Television Books

This biography of the generally forgotten acting dynasty, the Bennetts, is a tour de force. While father Richard Bennett is long forgotten, daughters Constance and Joan Bennett are still accessible through a number of classic films ("What Price Hollywood" and "Topper" for Constance and "Scarlet Street" and "The Woman in the Window" for Joan, among others).

The author has captured the personalities of each Bennett. So many biographers fall into the trap of providing superficial detail around a chronology of the subject's life, but not so Mr Kellow. He has managed to bring alive the autocratic Richard Bennett and his 3 daughters, the troubled alcoholic Barbara, the mercurial, opportunistic Constance and the refined but passionate Joan. The book moves between each of their lives and Kellow benefited from the co-operation of many surviving members of the family. He has also created a vivid sense of the period in which the story is evolving from the girls rebellious behaviour in the roaring twenties, through career highs for Constance in Hollywood in the thirties and Joan's emergence as a femme fatale in the forties to both actresses move to the stage in the fifties as film work dried up. They were much married and all the details about their stormy relationships are vividly recreated, not in a gossipy tone but creating portraits of intelligent woman who were not afraid to take risks, particularly Constance.

This is a very clever well written book.

At long last, someone has tackled the fascinating story of the Bennett family. The result was well worth the wait. Kellow's book is enthralling, nicely balanced, objective, and well-researched. Anyone interested in Joan or Constance Bennett or even in film history will enjoy this book.

For anyone interested in Hollywood's golden era, this book is a must! Far superior than The Bennett Playbill which was published in the 1970's with Joan and a ghost writer, this book is exhaustively researched and provides a much fuller picture of father Richard and daughters Constance, Joan and the ill fated Barbara. Fans of the tv show Dark Shadows will remember Joan, but probably a lot fewer remember Constance who was one of the top film stars in the early 30's only to be washed up in films by the end of the decade. Joan had a much longer film career, though it took awhile for hers to catch fire. All the marriages, scandals and career highs and lows are covered in depth and Kellow provides a critical evalution of their many film roles. The narrative does skip back and forth between family members, but Kellow does a good job keeping the narrative flowing and after a few chapters the reader will adjust to it. The Bennetts may not have ranked as high as the Barrymores, but they rank right up there with other Hollywood dynasties.

Brian Kellow has done a wonderful job in telling the personal and professional stories of the acting Bennett Sisters and their father theatrical legend Richard Bennett. This book really fills a gap and is so well done that it would be difficult to imagine a better book about the Bennetts unless there were individual books on Constance, Joan, Barbara, and Richard Bennett. I would have liked a listing of the various plays that particularly Constance Bennett starred in. This versatile and glamorous star appeared in the Cole Porter musical "Silk Stockings" and this was not discussed in the excellent text. This is a small complaint and I think this book is a must for fans of Joan and Constance Bennett and for great books about show business. There are also some wonderful photographs and that alone should induce the reader to buy this book!

This well researched and presented book is a fine addition to anyone's library of books about Classic Hollywood or about the Broadway stage. The Bennett family were hard-working and talented performers, extremely famous in their day, but not as well-remembered today as they deserve. Their stories are full of human drama and Brian Kellow tells them in detail, without any wiff of the snide, nasty edge far too many show business books have today. He's honest about the faults of his subjects, yet compassionate about their humanity.

I just finished this book in the last couple of days. Excellent all the way through. Carefully crafted examples of what was right and WRONG with the media coverage of the Tet 68 Offensive during the Vietnam war, and the war overall, show the problems with the reporting: in some glaring cases, the bias. I specifically could relate to recent conflicts the comments made about the speed of a story from the start of an event to publication and how that sometimes led to the wrong analysis and conclusion.
The perceptions set forth by the media, either deliberately or by editing mistakes, to the population were in cases wrong and led people in a path to make decisions based on faulty information. For a long time I wondered if my opinions and own analysis of the Vietnam conflict were ill conceived. This book put those concerns in their proper place: even though it was a terrible event, maybe the US could have been done with it sooner and with a better result for all had the true facts, as the media could gather, come to light for the general population instead of an inherently flawed approach with a lot of bias added.
Given that the book was written by a Journalist in the middle of it all gives great validity to the book: yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

How could LBJ forget the blunders of a limited war established by the mistakes of Harry Truman in Korea in less than 12 years? The author outlines all of the questions that cannot be easily answered. How do you end a war once it started? How do you justify the costs in blood and money? And How do you define victory? The writer seems to say, Limited War is like Marriage, easy to get into and hard to exit. The book will enlighten every reader and all American politician responsible for foreign policy should read it. A Superb book for students, professors and men and women in power so it won't happen again.

Peter Braestup's book on the reporting of the Tet Offensive is a critically important book to read for those trying to understand the effect of reporters' all-too-human bias on what information the average citizen has available to him or her, as well as for those looking to find out not only what went wrong in Vietnam, but what the United States and its allies (including South Vietnam) did right - an aspect still all too overlooked.
Though it is critical of some particular newspeople, as well as some politicians and military spokemen of the Vietnam era, the book is highly constructive in tone. Many of the lessons pointed out by Braestrup two decades ago have clearly been taken by the media, judging by the general improvement in war reporting during the current (as of fall, 2001) events in Afghanistan.
It is also a must read for those who question the abilities of democratic states to defend what they believe in.Braestrup lays bare the notions of the time that the allied forces - from ARVN to the U.S. Marines, were not effective, or that they were a corrupt force for undesirable ends.
An added bonus is that Braestrup is a gifted writer; his prose is readable and engaging, and his research is thorough and well documented. This book deserves to be brought out in a new edition (though I did buy mine through the Amazon's used book marketplace, and received excellent service there).

A thorough critique of the press coverage of the Tet Offensive. Amazingly, the press almost universally got it wrong. The U.S. and the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) actually won the battle; the Viet Cong were decimated and never recovered as a fighting force (The regular North Vietnamese Army shouldered the major fighting from then on). It took the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) four years to build up enough strength for another major offensive (1972), which led to the Christmas bombings of Hanoi and the "peace accords."

Written by a journalist, this book is critical but not ideological; the press is not "the bad guy" here. There is plenty of blame to go around. The military misrepresented the strength of the Viet Cong, for its own reasons, and the press went on to misrepresent the battle for its own reasons. The real heresy of this book is revealing how the ARVN and U.S. forces aquitted themselves exceedingly well on the battlefield. Was the war "winnable" on the ground? It certainly wasn't "winnable" politically, but credit should be given to the servicepeople on the ground (and in the air) who did in fact win the battle tactically and strategically.

The original edition was published by Westview Press in 1977; Yale University Press issued an abidged version in 1983 and 1986; another edition was published by Presidio Press in 1994.

This book was a real eye-opener for me. As a Vietnam veteran who served in Vietnam in 1967-68-69-70 and 71, I had always held fast to the premise that media coverage of Tet 68 sabotaged the possible successful conclusion of the Vietnam war in our favour. I had always believed that the american press had deliberately skewed their war coverage towards the negative side.

Braestrup's well documented study of press coverage of the Tet 68 offensive made me re-think all my knee jerk attitudes towards the press.

He presents meticulous summaries of coverage by the major american newspapers and television networks. While some individual papers and networks might have had an anti-war bias most tried to give balanced coverage.

When Braestrup gets into the logistical details of the in media coverage of the war, he really enlightens us. It's easy in hindsight to assume that todays wall to wall coverage of world news was the norm in Vietnam. Braestrup shows us in great detail the limitations in personnel and technology that constrained media coverage of the Vietnam war

If you read his analysis, compiled from his own in-country experience with an in depth analysis of most major news outlets reporting from Vietnam during the war, you as a reader are enlightened and forced to rethink your own pre-conceived notions about the subject.

I found this work one of the most illuminating works of modern history that I have even read.

It's interesting just from Braestrups first hand retelling of his own part in history as a practicing journaslist. His analysis of journalistic coverage of the Vietnam War is incredibly stimulating and educational.

I highly recommend this work to war correspondents, editors and journalism students interested in getting war coverage just right.

John Reid

yes i agree they need to bring bj and the bear out on dvd. all the old shows are coming back with a big hit, why not this one too!!! we need more movies like this out!

HE DROVE A KENWORTH K100 ,NOT A FREIGHTLINER..... I WISH THEY WOULD BRING IT BACK OUT ON DVD.

I agree BJ and the Bear needs to come out on DVD. I also use to watch this show. I have bought alot of the other shows from the late 70s to the early 80s and would diffently buy this one.

I love Billy J. McKay offroad stories , I love Sheriff Lobo and Deputy Perking characters too. I wish it will be on DVD very soon.

I used to watch this show on tv;It was on every Friday Night with Greg(BJ)Bear(His pet CHIMP)AND His Freightliner (Semi-Tractor cabover). It was the best HOUR OF MY LIFE AT THAT TIME.
YOU COULD SAY THAT THIS WAS THE ONLY TIME (UNTIL THE SHOWS CANCELLATION) THAT I Became A "BEAR" FAN" HA! HA! AND I LIVE IN WISCONSIN

having a unique maiden name as Elzy, I like to see what I come across on the web. When I came across David Weaver's book on black divas and whom the book was about I couldn't resist. Not only is this a book about a wonderful singer, but about a person whom made her dream a reality with the help of god and some wonderful friends. The determination she had, her beliefs. This book was so informative and easy to read, that I am going to pass it on to others to read. I don't know if she is a relative but this book has given me the inspiration to find out.

Ruby Elzy, on the scant evidence of the one recording that I have yet heard (St Louis Blues, in the film of Birth of the Blues), was a great artist, both as actor and singer.

David Weaver's fine book is a most moving and informing tribute to Ruby Elzy's life and career. It is also a tribute to the achievement of a people emerging with triumph from slavery and discrimination. Despite their triumph, this book also indicts the nature of ongoing discrimination, against Afro-Americans and against all other people of colours and beliefs and ways of life that cannot be accommodated by the fear-based, unreasoned and unreasonable prejudice of other people across the world. This world is too small a place to contain both a diverse humanity and oppressive, evil prejudice.

In spite of the great interest and pleasure that I found, and continue to find on re-reading, in David Weaver's first book (surely, other books may follow), reading it was a painful experience - it has forced me to confront my own, deep-seated prejudices. There is a story where Ruby Elzy is walking with her friends and is mocked by a racist white boy. When she starts to sing a joyful spiritual instead of being downcast, the boy then acknowledges, in a kind of begrudging wonder, that she surely could sing.

David Weaver's work in creating this good book has helped many of us to share that boy's wonder. Sharing his admiration and affection for this great woman and her people is a gift that earns him the warm, well-earned gratitude of his readers.

David Weaver is now preparing a CD of Ruby Elzy's work and no doubt this will be sought after by many people on its release.

Ruby Pearl Elzy was born in small town Mississippi, but even when she was a young child it was evident that her voice would be too big to keep her there. Her dream of becoming an opera singer seemed unfathomable considering the fact that her father had abandoned the family and her mother worked multiple jobs,one as a school teacher, just to meet the basic needs of the family. But like her mother, Ruby had strong faith that God would make a way for her and neither of the two women was afraid of hard work. Their faith and work ethics, coupled with the dedication and help from others, both black and white, allowed Ruby to continue her education and eventually study at the famed Juilliard School. Despite racism and the barriers it created, she was able to perform on stage, radio and film, her trademark role being that of Serena from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Although she never accomplished her dream of starring in Verdi's Aida, her brief career was full of notable accomplishments. Tragically, Ruby Elzy died in her prime, before she could accomplish her goal to sing in grand opera. Yet, she left an indelible legacy that has inspired many.

Before I picked up this book I didn't know who Ruby Elzy was, but thanks to this book, I not only know of her accomplishments, but also a little about her on a personal level. I was even inspired to search online for audio clips so that I could hear the voice I read so much about. David Weaver has crafted a work that is a perfect balance between Elzy's personal and professional lives. When he writes about issues such as her divorce from her first husband or her relationship with her father, he does so with a respect that is often missing in today's biographies. He also does a wonderful job recreating the zeitgeist of the 1930's era by providing just enough relevant historical information. It is obvious from reading the book and scanning its extensive endnotes that BLACK DIVA OF THE THIRTIES is a well-researched book; it provides a comprehensive view of an important, but often overlooked woman, whose life was cut too short.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

A gifted four-year-old black girl child sings in church in a remote village in the hills of north Mississippi. She, two sisters, brother and schoolteacher mother are deserted by the father. In the 1920s existence in this farming community is hard for white folks, and much harder for a deserted black family of a woman and four children. By the time this girl is grown she will have graduated from Juilliard as a singer of classical music, given concerts throughout the country, entertained at the White House, performed in movies, become a favorite of George Gershwin and originated the role of Serena in Porgy & Bess. How it all happened has to be a biography because you would not believe it in a work of the imagination. It is all true. And it is well told in Black Diva. Although published by a University Press it is as far from academic gobbledygook as could be. Mr. Weaver writes well and has constructed an exciting story. This is not one of those bios where you know little more when you finish it than you did before. He "connected" with this girl, Ruby Elzy, and you get to know her, the times, the music, the atmosphere as well as if he had written a novel. Once famous, Ruby is now nearly forgotten. She shouldn't be. I invite you to read this book. You'll like her. And you'll want to hear her sing.

BLACK DIVA OF THE THIRTIES: THE LIFE OF RUBY ELZY is a fascinating and moving tribute to the great American soprano by first-time author David Weaver. Mr. Weaver's solid musical background serves him well in capturing the successes and the ultimate tragedy of this incomparable artist's life and career, and it's a testament to the author's style and sensitivity that no lofty musical pronouncements tarnish the pages of this book. Weaver treats his subject with intelligence and respect and it shows.

Biographers new to their craft often fall into the trap of overstating (and overstuffing) their subject's history, but all such pitfalls are avoided here. The book is a model of its kind and portrays Ruby Elzy's life and times in a warm, comprehensive and thoroughly engaging fashion. Weaver is also a born writer and I defy anyone to sample the marvelously evocative Prologue and not read on.

The book is a joy to read but more importantly, through the quality of his writing and the integrity of his research, Weaver ensures that Ruby Elzy's distinguished contribution to 20th century music will not be forgotten. The greatest test of any musical biography is whether the reader is compelled at the end of the book to seek out the subject's recorded legacy. With BLACK DIVA OF THE THIRTIES David Weaver has accomplished that task triumphantly, leaving the reader only to regret that so little recorded material by Ms. Elzy has survived her untimely passing.

This is a wonderful book by a gifted writer and an essential addition to every serious music lover's library.


Derek Mannering is the author of MARIO LANZA: A LIFE IN PICTURES published by Robert Hale, London. The author's acclaimed and newly revised biography MARIO LANZA: SINGING TO THE GODS will be published in the United States in summer 2005 by University Press of Mississippi.

This is an interesting book if you are into modern dance. Graham was, of course, one of the great innovators of an entirely new genre of artistic expression, modern dance, and she is very open about her constant struggles and triumphs. She is a true American original.

In this book, you meet St-Denis, Eric Hawkins, and Merce Cunningham, and manz others, all of whom were influences on her and whom she influenced. They are fascinatingly placed in both personal and historical context.

While the content of this book is exceptional and extremely valuable, it is oddly structured, kind of a series of vignettes that are not even broken down into chapters. This was disconcerting to me and it made the thread of her narrative hard to follow at times. It was edited by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, opne of her last books.

I recommend it to those already interested, but not to those who are not deeply hooked on dance. This work is full of love, some pride, and the obscure tragedies of her life.

This is my favorite book ever. Martha Graham claims that she is simply a dancer but she is an excellent writer. And, from what I read from Blood Memory a formidable woman. An "artiste" whose thoughts, both deep and candid, are very profound. In all aspects she is truly an "Athlete of God."

I heartily recommend this autobiography to anyone who loves dance, or simply loves life! Martha's unique sense of humor and her trademark style make this book well worth your while

Reading this book, I found myself eagerly copying down quote after quote of Martha Graham's philosophy. Although I'm not a dancer, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Martha Graham's perspective on modern dance, art, and life in general. Moreover, I have great admiration for a woman who has been said to encourage *vagina* envy. You go, girl!

This book was an excellent introduction into not only the dance world, but the world of a dancer. I was given the opportunity to read this for a beginning modern dance class in college and I completely enjoyed it. It provides a wonderful view of not only the style of dancing as a textbook would normally do, but provides a lens for the reader to understand what kinds of reasons an incredible woman such as Martha would have for creating her works of art. I highly recommend this book for anyone, not interested in dance even, as it is also a wonderful story. It made a great impact on me and especially in my reasons for creating a piece. I highly recommend this book.

Yes, for any trekie fan, this is a must have item...though it makes one wish other star ships had blue prints as well.

The Star Trek: The Next Generation Blueprints are great, except for one thing: they don't show where the brig is. Other than that, they are great!!!

This book/set of blueprints is the most detailed I have ever seen... I spent hours and hours studying them, they were so detailed! They even show the location of the turbolift shafts, and the computer panels! The blueprints cover things not shown in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual... Like the ship's aquatic life tanks, which house dolphins and various other fish and sea animals, or the Main shuttlebay... which is so massive, it could house a football stadium.

I reccomend this book to any 'Trekky' who wants to know more about the Enterprise than they are told by the Television Series.

Developed by Rick Sternbach, senior illustrator at Paramount for the STAR TREK franchises, The USS ENTERPRISE BLUEPRINTS give STAR TREK fans a whole new way to explore this facinating universe. Inspired by Franz Joseph Designs STAR TREK BLUEPRINTS from 20 years ago, Sternbach and his illustration team have, for the first time, given the fan a way to explore the massive vessel from television's STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION deck by deck. Ever wonder exactly where LT Worf's quarters were? Want to know how to get from the Conference Lounge to Ten Forward? With these highly detailed blueprints, now you can find out. The plans consist of 13 sheets. Each sheet is lovingly drawn, and minutely detailed. But perhaps the crowning jewel in this package is the 16 page booklet accompanying the plans. The booklet, which contains a forward by Robert H. Justman, a producer of the original STAR TREK as well as THE NEXT GENERATION, is the record from a round table discussion featuring Sternbach and several other people who were key in the production of the television series. There are many facinating insights into how the series came to be, how the starship was designed, and several other topics sure to appeal to every STAR TREK fan. A sure fire collectable, the USS ENTERPRISE-D BLUEPRINTS are a must for the bookshelf of every STAR TREK fan.

I have to say that the Main Shuttle Bay is really an amazing slant; I never would have figured the entire middle of the saucer section was 'hollowed-out' like a space going Aircraft Carrier - amazing! Always wondered where those 'Runabouts' came from on the series . . . sure wish there was set of these Prints for the Enterprise-E.

This is a MUST set for anyone who's ever wondered what it would be like to walk the halls and decks of the Starship Enterprise.

The photographs and the written text of this book compliment each other
perfectly. This book is put together not just for the Bob Marley fan but
any style music fan and also for fans of photography.

AUTHOR WAS OBVIOUSLY A CLOSE FRIEND OF BOB'S!

MY ONLY SUGGESTION IS THAT THOS BOOK REALLY POTRAYS CLEARLY THE LIFE OF A LEGEND.

Pi up this book put the record on and get into this love and obscurity of "Slave Driver". Enjoy it.

One of the most surprising things you'd expect out of me, a 15 year old skate punk kid, is my collection of books. Big and small, short and long, all of my books are spanned on a shelf system that runs around my room. An those are just the good ones. The really good ones go in my night table drawer. This is one of them. Bob Marley is and was one of the most inflential people not only in my life, but in many others as well. This book not only shows that, it also shows the feels and vibes of Caribbean life during his time. It richly illustrates reggae in general, racial boundaries, and social problems of Marley's time. It is a vividly painted portrait of one of the greatest musicians of our time. With facts from his birth to his death and everything that happened to him in between, it helps you (the reader) to fully understand this great person. Bob Marley was truly influential, and this book illustrates that fact completely. You will read it over and over and over again.

There are no limitations , save those that we create for ourselves... Bruce Lee

This is a great book if you are looking for a compilation of rare photos and facts.. Unlike most books out there that beat around the bush , This book showcases the man as he wanted to project himself to the world .The perspectives are variable throughout the book , giving the reader a vast panoramic view of the life and times of the much hyped martial arts superstar..

Frankly, if you're looking for a detailed description of his persona , you will find exactly that and more.. Full of great photos that give a realistic insight on the master , this book is a good buy if you are interested in the glam..

If you are a martial artist however , I would strongly suggest that you do not buy this book . There are various other books that will serve your purpose, books like 'The Tao of JKD'.

This book is a great addition to my collection of Bruce Lee books of pictures, filmography, philosopy and techniques. It has one of the best picture collections of all the books I've seen. The content isn't bad either. Talking about the life of the Little Dragon and some of the deep thoughts he had in his short life in this world. My fan-ography of the Jeet Kune Do Sifu is just starting, even if I have been a follower for years. This book is not a dissapointment. It will be a great addition to any collection.

What an intimate look at the man behind the image! The book is highly visual--the text is very limited--but the photos are like none that I've ever seen in other books on Lee. I'm talking about the baby pictures of Bruce and Brandon, photos of Lee from behind the scenes in his movies (a kind of spooky one of him and Sharon Tate from what must have been just before she was killed), and pictures of he and his wife just sitting on the couch at home. It makes you realize that there's a man and father behind the superhero that appears in his films. I loved it.

Many of the documentaries and biographies out there about Bruce Lee were unauthorized and created by shysters trying to cash in on his sudden death. This book, based on the recent video documentary "Bruce Lee: In His Own Words" is not only superior because it really is based on the master's own words, but the book and video are also endorsed by Bruce's widow and daughter. Here we get plenty of great photographs from Bruce's films, training, and family life. Meanwhile, Bruce's thoughts on acting, family, and his martial arts style (or, according to him, its dismissal of style) are true revelations for any fan of Bruce's classic movies. His thoughts on being a serious actor, rather than a martial arts "superstar," are quite a surprise; while his personal philosophy and attitudes toward martial arts mastery are both fascinatingly Eastern but surprisingly down-to-Earth and accessible for Western enthusiasts. So instead of fighting your way through all the frauds and fakes out there, get it from the master himself. [~doomsdayer520~]

Bruce Lee was his own man.he had so much style&smoothness about him.this book highlights his world in front of the public&behind it.very detailed&very upfront.you get a very insightful look into his world&vision.a man who forever changed the world with his talent&craft.a man who was trying to make sense of his surroudings&the things that were in placed around him.He will never be forgotten.

I'm glad they keep making the calendars despite the show not being on anymore. Keep it up!

I love getting the calander every year, because although life goes on after Buffy, this is one way to enjoy the memories again and again!

For the past few years I bought this calendar.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer was my favorite tv-show.
The pictures always are great.

Greetings,
ilja

I love this! i couldn't be happier than having tara (Amber Benson) gracing august (my birthday), fianlly i get what i want!

I love the 2008 Buffy Calendar! All of the pictures are very good. My favorite part is that Cordelia finally has a month of her own! I feel she's not recognized as much as she should be. I guess most people associate her with Angel, but thats no reason for her to be absent from so many Buffy products.

It's deffinetly worth buying.

This was the first scriptbook I bought and I was really excited to read it. Some of the dialouge was wrong but most of it was correct. The episodes were spectacular and immediatly I got my freinds togethar and we acted it out.

Its been about 3 months and my script book is starting to curl at the ends. :( But thats alright because its still in good condition .... I dont know why I'm telling you this ...

If you love to act this is for you!! This is ALL SCRIPT!! Unlike, Once More With Feeling -- this is a bit of a better buy. :)

This was the first Buffy script book I ever bought and I thought it was pretty good. I could now act it out with my friends (I was always Buffy he he ) and stuff. The only problem was that it was the original script and some of the dialouge wasn't right. (as you will see with all the other Buffy scripts) but I think its totally worth your money!! Its brilliant! Awesome! Amazing! You'll capture Buffy, Drusilla, Spike, Angel, Kendra, Willow, Xander and GILES' humor, peronsality and everything that makes Buffy great!! BUY IT BEFORE THE RUN OUT!! ITS THE BEST!!!

Although BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER had been a first rate show from its inception, it was during the shows based upon the scripts that it started moving towards something approaching genuine greatness. Before these shows, it had been a superb series, but after these it became something considerably more. The most unbelievable thing is that as great as these six episodes (well, five of them anyway) are, the ones following were even greater, so great as to place Buffy among the greatest shows in the history of the genre, and arguably the greatest. The two episodes following these six would be ?Surprise? and ?Innocence,? and from that moment on Buffy would exist on an artistic level unmatched on television.

?Lie to Me? was written by Joss Whedon, and as fine as many previous shows had been, it is one of the first truly great moments in the series. Billy Fordham, played by Jason Behr (who would shortly after this achieve television stardom playing an alien in ROSEWELL), an ex-boyfriend of Buffy?s from L.A., shows up unexpectedly in Sunnydale. Eventually we learn that he is, in fact, dying, and has cut a deal with Spike and his crew to turn the Slayer over to them in exchange for being made a vampire. The episode has many funny moments (such as when Angel, Xander, and Willow go to a faux vampire club, and Angel remarks that none of them know anything about vampires, including how they dress, when a wannabe walks by dressed exactly like Angel), but even more poignant moments, like when Ford explains to Buffy his reasons for betraying her.

?The Dark Age? was written by Dean Batali and Rob DesHotel, who co-wrote a number a number of episodes of Buffy during the first two seasons. This is the best script they produced. Ethan Rayne, to whom we were introduced in ?Halloween,? makes his second appearance in the series. By far the most interesting aspect of the show is the way that we manage to learn more about Giles background, all the way to learning that his former mates had called him ?Ripper.? I enjoyed the few episodes that featured Ethan Rayne, and was always perplexed that he appeared in only four shows??Halloween? and this episode in Season Two, ?Band Candy? in Season Three, and ?A New Man? in Season Four. There was talk on a couple of occasions of Anthony Stewart Head doing a show set in England based on ?Ripper,? and if he had, I?m sure Robin Sachs would have been his ?Lex Luthor.?

?What?s My Line?? is a phenomenal two parter, and is notable not merely for introducing Kendra, the second slayer, but for the writing debut of the great Marti Noxon, who would become one of the greatest writers in the run of the show as well as co-executive producer, eventually running things when Joss Whedon ceased the day-to-day overseeing of the show. She co-wrote the first half with Howard Gordon, and then wrote the second by herself. One of the major themes of Buffy during the first two seasons was her hesitancy to embrace her calling as slayer. Although she wouldn?t fully accept the role until the first show of the third season (?Anne?), these two episodes stress her reluctance to be the Slayer more than any other shows prior to them (and even after ?Anne,? although she has accepted who she is, she struggles against her fate). These are exceptionally well-written shows, and one can engage in endless discussion the Kendra/Buffy relationship. Kendra, unlike Buffy, has completely accepted her fate, and while Buffy can never be like Kendra, she does learn from her to accept her calling.

?Ted? (written by David Greenwalt and Joss Whedon) is not as strong on paper as it ended up being onscreen. Although it is a first rate script, John Ritter absolutely nailed the part of the psychotic robot Ted, and turned in one of the most memorable guest appearances in the entire history of the show. This is the episode that contains Giles famous quote about subtext rapidly becoming text. No other show in the history of TV has ever contained lines as clever as that one.

?Bad Eggs? was Marti Noxon?s third contribution to the show, and unfortunately perhaps the weakest script she ever did. One of the most amazing thing about the Second Season is that while the strong episodes established it as one of the great shows in the history of television, it nonetheless had a surprising number of pretty rotten episodes. Also, some of the strongest shows are preceded by the weakest. Just as ?Becoming? would later be preceded by ?Go Fish,? so ?Surprise? is preceded by ?Bad Eggs.? This might be an accident, but I doubt it. I suspect they realized it was a weak script, and wrapped the season-long story arcs around it. After this season, each season had considerably fewer weak episodes.

These six scripts show Buffy, which was already a very good show, in the process of becoming a great one. The scripts that immediately follow the ones in this collection are arguably as strong a group of scripts as any show in the history of television.

This book is great for fans who haven't seen the first six episodes of the second season. It gives the lines and stage directions to them so you feel like you've seen the actual episode. It even includes scenes which may have been removed from the original episode.

This book chronicles the first arrival of Spike, whom is now an important character. It also has "Halloween" which includes some funny stage directions from Joss Whedon.

If you haven't seen the beginning of the second season of Buffy or if you want in-depth information on the episodes' scripts, you should definately buy this book.

I happen to like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and I love reading through the scripts when I'm bored with watching the same episodes over and over. Its just nice to be able to read.