Trio Trophy - Day Seventeen

Quick reminder, these are the only new matchups for the week. We'll dig in on Monday next with the start of the actual quarterfinals, rather than what I've been calling quarterfinals, which are actually octofinals (a word I've generally not encountered since the days of high school debate).

From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(1) I'll Fly Away v. (4) The Greatest American Hero

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

I'll Fly Away
Round 1: defeated Maximum Bob, 5-2
Round 2: defeated Hooperman, 4-3

The Greatest American Hero
Round 1: defeated G v. E, 6-3
Round 2: defeated Battlestar Galactica, 4-1

POINTLESS CONNECTION: Robert Culp played himself in a 1997 episode of Law & Order where Jack McCoy prosecutes a case involving the murder of a movie executive.

From the Public Morals bracket:

(1) Twin Peaks v. (4) The Outer Limits

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Twin Peaks
Round 1: defeated The Slap Maxwell Story, 6-1
Round 2: defeated Cupid, 4-3

The Outer Limits
Round 1: defeated Action, 6-3
Round 2: defeated That Was the Week that Was, 4-1

POINTLESS CONNECTION: Michael Ontkean, who played Sherrif Harry S. Truman on Twin Peaks appeared in two episodes of the revival of The Outer Limits.

Trio Trophy - DAY SEVENTEEN RESULTS

From the Turn On bracket:

(1) Sports Night d. (5) Buffalo Bill, 3-1

Quote of the Match: "Sports Night - while the show is still nowhere near deserving of its accolades, It did manage to make Teri Polo look better than she's ever looked. Which takes some doing." - Greg

From the South of Sunset bracket

(1) Police Squad! d. (5) Andy Richter Controls the Universe, 3-1

Quote of the Match: "Because nothing should go undefeated, Andy Richter. Police Squad did get its due on the big screen, meanwhile, I just downloaded a couple old episodes of Andy Richter, and got lots of looks from my staff as I cackled through lunch hour watching. Although is it just me, or is there something inexplicably weird about Paget Brewster's face? Not ugly, just sum'n ain't right." - Grim Reaper

Trio Trophy - DAY SIXTEEN RESULTS

From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(3) The Critic d. (10) Kolchak the Night Stalker, 3-2

Quote of the Match: "The Critic - But ... How did it take me this long to realize how tragically under-seeded Kolchak is this whole affair? A 10 vs 3 matchup shouldn't have required so much consternation." - mingusmonk

(Point taken about Kolchak. Perhaps it was subconscious disapproval of the revival?)

From the Public Morals bracket

(14) Sledge Hammer! d. (7) Andy Barker P.I., 3-2

Quote of the Match: "Sledge Hammer - Bad seed, but dedicated voters?" - Brian

(Looks that way, though I'm surprised Dinan isn't still here voting for it.)

Trio Trophy - DAY FIFTEEN RESULTS

From the Turn On bracket:

(10) The Tick d. (6) Black Sheep Squadron, 4-2

Quote of the Match: "The Tick - really benefitting from an easy bracket thus far." - Greg

From the South of Sunset bracket

(2) Max Headroom d. (6) TV Nation, 5-1

Quote of the Match: "Max Headroom - When this thing started, I was afraid that nostalgia was moving me to vote for Max. But I've been reviewing old episodes and it stands ... inspite of the horribly dated techno appeal." - mingusmonk

(Though I have to agree with the Baron on the excellence of the Yaphet Kotto bit.)

Trio Trophy - Day Seventeen

Last matches for the week, the remaining pair of quarterfinals will go up Monday.

From the Turn On bracket:

(1) Sports Night v. (5) Buffalo Bill

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Sports Night
Round 1: defeated Idiot Savants, 7-2
Round 2: defeated The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., 5-2

Buffalo Bill
Round 1: defeated Lateline, 6-0
Round 2: defeated The Dana Carvey Show, 3-2

POINTLESS CONNECTION: Jay Tarses earned producer and writer credits for Buffalo Bill. His son, Matt, would earn producer and writer credits for Sports Night, which first aired on ABC when Jamie - Jay's daughter and Matt's sister - was head of programming for the network.

From the South of Sunset bracket:

(1) Police Squad! v. (5) Andy Richter Controls the Universe

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Police Squad!
Round 1: defeated Bakersfield PD, 11-0
Round 2: defeated Love, Sidney, 7-0

Andy Richter Controls the Universe
Round 1: defeated Greg the Bunny, 5-1
Round 2: defeated Crime Story, 4-1

POINTLESS CONNECTION: Andy Richter's character works for a Mr. Pickering, who is his boss even though he is 170 years old and dead. That would make Pickering a contemporary of Abraham Lincoln, who appears in each episode of Police Squad!.

Trio Trophy - DAY FOURTEEN RESULTS

From the Turn On bracket:

(1) Sports Night d. (8) The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. , 5-2

Quote of the Match: "Brisco - This is like being forced to choose between "All I Wanna Do I Make Love To You" by Heart and "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith." - Baron Von Rotten

From the South of Sunset bracket

(1) Police Squad! d. (8) Love, Sidney, 7-0

Quote of the Match: none

From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(1) I'll Fly Away d. (8) Hooperman, 4-3

Quote of the Match: "Hooperman - (We're just all having trouble dealing with the mildly cloying earnestness of I'll Fly Away, aren't we?)" - Dwight

From the Public Morals bracket:

(1) Twin Peaks d. (9) Cupid, 4-3

Quote of the Match: "Twin Peaks - (I'm not sure what the opposite of mildly cloying earnestness is, but I'm pretty sure Lynchian is the closest word in English.)" - Dwight

Trio Trophy - Day Sixteen

From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(10) Kolchak the Night Stalker v. (3) The Critic

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Kolchak the Night Stalker
Round 1: defeated Alien Nation, 9-1
Round 2: defeated Brooklyn Bridge, 2-1

The Critic
Round 1: defeated Voyagers!, 11-3
Round 2: defeated Freaks and Geeks, 2-1

POINTLESS CONNECTION: Kolchak star Darren McGavin and The Critic character Duke Phillips have both been married to June Lockhart.*

From the Public Morals bracket:

(7) Andy Barker P.I. v. (14) Sledge Hammer!

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Andy Barker P.I.
Round 1: defeated The Knights of Prosperity, 7-3
Round 2: defeated EZ Streets, 2-1

Sledge Hammer!
Round 1: defeated The Ben Stiller Show, 8-6
Round 2: defeated Square Pegs, 3-1

POINTLESS CONNECTION: Andy Barker P.I. co-star Harve Presnell and Sledge Hammer! star David Rasche were fraternity brothers at UCLA, and spent a night together in a Tijuana jail when they were caught trying to steal a goat from a local market.*



*May not actually be true

Trio Trophy - Day Fifteen

And the quarterfinals commence!

From the Turn On bracket:

(10) The Tick v. (6) Black Sheep Squadron

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

The Tick
Round 1: defeated Stacatto, 5-3
Round 2: defeated My So Called Life, 3-0

Black Sheep Squadron
Round 1: defeated Boomtown, 7-5
Round 2: defeated Homefront, 3-1

POINTLESS CONNECTION: Nestor Carbonell, who played Batmanuel on The Tick, appeared in an episode of The John Larroquette Show. John Larroquette played Lt. Bob Anderson on Black Sheep Squadron.

From the South of Sunset bracket:

(2) Max Headroom v. (6) TV Nation

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Max Headroom
Round 1: defeated QED, 8-2
Round 2: defeated Get a Life, 3-0

TV Nation
Round 1: defeated The Associates, 11-1
Round 2: defeated The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, 4-0

POINTLESS CONNECTION: Both Max Headroom and The Awful Truth (the show created from TV Nation's "third season") aired on Bravo.

Trio Trophy - Day Fourteen

The last set from the round of 32. Quarterfinals will start tomorrow, but with only two matches per day rather than four. Sticking to the Monday through Thursday schedule, this will have the last two quarterfinal match-ups posted next Monday. We'll then take the rest of the week off and pick up with semifinals on Monday, July 7.

From the Turn On bracket:

(1) Sports Night v. (8) The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.

Sports Night defeated Idiot Savants 7-2 in the first round, while The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. defeated The Adventures of Pete and Pete 4-3.

From the South of Sunset bracket:

(1) Police Squad! v. (8) Love, Sidney

Police Squad! defeated Bakersfield PD 10-0, while Love, Sidney beat South Central, 5-2

From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(1) I'll Fly Away v. (8) Hooperman

I'll Fly Away beat Maximum Bob 5-2, while Hooperman defeated James at 15 6-5.

From the Public Morals bracket:

(1) Twin Peaks v. (9) Cupid

Twin Peaks beat The Slap Maxwell Story 6-1, while Cupid defeated Firefly 7-4.

Trio Trophy - DAY THIRTEEN RESULTS

From the Turn On bracket:

(10)The Tick d. (2) My So Called Life, 3-0

Quote of the Match: "The Tick - There. I said I'd do it, and a I did it. The fact that it's The Tick that I'm voting for only sweetens the flavor of killing My So Called Life." - mingusmonk

From the South of Sunset bracket

(2) Max Headroom d. (7) Get a Life, 3-0

Quote of the Match: "The way this is going, I'm going to be the only person voting in the finals." - Me

From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(10)Kolchak the Night Stalker d. (2) Brooklyn Bridge, 2-1

Quote of the Match: "That would also make me the only person to quote, which means lots of filler crap like this." -Me

From the Public Morals bracket:

(7)Andy Barker, P.I. d. (2) EZ Streets, 2-1

Quote of the Match: "I'd really hoped to see Craig vote on this, as a show with a main character named Barker against a show set in a theoretical Detroit would make his head explode. Unless that's exactly why he didn't vote. Let's hope for the best!" - Me

Trio Trophy - DAY TWELVE RESULTS

From the Turn On bracket:

(5)Black Sheep Squadron d. (3) Homefront, 3-1

Quote of the Match: "Black Sheep Squadron. It apparently had John Larroquette as a pilot, so that's gotta be pretty funny." - Greg

From the South of Sunset bracket

(6) TV Nation d. (3) The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, 4-0

Quote of the Match: "TV Nation. If there's one person more in need of a cockpunch than Michael Moore, it's...okay, it's Bono. But if there are *two* people more in need of a cockpunch than Moore, they're Bono and George f'ing Lucas. (and I *like* Moore)." -Greg

From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(3)The Critic d. (6) Freaks and Geeks, 3-1

Quote of the Match: "Sorry, Greg." - Me

From the Public Morals bracket:

(14)Sledge Hammer! d. (11) Square Pegs, 3-1

Quote of the Match: "Sledge Hammer! - This one had better be a slam dunk. Come male voters. You know deep down in your hearts that, even though you watched Square Pegs for bedtime material, Sledge Hammer was better Television by far." - mingusmonk

Trio Trophy - DAY ELEVEN RESULTS

From the Turn On bracket:

(5)Buffalo Bill d. (13) The Dana Carvey Show, 3-2

Quote of the Match: none (quiet bunch for this one)

From the South of Sunset bracket

(5) Andy Richter Controls the Universe d. (4) Crime Story, 4-1

Quote of the Match: none (again!)

From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(4)The Greatest American Hero d. (5) Battlestar Galactica, 4-1

Quote of the Match: "GAH wins the ABC Childhood Nostalgia Deathmatch. Just try to revisit "classic" Galactica today. Oy." - Greg

From the Public Morals bracket:

(4)The Outer Limits d. (12) That Was the Week That Was, 4-1

Quote of the Match: "The Outer Limits - Thank you all for not making me have to break more than one tie." -Me

As you're probably aware, the Celtics had their "rolling rally" yesterday. I did not attend, primarily due to the crowding. But I also felt like going would be a little dishonest. I've not followed the team that closely in some time, and even this year I did not pay much attention until the playoffs, and even then didn't watch a complete game until the Finals.

I used to really like basketball. It took the place of baseball in that typical boyhood dream of growing up to play professionally, at least until I was able to play organized baseball (there was no corresponding basketball league in town). Suffice it to say that my skill level in hoops was not much better than it was in baseball, though I could always rebound thanks to the height advantage.

But I still watched a lot of basketball, as did everyone else who grew up during the Bird era. Basketball was also the only winter sport we had at our high school, so you either played it or watched it. College hoops filled the gaps on many Saturday afternoons.

I'm not sure exactly when I started to drift away from basketball, but I have some ideas:

July 27, 1993 - Reggie Lewis dies. Changes don't get much more bright line than that. It was hard to watch the team without feeling mournful. You'd also have to think this had some sort of effect on the organization, given that they only made the playoffs once in the eight years afterwards.

May 5, 1993 - the Celts lose to the Charlotte Hornets 103-102, giving the Hornets the first playoff series win in franchise history. Bird had retired and Parrish and McHale were starting their declines. The Celts had lost other playoff series before this, but the combination of losing to an expansion team and Bird's absence underscored that things were going to change. Just not as dramatically as they did later.

March 28, 1992 - Christian Laettner hits that shot to give Duke the win over Kentucky in the NCAA tournament, en route to a national title. I don't like Duke, and hated Laettner. I can't help but think that this started to distance me from college hoops, even if I didn't see it happen (I was stuck on the George Washington Bridge on the way home from a tournament at Swarthmore).

Fall 1987 - I attend my first hockey game at BU. It is not my last.

The hockey thing likely has done more to distract me from college hoops than Christian Laettner ever did, but I'm happy to blame him.

There are other reasons to consider here - for example, the Knicks more or less making the NBA unwatchable with their brand of ugly defensive play in the 1990s - but whatever the reason I don't think I'm enough of a fan anymore to go to parades, wear merchandise or wax rhapsodic over the play of the Celtics' bench. But I do appreciate that the team has added to its legacy, that the Boston Three Party have all finally won a title (especially Pierce, who suffered through some awful teams), and that they crushed the Lakers in the final game. And I'd certainly like to see an 18th banner earned by this time next year.

Trio Trophy - Day Thirteen

Last of the week (and on time today!), the last group in the round of 32 to come Monday.

From the Turn On bracket:

(2) My So Called Life v. (10) The Tick

My So Called Life defeated It's Your Move 6-3 in the first round, while The Tick defeated Staccato 5-3.

From the South of Sunset bracket:

(2) Max Headroom v. (7) Get a Life

Max Headroom defeated QED 8-2 in the first round, while Get a Life beat Coronet Blue 7-1.

From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(2) Brooklyn Bridge v. (10) Kolchak the Night Stalker

Brooklyn Bridge defeated Now and Again 4-3, while Kolchak beat Alien Nation, 9-1

From the Public Morals bracket:

(2) EZ Streets v. (7) Andy Barker, P.I.

EZ Streets beat Miss Guided 6-1, while Andy Barker P.I. defeated The Knights of Prosperity 8-3.

Trio Trophy - DAY TEN RESULTS

From the Turn On bracket:

(1)I'll Fly Away d. (16) Maximum Bob, 5-2

Quote of the Match: "I'll Fly Away - Robots were not yet eating old people's medicine for food." - Craig

(2) Brooklyn Bridge d. (15) Now and Again, 4-3

Quote of the Match: "Brooklyn Bridge - But what the hell happened to Fonzie?" - Me

(Hey, not a lot of comments to use here.)

South of Sunset bracket:

(1)Twin Peaks d. (16) The Slap Maxwell Story, 6-1

Quote of the Match: "Twin Peaks -

Scene - Halloween, Gaston Hall, Georgetown University, 1999.

PHIL to GIRL IN WHITE SHEET WITH WHITE MAKEUP - Who/what are you supposed to be?

GIRL: (with hint of disdain as if she were dressed like a Spice Girl or some similarly easily-recognizable costumer) I'm Laura Palmer!

PHIL: OK. Why do you think I would know that?

GIRL: (whining) Doesn't everybody know who she is?

(Phil wishes he could find GIRL to tell her no, that why Twin Peaks ended up this this damn contest!)" - Baron Von Rotten

(2)EZ Streets d. (18) Miss Guided, 6-1

Quote of the Match: "Twin Peaks: Look, this suit Burns better. Look, this suit Burns better. Better look Burns Suit!" - Craig

(OK, not for this match, but I wanted to use both of the Twin Peaks quotes.)

Trio Trophy - Day Twelve

(Sorry for the late posting - got into work late today and it threw me off)

From the Turn On bracket:

(3) Homefront v. (5) Black Sheep Squadron

Honefront defeated Legend 6-5 in the first round, while Black Sheep Squadron defeated Boomtown 7-5.

From the South of Sunset bracket:

(3) The Young Indiana Jone Chronicles v. (6) TV Nation

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles defeated Undeclared 6-6 in the first round, while TV Nation beat The Associates 11-1.

From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(3) The Critic v. (6) Freaks and Geeks

The Critic defeated Voyagers! 11-3, while Freaks and Geeks beat The New Adventures of Beans Baxter, 10-4

From the Public Morals bracket:

(14) Sledge Hammer! v. (11) Square Pegs

Sledge Hammer! beat The Ben Stiller Show 8-6, while Square Pegs defeated The Job 8-5.

Trio Trophy - Day Eleven

Thirty-six shows down, 31 to go before we crown the winner. No added content, just the matchups.

From the Turn On bracket:

(13) The Dana Carvey Show v. (5) Buffalo Bill

The Dana Carvey Show defeated Murder One 4-2 in the first round, while Buffalo Bill defeated Lateline 6-0.

From the South of Sunset bracket:

(4) Crime Story v. (5) Andy Richter Controls the Universe

Crime Story defeated Nowhere Man 5-1 in the first round, while Andy Richter Controls the Universe beat Greg the Bunny 5-1.

From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(4) The Greatest American Hero v. (5) Battlestar Galactica

The Greatest American Hero defeated G v. E 6-3, while Battlestar Galactica beat Nothing Sacred, 7-2

From the Public Morals bracket:

(4) The Outer Limits v. (12) That Was the Week That Was

The Outer Limits beat Action 6-3, while That Was the Week that Was defeated Frank's Place 7-2.

Trio Trophy - Day Ten

Last day in the round of 64. We'll move right along to the next round tomorrow, keeping to our four matches a day pace.

From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(1) I'll Fly Away v. (16) Maximum Bob

I'll Fly Away was inspired by the film version of To Kill a Mockingbird, when the show's creators wondered about the story from the viewpoint of the Finches' African-American maid. Such was the inspiration for Lily Harper (Regina Taylor), maid to Forrest Bedford, the prosecuting attorney for Bryland, a town in an unnamed Southern state. Lily's role as housekeeper expanded to that of surrogate mom to the three Bedford children, as their actual mother had been institutionalized due to mental illness.

Set in the late 1950s and early '60s, the show centered around the changes in race relations during that period and the growing civil rights movement. Forrest, played by Sam Waterston, prosecuted several cases that shook his conservative beliefs, and the entire family got more personal insights thanks to Lily.

Highly praised by critics, the show won several awards during its run, including a Peabody Award, but the awards didn't translate into viewers, thanks in part to the show's slow pace (it also aired opposite Full House and Home Improvement, which likely drew off some family viewers). NBC aired 38 episdoes from 1991 to 1993, with PBS taking the unusual step of producing a movie after the show's cancellation to wrap up the story.

The show's title comes from a popular hymn, for which I've found no shortage of video. I've not been so lucky about the show.

Maximum Bob defeated Upright Citizen's Brigade in the preliminary round, 6-3.

(2)Brooklyn Bridge v. (15) Now and Again

Brooklyn Bridge took viewers back to the 1950s, following the lives of the Silver family in postwar New York. Gary David Goldberg created the show and based it on his experiences growing up in Bensonhurst, where he and his brother grew up trying to balance the expectations of their multigenerational Jewish family with the opportunities present in post-war America.

The show was noted for avoiding the nostalgia trap for a more intelligent look at life in that period. The ensemble cast was also well-regarded, with Marion Ross getting additional kudos (and an Emmy nomination) for playing grandmother Sophie Berger. The show won a Golden Globe for outstanding drama, but it wasn't enough to save the show from low ratings. CBS aired 34 episodes from 1991 to 1993.

No good video out there, though YouTube did have Goldberg's promo ad for the show.

Now and Again defeated When Things Were Rotten 8-2 in the preliminary round.

From the Public Morals bracket:

(1) Twin Peaks v. (16) The Slap Maxwell Story

Twin Peaks asked the TV question of the 1990s: who killed Laura Palmer? Trying to answer this question was FBI agent Dale Cooper, a loner and eccentric who almost appears normal when compared to the residents of Twin Peaks, whose twisted relationships and hidden conflicts come out as the murder investigation continues. In time, Cooper discovers that Palmer was killed by her father, who claims to have been possessed by spirit who gets its host to kill. Cooper's investigations into the origins of this spirit - who by then had inhabited the body of Cooper's former partner - make up much of the show's second season.

The show was created by David Lynch, and critics and fans alike trumpeted the show's surreal narrative. It premiered to strong ratings, but apparently this sort of thing is best served in small doses, as ratings declined over the life of the series. Turns out new viewers couldn't tell what the hell was going on, and old viewers could only put up with the Log Lady and Cooper's dream-led investigation for so long. ABC wrapped the show in plastic after airing 30 episodes in 1990 and '91.

Proving that TV makes strange bedfellows, you can see full episodes of this ABC show are available on the CBS website.

The Slap Maxwell Story defeated Call to Glory 10-0 in the preliminary round.

(2) EZ Streets v. (18) Miss Guided

EZ Streets bridged the gap between previous cop and mob shows like Crime Story and Wiseguy and current faves like The Wire. Set in an unnamed American city (which I always assumed was Detroit, an assumption given support by creator Paul Haggis being from London, Ontario), the show follows possibly dirty cop Cameron Quinn (Ken Olin) as he tries to clear himself by infiltrating the operation of Jimmy Murtha (Joe Pantoliano), the local mob boss. Along the way Quinn discovers a web of corruption in the police force, spreading back to include his dad. For good measure, the mayor and a variety of political types are involved in shady dealings over a proposed casino, in which Murtha has an interest as well.

Critics loved the show, but viewers stayed away in droves. Two episodes aired before CBS yanked it, with Les Moonves announcing a spring relaunch. Four months later, the show returned - on episode three. Well played, Eye Network. Nine of the show's 10 episodes aired during the 1996-97 season.

Several clips, from which you can watch full episodes, available here.

Miss Guided defeated Keen Eddie 6-2 in the preliminary round.

Trio Trophy - DAY NINE RESULTS

From the Turn On bracket:

(1)Sports Night d. (17) Idiot Savants, 7-2

Quote of the Match: "Sports Night - If the last eight minutes of "Two Cathedrals" are some of the most perfect television ever, "The Sword of Orion" is the essence of what a great half-hour of television could be. I stand by this belief." - Craig

(2) My So Called Life d. (18) It's Your Move, 6-3

Quote of the Match: "My So-Called Life - I will vote against this show soon. Very soon. But a 3rd rate Jason Bateman vehicle is not going to do it." - mingusmonk

South of Sunset bracket:

(1)Police Squad! d. (17) Bakersfield PD, 10-0

Quote of the Match: "Police Squad! - Okay, here's why ABC was Fox before Fox, you cancelled the show because you claimed it forced people to pay TOO MUCH attention." - Dwight

(2)Max Headroom d. (18) QED, 8-2

Quote of the Match: "I also vote for Max Headroom provided that if the show wins, we nominate Ron Headrest for president." - Rev. Godboy

Trio Trophy - DAY EIGHT RESULTS


From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(10)Kolchak the Night Stalker d. (7) Alien Nation, 9-1

Quote of the Match: "Kolchak - I like Darren McGavin and Richard Matheson." - Greg

(Clearly, you are not alone.)

(8) Hooperman d. (9) James at 15, 6-5

Quote of the Match: "Hooperman - This is really just a vote against James. James At 15 gets so over-hyped by the retro-obsessed VH1 that my 15 year-old knows the show better than I do. And I was the one alive and spending too much time in front of the TV in the 70's and 80's." - mingusmonk

Public Morals bracket:

(7)Andy Barker, P.I. d. (10) The Knights of Prosperity, 8-3

Quote of the Match: "Andy Barker, PI - It showed my family the life of a CPA COULD be cool and exciting, if only for four episodes.

(And this was a prime example to NBC to have learned from before tanking Quarterlife. If you have all the episodes online before the show starts, it will fail. The savvy and interested will watch online; the naysayers will call it a Web-only fluke. Why won't you learn, NBC?)" - jb*

(NBC learn? That's funny!)

(9)Cupid d. (8) Firefly, 7-4

Quote of the Match: "Cupid - [shakes fist] TARSES!" - Craig

(I like the idea that she's somehow related to Khan.)

Trio Trophy - DAY SEVEN RESULTS


From the Turn On bracket:

(10)The Tick d. (7) Staccato, 5-3

Quote of the Match: "The Tick - Pretty sure my vote here is self-indulgent. But I don't get many chances to embrace The Tick. 'toon or not." -mingusmonk

(8) The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. d. (9) The Adventures of Pete & Pete, 4-3

Quote of the Match: "Brisco - Wasn't Pete & Pete a non-primetime kids' show? If I knew they were eligible, I would have made a case for WMAC Masters. Well, maybe not." - Greg

(While I suggested that the field would be limited to network prime time shows, I said I'd be open to argument for other shows. I apparently had this argument with myself and won. Or lost, depending on how you look at it.)

South of Sunset bracket:

(7)Get a Life d. (10) Coronet Blue, 7-1

Quote of the Match: "Get a Life - Thinking about direction, wondering why I haven't before." - Craig

(Can't help you there, check with sun if you're confused.)

(8)Love, Sidney d. (9) South Central, 5-2

Quote of the Match: "Love Sidney - Caught a few episodes on TV Land once, not a bad show." - Baron Von Rotten, I'm assuming based on the comment about The Tick

Trio Trophy - DAY SIX RESULTS


From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(4)The Greatest American Hero d. (13) G v E, 6-3

Quote of the Match: "Greatest American Hero -- memorable theme, superhero genre played for laughs and Connie Sellecca. What more could an 8-year-old boy want?" - James D.

(5) Battlestar Galactica d. (12) Nothing Sacred, 7-2

Quote of the Match: "Galactica - my comments above notwithstanding, if I can't keep from conflating an opponent with Dan Aykroyd's Soul Man, then it's not getting my vote." - Greg

Public Morals bracket:

(4)The Outer Limits d. (13) Action, 6-3

Quote of the Match: "The Outer Limits
I've lost con
trol of th
e vertical." - Craig

(12)That Was the Week That Was d. (5) Frank's Place, 7-2

Quote of the Match: " TW3 - Because I'm nerdy enough to have actually owned a CD copy of clips and songs from the show." -Brian

(This would likely be considered normal behavior for our average voter, if you think about it.)

Trio Trophy - Day Nine

Quick reminder, no new shows tomorrow.

From the Turn On bracket:

(1) Sports Night v. (17) Idiot Savants

Sports Night is pretty much the poster child for this tournament. Widely hailed for its sharp writing and strong ensemble cast, it mixed romance, sports and office politics into a cracking half hour. The show had an undeniable energy and, rare for a workplace comedy, actually found an entire office of unique individuals who loved what they did for a living.

What they did was put together a sports news show (also called Sports Night), with a pair of up and coming anchors in Dan Rydell and Casey McCall, and produced by the highly driven Dana Whittaker. She was assisted by Natalie Hurley, who was also the girlfriend of newly-hired researcher Jeremy Goodwin. Overseeing it all was managing editor Isaac Jaffee, a respected journalist who opted to run the show over retiring.

What they did not do very well was draw in viewers. Which mirrored the show's real-life situation as well. The continuing story line involving the show's parent network can be seen as a thinly-veiled reference to the real show's relationship with ABC. Considering how network brass were portrayed on the show, it's surprising that the real show lasted as long as it did.

Sports Night went down for the count after 45 episodes airing from 1998 to 2000. More than one competing network showed interest in the show, but Sorkin decided to end it so he could move on to The West Wing.

Several good clips here.

Idiot Savants defeated Gideon's Crossing 6-3 in the preliminary round.

(2) My So-Called Life v. (18) It's Your Move

My So Called Life set the stage for later shows that took a more complex look at being a teenages (like Freaks and Geeks), and served as a radical departure from the standard high school sitcom fare of wacky hijinx. The show followed Angela Chase (Clare Danes), a 15 year old living in suburban Pittsbugh who beings to drift from her long-time friends and towards kids like Rayanne (whose experimental nature once led to a drug overdose) and Rickie, who was both openly gay and abused by his uncle.

In addition to the issues brought up by this change, there were also various plot points regarding romance, as Angela found herself dealing with both a kind-of boyfriend she mostly ignored and her feelings for Jordan, whose dyslexia led to the assumption that he wasn't that bright. Of course, the show wouldn't be complete without intra-family strife, coming from Angela clashing with her parents, her parents clashing with each other, and her sister mostly being forgotten.

The show came from the Zwick/Herkovitz team, meaning that the show would faithfully mine their subjects for real conflict and emotion, but not translate to a wider audience (it didn't help that it aired in the very competitive Thursday at 8 pm timeslot). ABC was also concerned about how the show's appeal would translate into profit, and when you throw in Danes' reluctance to continue on the show, it was easy to see how ABC would cancel it after just 19 episodes in 1994 and '95. The show's rabid fanbase would continue to press for a renewal for years, to no avail.

Plenty o' clips here.

It's Your Move defeated American Gothic 7-2 in the preliminary round.
From the South of Sunset bracket:

(1) Police Squad! v. (17) Bakersfield PD

Police Squad! - in color - brought the wackiness of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker to the small screen in a spoof of dramatic cop shows of the 1960s and '70s. Leslie Nielsen starred as Frank Drebin, who each week would investigate a crime with the help(?) of colleagues like Captain Ed Hocken and Officer Norberg. He'd often get additional help from the surprisingly well-informed Jimmy the Snitch and the child-endangering Dr. Ted Olson.

What really got people to notice the show, though, was the barrage of jokes, from broad visual gags to the mismatched title narration to Frank's weekly run in with local garbage cans. Each week also saw a different guest star killed off early in the episode, as well as a freeze-frame ending in which only the actors stopped moving.

While the quick pace and non-stop gaggery worked in movies like Airplane! it wasn't quite ready for TV, even if the series was widely hailed both for its humor and its inventive nature (and nominated for two Emmys to boot). Four of the six episodes filmed aired on ABC in 1982, with new fans added in reruns and three feature films.

Plenty of clips here.

Bakersfield PD defeated Skag 7-2 in the preliminary round.

(2) Max Headroom v. (18) QED

Max Headroom took viewers "20 minutes into the future," as it followed the exploits of Edison Carter, an investigative journalist whose reports helped to drive up the ratings of his employer, Network 23. The future of the show was a TV-driven dystopia where ratings were measured in real time and power lay in the hands of the networks and their corporate masters.

Max was Edison's brain downloaded into the Network 23 computer system after Edison suffered a serious injury, done by the network's CEO to see what Edison knew about the blipvert advertising technique. This cyber-character had his own agenda, and would help or hinder matters on a whim. Edison's real assistance came from his controller, Theora Jones, and the network's technical wizard/resident hacker, Bryce Lynch.

Max Headroom was the first cyberpunk TV show on US network television, which helped it gain an initial foothold among fans (as did Max's familiarity from advertising). It was also ahead of its time in discussing issues related to the media and privacy. Not surprisingly, ABC was a little skittish about the former, so it was pure coincidence that the show debuted for its first full season opposite Dallas and Miami Vice. Ratings dropped, and the show was canceled after 14 episodes in 1987 and '88.

Several of what appear to be full episodes can be found here.

QED defeated Relativity 7-2 in the preliminary round.

Trio Trophy - Day Eight

First, some business. For the round of 32, I'd like to mention a particularly good or memorable episode or scene from each show - and that's where you come in. If there's a show or two (or more) for which you'd like to write something that fits this theme, mention it in the comments or email me. It doesn't need to be more than a paragraph or two, unless you want to wade through more posts like these first round ones.

Now, on to the shows!

From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(7) Alien Nation v. (10) Kolchak the Night Stalker

Alien Nation managed to combine questions about extra-terrestrial life and immigration by showing a near future where aliens from another planet take up residence on Earth when the ship that was carrying them crashes in the desert outside of Los Angeles.

In episodes the aliens generally fill in for whatever group would normally be the focus of a given wrong or slight, allowing for a re-examination of human behavior and prejudices. The differences between the aliens and humans are also shown in less serious stories, such as when alien detective George Francisco becomes pregnant.

The show did build a reasonable following for its 22 episodes, but was cut short when budgetary problems forced Fox to cut several drama series after the 1989-90 season. Fox would later bow to fan sentiment (and an unresolved cliffhanger) and make several TV movies over the following seven years.

A few clips of and about the show here.

Kolchak the Night Stalker served as inspiration for The X-Files, though its approach to things that go bump in the night was much more light-hearted. Darren McGavin played Carl Kolchak, a reporter for the Independent News Service whose investigative reporting into murders usually turned up some supernatural angle.

There was a significant comedic element in the show, seen mostly in the cast of characters that Kolchak worked with at INS and the police and morgue staff who helped him on that end. While the show took on the usual array of monsters and legends, it also used some fairly contemporary oddities, including UFOs, invisible aliens and a killer android.

While McGavin managed to portray Kolchak as both a loveable loser and a reporter with the skill to break such odd cases, the viewing public never quite warmed to the series. McGavin was also unhappy with the direction of the show, and worn out from the shooting schedule. So it was an amicable parting of the ways (or as much as can be expected) when ABC canceled the show after 20 episodes in the 1974-75 season.

These clips are from the original show, not the 2005 revival, which is better left unconsidered.

(8) Hooperman v. (9) James at 15

Hooperman came from the pair of Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, who had previously created L.A. Law. The title character, Harry Hooperman, is a San Francisco cop who would rather talk it out with a suspect than shoot it out. He worked in a precinct with the usual colorful characters, including some of the usual suspects (the hard as nails supervisor) and others more specific to the setting (the openly gay cop and his partner, who tries to "save" him by repeatedly hitting on him).

Outside of work, Hooperman is an amateur musician and landlord, inheriting his apartment building from his former landlady. He also inherits her dog, a tempermental Jack Russell terrier, and the building's cantankerous tenants. One of them, Susan Smith, would become his super and his love interest.

Jack Ritter played Hooperman, and his comedic background fit the character well, and was up to the show's more dramatic moments as well. However, at only half an hour, the various plots required the cast to plow through enough material to fill a whole hour. The show didn't catch on, thanks in part to airing against Magnum P.I. in its first season. ABC cancelled the show after 42 episodes that aired from 1987 to 1989.

Not much video here, mostly promos and John Ritter tributes.

James at 15 took an unusually frank look at growing up for a show airing in the mid-1970s. The show starts when James Hunter's family moves from Oregon to Boston when his dad, a college professor, gets a new job. The regular teen struggles are compounded by the challenge of being the new kid, but level off when James makes friends in Sly and Karen, fellow students at Bunker Hill High.

Midway through the series, the show turns into James at 16, and had its most controversial episode when James loses his virginity to a Swedish exchange student. Episodes often revolved around a specific topic (teen alcoholism, cancer, parental infidelity).

While the reality of the series was refreshing, it may have been too much for some viewers. There was also a fair amount of turmoil behind the scenes, as the original producers and the show's creator quit during the run. 21 episodes ran during the 1977-78 season.

Some clips from the show here.

From the Public Morals bracket:

(7) Andy Barker, P.I. v. (10) The Knights of Prosperity

Andy Barker, P.I. was based on the traditional combination of accounting and detective work. Barker, played by Andy Richter, was a CPA who is drawn into being a gumshoe when he is mistaken for his office's former client, a private eye. Andy finds that he actually likes to solve cases, and takes on new ones with the help of a motley crew including a video store owner, the detective who used to rent Andy's office, and Andy's wife.

The plots are fairly typical detective fare, but are given a unique spin thanks to Andy's amateur approach and his mild-mannered approach, quite unlike the typical private eye. The jokes also run the range, from pop culture references to more subtle gags to physical comedy.

NBC only planned on a six episode run to start, but poor ratings saw them only air four of them in 2007.

Full episodes of the show can be seen here.

The Knights of Prosperity also features a ragtag group brought together for a common cause, though in this case it was to commit a crime rather than solve one. Eugene Gurkin was a janitor who, sick of his job and despairing of ever achieving his life's dream of opening a bar, comes up with a plan to rob Mick Jagger's New York apartment. Once he comes up with his plan, he amasses his team, whose members are as unsuited to lives as master thieves as Eugene's. Each episode sees the team accomplish a part of their plan, often causing as many problems as they solve.

After their attempt at robbing Mick Jagger, the group turned their attention to Kelly Ripa and Ray Romano, who each played themselves. Donal Logue gave Eugene a blue collor Robin Hood air, and the supporting cast lived up to the adjective "colorful," between Gary the cabbie of unknown extraction and Esperanza, a diner waitress who may be the most able to carry off the group's plans, as long as her crime lord boyfriend doesn't find her and take her back to Columbia. It also had great opening credits.

The quirky charms of the show, created by Rob Burnett of Ed fame, couldn't survive its various name changes and scheduling hijinx by ABC, who pulled it from a post-Dancing With the Stars timeslot to hype Big Day. Eleven of the show's 13 episodes would air in 2007.

Some clips for you here.

(8) Firefly v. (9) Cupid

Firefly followed the nine residents of the Serenity, a ship that hauls cargo (and occasionally smuggles) between planets controlled by the Alliance. The captain, Mal Reynolds (Nathan Fillion), chose to haul cargo rather than live under the Alliance, against which he fought.

The show's obvious space western setting allows for examination of life on the last frontier. It also gets to look at the additional challenges of living this life while also worrying about what the government may do to those who opposed it (the US-Chinese derived Alliance is also present in the many Asian influences seen in everyday life). Joss Whedon, the show's creator, also noted that every show he does is about family, in this case the developing relationship of everyone on ship.

Things between Whedon and Fox were contentious from the start, as Fox forced a redo of the show's pilot to make the captain more likeable and to keep Whedon from filming in widescreen format. This reshoot didn't help with critics, who were mixed on the show's premier, but it quickly caught on with fans, especially fans of Whedon's previous shows. That didn't translate to high enough ratings for Fox, which pulled the show after airing 11 of the 13 made episodes for the 2002-03 season.

Full episodes of Firefly can be seen here.

Cupid may be the best show to ever combine matchmaking and potential mental illness. Jeremy Piven played Trevor Hale, a Chicagoan who believed he was the god Cupid, sent from Olympus to connect 100 couples without the benefit of his powers as punishment. Each week saw him take on a new couple, often from someone who attends the same group therapy session run by Claire Allen (Paula Marshall).

Piven brought an appropriately puckish flavor to Trevor/Cupid, fitting for a god who is stuck among mortals. Marshall does a fine job as his foil/confessor, and while the show doesn't do her reputation as a show killer any favors, she's clearly not at fault here.

You can thank ABC's decision to debut the show on Saturdays for the bulk of the ratings trouble, as by the time the show moved to Thursday it had to compete with NBC's lineup to get fans not versed in the show's backstory. Fourteen of the 15 episodes aired during the 1998-99 season, though you may get to see new ones as creator Rob Thomas is reviving the show for ABC, with a new cast and location move to L.A.

Clips here, with some episodes broken into parts.

Trio Trophy - Day Seven

From the Turn On bracket:

(7) Stacatto v. (10) The Tick

Staccato is not to be confused with Peter Gunn, even though both were late 1950s series about private eyes with a taste for jazz. In Johnny Staccato's case, though, he was an actual jazz musician, who picked up detective cases to make ends meet. He was also based in New York, with the city lending more atmosphere to cases than Gunn's LA location.

The biggest difference, though, was in Staccato being played by John Cassavettes, whose dark intensity fit Staccato much better than Craig Stevens as Gunn. Of course, it could also take over a show, which may be why NBC let it go after the 1959-60 season of 27 episodes (though ABC picked it up for reruns).

Not much video out there, but there are a few clips here.

The Tick was a live-action version of the comic book and animated TV series featuring the same dim-witted hero who, along with his sidekick, Arthur, seek to protect The City from all manner of evil-doers. The Tick also got help from a couple of other superheroes, Captain Liberty (nee American Maid) and Batmanuel (ne Die Fleidermaus). Plots often revolved around the Tick's stupidity, Captain Liberty's romantic failures and Batmanuel's insecurity.

Patrick Warburton was a perfect choice to play the Tick, and the supporting cast of Liz Vassey, Nestor Carbonell and David Burke was also quite strong. The show didn't get to take the same approach as the animated one, limited in the use of outlandish villains (no Chairface Chippendale, for example) and settings like outer space.

The limitations of a live-action show in comparison to the animated version were compounded by the Fox's lack of support for the show. It didn't air until after the World Series, and by that time the show was no longer filming. The ratings for the lame duck show never materialized (surprise), and it was cancelled after 7 of 8 episodes aired in the 2001-02 season.

Full episodes can be seen here.

(8) The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. v. (9) The Adventures of Pete & Pete

The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. followed the exploits of a Harvard-educated lawyer turned bounty hunter (played by Bruce Campbell) as he captured bad guys in the Wild West of the late 19th century. He also was looking to capture John Bly, who had killed Brisco's father during a robbery.

The show played things light, with a fair amount of humor and episodes that generally ended in cliffhangers each week. As the show progressed it took a decidedly sci-fi turn, as it was learned that Bly was actually from the future, and had come to Brisco's time to get a mysterious orb that would give him the power to rule in his own time. Enter a woman from the 56th century who helped Brisco catch Bly and understand the power of the orbs. It was also yet another Western with steampunk elements, thanks to the inventions of Professor Wickwire (John Astin).

Airing before X-Files as part of Fox's Friday night programming, it only lasted the 1993-94 season, with 27 episodes to its credit.

Clips here.

The Adventures of Pete & Pete chronicled the exploits of two brothers named Pete Wrigley. That was perhaps the least odd aspect of the show, whose characters incldued the Wrigley parents (mom had a metal plate in her head, while dad was very interested in their lawn), next door neighbor - and superhero - Artie, and big Pete's odd band friends Teddy and Ellen.

Big Pete tended to be the straight man of the brothers, while Little Pete struggled more with adults and was more likely to get into bizarre scrapes. He also had a tattoo on his arm that had its own cast credit.

The show attracted a wealth of acting talent, which cast members including Michelle Trachtenberg, Heather Matarazzo, Toby Huss, Adam West, Steve Buscemi and Iggy Pop. The latter's inclusion also underscores the unique musical direction of the show, as seen in the music by "house band" Polaris and contributions by bands like Luscious Jackson and Poi Dog Pondering.

The show lasted for 30 episodes on Nickelodeon from 1993 to 1996. There are also a number of Pete & Pete shorts and some longer specials, from which the show grew.

Many clips here.

From the South of Sunset bracket:

(7) Get a Life v. (10) Coronet Blue

Get a Life was Chris Elliott's first show as a lead. It's also his only show as a lead, which may be due to this show's surreal departures from sitcom tradition. Elliott played Chris Peterson, a 30 year old paperboy who lives in the apartment above his parents' garage. Plots revolved around attempts to get Chris to become a working, independent adult, and often involved his best friend, Larry, whose wife hated Chris, mostly for his penchant for entering their home through their bedroom window.

Setting the stage for Kenny McCormick, Chris died in several episodes, which when coupled with Chris' questionable mental state made Fox leery about the show from the start. It also used filming techniques that would become more common with single-camera shows. The show was also notable for having Chris's father played by Chris Elliott's real father, Bob Elliott.

While the show made some concessions to Fox for the second season - Chris moved out of his parents' garage and into another garage - the show was cancelled after its second season. 35 episodes aired from 1990-92.

Several clips available here.

Coronet Blue was a lesson in perserverence, both for the good and the bad. Originally pitched in 1965, creator Herbert Brodkin couldn't strike a deal with CBS, but filmed 13 episodes anyway. The show didn't get picked up in 1966, either, so Brodkin sold it to CBS for a summer run in 1967. Unexpectedly, the show became the hit series of the summer, leading CBS to want to renew it. But by this time, the personnel of the show had moved on, making it impossible to continue.

The show followed a man fished out of the East River, shot and only able to repeat the words "Coronet Blue." Named Michael Alden during his recuperation, he befriends a bartender and a monk while trying to discover who he really is and what "Coronet Blue" actually stands for. Frank Converse played Alden.

Only eleven of the 13 episodes aired, although even if all of the episodes had aired, the public wouldn't have learned the secret, which was explained by Brodkin afterwards. Alden was a Soviet agent belonging to a unit called Coronet Blue, and he was to infiltrate the US but decided to defect instead. The Soviets tried to kill him before he could defect, which is how he got into the water carrying a bullet.

A clip of the show is available here.

(8) Love, Sidney v. (9) South Central

Love Sidney brought prime time network TV its first gay lead character - sort of. Based on a TV movie, protest from conservative groups forced NBC to not refer to Sidney's sexual orientation during the run of the series.

Tony Randall played Sidney Shorr, a New Yorker who becomes guardian to a young girl when her mother moves to California. Unlike the movie, the girl's mother (played by Swoozie Kurtz) returns to New York, and the three wind up living together. The show focuses on their unusual family unit, and their interactions with friends and coworkers.

Randall channeled his roles as Felix Unger and Walter Franklin in playing Sidney, though with the additional challenge of playing a gay character when his sexuality could never be mentioned. That also limited the show to more standard sitcom plots, which may have limited interest by viewers looking for something different. The show lasted for 40 episodes from 1981 to 1983.

No video, sorry to say.

South Central went beyond the urban stereotypes that inspired it to deliver a more balanced portrayal of family life in this Los Angeles neighborhood. The show followed the Mosley family, led by single-mother Joan, as they met a variety of challenges, from Joan taking a new, lower-paying job at the local food co-op after getting laid off, to the romantic interest of her son Andre in a classmate whose parents don't want their daughter dating someone from South Central.

The cast included a number of actors who would become well-known, including Larenz Tate, Jennifer Lopez and Michael Beach. But it was an ensemble show, one whose frank approach to urban life was praised for its realism (though occasionally criticized as too strong).

Airing after Roc, South Central took the ratings hit that the whole night did, which would lead Fox to dump all of their Tuesday night programming in favor of a movie. The show aired for 13 episodes in 1994.

Also no video for this show. I thought you could find everything on the Internets?

Trio Trophy - Day Six

From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(4) The Greatest American Hero v. (13) G vs. E

The Greatest American Hero starts with school teacher Ralph Hinkley walking through the desert, going to get help for his stranded school bus. He is almost run over by FBI agent Bill Maxwell, who lost control of his car thanks to interference from a UFO. Both men, locked in Bill's car, are told by the aliens that they are to work together to save the world, and are given a red suit to help achieve this goal. It only works for Ralph, but when he's wearing it he has Superman-like powers.

Except that Ralph loses the suit's instruction manual before reading it fully, so he's not quite sure how to use the suit. This sets the tone for the series, a light comedic drama where Ralph and Bill (with the help of attorney Pam Davidson) stop bad guys while Ralph flies into walls, when he's not trying to help his students, which oftentimes feels like the same thing.

Stephen J. Cannell created the show, while William Katt, Robert Culp and Connie Selleca brought great chemistry as Ralph, Bill and Pam. Even so, the show is likely best known for two more incidental items: its theme song, which was a hit for Joey Scarbury (and turned into George Costanza's answering machine message), and for Ralph's last name changing when another Hinkley got a lot of TV time just a couple of weeks after the show's debut.

As the show continued, it focused less on Ralph's teaching (and more or less wrote out his son), and eventually married him off to Pam. The show lasted three seasons, with 44 episodes airing for ABC from 1981 to 1983.

Some clips here, mostly promos and the show's intro.

G vs. E took the eternal struggle between good and evil and put it into a kind of Pulp Fiction style. It saw the agents of The Corps, souls of people who died a violent death while not quite secure in going to heaven or hell, take on the Morlocks, souls of people who made the proverbial deal with the devil who are causing problems on Earth. The Corps members are tasked to either redeem the Morlock or kill them, sending them to the lake of fire for good.

Besides the obvious conflict of the title, the show also depicts the inner conflicts of Corps members, who are trying to redeem themselves while obeying the group's rules: no sex, no interfering with living loved ones, and no special powers to prevent one's final death. The Corps is also organized like a police force, so you also have the sort of tensions that would normally come up between partners and with superiors.

The show aired on USA Network for the 1999-2000 season, and would later appear on Sci-Fi. 21 episodes were made.

This link will take you to the first segment of an episode broken into five parts.

(5) Battlestar Galactica v. (12) Nothing Sacred

Battlestar Galactica answers the age-old question of what would happen if you combined the story of Exodus with Star Wars. When the twelve Colony Planets are attacked by the Cylons, it is up to the survivors, led by the titular ship, to roam the galaxy searching for the lost thirteenth planet... Earth! The series chronicled their quest, and contiuned struggle against the Cylons.

Lorne Greene played Galactican leader Adama, while Dirk Benedict and Richard Hatch played Starbuck and Apollo. Patrick Macnee played the Cylon Imperious Leader, who was always plotting on ways to send him Imperial Stormtrooper wannabees against the Galacticans.

The show opened to strong ratings, but at a cost that made anything less than top ratings hard to justify. Cost control and less complex plotting led to a drop in viewership, and ABC decided to cancel the show, to much outrage from fans. They would OK a follow-up series called Galactica 1980, which did not go well.

The show lasted 24 episodes for ABC during the 1979-80 season.

Whole episodes of the show - not to be confused with the Sci-Fi revival - can be found here.

Nothing Sacred chronicled the difficulties of running a modern urban Catholic parish. Father Ray (Kevin Anderson) was the leader of St. Thomas parish, whose unorthodox ways concerned his more traditional-minded parishoners. He was assisted by Father Leo, and older priest whose experience Ray counted on, and Father Eric, who was freshly ordained. Sister Maureen was a somewhat radical nun who was contemplating becoming an Episcopal minister, while Sidney was the agnostic business manager who tried to get as much out of every penny as possible.

As the parish tried to balance orthodoxy with contemporary belief and pressure from being a city parish with sinking attendance, they were later saddled with both a co-pastor from the diocese to keep an eye on Father Ray and a religious education director (played by Jennifer Beals) who may have also had her eye on Father Ray in a less ecclesiastical way.

While Kevin Anderson did a solid job of playing a cleric struggling with running his parish and keeping himself properly comported (celibacy, not surprisingly, was an issue), viewers didn't warm to a show that actually thought about religion in a straighforward way, and conservative Catholics managed to protest the show enough to get it off the air in some markets. It also didn't help that the show was on opposite Friends. Fifteen of the show's 19 episodes aired on ABC during the 1997-98 season.

No video, apparently Opus Dei has done their job.

From the Public Morals bracket:

(4) The Outer Limits v. (13) Action

The Outer Limits took control of the nation's TV sets in the shadow of The Twilight Zone, but with stories that were more often rooted in science fiction. Episodes ranged from conflicts with alien beings (such as in the first episode, "The Galaxy Being") to the use of new technology in a dangerous or ethically questionable manner ("The Sixth Finger").

The first season of the show featured writing on par with The Twilight Zone, and had similar luck with the actors it used, as episodes featured Donald Pleasance, Cliff Robertson, Robert Culp, and Martin Landau, among others. It is better remembered, though for its production values. Visually, the show took much from film noir and German cinema, resulting in a distinct look. Most episodes also featured some sort of creature whose costuming would go on to influence future sci-fi shows, notably Star Trek.

ABC had no idea how to sell such a distinct sci-fi show, and ordered that the second season take an approach more like other sci-fi shows, like Lost in Space. This led the original production team to quit, with their replacements unable to either make the show as it was or as ABC wanted it. It got the hook in 1965 after 49 episodes.

Several clips here, with the caveat that the black and white clips are from the original series, color ones from the mid-1990s revival.

Action gave viewers an inside look at Hollywood through the eyes of Peter Dragon, a movie producer whose last film, Slow Torture, was a costly bomb. The pressure to follow it up with a hit is increased when his company buys the wrong script. Peter does have some help in this, between his newly hired VP of Production, Wendy Ward (a former child actor turned call girl who was Peter's date to the Slow Torture premiere) and Stuart, the President of Production who is treated more like an assistant. There was also a continuing subplot involving Peter's ex-wife, who married Dragonfire's CEO to spite Peter, even though the CEO is gay.

Lots of inside Hollywood satire, as well as a fair number of cameos of people playing themselves (including Keanu Reeves, Salma Hayek and Sandra Bullock, among others). The show had more explicit language and sexual humor than your usual network show (even by Fox standards), though the language was mostly bleeped. Jay Mohr played Peter with his trademark smarmy charm, while Ileana Douglas's Ward deftly maneuvered between being a sharp studio exec and a filthy, filthy whore.

The show may have been a little too much inside Hollywood for viewers, or Fox finally found its limits for gay-related humor, as only 8 of the show's 13 episodes aired in 1999. The other episodes would air on FX and Comedy Central.

Clips to be found here.

(5) Frank's Place v. (12) That Was the Week That Was

Frank's Place saw Frank Parrish, a Boston-based college professor, move to New Orleans to run a restaurant that he'd inherited. His original plan to sell the place backfired, as he did not consider that one of the waitresses would use voodoo to get him to join the family business. Once in the Big Easy, Frank has to get used to working and living in a culture - Southern, working-class - that he was not prepared for from working in academia.

Tim Reid starred as Frank, and fit naturally into the subtle humor of the show. The writing garnered the show an Emmy (one of three that it won, in addition to 6 other nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series). Unlike most sitcoms, the show was filmed using a single camera and no laugh track, a common practice today but more or less unheard of in a sitcom in 1987.

And, as expected for a TV show that is ahead of its time and critically praised, ratings never grew for the show. CBS moved it around, and the costs involved with the single camera technique was the final nail in the coffin. The show lasted 22 episodes in the 1987-88 season.

No real video to speak of on the Internets.

That Was the Week That Was presaged both the boom in US versions of British TV shows in the 1970s and current news satires like The Daily Show. David Frost brought the British version of the show to the US, using humor to examine race, religion, current events and politics. Frost would go on to host the US version, whose cast and contributors included Henry Fonda, Henry Morgan, Alan Alda, Gene Hackman, Buck Henry, Woody Allen, and Tom Lehrer (who provided a number of songs for the show, including "The Vatican Rag" and "National Brotherhood Week").

While the show debuted to good ratings, thanks to its timely humor and its singular format, it began to lose viewers in 1964 when it was regularly pre-empted by paid political programming related to the Presidential election. Coincidence?

As the show was done live, it's hard to get an episode count, though as the show only aired on NBC from January 1964 to May 1965, I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt. I can't find video from the show, either (there are no DVD sets, and it doesn't seem to have been syndicated), but this review gives a more complete accounting of what the show was like.

Trio Trophy - DAY FIVE RESULTS


Well, OK then, maybe Friday voting isn't such a good idea, based on the vote totals. I think we'll go Monday through Thursday from here on out.

From the Turn On bracket:

(13)The Dana Carvey Show d. (4) Murder One, 4-2

Quote of the Match: "Dana Carvey - the show that almost killed its creator. Well, that and the malpractice." - Grim Reaper

(5) Buffalo Bill d. (12) Lateline, 6-0

Quote of the Match: "Buffalo Bill - Can "Drexell's Class" be far behind? You know, second grade would have been a lot more fun for me if AJ Langer was in the class and Dabney Coleman was the teacher." - Baron Von Rotten

Public Morals bracket:

(4)Crime Story d. (13) Nowhere Man, 5-1

Quote of the Match: "I remember playing a game against Dwight, who buzzed on about 4 words, answered "Nowhere Man", and deadpanned to his agape teammate - "You don't need to know it". Glad to know what it was, only took about 8 years...now if I can just figure out whom this Trogdor chap is and this person who owns all my base, we'll be all set." - Baron Von Rotten

(5)Andy Richter Controls the Universe d. (12) Greg the Bunny, 5-1

Quote of the Match: "Andy Richter - as a technical writer myself, I only wish my imaginary life was that much fun." - The Grim Reaper

(We can all be happy that Rosenberg does not, in fact, control the universe. Mitch Williams especially.)

Trio Trophy - DAY FOUR RESULTS

Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(3)The Critic d. (14) Voyagers!, 11-3

Quotes of the Match: "Critic - Bring out Duke Phillip's animatronic bears!" - Brian

(6) Freaks and Geeks d. (11) The New Adventures of Beans Baxter, 10-4

Quote of the Match: "Hi, we're Fox and we have no programming whatsoever, and we're still going to cancel Beans. Insightful from the start. Still, Freaks" - Grim Reaper

Public Morals bracket:

(14)Sledge Hammer! d. (14) The Ben Stiller Show, 8-6

Quote of the Match: "Sledge Hammer, because I do use "Trust me. I know what I'm doing." in my normal job. Usually just before the system crashes." - Dwight

(11)Square Pegs d. (6) The Job, 8-5

Quote of the Match: "Square Pegs - It has a quizbowl episode, complete with the fact that Muffy Tepperman (Jami Gertz) actually WANTED to be on the team. (she kept getting all the wrong answers - SJP had to bail her out)." - Baron Von Rotten

Trio Trophy - DAY THREE RESULTS

Turn On bracket:

(3)Homefront d. (14) Legend, 6-5

Quotes of the Match: "Legend - Always thought "Homefront" was what I affectionately call "a cat lady show". To clarify, "Beauty and the Beast" is the grand champion of this category." - Baron Von Rotten

"Homefront - my grandmother loved that show" - jb*

(I'm assuming the consecutive appearance of these was intentional.)

(6) Black Sheep Squadron d. (11) Boomtown, 7-5

Quote of the Match: "Black Sheep Squadron, without this show, Robert Conrad has no network to star battle for." - Dwight

South of Sunset bracket:

(3)The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles d. (14) Undeclared, 6-6

OK, I know what you're thinking. How can a show be deemed the winner when there's a tie? A good question, especially as I have no tie-breaker in place. So I'm going with the higher-seeded show. Sorry, Apatow fans.

Quote of the Match: "Undeclared. Where Apatow began refining his core Freaks & Geeks crew into a modern-day Preston Sturges repertory group. Also, I think I could watch Monica Keena sand baseboards." - Greg

(6)TV Nation d. (11) The Associates, 11-1

Quote of the Match: "The segments were brief enough that Moore couldn't take himself too seriously that often. Just how MM is best. In small, yet jolly, doses." - mingusmonk

Trio Trophy - Day Five

Quick programming note - no new pairings will be posted over the weekend. Results will be posted, but you'll get your next slate of shows on Monday.

From the Turn On bracket:

(4) Murder One v. (13) The Dana Carvey Show

Murder One took an inventive approach to the courtroom procedural. The plan was to focus on one case over the course of the season, from the perspective of a defense attorney, Ted Hoffman, and the lawyers at his namesake firm as they defended Neil Avedon, a well-known actor charged with killing a 15-year-old girl. There were a few other cases handled by the other lawyers, providing some B-story relief.

The second season strayed from the original concept, as ratings suggested that the serial nature of the series limited new viewers from joining the series in progress, and viewers who missed an episode or two couldn't catch up. Hoffman was out (actor Daniel Benzali left the show) and was replaced by Jimmy Wyler (Anthony LaPaglia), a former district attorney who quit his job to start his own defense practice.

The new focus and change in cast didn't help the ratings, so ABC pulled the plug on the show after 41 episodes from 1995 to 1997.

You can see full episodes of the show here.

The Dana Carvey Show premiered after an episode of Home Improvement, with its first skit featuring Bill Clinton proving his compassion by suckling a baby, kittens and puppies. Tool Time it wasn't. No surprise, then, that ratings for the show never really took off, even as the show earned praise from critics.

Timeslot issues aside, the show did feature a strong cast, including Steve Carrell, Stephen Colbert and Robert Smigel, who would first launch The Ambiguously Gay Duo on this show. All were also writers for the show, joined by the likes of Charlie Kaufman, Spike Feresten, and Louis C.K. Carvey's contributions included new material and a return to some of his SNL work. One notable contribution from this show to SNL was a skit lifted from the unaired final episode, where Carvey plays Tom Browkaw as he rehearses a number of death scenarios for former President Gerald Ford.

Clips here.

(5) Buffalo Bill v. (12) Lateline

Buffalo Bill was Dabney Coleman's first TV foray into playing a boorish lout who, for all of his ego and selfishness, managed to be tolerable if not endearing. He played "Buffalo Bill" Bittinger, a talk show host on a small Buffalo TV station whose insensitivity came out both on and off camera, as he managed to offend viewers and co-workers alike. Bill would find a way to weasel out of many scrapes (such as when he spun the failure to get a job in New York as him not wanting to leave the great people of Buffalo), but more often than not failed because the people closest to him knew him too well.

Besides Coleman, the series was also the first regular series for several actors, including Joanna Cassidy, Geena Davis, Max Wright, Charles Robinson, and Meshach Taylor. But a young and talented cast on a show that breaks the convention of having a nice guy in the lead role doesn't translate into a long run. After 25 episodes in 1983 and 1984, NBC cancelled the show.

Oddly, the only decent clip from the show that I could find features Geena Davis.

Lateline spoofed news and politics by showing the workings of a late night news program in Washington, DC. Al Franken starred as anchor Al Freundlich, whose idealism and self-image belied his lack of actual smarts. Plots revolved around issues at the show and current political topics, with a number of real-life politicians and journalists making guest appearances.

After its first season, NBC decided to bring the show back in mid-season the following year, thinking that new sitcoms like Encore, Encore and Conrad Bloom would catch on. They didn't. Even so, Lateline's return didn't bring in many more viewers, and it was quickly yanked. Only 12 of the show's 19 episodes aired on NBC during 1998 and 1998; the unaired episodes became a third "season" on Showtime.

Oddly, I can't seem to turn up video for the show. It doesn't help that there is an actual Australian news program called Lateline, or that search engines keep thinking I'm looking for Dateline.

From the South of Sunset bracket:

(4) Crime Story v. (13) Nowhere Man

Crime Story pitted the head of 1960s Chicago's Major Crimes Unit, Mike Torello, against a rising star in the mob, Ray Luca. The first half of the first season saw Torello and his unit continually come just short of being able to put Luca away, as he killed his way to the top of the syndicate. His national reach was demonstrated in the second half of the season, when he moved his operation to Las Vegas, where Torello followed after getting his unit transferred to the feds. Still unable to catch him, the show continued into a second season that focused more on the often cozy relationship between the mob and politicians (complete with an arc based on the Kennedys and Marilyn Monroe). By the end of the second season, Luca has taken his operation international, leading to an airborne confrontation in the final episode.

The show was noted for its gritty feel and use of period detail and music, especially with the episodes set in Chicago. Chicago's actual criminal history contributed to the series, with Luca being based on Anthony Spilotro. The cast also had some history, as Dennis Farina (who played Torello) was formerly a Chicago cop, and John Santucci (who played Luca's sidekick Pauli) was once a jewel thief.

Produced by Michael Mann, Crime Story originally aired after Miami Vice and did well in the ratings, enough to get moved up against Moonlighting in its second season. Ratings dipped, the show moved back to its old slot, but it couldn't compete with Falcon Crest. NBC pulled the show after 44 episodes from 1986 to 1988, as the ratings didn't justify the costs of shooting a period show on location.

Some clips of the show here, including its original intro using Del Shannon's "Runaway."

Nowhere Man starred Bruce Greenwood as Thomas Veil, a photojournalist who, after photographing a secret execution in the Nicaraguan jungle, is the subject of a conspiracy that erases his past and sees everyone he knows to forget who he is. Collecting the negatives of the execution picture, Veil spends the series trying to piece together the conspiracy surrounding the execution and his status, getting help along the way by an unnamed member of the conspiracy. As the series continued, Veil discovered that the executions may have taken place in the US, and may have involved a number of sitting Senators. He also learns something about his own past that will lead him to start his quest to find himself all over again.

Not that we got to see that, as UPN only aired a single season of the show, as the unusual for UPN critical acclaim and rabid fanbase wouldn't save it from the mass cancellations after the network's first year. There were 25 episodes, shown during the 1995-96 season.

All the video out there is Beatles-related, so instead enjoy this fan site.

(5) Andy Richter Controls the Universe v. (12) Greg the Bunny

Andy Richter Controls the Universe was a workplace sitcom starring Andy Richter, whose character (also named Andy Richter) was an aspiring writer who paid the bills through technical writing for Pickering Industries. Each episode featured Andy dealing with the usual office hassles, but in a fairly unique way, being driven by narration and imaginary sequences that played out as real, only to be rewound so we could see what really happened.

A funny and inventive sitcom on Fox? Any surprise that it only lasted 19 episodes from 2002-03?

Clips - including broken-up episodes - available here.

Greg the Bunny was also funny, inventive and on Fox. Again, no surprise at its demise. It followed the show Sweetknuckle Junction, a Muppets-style show where the puppets were treated as living both on and off the show, with the off-show treatment being especially shabby. Plots focused on the show's human cast and their interactions with each other and the puppet cast.

The human cast featured a number of known actors, including Seth Green, Eugene Levy and Sarah Silverman.

Growing out of a series of shorts on IFC (which themselves grew out of shorts on local cable), the show couldn't be as edgy on network TV, and the inevitable conflicts that spawned, coupled with ratings, led to it getting pulled after 13 episodes in 2002.

Plenty of clips here from the Fox run. There are also plenty of clips from the shows two runs on IFC, both on YouTube and the IFC website.

Trio Trophy - DAY TWO RESULTS

Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(15)Now and Again d. (18) When Things Were Rotten, 8-2

Quote of the Match: "Now and Again - sci-fi can't work on CBS unless it's about Irish-accented angels or god, I guess. Also, surely people confused it with Once and Again too often." - Greg

(Guilty as charged. Though it'd be interesting to see how Bruce Campbell would function with Sela Ward's brain.)

(16) Maximum Bob d. (15) Upright Citizen's Brigade, 7-3

Quote of the Match: "Maximum Bob (would vote for Petticoat Junction (non Geoff Edwards episodes) over Upright Citizens Brigade)" - Baron Von Rotten

Public Morals bracket:

(18)Miss Guided d. (15) Keen Eddie, 6-2

Quote of the Match: "MISS GUIDED (which is actually totally unfamiliar to me, but a contest between Judy Greer and Sienna Miller is no contest)" - jheaton

(16)The Slap Maxwell Story d. (17) Call to Glory, 10-0

(Our first shutout!)

Quote of the Match: "The Slap Maxwell Story - I'm voting against the historically themed show, and yet somehow, I think I am voting for Jay Mariotti." - Craig

(Only if Slap was a lot whinier than I remember.)

Trio Trophy - Day 4

From the Co-Ed Fever bracket:

(3) The Critic v. (14) Voyagers!

The Critic followed neurotic New York film critic Jay Sherman, whose low-rated "Coming Attractions" aired on a cable network owned by Ted Turner clone Duke Phillips. When not at work, we got to see Jay interact with his adoptive family - Franklin, a senile ex-governor of New York, WASPy wife Eleanor, and teenaged sister Margo - and his son Marty, who favored Jay more than Jay's ex-wife, the demonic Ardeth. Later on, he'd start dating an assistant on his show, Alice, who had a daughter Penny from a previous marriage.

As an animated show, The Critic was able to do things that regular shows couldn't do, between far-flung plots (such as the time Jay was stuck in Iraq during Desert Storm) and a variety of parody movies and TV ads. But it was best when Jay had to confront his fears and deal with the love-hate relationship of his parents, his attempts to be good dad or boyfriend, or his never-ending battle with his sentient stomach.

The show featured a strong cast, from Jon Lovitz as Jay to Alan Napier's Duke to Doris Grau's gravelly-voiced make-up woman, also named Doris. Proving that the A in ABC didn't stand for animated, the network let the show go to Fox after its first season in 1994, but Fox (who seem to air anything animated - hello American Dad) didn't have much more ratings luck with the show. 23 episodes were aired overall, although 10 webisodes, each 2 minutes long, were made in 2001.

Various clips, including at least one full episode in three parts, can be seen here.

Voyagers! brought the Time Bandits vibe to TV, with Jon-Erik Hexum playing Phineas Bogg, who as one of the Voyagers travels through time to put history back in order when it breaks down (such as in the pilot, where they have to get the Wright brothers to invent the airplane).

This would be much easier for Bogg if he wasnt' so clueless about history. But he gets some help in the form of 12 year old Jeffrey Jones, an orhpan and history buff. They meet when Bogg's time travel device, the Omni, malfunctions and sends him to 1982. Bogg and Jeffrey would have two or three historical adventures per episode, with Jeffrey filling in the many gaps in Bogg's knowledge.

The show was mainly aimed at kids, with Meeno Peluce, who played Jeffrey, giving information where kids could read more about the historical events at the end of each episode. The orientation didn't help the show in finding a wider audience, even in its early Sunday timeslot. The show was cancelled after the 1982-83 season for NBC.

Some clips from the show are available here.

(6) Freaks and Geeks v. (11) The New Adventures of Beans Baxter

Freaks and Geeks followed Lindsay and Sam Weir as they navigated McKinley High School outside of Detroit in the early 1980s. Lindsay, a former mathlete, became more rebellious and hung out with the titular freaks, while Sam stuck with the geeks. The show not only showed how they dealt with the usual high school challenges, but with the situations that involved their particular clique. The setting was given further authenticity by the use of period music and casting of actors who were reasonably close to high school age.

This was the show that launched Judd Apatow and his cast of regulars, including Seth Rogan, Jason Segal and Busy Phillips, among others. The show developed a loyal fan base quickly, but as would be seen with Undeclared, it wouldn't be enough to save the show. NBC pulled the show after 18 episodes in the 1999-2000 season.

Several clips here, including whole episodes broken into smaller chunks.

The New Adventures of Beans Baxter was also a high school show, but slightly less realistic than Freaks and Geeks. Beans was, on the face of things, your average Washington DC high-schooler, but rather than having a paper route or working at McDonalds, his after school job was as a courier for The Network, an intelligence agency that employed his dad. But when his dad was kidnapped by the thugs from UGLI, they turned their sights on Beans, hoping to capture him to get his dad to give them secret information.

(The head of UGLI was played by Kurtwood Smith, apparenly honing his Red Foreman.)

All this played out in a semi-serious context, helped with the juxtaposition of the suddenly mundane problems of high school with the life and death struggle of espionage. The show was created by Savagae Steve Holland, who also directed most of the episodes. Even so, it didn't quite attract the family audience one would hope for on Saturdays (and was on opposite Golden Girls to boot), and Fox put the youthful spy out into the cold for goof after 17 episodes in the 1987-88 season.

This is the best I can do for video.

From the Public Morals bracket:

(3)The Ben Stiller Show v. (14) Sledge Hammer!

The Ben Stiller Show originated on MTV and seemed like a good fit for Fox as an edgier sketch comedy show. The show focused on parodying pop culture, such as spoofing on the Wilfred Brimley ads for Quaker Oats by introducing Grady Oats, with its own geriatric - and batshit crazy - pitchman. Stiller also impersonated the like of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Cruise and Bono in various skits. There were also original characters, like Tito Gallegas, the Pig Latin Lover.

The cast featured Stiller and several very familiar names. Janeane Garofalo, Andy Dick and Bob Odenkirk were regulars (the latter two would go on to their own sketch shows), while Judd Apatow and David Cross were among the writers.

It may be that early Sunday nights weren't the best slot for the show, as for all the critical success it never got beyond cult status. Even an Emmy for writing couldn't save the show, cancelled after 12 episodes in the 1992-93 season.

Plenty of clips here.

Sledge Hammer! took the tough-guy cop stereotype to comedic extremes with its title character, a violence-loving law and order cop who would literally stop at nothing to get his man (he once blew up a building to get a sniper off the roof). In true satirical cop show fashion he has an empathetic female partner and a long-suffering supervisor, whom he often hurts unintentionally.

The show suffered from difficult time slots throughout its run, as it was aired between Dallas and Miami Vice in its first season and The Cosby Show in its second. ABC had decided to cancel the show after one season, but a ratings jump for the final episode - Sledge accidentally nukes San Francisco after uttering his trademark "Trust me. I know what I'm doing" - led to a second season set five years before the first one. Viewership did not increase, and the show was cut after 41 episodes from 1986 to 1988.

Here's a full episode of the show, with more clips here.

(6)The Job v. (11) Square Pegs

The Job would be at least partially familiar to viewer of Denis Leary's best known show, Rescue Me, given the similarities between that show's Tommy Gavin and The Job's Mike McNeil, who faces many of the same issues around substance abuse and infidelity as Gavin, but plays them for laughs.

Leary brings the same sort of wit and eye for life as a public servant to both shows, and in both manages to create a lead who is reprehensible but appealing. And if you know many police, you'll know that it's not an unsual combination to find in that line of work. The level of realism in the show was also higher than normal for television, but was also balanced by playing off of some of the cop show stereotypes as well.

As can be expected, a show that finds comedy in some darker places and also doesn't use a laugh track can be a bit of a challenge. Throw in a delay in the second season opener due to 9/11, and it's not surprising that ABC gave the show the boot after 19 episodes in 2001 and 2002.

Several clips here.

Square Pegs opened with dialogue between two friends, Patty Greene and Lauren Hutchinson, who discovered that the secret to high school is "[c]liques. Little in-groups of different kids. All we have to do is click with the right clique, and we can finally have a social life that's worthy of us." Thus set the weekly attempts by Patty and Lauren to crack into the popular clique, which included the usual beautiful people.

In reality, Patty and Lauren wind up forming their own clique with the class clown and his new wave musician buddy. And, in true high school fashion, they don't always see that the friends they do have are more solid than the ones they'd like to have.

The tone of the show matches what would be coming with Fast Times at Ridgemont High and the films of John Hughes. The theme song was performed by The Waitresses, giving some added period cred. It also featured early roles for some name actors, including Traci Nelson, Jami Gertz, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Patty.

Debuting to strong ratings, the show couldn't hold them, and CBS cancelled the show after 20 episodes in the 1982-83 season.

A variety of clips for you here.