ONE SEASON WONDERS: Moloney

On Wednesday, I take a look at shows that lasted one season or less. Here's a look at Moloney!

MOLONEY

September 19, 1996 - May 22, 1997

21 episodes
CBS

Starring: Peter Strauss, Nestor Serrano, Wendell Pierce, Cherie Lunghi

Created by: Ronald Bass & Jane Rusconi

Plot: Nicholas Moloney (Strauss) is a psychologist who is also a Los Angeles cop. Because of that, he can make arrests which can lead to conflicts of interest with his job as a psychologist. He works with Lt. Matty Navarro (Serrano), Dr. Sarah Bateman (Lunghi) and his poker buddy, D.A. Cal Patterson (Pierce). 

Brief Pilot Review:

This was a very gentle procedural that offered nothing offensive or exciting. I can already tell as I start to write this review that it's going to be hard to write two paragraphs about this show. It might be one of the most non-descript, boring shows to last a full season. The hook was of course that the lead character was not just a cop but also a psychologist so they were trying to mash two procedural characters together. But all that led to was some really exhausting dialogue between Moloney and Dr. Bateman about the difference between being a cop and being a doctor. It was nauseating to listen to. On top of that, we also had a scene set in a courtroom so we really ticked off all the procedural mainstays.

The performances were fine but mostly forgettable. Peter Strauss was low energy for a lead role and not capable of being charming or interesting as a psychologist or a cop. The show was hitting us over the head with how he was a guy who did everything right but didn't play by the rules and other didn't like it. So many procedurals before and since have walked down similar roads. Wendell Pierce was a little bit more interesting and he certainly would have been a better lead character than Strauss but he wasn't doing anything very special. Nestor Serrano and Cherie Lunghi basically seemed to exist to tell Strauss why he wasn't doing his respective job well. It was all so tiresome.

What Went Wrong:

Thursday nights were an almost impossible task for ABC and CBS in the 1990s. FOX did a little bit of counter programming to some degree of success (by their standards) but ABC and CBS could not compete the mighty NBC and its "Must See TV" lineup that saw audiences watching shows like Friends, Seinfeld and ER in numbers that are unheard of today. In the 1995-96 season, CBS was a little more aggressive when they moved Murder, She Wrote to the night and paired it with the new drama New York News. When that didn't work out for them, they went safer for the 1996-97 season. They decided to counter program the hip programming on NBC with very gentle, old-skewing dramas. Dick Van Dyke's Diagnosis Murder moved over to the night and Moloney seemed to be a good fit in tone with the gentle medical drama.

Moloney starred Peter Strauss, who was known at the time for acclaimed appearances in several TV movies and miniseries included an Emmy win in 1979 for The Jericho Mile. By 1996 though, he wasn't a huge name and the show was not a high priority for CBS in a fall where they were launching shows like Cosby, Pearl and Ink. Reviews were mixed with some critics praising Strauss' performance. Moloney was one of those shows that just limped along all year. The ratings weren't terrible but it skewed incredibly old. Although CBS didn't really have a better plan for Thursday nights, they decided to cut bait with the series at the end of one full season.

Tomorrow: A look at Season 11 (Part 1) of Happy Days!

Wednesday in Two Weeks: A One Season Wonder look at Mr. & Mrs. Smith!