40th Anniversary Watch Party

[T.Q.]

October 13, 1983

Smaller Than Life
Episode Number: 66
Season Number: 4.3
Air Date: 10/13/1983

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

October 13, 1983

Smaller Than Life
Episode Number: 66
Season Number: 4.3
Air Date: 10/13/1983

It's silly and cheesy but I think it's a fun watch. Not the terrible episode that folks say it is. Waldo is annoying and the whole CIA plot/karate fight/TM accidentally solving the case by typing the wrong name into some computer terminal is ridiculous. But hey it was still kinda fun.

[T.Q.]

October 13, 1983

Smaller Than Life
Episode Number: 66
Season Number: 4.3
Air Date: 10/13/1983

It's silly and cheesy but I think it's a fun watch. Not the terrible episode that folks say it is. Waldo is annoying and the whole CIA plot/karate fight/TM accidentally solving the case by typing the wrong name into some computer terminal is ridiculous. But hey it was still kinda fun.

I agree. Super cheesy but with Magnum you have to take the cheese episodes with the serious, the sad, the fun episodes, and just enjoy them for what they are.

[308GUY]

"Wilbur?"

[eagle]

Watched this one yesterday & today. I agree -- super cheesy, but fun. I enjoy this episode.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

"Wilbur?"

(in deep voice) "Hello, Orville".

That part cracks me up! What a great ending! All I can think of is Lurch from the Addams Family when I hear "Hello, Orville". In fact I thought it might actually be Ted Cassidy's voice but then I discovered that he died in 1979.

[eagle]

I missed last week's. Means I'll watch 2 eps this weekend.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

"Distant Relative" was 2 weeks ago. Probably my favorite season 4 episode. Unlike "Home from the Sea" which of course was great this one felt more like MPI - bad guys in play and a case to solve. Plus I like how the story starts light-hearted but then takes a darker turn. Very good scenes between TM and Rick. The opening model airplane scene with Higgy and Agatha is one of the best humorous moments in the entire series!

Last week there was no episode. MPI took a break. This week it'll be "Limited Engagement" - another good one. Pickled egg, please.

[Pahonu]

"Distant Relative" was 2 weeks ago. Probably my favorite season 4 episode. Unlike "Home from the Sea" which of course was great this one felt more like MPI - bad guys in play and a case to solve. Plus I like how the story starts light-hearted but then takes a darker turn. Very good scenes between TM and Rick. The opening model airplane scene with Higgy and Agatha is one of the best humorous moments in the entire series!

Last week there was no episode. MPI took a break. This week it'll be "Limited Engagement" - another good one. Pickled egg, please.

The model airplane scene is hilarious, including TM’s laugh and clapping/skipping exit. It also provides one of just a handful of glimpses of the rear of Pahonu. TM comes out of a gate to the rear courtyard. It has a higher wall than the front one. He goes past a window with a decorative iron grill on it. It’s to one of the bedroom suites. All five of the suites open to this rear courtyard with glazed doors, either directly for the two on the first floor, or by a balcony for the three on the second.

Interestingly, none of the bedrooms have such views of the front courtyard, though two of them have small windows in their adjacent sitting rooms. When I learned of this configuration years ago, it always seemed odd to me, likely because we are so familiar with the front of the home and its beauty. Some forum members and I speculate that the rear courtyard was perhaps more lushly planted. It’s about twice the size and more private with the high walls.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Last week's "Limited Engagement"...

A very enjoyable episode, every bit as good as the Luther Gillis episode. Maybe even better. Loved the 2 biddies (Martha Scott and Mildred Natwick) playing the quick-change scam artists. Natwick always seemed to play this similar busy-body type - like her 2 appearances as Millicent Shand on Hawaii Five-O. She's a wonderful actress. Martha Scott I remember from my 2 favorite Biblical epics - The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur! Magnum meeting the former baseball player Johnny Wells (John McLiam) at the old folks home and having his baseball card in his possession was also good stuff. Everything with TM undercover at the store was great fun too.

And of course... "Pickled egg, please..."

[T.Q.]

Last week's "Limited Engagement"...

A very enjoyable episode, every bit as good as the Luther Gillis episode. Maybe even better. Loved the 2 biddies (Martha Scott and Mildred Natwick) playing the quick-change scam artists. Natwick always seemed to play this similar busy-body type - like her 2 appearances as Millicent Shand on Hawaii Five-O. She's a wonderful actress. Martha Scott I remember from my 2 favorite Biblical epics - The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur! Magnum meeting the former baseball player Johnny Wells (John McLiam) at the old folks home and having his baseball card in his possession was also good stuff. Everything with TM undercover at the store was great fun too.

And of course... "Pickled egg, please..."

Are these now new episodes for you that you've never seen yet?

If so, you should go to the episode threads and give your review. Be interesting to hear a fresh take after 40 years.

Or just put them here.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Last week's "Limited Engagement"...

A very enjoyable episode, every bit as good as the Luther Gillis episode. Maybe even better. Loved the 2 biddies (Martha Scott and Mildred Natwick) playing the quick-change scam artists. Natwick always seemed to play this similar busy-body type - like her 2 appearances as Millicent Shand on Hawaii Five-O. She's a wonderful actress. Martha Scott I remember from my 2 favorite Biblical epics - The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur! Magnum meeting the former baseball player Johnny Wells (John McLiam) at the old folks home and having his baseball card in his possession was also good stuff. Everything with TM undercover at the store was great fun too.

And of course... "Pickled egg, please..."

Are these now new episodes for you that you've never seen yet?

If so, you should go to the episode threads and give your review. Be interesting to hear a fresh take after 40 years.

Or just put them here.

Everything up to and including "No More Mr. Nice Guy" I'm watching a second time now. Everything after that will be my first rodeo - starting with the Carol Burnett episode. "Home from the Sea" I've seen several times over the years though. I think I reviewed a few of these episodes on the episode threads in the past.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Last week I saw "Letter to a Duchess" and my feelings haven't really changed on it. It's good/okay but nothing more than that. I still think "Tropical Madness" is the superior episode. That one even has a midget (or a dwarf)! And you just can't beat seeing Higgy actually sock TM in the jaw! And I still think that somehow Jane Merrow comes across as too much of a Plain Jane for Higgy to be going completely bonkers over her. Looks like an English homemaker, not royalty. Though I guess for him a lot of it has to do with the "peerage". He's such a snob! I do like him talking to the lads and telling them that "one has to know one's station in life". And I also like the appearance of the brand new Audi 100 - must have been the newest 1983 model (although I always thought they came later - like mid to late 80s). Always dug those! I remember when we came to America in 1991 as a kid I was pretty much in love with that particular make and model. They seemed to be everywhere.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

This week - "Squeeze Play"

Really like this one. Both times that I saw it. I just like baseball in general and seeing the high stakes involved here (Robin's Nest on the chopping block) adds a real sense of urgency and worry. Of course we know that everything will turn out fine in the end but I like the twist here that it's not actually them winning the game that saves them. In fact they lose the game (which is more true to life, as opposed to a last minute miracle like you often see in TV/movies) but TM finds a different way of saving Robin's Nest. I like the "Killer Kapowicz" character with his short temper but an ace player. Poor Rick is the butt of jokes again - a terrible player. Dick Shawn played a real cad here as Buzz - I wish he got a bigger comeuppance than he did at the end. Surprise visit from Robin Masters at the end was cool too. Again, Higgy IS NOT Robin!

[eagle]

I'm catching up some -- I recently watched "Distant Relative," and today, "Limited Engagement" earlier, and now "Letter to a Duchess." All enjoyable episodes. Maybe I'll squeeze in "Squeeze Play" too, and be caught up.