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An error has ocurred. Please try againIt is *always* a mainstream Hollywood theatrical film that is *usually* a bad, uninspired or otherwise forgettable example of its genre, that typically has, as its only notable aspect, a romantic relationship between two of its principals, usually two actors, sometimes an actor and a director, or occasionally some other configuration, who formed a liaison during the project.
In most cases, the film in question would have been better left unmade, had the principals bothered to have sated their sexual gratification ("Do It") on their own time. Likewise, many of the "relationships" formed during a "MMSTSCDI" often (but not always) end as badly as their films did with critics and the general public. Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw of 1984's "Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom," and Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell of 1984's "Swing Shift" are but two high-profile exceptions that prove the rule.
Generally speaking, the principals meet for the very first time on the "SCDI" film in question, however, some stars had crossed paths prior to their listing. For example, Ethan Hawke cites the fact that he first met Uma Thurman at a New York City ATM, several years before they worked together on "Gattaca." The key factor is whether a romance first developed (or if rumors* of a romance began) regarding the principals at the time of filming and is the litmus test to determine if any film is a bona fide "Movie Made So The Stars Could Do It."
The list of films that fit this category is extended and more films get added yearly, as more examples of the type are made and as more information about previous films becomes known.
*Note: Rumors are usually unverifiable and the question of whether the stars actually did "Do It" during or after filming is all but a moot point. If stories in the media at the time of the film's release suggest a relationship, that is enough of a qualification for the film to be considered for this distinction. The concept of this listing is not to cause controversy for the principals, but rather to take an amusing look at how Hollywood functions generally and the work the principals did on these films in particular. In other words, the focus here is on the (usually lacking) qualities of the film first, and any relationships second.
Unless otherwise noted, the persons listed were actors in the film.
That 1624 date means that 2024 is the 400th Anniversary of New York City and to celebrate that historic year, I have compiled a list of the 400 Most Notable Television Shows that were set in NYC.
The Ground Rules:
New York City needs to be a primary location for the action. So, for example, even though "The Simpsons" visited New York in an episode, that wouldn't count. It's not about visiting the city; it's about being here.
Also, some shows change their locale; they may either move from or to NYC. We can consider those programs, presuming at least one season of the show was New York based.
And some shows split focus between two or more locations within their episodes. If one of those regular settings is a part of New York City, that qualifies it to be considered.
NOTE: This list is in reverse order. The show listed as 1 is, in fact, show #400.
Also - the list expands each day during the year, with two additions on Sundays to reach 400 before the end of 2024.
Reviews
The Redd Foxx Show (1986)
NYC 400 - #337 - "The Redd Foxx Show"
The year was 1986. Comedian and actor Redd Foxx had a tremendous success with the Norman Lear series "Sanford and Son" and started getting offers to do other things, when that show wrapped. He tried a variety series which flopped. He returned to that earlier role in a continuation of his hit series, called "Sanford," but that didn't work and he even did some specials where he could do some of his "sanitized for television" stand up routines and some sketch comedy bits.
But this was a true return to a sitcom setting for Mr. Foxx. It was a departure from the Sanford character and from his stand up bits which was a different direction in his career, at that point.
Here, Redd Foxx played Al Hughes, the owner of a midtown diner with a newspaper kiosk attached to it. Helping run the joint was his counter waitress Diana, played by Rosanna DeSoto.
Al had a track record of helping underprivileged boys in the area by becoming an adoptive parent to those juvenile delinquents, and he had a lot of success for turning their lives around. So, when the local social worker insists that this next kid needs to find a home or would wind up in the lock up, Al agreed to meet.
It turns out that the new kid is a graffiti artist with some serious talent, played by Pamela Segall. But, based on the method of dress, the vocal intonations, the age and the look, Al believed that this was a boy, too.
Once Al found out that it wasn't Tony, it was Toni, of course a lot of the challenges (and the bulk of the humor) was based on the gender elements, as Al had never ministered to a girl before. But also, the laughs focused on the generational differences, the attitude and the energy between these two. There were a lot of different kinds of clashes going on at any given moment and they ranged from getting the newsstand set up for the day's customers and keeping the floors of the diner and the kitchen clean, to all the pop culture references dropped in, that someone of Al's advancing age likely never would have gotten.
Al was gruff, but he was a softee too, so he never really held the upper hand, but he did want things to go smoothly, so as long as they did (which they rarely did) he wasn't grousing or griping.
New York played a part because you had the yuppie businessmen off to their glass towers coming through, the rando tourists looking for a bite to eat on their way to various landmarks, college students with their mid-80s downtown style showing up and the threats of crime that Toni wanted to help resolve.
Ultimately, Toni left, without so much as a goodbye, off to subway tunnels unknown, presumably to paint some new murals? Or maybe she decided to use that unique voice of hers to give life to some animated characters? It's very unclear.
In place of Toni, Beverly Todd joined the cast as Al's ex wife, Felicia. She had Al's foster (and full grown) son Byron, played by an up and coming comic that went by the mononym, Sinbad.
The focus of the show changed drastically, the continual issues with Byron and Felicia involving themselves in Al's life may have been true to the situation, but they didn't add much comedy.
Ultimately the show didn't quite find the right chemistry to make it work and the abrupt changes in the cast didn't do it any favors.
Semi-Tough (1980)
NYC 400 - #338 - "Semi-Tough"
What we have here is one of the oddest film adaptations of an admittedly odd motion picture, which itself was adapted from a quirky novel. So, we have to look at both the film and the series.
"Semi-Tough" the motion picture, was a 1977 sports based romantic comedy, adapted from novel by Dan Jenkins, about a couple of pro football players (Burt Reynolds as Shake and Kris Kristofferson as Billy Clyde) on a Miami team and their female roommate (Jill Clayburgh as Barbara Jean) who just happened to be the daughter of their team's owner.
That seems simple enough, but then the movie becomes about some pseudo-scientific self-help program called B. E. A. T., which parodied a somewhat popular seminar that was actually happening at the time of the film, called "est." This seminar was supposed to give you confidence and help you see that the things in your life that were stumbling blocks can be removed with the proper attitude and understanding. The fictional "B. E. A. T." seminar presented in the film paralleled the factual "est" and the film showed how these three people got themselves involved in that program and what happened because of it.
In the film, the seminar leader was played by Bert Convy, and may have been where Bert and Burt got to be friends, eventually leading to their collaboration on a couple of projects, later.
In the television adaptation, there were quite a few wholesale changes.
First, they moved the football team from Miami to New York, and the basic set up of the first half of the plot was the same, with the two players (David Hasselhoff in the Reynolds role and Bruce McGill in the Kristofferson role) having flirtations with their female roomie (Markie Post in the Clayburgh role) and she somehow put up with their antics.
The concept clearly wanted to be another version of ABC's previous hit comedy "Three's Company," only with two guys and a girl and with a sports based theme.
Where the movie had that focus on the self-help seminar and the machinations surrounding it, the TV show basically avoided all of that and stayed on the three way relationship of the roommates, which almost ends as the series begins, with Barbara Jane moving in, then moving out. They kept the romantic part of the story out, for the most part, and had the characters be platonic friends, with the same sorts of flirtations and occasional borderline situations that were being seen on "Three's Company."
New York plays a part because this is a sports town, and certainly in 1980, the two NFL football teams in the area were as successful as the one depicted in this series, that is to say, not successful at all, which may have contributed to why they chose to move the location of the team to NYC, as the Miami Dolphins were consistently making the playoffs through this era.
The idea was to depict how the game on the field wasn't the only game that guys play and how emotions when you're fooling around with love can hit you like a blind-side tackle, which justifies the name of the series. Even the toughest of tough guys is only semi, when it comes to real romance.
The elements that made "Three's Company" work were largely missing from this series, those being the perpetual titillation, the clever writing, the constant spying by an authoritarian figure (even though that could have been easily added with the fact that the owner's daughter was living with two players, and why wasn't Dad monitoring that circumstance a lot more closely)?
Most of all, there was no John Ritter with his incredible comic talents. No offense to Hasselhoff and McGill, who have both done some pretty good comedy work (though they both delved more into drama, or self-parody in the case of The 'Hoff), they just aren't in the same league as Ritter was, and that missing part made for a losing season for the series.
Serpico (1976)
NYC 400 - #340 - "Serpico"
Frank Serpico is a real person. He was an honest cop on the NYPD, blowing the whistle on his Band of Brothers in Blue. A book about him was written by reporter Peter Maas in 1973 and that was quickly adapted into a screenplay by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler, directed by Sidney Lumet.
Then someone got the idea to turn that film into a series. Of course, in the theatrical version, the detective was played by Al Pacino. Here, the role of Frank Serpico was played by David Birney.
We've all heard about "The Thin Blue Line," that is, the defense that police use to protect themselves and their own from any kind of prosecution when they have done something wrong. It's impossible to know just how much bad cops have gotten away with, over time, because we can't go back and investigate the facts of many cases, as evidence might have been covered up or destroyed, fellow officers may have lied under oath to protect their colleagues or even in this era, may have deleted bodycam footage or purposely turned off their monitors, claiming that they malfunctioned.
Frank Serpico was a man who believed that justice was for all, not just those who aren't wearing a shield, and felt that cops doing the wrong thing were both harming society with their activities and creating a negative response to the police by citizens at large. That's why he went on a crusade to stop it.
The film features the story of NYPD taking bribes - great extra money under the table for officers, which allowed other criminals to get off lightly or not charged at all. When Serpico didn't play along with the game, his fellow officers started to pressure him to toe the line.
Obviously, audiences wanted to see a good cop succeed, but when it came to making this series, the concept of cops continually doing wrong was problematic, especially for a real-life Police Department that was already seen as difficult, just generally. So, changes needed to be made for this weekly procedural, rather than the one ongoing case depicted in the motion picture.
Mr. Birney cooled down the intensity of Pacino's movie performance (he had to because nobody could keep up that level of outrage and anger over multiple episodes)!
New York played a part because with a city this size and with so much activity, armored cars, ships and trains and trucks delivering precious goods to various points around the city and so many attempting to get an angle on bigger money, there were potentially endless cases to cover.
Frank Serpico retired from the NYPD with their highest award: The Medal of Honor. That was in 1972. The book and film bearing his name came out in 1973 and this show followed soon after. Mr. Serpico celebrated his 88th birthday in April 2024 and is still crusading for truth and justice, as the NYPD refused to release the facts surrounding a shooting that nearly took his own life while he was still on the force. He didn't get the intel about that incident until the end of 2023 when, thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, those files were finally open. Serpico was a real life Superman! He took a bullet and still survived to get the crooks!
Unfortunately, this series reduced his character to standard police TV plotlines, But, of course, most episodes here didn't feature bad cops, and just had Serpico focusing on going undercover as a part of some random criminal's plan to steal, distribute controlled substances or murder someone they wanted out of the way. That made some sense, as the PR team for the NYPD likely refused to see stories about rogue officers every week, especially since we're talking about an actual, factual, Police Department in a place that people know!
The tradeoff was we didn't have the same intensity or forward momentum of the film and, let's be honest, David Birney was no Al Pacino, who received an Academy Award nomination for Bast Actor as part of his performance.
The Ted Knight Show (1978)
NYC 400 - #341 - "The Ted Knight Show"
On March 19, 1977, Mary Richards turned out the lights of the Newsroom at WJM-TV Channel 12 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The other members of the cast of that location went on to some pretty high profile assignments. One became an editor of a newspaper. Another went on to pilot a luxury liner. We'll talk about the actress who played Ms. Richards at another point, but the news reader for that channel made his first return to TV as a different kind of anchor...
The character of Ted Baxter was originally tailored for and was going to be played by an actor named Jack Cassidy, who I referenced at 387 with "Ask Harriet," because his son, David Cassidy, co-created that program. Jack had a penchant for playing characters that were overly self-involved, and that was going to be a character trait of Baxter.
About a year passed before Mr. Knight returned to TV with a new project. And, oddly enough, this show was a spinoff of another program called "Busting Loose."
Instead of being another dunderhead, like the anchorman he previously played, Mr. Knight was Mr. Dennis, the proprietor of an Escort Service. It's not as bad as it sounds. This was an escort service that actually did what it claimed: provided persons to go with a client to various events on the town.
But the one trait Mr. Baxter and Mr. Dennis shared was summed up in a simple word: VANITY. Mr. Dennis was, in fact, one of the escorts of his own escort service, bringing his female clients to dinners, Broadway, and other engagements. But he also had a stable of beautiful women who were available for hire as well.
Mr. Dennis was a strict taskmaster and made sure that every one of his escorts looked and acted perfect. Of course, that included himself, who was constantly checking mirrors (or really, any reflective surface) to make certain every hair was in place, every fabric was unwrinkled and every smile seemed as sincere as possible!
Most of the humor from the series involved the dates, or the stories of dates that the escorts negotiated during their week, and of course Mr. Knight's reactions to his tête-à-têtes and the demands they might have had for him. Knight got to emote like never before, and audiences got to see a more slapstick/physical version of his personality.
New York played a part because the city is filled with nightlife and reasons for people to want to attend things all over town, and there were plenty of events for Mr. Dennis and his collection of escorts to perform their duties and to do them well, but comedically well.
I think part of the reason why audiences didn't quite respond to Knight in this role was the fact that a guy like Ted Baxter, that's dumb, and who is so self-involved that he can't figure out anything can be cute and funny. But a guy that is intelligent, fastidious, demanding and vain is just plain annoying. Granted, they placed Mr. Dennis in positions where he frequently got a comeuppance (including in the show's opening titles, where a taxicab splatters his impeccable suit with New York water from the curb). But viewers were likely still charmed by and sympathetic for the Baxter character and that just didn't read well in this first sitcom attempt after that Emmy winning role.
New York really isn't for everybody, and Mr. Dennis' Escorts wasn't the service that serviced The City like it needed to do.
The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1996)
NYC 400 - #342 - "The Rosie O'Donnell Show"
It all started innocently enough. Stand-up comedienne Rosie O'Donnell, who made a name for herself by becoming a five time Comedy champion on the talent competition show "Star Search," was offered the chance to host her own daily talk show. Carnie Wilson, who had been hosting a show, wasn't working out, and Rosie, with her quick wit and sense of humor seemed like she could improve on Carnie's ratings.
Rosie had some serious chops by this point, having been in a series of successful ensemble films, like "A League of Their Own," "Beautiful Girls," a live action version of "The Flintstones" where she played Betty Rubble, and even hit the Broadway stage as Rizzo in a revival of Grease.
In June of 1996, "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" debuted. The show was telecast live to many East Coast and Central time zone affiliates and shown on a tape delay to the rest. The program was tailored to Rosie's personality and interests and people from both the worlds of entertainment and the areas of charity were typical guests on the show.
John McDaniel served as the program's musical director, and Rosie dubbed his band "The McD LTs" as a play on the name of a McDonald's sandwich being sold at that time - a cheeseburger that split the lettuce and tomato (the LT of McD LT) in a separate container, to keep it cool and crisp (presumably). It was discontinued because its large Styrofoam container, to separate those ingredients, was finally considered environmentally unfriendly.
Rosie's show was essentially a love fest for the guests she welcomed and she schmoozed with and kissed up to just about everybody who appeared. In fact, with her audience giveaways, her efforts to get people to get in better shape (She created a group called "The Chub Club" which focused on helping people to slim down) all of her charitable donations and support, and her gushing over her guests, Newsweek dubbed her "The Queen of Nice."
Two celebrities that Rosie purportedly had an obsession over were Tom Cruise, who she would frequently reference as "My Tommy" on the show and would extol all of the wonders of his acting career and looks, and Barbra Streisand, who she constantly stated as being one of the most important figures in her life and would be a dream to meet. She later did get to interview Ms. Streisand on the program, after flipping her desk and couch set arrangement, so that Babs wouldn't have to look "camera right" to face Rosie at her desk, as Ms. Streisand was noted for only wanting to show the left side of her face on camera!
The tone of the show was typically light, fun, frivolous, essentially it was a gabfest that, like the host, didn't take itself too seriously and was deliberate in avoiding being more than it actually was. And that is likely why so many people wanted to appear: it was just a fun time, and who didn't like the idea of getting a whole lot of love from a admiring host and a fanatical audience, that was often the loudest on television at the time.
New York played a part because Rosie, besides having appeared on The Great White Way herself, was a huge Broadway aficionado and promoter. She would frequently have performances from musicals that were currently running as a part of a program. Plus, most of the Soap Operas were still being filmed in New York, so actors from those daytime dramas also made appearances as part of a typical episode.
But a tragic event changed the tone of everything for Rosie. That was the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, on April 20, 1999. Rosie was severely affected by it, said she had trouble sleeping because of it, and quickly became an advocate for anti-gun laws to help protect kids who were just going to school to learn.
After Columbine, Rosie started having more political guests and openly spoke about "The Million Mom March," which was a protest rally, both at the Mall in Washington DC and in several other high profile cities, designed to demand legislation to improve gun control, especially assault weapons.
The show's turning point occurred when Rosie invited actor Tom Selleck, who at the time was appearing in a commercial for the National Rifle Association, to be a guest on the program. In a heated exchange, both host and guest staunchly defended their stances in a segment that was almost too raw to be believed. Really, to properly do justice to the topic, this likely needed to be the theme of the program, not just one brief segment, because how can you properly discuss an issue as complex and important to people as this one is, in just a couple of minutes?
Many people didn't like the fact that political views that were being offered on a show that they considered "escapism" from the news of the day, and some tuned out. Obviously, they would have been less inclined to put up with it, if they didn't agree with those views! Also, it seemed that the frustration that Rosie was feeling over how the country was reacting to both mass shootings and to her clear position against it, her façade of fun fell away and you could see her more abrasive side as the show continued.
It's notable that According to CNN, since Columbine, there have been 413 mass shootings AT SCHOOLS, as of April 2024. That averages out to be more than 16 school shootings per year, every year for the past 25 years. That's a lot of trauma, heartbreak and death over that time, some of which might have been avoided if we had gotten some support from either the State or Federal Government to help prevent it.
Maybe you aren't a fan of Rosie O'Donnell, generally. Maybe you don't like her political beliefs, and maybe you think she is just another celebrity who needs to "stay in her lane," but, we all have to admit, saving lives is important and some reasonable laws enacted at any time between that horrific tragedy in Colorado and now could have and would have saved lives.
Cousin Skeeter (1998)
NYC 400 - #343 - "Cousin Skeeter"
We have a couple of "kid" fish out of water in this series. Bobby, (Robert Ri'chard) and his family The Walkers, moved to New York City from Los Angeles because Dad, Andre (Rondell Sheridan) was a music producer and needed to be in The City for his clients. His wife Vanessa (Angela Means) was a successful lawyer. Bobby, being an only child and in a new location, felt pretty much alone, but was trying to take everything in stride.
Cousin Skeeter (performed by Muppeteer Drew Massey and voiced by Bill Bellamy) was a puppet boy who originally lived in Georgia, but who moved up north to New York City stay with his cousins, to help tutor Bobby in Algebra, since he was a nerd and a math whiz.
This being a Nickelodeon show, of course the focus was on the two boys, who had the typical scholastic challenges, with schoolwork, bullies and friends, like Nina (Meagan Good), who lives in his high-rise, gets with Bobby and they start a mutual crush thing going on.
One of the unique elements of the program is that even though Cousin Skeeter was a puppet, no one treated or reacted to him any differently than any of the other characters. Eventually another puppet, Nicole (voiced by Tisha Campbell) appeared at school for a few episodes, to give Skeeter someone to play off of as well. That style choice might have helped set the stage for "LazyTown" just a few years later, where a bunch of puppet kids populated that program, and no one ever acknowledged that's who they were, either.
Plots of "Cousin Skeeter" focused on Skeeter's playful, rambunctious but good-natured personality and how that got him and sometimes got Bobby into trouble. Skeeter had a continuing mock feud with the building's doorman Ned (Floyd Levine), and Bobby's parents were counting the days till Bobby and Skeeter go to college so they can have some quiet time on their own. And Skeeter was fine with anyone and everyone, as long as you never commented on his height (or lack thereof).
New York plays a part because Skeeter claimed to be friends with some celebrities, like Shaquille O'Neal, Dennis Rodman and MC Lyte. Plus hanging out in Central Park, attending school, commuting around town, and finding that diner that serves up the best pancakes for breakfast are all key factors.
"Cousin Skeeter" was, for its time, another good example of representation of Black Americans on television, especially for younger kids to see. The show featured all the things you would want in a kids' sitcom, with the elements of fun, reason, intelligence, morality and understanding. And it featured a roster of guest stars, like Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell who turned up at a Dude Ranch that the kids attended, Downtown Julie Brown who played herself, and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, who was another student in school.
This show deserved a lot more attention than the standard viewers on Nick gave it. It was popular with the demographic, but it probably would have been a fun watch for the parents and maybe some who weren't parents!
Daddy Dearest (1993)
NYC 400 - #344 - "Daddy Dearest"
A television series often tries to become attractive to multi-generations. The thinking is that if a show has appeal to more than one group, it could become a bigger hit. So, why not get two comedians from different eras and build a sitcom around them?
Don Rickles had a really unique career, one that certainly couldn't be duplicated today. As an insult comic, he continually made fun of everyone's everything but his delivery and his attitude is what made it work. "Mr. Warmth," as he was affectionately known, would skewer celebrities, politicians, friends and total strangers, right to their faces, and he frequently had the chance, as Rickles was a popular guest on the talk shows and often appeared on the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts from the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
Mr. Rickles had tried numerous times to have a successful sitcom, and there were all sorts of premises, with none of them working out. That might have been because he was just too well established in his role. Everyone knew what they were going to get with a Rickles comedy routine. And if you weren't going to get that from him, why would this guy be getting cast in the role?
Richard Lewis was the ultimate self-deprecating comic, constantly putting himself down in his act. He was, for all intents and purposes, the exact opposite of Rickles. Pair these two up and let the hilarity take over!
The show's theme song was a mimicked cover version of the Benny Goodman signature tune: "Sing, Sing, Sing" A little something for the older folks watching. And the show's title was a play on the Christina Crawford memoir turned Faye Dunaway biopic of Joan Crawford, "Mommy Dearest."
Here, Lewis was Dr. Steven Mitchell, a psychologist, which put him in charge of everything, a little something for the younger generation to admire. Though the problem was that the good doctor had just gotten divorced and is on the make, this, despite his younger son Larry (Carey Eidel) living with him.
Of course, Dr. Mitchell's dad was Al Mitchell, our Mr. Rickles, a retired used car salesman, who is having a trial separation from Steven's mother (Renée Taylor) and Al had to move in with Steven, yet another impediment to romantic bliss for the doctor.
Obviously, with the psychological themes going on here, there was a lot of comedy to mine, or at least lots of Freudian jokes available. And Rickles always had to do the insult comedy so there was a hefty dose of that.
New York plays a part because you have to be a little crazy to live here, so there were plenty of patients for Dr. Mitchell to treat, and his parental issues were so deep and wide, they made the Hudson River seem like a tiny stream. Also, the fast paced attitude only meant that there was just a lot of mouthing off happening, non-stop.
The problem the show had was in not filming before a live studio audience. The show had canned laughter and canned applause, straight out of a late 1960s sitcom, and it was unmistakable and more than a little distracting. Perhaps, at this stage of his career, Don Rickles couldn't reliably be counted on to perform a script well, as the show did appear to be pretty heavily edited throughout each episode.
I can't say that was the only problem, because the show really hurled the anger back and forth, with both Ms. Taylor and Mr. Rickles continually bickering while Mr. Lewis had to sit back and watch them dismantle each other and their sex lives (there's Dr. Freud, as promised). The attacks weren't even that funny more than they were designed to harm the other person as two estranged partners might actually do.
Even so, nobody was doing insult comedy at this point in TV history, and certainly not with the extra zeal of a Don Rickles level takedown, or Renée Taylor punching back with that same level of power.
Despite the excuse to have a string of starlets and models coming through to be on dates with either Steven or Al, that wasn't enough to make the show work, and that level of mean was just too much for 1993 sensibilities.
Ironside (2013)
NYC 400 - #345 - "Ironside" (2013)
If you're a television historian, or just have a good memory of popular programming, you might know the name "Ironside." The role was originally played by long time star of "Perry Mason," actor Raymond Burr, who played the title role, Robert T. Ironside, a veteran police officer who got paralyzed on the job when a sniper shot his lower spine and made him a paraplegic. That original series was set in San Francisco and ran from 1967 to 1975. Most notable was the series theme music, composed by the great Quincy Jones.
If nothing else, the original "Ironside" did a lot to focus on better accessibility for society, something that was severely needed and was a positive for everyone... for example, having sidewalk curbs that dip down to meet the street at corners where crosswalks are, of course benefitted those in wheelchairs, but also helped people who were pushing baby carriages or carts with laundry or groceries. When we improve life for those that need that help the most, we are improving life for all.
In 2013, the character of Robert T. Ironside was reimagined as a NYPD cop, and the role was taken by Blair Underwood. Interestingly, when the original series began, Raymond Burr was about 50 years old. But 50 in 1967 years is totally different from 50 in 2013, as Mr. Underwood was also about the same age as Mr. Burr was when his series debuted.
Underwood's version of Ironside was an act first, base your actions on your gut feeling and let the chips fall where they may kind of cop. He wasn't above pressuring suspects, even brutalizing them at times, if that's what it took to get the results needed to solve the case. Of course, this didn't sit well with Ironside's boss, Captain Ed Rollins, played by Kenneth Choi. PR nightmares, bad press, questionable police tactics and borderline civil rights offenses were left for Captain Rollins to mop up as Ironside's crusade to clean up the streets relentlessly continued.
One controversy the show faced was the fact that an able-bodied actor was playing the role. This was a time when Hollywood was finally beginning to focus on giving parts to people who were appropriate for the character, and why wouldn't or couldn't an actual differently abled actor be cast? The answer was that the show featured flashbacks to Ironside's past, before he was shot, and those scenes had the character ambulatory, as a matter of course.
Ironside's hand picked team included Virgil (Pablo Schreiber), Nate (Jake Picking) and Holly (Spencer Grammer) who were all busy with research on cases, to acquire the intel needed to find the bad guys, but also doing the necessary leg work with Ironside out in the field to track and capture these suspects and bring them to justice.
The problem was that this version of "Ironside," didn't do much to advance the needs of the disabled, the way the original series managed, and often the actions and elements of the plots all but ignored the issues that Ironside faced when it came to his limitations. Underwood's Ironside came off as brash, borderline obsessive and willing to cross the line to get the job done, and that may have offended some viewers of the series.
New York played a part because of the media, the crime, the history of policing in The City and the demands on the members of the force were magnified through the lens of one who had to deal with a problem most cops did not have.
The greatest criticism the show had was that the lead character wasn't presented as a reasonable and reputable police officer, often "going rogue" or reacting rather than thinking. The show also received low marks for its handling of Ironside's disability and how it wasn't always a realistic portrayal of someone with that challenge.
In the end, this remake could never replace the original, but is an interesting curio on the list of rebooted shows that were changed drastically from their source material.
East Side/West Side (1963)
NYC 400 - #346 - "East Side West Side"
George C. Scott was becoming a star through his appearances in several movies in the late 1950s and early1960s. His roles in "Anatomy of a Murder" and "The Hustler" were two high profile supporting parts that got him noticed, and some were willing to create material specifically for him to perform.
But Mr. Scott was a humble man and didn't love the idea of some tailor made role designed to make him look better. And he was against CBS promoting him as their latest star, without so much as seeing a pilot script. So, he nearly chose not to participate in this program, after he signed on to be a part. What convinced him was David Susskind, one of the show's producers, who walked him through the material and explained just what the show was going to present.
"East Side West Side" was, of course, the opening line to the song "The Sidewalks of New York" and the point of the program was as down to earth as those concrete slabs that every pedestrian in The City had to walk. Mr. Scott played Neil Brock, a social worker who was assigned to check in on the various people around the city who were his clients and who needed his help.
CBS made television history, yet again. That network had the first All-Black cast of a TV series with the comedy, "Amos 'n' Andy," which I listed at #399 of the 400 Most Notable TV Shows Set in New York City. Here, Neil Brock's secretary, Jane Foster, was portrayed by newcomer Cicely Tyson: the first Black American to have a regular role on a dramatic TV series. Immediately, before the show even aired, "East Side West Side" was creating controversy for the southern affiliates who were supposed to run the program as if this was "appropriate fare" for their viewers.
If anything, this proved the point that representation mattered. The station owners throughout the Bible Belt were not interested in this kind of material, specifically because they didn't want their viewers to see it. Which is the reverse of the argument that is constantly made, about having people of color as characters in films and on television shows and why that is important. In fact, one episode of the program was pulled by the station owners of the CBS affiliates in Shreveport, Louisiana and Atlanta, Georgia for what they called, "controversial content."
It only made sense that African Americans were going to be part of the plots of these stories - they were the likely people who needed the support a social worker provided. And these problems ran the gamut of issues that are still topics today - those being racism, police harassment, statutory rape, degradation of living conditions, unemployment, spousal abuse and the general angst and fear surrounding people who are "different."
The show's creatives did their homework and looked into actual cases that were being handled by real social workers at the time, and sought to present these circumstances to their audience with thought, reason, caring and humanity. This show was not some sensational exploitation for dramatic effect. This was a method of showing viewers the reality of what our society was doing at the time, how it affected who these people were and why it was important to pay attention to the statements and actions that defined the circumstances these citizens were experiencing. And the circumstances weren't wrapped up at the end of an episode with a neat little bow, because those problems were not (and in some cases are still not) resolved!
This program had very high aspirations and if you know anything about the acting skills of both Mr. Scott and Ms. Tyson, you understand the level of intensity they brought. And the guest stars that appeared were up to the task, as well. Names like James Earl Jones, Alan Arkin, Ruby Dee, Maureen Stapleton and Mr. Scott's own wife, Colleen Dewhurst all made appearances. The focus was to try and bring the facts to an audience and let them see what was really going on in people's lives and how decisions made by government, industry and individuals was having an impact.
We can't say "East Side West Side" was "ahead of its time." It truly wasn't because many of the issues it examined should have been rectified many years before. But for TV, the medium that caters to keeping an audience content so that the sponsors can sell their goods and services to a placated viewer, this was the first (and sadly ever too brief) poke in how the 1960s was going to make irrevocable changes in the television landscape.
Decoy (1957)
NYC 400 - #347 - "Decoy"
Back in 1957, women were seen as homemakers, school teachers, nurses, sales clerks, and those roller skating waitresses at a "drive-in" diner. If they were a bit more down on their luck, they might be prostitutes, exotic dancers or bar waitresses on the seedier side of town.
But there was another role for particular women who could handle it, who were strong enough, brave enough and ready enough to step into it. And that's where this show tells its story.
At the beginning of each episode of "Decoy," there was a block of text that read as follows:
Presented as a tribute to the Bureau of Policewomen Police Department, City of New York.
This was the first time in television history that a woman was the lead character in a police-based action-adventure series, and the show was popular, though it wasn't available on a network, so it had a bit less reach. "Decoy" was telecast nationally, just not necessarily at the same time in every city and admittedly wasn't available everywhere, because of the limitations of syndication.
The decoy of "Decoy" is Detective Casey Jones, played by Beverly Garland, who goes undercover into the world of third shifters, nightclubs, and other sordid or common jobs that women might have to eke out a living at the time. She plays the roles in order to investigate cases of theft, drug trafficking, arson, racketeering, even murder.
As was the custom at this time, we never see or hear anything about the lead character's personal life, except what leaks out in her brief discussions with her colleagues, nearly all of whom are male. It's strictly police work and lots of it, with Casey needed to become proficient in all sorts of skills to find her way into the lives of the criminals and take them down. Conversely, Casey didn't have a partner, per se, and worked at night usually, so there really wasn't any time for blithe discussions about hobbies and relationships. That was important because it kept Casey a rock solid, no-nonsense character.
It was a tour-de-force role for Ms. Garland, who weekly got to do various things, singing, dancing, emoting, and fighting for her life as she was asked to step into the roles required of various jobs every week. She often had to play innocent, dumb, weak and vulnerable, though audiences knew that Casey was none of those things, which is another element that added quality to her portrayal.
New York played a part because the seamy underbelly of The City is always there and the need to stop crime when and where it happens is a regular element that, like NYC itself, constantly changed and grew. Current footage around town was included in each episode, which gave the series value as a Time Capsule for what NYC looked like at that moment, with the Times Square area being prominently featured, both in plots and in the program's opening titles.
"Decoy" wasn't canceled; it was ended because the producers ran out of cash to keep it going. This was well before a program like this could earn the kind of bucks that today's syndicated shows get. And it took nearly twenty years before Angie Dickinson took the titular role of "Police Woman" and a network finally picked up the concept of a woman undercover cop doing the job.
In a way, it's sad that more people don't know about this series and its groundbreaking star, who eventually played the part of Fred MacMurray's wife on the long running sitcom "My Three Sons" and played Amanda's mom on the comedy/drama "Scarecrow and Mrs. King," two roles that fell into the "typical" category for women to play on television.
The good thing is that "Decoy" is essentially in the Public Domain, so nearly all of the episodes are available to view on YouTube, and with a thirty minute run time (about 24 minutes without commercials), they are brief to watch and mostly pretty entertaining. Not a lot of lag time when you're setting up an episode, getting the baddies to fall into the trap and hauling them down to Central Booking.
This is presented as a tribute to a great, somewhat forgotten actress, Beverly Garland, who deserves to be remembered for her versatility, her balance and her convincing portrayal of a police officer at a time when only the guys were doing the tough stuff.
Oh, Grow Up (1999)
NYC 400 - #348 - "Oh, Grow Up"
1999 was a pretty great year for writer Alan Ball. That was the year his script for "American Beauty" made it into theaters as a feature film. It went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Mr. Ball, as well as Best Picutre, Best Director for Sam Mendes and Best Actor for Kevin Spacey.
Five days after "American Beauty" had its release in theaters, this show debuted. Ball created "Oh Grow Up" based on his one act production, titled "Bachelor's Holiday" which is the story of three housemates who caught a mouse in a glue trap and start to reflect upon the existential elements of life and meaning because of it.
Here, no mice, despite the ABC Television Network, which got taken over by Disney a couple of years before. But we do have 3 housemates, all former classmates at the same University, who are all coming to some life-changing revelations.
There's artist Norris (David Alan Basche) who is making a serious effort to transform his career as a painter into a success. There's Hunter (Stephen Dunham) who runs a construction business and who is an artist in his own right - with the ladies. And there's Ford (John Ducey) who realized he was gay and needed to split from his wife Suzanne (Rena Sofer), though they both still love and care for each other. He has just moved in with Norris and Hunter, so it's a college throwback for all of them as they negotiate their world in Williamsburg and what awaits them.
Hunter's dog is named Mom (Hunter had some issues), and Mom (Beans) frequently barked at the events going on, which is translated for the viewers using Dog to English subtitles. Some of these are the funniest lines of an episode.
But the most challenging element comes in the series pilot, when Hunter meets a cute eighteen year old named Chloe (Niesha Trout) who just happens to be his daughter. Suddenly the playa is an instant dad.
Of course, complications arise, as Hunter had a one night stand with Chloe's roommate (it could have been worse...) and the roommates try to outdo each other in what can only be called the Brooklyn Olympics. Competition becomes the lives of these guys, which is just another way to avoid reality, if we're being honest here. And Hunter's relationship with Chloe alternates between sweet and thoughtful and cringey and painful as her childhood memories of not having a father around create more than a few hilariously difficult moments.
New York plays a part because of the Art Gallery Scene, the continual need for construction work, the LGBTQ community and the Dog Runs, giving everyone in the cast a moment in the spotlight.
There is a lot of both good natured and mean spirited comedy throughout the series and the show is a lot smarter than the concepts that introduced it.
But we are talking about Alan Ball, who would go on to create "Six Feet Under" a couple of years later, which, I guess, throws this into that category of shows that got canceled so something better could happen. In addition to freeing up Mr. Ball to create his masterwork series, it made room on the schedule for the phenomenon that was to become "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"
Lotsa Luck! (1973)
NYC 400 - #349 - "Lotsa Luck!"
Carl Reiner is a big name, like Norman Lear, when it comes to TV. His greatest success (not counting his son, Rob) was "The Dick Van Dyke Show" which is enough to preserve a legacy in the medium all on its own. But Reiner was continually coming up with different concepts for programs, and in 1973, he teamed with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff (who worked with Reiner on "Van Dyke"), to collectively give us "Lotsa Luck!"
First it's notable that during this era of TV, there were a couple of programs that Norman Lear had brought over from England and created Americanized versions. One was called "Steptoe and Son" which became "Sanford and Son" and the other was called "Till Death Do Us Part" which became "All in the Family," stateside. Carl Reiner, emulating Mr. Lear, also selected a show which was British import titled "On The Buses" across the pond.
Stanley Belmont (Dom DeLuise) was a full-grown bachelor, who was promoted from driving a bus to the lost and found department for his bus company, living with his mom (Kathleen Freeman), his sister Olive (Beverly Sanders) and Olive's husband Arthur (Wynn Irwin) all under one roof. Stan is covering the cost for all of them as the Brother-in-law is unemployed and spends his days lazing around in his jammies while Stan is at work. I have to note that Stanley and Olive are a play on the first names of one of the greatest comedy teams in Hollywood History: Laurel and Hardy.
Much of the comedy comes from Stan doing insult humor at Arthur for not finding work (more accurately, Arthur actively did everything he could to avoid working), and Ma and/or Olive reacting badly to it. But keep in mind, that was a standard during this era of television. It seems like every sitcom had at least a little insult humor with characters continually making fun (or, more accurately, making mean) of each other. One character directly telling another to "shut up" or "stifle," or nicknaming them "You Big Dummy" or "Meathead" was just the methodology of the day.
But there's another standard TV Trope that I would have guessed that a guy who had been in the business as long as Carl Reiner had, would have known: that is, you gauge comedy, based on economics, in reverse correlation to what is happening in the real world. In other words, if the economy is bad, you don't do a sitcom about a family who is having financial trouble. Audiences aren't going to find that nearly as entertaining, especially if it's a circumstance they're living! In a way, that's why the nighttime soap operas, with their overblown wealth, were so popular in the 1980s.
Let's be clear, though: it wasn't that the Belmonts were having serious problems surviving. They weren't. But some of the difficulties the show displayed were based on the fact that an able bodied guy was just loafing and the Head of Household, who rarely had a chance to go on a date and who lived with his mom, was the one holding the family together, and doesn't he deserve a little better than that?
New York played a part because of the transit authority, the cost of living, the need to have people to support you and the elements of commuting - yes, the people who work for mass transportation also use it to get around and you have to go from the outer boroughs to your place of business as a matter of course.
I think if they hadn't relied so much on the misery of the situation and had more fun with it, "Lotsa Luck!" would have had a little more luck in the ratings.
Delocated (2009)
NYC 400 - #350 - "Delocated"
High concept shows tend to appeal to a very narrow audience, but this one is so bizarre, it goes way beyond its very specialized formula.
What if a guy testified on behalf of the Federal Government against the Russian Mob? His family and he would get new identities, leave their friends, schools and jobs behind and go into the Witness Protection Program. That's the background story of this group.
But then, some documentary filmmakers decided to take these people out of the nameless and bland suburb they lived in and place them in a New York City loft, to have their lives taped and to watch what happens! Welcome to "Delocated," also referred to as "Delocated New York" (as if they might do other versions of this series in other cities).
"Jon" (played by Jon Glaser) is the man in question. His family: wife "Susan" (Nadia Dajani) and son "David" (Jacob Kogan) are extremely reluctant to leave the safety of their quiet life for the possibility of getting killed on the streets of New York by the Russians (these aren't their "real" names, hence the quotation marks).
In order for the filmmakers to shoot this documentary, for their safety, the family must wear ski masks any time they're on camera, which is basically all the time. And they had microchips implanted on their vocal cords to permanently alter the sound of their voices. But the trouble begins as soon as they arrive in NYC, when they find out that their "loft" was just a studio apartment! "Jon" is angered because he put his family in mortal danger so he could live in a cool loft and got this instead. And "Susan" immediately walks out with "David." Let the mayhem begin!
As noted, this is a high concept comedy, as the idea that someone in the witness protection program would suddenly be a TV star in, of all places, New York, is absolutely absurd. Of course, when his wife left, "Jon" gets suggested by his Fed Agent caretaker to start dating, just to add another layer of insanity to the proceedings!
Every episode has some unexpected twist, just like that, which takes the episode in a new and more cockeyed direction, and typically includes "Jon" having battles with the filmmakers or the network producing the show about some element that didn't go according to plan.
Glaser's constant deadpan reactions to how everything happens and the disasters that occur as a part of that day's filming only adds more laughs to the hilarity. I should also note that episodes run between 11 minutes and 22 minutes, so you can easily binge this in a day.
New York plays a part because where else would people find it perfectly normal for a guy in a ski mask to just be wandering around town, working at a copy shop or going on a date at a public park when it's warm enough to wear shirt sleeves. Oh, and being followed by a camera crew! It's great because there's a lot of location shooting all over town, so the show really feels like you're hanging out all over the city with "Jon" and the situations that he finds himself in are as freaky and as ridiculous as the show's original premise.
This series is a brilliant satire of the entire Reality genre and skewers a lot of the tropes that are commonly associated with shows of that type. It also features some surprising cameos and gets in some smacks on other shows.
But I'll be the first to tell you, this is definitely not for everyone.
Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell (1975)
NYC 400 - #351 - "Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell"
We're going to explore the oddities of the mid 1970s and how one historic legacy, one athlete, one sportscaster and one city had an impact on television in some of the most unexpected ways, ever...
Howard Cosell, if you never knew, forgot or simply blocked it out, was a reporter and sportscaster for both ABC Radio and Television from the early 1960s through the mid 1980s, an extensive career in covering all sorts of events. He was the original play by play announcer for "Monday Night Football." He called the "Battle of the Sexes," the historic tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs held at the Houston Astrodome. He hosted the series of specials titled "Battle of the Network Stars," which pitted celebrities from TV shows on the "Big Three" networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) against each other in a team competition for bragging rights that really didn't matter, since they weren't Nielsen ratings.
Most importantly, Cosell was ABC's lead announcer for boxing, and it was through that element of his career that he covered the Artist of the Sweet Science known as Cassius Clay who became a teenaged star when he won Gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics, then dropped that name forever and became Muhammad Ali.
The relationship between "The Greatest" and "Humble Howard" as he was ironically nicknamed, was designed to be a power battle, and the interviews that Ali and Cosell did were events almost as epic as a Heavyweight Championship bout.
Their success was synergistic: both personalities brought out the best in each other and they both rose in fame because of their continuing verbal sparring. Of course Ali and Cosell would have become who they were even if they hadn't connected, but their recognition increased exponentially because of each other.
Meanwhile, in 1975, we were seeing signs that the "Variety Series" was starting to wane. The biggest indicator was that "The Ed Sullivan Show" was removed from the TV schedule, the year before. The granddaddy of that genre left the air, and that famed studio was vacant on Broadway and 53rd.
Roone Arledge, the head of Sports Programming for ABC, wanted to do a new kind of prime time variety series and Cosell, who was known for rubbing some members of the audience the wrong way, needed a boost of positivity. So Cosell would be the host of this show, with the whole thing originating from The Ed Sullivan Theater!
ABC spared no expense. It was going to be a program taped the day of the broadcast (so, in fact, they lied - it wasn't going to be "live") with megastars from every genre, a regular team of comic actors, called "The Prime Time Players" who would do tasteful and non-controversial humorous sketches between the big name acts, and your host, the bugle voiced know-it-all who would guide you effortlessly through the various acts presented with that jocular style he displayed in all of his work, a sort of modern day Ed Sullivan. Of course, neither Arledge nor Cosell had ever done anything related to Variety or Comedy and that element would plague the series throughout its run.
Let's take a look at the performers for that premiere night of the broadcast:
Singers Paul Anka, Shirley Bassey, John Denver and the cast of Broadway's The Wiz (featuring Stephanie Mills) and a very special appearance by Frank Sinatra, child star Mason Reese, Magicians Siegfried & Roy, tennis superstar Jimmy Connors (who sang a song to his girlfriend Chris Evert), and the phenomenon of the moment, The Beatles of 1975: The Bay City Rollers!
Plus you had the comedy of The Prime Time Players: Brian Doyle-Murray, Christopher Guest and Bill Murray!
Some of the notable things about this series is how it affected another program being produced by Lorne Michaels at about the same time. First the name of that other show was impacted, as the program had to be called "NBC's Saturday Night" when it began. The regular cast of the show wanted to distinguish itself from the sanitized humor presented on Cosell's program and called itself "The Not Ready For Prime Time Players" because of it.
Also, the NBC series was actually broadcast live, but they couldn't acknowledge it in the title because this show already had that in its name. So, they said it at the start of the program to make sure the audience knew they were watching the events as they happened, which is how the "Live, From New York... It's Saturday Night!" phrase came to be.
Also notable is that eventually all of the cast members from "Saturday Night Live With Howard Cosell" wound up as cast members of that other "Saturday Night" show. Bill Murray joined the following year, when Chevy Chase departed, and part of reason why Doyle-Murray and Guest got to join could have been because Jean Doumanian, who served as an associate producer for Cosell, went on to NBC's series when Lorne Michaels stepped away from the show.
New York plays a part because it's The Ed Sullivan Theater, and there were some controversies, as Broadway musicians were on strike, shutting down all of the musicals playing (including The Wiz). In a later episode, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier were supposed to appear, via Satellite, from the Philippines on the eve of their fight, eventually dubbed "The Thrilla in Manila," but Frazier decided not to show up. Hey, it's live TV! Or, wait. It's not.
Billy Crystal often shared an anecdote in interviews, about how he was scheduled to be on the first episode of "Saturday Night Live" but got bumped, and he let most people assume it was the NBC series. But no! It was this one! So you shouldn't feel quite as bad for Billy as you might have about that story.
Very much like William Shatner's "For The People" (1965) at 380 and Kristin Chenoweth's "Kristin" at 369, the most notable thing about this show is that it got canceled.
Cosell's hoped for improved image with the public didn't happen, but he went right on doing his sportscasting duties for the Alphabet Network without missing a beat. And, even Howard hosted that other "SNL" in 1985, so everybody got to be a part of it, eventually.
The Bedford Diaries (2006)
NYC 400 - #352 - "The Bedford Diaries"
What happens when you take College students and throw them into a avant-garde professor's human sexuality course at a prominent NYC University? That's what this program hoped to find out.
The year was 2006. Jake Macklin (Matthew Modine) professor at the prestigious (and fictional) Bedford University is running a very different kind of learning experience for his students. His seminar is designed to make them consider life through the lens of their sexual interests. A core question that must be faced is the difference between sex and love, one of many earth shaking and heartrending issues these people must face, head on.
Macklin requires his students to make video diary entries about their observations, their experiences and their understanding of human sexuality, based on the empirical knowledge they acquired. And they all have their own takes on each issue.
Notable here is Richard Thorne, played by Milo Ventimiglia in his first starring role in a series, and he proves why he quickly started getting booked for more, one of the most standout performances of the ensemble, both in believability and vulnerability.
Likewise, Penn Badgley, also makes an impression (though not nearly as good as one we'll eventually get to on this list of Notable Shows set in New York City - his previous role on "Gossip Girl"). Here, he played a frosh trying to learn as much as he can about sex from as many women willing to teach him.
Of course, this seminar is not without its controversies, as Macklin is seen as a questionable character on the faculty and his methodology of teaching is likewise viewed as contentious. Just what's going on in this course, what are the specific assignments and how are these students getting graded?
Part of the show's problem is in not getting into the bare bones of the relationships and hanging too much on these video diary entries, where the discussion about what the students have observed or participated in get revealed. But then again, this isn't HBO, Showtime or Cinemax, where showing, not telling could have been an option for some of these scenarios. You couldn't get that racy on broadcast television.
New York plays a part because it's still a City of Sin, even after Times Square excised the porn of X Rated Theaters to turn it into a family friendly playground. The sheer numbers of people out there meant that the next "learning experience" was just around the corner.
Perhaps the most notable thing about this series is that it was the final new show to debut on The Dubba, Dubba, Dubba You Bee. The following year, they merged with that other foundering network, UPN to create The CW, sending The WB's mascot, Michigan J. Frog, back to his quiet and retired life, much like the professor and his students at Bedford disappeared, as well.
The Nutt House (1989)
NYC 400 - #353 - "The Nutt House"
Here's an important note. When you see the name Mel Brooks on a film or TV series, you can know that it's going to be a comedy, that it's going to be filled with unexpected, wild and maybe borderline style humor and it will be populated by the most eccentric and unusual characters you never would have imagined yourself, because you're not Mel Brooks.
That's the basics of what you need to know about "The Nutt House," the story of a New York City hotel that has more than its share of problems.
The Nutt House, the name of the hotel, was in financial difficulties and we were informed that was specifically because of its moniker. But that couldn't be changed as it was so named for its owner, Edwina Nutt, played by Cloris Leachman in the pilot episode, and in a dual role, Ms. Leachman also played head of housekeeping, a heavily accented Hungarian sounding Ms. Frick.
The role of Ms. Nutt was taken over by Jeanette Nolan in ensuing episodes. The person in charge was the vain, self-important manager, Reginald Tarkington, played by Harvey Korman. Ms. Frick has an unrequited crush on Tarkington, a point made clear in some way during their every interaction, well past the point of sexual harassment!
Ms. Nutt's handsome and ne'er do well son was Charles Nutt III and portrayed by Brian McNamara, and Charles was developing a relationship with Sally, the heavily put upon but always well intentioned concierge, played by Molly Hagan.
This show was filmed without a studio audience and with a laugh track, so there are times that the scenes are free of any audience reaction and others where you hear big laughs. In a way, that fits the oddity of the program, which was typical Mel Brooks: filled with sight gags, puns and schlocky physical humor.
New York plays a part because even the worst hotel in town has guests and this one is clearly one of the worst, especially with an elevator operator who is apparently legally blind and never stops the car correctly, leaving people to have to climb up or slide down to enter or exit their floor, just as one example of the humor.
Mel Brooks is Mel Brooks! You got the same style of humor from him in everything he did, from his movies like "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein" to his sitcoms like "Get Smart" and "When Things Were Rotten" (his ORIGINAL take on the Robin Hood legend). But, by 1989, it seems like many in the audience had become too sophisticated for that form of lowbrow humor than they were in the 1960s and 70s when Mr. Brooks had his biggest successes. It's Mel! If you like him, you LOVE him and if he's not your cup of tea, you're watching something else.
I don't know if anything could have improved "The Nutt House" except maybe sending it in a time machine to 1974.
The Two of Us (1981)
NYC 400 - #354 - "The Two of Us"
Elaine Stritch, Broadway and Cabaret Diva, was partially responsible for this series - "The Two of Us" was based on a Britcom Ms. Stritch starred in, called "Two's Company" about an American author who moves to London and deals with a butler who has no regard for how people in the United States behave. The personality clashes of that programme helped launch this Americanized version.
We had a bit of a revival of domestic servants on TV in the 1980s. There was "Benson," who originally was a part of the cast of that parody of daytime dramas, "Soap," There was "Mr. Belvedere" and there was Florence, maid to "The Jeffersons," while the staffs at Southfork Ranch on "Dallas" and the Carrington estate on "Dynasty" are too numerous to mention.
The "two" of "The Two of Us" are Nan Gallagher (Mimi Kennedy) a daytime talk show host and her teen daughter Gabby (Dana Hill). Cubby (Oliver Clark) is a friend of Nan's who frequently drops by. Nan and Gabby live in a sprawling Upper East Side town house, so she definitely needs help to keep the place in order, and that's where Peter Cook's character, Brentwood, enters the story.
In "Dudley," Dudley Moore's first US sitcom, which I listed at #377 on this list of the 400 Most Notable TV Shows Set in New York (and Mr. Moore was partnered with Peter Cook as a comedy team for years), I mentioned that the parallels to the character "Arthur," from the movie of that name, was a source of some of the humor, but that "Dudley" didn't have a Hobson, Arthur's manservant, to keep him in line. Here, Peter Cook was essentially playing Hobson in this role, a no-nonsense, stay on top of the job butler who always knew best.
However, where Sir John Gielgud managed to inject some good natured humor to cover Hobson's absolute malice at most everything that Arthur did, Brentwood would just shout or whisper in anger or speak in a staccato like style, attempting to shoot his words of distain like bullets at his boss. Don't get me wrong; this did read as amusing some of the time, but it got rather mean spirited the longer it continued. Another difference was that Hobson absolutely had affection for Arthur, whereas Brentwood seemed to mostly think of Nan as a paycheck and a necessary nuisance.
On the other hand, there's the "When in Rome" philosophy...
It made sense for the butler on "Two's Company" to be derisive over Elaine Stritch's bawdy American ways, because they were in Great Britain. But Brentwood was in the USA, so shouldn't he have been the one to make the adjustment?
New York plays a part because the job Nan does, the neighborhood she lives in and the circumstances they get into really could only happen here.
In the end, Nan's character wasn't comic enough to make Brentwood's hot flashes and slow burns work as well. This show could have used a little Dudley Moore to up the comedy factor!
Love & War (1992)
NYC 400 - #355 - "Love & War"
Television is always affected by whatever other shows have become hits. But not only that, actors who become favorites on a series often land new projects based on their previous popularity. This is kind of a mish-mash of that.
Diane English was the person behind this show, and her most successful series was the original lead in to this one on the CBS Schedule: "Murphy Brown." Jay Thomas, who was a semi-regular player on "Murphy" and on another popular sitcom, "Cheers," got promoted to the lead of this new series, where he plays Jack, a loud-mouthed crank of a columnist for a local paper who hangs out in this bar, just purchased by the Susan Dey character, Wally.
The template here is that aforementioned Boston watering hole, as the personalities of the patrons of The Blue Shamrock (that's the name of the bar) all come out in various episodes, and Jack and Wally start to have a kind of Sam and Diane "will they or won't they" relationship.
The patter, the rhythm of the dialog is what matters, and what gives the story life. This almost could have been set in the 1940s as one of those "screwball comedies" that were so popular at the time. The problem was Ms. Dey who had just wrapped up the series "L. A. Law," hadn't done any comedic acting in decades. Her chemistry with Jay was non-existent. So, she was removed from the show and added in was Annie Potts, of "Designing Women," here playing a chef named Dana who takes an immediate dislike to Jack, on their way to romance.
Essentially, "Love & War" had to become the rom-com it was with the connection of the lead players. Ms. Potts, who had been playing one of those sweet southern belles on "DW," shifted into a tough talking New Yorker for this role (not a problem, if you remembered her from "Ghostbusters"). The change worked and the series finally started to click.
New York played a part because it was still a "newspaper town" in the 90s, there were always characters that hung out and commented on the stuff they saw (the other patrons of the Blue Shamrock) and the possibility of love was out there. And, of course, there's always a need to have a drink for some reason, or no reason at all!
But here's the bottom line. As pleasant and as amusing as "Love & War" was, and it certainly fit those two adjectives most of the time, with a workable ensemble and some cute commentary, this show wasn't about to make anyone forget "Murphy Brown" or certainly not "Cheers" and that was the problem. "Love & War" had very little that distinguished itself as a show that was outstanding, or even that memorable, despite all of the efforts in making it work.
The Roaring 20's (1960)
NYC 400 - #356 - "The Roaring 20's"
One hundred years ago was the 1920s, and that, in a way, is as odd a time in American history as the one we're living through, in 2024. The United States caved to a special interest group, the religious right, and chose to institute Prohibition. That meant that nobody in the country was drinking alcohol. Noooooo. Never. And that's where we meet the players on this show.
It's clear that ABC, the network that ran this series, was attempting to capitalize on another show it debuted the previous season: "The Untouchables." The stories of Eliot Ness and his "G Men" busting up racketeering and other methods of organized crime was an instant success and so they came back with this entry, a little softer and a little sweeter.
Rather than focusing on the Feds in Chicago, the interest was a handful of journalists for the various NYC newspapers, who were covering the stories of how the law was fighting the mob and trying to snuff out the baddies. Donald May and Rex Reason played a couple of these news hounds on the trail of some headlines.
Dorothy Provine was a flapper and a triple threat, singing, dancing and acting all as part of her duties in the cabaret where she performed. In fact, the show was one of the first to have a companion soundtrack with music featured from the series on an LP.
Speaking of, the musical director for the series was a guy named Alexander Courage, who eventually would go on to help with music cues and the title theme for a very different series, "Star Trek," just a few years later.
New York plays a part because we had to get a look into the speakeasys where people sipped their bathtub gin and the other interesting hobbies people had at the time. It's funny, human nature is so predictable. If you make something illegal, or unavailable, it only seems to make people want to do it more. And the rise of organized crime occurred specifically because of the government's actions. Something to think about for OUR 20s.
I don't mean to say they were humanizing any criminals shown in the process of this series, but the point is that we're looking at the concept of Prohibition from the 1960s, well after it was ended and after it was clear that it was one of the worst ideas that ever was. So, really, nobody was as bad as all that, if the politicians had never chosen to institute it.
The Dumplings (1976)
NYC 400 - #357 - "The Dumplings"
Norman Lear was noted for his astounding and tremendous achievements in television. He will be heard from several times on this list of Top 400 Notable Programs Set in New York City. Mr. Lear's genius in creating some of the most memorable characters on some of the most unforgettable programs in history, guarantees he will be remembered as an important name in TV, forever.
However... we must be honest. Mr. Lear had a show or two that wasn't as successful as some of those landmark series that are preserved in places like the Smithsonian, or The Paley Center. This would be one.
Jimmy Coco was Joe, running a luncheonette in a midtown skyscraper with his wife, Angela (Geraldine Brooks), the Dumplings of "The Dumplings."
Two distinctive points about this show that are important: The first is that this was originally a newspaper comic strip, drawn by Fred Lucky, that amused Norman Lear, so he decided to develop it into a TV series.
The other point is that the two leads of the show were both "average" looking, but also very much in love with each other. And to be completely honest, the adjective used at the time of the show's release wasn't "average." It was either "overweight" or "fat." I guess compared to many of the stars of other programs on the Prime Time Network Schedule, they were, but ultimately, that wasn't at all fair.
Here's the problem with this series. The little luncheonette that The Dumplings run was frequented by the businessmen in the offices above it, with the vast majority of them working for an Oil company. How does that fit into their story? And with Joe and Angela being so much in love, where is the conflict that drives the comedy coming from?
New York plays a part because midtown is a hub of business traffic, all of them ready for lunch, and there's plenty to eat for everybody.
I think a show like this could always be useful for people to see because representation is important! You shouldn't have to believe you must look a certain way to find love or that who you are isn't good enough, as is. But it needed a concept that could support the comedy, and if this one found it, "The Dumplings" might have had a run like some of Lear's more successful comedies.
Where I Live (1993)
NYC 400 - #358 - "Where I Live"
The early 1990s was an unusual time for television. Black Americans started seeing more shows dealing with the Black Experience in the country, the first time this was happening since the mid 1970s into the early 1980s.
The reason this was occurring was as obvious as a Nielsen Ratings chart: the massive success of "The Cosby Show" was creating this effect, as the success of that program went through the roof for most of the 1990s and you should know, if something is working well on TV, every network wants in on that concept. That made room on the ABC schedule for "Where I Live."
The Huxtable family of "The Cosby Show" were decidedly upper-middle class... or maybe just upper class, living in their tony brownstone in a beautiful section of Brooklyn, with a doctor dad and a lawyer mom. Meanwhile, the St. Martin family of "Where I Live" is nowhere near that level: they were strictly working class, living in an apartment in Harlem.
Here's where we had an issue with how television functioned at the time and it clearly showed in how this show was set up. The story of "Where I Live" was supposedly based on actual things that happened to Doug E. Doug, a teen stand up comic in the early 90s. In talking about his family, Mr. Doug had a Jamaican father who had differing values and that clashed with the standard "American" ways of doing things Doug expected. On the show, this became Doug's issues with his Trinidadian dad and mom, played by Sullivan Walker and Lorraine Toussaint, respectively. Most of the comedy in the series was based on the parent/child clashes those characters continually had.
Here's the point: most all of the creatives on the program, producers, writers, showrunners, were white. Even the show's theme music was composed by a white musician. Now, I'm not saying that you couldn't do a valuable, meaningful and entertaining series this way, but the problem comes when you compare it to what seems real, or at least plausible, when it came to stories. And even though the setting for the show was Harlem, the tone of the program felt like any of the sitcoms that populated ABC's "TGIF" lineup at the time.
It's never up to the actors to make changes or demand rewrites of the material. The job of the actor is to simply perform the script to the best of their ability. So I can't blame Doug E. Doug for any of this. But this exposes an issue that television has had for decades and still continues to have, when it comes to having the power to create and produce a network program.
When you have a writers' room, the question is, who is in it? Who is there to discuss what works, what seems real, what is offensive, what shouldn't be said? We know this is a problem for Hollywood because it's been a slow go when it comes to getting black writers, black producers and black creators to make these series, and because there have been complaints and even takedowns of elements in series, based on the tone deafness that occurs when people who aren't directly connected to what the storyline of a show is about, are responsible for presenting it to the millions watching, who know better.
And I'm not saying this show was specifically offensive in any way, just that it didn't distinguish itself enough to make a lasting impression for most viewers and I think that was due to the people creating the series.
Part of the reason the show had any success at all was that Bill Cosby stepped in and advocated for it at the time, and that got things moving in a better direction. Cosby became a consultant on the program, which made the show work better in its second season.
Of course, "Where I Live" wasn't intended to be a "teachable moment" for an audience of mostly kids, as ABC's "TGIF" was designed to be "family oriented" material. But in a way, that's exactly what it should have been. Rather than trying to fit this series into the standard one-liner, insult comedy, kids-know-more-than-their-parents style humor that eventually spread throughout the programs of Nickelodeon and Disney Channel a few years later, this could have been both funny and educational and dealt with how parents saw the world and why they made the choices and set the rules the way they did. You could still have had Doug and his pals out carousing around the neighborhood, but when his parents chided him for the actions, they could have explained how and why that mattered, in a way that didn't sound like a lecture, and still kept the lighthearted feeling as a part.
But that's why "The Cosby Show" worked where many others did not - it never dissolved into stereotypes, it continually checked itself for how real the storylines seemed, they actually had Black writers and consultants as a part of the creative team and they refused to talk down to the audience at any time. Treating the viewer as having some intelligence is generally a good idea.
Still, this show did have some worthwhile moments even through all of the rough patches, and it helped align Doug E. Doug with Bill Cosby, a connection that would have an impact on his career, later.
Mulaney (2014)
NYC 400 - #359 - "Mulaney"
Lorne Michaels is best known for being the creator and, as of 2024, the current producer of NBC's long running sketch comedy series, "Saturday Night Live." This is Mr. Michaels' first appearance on this list of the 400 Most Notable Shows Set in New York City, as he served as executive producer for the series in question... "Mulaney."
The year was 2014. "Seinfeld" had stopped creating new episodes some sixteen years before. That's enough time to recreate that series for a new generation of viewers, right?
Now, I don't mean to say that "Mulaney" was simply plagiarizing "Seinfeld" for their own fun and profit at all, except in one way: In every way possible!
Each episode of the show began with John Mulaney (played by John Mulaney) doing a stand up comedy routine for an audience (John Mulaney is a comic, just like the real John Mulaney), which sets up the plot for that week's episode. Does this sound at all familiar?
Wait till I tell you the rest. Mulaney is surrounded by wacky friends and neighbors that involve themselves in his life, whether he wants them to, or not. His housemates Jane (Nasim Pedrad) who was a college buddy and a perpetually heartbroken fitness trainer, and Motif (Seaton Smith) a fellow stand up, act as sounding boards, comic inspiration, continued support and/or conflict generators.
Additionally, his neighbor Oscar, played by Elliot Gould, offered wizened wisdom or wisecracks, whichever was needed at the moment. Andre, (Zack Pearlman) John's frenemy and frequent visitor, made a living by comically selling drugs, but let's keep that on the D. L.
And last but definitely not least is Martin Short in the role of Lou Cannon, a long time show biz trooper and a current game show host: think Regis Philbin meets Richard Dawson, only much more obnoxious. Cannon hires John to write material for him, so when he shoots off his mouth, something funny will come out.
The differences in the plots of "Mulaney" and "Seinfeld" can be chalked up to the differences in the jobs John and Jerry had before they did their respective sitcoms. Mulaney was a writer on "Saturday Night Live" but rarely appeared on camera during his tenure with the show. That explains the character of Mulaney being a writer of jokes for a different personality.
And there was some element about how Mulaney was trying to be a better person who struggled with that attempt because of the people in his sphere, but that thread often got lost in the attempts to make the show funnier.
The SNL connection was everywhere - Both Martin Short and Nasim Pedrad were regular players on that show before they joined this cast. Elliot Gould was one of the first "5 Time Hosts" of SNL. And of course, Lorne behind the scenes.
New York played a part because of the comedy club scene, the talk shows and game shows that are filmed here and the basic fact that you could run into someone odd or comical or really annoying as soon as you open your front door.
"Mulaney" may not have reached that rarified level of success, because, just like 383's "Platypus Man," they didn't have that extra element... they didn't have a Larry David to turn the Stone Soup of "Seinfeld" into a delicious and hilarious concoction. John Mulaney even described the show's premise as "a show without a premise." Oh, so, a SHOW ABOUT NOTHING, John??
It's also notable that this series was first developed at NBC. But then after tweaking it a couple of times, they passed on it, making The Peacock the ultimate arbiter in what's funny... and what is not.
Needles and Pins (1973)
NYC 400 - #360 - "Needles and Pins"
Fashion is a mainstay in NYC and we have shows related to that topic from every era. This one had potential, with some serious comic star power.
What we have with "Needles and Pins" is a mixed bag of elements from various TV tropes. There's the demanding but kind-hearted boss, Nathan, played by Norman Fell. He runs the Lorelei Fashion House. There's the buttinski family member, Harry, that's Louis Nye in a flamboyant role as Fell's brother. And our fish out of water is Deirdre Lenihan, she's Wendy, a young designer fresh from the Midwest, determined to make it in NYC because she thinks she's that good.
Most of the comedy in this series comes from mistakes, as Wendy is mistaken for a fashion model when she walks in and gets hired because she did such a good job wearing the clothes, nobody bothered to find out she designs them. Or someone ordered the wrong textiles from the factory and then there was a need to figure out what to do with them once they were on hand.
Bernie Kopell is the brand label's main salesman, and his role provided a stabilizing force within the cast, something he would do in nearly all of the roles in his long and illustrious career. Yes, he got some funny lines, but much of the time, he was there to give some credibility to some wild circumstances.
In many episodes, the plots of the series seemed like just an excuse for Mr. Nye to dress up in fancy frocks and emote, which he originally did as part of the cast of "The Steve Allen Show" (where we also first met Bill Dana's character, José Jiménez, from 396's "The Bill Dana Show"). And also it gave Norman Fell an opportunity to either yell about or do a slow burn over the screw ups that befell the company.
And, of course, there had to be an archrival, and that was long-time character actor Milton Seltzer who played Julius, owner of a competitor fashion house who Nathan was sure was stealing his ideas and plans. You might even say that this was a leftover from the Cold War, as the "spy activity" presented here was very similar to the programs of the mid 1960s, less so, the current programs of 1973.
New York plays a part because it's all about fashion, selling garments to the local department stores, the hustle and bustle of the neighborhood and the various characters involved in producing a line, including union workers, pattern cutters, and the label's bookkeeper, Sonia, played by Sandra Deel, who tried her best to keep the company out of the red. Oh, and there was that one episode where a blizzard hits NYC, stranding the Lorelei employees with the despised Julius.
Honestly, nobody learned anything about how a fashion label actually worked from this show, and they didn't even use the hit song of the same name as the theme, or at least call the show "Needles and Pinzah!" Now, THAT would have been funny!
I think the lack of trust coming from the boss man, Nathan, made this somewhat exhausting, if not very predictable. And they didn't make enough use of Wendy's fish out of water tale when it came to plots.
On the other hand, perhaps the show's title was accurate, as all of the needling the castmates did with each other formed the basis for everything, and eventually led to the show's cancellation.
Working Girl (1990)
NYC 400 - #361 - "Working Girl"
In 1988, Hollywood gave us a terrific version of the most frequently told tale of any: Cinderella. That film starred Melanie Griffith as the lead character, trying to catch the attention of the prince, Harrison Ford, and draw him away from the wicked stepsister, Sigourney Weaver, with the help of her best friend and fairy godmother, Joan Cusack while she hoped to help prevent her corporation from a hostile takeover.
And a couple of years later we got this TV adaptation. Where the film version of this story follows the Cinderella legend (and really improves upon it, from my perspective), this TV adaptation really couldn't. How could you drag that story out week after week of a regular series?
But some things did remain the same. The lead character was Tess McGill, and that's Sandra Bullock. She's still from Staten Island, taking the ferry right past the Statue of Liberty, to the subway, to her office. The program's theme song was, just like the movie, the Oscar winning "Let the River Run" (sung by someone who sounded as much like Carly Simon as the budget could afford), and Tess had a pal, Lana (Judy Prescott) also from the neighborhood who works with and hangs with her both at the office, on coffee breaks and at lunch, and occasionally around the homestead.
Tess got a promotion from the company owner, Mr. Trask (Tom O'Rourke) which tossed her from the secretary pool into the shark tank. The vast majority of the antagonism comes from a woman boss lady named Bryn Newhouse that seemed to be standing in the way of Tess and her attempts to rise up the ranks. That's Nana Visitor, in what clearly is based on the oppressive Sigourney Weaver role.
New elements that got added in this version of the story are Bryn's executive secretary played by Eyde Byrde, who sympathetically helped Tess out wherever she could, Everett (George Newbern) who also attempted to climb that corporate ladder, step for step with Tess, a local guy named Sal (Anthony Tyler Quinn) who romantically pursued Tess back in Staten Island, and Tess' parents (David Schramm and B. J. Ward), who provided a little homelife angst away from the office issues.
To the credit of the series, there wasn't any one single love interest that the female lead characters were vying for as in the movie; most of the competition is directly related to the elements of business and how Ms. Newhouse lorded her power over Tess and attempted to slap her down at every opportunity. But the irrepressible Tess thrived, handling unexpected assignments, dealing with problems and setbacks and keeping her positive energy afloat.
New York played a part because of the split between Ms. McGill's home and work space, a gap that seems much wider than New York Harbor, that interesting time when women would commute to their jobs in running shoes and then change into their high heels at the office, and the need to stay focused and ready for work because anything can either make you a fortune or create the need to file for Chapter 11, based on a single action.
What I feel was unfair about the show's construction is based on that last point - Ms. Newhouse was leading an office and attempting to make sure everything was up to her extremely high standards, but the point should have been that women were not commonly in charge of businesses, even in 1990. So, there would have been legitimate reasons for Newhouse to make demands, as she positioned her division and herself to have success.
For the most part, her criticisms were played for comedic effect, and displayed, more or less, as capricious attacks on a slightly younger employee, who at times was even seen as a threat instead of help.
Even though Tess might have viewed Newhouse that way, I think if they had balanced those requisite complaints with the facts, this might have made more sense within the plots, justified the reactions in a way that viewers could relate with and helped make Newhouse seem less like a shrewish banshee, without losing any of the comic effect.
And then, there's Sandy's hair, which was its own sitcom! The production stills included tell the story and while some of them look okay, no. Just, no. And Tess' Staten Island accent was also a crucial part of the laughs, though the audience was told Tess was attending "speech class" at night school to improve on that. I guess the intention would have been that Tess slowly starts to lose that accent as she would have improved her business sense while the series continued.
In the end, this televised "Working Girl" wasn't nearly as focused or fun as the film version, which put this incarnation of Tess back on the subway to South Ferry a lot faster than she wanted to be.
Going My Way (1962)
NYC 400 - #362 - "Going My Way"
In 1944, a film about a St. Louis Priest who got relocated to an impoverished neighborhood in New York City to help a group of wayward boys, became a smash hit. Bing Crosby played the priest and it went on to win a slew of Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actor for Mr. Crosby and Best Song for the hit "Swingin' on a Star"
Then, in 1962, a very different time and place, though the very same location, we got this television adaptation.
In this small screen adaptation of "Going My Way," Gene Kelly essentially plays the Crosby role of Father Chuck O'Malley who is less focused on the youth of the parish than the character was in the movie. That's because Tom, Fr. O'Malley's friend, played by Dick York, also helped out around the Cathedral, and ran a program for kids and teens. Also, crucial was Leo G. Carroll as Father Fitzgibbon, in charge and who had the final say on all the decisions to be made.
The interest in the Catholic Church was reaching a peak at this moment in history. After all, America had its first Catholic President in the White House as this show was first broadcast. Really, the plots of the series could reasonably be seen as a kind of PR statement for the Kennedy Administration. And the interests of the church were on display in how they helped their parishioners.
New York played a part in a lot of ways here, as the city was still evolving into what it would become. For example, construction of The Pan Am Building was still ongoing and could be seen in the opening credits of this series. And the run down neighborhood depicted here was yet another of the places that became gentrified and turned into some of the most valuable property on the planet. It's something else to attach to the name, Robert Moses.
But also the Church had a hold on The City (and to some degree, still does). And it's within that control that the archdiocese has that gave it an immediate sense of importance - through the stories that allowed the characters to display their goodwill and caring. Everyone needs a little help through a world where not everything is nice. And it's just a great comfort to have someone to whom you can share your troubles, deal with your problems and will listen and support what you're attempting to do. That's where this show shines brightly.
Perhaps the biggest problem with the series was a lack of conflict. Both Fr. O'Malley and Tom were hard-working, dutiful, caring, helpful and kind guys. They were basically the same character, only Tom was not married to the cloth. And even when they pitched their concepts to Fr. Fitzgibbon, there wasn't a lot of friction involved. Every show needs a little bit of a battle to push the concepts being offered and to challenge the audience to take a side. If there's only a little discord, then that opportunity is lost.
The other, more practical, problem was that the second half of "Going My Way" ran opposite the Number One show on all of television: "The Beverly Hillbillies" on CBS, so it's likely that the bulk of America never got to see Kelly in his collar.