January 27, 2019

Ten Best Batman Comic Team-Up’s with DC characters











Three years ago I talked about Batman team-up's with characters from different franchises and/or comic companies. That's all and well good, but what about team up's with his fellow DC heroes? Aside from Superman, who will always be The World's Finest, that's one area I never covered. So let's talk about some of them.












The funny thing about Batman is whikle he is a dark loner, he also works great with other heroes. He's had real partners including Robin, The Outsiders, and every version of The JLA. This is because despite his grim style he is also a good teacher. The other heroes respect him and look up to him, and while Batman has flaws he is always willing to offer guidance. It also helps that since he has no godlike powers, others probably feel less intimated than they do with someone like Superman who can save the day all by himself. I said before when I discovered the old Brace and The Bold series I loved them. Here are ten of my favorite Batman team up's with DC characters.






And yes I know about the Brave and The Bold cartoon but I've never watched it. Let's limit to this comics, and no team books since that's not the same.







The Joker












Yeah how does this work? To be fair it probably wouldn't fly today. But back in the old days, before The Joker was so psychotic it was almost ludicrous, these two teamed up a couple times. Remember, Joker my be a homicidal maniac but he's also smart. So when his talents can be used to help, why not take advantage of it? He teamed up with others in his rogue's gallery but these are the memorable one's

January 24, 2019

A Look at Superman On Film


It’s funny how time can change. When I posted this the first time in 2011, I never thought we’d get not one but two more supermen not to mention a Supergirl series. Here is a re-post the most changes being the end when I added to the list. I apparently had video links at some point but they’re long gone. I also changed the title since this is more about the film versions than the general overview it was supposed to be.


January 21, 2019

Five Early Ideas That Never Materialized From Great Sitcoms

Sometimes creators know exactly what a show will be when they have the idea, and other times it’s not so easy. The other day I talked about failed concepts that made it on the screen but didn’t work out. Sometimes ideas never even see the light of day. For instance, Empty Nest was supposed to be about a couple dealing with there daughters taking off for college. It was changed to the Richard Mulligan led show (but the original pilot was made, as a backdoor pilot in The Golden Girls). It’s funny to hear the original pitches for our favorite shows, and wonder what could have been.

Here are five examples :





The Cosby Show

Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner went to Cosby for the show, and his first idea wasn’t quite what we’d get. Cosby believed that both parents should have blue collar jobs. The father be a limousine driver, who owned the car, and the mother an electrician. It was Cosby’s wife who suggested he change it so that the Huxtable’s would be upper middle class.







Home Improvement

When Tim Allen began making his sitcom it was first called Hammer Time. That really didn’t last long. What was supposed to stick was Stephen Tobolowsky. He was supposed to play the tool time co-host Glen. When Tobolowsky couldn’t become available they created Al to fill in. Of course, Al would end up sticking and we never met Glen. Oh and did you know Frances Fisher was originally Jill?

January 19, 2019

Five Failed Early Ideas From Great Sitcoms

Awhile back I discussed how someone had the brilliant idea to ad lyrics to the theme of Seinfeld. An idea that was quickly changed when they realized how awful it was. Other ideas were quietly phased out especially the fact that there was supposed to be more standup between the segments.
 
 





When a sitcom is getting started, creators will throw all kinds of ideas out to see what will stick and what wont. It’s a natural part of the process for any show. Some ideas last, like Wilson hiding his face on Home Improvement. Others get forgotten, like how Raj went from not being able to speak to woman to being able to on The Big Bang Theory after the gag got old. And while lots of bad ideas never see the light of day, others will. But the idea is so off the mark it’ll appear for an episode or two before being abandoned. These ideas are so ridiculous you almost wonder why it even made it to concept, let alone screen.. Here are five early abandoned sitcom ideas which I never understood :




King of Queens, Carrie’s Sister

Lisa Rieffel is a fine actress, so the fact that the character vanished isn’t her fault. The character of Sara Spooner was Carrie’s sister, and Arthur’s other daughter, and was supposed to live with Doug and Carrie also. And she does, for about three episode before she vanishes. Why did the creators think they needed this extra character? Wasn’t Arthur enough? I guess so.

January 14, 2019

Top 5 TV Transformation Sequences (re-post)


This was written in 2012, in a rush. That happens a lot I’ll just kind of throw the article together and post it. Those who read my articles a lot may be able to tell the one’s that get a little more care than the others. This one is just bad. Granted it was an easy idea, but it doesn’t work for one little reason. no pics and no videos. I’m sure there were videos, or at least links, at some point. So here it is again a little cooler this time.



January 13, 2019

Five Comic Book Retcons That Stuck

Oh how DC Comics loves their retcons. Of course, Marvel does also but I’m a DC guy so I can’t comment on them. Many times a character will get a retcon, and given enough time that retcon will kind of disappear, be reversed or just become insignificant. But once in awhile a retcon comes in the form of a new or improved character. And if lucky, the change works well enough that it sticks around and helps to give us a new character who truly rocks.




Oh and it should be noted these are all the old versions of the characters, pre-New 52.





Supergirl

Going waayy back for this one. Back in the olden days, it was decided to give Superman a counterpart. So we were introduced to Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl. How could this be when Krypton exploded leaving Kal-El the sole survivor? Weell, let’s just say the backstory in the original story is real lame. Though the basic idea lasted, that Argo City was somehow spared the destruction and then Kara’s father sent her to Earth the same as Kal’s. The story even served as the basis for the Supergirl movie and current TV show (in altered forms). This little retcon gave a great new character, so great that even after being killed off in 1985 DC kept trying to find ways to reinvent her. Some better than others.

January 9, 2019

Five Forgotten TV Award Shows


Well we’ve entered award season with The Golden Globes that aired last weekend. Course we got a bunch of biggies coming leading up to the Oscars. Not to mention Grammy’s, Tonys, and Emmy’s in the fall. And several in between those. Award shows used to be a bigger deal, with the whole spectacle of the music and fashion and seeing all your favorite stars together. Though it always irked me when they would say “every star” is at the event, yeah I don’t think that was true. Still, award shows were and still are quite fun.



January 7, 2019

What I Loved in the 80’s-Food and Drinks (re-post)

Last time I promised this year I’d do some re-postings of articles as well as follow ups.  The other day was a follow-up, so let’s try a re-write of an early article which could have been sooo much better. I wrote the original article way back in 2011, and there are lots of things I don’t like about it. The article is limited to five items, for some reason. I didn’t go into a lot for most of them, and the pics are long gone. It’s also a bad title, these are more snacks and junk food. So here is a larger look at this topic. I am leaving off cereal because that is an area I covered more in depth elsewhere.

January 5, 2019

Next 5 Movies I Loved When They Came Out But Now I Hate


Welcome to 2019 my friends. So sometime this year, if all goes well, I will publish my 1000th blog. That is just amazing to me, that I have been doing this for so long now. I’d love to time it on the actual anniversary in August but only time will tell on that one. I decided that the way to celebrate is to borrow a page from the book of Linkara. I am going to spend time this year going back to old blog’s and either republishing (since like many video reviewers I am not fond of my early stuff) or following up on them. This is because as year’s pass opinions change and very often examples that didn’t exist eight years ago do now. For instance, I once said Kevin Spacey was the worst Lex Luthor on film. Silly me, then I saw Aaron Eisenberg. Of course there will be new stuff, including a lot of Batman talk I hope as Detective Comics hits 1000, but that’s my focus for 2019.