Richard McGonagle Movies

Rabid Red Sox booster Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman) gets steamed when boorish Yankees fan Ed Kellner (Ron Karabatsos) drops in at Cheers. So inflammatory are Ed's abrasive anti-Boston insults that Carla ends up slugging the guy. As a result, Ed threatens to slap an enormous lawsuit on Sam (Ted Danson) unless Carla is immediately fired. But never fear, there's a "sweet revenge" finale in this classic episode. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The purpose of this PBS documentary is to show that the true villains of the Hollywood Blacklist were not always "evil" politicians and fat-cat studio moguls. Filmmaker Lionel Chetwynd (ironically a lifelong staunch conservative) has chosen his mentor, screenwriter Carl Foreman, as the hero of the piece. The narrative focuses on 1952, the year that Foreman wrote the script for the classic Western High Noon. Even as his film is being lauded by the critics and the public alike as a masterpiece, the politically "dangerous" Foreman cannot find work in Hollywood, and the State Department is endeavoring to seize his passport. It is hurtful enough that old friends shun him, out of fear that they too will be "tainted"; but when even Stanley Kramer, the self-avowed liberal producer of High Noon, turns his back on Foreman, it is too much to bear. Chetwynd's teleplay is based upon an impassioned letter written by Foreman to influential film critic Bosley Crowther -- a desperate effort on the part of the screenwriter to state his case before the public, and, as it turns out, a futile gesture. At the time of its original telecast in September 2002, Darkness at High Noon: The Carl Foreman Documents incurred the wrath of Stanley Kramer's widow, Karen Sharpe Kramer, who insisted that her late husband was being unfairly maligned; thus it was that Chetwynd was forced to add a disclaimer to the document, begrudgingly stating that his thesis was merely "one version of the story." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When a San Diego socialite is convicted of murdering her ex-husband and his new bride, truth is stranger than fiction as she hires a public relations firm in an effort to keep the media in her corner. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

This made-for-television drama first aired on NBC and was made shortly after the tragic stand-off in Waco, Texas when a conflict between the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and a group of cultist led by charismatic leader and self-proclaimed messiah David Koresh turned into a bloody battle that left the believers' compound burned and many dead. Soon after the dust settled, investigations revealed that the bloodshed may have been unnecessary. Filmed on location, near Tulsa, Oklahoma, the film recounts events before, during and after the catastrophe. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this melodramatic story, a college professor and his family experience trauma and tears when the professor discovers that his one-time lover in France has recently died and left a son behind -- his son. When the young boy shows up on the doorstep because the shocked father can only do what is right and offer him a home, the professor (Martin Sheen), his wife (Blythe Danner), and their children -- as well as the boy -- face new issues in a crisis that threatens the once-cohesive family. Both Sheen and Danner carry their roles beyond the sappy limitations of the script, but neither can change an unsatisfactory ending meant only to bring out another handkerchief. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

On the anniversary of his first date with matchmaker Wanda Finn (Cathy McAuley), Bull (Richard Moll) is on the brink of proposing marriage. First, however, he is required to perform a "miracle"--and please don't ask why. As Bull prepares to pull off this phenomenon, a nervous Wanda wonders how long it will be before the couple can return to their special anniversary repast of Tang and Jello. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Charlie (Matthew Fox) is outraged when the parents of his ex-fiancee Kirsten Bennett (Paula Devicq) storm into town after Claudia (Lacey Chabert) informs them of Kirsten's current emotional turmoil. Even worse, Mr. Bennett (Nicholas Pryor) holds Charlie completely responsible for the fact that Kirsten has lost her prestigious job and been booted from the PhD program--and he intends to take legal action against the Salingers. Elsewhere, Julia begins having second thoughts about attending Dartmouth; and while celebrating their "independence" from their families, roommates Bailey (Scott Wolf) and Callie (Alexondra Lee) drink a wee bit too much liquor...a "harmless" indulgence that will have negative repercussions in the weeks to come. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A mix of political satire and a modern take on 1930's-style screwball comedy, this romance from director Ron Underwood was assumed by many to be based on the real-life relationship between liberal political consultant James Carville and conservative commentator Mary Matalin. Michael Keaton stars as Kevin, an insomniac who meets Julia (Geena Davis) in a store late one night as they haggle over the last bottle of sleeping pills. After spending a romantic evening together, Kevin and Julia each discover to their chagrin that the other is a rival speechwriter in a nasty New Mexico senatorial campaign. As the senate race heats up, the bickering pair tries to keep the relationship alive, but then Julia's ex-fiance Baghdad Bob Freed (Christopher Reeve), a network news foreign correspondent, shows up with the intention of renewing their relationship. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

After several weeks of reruns, Next Generation resumed its first-run manifest on January 4, 1992, with this poignant episode. Resigned to the fact that he has a son named Alexander (Brian Bonsall), Worf reluctantly allows the boy to live with him on the Enterprise. Worf's parenting skills, which even in the best of times are hardly salutary, are put to a grueling test when Alexander begins exhibiting some markedly un-Klingonlike behavior. The inevitable climax is a showdown between father and son (described by one publicity blurb as "Fatherhood: The Final Frontier"). "New Ground" was scripted by Grant Rosenberg from a story by Sara Charno and Stuart Charno. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Dwight Schultz reprises his Next Generation role of hypersensitive officer Reg Barclay. Now stationed at Starfleet's San Francisco Yards, Barclay becomes obsessed with contacting the long-lost Voyager. Enlisting the aid of the reluctant Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Barclay succeeds in getting them both in hot water with their superiors, but that doesn't stop him from hatching a bold and dangerous plan to carry out his self-appointed mission. The final first-run Voyager episode of the millennium, Pathfinder originally aired December 1, 1999; it was written by David Zabel and Kenneth Biller, from a story by Zabel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

To save rock singer Stevie Faith (Valerie Stevenson) from kidnappers who claim to be opposed to her politics, the A-Team hides Stevie in a quiet suburban neighborhood. This requires our heroes to curb their violent tendencies and act like gentlemen--an assignment taken to extremes by Murdock (Dwight Schultz), who adopts the "Hi, neighbor!" personality of Mister Rogers! Meanwhile, Hannibal (George Peppard) has his troubles with a neighborhood watch group led by the inordinately zealous Joe Skrylow (Walter Olkewicz). . .while Stevie's crooked manager, the man behind the kidnapping plot, bides his time, waiting to strike again. Future Murphy Brown regular Robert Pastorelli shows up in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi