I think it was an idea that must have looked great on paper, but the execution was lousy. Maureen McCormick had just given birth and was dealing with other issues, so Leah Ayres Kalish stepped into her shoes. People just didn't cotton to a new Marcia (and Leah did the best she could in a bad situation). Then you had Bob Reed, who was ill and no one really knew it at the time. A later time slot and different writers probably would've helped. Sherwood Schwartz's bread and butter is sitcoms, NOT drama.
|