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With the exception of Cloris and her daughter, most of the cast seemed to be old or at least aged pretty much. I think it was bad casting that did this show in.

I totally disagree with that comment.

The homelife of Phyllis with Bess,Audrey and Jonathan and Mother Dexter was hilarious and very well acted.

The tragic death of Barbara Colby affected the chemistry of the photo studio setting,the Liz Torres' Julie seemed written as being in a bad mood for most of season1,I always felt the Leo character should have been played by a younger actor.

Don't forget season1 of Phyllis did very well in the ratings,it was the change of setting for Phyllis' job in season2,the unlikeable characters in season2 although I liked Mark,the death of Judith Lowry and weaker scripts in season2 apart from the two part Mother Dexter's Wedding that caused Phyllis to be axed.

Judith Lowry was one of the oldest people on the show and was clearly the funniest. Of course she died before the show ended. I think the show was just cursed.

I agree with scotsguy. The cast was solid and the issues that occured could not have been anticipated. Older actors can bring a lot to the table. Archie and Edith Bunker weren't college aged, yet they carried a show beautifully.

Who knows how sucessful Phyllis could have been if it hadn't been for Barbara Colby's sudden & untimely death, after only 3 episodes were in the can. Liz Torres was haphazardly hired to replace her as Julie. Its correct to say this destroyed the chemistry of Phyllis' workplace. This is why Phyllis had a completely different job in season 2.

On the homefront, Judith Lowery (as Mother Dexter) wasn't introduced until the fourth episode. She didn't become a semi-regular until later, after her character proved to be so popular. Unfortunately she passed away in the middle of the second season.

Also, mid-season 2, Jane Rose (Audrey) was already ill (she succumbed to cancer 2 years later), forceing much of the storylines to be at the office.

Barbara Colby's demise, the change in workplace for Phyllis, Judith Lowery's passing and Jane Rose' health were all factors that effected the ratings and ultimately resulted in the cancellation of Phyllis. As far as the original casting, I say it was great.