So, went Christmas shopping yesterday and, of course, ended up with one thing for myself. That's the second season of Route 66 (and yay for Roxbury Entertainment not even attempting to muck about with this season's format). I fell thoroughly in love with the first season. This was a show where every time I'd get a disc from netflix, I'd think, okay, four episodes, let's do one each night. And I never, ever could. Once the dvd went in, I simply could not turn it off. It didn't matter if I didn't start watching until 10 pm, I'd stay up however long it took to watch all four episodes. It was that good. Many eps wrung me out emotionally. This show deals with a lot of unpleasant things, makes you think, makes you care about strangers you just met. The stories, the snappy, snazzy dialogue, the great real locales, the two leads, the guest stars, the music.... This show does everything right.
So sure enough, I put in the first disc of Season 2 last night... and I didn't stop watching until I'd seen all four eps. I just can't (nor want to) turn this show off! The last ep on the disc surprised me for a 1960 show. Naive Tod wants to help a heroin addict get through withdrawal enough to go into a drug rehab program and gets his eyes opened. Not-so-naive Buz has a spot-on raging rant that just blew me away. I didn't expect that kind of honesty and openness about drug abuse. Though it shouldn't surprise me, because this show dives in headfirst everywhere else.
I cannot wait to watch the rest of the season.
Favorite line of dialogue last night, from "Goodnight Sweet Blues," said by the wonderful, wonderful Ethel Waters: "Time has nothing to do with who you love."
So sure enough, I put in the first disc of Season 2 last night... and I didn't stop watching until I'd seen all four eps. I just can't (nor want to) turn this show off! The last ep on the disc surprised me for a 1960 show. Naive Tod wants to help a heroin addict get through withdrawal enough to go into a drug rehab program and gets his eyes opened. Not-so-naive Buz has a spot-on raging rant that just blew me away. I didn't expect that kind of honesty and openness about drug abuse. Though it shouldn't surprise me, because this show dives in headfirst everywhere else.
4 comments:
Oh, that is a wonderful quote...
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And I've never heard of this show! Sounds interesting...do you think I'd like it? :)
That brunette in the picture is darn good looking. Kinda giving me the 'eye' this morning. ;)
Gonna have to go look this one up...
I'm glad you're enjoying it. :)
I think I read somewhere, that almost everyone buys at least one gift for them self while Christmas shopping...you did good with just one; I bought three. :)
Well, it's about the two guys in the picture (Martin Milner and George Maharis) bopping around the United States, taking various jobs where they can and encountering/helping people as they go. They're the only two constants (well, them, and their cute little corvette); the guest stars change weekly. It's sort of a forerunner to Quantum Leap, without the sci-fi element, if you ever watched that show. This show filmed on location all across the US, in whatever place the boys are actually stopped in. And it is really cool to see the real scenery.
I thought it'd be a rather light on-the-road show, but in the very first episode of season 1, Buz and Tod nearly get lynched in this Town with a Secret. I went, whoa! and was instantly hooked.
And because we love classic movies, most of the guest stars are all people I know. I don't read ahead to see who's guest-starring, and so there's a lot of delighted squeeing by me when people like Lee Marvin or Ben Johnson or Dan Duryea, etc. pop up unexpectedly while I'm watching. Half the fun is just seeing who's going to appear! The best eps are those written by Stirling Silliphant. I've learned that when his name goes by in the "written by" credit, I'm in for a good ride. As he wrote most of the first season, I was rarely disappointed. :-D
But it's definitely melodrama, so if those kind of heavy emotional stories drive you crazy, stay away.
And it's funny, cuz I originally rented the show for the blond, Martin Milner. I just love him. But the dark-haired guy has been steadily growing on me until now, I watch the show for both of them equally!
You remember the other day, how you mentioned something about 'not knowing about something, then once you DO know about it, you hear about it again'?
Well, last night, during Robert Osborne's introduction of THE SATAN BUG, he mentioned how all the older actors would soon transition from film to TV, like Dana with that soap opera, but George Maharis was the opposite: he was famous for TV work, and just coming off the series ROUTE 66...I thought, Ha! I know about that show!! ;)
I am completely in love with this show, and with George Maharis as Buz. I can relate to watching four episodes in a row like that. The writing is brilliant.
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