PokŽtalk for Sunday, August 22:

Hello, the is Steven Reich with PokŽtalk for Sunday, August 22.

Special note: I'm starting school this week, so that means no more Thursday editions.

Firstly, PokŽmon is continuing its expansions and contractions on Kids' WB  This 
weekend featured only two episodes, but next weekend features three episodes, this 
time at the beginning of hours two, three and four. This change sacrifices Men in Black 
in favor of the Big Cartoonie show. Hopefully they'll figure this out by week after next,
 when the next PokŽmon season starts.

Also, while I was doing some investigative reporting, meaning searching vainly for 
PokŽmon movie info, I stumbled across an article on the motion picture rating system. 
As you may or may not know, releasing a movie that's NC-17 is box office suicide, 
because many theaters and stores won't carry it. Ever notice how few adult only games
 there are? My guess is that it's the same reason, although I fail to see how a game 
could garner such a rating, given some of the "Mature" games.

Also, does it seem strange to anyone else that the same person who brought us Saving 
Private Ryan, Steven Speilberg brings us Pinky and the Brain and Animaniacs?

And now he best part of our show, the  commercial.

Ad: Psychic PokŽmon Network

Announcer: Are you uncertain about your future? Do you want to know what your 
destiny holds? Then call Psychic PokŽmon Network, and all your questions will be 
answered.

Psychic Steve: So, I see that an electric PokŽmon has been making life difficult for you.
 Don't worry, because, well, actually, he's going to foil your next plan, and the one after
 that, and well, let's just say you won't be winning any time soon.

Announcer: We can't guarantee a good future, but we can guarantee accuracy! Call 1-
900-Psychic now! Must be 18 or older and have a desire to lose large sums of money.

With psychic friends like that, who needs... aw, nevermind. Anyway, as we near the 
first anniversary of the PokŽmon invasion, which as far as I'm concerned is September 
30th, since the show never played here until the WB picked it up, it seem amazing that 
the thing lasted this long. Right now, the show, and everything else, is at a threshold. 
That threshold is what separates a fad from something with a large permanent fanbase.
 It is to say the difference between Lost in Space and Star Trek. Of course, the fanbase 
needed to keep a video game series alive is much smaller than that of a TV series. The 
real deciding factor in this is the PokŽmon movie, I feel.

And finally, I'd like to list the major PokŽmon events. Weekend after next, the new 
season starts. October 25, PokŽmon Yellow comes out, and on November 12, we get to 
see PokŽmon: The First Movie. Keep in mind that this is Nintendo we're dealing with, 
and these dates are subject to change.

That wraps things up for this PokŽtalk, so please, train safely.