Saturday, February 3, 2007

Car 54, Where Are You?

"Car 54, Where Are You?" is a classic Emmy award-winning comedy TV series on 1960's. A series featuring an unforgettable pair of hilarious police officers who are characterized extremely different but in every episode, never failed to make the viewers laugh no matter how bad they feel.

The misadventures of short, noisy dim-witted but friendly Officer Gunther Toody partnered with tall stiff, quite-shy but smart Officer Francis Muldoon of the fictional NYPD 53rd precinct with their patrol vehicle Car 54. Together they fight crimes in New York with all their best and dealing at the same time with their personal lives like their overbearing wives and officious boss, Captain Anderson. The partners were specially assigned to protect an important witness who will testify against crime lords and mafias, but their adventures turn into comedy with their errors and predicaments they got involved. The excitement is there as the audience never k
now what will happen next, seemed like they encounter more comedy than crime and making the viewers keep on laughing.

The memorable show's theme lyrics:

There's a holdup in the Bronx!
Brooklyn's broken out in fights!
There's a traffic jam in Harlem
That's backed up to Jackson Heights!
There's a scout troop short a child!
Krushchev's due at Idlewild!
Car 54, where are you?!

The successful comedy duo in Car 54, Where Are You completed 3 seasons with total of 60 episodes, aired from 1961 to 1963, now available on DVD.

Thursday, February 1, 2007

1980's "Tales from the Darkside"

Tales from the Darkside is a popular horror/sci-fi anthology tv series, produced by George A. Romero, which is similar to some sci-fi series like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limit and Night Gallery. The series composed of short stories of strange tales that are mostly centered on horror stories around us, more likely considered science fictions or fantasy-based. Although few episodes were lighter comedic, some episodes were creepy that some who watch it few or alone scare them to death. The opening foreboding voice-over:


"Man lives in the sunlit world of what he believes to be reality.
But, there is, unseen by most, an underworld, a place that is just as real,
but not as brightly lit..... A DARKSIDE."

The plot formula of the series comprised from initially normal, mundane situation and then gradually twist into off-kilter, building up suspense and ending up with surprise conclusion, letting the viewers learn to appreciate that things are not often as they seem. Special episodes of tales are adapted work of famous genre authors like Clive Barker, Harlan Ellison and Stephen King. Each episodes also end up with voice-over:

"The dark side is always there, waiting for us to enter, waiting to enter us.
Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight."

Tales From The Darkside was aired from 1984-1988, completing up the total of four seasons and 90 episodes. Now available on DVD - Tales From the Darkside DVD at TV Addicts.TV