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ONE SEASON WONDERS: Something Wilder

On Wednesdays, I take a look at a series that lasted one season or less. This week, I am looking at Something Wilder!

SOMETHING WILDER










October 1, 1994 - June 13, 1995
15 episodes
NBC

Starring: Gene Wilder, Hillary B. Smith, Ian Bottiglieri, Carl Michael Lindner, Jake Weber, Gregory Itzin, Raegan Kotz
Created by: Lee Kalcheim and Barnet Kellman

Plot: Gene Bergman (Wilder) is in his fifties and has two young kids (Bottiglieri & Lindner) with his much younger wife, Annie (Smith). Gene works at an advertising agency with best friend, Jack (Itzin) and Annie's brother, Richie (Weber). Rounding out the main cast is Annie's niece, Katy (Kotz).

Brief Pilot Review:
I'm not super familiar with Gene Wilder's comedy. In fact, I think the only thing I had ever seen him in before this was Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (for as much TV as I watch, there are pretty huge gaps with my movie knowledge). So I don't have much to compare this to but it seemed to me like this was a pretty safe and formulaic show for Wilder. It wasn't irreverent or kooky, it was just pretty stale and Wilder seemed pretty bored by the material. When the craziest part of the show is that an older man is married to a younger woman, that's not anything that hasn't been seen a zillion times. 

He does have decent chemistry with Hillary B. Smith and their relationship is definitely the best part of the pilot. The rest of the cast made almost no impression though. The kids were forgettable and the brief scene at Gene's workplace with Jake Weber and Gregory Itzin was awkward with a weird Hitler joke and no real sense of what those scenes would be like going forward. I understood the premise for this first episode (hesitation about sending their young kids to school) but I don't think it was in the best interest of introducing all the characters. Don Adams continued to do voice work but this was his last major live action role before his death in 2005.

What Went Wrong:
Something Wilder marked Gene Wilder's first and only foray into TV as a series regular. He was clearly in the market for a TV show as he had starred in a pilot in 1993 called Eligible Dentist that didn't go to series. By the time Something Wilder rolled around, he was very well known for his extensive work in films including Willy Wonka, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. The series had a rough start in development as Jennifer Grey was cast as Annie and was a big name who complemented Wilder. But test audiences did not like the age difference between Grey and Wilder in the pilot and Grey was dropped. They went with an actor who was... three years older than Grey. But Hillary B. Smith was less well known so perhaps audiences didn't think as much about it.

Reviews were mixed but not terrible. The Los Angeles Times called it "pleasing" and "upbeat" with "potential to grow creatively" while Variety called it a "mild, 1950s-type sitcom." Something Wilder premiered on Saturday nights in the 8pm lead-off slot, leading into the veteran Empty Nest. This was a tough slot for a new comedy. NBC had once had a potent Saturday night comedy lineup but that was waning by the mid-90s and the hour was dominated by CBS's Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. The series lasted just four weeks on Saturdays before it was pulled and resurfaced on Tuesdays where The Martin Short Show had quickly failed. The ratings were improved but it was still a weak spot between Wings and Frasier and was off the air in March and replaced by the more successful Newsradio. Wilder continued to work some before his death in 2016 but he never attempted to conquer TV again.

Tomorrow: A look at Season 3 (Part 1) of Happy Days!
Next Wednesday: A One Season Wonder look at Women of the House!
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