SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1992-1993 Fridays

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Fridays in the 1992-93 season!

ABC	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00
Sep	Family Matters	Step by Step	Dinosaurs	Camp Wilder	20/20
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar			Getting By	Where I Live
Apr
May

ABC's TGIF lineup on Fridays continued in the 1992-93 season and the 8pm hour continued to be stable while there was still trouble in the 9pm hour. Family Matters and Step by Step were a perfect pair with each other and produced nearly identical ratings. Dinosaurs returned at 9pm after moving to Fridays at the end of the 1991-92 season. It continued to not be a big player in the ratings and it was such an odd show to try to schedule. After being pulled from Fridays, it made a brief appearance on Sundays and was renewed for a fourth season but that fourth season didn't air until the Summer of 1994. A new show was added to the night at 9:30pm. Camp Wilder starred Mary Page Keller as a woman put in care of her teenage siblings after their parents died as well as her own six year old daughter. She opened her house to the many friends of her siblings as well. The roster of young actors included Jerry O'Connell, Hilary Swank, Jared Leto and Jay Mohr. Although it seemed like a fit with the other TGIF shows, it struggled in the ratings and was cancelled in February. Check back Wednesday for a One Season Wonder post on Camp Wilder! When both Dinosaurs and Wilder were pulled from the night, two new sitcoms took their place. Getting By came from the same production company as Family Matters and Step by Step and starred Cindy Williams and Telma Hopkins as friends and single mothers sharing a home and raising their families. The series did pretty well in the ratings, much better than Dinosaurs, and ABC planned to renew it for a second season. However, they planned to move the show to Saturday night which angered the producers who pulled the show from the network and NBC outbid CBS to pick it up (it only lasted one more season on NBC, which was not as good a fit for the show). At 9:30pm was Where I Live, a sitcom starring Doug E. Doug as a teen living in Harlem. The ratings were not strong but a strong fan campaign and public support from Bill Cosby helped it get renewed for a second season. 20/20 continued at 10pm and was a consistently strong performer.

THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 1/28/22

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

#1 - RENEWALS OF THE WEEK

It was a pretty quiet week for TV news with the biggest news being some renewals, some cancellations and some cast changes. Four comedies were renewed this week. Three of those were on CBS: The Neighborhood, Bob Hearts Abishola and freshman breakout Ghosts. The Neighborhood and Bob Hearts Abishola have been a solid Monday duo for a few years now while Ghosts has been a big success on Thursday nights with new audience highs being hit in recent weeks and plenty of critical acclaim for the very un-CBS comedy. These comedies join the already renewed Young Sheldon while United States of Al and B Positive are still waiting for a renewal. Also renewed was HBO comedy The Righteous Gemstones for a third season. The second season of the underrated comedy is currently airing on Sunday nights.

EPISODE GUIDES: Perfect Strangers Season Four (Part 2)

On Thursdays, I take a detailed and critical look at a TV show. This year, I will be splitting full seasons into two posts. Here's a look at Season 4 (Part 2) of Perfect Strangers! For Part 1, click here!

63. Games People Play (2/3/89)
Larry is asked to go on a game show for an assignment and Balki insists on being on the show with him but they argue about how to play it.

I don't think any subset of people in history have appeared on game shows as often as sitcom characters. It's a trope Perfect Strangers hasn't done yet, so here it is! This is a pretty thin premise. At first, I thought it would be an excuse to get the two stars to do every stunt imaginable, but it doesn't actually take that route (at first) and has some funny moments between Balki and Larry. However, something I just can't stand about Mark Linn-Baker's portrayal of Larry is when he is "out of control" like he is in this episode when he gets into the game show. It rings so very false and is super annoying. I do want to give a shout out to the "Cunningham Hardware" reference, one of several Happy Days references in the series.
RATING: 7/10

64. Come Fly With Me (2/10/89)
While on a flight to Hawaii, Jennifer and Mary Anne get sick from a snack that Balki brings so Balki and Larry fill in as flight attendants.

Back in the 1950s, episode titles of shows were very simple and just basically told the plot such as "Lucy Tells the Truth." I feel like Perfect Strangers could do that because the plots are so simplistic. This one could be "Balki and Larry are Flight Attendants." I'm not really criticizing simple plots, sometimes I think today's episodes are too convoluted with their zillion plots. But it's just an observation that many of the Perfect Strangers plots are as simplistic as they can possibly be. This episode is fine, nothing special. But I think it could have been funnier if it was just about the plane ride than thrusting Balki and Larry into being attendants.
RATING: 5/10

ONE SEASON WONDERS: Delta

For my One Season Wonder this week, I'm taking a look at Delta!

DELTA

September 15, 1992 - August 25, 1993
17 episodes
ABC

Starring: Delta Burke, Earl Holliman, Beth Grant, Nancy Giles, Bill Engvall and Gigi Rice

Created by: Miriam Trogdon

Plot: Delta Bishop (Burke) is an aspiring country singer who moves to Nashville after a divorce. She moves in with her cousin, Lavonne (Rice) and her husband, Buck (Engvall). She gets a job at the Green Lantern Bar, working for Darden Towe (Holliman)

Brief Pilot Review:

Delta Burke is definitely a comedic force. She was the breakout star of Designing Women thanks in part to her snappy line deliveries and larger than life presence. It's interesting to see her here as the center of a show because even as a breakout, she was still part of an ensemble with pretty even-sized roles on Women. What's especially interesting is that she seems to be lacking that bravado that was her hallmark. Although there are lots of elements that are very broad (the setting, the premise, Delta Burke's hair), Burke was playing everything in a surprisingly understated way that didn't really work. It seems like they were trying to ground the character and create a sympathetic figure but it played against type for Burke and the whole pilot felt low energy.

TOP 10 TUESDAY: Top 10 Laverne & Shirley Characters

This week, my Top 10 is Top 10 Laverne & Shirley Characters!

10. SONNY ST. JACQUES

Laverne & Shirley wasn't a show with a ton of characters. In fact, I considered including a couple Happy Days characters who guested on the show to round on the list but that didn't seem true to the spirit of these Top 10 lists. So I went with Sonny St. Jacques, a decent but mostly inconsequential character from the later Hollywood years. Ed Marinaro was game for the role but he didn't really add much (or take away much) from the show.

9. RHONDA LEE

Another Hollywood-era character, Rhonda Lee comes in just ahead of Sonny because she was a little bit better of a character who had funnier moments and more meaningful plots (some of the time). She was a nice contrast to the Midwest sensibility of Laverne and Shirley even if she was clearly trying to be the "Chrissy Snow" in an era where Three's Company was dominating the ratings.

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1992-1993 Thursdays

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Thursdays in the 1992-93 season!

ABC	8:00	8:30	9:00	10:00
Sep	Delta	Room for Two	Homefront	Primetime Live
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan	Matlock		Jack’s Place
Feb
Mar			Various Programs
Apr
May

ABC had Primetime Live at 10pm but the 8pm and 9pm hours were a nut they just couldn't crack. They made a valiant effort in 1992-93 though as they brought Delta Burke back to TV with her self titled sitcom Delta. Burke had famously left Designing Women in 1991 after a flurry of controversy and press as she fought very publicly with the producers. Getting her to launch her own sitcom was a pretty big get at the time for ABC and they gave her the task of leading off Thursday nights after a preview after Roseanne on Tuesdays. Burke played a wannabe country singer in Nashville and famously sported a new blonde look for the show. Check back Wednesday for a One Season Wonder post on Delta! It was followed by the second season of Room for Two, a sitcom which had a brief run in a good slot the previous season. The Linda Lavin-Patricia Heaton sitcom was not capable of standing on its own. At 9pm was Homefront, a critically acclaimed but ratings challenged show also in its second season. It had to undergo some cast trimming to make it financially viable for its second season. Despite the valiant effort, the 8-10pm block only lasted through December before all three shows were pulled from the night. Their next attempt went after an older crowd to avoid competing for viewers with The Simpsons and NBC's younger skewing comedy lineup. NBC had cancelled Matlock the previous season in NBC's attempt to go younger with its shows. ABC picked up the long running drama and launched it on Thursdays at midseason. While it didn't reach the ratings highs it had on NBC, it was the first solid scripted performer for ABC Thursdays in awhile. It was paired with another old skewing show. Jack's Place had premiered in the Summer of 1992 and did well enough in the ratings to get a midseason order. The series starred Hal Linden as a retired jazz musician now running a restaurant. It did not do as well as Matlock and also had to air against the final stretch of Cheers episodes. It was pulled after a couple months and no permanent show aired in the 9pm slot the rest of the season.

THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 1/21/22

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

#1 - "BULL" ENDING AFTER SIX SEASONS

It was a pretty quiet week for TV news as you'll see from the items making the list this week. One of the more notable stories was that CBS is ending Bull after six seasons this spring. It coincides with the end of star Michael Weatherly's contract but could also have just been a mutual decision after lots of behind the scenes issues with the show. Bull launched in 2016 to strong ratings and a ton of promotion as a new cornerstone for CBS's dramas following Weatherly's long run on NCIS. But it eventually became a show that CBS kept on the air despite objections from many after Weatherly was accused by guest star Eliza Dushku of inappropriate workplace behavior. Unlike many who have lost their jobs in the #MeToo era, Weatherly managed to hang on but the show became one that CBS kept around due to decent ratings and international sales while trying to not draw too much attention to it. It also dealt with the departures of showrunner Glenn Gordon Caron and co-star Freddy Rodriguez due to "workplace misconduct." That's why I wouldn't be surprised if the actual reason for this ending is CBS not wanting to renew Weatherly's contract and instead call of quits, no matter how they frame it to the press.

EPISODE GUIDES: Perfect Strangers Season Four (Part 1)

On Thursdays, I take a detailed and critical look at a TV show. This year, I will be splitting full seasons into two posts. Here's a look at Season 4 (Part 1) of Perfect Strangers!

PERFECT STRANGERS: SEASON FOUR
1988-1989
22 episodes

The fourth season of Perfect Strangers is a pretty solid season as it benefits from the changes that were made for the third season. Despite all the characters only showing up some of the time besides the two leads, the cast starts to gel more as an ensemble. This season also leans more into the comedy after a couple sappy installments in season three. This season didn't grade out to be the highest for me but it was clear that Perfect Strangers was starting to really get into a groove of being more sure of the show it wanted to be.

Starring
Bronson Pinchot as Balki Bartokomous (22 episodes)
Mark Linn-Baker as Larry Appleton (22 episodes)
Jo Marie Payton as Harriette Winslow (18 episodes)
Melanie Wilson as Jennifer Lyons (16 episodes)
Rebecca Arthur as Mary Anne Spencer (13 episodes)

Belita Moreno as Lydia (13 episodes)

Sam Anderson as Sam Gorpley (8 episodes)

F.J. O'Neil as Mr. Wainwright (4 episodes)

51. The Lottery (10/14/88)
Despite Larry's objections, Balki decides to play the lottery.

While Season Three started with somewhat of a revamp, Season Four pretty much picks up where things left off and feels more like just another episode. It does include the line "in your face, Donald Trump!" which takes on a whole different meaning now compared to 1988. It's a new season but Larry remains pretty irritating. Balki puts him in his place temporarily but his kindness gives in. And without seeing the numbers on the lottery ticket, it certainly sounds like Larry's mistake. But maybe that's just my anti-Larry bias showing. At the end of the episode, Larry once again seems like he learns his lesson but he doesn't. It's just frustrating to see 50s-style characterization in an 80s show, even one that isn't trying to be too bold or different.
RATING: 6/10

52. Assertive Training (10/21/88)
After feeling like they are push-overs, Larry and Balki decide to take a training to be more assertive.

A common problem that sitcoms have to this day is setting up a plot without paying attention to the characters. For example, we see a couple examples early on of Balki and Larry being pushovers. That jives with Balki's character but it doesn't really with Larry's character. We've seen him be mostly headstrong throughout the series so this doesn't feel all that real. However, this episode picks up big time when it turns into Balki's attempts to be more assertive with some very funny moments from Bronson Pinchot. I'm also glad this episode didn't try to be a "very special" one about Mr. Gorpley's prejudice against Balki. They went the comedic route and I was relieved.
RATING: 8/10

ONE SEASON WONDERS: Homeroom

HOMEROOM

September 16, 1989 - December 17, 1989
10 episodes
ABC

Starring: Darryl Sivad, Penny Johnson, Bill Cobbs, Jahary Bennett, Trent Cameron, Yunoka Doyle, Billy Dee Willis

Created by: Andrew Scheinman & Gary Gilbert

Plot: Darryl Harper (Sivad) gives up his highly paid job to teach elementary school at an inner city New York City school. He and his wife, Virginia (Johnson) live in a brownstone owned by Virginia's father, Phil (Cobbs) which Phil also owns. Rounding out the main cast are the precocious students in Darryl's class.

Brief Pilot Review:

It's interesting to watch how sitcoms set themselves up frequently back in the 80s and 90s. Nowadays it seems like we always get major premise pilots. But back then, they basically got the premise out of the way in the conversation between three characters early episode. We know Darryl quit his job and is a teacher, we know Phil disapproves of that, etc. We didn't need to see all of those things happen, it was effective enough to quickly get through that information and then get into the meat of the episode. I don't think that would work on all shows but it worked on this one and would definitely work for some sitcoms even today.

TOP 10 TUESDAY: Top 10 The Good Wife Characters

After a couple weeks of end of year and beginning of year lists, my Top 10 Tuesday is returning to characters from shows with the Top 10 The Good Wife Characters!

10. JACKIE FLORRICK

Peter's mother was the mother-in-law from hell and played with delight by Mary Beth Peil. I always liked her subtle and passive-aggressive approach towards Alicia as it was one of the many ways the show would venture into comedy. Any episode she was on was sure to have a couple strong moments and enlivened the home life of Alcia, which was not always one of the strongest parts of the series.

9. PETER FLORRICK

It was tough to rank Peter Florrick in light of the recent news that his portrayer, Chris Noth, is a pretty bad guy. He may have slid down a couple notches on this list with the news so fresh but Peter Florrick was never one of my favorite characters on the show. He was always a side character and the story with him seemed to go round and round in circles. Perhaps he would have been a more effective character with even less appearances.

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1992-1993 Wednesdays

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Wednesdays in the 1992-93 season!

ABC	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00
Sep	The Wonder Years	Doogie Howser M.D.	Home Improvement	Laurie Hill	Civil Wars
Oct
Nov				Various Programs
Dec				Coach
Jan					Going to Extremes
Feb					Various Programs
Mar					Sirens
Apr		Home Free
May		Various Programs			Various Programs

Wednesdays were all over the place for ABC in 1991-92 so they made a power play to change their Wednesday fortunes. They moved their hit freshman Home Improvement to the night and make it the anchor for Wednesday to match Roseanne on Tuesday. The move garnered a lot of attention in the Summer of 1992 including its head to head matchup with the growing Seinfeld on NBC. Home Improvement won the ratings battle but of course Seinfeld eventually moved to Thursdays where it reached new heights. As for Home Improvement, the move paid off big time for the show as it was the #3 show on TV, just behind its former Tuesday lead-out, Roseanne. It did so well that it managed to get the rare three season renewal in the midst of its second season. The problem was it didn't really lift up the rest of the night. Two long running shows led off the night and they were both at the end of their run. The Wonder Years was past the point of being an Emmy darling and the ratings were dropping for the expensive show in its sixth season. The series ended with a one hour series finale in May that had to be rushed a bit because it wasn't necessarily intended to be a series finale until they added in Daniel Stern's voiceover narration. Doogie Howser M.D. was also dealing with its former pre-teen star growing up and it was cancelled after four seasons. The series was never a huge hit but has remained in public consciousness perhaps thanks in part to Neil Patrick Harris becoming a big star. Doogie was replaced late in the season by Home Free, a sitcom starring Matthew Perry as a 22 year old journalist living with his mother. It lasted just about a month before being pulled from the lineup. Following Home Improvement at the beginning of the season was Laurie Hill, a comedy from the creators of The Wonder Years starring DeLane Matthews as a pediatrician, wife and mother. Co-starring Ellen DeGeneres, the series was knocked by critics for being too light on laughs and too focused on drama. It lasted only a month before being cancelled but did lead to a more successful show as the creators developed a show for DeGeneres that started as These Friends of Mine and became Ellen. When The Jackie Thomas Show debuted on Tuesdays, Coach moved from its cushy Tuesday slot to a cushy Wednesday slot. The 10pm hour started with Civil Wars, which returned despite modest ratings in its first season. The ratings did not improve and it headed to Tuesday before being cancelled though two of its characters turned up on NBC's L.A. Law in 1993-1994. Going to Extremes moved over for a few weeks and then later in the season, Sirens aired at 10pm. Sirens was a Pittsburgh-set cop drama about female police officers. It was cancelled after one season by ABC but resurfaced in syndication for another 22 episodes. Despite the big Home Improvement move, ABC had a lot to fix on Wednesdays still by season's end.

THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 1/14/22

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

#1 - SAG/WGA AWARDS NOMINEES

We are well into the awards season even though the typical kick-off (the Golden Globes) remains deeply mired in scandal (more on that below). This week, the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) and WGA (Writers Guild) announced their nominees. For SAG, the nominations were dominated by Succession and Ted Lasso, which is no surprise, but there was also a lot of love for Netflix phenom Squid Game and the messy second season of The Morning Show. There was also the first major nomination for Yellowstone, which is dominating in the ratings but has mostly been ignored by critics. It received a nomination for Best Drama Ensemble. There was also some love for freshmen like Only Murders in the Building and Hacks while The Kominsky Method inexplicably continued to take up some air with nominations for Comedy Ensemble and star Michael Douglas. The WGA had some more unique nominations with major nods for Loki, Yellowjackets and Reservation Dogs. Barring any COVID delays, the SAG Awards are scheduled for February 27 and the WGA Awards for March 20.

EPISODE GUIDES: Perfect Strangers Season Three (Part 2)

On Thursdays, I take a detailed and critical look at a TV show. This year, I will be splitting full seasons into two posts. Here's a look at Season 3 (Part 2) of Perfect Strangers! For Part 1, click here!

39. The Break-In (12/9/87)
Balki accidentally delivers the wrong story to Larry's publisher so they have to break in during the night to switch it and encounter a suicidal co-worker.

This episode is packed with plot, which is quite a contrast to the previous episode. It takes awhile to get going though as the early scenes in the office are not anything special and we get some serious overacting from Mark Linn-Baker when he realizes the mistake that's been made. I'm glad the show handled the suicide scene with some humor instead of being heavy-handed as some 80s sitcoms were prone to do with serious topics (and Perfect Strangers was at time). I will admit that I actually had an audible chuckle at Balki's line at the end of the conversation about the window being closed.
RATING: 7/10

40. To Be or Not To Be (1/6/88)
Balki and Larry get picked to do a TV commercial for the Chicago Chronicle.

Oh boy, Larry is super annoying in this one. And it frustrates me because he basically just gets rewarded for his bad behavior. I know it's the point, but ugh I just wanted to slap him and his smug face during the shooting of the commercial. A major flaw in Perfect Strangers, which I know I've harped on before, is making him just a little too unlikable and wrong all the time. And then you have Balki who is as endearing as ever throughout this episode.
RATING: 3/10

ONE SEASON WONDERS: Class of '96

On Wednesdays, I take a look at a series that lasted one season or less. Here is a look at 1993's Class of '96!

CLASS OF '96

Programming Details:

January 19, 1993 - May 25, 1993

17 episodes

FOX

Starring: Jason Gedrick, Megan Ward, Brandon Douglas, Perry Moore, Lisa Dean Ryan, Kari Wuhrer, Gale Hansen

Created by John Romano

Plot:

A drama that follows the lives of seven freshmen at the fictional Havenhurst College in New England. They come from very different backgrounds but are all friends. There is writer David (Gedrick) and his roommate Dexter (Hansen). There is the daughter of an actress, Patty (Ward) and roommates, the wealthy Jessica (Ryan) and beautiful Robin (Wuhrer). There is Whitney (Douglas), a wealthy boy following in his father's footsteps and his inner city roommate, Antonio (Moore).

Brief Pilot Review:

There was a lot I liked at the beginning and the end of this pilot (minus a pretty ridiculous voiceover to end the episode). But the middle got muddled and, not surprisingly, it was very 90s cheese-tastic all the way through. These gentle dramas just had a different feel back then and it's a little jarring sometimes to watch with how far the TV drama genre has come in the years since. The beginning of the episode did a nice job of establishing the setting and each of the characters. It had the fresh feeling of arriving on campus for a new academic year. The ending started to bring the characters more together to show where the series was heading and what it would be like going forward.

TOP 10 TUESDAY: Top 10 Most Anticipated New Shows of 2022

Last week, I looked at my Most Anticipated Returning Shows of 2022. Today, I am looking at my Top 10 Most Anticipated New Shows of 2022! I will stress this is my personal list, not a list of the generally most anticipated shows or else shows like The Lord of the Rings, House of the Dragon and Halo would be on the list. But I am not personally interested in any of those shows so they are not on here.

10. THE WOMAN IN THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE GIRL IN THE WINDOW (January 28, Netflix)

This show would not have made my Top 10 list before the trailer dropped a week ago, but after seeing the trailer, I became very interested. The title is so long, it stretches past the point of being annoying and ventures into the absurd territory. But I really enjoy Kristen Bell and the trailer definitely gave me Flight Attendant vibes along with the obvious references to the classic Rear Window. I think this could be a fun and twisty mystery show and I'm a sucker for shows like that.

9. WINNING TIME (TBD, HBO)

I'm not a follower of the NBA so I don't have any real connection to the LA Lakers dynasty of the 1980s but I love a good sports story and this seems like it'll be exceptionally well done, in part because it's on HBO. There's also the controversy behind the scenes as this is the show that split up the longtime partnership of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay with John C. Reilly taking a role originally envisioned for Ferrell. It's definitely intriguing.

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1992-1993 Tuesdays

On Mondays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Tuesdays in 1992-93 season!

ABC	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00
Sep	Full House	Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper	Roseanne	Coach	Going to Extremes
Oct
Nov
Dec				The Jackie Thomas Show
Jan					Civil Wars
Feb
Mar					Homefront
Apr				Delta
May				Various Programs

ABC had made a big move on Tuesdays in 1991-92 when they brought Full House over from Fridays to lead off the night. That helped them launch the big hit Home Improvement. Their big move for 1992-93 was sending Home Improvement over to Wednesdays to get a Top 10 hit on another night. Full House, in its sixth season, was yet again used as a launching pad. The lead-out show this time was also a success but not as big as Improvement. Hangin' with Mr. Cooper starred Mark Curry as a former basketball player who became a high school PE teacher. The series came from Full House creator Jeff Franklin and was even in the Full House universe as a crossover with the Olsen twins happened in the second episode. The series did well but was also moved off the night after one season where it became part of a steady TGIF lineup for several seasons. Roseanne continued to be TV's top comedy and the 1992-93 season finally saw star Roseanne Barr win an Emmy for her role. Roseanne was originally followed by frequent partner Coach, but it was only a temporary arrangement because one of the biggest stories of the 1992-93 season was the arrival of The Jackie Thomas Show, starring Barr's then husband Tom Arnold. The series was created by the Arnolds and starred Tom as an actor of a show within a show. They insisted on the series following Roseanne and the pilot even made a very early attempt at doing the "hot switch" when the end of Roseanne immediately segued into Jackie Thomas. Of course this became common but it was not at the time. The series debuted to strong ratings and solid reviews (though Roseanne did leave profanity-laced faxes for negative reviewers) but the ratings dropped some over time. Still, it was likely to get a renewal when the season ended. However, the Arnolds attempted to secure an early renewal and when that wasn't successful, Tom Arnold threw a fit and said he wouldn't wait for a renewal and would instead develop a show for CBS. Roseanne followed suit and threatened to take her series to another network after the following season. Of course by the time the following season ended, the Arnolds were on their way to a divorce so it ended up being a moot point and The Jackie Thomas Show had faded into oblivion after making so much early noise. The tail end of failed sitcom Delta aired at 9:30pm at the end of the season. The 10pm slot was initially given to Going to Extremes, a drama about a group of medical students in the Caribbean. It came from the Northern Exposure creative team but did not have the critical acclaim that series did. It was briefly moved to Wednesdays before being cancelled. It flipped places with Civil Wars, which came over to Tuesdays before ending its two year run. At the very end of the season, Homefront returned to its original timeslot but it was another two and done drama. 

THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 1/7/22

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

#1 - R.I.P. BETTY WHITE

2021 ended on a sad note with the news that Betty White passed away at the age of 99, just weeks away from her 100th birthday. It'll be hard to write anything about White that hasn't already been written but America's grandma has had an incredible career. From a pioneer in the early live TV days of the 1950s to a staple on game shows to her Emmy winning run on The Golden Girls to her renaissance in her late 80s and early 90s on Hot in Cleveland, Super Bowl commercials and, famously, hosting Saturday Night Live after a Facebook campaign. But my favorite turn from Betty White was as the delightfully tart Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She had an incredible way of delivering horribly nasty lines with a sugary sweet smile on her face. That iconic sitcom lost four cast members in 2021 and now none of the main cast is still with us. It's hard to get too sad when someone has a full and wonderful life and lives to be 99, but it's also hard to believe that someone so full of life for decades upon decades is no longer with us.