CSI (Season 1) DVD Review

Nominated for 20 Emmys and 6 Golden Globes, including Best TV Series - Drama, CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) quickly rose to become the number one show on television following its Fall 2000 premiere. The brainchild of creator Anthony Zuiker, the show follows the investigations not of traditional TV detectives working the streets, but forensic scientists who unravel complicated crime mysteries in their ultra-modern laboratory. Either the 1 or the 2 Nielsen rated show since the start of its second season, CSI has helped CBS to reemerge as the 1 network television station, spawning (similar to predecessor Law & Order) two series spin-offs CSI: Miami and CSI: New York. Each exciting hour-long episode begins with the theme song "Who Are You" by The Who, a song more than befitting of a show where criminals are aggressively tracked down, sometimes years after committing their crimes

CSI focuses on the Las Vegas Police Department s Crime Scene Investigation nightshift unit headed by Gil Grissom (William Petersen), a quirky outsider whose obsessive quest for the facts and dedication to his work dominates his life. The CSI team is composed of a number of individuals with differing backgrounds and personalities - single mother Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) specializes in blood-splatter analysis, the highly competitive Nick Stokes (George Eads) specializes in hair and fiber analysis, recovering gambling addict Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) specializes in audio/visual analysis, and the rambunctious Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) specializes in materials and element analysis. Throw in hard-nosed homicide captain Jim Brass (Paul Guifoyle), CSI understudy Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda), and lab coroner Al Robbins (Robert David Hall) and all the ingredients are present for a show wrought with suspense, drama, and tension. As transients from all walks of life travel to Las Vegas to enjoy the wonders of its adult playground, increased levels of crime accompany them, and the team at CSI is determined to stay a step ahead of the criminal element

The CSI DVD features a number of dramatic episodes including the series premiere in which Grissom investigates a murder police believe was staged to look like a suicide, but only minute tidbits of physical evidence are available to work with. Meanwhile, Warrick and Catherine investigate a local drunk who was shot to death while breaking into the home where he was staying, and Nick investigates a robbery Other notable episodes from Season 1 include "Friends & Lovers" in which Grissom and Warrick investigate the murder of a man found naked in the desert while Catherine and Nick investigate the murder of a school s headmaster by the school s founder, and "Too Tough To Die" in which the CSI investigates the rape and attempted murder of a woman abducted from a mall parking lot

Below is a list of episodes included on the CSI (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (Pilot) Air Date: 10-06-2000
Episode 2 (Cool Change) Air Date: 10-13-2000
Episode 3 (Crate N Burial) Air Date: 10-20-2000
Episode 4 (Pledging Mr. Johnson) Air Date: 10-27-2000
Episode 5 (Friends & Lovers) Air Date: 11-03-2000
Episode 6 (Who Are You?) Air Date: 11-10-2000
Episode 7 (Blood Drops) Air Date: 11-17-2000
Episode 8 (Anonymous) Air Date: 11-24-2000
Episode 9 (Unfriendly Skies) Air Date: 12-08-2000
Episode 10 (Sex, Lies, and Larvae) Air Date: 12-22-2000
Episode 11 (I-15 Murders) Air Date: 01-12-2001
Episode 12 (Fahrenheit 932) Air Date: 02-01-2001
Episode 13 (Boom) Air Date: 02-08-2001
Episode 14 (To Halve and to Hold) Air Date: 02-15-2001
Episode 15 (Table Stakes) Air Date: 02-22-2001
Episode 16 (Too Tough to Die) Air Date: 03-01-2001
Episode 17 (Face Lift) Air Date: 03-08-2001
Episode 18 ($35K O.B.O.) Air Date: 03-29-2001
Episode 19 (Gentle, Gentle) Air Date: 04-12-2001
Episode 20 (Sounds of Silence) Air Date: 04-19-2001
Episode 21 (Justice is Served) Air Date: 04-26-2001
Episode 22 (Evaluation Day) Air Date: 05-10-2001
Episode 23 (The Strip Strangler) Air Date: 05-17-2001



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900 Number and Text Message Voting Decide Figure Skating Challenge

If you don t like the new scoring system recently introduced into the world of figure skating, you could make up your own on Sunday and help choose the winner of the Marshall s Figure Skating Challenge.
Presented by ABC television, fans from all over the country were able to pick the winners during the first-ever live, interactive, fan voting during a nationally-televised ice skating event. Fans were able to vote via a 900 number, cell phone text message, or online voting at The US Figure Skating Association web site. The 900 number and cell phone text message costs were .75 per vote.
In addition, 2000 fans at Boston University s Agganis Arena were able to vote from their seats with a handheld device. But, the Marshall s Figure Skating Challenge did not totally abandon traditional judging. The ABC panel of experts Peggy Fleming, Dick Button, and Peter Carruthers were there to offer their expert commentary based on more than just who wore the cutest outfit.
In the men s preliminary, Michael Weiss thrilled the crowd with a back flip he dubbed a tornado and advanced to the championship round. Favorite Johnny Weir, whose 900 number message indicated a vote for him was a vote for the fact that he was hot, also advanced to the final round. Interestingly, however, the panel did not agree with the public. It unanimously named Matt Savoie, a late replacement for the injured Evan Lysaceck, as the overall best. Savoie finished last in the public voting just behind third place Tim Goebel.
On the women s side, Sasha Cohen and Michelle Kwan advanced to the final round by easily outdistancing Alissa Czisny and Emily Hughes. The panel of judges voted Cohen the best, although she finished behind the veteran Kwan who was skating for the first time since a September injury sidelined her.
In the men s championship round skate-off, Weir overcame a fall in the first round to receive 64% of the vote over Weiss. For the ABC panel of experts, it was the only time that it agreed with the 900 number, text message, and internet voters who also gave Weir the title and $50,000 in prize money.
The ending of the show seemed similar to most of the women s figure skating competitions that we ve witnessed over the past decade when Kwan has copped nine national titles. Kwan won the event, but it was bittersweet, because the panel of experts all voted for Cohen who is still looking for her first national title.
In all, according to the New York Times, 104,418 votes were cast via the 900 number, text message, and the web site. Advanced Telecom Services (Wayne, PA) handled the 900 number voting. Spark Network Services (Des Plaines, IL) provided the text message voting through its PromoTXT.com system. WinnerComm (Tulsa, OK) tabulated the online voting.
One thing is for sure, with over 100,000 votes, each costing .75, it was pretty difficult to rig the judges.



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South Park (Season 5) DVD Review

My BLOG Premiering in the late summer of 1997, South Park took American pop culture by storm with its no-holds-barred examination of social and political issues and its lewd yet unique brand of cartoon humor. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, South Park is the lynchpin of cable network Comedy Central s original programming lineup. Centered around the lives of several kids in the small Colorado town of South Park (a place prone to odd and paranormal occurrences), the series presents itself in the form of crude animated drawings, yet the concept works, playing home to innumerable well-written shows filled with boundless wit, well-timed one-liners, and an endless array of politically-incorrect humor. Love it or hate it, South Park is a truly original animated series with relentlessly off-the-wall plot twists and comic relief. If you love oddball humor, then this is the show for you

South Park mostly follows the exploits of four elementary school kids - Cartman (who s overweight and sarcastic), Kyle (who dreams of eliminating his little brother Ike), Stan (who throws up at the sight of a girl he likes), and Kenny (who manages to get killed in every episode). All four attend South Park Elementary School where third grade teacher Mr. Garrison educates them with the use of a hand-puppet named "Mr. Hat" and cafeteria employee "Chef" McElroy (Isaac Hayes) dispenses his advice while periodically breaking into 70 s love songs about making love to women. South Park is the setting for numerous oddities such as alien visitors, a monster with a hand of celery and the leg of Patrick Duffy, and Big Gay Al s Big Gay Boat Ride. South Park also hosts a number famous people from time to time, such as the Devil, Saddam Hussein, the Antichrist, Kathy Lee Gifford, Scott Baio, Tina Yothers, Elton John, and Jesus Christ - who has his own cable access show

The South Park (Season 5) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere "It His the Fan" in which Kyle gets four tickets to see The Lion King on stage, but he can t find anyone (adult or child) willing to go because everyone in South Park is infatuated with the upcoming television broadcast of the show Cop Drama in which the word shit will be used on TV for the first time ever. When the big event occurs, it ends up changing South Park for the worse Other notable episodes from Season 5 include "Cripple Fight" in which Big Gay Al becomes Kyle, Stan, Cartman, and Kenny s Boy Scout leader, and "Cartmanland" in which Cartman s grandmother dies and leaves him one million dollars which he then uses to purchase his own personal theme park

Below is a list of episodes included on the South Park (Season 5) DVD:

Episode 66 (It Hits the Fan) Air Date: 06-20-2001
Episode 67 (Cripple Fight) Air Date: 06-27-2001
Episode 68 (The Super Best Friends) Air Date: 07-04-2001
Episode 69 (Scott Tenorman Must Die) Air Date: 07-11-2001
Episode 70 (Terrance and Phillip: Behind the Blow) Air Date: 07-18-2001
Episode 71 (Cartmanland) Air Date: 07-25-2001
Episode 72 (Proper Condom Use) Air Date: 08-01-2001
Episode 73 (Towelie) Air Date: 08-08-2001
Episode 74 (Osama Bin Laden Has Farty Pants) Air Date: 11-07-2001
Episode 75 (How to Eat With Your Butt) Air Date: 11-14-2001
Episode 76 (The Entity) Air Date: 11-21-2001
Episode 77 (Here Comes the Neighborhood) Air Date: 11-28-2001
Episode 78 (Kenny Dies) Air Date: 12-05-2001
Episode 79 (Butters Very Own Episode) Air Date: 12-12-2001 My BLOG



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Friends (Season 2) DVD Review

google_ad_client = "pub-0826506099083499"; Along with Seinfeld and Frasier, Friends dominated the must-see TV of the 1990 s. Winner of innumerable television awards, the show features the lives of six friends in their late-twenties/early-thirties living in New York City - Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), and Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry). The six friends spend the majority of their time in a coffee house named "Central Perk" or in either Monica s apartment or Joey and Chandler s apartment.

The Friends (Season 2) DVD offers a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere which begins with Rachel anxiously waiting for Ross at the airport so she can tell him about her feelings. But when Ross exits the plane with his new girlfriend Julie (Lauren Tom) on his arm, Rachel struggles with what she should do. The first several episodes of the season are dominated by this storyline until (in episode 31) a drunken Rachel phones Ross and leaves a message on his answering machine revealing the truth. Forced to decide between Julie and Rachel, Ross constructs a list of pros and cons (episode 32) that Rachel inevitably finds. The incident threatens to destroy their relationship before they finally come together. Meanwhile, Joey lands a part on Days Of Our Lives as Dr. Drake Ramoray, but seals his own fate when his hubris steps on the toes of the show s writers

Below is a list of episodes included on the Friends (Season 2) DVD:

Episode 25 (The One with Ross s New Girlfriend) Air Date: 09-21-1995
Episode 26 (The One with the Breast Milk) Air Date: 09-28-1995
Episode 27 (The One Where Heckles Dies) Air Date: 10-05-1995
Episode 28 (The One with Phoebe s Husband) Air Date: 10-12-1995
Episode 29 (The One with Five Steaks and an Eggplant) Air Date: 10-19-1995
Episode 30 (The One with the Baby on the Bus) Air Date: 11-02-1995
Episode 31 (The One Where Ross Finds Out) Air Date: 11-09-1995
Episode 32 (The One with the List) Air Date: 11-16-1995
Episode 33 (The One with Phoebe s Dad) Air Date: 12-14-1995
Episode 34 (The One with Russ) Air Date: 01-04-1996
Episode 35 (The One with the Lesbian Wedding) Air Date: 01-18-1996
Episode 36 (The One After the Superbowl: Part 1) Air Date: 01-28-1996
Episode 37 (The One After the Superbowl: Part 2) Air Date: 01-28-1996
Episode 38 (The One with the Prom Video) Air Date: 02-01-1996
Episode 39 (The One Where Ross and Rachel You Know) Air Date: 02-08-1996
Episode 40 (The One Where Joey Moves Out) Air Date: 02-15-1996
Episode 41 (The One Where Eddie Moves In) Air Date: 02-22-1996
Episode 42 (The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies) Air Date: 03-21-1996
Episode 43 (The One Where Eddie Won t Go) Air Date: 03-28-1996
Episode 44 (The One Where Old Yeller Dies) Air Date: 04-04-1996
Episode 45 (The One with the Bullies) Air Date: 04-25-1996
Episode 46 (The One with the Two Parties) Air Date: 05-02-1996
Episode 47 (The One with the Chicken Pox) Air Date: 05-09-1996
Episode 48 (The One with Barry and Mindy s Wedding) Air Date: 05-16-1996



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