I am – Hercules!!


A musical mystery about an aspiring Nevada casino owner from “Huff” creator Bob Lowry (adapting the acclaimed British series “Viva Blackpool”), “Viva Laughlin” exceeds even “Big Shots,” “K-Ville,” “Private Practice,” “Cane,” “Moonlight” and “Carpoolers” in terms of awful. It is easily the worst new show of autumn and I am consumed with embarrassment for all involved.

The drama, what there is of it, cliché-ridden. The mystery is laughably predictable. The musical numbers are banal and limp, karaoke scuttling about dolly track and steadicams. The lead character is unpleasant and personality-challenged. (As required by some strange law for new shows this season, it stars a Britisher -- Lloyd Owen in this case -- playing an American.)

It’s hard to believe this pilot would ever have made it to series had Hugh Jackman not been involved. The offer of a TV show overseen and starring (in a recurring role) a bona fide movie star must have proven too juicy to turn down.

Entertainment Weekly says:

… reminiscent of the early '90s series Cop Rock. And just as awesomely bad. …

USA Today says:

… If Elvis isn't already dead, Viva Laughlin just might kill him. The King, of course, survived more than his share of bad musicals, but none so horrid as this totally botched expansion of the British miniseries Viva Blackpool. …

The New York Times says:

… “Viva Laughlin” on CBS may well be the worst new show of the season, but is it the worst show in the history of television? It certainly comes close …

The Los Angeles Times says:

… No one involved seems to be able to get a grip on the material, to have vetted the script for sense, or to have studied how to shoot a musical number. … You can't blame the creative team for what the publicity department writes, but these are words used in a CBS press release to describe Ripley's character: "eternal optimist," "freewheeling," "fearless and tenacious," "outgoing and passionate" "infectious personality," "dry wit." But Owen's Ripley is none of these. He is hard to credit as either a hero, anti-hero, husband, father, businessman or even a man with a dream. Instead, Owen -- a British actor who seems to have modeled his American accent on Billy Crystal's -- comes off as merely brash, annoying and self-righteous.

The Chicago Tribune says:

… At least "Showgirls" has had some lasting value, in that fans of camp derive pleasure from mocking it. In that spirit, you should tune into "Viva Laughlin" knowing that the only fun to be had is laughing at its most painful lines. Lord knows there are enough of them. I felt sorry for the actors in this dreadful show. …

The Washington Post says:

… mawkish mush with a thump-and-bump beat -- a rinky-tinky hybrid of "Dallas," "Dynasty" and "Bye Bye Birdie." And, oh yes, "American Idol." There's a temptation to compare the show to Steven Bochco's colosso-fiasco "Cop Rock," but at least "Cop Rock," the musical crime show, had an original score. The geniuses behind "Laughlin," which is based on the British series "Blackpool," just interpolate numbers from other sources. … omething that keeps you guessing as it clunks along, asking the musical question: "What will they try next?" Unfortunately it toys with other questions -- chief among them the rhetorical refrain, "How corny can you get?" Few seem likely to stay tuned for the answer.

The San Francisco Chronicle says:

… Having CBS reinterpret something daring from the BBC is a little like having Bill Moyers do a Chris Rock stand-up set. "Viva Laughlin" loses in translation all the quirky good and weird song stylings of the British import. In fact, "Viva Laughlin" looks as if it's trying mighty hard not to be a musical. … it's a procedural that's not up to CBS' normal standards. Do you think that's what the programmers wanted way back when they first eyed "Viva Blackpool"? Do you think they said, "Wouldn't it be great if we could suck all the originality and spirit and joy out of this thing and make it a procedural?" …

The Portland Oregonian says:

… bad in a wild array of new and unexpected ways. … The bottom line on "Viva Laughlin"? Snake eyes!

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:

… Fans of BBC America's "Viva Blackpool," on which "Viva Laughlin" is based, will be especially disappointed. Where characters in the British original sang and danced along with famous songs with gusto, in "Laughlin," the characters sing little and dance even less. … "Viva Laughlin" is such a half-hearted effort, it's not substantial enough to become the punchline "Cop Rock" still is in TV circles today. …

The Boston Herald says:

… “Viva Laughlin” is lip syncing to the beat of another drama, and not well at that. Don’t bet on this turkey surviving to Thanksgiving. …

Variety says:

… Credit CBS for finally attempting something more ambitious than "CSI: Laughlin," but alas, the applause ends there. … Hugh Jackman is among the project's exec producers, and while his cameo in the revised pilot (a recurring role) provides a jolt of star power, the net effect helps underscore only how charisma-challenged the show's regular leading man, Lloyd Owen, turns out to be. …

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… based solely on the premiere, "Laughlin" is fun to watch. … refreshing and entertaining. …

10 p.m. Thursday. CBS.

Kubrick in HD!!



A Clockwork Orange [HD-DVD]
A Clockwork Orange [Blu-ray]
Eyes Wide Shut [HD-DVD]
Eyes Wide Shut [Blu-ray]
Full Metal Jacket [HD-DVD]
Full Metal Jacket [Blu-ray]
The Shining [HD-DVD]
The Shining [Blu-ray]
Spartacus [HD-DVD]
2001: A Space Odyssey [Blu-ray]
2001: A Space Odyssey [HD-DVD]

TWILIGHT ZONE: THE COMPLETE SERIES!!


$164.99!!

That works out to $33 Per Season!!
The extras-crammed Definitive Editions!!
Individual seasons cost $69.99 New; $50 used!!
They were going for close to $100/season not too long ago!

(The discount presumably celebrates the release of the “Twilight Zone” movie in HD, so don’t expect it to last ...)