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ONE SEASON WONDERS: Too Something

On Wednesdays, I look at shows that lasted one season or less. Today I am looking at 1990s flop Too Something (which became New York Daze). 

TOO SOMETHING (also known as NEW YORK DAZE)










Programming Details:
October 1, 1995 - June 23, 1996
9 episodes
FOX

Starring: Donal Lardner Ward, Eric Schaeffer, Lisa Gerstein, Portia de Rossi, Mindy Seeger
Created by: Eric Schaeffer, Donal Lardner Ward & Efrem Seeger

Plot: Aspiring photographer Donny Reeves (Ward) and aspiring author Eric McDougal (Schaeffer) are roommates in Manhattan who also work together in a mailroom for a large firm. The rest of the cast is friend Evelyn (Gerstein), dog walker Daisy (Seeger) and new co-worker Maria (Rossi).

Brief Pilot Review:
This was obviously a passion project from Donal Lardner Ward and Eric Schaeffer considering they created the show in addition to starring in it. But it's not very inspired and plays about as bland of a 90s buddy comedy as you can imagine. There are elements of Perfect Strangers with the two male roommates who live and work together but neither character is nearly as defined or unique as Balki. There was also a horrible offensive question posed to a female co-worker in the pilot. Not that these things don't still happen but seeing it played off completely for laughs without any recognition of the troubling aspect of the line is a little jarring. 

Ward and Schaeffer do play off each other well and you can tell they were longtime friends. Obviously the biggest name to come from this show was Portia De Rossi. She wasn't given too much to do in the pilot but does a nice job with what she's given. Charlie Schlatter is a much bigger problem in a role that seemed to be important to the pilot but was not a series regular so maybe they recognized he wasn't working in the show. Schlatter went on to Diagnosis: Murder shortly after this and ended up being a regular for many seasons.

What Went Wrong:
Too Something premiered as part of a FOX comedy lineup in a season where a lot of networks were trying comedies on Sundays. It created somewhat of a logjam in the 8pm as Too Something was up against fellow freshmen Almost Perfect on CBS and Simon on the WB along with second year sitcom Hope & Gloria on NBC. None of the comedy lineups really worked but FOX was not patient at all because Too Something was nestled between The Simpsons and Married With Children so it was failing as part of an established comedy block.

It aired just five weeks, the entire month of October, before being pulled from the lineup (along with fellow 9:30pm newbie Misery Loves Company). Too Something was not outright cancelled though and FOX promised to bring the show back under a new title. They held a contest to rename the show and the winner got to introduce the show, newly re-titled New York Daze, when it returned. Despite the promotion for its return with a new title, it didn't return until late May after the season ended. FOX may have had hope it could do well enough to get a renewal for midseason but it only managed to run another month before it was gone for good. The two actor/creators have continued to work but never really had a breakthrough project.

Tomorrow: A look at the fifth season of Parks and Recreation!
Next Wednesday: A One Season Wonder look at 2000s flop In Case of Emergency!
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