Hooperman Boned the Fish When... - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 09-30-2013, 04:53 PM

http://www.bonethefish.com/viewtopics.php?3867

Quote:

Hooperman is a U.S. television series starring John Ritter. It ran for two seasons on ABC, from 1987 to 1989. A comedy drama, the series was created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher who were the team responsible for creating L.A. Law. Ritter played San Francisco plainclothes police officer Harry Hooperman. In the first episode, Hooperman inherits the rundown apartment building he lives in when his elderly landlady is killed. He also inherits her temperamental pet Jack Russell terrier, Bijoux. Due to the demands of his job as a police officer, he hires Susan Smith (played by Debrah Farentino) to be the building manager, and the pair become romantically involved.

Mr. Television · 10-08-2013, 07:34 PM

Never. It was a good show all the way through. I think the show would have worked better as an hour Police Drama though.

TMC · 02-24-2014, 08:06 PM

https://web.archive.org/web/20070225...ptheshark.com/

Other Thoughts:

Hooperman was a really smart show staring John Ritter. I really miss it. Although, it was on so long ago and for such a short period of time, I remember very little about it.
The first episode when the dog was the Eyewitness!
great line from show. can't remember who said it and who responded. guy one: that's total crap! guy 2: i know but it's the only clean shirt i got. what great writing!
Was that dog as the eyewitness episode really the first one? If so, the show sucked after that. In fact, that was the only really good episode. He tries to get the dog to testify at the guy's trial who was accused of killing some old bat. There was much controversy over whether this should be allowed. He puts the dog up on the stand and says the dog will bark at the man who killed his mama. The dog starts going wacko on the guy and the guy keeps insisting that the dog is wrong, the dog is wrong. Hooperman says "This dog saw you kill Mrs. whatever," and the idiot criminal says, "Well, maybe I should've killed the dog too." Hooperman sits down with a look of relieved shock on his face. Classic stuff! Ritter rules, too bad he can't get a job anymore.
You know, I can't remember exactly when it jumped -- only that, when it did, it tumbled. It started out great. I used to rush home from wherever I was to catch "Hooperman." It walked the tightrope between comedy and drama quite appealingly, and John Ritter -- easily one of television's most under-rated actors -- did a terrific job. Then, all of a sudden, "Hooperman" as I knew it was gone. The same thing happened to "L.A. Law." At first, the program took daring chances, but, almost imperceptibly, it began its long slide. It's hard not to look to Steven Bochco and (I believe) Terry Louise Fisher, who created both.
As a child raised on the television, I feel very strongly that Hooperman stands alone as the finest show of the 1980's, outshining even Matlock and The Facts of Life. John Ritter really had the perfect opportunity to showcase his talents as a witty comedian with a soft side in his role as the good guy cop. Due to it's very short run, the show never jumped the shark. It had some very fine moments indeed; my favorite being where Hooperman convinces a would be suicide jumper to leave his perch by demonstrating what the impact on the human body would be by using a watermelon as an example. I think this is entertainment industry's best effort in dealing with suicidal jumpers, besting even Mel Gibson's madman tactics in Lethal Weapon. I know of one person in particular who claims that she did not go and jump because of that watermelon. The show could be funny: when Hoop tries to persuade his love interest to make business by claiming he suffers from halitosis. The show could be scary: when the convict who cut off his middle finger and mailed it to Hoop gets released from the big house. And most touchingly, the show could be poignant: when the star from Breaking Away chronicled his tale of the not so fun laundry trip while in prison. I've seen that other viewers think the show jumped in the first episode where Bijou the Jack Russel triumphs as the witness, but the program went on to have many wonderful moments. I am still waiting for Hooperman to come out on DVD. God Bless.......
NEVER JUMPED...Excellent show that had great stories and characters....I never did understand why it was canceled....It was the only time I have ever seen John Ritter not acting like an idiot on a show....He was really very good on this one.
This was an outstanding show. Ritter was the best I've ever seen him. Just seemed like the network and viewers didn't know what to do with a half-hour drama.
Never jumped! I especially liked the episode where Hooperman was kidnapped by a guy claiming to be the devil. This was the coolest show> Of course, like most quality programming, it was cancelled far too soon
HOOPERMAN STICKS HIS HEAD IN THE TOILET! At least that's what the preview stated. I was looking forward to a hilarious scene where John Ritter shoves his noggin squarely into the abysmal depths of the poopot. But I was extremely disappointed when he stuck his head not in the toilet bowl, but in the toilet tank. Wow. How daring.
HOOPERMAN was a superb show, and one of the few shows that I remember fondly during the 80's. I really, REALLY liked this show, and Hooperman had that suave sensitivity that made his character very charming. Unfortunately, if memory serves, the show started dying after the lead actress got pregnant and ended up leaving the series. (I forget how it was handled in the series, but it must have been ultimately unsatisfying given all the emotional investment the viewers had to make for the first season.) Without the relationship, the show lost its compass. Still, I give the show a lot of credit for doing its damnest to pave another path. The last episode I remember had Hooperman's conscience prodding him into another relationship. It might've been interesting to see what the show could have become, though I doubt the conscience angle would have lasted more than a couple episodes. Anyways, a great show undermined by fertility. Drat the vagina!
Although John Ritter blossomed as one of the greatest physical comedians of his generation on Three's Company, Hooperman is the program that I think showcased his versatility as a serious actor. It was exceptionally well written, as are most of Steven Bochco's shows, the plots were believable, and Ritter brought a certain endearing vulnerability to the role of a police detective who inherits a run down apartment building and a cranky lapdog. Most of the people who have eulogized Ritter here and elsewhere invariably mention either Three's Company or Eight Simple Rules, but in my opinion Hooperman stands out as his best work. Thanks John...and rest in peace.

cjs123 · 07-29-2014, 11:53 PM

I'd like to see this show again. I remember next to nothing about it except the end of one episode, but I do recall thinking it was a different show (in a good way).

I never got into Three's Company and wasn't a fan of John Ritter's later characters (not sure why), but I did like him in this.

View Poll Results: Boned When...
Never Boned	2	100.00%
Day 1	0	0%
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10-08-2013, 07:34 PM	#2
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,127	Never. It was a good show all the way through. I think the show would have worked better as an hour Police Drama though.
	__________________ Sonny

02-24-2014, 08:06 PM	#3
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,856	https://web.archive.org/web/20070225...ptheshark.com/ Other Thoughts: Hooperman was a really smart show staring John Ritter. I really miss it. Although, it was on so long ago and for such a short period of time, I remember very little about it. The first episode when the dog was the Eyewitness! great line from show. can't remember who said it and who responded. guy one: that's total crap! guy 2: i know but it's the only clean shirt i got. what great writing! Was that dog as the eyewitness episode really the first one? If so, the show sucked after that. In fact, that was the only really good episode. He tries to get the dog to testify at the guy's trial who was accused of killing some old bat. There was much controversy over whether this should be allowed. He puts the dog up on the stand and says the dog will bark at the man who killed his mama. The dog starts going wacko on the guy and the guy keeps insisting that the dog is wrong, the dog is wrong. Hooperman says "This dog saw you kill Mrs. whatever," and the idiot criminal says, "Well, maybe I should've killed the dog too." Hooperman sits down with a look of relieved shock on his face. Classic stuff! Ritter rules, too bad he can't get a job anymore. You know, I can't remember exactly when it jumped -- only that, when it did, it tumbled. It started out great. I used to rush home from wherever I was to catch "Hooperman." It walked the tightrope between comedy and drama quite appealingly, and John Ritter -- easily one of television's most under-rated actors -- did a terrific job. Then, all of a sudden, "Hooperman" as I knew it was gone. The same thing happened to "L.A. Law." At first, the program took daring chances, but, almost imperceptibly, it began its long slide. It's hard not to look to Steven Bochco and (I believe) Terry Louise Fisher, who created both. As a child raised on the television, I feel very strongly that Hooperman stands alone as the finest show of the 1980's, outshining even Matlock and The Facts of Life. John Ritter really had the perfect opportunity to showcase his talents as a witty comedian with a soft side in his role as the good guy cop. Due to it's very short run, the show never jumped the shark. It had some very fine moments indeed; my favorite being where Hooperman convinces a would be suicide jumper to leave his perch by demonstrating what the impact on the human body would be by using a watermelon as an example. I think this is entertainment industry's best effort in dealing with suicidal jumpers, besting even Mel Gibson's madman tactics in Lethal Weapon. I know of one person in particular who claims that she did not go and jump because of that watermelon. The show could be funny: when Hoop tries to persuade his love interest to make business by claiming he suffers from halitosis. The show could be scary: when the convict who cut off his middle finger and mailed it to Hoop gets released from the big house. And most touchingly, the show could be poignant: when the star from Breaking Away chronicled his tale of the not so fun laundry trip while in prison. I've seen that other viewers think the show jumped in the first episode where Bijou the Jack Russel triumphs as the witness, but the program went on to have many wonderful moments. I am still waiting for Hooperman to come out on DVD. God Bless....... NEVER JUMPED...Excellent show that had great stories and characters....I never did understand why it was canceled....It was the only time I have ever seen John Ritter not acting like an idiot on a show....He was really very good on this one. This was an outstanding show. Ritter was the best I've ever seen him. Just seemed like the network and viewers didn't know what to do with a half-hour drama. Never jumped! I especially liked the episode where Hooperman was kidnapped by a guy claiming to be the devil. This was the coolest show> Of course, like most quality programming, it was cancelled far too soon HOOPERMAN STICKS HIS HEAD IN THE TOILET! At least that's what the preview stated. I was looking forward to a hilarious scene where John Ritter shoves his noggin squarely into the abysmal depths of the poopot. But I was extremely disappointed when he stuck his head not in the toilet bowl, but in the toilet tank. Wow. How daring. HOOPERMAN was a superb show, and one of the few shows that I remember fondly during the 80's. I really, REALLY liked this show, and Hooperman had that suave sensitivity that made his character very charming. Unfortunately, if memory serves, the show started dying after the lead actress got pregnant and ended up leaving the series. (I forget how it was handled in the series, but it must have been ultimately unsatisfying given all the emotional investment the viewers had to make for the first season.) Without the relationship, the show lost its compass. Still, I give the show a lot of credit for doing its damnest to pave another path. The last episode I remember had Hooperman's conscience prodding him into another relationship. It might've been interesting to see what the show could have become, though I doubt the conscience angle would have lasted more than a couple episodes. Anyways, a great show undermined by fertility. Drat the vagina! Although John Ritter blossomed as one of the greatest physical comedians of his generation on Three's Company, Hooperman is the program that I think showcased his versatility as a serious actor. It was exceptionally well written, as are most of Steven Bochco's shows, the plots were believable, and Ritter brought a certain endearing vulnerability to the role of a police detective who inherits a run down apartment building and a cranky lapdog. Most of the people who have eulogized Ritter here and elsewhere invariably mention either Three's Company or Eight Simple Rules, but in my opinion Hooperman stands out as his best work. Thanks John...and rest in peace.

07-29-2014, 11:53 PM	#4
cjs123 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 28, 2014 Posts: 5	I'd like to see this show again. I remember next to nothing about it except the end of one episode, but I do recall thinking it was a different show (in a good way). I never got into Three's Company and wasn't a fan of John Ritter's later characters (not sure why), but I did like him in this.