I was very surprised that Bea Aruthur was in a television show that was such a flop. Since I was way too young to remember it, just how bad was this show?

I was very surprised that Bea Aruthur was in a television show that was such a flop. Since I was way too young to remember it, just how bad was this show?



Well it's hard to say since ABC put the show up against Magnum P.I. on CBS which was a popular show at the time. So I guess we will never know how bad it was because I was too young to remember too-lol

I had forgotten about this show. I vaguely remember seeing it around 81 or 82 and thinking that the lady from "Maude" is in a new show about a hotel or something. Then, just as quickly, it was gone. I don't remember it being horrible, but it's been a long time-LOL

I liked the show to be honest, because I loved Bea Arthur from Maude, but I knew it wouldnt last :eek:

Strangely enough, The Golden Palace had a similar premise.

Strangely enough, The Golden Palace had a similar premise.

From what I read in 1992 (if someone could confirm this, I would be grateful), "Amanda's" is a direct result of why Bea Arthur objected to proposed changes in "The Golden Girls" in its 06th or 07th season. From what I can remember in the article, producers wanted to change "GG's" format to a "Golden Palace" setting to revamp the show - but Ms. Arthur would have none of it.

I've been going through my videos lately, after about a 4 year break and recently watched Amanda's again. I have 4 episodes and, you can really see how they are focusing on trying to make it just like Faulty Towers, yet without thinking about character development and real story lines. Though I'm partial to Bea naturally, I think she did a great job and sold her part as Amanda. But, the supporting cast really fell short in my opinion. Not one of them was interesting enough to get attached to. So, I really think the show could have been much better if they put a little more thought and time into it, it really seemed rushed. I also think the attempts at the slap stick comedy failed, viewers might not have gotten the comedy, therefore, it came off as bad and/or cheesy.

Kev!

Oddly enough, in 1999 there was another failed attempt to recreate "Fawlty Towers" called "Payne," starring John Larroquette. You'd think that they would've known better after the failure of "Amanda's." Both shows are good examples that you can have talented performers and still not be guaranteed success

It was pretty bad.

Bea Arthur said she was glad it wasn't in a better time slot, otherwise more people would have seen it. :lol:

John Cleese complained that when this Americanized "Fawlty Towers" was aired, he found it incomprehensible that the screenwriters wrote out Basil and put all the nastiness of two people in a singel character, making Amanda look like a cartoon.

I saw a few of the 10 episodes that were aired (they made 13 -- I don't think the remaining 3 have ever been shown in the US), and it was kind of a trainwreck, but not nearly as bad as the show it was paired with, "Condo." Mind you, I was probably predisposed to hate it because it replaced "The Greatest American Hero" -- which was yanked off the air and which was appointment TV for me.

Even though John Larroquette was better suited to fill Cleese's shoes, if I were to watch reruns of "Amanda's" and "Payne" back to back, chances are I'd find "Payne" worse.
I actually liked Condo. I watched it every week. I think I watched Amandas once and that was that. It just didn't stand out to me as something I'd like to watch week after week.

It copied one episode of Fawlty Towers almost word to word.

It might have worked with some originality.

I liked the show to be honest, because I loved Bea Arthur from Maude, but I knew it wouldnt last :eek:

She was also written to insult guests to their faces. Basil on Fawlty Towers did it under his breath and after some of the guests behaved very off or badly.

I caught the series on YouTube. It was a lot better than I had heard, and I couldn't believe how well they cast the actor to play the Manuel character.

Oh, and in spite of being a flop, shows ripped it off. The Julia Duffy and Peter Scolari characters from Newhart were just a Yuppie version of Amanda's son and daughter-in-law.

It was a pretty standard sitcom for its time: not especially funny writing, loud laughtrack, shot on videotape. I watched it because, even as a kid, I loved Bea Arthur. Amanda's was nothing special, but it also wasn't the disaster it's been made out to be.

I caught the series on YouTube. It was a lot better than I had heard, and I couldn't believe how well they cast the actor to play the Manuel character.

Oh, and in spite of being a flop, shows ripped it off. The Julia Duffy and Peter Scolari characters from Newhart were just a Yuppie version of Amanda's son and daughter-in-law.

Agreed! I had the exact same thought about the Newhart characters totally ripping off the son and DIL from Amanda's.