Skip to main content

ONE SEASON WONDERS: Maybe This Time

After this week, there will be a two week break on the blog for the holidays so the next Wednesday "One Season Wonders" post will be on January 6. 

MAYBE THIS TIME











Programming Details:
September 15, 1995 - February 17, 1996
18 episodes
ABC

Starring: Marie Osmond, Betty White, Ashley Johnson, Amy Hill, Craig Ferguson
Created by: Michael Jacobs, Bob Young & Susan Estelle Johnson

Plot: Julia Wallace (Osmond) is a recent divorcee running a bakery with her mother, Shirley (White) while also trying to raise her daughter Gracie (Johnson).

Brief Pilot Review:
I think perhaps the first episode that aired (and that I watched) was not the actual pilot because the second episode was titled "Maybe This Time," which sounds like a first episode title since it's the same as the show. Either way, the first episode that aired gave me a good idea of what the show was like. This was a show with a winning cast but not winning writing or performances. Betty White can only do so much and they didn't give her much to work with making this a pretty forgettable blip on White's stellar career. They just didn't give her character any sort of edge or bite, which is White's specialty. 

Marie Osmond has had a lot of success in a variety of formats, but she's pretty bland as a sitcom lead. And Ashley Johnson was pretty terrible and in an awkward stage (a scene she shared with Betty White at the start of the episode involved everything terrible about precocious 90s sitcom kids). Craig Ferguson is oddly used as a "man candy" type role which seems completely playing against type for the goofy Ferguson. Spoiler, it doesn't work.
What Went Wrong:
Maybe This Time was part of a new comedy block that ABC was trying to establish on Saturday nights in the Fall of 1995. Unlike now, networks actually were still trying original programming on Saturdays but it was well past the time of massive hits like The Mary Tyler Moore Show and All in the Family airing on the night. By the mid 90s, the only lineups that really worked on the night were old skewing ones like CBS's lineup bookended by Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and Walker, Texas Ranger. Dr. Quinn also provided formidable competition for the family audience.

Maybe This Time aired at 8:30pm following another new family sitcom, The Jeff Foxworthy Show. Both shows had preview episodes in more desirable slots with Maybe This Time airing the night before as part of TGIF. So despite the efforts by ABC to get these shows going, they were doomed in their sleepy Saturday slot. They trudged along for several months. Foxworthy was actually yanked first and replaced by Hudson Street, but the whole comedy hour was shelved by March. Both shows were cancelled by ABC but Foxworthy got a reprieve and was picked up by NBC for a second season. Of course White, Osmond and Ferguson have all had varying degrees of success before and since so this is a pretty forgotten career moment for all three of them.

Tomorrow: A look at the fourth season of That 70s Show!
Wednesday in 3 Weeks:  A look at 2000s flop That 80s Show!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EPISODE GUIDES: That 70s Show Season Seven

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Seven of  That 70s Show ! THAT 70s SHOW: SEASON SEVEN 2004-2005 25 episodes The seventh season of  That 70s Show  is the final season with Topher Grace as a series regular and also the final full season for Ashton Kutcher. Despite still having both of those cast member, the show finds itself flailing especially with Topher Grace's Eric, who is stuck in a terrible arc for most of the season. The show also brings many characters back at one point or another but everything just feels tired. This season actually graded out the worst for me. Even worse than the often maligned final season (more on that next week). Every title this season is named for a Rolling Stones song. Starring Topher Grace as Eric Forman  (25 episodes) Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhart  (25 episodes) Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso  (25 episodes) Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde  (25 e...
Post a Comment
Read more

EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season Five

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Five (the final season) of  Rhoda ! RHODA: SEASON FIVE 1978 13 episodes Rhoda' s final season was a truncated one as the show was cancelled in December 1978 after only 13 episodes had been produced (and only nine had aired). This feels like a continuation from season four in many ways except with the ill-advised split between Ida and Martin (more on that below). While  Rhoda  has an occasional good moment and even a couple decent episodes, it is a show that seems so wildly different from season one and not in a good way.  Rhoda  could never figure out what it fully wanted to be and only made it four and a half seasons as a result. Starring Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern  (13 episodes) Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin  (11 episodes) Kenneth McMillan as Jack Doyle  (9 episodes) Nancy Wa...
Post a Comment
Read more

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1995-1996 Thursdays

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Thursdays in the 1995-96 season! ABC 8:00 8:30 9:00 10:00 Sep Charlie Grace The Monroes Various Programs Oct Murder One Nov Various Programs Dec Various Programs Thursday Night Movie Jan Feb World’s Funniest Videos Before They Were Stars! Mar Apr May NBC was the powerhouse on Thursday nights but ABC still gave it the old college try in the Fall of 1995 with a trio of new dramas that they hoped would help them cut into the Peacock's dominance. Headlining their night was Murder One , a high profile new show from Steven Bochco that received much of the network's attention before the season started. The series focused on one murder case for an entire season, whi...
Post a Comment
Read more