Mel Efros Movies

To those who have grown up with the radio and TV versions of the old Lone Ranger series, this retro TV-movie adaptation will appear as if it has just landed from another planet. Gone are such familiar trappings as "The William Tell Overture," the bushwhacking Butch Cavendish Gang, the title character's backstory as a genuine Texas Ranger, and faithful Indian companion Tonto's Pidgin English. Instead, the viewer is offered a wall-to-wall rock score; a twentysomething hunk of a Boston law student named Luke Hartman (Sebastian Spence) who morphs into the Lone Ranger; an equally youthful and remarkably articulate Tonto (Nathaniel Arcand) who dabbles in mysticism and has a hottie sister named Alope (Anita Brown); authentic 19th century dialogue such as "I love you guys!"; and even a skinny-dipping sequence. Yes, the Lone Ranger still rides a white stallion named Silver and fills his guns with silver bullets; yes, he still sports a mask; and yes, he dedicates his life to being a "champion of justice" after the brutal murder of his Ranger brother. Otherwise, it's "Hi Yo, Dude!" in this radical rethinking of The Lone Ranger, which debuted February 26, 2003, on the WB network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Moving from its Thursday-night slot to a more ratings-friendly Tuesday berth, the WB drama series Gilmore Girls began its second season with Lorelai Gilmore, single mother and manager of Independence Inn in the Connecticut town of Stars Hollow, accepting a proposal of marriage from Max Medina (Scott Cohen) -- who happened to be one of the teachers at Chilton Prep School, where Lorelai's 16-year-old daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel), was currently enrolled. Within a few episodes, however, Lorelai had gotten cold feet and called off the wedding. Though her wealthy mother, Emily (Kelly Bishop), accused Lorelai (who'd had Rory out of wedlock) of being unable to make a lasting commitment to any man, the fact was that Lorelai was currently weighing the options between Rory's father, Christopher Hayden (David Sutcliffe), a former restless spirit who was now showing signs of developing a sense of responsibility and permanence, and Luke Danes (Scott Patterson), the diamond-in-the-rough owner of the local diner. Of the large supporting cast, two recurring characters were elevated to "regular" status: Dean Forester (Jared Padalecki), erstwhile boyfriend of Rory Gilmore, and Paris Geller (Liza Weil), snooty editor of the Chilton student newspaper and Rory's principal campus nemesis (at least until they became friends during a crucial school election). Also added to the regular cast was Milo Ventimiglia as Jess Mariano, the troublesome 17-year-old nephew of Luke Danes. By the end of season two, it appeared as though Rory was emulating the romantic travails of her mom, Lorelai, torn between the affections of Dean and Jess.

In another amorous development, Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy), Indepence Inn's ditzy chef, became engaged to local produce vendor Jackon Melville (Jackson Douglas), a relationship culminating in a wedding at season's end. Additionally, Rory's friend Lane Kim (Keiko Agena) began aggressively pursuing not only boys but also a career as a rock musician, much to the dismay of her staunchly traditional Korean parents. This was also the season in which Lorelai's father, Richard (Edward Herrmann), forced out of his high-paying job, established his own insurance consulting firm in Stars Hollow. In a similar vein, Lorelai began feeling professionally confined as the manager of an inn and began laying plans to purchase her own business, with (hopefully) Sookie as her partner. And finally, Christopher Hayden apparently took himself out of the running as Lorelai's beau when he took upon himself a young fiancée named Sherrie Tinsdale (Mädchen Amick). Even so, season two drew to a close with Sherrie dumping Christopher, who in turn ended up in bed with Lorelai -- but the future of this relationship was endangered by a startling phone call from Sherrie. As for Rory, she found herself in a passionate embrace with the redoubtable Jess not long after the two of them had been involved in a controversial car accident -- setting up a cliffhanger situation that would have to wait until the beginning of season three for resolution. While Gilmore Girls had still not cracked the Top 30 as far as ratings were concerned, the numbers the series posted were quite respectable by WB network standards. ~ All Movie Guide

It took a great deal of intestinal fortitude for the WB network to schedule the first of its "prestige" drama series, Gilmore Girls, opposite the NBC powerhouse Friends on Thursday night. But the gamble paid off: a critical success virtually from the outset, Gilmore Girls gradually built up a loyal following which assured WB some of its best ratings of the year. The series was set in the town of Stars Hollow, CT, home of 32-year-old single mother Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Martin) and her 15-year-old daughter, Rory (Alexis Bledel). Having never married Rory's irresponsible father, Christopher Hayden (David Sutcliffe), and long estranged from her wealthy parents, Richard (Edward Herrmann) and Emily (Kelly Bishop), Lorelai had been forced to go it alone in life, ultimately landing a good job as manager of Independence Inn, a Star Hollow landmark since 1779. She had also done a good job raising her straight-A student daughter, Rory -- though because of the close proximity of their ages, the relationship was more sister-sister than mother-daughter. As the first season opened, Rory was poised to enter the prestigious Chilton Prep School in nearby Hartford. The tuition cost obliged Lorelai to swallow her pride and seek out funding from her parents, who agreed to foot the bill on one condition: that Lorelai mend her relationship with them and once again become part of their lives. This condition was primarily set up by Lorelai's mother, who had plans to mold young Rory into the "perfect" granddaughter that her own child had never been.

In the tradition of Northern Exposure, Gilmore Girls was populated with a large and colorful supporting cast, ranging from lovable eccentrics to not-so-lovable drama queens. The staff at Independence Inn included pompous French concierge Michel Gerard (Yanic Truesdale) and klutzy but talented chef Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy). Not far from the inn was the diner run by curmudgeonly Luke Danes (Scott Patterson), who, as the season wore on, revealed that he'd had a long-standing crush on Lorelai. The self-appointed "leader" of Stars Hollows' merchant class was Taylor Doose (Michael Winters), owner of the town's main grocery store and employer of Rory's off-and-on boyfriend Dean Forester (Jared Padalecki). Others in town included Rory's best friend, Lane Kim (Keiko Agena), whose efforts to assert her blossoming womanhood were constantly being thwarted by her super-strict Korean parents; busybody dance instructor Miss Patty (Liz Torres); supercilious Babette Dell (Sally Struthers) and her husband, Morey (Ted Rooney); and funky handyman Kirk Gleason (Sean Gunn), a classic example of "still waters run deep." At Chilton, Rory ran smack-dab into a maelstrom of snooty snobbery and calculated cattiness personified by Paris Geller (Liza Weil), editor of the school paper. Halfway through season one, Lorelai began dating Rory's English teacher, Max Medina (Scott Cohen) -- a relationship that nearly cost Max his job. Complicating matters was the return of Rory's prodigal father, Christopher, who was still unwilling to make a permanent commitment to Lorelai -- or was it the other way around? Likewise on the romantic front, Rory found herself caught in the middle of the tempestuous relationship between the jealous, spiteful Paris and the trouble-prone Tristan DuGrey (Chad Michael Murray). The first season of Gilmore Girls ended on a cliffhanger as Lorelai pondered whether or not to accept Max Medina's marriage proposal. There was, however, no doubt that critics and fans alike had thoroughly taken Gilmore Girls to their hearts. ~ All Movie Guide

Identical twin 9-year-old girls, one a poor orphan, the other a rich heiress, cause confusion when they decide to meddle in their caretakers' love lives in this family-oriented comedy. Amanda (Mary Kate Olsen) is the orphan, a scrappy young girl with no family, relying on the support of her caring social worker, Diane (Kirstie Alley). When Diane brings Amanda to a summer camp, she first encounters Alyssa (Ashley Olsen), the wealthy daughter of the camp's sponsor, Roger Callaway (Steve Guttenberg). The girls immediately bond and decide to switch places for the fun of it. They soon conclude that their lives would be improved if Roger and Diane were to get together and form a family, and they set out to bring the adults together. More jaded, older viewers may be put off by the film's saccharine tone and derivative, Parent Trap-like narrative, but the inoffensive humor and the presence of popular TV stars the Olsen Twins should appeal to family audiences. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

See if you can predict the ending of this one. John Ritter and Cassie Yates are the next-door neighbors of Penny Marshall and Bert Convy. Ritter and Marshall can't stand each other. But presto! Ritters' wife Yates runs off with Marshall's husband Convy. The two spurned spouses meet to bemoan their individual fates. Love Thy Neighbor is a TV-movie comedy with a TV-movie cast and a TV-movie denouement. The only surprise is the absence of a laugh track. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Big Bus is set aboard a nonstop, nuclear-powered luxury bus commandeered by Joseph Bologna. Naturally, Bologna is a tortured hero with a deep dark secret (he keeps insisting he didn't eat all those passengers on his last disastrous drive). Stockard Channing and Harold Gould play the designers of the big bus, and of course they have a few skeletons in their closet. In fact, there isn't a passenger on the all-star manifest that isn't hiding something. The supporting cast features contributions by René Auberjonois (parodying his M*A*S*H role), Ned Beatty, José Ferrer, Ruth Gordon (doing a devastating send-up of Airport's Helen Hayes), Sally Kellerman, Richard Mulligan, and many others; Murphy Dunne contributes a memorable bit as a smarmy cocktail pianist. Unfortunately, The Big Bus was dumped onto the summer 1976 release schedule without fanfare by Paramount, and it sank without a trace. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide