When I was TV critic at the New York Daily News, I instituted a recurring feature called "Extras" -- my name for in-jokes hidden within TV shows, and unearthed by either me or my sharp-eyed readers. Most of the time, it was the readers who deserved the credit -- and got it, for some 14 years, as I showcased the best Extras and identified the viewers who caught them.
Well, good news: The Daily News has given me official permission to continue the Extra search over here at TV WORTH WATCHING. And with the interactivity of the Interweb, you don't need to wait for me to cull through the mail any more. You Extra detectives can just post your finds, and see what others are catching and posting, in a much faster way of sharing secrets.
Beginning today, you can find the place to read about, or write about, Extras at the top of the FEEDBACK page. We've redesigned things so the other questions on FEEDBACK -- about your first favorite TV show, and first memorable TV sex symbol -- can also be commented on, and read, in their own dedicated areas.
One of the Extras you'll find on the FEEDBACK page is a then-and-now visual joke on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, with Neil Patrick Harris, as Barney, writing his blog in the same thoughtful manner Harris used to type his computer diary on Doogie Howser, M.D., a very long time ago. Here's an extra part of that Extra: The direct references extended not only to the expression on Harris' face, and to the Doogie Howser theme music, but to the primitive white-letters-on-blue-screen computer monitor.
Except, of course, Barney's blog had a slightly cockier message than little Doogie's pubescent musings...
So enjoy the Extras, and the rest of the FEEDBACK page. And check out the JUKEBOX page and the additions to the FRESH AIR FAVORITES page, if you haven't seen them already.
They're all part of the slow but sure changes underfoot here. And not to be too mysterious, but the biggest and best change is just around the corner...
Stay tuned.