The episodes that centered on Julie were some of the best of the series: the runaways, the older man, the religious episode, etc. When Mackenzie was fired the show jumped the shark bigtime.

The episodes that centered on Julie were some of the best of the series: the runaways, the older man, the religious episode, etc. When Mackenzie was fired the show jumped the shark bigtime.

A agree with Julie being a great character for the show. ;) And eps that centered around her tended to be really good!, like The Runaways! ;) But I don't agree with when Julie left the show it jumped the shark, because my favorite character Max was still there! :) :heart:

Some of the best eps were Julie AND Max focused eps.! ;)

Julie's wedding
Home again, home again
Julie shows up
The miracle of birth
Etc.

I think the first four seasons are the best, but not because of Julie, I just believe the series was strongest during it's first four years. By season five it was still a decent show but the tread on the tires was starting to wear.

After I receive the DVD set, I plan to watch all episodes of seasons 2, 3 and 4. Season 1 I've already watched from the Sony DVD set. Seasons 5 thru 9 I don't know if I want to watch all the episodes. I'll probably start with my favorites and go from there.

I think the first four seasons are the best, but not because of Julie, I just believe the series was strongest during it's first four years. By season five it was still a decent show but the tread on the tires was starting to wear.

After I receive the DVD set, I plan to watch all episodes of seasons 2, 3 and 4. Season 1 I've already watched from the Sony DVD set. Seasons 5 thru 9 I don't know if I want to watch all the episodes. I'll probably start with my favorites and go from there.

I agree that the first 4 seasons were the best. They are definitely my favorite. After that, both girls were out of high school, and it wasn't the same. I liked it best when it was Ann and the girls living together with them being teenagers. Episodes from seasons 1-4 can be watched over and over again. The later season episodes weren't nearly as quality.

NO! Season 5, 7 , 8 and 9 were the best, and THAT IS THE TRUTH! ;) CASE CLOSED!!!!!;) :crazy: :lol:

I agree that the first 4 seasons were the best. They are definitely my favorite. After that, both girls were out of high school, and it wasn't the same. I liked it best when it was Ann and the girls living together with them being teenagers. Episodes from seasons 1-4 can be watched over and over again. The later season episodes weren't nearly as quality.

Seasons 5-9 are basically a transition from seasons 1-4. Ann's daughters were maturing into young women, Julie got married, Barbara got married, Ann eventually hooked up with Sam, Alex was thrown into the mix too and got in Ann's hair for awhile :lol:. Shelley Fabares is pretty but I don't care much for her character in the show. Seasons 5-9 are a mixed bag, some good episodes, some not so good. Can't say the same about seasons 1-4, almost every episode is good, maybe a few on the weaker side but not many.

Seasons 5-9 are basically a transition from seasons 1-4. Ann's daughters were maturing into young women, Julie got married, Barbara got married, Ann eventually hooked up with Sam, Alex was thrown into the mix too and got in Ann's hair for awhile :lol:. Shelley Fabares is pretty but I don't care much for her character in the show. Seasons 5-9 are a mixed bag, some good episodes, some not so good. Can't say the same about seasons 1-4, almost every episode is good, maybe a few on the weaker side but not many.

I concur. I liked Ed's character, and he is nonexistent after season 4 except for Barbara's wedding. I wish they had featured Ed and Vicki more, at least acknowledged that the girls still had a father!! I always thought it would have been neat to let Ed and Vicki have a child, let Julie and Barbara have a much younger sibling. This could have made for some good episodes.

I actually prefer the Barbara centric episodes. In the early years before Phillips was booted, the show seemed to favor Julie unfortunately.

I concur. I liked Ed's character, and he is nonexistent after season 4 except for Barbara's wedding. I wish they had featured Ed and Vicki more, at least acknowledged that the girls still had a father!! I always thought it would have been neat to let Ed and Vicki have a child, let Julie and Barbara have a much younger sibling. This could have made for some good episodes.

I wonder why they never pursued that angle. It would have been interesting. :wave:

NO! Season 5, 7 , 8 and 9 were the best, and THAT IS THE TRUTH! ;) CASE CLOSED!!!!!;) :crazy: :lol:

I definitely will skip to the Maxcentric ones right away. :wave:

I also wish they had done a multi-part episode where Julie and/or Barbara gets mad at Ann and goes to live with Ed. I wish we had actually seen Logansport and their old house and maybe some old friends. So many missed opportunities.

I also wish they had done a multi-part episode where Julie and/or Barbara gets mad at Ann and goes to live with Ed. I wish we had actually seen Logansport and their old house and maybe some old friends. So many missed opportunities.

Do you watch Reba? They did a wonderful job incorporating her ex husband and his new family mixing with the first one.

I also wish they had done a multi-part episode where Julie and/or Barbara gets mad at Ann and goes to live with Ed. I wish we had actually seen Logansport and their old house and maybe some old friends. So many missed opportunities.

Yes! That would have been cool! ;) And if they had done an ep. when the girls were actually little. Have two little girl actresses play little Julie and Barbara! :) And have Ed and Ann look younger and do a flash back ep.!

Yes! That would have been cool! ;) And if they had done an ep. when the girls were actually little. Have two little girl actresses play little Julie and Barbara! :) And have Ed and Ann look younger and do a flash back ep.!

Yes, that would have been great!! I always wanted to know more about the 17 years that Ed and Ann spent together and see some of what their life was like in Logansport with Julie and Barbara little.

Do you watch Reba? They did a wonderful job incorporating her ex husband and his new family mixing with the first one.

I don't watch Reba, but yes, letting Ed have another kid would have made for some interesting episodes.

Mack is (not was) an excellent actress and if she only didn't lose her way we might have gotten some more great ODAAT and other work out of her.

But now she's well,happy, and helping and counseling others, which is better than any TV or film role.

We could have gotten a spin-off - Val even says in her first book there was Talk when Mack returned but it didn't happen for various reasons (paraphrasing here) - but let's face it, CBS and Embassy wouldn't have taken the risk due to what ended up happening - Mack's relapse - but elements of the spin-off idea clearly formed the basis for late season 8 and season 9 - the couples sharing the house. Season 9 is basically two separate but interconnected shows.

You know, has anyone figured out which episode it was they didn't complete as written due to Mac's relapse/quit/firing (Would have been the "4th Episode" Shot) - they must have salvaged the basic plot and used it later without her.

But Mack did some really good work in the first 3 seasons - but season 4 is where slowly the start of the "issues" from off camera creep in. Was Micheal Lembeck brought in on season 5 not only to play her husband, but to give the character "support" that creatively the other characters couldn't and try to cover Mack's declining health?