Have you ever tried to actually watch children's television today? Most of it appears to be written by a writing staff dropping acid or people who think kids lack the ability to process anything that isn't hit-over-the-head-with-a-hammer obvious.

Do Not Adjust Your Set, a British television show from the late 1960s, is what children's programming should look like: A show that the family can appreciate together, with clean material and laughs for kids and adults alike.

The five member cast of Do Not Adjust Your Set is a pretty incredible group of talent – Pythons-to-be Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin team up with David Jason and Denise Coffey. The Pythons wrote all of the material, which was good training since Monty Python's Flying Circus premiered five months after the conclusion of Do Not Adjust Your Set.

There are shades of what would ev...Read the entire review

Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer character had almost been forgotten in the 1970s. Completely overshadowed by the James Bond craze, the two-fisted misogynistic tough guy was remembered mostly through TV airings of Paddy Chayefsky's Marty, in which Marty's Bronx pal Angie pores over pocket books and repeatedly murmurs, "Gee, that Spillane sure can write" and "That Mike Hammer sure knows how to handle women."

There was a short-lived series of Hammer films in the early 1950s. Biff Elliott played the bruiser opposite the voluptuous Peggie Castle in the 3D I, The Jury. Now heralded but then ignored, Robert Aldrich's Kiss Me Deadly starred Ralph Meeker and attempted to criticize Spillane's world-view from within.

The literary Hammer was deplored by the cultural watc...Read the entire review

The Complete Series

Cracker was a short lived crime drama based upon a series of the same name. The original Cracker series was produced in the United Kingdom and starred Robbie Coltrane as the main character. The original series aired for three seasons with a total of twenty-three episodes. This reincarnation of the series takes the same character and puts him in a different setting, the United States. At the root this newer series is pretty much the same as the original, but it includes a number of differences that the show is clearly not the same thing played in a different setting with a different group of actors.

For those who are not familiar with Cracker (UK, US or otherwise), the show centers around a psychologist named Fitz who works with the police solving some of the toughest crimes. When it comes to profiling criminals, Fitz is a genius. He has an unca...Read the entire review

While it would be nice to think that Monty Python's Flying Circus arrived fully formed and flush with originality from its very first broadcast, the truth is far more mundane. The members of the influential troupe, the greatest sketch comedy combo of all time, all had jobs in the media prior to their fateful convergence into the ultimate enclave of hilarity history. John Cleese had been a long time writer for British icon David Frost. Graham Chapman often joined him as a partner in pandemonium. Along the fringes, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Eric Idle were also busy, creating comedy for Frost, as well as radio and other broadcast fare. Lastly, scurrying around the edges of these elite Brit wits was American animation ex-patriot Terry Gilliam, a lost comic soul using London as a location for his concept of cut and paste lunacy.

Still, even though they occasionally worked together, and travel...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Six disparate stories, one shiny pistol

The Show
Anthology television shows have a bad success rate with the general audience, but a tremendous amount of popularity with critics and more informed viewers. The opportunity to tell a variety of stories with a variety of characters in the course of a single series is an intoxicating idea, one that has paid off with classics like "The Twilight Zone" and "Tales from the Crypt." Outside of the sci-fi/fantasy genre though, anthologies have had a rough go of it.

"Gun" was no exception to the rule. Only six episodes were made, despite an incredibly packed cast list and a talented creative staff led by "Tales from the Darkside" alumnus and "Gun" creato...Read the entire review

OK—if you at all remember Little House on the Prairie, the name "Sylvia" will surely ring a bell. Maybe a few bells. One of the most controversial and racy episodes the show ever aired (well, maybe it's next to Albert becoming a morphine addict and vomiting on screen--but that's another season) "Sylvia" was the two-parter in which the growing-up-fast Albert (Matthew Laborteaux) falls in love with a girl who's raped, impregnated and…well, I won't reveal the ending for you.

Yes it's Melrose Place on the Prairie, Michael Landon style, with the very early '80s Seventh Season of the popular family drama being amped up with enough extra juice to spread water cooler talk into the realms of rape, racism and the importance of agriculture--you think the show would forget ...Read the entire review

Themovie

Little House on the Prairie is the epitome of the good-naturedfamily show, and while it serves up a generous helping ofsentimentality, the attention to character and story means that theseries has weathered the passing of more than twenty years with bothits dignity and its entertainment value intact. As we see in Season6, Little House continues to be truly a family show: one thatboth the adults and the children can enjoy together. And while LittleHouse certainly addresses "important issues" it managesto do so in a natural, non-preachy manner: the Ingalls aren't perfect(that's part of their charm) but they're certainly solid role modelsfor both younger viewers and their parents.

...Read the entire review

Themovie

In its second season, the family historical drama Little House onthe Prairie settles into the rhythm of storytelling that it wouldultimately maintain for a total of ten seasons. While Season1 had focused mainly on the Ingalls themselves, especially Laura,in the second season the stories branch out to include more of thesecondary characters. Of course, we still have the strange IngallsNeighbor Effect, in which we meet the "dear old friends" ofone or another family member, the episode revolves around thatcharacter, and then we never see or hear about them again.Fortunately for the show, we can count on the ongoing involvement ofthe Oleson family, Dr. Baker, the Reverend, and in this season, theIngalls' (genuine) old f...Read the entire review

Themovie

LittleHouse on the Prairie: The Pilot introduced viewers to theIngalls family, a pioneer family headed out west to find a home and asecure life. In what would eventually become a ten-year run, Season 1picks up with the story as the Ingalls settle in the small town ofWalnut Grove, where Pa (Michael Landon) intends to make a living as afarmer, while Ma (Karen Grassle) takes care of the family: feistyLaura (Melissa Gilbert), her well-behaved older sister Mary (MelissaSue Anderson), and her little sister Carrie (Lindsay and SidneyGreenbush).

Little House on the Prairie, loosely based on the belovedseries of children's books by Laura Ingalls Wild...Read the entire review

Themovie

Laura Ingalls Wilder's series of Little House on the Prairiebooks, recounting her family's journeys in search of a better life onthe frontier lands of the western U.S., have been beloved familyclassics for decades, and for good reason: the stories evoke thepioneer life in vivid detail for children and adults alike. In 1974,the Little House stories came to the television screen in thepilot episode of what would become an extremely popular andlong-running show.

As the double-length pilot episode starts, the Ingalls family issetting off from their old home in the Big Woods of Wisconsin to headout to Kansas in search of a better life. The story follows thefamily during their challenging journey and their at...Read the entire review

Themovie

Whatmakes Little House on the Prairie a cut above the standard,forgettable "family drama" is, on the one hand, itsinteresting historical setting and likablecharacters, and on the other hand, its willingness to let the livesof the characters develop and change over the course of the show.Sure, it's pretty sentimental stuff... but it's reasonably well donesentimental stuff that manages to be a "family show"without condescending to either adult or child viewers.

Season 5 opens on a somber note, as most of the inhabitants of WalnutGrove, their livelihoods vanishing because of the big-businesstactics of the railroads, pack up and prepare to set off for newpastures. The two-pa...Read the entire review

Themovie

LittleHouse on the Prairie: Season 4 continues to offer viewers acharming, sweet show that does a fine job of providing entertainmentfor the whole family, adults as well as children. Based on thebeloved series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House onthe Prairie focuses on the lives of the Ingalls family as theytry to make a living in the small farming town of Walnut Grove.

The Season 4 set includes all 22 episodes of the long-running show'sfourth season, which originally aired from 1977-1978. Overall, it'sthe same enjoyable assortment of stories as in the earlier seasons,with a blend of serious drama and light-hearted humor thrown in aswell. The episodes do a nice job of ble...Read the entire review

The movie

Little House on the Prairie:Christmas is a compilation of two Christmas episodes from the long-runningtelevision show. "Christmas at Plum Creek" comes from the firstseason, and "A Christmas They Never Forgot" from the eighth season.Given the substantial time gap between the two episodes, this set is probablyintended mostly for viewers who already know and love the show, and who won'tbe shocked by seeing Laura and Mary as little girls in one episode and grownwomen with husbands in the next.

Of the two episodes,"Christmas at Plum Creek" is probably the better, as it has a realstoryline. In their first winter at Plum Creek, all the members of the familywant to give memorable presents to each other, but since they're very short ofmoney, this generosity leads to some sacrifices. It'...Read the entire review

The movie

When a television series runsfor ten years, it's pretty clearly a success: having run from 1974-1984, LittleHouse on the Prairie certainly merits a release on DVD, and Imavision hasstepped up to the plate with season boxed sets. Little House on the Prairie:Season 3 continues the story of the Ingalls family: Charles and CarolineIngalls and their children Mary, Laura, and Carrie, trying to raise a familyand run a farm in the pioneer town of Walnut Grove. Little House on thePrairie is "family entertainment" in the best sense of thephrase: it's clearly intended to be a show that the adults and children in afamily will watch and enjoy together.

Even though I was a kid whilethe show was on the air, for some reason I never watched it, so this DVD setwas my first taste of ...Read the entire review

The movie

With the increased appearanceof exercise programs on DVD, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise to see aniche program like The Art of Exotic Dancing for Everyday Women beingreleased on DVD. The title is certainly catchy; the question is, if you're awoman and you're looking for a new and creative way to express yourself and getsome exercise, is this DVD for you? Probably not.

Now, I'm thoroughly inagreement with the program's participants when they say how important andliberating it is to feel comfortable with one's body. Learning to dance strikesme as an excellent way to redefine one's self-image in a more positive mannerby becoming comfortable and confident with how one's own body feels and move,as well as a great way to actually improve one's own physical condition byaerobic...Read the entire review

THE FEATURE
Now this is a yoga video. Hemalaya Behl's Yoga for Urban Living has everything you need to practice yoga in your own home, whether you're a beginner or a master. The instructor obviously knows what she's presenting, and she presents it in the appropriate way, with thorough explanations and both energizing and relaxing music.

Yoga for Urban Living is broken into three main exercise segments: morning, evening, and daily. The Morning Quickie is a 30-minute session that focuses on stretching and breathing. This program energizes the body and prepares it for the day ahead. The music is upbeat, but just mellow enough to help you ease into your waking state.

The Evening Bath is more relaxing, both in poses and music. Even Behl takes a more subtle, relaxing tone in her descriptions of the moves, which are slower with more holding and breathing. This is the perfect way to...Read the entire review