Soap or Benson

[340wedge]

Benson! I liked the first two seasons of Soap but Benson was and is my all time favorite sitcom.

[OH Nuts!]

Definitely Benson. And Kraus is a hoot. I HEAR YOU! lol

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by OH Nuts!

Definitely Benson. And Kraus is a hoot. I HEAR YOU! lol

I loved the way they bickered.

Their love/hate relationship was a hoot.

[BensonFan]

Benson for me but I did enjoy the first two seasons of Soap. After that my interest declined sharply.

[340wedge]

Originally Posted by BensonFan

Benson for me but I did enjoy the first two seasons of Soap. After that my interest declined sharply.

I totally agree, I think Susan Harris wrote the first two seasons.

[TMC]

A Forgotten Spin-Off Setup: From SOAP to BENSON

Now, this shouldn’t be a rare treat, but as we noted several years ago, Soap’s serialized nature made it necessary to catch viewers up after each summer hiatus with a 90-minute clip show. None of these three retrospectives — which were broadcast ahead of the second, third, and fourth seasons — are on DVD or in syndication, but two were released on VHS, leaving only the third year’s entry, which aired 42 years ago this month on August 30, 1979, completely unavailable. This is a shame, for, while they all have new wraparound footage (as does the hour-long still missing clip show that ran in the middle of Season One), this installment is narratively important, revealing that a lead character will be departing. Oh, yes, Benson appears in the first three segments of Season Three, too… but it’s taken for granted that he’s left/leaving and it’s not quite clear why or where. That’s because this excursion was designed to tell us, while also giving early closure to the relationship between Benson and Jessica (Katherine Helmond), which doesn’t get its full due if you’re watching only the regular half-hour episodes.



That said, this is still a clip show, and unlike the 1980 retrospective with Bea Arthur as an angel who attends to Jessica in heaven, there’s not as much effort put into the writing — not by the standards to which we hold the rest of Soap. That is, it’s not particularly funny. But the final moments here are emotionally worthwhile for fans of this series and these characters, for although it certainly wasn’t the last time Jessica and Benson would be together, this is Susan Harris’ first attempt to acknowledge the strength of their bond and what it’ll mean for both when they’re separated. So, I know there’s been a lot of interest in it over the years, and as a result, I’m happy to share an excerpt with you — included below is the first minute, setting up Benson’s move, the pair’s farewell at the end, and then the cliffhanger questions (and credits) with which Soap left the audience two weeks ahead of its third season premiere. Enjoy!

[ThomasE]

Originally Posted by TMC

A Forgotten Spin-Off Setup: From SOAP to BENSON

Thank you so much for posting this. I always wanted to find this 90 minute retrospective. I only get to see five minutes of it but it was a good five minutes. I watched it twice so far this morning and have been misty eyed both times. The two actors are amazing in their scenes together. I’m trying to decide which one of the four goodbye scenes between these two I like the most.

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by TMC

A Forgotten Spin-Off Setup: From SOAP to BENSON

They should have included the clip show retrospectives on the DVD box sets.

They were aired in prime time and while technically, not episodes of the show, they could have been included as "bonus features" on the DVD sets.

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by ThomasE

Thank you so much for posting this. I always wanted to find this 90 minute retrospective. I only get to see five minutes of it but it was a good five minutes. I watched it twice so far this morning and have been misty eyed both times. The two actors are amazing in their scenes together. I’m trying to decide which one of the four goodbye scenes between these two I like the most.

I remember watching those season retrospectives during the summers. They were fun, because an entire season was encapsulated in 90 minutes and you knew the new season was coming soon.

[JR1]

Echoing the "thank you" for posting that video. For that particular week, the retrospective finished fourth in the Nielsen Ratings:

https://www.nytimes.com/1979/09/06/a...v-ratings.html

Following are the top 15 national television shows of the past week (Monday, August 27, to Sunday, September 2), listed according to their rank in the ratings compiled by the A.C. Nielsen Company. A rating is a percentage of the total number of United States households with television sets.

1. M*A*S*H [ R] (CBS; Mon, 25.3
2. WKRP In Cincinnati [R] (CBS), 24.2
3. Lou Grant [R] (CBS), 22.9
4. Soap Retrospective [S] (ABC), 22.5
5. 240‐Robert [S] (ABC), 22.3
6. Barney Miller [R] (ABC), 21.7
7. Charlie's Angola [R] (ABC), 21.4
8. Three's Company [R] (ABC), 20.8
9. Happy Days [R] (ABC), 20.5
10. Angle [R] (ABC), 19.7
11. Vega$ [R] (ABC), 19.7
12. Taxi [R] (ABC), 19.1
13. Laverne & Shirley [R] (ABC), 18.9
14. M*A*S*H [R] (CBS; Sun.), 18.7
15. Dukes of Hazzard [R] (CBS), 17.9

[R]= Repeat
[S]= Special

[AMackII]

I like Benson more than Soap

[DJM77]

Benson