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Archive for the ‘The Black Donnellys’ Category

Episodes Notes: “The Black Donnellys” Episode 3 (Unaired)

Posted: August 26, 2020 in 2000's, Episode Notes, NBC, On Repeat, Rewind, RIP, Sleepers, The Black Donnellys, TV, Watch
Tags: 2000s, Episode Notes, NBC, On Repeat, Rewind, RIP, Sleepers, The Black Donnellys, TV, Watch

***Spoiler Alert***
The Black Donnellys Episode 3: “God Is a Comedian Playing to an Audience Afraid to Laugh”

“God is a comedian playing to an audience afraid to laugh” Voltaire

Also known as the episode in which Kevin Donnelly starts to become my favorite.

Here comes another major NBC fail – this episode was deemed “too violent” and wasn’t aired. Instead, it was put up on the NBC website to stream and was later available on iTunes. Let’s remember, this is 2007, and streaming just wasn’t much of a thing yet. So the show loses steam, and continuity, resulting in a really weird mashup of the episode with a Joey Ice Cream voice over at the beginning of episode 4 to fill in the gaps. (more…)

Episode Notes: “The Black Donnellys” Episode 2

Posted: August 21, 2020 in 2000's, Episode Notes, NBC, On Repeat, Rewind, RIP, Sleepers, The Black Donnellys, TV, Watch
Tags: 2000's, Episode Notes, NBC, On Repeat, Rewind, RIP, Sleepers, The Black Donnellys, TV, Watch

***Spoiler Alert***

Episode 2: “A Stone of the Heart”

“Too long a sacrifice can make a stone of the heart” – W.B. Yeats, Easter 1916

Also known in my mind as the “RIP Tommy’s Jacket” episode.

Something I love about the structure of the show is the quotes within the first few minutes of each episode, starting with episode 2. Each quote relates to the episode title. Kind of feels like you’re watching a play, with each quote setting up the next act.

Episode 2 finds Tommy and Kevin trying to cover up their involvement the murders of Louie, Sal, and Huey. RIP Tommy’s jacket from the epic Minetta Tavern hallway scene in Episode 1, which burns along with the rest of their clothes to get rid evidence. Kevin didn’t burn his jacket though, ’cause it’s his favorite, and I think we can all relate to Kevin in that moment. (more…)

Episode Notes: “The Black Donnellys” Episode 1

Posted: August 18, 2020 in 2000's, Episode Notes, NBC, On Repeat, Rewind, RIP, The Black Donnellys, TV, Watch
Tags: 2000's, Episode Notes, NBC, On Repeat, Rewind, RIP, The Black Donnellys, TV, Watch

***Spoiler Alert***

118849186 Episode 1: Pilot

What I loved about this show when it first aired is we jump right in from the start of the pilot. No build up or introductory first episode. 2007 was heavy in the midst of the 20+ episode season era, and this was unusual.

The condensed formatting of The Black Donnellys, which fit well as a mid-season hiatus candidate (and then bumped back a month early to replace a failing show, another NBC nail in the coffin) required a quick jump into the deep end. But, given that it was supposed to air the previous fall, its hard to say if 13 episodes would’ve completed the first season, or if there was a chance to do another 10-12 episodes had NBC not fucked up and it was more successful.

Detective 1: “So where are the bodies?”

Prisoner: “Oh man, these guys are my friends.”

Detective 1: “Here’s the deal, Joey. You tell us where the bodies are, how they got there, you’ll stay in solitary, nice and safe. You lie, you go to general population, where more people than I can count want to see you dead.”

Detective 2: “Where are the bodies?”

Joey: “There’s two things that happened to Jimmy Donnelly that made him turn out the way he did …”

30 seconds into the pilot, haven’t even hit the opening credits, and we’re in. It’s brilliant. Who’s Joey? What bodies? Jimmy Donnelly? (more…)

Sleepers: “The Black Donnellys”

Posted: August 14, 2020 in 2000's, NBC, On Repeat, Rewind, RIP, Sleepers, The Black Donnellys, TV, Watch
Tags: 2000's, NBC, On Repeat, Rewind, RIP, Sleepers, The Black Donnellys, TV, Watch

The Black Donnellys Let’s take it back to early 2007, it’s my senior of college, final semester. Deeply entrenched in the indie music scene (I miss you, 2000’s), I was spending a lot time between college, Boston, and my beloved New York City. An interesting era as lower Manhattan climbed from the ashes, and small clubs became victim again to the relentless progress machine that is NYC. But that’s for another day.

This was also the infancy of on demand video services (beyond PPV) and online streaming, tapping into the beginnings of the yet unknown that Netflix would capitalize on.

So, as every TV worshipper does, I planned much of my week around shows I couldn’t miss, agonizing over which to prioritize if time slots were doubled up, and utilized the quickly becoming ancient VHS tape to record anything I’d miss, on my little TV with its built in video tape deck and timer features.

I’d heard rumor of a new show set in Hell’s Kitchen, an NYC neighborhood with a long list of real and fictional Irish Mob and Italian Mafia dramas playing out in its streets for years. (more…)

NBC, How Do I Loathe Thee? Let Me Count The Ways …

Posted: July 29, 2011 in 2000's, American Dreams, Freaks and Geeks, NBC, RIP, The Black Donnellys, TV, Watch
Tags: 2000's, Freaks and Geeks, NBC, RIP, The Black Donnellys

Originally posted in 2011

I’ve had a strict boycott against NBC since 2007, when the network canceled one of my favorite all time series, The Black Donnellys. I only allowed myself to watch ER, and when that series finale aired in 2009, I kicked NBC to the curb and refused to watch anything new.

Why? Because NBC cancels well written, well acted shows and leaves its viewers with crap such as Celebrity Apprentice and The Marriage Ref. I know, I know, hits such as The Office and Parenthood are on the schedule, along with a few promising shows for the fall. So perhaps the tides are turning over at the peacock channel, but I still hold a grudge for 3 specific reasons. (more…)