TV Series: Binge Watch Star Trek and Beyond!

Binge-watching is bad for your brain. Well, there are some out there who say that binge-watching is unhealthy. That might be true and I suppose if you’re a youngster you might do some extra research to be sure that you’re not damaging your brain. (How binge-watching is hazardous to your health.)

But I am already beyond the half a century mark (50+). Video streaming is a new form of entertainment, that wasn’t around when I was growing up. So I am going to take advantage of video streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Viki, etc. In particular, I plan to enjoy all of those old TV shows that I remember watching on television when I was younger and also TV series that I never got a chance to watch when they were being aired.

Binge-watching is necessary because there are so many seasons/episodes. If I view one a week or one episode a day, it might take 100 years! LOL. Sometimes I also enjoy binge-watching movies in certain genres, like sci-fi. 

Star Trek and Beyond!

(NOTE:  Do not confuse the subheading above with the 2016 movie "Star Trek Beyond").  I simply meant to say I started with the original 1960s series and then went beyond to all of the spinoffs.)

The TV series that I decided to binge-watch is “Star Trek” and all of the other “Star Trek spinoffs”. Why? Because Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock made quite an impression on me as a child. The program had a talented and diverse cast. People from various backgrounds and ethnicities were represented “equally” and back in the 60s in America that was considered ground-breaking. I never watched the Star Trek spinoffs like “The Next Generation”, “Deep Space Nine”, etc. when they were on TV. But we have a Netflix subscription and it has all of the Star Trek episodes, except for “Star Trek: Discovery”. Here is a recap of what I have binge-watched thus far. No spoilers just a few “hints”.

Star Trek: The Original Series (1966 – 1969)

In 1966, I was 11 years old. Rewatching this series was a wonderful trip down memory lane. Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Lieutenant Uhura, and all of the others I remembered so vividly. I honestly can’t say that I have a favorite episode. But I can say that I was disappointed with the last episode. That TV series should not have ended like that.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 – 1994)

This series was an excellent follow-up to the original series. My two favorite characters were Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Data. The Starfleet crew was even more diverse. They had a Klingon on board who was in charge of security. If you watched the original series you will recall that the Klingons were The Enemy. This series introduced Another Enemy far worse the Klingons. The Borg. If they don’t scare you, it’s because you’ve already been “assimilated”. (Hint.) Like the original series, I don’t have a favorite episode in this series either.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993 – 1999)

The crew/cast is “even more diverse”. In addition to humans, there are Klingons, Ferengis, Cardassians, Bajorans, and a species who were even scarier than The Borg. They were called The Dominion. My two favorite characters were Commander Benjamin Sisko and Odo, the Changeling. Incorporating the character Vic Fontaine, played by James Darren in the holodeck was a very creative piece of scriptwriting. My favorite episode in this series is “Badda-Bing Badda-Bang”. Commander Sisko is very talented. (Hint.)

Star Trek: Voyager (1995 – 2001)

A starship lost in space trying to get back home. My favorite characters are not the stars of this show. They are a part of the supporting cast. I love Mr. Neelix and Seven of Nine. In my opinion, this series is not as interesting and engaging as the other series. But it is imperative that I watch it to The End. I have to know how they get home. What a hook!

Original Source

Today in 1966: #StarTrek (TOS) debuted in the U.S. The original starship Enterprise studio model used in the TV show is in our collection: https://t.co/Y6LNJ1sDxC #StarTrekDay #AirSpacePhoto pic.twitter.com/Lki0fhfkMz

— National Air and Space Museum (@airandspace) September 8, 2020

#StarTrekDay

been boldly going for 55 years 💛
— happy #StarTrekDay ! 💫 pic.twitter.com/eg2OkLpx8s

— star trek gifs (@tosgifs) September 8, 2021

Quick Review of a TV Show That Aired 1987–1993 : 'A Different World'

I've been a loyal viewer of American TV sitcoms since the late 50s, I watched Father Knows Best and My Three Sons and Leave It To Beaver.  Fast forward to my adulthood and I watched Family Ties and The Cosby Show.  Having had all of this exposure to "wholesome family entertainment", I can state unequivocally that ‘A Different World’ presented a different world to the US audience.

Before Bill Cosby’s “fall from grace”, he had a propular TV show and I was a faithful viewer. Lisa Bonet played the part of Denise Huxtable, one of his daughters. Her character was so popular they created a brand new TV show about her days in college. She attended Hillman College, an HBCU.

(HBCU = historically black colleges and universities. At one time during the period of segregation in the USA, blacks attended so-called “separate but equal” educational institutions. But these days anybody who wants to can attend no matter their background. Hey! They are really good schools! Our US vice-president Kamala Harris attended an HBCU.)

The show was started with Lisa Bonet in the spotlight, i.e. the main character. However, the character “Whitley” played by Jasmine Guy almost instantly took the spotlight. Viewers really liked her. I think it was “her accent”. LOL. If you ever saw the show you would understand that joke about Whitley’s accent. Lisa Bonet left the show after the first season.

In June 2021, the cast got together to discuss “the good old days” and the article was published in Vanity Fair. “A Different World” ran from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993. I was not a regular viewer. It was light comedy but often tackled serious topics. To borrow a quote from the article: “Fans remember the show as much for its cultural relevance as they do for its laugh-out-loud comedy and talented cast.” That’s true. I distinctly remember one episode where they addressed the link between sexual promiscuity and AIDS. It was definitely relevant to the times and it presented a world that was different from any of the other popular TV sitcoms during that same time period. The real plus or takeaway from the program is that it, in real life, the show actually encouraged a lot of young people of color to attend colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher learning.

‘A Different World’: Cast Members and Crew Tell the Oral History | Vanity Fair

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

• Lisa Bonet left the entertainment industry and replaced it with motherhood. That’s not a bad tradeoff. She was first married to Lenny Kravitz; and now she is the wife of Jason Momoa.

• Jasmine Guy had a productive acting career in film and on stage, and also tried her hand at music. She also worked behind the scenes producing and directing but has not taken on any significant projects in the entertainment industry recently.

What The Stars Of A Different World Are Up To Now

Binge-Worthy TV Series: Turkish Drama: Filinta Mustafa (2014-2016)

“Filinta Mustafa” is a Turkish mystery and historical period drama series, set in 19th century Istanbul, the Ottoman Empire. There are 66 episodes and they aired from 2014 to 2016. Netflix was instrumental in bringing this TV show to an American audience.

A Clear Line Drawn Between Good and Evil

This series draws a clear line between good and evil and makes it plain for you to see.

• The good guys are really good. Noble and kindhearted. Fiercely dedicated to the pursuit of justice.

• The bad guys and ladies (there is no discrimination or gender inequality) are extremely bad.

Imagine that this fictional series paints a “true picture” of Sultan Abdülhamid’s era (the Ottoman Empire). If so, then to be a law enforcement officer in 19th century Istanbul, you never get any rest! Not only do you have to deal with the local thugs and scumbags, but you have to wrestle with the foreign criminals from around the world that bring their crime to your city. The English, the French, the Russians, the Americans, the Germans, the Catholics! Oh my!

These people scheme and connive to do everything from murder and robbery to starting wars! Also, we have to throw in corruption among the government officials within the Ottoman Empire. Did I mention the part about young children being kidnapped by a secret organization and trained to become ruthless killers? It’s a good thing Filinta Mustafa has a loyal partner, Blade Ali, who works with him to help fight crime and corruption.

The Shakespearean Lens

The best way to describe this TV series is to compare it to a Shakespeare tragedy. A tragedy written by William Shakespeare can’t be tragic if there aren’t dead bodies lying all over the place! Well! There was one episode where there are so many dead bodies and the crimes which occurred in such a short period of time, the police detective said: “Oy! It’s raining corpses today in Istanbul!”

Yeah. It was that many dead people! More than in a Shakespeare tragedy. You just have to ask: Do evil people ever stop thinking and take a break? Do they ever stop being cruel and ruthless, and just smell the roses? 

Filinta Mustafa is Eye Candy for the Ladies

“Filinta” or “Filinta Mustafa”, is the “first Ottoman crime show of television history”. The main character, Mustafa has been styled as “the Turkish Sherlock”. If you are a loyal fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s master detective Sherlock Holmes, you will probably become a fan of his Turkish look-alike.

If I’m being honest, the ladies would love watching this show, whether or not it was interesting. Why? Because they won’t be able to take their eyes off the main character. Filinta Mustafa (played by Onur Tuna) is strikingly handsome. Pure eye candy! Brings a new meaning to “Turkish delight”. Your eyes get glued to him. You follow him everywhere. You see no reason for them to take the camera off of him. If he’s not in the scene, the ladies are thinking: “Hurry up! Get the camera back on Mustafa!”

Summary Review

This is a made for TV crime-solving series that is genuinely delightful entertainment. In each episode, you look forward to the bad guy getting his comeuppance!! There are many bad guys but the main one who is a constant thorn in Mustafa’s side is “Boris Zaharyas”. This guy put the letter “C” in the words criminal, conniving, callous, and cruel! He has got to be brought down! Serhat Tutumluer plays this part and he plays it to the “T”!!

Take your time watching this series. You will want to savor the moment and patiently wait for when Mustafa finally brings down the curtain on Boris!!

My summary review of this series? Never a dull moment.

Source:  RationalMind.club

Vintage Television: "One Step Beyond" (1959 ~ 1961)

 I was born in the latter half of the 50s and the new technology of my day was the television. What a marvelous invention. You could watch the news, movies, cartoons, and TV shows. During my day one of the most popular TV shows was “The Twilight Zone”. I am so glad that they have these local channels that show nothing but old movies and shows. But they don't have everything from back in the day. That's why I am also glad that there is YouTube.

I have watched all The Twilight Zone episodes and some of them I watched more than once. I was desperate to find an old TV show that was similar and stumbled upon a series called “One Step Beyond”.

Image Credit:  Amazon.com

This show, unlike The Twilight Zone, which is fiction, the episodes for One Step Beyond are “a matter of human record”. In other words, it's been recorded that this stuff really happened to people. However, they can not explain how or why.

I'm enjoying this series. It's in black and white. The video quality is not that great. But the stories are very interesting. Although, if things like that happened to me, I'm not sure I would tell anybody.

Are you watching any old TV shows?

** Original Source

https://movies-and-memories.tumblr.com/post/634448419018227712/joiedevivre-magazine-the-twilight-zone-was-a

An Invitation to Come With Me on My Star Trek Adventures

Welcome! Please come with me and boldly go where I (and millions of other Star Trek fans) have already gone and will happily go again! ☺

Gene Rodenberry’s Star Trek series really made a name for itself and earned the reputation that allowed for all of the other ST spinoffs. Any program that wants to carry on the Star Trek tradition should be worthy. It’s 2020+ and my Star Trek lust is not being satiated. I viewed a few episodes in three different series that have the name Star Trek in the title and … in my humble opinion … they don’t live up to the name. Hey! It’s an opinion. Feel free to disagree. We all have our peculiar tastes when it comes to entertainment.

First, let’s recap the Star Trek series being used as my basis for comparison.  (Let's also thank online streaming services like Netflix for allowing fans to binge watch these memorable TV shows.) 

Star Trek: The Original Series

The TV show aired back in the 60s (1966-69) and was considered groundbreaking because of its diverse cast, which included an African-America female high ranking officer, Lieutenant Uhura; and a Vulcan first officer, second only to the captain of the USS Enterprise, the logical and the incomparable Mr. Spock. Imagine. Before man had a mission to go where he had never boldly gone before, Vulcans had already boldly come to us. An advanced civilization had to come and give us ignorant humans a helping hand with our exploration efforts. It’s interesting. Considering that during our space explorations we found that there were so many other “sentient beings” in the universe, one may wonder why the Vulcans chose to ally with the humans and landed in the United States of America for their First Contact. That question is answered in another Star Trek series called Star Trek: Enterprise, which did not air until 2001 after several other ST spinoffs happened in between.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

The show ran from the late 80s into the early 90s (1987-1994). It will always be remembered for Captain Jean Luc Picard, he was very commanding and very wise; the android named Data, he was incredibly smart and very handy to have around; and an extremely scary enemy called … The Borg! Hey! Why fight them? “Resistance is futile”. So what! We fought them anyway!

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

This series aired throughout the 90s (1993-99) and quite frankly, I liked the episodes where they were in the holo suites more than the episodes where they were facing off with a real enemy, The Dominion. The most memorable characters were Captain Benjamin Sisko and Odo, the changeling. (Image: Deep Space Nine Station.)

Star Trek: Voyager

This series began in 1995 and ended in 2001. Can you believe it? They got stranded in outer space, in the wrong quadrant, and the entire series was about them trying to find their way back home and get home before they were too old for their relatives to still recognize them. So get this! A 24th-century state of the art starship with no GPS to give them directions when they’re lost. It’s believable. Sometimes we humans are very creative and inventive but in the process of building things, we overlook an obvious and critically important feature. Who was the scariest enemy? The Vidians. These beings were suffering from a disease so they went everywhere stealing organs from everybody else. They didn’t ask for organ donors. They just took what they needed. What must it feel like to have your lungs disappear? One second you’re breathing. The next second? NO AIR!! Who is the most memorable character in this series? Seven of Nine. She was a Borg drone, who was captured by The Borg when she was a child. By the time she was found by the crew of The Voyager, she was a young woman. Captain Janeway was determined to give her back her life so that she could live as a human again. She succeeded. Out of all of the characters in all of the Star Trek series, I am never going to forget Seven of Nine.

Star Trek: Enterprise

This series is the prequel. Star Trek: The Original Series began without ever explaining how the United Federation of Planets began. It ran from 2001 and 2005 and honestly, nothing about the show was memorable. But it did explain how and why it was decided that we should boldly go where no man had ever gone before. Even if we do cross paths with sentient beings who think they are a superior race or just don’t really like us very much and want to fight a war. If you think about it, it’s really not that much different from living on planet earth.

So now it’s the 21st century and here’s where I am in my Star Trek adventures.

Star Trek: Picard

I watched only one episode because it was offered free of charge for the curious who might be willing to pay to watch the entire series. It was OK. To be honest, since it bore the name “Picard”, I had higher expectations. I’m content to wait until I can binge watch all of the episodes for free at some later date when its novelty has word off.

Star Trek: Discovery

I watched some episodes and I have several complaints.

• Number 1: The lighting is awful! For many scenes, it seems so dark.
• Number 2: The Klingons wear way too much make-up!
• Number 3: The special effects are serious overkill.

This series was launched in 2017. By this time, the original Star Trek series was 50 years old.

Star Trek Continues

I was searching for streaming apps and stumbled across this series. You will recall that the mission was supposed to last for 5 years, only the show was canceled after 3 seasons. Somebody decided that since the original Star Trek series was cut short and fans were terribly disappointed, they would continue the old show only … with new actors playing the old parts for Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Bones, Scotty, etc.

• Number 1: The replacements have no strong screen presence at all! They are like cheap imitations or really bad counterfeits of the original cast. My opinion.
• Number 2: If the first episode is an indicator, it’s a good series to watch if you want to compare it with your imagination. Surely you must have wondered what the Star Trek series would have been like had they actually completed the 5-year mission. I am not that impressed, however, in all fairness, the creators of this series get an A++ for their honorable intentions.

♦ All I can say is… once upon a time … there was an awesome TV show called Star Trek that set the standard for all the other science fiction space exploration television series that would come after.

Original Source

#StarTrekDay

been boldly going for 55 years 💛
— happy #StarTrekDay ! 💫 pic.twitter.com/eg2OkLpx8s

— star trek gifs (@tosgifs) September 8, 2021

Childhood Memories : Favorite TV Shows and Entertainers: Comedian Red Skelton

When I was a child, some kind person gave our family a TV set. We couldn't afford to buy one. Television was the Internet back in my day. A technological marvel and with it you could reach the world! If you grew up in my generation then you probably had certain shows you watched religiously. One of the shows that I never missed was "The Red Skelton Show". I loved that show! I loved that man! I loved it when he used to say “Good night and may God bless”. I especially loved the character Freddie the Hobo. I found a quote today that made me wonder. I had never thought Red Skelton in any other light than a successful (wealthy) comedian; a popular but humble celebrity who everybody loved. I couldn't imagine him as a man who struggled and had a hard life. Maybe that's why the hobo character was so easy for him to play. Maybe it was him. This quote makes me see him in a brand new light and now I admire and like him even more! "I left home because I was hungry." ~ Red Skelton (1913 - 1997) ( via @BrainyQuote )

Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913 – September 17, 1997)

Visit the Official Red Skelton page

* Original source

TV Series: Murdoch Mysteries is Perfect for Mystery Lovers

I am grateful to Netflix for introducing me to Canadian TV series. One of those series which I thoroughly enjoyed was “Murdoch Mysteries”. The program is about Detective William Murdoch. He's a genius; a Sherlock-Holmes-type who not only has a brilliant mind but also comes up with brilliant inventions to help him solves crimes. The setting is Toronto, Canada, at the turn of the 20th century, when Canada was still under or linked to the British and Westerners were just learning how useful electricity is and how to drive motor cars.

Unfortunately the series is no longer available on Netflix. So I hunt for sites that have free online video streaming of this show and that way I can continue watching. I got attached to Detective Murdoch, his wife, Doctor Julia Ogden, and the entire cast.

It's rated PG. It's good family entertainment.

You can find a lot of the episodes on YouTube for free or for rent.

Murdoch Mysteries (2008 ~ ) : Award-Winning
Canadian TV Detective Series

Netflix Original: Korean Drama TV Series: Mr. Sunshine (2018)

You would probably not think that a series with a title like “Mr. Sunshine” would be a Korean drama, would you? But it is! It is a Netflix Original and it is intense!

The lead actor is Lee Byung-hun and he is the reason this series caught my eye. He's Korean but the first time I saw him was in one of the Terminator movies. He was one of the terminators: T-1000 in “Terminator Genisys” (2015). He was awesome! So when I saw he was the main character in “Mr.Sunshine”, I had to watch! I was not disappointed.

It is an historical period war drama which depicts conflicts involving the Americans, the Japanese, and the Koreans. His character starts off as a young child who was a slave but he escaped to America. The name given to him by the kind-hearted and generous American who saved his life was Eugene Choi. His Korean name was Choi Yoo-jin. He grew up and became a high-ranking officer in the American military and they sent him back to Korea on a special assignment. He was not exactly thrilled about being sent back home to a country where he was never treated like it was his home. Nevertheless, when you're a soldier you obey orders.

Not only was this series entertaining, but it was also very educational and emotional. I got caught up in the lives of each of the main characters listed below.

~ Lee Byung-hun as Eugene Choi / Choi Yoo-jin who became a Captain in the United States Marine Corps.

~ Kim Tae-ri as Go Ae-shin, a Joseon noblewoman, a skilled sniper and loyal member the Righteous Army.

~ Yoo Yeon-seok as Goo Dong-mae (his Korean name) / Ishida Sho (his Japanese name), whose father was killed fighting in the war and he fled to Japan. He joined a Japanese criminal organization and when he returned to Korea, he wanted revenge!

~ Kim Min-jung as Lee Yang-hwa (her Korean name) / Kudo Hina (her name when her father forced her to marry a rich Japanese man so he could get at his money). She became a widow and returned to Korea to run the "Glory Hotel", a property she inherited after her husband's death.

~ Byun Yo-han as Kim Hee-sung, an extremely wealthy Joseon nobleman who was supposed to marry Go Ae-shin, only she fell in love with Eugene Choi. But that didn't stop him from loving her anyway.

Korean dramas always have to have a love triangle.

I fell in love with each one of these characters. They were so real to me.

I will have to do follow-up research to find out if there was a group called the Righteous Army.

A one-word description for this Netflix Original Series? Outstanding!

Review: Action Spy TV Series : Undercovers (2010) ... (Reblog)

“Undercovers” was an American action spy TV series that aired briefly on NBC in 2010.

First episode: September 22, 2010, AND Last episode: December 29, 2010

It had beautiful people and totally sucked!

Review: Action Spy TV Series : Undercovers (2010) ~ Do Not Rinse and Repeat! (Reblog)