Question: A recent episode of The Night Stalker had a scene of a boy sitting on a chair in front of a TV watching cartoons and it reminded me of a similar scene from a movie. I think it was a girl sitting in front of a TV watching cartoons, in a creepy house, and when they showed the front of her, she had no mouth. But I can't recall the movie; it may have had several stories in it, but I'm not sure. Can you help?
Answer: I can. You're remembering the "It's a Good Life" segment of Twilight Zone — The Movie (1983). Adapted from a classic episode of the original Twilight Zone TV series and directed by Joe Dante, it revolves around a small boy (Billy Mumy in the original TV episode, Jeremy Licht in the movie
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Question: Am I the only one not lamenting Everwood's move to Thursdays? I've just discovered it this season, and already it seems everyone (including Ausiello) wants it back on Mondays. On Monday, for me, it was buried under the CBS comedy block, Las Vegas and Monday Night Football. On Thursday, I've never gotten into The Apprentice, I've never felt any inclination to watch Night Stalker, and I'm willing to record CSI in favor of watching Everwood in prime time. I for one want it to stay right where it is. Thanks, Matt, and keep up the good work.
Answer: You're in luck. I'm reasonably sure it's staying put on Thursday. WB is thrilled with how well Smallville is doing on Thursdays, and Everwood is doing better in the 9 pm/ET slot than anything the network has put there before. Our main concern here at TV Guide was that this move would kill the show, and that doesn't appear to be the case at all. Wherever Everwood airs would be inconvenient for me (I used to watch it at least a day late
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Night Stalker
Night Stalker [Thursdays at 9 pm/ET on ABC] celebrates Halloween this week with a creepy, disturbing and nasty little episode called "Malum." Written by Adam Armus and Kay Foster, the story is full of dark and unexpected twists and turns.
As I was working on the show this past week, I could already imagine the message boards lighting up after its broadcast. "Malum" is just the kind of episode that gives Internet pundits plenty to love, hate and argue over.
Writing this blog every week, I'm struck anew at how amazing it is that the Internet gives us the chance to make direct contact with viewers of Night Stalker — and that, through this site and dozens of others where the show is dissected and debated every week, viewers are able to make direct contact with us.
In the Internet age, it's easy to take a conversation like this one for granted.
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Gabrielle Union's publicist is calling for a celeb boycott of the L.A. club Mood after the hotspot backed out of hosting the Night Stalker star's birthday party, allegedly because she is black. According to Union's rep, Mood's owner (who denies the allegations) mistook the actress for white volleyball star Gabrielle Reece when accepting the booking. Similarly, '70s TV pitchkid Mason Reese also got screwed out of a birthday party venue.
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Question: Any poop on Night Stalker? I haven't seen any and I think it could turn out to be a pretty good show if ABC gives it long enough.
Answer: Our latest podcast with exec producer Frank Spotnitz was a virtual Night Stalker poopalooza, so you'll definitely want to listen to that. Spotnitz also gave us a status report on the second X-Files movie.
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Question: I've got a theory about why so many people are down on sitcoms nowadays. It seems like ever since Seinfeld ended, half-hour comedy series have become increasingly mean-spirited. Will & Grace isn't about situational comedy; it's about making fun of other people. It's not about laughing with the characters; it's about laughing at them. Mean-spirited comedy certainly has its place, and there were times I found shows like Will & Grace, Malcolm in the Middle etc. funny. But now they just wear on my nerves. What do you think? And do the new comedy shows you've been praising fit (or not fit) into this theory?
Answer: What's so great and encouraging about the early success of My Name Is Earl (most notably) and Everybody Hates Chris is that they manage to be both edgy in tone and somehow sweet-natured, and they're not drowning in self-conscious irony. Earl pokes fun at its lowbrow characters (see my recent Review), but is inherently good at heart. Chris benefits from Chris Rock's
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A year ago, ABC changed the TV landscape with Desperate Housewives and Lost, which generated huge buzz at the Television Critics Association summer press tour and went on to be major game-players.
At this year's TCA, the network enjoyed its new critical and popular high, but resisted being cocky about it. In part, that may be because none of ABC's new fall shows scream "instant breakout" this year.
One drama, though, is poised to capitalize on Lost's imaginative breakthrough, fusing character-based stories onto a genre thriller. That would be Invasion, from Shaun Cassidy (who's overdue a hit), which follows Lost on Wednesdays and, like Lost, gets underway with a spectacular pilot episode that sets up a mystifying premise. In the premiere, a mammoth hurricane slams into the remote town of Homestead, Fla., on the edge of the
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