TV Party for Friday, July 1st

Kick off your holiday weekend tonight with an hour of Wonder Showzen on MTV 2. Wonder Showzen is an absurd comedy/variety show, spiked with a team of puppets, kids, cartoons and old educational films. Remember all those Saturday mornings you spent in front of the TV in your pyjamas? Well, Wonder Showzen takes your favourite things about watching TV as a kid and turns them into a twisted nightmare. On the first episode, titled “Diversity”, Wonder Showzen is celebrating Numbers. When Letters show up, they begin a violent battle to prove who is better. Only love could bring these enemies together. The second episode, “History”, Wonder Showzen is brought to you by the Number One, but Number Two shows up trying to steal the show. Chauncey throws her off, but the Number Two tries every stunt in the book to make it back on!

At 9 how about a nice depressing maritme movie for you? If that’s your thing, head over to PAX for the 1984 Mel Gibson vehicle “The Bounty”. Starring Anthony Hopkins as the nasty Captain Bly and Mel as Mr. Christian, it’s a powerful telling of the classic tale of mutiny in the south seas.

If you’d rather not be depressed before bed, how about a little entertainment at other’s expense? VH1 is re-running season 2 of “The Surreal Life” tonight, and at 9 is one of the better episodes. In case you’ve forgotten, Season 2 featured Tammy Faye Messner (formerly Tammy Fay Bakker), porn star Ron Jeremy, Erik Estrada – Ponch on chips, Rob “Vanilla Ice” Van Winkle, Baywatch babe Traci Bingham, Trishelle Cannatella – famous only for being the drunk girl on Real World Las Vegas, and Motley Crue’s Vince Neil. The episode showing at 9 is one of the best of the season, as the cast learns they have been invited to a nudist resort. Everyone, except Tammy, is happy about this, and they go on to enjoy nude volleyball and karaoke.

To help get the image of a digitally blurred naked Ron Jeremy out of your head, at 10 settle in with KCTS for the original 1960 Rat Pack version of “Oceans Eleven”. Frank and Deano lead a band of 10 war buddies who plan to rob five Vegas casinos on New Years Eve. The cast also includes Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Angie Dickinson, Richard Conte, Cesar Romero, Patrice Wymore, Joey Bishop, and Mr. Roper himself, Norman Fell.

That’s your TV Party for Friday July 1st, for Northwest Indy Radio I’m Scott Chicken.

TV Party for Thursday, June 30th

We're in the summer TV doldrums, and it's clear from looking at the listings that Thursday is Movie Night. So here are three options for your viewing pleasure, all running from 8 to 10.

Moving chronologically, we start on AMC with 1977's Smokey and the Bandit, the movie that immortalized the Trans Am and solidified Burt Reynolds' place in American popular culture. Burt was at the height of superstardom when he took on the now-iconic role of Bandit, a free-wheeling, fast-driving charmer, in this raucous hit, the directorial debut of stunt expert Hal Needham. The great Jackie Gleason co-stars as Sheriff Buford T. Justice, a letter-of-the-law good old boy who chases Bandit and his buddy Cledus (Jerry Reed) as they attempt to haul beer across state lines illegally. Co-starring Sally Field, Smokey and the Bandit solidified Reynolds's box office power (grossing nearly $60 million in 1977) and led to two sequels in the 80’s, neither of which was as good as the original.

Next is Tommy Boy on Bravo. The late, great Chris Farley plays Tommy Callahan Jr., a slow-witted, clumsy guy who recently graduated college after attending for seven years. His father, Big Tom Callahan, owns an auto parts factory in Ohio. When Tommy arrives back home, he finds he has a position at the factory waiting for him in the new brake pad division. But when Big Tom dies, the factory threatens to go under unless the new brake pads can be sold. Tommy must go on the road with the assistance Big Tom's right-hand man Richard, played by David Spade. Will Tommy save the company, or will the factory, and the town, go under? Tune in tonight to find out.

If you're looking for something a little more family friendly than "Tommy Boy" head down to the Disney Channel for "Rip Girls", the exciting adventures of 13-year-old Sydney Miller as she visits Hawaii for the first time since she was a small child to see the plantation she has just inherited. She learns to conquer the waves as a surfer while gaining a new, inner strength and an appreciation for life and the land she now owns. Through this life-changing experience, Sydney also realizes that she must learn from the past but live in the present.

Finally, we end with what may be the best movie of these four, Toy Story on ABC. Toy Story was the first feature length film from Pixar Studios, and the first animated feature produced completely on computers. Toy Story follows the rivalry between Woody, an older toy cowboy, with the newest toy in the box Buzz Lightyear. If you've never seen it it's definitely worth your time, and if you have seen it it's probably time to give it another look.

That’s your TV Party for Thursday June 30th, for Northwest Indy Radio I’m Scott Chicken.

TV Party for Wednesday, June 29th

Now, normally I would stay as far away from the Country Music Channel as possible. I’m not a big Country fan, and while I like the Dukes of Hazzard just fine I got enough of them in the 70s. But tonight is an exception. Tonight at 8 CMT brings you an hour with the Chief Parrothead himself on “Jimmy Buffet Uncut”. With never-before-seen footage from a recent in-depth interview with 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft, Jimmy discusses his life and career, including growing up in Mobile, Ala., the inspiration that drew him to music, his early days in Key West, Fla., personal time with wife Jane, country superstar Alan Jackson and of course, Parrotheads.

The past year has been a big one for Buffett, whose newest CD, License to Chill, debuted at the top of both the pop and country charts and was the first No. 1 record of his career. The collection, which features duets with Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, George Strait Martina McBride and others, spent 15 weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard country albums chart and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

And if that's not enough reason to watch a one-hour special with Jimmy, well, I just don't know what is.

At nine slide down to the Discovery Channel for an hour of urban legends debunked on Mythbusters. In tonight’s episode, “Ming Dynasty Astronaut”, Buster, the show’s crash test dummy, takes the hot seat in the Mojave Desert in the myth of the 'Ming Dynasty Astronaut.' Will Buster defy the laws of gravity and survive an explosive launch into space? Also on the show Adam and Jamie play mad scientists in the quest for free energy.

Finally, at 10 spend a couple hours with two heroes of the early 80’s, Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams as AMC shows “Nighthawks.” This often overlooked action thriller casts Sly and Billy Dee as two New York cops pursuing Europe's most dangerous terrorist (Rutger Hauer). Filmed on location in New York City, this realistic suspense film was ahead of its time in depicting the threat of terrorism to the United States, although while Rutger does a great job blowing stuff up, at no point in the film is he seen piloting a 747 into a building.

That’s your TV Party for Wednesday, June 29th, for Northwest Indy Radio I’m Scott Chicken.

TV Party for Tuesday, June 28th

Lance Week continues on the family of Discovery Channels. Tonight at 8 TLC offers up Raising A Champion: The Linda Armstrong Kelly Story, a look at the woman behind the powerhouse. Get to know the private side of Linda Armstrong Kelly, from her experiences as a single mother raising Lance to her own incredible story. That’s followed at 9 by a look at the other key woman in Lance’s life, his girlfriend. Champion cyclist Lance Armstrong received a personal gift from girlfriend Sheryl Crow after he won is sixth Tour de France: the GTO that he always wanted. Watch how she schemed with the Overhaulin' crew and Lance's longtime friend, "College," to steal the car from the garage where it was supposedly being "repaired." The result being a shocked and dazed world champion, now driving a world class GTO that has been taken to a new level of cool.

Another option at 9: get involved with a mini series. Summer is mini-series season, and it looks like ABC has a good one on their hands with “Empire” the epic six-hour summer drama series, filmed entirely in Rome and South Central Italy, focuses on Julius Caesar's nephew, Octavius, who is forced into exile after Caesar's murder, and a fictional disgraced gladiator, Tyrannus, who has sworn to protect him.

The time is 44 B.C. and the Conqueror Julius Caesar returns from triumphs in Spain to a neglected Republic and a corrupt Senate drunk with power. Though he's hailed as a hero by the masses, the Senate is wary of Caesar's plans that might place him in a position of ultimate power. Brutus and Cassius try to enlist the help of Marc Antony in overthrowing Caesar, but Antony is loyal to Caesar and refuses. A terrible conflict looms and the fate of an empire will fall to one man - a gladiator named Tyrannus.

After Caesar's assassination, Tyrannus spirits the dead ruler's nephew and heir away from the turbulence of Rome; Mark Antony addresses the crowds at the funeral, as a vestal virgin risks her life to guard Caesar's will.

The series will run six weeks, unlike other mini-series’ that require you to dedicate several nights in a row. We can only hope this takes off, because the fall prime-time lineup needs more men in armor carrying swords.

That’s your TV Party for Tuesday, June 28th, for Northwest Indy Radio I’m Scott Chicken.

TV Party for Friday, June 24th

We start out our night with a spooky visit to the south courtesy of the Coal Miner’s Daughter herself, Loretta Lynn. At 8 tonight Loretta takes Travel Channel viewers on a tour of Hurricane Mills, her haunted plantation in the hills of Tennessee. After taking possession of the historic home in 1966, the Lynn Family discovered the grounds were haunted by Confederate Civil War ghosts and a mysterious woman in white. In my research I was unable to learn whether the ghosts enjoy Ms. Lynn’s music or not.

At 9 you’ve got a choice to make: Comedy or drama. In the Drama category is Bravo’s airing of Billy Bob Thornton’s break-out movie “Sling Blade” in which Billy Bob plays a mentally impared man with a violent past who befriends a boy and his widowed mother. Billy won the Best Screenplay Oscar for his adaptation of the story, and was nominated for Best Actor but lost to Geoffrey Rush for his portrayal of another head case in “Shine”. Billy Bob became the media’s darling for a year or so, until he hooked up with Angelina Jolie and the world realized what a couple of freaks they were.

If Comedy is more your style, head down to, where else, Comedy Central for the premier of a new comedy show, “Stella,” billed as “dumb comedy dressed up in a suit. Stella features the comedic trio of Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter and David Wain as three characters whose travels through everyday life are unlike anything else on television. With a perfect blend of cleverness and absurdity, Stella satirizes everyday experiences like finding an apartment, hanging out at a coffee shop, going camping and trying to meet women. What are common, normal situations for most people quickly end up in the most unexpected realms when these guys are at the helm.

Even though they're always dressed in suits, their maturity level doesn't always fit their attire. These modern day Marx Brothers spread their non-sensical comedy to everyone they meet and everywhere they go. Their sensibilities are tinged with both sarcasm and wit; the characters, and the show in general, find a way to be both smart and sophomoric.

At 9:30 head over to MTV2 for a blast from the 90s, “Bevis and Butt-head”. Tonight’s classic episode – although they’re all classic, really – features Bevis breaking telemarketing records and saving Butt-head's life.

Finally, at 10 relax with some music. Celtic music, that is. Tune over to KCTS for “Celtic Woman” The program brings five exceptional new Irish stars to your screens in a spectacular performance recorded live at Dublin's prestigious Helix Centre. The women all sing individual numbers, then perform together in David Downes' unique arrangements of songs including, Somewhere from West Side Story, Orinoco Flow, the very moving One World and You Raise me Up. This wonderful show will stun the audience with its beauty as well as its ethereal and emotional feel.

That’s your TV Party for Friday, June 24th, I’m Scott Chicken.

TV Party for Thursday, June 23rd

We’re going to start your TV Party a little early tonight, because it’s Game 7! Now, I’m not a huge basketball fan, and I don’t care for either the Spurs or the Pistons, but come on…it’s Game 7! This will be the 16th time there has been a Game 7 in the NBA finals, and it’s the first since Houston beat New York back in 1994. So leave work early and head to your favorite sport’s bar to share in the wonder of the NBA. It’s FANNNNtastic!

For those of you who couldn’t care less about professional basketball, how about two hours with author Dan Brown as he explores the theory put forward in his best selling novel “The DaVinci Code?” Running from 8 to 10 on the History Channel tonight, this re-run from last December looks at the novel’s story of the Priory of Scion and the possibility that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and co-leaders of their movement and that Mary herself was the “Holy Grail” – the vessel said to hold Jesus’ blood, in this case in the form of his child. The show examines both sides of the story – the conventional view of Christianity and the "alternate history" proposed by Brown--so that viewers can decide.

And if that doesn’t float your boat, well, there’s always “The O.C.” on Fox. Two episodes tonight, so you can catch up on all the action at the Bait Shop. In the first episode, “The Second Chance” airing at 8, Summer decides to take an active role in the making of the comic book, but Seth isn't sure he can handle spending that much time alone with her. And at 9 in “The Lonely Hearts Club” Sandy showers Kirsten with valentines to make up for keeping Rebecca's return a secret; Zach, Summer and Seth head to San Diego to pitch their comic-book idea, and, Seth plans to use the trip to get Summer back. Doesn’t Seth know that once Summer leaves you just have to get through the Fall, Winter and Spring before she comes back? Apparently not.

Finally tonight, at 10, it’s time to empty your mind before you go to sleep, and what better way to do that than by spending an hour with the most empty-headed couple on television, Britney and Kevin? MTV is re-running the “reality” show “Britney and Kevin: Chaotic”, and in tonight’s episode Britney and Kevin reveal how they kept their wedding plans secret from fans, friends and family, and those same friends and family reflect on the experience of the wedding and reception. We the viewing audience can only reflect on the fact that these two somehow deserve each other.

TV Party for Wednesday, June 22nd

Tonight at 8 it’s time to dive back into the world of reality television with the latest show to pop out of the brain of Ashton Kutcher, “Beauty and the Geek” on the WB. In spite of it’s name, Beauty and the Geek is a departure from the usual dating and makeover shows. It pairs seven "academically challenged" women with seven "socially challenged" men. The mismatched team that learns the most from each other is rewarded with insight into how the other half lives--and $250,000. In tonight’s contest, with only four teams remaining in the game, the competition does what? Heat up, naturally. The ladies finally get the chance to give their men makeovers, and the guys are asked to get phone numbers from complete strangers. Meanwhile, tensions rise when a rivalry develops between two contestants. One thing to note, Geeks, there is hope out there: Mr. Kutcher counts himself as a geek, in spite of his on-screen persona in “That 70’s Show” and “Dude, Where’s My Car”…Ashton was once a biochemical engineering major.

Sticking with the reality show theme, at 9 head over to TLC for two hours of makeover glory. If you've ever hoped to see two of TLC's most popular shows come together for a makeover extravaganza, tonight your wish comes true. "While You Were Out" (where Evan Farmer and a team of designers redecorate a room in secret) and "What Not to Wear" (where fashion gurus Clinton Kelly and Stacey London take victims from dowdy to dashing) pool their resources for the ultimate style con. Participant Joe wants to transform a bedroom for his wife Dana, but Dana's friends have nominated her for a style makeover. Solution: do both! This poor girl won't know which way is up by the time the two shows are finished with her. We can only hope they come back in six months for a follow-up show so we can see how far she’s slid back into her old ways.

If that’s not your cup of tea, how about an hour of Frontline on KBTC? In tonight’s episode, “Is Wal-Mart Good for America” economists discuss Wal-Mart and its reliance on Chinese imports. Now, while an hour-long economic discussion may not sound all that exciting, where Wal-Mart goes so go many other companies. Wal-Mart is all about cost, and if they can keep their costs low by buying imported goods from China then that’s what they’ll do, regardless of the consequences to the economy.

At 10 take a break from the here-and-now and look to the future. After all, the future is where we’ll all be living some day, so why not see what’s coming? The History Channel’s “Modern Marvels” series takes a look at “Future Tech” this evening, everything from paper-thin televisions to hydrogen-fueled vehicles to brain-computer interfaces that will allow the handicapped to communicate and surf the Internet for Porn, it’s all coming to a future near you.

TV Party for Tuesday, June 21st

Yesterday was the longest day of the year, so why not celebrate all that extra light tonight by parking it in front of the TV? And what a night of TV we have for you. We’ll start out at 8 with a Dateline NBC “Katie Couric Special”. Katie is working hard to become the Barbara Walters of the 2000s, and tonight she’s got our favorite tabloid story of the last few months, "Runaway Bride" Jennifer Wilbanks, and her fiance, John Mason. They chose to talk to Katie for the first time about why Wilbanks disappeared and fabricated an abduction story before her wedding to Mason. The question on all our minds is, will Katie show that she too can make people cry? We can only hope. And we can also hope Mr. Mason has a good answer to the question "why does he want to mary this crazy woman anyway?"

At 9 slide up to the Discovery Channel for some icey nautical fun on “Iceberg Cowboys”. For the offshore oil and shipping industries, Jerrome Baker and his team of sailors are all that protects them from threatening icebergs. The iceberg cowboys wrangle icebergs up to 400 ft. long and nearly 2 million tons. It's a job riddled with danger. And, we can assume, some wicked strong lassos.

At 10 move on to the History Channel for “Modern Marvels: James Bond” That’s right, the History Channel is doing a show about a fictional character. But what a fictional character it is! His movies are legend, his women beautiful, and his toys the best in the world. Whether James Bond is foiling villains in space-age flying machines or eavesdropping on his enemies with ultra-sophisticated spy gear, British Secret Agent 007 is always guaranteed to have the most outrageous and wonderfully creative gadgets ever to grace the silver screen. Bond had it all. But as we see in this exclusive look at his gadgets, it takes a lot to save the world! Hopefully there will be some great footage of “Q” explaining all the various gadgets the Bond then destroys. Best part of the movies, if you ask me.

TV Party for Monday, June 20th

Tonight at 8 is a special treat for any of you train fanatics out there – and you know who you are. Tacoma’s Public Television station KBTC brings you 90 minutes of steam train glory with “Hear That Train A Comin’”. The Union Pacific Challenger steam train is followed on a trip across the Great Plains. Included in the show are interviews with railroad workers and a visit to vintage roundhouse switching stations in Cheyenne, Wyo., that employ multiple generations of mechanics. The show promises some wonderful scenery and all the steam a train junkie can handle.

If trains aren’t your thing, perhaps you’d rather watch the 100th episode of Fear Factor on NBC. Set in New York, tonight’s episode – a repeat from last November – features contestants attempting to grab a flag from the bottom of the Roosevelt Island tram as it traverses the East River, dine on rat stew served up in Times Square and perform an aerial stunt dangling from helicopters near the Statue of Liberty. The champion, as always, is awarded $50,000 and free use of a stomach pump.

At 9 head over to the Travel Channel for two hours with Michael Palin. Michael’s new gig, since his Monty Python mates are all doing movies and writing hit Broadway shows, is travel documentaries. And I must say, I think he’s got the best job of the bunch: he gets to visit exotic parts of the world that the rest of us only dream about, and he gets paid for it. His latest work is Himalaya. In Himalaya, Michael visits the Earth's greatest mountain range - 1800 miles from the borders of Afghanistan to southwest China. He's covered none of this ground in his previous shows, let alone milked a dri, washed an elephant or swum at 14,000 feet...

Tonight the Travel channel is airing two episodes, “North by Northwest” at 9, where Michael travels from the historic Khyber Pass overlooking Afghanistan to Peshawar by steam train. After a morning with a street dentist, Michael walks the streets of Darra to the rattle of AK 47s, then heads north for a polo match played over two miles above sea level.

In the second episode, “A Passage to India” at 10, we visit Concordia, where K2 sparkles at dizzying heights second only to Everest. The Karakoram Highway crosses into India and through Amritsar, Simla, and Srinagar in troubled Kashmir. A visit to Dharamasala includes an audience with the Dalai Lama. You’ll have to tune in to see if Michael comes out of that one with a “Free Tibet” bumpersticker.

That’s your TV Party for Monday June 20th, I’m Scott Chicken.

TV Party for Friday, June 17th

Fridays are a slow night on television during Sweeps Month, and things have only gotten slower now that it’s summer. So tonight I’m going to outline a couple choices I think might be interesting…not ground breaking, but interesting.

First up is 2 solid hours of investigative reporting courtesy of Dateline NBC. Running from 8 to 10, tonight’s edition turns the hidden camera’s eye on the world of garment workers in Bangladesh. The Dateline team looks at the hours worked, the wages paid, and the conditions of the garment factories, then brings a foreign garment worker to a U.S. department store to see the garments she made and talk to U.S. consumers. It’s a great topic, and will certainly push you to have all your clothes hand-made by the tailor down the street…at least until you get the bill.

If that’s not your cup of tea head up to A&E for Biography: Shania Twain, a look at the singer who bridges the gap between country and pop better than almost anyone in the industry, and wears a mean pair of leopard-print pants. How the heck Mutt Lange ever got her to marry him is beyond me.

After an hour of Shania you’ll definitely be in the mood for an affordable romantic getaway, so slide down the dial to the Food Network for two episodes of “$40 a day” as host Rachael Ray takes you on culinary tours of Nantucket and Cape Cod, all for $40 a day. Well, for the food, anyway. This is the Food Network, after all, so lodging is off the books. In Nantucket she enjoys Sourdough French Toast with Orange Bourbon Butter and Spiced Pecans, Curried Chicken Salad, Dark Chocolate Chipotle Cookies, Iced Lemon Cookies, Pistachio Lime Cookies, and Grilled Salmon Salad, while the Cape Cod menu features Stuffed French Toast, Captain Parker's Chowder, Linguini Puttanesca, and The Cape Codder. Clearly they don’t have any cookies out on Cape Cod.

After watching all that eating it’s time to watch people exercise. That’s right, exercise. Extreme exercise. At 10 head down to ESPN2 for coverage of the 2004 World’s Strongest Man competition from the Bahamas. Watch as these insanely huge men compete in crazy strength events like the limo pull, the milk jug carry (with milk jugs that weigh something like 200 pounds each…) and my favorite, the Atlas Stones where the competitors have to lift five stones of decreasing weight and set them on increasingly tall platforms. The first stone weighs a hefty 363 pounds and gets lifted a little over 4 and a half feet high. The fifth stone weighs 242 pounds and gets lifted on to a platform that’s just under 6 feet high. And to think I complain when I have to carry my kids around…

TV Party for Thursday, June 16th

Tonight we’re going to stretch that guarantee a bit. Why? Because it’s game 4 of the NBA finals, with the Pistons trailing 2 games to 1, and it’s clear that the other networks have given up any hope of taking viewers away from the game. So, for those of you who aren’t basketball fans there’s not much to chose from in the early evening. Case in point, at 8 KING offers up the NWCN 10th Anniversary special. Yes, Northwest Cable News is 10 years old, and now you can look back on the last decade with a half hour of highlights from NWCN’s history. Be there for every Jim Foreman natural disaster report, from the flooded Skagit valley to the snow-swept heights of Queen Anne hill. And don’t forget those other Northwest landmark stories, like the Mary Kay Laturneau trial. And then her release. And her second offense and second imprisonment. And then her second release. And the wedding. Man, this is going to take a lot more than a half hour…

At 8:30 head up to MTV2 for an episode of the greatest Claymation show since Gumby, Celebrity Deathmatch. Tonight’s bouts pit Tommy Lee against Ron Jeremy, Alanis Morrisette against Jewel, and the Three Stooges against the Three Tenors. All fights are to the death, and there will be plenty of clay blood spilled and spines ripped out, so those of you offended by cartoon violence may want to take a bath instead.

At 9:00 you can head back down to KING for another episode of the show that NBC would like to say is sweeping the country, Hit Me Baby One More Time. For those of you not familiar with the formula, it’s the bastard love child of American Idol and Bands Reunited. On tonight’s show Sophie B. Hawkins, Cameo, Wang Chung, Irene Cara and Howard Jones are all called out of retirement and thrown on stage in a contest to see who stinks the least. The winner receives $20,000 for the charity of their choice and another 15 minutes of fame. Losers will be sent immediately back out on the Indian Casino tour. Word Up.

Finally, at 10 click on the Discovery Channel for Greatest American – Top 25 This product of AOL TV is attempting to narrow down a list to find the Greatest American of all time. Tonight, the Top 25, based on votes by viewers who happened to go to the web site. Now, knowing the American TV watching / Internet Surfing public I was very surprised to see that neither Tommy Lee NOR Ron Jeremy were on the list, nor was my #1 pick, Mike Ditka. Making the cut, however, were Oprah, Ben Franklin, Lance Armstrong, Bob Hope, and both George W. and Bill Clinton. Go figure. I think Ditka should demand a recount.

TV Party for Monday, June 13th 2005

What better way to relax after a tough day at work than with the mind-altering substance of your choice and three hours with the Grateful Dead? Well, if you can’t think of anything better than that I suggest you get comfortable and set the TV on KCTS at 8 for “The Grateful Dead Movie”. Thirty years ago in 1974, the band decided to take a break from playing together. Knowing that this might be the close of an era, they filmed five consecutive concert nights in San Francisco at Bill Graham's Winterland Arena. The director and crew captured the concert, interviews and backstage camaraderie with seven cameras, and on the final night the band invited former Grateful Dead drummer, Mickey Hart, to join them on stage.

Jerry Garcia spent two and a half years editing this 'love letter to Dead Heads,' a two hour and fifteen minute project complete with animation. The film was originally released in 1977.

One word of warning, it’s pledge drive time again, so your buzz will be harshed by George Ray and whatever Deadhead he drags in off the street every 20 to 30 minutes, so be prepared with plenty of snack foods, lava lamps and whatever else you need to keep the groove going.

If hippie twirl-dancing music isn’t your bag, head up to BET at 8 for the 1988 Keenan Ivory Wayans blacksploitation spoof “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.” Wayans plays Jack Spade who returns from the army to his old ghetto neighborhood when his brother, June Bug, dies. Jack declares war on the powerful local crime lord Mr. Big, who should not be confused with the Chris Noth character from "Sex and the City". His army is led by John Slade, his childhood idol who used to fight bad guys in the 70s. The cast contains classic blacksploitation actors Bernie Casey as Slade, Isaac Hayes as Hammer and Jim Brown as Slammer, and features John Vernon, best known as Dean Wermer in Animal House, as Mr. Big.

At 10 it’s time to look inside the secret lives of food. You didn’t know food had secret lives, did you? Well, thanks to the Food Network you do. In the first episode, “The Secret Life of Sugar” we learn that the average American consumes nearly 153 pounds of it a year! Host Jim O’Connor travels to Hawaii to get a taste for the yummy sweetener right from the cane, then gets a first hand look at how its used in everything from gourmet appetizers to highly prized artworks.

The second episode dives in to one of my favorite dessert treats, Pudding. Jim dives in to the origins and varieties of one of America's comfort foods, and its probably a lot older than you thought. So cook up a pot – chocolate is my favorite – and settle in for some foody history.

If you have a favorite show you'd like to see highlighted on "Scott Chicken's TV Party" please throw up a comment in the ol' Blog and I'll see what I can do. And if you'd like to listen to the broadcast version of this little diddy head over to Super CFL and click the "Listen Online" link on the left!