I was just wondering if anyone remembers the short lived tv show on ABC called "Free Spirit"? It was on in '89 or '90 and had Alysson Hannigan in it. It was a dad raising 3 kids and they had a witch for a nanny. I loved this show and it doesn't seem like anyone ever posted about that one lol. I only have 2 episodes of this show on tape when I taped it back then, and I would love to get more of this show on tape if anyone has it.
Also does anyone on here have Head of the class? I'm still looking for more episodes of that one too.
I have a bunch of short lived tv shows on tape like all of Baby Talk, alot of Phenom, Camp Wilder, On our own, Teen Angel, Brothers Keeper, all of Two of a kind and a bunch of others I'm forgetting lol.

Originally posted by musiclvr14
I was just wondering if anyone remembers the short lived tv show on ABC called "Free Spirit"? It was on in '89 or '90 and had Alysson Hannigan in it. It was a dad raising 3 kids and they had a witch for a nanny. I loved this show and it doesn't seem like anyone ever posted about that one lol. I only have 2 episodes of this show on tape when I taped it back then, and I would love to get more of this show on tape if anyone has it.
Also does anyone on here have Head of the class? I'm still looking for more episodes of that one too.
I have a bunch of short lived tv shows on tape like all of Baby Talk, alot of Phenom, Camp Wilder, On our own, Teen Angel, Brothers Keeper, all of Two of a kind and a bunch of others I'm forgetting lol.



The show was cancelled because it couldn't compete against DALLAS on FRiday night

Originally posted by Sitcom Analyzer
The show was cancelled because it couldn't compete against DALLAS on FRiday night
Aww that sucks, I was wondering why Free spirit got cancelled. Thanks for letting me know tho. Didn't they even try putting the show on Sun nights too, or am I just thinking of another show lol. Do you happen to have any episodes on tape of Free Spirit lol?

Originally posted by musiclvr14
Aww that sucks, I was wondering why Free spirit got cancelled. Thanks for letting me know tho. Didn't they even try putting the show on Sun nights too, or am I just thinking of another show lol. Do you happen to have any episodes on tape of Free Spirit lol?


Yeah when they put it on Sunday night at 8pm it couldn't compete with Murder She Wrote on CBS. NO i don't have that short-lived sitcom

Originally posted by Riff
Poor Corinne Bohrer. The last time I saw her, it was as second banana to Kirstie Alley in one of those confounded Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiier 1 ads. And she didn't even last long there...

Sure, everyone remembers "Free Spirit." But does anyone remember the show that came on after it, "Homeroom?" A solid hour of two of the worst comedies of all time featuring two of the best theme songs of all time.


Yeah Homeroom was actually YANKED before Free Spirit. Homeroom was pulled a week before Christmas

Originally posted by Riff
Well, yeah, Robert Iger was looking for something to snuff to make room for "America's Funniest Home Videos."

Which was about the only smart move he ever made. . . .

Well, he's been smarter in his personal life - I mean, he did marry Willow Bay, didn't he? :) (Is it just me, or does her name sound like a Miami resort?)

Anyway, I remember "Free Spirit," and brilliant TV it was not, but it wasn't as bad as some of the critics thought - some of them overreacted to the idea of "Bewitched" being resurrected from the grave and redone for a new audience. So it got dumped for "America's Funniest Home Videos" instead, and Bob Saget's career became unstoppable as a result. Gee, that's an improvement!

"Free Spirit" was struggling against "Dallas?" That series was already in its twilight years by 1989. And, it had long since jumped el tiburon ("the shark" in Spanish, for those who don't know). You'd think going against it then would be a cakewalk. Yeah, it's pretty hard not to feel sorry for Corrine Bohrer these days, isn't it?

Originally posted by Riff
Only the pilot aired opposite "Dallas." The regular time slots were opposite "Murder, She Wrote." The Halloween episode aired opposite "60 Minutes." Those were all old-skewing shows...

I'd forgotten that. Shows you how much I remember. Any sitcom would have had a tough time against "Murder, She Wrote" on Sunday nights. I always watched that show - and I was in my twenties! (I'm 38 now.)

And, I still watch "60 Minutes." :)

Originally posted by Riff
Poor Corinne Bohrer. The last time I saw her, it was as second banana to Kirstie Alley in one of those confounded Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiier 1 ads. And she didn't even last long there...

Sure, everyone remembers "Free Spirit." But does anyone remember the show that came on after it, "Homeroom?" A solid hour of two of the worst comedies of all time featuring two of the best theme songs of all time.


Can you, or anyone, tell me more about "Homeroom"? I was 8 when it ran on the air, and all I remember is the fantastic themesong which I've since downloaded.

It's available at:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/sounds/homeroom.wav

Yeah when they put it on Sunday night at 8pm it couldn't compete with Murder She Wrote on CBS.


More like it couldn't compete with "The Simpsons". That's why it was cancelled they say, because it went up against "The Simpsons" and had no hope to compete with that. Both of these shows aired at 8:00 Sunday night, but in 1990 Fox moved "The Simpsons" to Thursday nights, but then in 1994 it went back to Sunday nights.

Anyway, I ADORED this show when I was a kid. I loved it to so much, and was so sad when it was gone. I still have vivid memories of watching it, and you can get the series from a fan who made a set at ioffer.com (no I'm not the one who made it, lol). And a couple of episodes are on YouTube, too. It's so great to see this show again!

I'm 49 now, I still watch "60 Minutes,"and, alas, Corinne Bohrer is still the answer to a trivia question.

I remember Free Spirit. I watched it because Corinne Bohrer was in it. Franc Luz played the dad, he popped up in a couple of 80's horror flicks- Ghost Town, and The Nest.

I remember watching the show when it originally aired, it was okay and certainly no Bewitched.

I remember watching the show when it originally aired, it was okay and certainly no Bewitched.

People magazine said of it, "Just what we need - 'Bewitched' redux." It wasn't meant as a compliment. :eek:

I had a big crush on Corinne Bohrer when this show was on!

Speaking of Corinne Bohrer, I'd never heard of her until recently. All of these years every time I saw her on TV I thought it was Olivia d'Abo. They look a lot alike!


http://st.kp.yandex.net/images/actor_iphone/iphone360_15022.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Olivia_d'Abo_2010.jpg

I had a big crush on Corinne Bohrer when this show was on!

She was cute, yes . . .. :)

If you can appreciate a show for being so bad it's kinda good, this was Free Spirit. Corinne was indeed cute...her quirky personality for Winny really helped :)

I recently obtained all 13 episodes (the theme will get stuck in your head for days). There was a 14th unaired episode I'd love to see someday if it's out there..

Just noticed for anyone interested. A script of the Pilot is currently on Ebay for cheap.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=400789154909&alt=web

I present from a gracious youtube person.......the UNAIRED EPISODE of Free Spirit. everyone grab while you can, I did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkBp7Z3Pp64&list=PLW-9eI7jzrVQrYN_YY7SHo_q2oiz-jcNX&index=7

I present from a gracious youtube person.......the UNAIRED EPISODE of Free Spirit. everyone grab while you can, I did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkBp7Z3Pp64&list=PLW-9eI7jzrVQrYN_YY7SHo_q2oiz-jcNX&index=7

What? There was only one unaired episode of "Free Spirit," and ABC didn't have the decency to air it, or "burn it off," over the summer after the season?

Yah, only one. I have no idea where this copy came from there's rumors it may have aired in Canada or maybe it wasnt pre-emptied in all areas? No idea, I just suggest everybody to grab a copy using keepvid

Yah, only one. I have no idea where this copy came from there's rumors it may have aired in Canada or maybe it wasnt pre-emptied in all areas? No idea, I just suggest everybody to grab a copy using keepvid

Well, it should have been aired anyway.

I have an episode of Free Spirit and Homeroom from its original ABC broadcast (9-24-1989) if anyone's interested. It's WOC!

I have an episode of Free Spirit and Homeroom from its original ABC broadcast (9-24-1989) if anyone's interested. It's WOC!

:)

Yeah for some reason I remember that show, or at least I remember seeing commercials for it. Because I never actually watched an episode of it.

Ed.

Yeah for some reason I remember that show, or at least I remember seeing commercials for it. Because I never actually watched an episode of it.

Ed.

I watched part of one.

If you can appreciate a show for being so bad it's kinda good, this was Free Spirit.

I disagree. On the "bad" part, I mean. It had cheesy special effects, which are part of its charm, and Alyson Hannigan's acting was still pretty raw, but Corinne "made" this show. She was so engaging and lovable.

Hey guys, check out how Winnie the witch absolutely bowled over this skeptic dude:

http://www.platypuscomix.net/darkvault/freespirit.html

It's Halloween season! pumpkin: The perfect time to watch "Free Spirit"! :)

https://anchor.fm/thatwasashow/episodes/Free-Spirit---or-Witch-Nanny--Featuring-young-Alyson-Hannigan-e1ipgug

Free Spirit (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Spirit_(TV_series)) WAS a show. A single dad struggles to balance his at-home law practice with raising three kids. When his youngest son casually wishes for someone who’ll pay more attention to him, a witch named Winnie literally drops from the sky into their lives. Dad doesn’t know she’s a supernatural being and hires her as a housekeeper, nanny, mother figure, and possibly a love interest? Yikes is right! Winnie is magic, and can make pretty much anything appear on command. But can she charm her way into this family’s hearts? Obviously yes. Oh, and Alyson Hannigan plays the middle child—and proto-Meg Griffin type—in one of her first roles ever. Brynn, Aaron and Barry conjure up some theories as to why this 1989 trope-fest was quickly made to disappear.

A teacher at my middle school had some kind of hookup and was always flush with posters and other pop culture items. He gave my friend a Free Spirit poster. I still remember it hanging in her bedroom.

I vaguely remember crushing on Corinne Bohrer:

277481

Episode 344--Free Spirit (https://www.itwasathingontv.com/e/episode-344-free-spirit/)

Free Spirit got its first exposure on the premiere of the TGIF block. It was then placed on another night, where it was replaced by a show which has been on for over 30 years. Was this show with a witch cursed? Possibly. But it gave us one of our favorites, Alyson Hannigan.

ONE SEASON WONDERS: Free Spirit (https://benjamonsterstv.blogspot.com/2021/10/one-season-wonders-free-spirit.html)

Brief Pilot Review:

Whew, this was a chore to get through and it was only 23 minutes long. The show was a 1960s sitcom masquerading as a 1980s sitcom. The problems is 60s sitcoms could get away with it because, despite their ridiculous premises, they were often full of charm. This series had none of the charm and all of the goofy and gimmicky plot devices that would come with a show about a witch being a housekeeper for a typical family. It also tried way too hard to be a sweet "aww" family sitcom (there was one hilariously bad line towards the end of the episode when Winnie encouraged Thomas that he should be more child-like). It should have embraced its campiness instead and it might have worked a little better.

None of the actors were good here but some were worse than others. The most notable problem was Franc Luz, who didn't have a charismatic bone in his body and had just terrible line delivery. Not a single line he said in the whole pilot rang true. But he was far from the only problem. The kids were typical sitcom kids of the era (even future star Alyson Hannigan didn't make much of an impression). Corinne Bohrer had a bunch of energy but she was a pretty obnoxious character. In a sitcom with better writing or better supporting characters, she may have worked but she didn't here. This was a complete miss.

What Went Wrong:

Free Spirit (https://www.google.com/search?q=%22Free+Spirit%22+ABC+1989&sca_esv=f0f6d5f05aa680dc&sca_upv=1&biw=1600&bih=773&tbs=bkt%3As&tbm=bks&sxsrf=ACQVn0_Qnszu9Qwhz9wsGc0KgRUyYBsvMg%3A1712568346046&ei=GrgTZsWpAt23wN4P8Ja10As&ved=0ahUKEwjFnq2fprKFAxXdG9AFHXBLDbo4ChDh1QMICg&uact=5&oq=%22Free+Spirit%22+ABC+1989&gs_lp=Eg1nd3Mtd2l6LWJvb2tzIhYiRnJlZSBTcGlyaXQiIEFCQyAxOTg5SP8nUABYgiZwAXgAkAEAmAG6A6ABox2qAQowLjE5LjIuMC4xuAEDyAEA-AEBmAINoAK6E6gCAMICBRAAGIAEmAMHkgcKMC4xMS4xLjAuMaAHpzI&sclient=gws-wiz-books) was one of six new comedies that ABC debuted in the Fall of 1989. Two of them - Family Matters and Doogie Howser M.D. - went on to long runs, but the rest were one and done. Free Spirit got a preview episode after Perfect Strangers on the first ever night of TGIF but its permanent spot was Sundays at 8pm sandwiched between two other new shows (Drama Life Goes On at 7pm and comedy Homeroom at 8:30pm. This was an attempt by ABC to get a fresh start on Sunday nights and to compete against CBS's potent 60 Minutes/Murder, She Wrote combo with shows that appealed to a younger crowd.

The entire lineup struggled in the ratings but Life Goes On had the benefit of getting some critical attention whereas the 8pm comedy hour was trashed by critics. Free Spirit lasted just a couple weeks longer than Homeroom but was off the air in January. ABC meanwhile found much bigger success on Sundays starting in January with the show that replaced Free Spirit as America's Funniest Home Videos became an instant megahit and is of course still on the air today. Despite the failure of Free Spirit, networks have continued to try magical themed comedies from time to time primarily with youth-powered lineups. Corinne Bohrer starred in several more failed sitcoms in the 1990s and of course Alyson Hannigan went on to have a very successful film and TV career.