Discovering Buried Treasure

By: Jason Davis
Date: Monday, December 19, 2005

Last week I mused about the pleasure in returning to a familiar series and that leads me to a not dissimilar topic, but first I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of John Spencer. As Leo McGarry, Chief of Staff to President Jed Bartlet on THE WEST WING, Spencer made me feel confident that the people around the president cared just as passionately for America as did its leader. In a time when a lot of folks have difficulty placing faith in our government, the series and its cast conveyed a benchmark for what we should expect from our elected officials and the people they surround themselves with. Though I haven't watched the series regularly since creator Aaron Sorkin moved on, Spencer's performance was always a highlight and he will be much missed. A friend at NBC mentioned that the series had yet to wrap for the holidays as of Wednesday last and I can't help but hope that the cast and crew will continue to feel Spencer's presence on the soundstage as the show continues.

On a lighter note, I'd like to tell you about my newfound love of THE TOMORROW PEOPLE. Produced by Thames Television for the ITV network in the UK, the series followed the adventures of several highly evolved teenagers with psychic powers and became a hit stateside on the then emerging Nickelodeon network. Though the show makes vintage DOCTOR WHO look like STAR WARS by comparison, THE TOMORROW PEOPLE has a very distinct charm that, not unsurprisingly, calls to mind the earlier issues of X-MEN. Obviously, super-powered Homo Superiors fighting powerful villains whilst hiding their true nature from the outside world in fear of persecution is pretty much a recipe for that legendary comic, but the TV series has an essential Britishness and unassuming charm that sets it apart from the more famous band of mutants. Kitsch-value aside, the series is a reminder of simpler times and the ideas are strong enough to outshine the shortcomings of the production.

So, what's this little account in aid of? I've known of THE TOMORROW PEOPLE since a childhood friend mentioned it to me in the early nineties as a favorite show from his youth, but I'd never had the opportunity to sample the series for myself until DVD. Now, alongside revisiting lost favorites like SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND or AMERICAN GOTHIC, I'm constantly discovering new treasures from ages past that I likely never would have known about if not for their DVD release. Recently I've discovered TIME SLIP, another British children's series about a pair of teens who slip into other eras to have wonderfully written adventures. There's also MURDER ONE and PROFIT, two shows that I intended to watch when they originally aired, but missed. THE JOB, from the creators of RESCUE ME, was a revelation of how much story could be crammed into a half hour series without ever seeming rushed... not only that, but it mixed comedy and drama in that sublime way that too little television achieves. So, with a happy holiday to all of you reading this, I invite you to sip some electronic eggnog in the talk backs and regale your fellow Wastelanders with the treasures of yesteryear that you've recently discovered on DVD. Until next time, have a safe week and be good to each other. This one's for you, John.


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MONDAY, DECEMBER 19

EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS (8 PM PST, UPN) A clever programming executive, no doubt noting the similarity of Chris Rock's forename and the upcoming holiday, decided to be clever by holding The Four Days of Chris Rock through Thursday.

WANTED (10 PM PST, TNT) It's a shame Gary Cole's talents are contracted to this show as I miss him on THE WEST WING. Yeah, it's an alright series, but it's just no AMERICAN GOTHIC.


TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (8 PM PST, SCI FI) Is it just me, or does airing a marathon of season two episodes on the day the DVDs street a bit of an odd strategy?

MY NAME IS EARL (9:00 PM PST, NBC) This one didn't win me over with its pilot, but Jason Lee just grows on you... like an amusing mole.

NIP/TUCK (10 PM PST, FX) Speaking of shows that didn't win me over on first viewing, I'm told by my predecessor that NIP/TUCK grew into an awesome series. I'm also told that it's degenerating into an awful mess--you be the judge.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21

THE X-FILES (8 AM PST, SCI FI) A very... ecentric... assemblage of episodes ranging from highlights like "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" and "Beyond the Sea" to the less than memorable "Miracle Man" before settling into a logical Christmas theme for the last several hours.

LOST (9 PM PST, ABC) "Abandoned" A pointless episode ending with the death of a pointless character--so it pretty much evens out in the final estimation.

VERONICA MARS (9 PM PST, UPN) "Cheaty Cheaty Bang Bang" No idea what this episode is about (still cruising through season one and blissfully ignorant of current events), but I like saying the title to myself.

LOST (10 PM PST, ABC) "The Other 48 Days" The LOST episode to watch tonight. A greatest hits compilation from the survivors of the tail section.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22

ER (9:59 PM PST, NBC) Reruns mean Noah Wyle! Alas, it's only a rerun from last year, so it doesn't mean good drama.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23

GHOST WHISPERER (8 PM PST, CBS)"Ghost, Interrupted" A re-run starring the lovely Jennifer Love Hewitt is better than a lump of coal in a stocking... and somehow I find something perverse in me having typed that...I'm just not sure what it is.

THE INCREDIBLES (9 PM PST, STARZ) Having just reviewed FANTASTIC FOUR on DVD for another magazine, I find it interesting how much THE INCREDIBLES to a comic whose cinematic adaptation hit the screen much later. Even as a lover of TOY STORY, I think this is Pixar's finest film.

MONK (10 PM PST, USA) USA's slate of Christmas specials repeats throughout December with an idiosyncratic schedule designed to distress sufferers of OCD.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24

THE DEAD ZONE (10 AM PST, USA) Having missed the previous airing, I (and you) can now have a "A Very Dead Zone Christmas" with Johnny Smith.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (8PM PST, NBC) If you've never seen Frank Capra's classic, here's your chance to see what all the TV shows have been stealing from for years.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25

DOCTOR WHO (7 PM GMT, BBC1) "The Christmas Invasion" If you can watch it live, you will be having a better Christmas than I here in the Who-bereft land across the pond.

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (9 PM PST, ABC) "You'll Never get Away From Me" This year, Eva got nominated for a Golden Globe so she can be all dressed up when Felicity/Teri/Marcia wins it.