Sitcom: Home Improvement
Sitcom moment: Newhart finale, when Dr. Bob Hartley wakes up next to Emily
Hour-long drama: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Hour-long drama moment: Buffy saves the world by killing her true love and then rides the bus out of town alone while the Sarah McLaughlin song “Full of Grace” plays in the background.
Cop show: Homicide: Life on the Street (H:LotS)
Cop show moment. (1) In H:LotS Detective John Munch while investigating the murder of a Yankees’ fan at Orioles Park in Camden Yards, says they’re going to have to check the statute books because he’s not sure that killing a Yankees’ fan is a crime in Baltimore. (2) In H:LotS detectives Pembleton and Bayliss are discussing religion. Bayliss claims to have taken communion in a Catholic Church even though he’s not Catholic. Pembleton, who was a devout Catholic once, says that Bayliss was wrong to do so and that “If my God wins you’re in a lot of trouble.”
News show, regular weekly series: Sixty Minutes
News show, daily, real: Countdown with Keith Olbermann
News show, daily, fake: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Children’s show, live action: Sesame Street
Children’s show, animated Animaniacs
Animated series, for adults: Batman, the Animated Series
Cartoon characters: Pinky & The Brain
Game show: Win Ben Stein’s Money
Variety series: The Muppet Show
Variety series moment: Harry Belefonte’s appearance on “The Muppet Show” which he claimed was the first time he’d performed “The Banana Boat Song” on TV. Mayhem ensues.
Entertainment talk show: Late Night with David Letterman
Entertainment talk show moment: On Letterman’s first show at CBS Tom Brokaw walks on stage, marches to the cue-card guy, seizes the cue-cards, says, “These jokes are the intellectual property of NBC”, turns and marches back off the stage.
Sports talk show: (1) Chicago Sportschannel, syndicated “The Sportswriters on TV” starring Bill Gleason of the South Bend Tribune and Daily Southtown, Rick Telander of Sports Illustrated, Bill Jauss of the Chicago Tribune, Lester Munson of AP and “your host and moderator” Ben Bentley. (2) ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption
Political talk show: This Week With David Brinkley
Sports show, regular series: NBC’s Major League Baseball Game of the Week
Christmas special: Mr. MaGoo Christmas Carol
Western: Maverick but only the ones with James Garner
Doctor show: Scrubs
Science fiction series: Star Trek (the Original Series)
Detective Show: The Rockford Files
Detective Show Moment: 1. One of the organized crime bad guys says to Rockford, “You’re about to go into the farming business. As a soil additive.” 2. Rockford’s pal Angel Martin promises, “I’ll stonewall ‘em, Jimmy” and then proceeds to spill his guts in record time.
Cable channel in general: C-SPAN
Made for TV movie: The original Brian’s Song
Commercial: Miller Lite “Less Filling”, “Taste’s Great” starring washed up sports stars. “Hey, you’re Boog Powell” “When you order a beer, do like Smokin’ Joe, order Lite Beer from Miller, and say no mo…,” the Robinson brothers (Frank and Brooks), “Billy, you’re fired again” etc.
SNL skit, one-time: Phil Hartman as President Ronald Reagan, play-acting at appearing dumb while in photo ops but then instantly turning into Type-A in-command guy as soon as the photo op was over.
SNL skit, repeating: Bush vs. Gore debates.
Show you watched/taped/TIVO’d just for the eye candy: Boston Public. Actress
Sharon Leal playing music teacher Marilyn Suiter.
Best TV moment overall: Newhart finale
