David_Powell3006-1 Reviews

M*A*S*H: Officer of the Day (1974) Season 3, Episode 3

One of the gutsiest twists.

[30 August 2017]

Colonel Flagg is usually shown on this show as a fool at best and a psychotic sadist at worst.

But....

In this episode, the writers have Flagg bringing a wounded North Korean agent to the hospital to be treated. The Doctors are upset because Flagg mainly wants the teenaged Korean alive so he can interrogate them later.

We love our main characters. We want to identify with our main characters. We emotionally connect with our main characters. So, when Flagg does this, and tells the doctors; including an "Officer of the Day" we all know and love, covering for an absent Colonel Blake, that the prisoner is dangerous and a mortal threat to others, despite said prisoner being a badly injured teenage girl, we're totally with them when they tell Flagg off and are disgusted by him.

Then, the prisoner patient does actually try to kill another patient, an American soldier. On top of this, she tells the Doctors off as she is leaving, saying she thinks they are fools and she wants to kill them and their patients and anyone else she can get a chance to, as long as they are the enemies of her side.

Flagg is often seen as a fool and a buffoon, if not a sadistic paranoid. Our heroes are often right. The writers had such titanic guts to write that twist into the story. They had so many, and for me this was one of the best and the downright gutsiest.

One Step Beyond: The Haunted U-Boat (1959) Season 1, Episode 17

How good was this episode?

[28 March 2016]

I have never seen this episode of this series.

I can, however, tell you a little about how good it was.

As a young teenager in Philadelphia, my dad saw this episode, one time, when it originally aired.

Whenever we are talking and the subject of television comes up, he mentions it, and remembers every last detail.

That is how good it was.

I hope to see it one day, if I get the chance. I advise that you do so as well.

That's my review.

Arena (1989)

When a SF buff sees the cast, they'll do a double take.....

[6/10 · 6 January 2012]

Yes, one could argue it looks a bit cheesy today, but hey, I like the 80s atmosphere, & one neat thing about this movie is the cast.

If you are a Sci-Fi buff you'll find yourself going "No way!" a lot as you meet the actors playing these characters. A lot of the main cast ended up on other space stations a couple of years after they made this movie, namely Babylon Five and Deep Space Nine. In that way it has a bit of a neat "When Worlds Collide" vibe for the TV Speculative Fiction buff. Claudia Christian eventually became a regular on B5, and Shari Shattuck made a stopover there too. Both Armin Shimmerman and Marc Alaimo ended up doing yeoman service on DS9, Shimmerman as a regular and Alaimo as a recurring guest. It is neat to see them all together in this one a couple of years before they hit those series roles, and they and the rest of the cast seem to be having fun with it too.

Spaceballs: The Animated Series (2008–2009)

Funny as all!

[7/10 · 14 December 2008]

I have seen some bad reviews on here. I watched a couple episodes today. (The video game one, the baseball one, and the bio-weapon soda one) all of them were funny as all to me. Give it a shot, it bags on a lot of stuff that needs bagging on and I think it is very true and respectful to the original!

Daphne Zuniga, Mel Brooks and Joan Rivers have returned as their characters, and do the voices. I have seen most of characters from the film in these three episodes that I have watched. From Dark Helmet to Colonel Sanders to Yogurt they are all there. It was cool seeing Barf, I think if John Candy were around he would get a kick out of this show.

The female officer in the Spaceball army is back and as a cartoon character is still smoking hot. Zuniga's Vepa isn't bad either. Yes, this is a little, dare I say racy in how the gals are drawn. It's more for adults than the little tykes. Use your discretion per episode I guess, then again that's how it is with every show.

This one has tongue firmly planted in cheek and satires, riffs on and bags on a lot of stuff. I found it very funny and a very pleasant surprise, I had not watched this show before this morning. G4 has a nice show here. Better than a lot of stuff, fine satire and good fun.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Rocks and Shoals (1997) Season 6, Episode 2

A tight setting for a tight, well done episode. Worth watching.

[9/10 · 13 December 2008]

I had to write a review for this, because it is one of my favorite episodes of a very, very well put together TV series. So, here we go.

This one starts off with Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks,) his Chief of Operations Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) and their small group crash landed on a small planetoid, where they run into another similarly cut-off group made up of enemy troops. This one reminded me a bit of some of the classics like "The Outer Limits" where a very complex plot that said a lot got into an hour long show (including commercials) which stood very well on it's own. Or, some of the Original Star Trek's episodes.

In a TV series, there is often the question of "story arc" vs. "stand alone" episodes. Ones where characters develop along a progressive track vs. ones a person who hasn't seen an episode can instantly get. Deep Space Nine had some significant arcs, but this is a show that works well in both ways I mentioned.

In the show Sisko comes to get to know something about a couple of the enemy troops, I won't go further, and it is a very tight and well written plot about wars, commanders, loyalty and the collision of respect for a foe and duty to one's men. Also, instead of action across solar systems or galaxies, the action is now restricted to walking distance of a small area of a small out of the way planet. Everything is tight for our characters here, including time.

For the fans of the show watching, all the actors on board give good performances. It is also kind of chilling to see Nog, once a boy on the station and now a soldier, partner up with Mr. Garak, sent by Sisko to observe him, stay close to him, and learn. This isn't about our friend Nog going to see how Garak stitches a shirt either, and it says something about the best of our young people and sending them to learn certain things when their lives and ours are on the line. It is something that works in the story as a stand alone, sending a younger character out with someone known to be skilled, but for those who have followed the show and know both characters it is increased in the impact. Also, Colm Meaney does very well, from his work with a couple guest actors on his crew to his work with the regulars. His part where he is arguing to err on the side of humanity if one must err at a certain point is fascinating.

Also aboard and adding to the anthology feel are a couple of guest actors who really inhabit their well-written characters. DS9 had a lot of that, and Phil Morris as Remata'Klan and Christopher Shea as Keevan (OK, forget the funny names and makeup, just watch it for acting and character and you won't be disappointed) are no exception.

I won't spoil it further, but this is a very well done show that takes the concept I explained of the two small groups and which really makes you think. For a show which might have been considered part of an arc it really stands on it's own.

There is one difference between this show and the classic episodes of "The Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits." No narration. However, Avery Brooks' tone of voice at the end delivers all the summary that is needed.

Worth watching, there isn't a bad performance in it and the writing is great. It also points to a lot of things about duty, command, and the burdens of both.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Cardassians (1993) Season 2, Episode 5

A very real world style plot, and Bashir gets hints of vindication.

[9/10 · 27 October 2008]

I thought this one was pretty interesting: The ideas of children left behind after occupations or wars are ones we have seen in our own time and it was really daring for this show to go there. The idea of people using said children for politics was pretty rough but sadly a logical progression from the storyline of Season One and the history between Bajor and Cardassia we started hearing about in "Star Trek - The Next Generation" in episodes like "Ensign Ro." Season Two will flesh out the backgrounds even more.

That said, a person can watch this episode without ever seeing one of those others and follow it pretty well.

As the show goes through the plot, we get to see Gul Dukat (Played by Marc Alaimo) again, and get to know a bit more about him. It also covers the Bajor situation well, as the first season of DS9 did brilliantly across the entire season. We also get to know about another Cardassian who we will end up seeing a bit more of as the series goes on.

We first met the fellow named Garak in "Past Prologue" which was the second episode of the show's first season. He was the only Cardassian left on the station, and had struck up a conversation and a ready friendship with Dr. Julian Bashir (The very talented Alexander Siddig.) Dr. Bashir had heard rumors that Mr. Garak (Garak insists it is not "Mr. Garak," just plain, simple Garak) remained on the station to spy on the people there. Bashir is excited and tells his fellow officers, who sort of let it roll off (Terry "Jadzia Dax" Farrell has some priceless facial expressions when she is hearing Siddig's excited telling of it.) Well in this episode, right from the start, Andrew Robinson is back as the friendly Cardassian tailor, and things begin to pick up.

Dr. Bashir gets portrayed at times as sort of wide eyed in the first season or two, and the idea of him thinking the local tailor is some kind of spy and buying into rumors while the more experienced Dax, Sisko and O'Brien shrug it off seems to be an extension of this. Except now we get to see Mr. Garak again, and in this episode we see a couple of hints that he may indeed have some talents that go far beyond his excellent sewing skills. We also see some wonderful work by Marc Alaimo and Andrew Robinson in their brief time together that indicates there may be a bit more there between them. It's just enough to set things up for... but no, I'll let you find that one out for yourself. I can't tell you everything, that just wouldn't be as interesting, would it? (That one was for you Mr. Robinson and Mr. Siddig.) The point is, the "wide eyed" Bashir starts to look a bit more right in his thoughts about the tailor, who again is friendly and nice as can be to him, and from here on out these two characters really start to pick up, not only as individual characters but as a duo. The young, humanitarian doctor and the enigmatic Cardassian tailor are becoming a team of sorts, and now those more experienced officers begin to pay a bit more attention to them. Bashir also shows his willingness to risk his reputation and risk honking off people in command to do the humanitarian thing for the Bajorans and Cardassians involved. He comes out of this episode a bit stronger than he went in, in several ways. Avery Brooks is solid as Commander Sisko, and the rest of the cast is fine as always.

As for what happens in the episode, I won't spoil things further, it was pretty well done and a nice character study with good writing and great work all around from the guest actors as well as the regulars. As for the friendly, helpful tailor, he and Dr. Bashir will again have some conversations in the upcoming episode "The Wire" near the end of this season (Season Two.) After that one neither one of those guys looked back.

As for "Cardassians" it is pretty good and worth a look. It is more driven by character than effects, and when you have good characters with good writing and acting that can really work. This one, being a DS9 episode, has all of the above going for it. Worth watching.

Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Enemy (1989) Season 3, Episode 7

One of LeVar Burton's best performances....

[16 February 2006]

When LeVar Burton was cast in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in 1987, he brought a rock solid range of acting skills and a lot of heart to the show. As the series went on, he got to play a very solid engineer. However, within the technical dialogue and all the plots involving the ensemble cast his ability to show off his range seemed cut back sometimes.... at least in my opinion. But in this one the writers let him carry a show and act and he nailed it all. Watch for a solid performance from Mr. Burton here and a good job from a guest actor or two... or more.. and watch for another good twist from Michael Dorn, who actually got to give some input to the show... when the writers allowed him to decide what decision his character would make at a certain point. It proved quite influential on the progress of the episode. All the regulars are solid, the guest actors are spot on, and watch for Burton as he gets to go on a bit of a field trip from engineering.... Too bad for him, Risa this ain't!

Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Defector (1990) Season 3, Episode 10

One of Katsulas' finest moments....

[16 February 2006]

Worth it for not only James Sloyan's incredible work as the title character, and the performances by the series regulars which met all their usual standards and then some, but for the incredible delivery of one of the best "promos" ever in Star Trek history by Andreas Katsulas on Picard and the Enterprise near the end. Just awesome, awesome, awesome... truly the crescendo of the episode. Watching Sloyan, Katsulas and Stewart in that scene is incredible. When I heard today that Mr. Katsulas had passed on, it was one of the first memories of his performances that came to mind. Cool, perfect, and utterly gripping.

Special Bulletin (1983 TV Movie)

Fascinating - Why no video release?

[8/10 · 25 December 2005]

Very ahead-of-its-time story, tremendous commetary on the media and politics among other things. Someone else referred to modern day disaster coverage by the media and disaster response by the federal government, and boy do those both come into play here, amazing for a telefilm made in 1983.

The dialogue was also pretty good, and if you look at some of the films that the writers/producers of this gem went on to make, definitely a lot of material there.

Also some good performances from great actors, which is always a good thing, of course! Why was this never released on video? The original (and excellent) "Brian's Song" came out on DVD, so certainly a TV movie could be doable for DVD.

"Countdown to Looking Glass" is another good one. IMO both of these are tons better than "The Day After" which I found cheesy even then. "Special Bulletin" almost has a surreal quality that is very hard to match.

Nemesis (1992)

It overachieves to the end.

[8/10 · 14 August 2005]

Oh, man. This one definitely gets me into the way back machine. It was about ten years ago and I was in college. Being a SF fan, I was told by a bud and SF mega-geek (Hey, Reuben) about this movie. So we either popped it into the VCR or saw it on cable. I think it was the VCR - and boom. Nemesis is set in a near future where humanity and machine have begun to merge. Some add on machine parts to make them stronger, faster, or capable of carrying data. And some machines have taken on human appearance, and become human-like androids - cyborgs - further blurring the line between human and machine. Olivier Gruner is Rain, an enhanced cop, watching out for all kinds of new generation criminals, and using his enhancements to try to stay ahead - or at least on par - with the shifting enemies. But then of course he stumbles on something even more sinister than the usual, and it's look out. There are mega over the top gunfights, done in more wild detail because of the low budget, and very little computer generated effects. (Except one scene that others have noted.) Most of it is squibs, sparks and good old fashioned stunt work. Once this one kicks in it ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT let up. Ever. This is one smaller-budget production where the acting, directing, script and frenetic pace combine to make a movie more entertaining and thought provoking that many mega budget SF pics. On top of the action, the script and atmosphere so perfectly evoke a dark, flawed future that other filmmakers should take note. The guy who said it evoked William Gibson's type of dark cyberpunk future was right on the money. It was darn close and had great twists and setting. One reason I took to it was that at the time I was something of a gamer - mostly the Shadowrun series of dark, cyberpunk future. This might have biased me a bit, but I believe that it increased my appreciation of the movie instead. People who dig the newer cyberpunk stuff should check this one out. It does more convincing stuff with less budget and without any obviously fakey CGI. (There is one stop motion shot some have complained about, but at least no one flies around like superman or gets digitally reproduced 1000 times) From the over the top shootouts to good acting by SF legend Tim Thomerson, the ultra cool Merle Kennedy, Deborah Shelton, Gruner himself (with an ultra cool smooth delivery) and a cast that absolutely fits perfectly into their roles and their interactions with each other. This is a movie which achieves a sum greater than the parts, and overachieves from start to finish. People have argued about the later part, but believe me the ending is so cool character wise, that makes up for any other worries. Just a non stop awesome movie that creates atmosphere, features white knuckle action sequences, and creates characters that are believable, bad ass and also people that you end up caring about. If you are a SF buff or even a good movie buff, check it out and you'll be surprised by how well this one hits on all cylinders. Oh, and if you are a cyberpunk fan and dig that stuff, prepare for an awesome depiction of an atmosphere that many other films and other works have tried and failed to capture. Two thumbs way up for this movie, which combines action and character with great settings, overachieves from the get go, and endures as one hell of a fun movie!

Diplomatic Immunity (I) (1991)

Come on, it is an underrated classic!

[8/10 · 6 June 2005]

Man oh man, you folks aren't seeing the big picture (too focused on something else, it seems.) I was surprised to see this as a 1991 film, I could have sworn it was a 1980s movie. I mean, if you are a genre fan it has all the strong points. The revenge plot, the state department/CIA weasels who impede the hero because of "the man" selling the US people out over politics, the guitar rock soundtrack, the big hair on some of the characters, the weird art thing with the villain, I mean it goes on and on.. a local TV station used to show this a lot, could have sworn it was an 80s movie.. anyway Bruce Boxleitner plays a US Marine Corps Sergeant who is denied justice because a freaky crook is a diplomat and son of a political family in the apparently important foreign country of Paraguay, and of course Bruce isn't having that, so he gets out his .45 and goes chasing a Lear Jet on a runway in his Marine Corps jeep. When "the man" won't let him continue his pursuit to Paraguay he just goes anyway, where he meets BILLY F'N DRAGO! Yes, the man is back, and he actually plays a good guy in this one. Offered an arsenal, our man Bruce insists on only taking a .45 pistol and a knife, and proceeds to use them to good effect.

This is easy to accept because the political family and their hired bodyguards are obviously sleazy. Of course one can argue that local uniformed military and police are "just doing their job" no matter who is in power, but you still have to cheer when Bruce whacks them by the boatload anyway.

And yes, there is Ms. Udenio, who has been a staple of all manner of films (incuding Austin Powers among many) and who apparently is featured to greater extent in the video release than the TV version I have seen. Oh well. The point is, if you like action flicks, especially 1980s style ones, this one hits all the buttons, has suitably freaky villains, kicka$$ heroes, characters going from bad to good, from good to bad, from bad to worse, and some great plot twists. If you are up late some night and see this one about to come on, you could do a lot worse than sit back and have a cheer as Bruce busts loose and does all the stuff they wouldn't let him do on Scarecrow and Mrs. King to kill waves of foreign bad guys. If that isn't enough then Drago's line delivery and Udenio's presence should help. Not to mention the guitar rock soundtrack and the scenery that stands in for Paraguay. (Where did they shoot this one? I'll have to check this page. Wherever it was, it serves the purpose pretty well.) Not as big budget as a some actioners of the time, but much better acted than most.

Airwolf (1984 TV Movie)

Bring this to DVD, please!

[11 December 2004]

Oh, my. When I was a kid I couldn't miss a week of this series, and this is the movie that started it all. It really has a decent plot, given the times it was made in. In 1984, the idea of a third world nation like Libya getting something nasty from a shadowy mercenary type was very real. In 1982, Israel had taken out an Iraqi nuclear reactor that Saddam Hussein had bought from contacts in Europe. In 1982, also, the Falklands war saw the British running into a lot of trouble with Exocet missiles hitting their destroyers.

In "Airwolf," one scene which took a lot of guts to do features an attack by the hijacked helicopter launched against a destroyer. The idea of nasty weapons getting to nations that might mean ill to people has only become more powerful. In 1987, three years after the television movie aired, a U.S. Frigate, the Stark, was "accidentally" hit for real by an Iraqi fighter in the Persian Gulf.

So, in that context, and with the height of the Cold War, the idea of powerful organizations like "The Firm" that Moffet was working for and which our two main pilot good guys get involved with, made for some powerful stuff. The performances only added to the power of it, especially for a kid like myself, with Jan-Michael Vincent doing a great job as the brooding, reluctant hero, and Ernest Borgnine (Who I had only seen doing comedy in reruns of "McHale's Navy" at the time) doing incredible work as well. This series really was a nice thing for him, and boy did he deserve the chance to do something like this. Finally, who could forget Alex Cord as Archangel, all in white except for the black lens in his glasses over his injured eye? White limousines, a white helicopter of his own, and beautiful female aides dressed in white, and the cane he walked with because of his injuries. Definitely a chilling figure in his own right. Man, this was an awesome show for a kid in 1984. Also, it makes points about the duties of people to what is right, the question of when the lines of the fight for good cross with the desire for power, and all the classic stuff. Bellisario came through with this and "Magnum, P.I." about the same time, I believe, which was quite good for him. Everyone associated with this project turned in good work - including the folks who designed the fold-out cannons on Airwolf's winglets, which were impressive in how they folded out and so forth. - Vincent was awesome in the melancholy and quiet scenes where he was just playing his cello by the lake or hanging out and thinking. The show topped this all off with one of the best scores of the 1980s. Definitely a winner. The toppings are all there, but underneath, with the writing, directing, and the performances, the substance is there in force. Great, great show.

The 'Burbs (1989)

A nice little movie....

[19 September 2004]

OK, I checked it out a little while back, and although it came out in 1989, I hadn't seen it until a week or so ago. It is a nice little movie, the kind of "scary movie" you can watch with the kids, and some nice humor, too.

The thing that caught my eye about it was the presence of both Henry Gibson and the ever-cool Carrie Fisher, a reunion of the two, who also co-starred in "The Blues Brothers" (1980) as enemies of Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi's Jake and Elwood Blues, with Gibson as a comical yet intense deranged Neo-Nazi leader and Fisher as a similarly driven and well-armed babe with her own reasons to hate the brothers. Both actors do well in this film as well, and as a big fan of the BB, it was great to see them together again here. Their roles are slightly different, but the comic timing and ability to use drama as a foil for the comedy shine for both. (Also, Carrie Fisher seems to have worked with EVERYBODY. You could almost do a "Kevin Bacon" style association game with her roles. With "The 'burbs," one can add Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, and Rance Howard - Ron's dad - to the list.)

Anyway, the other cool touch was seeing the long-haired heavy-metal-listening kids in the movie. I was a kid in New Jersey around the same time and they reminded me of folks I used to know. Plus myself, though my hair was never that long and sprayed out. Especially that they were like "Whoa, awesome" when everyone else was getting scared of the scary stuff.

Of course, Tom Hanks also gets mention here as well. This movie features a good performance from him, around the same time as "Big" this sort of helped to cement him as a comic actor and get him more experience and face time.... setting up momentum for his huge run through the nineties. His role is pretty well-done and he executes it very well. I was interested when I checked it out on here to see that either the director or writer of this film also did "Matinee" with John Goodman, which is another gem worth checking out. (If you like the MST3K style cheesy horror flicks, or the Martin Landau "Ed Wood" movie, you will especially like "Matinee," which lovingly satirizes the horror film makers of the late 1950s/early 1960s against the backdrop of the _really_ scary Cuban Missile Crisis.)

Plus, again, this one isn't too gory, and with the humor, it can probably be watched with kids with very few worries. If you are a movie buff, you will dig this movie. If you are looking for a fun fright-fest that you don't mind sharing with the kids, you will probably dig it, too.

Heh... dig it... oddly appropriate. Just watch ;+)

The Crowded Sky (1960)

Not bad!

[28 June 2004]

Pretty nice movie, interesting for the plot and effects of the time. (And the appearance of a prop airliner, this movie coming right at the transition from the age of propeller planes into the jet age.) People have commented on connections between this movie and "Airport 1975" in that Dana Andrews and Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. appear in both, with their roles reversed in each. (Andrews is the pilot of the airliner in this one, Zimbalist is the airline pilot in "Airport 1975.") There is another similarity between the movies, as well, which I won't spoil.

I was sort of surprised to see that this one isn't out on DVD. So many movies are coming out in that format, and there have to be people who would want to own this one. When I was a kid (1980s, maybe the late 1970s) this was on the local TV stations as an afternoon movie several times. So there are plenty of people besides those who caught the original release who might want to own this one.

Also there is something that interests the modern airline passenger in all these airline movies from 20+ years ago.... those larger seats, how polite people were on a plane, and how people used to actually dress up to fly. Ah, as Ray Walston said in "Damn Yankees," those were the good old days!

Sledge Hammer! (1986–1988)

Not your average sitcom....

[29 March 2003]

Ah, the comedies of the 1980s. The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Night Court. There are shows like those, and then there's "Sledge Hammer!"

It's just a _bit_ different. Imagine a show able to consistently spoof movies, or whole tv show/film genres, and consistently nail it dead in 30 minutes. That's the writing quality the show had, but the execution made it work. The three leads had consistent timing and brutally funny delivery. David Rasche was a standout, often getting the most manic material, though Page and Martin made it a triple threat. On one of the shows, Martin's character assumed Hammer's personality, playing it quite well.

Sledge is the ultimate sendup of the loose cannon police detective. Dirty Harry is a great inspiration, but other aspects enter in as well. Some of the shows send up the film noir detective genre. While some compare it to "Get Smart" or "Police Squad," what amazed me about it was it reminding me of British comedies like "Blackadder" or some of Monty Python's skits. It is great that this consistently good parody show got on American TV. Especially as there was almost always another, more subtle layer of humor under the more over-the-top gags. The main thread of humor was sending up (by exaggeration) the ultra-violent tone the action genre had taken on at the time. Yet underneath the people involved managed to work in genuine warmth, subtle moments of humor, and genuine emotion across the board.

The show ran two seasons, agaist stiff competition. If only there was a better timeslot (and budget) though the show did quite well with what they had.

I saw the initial ABC run, then reruns a few years later on a station in Philadelphia. It held up very well, especially when classic genres/films were "given tribute." Some of the 80s references date it, but it wasn't bad. In fact, it rocked. Plus I remember seeing the first run as a kid, and the bazooka scene in the first show hooked me. Hilarious. In short, although it struggled it built a pretty strong following among fans, and that's the definition of a cult classic. Websites have sprung up in recent years allowing fans to chat about this truly unique show. When they put this one together, they really did know what they were doing.

Sledge Hammer! (1986–1988)

A true cult classic....

[29 March 2003]

Ah, the comedies of the 1980s. The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Night Court. There are shows like those, classics indeed, for their own reasons, and then there is "Sledge Hammer!"

It's just a _bit_ different. Imagine if you will the ability of a show to consistently spoof movies, or whole genres of tv show/film, and consistently nail it dead on in a 30 minute time slot. That's the quality of writing the show had, but the execution is what made it work. The three leads had consistent timing and brutally funny comic delivery. David Rasche, as the lead, was a standout, often getting the most manic material, though Page and Martin made it truly a triple threat. On one of the shows, Martin's character takes on Hammer's personality, and she nails that stuff pretty well.

In short, Hammer is the ultimate send-up of the classic loose cannon police detective. Dirty Harry is a great inspiration, but there are other aspects that work their way in as well. A few of the shows sent up the film noir detective genre. While some have compared it to "Get Smart" or "Police Squad," the thing that amazed me about it was how it reminds me at times of British comedies like "Blackadder" or some of Monty Python's skits. It is great that send-ups this consistently good got on American TV. Especially as there was almost always another, more subtle layer of humor under the more over-the-top gags. The main running current of humor was the sending up (by exaggeration) of the ultra-violent tone the action genre had taken on at the time. Yet underneath the people involved managed to work in genuine warmth, sybtle moments of humor, and genuine emotion across the board.

The show only ran for two seasons, agaist stiff competition (Put in a timeslot for example, against CBS' "Dallas" and NBC's "Miami Vice.") If only there was a better timeslot.. and maybe more budget, though the show did quite well with what they had.

I saw this in it's initial ABC run, then a few years later when a local station in Philadelphia put it on in reruns. Some of it held up very well, especially when classic genres/films were "given tribute." Some of the 80s references date it, but it wasn't bad. In fact, it rocked. Plus I remember seeing the first run as a kid, and the scene with the bazooka in the first show hooked me. Hilarious. In short, although it struggled, it built a pretty strong following among fans, and that is the definition of a cult classic. Websites have sprung up in recent years, allowing fans to chat about this truly unique show. When they put this one together, they really did know what they were doing.