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?