#20 - After MASH: Yours Truly, Max Klinger

I'm not sure but I still think Rader is supposed to be 19.

MASH is without question my favourite television series of all time, I love it... own all the DVDs, even a couple of vintage items including figures, a collectors plate and a vodka dispenser. The series ran for 11 years and I went out with a bang with it's finale "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen". During that final season though, the 7 members of the cast got a say in whether to continue, it was voted no with a vote of 4 to 3. Unsuprisingly the ones who voted yes to continue - Harry Morgan, Jamie Farr and William Christopher - are the stars of After MASH.

Following up a great show with a spin-off the next season is tricky, , and I believe the chances of the show are going to be more Joey then Frasier when it comes to success. So the series of After MASH began with the Korean War over and the three back in civilian life, Potter bored and Mulcahy still suffering the effects of going deaf (which is sorted out in this shows pilot) and Klinger who did stay in Korea in the MASH finale is back with his wife and the three then work at the same hospital.

"Yours Truly, Max Klinger" is the 16th episode of the first season and is notable that it features another MASH original when Gary Burghoff returns to his role as Walter 'Rader' O'Reilly, a role he played in the film version, and through the TV series until he left in the 8th season, and it's about the three going to his wedding in Iowa... but as they leaving through the door, Radar is at the door with cold foot.

Firstly, it's great to have an original MASH character back with the three, but After MASH though it could have potential dealing with those dealing with life after the war After MASH just never captured it, MASH mixed comedy and drama quite beautifully at times something this show could never do, it's not to say I didn't like it but it's a show I still enjoy for what it was.

David Ackroyd as Dr. Mark Boyer, also has a subplot in a bar wallowing in self pity at the bar, who when Radar's bride to be comes in actually seems to knock him out of (by having a go at him).

Overall, it's a decent episode it's just got an whole 11 seasons of awesomeness to live up to which many episodes of TV would fail, but yeah After MASH is not a disaster qualtity wise by any means.

#19 - Clerks: Unaired Pilot

Dante? Randall? I'm not sure it even matters who is mean't to be which

TV shows based on films whether you love or hate them usually have some link, something indentifial about them - MASH, Clueless, Limitless, Buffy The Vampire Slayer etc. - the shows might not always be completely linked to the movie, but like I said you can just tell...

Which is not really true at all about the 1995 unaired pilot based on Kevin Smith's debut and breakthrough movie which I believe the movies' Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randall (Jeff Anderson) auditioned for and even got turned down for (seriously you'd think you'd want the films actors reprising there roles) and it's not just the lack of actors or any involement from Kevin Smith, it... just feels nothing like Clerks.

It's not even because it's not in black and white or it's recorded in front of a studio audience... it... it just doesn't capture anything of the film, take away the Clerks title and it's just a generic sit-com about the employees of a convienence store.

Dante and Randall are here (Andrew Lowery and Jim Breuer) which where quite interchangeble as far as I'm concerned, notably absent is the films most iconic characters Jay and Silent Bob (unsurprisingly Kevin Smith had zero to do with this) which is even if they did recast and softened them up for TV you have to question why they are not there (or similar obvious replacement characters).

Some of the cast you might end recognizing from other work including Breuer who went on later the same year (1995) to be on Saturday Night Live and there's a small-role for Keri Russell who has had a decent career.

Overall just watch it as a curio because even without the Clerks. connection it's just a generic comedy pilot that would have fizzled out quickly if it made it to air. .

#18 - Boy Meets World: Turkey Day.

Thanks to it's sequel series Girl Meets World, Boy Meets World is back on UK TV after quite the absence. BMW was a show I used to love watching in the 90s (though I fell out of it in the college years though I saw some and saw Feeny was still there teacher for some reason), and while it's return to UK TV as not marked something I will go out my way to watch I still get enjoyment from watching it.

"Turkey Day" is the fourth seasons Thanksgiving episode and if I have seen it before in the 90s I really have no recollection of it and even features Shawn's mother who I never think of being around whatsoever, but looking up she apparently physically appeared in 3 episodes (including this one).

The episode plots feature Shawn and Corey winning turkey and stuffing after donating the mot cans, neither can decide who gets which but hit on the idea to have both family together for Thanksgiving at Shawn's families trailer park home (I'm not sure why having it at the Matthews house wasn't an option), there is a lot of issues when there with Shawn's family feeling inferior and Corey's not always quite knowing how act and say. So the episodes really about class and that and the issues we have with those below or above us.

The episode has an happy ending that when with the kids absent (they go to have dinner with Frankie and his brother also on the park) decide it's not working and go there seperate ways but overhear the kids giving thanks and how they accept each other, and decide if the kids can do it they should be able to do it.

There is very little Topanga or Feeny in this episode both appearing the beginning and end. The episode as a nice message that's not too in your face (unlike Girl Meets World, which honestly I don't really have a problem with doing) and does have time for it's jokes among the message it wants to get a cross.

Overall, in my opinion I think the middle section of seasons from Boy Meets World is it's best and this is bang in the middle of all that, the show is still enjoyable as I remember.

#17 - RoboCop The Series: Midnight Minus One

 First things first I love RoboCop, the first film from 1987 in absolutely fantastic and is of course the best of all but I enjoy both it's sequels (yes even III), it's animated counterparts, the TV movies and of course this 1994-95 Canadian series. Of course it's missing the violence of the film but it's still a pretty good show with some decent storylines (apparently it's main reason for lasting one season was the budget per episode was just too high to continue).

Richard Eden here plays Murphy/RoboCop (the rest of the cast have had there characters named changed) and it's about a "killer" about to be put to death by suicide (which will be televised) and even though he admits it, it's a race against time to prove his innocence.

While it's clear the RoboCop brand as been neutered by this point, the story of this episode is fairly compelling, and the ending in how they get (one of) the real guilty person to admit it is involvement is fun.

Overall, a show that is probably btter written then it's been given credit for (not saying it should have cleared up at the Emmys) but a show that is worth a chance.

#16 - Goosebumps: An Old Story

I have always love a good anthology series, whether the genre is horror, science fiction, fantasy... whatever, the original Twilight Zone is of course top of the mountain for me but I've loved everything from Alfred Hitchcock Presents, later Zones, The Outer Limits (both), Amazing Stories, Freddy's Nightmares, Tales From The Crypt, and I'm sure I'm leaving an all bunch out. One area though you would think would be pretty bland is the horror anthology aimed at children - which is not true at all with plenty of the stories they cover strong enough to make it on a more grown up show. The two that usually come to mind are Are You Afraid Of The Dark? and Goosebumps.

An Old Story is a third season episode, about two brothers whose weird and mysterious aunt feeds them prune cookies, which turns out is turning them old and their Auntie plans on selling them to a pair of old women.

While it's not my favourite of the Goosebumps episodes I have seen (though I haven't seen everyone) it's still a very fun episode, the make up is absolutely fantastic (unless they got old men who look like the boys) and there is a very fun ending.

Overall, there is a reason this and Are You Afraid Of The Dark? are still held up in high regards that where kids in the 90s, fun then and fun now.

#15 - Days Like These: Batteries Not Included

Eric and Donna is that you?

Ignorning gameshows or reality TV for a second there is not really that many British remakes of American shows that come instantly to mind (I can think of a lot more the other way around), I mean without looking it up I can think of The Upper Hand (Who's The Boss), The Brighton Belles (The Golden Girls), In With The Flynns (Grounded For Life), Married For Life (Married With Children) and Days Like These which was based on That 70s Show, the biggest success of the lot of them was Upper Hand which ran 7 series so it's more of the exception to the rule when it comes to success.

So back to Days Like These, a British remake that kept the name of Eric and Kitty Forman, changed the first name of Red to Roy, let Donna, Bob and Midge keep there first names (changing there surnames to Palmer), also let kept Jackie keep her fame name (she became Burget), as Michael Kelso (McGuire then completely changed the name of the Hyde has he became Dylan and Fez became Tobjorn Rasmussen (maybe because Fez stood for Forgein Exchange Student and it's something that doesn't really exist here in the UK).

This pilot episode asks the question I'm sure you've all been waiting to ask - what if they took the pilot episode script, changed a few details (including place) then reshot it with a British cast? -

Because that is totally what it is - 99.9% of the jokes are recycled and it's structed in the same way. So it is about Eric getting his Father's car, sneaking away to go a concert and the car breaking down, whilst that is the breakdown we do still get trying to sneak beer away from the parents party, Eric told he's getting the car while stoned and the walls move, McGuire giving it away that Donna might like Eric, Jackie wanting Donna to go the bathroom and Tobjorn not understanding why guys don't go together (and the joke comes back at the end), the same interludes, Michael and Jackie forced to miss the concert (here Steve Earley) and Donna kissing Eric on the hood of the car at the very end (and he even says the same line), so yeah it's like I just described the That 70s Show pilot.

I believe this was shown in the UK before That '70s Show premiered over here, this was produced during That 70s Show's first season so it actually came on the scene quite quickly, the show got a first series order of 13 (with 10 making it on to TV) very often shows get a run of 6 episodes so even the show is a failure, there are actually more episodes of this then such classic British shows as Fawlty Towers and The Young Ones.

So in someways it's hard to know how to judge this show, you can't help but picture the American counterparts in the characters with only Jackie and Tobjorn capturing the original characters spirit strong enough for my eyes. Who knows maybe given long enough it might have developed in it's own thing but it's all rather unneccessary when you've got That '70s Show.

#14 - That '80s Show: Tuesday Comes Over

Beats having glasses or paint on her overalls...

Let's face it for every Frasier or Laverne and Shirley, there is at least a dozen failed spin-offs, even really successful shows have failed when it comes to the spin-off, even Cheers had The Tortellis long before Frasier (focusing on Carla's ex-husband Nick and family, when it came to a spin-off though nobody from That '70s Show made the jump to That '80s Show, I got to be honest though I always assumed Brittany Daniel played the same character (I don't know where I got that bit of misinformation from as the character names are completely different).

So basically That 80s Show attempted to do for the 80s what it's parent show did for the 70s and that's kind of feeling what you get here, a bit of a rehash with none of the characters really feeling fresh enough for it to stand on it's own two feet and while there is less characters then the 70s, character traits are clearly an amaglanation of the more well known characters. It's clear that Eric Corey (Glenn Howerton) and Tuesday (Chyler Leigh) are heading towards some sort of relationship while is friend Roger Park (Eddie Shin) as a forgettable subplot at a car dealership selling to an old couple, I got to say the father (played by Geoff Pierson who pops in a lot of stuff) character is more Bob then Red though so it was good to have a different dynamic in the relationship and his subplot is him tricked into rent a hot-tub from Sophia (Brittany Daniel) who based on this episode feels like she should be a one-shot character but maybe there is more too her based on this episode, the cast is rounded out by Margaret (Margaret Smith) the record store manager for both Corey and Tuesday and finally Katie (Tinsley Howard) Corey's sister and a airhead but seems like she could be one of the more likable characters.

Anyway the episodes plot is it turns out Tuesday is living in the back of her and Katie invites her over for a shower after finding out, this leads Tuesday to find out that Corey still lives at home (he'd been lying to her), I know what a plot-line!

I do think given time the show could have developed into it's own thing, you can see glimpses of potential here and there and there is nothing outright bad about the episode.