The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete Fifth Season (2012)

NOTE: I KNOW IT SAYS 'NO SPOILERS' AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE, BUT THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS FOR SEASON FOUR.
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The fifth season of TSJA is both the shortest and the last of them. It's not because the series was losing its audience or appeal, but because the actress that played the title character, namely Elisabeth Sladen, sadly passed away before it could be completed. Of the planned twelve episodes, just six were made.

Luke (Tommy Knight) is still at university, but Sky (Sinead Michael), the young girl that Sarah Jane and her team rescued at the end of Season Four, is still around, bringing the number of human helpers the reporter has back up to a comfortable three. Well, four, if you count the times when Luke is back on Bannerman Road. He gets paired with Sky in the season's final two-parter, The Man Who Never Was.

They're both Sarah Jane's 'adopted' children, so it makes a kind of sense that they'd end up side by side. And it works well; the duo, despite their differing backgrounds and ages, have things in common (such as not being human, for a start) and they've a wonderful brother/sister chemistry, as believable as the bond that formed between Rani (Anjli Mohindra) and Clyde (Daniel Anthony) in the previous years.

Thematically, the short season includes musings on identity and upbringing (e.g. we can't choose our parents at birth, but we can choose to be not like them as we grow). The issue of homelessness is given some attention, it's slight but may well be enough to make a youthful audience notice its existence in the streets around where they live. It even touches on how relationship break-ups can leave a hole.

As an adult viewer it was pleasing to see the inclusion of something that's often overlooked: Sarah Jane's journalistic skills aren't just useful for researching aliens, they're also what pay the bills. I'm sure Mr Smith costs more than a penny to run.

I'll genuinely miss the series; I loved the opening music, the creepy stories, the sonic-lipstick jokes, and, of course, Elisabeth, who brought to the role a distinctive level of sincerity and gentleness that was all her own. The final episode ends with a moving montage of moments that give credence to that feeling. The Doctor Who franchise will endure for as long as there's money to be made from it, but I feel that the extended universe will be lessened without Elisabeth Sladen's presence.

6 episodes, approx 27 mins each.

3 galactic coincidences out of 5

The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete Fourth Season (2011)

Sarah Jane's son Luke (Tommy Knight) features prominently on the cover art, but the character is only in the fourth Season occasionally, and mostly it's from the other side of a webcam chat. His absence is used to highlight the kind of feelings that a parent may experience when their only child leaves the nest, and the sense of abandonment and fear of further separation that a small but close-knit group of friends can feel when one of their members is no longer present.

In one of the two-parters, within a dream scenario (the subject's first, incidentally) lurks an Elm Street / Pennywise-esque creature that preys upon self-doubts and anxiety, which is something that the youths have much of at that time. It has a creepy nursery rhyme jingle, too, which is often a plus in that kind of scenario.

Additionally, looking at the same situation from a different angle, it shows how we can draw courage and strength from trusted friends when we need it most.

Rani (Anjli Mohindra) and Clyde (Daniel Anthony) have always worked well together, both as characters and with regards the actors' onscreen chemistry, which is just as well because with Luke absent the duo are required to step up and fill multiple roles. One such situation has them running ragged while trying to save the entire Earth from ultimate destruction - so, no pressure, then.

Throughout the series there's commentary on how we are frequently influenced and inspired by our family and friends, the latter being something that I was reminded of very recently in my personal life. (If you're reading, TYVM.)

There's another welcome Doctor Who connection, which plays a role in the season's best two-parter (Eps 5+6), a story dealing with the death of a loved one, with subsequent denial, and how such unfathomable change can make us appreciate those we still have; it contains a superbly written and admirably concise explanation of grief, one that a young person could understand. Also, it has lots of stuff from Who's past, for fans who enjoy both the old and the new.

And finally, for this review, at least. there's a time-travel episode that reminded me of the wonderful Sapphire and Steel (1979-82) TV series.

12 episodes, approx 27 mins each.

3½ enduring echoes out of 5

The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete Third Season (2010)

Bannerman Road's most famous resident continues the good fight. With the aid of an extraterrestrial super-computer housed in the attic, Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and her three young companions hold the line against all kinds of alien nasties that want to inhabit earth for various nefarious or profitable reasons.

The word 'alien' has negative connotations, but while it can be prudent to keep in mind Virgil's 'Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes,' it's unwise to judge on appearances, so the idiom 'don't tar all with the same brush,' is an equally relevant one.

Events in season three go back as far as 1665 and forward to 2059, with the immediate present playing a crucial role in one of the more notable two-parters, The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith, which has a very special guest star.

Her travels with the Doctor(s) and much of her life since has been filled with the unknown, but something she never thought she'd have to deal with is motherhood. It's a challenge at any age, but having a son that's an artificial human created by the Bane makes it a little more difficult still. Luckily, Luke (Tommy Knight) is learning to stand alone against the odds, which he proves more than once.

While all of the stories would classify as 'Adventures', some of them do a much better job with important themes than others do. Some of the better ones include, but are not limited to, the destructive affects of jealousy; being careful what you wish for, especially in anger; the pangs of regret; the desire to feel appreciated and fit in; and the healing power of second chances. Yes, it's still a children's TV show, but that doesn't mean it has to compromise on subtextual depth.

Threats include nanotechnology and a not-too-bright but very determined Judoon police officer, but what I'd run from most are Rani's (Anjli Mohindra) parents, adults who are somewhere between sit-com and soap opera - a useful combination when the script calls for an adult annoyance, but damned aggravating when it doesn't.

6 two-part stories (12 episodes), approx 27 minutes each.

3½ broader horizons out of 5

The Witches and the Grinnygog (1983)

A miniseries based on the children's book of the same name (1981) by Dorothy Edwards. I've not read the book. I had, however, watched the series back in the 80s when it was first screened on British TV. Once the actual Grinnygog appeared onscreen the memories of that time came flooding back to me - almost literally, I felt like I'd been hit by a driving wave of forgotten salad days.

The Grinnygog is a horned, cheeky-faced stone statue about the size of an average garden gnome. The little guy doesn't actually do very much besides look cool, but the majority of the important events that subsequently occur in the lives of the main protagonists happen as a result of his sudden appearance. Without seeming to do so directly, he influences and twists the threads of fate so that the correct people are in the correct place at the correct time.

The witches appear later, and for a while their motivations are a mystery to the children that the story centres around most and, by extension, to the viewers.

There are five kids in all, four of whom are working together to create a museum of local history, a place where the town's past can be viewed and appreciated by everyone regardless of age. Their research not only educates them in the obvious manner but also proves useful in other ways.

It's both a fascinating and enjoyable exercise for me to look back at children's television from yesteryear and note how often the makers of the shows tried to scare the crap out of us and feed us compelling tales of Britain's pagan past.

TWatG doesn't tread the scary route but does take the other, and it does it in such a way that neither condescends nor elevates the importance of one individual belief system over the other. I feel that's an important point to stress because being a children's show means its target audience is typically more suggestible than viewers in some other genres, and kids should always respectfully be allowed the freedom to form their own opinion about such matters.

6 episodes, approx 25 minutes each.

3 of the wayside faith out of 5

The Box of Delights (1984)

TBoD is much-loved by many people. I suspect that some part of the warm feelings that accompany thoughts of the series is to do with similar feelings toward the holiday season in which it's always shown; i.e. the lead up to Christmas. I'm not implying that to love TBoD you need also to love Christmas, but there's a definite correlation there. As such, while I very much enjoy what it does on a technical level, the 'seasonal magic' is merely perfunctory for me.

I apologise if it seems like I'm treading on someone's childhood when I say that the story was frequently uneven, losing ground in the middle section before pulling it back for an exciting ending that was itself followed by what I'd consider a clichéd cop out if it wasn't for the slight ambiguity that lingers as the credits roll.

The story revolves around eleven-year-old schoolboy Kay Harker (Devin Stanfield), travelling home for the holidays. His adventure begins before he's even stepped off the train, and it moves to the next level when he bumps into a bearded Patrick Troughton (both pictured above), an encounter that changes the course of his winter break. The box, more like a box of tricks than one of delights, is sought by a number of unscrupulous people who'll do almost anything to retrieve it. Kay and his friends must do their best to help keep it from their lupine hands.

The young actors are all fine, but the danger level never reaches the heights that were needed to keep me fully engaged with their plight. But I admit that I sometimes find it difficult to relate to privileged rich kids.

It will likely appeal to fans of the BBC's more well-publicised adaptation of C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1988), which it predates by four years. (The original novel by John Masefield also predates Lewis' Narnia books. The Box of Delights was published in 1935, whereas The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe didn't appear until 1950. I've not read Masefield's book.)

The 'technical' aspects I mentioned above are used to enable the magical properties of the box to be realised. The effects are a mixture of practical, chroma key, suit actors and hand drawn animation. The latter was my favourite - the scenes of animals running, flying, etc, through various environments are beautiful.

6 episodes, approx 30 minutes each (I really liked the episode titles).

3 hobsessions out of 5

Into the Labyrinth (1981-82)

Three youths, Phil, Helen and Terry (as pictured), shelter in a nearby cave when a freak storm breaks out. It's there that they find Rothgo, a formidable but weakened soul with the kind of powers we'd normally associate with sorcerers of bygone eras. He enlists the children's help to retrieve an ancient and powerful artefact.

To attain the Nidas, as it's known, the kids must venture into the Labyrinth, a gateway to other times. It's a perilous journey and like all good children's TV shows it has an antagonist that's truly memorable, but I'll get to her eventually.

It sounds like a standard set-up so far, but it has elements that raise it above the norm. Firstly, Rothgo, played by Ron Moody (who you may know better as Fagan in Oliver! (1968), Carol Reed's version of Oliver Twist) brings a Shakespearean sensibility to his scenes. Perhaps being limited to a stage-like setting was the reason or perhaps not - whatever the case, he helps turn what could've been an archetypal mentor character into an emotional one, desperate to save himself but likewise prepared to sacrifice his goal should the need arise.

While the search is ongoing from week to week, the structure is episodic. Both the Nidus and the children are bounced around notable historical periods, creating something akin to a merger of fantasy, sci-fi and period drama. Following them through time is a power-hungry witch named Belor who's hell-bent on attaining the artefact's power for herself, and if she can't have it then no one will.

The beautiful but evil Belor, a toxic yet alluring combination, was played by Pamela Salem. Wow - what an absolute star she was! Salem hammed it up in an immensely dramatic fashion when necessary but in such a way that she owned every scene. She embodied a collection of detestable traits but I was completely smitten by her enthusiasm and grace. Full marks for her.

Some folks will criticize the fact that the same cave interior is repeatedly used, over and over, rearranged or revamped a little each time with the application of new set dressings. It's a legitimate complaint but not one that I was at all bothered about. Like I said before, it was a stage-like environment, and that's how it works on stage. I even began to look forward to the changed trappings, evaluating their placement and usefulness. I was never disappointed.

21 episodes (07 Eps x 03 Series), approx 26 mins each.

4½ shining reflections out of 5

Knightmare (1987–94)

As a young Faustus I loved all things fantasy and supernatural. Fighting Fantasy books, Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms novels, HeroQuest gaming sessions, etc, so it's no great surprise that Knightmare fit perfectly into my life.

Four adventurers (kids under 16) entered the Castle of Confusion in the hope of conquering its dungeon. One wore the Helmet of Justice, which limited what he/she could see, and entered the dungeon proper. The remaining three stayed behind to act as guides, able to see on a screen where their friend was, to direct and keep the Dungeoneer from falling into imaginary pits of doom and suchlike.

The rules of the game were overseen by Treguard the Dungeon Master, pictured above, a noble(ish) born Saxon, he would give occasional clues and hints to either help solve a puzzle or feed the team's nervousness. Treguard rocks!

Even though it was all for the children, the adults were the real stars. They treated the chroma key (blue screen) locations as a kind of stage, treading boards that weren't there as enthusiastically as they would if they actually did exist. In short, they were a theatre troupe doing what they do best: bringing theatrical life to an otherwise empty space. In addition, they had to ad lib when the kids turned out to be more stupid than they'd anticipated for, which was often. It's not unfair to say that some of the contestants hit every branch of the stupid tree when they fell.

Each year the dungeon would shift, offering new challenges and presenting new recurring characters. Even Trequard (Hugo Myatt) got himself an aide or two, my favourite being the elf Pickle (David Learner), who started out a little annoying but grew into a truly memorable part of the show in his second year.

The rules were unevenly enforced; it could be overly-harsh one minute and too forgiving the next, depending on how thick the kids were. It started out pandering to them, but soon got bored with that approach. In S3 the cast toyed with humiliating them, successfully, and in S4 the level design almost sent a few of the clumsier ones to the casualty ward. When a team who knew what they were doing featured, the show became the thing that it was envisioned to be: magical.

112 episodes, approx 25 minutes each.

4½ watchers of illusion out of 5

Neverwhere (1996)

Richard Mayhew is a nice guy who lives in London. (Those two things are generally mutually exclusive, but Richard is a Scotsman who lives and works in the city, so it’s all good.) His fiancée is an asshole. His friends are assholes. If Richard could meet the criteria he believes constitutes success, he’d become an asshole too. But instead he meets Door, a pretty young woman in need of the kind of help that he in his privileged position is able to offer.

Richard becomes aware of London Below, an underworld with its own laws, both societal and physical, that coexist with the London Above. The two worlds can interact from time to time but must inevitably return to their own individual aspects. If Richard is to help himself then he must continue to help Door, and that means stepping into an unknown world of underground passageways, weird happenings and (not very menacing) cut-throat assassins.

It required a believable, fantastical aura to be effective, something like Hensen’s Labyrinth (1986), but instead it ended up looking more like Eastenders. The reason being that all footage was shot on video with a subsequent filmisation process planned, so the lighting needed to allow for that. When the filmisation process didn't happen, the resultant footage was released as is and it looks bad. It’s easy to imagine the morose ghost of Arthur Fowler lingering behind a market stall someplace, which doesn't do it any favours. I've gotten used to it over the years and can easily ignore that aspect, but newcomers might be less forgiving.

What drew me to the series initially was that it was written by the author Neil Gaiman. I was a fan of his storytelling style back then, which was influenced by classic literature. It’s watered down by oceans and time, but there’s an unmistakable element of it beneath the surface, giving it life. Richard is a kind of modern Aeneas; he’s an Argonaut; he’s Theseus walking toward a confrontation with the Minotaur. He isn't consciously aware of any of that, but the workings of fate exist and direct him in the same orchestrated manner. History has shown that even the Greeks viewed their myths as mutable, adaptive to the times and the teller, so at its most basic level only the setting is changed.

6 episodes, approx 30 minutes each.

3 forgotten route stops out of 5

Merlin (1998)

I’m fascinated by the Arthurian Legends, so I admit to experiencing some bias while watching the miniseries. But even without that deeper interest, the writing, the direction and the performances of many of the cast stand out as being somewhat exceptional for the Fantasy TV format of the era.

Merlin (Sam Neill) is wise, sensitive and respectful to the natural order. His inner strength shines through in everything he does. Whereas most other tales of Camelot have him as a supporting character, there to help Kings Uther and Arthur achieve their respective goals, this one focuses primarily on the wizard's own trials. It gets to the very heart of the man, showing that he has hopes, dreams, fears and failings that influence his decisions the same as we all do.

His nemesis is Queen Mab of the Sidhe, played with theatrical aplomb by Miranda Richardson. She speaks in a bizarre croaky whisper, like something that lives underground and far from light might employ.

Merlin receives his power from the same source as Mab, but while her fear of being forgotten has curdled her's to a corruptive purpose, Merlin's is rooted in acceptance. There’s a double dramatic irony at stake, filled with causality.

The remainder of the cast are equally as talented. There’s Helena Bonham Carter, John Gielgud, Isabella Rossellini, Martin Short, Rutger Hauer, Lena Headey and the voice of James Earl Jones, among others. The only weak link is Rossellini’s character. Her role is important to the narrative but she plays it too passive; it needed more passion, given that she's a primary source of conflict.

Beneath the human story is a struggle for dominance between the old Pagan belief system (represented by Mab) and the newer Christian Religion (represented by the Kings of Britain). There will be casualties no matter who wins, but Merlin tries to limit them in number as best he can.

Storytelling is an important factor, and one that it doesn't scrimp on. It’s told in flashback, with a V/O narration revealing the secret things that would normally stay hidden in the human heart. It’s rich in lore but also finds a fitting place for things I'd not seen before in other adaptations.

There’s some dated CGI in places, but it’s there to enhance the action, not take the place of it and it always plays second fiddle to what the cast are doing.

2 episodes, approx 90 minutes each.

4½ turns of the wheel out of 5

The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete Second Season (2009)

I was surprised to see one of the regular cast members leave in the first two-parter of the second Season. It's not Sarah Jane (Elisabeth Sladen), so the series survives the upheaval, but the relationships that were built up in Season One had a lot more potential depth to them. I'd even begun to try and predict where it would go after the series finale. Happily, the replacement character is a similar shaped peg that fits into the existing format well.

There's nothing that I'd call filler, but most of the stories are weaker than S1. The exception, which was both the highlight and the one that quickly became my favourite episode of all so far, was The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith. It's a powerful story making use of a plot device that won't be new to any fan of sci-fi, but that doesn't lessen it. It packs a potent emotional punch that actually benefits from being simplified for a younger audience. If the melodrama had been piled on too thick it could've easily swamped the narrative and made it much too schmaltzy, but it avoided the pitfalls, so sincere kudos to the writers for that.

The notion of 'family' is a recurring theme throughout the season, and ties everything together. It's shown from different sides: responsibility, self-sacrifice, parental abandonment, etc, but it gives each approach the same level of importance. The surrogate mother role that Sarah Jane filled in the first season is put to the test, and her own upbringing is further explored.

Alongside some rather heavy themes is the affirmation that differences in people should be celebrated, not scorned. It's an important message that everyone watching — not just kids — ought to recognise and take on board.

6 two-part stories (12 episodes), approx 27 minutes each.

3½ "amazing things out there in space" out of 5

The Sarah Jane Adventures: The Complete First Season (2008)

A Doctor Who spin-off aimed primarily at teenagers might not sound very exciting, but The Sarah Jane Adventures is something really special. It addresses questions that many discerning Doctor Who fans have probably asked themselves more than once: what happens to the travelling companions after they go back to their boring life? How do they readjust after the wonders they've seen?

It was created by Russell T Davies, the man credited with making the parent show such a renewed success, and offers the same kind of action packed flights of fantasy, grounded regularly by relatable emotions, and characters guided by concern for each other. It expands the same fictional universe, populated by the same kind of threats, and through it all remains faithful to the existing continuity, while creating some of its own. You can call it Doctor Who diluted, if you want, but it's just as exciting as the real thing, no matter what age you are.

It stars Elisabeth Sladen as the titular character, Sarah Jane. She's a kind of surrogate mother figure to more than one of her co-stars. She first appeared in a 1973 episode alongside the third Doctor, Jon Pertwee, and stayed as his travelling companion for a while, even after his regeneration into Tom Baker. For adults of a cerian age watching the show, she provides a link to their own childhood.

Elisabeth is fantastic in the role. She has no TARDIS to hop around in, so unlike the Doctor she's localised, meaning you'll need to accept that all the danger happens within close proximity of her house, but it's an easy adjustment to make.

It strikes a comfortable balance between teenage concerns and adult concerns; there are references to growing old that teens won't notice, and there are references to the trials of adolescence that the teens will relate to and the adults will be sympathetic to, provided they haven't forgotten what it was like.

The stories get progressively darker in tone as it nears the end of the Season. It begins to feel more like a regular Who episode that's undergone some minor rewrites. The episode Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? is especially notable.

It launched with a 1 hour pilot that was followed by 5 two-part stories (10 episodes), approx 25 minutes each.

4 fake I.D cards out of 5

Gargoyles (1995)

We are defenders of the night. We are Gargoyles!

Having settled into their new home, the Manhattan clan patrols the city to protect those that need it while remaining hidden to the population at large and going on many fantastic, dangerous adventures with many themes like environmental conservation, acceptance and personal integrity. They will face numerous foes, new and old, that are both mundane and magical along with various allies.

New characters are introduced and older ones are expanded while some plots that had been hinted at come to fruition. Excellent work by the writers on that. The episodes also add many more myths and legends to the show's backstory that are a delight to watch. The drastically expanded episode count from 13 to 52 allows for plenty of time for all the science and sorcery with oodles of action, great writing and interesting, dynamic characters. Adults can easily enjoy it as well as kids and can possibly get even more out of it than the kids.

It's a perfect continuation as it is the same excellent quality of the first season. There is just more of it. Points against it are the same: The sometimes low quality animation for TV and some small animation goofs are sometimes visible, but nothing totally disengaging.

Buyer's Guide:
The first half of the season is available in a DVD box set with uncut episodes and special features, but Disney scrapped plans to release the rest citing low sales. They have made the season available on their YouTube channel. Though for some reason Disney omitted 2 episodes; Sentinel and Mark of the Panther.
 *EDIT* Disney has since released the second half on DVD and removed the YouTube episodes.

5 Villains laughing maniacally out of 5

Adventures of the Gummi Bears (1987)

Season 3 finally breaks free of the show's formula somewhat with new characters and interesting stories. No more of repeats of Igthorn and/or backfired spells ad nauseum. It's too bad none of the new plots are explored beyond the one episode they feature in as adding too much continuity would hurt syndication rights. Some of the new characters would have added to the show. Even the new cast member introduced at the end of last season is used very sparingly which is puzzling.

The usual one episode geared towards the overarching plot is also absent this season and focuses on simply another piece of Gummi legend. It's a great episode at least. The whole season is pointed towards progress, but then does nothing with it. Wasted potential, but still entertaining and better than last season.

Buyer's Guide:
Available on the same 3 disc set as the previous seasons.

3 disappearing castles out of 5

Gargoyles (1994)

And they say the Middle Ages were barbaric...

In medieval Scotland, creatures called gargoyles that turn to stone during the day and protect their castle's human inhabitants at night are betrayed to marauding vikings and are almost all killed. The survivors are then put under a magic spell that will put them into their stone sleep "until the castle rises above the clouds." 1000 years later, billionaire David Xanatos comes across the story and in an effort to see if it is true buys the castle and moves the entire thing to the top of his New York skyscraper which breaks the spell. Now the gargoyle leader, Goliath, must lead and protect his clan of 6 of the last gargoyles on earth in modern Manhattan. He will find there are no shortage of enemies both criminal and supernatural. Those who would be their ally, like NYPD detective Elisa Maza, are few and far between.

Gargoyles was quite the departure from Disney's usual animated fare. It was a serial drama with stories and characters heavily influenced by various world mythologies, a heavy smattering of action and some actual violence. Very PG violence mind you as it was ostensibly a kid's show, but it was still a break from the norm even if a lot of it was later invalidated by censorship of repeat airings. Despite being for kids, adults could still get a lot out of it as the characters were actually fleshed out with motivations and personalities and the themes could be picked up by history buffs and Shakespeare fans alike. Star Trek fans might get some kicks out of it as a majority of the voice actors were also on one of Trek's incarnations. Jonathan Frakes voices the scheming David Xanatos and Marina Sirtis voices the fiery Demona among others. Goliath is voiced by Keith David in his wonderfully deep baritone voice. The sometimes low quality TV animation is a point against it, but it is never bad enough to break engagement.

Buyer's Guide:
Available on a 2 disc DVD set with the uncut 13 episodes and some bonus features. Or you can watch the edited versions on Disney's YouTube channel here.

5 probably irritated though job-secure cleanup crews out of 5
It was actually a 4½, but remember, Keith David gets an automatic ½ bonus.

Adventures of the Gummi Bears (1986)

Season 2 of the Gummi Bears brings many new things like new voice actors and a few new characters, but it is a big heaping helping of more of the same. The majority of the plots are the same as season 1 i.e. thwarting Igthorn or dealing with backfired spells. The interchangeability of the episodes even led to original airings of the 11 minute episodes to be paired with ones from previous seasons to fill out the time slot. It says something that doing it actually doesn't really mess with continuity and such. There are only 3 episodes that have new plots and they are welcome, but so very few and far between.

The only other not tired storyline of the exiled Great Gummis is mostly absent from this season. Someone must have noticed because they seem to pull the new character thing out simply to distract from it's absence. Some other characters are pushed back and forth like princess Calla has a much bigger presence this season than the page Cavin.

Despite its flaws, it still carries the Disney pedigree, so even the recycled feel of this season is still a high quality recyclable. It still has (for it's age) quality animation and voice work. It's a shorter season at least so the recycling doesn't last too long.

Buyer's Guide:
Available on the same bare-bones 3 disc set as season 1 that contains the first 3 seasons of the show.

2½ Clint Eastwood parodies out of 5

Pushing Daisies (2008)

"What's your plan? To bring him back and ask him where she is?"
 "..."
"That was a joke."
"Heh-heh."

Season 2 kicks off some time after the season 1 cliffhanger. The Pie-Hole waitress Olive is crumbling under the weight of the secrets she now knows, private investigator Emerson Cod continues in his quest for a certain missing person, alive-again Chuck wishes to reconnect with her past and The Pie-maker Ned wishes to stay connected to his can-never-touch sweetheart Chuck even as circumstances force new changes on them. All that digging into their collective pasts though may dredge up things that they didn't expect and may even be dangerous. All while continuing to solve bizarre and outlandish murders by reviving the victims to ask who killed them.

With the extended episode count, the show was going new and interesting places. But then it is quickly and hastily shoved into a mostly unsatisfying conclusion in the end due to cancellation. Having never recovered the lost audience from the writer's strike the previous year, ABC decided to not renew the show despite some mail-in efforts of daisies and pies by fans as well as petitions and the remaining episodes were sporadically burned off. Which is a pity because the aforementioned new stories were looking to be exciting and what is there is still wonderfully entertaining with colorful and fantastic aesthetics, strange and original murder mysteries and snappy banter. There is also a cadre of wonderful guest performances from many well-known actors throughout the episodes that bring great characters and stories to a bittersweet end.

Buyer's Guide:
Available in DVD and Blu Ray box sets and on iTunes, Netflix and Amazon.

4½ Alliterative names and gratuitous cleavage out of 5 

Adventures of the Gummi Bears (1985)

It's the Gummi way.

Centuries ago a great civilization of anthropomorphic bears called Gummi Bears were driven from their land by humans who wanted their advanced technology and magic. In the present medieval setting, the descendents of the ones who stayed behind continue to watch over their forest haven, Gummi Glen, while avoiding humans who have begun to believe of them as myths in the intervening centuries. By chance they are discovered by a human boy named Cavin who befriends them. With his help they will go on adventures and help any in need while still remaining a secret to the population at large.

Season 1 has a variety of stories ranging from battling the main villain Duke Igthorn and his army of stupid ogres to smaller ones involving backfired spells and teaching the young ones a lesson. Igthorn tends to harass the Gummi bears to gain their secrets and magic to help him conquer the castle Dunwyn. Specifically he wants the secret recipe to Gummiberry juice that makes bears bounce and gives humans and ogres temporary super strength. That is the majority of episodes and despite the variety they are rather interchangeable (perfect for syndication and making Disney money, natch), but there is an overarching story about communicating with and finding the remnants of the exiled Gummi Bears to restore Gummie Glen to it's former glory. The 6 main characters start as typical stock characters, but grow over time. There is the grumpy one, Gruffi, the fat one, Tummi, the bumbling one, Zummi, the mother figure, Grammi, the girl, Sunni, and the kid, Cubbi. The animation is cheaper television stock, but higher quality than most given the Disney pedigree which shows in most aspects of the show.

Perfect for an old fan feeling nostalgic or if they want a show for their kids that they might enjoy as well.

Buyer's Guide:
Available in a 3-disc set that contains the first 3 seasons of this old Disney afternoon staple. The episodes switch between full 22 minute and half 11 minute episodes. Season 1 is 21 episodes. The set is very bare bones. No special features, just the episodes and subtitles.

3½ Super catchy theme songs out of 5

Pushing Daisies (2007)

"You can't just touch someone's life and be done with it."
"Yes I can. That's how I roll."

Ned is The Pie-maker, a bakery owner who learned at a young age that he could revive dead things with a touch. The caveat is he can only keep what he touches alive for one minute or something else will die in its place. If he touches a revived thing again it will return to being dead forever. He uses this gift to help his business partner who is a private investigator by reviving murder victims to ask who killed them and collect the rewards. This becomes a problem when the case involves his childhood sweetheart being murdered on a cruise. Ned revives her, but is unable to re-dead her because of his love for her and ends up letting her live and she becomes the newest crime-solver. Ned also begins a relationship with her. One in which they cannot physically touch lest she die again in addition to an amorous third party in the bakery waitress and Ned's own neuroses.

Bryan Fuller created an odd mix of a show here. It is both very upbeat with its lighthearted soundtrack, bright, saturated colors and borderline saccharine romance, but also with a foot in the grim with it's gruesome murders and black comedy. It is by design reminiscent of a fairy tale (complete with a great narration by Jim Dale), but not the happily ever after kind. The old, uncensored and very adult tales before they were watered down into kid's bedtime stories.

Despite there being at least one dead body per episode, the show never veers too serious. The likeable characters are full of jokes and witty banter about the often very odd and hilarious deaths around them that range from the typical guns and strangulations to death by scratch n' sniff and being run over by monkeys. Add a cup of romance, relationships, jealousy and secrets for an entertaining and original mix of a show that despite its jumble description of a comedic detective fantasy drama is very coherent and very watchable. Season one's writer's strike truncation to 9 episodes is the only real problem as there should have been more of a season.

Buyer's Guide:
Available on DVD and Blu Ray box sets and on iTunes, Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.

5 "Bitch, I was in proximity!" out of 5

The Legend of Korra (2012)

With the Aang Gaang’s continuing adventures being told in various Dark Horse comics titles, The Legend of Korra jumps ahead by 75 years after the original Avatar:TheLast Airbender series. Korra, a bending prodigy and next incarnation of the Avatar must complete her training and bring order to a city plagued with ever growing corruption and social unrest.

Just like its predecessor, Korra’s voice acting is fantastic and many of the more known talent easily disappear into their rolls enough for you to not even notice them if you didn’t look up their IMDB. One was sort of jarring to hear talk though. Production wise the art design and animation are all sublime and never look rushed or short changed. While the music is an audible treat which sounds quite like Chinese Jazz from the roaring 20’s.

Unfortunately the series hits several large snags in the story and character department. Now the characters themselves are all lovable and cover a diverse range of backgrounds and archetypes.  And the story lines are a heck of a lot more complex than the standard fantasy road trip to save the world. But with so much content and only 12 episodes things get messy past the first few installments. Civil rights, terrorism, romance, friendship, spiritual empowerment, and moral ambiguity are all touched upon too briefly and then put to the side for next development. This leaves many of the cast not as fleshed out or likeable in the end as they were in the beginning. I also have to say that the fight scenes aren’t as good due to the way so many characters are taken down so quickly with just token resentence. 

With all its shortcomings I can still recommend Korra. However I can’t help but feel that I’d rather be watching the continuing adventures of Aang in its stead.

12 episodes. Approx 24 Mins each.

Episodes to See:

There’s only 12, just watch all of them.

Buyer’s Guide:

Not available on DVD or Bluray yet. But when it is I’d expect to pay between $30 and $50.  You can snag it on iTunes right now.

3 Sexy Older Ladies out of 5

Children of the Stones (1977)

Young Matthew Brake and his astrophysicist father, Adam, arrive in Milbury, a small English village built inside a megalithic stone circle. Adam is there to examine the stones, as his job dictates. Matthew begins to carry out his own investigation into the townspeople, who resemble something from a pagan Village of the Damned.

It's over twenty years since I last saw Children of the Stones. It scared the living hell out of me as a kid, and watching the opening credits again a few days ago it was clear it was going to give me a dose of the wiggins even now. It sure did. It's uncomfortably eerie, and bleeds atmosphere from every twist and turn. It's like Robin Hardy's The Wicker Man (1973) for children, as wrong as that sounds.

It has similar production values to early Doctor Who episodes, so don't expect anything remarkable there or in the prop department.

On the plus side, the direction is surprisingly shrewd, the young actors rarely put a foot wrong, and the adults are similarly believable. In comparison to the interiors, the exterior scenes are shot on location at Avebury and, shitty British lighting notwithstanding, they've aged like a particularly fine wine.

The thing that'll likely remain in your mind the longest after viewing is the eerie music. Haunting doesn't even begin to describe it. It makes me shrink in my skin.

7 episodes, approx 28 mins long each.

4 pretty phantasmagorical things with an F out of 5