How TV Land could improve its movie nights

[TMC]

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...igh_print.html

TV Land is botching a golden opportunity with its decision to program movies Wednesday nights. It's not because the network is showing movies, just that it's not showing the right ones, or in the right way.

For example, tonight at 8, it's showing the 1989 comedy "Parenthood," starring Steve Martin and Mary Steenburgen as suburban parents with an extended and eccentric family. Following that? A random episode of "Sanford and Son."

Why not make a night of it, and follow the "Parenthood" movie with its 1990 NBC counterpart - the series starring Ed Begley Jr. in the Steve Martin role? That would certainly be a lot more interesting, especially since one of the kids is played by a young actor named Leonardo DiCaprio.

Select a host - or, perhaps even better, a series of weekly guest hosts - and present "The TV Land Movie" as a "Masterpiece Theatre"-type showcase, a TV-and-movies guided tour. Promoted correctly the network could turn dusty archives and filler into a flagship offering.

Here's just a few of the ways this TV Land movie series can be better.

• Movies that inspired TV shows. Start with the one-two punch of Robert Altman's "MASH," starring Donald Sutherland, and the CBS series "M*A*S*H," starring Alan Alda. Get both Alda and Sutherland to host that week's new and improved "TV Land Movie" series, and you've got all the attention in the world.
  
• TV shows that inspired movies. Present both the movie and TV incarnations of "Mission: Impossible," with Martin Landau as host. Compare the small- and big-screen versions of "Charlie's Angels," getting Jaclyn Smith and Drew Barrymore to sit in.
  
• TV itself as the inspiration. Show Paddy Chayefsky's brilliant TV news-as-entertainment movie "Network," followed by the episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" where Walter Cronkite guest-stars. Get Mary Tyler Moore or Mike Wallace to host. Another set of titles to pair: "My Favorite Year" with an episode of "Your Show of Shows," hosted by "Shows" alumnus Carl Reiner.
  
• Best made-for-TV movies ever. For starters, let Martin Sheen present his 1974 "Execution of Private Slovik," Karen Black host her 1975 "Trilogy of Terror" and Steven Spielberg his 1971 TV masterpiece, "Duel."

Heat up the popcorn, those are things I'd watch.

[treky]

the best way they could improve their movie nights is to stop showing them; and return to their old days.

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by treky

the best way they could improve their movie nights is to stop showing them; and return to their old days.

[Du Mont]

Originally Posted by TMC

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...igh_print.html

These are great ideas for TVLand, but they could also be utilized by any network showing movies (MyNetworkTV, ION, AMC) as a regular part of their programming.

I would also like to see a return of the 90-minute or two hour pilot presentations, which could be played off as part of programming for a regular movie night. In the past, there were many series pilots that were initially rejected by the networks, but later picked up because audiences loved the pilot.

[Tubehead]

I stop watching tv land couple months ago. their trying to reach younger viewers so they keep showing moives, high shcool reuion and she got the look. then they show cobsyshow AND the andy griffith show too much. i only watch sanford and son. i used to watch nightcourt but they cut it off too. only movie i liked that they show was twlight zone moive. tv land is not classic shows any more. now i just watched my dvds.

[MickeyMac]

Originally Posted by treky

the best way they could improve their movie nights is to stop showing them; and return to their old days.

I agree keep it 1950's and 1960's. Those shows seldom get shown.

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by treky

the best way they could improve their movie nights is to stop showing them; and return to their old days.

EXACTLY!!!

[robyrob]

at this point it would be an overall improvement if they just showed the yule log all year.

[comedyfreak]

Originally Posted by treky

the best way they could improve their movie nights is to stop showing them; and return to their old days.

My sentiments exactly!