Ratings:
Excellent - 
Very Good -
Good -
Fair -
Poor -
1 Sep 2009
675. Doctor Who: "Four to Doomsday, Part Two" (19 Jan 1982) 
676. Dark Shadows: Episode 355 (3 Nov 1967) 
Julia catches Carolyn searching for her notebook, and realizes her life is in danger.
677. Dragnet: "The Big Show" (22 Jan 1953) Joe investigates a child abandonment case... but the facts don't add up.
678. Honey West: "Slay, Gypsy, Slay" (25 Feb 1966) Honey and Sam investigate the kidnapping of a businessman by a gypsy band. But is it a kidnapping?
679. The Andy Griffith Show: "The County Nurse" (19 Mar 1962) Andy is sweet on Mary the county nurse, and agrees to help her vaccinate the farmers for tetanus.
2 Sep 2009
680. Doctor Who: "Four to Doomsday, Part Three" (25 Jan 1982)
681. Dark Shadows: Episode 356 (6 Nov 1967) Julia hides her notebook in the grandfather clock, and bluffs Barnabas by telling him that it will be given to the sheriff if she dies.
682. Hawaii Five-0: "Yesterday Died And Tomorrow Won't Be Born" (19 Dec 1968) McGarrett is shot while jogging on the beach, and the trail leads back to a court martial he investigated during the Korean War. A great showcase for James MacArthur.
3 Sep 2009
683. Doctor Who: "Four to Doomsday, Part Four" (26 Jan 1982) Not bad, but the characterization of the regulars was still very fluid. And it shows that a four-man TARDIS crew is at least one too many.
684. Dark Shadows: Episode 357 (7 Nov 1967) Introducing Jerry Lacy, channelling Humphrey Bogart, as attorney Tony Peterson. And Grayson Hall shows that hysteria is out of her acting range.
685. The Tomorrow People: "The Living Stones, Part One" (8 Feb 1995) A lot is going on in this episode. Ami and her mother are quickly written out (by moving them to Australia), to be replaced by Jade from "The Culex Experiment." Red Dwarf's Danny John-Jules plays hard rocker Bryon Lucifer. And the plot is the old sci-fi trope of alien invasion via meteorite.
4 Sep 2009
686. Doctor Who: "Kinda, Part One" (1 Feb 1982) A imaginative episode marred by some terrible OTT "insane" acting at the cliffhanger.
687. Dark Shadows: Episode 358 (8 Nov 1967) Something you don't see often in this show -- Barnabas casting a spell. He conjures up Dr. Woodard's ghost to drive Julia mad.
688. The Avengers: "Game" (2 Oct 1968) The first proper Steed/Tara episode is a reworking of The Count of Monte Cristo, in which an obsessed toy manufacturer is out for revenge against the court martial that convicted him. Some absolutely unbelievable death traps in this one.
5 Sep 2009
689. Mad Men: "Red in the Face" (30 Aug 2007) (with both commentaries)
690. Dark Shadows: Episode 359 (9 Nov 1967) The ghost of Woodard appears in Julia's room.
691. Dark Shadows: Episode 360 (10 Nov 1967) Julia pleas with the ghost of Sarah to protect her, but is refused.
692. The Benny Hill Show: Episode 13 (22 Mar 1972)
6 Sep 2009
693. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Show #1008 - Final Justice (20 Jun 1999) Movie: Show:
694. Father Knows Best: "First Disillusionment" (21 Sep 1955) A show about a notion that many may seem quaint in the 21st century: honesty in business.
695. Father Knows Best: "First Disillusionment (Flashback Episode)" (16 Nov 1959) Bud tells Kathy about how he got his job in the sporting goods department.
696. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet: "The Road Race" (8 Jan 1958) Another Jay Sommers script, this time about Ozzie and the boys having a race to prove which is better: the automobiles of the '20s or the modern hot rod.
697. The Honeymooners: "Unconventional Behavior" (12 May 1956) This episode plays like a cross between the handcuffs episode of I Love Lucy and Laurel and Hardy's Berth Marks.
698. Alfred Hitchcock Presents: "The Gentleman from America" (29 Apr 1956) A down-on-his-luck Englishman bets a rich American that he cannot spend the night in the haunted room in his manor house.
7 Sep 2009
699. Doctor Who: "Kinda, Part Two" (2 Feb 1982) Another episode marred by Simon Rouse's scenery chewing. All that's missing is the eye-rolling and spittle.
700. Dark Shadows: Episode 361 (13 Nov 1967) Last week, I was complaining about how Grayson Hall didn't do hysteria well. Now we have an episode that is just Julia alone in Collinwood acting hysterical. 
701. Dark Shadows: Episode 362 (14 Nov 1967) Tony catches Carolyn breaking into his office safe.
702. I Love Lucy: "Ricky's Contract" (6 Dec 1954)
703. Gunsmoke: "Kick Me" (26 Jan 1957) A bank robber pulls a cruel trick on an old Indian, who is then determined to recover his honor.
704. Dragnet: "The Big Break" (19 Mar 1953) Finally, there's an actual dragnet on Dragnet. The LAPD is searching for an armed robber/prison escapee.
705. The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: "The Round Table Affair" (25 Mar 1966) A gang of international fugitives has taken over the Duchy of Ingolstein. Not nearly as campy as I remembered it. It's actually a quite a sweet romance.
8 Sep 2009 706.
Doctor Who: "Kinda, Part Three" (8 Feb 1982)
707.
Dark Shadows: Episode 363 (15 Nov 1967)
Sarah appears to prevent Barnabas from strangling Julia.
708.
The Andy Griffith Show: "Andy and Barney in the Big City" (26 Mar 1962)
Barney gets tangled up with a jewel thief while visiting Capital City. Guest-starring Allan Melvin (
Gomer Pyle;
The Brady Bunch), Arte Johnson (
Laugh-In) and Les Tremayne (
Shazam!).
709.
Honey West: "The Fun-Fun Killer" (4 Mar 1966)
I almost thought the show had jumped the shark when this episode opened with a robot breaking into Honey's office to murder a client, but it plays out just like an early Emma Peel
Avengers story, with everyone taking the outrageous situation in stride.
9 Sep 2009 710.
Glee: "Showmance" (9 Sep 2009)
711.
Doctor Who: "Kinda, Part Four" (9 Feb 1982)
Overall, this serial has aged better than I was expecting.
712.
Dark Shadows: Episode 364 (16 Nov 1967)
Victoria learns that Burke's plane was found and all the bodies were burned beyond recognition. Sarah scolds Barnabas over his wicked behavior, and warns David that the dead are coming back, foreshadowing a major change coming...
713.
The Tomorrow People: "The Living Stones, Part Two" (15 Feb 1995)
10 Sep 2009
714. Doctor Who: "The Visitation, Part One" (15 Feb 1982)
715. Dark Shadows: Episode 365 (17 Nov 1967) A séance is held at Collinwood to contact Sarah, which transports Victoria back to 1795.
716. One Step Beyond: "To Know The End" (1 Nov 1960) A woman has a vision of her husband dying in World War II... before she has even met him. The version from VCI has both the Alcoa Presents opening and commercial bumpers.
717. The Avengers: "Super Secret Cypher Snatch" (9 Oct 1968) A more conventional episode dealing with the opposition stealing codes by posing as window cleaners.
11 Sep 2009
718. Doctor Who: "The Visitation, Part Two" (16 Feb 1982)
719. Dark Shadows: Episode 366 (20 Nov 1967) Victoria finds 1795 disorienting.
720. Hawaii Five-0: "Deathwatch" (25 Dec 1968) When a racketeer has an assistant D.A. murdered, McGarrett has to keep an informant alive long enough to testify.
12 Sep 2009
721. The Benny Hill Show: Episode 14 (25 Oct 1972) Guest-starring Hugh Paddick of Round the Horne. Benny's already starting to repeat himself, reworking some skits from a couple of years earlier.
722. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Show #1009 - Hamlet (27 Jun 1999) Movie: Show: The quality of this show is in inverse proportion to the quality of the movie. So even a German production of Hamlet dubbed into English (with one of the voices clearly Ricardo Montelban) is still several cuts above their usual fare, and they can't do much with it.
723. Dark Shadows: Episode 367 (21 Nov 1967) Victoria is still adjusting to 1795, this time meeting Jeremiah Collins, who looks just like Burke.
724. The Wild Wild West: "The Night of the Arrow" (29 Dec 1967) Another ho-hum episode, this time about someone trying to incite an Indian uprising for political purposes.
13 Sep 2009
725. Danger Man: "That’s Two of Us Sorry" (5 Jan 1965) When some top secret papers go missing from an atomic plant in the Scottish Highlands, the fingerprints point to a man presumed dead for twenty years. Very unexpected ending.
726. Dark Shadows: Episode 368/369 (22 Nov 1967) Enter Angelique. Finally, Barnabas has a worthy adversary.
727. The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: "The Bat Cave Affair" (1 Apr 1966) The camp quotient bumps up another notch with Martin Landau trying out his Bela Lugosi imitation thirty years before Ed Wood. At least everyone plays the outrageous premise straight.
728. Father Knows Best: "Woman in the House" (28 Sep 1955) The Andersons encounter the counterculture when one of Jim's friends marries a free-spirited proto-beatnik.
729. The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet: "The Old Band Pavilion" (26 Feb 1958) Ozzie tries to restart the Sunday band concerts in the park, and Ricky sings "Your True Love" (and sings it quite well.)
730. The Honeymooners: "The Safety Award" (19 May 1956) Everyone involved is starting to run out of steam at this point. The plot about the misadventures encountered when Ralph tries to pick up his reward just seem tired and labored.
14 Sep 2009
731. Doctor Who: "The Visitation, Part Three" (22 Feb 1982)
732. Dark Shadows: Episode 370 (24 Nov 1967) With Angelique, this soap finally has what it's been missing -- a thoroughly unrepentant bitch.
733. I Love Lucy: "Getting Ready" (13 Dec 1954)
734. Gunsmoke: "Executioner" (2 Feb 1957) When a gunslinger shoot down a rancher, his brother decides to get his revenge in an unusual way.
735. Dragnet: "The Big Hands (The Big Ante)" (21 May 1953) A standard murder investigation/police procedural.
15 Sep 2009
736. Doctor Who: "The Visitation, Part Four" (23 Feb 1982) Another good serial, especially with the connection with the Great Fire of London, but they still haven't solved the problem of giving all the regulars enough to do.
737. Dark Shadows: Episode 371 (27 Nov 1967) Angelique has remorse and ends the spell killing Barnabas.
738. Peyton Place: Episode 1 (15 Sep 1964) Simply brilliant!
739. Honey West: "Pop Goes the Easel" (11 Mar 1966) Yes, Honey and Sam hit the Pop Art scene when a Warholian soup can is stolen.
740. The Andy Griffith Show: "Wedding Bells for Aunt Bee" (2 Apr 1962) Clara's being meddlesome again. When she suggest to Aunt Bee that her presence is keeping Andy from remarrying, Bee starts dating the local dry cleaner. One of the more serious episodes.
16 Sep 2009
741. Doctor Who: "Black Orchid, Part One" (1 Mar 1982)
742. Glee: "Acafellas" (16 Sep 2009) A very strong episode. The characters are starting to acting more like real people instead of stereotypes.
743. Dark Shadows: Episode 372 (28 Nov 1967) Thayer David returns, this time as Ben Stokes, and is immediately made a slave of Angelique.
744. The Tomorrow People: "The Living Stones, Part Three" (22 Feb 1995) This is turning into a version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers for tweens.
17 Sep 2009
745. Doctor Who: "Black Orchid, Part Two" (2 Mar 1982) A cozy little mystery in the Agatha Christie mode. A brief respite before what is about to happen...
746. Dark Shadows: Episode 373 (29 Nov 1967) Angelique casts a spell on Josette to make her fall in love with Jeremiah.
747. Peyton Place: Episode 2 (17 Sep 1964)
748. The Avengers: "You’ll Catch Your Death" (16 Oct 1968) In the aftermath of the 2001 anthrax attacks, this plot concerning a deadly disease in powder form sent by envelope doesn't seem that far fetched anymore.
19 Sep 2009
749. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Show #1010 - It Lives By Night (18 Jul 1999) Movie: Show: A risible concept (a were-bat? seriously?), and a group of bland actors filmed in bland '70s TV movie cinematography makes for a decent episode.
20 Sep 2009
750. Doctor Who: "Earthshock, Part One" (9 Mar 1982) Actually a quite good opening episode. Atmospheric and mysterious.
751. Dark Shadows: Episode 374 (30 Nov 1967) Jeremiah rejects Josette...
752. Dark Shadows: Episode 375 (1 Dec 1967) ...but changes his mind once Angelique casts a spell on him.
753. The Benny Hill Show: Episode 15 (27 Dec 1972) Featuring Benny performing a dead-on imitation of Raymond Burr as Ironside.
21 Sep 2009
754. Heroes: "Redemption: Chapter One - Orientation" (21 Sep 2009) Promising season premiere. At least I didn't cringe.
755. Doctor Who: "Earthshock, Part Two" (10 Mar 1982) Instead of atmosphere, we get action set pieces.
756. Dark Shadows: Episode 376 (4 Dec 1967) Natalie du Pres believes evil forces want to prevent the wedding of Josette and Barnabas, while Naomi has one of those patented DS nightmares.
22 Sep 2009
757. Doctor Who: "Earthshock, Part Three" (16 Mar 1982) Even more action.
758. Dark Shadows: Episode 377 (5 Dec 1967) Both Josette and Jeremiah manifest the mark of the pitchfork Naomi dreamt about.
759. Peyton Place: Episode 3 (22 Sep 1964) Dr. Rossi confronts Constance over Allison's birth.
760. Petticoat Junction: "Spur Line to Shady Rest" (24 Sep 1963) Sweet and charming.
761. The Andy Griffith Show: "Three’s a Crowd" (9 Apr 1962) Barney makes a nuisance of himself when Andy starts courting Mary the county nurse.
23 Sep 2009
762. Doctor Who: "Earthshock, Part Four" (17 Mar 1982) Flashy, but don't think about the plot too much or it will fall apart.
763. Dark Shadows: Episode 378 (6 Dec 1967) To prevent Jeremiah from leaving Collinwood, Angelique turns Joshua into a cat. Seriously.
764. The Beverly Hillbillies: "Jed Gets the Misery" (25 Sep 1963) Jed pretends he's sick so Granny can feel useful.
24 Sep 2009
765. Doctor Who: "Time-Flight, Part One" (23 Mar 1982) Benefits from all the location footage of the Concorde at Heathrow.
766. Dark Shadows: Episode 379 (7 Dec 1967) There's naïve, and then there's stupid. Victoria is crossing the line by not shutting up about what she know about the Collins family history.
767. Peyton Place: Episode 4 (24 Sep 1964) Lots going on here. Teenage pregnancy. Domestic abuse. And Allison and Rodney have a magical first date.
768. Glee: "Preggers" (23 Sep 2009)
769. Father Knows Best: "New Girl at School" (5 Oct 1955) The new blonde down the street has Bud wrapped around her finger.
770. The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet: "The Top Gun" (2 Apr 1958) Ozzie tells the neighborhood kids about his great-grandfather, "Six-Gun" Nelson, and gets dragged into a quick draw contest with TV cowboy Tex Barton. Plus Ricky performs a great version of "Believe What You Say."
25 Sep 2009
771. Doctor Who: "Time-Flight, Part Two" (24 Mar 1982)
772. Dark Shadows: Episode 380 (8 Dec 1967) Josette disappears on the eve of her wedding.
27 Sep 2009
773. Artworks: "Lindsay Anderson: Lucky Man?" (22 Aug 2004) A short BBC Scotland documentary on the film director.
774. The Director's Place: "Is That All There Is?" (17 Sep 1994) Lindsay Anderson's final film, a semi-documentary on himself produced for BBC Scotland. Both are extras on Criterion's This Sporting Life DVD.
775. The Benny Hill Show: Episode 16 (22 Feb 1973)
28 Sep 2009
776. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Show #1011 - Horrors of Spider Island (25 Jul 1999) Movie: Show: A bit of German T&A mixed with a very unconvincing spider-man.
777. Heroes: "Redemption: Chapter Two - Ink" (28 Sep 2009)
778. Doctor Who: "Time-Flight, Part Three" (30 Mar 1982)
779. Dark Shadows: Episode 381 (11 Dec 1967) The search begins for the missing Josette and Jeremiah.
780. I Love Lucy: "Lucy Learns to Drive" (3 Jan 1955)
781. Gunsmoke: "Gone Straight" (9 Feb 1957) Matt has a warrant for one of Billy the Kid's gang, but the man has completely reformed.
29 Sep 2009
782. Doctor Who: "Time-Flight, Part Four" (31 Mar 1982) Overall, confusing and cheap looking, even by this show's standards.
783. Dark Shadows: Episode 382 (12 Dec 1967) When Joshua reappears in Victoria's room, Abigail accuses Victoria of being a witch... and sends for Reverend Trask of Salem. Uh oh...
784. Peyton Place: Episode 5 (29 Sep 1964) In which we learn that George Anderson is pure scum.
785. The Andy Griffith Show: "The Bookie Barber" (16 Apr 1962) Out-of-town gamblers use Floyd as a front. Featuring Barney in drag.
786. Petticoat Junction: "Quick, Hide the Railroad" (1 Oct 1963) Everyone plays hide-and-seek with the Cannonball to prevent Bedloe from shutting it down.
787. Father Knows Best: "Kathy Makes Magic" (12 Oct 1955) A series of coincidences convince Kathy that she has magical powers.
30 Sep 2009
788. Glee: "The Rhodes Not Taken" (30 Sep 2009) Kristen Chenoweth is amazing in this episode.
789. Dark Shadows: Episode 383 (13 Dec 1967) Barnabas challenges Jeremiah to a duel when Josette and Jeremiah return from their honeymoon.
790. The Beverly Hillbillies: "Hair-Raising Holiday" (2 Oct 1963) Beverly Hills celebrates its first Possum Day.
Edited by Tim Tucker - 10/1/09 at 11:52am 
With a sense of great foreboding, David says goodbye to Burke. 
