THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 2/26/21

Here's a look at my Top 5 TV News Stories of the week!

#1 - GOLDEN GLOBES PREDICTIONS

The Golden Globes are this Sunday! Here are my predictions for the TV categories:

Drama Series

Will/Should Win: The Crown

Should Have Been Nominated: Bridgerton

Drama Actor

Will/Should Win: Josh O'Connor, The Crown

Should Have Been Nominated: Justin Hartley, This is Us

Drama Actress

Will/Should Win: Emma Corrin, The Crown

Should Have Been Nominated: Phoebe Dynevor, Bridgerton

Comedy Series

Will/Should Win: Ted Lasso

Should Have Been Nominated: Never Have I Ever

Comedy Actor

Will/Should Win: Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

Should Have Been Nominated: Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Comedy Actress

Will Win: Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek

Should Win: Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant

Should Have Been Nominated: Zoe Kravitz, High Fidelity

TV Movie/Limited Series

Will/Should Win: The Queen's Gambit

Should Have Been Nominated: Mrs. America

TV Movie/Limited Series Actor

Will Win: Hugh Grant, The Undoing

Should Win: Ethan Hawke, The Good Lord Bird

Should Have Been Nominated: Chris Evans, Defending Jacob

TV Movie/Limited Series Actress

Will/Should Win: Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen's Gambit

Should Have Been Nominated: Reese Witherspoon, Little Fires Everywhere

TV Supporting Actor

Will Win: Dan Levy, Schitt's Creek

Should Win: Brendan Gleeson, The Comey Rule

Should Have Been Nominated: Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

TV Supporting Actress

Will Win: Gillian Anderson, The Crown

Should Win: Annie Murphy, Schitt's Creek

Should Have Been Nominated: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, High Fidelity

EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season Four

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Three of Rhoda!

RHODA: SEASON FOUR
1977-1978
24 episodes

David Groh has left the show and Rhoda kicks off season four with somewhat of a reset. We thankfully get Nancy Walker back, but the show continues its trend of super obnoxious side characters and we don't even have the Rhoda and Joe storyline to keep things afloat like we did in season three. It's a new(ish) apartment, new characters, new theme song, new feel. But it's not a better show. This is very clearly the beginning of the end for Rhoda, a show that can still be great but feels like a shell of what it was.

Starring
Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern (24 episodes)
Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern (24 episodes)
Ron Silver as Gary Levy (20 episodes)
Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin (15 episodes)
Kenneth McMillan as Jack Doyle (15 episodes)
Nancy Walker as Ida Morgenstern (14 episodes)
Lorenzo Music as Carlton the Doorman (13 episodes)

Rafael Campos as Ramon (10 episodes)
Michael DeLano as Johnny Venture (8 episodes)
Harold Gould as Martin Morgenstern (2 episodes)
Nancy Lane as Tina (1 episode)

74. The Return of Ida (10/2/77)
Ida returns after her year-long trip and gets into an argument with Rhoda after learning her divorce is final.

Season four kicks off a new and officially post-Joe era on the show and it starts with an episode where Rhoda's divorce becomes final. The best part of this episode though is the grand return of Nancy Walker. Her absence was notably missed in season three and it feels good to have her back and less like the show is grasping for straws whenever she's around. In some ways, it feels like a mash-up of different Rhoda eras. We have Nancy Walker, who we mostly saw during Rhoda's marriage, with the sub-average characters that have appeared in her absence (Gary, Johnny and Benny). It is pretty funny when Ida says to Gary "you're looking better to me every minute" because that's how I've started to feel about Gary with the addition of more of these bad characters.
RATING: 7.5/10

75. The Job (10/9/77)
Rhoda decides to quit her window dressing business, but then has trouble finding a job.

Season three didn't even touch on Rhoda's window dressing business (whatever happened to that terrible Myrna?). But we find out here that she is not happy with her job. We meet another late-era Rhoda character in this episode in Jack Doyle. While Jack is not a terrible character, it's so very clearly an attempt to recreate the magic of Mary Richards and Lou Grant. Except Kenneth McMillian is no Ed Asner and Valerie Harper does not play as well in the Mary Richards role, that's not true to Rhoda's character. I don't want to be judgmental but McMillan is only 45 years old in this episode and he looks (and acts) at least 10 years older.
RATING: 5.5/10

ONE SEASON WONDERS: Delta House

On Wednesdays, I look at shows that lasted on season or less. Today I am looking at 1970s flop Delta House!

DELTA HOUSE

Programming Details:

January 18, 1979 - April 21, 1979

13 episodes

ABC

Starring: John Vernon, Stephen Furst, Bruce McGill, James Widdoes, Josh Mostel and Peter Fox

Based on the Screenplay for National Lampoon's "Animal House"

Written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller

Plot: Based on the popular frat boy movie Animal House, Delta House includes many of the same cast members in the same frat house: Flounder (Furst), D-Day (McGill) and Hoover (Widdoes) as well as the beleaguered Dean Wormer (Vernon). John Belushi did not join the series so his character had a younger brother, Blotto (Mostel). Another replacement was Peter Fox, replacing Tim Matheson as Otter.

TOP 10 TUESDAY: Top 10 TV Couples

Tuesdays are Top 10 Tuesdays where I count down a topic in the TV realm. This week is Top 10 TV Couples!

Close Calls

Ross & Rachel - Friends

Leslie & Ben - Parks and Recreation

Cam & Mitch - Modern Family

10. Jed & Abbey - The West Wing

I love the power couple that makes up the President and First Lady on The West Wing. As played by Martin Sheen and Stockard Channing, the Bartlets managed to have a pretty equal marriage even when one of them was President of the United States. They kept each other grounded. The series could have done a show entirely about them and it would also have been a good show.

9. April & Andy - Parks and Recreation

Leslie and Ben were a great couple and close to making this list but the best couple on Parks and Recreation was April and Andy. She was the princess of darkness and pessimism. He was the overgrown man child who loved everything and everyone. Yet their chemistry on screen was electric as they did exactly what they wanted regardless of what others thought.

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1988-1989 Mondays

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Mondays in the 1988-89 season!

ABC	8:00	9:00	10:00
Sep	MNF Pregame	Monday Night Football
Oct	MacGyver
Nov
Dec
Jan		Monday Night Movie
Feb
Mar
Apr
May

It was another year with the same Monday lineup for ABC. The only difference was that 1988 was marred by a Writer's Strike that lasted from March 7-August 7. As a result, many scripted shows were delayed in their starts so ABC added a pregame for Monday Night Football until MacGyver was ready to come back. Once it did, ABC had the usual combination of MacGyver and Football with a movie replacing Football in January.

THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 2/19/21

Here's a look at my Top 5 TV news stories of the week!

#1 - "MOM" WILL END WITH SEASON 8

CBS announced the endings of two veteran shows this week and most notable for me is Mom. The Chuck Lorre sitcom will end on May 6 after eight seasons. Mom has been through many incarnations. It was originally focused on a newly sober woman with her recently sober mother and pregnant teenage daughter. Over time, the family element became much less pronounced and the series shifted to a comedy about a group of women who all attend AA together. The series was then rocked again when star Anna Faris departed this past summer. This marks the second series this year, along with Superstore, that lasted just one season after its star left the show. It wasn't always consistent but at its best, Mom could be really great. It really managed to find humor in situations that could be quite dire and sad sometimes. It dealt with a serious topic head-on but never felt too dramatic or too much like a "very special episode." It had a unique voice but I do think it was time for it to end.

EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season Three

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Three of Rhoda!

RHODA: SEASON THREE
1976-1977
24 episodes

Season three has a little bit of TV history as the writers decided to split up Rhoda and Joe and make Rhoda TV's first divorced lead on a sitcom. I'm not going to pretend the show was firing on all cylinders before Rhoda and Joe split up but the reality is, the show takes a turn for the worse after the divorce. That being said, season three has some highlights because the divorce storyline itself is without question the most interesting the Rhoda and Joe relationship ever was. It features some strong performances from Valerie Harper and David Groh. It's too bad they couldn't find a way to make the marriage compelling without splitting them up.

Starring
Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern Gerard (24 episodes)
Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern (24 episodes)
Ron Silver as Gary Levy (13 episodes)
David Groh as Joe Gerard (9 episodes)
Ray Buktenica as Benny Goodwin (2 episodes)
Nancy Walker as Ida Morgenstern (1 episode)
Lorenzo Music as Carlton the Doorman (19 episodes)

Anne Meara as Sally Gallagher (7 episodes)
Michael DeLano as Johnny Venture (3 episodes)
Richard Masur as Nick Lobo (3 episodes)
Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards (1 episode)
Beverly Sanders as Susan Alborn (1 episode)

50. The Separation (9/20/76)
After a fight and Joe's questioning of their marriage, Rhoda and Joe decide to separate.

When I was a kid watching this on Nick at Nite, this episode was devastating. I couldn't believe Rhoda and Joe would separate. Watching it as an adult, I understand how the marriage wasn't working on the show yet I also know the show didn't get better after the Gerards divorced. That being said, many of the episodes related to the divorce are pretty strong episodes in and of themselves even if I don't like where they lead. It's also sad that this is the one and only episode with Nancy Walker this season as she headed out to star in the short-lived The Nancy Walker Show followed by the equally short lived Blansky's Beauties. In her one episode though, she is great of course. I also think Valerie Harper and David Groh did a really nice job with a difficult episode and subject matter. Maybe if the writers trusted Groh more as an actor like they do in this episode, they wouldn't have had to do this. Finally, season three has my favorite version of the theme song.
RATING: 8/10

51. Together Again for the First Time (9/27/76)
Rhoda and Joe see each other again for the first time since the separation when Rhoda visits him at his apartment.

Rhoda and Joe's first meet-up since their separation is predictably awkward and makes us as audience members feel a little awkward too, but I think that's the point. It also is interesting that the last two episodes feel like it has centered more on their relationship than it ever did during their year and a half of marriage on the show. There has been very few extraneous side characters (though more are coming) and it's a little bit refreshing in that way. Valerie Harper and David Groh are again strong in this episode. It's amazing how honest and real they can portray the marriage once they are broken up.
RATING: 7.5/10

ONE SEASON WONDERS: Honey West

On Wednesdays, I look at shows that lasted on season or less. Today I am looking at 1960s flop Honey West!

HONEY WEST

Programming Details:

September 17, 1965 - April 8, 1966

30 episodes

ABC

Starring: Anne Francis, John Ericson, Irene Hervey

Developed by Gwen Bagni and Paul Dubov

Based on: "Honey West" novels by Skip and Gloria Fickling

Plot: Honey West (Francis) is a private eye working cases with the help of her "Man-Friday," Sam Bolt (Ericson). She uses her allure and sex appeal to help her on cases and communicates with Bolt via secret radios.

TOP 10 TUESDAY: Top 10 Theme Songs of the 2010s

Tuesdays are Top 10 Tuesdays where I count down a topic in the TV realm. This week is Top 10 Theme Songs of the 2010s! A reminder, it had to be any show that premiered in that timeframe even if it ran well into another decade. Also, the song had to have been written for the show (for example, Parenthood) or remakes (for example, Hawaii Five-0) wouldn't count.

Close Calls

Pose

The Crown

P-Valley

10. Mixed-ish (2019-Present)

The newest entry on the list, it's always nice to see a broadcast show actually using a longer theme song written for the show. I'm so-so on Mariah Carey in general but this works pretty well and I'll never be sad about sacrificing a few second of an episode for a longer theme song.

9. The Americans (2013-2018)

This isn't a song I would just listen to on the radio, but it's one that is perfect for its show. It's heart racing and infused with Russian inspired music. The first notes of the theme also could be especially jarring.

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1987-1988 Sundays

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Sundays in the 1987-88 season!

ABC	7:00	8:00	9:00	10:00
Sep	Disney Sunday Movie	Spenser: For Hire	Dolly	Buck James
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan		Various Programs	Sunday Night Movie
Feb
Mar		Supercarrier
Apr
May		Various Programs

ABC had just had two movies on Sunday nights through the 1986-87 season but they were more ambitious for the 1987-88 season. First of all, the Disney Sunday Movie was reduced to just one hour. And at the beginning of the season, the Sunday Night Movie is gone and ABC went with weekly series. At 8pm was season three of Spenser: For Hire. The drama had not found a steady audience over the past couple years on Tuesdays, Fridays or Saturdays. It seems surprising it was given such a prominent slot, trying to kick off a revamped night. It also was not compatible with its lead-out, the variety series Dolly hosted by Dolly Parton. Although Dolly premiered to big numbers, it dropped quickly. It was a valiant but ultimately failed effort at reviving the variety format which had been dead for quite awhile by 1987. It was actually Parton's second attempt at a variety show. She had a syndicated one that ran for one year in the mid 1970s. At 10pm was Buck James, a medical drama starring Dennis Weaver as a Texas surgeon. In January, Spenser: For Hire and Dolly went to Saturdays while Buck James went on hiatus before resurfacing on Tuesdays. The Sunday Night Movie returned at 9pm while some two hour Disney movies, specials and the Olympics filled the time before a new drama launched in March. Supercarrier was a military drama about Navy Pilots on an aircraft carrier. It lasted just eight episodes before cancellation.

THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 2/12/21

Here's a look at my Top 5 TV news stories of the week!

#1 - SUPER BOWL RATINGS

The ratings are in for the biggest TV event of the year and the results were disappointing by its own standards. The big game, that unexpectedly turned into not much of a game, scored 91.6 million viewers and a 26.5 demo for CBS. It will of course blow everything else on TV out of the water as usual but the numbers were the lowest since the Colts-Bears Super Bowl in February 2007. There could be a number of reasons including the blowout score, two smaller market teams, Tom Brady fatigue, some people tuning out the NFL with their race issues (that includes people tuning out on both political sides either in support of Colin Kaepernick or in protest of the league's renewed focus on racial justice), and a switch to digital (the game had the largest streaming audience yet, though it was still just a fraction of the main total at 5.7 million viewers). The post-Super Bowl slot went to the series premiere of Queen Latifah reboot of The Equalizer. It started at 10:39pm and scored 20.4 million viewers and a 5.1 demo. This is way higher than anything currently on TV but there were plenty of shows that used to get ratings like that weekly. It was one of the lowest post-Super Bowl shows but the viewer total is not terrible considering the demo. The series moves to its 8pm slot this Sunday.

EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season Two

On Thursdays, I go through classic series with a critical look at each season. Today I am looking at Season Two of Rhoda!

RHODA: SEASON TWO
1975-1976
24 episodes

Rhoda and Joe have been married for nearly a season and already the show hits a rut at times in its second season. Famously, the attention given to Brenda and Ida stories this season is a reason that the writers split up Rhoda and Joe in season three. Rhoda, and especially Joe, sometimes feel like afterthoughts in this season as the show starts to kick up the obnoxious side characters with episodes devoted to such unnecessary characters as Myrna Morgenstein and Nick Lobo. There are some really, really strong episodes in this season but also some pretty rough ones to sit through. It's a step down from Season 1 but sadly it's better than any season that follows.

Starring
Valerie Harper as Rhoda Gerard (24 episodes)
Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern (24 episodes)
David Groh as Joe Gerard (23 episodes)
Nancy Walker as Ida Morgenstern (9 episodes)
Lorenzo Music as Carlton the Doorman (21 episodes)

Harold Gould as Martin Morgenstern (5 episodes)
Barbara Sharma as Myrna Morgenstein (5 episodes)
Scoey Mitchell as Justin Culp (4 episodes)
Richard Masur as Nick Lobo (3 episodes)
Beverly Sanders as Susan Alborn (3 episodes)
Wes Stern as Lenny (3 episodes)

26. Kiss Your Epaulets Goodbye (9/8/75)
Rhoda gets Carlton fired after he mistakenly lets burglars into Joe and Rhoda's apartment and then has to deal with Carlton's mother.

Season two kicks off with the first and only episode that directly involves Carlton in a major way. I didn't talk too much about Carlton during season one but this might be a good spot. As a kid, I loved Carlton. I thought he was one of the funniest parts of the show. As an adult, I find him less funny but he's still capable of good moments and this is a pretty funny episode thanks in large part to a stellar guest appearance by Ruth Gordon. Gordon was a legend by this point and nominated for an Emmy for this episode. She is an absolute hoot as Carlton's very nutty mother and Valerie Harper plays well off of her. She single-handedly makes this a great episode even with an unnecessary side story involving Lenny and Nick.
RATING: 8/10

27. Rhoda Meets the Ex-Wife (9/15/75)
Rhoda is nervous about meeting Joe's ex-wife when she has to go pick up Donny.

A new development in the Rhoda and Joe relationship, we finally get to meet Joe's much talked about ex-wife. One of the problems the writers supposedly had after marrying Rhoda and Joe was making Rhoda an underdog like she was on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. This episode is a good way to do that, but of course they can't use a premise like this on a regular basis. A pre-Knots Landing Joan Van Ark is well cast as the beautiful and nasty Marian. I don't think them getting drunk together was the best direction the episode could have taken, but there was still an interesting dynamic between Rhoda and Marian. I just wanted the episode to take off more than it did.
RATING: 5.5/10

ONE SEASON WONDERS: Help Me Help You

On Wednesdays, I look at shows that lasted on season or less. Today I am looking at 2000s flop Help Me Help You!

HELP ME HELP YOU

Programming Details:

January 3, 2007 - April 11, 2007

12 episodes

ABC

Starring: Ted Danson, Jere Burns, Darlene Hunt, Charlie Finn, Suzy Nakamura, Jim Rash and Jane Kaczmarek

Created by: Jennifer Konner and Alexandra Rushfield

Plot: Dr. Bill Hoffman (Danson) runs a psychotherapy group while also dealing with his own problems. The group includes Michael and Darlene (Burns & Hunt) who are having a secret affair, formerly suicidal office worker Dave (Finn), lonely programmer Inger (Nakamura) and secretly closeted Jonathan (Rash). Rounding out the main cast is Bill's ex-wife, Anne (Kaczmarek). 

TOP 10 TUESDAY: Top 10 Theme Songs of the 2000s

Tuesdays are Top 10 Tuesdays where I count down a topic in the TV realm. This week is Top 10 Theme Songs of the 2000s! A reminder, it had to be any show that premiered in that timeframe even if it ran well into another decade. Also, the song had to have been written for the show (for example, Gilmore Girls or CSI wouldn't count).

Close Calls

American Idol

How I Met Your Mother

Arrested Development

10. Two and a Half Men (2003-2015)

The 2000s were not as competitive a decade for getting on the list as it was an era when regular network theme songs were shortened or non-existent and streaming services (with flexible run times) hadn't started yet. But this is a fun one that's easy to sing along with.

9. Alias (2001-2006)

I don't think this is a great song, but it's one that is very fitting for the show. It has the urgency and intensity that is perfect for a show built on thrills and explosions. 

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1987-1988 Saturdays

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Saturdays in the 1987-88 season!

ABC	8:00	9:00	10:00
Sep	Once a Hero	Ohara	Hotel
Oct	Various Programs
Nov	Sable
Dec	Ohara	Sable
Jan	Dolly	Ohara	Spenser: For Hire
Feb
Mar
Apr
May

Saturdays continued to be a nut that ABC couldn't crack in 1987-88 but it wasn't for lack of trying as they tried several different shows over the course of the season with none of them living to see the 1988-89 season. A trio of dramas started things off. At 8pm was Once a Hero, an action dramedy about a comic book artist whose creation comes to life. It lasted just three episodes and has the distinction of being the lowest rated show in the 1987-88 season among the big three networks. It was followed by two returning dramas: the second season of Ohara and the fifth season of Hotel. Ohara had aired on Saturday nights the previous season and was a borderline renewal while Hotel was finally broken apart from its longtime home following Dynasty on Wednesday nights. Once a Hero was quickly replaced with another show that had comic books in its DNA. Sable was about a children's author by day and a vigilante by night and based on a comic book series. It also starred a young Rene Russo. It was a slight improvement on Once a Hero, but not much. For a short time, it switched spots with Ohara but was cancelled after just seven episodes. The night was revamped in January with Ohara staying put and two Sunday shows moving over to the night. The Dolly Parton variety series Dolly aired at 8pm and Spenser: For Hire at 10pm. Neither show fared any better on Saturday and both were cancelled. Spenser: For Hire ended after three seasons and 66 episodes while never finding a consistent audience or timeslot. It did live on though with a spinoff (A Man Called Hawk) a year later and some TV movies in the 90s.

THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 2/5/21

Here's a look at my Top 5 TV news stories of the week!

#1 - GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS

The Golden Globe nominations came out this week and, as per usual, there was a mix of exciting and head-scratching choices. Getting the most scrutiny were the inclusion of Ratched in the Drama Series category and Emily in Paris in the Musical/Comedy Series category. Both Netflix shows were buzzy during their fall releases but mixed at best from critics. Joining Ratched in Drama Series are The Crown, Lovecraft Country, The Mandalorian and Ozark while The Flight Attendant, Ted Lasso, Schitt's Creek and The Great rounded out the Musical/Comedy Series nominees. The Crown and Schitt's Creek led the nomination totals and are considered frontrunners though Ted Lasso certainly has a chance. Limited Series/TV Movie nominees were Normal People, The Queen's Gambit, Small Axe, The Undoing and Unorthodox. Notable snubs included Bridgerton (the Netflix series that seemed more likely than Ratched or Emily), Mrs. America (a travesty!), Michaela Coel and I May Destroy You, Issa Rae from Insecure and all the Lovecraft Country actors. The Golden Globes will air February 28 and be hosted (on separate coasts) by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.

EPISODE GUIDES: Rhoda Season One

It's time to kick off a new episode guide! Over the next six weeks, I will be looking at Rhoda during my weekly Thursday episode guide! A reminder about my breakdown in ratings of episodes:

9-10: Exceptional

7-8: Strong

5-6: OK

3-4: Mediocre

1-2: Terrible

RHODA: SEASON ONE
1974-1975
25 episodes

After four celebrated years on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Valerie Harper moves over to one of TV's first successful spinoffs in Rhoda. Rhoda kicks off its run in grand fashion with a string of very strong episodes leading up to the iconic one hour wedding episode (more on that below). After the wedding episode, the show starts to meander a bit and develops the inconsistent streak that will plague it for the rest of its run. Though there are great episodes to come, Rhoda is a show where the first 10 episodes collectively are better than any batch of 10 that follow it.

Starring
Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern Gerard (25 episodes)
Julie Kavner as Brenda Morgenstern (25 episodes)
David Groh as Joe Gerard (23 episodes)
Nancy Walker as Ida Morgenstern (10 episodes)
Lorenzo Music as Carlton the Doorman (19 episodes)

Harold Gould as Martin Morgenstern (7 episodes)
Scoey Mitchell as Justin Culp (5 episodes)
Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards (5 episodes)
Barbara Sharma as Myrna Morgenstein (4 episodes)
Wes Stern as Lenny (3 episodes)
Beverly Sanders as Susan Alborn (2 episodes)
Richard Masur as Nick Lobo (1 episode)

1. Joe (9/9/74)
Rhoda visits her sister Brenda in New York and falls in love with a man named Joe making her not want to go back to Minneapolis.

The pilot episode of Rhoda is actually edited on the DVD set. It should begin with a scene at the airport with Mary Tyler Moore. Luckily, that can be viewed elsewhere online. It's followed by the epic opening sequence which is a great way to introduce a show. I'm glad they changed it after season one because it didn't need to last forever, but it's perfect for the early episodes of the show. This is really a great pilot in every way. It establishes Rhoda's relationship with both Brenda and Joe and it has the first of many great performances from Nancy Walker. We all know Rhoda had a bumpy road at times during its run, but it certainly started off on a high note. The playoff of Mary tossing her hat, Rhoda-style, is introduced in this episode and then used in the closing credits.
RATING: 9.5/10

2. You Can Go Home Again (9/16/74)
Now unemployed in New York, Rhoda looks for a place to live and Ida suggests she moves back home.

These early episodes of Rhoda really do a nice job of building Rhoda's new world. We get more development between all the main characters. This episode also features a guest turn by Henry Winkler who at this point was already starring on Happy Days, but wasn't quite the iconic character he became. I don't feel it's quite as tight as the pilot but picks up once Rhoda is back at home and dealing with Ida as Nancy Walker gives another great performance. She is just so funny in this role. However, can we say how icky it is that Brenda is dating a third cousin?
RATING: 8/10

ONE SEASON WONDERS: The Bonnie Hunt Show

On Wednesdays, I look at shows that lasted on season or less. Today I am looking at 1990s flop The Bonnie Hunt Show!

THE BONNIE HUNT SHOW (also known as BONNIE)

Programming Details:
September 22, 1995 - April 7, 1996
11 episodes
CBS

Starring: Bonnie Hunt, Janet Carroll, Mark Derwin, Richard Gant, Brian Howe, Don Lake, Eamonn Roche, Tom Virtue and Holly Wortell
Created by: Bonnie Hunt & Rob Burnett

Plot: Bonnie Kelly (Hunt) is a TV reporter who has just moved to Chicago from Wisconsin. Along with her bosses (Derwin & Carroll) and co-workers (Wortell, Gant, Virtue, & Howe), Bonnie also had mostly improvised scenes with real-life people about actual events.

TOP 10 TUESDAY: Top 10 Theme Songs of the 90s

Tuesdays are Top 10 Tuesdays where I count down a topic in the TV realm. This week is Top 10 Theme Songs of the 90s! A reminder, it had to be any show that premiered in that timeframe even if it ran well into another decade. Also, the song had to have been written for the show (for example, Party of Five or The Sopranos wouldn't count).

Close Calls

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

Frasier

My So-Called Life

10. The Nanny (1993-1999)

The 90s were basically the last decade to have a decent number of "premise" theme songs that were popular back to the 1960s. Between the animated visuals and the jazzy theme, this song had a throwback feel to a show that (to my understanding) also felt throwback at times (I'm not a regular viewer).

9. 7th Heaven (1996-2007)

Oh sure, it is super cheesy. But it's cheesy in the best kind of way. Anyone who watched this show at some point in their life can probably sing most or all of the song and that will of course involve a belting of "where can you goooo."

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1987-1988 Fridays

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Fridays in the 1987-88 season!

ABC	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00
Sep	Full House	I Married Dora	Max Headroom		20/20
Oct
Nov			Mr. Belvedere	Pursuit of Happiness
Dec
Jan		Mr. Belvedere	The Thorns	Sledge Hammer!
Feb
Mar	Perfect Strangers	Full House	Mr. Belvedere	Family Man
Apr
May				I Married Dora

Although it wasn't known as TGIF yet, some of the eventual pieces of TGIF started to form on Friday nights on ABC in 1987-88. It started with the launch of Full House at 8pm. The family sitcom and its theme song have now become iconic but it didn't start strong, in fact it only placed at #71 for the year in the ratings. Its ratings improved late in its first season when Wednesday hit Perfect Strangers was moved to the night as the new lead-off and Full House shifted to 8:30pm. The original 8:30pm entry was I Married Dora, a sitcom about a single father who marries his housekeeper to keep her from being deported. The show starred Daniel Hugh Kelly and Elizabeth Pena and featured a young Juliette Lewis but is most notable for breaking the fourth wall to announce its cancellation in its final scene. The 9pm entry was originally Max Headroom, which had eked out a renewal. The odd dystopian satire was one of the lowest rated shows on TV and only lasted a few weeks before ABC yanked it for another sitcom hour. At 9pm was season four of Mr. Belvedere and it was followed by the new Pursuit of Happiness, a gentle comedy about a history professor at a Philadelphia college. It lasted just 10 episodes before being cancelled while Mr. Belvedere replaced I Married Dora at 8:30pm and there was yet another attempt at the 9pm hour. This time they started with a new comedy called The Thorns. It starred Tony Roberts and Kelly Bishop as a dysfunctional married couple in New York City. It was followed by Sledge Hammer! which had been struggling on Thursdays. This lineup also lasted approximately two months. When Perfect Strangers came to the night, Mr. Belvedere moved back to 9pm and another new sitcom was attempted, Family Man starred Richard Libertini and Mimi Kennedy and centered on a middle aged man married to a much younger wife. When Family Man was cancelled after seven episodes, repeats of the already cancelled I Married Dora returned to the night. The only steady hour of the night was 10pm. 20/20 had moved over from Thursdays to the slot it still occupies today.