Agreeing with TV Researcher

[GSU2004]

I had the chance to see some episodes of this short lived show. The concept did have some potential but Clifton Davis should have never been casted for this show. I think Ernest Thomas from Whats Happening would have made a better fit for this show. Ted Lange's character reminded me alot of JJ from Good Times and they tried to emulate the scene stealing gimmick that worked with JJ but it was really only so much he could do work around the boringness of Clifton Davis.

I am not sure how the series was scheduled during the original run but the cast changes on a frequent basis is never a good sign of a sitcoms standing. They changed the theme three times during the entire run. Earl was replaced by a different actor on episode three and this is where the second change to the opening occured.

Many of my colleagues tell me that this was ABC's answer to both Good Times and Sanford and Son.

Any thoughts?

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by GSU2004

I had the chance to see some episodes of this short lived show. The concept did have some potential but Clifton Davis should have never been casted for this show. I think Ernest Thomas from Whats Happening would have made a better fit for this show. Ted Lange's character reminded me alot of JJ from Good Times and they tried to emulate the scene stealing gimmick that worked with JJ but it was really only so much he could do work around the boringness of Clifton Davis.

I am not sure how the series was scheduled during the original run but the cast changes on a frequent basis is never a good sign of a sitcoms standing. They changed the theme three times during the entire run. Earl was replaced by a different actor on episode three and this is where the second change to the opening occured.

Many of my colleagues tell me that this was ABC's answer to both Good Times and Sanford and Son.

Any thoughts?

It sure look like it was ABC's answer to those shows-lol I think the mother should have been Esther Rolle and the Guy who played MAD DOG on Good times should have been the son

[GSU2004]

Originally Posted by TVResearcher

It sure look like it was ABC's answer to those shows-lol I think the mother should have been Esther Rolle and the Guy who played MAD DOG on Good times should have been the son

Esther Rolle like Mabel King would have never signed on to do such a series. TMM was more aimed at bringing in strictly the laughs as Good Times tried to tackle issues and King fought for Whats Happening to have more serious storylines on ocassion. Nevertheless, Maddog would have been a good addition to this show.

What was the competition for this show? I know ABC wasn't foolish enough to put it against Sanford and Son.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by GSU2004

Esther Rolle like Mabel King would have never signed on to do such a series. TMM was more aimed at bringing in strictly the laughs as Good Times tried to tackle issues and King fought for Whats Happening to have more serious storylines on ocassion. Nevertheless, Maddog would have been a good addition to this show.

What was the competition for this show? I know ABC wasn't foolish enough to put it against Sanford and Son.

That's my Mama could not compete with Tony orlando and Dawn on Wednesday Nights

[jamesanthony]

I was very young when this show originally aired so even though I know I saw it I don't remember it (although I do recall a joke or two). Random thoughts: the premise is not bad but Clifton Davis is an annoying actor of mediocre caliber- for that reason I think they intentionally cast other mediocre actors around him to subtract attention from this. About halfway through the first episode I concluded that this show wasn't very good.

This show could have been a lot better than it was. Having watched 1/2 the shows on the season one DVD I'd say this series is only slightly above a Tyler Perry play- it even has a similar sort of vibe to it. I'm not surprised it only last 39 shows although it is curious that it has a following now. Ted Lange comes off as a real weirdo in his role as the town gossip (maybe you had to have been there in the 70s to "get" his character), Theresa Merritt doesn't look anything like her children, Lynne Moody is very cute but her character lacks development badly and that dork she's married to drags down her character badly- the first actor to play him had a very strange way of reciting his lines but he brought more fire to that part and was more the type of man a woman like Tracey would've been passionately in love with. Saddling her with that dork made her character seem stupid. The only good actors in the whole affair were the two who played Earl (Ed Bernard was a good actor- I wonder why they replaced him with Teddy Wilson who appeared as a different character just two shows prior- at least one show has Ed in the closing credits while Teddy plays Earl in the actual episode). Teddy could act, but this show basically handicapped him badly- also he is way older than Clifton Davis and this age difference isn't explained at least not in the episodes I've seen so far.

To make this show better I would not have made it a vehicle for Clifton Davis- cast Ed Bernard as the lead and a different actress as the mother.
Comparing this to the Norman Lear 70s AA sitcoms those shows had much better acting and in most cases writing (even Good Times at its worst was more enjoyable than this). It's too bad because like I said before there was potential in this show to be just as good as those other series but above all else I blame Clifton Davis for bringing the show down.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by jamesanthony

I was very young when this show originally aired so even though I know I saw it I don't remember it (although I do recall a joke or two). Random thoughts: the premise is not bad but Clifton Davis is an annoying actor of mediocre caliber- for that reason I think they intentionally cast other mediocre actors around him to subtract attention from this. About halfway through the first episode I concluded that this show wasn't very good.

This show could have been a lot better than it was. Having watched 1/2 the shows on the season one DVD I'd say this series is only slightly above a Tyler Perry play- it even has a similar sort of vibe to it. I'm not surprised it only last 39 shows although it is curious that it has a following now. Ted Lange comes off as a real weirdo in his role as the town gossip (maybe you had to have been there in the 70s to "get" his character), Theresa Merritt doesn't look anything like her children, Lynne Moody is very cute but her character lacks development badly and that dork she's married to drags down her character badly- the first actor to play him had a very strange way of reciting his lines but he brought more fire to that part and was more the type of man a woman like Tracey would've been passionately in love with. Saddling her with that dork made her character seem stupid. The only good actors in the whole affair were the two who played Earl (Ed Bernard was a good actor- I wonder why they replaced him with Teddy Wilson who appeared as a different character just two shows prior- at least one show has Ed in the closing credits while Teddy plays Earl in the actual episode). Teddy could act, but this show basically handicapped him badly- also he is way older than Clifton Davis and this age difference isn't explained at least not in the episodes I've seen so far.

To make this show better I would not have made it a vehicle for Clifton Davis- cast Ed Bernard as the lead and a different actress as the mother.
Comparing this to the Norman Lear 70s AA sitcoms those shows had much better acting and in most cases writing (even Good Times at its worst was more enjoyable than this). It's too bad because like I said before there was potential in this show to be just as good as those other series but above all else I blame Clifton Davis for bringing the show down.

I agree the show was crap but I still think it's more watchable than


Season 5 of Good Times
Season 6 of Sanford and Son


BTW: The entrance in a room by the Junior Character was the ONLY HIGHLIGHT of the show-lol If it wasn't for that, i would have never watched all 39 eps. That was the only thing to look forward to in each episode

[jamesanthony]

Originally Posted by TVResearcher

I agree the show was crap but I still think it's more watchable than


Season 5 of Good Times
Season 6 of Sanford and Son


BTW: The entrance in a room by the Junior Character was the ONLY HIGHLIGHT of the show-lol If it wasn't for that, i would have never watched all 39 eps. That was the only thing to look forward to in each episode

I'm not sure what to make of Ted Lange in this series- he is probably the most noteable character and as I watched more episodes I noticed that they gave him more screen time, but something about the way he says his lines seems so strange to me and his behavior is just weird like he was supposed to be high or something. He is better here than he was on Love Boat though (which isn't saying much really). This show had the same type of production values as the Norman Lear shows, What's Happening etc (videotaped on one main set, studio audience, no outdoor scenes etc), but this show just has a cheap lowdown quality to it like its one step above a chitlin circuit production. What's Happening wasn't trying to make any deep social statement but it was a much more entertaining series than this show. Did it get worse or better in the second year?

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by jamesanthony

I'm not sure what to make of Ted Lange in this series- he is probably the most noteable character and as I watched more episodes I noticed that they gave him more screen time, but something about the way he says his lines seems so strange to me and his behavior is just weird like he was supposed to be high or something. He is better here than he was on Love Boat though (which isn't saying much really). This show had the same type of production values as the Norman Lear shows, What's Happening etc (videotaped on one main set, studio audience, no outdoor scenes etc), but this show just has a cheap lowdown quality to it like its one step above a chitlin circuit production. What's Happening wasn't trying to make any deep social statement but it was a much more entertaining series than this show. Did it get worse or better in the second year?

It got Worse in my opinion. I expected season 1 to be GOOD the way the TV guide critic praised the show

[jamesanthony]

Originally Posted by TVResearcher

It got Worse in my opinion. I expected season 1 to be GOOD the way the TV guide critic praised the show

I guess that explains why it got cancelled. I like Joan Pringle as an actress more than Lynne Moody, but she seemed wrong for that role - for one thing she looks older than Clifton Davis and for another if they kept the same actor as the brother-in-law there is no way that someone as poised and intelligent appearing as Joan Pringle would be married to someone as dorky as that dude.

I did somewhat enjoy the episodes from towards the end of the first year dvd- maybe because by then I had accepted the show for what it was. The one with the little boy who kept running away, the one where the brother-in-law was arrested and the one with the rich dude that was going to commit suicide. In the one where the brother-in-law is arrested I liked the Lady Marmalade reference (that song was just out at the time that episode was produced). There's also a late season one show where Ted Lange shows up in an african gown. I think that that type of character was original, but like virtually everyone else in the show they needed a different actor to really bring it home. I still say that Clifton Davis ruined what could've been a classic 70s series.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by jamesanthony

I guess that explains why it got cancelled. I like Joan Pringle as an actress more than Lynne Moody, but she seemed wrong for that role - for one thing she looks older than Clifton Davis and for another if they kept the same actor as the brother-in-law there is no way that someone as poised and intelligent appearing as Joan Pringle would be married to someone as dorky as that dude.

I did somewhat enjoy the episodes from towards the end of the first year dvd- maybe because by then I had accepted the show for what it was. The one with the little boy who kept running away, the one where the brother-in-law was arrested and the one with the rich dude that was going to commit suicide. In the one where the brother-in-law is arrested I liked the Lady Marmalade reference (that song was just out at the time that episode was produced). There's also a late season one show where Ted Lange shows up in an african gown. I think that that type of character was original, but like virtually everyone else in the show they needed a different actor to really bring it home. I still say that Clifton Davis ruined what could've been a classic 70s series.

The show was WATCHABLE when the scenes were in the Barbershop and UNWATCHABLE when they were out the Barbershop