Dysfunctional TV Movies

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You know the sort. Usually based on a National Enquirer story, usually starring Brian Dennehy/Cheryl Ladd/Frederick Forrest/Tyne Daly/Tony Danza/Elizabeth Montgomery. Standard plot: factory supervisor gets made redundant, finds that his three-year-old Down's syndrome boy has inoperable cancer. Meanwhile his wife reveals that her dad abused her as a child and sues him, despite the fact that the father himself (Robert Vaughn? Ned Beatty?) is in turn sueing her for being born. Finale in court with Veronica Hamel or James Earl Jones as the judge. Victorious hero(ine) emerges onto the courthouse steps to be greeted by an array of journos/photographers and tearfully intones: "I did it all for Bobby. He was the wind beneath my wings but couldn't fly without my propeller of hope."

― Marcello Carlin, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

mid - afternoon chl 5 or late night beeb 1 = aargh.

if that film had Shannon Tweed as a double-crossing bitch and a Jonathon Pearce voiceover AS HERO[INE] EMERGES ON THE STEPS to be interviewed by Krusty Young. Maybe the 3yr old is propelled into the footur by evil villan Michael Ironside and is brought up by The Tribe. cHANNEL 5 WOULD PLAY THAT FILUM on infinite loop

― , Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the greatest tv movie ever starred fred savage as an abusive boyfriend who ended up killing his girlfriend (aka dj tanner, candace cameron.) yes, litle kevin arnold himself was a murdering wifebeater. i never recovered.

― jess, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I love the Tori Spelling ones, they were all excellent. Especially "Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?" for the title alone.

― Nicole, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

One of my uncle's cases (he was head of the Minneapolis vice squad) was made into a corker of the genre called Off The Minnesota Strip starring Mare Winningham as a girl from Mininoplace who returns from NYC after having been on the game for YEARS. His partner in casework stole his notes to write the book it was adapted from; my uncle sued the guy's ass. They initiated a programme to repatriate girls who had run away to NYC seeking 'showbiz' and wound up being pimped in a whole 'nother way.

See? Off The Minnesota Strip

― suzy, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh wait! I forgot to mention my all time favorite, which had Shannen Doherty as the leader of an Alternative Rawk band. A girl goes mental and tries to steal/sabotage her life a la Single White Female, because it is also her dream to be the singer for a crap Cranberries- stylee band. It all ends in murder, madness and tears.

I think VH1 may have shown it a few times.

― Nicole, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What demented world is it where young girls ask their parents for PERMISSION to sleep with dubious scuzzbombs? I must see this movie!

― Dan Perry, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It *is* Tori Spelling, though. Tread warily, and wash afterwards.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Tori Spelling = "quality" entertainment (note quotes). "Beverly Hills, 90210" was one of he best shows ever because of her (and Shannon Doherty).

― Dan Perry, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the Shannon Doherty TV movie is called "Friends 'til the End" and is by far THE BEST TV MOVIE TO DATE.

― Mandee, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

But can it rival Justine Bateman in Satisfaction?

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Born Innocent - Introduced Linda Blair to the world (so good Redd Kross wrote a song about it).

Go Ask Alice - The best teenage drug movie ever!

Dawn, Portrait of a teenage Runaway - Eve Plumb as you've never seen her before.

I wish I was 14, sitting in front of my TV again.

― nickn, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My faves are the ones that dramatise pop stars lives. The best one was the Beach Boys TV Movie which had song titles and lyrics worked into the script and of course the Carpenters one was great.

― ducklingmonster, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

don't forget all the shannen doherty and tori spelling greats.

― di, Friday, 18 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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