Cheers + Night Court + Hill Street Blues was potent combination for NBC affiliate channel 17. As a bonus, stick around for the commercial for “Family”/

I started talking about Hawaiian Punch in the forum last night and it got me thinking about Punchy who is one of my favorite mascots. In February 1962, Punchy was introduced in a commercial for Hawaiian Punch. He would eventually go on to become the product’s mascot. Punch was created by artist/cartoonist Joe Malerba. He was animated by Jan Svochak. The voice was provided by Len Maxwell. Punchy is a lot less violent then he was when he was first launched. Those who remember his early work might remember his catchphrase, “How about a nice Hawaiian Punch?”. This would be followed by Punchy literally punching this unsuspecting tourist named Opie. Who would not LOVE this character.

The newest page of “The Bike Patrol” is up at http://www.thebikepatrol.net. The gang’s first case ends abruptly. What will the Patrol do now? Nobody knows, so drop by the site at http://www.thebikepatrol.net/, read the newest page and post your comments. Oh and don’t forget to Share your own bike memories and subscribe via your newsreader.

The Lost Dog Case Ends Badly [@] The Bike Patrol

Fame, much like Saturday Night Fever, is a movie that has a reputation for being upbeat, but watching it again through the lens of adulthood, you quickly realize it is a more complicated film — Filled with moments of triumph and melancholy that is balanced out by an amazing theme song. The movie is especially poignant in our modern era of reality TV shows like American Idol. Instead of showing us only half the story by concentrating on the glamorous success or humorous failure, Fame shows us what things are like when you get to know those people who are putting their dreams on the line.

About the Disc
Fame is not a movie I expected to be at the top of my list on Blu-Ray, but to be honest I had never owned a copy of the movie. My sister rented it in on VHS so often that I had not felt the need to see it again, until I heard about the remake. Fame looks pretty good on Blu-Ray. The movie itself remains pretty grainy. Which works really well for a film set in early 1980s. I looked at some screenshot comparisons between the DVD and BR and the picture is marginally better.

The sound is pretty good. The stereo sound comes across crisp and clear. I might not be a big audiophile, but the soundtrack sounds so nice that I found myself cranking up the sounds.

The disc has a bunch of great extras that should make hardcore Fame fans happy and be an education for new fans. Included are:

• Class reunion commentary with branching video highlights and featuring director Alan Parker and co-stars Lee Curreri, Laura Dean, Gene Anthony and Maureen Teefy.
• Fame Field Trip – A visit to the School that inspired the movie.
• Vintage featurette – On location with Fame Fame field trip visits the school that inspired the movie.
• Theatrical trailer

Fame celebrates the growing-up process of honing talent, confronting realities, finding love, living life. Director Alan Parker brings an energetic style to the crisscrossing stories of students. The movie is not your standard teen-flick it was nominated for six Academy Awards and won Oscars for its score and the title song. A classic? For me it is, so why not pick up a copy today.

Fame (1980) on Blu-Ray [@] Amazon.com

Kelly becomes “date bait” when it turns out she resembles a girl killed by the “Rag Doll Strangler.” His M.O. is asphyxiating women with a large doll. Cute, no? To catch the killer, each girl must date a suspect. Those lucky murder suspects.