How in the World Did 'Bosom Buddies' Fail? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 06-12-2010, 04:12 PM

It was so funny and their seemed to be so much chemistry amongst the cast. What went wrong???

comedyfreak · 07-07-2010, 05:59 AM

They got away from dressing like women when their identities were discovered and when they got their own ad agency. I believe that's where they went wrong.

ThomasE · 07-07-2010, 10:09 AM

Maybe it was a case of "too soon" with the way some of the storylines went. Personally, I would have loved to have seen the show keep going.

catlover79 · 07-07-2010, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThomasE

Maybe it was a case of "too soon" with the way some of the storylines went. Personally, I would have loved to have seen the show keep going.

Yeah, but then we wouldn't have had Peter Scolari as Michael on Newhart. He and Julia Duffy were hilarious together.

Marvo301 · 07-07-2010, 05:10 PM

Too much Buddies, not enough Bosom!

Like comedyfreak said this show went downhill when when Tom and Peter stopped cross dressing.

robyrob · 07-07-2010, 06:59 PM

i remember hearing rumors that some network executive HATED the show and wanted to do anything possible to get it cancelled, of course the ratings weren't spectacular in the original run but it was a big hit when it was syndicated soon after.

old grouch · 07-18-2010, 10:15 PM

A later time slot may have helped. I think they should have put it on Tuesdays at 9:30, following 'Three's Company'. Those two shows would have fit perfectly together.

Sterling Holobyte · 07-18-2010, 11:15 PM

Because, despite the talented cast, it was a one-note joke which they could only go so far with before it became stale.

catlover79 · 07-19-2010, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sterling Holobyte

Because, despite the talented cast, it was a one-note joke which they could only go so far with before it became stale.

I have to agree with that. It's amazing how much mileage they WERE able to get out of it.

Jude The Obscure · 11-28-2010, 11:50 PM

The timeslot change for the second season didn't help either, from what I recall.
Finally got Season 2 on DVD....LOL.

TMC · 06-28-2014, 03:25 AM

Mork & Mindy may have also inadvertently contributed to Bosom Buddies' early exit. To put things into proper perspective:

Quote:

ABC's sitcom ratings were slipping when "Bosom Buddies" was on the air. The show was generally paired with "Mork and Mindy," which had steadily declining ratings beginning in the second season, when they dropped the bulk of the cast and tried to moralize the show. The first season of "BB" stayed nestled after "M&M" on Thursday nights, and ABC's Thursday night shows weren't faring all that great in the ratings. Season 2 of "BB" bounced back and forth on Thursday and Friday nights... and again, "Mork and Mindy" is somewhat to blame for its ultimate cancellation. The final season of "M&M" found Mork giving birth to full-grown baby Mirth (Jonathan Winters), and this twist ran off droves of viewers. By the end of the season, ABC cleaned house and canceled half of their sitcoms ("Mork and Mindy," "Bosom Buddies," "Maggie," "It's a Living," "Best of the West," "Barney Miller," etc.).

Mace Dolex · 07-18-2014, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

Too much Buddies, not enough Bosom!

Like comedyfreak said this show went downhill when when Tom and Peter stopped cross dressing.

Hmm and that basically was the main catch of the show wasn't it? That would be like Laverne & Shirley without Shirley no longer on the show, ...........oh wait that did happen!

TMC · 08-17-2016, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jude The Obscure

The timeslot change for the second season didn't help either, from what I recall.
Finally got Season 2 on DVD....LOL.

If you combine the fact that the episodes don't seem to run in sequence, with the fact that the show vanished for over a month (early in the season, I might add), and the fact that it was preempted on more than one occasion, it's kind of easy to see why it might not have been retaining an audience's attention.

TMC · 11-03-2021, 04:49 AM

https://jacksonupperco.com/2021/11/0...otpourri-viii/

Quote:

The problem is that, despite everyone having basic personalities, the storytelling never fully uses them for plot, instead resorting to structural romantic trappings or weekly gimmicks, even after drag is minimized at the top of Season Two (when all the regulars find out), and the workplace moves from the ad agency to the commercial house, which invites a string of disconnected episodic notions that, at their best, are comedic, but for the most part, have nothing to do with the characters — the situation.

And, of course, the biggest problem with the series is its situation — a premise is a promise to the audience, and by setting up such a difficult one, the show is forced into a Catch-22: either it leans into its limited idea and burns out quickly, or it moves away and develops into the vague, low-concept “hangout comedy” of the second season, abandoning its promised design. Neither is a great option, but by choosing the latter, the show needs better characters, stories that flatter said characters, and/or more directly star-making material — like slapstick — to justify the rejection of its identity. And I’m afraid Bosom Buddies never gets there.

06-12-2010, 04:12 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,108	How in the World Did 'Bosom Buddies' Fail? It was so funny and their seemed to be so much chemistry amongst the cast. What went wrong???
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07-07-2010, 05:59 AM	#2
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,058	They got away from dressing like women when their identities were discovered and when they got their own ad agency. I believe that's where they went wrong.
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07-07-2010, 10:09 AM	#3
ThomasE Member Moderator Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 04, 2000 Location: New York, New York, U.S.A. Posts: 10,857	Maybe it was a case of "too soon" with the way some of the storylines went. Personally, I would have loved to have seen the show keep going.
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07-07-2010, 05:10 PM	#5
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,450	Too much Buddies, not enough Bosom! Like comedyfreak said this show went downhill when when Tom and Peter stopped cross dressing.
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07-07-2010, 06:59 PM	#6
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,159	i remember hearing rumors that some network executive HATED the show and wanted to do anything possible to get it cancelled, of course the ratings weren't spectacular in the original run but it was a big hit when it was syndicated soon after.
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07-18-2010, 10:15 PM	#7
old grouch Member Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2010 Location: montana Posts: 1,877	A later time slot may have helped. I think they should have put it on Tuesdays at 9:30, following 'Three's Company'. Those two shows would have fit perfectly together.

07-18-2010, 11:15 PM	#8
Sterling Holobyte Harper House Senior Member Join Date: Nov 07, 2002 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,896	Because, despite the talented cast, it was a one-note joke which they could only go so far with before it became stale.
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11-28-2010, 11:50 PM	#10
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,519	The timeslot change for the second season didn't help either, from what I recall. Finally got Season 2 on DVD....LOL.