her to Africa, pronto. Sarah Lancaster deserves better than being thrown plot scraps.


• I could understand Casey wanting to help Chuck win Sarah's heart, so Chuck wouldn't quit being a spy and could get him rehired, but it was a little strange that Morgan seemed to think he could become part of Chuck's handpicked team in Rome!


• Roger Cross (playing the lead Ring agent) is best known for playing Curtis Manning in many seasons of 24, so perhaps the presence of a General Bauer in Beckman's office was an intentional nod to that show?


• The vending machine secret entrance to the Ring HQ was straight out of Spies Like Us, a regular go-to for '80s references.


• Look, I like Mark Sheppard, but whenever his name appears on the credits you just know he'll be playing the week's bad guy. It's getting old. Does he embrace typecasting?


• This episode was also a minor Middleman reunion, with guest stars Mary Pat Gleason and Mark Sheppard having both appeared on that show.


• I'd love to see more of General Beckman's world, as the good guys are actually more mysterious than the bad guys on this show. It was fun seeing the desks full of uniformed receptionists (all women, how sexist) and Beckman's office, too. Can't we have a proper CIA base in L.A for the characters to report to sometimes? I get bored of the Castle and its viewscreen.

29 MARCH 2010: NBC, 8/7c

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FLASHFORWARD 1.13 - "Blowback"

WRITERS: Lisa Zwerling & Barbara Nance
DIRECTOR: Constantine Makris
GUEST CAST: Gabrielle Union, Laura Marano, Robert Neary, Kavita Patil & Tim "Timbaland" Mosley

[SPOILERS] Last week, I claimed I rarely stop watching a TV show I've started, but that doesn't stretch to writing about them. I'm still going to continue watching FlashForward until the bitter end -- because it's not long until the finale airs, and I'm intrigued to see if the later episodes pick up once David Goyer left as showrunner -- but "Blowback" was poor enough to make me stop writing about it every week. I may still chime in with a few thoughts occasionally (certainly for the finale), but writing about FlashForward every single week feels like it's extending the previous evening's irritation. A few brief thoughts on episode 13 before I signoff, for now:

I appreciated the episode's emphasis on character over plot, which has been a criticism of the show since it started, but the Lost-like flashbacks to explain exactly how Aaron (Brían F. O'Byrne) was told his soldier daughter Tracy (Genevieve Cortese) was KIA felt superfluous. Why did we need to see what we already knew had happened? And then Jane was kidnapped by black ops Jericho soldiers in the present-day (hiding at home was never a wise move, dummy), meaning Aaron' decided to channel Liam Neeson in Taken and went after Jericho's General Irskan (James Remar). I also found it amusing that Aaron kept leaving voicemails for his best friend Mark (Joseph Fiennes) to pick up, who's assumedly lost interest in Aaron's predicament -- not unlike the audience.

Speaking of Mark, he forced Lloyd (Jack Davenport) to recount every second of his vision (seconds of which they shared via phone call), so now we have the extra clue of a complex formula written on a mirror in lipstick in the Benford's bedroom, and Lloyd admitted that he knows the mysterious D. Gibbons -- someone who once took the credit for his achievements.

Finally, Demetri's (John Cho) fiancée Zoey (Gabrielle Union) became intensely irritating by taking it upon herself to avert Dem's death by sticking her nose into FBI business, and there was a bizarre cameo for Rn'B music producer Timbaland as an evidence clerk.

Overall, "Blowback" was rather flat and uninspired, not helped by the fact the preceding two episodes fired along like twin rockets, so it looked comparatively dawdling. It wasn't atrocious, and a few moments worked quite well, but when FlashForward does a character-building episode and you come away annoyed by most of the characters taking centre stage, it's time to worry.

Asides

-- It just dawned on me that the female terrorist is played by Rachel Roberts, of S1M0NE non-fame.

-- James Remar is a terrible actor. I know he's a regular on Dexter, and I don't pick on him there, but that's because he's confined to standing under a spotlight and saying his lines as straight at possible. Asked to do anything more, involving realistic human emotions, and he falls apart. He was truly dire here. Check out his reaction to a birthday cake in one scene.

-- The secret to eternal life: grow a big beard, then shave it. It knocks 15 years off, as Aaron proved in his flashback jail scenes.

29 MARCH 2010: FIVE (HD), 9PM

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THE PRIMEVAL VOYAGE AFFAIR

In the TV series 'Primeval', Nick Cutter and his estranged wife Helen somehow altered the Earth's timeline while they were in the prehistoric past. When Nick returned, he found that not only had the work on anomaly research been accelerated, but that Claudia Brown no longer existed. However, a woman who looked just like her but with the name of Jenny Lewis basically was living out the life that should have been Claudia's.

That massive tweak to Toobworld's timeline didn't just affect the characters of 'Primeval' but all of the other TV shows as well, across the board - even in different countries. We can use this to help splain away recasting Zonks and other discrepancies. And we can also use it to tighten up the connections between series.

A good case in point would be of two characters played by James Doohan in the early 1960's (later to gain fame as Commander Montgomery Scott on 'Star Trek').

In the original Toobworld timeline, the President of the United States in the late 1960's, early 1970's was Henry Talbot McNeill - as seen in episodes of 'Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea'. With the tweak to the timeline, the adjustment brought back Toobworld to be aligned with that of the real world: during that same time period, the Presidents were now Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

In that original timeline, President McNeill had an assistant played by Doohan. He was unnamed in the credits, but we're going to say that his last name was McInernay. Also we will contend that he had served in the Navy before going into government service.
In the new timeline, McInernay didn't go into politics, but instead kept to his seafaring background by becoming the second in command to Captain Shark - as seen in "The Shark Affair", an episode of 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' Although McInernay begged his captain to remain behind with him when their plans were foiled by U.N.C.L.E., Captain Shark forced his first mate to abandon ship as it sank.
This way, two one-shot characters played by James Doohan can connect two classic sci-fi TV series, albeit in alternate dimensions.

And how you doohan.....?

BCnU!

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A COUPLE OF CULP CULPRITS

Years ago I wrote a Toobworld essay called "Culp Ability", about why so many TV characters looked like Robert Culp, the Hollywood star of "Bob And Carol And Ted And Alice". I'll be tweaking that essay soon to present it here in the Inner Toob blog. But in the meantime, I've taken out one of the candidates for inclusion because I think I have a better background check for him......

SIBLING DEVILTRY
Allen Leighton
'The Outer Limits'
"The Architects Of Fear"
Arthur Farnley Selwyn
(Captain Shark)
'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'
"The Shark Affair"

It's Toobworld Central's Theory of Relateeveety that Allen and Arthur were twin brothers. The reason for the name change? It could be that their parents separated and each parent raised one of the boys. Eventually Mrs. Leighton remarried and Arthur's step-dad adopted him and gave him his surname.

But the boys stayed in contact and both of them developed a concern for the future of Mankind and the safety of Earth. (This probably grew out of their views about their own family lives.) Unfortunately, both of them took misguided actions in trying to combat the growing threat to the world. Allen Leighton became a scientist who joined with others in a plan to band Humanity together in a common cause by making them believe that the Earth was threatened by a potential alien invasion. Allen volunteered to undergo the painful injections and surgeries necessary to transform him into a believable alien being.

However, his "spaceship" went off course and he was shot by hunters out in the woods. Dying, he staggered back to the secret facility where he was reunited with his wife (who never believed that he was killed in a plane crash as she was told at the beginning of the project.)

Mrs. Leighton was pregnant by this point, so Allen's branch of the family tree lived on. A look through the IMDb list of characters with the last name of "Leighton" could probably turn up at least one person who could have been Allen's offspring...... Meanwhile, Arthur also was convinced that the world would soon destroy itself in a nuclear holocaust, so he turned to piracy as Captain Shark. His intentions were noble - he planned to gather the people and supplies needed to repopulate the Earth after Armegeddon. U.N.C.L.E. agents Napoleon Solo and Ilya Kuryakin were able to stop him and rescue his captives, but Captain Shark chose death over capture and went down with his ship.

It is unknown if Arthur Selwyn left behind any children of his own.....

BCnU!

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AS SEEN ON TV/HAT SQUAD: BABY JUNE

June Havoc passed away on Sunday; she was 97. Part of her life was immortalized in the musical "Gypsy" (Her sister was Gypsy Rose Lee.), which had a Toobworld treatment back in 1993.

JUNE HAVOC
"BABY JUNE"

AS SEEN IN:
"Gypsy"

AS PLAYED BY:
Lacey Chavert

She had her own syndicated talk show, 'The June Havoc Show' back in 1964 which was also known as 'More Havoc'. Among the series in which she had regular roles were the soap operas 'General Hospital' and 'Search For Tomorrow'.

She contributed characters to the population of Toobworld in 'The Paper Chase', 'McMillan & Wife', 'Burke's Law', and 'The Outer Limits', as well as in many of the anthology series of the 1950's. She also appeared in two episodes of 'Murder, She Wrote', but the one to check out is "The Grand Old Lady". (This could be a reference either to the luxury liner on which it takes place or to Ms. Havoc's character, 1940's mystery author Lady Abigail Austin who was somewhat pattered after Agatha Christie.

Although the series didn't last long, her greatest contribution to the "Tele-Folks Directory" of Earth Prime-Time was her starring role in 'Willy'. Willa Dodger graduated from law school in the mid-1950's and established a law practice in her hometown of Renfrew, New Hampshire. But when business proved to be too slow, she packed her bags and left for New York, where she got a job as the legal representation for a burlesque vaudeville organization.

It's amazing to think that June Havoc began her theatrical career in 1918 and it lasted into the 21st Century!

Good night and may God bless.

BCnU......

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Doctor Who: Radio Times' Guide + TARDIS photos

The TARDIS Base have transcribed the Radio Times' episode guide to the new series of Doctor Who, which starts this Saturday on BBC1/HD at 6.20pm. You can read it below (with a few minor changes by myself and some photos from the article), but beware of spoilers -- of the kind a national TV listings magazine thought appropriate to wet everyone's appetite with, of course, so nothing too major.

1. The Eleventh Hour

Writer: Steven Moffat

Guest Stars: Annette Crosbie, Nina Wadia & Arthur Darvill

Geronimo! A brand-new Doctor crashing to Earth. New face, new body, new man. And he's barely staggered out of the blue box, before he's found himself in the middle of the Crisis That Just Won't Stop! No time to rest and recover, no Tardis, no screwdriver – just six billion human beings about to die and only one man to save them. But the new Doctor encounters more than danger – this is the day he meets Amy Pond. Can he persuade her to trust him, when he's been letting her down all her life?

Quote: "Who da man?"

2. The Beast Below

Writer: Steven Moffat

Guest Stars: Sophie Okonedo & Terrence Hardiman

The Doctor takes Amy to the far future, and Starship UK. The British people, adrift among the stars on a giant spaceship, in search of a new home. But there are secrets here, in the rusting corridors and clanging hallways. A masked figure, who knows the Doctor of old, begs his help, while Amy encounters the terrifying Smilers, and uncovers a secret so dreadful, no one can remember it...

Quote: "Nobody talk to me! Nobody human has anything to say to me today!"

3. Victory of the Daleks

Writer: Mark Gatiss

Guest Stars: Ian McNeice & Bill Paterson

From the terrifying future of the United Kingdom to one of the darkest chapters of its past – World War Two. The Doctor and Amy find themselves in a top-secret cabinet war room deep beneath the London streets. And there, gliding among the nicotine walls and Bakelite telephones, the Daleks are hatching their deadliest scheme yet. Only one man can help the Doctor -– whose side is Winston Churchill on?

Quote: "I wanted to know what their plan was. I was their plan!"

4/5. The Time Of Angels / Flesh And Stone

Writer: Steven Moffat

Guest Stars: Alex Kingston & Ian Glen

A two-part story. A crashed spaceship, a shattered temple and a terrifying climb through the maze of the dead – River Song is back in the Doctor's life, and she's brought more trouble than even he can handle. The last of the Weeping Angels is loose in the ruins of Alfava Metraxis, and the Doctor is recruited to track it down. "Dont Blink!" everyone tells Amy – but as Amy is about to discover, not blinking, might just be the worst thing you can do…

Quote: "Is River Song your wife?"

6. Vampires In Venice

Writer: Toby Whithouse

Guest Star: Helen McCrory

In Venice, even danger is beautiful. The House of Calvierri has the whole city under its protection, but something is very wrong. There are blood-drained corpses in the street, something lurks in the canal, and the Calvierri girls are the loveliest in town, except when you glance in the mirror…

Quote: "You know what's dangerous about you? Not that you ask people to take risks, but that you make them want to impress you!"

7. Amy's Choice

Writer: Simon Nye

Guest Star: Toby Jones

It's been five long years since Amy travelled in the Tardis with her mysterious Doctor – and when he shows up again, on the eve of the birth of her first child, danger is not far behind him. Amy is faced with a heartbreaking choice that will change her life forever.

Quote: "I know who you are. There's only one person in the universe who hates me as much as you do."

8/9. TITLES UNKNOWN

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Guest Stars: Meera Syal, Stephen Morre & Neve McIntosh

In 2015, the most ambitious drilling project in history is under way. Dr Nasreen Chaudhry and her team have reached 21 kilometres into the Earth's crust – but something is stirring far below. Amy Pond discovers there's nowhere to run when you can't even trust the ground at your feet.

Quote: "While you've been drilling down… something else has been drilling up."

10. Vincent And The Doctor (TBC)

Writer: Richard Curtis

Guest Star: Tony Curran

Terror lurks in the cornfields of Provence, but only a sad and lonely painter can see it. Amy Pond finds herself shoulder to shoulder with Vincent van Gogh, in a battle with a deadly alien – saving the world has never been so ginger! But can even the Doctor save Vincent?

Quote: "Art can wait, this is life and death. We need to talk to Vincent van Gogh!"

11. The Lodger (TBC)

Writer: Gareth Roberts

Guest Stars: James Corden & Daisy Haggard

The Doctor faces his greatest challenge yet – a flat share! People are disappearing on Aickman Road, and the Doctor must solve the mystery of a staircase that people walk up – but never down.

Quote: "All I have to do is pass as an ordinary human being. What could possibly go wrong?"

12/13. TITLES UNKNOWN

Writer: Steven Moffat

A message on the oldest cliff-face in the universe, a puzzle box opening from the inside and a love that lasts thousands of years…The fates are drawing close around the Tardis – is this the day the Doctor falls?

Quote: "There was a goblin. Or a trickster, or a warrior. A nameless, terrible thing, soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies. The most feared being in all the cosmos. Nothing could stop it, or hold it, or reason with it -– one day it would just drop out of the sky and tear down your world."

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New footage from Lance's upcoming film The Witches of Oz

Some new exclusive content over at The Witches of Oz website www.followtheyellowbrickroad.com - there's a short movie that composites film footage and behind the scenes footage to the words of the projects head honcho and brain child, Leigh Scott.


Witces of Oz stars Millennium lead, Frank Black himself, Lance Henriksen alongside Christopher Lloyd, Jason Mews, Mia Sara and those wonderful Hobbits, Billy Boyd and Sean Astin.

Check it out - looks fun!

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BREAKING BAD 3.2 - "Caballo Sin Nombre"

WRITER: Peter Gould
DIRECTOR: Adam Bernstein
GUEST CAST: Bob Odenkirk, Michael Bofshever, Jonathan Banks, Giancarlo Esposito, Luis Moncada & Steven Michael Quezada

[SPOILERS] "Caballo Sin Nombre" (Spanish for "Horse With No Name", the song that opened the show), was another fascinating and gripping installment of this excellent series, that I felt was even better than the premiere. This season's torment for Walter (Bryan Cranston) is undoubtedly going to be his breakup with Skyler (Anna Gunn), which he can't even explain the circumstances of to his own son (R.J Mitte), but there's also trouble brewing just beyond his field of perception in the disquieting shape of those two Mexican cousins...

We begin with Walt getting arrested for complaining to a police officer who pulled him over for having a smashed windshield, with Walt believing he should be given some leniency because the glass was broken by debris from the recent airplane disaster. While you can understand Walt's frustration at being fined, seeing him lose his temper and earn himself a pepper spraying felt like a reminder that Walt's no longer the milquetoast chemistry teacher we met in season 1. He has a confidence to rise up against authority figures now, partly attributable to pent up emotions over his crumbling marriage here, but I'm willing to bet he'd have bitten his lip a year ago.

Walt's swollen eyes limited his view of the world for a few hours, but his impaired perception stretch beyond a temporary physical handicap now. We're shown that the Mexican cousins who crossed the US border are relations of druglord Tuco, who was killed in a gunfight by Hank (Dean Norris) shortly after kidnapping Walt and Jesse (Aaron Paul) in season 2, and here they arrive at an old folk's home to acquire their target from Tuco's disabled father, Tio (Mark Margolis), the memorably sinister wheelchair-bound old codger who communicates by ringing a bell. In a gloriously bizarre moment, the Cousins used a Ouija board for Tio to mark out the name of his son's murderer: WALTER WHITE. I also found it amusing that braggart Tuco's family are all so opposingly quiet, intentionally or not.

There was also a vague theme of returning to the comfort of your family nest here, with Jesse and Walt both trying to gain access to their old homes. Jesse learns that his parents are selling their renovated house for $870,000, but uses some of his drug money to hire Saul (Bob Odenkirk) to act as his representative for a half-price cash purchase, achieved by threatening to expose the Pinkman's deception regarding the fact their home contained a meth lab basement. In a rather uncomfortable scene, Jesse walks past his parents and back into his childhood home as its new owner, having cost them a fortune, which must surely be taken as a sign that Jesse's burnt his bridges with them now. It'll be interesting to see what the Pinkman's do next, as I'm sure they're at least wondering where their junkie dropout son got $400k in hard cash.

For Walter, he was likewise trying to get back home, but Skyler seems set on denying him the chance to explain himself, probably fearing he'll just continue spinning more lies. In an awkward twist, Skyler's the one coming off worse from the breakup, as Hank (Dean Norris), sister Marie (Betsy Brandt) and son Walt Jr (who's gone back to his birth name, to show his dad solidarity), all still perceive Walt as the unassuming teacher and family man bravely battling cancer, and Skyler can't bring herself to tell them the whole sorry truth. In fact, her decision to keep silent about Walt's drug dealing is because she has so much to lose if the truth came out, according to crooked lawyer Saul -- who gave Walt a misjudged pep talk intended to get him cooking meth again. But maybe he has a point. Whatever her reasons for keeping Walt's activities a secret between them, Skyler's faced with looking like the "bitch" (as her son bluntly put it during dinner), and her tolerance for criminal behaviour has definitely been lowered, as she's not willing to signoff on her boss' accounts at work, as he's clearly been fiddling the books.

In the climactic scenes, Walt returns home while Skyler's out, by breaking in underneath the floorboards to have a shower. Unfortunately, Walt chose the worst moment possible to clean himself up, as Saul's sent a bald private investigator to bug the house (assumedly so he can snoop on "the wife" and use what he learns to manipulate Walt), forcing him to cut short his installations. And then, in a surprising move I wasn't expecting until mid-season, the Cousins have already located Walter White's residence and enter the house armed with a shiny axe to avenge Tuco's death when Walt steps out of the shower. There followed a very intriguing resolution, with Saul's P.I calling local druglord Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) about the arrival of the Cousins, who managed to call off the Cousins' attack by texting them his codeword "Pollas". So are the Cousins allied to Gus? Is Walt safe if they think he's in Gus' pocket? Does Saul know his P.I has connections to Gus? If Walt continues to refuse to work for Gus (by accepting last week's $3m for three months work offer), will Gus be forced to let the Cousins carry out their hit?

Overall, a typically strong and fascinating episode with lots of juicy character beats and some interesting developments. The story certainly progressed quicker than I expected with the Cousins, it's amusing to see Walt grappling with his family life and so oblivious to the encroaching dangers around him, and "Caballo Sin Nombre" certainly left you with a head full of questions concerning the Cousins, Saul and Gus.

Asides

-- Did anyone else think the Cousins were going to try and contact the dead Tuco when they grabbed that Ouija board? Also, isn't it rather insensitive to have a Ouija board in an old folk's home?

-- Is this the best cast on TV? No, that honour belongs to Mad Men, but it's surely second best. Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul, Bob Odenkirk, Dean Norris -- they all impress me every week. Other shows have great actors involved, but they're usually surrounded by far weaker supporting players (see: Dexter), but Breaking Bad's core are all very strong.

-- I can't help but think that "Horse With No Name" was chosen because Vince Gilligan remembered its creepy use on Millennium, which he was affiliated with in the '90s via Chris Carter and The X Files.

-- The teddy bear's eye returned; this time ogling Walt when he woke up collapsed on his bedroom floor, but the Cousins also found it and, by moving it, left Walt to ponder how it got moved after leaving his shower.

-- It's a season of one-take wonders: last week the Cousins walked away from that exploding van without flinching ("bad guys don't look at explosions", remember), and this week Bryan Cranston apparently threw that gigantic pizza onto that roof in one shot. Incidentally, I know Americans like big portions, but I've got tables smaller than that pizza! And they wonder why there's a national obesity problem...

28 MARCH 2010: AMC, 10/9c

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MAD MEN 3.10 - "The Color Blue"

WRITERS: Kater Gordon and Matthew Weiner
DIRECTOR: Michael Uppendahl
GUEST CAST: Abigail Spencer, Marshall Allman, Christopher Stanley, Charles Shaughnessy, Embeth Davidtz, Kiernan Shipka, Alison Brie, Peyton List, Crista Flanagan, Laura Regan, Ryan Cartwright, Mary Anne McGarry, Hal Landon Jr., Deborah Lacey, Alexa Alemanni, Jared S. Gilmore, Neil Dickson, Anthony Burch & Shannon Welles

[SPOILERS] There's a lovely scene between Suzanne (Abigail Spencer) and Don (Jon Hamm) when they're in bed together, and she recounts the time a little boy in her class wondered if other people's perception of the colour blue is the same as his own. Don answers the conundrum by suggesting that "people may see things differently, but they don't really want to." This episode, entitled "The Color Blue", was certainly all about how people perceive things the way they want, despite the fact everyone's seeing the same thing...

As I alluded, Don's affair with his daughter's school teacher has definitely stepped up a gear -- with Don regularly sneaking out of the house at night, under the pretence of working late for the notoriously demanding Conrad Hilton, leaving Betty (January Jones) to sleep alone. In this episode, Don was introduced to Suzanne's teenage brother Danny (Marshall Allman), a dropout whose problems holding down a job stem from the fact he's afflicted by epilepsy.

Danny sees Don as an arrogant man (sensing his disdain at having his evening with Suzanne interrupted), but Don manages to prove him wrong a few days later, by offering to give Danny a lift to a job his sister's got him at a hospital in Massachusetts. Danny confides to Don that he has no intention of doing a menial job to ease his sister's conscience, so asks to be dropped off early, which Don agrees to do. Then, perhaps because Danny reminds Don of his own younger brother (who committed suicide when his attempt to reconnect with Don, or "Dick", hit a brick wall), Don gave Danny money and his business card, with an open offer to get in touch if he ever needs help.

At Sterling Cooper, Paul's (Michael Gladis) perception of Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) is that she's a favourite of Don's and her career progress isn't a result of true merit, as she's certainly less gifted as he believes himself to be. The pair were partnered for a Western Union campaign here, to work out why sending an old-fashioned telegram is preferable to modern telephone correspondence. Paul worked into the early hours, fuelled by alcohol, and during a chat with late-night janitor Achilles suddenly had a brainwave that would undoubtedly prove to be a winner. Sadly, the next morning, Paul awakened in his office with a hangover and realized he never wrote his masterstroke down and has thus forgotten it.

Peggy and Paul's meeting with Don didn't start well, after Paul admitted he lost his incredible idea and ruefully mentioned an old Chinese proverb ("the faintest ink is better than the best memory".) However, Peggy realized that same axiom could hold true for telegrams -- as there's a permanency to a telegram that a telephone call won't ever replicate. Don sensed a winning idea, so had them leave to develop it further, as Paul's eyes opened to the fact Peggy's a demonstrably gifted copywriter, literally gawping in astonishment at how she salvaged the entire meeting by thinking on her feet.

The real surprise of "The Color Blue" came from Betty's long overdue discovery of her husband's secret identity, after she found his desk drawer key in a pair of trousers and couldn't resist snooping inside while he was at work. There she found a shoebox of mementoes (Whitman family photos, Dick Whitman's army dog tags, Anna Draper's house deed, and his divorce papers), and while she may not know exactly what it all means yet, it's clear that Don's been keeping an awful lot of secrets from her. Even if Betty only deduces that Don's been married and divorced before (which isn't entirely accurate, as he'd taken on Don Draper's identity and ended the dead soldier's marriage), it's undoubtedly going to cause ructions. How can Don possible talk himself out of any of this, with so much evidence involved? Is Betty prepared to cause such turmoil for her family, or will she bite her lip for the sake of her three kids? Is her fancy man Henry Francis (Christopher Stanley) someone she can turn to after she confronts Don, or is he less noble than he appears and only in this for a thrill?

For Don, his acquired identity is about to achieve its highly accolade yet, as "prime time" speaker at Sterling Cooper's 40th anniversary party, following a $5,000 signing bonus handed to him by Lane (Jared Harris). It's an honour that has Roger (John Slattery) all in a twist, as his loathing of Don's success reached another level, and even Cooper (Robert Morse) doesn't feel like attending -- likening the party to a funeral. Interestingly, Lane received word from his bosses at London that PPL are going to sell Sterling Cooper, meaning the anniversary party's now serving a dual purpose as a way to promote the thriving business to potential buyers. To this end, Lane convinced the vain Cooper to attend, by making him worry a non-appearance will make rivals think he's ill. Lane himself is visible upset he'll soon have to return to London, although his homesick wife Rebecca is overjoyed (Embeth Davidtz)

Overall, I really enjoyed "The Color Blue", particularly the unexpected development of Betty sneaking a look behind the façade that is Don Draper. Her moment in the final scene, sat looking at her husband give a speech amongst his peers, spoke volumes about how much she's beginning to realize how little she knows about the man she married. The week's theme of people only seeing what they want to see in other people was also very nicely handled, particularly regarding Paul's epiphany over Peggy's worth.

Asides

-- Interesting to note a harsher tone from Henry Francis, after Betty mistakenly thought he'd rang their home and called him back later. The wrong number was likely Suzanne, which is itself amusing because both Drapers are having affairs and worrying that every strange phone call was for them.

-- Why are PPL selling Sterling Cooper? There must be a sound financial reason, but you have to wonder what it could be. The company's been doing very well, and even has the illustrious Conrad Hilton on its books. Maybe they just wanted to increase its attractiveness and sell for a higher price all along?

-- Another case of perception blindness; Roger's ageing mother mistaking his new, younger wife Jane (Peyton List) as his first wife Margaret, on the way to the anniversary party in the back of a limo. Is she senile, forgetful, or relishing making barbed comments about her son's "trophy wife"?

-- You may recognize Marshall Allman as L.J from Prison Break.

24 MARCH 2010: BBC4/BBC HD, 10PM

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GLEE 1.13 - "Sectionals"

WRITER & DIRECTOR: Bryan Falchuk
GUEST CAST: Jenna Ushkowitz, Eve, Anna Camp, Patricia Forte, Michael Hitchcock, Naya Rivera, Heather Morris, Bill A. Jones, Dijon Talton, Harry Shum Jr., Josh Sussman, Peter Choi & Thomasina Gross

[SPOILERS] I thought we'd never get there, but it's finally time for Sectionals. The first half of Glee's mostly entertaining, but often frustrating season drew to a close, with an episode that didn't quite achieve the joyous feeling of a mini-climax (maybe they're saving that for the finale?), but the usual mix of energetic songs and witty dialogue just about hid the narrative bumps in the road...

Will (Matthew Morrison) couldn't attend Sectionals because of last week's faux pas with glee club being paid for starring in a TV advert, but Emma (Jayma Mays) agreed to take the kids after she managed to delay her wedding to Ken (Patrick Gallagher) by a few hours. However, a number of problems inevitably arose as the competition loomed: Finn (Corey Monteith) discovered that Puck (Mark Salling) is the real father of Quinn's (Dianna Agron) baby, so turned his back on the club; and once New Directions arrived at the contest they realized Sue (Jane Lynch) had leaked their set list, because their competitors were performing all their routines. Can they pull together and come up with three brand new performances at the last-minute?

Of course they can, this is Glee. Predictable is its middle name. I dearly wish the show was more skillful with its plots and characterisation, as it could be something very special with a Freaks & Geeks quality to the drama, but there's enough good-humour and likeability to just about cover its many cracks. It's disposable TV, truth be told, with only the songs having much longevity thanks to the wonders of iTunes, but I'm happy to be entertained and made to giggle for an hour every week. It's reliable in that regard.

Stand out moments in this episode were: Mercedes (Amber Riley) convincing Rachel (Leah Michele) she's a great "balladeer" by belting out Dreamgirls' "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", a 24-style split-screen phone call for multiple characters, Rachel's wonderful solo performance of Funny Girl's "Don't Rain On My Parade" (the title bursting with subtext in light of everyone's cheating), the acidic barbs from Sue ("Bring it on, William. I am reasonably confident that you will be adding revenge to the long list of things you're no good at; right next to being married, running a high school glee club, and finding a hairstyle that doesn't make you look like a lesbian"), and the funny realization that the judges deciding the winner were just a clueless black lady, a bimbo (True Blood's lovely Anna Camp), and the smarmy TV news anchorman who dated Sue. I find Glee to be at its best when it takes the edge off its saccharine nature by throwing cynicism into the mix, so revealing that the judging panel for these supposedly illustrious sectionals were an indifferent bunch of ignoramuses gave me a smile.

If there was one thing I didn't like about "Sectionals" it was the fact the competition didn't lure me in, mainly because the event had no credibility the moment all the rival schools were shown to be cheats. Even if the glee club had lost, they'd still have won in my mind. I'd have preferred a genuine sense of competition, with all the schools putting on great performances, so the winner felt slightly in doubt. The writers could even have pulled a Rocky and had Will's show choir lose honourably -- but maybe they're saving that for the Regionals finale, so Glee can climb the mountain to victory in season 2? It also disappointed me that they weren't awarded the trophy at the event itself, as it only became clear they'd won when they surprised Will with the trophy in their rehearsal room later.

Overall, for all its many faults, "Sectionals" benefited from the simple fact it was the culmination of a dozen episodes' buildup and ended the torturous Quinn/Puck/Finn triangle. There was even time for the ridiculous Emma/Ken marriage to fizzle out, as Ken cancelled their nuptials over the fact she chose to help Will's glee club on the day of their wedding, enabling Will to finally make a move on Emma now he's officially left Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig). But perhaps the best move this episode made was to have Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba) suspend Sue from her job, having been shown incontrovertible evidence that she tried to ruin the sabotage sectionals, if only for the look of astonishment on Sue's face that Will actually won a battle, before swearing revenge.

Looking ahead to the back half of season 1, I hope Glee's writers have taken stock of what worked and what failed, and aren't going to rest on their laurels because Glee's current form proved such a hit. It may be very popular, but it could be a whole lot better. They need to ditch preposterous storylines that weave through most of the episodes, and replace them with plots containing more substance and plausibility. Glee's worrying lack of consistency regarding its characterisation also needs to be addressed. But above all, just make it fast and fun, with plenty of songs and special guest stars. The best episodes have been those that told a largely self-contained storyline, included lots of recognizable covers, and gave Sue plenty of verbal ammunition.

Glee returns to Fox on 13 April, and 19 April on E4 in the UK. In light of that small six-day gap, I'll continue to follow the British broadcast. In the meantime, it's likely I'll be reviewing Glee's "Road To Sectionals" DVD just prior to season 1 resuming, so check back for that.

29 MARCH 2010: E4 (HD), 9PM

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