TMC
09-25-2013, 05:03 PM
http://www.bonethefish.com/viewtopics.php?4574
Cybill is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, which aired on CBS from January 2, 1995 to July 13, 1998. Starring Cybill Shepherd, the series revolves around Cybill Sheridan, a twice-divorced single mother of two and struggling actress in her 40s, who has never gotten her show business breakthrough. Alicia Witt and Dedee Pfeiffer co-starred as Sheridan's daughters, with Alan Rosenberg and Tom Wopat playing their fathers each, while Christine Baranski appeared as Cybill's hard-drinking friend Maryanne. The sitcom was produced by Carsey-Werner Productions and YBYL Productions, with Shepherd, Lorre, Howard Gould, Jay Daniel, Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner serving as the show's original executive producers. Broadcast to critical praise, Cybill was nominated for twelve Emmy Awards throughout its run and awarded the 1996 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy. Shepherd won a third Golden Globe Award for her performance, while Baranski received an Emmy, a SAG and an American Comedy Award.
https://web.archive.org/web/20070225141752/http://jumptheshark.com/
Other Thoughts:
Unfortunately, CBS felt that the unfunny Raymond Romano deserved Cyb's airtime, and shuffled her around wherever they saw fit. I will never forgive them for ruining this hysterical show! However, Cybill jumped a bit when Cybill had the funniest lines reversed to her and not to the Maryann character.
This show was a very poor substitute for Murder She Wrote. The Maryann character was funny, but the rest of the show was lame.
It has always been apparent to me that most sitcoms Jump the Shark when they have time travel flashbacks where all the charachters play historical counterparts in the past. The first episode (i think) of the ilfated last season had a 17th Century flashback that proved the writers were desperate, and the show had crossed over into the death march to cancellation.
When I realized the writers would never kill off Cybill and make Marianne the lead.
This show was prime from day one. Never skipped a beat and was always hilarious and fresh. The duo of Cybill Sheppard and Christine Baranski was flawless.
Okay. So just how many people did Cybill Sheppard sleep with in order to "convince America" that she was actually funny? Sheppard also has this sad habit of pairing up with people much talented than her. Bruce Willis in Moonlighting and Christine Baranski for Cybill. Sheppard had another short-lived detective show called Stormy Weather that I don't think made it past the pilot. Reason? No partner to make her look good.
Cybil was on a downward spiral for a while, but it really jumped the shark in the last season when Cypbil Sheppard chewed up 5 minutes of an episode singing her hideous new song (called "Memphis" something or other) which she had just released in an album that went nowhere. Ugh! I never watched another episode after that.
When they added the annoying actress (who, for a time, annoyed me on Murphy Brown as McGovern)as Cybil's surprise half sister, or neice, or whatever the relationship was suppose to be. Once they drifted from the friendship between Cybil & Maryann I quit watching. It was no longer any fun.
Even though, she WAS the funniest and most clever character on the show, I DID get tired of her incessant, drunken pity parties. I mean, sure Dr. Dick was scum but WHY didn't anyone tell her that constantly stewing about it was NOT going to make her life better? It's funny that Cybill was *supposed* to be her best friend YET she made NO attempts to encourage Maryann to better herself. It seemed to me that Cybill 'befriended' her in order to have someone around to feel superior towards- especially since *none* of her daughters or exes had ANY interest in endlessly listening to her meaningless New Age jargon philosophy! Oh, and BTW, scriptwriters, 'Dr. *Dick*' was worth a feeble chuckle the first time Maryann started her wallowing but it got OLD after that! Just ONCE, I'd like for Cybill to have said, 'Get sober! Get a job! Get a life! And get over being dumped!'
This show jumped when Cybill kept firing writers. The new writers took the drinks out of Maryann's hands and made the show less funny. The cast was goodlooking but the actual acting skill level was real low and needed great writing.
When this show went from being ABsolutely Fabulousn in the uK to Cybil in the US. Yet another rip-off of a good British show that craps out in the US (Hello, Cracker and are you listening?.
Cybill Shepard is a stuck up b*tch that didn't deserve a tv show in the first place.
When they shot the pilot.
yeah when chloe became sexually active with the guys
Although I truly detest Cybill Shepherd (she can't act or sing and she is not attractive) I really liked this show for a while. This was due to the wonderful talents of Christine Baranski and the young actress who played the daughter (the red-head). Cybill was never more than filler. The show lost it when the blond, whining daughter started getting a lot of attention and the Marianne character changed (a writing problem, not an acting problem.)
It never did, it is the BEST program on tv!!!!!
Cybill was one of the few truly funny sitcoms of recent years. It was well written, mature, and thoroughly entertaining. It was a rare sitcom that never tried to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Unfortunately, CBS is reputed to have deemed this an "angry women" show, and did to it the same thing they tried to "Murphy Brown" and "Designing Women", namely bouncing it all around the schedule, until it lost its audience, the ratings fell, and they were able to cancel it.
CBS doesn't know a good show if it hit them in the head! Hello- isn't the new show Bette just a take off on the successful Cybil?!
Cybil Shepherd is an unfunny, whining, egotistical, talentless hack. Her entire career has been defined by the person(s) she is sleeping with in order to further her career. She must have screwed every manager in tvland to be given her own show. This show was exactly what you would expect - turgid, vomitous hubris.
Tom Wopat's character (the stuntman ex-husband who lived in Cybill's garage apartment) was the only man on the show. Dramatically speaking,the other ex-husband screenwriter was just another chick with male equipment, and the gay waiter, well . . . Eventually, a sitcom with an all-female viewpoint will fail; there are just so many gags you can make about pantyhose and PMS.
I liked the show to the end, but a sit-com with singing sucks. (Like Ally McBeal, when they need to fill time they resort to singing) Cybill is sexy, I still love the Last Picture Show. Maryanne had a great sneaking around outfit that she used to wear when playing tricks on Dr. Dick. It was an Emma Peal ripoff. Cloth jumpsuit with high heeled, thigh high boots.
Like almost every model-turned-actress aside from Rene Russo, Cybill Shepherd has a narrow acting range. But she can be effective within that range. Were you in classic movies like THE LAST PICTURE SHOW or TAXI DRIVER? I know those were a long time ago, but she was also good on MOONLIGHTING and THE YELLOW ROSE. As for being attractive, she still looked yummy in her L'Oreal commercials...until they cancelled her contract. (I remember her swinging around in a black chair against a black background, wearing a white shirt. Wow. Most people just can't look like that.)
THIS SHOW SUCKED RIGHT FROM DAY ONE. FIRST OF ALL, THE THEME SONG WAS ATROCIOUS. HOW COULD ANYONE THINK THAT CYBIL SHEPHERD SOUND GOOD? SECOND OF ALL, CYBIL SHEPERD IS JUST NOT FUNNY! WHAT AN OLD AND TIRED HAG HAS-BEEN THAT NEVER WAS!
Cybill never really jumped, but came close. About the only thing that could have saved it was if Maryann and Cybill were in a story together where they surprised a burglar and were left bound to Cybill or Maryann's Kitchen Chairs, then were left gagged; They would have had to rescue each other: the resultant scene would have been hilarious, most especially if they would have had to cooperate, which they were apparently not too good at to begin with...
If I had to hire her for Hollywood part, as her role suggests, it would have been TAKE from the first episode. I guess that explains about the only place you can find it on reruns is Oxygen...another LOSER network that will be out of business in about six months...thank God Wall Street will dictate that....Put Cybill right up there with ENRON, two losers
This show was a rip off of Ab Fab from the start. C'mon Cybill Shepherd, does your ego really need to rip of the Brits to give your career a third wind?
Mid way thru the show when Cybil Shepard demanded to film without a tv audience. All spontaneity and energy was lost.
The first day. Hey, Moonlighting worked, so lets take the one that didn't go on to multimillion dollar movie roles and push them solo.. and make sure they have full creative control so they can turn up anyone else that looks like they can carry (steal) scenes, episodes, etc.
When Zoey and Cybil has this great big "oh we don't communicate good" talk and Zoey stats to act nicer all over. BORING!
I should think that the people who develop prime time network shows would have figured out by now that casting Cybil Shepherd in a show is a recipe for instant disaster. Her temper tantrums and petulant behavior led to Moonlighting's demise and yet the producers of Cybill continue to let her get away with it. Yes Cybil, Christine Baranski is a better actress than you and is twice as funny...so deal with it!
Cybill's nasal monotone alone is enough to bore me to tears. I caught a FEW episodes of this when a female friend I spent a lot of time with was into it--and that only because of Baranski--and rightfully so. Cybill couldn't walk Baranski's dog!!!!
This show never jumped. It was always very funny and very underrated. While I find Christine Baranski even funnier than Cybill, they are a great team and work quite well together. And I disagree with the person who said Cybill is talentless: I think she is a talented singer and actress, even if she can't outdo Maryann. I feel that Cybill and Maryann are a perfect pair on the show, and of course Alan Rosenberg doesn't hurt! The more of the show I watch, the more I like it. Everybody on this show was good, there is no way in my opinion it ever jumped!
This show jumped the shark any time Christine Baranski did not appear. When Maryann (C.B.) came on with her sloshed routine, it was the funny show it was supposed to be. When the show tried to accommodate Cybill Shepherd's real-life story with ex-husbands and kids (esp. smarmy Alicia Witt, who has rarely been heard from since), it was shark bait all the way!
I don't think this show ever jumped. While I have had a huge crush on Cybill Shepherd ever since I saw "The Last Picture Show". I have always enjoyed her sense of humor. The show did go a bit down hill when they focused on her singing. That was a waste of time. Her friend on the show, Mary Anne did wear some very sexy high heeled thigh boots on a few shows. TV should have another sitcom with two sexy babes that is funny. Unlike Hope and Faith.
i totally love watching cybill. every single episode i've seen i laugh til i cry because cybill and christine are so great together. i so far have 2 favorite episodes. 1 is when cybill sing to her new granddaughter the song sing memphis to me. the 2nd is when cybill was going through menopause
Any episode in which Cyb sings is, of course, difficult to work with. God knows I've tried, but after a second or so, one resorts to muting the volume and just watching her lips move. And is that really what I bought the Television for in the first place? No, it is not. The Maryanne/Ira pairing worked only as long as we could imagine that it MIGHT be a good idea, even though quasi-incestuous. Swapping this potential energy for schlock romantic situations (first date in a plane with lounge singer; first sleepover dressed in Bo Peep costume) mottled the Maryanne character, which had previously been the consistent, confident one that countered the insecurities of all the other characters.
CYBILL jumped from day one because the brilliant Christine Baranski as best friend Mary Ann was a much better actress than Shepherd and completely overshadowed her from day one. You can't have a show where the title character fades into the woodwork next to her co-stars and Cybill couldn't hold a candle to Christine Baranski, a brilliant farceur who deserves a sitcom of her own.
When Shawn and Zoe broke up it sunk. Cybill's a great actor, but Mary Ann held the show up for its 3-4 seasons. PLUS, she couldn't hold a job! But then again that was what the show was all about. :)
I loved this show's first season! Cybill was a motherly actress and the material was fresh and original. When she changed her hair from a tee-pee to a bubble, her show changed from funny and interesting to lame and pathetic. Relationships died everywhere: Cybill and Ira, Jeff and Teri, Shawn and Zoey, Ira and Holly, Mary Ann and the NEW Richard Thorpe. Also everything that happened in the first season didn't matter in the next two, Mary-Ann "divorces" from stalking Dr. Dick, but she still did it! Rachel had ANOTHER child! I most hated the gay waiter and when Jeff's grandma and Cybill long lost sister came the bell tolled, the fight was over, Cybill LOST! I despise when she became co-host on that 2nt rate talk show! Zoey's Italian pervert was the worst thing they could've done. If Mary Ann took over the show it would've done better. But I still loved the New York episode. speaking of New York, Mary Ann's parent are disgusting, vile and made the show look like trailer-trash. But I'll love the show, despite its many problems. I still blame the Cybill's hair for all this! :)
Cybill is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, which aired on CBS from January 2, 1995 to July 13, 1998. Starring Cybill Shepherd, the series revolves around Cybill Sheridan, a twice-divorced single mother of two and struggling actress in her 40s, who has never gotten her show business breakthrough. Alicia Witt and Dedee Pfeiffer co-starred as Sheridan's daughters, with Alan Rosenberg and Tom Wopat playing their fathers each, while Christine Baranski appeared as Cybill's hard-drinking friend Maryanne. The sitcom was produced by Carsey-Werner Productions and YBYL Productions, with Shepherd, Lorre, Howard Gould, Jay Daniel, Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner serving as the show's original executive producers. Broadcast to critical praise, Cybill was nominated for twelve Emmy Awards throughout its run and awarded the 1996 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy. Shepherd won a third Golden Globe Award for her performance, while Baranski received an Emmy, a SAG and an American Comedy Award.
https://web.archive.org/web/20070225141752/http://jumptheshark.com/
Other Thoughts:
Unfortunately, CBS felt that the unfunny Raymond Romano deserved Cyb's airtime, and shuffled her around wherever they saw fit. I will never forgive them for ruining this hysterical show! However, Cybill jumped a bit when Cybill had the funniest lines reversed to her and not to the Maryann character.
This show was a very poor substitute for Murder She Wrote. The Maryann character was funny, but the rest of the show was lame.
It has always been apparent to me that most sitcoms Jump the Shark when they have time travel flashbacks where all the charachters play historical counterparts in the past. The first episode (i think) of the ilfated last season had a 17th Century flashback that proved the writers were desperate, and the show had crossed over into the death march to cancellation.
When I realized the writers would never kill off Cybill and make Marianne the lead.
This show was prime from day one. Never skipped a beat and was always hilarious and fresh. The duo of Cybill Sheppard and Christine Baranski was flawless.
Okay. So just how many people did Cybill Sheppard sleep with in order to "convince America" that she was actually funny? Sheppard also has this sad habit of pairing up with people much talented than her. Bruce Willis in Moonlighting and Christine Baranski for Cybill. Sheppard had another short-lived detective show called Stormy Weather that I don't think made it past the pilot. Reason? No partner to make her look good.
Cybil was on a downward spiral for a while, but it really jumped the shark in the last season when Cypbil Sheppard chewed up 5 minutes of an episode singing her hideous new song (called "Memphis" something or other) which she had just released in an album that went nowhere. Ugh! I never watched another episode after that.
When they added the annoying actress (who, for a time, annoyed me on Murphy Brown as McGovern)as Cybil's surprise half sister, or neice, or whatever the relationship was suppose to be. Once they drifted from the friendship between Cybil & Maryann I quit watching. It was no longer any fun.
Even though, she WAS the funniest and most clever character on the show, I DID get tired of her incessant, drunken pity parties. I mean, sure Dr. Dick was scum but WHY didn't anyone tell her that constantly stewing about it was NOT going to make her life better? It's funny that Cybill was *supposed* to be her best friend YET she made NO attempts to encourage Maryann to better herself. It seemed to me that Cybill 'befriended' her in order to have someone around to feel superior towards- especially since *none* of her daughters or exes had ANY interest in endlessly listening to her meaningless New Age jargon philosophy! Oh, and BTW, scriptwriters, 'Dr. *Dick*' was worth a feeble chuckle the first time Maryann started her wallowing but it got OLD after that! Just ONCE, I'd like for Cybill to have said, 'Get sober! Get a job! Get a life! And get over being dumped!'
This show jumped when Cybill kept firing writers. The new writers took the drinks out of Maryann's hands and made the show less funny. The cast was goodlooking but the actual acting skill level was real low and needed great writing.
When this show went from being ABsolutely Fabulousn in the uK to Cybil in the US. Yet another rip-off of a good British show that craps out in the US (Hello, Cracker and are you listening?.
Cybill Shepard is a stuck up b*tch that didn't deserve a tv show in the first place.
When they shot the pilot.
yeah when chloe became sexually active with the guys
Although I truly detest Cybill Shepherd (she can't act or sing and she is not attractive) I really liked this show for a while. This was due to the wonderful talents of Christine Baranski and the young actress who played the daughter (the red-head). Cybill was never more than filler. The show lost it when the blond, whining daughter started getting a lot of attention and the Marianne character changed (a writing problem, not an acting problem.)
It never did, it is the BEST program on tv!!!!!
Cybill was one of the few truly funny sitcoms of recent years. It was well written, mature, and thoroughly entertaining. It was a rare sitcom that never tried to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Unfortunately, CBS is reputed to have deemed this an "angry women" show, and did to it the same thing they tried to "Murphy Brown" and "Designing Women", namely bouncing it all around the schedule, until it lost its audience, the ratings fell, and they were able to cancel it.
CBS doesn't know a good show if it hit them in the head! Hello- isn't the new show Bette just a take off on the successful Cybil?!
Cybil Shepherd is an unfunny, whining, egotistical, talentless hack. Her entire career has been defined by the person(s) she is sleeping with in order to further her career. She must have screwed every manager in tvland to be given her own show. This show was exactly what you would expect - turgid, vomitous hubris.
Tom Wopat's character (the stuntman ex-husband who lived in Cybill's garage apartment) was the only man on the show. Dramatically speaking,the other ex-husband screenwriter was just another chick with male equipment, and the gay waiter, well . . . Eventually, a sitcom with an all-female viewpoint will fail; there are just so many gags you can make about pantyhose and PMS.
I liked the show to the end, but a sit-com with singing sucks. (Like Ally McBeal, when they need to fill time they resort to singing) Cybill is sexy, I still love the Last Picture Show. Maryanne had a great sneaking around outfit that she used to wear when playing tricks on Dr. Dick. It was an Emma Peal ripoff. Cloth jumpsuit with high heeled, thigh high boots.
Like almost every model-turned-actress aside from Rene Russo, Cybill Shepherd has a narrow acting range. But she can be effective within that range. Were you in classic movies like THE LAST PICTURE SHOW or TAXI DRIVER? I know those were a long time ago, but she was also good on MOONLIGHTING and THE YELLOW ROSE. As for being attractive, she still looked yummy in her L'Oreal commercials...until they cancelled her contract. (I remember her swinging around in a black chair against a black background, wearing a white shirt. Wow. Most people just can't look like that.)
THIS SHOW SUCKED RIGHT FROM DAY ONE. FIRST OF ALL, THE THEME SONG WAS ATROCIOUS. HOW COULD ANYONE THINK THAT CYBIL SHEPHERD SOUND GOOD? SECOND OF ALL, CYBIL SHEPERD IS JUST NOT FUNNY! WHAT AN OLD AND TIRED HAG HAS-BEEN THAT NEVER WAS!
Cybill never really jumped, but came close. About the only thing that could have saved it was if Maryann and Cybill were in a story together where they surprised a burglar and were left bound to Cybill or Maryann's Kitchen Chairs, then were left gagged; They would have had to rescue each other: the resultant scene would have been hilarious, most especially if they would have had to cooperate, which they were apparently not too good at to begin with...
If I had to hire her for Hollywood part, as her role suggests, it would have been TAKE from the first episode. I guess that explains about the only place you can find it on reruns is Oxygen...another LOSER network that will be out of business in about six months...thank God Wall Street will dictate that....Put Cybill right up there with ENRON, two losers
This show was a rip off of Ab Fab from the start. C'mon Cybill Shepherd, does your ego really need to rip of the Brits to give your career a third wind?
Mid way thru the show when Cybil Shepard demanded to film without a tv audience. All spontaneity and energy was lost.
The first day. Hey, Moonlighting worked, so lets take the one that didn't go on to multimillion dollar movie roles and push them solo.. and make sure they have full creative control so they can turn up anyone else that looks like they can carry (steal) scenes, episodes, etc.
When Zoey and Cybil has this great big "oh we don't communicate good" talk and Zoey stats to act nicer all over. BORING!
I should think that the people who develop prime time network shows would have figured out by now that casting Cybil Shepherd in a show is a recipe for instant disaster. Her temper tantrums and petulant behavior led to Moonlighting's demise and yet the producers of Cybill continue to let her get away with it. Yes Cybil, Christine Baranski is a better actress than you and is twice as funny...so deal with it!
Cybill's nasal monotone alone is enough to bore me to tears. I caught a FEW episodes of this when a female friend I spent a lot of time with was into it--and that only because of Baranski--and rightfully so. Cybill couldn't walk Baranski's dog!!!!
This show never jumped. It was always very funny and very underrated. While I find Christine Baranski even funnier than Cybill, they are a great team and work quite well together. And I disagree with the person who said Cybill is talentless: I think she is a talented singer and actress, even if she can't outdo Maryann. I feel that Cybill and Maryann are a perfect pair on the show, and of course Alan Rosenberg doesn't hurt! The more of the show I watch, the more I like it. Everybody on this show was good, there is no way in my opinion it ever jumped!
This show jumped the shark any time Christine Baranski did not appear. When Maryann (C.B.) came on with her sloshed routine, it was the funny show it was supposed to be. When the show tried to accommodate Cybill Shepherd's real-life story with ex-husbands and kids (esp. smarmy Alicia Witt, who has rarely been heard from since), it was shark bait all the way!
I don't think this show ever jumped. While I have had a huge crush on Cybill Shepherd ever since I saw "The Last Picture Show". I have always enjoyed her sense of humor. The show did go a bit down hill when they focused on her singing. That was a waste of time. Her friend on the show, Mary Anne did wear some very sexy high heeled thigh boots on a few shows. TV should have another sitcom with two sexy babes that is funny. Unlike Hope and Faith.
i totally love watching cybill. every single episode i've seen i laugh til i cry because cybill and christine are so great together. i so far have 2 favorite episodes. 1 is when cybill sing to her new granddaughter the song sing memphis to me. the 2nd is when cybill was going through menopause
Any episode in which Cyb sings is, of course, difficult to work with. God knows I've tried, but after a second or so, one resorts to muting the volume and just watching her lips move. And is that really what I bought the Television for in the first place? No, it is not. The Maryanne/Ira pairing worked only as long as we could imagine that it MIGHT be a good idea, even though quasi-incestuous. Swapping this potential energy for schlock romantic situations (first date in a plane with lounge singer; first sleepover dressed in Bo Peep costume) mottled the Maryanne character, which had previously been the consistent, confident one that countered the insecurities of all the other characters.
CYBILL jumped from day one because the brilliant Christine Baranski as best friend Mary Ann was a much better actress than Shepherd and completely overshadowed her from day one. You can't have a show where the title character fades into the woodwork next to her co-stars and Cybill couldn't hold a candle to Christine Baranski, a brilliant farceur who deserves a sitcom of her own.
When Shawn and Zoe broke up it sunk. Cybill's a great actor, but Mary Ann held the show up for its 3-4 seasons. PLUS, she couldn't hold a job! But then again that was what the show was all about. :)
I loved this show's first season! Cybill was a motherly actress and the material was fresh and original. When she changed her hair from a tee-pee to a bubble, her show changed from funny and interesting to lame and pathetic. Relationships died everywhere: Cybill and Ira, Jeff and Teri, Shawn and Zoey, Ira and Holly, Mary Ann and the NEW Richard Thorpe. Also everything that happened in the first season didn't matter in the next two, Mary-Ann "divorces" from stalking Dr. Dick, but she still did it! Rachel had ANOTHER child! I most hated the gay waiter and when Jeff's grandma and Cybill long lost sister came the bell tolled, the fight was over, Cybill LOST! I despise when she became co-host on that 2nt rate talk show! Zoey's Italian pervert was the worst thing they could've done. If Mary Ann took over the show it would've done better. But I still loved the New York episode. speaking of New York, Mary Ann's parent are disgusting, vile and made the show look like trailer-trash. But I'll love the show, despite its many problems. I still blame the Cybill's hair for all this! :)