Not counting most of the fifth season, I find "Movie Star" a very weak entry. Lots of people like it, but the whole episode has a strange vibe. Stephen Root has a cold, Joe's makeup makes him look like a corpse, James Caan mumbles through the whole thing, Andy Dick tries too hard with the physical stuff.
shareactually, that's one of my favorite episodes. James Caan is supposed to be interviewing the egotistical Bill, but becomes fasicanated by Matthew's goofball antics, nervousness and obsessiveness
"I'm not a doctor...I'm a funeral director" - Hiram Baker
Love that episode actually. My least favorite would probably be "The Crisis" from Season 1.
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season 1 was sort of weak on the whole, but most shows need time to find their groove and flesh out the characters, so I don't fault it.
"I'm not a doctor...I'm a funeral director" - Hiram Baker
I agree with the OP. I've always said "Movie Star" is my least favorite episode and that includes the fifth season. In fact, I wasn't aware so many people love that episode until this thread.
shareLet me add to the side that doesn't care much for it. Lauren Graham was a much better guest star. Another guest star I liked was Jeanne Garufalo in Sweeps Week.
shareAside from the obvious gimmicky episodes..the space and Titanic episodes, I thought the daydream episode was awful and awkward to sit through. I guess that was another gimmicky episode too.
I guess the Titanic one wasn't so terrible. And it had to be done, right? Even Futurama did a Titanic spoof.
"I listened and I heard music in a word."--Pete Townshend
Oh my word both those episodes are fantastico!
shareI didn't think the Titanic episode was all that great, but it was fun watching them pretty much completely trash the set.
(EDIT: Just watched the ep with commentary - which is great, by the way - apparently they rebuilt the set on a different set/soundstage for that part - that scene takes place inside an actual swimming pool - damn)
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Wait a minute... who am I here?
Definitely the Titanic episode. The writing just felt stale and lazy. That it was the last we saw of Phil Hartman only adds insult to injury.
shareI thought the Titanic episode was hilarious; although, I would have liked Phil Hartman's last episode to have had the entire cast in it. When Bill and Matthew imagine each other as food at the end of the episode, I couldn't stop laughing.
The first episode was probably one of my least favorites.
definitely the Titanic episode
shareNo, no, you're all wrong, lol. The Titanic episode is brilliant and has some of the best lines.
From memory:
(Dave, Bill and Mr. James are sitting in the broadcast booth drinking cognac.)
MR. JAMES: Despite what Joe has said, I do believe this ship is sinking.
DAVE: That's what I've been saying all along. What made you change your mind?
MR. JAMES: I think it was when Joe drowned.
BILL: I have to hand it to you, Dave. This is quite the scheme you've cooked up.
DAVE: What scheme?
BILL: Pretending the ship is sinking so you could send the third class adrift in lifeboats to freeze to death. Classic!
DAVE: Bill, the ship is sinking.
BILL: Right, you got me.
MR. JAMES: Bill, he's not joking. The ship is sinking.
BILL: We're sinking? (beat) Well then...more cognac, anyone? I'll go fetch some. (leaves the broadcast booth in a panic and waves down a lifeboat) Hold that boat! I have a heart condition! And I'm a woman!
MOVIES BY THE MINUTE --> http://moviesbytheminute.blogspot.com
"Wedding."
I always thought that episode was just god-awful. And when Beth starts singing "White Wedding," it just becomes embarrassing.
But I've always kind of cherished the episode and thought, "You know, this has been the most consistently brilliant show I've ever seen. It deserves to have one really crappy episode."
And of course NBC would choose to feature THAT episode as the Spotlight Show of the Week.
Having finished re-watching all five season, the weakest episode is a tie between the first two episodes of season five.
Jon Lovitz wasn't necessarily a bad character, he just wasn't right as a replacement for Hartman. He'd have been better as a replacement for Andy Dick[head]. Jason Alexander would have been a far better choice. He can be both diabolically cunning and yet friendly and trusting, in the right role, and could have provided the kind of antagonst Dave needed. He could have also added more depth to the trusting of the Johnny Johnson character, than Lovitz's unquestionable love.
This may have also given us a chance to see what they were going to do with Walt, rather than waste our time for four or five episodes with him.
Comedian Ben Bailey would have also made a good replacement for Phil. He's got the voice, the delivery, the presance, etc.
It was just unnatural after four seasons of the show of it almost always being either Bill, or Catherine in the booth (or both at the same time, until the actress left the show), to suddenly have it populated by people we didn't know, almost all the time. Lisa and Max are rarely in the booth. Check it out -- there's always nobody's in there.
Rant over.
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The New Number 2: "Are you going to run?"
Number 6: "Like blazes. First chance I get."
I always thought Paul Reubens would have been a good replacement.
shareAnother vote for the Titanic spoof.
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My ratings:
http://www.imdb.com/user/ur5531916/ratings
was personally never a fan of "padded episodes" I.E. the titanic, space and dream episodes
share