YEAR IN REVIEW: Top 10 Episodes of 2022

Here's a look at my Top 10 Episodes of 2022! Following this post, my blog will take a holiday break and return on January 3!

Close Calls

A League of Their Own "Stealing Home" (8/12/22)

Yellowjackets "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi" (1/16/22)

The Patient "The Cantor's Husband" (10/25/22)

10. FOR ALL MANKIND "Stranger in a Strange Land" (August 12, 2022, Apple TV+)

I have been banging the drum for For All Mankind for a couple seasons now. I wish it was more in the conversation among best dramas on TV because it definitely belongs there. Just like the second season finale (which ranked #5 last year on my list), the season-long tension boiled over with an explosive and very intense season finale. Some of the stories that were frustrating during the season paid off in a big way. The show once again boldly killed off some prominent characters and it also once again gave a very intriguing flash forward in the final moments. Bring on Season 4!

9. THIS IS US "The Train" (May 17, 2022, NBC)

Despite its lack of Emmy love, I thought the final season of This is Us was expertly done. The emotions of the final season did not crescendo with the finale though. It happened in the penultimate episode that focused on the death of matriarch Rebecca Pearson (Mandy Moore). The story was told with the framework of a train taking Rebecca to the caboose, where her beloved Jack was waiting for her. The whole ordeal could have felt a little bit gimmicky, but it was done with such earnestness and love for the characters we spent time with for six years. Truthfully, it should have been the finale.

ONE SEASON WONDERS: Love and Marriage

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

LOVE AND MARRIAGE

September 28, 1996 - October 12, 1996
3 episodes
FOX

Starring: Tony Denison, Patricia Healy, Alicia Bergman, Erik Palladino, Adam Zolotin, Adam Wylie, Michael Mantell and Meagen Fay

Created by: Amy Sherman

Plot: Jack (Denison) and April (Healy) are a husband and wife who barely have time for each other or their kids (Palladino, Bergman, & Zolotin) with their busy jobs. They live in New Rochelle and have new neighbors Louis and Trudy (Mantell & Fay) with their son, Max (Wylie).

Brief Pilot Review:

Love and Marriage got me thinking about family comedies. This one is like so many other family comedies that have come before and since. It has a couple who is in love with each other and they love their kids, even though they're often exasperated by their kids. How many times have we seen that in TV history? From the most famous examples like The Cosby Show and Roseanne on down, that has been the premise for an insane number of family comedies. Obviously some, like the ones I just mentioned, are transcendent in their writing and performances. But among the rest of them, why do some of them work and some of them don't when they all follow a simple formula? Because the truth is, this comedy wasn't anything special but it was inoffensive. It was no worse or better than a show like Yes, Dear which ran for years on CBS and yet this ran for three episodes.

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1996-1997 Sundays

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Sunsdays in the 1996-97 season! After this week, I will be taking a two week holiday break from the blog.

ABC	7:00	7:30	8:00	8:30	9:00	10:00
Sep	America’s Funniest Home Videos	America’s Funniest Home Videos	Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman		Sunday Night Movie
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan	Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman		America’s Funniest Home Videos	America’s Funniest Home Videos
Feb	America’s Funniest Home Videos	America’s Funniest Home Videos	Various Programs
Mar	Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman		America’s Funniest Home Videos	America’s Funniest Home Videos
Apr	America’s Funniest Home Videos	America’s Funniest Home Videos	Various Programs
May

It looks like there was a lot happening on Sunday nights on ABC when looking at this grid but the reality is there was just a lot of flip-flopping between America's Funniest Home Videos and Lois & Clark. The two shows were airing on Sunday nights together for a fourth consecutive season but ratings were dropping for both shows. ABC tried flipping the hours for both then pulled Lois & Clark for a month with Videos going back to 7pm. Then Lois came back and Videos flipped back to 8pm. At the end of the season, Lois & Clark got sent to Saturdays before being cancelled while Videos returned to 7pm. Host Bob Saget decided to leave the show as his contract was expiring and he had grown tired of the hosting role. ABC ended up putting America's Funniest Home Videos on the bench to start the 1998-99 season as it was re-tooled. The show had gone from being a Top 10 hit to an afterthought over the years. The movie at 9pm was well behind competing movies on CBS and NBC.

THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 12/9/22

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

#1 - R.I.P. KIRSTIE ALLEY

The TV world was shocked this week when it was announced that Kirstie Alley died at the age of 71 after a brief cancer battle. Alley had a long and successful career on film and TV and ruffled some feathers in her later years with her political beliefs that she shared frequently on Twitter. But she is best known for stepping into a very difficult situation on Cheers in 1987. Fan favorite Shelley Long left the series and it wasn't a sure thing the show would ever be the same again. But Alley blossomed as the mess of a character that was Rebecca Howe. She made the character her own with a ridiculous yet grounded performance that earned her five Emmy nominations (and one win). Alley breathed new life into a show that had an incredible second act in its run. Alley's other TV credits included the starring role on a three year run for NBC's Veronica Closet as well as a one year run for TV Land's Kirstie. Alley is the first major Cheers actor to pass away besides Nicholas Colasanto, who passed away during the run of the show in 1985.

EPISODE GUIDES: A Recap of Happy Days

Here is a look at all eleven seasons of Happy Days including the ultimate countdown of the best and worst episodes!

HAPPY DAYS

January 15, 1974 - July 19, 1984

255 episodes

Starring

Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham (170 episodes)

Henry Winkler as Arthur Fonzarelli (255 episodes)

Tom Bosley as Howard Cunningham (255 episodes)

Marion Ross as Marion Cunningham (250 episodes)

Erin Moran as Joanie Cunningham (233 episodes)

Anson Williams as Potsie Webber (208 episodes)

Don Most as Ralph Malph (166 episodes)

Al Molinaro as Al Delvecchio (142 episodes)

Scott Baio as Chachi Arcola (129 episodes)

Ted McGinley as Roger Phillips (60 episodes)

Lynda Goodfriend as Lori Beth Allen Cunningham (58 episodes)

Cathy Silvers as Jenny Piccolo (54 episodes)

Linda Purl as Ashley Pfister (15 episodes)

Pat Morita as Arnold Takahashi (25 episodes)

Beatrice Colen as Marsha Simms (21 episodes)

Harris Kal as Bobby (19 episodes)

Crystal Bernard as K.C. Cunningham (15 episodes)

Kevin Sullivan as Tommy (13 episodes)

Billy Warlock as Flip Phillips (13 episodes)

Heather O'Rourke as Heather Pfister (12 episodes)

Dennis Mandel as Eugene Belvin (10 episodes)

Ed Peck as Officer Kirk (9 episodes)

Neil J. Schwartz as Bag Zombrowski (9 episodes)

Misty Rowe as Wendy (8 episodes)

Scott Mitchell Bernstein as Melvin Belvin (7 episodes)

Gavan O'Herlihy as Chuck Cunningham (7 episodes)

Suzi Quatro as Leather Tuscadero (7 episodes)

Randolph Roberts as Chuck Cunningham (2 episodes)

Lorrie Mahaffey as Jennifer Jerome (6 episodes)

Season by Season Ratings

Reminder: 9-10 is Exceptional, 7-8 is Strong, 5-6 is OK, 3-4 is Mediocre, 0-2 is Terrible

Season One (1974): 5.8/10

Season Two (1974-75): 6.3/10

Season Three (1975-76): 5.9/10

Season Four (1976-77): 6.3/10

Season Five (1977-78): 6.4/10

Season Six (1978-79): 5.7/10

Season Seven (1979-80): 5.7/10

Season Eight (1980-81): 5.3/10

Season Nine (1981-82): 5.5/10

Season Ten (1982-83): 4.5/10

Season Eleven (1983-84): 5.3/10

AVERAGE RATING FOR ALL ELEVEN SEASONS:

5.7/10

Top 25 Episodes

Reminder: 9-10 is Exceptional, 7-8 is Strong, 5-6 is OK, 3-4 is Mediocre, 0-2 is Terrible

25. "Richie Falls in Love" (Season 7, Episode 148) - 8.5/10

24. "Hot Stuff" (Season 7, Episode 159) - 8.5/10

23. "The Howdy Doody Show" (Season 2, Episode 33) - 8.5/10

22. "Hard Cover" (Season 5, Episode 92) - 8.5/10

21. "Big Money" (Season 2, Episode 25) - 8.5/10

20. "Here Comes the Bride Again" (Season 7, Episode 156) - 9/10

19. "Our Gang" (Season 5, Episode 109) - 9/10

18. "A Place of His Own" (Season 4, Episode 70) - 9/10

17. "The Other Richie Cunningham" (Season 3, Episode 44) - 9/10

16. "Empty Nest" (Season 10, Episode 214) - 9/10

15. "King Richard's Big Night" (Season 7, Episode 152) - 9/10

14. "Marion's Misgivings" (Season 5, Episode 105) - 9/10

13. "Welcome Home Part 1" (Season 11, Episode 237) - 9/10

12. "The Deadly Dares" (Season 1, Episode 6) - 9/10

11. "Wish Upon a Star" (Season 2, Episode 23) - 9/10

10. "Married Strangers" (Season 6, Episode 135) - 9.5/10

9. "Christmas Time" (Season 6, Episode 131) - 9.5/10

8. "The Hucksters" (Season 7, Episode 161) - 9.5/10

7. "Welcome Home Part 2" (Season 11, Episode 238) - 9.5/10

6. "The Muckrakers" (Season 4, Episode 72) - 9.5/10

5. "A Date with Fonzie" (Season 3, Episode 49) - 9.5/10

4. "They Shoot Fonzies, Don't They" (Season 4, Episode 71) - 10/10

3. "My Favorite Orkan" (Season 5, Episode 110) - 10/10

2. "Guess Who's Coming to Christmas?" (Season 2, Episode 27) - 10/10

And the Best Happy Days Episode of All Time is...

1. "Haunted" (Season 2, Episode 22) - 10/10

Bottom 10 Episodes

Reminder: 9-10 is Exceptional, 7-8 is Strong, 5-6 is OK, 3-4 is Mediocre, 0-2 is Terrible

10. "Fonzie Meets Kat" (Season 7, Episode 145) - 1.5/10

9. "A Sight for Sore Eyes" (Season 3, Episode 62) - 1.5/10

8. "Like Mother, Like Daughter" (Season 11, Episode 245) - 1.5/10

7. "Welcome to My Nightmare" (Season 8, Episode 178) - 1.5/10

6. "The Mechanic" (Season 7, Episode 154) - 1.5/10

5. "A Mind of His Own" (Season 4, Episode 67) - 1/10

4. "Wild Blue Yonder" (Season 10, Episode 229) - 1/10

3. "Be My Valentine" (Season 5, Episode 108) - 0/10

2. "I Drink, Therefore I Am" (Season 10, Episode 224) - 0/10

And the Worst Happy Days Episode of All Time is...

1. "American Musical" (Season 8, Episode 189) - 0/10

Tomorrow: The Friday Five - Top 5 TV news stories of the week!

Next Thursday: The Top 10 Episodes of 2022!

ONE SEASON WONDERS: Relativity

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

RELATIVITY

September 24, 1996 - April 14, 1997
17 episodes
ABC

Starring: Kimberly Williams, David Conrad, Jane Adams, Cliff DeYoung, Lisa Edelstein, Adam Goldberg, Devon Gummersall, Robert Katims, Poppy Montgomery, Ricard Schiff, Mary Ellen Trainor

Created by: Jason Katims

Plot: Twentysomethings Isabel Lukens (Williams) and Leo Roth (Conrad) are both from Los Angeles but meet by chance in Italy and instantly fall for each other. Once they get back to Los Angeles, they have to deal with Isabel's long time boyfriend, Everett (Randall Batinkoff) as well as their families and friends.

Brief Pilot Review:

Jason Katims knew what he was doing even before Friday Night Lights and Parenthood. This is a fully realized pilot that felt a lot different than many of the other 90s-era drama pilots. It was a high production quality and the performances and writing were strong. Of course it dabbled into melodrama quite a bit, that was to be expected, but it was ultimately a very intriguing story with a pilot that laid the groundwork for a strong series. The pilot did a really nice job of serving the two main leads and the rest of the cast within the episode. They devoted nearly 15 minutes just to the two main characters and that led us to believe there really was something there. Most shows would not give that much time to the background of two characters falling in love before getting to the crux of the series but it really aided the rest of the episode.

SCHEDULES OF THE PAST: 1996-1997 Saturdays

On Tuesdays, I take a look at schedules from yesteryear. Here's a look at Saturdays in the 1996-97 season!

ABC	8:00	9:00	9:30	10:00
Sep	Second Noah	Coach	Common Law	Relativity
Oct
Nov	Saturday Night Movie
Dec
Jan
Feb				Various Programs
Mar	Dangerous Minds	Saturday Night Movie
Apr	Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman	Leaving L.A.		Gun
May	Saturday Night Movie

Once again, ABC was giving it the old college try on Saturday night. This was before the networks just gave up on Saturdays and even though ABC had year after year of Saturday fails in the 90s, they were trying again with two returning shows and two new shows. Second Noah aired at 8pm. The family drama was already on the ropes in the ratings and then its fate was sealed when ABC was purchased by Disney because Second Noah took place partly at Disney World's rival, Busch Gardens. It was followed by a comedy hour with Coach returning and in its ninth season followed by Common Law, a sitcom starring Greg Giraldo as a Latino lawyer at a mostly white firm. The first two hours of the night were yanked by November Sweeps (with Coach returning to mid-week) but the 10pm romance drama lasted a little bit longer. It was Relativity, starring Kimberly Williams and David Conrad as a young couple. Relativity came from the same producing team as the acclaimed but ratings challenged Thirtysomething and My So-Called Life but this one was actually created by a young Jason Katims. It wasn't quite as praised as the earlier series but it had the same ratings troubles. Check back tomorrow for a One Season Wonder post on Relativity! By February, ABC was airing movies and specials but they tried again with Saturday night programming late in the season. First, they aired a few weeks of Dangerous Minds, but in April they aired a trio of dramas starting with a transplanted Lois & Clark. The series had been a Sunday staple for several seasons but was quickly dropping in the ratings. It was followed by two new dramas. At 9pm was Leaving L.A., a dramedy set at the Los Angeles Coroner's Office. The drama was not a success (it was the lowest rated show of the "Big Three" networks) but its cast included Christopher Meloni, Melina Kanakaredes, Hilary Swank and Lorraine Toussaint. It was followed by Gun, an anthology that followed a .45 semi-automatic pistol as it traveled from place to place and person to person. Guest stars in the series included several big names like Carrie Fisher, Martin Sheen and Randy Quaid, and it counted Robert Altman as a producer. Something tells me the plot of this show would be a little more politically charged today. It lasted into May Sweeps while Lois & Clark and Leaving L.A. were pulled after just a few weeks and returned in the summer. And once again, ABC was back to the drawing board on Saturday nights.

THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 12/2/22

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

#1 - "WEDNESDAY" SETS NETFLIX RECORDS

Netflix has a new hit on their hands with Wednesday. The Addams Family-universe series starring Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzman with direction by Tim Burton did not get great reviews, but it quickly became a hit with viewers. According to Netflix, it set an English language series record for hours viewed in its first week with 341.23 million hours viewed. That beats the first week for the most recent season of cultural icon Stranger Things though the record holder when factoring in international shows is Squid Game. Even though Netflix's numbers are always hard to verify, it's clear this show has gotten into the cultural conversation. A Season Two renewals feels like it will be coming very soon.

EPISODE GUIDES: Happy Days Season Eleven (Part 2)

On Thursdays, I take a critical look at a TV show by season. Here's a look at Season 11 (Part 2) of Happy Days! For Part 1, click here!

245. Like Mother, Like Daughter (1/24/84)

Marion's high school boyfriend comes to visit and Howard prepares to be jealous but then turns angry when he starts dating Joanie.

I don't know why the show felt the need to do so many gross Joanie storylines in the final season, especially in the last stretch of episodes. From her "shower screaming" recurring gag to the student hitting on her to the much older man dating her, the show is really doing some icky things with the character. And surprise, surprise, it requires Fonzie and Howard to attempt to save her. The show spent basically the entire second half of its run with Howard treating Joanie like a helpless little girl who can't make any decisions on her own and, like most things with Happy Days at this point in its run, it's tiresome.

RATING: 1.5/10

246. Social Studies (1/31/84)

Fonzie tries to get Chachi back into the dating world after realizing how long it has been since he dated a girl other than Joanie.

This episode feels like it should have aired earlier in the season, soon after Joanie and Chachi broke up. Maybe it was supposed to? I like that this episode focuses on the core characters - Chachi, Joanie, Howard, Marion and Fonzie. In fact, they're the only ones who appear in this episode besides a quick appearance from Bobby. The show seemed to realize in its final season (with the return of Joanie and Chachi) that all the extra characters were dragging the show down. So many of them are gone or barely seen (along with original character Potsie who does a vanishing act yet again this season). The episode is fine, but it's back to basics and I like that.

RATING: 7/10