Article by: Tribrix

“The quest is the quest”. The catchphrase of this four part serial which
originally aired from January 7 to 28, 1978, with Tom Baker and Louise
Jameson.

Many fans of Doctor Who remember this one as a story they’d like to forget. With a new box set out, including this particular story, many will be viewing it anew, and may be surprised at what they find. The Doctor and Leela land on a ship engaged in a long, long quest for the genetic material of their long lost planet/race (contained in two golden cylinders), that they may rebuild it on a new home. Initially, the doctor compares this vessel to the flying Dutchman, which would have been a very interesting story, indeed. Instead, what we have is a retelling of the less interesting Jason and the Argonauts. If you need more evidence of this, they are searching for the P-7E, which sounds an awful lot like Persephone, and that’s on purpose too.

Writers Bob Baker and Dave Martin, who produced several scripts of unevenquality for Doctor Who, even credited the ancient writers they borrowed so freely from. I believe this is a decent effort on their part, and there’s a lot I like about what they brought to the table, in the inventive ways they interpreted the old stories for a modern science fiction audience.

Another good quality about this one is the model work, which is first rate, especially for Doctor Who at that time. I’m not going to lie and say all the effects are perfect by todays standards, but there’s some good stuff there, and the bad stuff ain’t too bad. And I’m going to include the use of CSO (bluescreen) for the sets. As I understand it, inflation was so rampant at the time, in the months that passed from the time the show was budgeted until it was made, the Pound had lost so much value, they had to cut any corner they could, which included shooting all the cave scenes (it is called Underworld), against a blue screen. This save tons of money, but has dismayed fans a great deal over the years.

At times, K-9 seems to float over the landscape he’s supposed to be traversing. The backgrounds have a short depth of field which doesn’t match the sharp, deep focus on the actors. And the shadows don’t seem to match at all. I love it though. It gives the episode a very otherworldly quality it could never have had in the studio. Plus, the rocky floors have texture, which the studio shoots never achieve, even in the much lauded Caves of Androzani (more on that one later).

One last thing that’s nice about Underworld. When you get to the end, it will have a ring of familiarity to it, even though, it seems to differ slightly from the source material, making for a very satisfying end, IMO. A lot of fans would try to dissuade you from checking this one out, but I’m not one of them. This is never going to make a top ten or top twenty list, but it’s certainly worth checking out if you see it on cable somewhere or have access to watching it free on Netflix.

*About Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a British sci-fi show which aired from 1963 – 1989 and again
from 2005 to the present. In the UK, it is ubiquitous, watched by boys and
girls, men and women, ages 9-99, most people, even if they are not watching,
know what’s happening in the show each week. It typically airs in the early
evening on Saturdays, right after the sports finish up.

Doctor Who in America is a bit more divisive. Some fans love it, while a
lot of people in the genre community can’t stand it. It’s easy, even for
fans, to understand this schism, because the show has a lot of rough edges,
on account of low budgets and quirky temperament.

In Doctor Who, the main character, the Doctor, wanders the universe through
time and space, in a telephone booth called the Tardis, which is larger on
in the inside. He cannot completely control the Tardis, and often doesn’t
know where he’s going or where he is. He is usually accompanied by a
companion or more and they are usually female, though some have been male
and/or robotic.

Originally it was to have been a time traveling educational show for kids,
but the show’s first producer, Verity Lambert, keen on making a career for
herself with a ‘hit’ show, gave it her own spin, downplaying the historical
aspect, upping the sci-fi, and gearing it towards all audiences, instead of
just children. This tradition continues today.

I am in the process of watching every episode of Doctor Who in chronological
order (where those episodes have been destroyed, I am watching one of the
recons). I have been at it for a couple of years and expect to be at it a
couple more. I may occasionally post reviews out of order, but mostly I’m
going to post them as I watch them.

“Let’s get it on!” exclaims former World Champion, Bill Goldberg as he kicks off another episode of one of the few reality shows I can get into watching, BullRun. This is BullRun’s third season where it places twelve teams of two that risk their own tricked out rides in a several thousand mile race across the United States. GPS and all other electronic navigation devices are banned, and teams must solely rely on their partner as their only navigator. I am not a hardcore gearhead guru and know practically nothing about the nuts and bolts of automobiles, but I find myself seriously addicted to this show. I blame it on Xbox Live Marketplace making the first episode of the first season a free download, and I have not looked back.

The first season of BullRun was on Spike, but the show has since moved to the Speed Network. Each hour long episode of BullRun consists of three parts. The first third of an episode is a recap of the previous show and getting thoughts from most teams as they prepare for the next leg of the race. The second act has cameras installed in all cars and features highlights from each race as teams debate the fastest routes, take shortcuts that occasionally works against them and have brushes against the law.

Highlights of the day’s leg of the race are personally my favorite part of the show. Season two was notorious for teams making many ill-fated decisions when it came to shortcuts and misreading maps. This season features a clear cut antagonist to root against. From the first four episodes that aired of this season so far, everyone has ill will towards Team Lamborghini. Right from the first episode Team Lambo has been playing some dirty tricks, and instantly made rivals with the other teams. A new rule for this season is an immunity checkpoint where the first team to risk taking the time to veer slightly off course and grab it will receive immunity from the episode’s challenge event, which is the final act of the show.

The challenge is where teams risk their ride in a stunt course competing for top times to complete the challenge, usually consisting of explosions, obstacles and nonstop taunting from Bill Goldberg. These can turn especially nasty, because in previous seasons teams have wrecked their rides out of their desire to win. The two teams who place last in the day’s leg of the race, and a third team selected by the day’s race winner compete in the challenge with the team finishing last in the challenge getting eliminated that week. This season has saw Team Hummer placed in the challenge almost every episode, usually by choice of the day’s winner because Team Lamborghini keeps locking up the immunity. It has gotten to the point where other teams pick them because they love seeing them kick ass in their ride optimized for the all terrain challenge courses. The team shows tremendous heart, and is my personal pick to win the BullRun event.

As with every reality/contest show, you have to question how much of it is real and/or predetermined to begin with. Being a wrestling fan however, I have no gripes with whatever creative liberties the producers have instilled into the show as each and every episode is incredibly entertaining.  Unfortunately Speed does not have a listing on the PSN/Xbox Live video marketplace, nor have I seen a listing on Hulu or any other online television streaming website for it. As far as I know, catching each episode when it airs every Thursday night on Speed at 10/9 central is the only way to watch. Make sure to check out the BullRun website for details on all the teams and the concept of the show. Finally, fear the spear!

Alright, this one’s a bit off the beaten path, but it’s one of my all-time favorites. The Hair Bear Bunch is another great Hanna Barbera cartoon that was originally aired in the 70s and was featured on the USA Cartoon Express in the 80s. It borrowed bits from Yogi Bear, except instead of two mischief-making bears in a national park, it featured three mischief-making bears in a zoo. Yogi and Boo Boo were replaced with Hair Bear, Bubi Bear, and Square Bear, while the zoo keeper Mr. Peevly and his assistant Botch stood in for Ranger Smith.

The Hair Bear Bunch first aired in 1971, so it took on many cultural trends of the time, most notably Hair’s…hair. I was watching an episode the other day and couldn’t help being mesmerized by that crazy afro. In addition, the bears turn their cave into a swinging bachelor pad, complete with wet bar, party area, and furniture that looks like something straight out of an Austin Powers flick.

Plots are about what you’d expect: the bears cause trouble by either trying to escape from the zoo or throwing a party in their cave, Peevly intervenes, hilarity ensues. But what I never understood was how and why Square Bear had an invisible motorcycle. I mean, seriously, what in the hell?

That puzzling bit aside, this cartoon is classic Hanna Barbera and one of the many reasons I love that studio so much. It’s got the great theme song, the goofball characters, and all the elements that make cartoons so much fun. Unfortunately, there’s no way to get your hands on a legitmate collection of the Hair Bear Bunch. I nabbed a bootleg a few years ago, and the VHS collection has long been out of print. However, you can watch an episode on Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1970s Vol. 2. The Saturday Morning Cartoons series are awesome collections of some of the best (and, unfortunately, some of the worst) cartoons from their respective decades. I totally recommend picking up one, two, or all of these collections if you’re a classic cartoon junkie like myself.

Article By: Tribrix

Tom Baker returns as the Doctor and Louise Jameson as Leela in The Invisible Enemy. A four part serial which originally aired in January and February, 1977. It introduces K-9, the Doctors robotic Dog companion, but that is probably the only important detail to mention before the review proper. K-9 is, in retrospect, a clear R2-D2 ripoff. Granted, he has his own charm at times, but clearly the production felt the need to provide a cute robot companion, and then to make him a continuing character. K-9 is devisive among Doctor Who fans, but I could take him or leave him either way, not a big deal to me. In some ways, he breaks the show, by giving the Doctor easy access to too much weaponry, as one of the best things about Doctor Who is the lead character’s ability to get out of a jam with nothing but the junk laying around him. I’m at a loss to state K-9′s positive qualities, I don’t think he really adds much to the show at all. Enough about that, let’s review the story at hand.

Who knew white feathers could be scary? Infected by the ‘Swarm’ the Doctor lands the Tardis on Titan, one of the moons of Saturn, at a refueling station there, the infection continues. Thankfully, Leela is immune to the infection and is able to help. Clones of the her and the Doctor are miniaturized and sent into the Doctor’s body to try and neutralize the nucleus of the disease, but the plan backfires, as the nucleus itself escapes in place of the clones.

Borrowing from both Fantastic Voyage and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Invisible Enemy is an ambitious effort on the part of producer Graham Williams and crew, but they are (mostly) up to the task. Despite the lofty aims, this production mostly succeeds, however, certain failures are notable.

This is probably the first space bourne production made following the release of Star Wars, and unfortunately, it shows. For example there is a ray gun battle in a white hall way, very similar to the one that opens Star Wars IV, but in Doctor Who, it is so slow moving, it’s obviously from a different era. Also, Invisible Enemy features plenty of flying space ship porn, for those who like such things, but as with the ray gun battle, it’s so slow and boring, you really can’t wait for it to end. Those are some of the down sides.

On the Upsides, Invisible Enemy features some decent sets for the interior of the Doctor’s body, which are very reminiscent of the Fantastic Voyage movie, and the outward effects of the disease are quite creepy (did I mention the white feathers?) Once a person has been infected, these white feathers seem to grow around the eyes, looking kind of like fluffy goggles, but don’t let that description fool you. It’s not a pleasant sight and kind of makes my skin crawl just thinking about it again.

Invisible Enemy is better than average for Doctor Who. It has it’s weak points, but otherwise, it’s quite a good story worth watching, if, for no other reason, than for the introduction of K-9 and the demonstration that white feathers can be scary.

*About Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a British sci-fi show which aired from 1963 – 1989 and again from 2005 to the present. In the UK, it is ubiquitous, watched by boys and girls, men and women, ages 9-99, most people, even if they are not watching, know what’s happening in the show each week. It typically airs in the early evening on Saturdays, right after the sports finish up.

Doctor Who in America is a bit more divisive. Some fans love it, while a lot of people in the genre community can’t stand it. It’s easy, even for fans, to understand this schism, because the show has a lot of rough edges, on account of low budgets and quirky temperament.

In Doctor Who, the main character, the Doctor, wanders the universe through time and space, in a telephone booth called the Tardis, which is larger on in the inside. He cannot completely control the Tardis, and often doesn’t know where he’s going or where he is. He is usually accompanied by a companion or more and they are usually female, though some have been male and/or robotic.

Originally it was to have been a time traveling educational show for kids, but the show’s first producer, Verity Lambert, keen on making a career for herself with a ‘hit’ show, gave it her own spin, downplaying the historical aspect, upping the sci-fi, and gearing it towards all audiences, instead of just children. This tradition continues today.

I am in the process of watching every episode of Doctor Who in chronological order (where those episodes have been destroyed, I am watching one of the recons). I have been at it for a couple of years and expect to be at it a couple more. I may occasionally post reviews out of order, but mostly I’m going to post them as I watch them.

Article By: Tribrix

Tom Baker returns as the Doctor and Louise Jameson in this, the first story of the first season produced by Graham Williams. It originally aired 9.3.77 to 9.24.77 and was written by Terrance Dicks, easily the most prolific Doctor Who author ever (with over 400 books to his name, not all of them Doctor Who related, but many). Graham Williams era with the show is marked by a bit of a decline in quality compared to his predecessor, which I think shows in this very first story. However, Baker is still in his stride here, and that helps overcome scripts that are not quite as good, and productions that may have been a bit too ambitious at times.

The story concerns a lighthouse on the English coast in the early 20th century, isolated by fog and under attack by the Rutans, mortally enemy of the Sontarans, with whom they’ve been at war for many years. I’ll spare you the detail of how the lighthouse is involved in their plan, as I’m not all that convinced of it’s soundness. In the lighthouse, are the three men who run it, and later, when a ship runs aground, owing to the previously mentioned fog, the three surviving passengers join the small party already coping with the Rutan’s machinations. These new passengers add some juice the plot really needs at that point and bring with them their own intrigues and drama, compounding all the problems already present.

I’m not a big fan of this story, and this most recent viewing marks my third time out with it. I really like the premise, even if it calls to mind Robots of Death, a mere two stories back, and that it is a period piece, like the story previous, set not too much later either. Having a group of strangers trapped in confined quarters as they then start dying one by one has made for many a good murder mystery, but this is not one of them.

As for the production, well, you take the good, you take the bad, and there you have . . . well, Graham Williams was less interested than his predecessor in trying to produce a show of the highest quality based on the budget he had. One finds Graham reaching higher, and sometimes missing the ring. The lighthouse set is awesome, and really shines. The Rutan, well, not so much. I was happy it was out of focus a lot of the time, but there also seemed to be a scale issue.

In the end, what this group of episodes had going for it was atmosphere, that it has, in spades. If there were any reason to recommend it, that would be it. The acting is alright, but I didn’t catch any standouts. The Doctor has a few good quips, which Baker delivers wonderfully. But I’m hard pressed to recommend this one, unless you are a completist like me.

*About Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a British sci-fi show which aired from 1963 – 1989 and again from 2005 to the present. In the UK, it is ubiquitous, watched by boys and girls, men and women, ages 9-99, most people, even if they are not watching, know what’s happening in the show each week. It typically airs in the early evening on Saturdays, right after the sports finish up.

Doctor Who in America is a bit more divisive. Some fans love it, while a lot of people in the genre community can’t stand it. It’s easy, even for fans, to understand this schism, because the show has a lot of rough edges, on account of low budgets and quirky temperament.

In Doctor Who, the main character, the Doctor, wanders the universe through time and space, in a telephone booth called the Tardis, which is larger on in the inside. He cannot completely control the Tardis, and often doesn’t know where he’s going or where he is. He is usually accompanied by a companion or more and they are usually female, though some have been male and/or robotic.

Originally it was to have been a time traveling educational show for kids, but the show’s first producer, Verity Lambert, keen on making a career for herself with a ‘hit’ show, gave it her own spin, downplaying the historical aspect, upping the sci-fi, and gearing it towards all audiences, instead of just children. This tradition continues today.

I am in the process of watching every episode of Doctor Who in chronological order (where those episodes have been destroyed, I am watching one of the recons). I have been at it for a couple of years and expect to be at it a couple more. I may occasionally post reviews out of order, but mostly I’m going to post them as I watch them.

Article By: Tribrix

I have to admit, I’m a little sad writing this review, as it is the last Doctor Who story produced by Philip Hinchcliffe, arguably the show’s very best helmsman. It is also writer Robert Holme’s most wonderful contribution (he had many) to the show. It is also, like Robots of Death, one of the very best episodes to get your feet wet with, where Doctor Who is concerned. This is a six part serial that originally aired from 2.26.77 to 4.2.77.

In this story, the Doctor and Leela arrive in Victorian London, ostensibly, to attend the theatre. Leela, a primitive ‘savage’ has never had the pleasure of culture and the Doctor is anxious to share it with her. On arrival, they discover young women are going missing around town, and word on the street is that the ripper is up to his old tricks. The Doctor and Leela do eventually make their way to the theater, but not before they discover more strange mysteries with a distinctive Chinese bent.

I have read the novelization of this story 3 times and seen this broadcast 4 or more times, so the story is very familiar to me at this point. Despite that, it’s still always a joy to watch this, even though Victorian England is not that interesting to me. Credit the writing of Robert Holmes. This story blends Conan Doyle/ Sherlock Holmes and My Fair Lady, with Phantom of the Opera, and throws in both future tech and Asian flavor to spice it up even more. Holmes love of alliteration is showcased a lot (keep those ears open), and he offers tons of quotable lines: When the Doctor tries to sneak out of Li H’sen Chang’s magic act, Chang says, “One of us is yellow,” Not PC, but hilarious, and one of many such moments in the story.

The BBC is at it’s best doing period drama, and that is on full show in this production. Seriously, during my most recent viewing there were times this felt like a feature film on video tape, because the lighting, costumes, acting, and ambience were all so right and wonderfully done. Which is not to say this is a production without problems, and of that I will say, there is a giant rodent who is much to cute and not nearly menacing enough, and there’s nothing to be done about it now, but it’s the sole blemish on an otherwise remarkable serial. I say sole blemish, but recognize others might have issue with the visual effects, and the ‘cheapness’ thereof. In their defense I’ll just say that they aren’t so bad.

The acting in this story is great, even by classic Doctor Who standards. Top British talent were always eager to go on the show because it offered them such wide exposure and usually had fairly decent writing, plus the chance to do something a little off the beaten track. In a totally un-PC move, John Bennet plays the heavy, Li H’sen Chang, for the first 5 episodes. The prosthetic eye makeup is good and John delivers a convincing performance. According to the producer, they’d have loved to hire a ‘real’ asian actor for the role, but didn’t feel the BBC had any Asian leading men on the roster. Also of note in this story are Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter, playing Jago and Litefoot, respectively. These two characters are present and interesting from the first episode on, but once they begin to work together in a later episode, they play off each other in a lightly comedic way that completely steals the show from the hero. Speaking of which, Tom Baker does a great job as the Doctor this time, though that is no real surprise, and Louise Jameson has a chance to shine as Leela, the savage in Victorian London, the sort of ‘Tarzan’ role the character was created to be placed in.

Talons of Weng Chiang is an excellent place to start watching Doctor Who because the overall quality is rarely equalled in the classic series, however, I’d recommend watching Robots of Death first, because, being set in the future, it’s more sci-fi-esque and a better representation of the show, but Talons of Weng Chiang is a better story and an even better production. As it happens, they are sequential, with Robots coming first, so it makes a great double bill. These were the first two Doctor Who DVDs I purchased, so you know they’re high on my list of favorites.

*About Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a British sci-fi show which aired from 1963 – 1989 and again from 2005 to the present. In the UK, it is ubiquitous, watched by boys and girls, men and women, ages 9-99, most people, even if they are not watching, know what’s happening in the show each week. It typically airs in the early evening on Saturdays, right after the sports finish up.

Doctor Who in America is a bit more divisive. Some fans love it, while a lot of people in the genre community can’t stand it. It’s easy, even for fans, to understand this schism, because the show has a lot of rough edges, on account of low budgets and quirky temperament.

In Doctor Who, the main character, the Doctor, wanders the universe through time and space, in a telephone booth called the Tardis, which is larger on in the inside. He cannot completely control the Tardis, and often doesn’t know where he’s going or where he is. He is usually accompanied by a companion or more and they are usually female, though some have been male and/or robotic.

Originally it was to have been a time traveling educational show for kids, but the show’s first producer, Verity Lambert, keen on making a career for herself with a ‘hit’ show, gave it her own spin, downplaying the historical aspect, upping the sci-fi, and gearing it towards all audiences, instead of just children. This tradition continues today.

Article By: Tribix

Hilden’s Note: My appologies to Tribix for the late post on these. I’ve had a whole series of these kick ass Dr. Who reviews sitting in my inbox forever. With the whole server shitstorm, my head’s been a bit out of the Robot Panic posting mode. Look forward to more of these reviews in the coming weeks!

If you have never seen any episodes of classic Doctor Who (see my note at the bottom, *about Doctor Who), Robots of Death is a great place to start. I say that not only because it came about when the show was at its very height in terms of cast and crew, but even among the stories of that period it’s a highlight. ROD is a 4 part serial story which first aired from 1.29.77 to 2.19.77 (right before Star Wars premired). Fans of classic Doctor Who are often in the position of having to apologize for poor sets, poor effects, poor model work, and poor monster costumes, but ROD is one of the more solid stories where most of these elements are at least okay, and some elements, like the robot design, are really inspired.

The story opens as the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Leela (Loise Jamison) land on a large scale mining vehicle, with a human crew of less than a dozen, and many more robots who perform most of the work, especially when the crew takes to lounging in luxury. Soon the human crew start dropping like flies, and, surprise, the Doctor and Leela are suspected to be behind the deaths.

Drawing from a number of different literary sources: Agatha Christi, I Robot, and Dune come to mind, ROD is also it’s own, totally original story, where these influences, though transparent, really do provide background ambience to a larger aim. As was often the case in classic Doctor Who, the supporting guest cast are all quite good (well, mostly), especially the ones who get the most screen time, thankfully. There is a moment when one female character reads a letter and feigns a cry which is wince inducing, but that’s the only really bad acting standout. The model work is okay in this one. The miner is a very original design of a vehicle, but it could do with greater detail to sell it’s scale better, also, there are a couple of composite shots with it and the live actors which don’t work well at all on account of some depth of field issues with the cameras (I had a hard time figuring out what these were supposed to be the first time I saw them). The sets are pretty good, no real complaints there. The robot design is a treat, but the other costumes are a bit over-the-top for a mining crew. They suggest that these people spend more time lounging than working, which would go with later revelations in the plot, so I suppose that was the intended effect. There are few ‘effects’ but they are mostly pretty good, not realistic, mind you, but not distracting either.

As I said before, if you have never seen a classic Doctor Who, this is a good one to start with. It’s a very interesting story, mostly well produced, and very enjoyable, one of the very best stories of classic Doctor Who.

*About Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a British sci-fi show which aired from 1963 – 1989 and again from 2005 to the present. In the UK, it is ubiquitous, watched by boys and girls, men and women, ages 9-99, most people, even if they are not watching, know what’s happening in the show each week. It typically airs in the early evening on Saturdays, right after the sports finish up.

Doctor Who in America is a bit more divisive. Some fans love it, while a lot of people in the genre community can’t stand it. It’s easy, even for fans, to understand this schism, because the show has a lot of rough edges, on account of low budgets and quirky temperament.

In Doctor Who, the main character, the Doctor, wanders the universe through time and space, in a telephone booth called the Tardis, which is larger on in the inside. He cannot completely control the Tardis, and often doesn’t know where he’s going or where he is. He is usually accompanied by a companion or more and they are usually female, though some have been male and/or robotic.

Originally it was to have been a time traveling educational show for kids, but the show’s first producer, Verity Lambert, keen on making a career for herself with a ‘hit’ show, gave it her own spin, downplaying the historical aspect, upping the sci-fi, and gearing it towards all audiences, instead of just children. This tradition continues today.

-by Tribrix

iPhone 3GS: I know, I know. The obvious choice for the Apple Fanboy in the audience but bear with me. I never bought a 3G back when Steve and Co. debuted the new “faster internet” version of the iPhone. My old 2G hooked into the web just fine, ran Apps decently and did everything I wanted it too. Or so I thought. With this little beauty, not only do I have a much needed compass to help me find my own house when I’m lost, it allows me to stream podcasts and music on the fly and take videos of my kids before they turn into teenagers tomorrow. Hell, I can even mistakenly send that picture of me with no pants to my loan officer instead of just texting him insults to his mother. Technology is, truly, grand. What was already a device that had my very life housed inside it has somehow become an even more important and valuable piece of equipment. I’m never without it.

Vintage 1952 Telecaster Reissue: Like every red-blooded American boy, I’ve always wanted to be a guitar player. Aided by the impending Classic Rock inspired Shmopera 3.0, I decided it was time to stop fucking around and do it. I’ve had my eye on this guitar since I first saw Springsteen playing on an actual 1952 Telecaster as a kid and when it came time to buy my first serious guitar, there could be no other. It may be a reissue but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t rock the shit out of everything you play. It’s a dream and plays like a classic American guitar should: loud and sexy. Add in a new VOX tube amp and I’m in rock and roll heaven. Tom Petty cover band, here I come. If I wasn’t married, I would sleep with this thing. I’m in love.

Up!: I’ve heard tell of animated movies that made crowds weep with emotion. I’ve never had an animated movie move me that way, until Pete Doctor’s Up!, that is. In the course of about three minutes, the story of a man and his wife goes by and ends with the main character sitting alone and holding a balloon after the funeral of his wife. An animated movie had me crying in the theater. Call me a baby, call me a wimp. I call Pete Doctor and the artists at Pixar some of the best storytellers and craftsmen that have ever lived. Thank God they exist.

Twitter: Hilden from 2008 wants to punch the Hilden of 2009 right in his pussy fucking face with this pick. It’s true, however, that Twitter has become one of the most important communication tools for Drunken Gamers Radio and it’s community of kick ass listeners. Not to mention, it’s a great way to keep in touch with what’s going on in world of entertainment, politics, comedy, music, comics and anything else I have an interest in. It’s everything I love about forums but without all the shit I hate. It’s what I wanted Facebook to be before a shit ton of people I didn’t even talk to in High School made the social network the equivalent of a yearbook popularity contest. Twitter is how I like to keep in touch with people. Short and to the point communications with a link to more shit if you want it. Twitter, I hate to say it, is the missing piece to the DGR/Robot Panic puzzle that started with a forum burned to the ground by a merciless robot. I love to Tweet. There. I said it. Fuck you.

LOST: For a show that really started to flounder around Season 3, this show really found it’s stride and once again sits as one of the best shows on television. In it’s 2009 Season, the element of time travel was used, not as a groan-inducing “we don’t know where to go from here” cop-out but as a brilliantly executed tool that was integral to a compelling and pivotal story arc. With only one season to go, LOST has taken it’s place as one of the most engaging stories I have witnessed on television and in 2009, it consistently delivered on it’s promise. My only regret is that it’s only got one more season before it’s over.

The Beatles Re-Masters: I’ve always been a Beatles fan but I’ve never seriously delved into their music. I’m not sure if it just wasn’t the right time in my life or what, but I’ve always had a passing fancy with the group. When the Re-Masters hit this year, the aspiring audio engineer in me decided to pick them up just to learn something about the mastering process. What ended up happening is a multiple month long voyage of musical discovery regarding song writing and construction. Those lessons ended up infusing most of my contributions to the ZomBOOsical! and gave me a whole new insight into what makes a great band great. My only regret is that it took me this long to really understand what the Beatles were all about. The new versions of these classic albums not only sound fantastic but they also restored my love of the physical medium of the CD for my music purchases. While I still download many songs digitally, if it’s anything of worth, I’m back to buying it on CD thanks to these albums.

The Protomen: Act II-The Father of Death: We’re obviously big fans of the rock “opera” thing here at Robot Panic. As such, The Protomen’s latest offering is one of my favorite albums of the year. Yes, it tells a great little story that is set in the world of one of my favorite videogames. However, it’s the songs themselves that set this album apart. They all have great hooks, some fantastic 80′s synth action and they’re catchy as hell. It’s a really well produced album and from a musical perspective, it sets the bar high for other folks hoping to do much the same. Um..yeah…that would be us.

Dexter: I’m a bit late to the party on this one, but I have to mention that Dexter goes down as one of the most cleverly crafted shows to appear on television. It got my wife and I to plunk down another $10.00 a month we don’t have just to see them all in time. I was in love with Season 3, even though many didn’t like it as much. I, however, thought it would be pretty hard to top. With Season 4′s scary, disturbing, brilliant and completely shocking story now over, I have NO idea where things go from here but I’ve never been more anxious to see a season of television start.

And that season finale ending scene will haunt me for months. I’m fucking serious.

All of You: Excuse the bit of cheese that’s about to be written here. I have to say that one of my favorite things of 2009 was all of you who read, listen and contribute to our little home on the web. I’m not gonna lie. A little over a year ago, I was done with websites, forums and podcasts. For reasons of my own addled brain, I was fighting hard to kill everything and shut it all down. Thanks to my good friends talking me down off the ledge, we managed to find what was missing and move things in a more positive direction for the three of us.

In turn, all of you who have been with us since the beginning of Team Fremont (or even GWX) and those of you only a week old have written in, called, submitted articles, left iTunes reviews and (most shockingly) donated your hard earned money to our show. There are simply no words to express how grateful I am for all of you and your contributions. I only hope that our show and site continue to entertain you or at least make you laugh once before you unsubscribe in disgust.

Thank you for making 2009 the best year we’ve ever had.

Like most of us, I spend a lot of time on the couch enjoying all forms of digital entertainment. Occasionally I am intrigued by something new that the network weasels they to pawn off on us as “good television.” Normally, I keep what I find to myself, but some recent channel surfing has enlightened me (and I use that term loosely) to a few shows that deserve some discussion.

Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura – TruTV

Those of us who call Minnesota home are more than familiar with the former Governor of our fine state. I will humbly admit that I enjoyed his antics when he was Jesse “The Body” Ventura and his war with Hulk Hogan is worthy of an epic poem. But when Jesse hit the airwaves on a local radio station, we all soon began to realize that Mr. Ventura had taken too many blows to the head. To Jesse, everything was a conspiracy and he would often just start talking about aliens in the White House or some other fantastical thing. Of course, he became the Governor of this fine state which was very funny…well, at least in the beginning it was.

Somehow this title of Governor gives some sense of truth and credibility to the holder and thus TruTV gave Jesse a shot to investigate – or let’s be honest…pretend to investigate – the many urban myths and conspiracy theories that exist today. Of course TruTV is the perfect spot to air such a show, just look at their stellar line up: “The Smoking Gun Presents,” “Operation Repo,” “Inside American Jail” and “Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel.” Fine entertainment if you ask me.

His first show dealt with HAARP, the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, an array of antennae in the Alaskan wilderness that shoots bursts of electricity into the ionosphere. The array is said by some to have the capacity to change the weather, cause earthquakes and control the human mind. My wife recorded it out of morbid curiosity and it was what I had expected it to be…a train wreck. Mr. Ventura’s crack team of investigators get interviews with people that nobody else can, or that nobody else cares about, I forget. And Jesse himself stands outside the HAARP facility demanding they let him in, and when they of course deny him he spouts off saying, “I get angry when I don’t get what I want.” Right…

Of course I could have lived with Jesse and his cute little show; that is until in episode #2 when he went after the 911 conspiracy. I have to digress for a moment and explain to everyone that I was actually on a jet to New York that morning and several people I was to meet with that day died in the tower collapse, so I am closer to the event than most. I watched with my mouth agape as Jesse tried to convince his viewers that the government used some super-flammable paint in these buildings in order to bring them down on purpose. I’m an old guy, I’ve seen a lot, but I have never felt more insulted with what I saw on TV that night. Not only was it preposterous, but it taints the memory of so many who lost their lives that day, including many rescue workers. It was beyond bad taste. Shame on you TruTV…

Cookalong Live with Gordon Ramsay – Fox

The next piece of garbage I need to discuss actually comes from Fox…imagine that! Now I’m a huge Gordon Ramsey fan. I started watching his show on BBCA a few years ago and was excited when they announced him for “Hell’s Kitchen.” I like Gordon for a few reasons. First, he has high standards; there is a right way to do things and if you’re not doing it right you’re impedance to his own success. We could all learn a lot about excellence from Gordon. Second, he calls a spade a spade. If the food sucks, he’s not afraid to tell people “dude this tastes like ass…try again.” Finally, Gordon does celebrate success. This is important, because if all he ever did was criticize people he’s just be a prick.  But when someone gets it right, he’ll tell them “great job,” or “I’m proud of you.” Again, managers of America, pay attention!
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Despite the fact that there is a seemingly endless parade of remakes coming from Hollywood these days, it still must be a somewhat daunting task to remake or re-imagine a series; especially a beloved cult series with a rabidly devoted group of followers. And in the age of the internet where every couch jockey is an amateur critic, it’s got to be especially trying. I used to decry the lack of originality, the pillaging of things I hold dear, and the strip-mining of beloved classics for quick profit. But who’s got time for it anymore? It’s easier to come to terms with the fact that old stories are going to be retold from time to time. And that doesn’t make the first version you saw of that story any less special. When watching the new version of an old property, I’ve found it helpful to ask myself, “If the original did not exist, would I like this version?” And more often than not I’ve been satisfied with the result.

Fortunately, in the case of AMC’s The Prisoner, I’m able to answer that question in the affirmative. No, I don’t like it as much as the original. Yes, most of the quirky, 60s psychedelic madness that made the original such a unique landmark in television is missing. But those were different times and a lot of those elements wouldn’t work today. In fact, they’d probably come across as hokey and ridiculous; more so than they already do. In addition, why remake a show frame for frame, shot for shot? After all, the original already exists. So the creators of the new version of The Prisoner were wise to not follow too closely the pattern that Patrick McGoohan and company laid out for them. To do so would have been a losing proposition.

In fact, a lot has changed. Rather than a revolving door of 2s, there is only one Number 2, played ominously by Ian McKellen. McKellen’s 2 is a looming figure in the series; more of a dictator over The Village than simply the mayor. The other villagers seem to at once revere and fear him and they speak of him in hushed tones. 2 has a family; a bedridden wife and a mysterious son who doesn’t seem to be comfortable himself in The Village.

And what about The Village? Half of the appeal of the original series was the character and charm of The Village, which was set in the real life resort town of Portmeirion in Wales. The location was like a cast member and was just as important to the story as was number 6. Unfortunately, The Village in AMC’s take is not nearly as interesting, looking somewhat like a small Arizona town from the sixties. The Village is surrounded by desert (I believe it was filmed in Tunisia), making escape an apparent impossibility. There are some interesting buildings here and there, but nothing near the wonder of Portmeirion.
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