It was shortlived in 1990 and I think only lasted 13 episodes. How was it?

I enjoyed it........great theme song from Van Halen! Matthew Perry as her brother and Daniel Baldwin was also in it. Now, if I were to watch it today, I may have a different opinion......but heck, it was Valerie Bertenelli ;D

Sounds pretty cool! I mean how can you go wrong with Van Halen doing the theme music.

Didn't she have a show called Bagdad Cafe?

Didn't she have a show called Bagdad Cafe?
The show your thinking of was called Cafe Americain. It lasted for 6 episodes during the 1993/94 TV season. (3 Years after the shortlived Sydney)

The show your thinking of was called Cafe Americain. It lasted for 6 episodes during the 1993/94 TV season. (3 Years after the shortlived Sydney)

Well, let's just hope Hot in Cleveland lasts a while longer than those two shows.

Well, let's just hope Hot in Cleveland lasts a while longer than those two shows.
I agree!

No, Cafe Americain lasted longer than 6 episodes.....it ran for 18 episodes.

Baghdad Cafe was with Whoopi Goldberg and Jean Stapleton (and based on the film of the same name).

I looked for Sydney's theme song on Youtube.....couldn't find it. It is a full length Van Halen song (or Van Hagar :lol:) and you can find it on one of those albums from that era. Can't think of the exact title right now.

No, Cafe Americain lasted longer than 6 episodes.....it ran for 18 episodes.

Baghdad Cafe was with Whoopi Goldberg and Jean Stapleton (and based on the film of the same name).

I looked for Sydney's theme song on Youtube.....couldn't find it. It is a full length Van Halen song (or Van Hagar :lol:) and you can find it on one of those albums from that era. Can't think of the exact title right now.
I actually liked Cafe Americain. I thought it was a cute show.

I only saw one episode of Sydney and don't remember much about it.

I remember when the show was on (seeing promos) but I never actually watched it.

...aired on CBS on Monday nights in early 1990. The only things most people remember about it are Van Halen's theme and the fact that Matthew Perry was one of the supporting cast {a few years before "FRIENDS"}, as well as Daniel Baldwin (where is Rebeccah Bush today?). Barbara Feldon was supposed to appear regularly as Sydney's mother, but she politely declined- and with good reason. At the time, CBS believed anything featuring Valerie was bound to attract a lot of younger viewers [her highly-rated TV movies for them in the '80s was one reason]....and they were desperately looking for more of those during the 1989-'90 season to combat NBC and ABC's demographics. But Valerie was so doggone cute- who'd believe HER as a "private eye"?- and the fact that something was missing from the show [decent writing? a better lead-in? the fact that Valerie just wasn't cut out to be a sitcom lead?] finally forced it off the air after 13 episodes. Yes, I watched it, and I thought to myself, "This could be better"...


:typing:

I don't remember Sydney but I remember Cafe Americain. I thought Cafe Americain was cute and fun show. I remember watching most of the episodes.

Didnt EVH play a heavily disguised street musician on this show...or was that Cafe' American?

I remember SYDNEY and CAFE AMERICAIN.

Both should have ran way longer :)

Here's a Valerie Bertinelli interview promoting SYDNEY. From 1990:

http://articles.latimes.com/1990-03-18/news/tv-1144_1_valerie-bertinelli

Here's a Valerie Bertinelli interview promoting SYDNEY. From 1990:

http://articles.latimes.com/1990-03-18/news/tv-1144_1_valerie-bertinelli



Funny how she says that neither she nor Eddie drinks. From what's been said since, Eddie did little else.

:)

An IV drip isn't technically drinking.

:groucho

Funny how she says that neither she nor Eddie drinks. From what's been said since, Eddie did little else.

Yes Babalu, that sounded disingenuous to me.

She and Eddie were having a lot of problems at the time (per her book) and it seems like she was just trying to put a good face on things.

She said it was her favorite character, the one she was waiting for and Barbara Cooper wasn't as strong as she was. (paraphrasing here). The poor little thing had to wait until she was 30 to get that series. ;)

As for the show, well if you blink you missed it and I blinked. :eek:

I did like her very much in "Cafe Americain". The producers wanted Rue McLanahan as her costar and threw a lot of money at her to take the part after The Golden Girls ended. In Rue's memoir she was very dismissive of the idea of playing second fiddle to Valerie Bertinelli and said that despite the amount of money they were willing to pay her it was beneath her.

I love Rue but I thought she came off acting very snooty about the whole thing. The irony is years later Val and Betty White had a huge hit in "Hot in Cleveland" so there was at least one Golden Girl who recognized Val and her comedic gifts.

She said it was her favorite character, the one she was waiting for and Barbara Cooper wasn't as strong as she was. (paraphrasing here). The poor little thing had to wait until she was 30 to get that series. ;)

As for the show, well if you blink you missed it and I blinked. :eek:

I did like her very much in "Cafe Americain". The producers wanted Rue McLanahan as her costar and threw a lot of money at her to take the part after The Golden Girls ended.


I'm sure she said it (Sydney) was her favorite character because she was promoting it at the time. Cafe Americain was widely panned and she was panned for not putting much of an effort into it. She pretty much said that she took the show because she could work 9-5, say her lines, and leave. It was the lowest rated show on TV and there wasn't much to it. The only interested I ever had in either show was looking at her. Hot in Cleveland too. I would tape them and fast forward to her.

Didnt EVH play a heavily disguised street musician on this show...or was that Cafe' American?

Here's Eddie's scene on Cafe Americain. Not heavily disguised though.

https://youtu.be/IkiAjfj-q3I

Here's Eddie's scene on Cafe Americain. Not heavily disguised though.

https://youtu.be/IkiAjfj-q3I


But heavily embarrassing.

But heavily embarrassing.

Cute bouncer though...:)

Cute bouncer though...:)


That reminds me of a joke that's so doity I'm ashamed to think of it.

:groucho

I have four episodes. Wish that I could see more of this show.

Yes Babalu, that sounded disingenuous to me.

She and Eddie were having a lot of problems at the time (per her book) and it seems like she was just trying to put a good face on things.

She said it was her favorite character, the one she was waiting for and Barbara Cooper wasn't as strong as she was. (paraphrasing here). The poor little thing had to wait until she was 30 to get that series. ;)

As for the show, well if you blink you missed it and I blinked. :eek:

I did like her very much in "Cafe Americain". The producers wanted Rue McLanahan as her costar and threw a lot of money at her to take the part after The Golden Girls ended. In Rue's memoir she was very dismissive of the idea of playing second fiddle to Valerie Bertinelli and said that despite the amount of money they were willing to pay her it was beneath her.

I love Rue but I thought she came off acting very snooty about the whole thing. The irony is years later Val and Betty White had a huge hit in "Hot in Cleveland" so there was at least one Golden Girl who recognized Val and her comedic gifts.

Maybe in Rue's defense, she had good thing on GG and didn't want to blow it. Can't really blame her there. Go with the sure thing.

I remember CAFE AMERICAN, I thought it wasn't good butt wasn't bad either.

I remember CAFE AMERICAN, I thought it wasn't good butt wasn't bad either.


Her butt seemed fine to me. :D

Her butt seemed fine to me. :D
:lol: allright, smarty you know I meant to say BUT:lol:

Maybe in Rue's defense, she had good thing on GG and didn't want to blow it. Can't really blame her there. Go with the sure thing.

Go to 9 minutes 20 second for Rue's take on the situation...she was not impressed with Valerie's comedic talent but admitted she was beautiful.

This whole interview is kind of fun, Rue is very opinionated and dismissive at the same time about her experiences in the TV industry. She did not like Dabney Coleman, that is for sure. Or the producers of Mama's Family. Or most of the projects the interviewer asked her about. You would think she would be grateful for all the opportunities she had in the industry but she seemed kind of bored with most of them. Not a schmoozer, that's for sure...:)

Val reunites with a SYDNEY costar (not Matthew Perry :) ):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW_qRRYILds

The opening credits of SYDNEY:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbIzd48-DY8

Go to 9 minutes 20 second for Rue's take on the situation...she was not impressed with Valerie's comedic talent but admitted she was beautiful.

This whole interview is kind of fun, Rue is very opinionated and dismissive at the same time about her experiences in the TV industry. She did not like Dabney Coleman, that is for sure. Or the producers of Mama's Family. Or most of the projects the interviewer asked her about. You would think she would be grateful for all the opportunities she had in the industry but she seemed kind of bored with most of them. Not a schmoozer, that's for sure...:)

Link?

Link?


Whoops, here it is...:wave:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uStealBmmiM

I remember it but not much, no wonder it didn't make it.

Here's a Valerie Bertinelli interview promoting SYDNEY. From 1990:

http://articles.latimes.com/1990-03-18/news/tv-1144_1_valerie-bertinelli

Good article.

SYDNEY was a mid-season show, and Mid-Season shows are tough to find an audience but at least all 13 aired. (Look how NBC handed CAFE AMERICAN timeslot moves, and a "burn off" of the last couple of episodes - but they did air all 18)

Makes you wonder if it was a hit if she would have gotten preggers? Wolfgang was born a little under a year after the show went off the air. (March 16th,1991,Show Ended June 25th,1990)

Here's a quick page on Sydney:
http://www.thrillingdetective.com/eyes/sydney.html

I had forgotten Pat Harrington did an episode:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0776659/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_28

Nope Nada, Nein, Na, Zilch!!! Can't say that I remember it!!!:crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :lol: :D :wave:

Nope Nada, Nein, Na, Zilch!!! Can't say that I remember it!!!:crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :lol: :D :wave:

It was as memorable as Foley Square :wave:

https://youtu.be/J6ow6d9mDh4

Valerie promoting Sydney on The Arsenio Hall Show (Matthew Perry and Craig Bierko in the audience):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3zAiUogAiQ

Who is this Valerie Bertinelli person?

The opening credits of SYDNEY:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbIzd48-DY8
I like the opening.

I remember when the show was on and seeing promos on TV for it but I never did watch it.

Ed.