Ten Music Videos Better Than The Songs

Music videos are a great way to get a song noticed. Especially when the video is more than just the artist standing there singing. Over the years we’ve seen some amazingly inventive music videos, they make the song more memorable with cool visuals and sometimes even tell a story all on their own! And some times the video is so amazing and so well done..that it kind of eclipse’s the song. You hear the song and you kinda think “Yeah that’s nice, but man that was a cool video!”.

Here are five examples of what I mean, and please remember I am not saying any of these songs are bad. Far from it! I am just saying the video makes them a little better, or to use another word-memorable.



Say Say Say
I talked about this way way back when I discussed my favorite music videos. But it inspired this idea, so here we are. The song, by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson, is OK but the video make so much more. The song actually becomes the backdrop for this story of two con artists scamming their way through a couple towns. I don’t think the two are even connected, but man is the video a lot of fun.

Memorable TV Line-Up’s:ABC/NBC Tuesday Night (Fall 1995)

Today I wanted to do something a little different. I don’t know if it’s such a big deal anymore in our age of DVR’s and streaming shows, but back in the day networks would fiercely compete over time slots. Oh sure you had the “Cosby”‘s and “Seinfeld”‘s which nothing could beat no matter how hard the other networks tried. But once in awhile they would try and we’d get not one, but two solid line-up’s from two networks on the same night. Which did you watch? That was the question!

 

Let’s take a look at one of the more extreme network battles back in 1995. Tuesday night’s were not a blockbuster night, but NBC was working to make it a second night of “Must See TV”.  Since ABC always owned Tuesday’s (as I discussed elsewhere) it was easy to see why ABC would to counter NBC’s solid schedule. They did with  a move which was pretty controversial at the time. Both networks taking two of their best shows…and seeing which one wins!




8:00
ABC                                                  NBC

So which do you watch, the successful if underrated NBC comedy in its final years or the ABC hit which at the tome was at the prime of its run? In 1994 Roseanne was moved from its prime slot on Wednesday’s to Tuesday’s to make for a stronger competitor against what NBC was trying to build. Of course these were very different series and it really depended on your tastes to decide what to watch.

Memorable TV Line-Up’s:ABC Friday Night (Fall 1985)

Some line-ups are monster successes. Not only are they enormously popular with massive ratings, but the lineup is remembered years (even decades) later for how amazing it was. Then you have line-ups that are just, well, there. They are good line-ups with good shows but they aren’t monster hits or cherished years later. They just, were. Here is an example of what I mean. A few years before ABC discovered TGIF, the seeds were planted with this memorable lineup.

 

Friday’s on ABC in the early 80s weren’t solid. Things changed in 1985. This was the year ABC started to realize that targeting the kid demographic would work. Two years later TGIF was born, but we went over that. So let’s take a look where that lineup began.

8:00
Webster

This show had quite a history. It was supposed to a vehicle for Alex Karras and Susan Clark. Then the network decided to jam a cute kid in (thanks to Gary Coleman’s success) and so Emmanuel Lewis was added . Thus, “Another Ballgame” became “Then Came You” and finally “Webster”.  A show about two newlyweds having to raise an orphaned boy. And, well, hi jinks!  It was a pretty harmless show but managed some memorable episodes. Like when Webster burned the apartment down. Or when Katherine miscarried (which was rare on a sitcom). Who here knows the reason Webster called Katherine “Ma’am” all the time? It was also my introduction to Ben Vereen. Back in my articles on actors who hated their shows I didn’t mention the tension on set, as Webster didn’t quite end up being what Karras or Clark wanted. Thankfully that didn’t last forever and the cast did eventually enjoy each other. The show managed six seasons.

Top 10 Favorite Sword Wielders

While most movies rely on good old fashioned guns, sometimes a character will take on other weapons. One of the most badass is a sword. A sword is such a simple thing, but the authority and power it summons can’t be denied. Here are ten sword wielders I like  the most.

     









As you can imagine, a lot of obvious choices will be missing here. So comment below and let me know what I missed.


Lord of the Rings

Even I know this one. The Flame of the West is just awesome. Mostly because it was the ultimate badass, Aragorn, using it.

Top 10 Favorite DC/Marvel Comic Crossover’s

 

I’ve said a million times, I’m a DC fan. But while I was never a real Marvel fan that doesn’t mean I wasn’t familiar with Marvel. Spider-Man was on The Electric Company, Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends introduced me to Captain America and the X-Men, and thanks to The Hulk TV movies I learned who Daredevila nd Thor were. The point I am getting as while I was never a Marvel fan, how could I resist it when DC and Marvel would do a crossover?






















As hard as it is to believe, the two companies used to do a lot of crossover’s. Way back they were “non-canon” crossovers which pretended the two universes always shared a universe. Later we got a slew of crossover’s where the heroes found some way to meet (in some case they just pretended like they did before). Some made sense (Batman vs The Punisher) others were out there (Darkseis vs Galactus). So here are my ten favorite DC/Marvel crossover’s and the only rule is that it has to be a crossover between two mainstream character (or teams).





#10.JLA vs Avengers

This was huge! The World’s Greatest Superheroes vs. Earth’s Mightest Heroes. And with George Perez on art! I man, how could this possible miss? Is it ok if I say the story is a little, convoluted? It’s just a little to busy with a little to much going on. But it’s still good, any comic that has Superman wielding Mjolnir and Captain America’s shield is enough for me!

Friends 25th Anniversary-My Favorite Jokes/Moments

Memorable TV Line-Up’s:CBS Monday Night (Fall 1990)

Some networks just kind of owned certain nights. NBC had Thursday’s. ABC owned Friday’s. And CBS for some reason reigned on Monday’s. I already went over what their schedule looked like in the late 90’s, but their reign started at least a whole decade earlier. Let’s look back at a schedule that paved the way for a reemrgence for the, at the time time, struggling CBS network.

Through the 80’s CBS had managed some decent successes on Mondays with hits like Newhart and Kate & Allie, when you’re losing to Bloopers & Practical Jokes then there’s a problem. A Problem that was finally worked out with a little magic in the fall of 1990 when the network finally found the right combination. With NBC airing teen oriented shows (Fresh Prince & Blossom) and ABC showing football, CBS scored with a lineup aimed at the more mature audience.

8:00pm
Evening Shade

If you follow my stuff you know this show was not a favorite. At all. But just because I didn’t like doesn’t mean it should be ignored for the huge success it was. Especially in getting Burt Reynolds some well needed publicity (not to mention an Emmy). Reynolds played an ex football player who returned to coach in a high school team in the very rural Evening Shade, Arkansas. What was my problem with the show? I saw a couple episodes and it never worked for me. Course I was alone on that one since it even topped The Cosby Show at one point. The show also starred Marilu Henner and Michael Jeter.

Ten Worst Star Trek-TNG Episode Promo’s

A Look at Star Trek Episode Promo’s

So a few weeks ago I talked about network promo’s for their shows that air during other shows. Another example of a promo that I did not discuss is one that has been around forever. That’s when a promo for the next episode of the same show airs at the end of the current episode, usually before the closing credits. These “Scene from next week” are brief but almost always suck us in amd ensure we come back. Sitcoms hardly ever do this (Growing Pains and Big Bang Theory being two exceptions). But one hour shows, drama’s and action series, always seem to do this. And one franchise that is certainly not exempt is….

Now of course with the hundreds of hours of Trek out there, I can’t go over all of these today. But I thought it might be fun to check a few out. These promo’s can be memorable when done well, ensuring we come back the next week, and laughable when they have to lie to make the next episode sound worth watching. For instance, I came across the preview for “Half a Life” from TNG. This is a hard episode to summarize, but essentially Laxwana Troi meets a scientist who is turning sixty. At that time he is to commit suicide, as is the way of his people when anyone turns 60. And of course there isn’t much Laxwana or Picard can do. It’s a well written piece concerning if old people should be allowed to end their lives with dignity. Here’s the promo:

The ad makes it sound like the scientist has been sentenced to death for some reason, the very frst words are a lie he isn’t dying, and it’s up to Picard to save him! Trust me, that is not the episode!

A Look at TV and Movies Turning 30 in 2019

Well I guess it’s mid life crisis time. Well ok that may be a little far. With all the recent talk about things turning 50, it’s pretty impressive everything that turns 30 this year. And I really can’t believe that 1989 was thirty years ago. Good lord, were things different then.

It’s only fair to go through and discuss some other things that are thirty this year. Aside from The Simpsons and TGIF which I have already discussed. By the way, Family Matter is officially thirty this year.





Saved By The Bell

This is one of those shows that came along at just  the right time. It was the absolute perfect age for it, and ate it up with a spoon. It was silly, it was corny..and I loved it. Especially the early years before the show tried to hard to appeal to teens. We all know the premise, it’s basically a show about six high schoolers at Bayside High. Zach, Screech, Slater, Kelly, Jesse, and Lisa were cool and retro all the same time. I still remember the first episode I saw, NBC aired it during a weeknight to tease viewers, and I was a fan ever since.