Disc Reviews

"And now, folks, it's sock-it-to-you time."

Few television shows have had as much influence on the pop culture as did Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. The brainchild of George Schlatter the series has left behind a rich legacy. Even if you've never seen an episode of Laugh-In, you've heard the catch-phrases, or you've watched another show that was directly influenced by it. Lorne Michaels, who created the iconic Saturday Night Live, began as a writer on Laugh-In, and once you've seen Laugh-In, you are going to instantly recognize many of the same ideas. Shows like Hee Haw and the British Benny Hill have admitted to taking material directly from Laugh-In. Best of all, it was a family show that didn't need to be on at midnight so the kids wouldn't be around. Laugh-In thrived for six seasons in prime time, and I can still remember evenings where the entire family gathered to watch. It was something none of us had seen before but we all have seen since. But as the old song goes: "Ain't nothing like the real thing". And Time-Life put it all together in one massive box set. All 140 episodes on a massive 38-disc set. And don't forget that holiday shopping begins soon. Don't worry; I suspect we'll find a way to remind you.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The saying's as true of the human body as it is of a washing machine or a blender. A good surgeon knows that if you go screwing around with something that doesn't need screwing, you are the one who is liable to end up screwed." 

One of those things on television that doesn't appear "broke" is Grey's Anatomy, heading into its 14th season on ABC. By now Shondra Rhimes must own a pretty big piece of ABC. OK, she doesn't likely own any of Disney, ABC's parent company, but if this were a game of Monopoly, Rhimes would be smiling all the way to the fake bank. She owns more real estate here than anyone else. And while she may not be laughing all the way to the fake bank, I suspect the real banks are holding a good stash of cash for the Madam of Prime Time.

I taught at a Florida high school that took two state championships in seven years, and believe me, I know how seriously these schools take their football. I’m told Texas treats high school football as something sacred to be worshipped, and church meets every Friday night during the fall season. If that’s the case, I can’t imagine a series capturing the emotion that goes into one of these programs as well as Friday Night Lights has. Taken from the film of the same name, the series is even better. So many things about this freshman show impressed me throughout its season run. The cast of relative unknowns, except for Kyle Chandler and perhaps Connie Britton, morph into their characters so well you might never know that a good many of them are performing in their first show. This cast gives new meaning to the term ensemble cast. To pick out any one or two examples would be so unfair to the rest of this talented group. The stories are also well written enough that combined with these wonderful performances you quickly believe what you see. The fictional community of Dillon, Texas comes alive in ways even well-known metropolises never do on far more seasoned programs. The stories don’t shy away from the controversies of programs like Dillon’s. Issues of race, drugs, teenage sex, and even the life-changing paralysis of a young talent are dealt with, not as simple inferences, but as major plot arcs that dominate several episodes and then never go away. Certainly we’re invited to cheer along with Dillon, but we’re openly shown the flaws of each of these people we’re called on to support. Friday Night Lights is about so much more than a high school football team under pressure to succeed at a state level. It’s about facing our shortcomings and overcoming them along with whatever other obstacles might be thrown our way. If you’re looking for an emotional show, this is about as good as they get.

There are several important story arcs that dominate the series. The obvious story concerns a young coach Taylor (Chandler) given the chance of a life time to coach a hugely successful high school football team. He gets the break because he has been a coach and mentor to the team’s expected NFL star in quarterback Jason Street (Porter). When Jason suffers permanent paralysis in the first game, Taylor must trust in an unproven and unconfident Matt Saracen (Gilford). Matt’s story of maturity becomes another important cog in this giant wheel of Friday Night Lights. Taylor begins to feel a stranglehold of pressure, not helped any when another star player running back Smash Williams (Charles) makes accusations of racial bigotry about one of the assistant coaches while all the while using steroids to impress college scouts. There's running back Tim Riggins, played by Taylor Kitsch, who has had a few big-budget films under his belt since the series ended. Riggins is a high school kid who has to pretty much be an adult. He's on his own with his brother and struggles with a drinking problem.And in case you think this is just a guy-heavy series, there are plenty of strong women with impressive story arcs as well. Jason’s girlfriend, Lyla (Kelly) is trying to cope with his condition and falls to temptation with his best friend Tim. Taylor also has a wife and daughter who have prominent storylines as well. If this is all sounding a little too soap-opera for you, trust me, there is nothing of the sort to be found on Friday Night Lights. The show handles these problems with a gritty realism, allowing them to progress naturally around the main story of playing football.

We all remember Ed O'Neill as Al Bundy from Married With Children. It's an iconic role that he'll never be able to shake no matter what he does for the rest of his life. After that series ended its 11-year run, he even attempted to get out of comedy and take more dramatic roles. I'm sure there was a deliberate intent to try to distance himself from Al. It's not that he likely didn't love playing the role. He just wanted to avoid getting forever typecast in the mold. Those efforts weren't all that successful. But now he's back where he belongs again in a pretty solid sit-com. He's not playing Al Bundy any more, although you won't have to look very hard to find some of Bundy in Jay from Modern Family.

Jay (O'Neill) is the patriarch of his extended family. He's a pretty wealthy businessman who lives in relative comfort. He's married to a Columbian woman who is much younger than he is. Gloria (Vergara) also brings her son Manny (Rodriquez) to the Pritchard home. Jay has two children. Mitchell (Ferguson) is gay and living with his partner Cameron (Stonestreet). The two have adopted a Vietnamese daughter named Lily. Mitchell is an attorney who supports his family, while Cameron is the jolly stay-at-home dad. Jay's daughter Claire (Bowen) has a more traditional family. Husband Phil (Burrell) sees himself as a cooler, hip kind of dad, which usually leads to some embarrassing situations for him and his family. They have three kids. Luke (Gould) is the only boy and more clueless than his father. He's obviously not playing with a full deck. It's ironic, because actor Nolan Gould is a Mensa member and somewhat of a child genius. Now that's acting. Daughter Alex (Winter) is the smart one in the family and finds herself the most embarrassed by everyone else. Daughter Haley (Hyland) has become quite worldly.