Reviews

Kudos to History Channel for a riveting and well-made documentary about visionaries with ambition, drive, a thirst for success, and a willingness to risk everything on an untested, untried idea for a food that no one had experienced before.

This three-part six-plus-hour documentary follows the failure and success of several now-household product names from entrepreneurs Henry Heinz, Will and John Kellogg, Frank and Forrest Mars, Charlie Post and his ambitious daughter Marjorie, Milton Hershey, Harland Sanders, Clarence Birdseye, the two McDonald brothers, and the nearly-forgotten John Pemberton and his invention, Coca-Cola. Their tales are set against the backdrop of a country that, in the space of less than a century, evolved from a largely agrarian culture to the leader of the free world.

Each story is told by well-cast and talented actors, and supported by interviews with food historians, history professors, and food writers. The dramatizations take us to earlier times when success was far from assured, and failure and bankruptcy a real possibility.

The sets are stunning. Some exterior shots were done on location. I did wonder whether many of the interior scenes were filmed at the actual locations where they first occurred. They're first rate.

The people interviewed (primarily corporate and culinary historians) add their own in-depth knowledge to each tale. Whether they're discussing Hershey, or the Kellogg brothers, or Sanders, or one of the other culinary pioneers, each stresses that while they're household names today, success was not assured. Indeed, several of these 'food pioneers' went bust -- some more than once -- only to claw their way back up. Two world wars and a great depression challenged them to the point of failure, while post-war booms presented untold opportunities.

The people chosen each invented a food (or developed new ways to prepare or sell food) that had never existed before. In each case, they had to convince a skeptical public to try something new and unique, which meant big risk and long hours. In the end, each succeeded, and most of them reaped both fame and fortune.

The tale of the Kellogg brothers is intimately intertwined with that of C.W. Post, and their shared history is riveting. The same can be said of the friendship, then rivalry, then all-out war between two candy titans -- Hershey's Chocolate and Mars, Inc.

The histories of these food tycoons are somewhat different, but they shared the same goal: to change the way America looked at food. It was their overwhelming drive to succeed, and their certainty that their idea was the one America was waiting for, that finally paid off. The Food That Built America is entertaining, instructive, and even inspiring.

Like so many others, I was excited to see what Jodie Whittaker could bring to the role of The Doctor. And I was also far from alone when the first few episodes failed to see her find her proper footing. "She'll get it yet," we consoled ourselves.

But now we're eleven eps in, and I've finally figured why she isn't a proper Doctor: She's too *nice.*

Eccleston's Doctor reminded the Daleks that they called him "The Oncoming Storm." Remember Tennant's Doctor against the Sycorax? "It... is... defended!" Even Matt Smith's deceptively calm question to the Atraxi: "Is this world protected?" followed by a seemingly mild suggestion: "Basically... run." And Capaldi *was* The Oncoming Storm.

With this Doctor, however, there's no fire in her eyes or in her voice. Her "I am The Doctor" moments are mild. "If you want this planet, you'll have to come through me!" Really? Charlotte Ritchie was far more menacing, and I can readily picture her as the next Doctor.

Jodie needs better writing, and a more fiery delivery, if she's to succeed as The Doctor.

LMS has long been a favorite of mine -- along with "a lot of loyal kick-ass fans," as Mister B put it in this Season 7 opener. The writing is still sharp, as it should be, since the show's creator and much of the writing cast is back, along with all but two of the original cast. I'm eager to see more.

Sure, from time to time it has been a little right of center, but that places it in a universe of very few similar shows. Ryan, who at first was a one-dimensional liberal foil for Mike, developed into an actual character through the show's first six seasons. Here's hoping he gets to develop further.

For viewers who might be new to the series and aren't familiar with the backstory, ABC canceled the show -- the network's second-highest-rated comedy -- amid fan charges that it was "too conservative" for the network. The first part of the opening scene was one long direct reference to that event and to the show's migration to Fox. Knowing that will put that scene's in-jokes in context.

The prior six seasons are in syndication, and I recommend watching a few episodes. It might grow on you.

This is the last episode of Rawhide, ingloriously canceled mid-season. The ratings had been suffering for some time, but getting rid of Gil Favor, Pete Nolan, Mushy, and the rest didn't help.

But the mass firing did allow Clint Eastwood to finally develop his character, Rowdy Yates. For the preceding seven seasons, Yates was, far too often, little more than an impulsive, not-too bright foil for Favor's sharp tongue. Beginning with the first episode of season 8, we can see the calculating, hard-bitten, flinty-eyed man start to emerge. I particularly recommend Six Weeks to Bent Fork (1965) as classic Eastwood, but this one's not a bad way to go out.

Yates and his crew never did finish that last cattle drive, but it did signal a new beginning in Eastwood's life.

If you thought Rawhide would suffer after the departure of Eric Fleming, this episode will help change your mind.

The character of Rowdy Yates, who in previous seasons was often used as a foil for Gil Favor's sharp tongue, moves past his role as and impulsive and none-too-swift kid, is now the trail boss, and begins to show us where the inspiration for Clint Eastwood's later characters would come from. No longer indecisive, but rather determined and steely-eyed, this episode foreshadows his spaghetti Western characters in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and "The Outlaw Josey Wales".

As another reviewer put it, "the end scene is pure classic Western" -- and pure Clint Eastwood. Don't miss it!

The other reviewers rake this two-parter, and not without cause. I've appreciated Rawhide for its (usually) well-written episodes and consistent character treatment. Several of the characters have even grown a bit over the past six-plus seasons.

That said, this was clearly written as a farce, and should be enjoyed as such. Sure, Gil Favor's cynical side was comically absent, Wishbone was as gullible as Mushy, and Rowdy telling Favor that "the drovers like this railroad work"? Nope, no sale. Sure, Favor was largely out of character throughout. Yeah, he would have had time to pull on his boots, but that would have robbed us of some comedic fare. And so on.

But the drawn-out, knock-down, drag-out fight between Favor and Damon was, to me, worth the price of admission. "You just take off your shoes and fight like a man!" And so it began, with almost-friendly repartee between bare-knuckled haymakers.

But the best was saved for last. The end credits normally begin with a stock shot of a well-groomed Gil Favor riding up, looking over the herd, and commanding "Head 'em up! Move 'em out!"

This time, however, Favor rides up disheveled, minus his hat, vest, and boots (but, amazingly, with a clean shirt). His face swollen and clearly in pain, he bellows "Head 'em up!", winces, and mumbles "Oh, move 'em out..."

Comedy... not quite gold. I'd give it a silver.

I haven't seen the show since it aired back in '84, but that was the era when personal computers was being introduced. The 'computers' and geek-speak on Riptide fascinated me, as we were already using the IBM PC at our business, and Riptide tried to use computers as a supporting element in the show.

Unfortunately, the world of real computers was just a little too new for the writers. I recall Boz explaining how he'd obtained some vital bit of information to the guys: "Well, I downloaded it using ASCII..." But, hey, they tried.

I don't think one mystery was ever explained: where did these Magnum/Airwolf wanna-be PIs get the cash to run both a yacht AND a helicopter?