Joyce Guy Movies

Workaholic Cristina (Sandra Oh) feels stiffed when the hospital "celebrates" the New Year by imposing a mandatory work limit. Back at Seattle Grace, patient Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan in his first series appearance) looks forward to receiving a heart transplant--and to express his ardor for Izzie (Katherine Heigl). Other patients include a disgruntled novelist who literally eats his words, and a 14-year-old hemaphrodite girl frustrated over her inability to reach puberty. Meanwhile, Derek (Patrick Dempsey) pays a visit to Meredith's mother Ellis (Kate Burton)--without telling Meredith (Ellen Pompeo). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

To fully appreciate the title of this episode, one must understand that "Rosita" is the name Joey (Matt LeBlanc) has given to his beloved -- and rather run-down -- easy chair. As Joey mourns the loss of his favorite piece of furniture, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) settles into her new job as a telemarketer, only to find that she must play nursemaid to her first customer, a high-strung office manager named Earl (played by Seinfeld's Jason Alexander), who threatens to kill himself after hearing Pheeb's sales pitch. And the old "mom always loved you best" routine plays itself out between siblings Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica (Courteney Cox). This episode originally ran 40 minutes (with commercials) when it aired on NBC. ~ Rovi

Hank Azaria, longtime significant other of series star Helen Hunt, makes his first Mad About You appearance. When Jamie's sister Lisa (Anne Ramsay) passes on walking Murray, the Buchmans (Hunt and Paul Reiser) are obliged to hire a professional walker. That worthy is a fellow named Nat, played by Azaria. Problems arise when Murray (aka "Furry Murray," aka "F. Murray Abraham") indicates that he likes Nat a lot more than his owner Paul Buchman. ~ Rovi

Television sitcom star Tim Allen made his big screen debut with this light, family-friendly holiday comedy. Allen stars as Scott Calvin, the divorced dad of Charlie (Eric Lloyd). Scott is distressed to learn that his ex-wife Laura (Wendy Crewson) and Charlie's psychiatrist stepfather Neal (Judge Reinhold) have informed his son that there is no Santa Claus. While a sullen Charlie visits his dad on Christmas Eve, a noise on the roof brings them outside, where Scott startles the intruder, who tumbles from the roof. It turns out that there is a Santa after all, and Scott has just accidentally killed him. Because of a legal technicality known as "the Santa clause," Scott inherits the jolly old elf's job. As the next year passes, Scott rapidly gains weight, grows a white beard and meets the elf Bernard (David Krumholtz) -- who is the one who really runs the North Pole -- while Charlie regains his Christmas spirit. However, Neal becomes concerned about Scott's sudden change in appearance and insistence that he's Santa, and he forces him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Director John Pasquin previously directed Allen in the TV series Home Improvement and would team with him again for Jungle 2 Jungle (1997). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

As indicated by its title, this made-for-TV weeper was inspired by one of author Danielle Steel's innumerable best-sellers. The beautiful and talented Adrian (Polly Draper) is a writer for one of America's most popular TV soap operas. She is also pregnant, and when she refuses to abort her baby, Adrian's selfish husband (Kevin Kilner) deserts her. It falls to one of the soap opera's producers, the recently divorced Bill (John Ritter), to convince Adrian to give romance a second chance -- and, incidentally, to give her baby a new last name. Described at the time of its release as "a yuppie love story," Danielle Steel's 'Heartbeat' was originally telecast by NBC on February 3, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Wes Craven's Shocker takes media manipulation to a new level in this story of an evil force emitted from television sets that has the power to kill. The film centers on high school athlete Jonathan Parker (Peter Berg). His estranged father is homicide detective Don Parker (Michael Murphy), who has been working on capturing an elusive serial killer plaguing the town. One night, during a particularly vivid nightmare, Jonathan dreams that while Parker is away on an assignment, his family is murdered by the serial killer. In the dream, Jonathan can identify the killer -- local television repairman Horace Pinker (Mitch Pileggi). Amazingly, it turns out that Jonathan's nightmare was reality. Using Jonathan's dream as evidence, Pinker is brought to trail, found guilty, and sentenced to death in the electric chair. Before his execution, Pinker makes a pact with the devil so when he is electrocuted, the electricity from the chair will give his spirit powers of evil. At first, Pinker's murderous spirit travels in and out of people's bodies, prompting the host to commit murder. But when it seems more effective to communicate with people by television signals, the spirit is willing and soon people suddenly become possessed by Pinker's spirit through TV screens and engage in murderous atrocities. All this is done by Pinker to exact retribution upon Jonathan, who was responsible for sending him to his death. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi