"Amanda's By The Sea"

[OOliver]

Does anyone recall a sitcom which starred Bea Arthur as 'Amanda' who owned a hotel called "Amanda's By The Sea"? I believe it ran in the early 80s on ABC, and it was a poor knock-off of 'Fawlty Towers'. I don't know how long it actually lasted but I did watch a few eps and recall them being awful.

PS: I think when it first aired it was called "Amanda's By The Sea", but after a few eps the title was shortened to "Amanda's".

[Marvo301]

I don't remember watching this show but I have heard of it. Many shows back then were remakes of British shows(All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Three's Company etc.) so it was natural to try and transplant Fawlty Towers as well. However it has never been done successfully despite several attempts.(another failed Fawlty clone was "Payne" starring John Larroquette) I think the success of the original was not only the setting or the writing but the amazing cast. And lets face it, that kind of talent and chemistry is extremely difficult to replicate. Better to watch the original on PBS or on DVD.

[catlover79]

I think Rick Hurst (aka Cletus Hogg from Dukes of Hazzard) was in this show, too.

[Marvo301]

According to what I read on IMDB Rick Hurst was in fact on this show. By the way OOliver this series lasted 13 weeks. Future Cheers cast member Keene Curtis (John Allen Hill) was also on this show.

[catlover79]

According to what I read on IMDB Rick Hurst was in fact on this show. By the way OOliver this series lasted 13 weeks. Future Cheers cast member Keene Curtis (John Allen Hill) was also on this show.
I remember reading that Cletus' role was greatly diminished upon the return of Sonny Shroyer and Enos, so Rick Hurst decided to take the Amanda role. Several years later, he reprised Cletus in the Dukes reunion shows.

[Marvo301]

I remember reading that Cletus' role was greatly diminished upon the return of Sonny Shroyer and Enos, so Rick Hurst decided to take the Amanda role. Several years later, he reprised Cletus in the Dukes reunion shows.
When Sonny Shroyer first returned to Dukes they made an effort to include both Enos and Cletus in the storylines. They figured out pretty quickly that wasn't going to work out so the role of Cletus was scaled back to very occasional appearances. But they did, as you mentioned, include both characters in the reunion movies.

[catlover79]

I'm still mad that they never married off Daisy and Enos, but that's another rant for a different board at another time. :mad:

[Jude The Obscure]

I remember watching Amanda's and enjoying it. Now, I haven't seen it since it ran, so......my opinion today could be different. I do remember Bea Arthur saying she was relieved when it was canceled because it was not up to the level of writing she was used to, coming from the Norman Lear sitcom world.

[70s show watcher]

i remember the show it wasant too bad

[comedyfreak]

I remember that show, I liked it. She had aged and lost weight and I enjoyed her quips. Someone complained her lettuce was wilted and she replied, "You probably scared it to death".

[Du Mont]

According to what I read on IMDB Rick Hurst was in fact on this show. By the way OOliver this series lasted 13 weeks. Future Cheers cast member Keene Curtis (John Allen Hill) was also on this show.
ABC never finished the run of 13 episodes of 'Amanda's', trying it out in a couple of timeslots:

Thursdays at 8:30 pm out of 'Condo' and vs. 'Magnum' and 'Fame' (it premiered with a 21.4HH/34%, almost eclipsing 'Magnum');
Thursdays at 9:30 pm our of 'Too Close for Comfort' vs. 'Simon and Simon' and 'Cheers'.

ABC pulled the comedy at the end of the May Sweep (replacing it with 'It Takes Two') and never finished broadcasting the episodes ordered, and I don't think it ever showed up in syndication nor was ever broadcast again.

ABC cancelled even though it did pretty good in the Nielsens, finishing the season with a 15.2HH/26% average, good enough for 52nd place out of 98 series that season.

As ABC sitcoms go, it was funny enough, and it tried its best to be as funny as 'Fawlty Towers', but some British sitcoms are very hard to translate. Certainly this sitcom was not on par with either 'Maude' or 'Golden Girls', but still allowing Miss Arthur's acerbic wit to surface. One of the distributors should put it out on DVD as it was a very respectable part of Miss Arthur's illustrious career.