I'm a big fan, too.  It's a pretty strange show, really - not that I want every show to be like this, but it's such a cold program, it's positively bracing.  There's literally not a single admirable character in the whole thing (even those, like Karen Hines' producer character, who stand out for being basically…

"Collaboration" - that's such an odd euphemism for a sex tape.

"Collaboration" - that's such an odd euphemism for a sex tape.

Oh, god, that joke.  When it first aired, I was literally slack-jawed with amazement at how many elements (the seal hunt, Winkler's casting, the run of jokes about Burger King's product placement) had to come together to pull that one off so perfectly.  It was literally so funny I forgot to laugh.

Oh, god, that joke.  When it first aired, I was literally slack-jawed with amazement at how many elements (the seal hunt, Winkler's casting, the run of jokes about Burger King's product placement) had to come together to pull that one off so perfectly.  It was literally so funny I forgot to laugh.

I don't remember too many of them, but one that aired just before the third season started always stuck with me: Jason Bateman comes on and promises that, if the season premiere is viewed by twenty million people (or some figure like that), he would personally give Carmen Electra one of AD's Emmies.  I could never…

I don't remember too many of them, but one that aired just before the third season started always stuck with me: Jason Bateman comes on and promises that, if the season premiere is viewed by twenty million people (or some figure like that), he would personally give Carmen Electra one of AD's Emmies.  I could never…

Not unless you can find it reeeeal cheap.  The trainwreck-novelty/"How did this get picked up?  Oh, right, it's Fred Silverman-era NBC" aspect of it wears off by the middle of the second episode, and all you're left with after that is a bunch of stiff, gaudy production numbers and some really bad comedy.  (Yes, I've…

Not unless you can find it reeeeal cheap.  The trainwreck-novelty/"How did this get picked up?  Oh, right, it's Fred Silverman-era NBC" aspect of it wears off by the middle of the second episode, and all you're left with after that is a bunch of stiff, gaudy production numbers and some really bad comedy.  (Yes, I've…

I do kinda wish someone would dig up their summer replacement show, which I vaguely recall seeing as a child, just to see how the hell they integrated David Letterman and the Firesign Theatre's Proctor and Bergman into the mix.  And hey, it's merely the second-most embarrassing prime-time variety show Jeff Altman…

I do kinda wish someone would dig up their summer replacement show, which I vaguely recall seeing as a child, just to see how the hell they integrated David Letterman and the Firesign Theatre's Proctor and Bergman into the mix.  And hey, it's merely the second-most embarrassing prime-time variety show Jeff Altman…

I just realized that "Peter Lupus" is a synonym for "Dick Wolf."  Chun-chunk!

I just realized that "Peter Lupus" is a synonym for "Dick Wolf."  Chun-chunk!

No, sorry, I've said that about her on numerous occasions.  Not in those exact words - I called her a "flathead" - but you lose on a technicality.

No, sorry, I've said that about her on numerous occasions.  Not in those exact words - I called her a "flathead" - but you lose on a technicality.

Airplane II may have no particular reason to exist, but it's a lot funnier than it has any right to be, and Shatner's one of its highlights.  There's a particular sight gag involving him that may be my favorite joke in either movie.

Airplane II may have no particular reason to exist, but it's a lot funnier than it has any right to be, and Shatner's one of its highlights.  There's a particular sight gag involving him that may be my favorite joke in either movie.

Dammit, @avclub-09b32d4543fc2ee24d95a7a08b215d1d:disqus , you got me.  Well played.

Dammit, @avclub-09b32d4543fc2ee24d95a7a08b215d1d:disqus , you got me.  Well played.

Y'know, of all the irritating aspects of Internet conversation, "tl;dr" has to be among the very worst.  But I guess it's good that people have found a nice bit of shorthand for "I suffer from a short attention span and inability to process anything longer than the average Tweet; moreover, I'm smug about it."