Topic: Tom's TV Pilots marathon

[Tom]

Best Student Council (2005/Japan) IMDb | Wikipedia ADV Films (United States) Length: 650 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: English

Plot:
After her mother's death, Rino has no one to turn to, but with the help of a mysterious pen pal she never met, she transfers to the very selective Miyagami Private Academy. Along with her hand-puppet Pucchan, who seems to have a mind of his own, Rino arrives on the steps of this prestigious institution to discover a gifted group of individuals who are willing to serve and protect the school and the students at all costs: the "maximum authority-wielding" Best Student Council. Part student council, part special covert operations society and totally staffed by the best, the brightest and the wackiest the academy has to offer, the Best Student Council stands ready to tackle any challenge no matter how large or how small. But no one but the secretive president of the council seems to realize just how much of a change Rino's (and Pucchan's) arrival heralds for Miyagami. Don't miss this charming comedy about life, love and friendship at Miyagami with the Best Student Council!

Best School Council
1.01 Dear Mr. Poppit

This first episode, although strange, looks like this series could be fun. But I still haven't managed to watch past the first disc of this series as of now.

Rating:

[Tom]

Bewitched: The First Three Episodes From the First Season (1964/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia (United States) Length: 76 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

Plot:
Elizabeth Montgomery stars as Samantha Stephens, a pretty, typical American housewife who just happens to be a witch in this beloved comedy classic. Included on this magical DVD are the first three episodes of the Emmy® Award-winning series which introduces one of the funniest ensemble casts in TV history: Dick York as Samantha's mortal husband Darrin, Agnes Moorehead as his witch of a mother-in-law Endora and Alice Pearce as nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz. Join them in this enchanting, charming and hysterically funny look at the suburban lifestyles of the witch and famous.

Bewitched
1.01 I, Darrin, Take This Witch, Samantha
Writer: Sol Saks (Writer)
Director: William Asher
Cast: Elizabeth Montgomery (Samantha), Dick York (Darrin Stephens), Agnes Moorehead (Endora), Gene Blakely (Dave), Lindsay Workman (Doctor), Paul Barselow (Bartender), Nancy Kovack (Sheila)

I only have the first three episodes of this series. They were part of a special bundled release of the Will Ferrell "Bewitched" movie. I always more of a fan of Jeannie than Bewitched. So I never really followed this series.
I think it is unreasonable that Darrin asks his wife to never do magic even if they are alone.
This release is a colorized version. I first didn't notice this, until I wondered if the green eyes are Elizabeth Montgomery's natural eye color. Then I saw that the first two seasons were originally black and white. So it could very well have been a side-effect of the colorization process. Otherwise everything looked good considering.

Rating:

[Tom]

I have watched the pilot of Big Bang Theory now. I already reviewed it in the past. You can find it here.

[Tom]

The Bill Cosby Show: Season One (1969/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia (United States) Length: 660 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

Plot:
Chet Kincaid is a gym teacher at Richard Allen Holmes High School in Los Angeles, an all-around good guy and an inspiration to his friends, family and students.

Bill Cosby's first situational comedy places an emphasis on intelligent character studies and real-life situations that are naturally infused with the comedian's trademark sense of humor. The first season's adventures include Chet squiring a date in a borrowed garbage truck and losing a one-on-one basketball game to a student he considered too short to make the team.

The Bill Cosby Show: Season One features a newly recorded interview with Bill Cosby and all 26 fully restored episodes from the 1969-70 season, including music by Quincy Jones and guest appearances by Henry Fonda, Cicely Tyson, Elsa Lanchester, Wally Cox and many others.

The Bill Cosby Show
1.01 The Fatal Phone Call
Writer: Ed. Weinberger (Created By), Michael Zagor (Created By), William H. Cosby, Jr. (Created By), Dave Evans (Writer)
Director: Harvey Hart
Cast: Bill Cosby (Chet Kincaid), Victor Tayback (Calvin), John Hawker (Mack), Victor Millan (1st Detective), Craig Chudy (1st Policeman), Jay Powell (2nd Policeman)

Not bad going by this episode, but a little too slow for my taste. Not really much happens. I have the first season now five years in my collection and only have managed to watch the first two episodes so far.

Rating:

[Antares]

IIRC, it took them about 4 or 5 shows to hit their stride.

I was never a fan of this show, except for the first two seasons, when they were shot in B&W. By the third season, color filming and the novelty of the gimmick wearing off sank this show for me.

[Tom]

Birds of Prey: The Complete Series (2002/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Warner Home Video (United States) Length: 542 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Subtitles: English

Plot:
Who will stand up to villains now that a heartbroken Dark Knight has mysteriously vanished? Never fear, New Gothamites, a trio of champions is ready to take wing - and Helena, the daughter of Batman and Catwoman, is among them. She calls herself Huntress and crime is her prey. Teenaged Dinah is the youngest of the group, learning as she goes and gifted in clairvoyance. And overseeing the awesome threesome's high-tech nerve center is Batgirl. Left wheelchair-bound by The Joker, she has reinvented herself as Oracle, the team’s cyber expert. Huntress, Dinah, Oracle: They are the Birds of Prey. Fighting together. Living together. And soaring into adventure together in 13 breathtaking live-action episodes.

Birds of Prey
1.01 Pilot
Writer: Laeta Kalogridis (Writer)
Director: Brian Robbins
Cast: Ashley Scott (Helena Kyle/Huntress), Dina Meyer (Barbara Gordon/Oracle), Rachel Skarsten (Dinah Lance), Shemar Moore (Det. Jesse Reese), Ian Abercrombie (Alfred Pennyworth), Mia Sara (Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn), Chris Ellis (Larry Ketterly), Shawn Christian (Wade Brixton), Aaron Paul (Jerry), Brent Sexton (Detective McNally), Mark Hamill (The Voice of the Joker (voice)), Amanda Michalka (Young Dinah), Maggie Baird (Mother), Joe Lala (Crowley)

I watched this series when it originally aired. Even then, though I did enjoy watching it to a degree, I know that it was rather weak and will probably have a short life. I was just glad, that they got the chance to do a proper finale.
There are two reasons why I still haven't watched the DVD set: One, it's non-anamorphic widescreen. Two, they replaced the best thing about the series: The theme song. Also I think they replaced the Tatu song "All the things she said" in the finale. It was there that I had first heard it. I thought it worked quite well in the showdown.

Rating:

[Tom]

For comparison:

Here the original intro song, which I loved:

(begins at 0:56)


And here what we got on DVD 

(begins at 0:09)

[kahless]

I have this series for about 2 years (was sold for 10 Euro so I could not resist...) and did only see the first disc. Maybe I should give it another try!   I didn't know, that there is another intro. Thanks, Tom!

[Dragonfire]

I did like Birds of Prey.

[Tom]

The Black Adder (1983/United Kingdom) IMDb | Wikipedia (United Kingdom) Length: 195 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 1 Subtitles: Danish, Dutch, English, French, Italian, Norwegian, Other, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish

Plot:
Set in England at the end of the War of the Roses, we soon find out that the history we know is a Tudor fiction. In fact, Henry VII did not actually win the battle of Bosworth Field; he lost and though Richard III died in the battle, his nephew King Richard IV (who certainly was not smothered while still a boy in the Tower of London) reigned on for some years. The story focuses on Richard IV's younger son Prince Edmund, a sniveling coward who calls himself the 'Black Adder'. Assisted by his grungy servant Baldrick and the moronic Lord Percy, Edmund plots his rise to greatness.

Black Adder
1.01 The Foretelling
Writer: Richard Curtis (Writer), Rowan Atkinson (Writer)
Director: Martin Shardlow
Cast: Peter Cook (Richard III), Brian Blessed (Richard IV), Peter Benson (Henry VII), Robert East (Harry, Prince of Wales), Rowan Atkinson (Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh), Tim McInnerny (Percy, Duke of Northumberland), Elspet Gray (The Queen), Philip Kendall (Painter), Kathleen St. John (Goneril), Barbara Miller (Regan), Gretchen Franklin (Cordelia), Tony Robinson (Baldrick)

My least favorite Black Adder series. Compared to all the other series, this one is quite different. Atkinson's Blackadder is more like a talking Mr. Bean. And Baldrick is the cunning one in the duo at this point. When not comparing it to the other series, it is still quite fun and has some nice ideas.

Rating:

[Tom]

Blackadder 2 (1984/United Kingdom) IMDb | Wikipedia BBC Worldwide (United Kingdom) Length: 175 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 1 Subtitles: English

Plot:
The Historic Second Series

England 1558-1603. The filthy genes of the Blackadder dynasty bubble back to the surface of the melting pot of history as Lord Edmund, arrogant peer-about-town, swaggers back with a big head and small beard in search of grace and favour from stark raving mad Queen Bess. Accompanied by a small rabble of be-ruffed riff-raff - bottom-breath Baldrick and pea-brained Percy - the serpentine Lord Blackadder lower the whole tone of England's Golden Age.

Black Adder
2.01 Bells
Writer: Richard Curtis (Writer), Ben Elton (Writer)
Director: Mandie Fletcher
Cast: Rowan Atkinson (Edmund Blackadder), Tim McInnerny (Lord Percy), Tony Robinson (Baldrick), Miranda Richardson (Queen Elizabeth I), Stephen Fry (Lord Melchett), Patsy Byrne (Nursie), Gabrielle Glaister (Kate), Rik Mayall (Flashheart), John Grillo (Dr. Leech), Edward Jewesbury (Kate's Father), Barbara Miller (Wisewoman), Sadie Shimmin (Young Crone)

At hasn't been that long ago that I have watched this episode, so I am just writing up a review now. With the second series, Blackadder got really great. I just love Queenie. And Blackadder is now really a fun character.
I also really like this first episode. Blackadder falling for "Bob" has some really great scenes.

Rating:

[Tom]

Black Adder III (1987/United Kingdom) IMDb | Wikipedia (United States) Length: 220 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Subtitles:

Plot:
England 1768-1815. A golden age of wealth, power and discovery though not for Edmund Blackadder Esq. In a situation that can rightly be seen as something of a slump in the fortunes of the previously aristocratic Blackadder family, Edmund is now butler and gentleman's gentleman to the "mini-brained" Prince Regent.

Black Adder
3.01 Dish and Dishonesty
Writer: Richard Curtis (Writer), Ben Elton (Writer)
Director: Mandie Fletcher
Cast: Rowan Atkinson (Edmund Blackadder, butler to the Prince), Tony Robinson (Baldrick, a dogsbody), Hugh Laurie (The Prince Regent, their master), Helen Atkinson-Wood (Mrs. Miggins, a coffee shoppekeeper), Vincent Hanna (Mr. Vincent Hanna, his own great great g), Denis Lill (Sir Talbot Buxomly, a member of Parliame), Simon Osborne (Pitt the Younger, the Prime Minister), Geoff McGivern (Ivor Biggun, a candidate), Dominic Martelli (Pitt the even Younger, a tiny whig)

The third series is also great. Though not judging by the first episode. That one was just okay. Hugh Laurie is great as the Prince Regent.

Rating:

[Tom]

Black Adder IV: Black Adder Goes Forth (1989/United Kingdom) IMDb | Wikipedia (United States) Length: 178 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Subtitles:

Plot:
The Western Front 1917: There's disorder in the ranks when that numb-headed ninny, Captain Blackadder, stumbles onto the battlefields of WWI and discovers that people are trying to kill him. The British may be able to defeat the Germans, but it's unlikely they'll ever survive a comic assault by Blackadder.

Black Adder
4.01 Captain Cook
Writer: Richard Curtis (Writer), Ben Elton (Writer)
Director: R Boden
Cast: Rowan Atkinson (Captain Edmund Blackadder), Tony Robinson (Private S Baldrick), Stephen Fry (Gen. Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett), Hugh Laurie (Lt. Hon. George Colthurst St. Barleigh), Tim McInnerny (Captain Kevin Darling)

The fourth series is also really great. The World War I setting works surprisingly well. The final scene of the series is one of the best scenes in the entire series.

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

I did like Birds of Prey.

So did I... I never missed an episode when it aired... and I watched the DVD set 2 or 3 times since I got it.

[Tom]

Blood Ties: The Complete Series (2006/Canada) IMDb | Wikipedia Contender Home Entertainment (United Kingdom) Length: 950 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

Plot:
After witnessing a horrific demonic murder at the side of a Toronto roadway, private investigator Vicki Nelson finds herself on a collision course with another citizen investigating the case. He is Henry Fitzroy - former Duke of Richmond, cutting-edge graphic novelist and 470-year-old vampire.

To solve the brutal murder, Vicki finds herself collaborating, against her better judgement, with the suave and seductive Fitzroy. The relationship soon progresses beyond a purely professional arrangement, complicating her long term love affair with ex-partner Detective Mike Celluci... and pretty well everything else in her life.

Blood Ties
1.01 Blood Price
Writer: Tanya Huff (Original Material By), Peter Mohan (Created By), Peter Mohan (Writer)
Director: Allan Kroeker
Cast: Christina Cox (Vicki Nelson), Dylan Neal (Mike Celluci), Kyle Schmid (Henry Fitzroy), Gina Holden (Coreen Fennel), Keith Dallas (Dave Graham), Francoise Yip (Kate Lam), Eileen Pedde (Crowley), Jody Racicot (Greg the Doorman), Michael Eklund (Norman Bridewell), Nimet Kanji (Mohadevan), Mark Oliver (Demon), Ivan Riedinger (Ian Reddick), Derek McIver (Uniformed Cop), Emilie Ullerup (Sandra), Aubrey Tennant (Norman's Friend #1), Edward Fong (Norman's Friend #2), Amber Borycki (Cassie), James Michalopoulos (Goth Waiter), Audra Ricketts (Business Woman), Patricia Isaac (Waitress), Sean Whale (Tough #1), Paul Wu (Tough #2), Phillip Mitchell (Tough #3), Nickolas Baric (Goth Bartender), Daniel Bruce (Dr. O'Mara), Brad Turner (Security #1), Ken Dresen (Security #2), John Mann (Astaroth), Sharon Simms (Worshiper #1), Rob Hayter (Worshiper #2), Leonard Tenisci (Street Vendor), Dan Amos (Student #1), Sarah Sands (Student #2), Kevin Crofton (Police Sgt.), Levi James (Skateboarder), Linda Sorensen (Dr. Sangara), Dawn Chubai (Newscaster)

Not a great series, but I enjoyed watching it. The pilot is an average introduction to an average series.
You can find me review of the series set here.

Rating: