Just curious what people think of this show? Was it watchable? Funny? Enjoyable? Why was it canceled?

http://www.tv-intros.com/h/hello%20larry.jpg

I remember it as a good show back in the day. Haven't seen it since its original run, though, so I can't tell you if its aged well.

i loved the show, although it was VERY corny and stupid; whether it holds up today or not is pretty subjective - I can watch it today and still get a laugh out of it.

it is not as bad as its reputation would suggest; at the time it was basically the go-to punchline for every comic and host on TV, you couldn't go a day without someone making fun of MacLean Stevenson or the show in general.

It got really bad press, relentless really, especially in the first weeks and months. For those who weren't around at the time, it became the poster child for bad sitcoms immediately. Very shortly after its debut McLean Stevenson refused to promote it, its reputation was so toxic. The renewal of the show for the 1979-80 season seemed more an act of defiance than anything else. NBC chief Fred Silverman was undaunted, apparently believing the show was a good time slot companion for Diff'rent Strokes, NBC's only other sitcom at the time, hit or otherwise. Hello Larry's Wednesday night ratings were not terrible, but numbers dropped off significantly at 9:30 from 9PM and in fact it did decline in the ratings over the course of the second season.

I've never seen it - but if I ever got the chance to, I'd watch the reruns.

It was definitely not as bad as it's press made it out to be.

I think the title made it kind of a target. Looking back, it is a pretty silly title. But otherwise, it was a fairly standard 'befuddled dad trying to raise two daughters" type of show, not much different than ODAAT, except a lot less adult in nature. I thought the acting was fine, I had a crush on Kim Richards and I always liked Stevenson. It was basically light family fare, with just a little sauce thrown in, and I think if not for the jokes and the time slot it may have lasted four or five years.

I think the continued success of M*A*S*H had a lot to do with Hello, Larry's lousy reputation, believe it or not. McLean Stevenson took a great deal of flak for leaving the award-winning, socially-relevant series and subsequently starring in lightweight, critically-lambasted fare (especially since his old series went on to survive and thrive without him). I think the show might have had a fighting chance with a different lead, but it seems like McLean's very presence doomed the production from the start.

As for the quality of the show itself, it was no more (or less) offensive or formulaic than any of the other early '80s sitcoms which followed in its wake. Maybe it was just a year or two ahead of its time...

Just curious what people think of this show? Was it watchable? Funny? Enjoyable? Why was it canceled?

http://www.tv-intros.com/h/hello%20larry.jpg


In all honesty I only watched the episodes with the Diffrent Strokes cast so I haven' had a chance to reallly evaluate the show. It did last longer than

Checking In
Grady
Sanford Arms


LOL

I've never seen it - but if I ever got the chance to, I'd watch the reruns.


You never seen the Diffrent Strokes/Hello Larry crossover?

It was definitely not as bad as it's press made it out to be.

I think the title made it kind of a target. Looking back, it is a pretty silly title. But otherwise, it was a fairly standard 'befuddled dad trying to raise two daughters" type of show, not much different than ODAAT, except a lot less adult in nature. I thought the acting was fine, I had a crush on Kim Richards and I always liked Stevenson. It was basically light family fare, with just a little sauce thrown in, and I think if not for the jokes and the time slot it may have lasted four or five years.i agree it was no emmy winner but for what it was it was very good and btw i had a big crush on kim too

I like Hello, Larry. Ive always found it watchable, even today. I have most of the series on tape and I still watch it. I dont think it was the best show ever, but it defiantly doesnt deserve to be called the worst. Its better than most of the crap on tv these days.

I like Hello, Larry. Ive always found it watchable, even today. I have most of the series on tape and I still watch it. I dont think it was the best show ever, but it defiantly doesnt deserve to be called the worst. Its better than most of the crap on tv these days.


Definitely more watchable than the 1st season of the Facts of Life

Definitely more watchable than the 1st season of the Facts of Life
Agreed!

Hello Larry was ok not really that great or bad. I preferred his first sitcom, The Mclean Stevenson show much more. I wish I could find all of the eps of TMSS. I only have the pilot and there is 2/3rd's of another episode on youtube.

I would not mind seeing the eps of Hello Larry either.

I would buy the show if it was released on DVD because of the connection to Diffrent Strokes

For some reason, Johnny Carson would make fun of "Hello Larry" in his nightly monologues. Carson was on NBC, and Stevenson surely was a friend or an associate of Carson's. Stevenson even subbed for Carson on The Tonight Show on occasion. But being a smartass is part of being a Late Night host, so there it is.

Personally, if Johnny would have died or quit show business around the late 70's, McLean Stevenson would have been a decent replacement. Midwesterners of the same generation, etc.

I was around 12 when the show came on, and I did not think it was a bad show for what it was. Hello Larry had two hot daughters, with the girl who played Ruthie around my age.

For some reason, Johnny Carson would make fun of "Hello Larry" in his nightly monologues. Carson was on NBC, and Stevenson surely was a friend or an associate of Carson's. Stevenson even subbed for Carson on The Tonight Show on occasion. But being a smartass is part of being a Late Night host, so there it is.

Personally, if Johnny would have died or quit show business around the late 70's, McLean Stevenson would have been a decent replacement. Midwesterners of the same generation, etc.

I was around 12 when the show came on, and I did not think it was a bad show for what it was. Hello Larry had two hot daughters, with the girl who played Ruthie around my age.


More watchable than the Facts of Life in my opinion

The original Diane (Donna Wilkes) was much better than her replacement. She had an edginess to her that the other one didn't.

And yes, Kim Richards was cute and crush-making material, particularly a couple of years after the show ended, when she made a guest appearance on Alice.

I thought it was good, I couldnt wait for it to come on each week and was very disapointed when they cancelled it. And like a few others in this thread, I had a huge crush on Kim.

I thought it was good, I couldnt wait for it to come on each week and was very disapointed when they cancelled it. And like a few others in this thread, I had a huge crush on Kim.
I think everybody had a crush on Kim. :lol:

Hello Larry was a good show. It was in the same category as The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes. I don't know why it didn't last.

I think everybody had a crush on Kim. :lol:

Hello Larry was a good show. It was in the same category as The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes. I don't know why it didn't last.


Especially when it became so connected with Different Strokes. I mean they had like 3 crossovers:lol:

You never seen the Diffrent Strokes/Hello Larry crossover?
No, but I probably should. They all are on the DS DVDs, right?

No, but I probably should. They all are on the DS DVDs, right?


Yeah they should be but I didn't buy the first 2 seasons of Diffrent Strokes on DVD because I felt the show didn't get good until season 3. So that's why I'm buying season 3 in a month.

But they had a thanksgiving crossover, a portland, orgeon crossover, and I can't think of the other right now

Thanks - I'll have to check those out. :cool:

About MUES Reviews (http://blip.tv/mues#!page=8)

Reviews and riffs on pop music, wrestling and crappy television shows (http://blip.tv/mues/sh-tcoms-hello-larry-6742892).

This show was a lot better than Modern Family


Yes I said it

I have to say, looking back, that I really preferred Donna Wilkes over Krista Errickson, in the role of the older daughter, but being a recast is a very hard position to be in.

Especially when it became so connected with Different Strokes. I mean they had like 3 crossovers:lol:
Too many crossovers, that was the problem, the network knew Hello, Larry was in the dumps that they were forcing the audience with the crossovers.

Too many crossovers, that was the problem, the network knew Hello, Larry was in the dumps that they were forcing the audience with the crossovers.

I thought the crossovers were fun.

But that was 34 years ago.

Too many crossovers, that was the problem, the network knew Hello, Larry was in the dumps that they were forcing the audience with the crossovers.


Any episode of Hello Larry is better than any season 8 episode of Different Strokes:wave:

By season 8 of DS, I wasn't watching anymore -- no VCR and I had school and work and other things. But what i did see, I didn't like much.

Well last night on YouTube I watched the episode "Rap With Ruthie". McLean Stevenson in the first scene was on roller skates. Him trying to do physical comedy, but let's just say he was no John Ritter.

He wasn't a strong lead. Everyone else on the show seemed to get just as much air time and get better lines.

The plot wasn't bad, but I can see why viewers at the time might not have been impressed with McLean Stevenson's ability to carry the lead of a show. The writing wasn't there for him. Like I said, the other actors got better lines. The teacher Leona was clearly overshadowing him and she wasn't even a regular cast member.

Too many crossovers, that was the problem, the network knew Hello, Larry was in the dumps that they were forcing the audience with the crossovers.

The crossovers were so frequent that Larry even crossed over into MAD Magazine's satire of Diff'rent Strokes, called Diff'rent Jokes. When "Arnut" was asking why Larry was hanging around the show so much, he was told "They think his appearance will make your ratings better", and "Arnut" replied, "That's like using Shelley Winters to make Cheryl Ladd look beautiful!". :lol:

I personally liked the Thanksgiving crossover

There is one scene in one episode that I remember to this day: Ruthie had just stepped out of the bathroom, just wearing a towel. I was the same age as her, so no, that doesn't make me a perv! ;)

Fun Fact: Kim Richards is 10 days younger than me, so Happy 50th Ruthie! :lol: :wave:

The crossovers were so frequent that Larry even crossed over into MAD Magazine's satire of Diff'rent Strokes, called Diff'rent Jokes. When "Arnut" was asking why Larry was hanging around the show so much, he was told "They think his appearance will make your ratings better", and "Arnut" replied, "That's like using Shelley Winters to make Cheryl Ladd look beautiful!". :lol:

I remember that well. I can even visualize Angelo Torres' artwork. I loved MAD back in those days -- read it religiously. I always loved it when they sent up my favorite shows and movies.

There is one scene in one episode that I remember to this day: Ruthie had just stepped out of the bathroom, just wearing a towel. I was the same age as her, so no, that doesn't make me a perv! ;)

Fun Fact: Kim Richards is 10 days younger than me, so Happy 50th Ruthie! :lol: :wave:


I know what you mean, like I had a crush on Lisa on Different Strokes and it doesn't make me creepy because I am looking at her with 1985 eyes which made me 10:wave:

I'm surprised McLean Stevenson never had a successful sitcom . I thought Hello, Larry was a good show . I always looked forward to watching it . By the same token, I would've thought any sitcom that featured Kim Richards in a regular role would be guaranteed a ten -- year run . I was only seventeen to Kim Richards' fourteen when Hello, Larry began, so it was all right for me to appreciate her beauty . By the same token, watching Donna Wilkes and Krista Errickson wasn't a problem either .

I'm surprised McLean Stevenson never had a successful sitcom . I thought Hello, Larry was a good show . I always looked forward to watching it . By the same token, I would've thought any sitcom that featured Kim Richards in a regular role would be guaranteed a ten -- year run . I was only seventeen to Kim Richards' fourteen when Hello, Larry began, so it was all right for me to appreciate her beauty . By the same token, watching Donna Wilkes and Krista Errickson wasn't a problem either .


i like hello larry better than

mork and mny
barney miller

This show was a lot better than Modern Family


Yes I said itI agree with you

This show was a lot better than Modern Family


Yes I said it
How dare you, were you also upset when Homeboys In Outer Space was cancelled? :lol:

How dare you, were you also upset when Homeboys In Outer Space was cancelled? :lol:


Never saw that because I was in college at the time. No one watched TV in college LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pfghnymg_A

4Pfghnymg_A

Ghosty and James Rana discuss the TV series "Hello, Larry" and other forgotten TV shows from the 80's including "It's Your Move" "We Got It Made" "It's A Living" "She's The Sheriff" etc. on the 9/1/2012 edition of 89.1 WFDU fm's "That Modern Rock Show".

I've seen about 6 or 7 episodes and I really don't think it's even half as bad as a lot of people made it out to be. There are some LOL moments.

I've never seen it but I'm sure it's not bad at all. Considering how much I like Diff'rent Strokes and Facts of Life, I would probably like Hello Larry as well. The crossovers with Diff'rent Strokes were good although I would like to see a regular episode of Hello Larry so I can really get a feel for it.

i like hello larry better than

mork and mny
barney miller

I've never seen Mork and Mindy so I can't speak on that one although I will see it once Antenna TV adds it. I'm certainly sure Hello Larry is much better than Barney Miller. I tried to watch that a few times on Antenna TV but I found it incredibly boring and just really couldn't get into it.

I've seen about 6 or 7 episodes and I really don't think it's even half as bad as a lot of people made it out to be. There are some LOL moments.


I would watch it over these 80's shows

227
Alf
Kate and Allie
Golden Girls

:lol:

I've never seen it but I'm sure it's not bad at all. Considering how much I like Diff'rent Strokes and Facts of Life, I would probably like Hello Larry as well. The crossovers with Diff'rent Strokes were good although I would like to see a regular episode of Hello Larry so I can really get a feel for it.


The show is on youtube

Hey! I'll bet you never knew Hello, Larry was the last project on which Jay Sommers and Dick Chevillat worked together. They either wrote the scripts or "punched up" scripts written by others as story editors.

That would be...

the same Jay Sommers and Dick Chevillat who together wrote almost every episode of

Green Acres.

Mmmhmm. :D

Hello Larry is better than these 70's shows to me

Angie
Barney Miller
Carter Country
Fish
Laverne and Shirley
One Day at a Time
Phyllis
Ropers

Hello Larry is better than these 70's shows to me

Angie
Barney Miller
Carter Country
Fish
Laverne and Shirley
One Day at a Time
Phyllis
Ropers
Why didn't you like Barney Miller? I can understand not liking those other shows as much as Hello Larry.

Why didn't you like Barney Miller? I can understand not liking those other shows as much as Hello Larry.

Little too serious for me. The police comedy I like now called Brooklyn Nine Nine is a lot more funny and nowhere near as serious as barney miller

It's like the show didn't know if it wanted to be a dramedy or a comedy

Little too serious for me. The police comedy I like now called Brooklyn Nine Nine is a lot more funny and nowhere near as serious as barney miller

It's like the show didn't know if it wanted to be a dramedy or a comedy
I understand what you're saying. I thought the comedy was always clever on Barney Miller, so I was never really annoyed with the serious moments.

It's different with a show like Taxi, where I thought the drama was too heavy-handed over the comedy. Barney Miller balanced it better.

I think I like Hello Larry because they are connected to Different Strokes and they appeared on there 3 times

Little too serious for me. The police comedy I like now called Brooklyn Nine Nine is a lot more funny and nowhere near as serious as barney miller

It's like the show didn't know if it wanted to be a dramedy or a comedy

Barney Miller to me was like M*A*S*H in that it mixed the comedy with some drama. Great show. I think they knew what they were doing and what they wanted to convey.

Barney Miller to me was like M*A*S*H in that it mixed the comedy with some drama. Great show. I think they knew what they were doing and what they wanted to convey.
I liked Barney Miller better than M*A*S*H.

Because it was boring! Plain and simple.

Boring writing!
Boring acting!
Boring set design!
Boring theme song!!

No personality to it.
And let's face it..MacLean Stevenson was not meant to be in a lead role of a series.

Because it was boring! Plain and simple.

Boring writing!
Boring acting!
Boring set design!
Boring theme song!!

No personality to it.
And let's face it..MacLean Stevenson was not meant to be in a lead role of a series.

Well if it comes out on DVD I'm getting it

The funny thing is that Hello, Larry was in some respects, a proto-version of Frasier in that it was an NBC sitcom set in the Pacific Northwest about a talk radio show host.

It was really bad.

It's been said before - the show was a poor copy of ONE DAY AT A TIME and it looks like all the rejected ideas for that show ended up as HELLO LARRY Scripts :)

The funny thing is that Hello, Larry was in some respects, a proto-version of Frasier in that it was an NBC sitcom set in the Pacific Northwest about a talk radio show host.

Funny you mention that, I was going to write that when Fraser debuted, the producers made a point that it wasn't going be a clone of Hello Larry.

I remember watching Hello Larry as a kid when it was on originally and liking it. But thinking back now I'd say it was just so-so. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't great either, just kind of boring.

Ed.

I’ve seen several episodes and I never laughed once. McLean Stevenson has never been funny to me. The writing was poor. The show was even worse in the second season, where he was rarely shown at the radio station and they brought in all the gimmicky characters (Meadowlark Lemon, Larry’s dad, etc).

With a better cast and better writing, had they stuck to the premise of the first season, it might have been okay.

Maybe they should have had more crossovers with Different strokes

Funny you mention that, I was going to write that when Fraser debuted, the producers made a point that it wasn't going be a clone of Hello Larry.

Hello, Larry was also in a sense, like Silver Spoons, which also showed a divorced family where the father ends up with the child.

I think the continued success of M*A*S*H had a lot to do with Hello, Larry's lousy reputation, believe it or not. McLean Stevenson took a great deal of flak for leaving the award-winning, socially-relevant series and subsequently starring in lightweight, critically-lambasted fare (especially since his old series went on to survive and thrive without him). I think the show might have had a fighting chance with a different lead, but it seems like McLean's very presence doomed the production from the start.

As for the quality of the show itself, it was no more (or less) offensive or formulaic than any of the other early '80s sitcoms which followed in its wake. Maybe it was just a year or two ahead of its time...

By the time that Hello, Larry came around, McLean Stevenson (https://travsd.wordpress.com/2018/11/14/the-seven-sitcoms-of-mclean-stevenson/) was dare I say, gathering a reputation around the industry for being a joke. Even before Hello, Larry, his prior two post-M*A*S*H (https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:w-lPm0IIrEoJ:https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1990-11-12-1990316005-story.html+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us)vehicles (https://www.metv.com/stories/which-mclean-stevenson-sitcom-deserved-a-better-chance), The McLean Stevenson Show (1976–77) and In the Beginning (1978), barely lasted more than a single season. And even after Hello, Larry, he did another show called Condo (http://thelandofwhatever.blogspot.com/2018/02/what-mightve-been-condo-1983.html) (1983) that came and went without a trace.

Condo was his most successful show at #44 and was still cancelled lol Hello Larry was ranked #67 after 1st season and 56 after season 2


The Mclean Stevenson Show was ranked 81 and In the Beginning was ranked 74

After all these failures battered him, I would not be surprised if Mclean Stevenson was begging for the brush of Death's merciful hand.

I liked McLean Stevenson. I was about 12 when Hello Larry was on and I watched it, but probably for the daughters.

I read somewhere and I agree that if Stevenson and Rodgers stayed on MASH, it might not have lasted as long because it would not have evolved for better or worse.

Two things I enjoyed about this show

Sexy Morgan, radio producer

Obese Engineer


I think this show was better than the Ropers

I remember seeing it back then...it definately wasn't great...i think that stevenson was really disliked at the time for leaving MASH how he did. And this was the first thing he did and we all thought, you left MASH fro this? a DJ (who is rarely seen DJ'ing like they were on WKRP in Cincinatti) with snarky teen kids? aren't we already watching this on One Day at a Time? It got press from the start so i left it. That theme song was catchy as Hell though

I remember seeing it back then...it definately wasn't great...i think that stevenson was really disliked at the time for leaving MASH how he did. And this was the first thing he did and we all thought, you left MASH fro this? a DJ (who is rarely seen DJ'ing like they were on WKRP in Cincinatti) with snarky teen kids? aren't we already watching this on One Day at a Time? It got press from the start so i left it. That theme song was catchy as Hell though

The first thing he did after Mash was the Mclean Stevenson Show in 1976. Hello Larry started in 1979

Welcome to the Boards!!!! Hope you stick around. What other 70's shows do you like?

The first thing he did after Mash was the Mclean Stevenson Show in 1976. Hello Larry started in 1979.

In between those two, he did another show called In the Beginning in fall 1978. Stevenson played a priest.

In between those two, he did another show called In the Beginning in fall 1978. Stevenson played a priest.

Yeah I forgot about that show with the black guy

I remember wanting to see Hello Larry because I had a fast-developing crush on Kim Richards when I saw her in a TV promo or print photo. She's only a few months older than me. Hard to recall, but I don't think I ever got to watch more than a few episodes.

When she did the film "Tuff Turf" years later, to say my crush was re-ignited would be an understatement. I don't think I'd ever been that excited by any actress.

I remember wanting to see Hello Larry because I had a fast-developing crush on Kim Richards when I saw her in a TV promo or print photo. She's only a few months older than me. Hard to recall, but I don't think I ever got to watch more than a few episodes.

When she did the film "Tuff Turf" years later, to say my crush was re-ignited would be an understatement. I don't think I'd ever been that excited by any actress.

I have a RETRO CRUSH on Morgan which is why I like the show now:lol:

Does anyone feel like they wanted a Vanilla Twist?

^_^

Does anyone feel like they wanted a Vanilla Twist?

^_^

I just reported you for being a WEIRDO

You've never seen this i gather:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eZa7WbRCD8

John Carpenter killing off an A-list child star in his movie was daring, that is all.

John Carpenter killing off an A-list child star in his movie was daring, that is all.

That has nothing to do with the thread topic which is Hello Larry

Kim Richards *was* mentioned. I have an ABI (infant subarachnoid bleed) combined with autism. My brain is different, and my filter is weak.

Kim Richards *was* mentioned. I have an ABI (infant subarachnoid bleed) combined with autism. My brain is different, and my filter is weak.

Ok I apologize, it was just a random comment and had no idea if u were purposely trying to derail the thread topic

My NDIS funded carers regularly have to explain to Joe and Jane Retail staff my ABi coupled with autism and how they are as to why I am getting board games and card games aimed at kids.

All three of Mum's children had birth defects or genetic related illnesses. A life sentence for me and my brother -- and a death sentence for my half-sister. Infant brain cancer -- dead at ten months. September 1974 to July 1975.