Posts by Gino Sassani

There was a new cowboy in Dallas, and he wasn’t throwing touchdown passes. But Walker was almost gone before he could really get started. After just four episodes, the show’s production company suffered financial collapse, and the show was rescued at the last minute by CBS Productions, who would continue to run the show for its nearly decade-long run. For nine years Norris brought us the ultimate Texas Ranger in a formula cops-and-robbers show. The show often became a parody of itself but maintained a solid viewership throughout. Hell, Norris even sings the theme song.

"Once upon a time, there was a majestic king, who lived with his noble brother in a colorful kingdom where music and art were celebrated. The king did not foresee having a child, but he lived in an enchanted land where all things were possible. In time, he was blessed with a beautiful baby daughter for whom he wished only peace and happiness. Still, the king had demons who pursued him."

If you're a fan of The Vampire Diaries, you need no introduction to Klaus Mikaelson and his family of original vampires.

"Book 'em Danno."

It's been 30 years since we last heard that phrase. Still it persisted in the modern lexicon along with the term Five-0, which is still shouted in high-crime areas in cities all over the country whenever a police presence is felt closing in on the bad guys. Hawaii Five-0 ended in 1980. That's when Tom Selleck took over the sets and production crew on Hawaii to work as Magnum P.I. until 1988 when it all closed down for good -- or did it? Wouldn't you know it, the show has been resurrected and become the hottest drama on television.

Our good friends over at Entertainment One are releasing The Surface on DVD this week. Lake Michigan is the setting for this tale of two men lost in the violent waters who will have to work together if they hope to survive. Sean Astin and Mimi Rogers star along with Chris Mulkey. We've got 2 copies to give away to a couple of lucky stiffs here at Upcomingdiscs.com.

To win a copy, just follow these simple instructions.

So what will you be doing when the zombie apocalypse finally hits? Will you be fighting endlessly to survive? Will you be hoarding food and supplies? Will you be seeking out other survivors and band together? Maybe you'll just hole up somewhere and try and wait it out. Me? I'm going to find a solid generator, a high-definition television, an Oppo Blu-ray player, and all of The Walking Dead season sets I can get my hands on. You could consider it survival training, but I'm going to binge-watch one of the most unique shows in television history.

What can I say about Criminal Minds that hasn't been said in the last 10 years? It's the little show that could. I've been a fan since the first episode when Mandy Patinkin was the show's leader. His departure left the show with a hole it was swift to fill, and I have to say it hasn't missed a beat since. The rest of the cast has been solid for most of that decade, and they've evolved into one of the best teams on television. Because of this show we all learned what an unsub was and have become pretty aware of the things that go on in a killer's mind. It was the perfect sister show to CSI for years on Thursday nights. CSI dealt with the physical evidence, while Criminal Minds dealt with the mind. What a combination.

"There have been many authors throughout time. It's a job, not a person... Tasked with the great responsibility to record. To witness the greatest stories of all time and record them for posterity. The job has gone back eons from the man who watched the shadows dance across cave walls and developed an entire philosophy to playwrights who tell tales in poetry to a man named Walt."

OK, so you've tapped into almost every Disney classic story and quite a few that weren't Disney. The television show is still going strong. What are you going to do next?

"Trauma is messy."

So begins life at Grey-Slone Memorial Hospital without Dr. Wang, and for the show Grey's Anatomy, the loss of Sandra Oh. But there won't be time to dwell on that loss as the story shifts to the departure of another of the show's most popular characters and actors. Patrick Dempsey spent more than a decade as the show's McDreamy, one of the more compelling talents in the cast. It's another season, and mixed amid the medical emergencies, struggling relationships, and tragic events, it's time to say goodbye once again.

"Let's do it!"

NCIS has become the number-one-rated television show in the world. It might stand alone in that distinction, but it certainly doesn't stand alone. Last season saw a new spin-off that took us to New Orleans. It's hard to believe that it was six years ago now that NCIS: Los Angeles took to the West Coast streets and developed its own brand of Naval criminal justice. It's a franchise that rivals Law & Order or CSI in its ability to stretch out and continue to build a fan base.

"And then there's Maude."

In football there's always a lot of talk about coaching trees. You know the idea. Some great mastermind who saw his assistants go on to have success of their own and who passed that lucky charm down to others for, perhaps, generations. All In The Family would be the television equivalent to a coach with a long tree. There were an incredible number of spinoffs that lead to other spinoffs. Archie's neighbors The Jeffersons moved on up to the East Side and had their own several years of success.