Bio-diversity Gone Mad

Sci Fi Channel double swags its Thursday night lineup including "Mad, Mad House" and "Tripping the Rift," both shows that merge diverse types together. In "House," a bushel of contestants arrive at some suitably creepy mansion to have their inner weirdnesses exposed by five judges whose outer weirdness is pronounced. Dubbed "alts" -- as in alternatives -- they sit in judgement like in the "Star Trek" original series' episode "The Gamesters of Triskelion," where the Providers bet quatloos on the actions of the Thralls -- you know the episode, we know that you do. We remember best the aluminum foily outfit (bottom row) of sorta famous guest star Angelique Pettyjohn, but we digress. Show swags collector cards, sorta.

"Rift" (genesis was a download for grownups) is a CG cartoon with PG-13 aspirations and a mix of characters rendered diversely to exaggerate the inter-species contrast as they flit about in outer space and back in time -- opening episode goes back to creation where they inadvertantly kill God. Swagged is a Colorforms-type plastic peel-off/press-down dress-up toy similar to swag here, adhering by means somewhat like this. Choices to apply rely heavily upon "Star Wars" imagery, using one thing to designate another -- metaphors be with you (a pun highly regarded here).

Collectibility cash-out: C; Fans of the original "Rift," and they are legion, may be drawn to item. "House" cards may be of interest to someone, because someone somewhere is interested in anything from anywhere.

Mar 3, 2004 at 10:00 PM by James Hames in Television | Permalink

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