Topic: Tom's TV Pilots marathon

[Tom]

Sugar Rush: Series One (2005/United Kingdom) IMDb | Wikipedia (United Kingdom) Length: 239 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: English

Plot:
Sugar Rush is a no-holds-barred celebration of teenage life - the passions, secrets and misadventures of a 15-year-old lesbian, Kim.

SUGAR RUSH is an end of the pier roller-coaster ride; it is an unpredictable journey into the mind of a screwed up, loved up, lustful adolescent. For Kim, everything sucks, everything is a cliché. What hope is there when you have mini freak for a brother, an obsessively house-proud Dad and a Mum who seems to have forgotten them all and is behaving as if she's the one who's 15 years old. Cue Sugar, who will change Kim's life beyond recognition.

Kim has a hormone surging, life changing crush on Sugar, otherwise known as Maria Sweet - the kind of girl who rules the world until she's 17, then ends up pushing a pram around the block. But to Kim she's the all encompassing, passionate experience that until now she has only dreamed of.


Sugar Rush
1.01 Episode 1
Writer: Katie Baxendale (Writer), Julie Burchill (Original Material By)
Director: Sean Grundy
Cast: Olivia Hallinan (Kim), Lenora Crichlow (Sugar), Richard Lumsden (Nathan), Sara Stewart (Stella), Kurtis O'Brien (Matt), Matthew Vaughn (Dave), Daniel Coonan (David), Neil Jackson (Dale), Andrew Garfield (Tom), Adam Deacon (Darren)

This is a series I enjoyed watching. The first episode sets up the series well. You can find my review here.

Rating:

[Tom]

Superboy: Season One (1988/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Warner Home Video (United States) Length: 558 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Plot:
He's no longer a child and not yet a man. He's a boy – a college boy, in fact, who earnestly studies journalism at Shuster University. Clark Kent is his name. And if shy, often bumbling Clark were to tell anyone who he really is, the story would supply the Daily Planet with a year's worth of headlines.

The production team whose big-screen spectacular revitalized live-action Superman adventures brings a live-action Boy of Steel to the small screen with 26 year-one episodes of the series that ran four heroic seasons. What emergency compelled Clark to emerge as Superboy? When did Clark/Superboy first encounter the green menace of Kryptonite? How did Lex Luthor lose his hair? The series has its own entertaining visions of key moments in the lore. So, enroll at Shuster U. Class is now in session.


Superboy
1.01 The Jewel of the Technacal
Cast: John Haymes Newton (Clark Kent/Superboy), Stacy Haiduk (Lana Lang), Jim Calvert (T.J. White), Peter White (Professor Thomas Lang), Scott Wells (Lex Luthor), Michael Manno (Leo), Gregg Todd Davis (Haines), Forest Neal (Dean Thompson), Bob Barnes (Dr. Spencer)

This is the first episode which aired, though not the first one shot. I had enjoyed this season when I first watched it. Sadly no further seasons were ever released on DVD.

Rating:


Superboy
1.05 Countdown to Nowhere
Cast: John Haymes Newton (Clark Kent/Superboy), Stacy Haiduk (Lana Lang), Jim Calvert (T.J. White), Doug Barr (Roscoe Williams), Duriel Harris (Theodore), Noah Meeks (Miller), Fred Broderson (Detective), Jay Glick (Security Chief), Paul J. Darby (Radar Operator)

I decided that I would also watch this episode. This one was shot to be the pilot but it then aired as the fifth episode. In this episode, Superboy makes his first public appearance.

Rating:

[Tom]

Skipping the animated Superman series from the 90s. But I will repost my review for it:

Superman: The Last Son of Krypton (1996/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Warner Home Video (United Kingdom) Director: Dan Riba, Scott Jeralds, Curt Geda, Bruce Timm Writing: Alan Burnett (Writer), Paul Dini (Writer), Jerry Siegel (Original Characters By), Joe Shuster (Original Characters By) Length: 58 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Swedish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Danish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: Arabic, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Spanish, Swedish

Stars:
Tim Daly as Superman/Clark Kent (voice)
Dana Delany as Lois Lane (voice)
Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor (voice)
Malcolm McDowell as John Corben (voice)
Christopher McDonald as Jor-El (voice)

Plot:
The Man Of Steel soars to new animated heights!

Join the world's most celebrated Super Hero for some high-flying adventures in this thrilling animated movie: SUPERMAN: The Last Son Of Krypton.

Follow the legendary Super Hero's life from his infancy on Krypton, to his rescue and boyhood in Smallville. The adventures continue in Metropolis when Clark Kent lands a job as reporter for the Daily Planet. Klark must discover the truth about who he is and on reaching adulthood he assumes his birthright as the Man of Steel. It's up to Kent's alter-ego SUPERMAN to battle against the evil Lex Luthor and unveil the mystery behind Lexo and its dealings with ruthless terrorists.

Awards:
Nominated:

Annie Awards (1997)

Best Individual Achievement: Music in a TV Production (Shirley Walker (main title theme))

Extras:

• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

This movie is put together from the first three episodes of the 90s animated series.
I like that like in "Lois & Clark", Clark Kent is the real person and Superman is the disguise. And that Clark Kent is shown to be a very capable reporter.
I remember when I first saw these episodes, I thought this is a good start to a series I might enjoy. But after watching a few episodes from the first season, I had stopped, as also this series suffered from something, because of which I do not watch animated Superhero TV series: They focused too much on Superman fighting robots, aliens,... instead of the characters. I now see, that this even the case with this pilot movie. This is the reason why I enjoyed the series Lois & Clark so much, because that one had Clark in the focus, not Superman.

Best line:
Martha Ken: "It wouldn't be bad if people knew more about Superman. I don't want anyone thinking you are like that nut from Gotham City."

Rating:

[Tom]

Suzuka: The Complete Series (2005/Japan) IMDb | Wikipedia FUNimation Entertainment (United States) Length: 610 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: English

Plot:
Love is not a spectator sport.

High school is a hectic time of change for most... But for happy-go-lucky Yamato, it's gonna be a complete revolution! He's the new kid in class, having transferred to the big city to attend Aoba High, where he finds himself smitten with the local rising star of track and field. Yet two people could not be more different! And as Suzuka remains completely uninspired by Yamato's cheerfully irresponsible nature, things progress from bad to worse with record-breaking speed! So when the young man decides to step up his efforts and join the track team, his best might not measure up...

It's mixed signals and high school hormones with everyone running in circles! Throw in the antics of a handful of high school stereotypes, and Yamato's completely out of his league! When love is not a spectator sport, the only question is who will go the distance?


Suzuka
1.01 Anticipation
Writer: Koji Seo (Original Material By), Hiroko Tokita (Screenwriter)
Director: Hiroshi Fukutomi
Cast: English Cast), Leah Clark (Suzuka (voice)), Todd Haberkorn (Yamato (voice)), Kate Bristol (Miho (voice)), Gwendolyn Lau (Ayano (voice)), Colleen Clinkenbeard (Yuka (voice)), Carrie Savage (Megumi (voice)), Rob McCollum (Yasunobu (voice)), Meaghan Albach (Extra (voice)), Trina Nishamura (Extra (voice)), Sonny Strait (Extra (voice)), Japanese Cast), Kanako Mitsuhashi (Suzuka Asahina (voice)), Daisuke Nakamura (Yamato Akitsuki (voice)), Satomi Akesaka (Miho Fujikawa (voice)), Yuki Kaida (Ayano Fujikawa (voice)), Masami Suzuki (Yuka Saotome (voice)), Hatsumi Miura (Emi Matsumoto (voice)), Mika Ishibashi (Student (voice)), Mariko Nagahama (Student (voice)), Shinobu Matsumoto (Teacher (voice)), Iori Hayashi (Teacher (voice)), Kenji Iwama (Teacher (voice))

I have enjoyed watching this series. So much so, that I also read the manga. At least as far it was released in the English translation. They stopped releasing them shortly before the series was finished

Rating:

[Tom]

Switch: Komplett. In Farbe und Bunt. (1997/Germany) IMDb | Wikipedia Turbine Classics (Germany) Length: 1392 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: German: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

Switch
1.01 Folge 1

I really enjoyed the first season when it originally aired. I lost interest though later. Part of it because of some cast changes.
This comedy parodies different TV shows by simulating switching between different TV channels.

Rating:

[Tom]

Switch Reloaded: Vol. 1 (2007/Germany) IMDb | Wikipedia AL!VE, MerchandisingMedia, Turbine Classics (Germany) Length: 236 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: German: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

Switch Reloaded
1.01 Folge 1 
Cast: Bernhard Hoëcker (Diverse Rollen), Susanne Pätzold (Diverse Rollen), Mona Sharma (Diverse Rollen), Michael Kessler (Diverse Rollen), Petra Nadolny (Diverse Rollen), Max Giermann (Diverse Rollen), Peter Nottmeier (Diverse Rollen), Martina Hill (Diverse Rollen), Michael Müller (Diverse Rollen)

This is a revival of the old Switch series with some new cast. They have some great parodies. One of my favorite is the Stromberg parody (though it only appears first in the second season as far as I remember).

Rating:

[Tom]

This covers my S.

[Tom]

Skipping the mini series "Taken". Never finished watching it, yet.

[Tom]

Berlin, Berlin: Complete Series (2002/Germany) IMDb | Wikipedia Universum Film, Das Erste (Germany) Length: 2150 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78 Audio: German: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

Berlin, Berlin
Season 1.01 Landflucht
Writer: David Safier (Writer)
Director: Franziska Meyer Price
Cast: Felicitas Woll (Lolle), Sandra Borgmann, Jan Sosniok, Matthias Klimsa, Maverick Quek, Charlotte Schwab, Jürgen Mai, Andi Slawinski, Kai Lentrodt, Alexa Wiegandt, Fabio Beyer, Sandra Keller, Kaspar Eichel

This series is often compared to "Mein Leben und ich" (a German TV series I enjoyed watching), but I never saw an episode before. Recently I saw the complete series set cheap on Amazon and decided to take a shot at it. And if the rest of the series is as good as the pilot episode, I won't regret this decision.
So far it really is similar to "Mein Leben und ich" (which in turn is based on the US series "My So-Called Life"), except that here the main protagonist isn't a high school girl, but has just finished school and is moving to the big city (Berlin) by herself.
So far I only know the main star Felicitas Woll from the movie "Liebe Mauer", which I also enjoyed. Though I learned now, that she also replaced Wolke (the main star in "Mein Leben und ich") in the comedy series "Die Camper", after they exchanged the complete main cast after the first season. Quite fitting.

Rating:

[Tom]

Alias: Season One (2001/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Touchstone Home Entertainment, Buena Vista Home Entertainment (United Kingdom) Length: 964 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1, Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital 1 Subtitles: Danish, English, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish

Plot:
Golden Globe Award-Winning* actress Jennifer Garner is Sydney Bristow. Syd's not exactly your average college student. Her life might appear normal, but she really is hiding a secret life working as a spy for the CIA. Her mission is to root out evil. But her world is turned upside down when she learns she may work for the very enemy she thought she was fighting. Now she's entangled in a covert lifestyle where she is forced to question the allegiances of everyone, including those closest to her - her family and friends.

Now, see the 22 mesmerising episodes that launched it all. It's a compelling thrill-ride that pulses with an unflinching fervour. See the show everyone has been talking about that has redefined series television.

*Best Actress in a television series, Alias.

Alias
Season 1.01 Truth Be Told
Cast: Jennifer Garner (Sydney Bristow), Ron Rifkin (Arvin Sloane), Michael Vartan (Michael Vaughn), Bradley Cooper (Will Tippin), Merrin Dungey (Francie Calfo), Carl Lumbly (Marcus Dixon), Kevin Weisman (Marshall Flinkman), Victor Garber (Jack Bristow), Edward Atterton (Danny Hecht), Jay Gerber (Professor Mizzy), Angus Scrimm (SD-6 Agent Calvin McCullough), William Wellman, Jr. (Priest), Ric Young (Dr. Zhang Lee), Lorenzo Callender (Messenger), Greg Collins (Kenny), Vicki Davis (Intern), Ming Lo (Agent), Raymond Ma (Taiwanese Businessman), Miguel Najera (Agent Gonzales), Greta Sesheta (CIA Receptionist), Philip Tan (Taiwanese Security Officer), Emily Wachtel (Beth (Airline Counter)), Nancy Wetzel (Amy Tippin)

I only ever saw the pilot before. Or so I thought. I couldn't remember anything from it though. I was often tempted to check this series out, because it seemed like something I could enjoy. Recently I finally gave in and bought the complete series set. I have seen now the first episode and it looks promising. No idea yet, if this series can hold my attention for five seasons, but we will see.

Rating:

[Tom]

Die Camper: Die komplette Serie (1997/Germany) IMDb | Wikipedia Turbine Medien, AL!VE (Germany) Length: 2753 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: German: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

Die Camper
Staffel 1.01 Der Grillabend
Writer: Werner Koj (Writer), Claus Vinçon (Writer), Werner Koj (Original Material By), Claus Vinçon (Original Material By)
Director: Stefan Lukschy
Cast: Sabine Kaack (Heidi Wüpper), Michael Brandner (Hans-Joachim "Hajo" Wüpper), Wolke Hegenbarth (Nicole Wüpper), Heinrich Schafmeister (Dieter "Didi" Denkelmann), Katharina Schubert (Roswitha Fischer), Biggi Wanninger (Marga Delling), Axel Kraus

I had watched this series when it originally aired. But only the first season. Beginning with the second season they changed the complete cast and I didn't like it anymore. When they started to release this series on DVD, I wanted to buy the first season, but then I saw that they called the second season now the first season. It was like they pretended the first season doesn't exist anymore.
Recently I saw this complete series set cheap and I saw, that this set is including the original first season. So I got it. I have seen now the first episode and I still enjoyed it. I guess I would have stayed with the series, if they wouldn't have changed the cast.

Rating:

[Tom]

Dollhouse: The Complete Series (2009/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (United Kingdom) Length: 1162 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78 Audio: Subtitles:

Plot:
From Joss Whedon, the creative mastermind behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, comes THE COMPLETE SERIES of the sexy, suspenseful thriller, Dollhouse.

Dollhouse is an illegal organisation that provides its elite clientelle with "actives" - programmable human beings, who temporarily become anyone or anything - the perfect burglar, lover, spy or assassin.

The stunningly talented Eliza Dushku stars as the lovely but lethal "active", Echo - who is charged with unlocking the deadly secret that will ultimately determine the fate of mankind.


Dollhouse
Season 1.01 Ghost
Writer: Joss Whedon (Created By), Joss Whedon (Writer)
Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Eliza Dushku (Echo), Harry J. Lennix (Boyd Langton), Fran Kranz (Topher Brink), Tahmoh Penikett (Agent Paul Ballard), Enver Gjokaj (Victor), Dichen Lachman (Sierra), Olivia Williams (Adelle DeWitt), Amy Acker (Claire Saunders), Reed Diamond (Laurence Dominic), Kurt Caceres (Gabriel Crestejo), Brett Claywell (Matt), David Doty (Sam Zimmerman), Tim Kelleher (Detmer), Vincent Laresca (Mr. Sunshine), Haley Alexis Pullos (Davina Crestejo), Greg Collins (Older Man), Bryan Costanich (Friend), Jonny Lee (Deerskin), Christian Meoli (Thug 1), Oscar Torre (Chui), Becky Wu (Assistant)

I had watched the first two or so episodes when it originally aired and was not hooked. But they say it got better, so I am willing to give this series another chance. Especially because I was fan of Eliza Dushku on Buffy (and I am still disappointed that she turned down a Faith spin-off) and I am fan of Joss Whedon in general.
The pilot episode is good and I can see myself giving this series another go. I think it was more the second episode which turned me off this series.

Rating:

[Tom]

Now I have caught up with my new arrivals. I will now continue with my Ts. Skipping the mini series "Taken" though.

[Tom]

Taxi: Season One (1978/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Paramount Home Entertainment (United States) Length: 540 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 1 Subtitles:

Plot:
Buckle up and hang on - you're about to enter a garage filled with laughs in Taxi: The Complete First Season. Here's the premiere season of the popular TV sitcom that zeroes in on a ragtag collection of New York City cab drivers who ply the streets of The Big Apple - while waiting for the day when they will find a better way to make a living. And lording over Alex (Judd Hirsch), Bobby (Jeff Conaway), Elaine (Marilu Henner), Tony (Tony Danza), John (Randall Carver), and Latka (Andy Kaufman) is the one-and-only Louie De Palma (Danny DeVito) - the snide and surly taxi dispatcher who, from the safety of his dispatcher's cage, barks orders, hurls insults and mercilessly bullies the diverse and eccentric characters who drive for him. Enjoy all 22 first season episodes of the Emmy Award-winning comedy series Taxi in this dazzling three-disc collection.


Taxi
Season 1.01 Like Father, Like Daughter
Writer: James L. Brooks (Created By), Stan Daniels (Created By), David Davis (Created By), Ed. Weinberger (Created By), James L. Brooks (Writer), Stan Daniels (Writer), David Davis (Writer), Ed. Weinberger (Writer)
Director: James Burrows
Cast: Judd Hirsch (Alex Reiger), Jeff Conaway (Bobby Wheeler), Danny DeVito (Louie De Palma), Marilu Henner (Elaine Nardo), Tony Danza (Tony Banta), Randall Carver (John Burns), Andy Kaufman (Latka Gravas), Talia Balsam (Cathy Consuelos), Jill Jaress (Airline Attendant)

When I bought this series, I was mainly because my curiosity was peaked by the movie "Man on the Moon" which tells the life story of Andy Kaufman. Though I heard of it before that.
It's a fun series. Especially Danny DeVito is really funny. Andy Kaufman though doesn't really fit here. Always when a scene with him comes up, it feels like the story stops just to give him time to give a performance.

Rating:

[Tom]

Tenacious D: The Complete Master Works (1999/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia (Canada) Length: 226 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, English: PCM 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

Tenacious D.
Season 1.01 The Search for Insperado
Writer: )
Director:
Cast: Jack Black (Himself), Kyle Gass (Himself), Paul F. Tompkins (Announcer)

I don't really remember how I came to the attention to Tenacious D (Jack Black and Kyle Gass).
But I have listened to their first album a lot and I still think it's great. I bought this DVD because of the concert, but this little HBO series is a nice little extra. It contains a lot of the music their album.

Rating: