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Print'Scarecrow and Mrs. King: Complete first season'
These days, if you want to watch an odd couple who work together amid sexual tension, you can watch the likes of Booth and Brennan on "Bones" or Richard and Kate on "Castle." Back in the 1980s, spy games spiced up these scenarios on such shows as "Remington Steele" and "Scarecrow and Mrs. King." The latter's first season (1983-84) is now available on DVD ($39.98, Warner Home Video).
The show starred Kate Jackson, slightly less glamorous than in her "Charlie's Angels" days, as harried divorced mother Amanda King, who meets suave spy Scarecrow, aka Lee Stetson, played by Bruce Boxleitner. The two wind up working together to protect national security. The series definitely feels dated -- in background (the KGB -- how quaint!) and fashions -- but the chemistry between the stars still shines. Just not enough to overcome the five-disc set's lack of extras.
-- Karen Carlin, Post-Gazette staff writer
For a brief shining moment, ABC's "FlashForward" ($29.99, ABC Studios) was poised to be the most interesting ensemble brain teaser on television since "Lost." That window of opportunity closed as soon as viewers realized that Joseph Fiennes as FBI Special Agent Mark Benford was better at glowering than projecting a compelling character. That wouldn't be a big deal if Mr. Fiennes weren't ostensibly the show's star. This two-disc collection of the first 10 episodes confirms our suspicion that he's less likable than just about any other character on the show, including its many potential villains.
Still the premise of "FlashForward" can't be beat. A worldwide blackout causes everyone on the planet to lose consciousness for 137 seconds. Global catastrophe ensues. Those who survive must deal with visions of what their lives will be like in six months. "Lost" alumnus Dominic Monaghan is a scientist whose technology somehow triggers the event. The show's mythology soon kicks in big time. Before long we're dealing with a lot of clues, airballs and red herrings. Don't bother looking to the novel by famed Canadian sci-fi writer Robert Sawyer for clues. This series is only loosely based on the book.
Frankly, "FlashForward" feels like a show destined for cancellation before its second season. The DVD box set of the first half of season one includes a brief documentary about the making of the pilot, including its spectacular scenes of devastation in Los Angeles. Other than that, there's nothing here for those who aren't already rabid fans with 10 extra hours on their hands.
-- Tony Norman
TV columnist Rob Owen's Tuned In+ is featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.
