Blast from the Past: Soap Operas, Sitcom Style!

As I said before, a huge chunk of this weekend was spent watching Soap--the 70s sitcom spoof of soap operas--on my free Netflix trial. I mean a lot. Anyway, when it came time for me to write my weekly Blast from the Past feature, I couldn't quite shake off the Soapy residue. So, I thought, how about some clips from soap opera spoofs? Then, I thought "how many were there?" Let's see. . .




1. Soap - The one that got me started, and you can read that post here.
2. Grand - This was a very funny show that didn't last very long, unfortunately. It starred Pamela Reed, Bonnie Hunt and Michael McKean.
3. Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman - My mom loved this one, but it was just a little over my head. . .or something.
4. Fresno - This one was a miniseries starring Carol Burnett, Teri Garr and Gregory Harrison, at the height of the Dynasty, Falcon Crest and Dallas phase.
5. The Powers That Be - Tragically short-lived, but hilarious. Starred Holland Taylor, John Forsythe, and David Hyde-Pierce.
6. As the Stomach Turns - All right, this one is a bit of a cheat. It was a recurring skit on The Carol Burnett Show, but is one of the classic soap opera spoofs.

That's it for this week. Happy Monday!

Netflix, the Cast of Soap and Old Age

This weekend, I cashed in an offer from the mail. Usually, I throw out junk mail, but I paused when I came across a free month of Netflix. After all, we just got a new wireless internet capable Blu-ray player for Christmas, and Netflix is one of the features it came ready with. Even if I forget to cancel, it's only $7.95 a month, which is pretty darned reasonable right there.

It's pretty nifty. You set up Netflix on your computer, load up movies on their web page, and poof! they appear in your Blue-ray player like magic! I'm sure in five or ten years, the process will be even slicker, and probably taken for granted. But for now, it's very cool. But right away, I discovered a built-in limitation. After just a few searches, I realized that much of Netflix's library is "DVD Only," which means you have to sign up for the $2-per-month extra service where they mail the DVD to you. $2 isn't much, but it's not nearly as convenient, and I can't imagine it is very cost effective. I predict that eventually, Netflix (or its successor) will be 100% online.

Anyway, the service is really pretty awesome, but has the potential to become just one more time waster. I got my feet wet watching episodes of the brilliant but cancelled Better Off Ted. And then somehow, I got trapped in an all-day marathon of the 70s sitcom, Soap. In two days, I think I'm up to episode 15. Of course, that's at 22 minutes a pop, so it's not all that bad. The show holds up remarkably well, retaining every bit of the humor it always had. It is of course not as risque as we remember (the Moral Majority would pass out from today's HBO and FX shows). And the 70s fashions and decor dates the show. Just think of it as That REAL 70s Show, and get past it. There's comedy gold here.

The show of course featured Billy Crystal as TVs first regular out gay character, though they weren't 100% accurate in dealing with it. Baby steps, right? It was still groundbreaking. The cast was absolutely stellar, particularly the older people in the cast (as opposed to the unevenly talented younger ones). Katherine Helmond as daffy Jessica Tate, Cathryn Damon as sensible Mary Campbell, Robert Mandan as philandering Chester Tate, Richard Mulligan as loopy Burt Campbell, and Robert Guillaume as sardonic butler Benson was a cast any show would envy. The other standouts for me were Ted Wass as sexy but dumb Danny and Jay Johnson as Chuck (and Bob the dummy) Campbell.

But the most stunning thing for me (besides the amount of time I spent watching it) was the age of the principal cast. This show originally aired when I was eleven years old. While I didn't completely get it then, I absolutely loved the show in its original run. And to me, Jessica, Mary, Benson, Burt and especially Chester weren't just older. They were old. Of course, my mother was 29 at the time, more in line with Jennifer Salt or Diana Canova (the Tate daughters). So the others were practically the age of my grandparents. 

Today, I am 44 years old, and The Other Half is 49. We both have birthdays within the next 5 months, so both of us will reach milestones of a sort. And both of us will bracket each Soap cast member in the photo above! Now, neither of us is anywhere near as youthful looking as we were when we met in 1998. But neither of us looks old enough to be any of those people! I'm going to be the same age as Chester Tate??? Sorry, Mr. Mandan. I know you're still out there, and got to have a career where you basically looked the same age for thirty years, so I'm really not knocking you. But wow. This life thing is really starting to speed up!

Blast from the Past: ABC TV Shows of the 70s!

Image from LocateTV

TV series in the 70s were much simpler than they are today. Dramas--except for soap operas--didn't require much attention, and typically had no b-story (or c-story), no subplots, no story-arcs, and almost no character development. Comedies were played as if they were on stage, were loud and harshly lit, and characters were cartoonish. If a show had a lovable ditz character in season one, they'd be an utter moron by season three.

There were exceptions of course, like M*A*S*H, All in the Family and the like, but for the most part the "idiot box" was aptly named in the 70s.  I loved it anyway. I got the idea from this post while up very early this morning (my sleep schedule is way outta whack), watching Three's Company on TVLand.  These were early episodes, before Chrissy was a drooling idiot. Anyway, ABC TV went from an also-ran network into a full-blown hit at exactly the same time I was becoming a pop culture junkie. The shows of that decade set me on the road to being a Trivial Pursuit savant, and have a central role in my childhood memories.  Here are some of my favorites of the era.








1. Happy Days - This show is likely the reason ABC had their big showing through the decade. It started the ball rolling, brought "The Fonz" into pop culture, and lasted 11 seasons.
2. Laverne & Shirley - Spun-off from Happy Days, this show was and remains a personal favorite. Unappreciated by critics, it was nevertheless a huge hit with viewers.
3. Soap - Considered "too dirty" for prime time (at least briefly), they actually aired it at night for a while in some markets. Marvelously loopy, and completely hilarious. Also, Billy Crystal played--I believe--the first scripted, regular gay character on television.
4. Mork & Mindy - Another spin-off of Happy Days, this one was of course about an alien from Ork crash-landing in Colorado, and moving in with a pretty career woman. It put Robin Williams on the map, and was a monster hit. . .until the network effectively killed it with scheduling and cast changes.
5. Barney Miller - I didn't appreciate this one much at the time. It was a little over my head at the time. But the theme song rocks.
6. Charlie's Angels - This show solidified ABC's dominance, and created "Jiggle TV." Jaclyn Smith, Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and later Cheryl Ladd were the definitive angels. None of the later TV or movie angels even came close.
7. Wonder Woman - Like the angels, Lynda Carter was and remains the definitive Wonder Woman. I frankly liked the updated, CBS version of the show better, but the ABC World War II version started it all.
8. The Love Boat - Probably the silliest of the list, this one was inexplicably a hit for many years. And it provided b-list actors a place to work, a role now filled by CSIs, Law & Orders and all the other procedurals out there.

Oddly enough, I couldn't find a Three's Company clip that was postable. Which is kind of strange. But there you go!

Happy Monday!

Gary Coleman Dies at 42

Image from source, ABC News


I guess if you told Gary Coleman that he'd live to be 42 when he was 12, he might have thought that would be okay.  He was, after all, beset by health problems at a very early age.  But it was those health problems that helped him become a star.  Without his stunted growth, it isn't likely that he'd have become the cute, wise-cracking Arnold on Diff'rent Strokes. 

I am, as it turns out, only two years older than Coleman.  That fact kind of blows me away, because he was playing much younger on Strokes.  His show was a rare hit on NBC back then, the era of SuperTrain and Hello, Larry!  I was a pop culture sponge in the late 70s and early 80s, but the action then was on ABC, with Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Three's Company and Charlie's Angels.  Watching NBC was "slumming," so to speak.  But I caught the odd BJ and the Bear and CHiPS.  And along the way, I caught my share of Diff'rent Strokes.  It wasn't great television, but Coleman made a hell of an impact anyway.  Right up there with The Fonz's  "Ayyyyyyy!", Jimmy Walker's "Dyn-O-Mite!" and Beatrice Arthur's "God'll get you for that, Walter!" was Coleman's "What you talkin' about, Willis?"

[Excerpt]

`Diff'rent Strokes' Star Gary Coleman Dies

Gary Coleman, the adorable, pint-sized child star of the smash 1970s TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" who spent the rest of his life struggling on Hollywood's D-list, died Friday after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was 42.



Coleman was taken off life support and died with family and friends at his side, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank said. . .

Read more at: ABC News

Frivolity Break: Paul Lynde Does the Weather!

I couldn't find anything that felt blogworthy for my first Wednesday post (at least nothing that you haven't already heard about), so it's time for the Frivolity Break grab bag. And looky who's in the bag--literally--Paul Lynde! As a weatherman.  Lots of weathermen have had rumors swirl around them that they're gay, but none swirl as well as Lynde. How could people have been confused about him? I guess it was different in the 70s. Enjoy!

Big TV News: Shows Axed, Shows Spared. Yay and Boo.

Image from source, TVSquad

Every time I get invested in a new TV show, I'm pretty sure it's going to be cancelled. Especially if I blog about it. I've come to regard it as the Greenlee Curse. This is separate and apart from the other curse, where I talk about an obscure celebrity, and they die soon after. Let's have no more of that, okay?
Beating my average, one of the shows I lke--V--is coming back next year. But both FlashForward and Better Off Ted, two favorites I've blogged about in the past, are not so lucky. Darn it.  BOT was an inspired and hilarious show that no one watched (and which ABC treated badly), and FlashForward must have been one serialized drama to many for the network. Boo.

[Excerpt]

'V' Renewed; 'FlashForward,' 'Scrubs,' 'Better Off Ted,' 'Romantically Challenged' Axed

More news coming from the ABC upfronts: The Live Feed is reporting that the network has officially renewed the alien-invasion series 'V' for a second season. The show, which co-stars Scott Wolf and 'Lost''s Elizabeth Mitchell, among others, is expected to be picked up for 13 episodes. (For more on ABC's pick-ups, click here.). . .

Read more at: TV Squad

The Most Ridiculous TV Mysteries of All Time

Image from source, Huffington Post

Yeah, this post is kind of a cheat. But it's also right up my alley, trivia-wise. I'm a sucker for continuity, and can blow it off if the story is good enough. But did they really think we'd forget about Chuck Cunningham? He just disappeared, and suddenly Happy Days' Cunningham family had always just had two children! Of course there is the mystery of how their front door switched sides of the the house in year two or three. And how Fonzie became godlike. Oh well, enjoy.

[Excerpt]

The 13 Most Ridiculous Sitcom Mysteries Of All Time

Part of the appeal of the traditional sitcom was that it followed a consistent formula. Week after week, you could tune in and know exactly what to expect. But every now and then, the producers would try and pull a fast one on us, removing characters, replacing actresses, even changing one character's race. These instances were never explained on the show and we were meant to just accept it. But you know what? We're not gonna accept it! Sure, it's years later and besides the point, but these were ridiculous and we need to acknowledge it! . . .

See them all at: Huffington Post

John Forsythe Dead at 92

Image from source, TV Squad

It would be odd to say that John Forsythe had an "untimely death," living well past the average human life-span and all. But I'm still sad. It's yet another reminder of my own mortality, and that of my generation (Generation X) moving on up from "middle aged" to "old." Forsythe was a presence in my "tween" and teen years as the voice of Charles Townsend, the horn-dog boss of Charlie's Angels (who oddly never even met any of the gorgeous girls he employed). And he was a fixture every week of my late teens and early adulthood as Blake Carrington on Dynasty. A program of which I never missed an episode.

But one of my favorites of Forsythe's TV career was as Senator Powers on a little-remembered The Powers That Be, a hilariously subversive sitcom by Norman Lear. It was a deeply warped show, with tragically flawed characters, and many fantastic character actors. David Hyde-Pierce (Frasier), Valarie Mahaffey (Northern Exposure) and Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men) all had prominent roles in the show. It's a shame that it didn't catch on. Anyway, thanks to Mr. Forsythe for the memories, and RIP. Go be with the "real" Angels.*

[Excerpt]

'Dynasty' Actor John Forsythe Dead at 92

The distinguished actor and television leading man, John Forsythe, passed away yesterday at his home in Santa Ynez, California, following a year-long battle with cancer. According to his publicist, Harlon Boll, the 92-year-old actor succumbed to complications of pneumonia. . .

Read more at: TV Squad

*Asterisked because I'm agnostic and don't believe in actual angels. But it's a good line.

Robert Culp Dead at 79

Image from source, TVSquad

This probably doesn't qualify for "The Greenlee Curse," but it's close. While it has happened many, many times in my life, the most memorable ones are Elvis Presley and Isabel Sanford. Both died at points in their lives when their careers weren't particularly on fire, and both died the day after I had a fairly significant conversation about them. With Robert Culp, I just happened to notice--while The Other Half was watching the movie The Pelican Brief--that Culp played the President. I said, "Oh, I like him. Is he still alive?" Gulp.

I was too young for I Spy, but I loved him in The Greatest American Hero, and also in Everybody Loves Raymond. Everybody's got to go sometime, but it's sad. RIP, Mr. Culp.

[Excerpt]

'I Spy' star Robert Culp dead at 79

One half of the 'I Spy' team is gone: Robert Culp has died near his home in Hollywood at the age of 79. What's even more troubling is the way he died. Culp apparently fell and hit his head while out for a walk and was found by a jogger. He later died at a hospital. . .

Read more at: TVSquad

Peter Graves Dead at 84

Image from source, Huffington Post

Boo. I've liked Peter Graves since I was old enough to understand Mission: Impossible. I especially enjoyed him in the Airplane! movies, and was really irked when they turned Graves' Jim Phelps character into a secret bad guy in the Tom Cruise movie (and if I spoiled that for you, consider that I felt spoiled when I watched it.). So, this is sad news. Living to 84 is a good long life, but I'm sure the closer to 84 I get, the less I'll consider that to be consolation. RIP, Peter!

[Excerpt]

Peter Graves DEAD: Actor Found In Pacific Palisades Home

Peter Graves, the tall, stalwart actor likely best known for his portrayal of Jim Phelps, leader of a gang of special agents who battled evil conspirators in the long-running television series "Mission: Impossible," died Sunday.

Graves died of an apparent heart attack outside his Los Angeles home, publicist Sandy Brokaw said. He would have been 84 this week. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Gilligan's Island: The Movie!

You've got to hand it to Sherwood Schwartz. He may be 120 or so, but he still keeps wringing every drop out of his two supremely silly sitcom successes from his (relative) youth. Let's see, from The Brady Bunch, he made:

- The Brady Kids (animated)

- The Brady Bunch Variety Hour (abysmal)

- The Brady Girls Get Married (TV movie)

- The Brady Brides (sequel sitcom)

- A Very Brady Christmas (TV movie)

- The Bradys (dreadful drama)

- The Brady Bunch Movie (big screen send-up)

- A Very Brady Sequel (sequel send-up)

- The Brady Bunch in the White House (terrible TV movie)

From Gilligan's Island:

- The New Adventures of Gilligan (animated)

- Gilligan's Planet (animated)

- Rescue from Gilligan's Island (TV movie)

- Castaways on Gilligan's Island (worse TV movie)

- The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (even worse TV movie)

- Gilligan's Island: The Musical (musical play)

- The Real Gilligan's Island (reality show)

Did I miss anything?

[Excerpt]

Iconic TV sitcom 'Gilligan's Island's' sets sail for big screen

Just sit right back and listen to this.

The castaways of "Gilligan's Island" have washed ashore in Hollywood, headed for a fateful trip to the big screen, Variety reported. . .

Read more: NewYorkDailyNews

Laverne & Shirley Star Gets DUI

1st image from source, FOX "News"; 2nd image from Comedy.com

First, Three's Company star Joyce DeWitt (Janet) gets busted for driving while tipsy (surely a hilarious misunderstanding), and now Laverne & Shirley's "Big Ragu" Eddie Mekka (Carmine) finds himself in the same situation. Probably because Shirley still won't let him vo-dee-oh-doh-doh. I hope Anson Williams, Jimmy Baio and Pam Dawber all have designated drivers, because this looks to be an ABC 70s sitcom star epidemic.

[Excerpt]

'Laverne and Shirley' Star Eddie Mekka Arrested for DUI

The guy who played Carmine "The Big Ragoo" Ragusa on "Laverne and Shirley" was arrested last Friday in Las Vegas after he allegedly got into a drunken car crash. . .

Read more at (yes, I know): FOX "News"

Rememberences of Farrah Fawcett

Image from NY Daily News

Since Farrah's Story aired on NBC a few weeks ago, I've expected to get the news of Farrah Fawcett's death. It was made clear that she was terminal, and by the end of the documentary, she wasn't even lucid. So, her death--while no less sad--was not a surprise. More surprising, of course, was the out of the blue death of Michael Jackson on the very same day.

Which is sad all by itself, but doubly so for Farrah. As the celebrity reporter on MSNBC said, they were working on a Farrah Fawcett retrospective when they got the Jackson news. After that, Fawcett is now a footnote. And she deserved more than that.

I had Farrah's iconic poster on my wall as a 'tween, as all little boys (even us gay ones) did in 1976. I struggled to stay up late to watch Charlie's Angels, even though bedtime that year was 10:00 pm. I managed to catch up during the summer, and was excited that the show moved to 9:00 pm the next season. But where was Farrah? She'd left the show! My sadness was short-lived, due to the brilliant casting of Cheryl Ladd.

But Farrah still held my attention. I watched Logan's Run (still a favorite) and Saturn 3. The weeks when she was contracturally bound to appear in guest shots on Charlie's Angels, I was front and center. Years later, I'd be interested enough in her to check out movies like The Burning Bed, and Extremities, which I'd have been almost certain to skip otherwise.

When Farrah's Story aired, I was given a new perspective on Farrah, who had--lets face it--been rather strange in her last decade or so. She appeared dizzy (or drugged) on The Late Show with David Letterman and the William Shatner roast. So to see her so spirited, courageous and real may have been one of the best things to come out of an otherwise depressing program.

So, RIP, Farrah Fawcett. You are one of many pieces of my childhood, but one of the only ones I will always be able to picture--in that red bathing suit, with the dazzling smile--in perfect clarity, as you looked then. You may not get the same coverage as Michael Jackson, but you had quite an impact, just the same.

The Best Show You've Never Seen: Swingtown

Image from source, Edge New York

This past summer, a show on CBS (of all channels) was aired that pushed the envolope on what was acceptable on broadcast TV. The show, set in 1976 America, told the tale of the sexually adventurous and boundary-blurring adults of the sexual revolution. But that was just the setup.

Though the storylines were set upon the taboo areas of "free love," the story went much deeper. The show did justice to the social upheavals of the day, while simultaneously being very relateable, and period-perfect. The acting was exemplory, if the writing wasn't always perfect. But if you were alive during the 70s, you can attest to the authenticity of the series. A few nitpicky anachronisms did occur, but Swingtown was one of the most authentic period pieces ever shown on network television.

The season one DVD collection would make a very good gift for the more socially liberated of your friends. Or yourself, if you're curious. Here's hoping that CBS (or Showtime, or other suitable venue) finds room in their schedule for season two.

[Excerpt]

Swingtown - The First Season

Swingtown is one of the best shows you’ve never seen. A sexy 1970s nostalgia show explores the decadent world of swingers in a Chicago suburb. Where can you catch this provocative show? CBS! That may be why people might have missed it, but not the reason you shouldn’t run out and buy it on DVD. . .

Read more at: Edge New York

WKRP In Cincinnati for Real

Image from source, FOX "News"

WKRP in Cincinnati was one of the best sitcoms of the 70s and 80s, possibly of all time. The characters created there will live on as classics forever in my mind. Not even the badly done New WKRP series could tarnish them.

Loni Anderson as curvaceous but smart receptionist Jennifer Marlowe. Howard Hessman as stoner DJ Dr. Johnny Fever (Caravella). Frank Bonner as smarmy sales guy Herb Tarlek. Richard Sanders as neurotic newsman Les Nessman. Tim Reid as groovy DJ Venus Flytrap (Gordon Simms). Gary Sandy as program director Andy Travis (with the clothes as tight, and hair as perfect as Jennifer). Jan Smithers as mousy but sexy Bailey Quarters. Gordon Jump as the clueless station manager, Big Guy Arthur Carlson. Every one unique. Even secondary characters like Carol Bruce as evil Mama Carlson, Ian Wolfe as her sarcastic butler Hirsh, and Edie McClurg as daffy Lucille Tarlek were stellar.

Now, a TV station in Cincinnati is attempting to cash in on the memories. That's OK though, since it's hard to believe somebody hadn't already done that by now. Still, shouldn't it be a radio station?

[Excerpt]

WKRP in Cincinnati ... For Real This Time

A low-power TV station has changed its call letters to WKRP, the same as the fictional radio station in the 1970s hit series "WKRP in Cincinnati. . ."

Read more at: FOX "News"

Here is one of the better episodes: Tornado

Blast from the Past: PBS Children's Shows of the 70s

Well, it's the dawning of a new month, and as I scroll through my recent posts, I see political post after political post. . .McCain, Obama, Rove, Bush. . .It's all very important, and I find it fascinating, exasperating, frustrating and exciting. But enough is enough! It's time for another fun post.

As is usual when I hit my political breaking point, I dive into my 70s pop culture memories. This time, I was inspired by--what else--a political video that spoofed PBS's The Electric Company. It got me to thinking about how different things were for kids like me in the 70s, versus today. Nowadays, they've got Nickelodeon, The Disney Channel, The Cartoon Network, and hundreds of other channels to choose from. We had four. The major networks, and PBS. Eventually, we'd get (very) basic cable, but that only expanded our viewing to umpteen viewings of Speed Racer and Spider-Man. But til then, we had mostly PBS to keep us company.





#1 - Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood - I was never young enough for this show. I thought it was silly when I was four. But, hey, there was nothing else on! This is from the first episode.

#2 - Sesame Street - Like Mr. Rogers, I never felt young enough for this show either, though of course I enjoyed the Muppets. And a recurring skit about consequences sticks with me to this day.

#3 - The Electric Company - This was my show. I loved it. And it helped me get the jump on some of the other kids, because I actually tried to learn. And this is undoubtedly the coolest theme song of all the shows.

#4 - Mulligan Stew - I'm not positive this show was actually on PBS. But it fits with the general theme of this post. I tried to find Ville Alegre and Zoom, but YouTube ain't got 'em. Mulligan's taught kids about nutrition. I loved it at the time.

Star Wars: Attack of the Osmonds

Image from source, TV Squad

Earlier, I put up a couple of posts that bordered on the bizarre. After visiting a site called TV Squad, I think I found something that tops them.

Back in the 1970s (my Wonder Years), pretty much anything could end up on television and be a hit. One of the programs that made it big was Donny & Marie. The famous Mormon singing Osmond siblings were still in their teens at the time, and were given their own variety show produced by kid-TV mavens, Sid & Marty Krofft. The show eventually morphed from kid-silly to a more adult show, blatantly ripping off The Sonny & Cher Variety Hour--which was a little creepy since D & M were brother and sister, not husband and wife.

Anyway, the show was rather standard-issue for 70s variety. Interchangeable with The Captain & Tenille Show or even The Brady Bunch Variety Hour. And I never missed an episode. Still, I managed to forget this bit, not only parodying Star Wars, but clearly doing so with George Lucas' permission. Guest stars included Red Foxx and Paul Lynde!

NOTE: The first video's sound is terribly out of synch. Still worth a view if you're a Star Wars fan, and never knew this existed. Oh, it's terrible, but what the hell. . .






Posted specifically for friend and contributor, Stupid Monkey Planet.

Blast from the Past: NBC "Classic" TV Themes

I was a pop-culture junkie long before the Internet. Back when you had to work for it! In the 70s, TV was all about ABC, with Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Charlie's Angels, Happy Days, and the rest. CBS was for old folks, and NBC was. . .well NBC was loser land.

Their one big hit was Saturday Night Live, but everything else they tried was either a disaster, or slightly above a disaster. Even so, a few shows sort of broke through. They weren't exactly hits, but they were the closest thing that NBC had to it. That all changed a little later with Cheers, The Cosby Show, and Family Ties, but in the late 70s and early 80s, these were the gems NBC had to offer. Enjoy.

#1 - BJ and the Bear - A cute truck driver and his pet chimp. Not a classic by any stretch, but it managed a spin-off (The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo), if you can believe it.

#2 - Supertrain - A train wreck. Almost literally. This show will live in infamy as one of TVs worst shows. It was an attempt to duplicate the success of The Love Boat (and that's pretty lame, right there), and it failed spectacularly.

#3 - CHiPs - Probably the longest-running of NBC's non-hits, this one actually made a dent in the pop-culture consciousness. It had Erik Estrada in tight pants, and. . .that other guy. Plus it had a nifty discofied theme song, and is soon going to be a movie.

#4 - Hello, Larry - There is lame, and then there is lame. McLean Stevenson left M*A*S*H for this? There was some interplay between this and another of NBC's non-hits, Diff'rent Strokes (a show that managed to spin off a genuine hit in The Facts of Life). Still, for some reason, it still sticks in my head. And can you believe there was ever a Frasier after this stink-bomb?