Vee

Oh Christ, they're back to Church Guy Cyrus.

Hoo boy:

He made himself totally radioactive, to be fair. The stories about his downfall in Game Change would curl your hair. He could've had it all and he destroyed himself with his repugnant behavior.

Of course Frank and the gang bring back Cyrus.

Thread:

Exactly. I think KL could've potentially reinvented itself in a different environment, but CBS became a wasteland around that time and its attempts to do new soaps flopped. Nothing more homespun or scaled-down was going to compete with the heat coming off the Spelling soaps. Especially nothing that already had done 14 years.

Ludicrous how cooked Fox is in this cycle.

I for one am very curious to watch the Latham/Lechowick years, which I know are very divisive among fans - people either love or hate them or have very complex feelings, I guess. But they were the foundation and vision for much of the latter half of the show. I'm curious to see them finally add a Black family, Paige, etc. And it does seem to get back to the cul-de-sac while also adding in more corporate intrigue, but not nearly in as dated a way as Dallas. The trick will be getting through a couple allegedly dodgy seasons (8? 9?) to see where it maybe hits something of a groove, lol. I do think Pat Petersen and even poor Steve Shaw could've done more, but Petersen was allegedly not too interested in continuing acting as he grew up and Shaw of course passed away. Their skills also were not nearly as honed as the older cast. I love Tonya Crowe, but I haven't seen much of her teen or adult years yet so I can't judge. I like the sandcastle intro and smooth sax too. I just think it's missing the visuals of the cast. I know they allegedly considered rebooting the show near the end with just either Karen and Mack or Gary and Val and all-new young couples on the cul-de-sac. I guess it might've worked if they'd gone the Melrose route but with more mature writing, sort of a thirtysomething or Picket Fences-esque tone/age range but more serialized and soapy. But I don't think there was ever going to be any stopping the juggernaut of shows like the Spelling soaps let alone ER. Any of us who were there know they owned the night, all week. When people talk about reviving Knots today I am divided - I think it's a fertile concept that has been harvested for many shows like Desperate Housewives, but without some of the old favorites and an entirely new cast (or maybe some of the kids/grandkids) it could be any show, and there is no plausible way any of the vets would still live there (except maybe the MacKenzies). Melrose Place's first revival had a similar issue, though I liked it more than most. (They talk about rebooting it now and I just don't get it - are they all going to come back and live in that complex at 50-60?)

Here's someone I never expected to see again.

I didn't realize Sean Astin did the roll call for Indiana. And Wendell Pierce for Louisiana!

I believe this is the full roll call (though they unforgivably cut the Lil Jon Georgia intro which is already upthread): This is definitely the most fun roll call I've ever seen. As a DC/MD hometown boy I am very proud they played DJ Kool's "Let Me Clear My Throat" for DC's vote.

Doug Emhoff gave a lovely speech. The video package introducing him from his son was also great. Michelle is up now! Michelle's speech is already going very hard.

Georgia Young Democrats leader Parker Short, last seen dancing to "Not Like Us" at the Atlanta rally and winning the heart of @Khan, confronts right wing personality Charlie Kirk after he tries to infiltrate the DNC. (Allegedly Matt Walsh is also there in a very poor disguise.)

Damn, Ana Navarro lost weight.

Abby and Sabrina - I'll pass.

YouTube version of last night's video tribute:

An essential piece: Beware the Pundit-Brained Version of the Democratic Convention

Lauren-Marie Taylor (Stacey Forbes, LOV) has an enigmatic role and monologue in this year's arthouse horror hit In a Violent Nature. Likely in honor of her role in Friday the 13th Part II, as the film takes major inspiration from that franchise. I didn't recognize her at first.