Buffy the Vampire Slayer introduced me to the possibilities of what television can really do. I already had exposure to true TV greatness with Gargoyles a few years earlier. But this series spent seven years raising the standards of what great serialized television should be.

Surprise twists. Scary monsters. Formidable enemies. Flawed heroes. Insightful humor. Kickass action. Great continuity. Intelligent metaphors. Hysterical pop culture references. Hearbreaking drama. Passionate love affairs. Cheesiness. These were some of the major elements that made this great storytelling. None of them would have been possible without three key ingredients: 1) well-casted and well-crafted characters we believed in and cared about; 2) talented writers who clearly enjoyed their work; 3) Joss Whedon's distinct voice and vision.

That last ingredient is the critical one. Joss Whedon, Architect of the Buffyverse, and the most EVIL man alive. And I mean that last comment in the nicest way possible. The man REFUSED to make his characters happy (and therefore boring) by making the dangers they faced and the choices they made easy. He DELIGHTED in giving the viewers what they needed to see rather than what they wanted, thereby making the show much more surprising and interesting. He BODLY WENT into dark territory because it was necessary for the characters' emotional growth. In short, he DEMANDED that his audience be intelligent, and I love him to death for it.

There are so many great television shows that have come after Buffy the Vampire Slayer which are indebted to it. I watch a lot of tv and can't really decide on one personal favorite out of all the ones currently on the air. But in terms of all-time favorites, Buffy the Vampire Slayer tops the list and probably always will.

The great thing about Peter Pan and the Pirates was that it wasn't afraid to explore new territory. Not to say that it was ground-breaking television - this was your standard adventure cartoon for children. However, it did manage to take a very well-known story and breathe new life into it.

We get an extended look at Neverland and all the wonders and dangers it entails. We get to know the Lost Boys, Indians, and pirates individually. Peter's flaws are more explicit in this show: he's cocky, selfish, and reckless, yet still sympathetic and undeniably heroic. And Hook is not a mustache-twirling buffoon that would only scare children: he's a formidable adversary, a real threat to Peter. We get a great deal of complexity in the relationship between Peter Pan and Captain James Hook. There are times when the two are forced to team up or when Hook inadvertantly shows affection for his arch nemesis. But then the duplicitous pirate immediately turns around and tried to dig his hook in Peter's back. All of these events seem natural because they come out of well-defined characters.

Not many people remember this show or give it the respect it deserves. Neverland and all its inhabitants really came alive for me through this cartoon. I guess animation is the only medium that can really do Peter Pan justice - the flying and the magic spells seem more real here (and in the Disney movie) than in any other production I've seen.

Reasons this episode sucked:

1) The "Pegasus" angle was completely out of the blue and had nothing to do with the action on this show's Enterprise. Trip disobeying orders in the heat of the moment to save his captian has nothing to do with Riker disobeying orders to expose a secret. If they really wanted to make connections, they could have shown Riker dealing with Data's sacrifice from the last movie as he begins his new command. His dilemma resembles Archer's situation, not Trip's.

2) Although I love Ricker and Troi, they received too much focus. Instead of spotlighting some of STE's long neglected characters (Mayweather & Sato), precious time was spent on two characters from a totally different show. The people watching the finale were the fans who didn't give up on STE. Personally, it's been years since I've seen a TNG episode. I wanted better closure for the people who were only around for 4 years, not the ones who already got 7 years and 4 movies.

3) If you're gonna make Trip die, give him a better death. The crew has been in way worse situations than what they faced in this episode. Trip, genius that he is, totally could have jury-rigged a trap that wouldn't have fried him in the process.

4) 6 years pass and Trip and T'Pol never went any further with their relationship? After the series devoted 2 years spotlighting their chemistry and deepening thier relationship? After they lost a child together? Only on a Star Trek series.

5) None of it was real! It was a holodeck simuation 200 years in the future! All of it was conjecture on the program's part. LAME!!!

I discovered this show in reruns and seriously regret not watching it when it first aired. At that time, I had pretty much given up on the half-hour sitcom as being boring, uninspired, and not funny. But this show blew my mind for being consistantly funny night after night.

The characters are the key. Everyone in the ensemble has distinct personalities and humor styles that they don't deviate from. That doesn't mean the characters don't evolve over time - they do. But the core personalities remain, and a large part of the fun is witnessing the comedy that comes from these characters behaving in character. The cast plays well with each other while bringing their own unique traits to the mix, allowing everyone a chance to shine at least once an episode.

The little details that are maintained over the seasons are great: Fez's candy obsession, Eric's love for Star Wars, Hyde's ability to poke Kelso's eye every time he clobbers him, Kitty's drinking. I'm a continuity junky, and it makes me happy when details like that are remembered. And the 360 degrees scenes in "The Circle" have never failed to amuse me. There's always at least one moment, one punch line, I never saw coming.

Recent years have shown that there are problems with this show. Red's "foot up your ass" line and Kelso's narcissism are getting old. The slowing down of time in order to keep the show in the 1970s is preventing the younger characters from really moving on with their lives. And seriously, no Eric Forman in season 8? How can it be done? I hope That 70's show goes out with a bang this year - it deserves it for all the laughs it's given me in the past.

The Legend of Prince Valiant debuted in 1991 when I was 9 years old. I have vague memories of watching the first few episodes with my mom and younger brother. I have even vaguer memories of watching the reruns on Family Channel. It wasn't until Fall 2003 that I got a hold of 64 episodes on VHS tapes and signed up to be the show's editor at TV Tome. Since then, I've acquired the entire series from a good friend I met through TV Tome.

Posting the contents of this guide - show summaries, recaps, cast information, etc. - has been especially satisfying for me since there's so few information on this show online. Not many people remember it, and that's a shame - it deserves an honored place in the evolution of television animation.

Of the many animated shows I've watched, The Legend of Prince Valiant has always stood out as being exceptionally well done. It takes elements from its source material (the comics and Arthurian legend) and puts its own unique spin on it to create a series that distinguishes itself in many ways. The show has season-long story arcs, characters who grow and mature over time, consistantly good animation and voice work, and surprising plot twists. Like Gargoyles, this series deals with mature subject matter (political intrigue, murder, romantic relationships) in a family-friendly atmosphere. Most importantly, it's a great adventure with heroes I care about and believe in.