TTO |
Musings |
|
| Go Home!
Episode Guides and Reviews Other Reviews Video Archive Miscellaneous Other Sites |
January 26 2003 The news about an HBO special and potential new series is the most exciting thing to happen here in some time. Ruby Romaine is one of my favorite characters, although she is something of a guilty pleasure because of some of her less desirable qualities. My digitizing and DVD work is continuing. It's been helped significantly by my new standalone DVD recorder, which is allowing me to create higher-quality TTO DVD's than I could get from my old tapes. But I'd still like to see a commercial TTO release... August 28 2002 After doing some DVD burning, I'm coming to the conclusion that I would definitely prefer commercial DVD releases of TTUS, TTO, Three Of A Kind, etc. They'd have higher quality than the ones I can do with my equipment and with my tapes. It'd also be less time-consuming for me to buy the finished product than to go through the digitizing, encoding and burning processes myself. But as DVD releases of Tracey's series do not appear to be imminent, I'm going forward with my collection preservation process.... July 19 2002 Wow, I hadn't mused here in over two years! That's going to change now. Now that I'm firmly ensconced in the world of digital video, I'm seeing my collection of Tracey-related videos, not to mention all of the video I've shot since 1989, sitting on my shelves, getting older by the day. The oldest tapes are 17 years old, recorded at the slowest speed -- not very conducive to quality and longevity. So last year, I started taking my tapes and converting them to MiniDV format, with plans to eventually put them on DVD. Digitizing old tapes, not to mention burning them on DVD, is time-consuming and somewhat difficult. I have to contend with flaky quality on the oldest tapes, with a camcorder that treats the smallest video glitch as a copy-protection signal and stops recording, with DVD encoding that doesn't quite match that of professionally-done DVD's, with discs that won't play on all of my players, etc. It would make my job easier if Fox and HBO or whoever would issue TTUS and TTO on DVD. Actually, since Tracey and Allan own TTO outright (I think), they could issue it themselves. It'd be nice if they could get TTUS from Fox. Then they could set up an operation like Johnny Carson, where he sells video collections compiled from thirty years of The Tonight Show. Anyway, it doesn't matter who puts them out, for if they come out, then that means I don't have to do it myself. May 23 2000 I have seen SMALL TIME CROOKS, and it was good. It definitely had its moments. I'd have to say this was Tracey's best film role. Might she be up for Golden Globes and Oscars next year? If it were up to me, of course she would! Longtime fans of Tracey may recall her owning a small dog named Binky Beaumont. I think I now know how that dog got his name: there was a legendary British theater impresario named Hugh "Binkie" Beaumont (1908-1973). April 30 2000 I'm looking forward to seeing SMALL TIME CROOKS. If the trailer is a true indication of the movie, it ought to be hilarious! April 2 2000 The "Monsterplex" is back: the Hollywood Galaxy movie theaters, which were closed when I visited Hollywood in June 1998, have reopened. You may recall it as the "Monsterplex" in the Movies episode of TTO. February 8 2000 Wednesday nights at 10 PM EST just haven't been the same with TTO taking a break. But last season's work is being recognized with award nominations -- American Comedy Award and SAG noms for Tracey, and a Director's Guild nomination for Dennie Gordon. Bravo! Speaking of the comedy awards, Tracey won for her TTO work but was beaten by Betty White for the award for funniest woman in a guest role on TV. Tracey won both awards last year. Let's see... Both Tracey and Betty won for playing therapists on Ally McBeal. Tracey's husband is named Allan; Betty is the widow of Allen Ludden of Password fame. I wonder what other parallels there are.... Some more thoughts: whenever TTO comes back, it may have a new format. Personally, I like the current format, especially the sketches and episodes that feature Tracey's characters interacting with each other. Those have typically been among my favorite episodes (Vegas, Hollywood, Road Rage, End of the World). November 24 1999 In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, I read about performers doing the Florida condo circuit. I could envision that being worked into a Fern sketch someday. November 14 1999 At the time of this writing, Tracey is taking a break from acting and writing to concentrate on launching her Purple Skirt online fashion boutique. Here's hoping that the break's not too long and the launch is successful. What does this mean for TTO? If the fifth season starts in January as in years past, it'll probably have very little new material, focusing instead on programs devoted to specific characters. And there are reports floating around that the series may have a new format. Personally, I'm happy with the current format, but we'll have to wait and see... March 6 1999 Saw an interesting tidbit on the alt.tv.ally-mcbeal newsgroup: Rosie O'Donnell was nearly cast as the smile therapist last year. But as we know, Tracey got the role and has made it her own. I can't imagine anyone else in the role now. February 23 1999 Yesterday (Monday the 22nd) was a good day for Tracey fans -- a nice interview on Leeza in the morning and a major role in Ally McBeal that night. And let's not forget last week's TTO, Road Rage -- and if the clips on HBO's site are any indication, America looks to be pretty good, too. I have a minor complaint about the recently published (in Britain) Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy: its entry for TTUS says Tracey was born in 1954. Oops! It was 1959. But the book is still an excellent reference book for anyone interested in British comedy. February 3 1999 On March 24, seven weeks from today, it will have been fifteen years since I became aware of and became a fan of Tracey's. Has it really been that long?.... In late March 1984, I was staying with relatives in Detroit during the spring break at Michigan State. On the Saturday before heading back to campus, we had just finished watching Star Trek and had left the TV on for Solid Gold. Around halfway through the show, Tracey performed "They Don't Know." Was it the catchy melody and delightful arrangement of the song that got my attention? Or was it the equally delightful sleeveless pink miniskirt outfit she wore <g>? It was a bit of both, actually. That night, I became a fan, and I've enjoyed it. Here's to the next fifteen years! February 1 1999 Recently, my cable system picked up the Game Show Network. Watching some of the old classic game shows (plus a few that aren't very classic at all), and then seeing the sketch from TTO Dating where Linda appeared on a Dating Game knockoff, got me thinking.... Imagine Chic instead of Richard Dawson as the host of Family Feud. He'd certainly love kissing the ladies... And I could picture Linda being on the $10,000 Pyramid -- or maybe as one of the judges on the Gong Show.... As for Tracey herself, I could picture her doing well as a panelist on any of the classic shows like What's My Line, To Tell The Truth, or Password (though that's not really a panel show). More food for thought: I'd like to see a TTO DVD set someday, one patterned along the lines of HBO's DVD box set for the miniseries From The Earth To The Moon. Four discs might be a bit much, so I'd settle for a 2-disc set. The first disc, which would be around 4 hours long, would contain 3 to 4 hours of the best TTO episodes (Childhood, Vegas, Hollywood, Drugs would be some of my choices). It would also have at least one audio channel of running commentary from Tracey and other key members of the crew. The second disc, which would also be a DVD-ROM disc, would contain the extras like promos, bloopers, sketches that had never been aired, behind-the-scenes bits and more. The DVD-ROM portion could contain an online sampler of the TTO book, more background on the characters, pointers to various Web resources, etc. I'm not sure how well it'd sell, but I know that I'd buy it if it were to come out. January 30 1999 The new season of TTO has gotten off to a fantastic start. I must admit that I am somewhat disappointed by the new TTO video, Fern & Kay, because there is almost nothing in the way of new material. The material that's there is great (albeit edited), but I already have it in my collection from the original episode broadcasts -- or should that be cablecasts? What is the incentive for me to buy future tapes? If there were bonus material in the form of bloopers, outtakes or sketches not previously aired, that would be more of an incentive for the devoted fan such as myself. Such material would be useful for any DVD or laserdisc releases, too. I'll have more to say on this at a later date. December 27 1998 According to HBO's January schedule, the first three episodes of the new season of TTO will be Dating, Drugs and Scandal. The info on the Dating episode sounds promising: did Chic and Janie ever you-know-what? Was Ruby really the mistress of Sen. Joe McCarthy? And Fern goes on her first date in 38 years. November 5 1998 I just picked up a book called "The Complete Cross-Referenced Guide to the Baby Buster Generation's Collective Unconscious", which is "a dictionary of cultural literacy for humans who grew up in the '80s." It has an entry for Tracey: "She had a song once, before having a TV show. One-hit thing. 'They Don't Know.' Top 10 even. She had green hair in the video and sounded like Cyndi Lauper." The person who wrote this entry needs to refresh his/her memory, 'cause the only way she had green hair is if the tint on the TV were way off. August 29 1998 I see that Michael Tucker will appear in the fourth season of TTO. But since his character Harry Rosenthal was killed off last season, I'm wondering what's going on. Perhaps he'll be portraying a new character. Or if he is playing Harry again, it could be part of a flashback sequence. Or maybe it'll be like Dallas when Bobby Ewing came back -- it was all a dream.... August 18 1998 Twenty-five more episodes of TTO on the way -- that oughta hold us until the next millenium.... Albert P.'s TTO site summarizes an interview Tracey recently gave to Channel 5 in the UK. In it, she mentions wanting to venture into the director's chair in the future. If she does, she'll be following in many an actor's footsteps. I just hope it doesn't adversely affect her work in front of the camera.... June 12 1998 Say farewell to the "Monsterplex"... I was recently in L.A. for a short visit, and I happened to notice that the Hollywood Galaxy theater has gone out of business. This theater complex served as the "Monsterplex" in the Movies episode of TTO. Ruby would probably take credit for its closing.... June 5 1998 The TTO third season "best-of" special has aired, and for the most part I agree with the choices. Personally, I wouldn't have included Linda's life story; instead, I think I'd select the sketch from the Religion episode where Linda rediscovers her faith in God. Right now on the Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.tv, balloting for the annual Ratty awards is taking place. Tracey is nominated just once, for her guest appearances on Ally McBeal this past March. Voting takes place through June 26. Also from Usenet: people have been speculating about who might replace the late Phil Hartman on NewsRadio. One person thought Tracey would be a good choice. That may be, but it would mean having to give up TTO, and I wouldn't want that to happen. Now I wouldn't mind her reprising her role as the unconventional Dr. Clark on Ally on an occasional or semi-regular basis; those characters need all the therapy they can get! April 20 1998 This isn't directly Tracey-related, but I want to say it anyway. I am saddened by the death of Linda McCartney, and I want to offer my condolences to Paul and their children. March 30 1998 Saw this remark by columnist Bob Talbert in the Detroit Free Press today: "The ultimate nutty movie would be a cinch. Just cast Robin Williams and Tracey Ullman and let these two zanies play all the parts." He must have seen the repeat the previous Friday of that Tonight Show which featured them.... March 16 1998 I wonder why PBS or Comedy Central have never seen fit to buy Three Of A Kind and Girls On Top for airing in the US? They're both pretty decent series, and each of them could appeal to an additional fan base (beyond Tracey fans). Three Of A Kind would appeal to Lenny Henry (Chef) fans, while Girls On Top would be of interest to admirers of French and Saunders (French and Saunders, Ab Fab). Let's not forget to mention Tracey's wonderful guest appearances on Ally McBeal as therapist Tracy Clark, whose methods are quite unusual (now there's an understatement). The theme-song therapy segment had me laughing so long and so hard, I had a hard time catching my breath. I wouldn't be surprised to see her get an Emmy nomination for this guest appearance. February 9 1998 Might there be a TTO movie in 1999? It sure looks that way, if everything works out. This news comes to us from Tracey herself [chat on AOL, Feb. 3 1998]. If it's anything like the episodes with interleaved stories (Vegas and Hollywood), it should be good. January 16 1998 What a week! During the period of January 8 to 15, we were treated to an all-out media blitz. Five television appearances (Tonight, Today, Rosie O'Donnell, Live with Regis & Kathie Lee, and The Daily Show) and two excellent radio appearances (on National Public Radio's "Fresh Air" and the Derek McGinty show). And I'm not even counting the Hollywood episode of TTO, which first aired last Sunday, not to mention the questionnaire in the February issue of Vanity Fair magazine. Due to a blunder on my part (trying to record a 2-hour program on a 30-minute cassette), I missed the Today show. But the two radio appearances (both of which were quite lengthy) made up for my goof. They revealed some of the more intelligent and thoughtful aspects of Tracey, aspects which can't really be demonstrated that well in a typical appearance on Letterman or Leno. This must be my cosmic payback for donating to public radio last year. December 29 1997 Some comments about the upcoming third season of TTO, based on episode summaries from the TTO Web site: Fern and Rayleen will be widowed (in part because of the unavailability of George Segal [Harry] and Danny Woodburn [Mitch], who've landed regular roles in other series) ... we'll see the new character of Sheneesha, who happens to be black .. we won't see Virginia this season (wonder why) ... the Hollywood episode looks to be terrific ... "nicotine donuts", what a concept -- they'll clog your arteries AND your airways ... December 23 1997 Whatever happened to Anna Levine? December 16 1997 While on a weekend visit to East Lansing, Michigan (home to my alma mater, Michigan State University), I was looking through the imports section at Tower Records, when I happened to see a Tracey CD that wasn't familiar. It was a "best-of" from the Benelux countries. Boy, how many ways can record companies repackage the same ol' stuff? Of course, it IS good stuff.... Even more good stuff is coming our way starting in a little over 2 weeks -- the third season of TTO, the TTO book, and the TTO tapes. Now Tracey's celebrating her birthday on December 30th, but we seem to be the ones who are getting the presents <g>. November 16 1997 Well, it wasn't a great night at the CableAce awards -- TTO was shut out :( . However, we did get to see Tracey team up with Carol Burnett to present an award. Tracey and Carol -- two "sophisticated, dignified women" or two wild and crazy gals? You make the call <g>. Two months and a week or so until the third season of TTO... October 21 1997 Right after this year's Emmys, I noticed a very interesting bit of information on the TTO Web site: as of this date, Tracey has won six Emmys -- and there are only three performers who have more: Dinah Shore, Mary Tyler Moore (eight each) and Ed Asner (seven). Now that is impressive. FYI, the individual who has the most Emmys is director Dwight Hemion, who had 16 to his credit through 1996. So says the 1998 Entertainment Almanac. October 12 1997 As of today, the premiere of the third season of "Tracey Takes On..." (TTO) is some 3 1/2 months away in the US. But we'll soon be seeing some activity beyond the occasional rerun on HBO. December will see the publication of "Tracey Takes On..." (Hyperion), and the new year will see the first video release of TTO. The videos are supposed to contain some "new" material; I suspect this refers to the "lost sketches" I've mentioned in the TTO guides and reviews. That'll be reason enough for me to buy the tapes. Personally, I'd prefer to buy them in the higher-quality laserdisc or DVD formats, and I hope they'll be available in either format. Page written by Roger
Reini |