Unpopular Shows you Love

[Drtooth]

I also kind of like That '80s Show. That '70s Show is still the better show, but That '80s Show had it's charm. And I watched that show BEFORE I had become really obsessed with the 1980s, though I had liked the '70s and '80s before then.

That 80's show had too many things going against it. It was far too early, for one thing. Had they waited just a few years when 80's style was relevant again, it might have got the audience it was looking for. Secondly, creating that show meant that That 70's Show was on a tight leash (the show lasted longer than the period of time it took place in. Remember, it was about the mid-70's). That 70's Show could never grow and expand into the early 80's (pretty much why they stopped showing the date on the license plate at the end of the show in the last 2 seasons), freezing characters in a year for 3 seasons. And lastly, the characters weren't half as fun and far more time sensitive than the cast of That 70's Show.

The overall appeal of 70's wasn't the fact that it took place in the 70's, but rather the fact that things didn't really change. Other than a handful of episodes that had a major time sensitive plot point, you almost could forget that it was the 70's if it wasn't the show's title. The characters rang true no matter what timeline they were in. That 80's Show was the opposite. Everything was time sensitive, the characters were all culled from 1980's tropes... they forgot what made the last show special and just did a bunch of 80's jokes.

 

[CensoredAlso]

they forgot what made the last show special

You pretty much describe most spin offs and sequels, lol.

 

[Drtooth]

Most. Look at Frasier. You hear more about that show than Cheers, and Cheers was a popular series.

But 80's Show could have been a solid idea had they not rushed it out. Something tells me Fox wanted the show more than the writers. Still, it was enjoyable, but it didn't seem like a concept that could sustain a full series. You could basically take a 70's Show script and put it in a present day sitcom and you couldn't tell the difference (save a couple references, that is. They use Star Wars enough times, though and that's pretty timeless).

But I did however like that episode where the Average guy main character told off the punk rock girl about listening to Sex Pistols while she was still obsessed with Bay City Rollers. If the level of comedy was that sophisticated, the show would have worked better.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Most. Look at Frasier.

Oh absolutely. As soon as I wrote that I started thinking of all the spin offs that actually did do well, lol. It certainly can work out. And thankfully the ones that don't tend to be forgotten pretty quickly.

 

[Drtooth]

Frasier did it right. They took a character that wasn't too popular, but likable enough to support a show. Had they done a Norm or Cliff show, it wouldn't have lasted a year.

Now, back to the actual thread... I don't hear too many things about CBS's turn of the century sitcoms "Yes Dear" and "Still Standing." While I've essentially worn out my soapbox by saying how terrible ABC's sitcoms around the same time (except Ge3orge Lopez... for some reason, that one was actually kinda funny), CBS did Family Sitcoms about the adults right. Not to mention the talent behind both shows was solid. Yes Dear is fairly underrated and almost completely forgotten, except for an awesome fully absorbed finale cameo in Raising Hope (A Greg Garcia-iverse). Heck, one set of inlaws was Tim Conway and Vicki Lawrence. Not to mention Brian Doyle Murphy as the studio head. Even managed to have an episode with Chuck Norris that was funnier than all those internet memes about him combined. Still Standing I have a fuzzier recollection about, but I'd say it's According to Jim if it didn't suck.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Yes Dear is fairly underrated and almost completely forgotten

I actually really enjoyed Yes Dear, but it always felt like the kind of show that wouldn't get enough love, if that makes sense.

 

[D'Snowth]

Frasier did it right. They took a character that wasn't too popular, but likable enough to support a show. Had they done a Norm or Cliff show, it wouldn't have lasted a year.

I've often wondered if any of the M*A*S*H spinoffs would've done better had Alan Alda been involved.

TRAPPER JOHN, MD was confusing enough, because many people didn't realize it was a spinoff of the original 1970 movie, and not the 1972 TV series. AFTERMASH didn't make sense in the first place: how is it that Potter, Klinger, and Father Mulcahy, all of whom were from different parts of the country, end up working at the exact same stateside hospital after the war? Jamie Farr has even said that AFTERMASH was a terrible experience, with the exception of being able to work with Harry Morgan, William Christopher, and some of the same writers and producers again. W*A*L*T*E*R was doomed to fail from the start. Having Radar sell the family farm after his mother dies, move to St. Louis with his cousin, and join the police force? Had they stuck with the O'Reilly family farm, that would have been a lot more interesting, but there's the Rural Purge factor at play, where in the early 70s, the networks, "Canceled everything with a tree in it", as Pat Buttrum put it. But again, if there was a spinoff about Hawkeye, would that work better? I don't know. M*A*S*H was suffering a slow and painful death it's last four years anyway.

Really, the only successful spinoffs I can think of are the "Rural Trio" or the "Hooterville Trio". THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES was successful enough that it launched the spinoff PETTICOAT JUNCTION, which itself was successful enough that it launched a spinoff of it's own, GREEN ACRES... and GREEN ACRES tried to launch TWO spinoffs itself (the last two episodes were Poorly Disguised Pilots), but again, the Rural Purge happened, and those were all canceled. Though, interestingly enough, THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES and GREEN ACRES seem to be the only two that people still remember and love, PETTICOAT JUNCTION (which I've yet to see) seems to be all but forgotten. Then again, I've heard it was kind of dull compared to the other two.

 

[dwayne1115]

Well look at the show All in the Family The show was huge in the 70's and had three to four spinoffs. Even one Archie Bunker's Place which was the same show with a bigger cast, and a different name. The show did have at least one good spinoff with the Jefferson's, but all of the other spinoffs just did not work.

 

[CensoredAlso]

The show did have at least one good spinoff with the Jefferson's, but all of the other spinoffs just did not work.

Yeah I think that's the way it tends to go with spin offs. There's several failed attempts and then occasionally they manage to strike gold. The thing is a lot of popular characters are really mainly defined by how they interact with the rest of the cast. And when you separate them from the ensemble in a completely different situation, it throws everything off.

The one that bugged me the most is Golden Palace.

 

[Oscarfan]

Frasier did it right. They took a character that wasn't too popular, but likable enough to support a show. Had they done a Norm or Cliff show, it wouldn't have lasted a year.

Now, back to the actual thread... I don't hear too many things about CBS's turn of the century sitcoms "Yes Dear" and "Still Standing." While I've essentially worn out my soapbox by saying how terrible ABC's sitcoms around the same time (except Ge3orge Lopez... for some reason, that one was actually kinda funny), CBS did Family Sitcoms about the adults right. Not to mention the talent behind both shows was solid. Yes Dear is fairly underrated and almost completely forgotten, except for an awesome fully absorbed finale cameo in Raising Hope (A Greg Garcia-iverse). Heck, one set of inlaws was Tim Conway and Vicki Lawrence. Not to mention Brian Doyle Murphy as the studio head. Even managed to have an episode with Chuck Norris that was funnier than all those internet memes about him combined. Still Standing I have a fuzzier recollection about, but I'd say it's According to Jim if it didn't suck.

I wouldn't say Yes Dear's forgotten; they play it all the time on TBS.