a spinoff series to Scatman Crothers????? Read in a 1976 TV Guide that he was thinking of starting a Louie-the-Garbage-Man Spinoff. I see this idea never took off. Anyone think it would have worked?

I think it would've worked. Scatman was such a gifted man.

I never knew that James K. was going to give him a spin-off. How sad it never came to be. :(

I had read that in the 76 TV guide too. He was such a talent, that would have been a cool show.

i didnt know that....but i always wondered if something like that would of took off......i thought he was funny as hell and it would of worked......

offtopic:

Hey, Ed Brown Jr. How have you been. I have been wondering about you. Glad to see your back! :wave:

Yes please forgive me for being off topic, Welcome back Ed Brown Jr!


offtopic:

Hey, Ed Brown Jr. How have you been. I have been wondering about you. Glad to see your back! :wave:

Chico needs you back to tell him to get outta my garage lol...

I think a spin-off with Scatman would have worked. That guy was so funny.

I wonder if it would have worked. Since he was so integral to the CATM show, it almost would have no chance to work since the absense of Freddie would have been large, even if it was a spin off. IMHO :)

sfd

I wonder if it would have worked. Since he was so integral to the CATM show, it almost would have no chance to work since the absense of Freddie would have been large, even if it was a spin off. IMHO :)

sfd


Honestly I don't even know why Komack gave a spinoff for Louie any thought because at the time, CATM was struggling in the ratings-lol A spinoff usually comes from a HIT SHOW not a show sagging in the ratings. CATM only good season in the ratings was the first season.

IMHO the show was top notch until they tried to replace Freddie, it may have been easier to accept had they dealt with what happened on the show like they did when John Ritter passed away on 8 simple rules.

What did they do on the 8 Simple Rules show once John Ritter passed away. I have never watched that show.

I purchased the catm show, a few years ago, where the little boy who replaced Freddie ran away just so I could see how they handled Freddie's dissappearance from the show ( was that the first catm show with the little chico?). It helped me to see Jack Albertson cry when he was talking to the little chico about Freddie. I cried right along with him. It gave me some closure in a sense. You're right Joy that definitely was a mistake on Komack's part to not somehow acknowledge Freddie's passing.

sfd

On 8 simple rules they said that he had a heart attack at the grocery store and had a funeral and shared the tv families grieving process, it was very tastefully done. loved it and i still watch the show...James Garner as the grandfather was a nice addition

What did they do on the 8 Simple Rules show once John Ritter passed away. I have never watched that show.

I purchased the catm show, a few years ago, where the little boy who replaced Freddie ran away just so I could see how they handled Freddie's dissappearance from the show ( was that the first catm show with the little chico?). It helped me to see Jack Albertson cry when he was talking to the little chico about Freddie. I cried right along with him. It gave me some closure in a sense. You're right Joy that definitely was a mistake on Komack's part to not somehow acknowledge Freddie's passing.

sfd

No this show wasn't the first acknowledgement of Freddie's departure but it was the first time they actually said he passed away. Since all of that happened while the show was technically still recording, they had two shows left in the season when he died. The first show back they had Ed, Della and Louie all get presents they said Chico sent to them from Mexico. They said that he had gone down there to be with his father.....which didn't make sense really because he refused to go with his father when he met him a few shows earlier. Then they finished that season and started the next season with Ed and Louie going on a fishing trip to Mexico. The show opens with their return to the garage and it's then that the find Raul in the trunk of their car. Since he was an orphan (Ed had to find out after trying to find his parents) and really had no place to go, Ed adopts him, but he cannot bring himself to call him Raul so he always calls him Chico. He tells Raul that "to me, you're all Chico". Raul doesn't question him anymore until the show where he runs away. Now after Raul had been with Ed for a little while, Charo enters the picture as an aunt that Raul didn't know he had. That's why she comes around every so often to check on him and why she was in the show where he runs away. Supposedly though, she was a Spanish entertainer who was originally from Spain which why was Raul had never heard of her, he was raised in a small village in Mexico.
Anyway, I always thought the show could have handled Freddie's death better. Regardless of circumstances, it was a tragedy that such a young talent was gone and here was the show that helped make him famous really not having much regard for his memory. They didn't let the audience grieve him and they really made it hard for them the way they did the show Raul Runs Away. It must have really hurt Scatman Crothers and Jack Albertson because you could tell that they were really upset in the parts they played there. Just broke my heart to see them so upset.:(

Ok, thanks Dani. You really have the episodes down.

I still haven't even watched all of the CATM episodes I have. I'm still having a hard time with that. I am not sure why. I enjoy when I watch them, yet there is always a bit of sadness too when I watch.

The first time I saw him on video after all these years I just cried with happiness. I missed him so much, and seeing him again made me so happy. Yet, that little bit of me missing him still is somehow inhibiting me from watching all of them.

The way the producers dealt with Freddie's passing is how our society dealt with someone dying by a self-inflicted wound. As if not discussing or acknowledging it makes it all go away.

I am glad our society has learned to deal more effectively with depression and mental illness in general. It is so common place and a lot of the shame associated with depression, anxiety and mental illness issues have dissipated.

Thanks again Dani!

sfd

This show just always upset me. I cried the whole hour show when I saw it for the first time and I'm not usually one to cry through a show. It just really hurt me personally and I can't imagine how much it hurt Jack and Scatman especially. They were the ones clearly upset and oh gosh Ed's dream of Chico!?! That really hurt. It just really could have been handled in a better fashion. Freddie deserved that much!

That was such a sad episode. It was a really good cry...

i agree Dani, i mean the show launched Freddie's career in a big way yes but the show was the hit it was because of Freddie and the lack of compassion they showed was terrible. IMHO
and think what an awful show that had to be for Gabrielle to do, the poor kid had a big enough shadow to follow in but that episode must have been tough for all.
who wrote that one, does anyone know?

I never did seen that episode. All because I stopped watching the Freddie episodes were done. I wish I had seen it know. Just to experience Ed's (Jack's grieif)

I watched the episode of Ed and the little boy in the church scene.

When our beloved Fred passed I immediately stopped watching the show.

When the show came on TVLand I also could not watch the Gabriel episodes but as we were all posting here at the time and as I read everyone's posts I slowly watched one or two episodes. I saw that scene of Ed in church and it was still too painful for me to see. It was painful to see Jack Albertson speaking to the boy.

i thought so too i couldn't stand to see his eyes tear....i still think how hard it must have been for that poor little boy to come into a hit show like that after such a loss and try to fill the tremendous void.
I believe it never gave his career the boost another role may have.
i only saw him in an episode of the love boat after that. It was a sad situation for all involved and with the talented writers and directors on that show it could have been handled so much better....not that it would lessen the hurt of the loss of course but the way they did it i believe added to it. IMHO