Help - Can't remember name of show - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Patti61 · 01-24-2001, 07:53 AM

There was a show on a couple of years ago that was centered around a diner/restaurant.. There was a character with a Jamaican accent and he had long dread locks.. The chef may have been a former boxer or ex-con I can't remember, but fancied the ladies, The storyline alwasy featured this group who hung out at this restaurant.

factsoflife · 02-03-2001, 06:47 PM

i think you rtalking about NBC's unioun Square.. which aired in 1997-1998 on NBc Thursdays at eight-thirty right after Friends. it was actually pretty good.. to bad it was canceled.

04-20-2001, 12:15 PM

i LOVED Union Square!! the stupid guy rocked! "it's LUCKY PIE!" man I miss that show! That jamaican guy kicks ass too. Hahaha, the ex-con cook, man I miss that show, thanks for bringing up good memories! hahahaha, *sigh* good good show.

James28 · 09-09-2007, 11:39 PM

If "Union Square" was the 8th most populat show of the 1997-98 season, why was it cancelled?

Bob's TV Treasures · 09-22-2007, 08:34 AM

Critics absolutely lambasted that show.
However, I kind of liked it, too. I thought
it had potential.

JulieSomoski · 09-22-2007, 01:33 PM

Why was it cancelled? I'm sure it was only popular because it wsa a part of NBC's must-see TV, but still.

treky · 09-29-2007, 10:38 PM

because it got low ratings and, unfortunetaly, that's about all that the networks really care about; sometimes.

Mr. Television · 09-29-2007, 10:49 PM

It was one of the many shows that NBC wasted in the 8:30 and 9:30 Thursday timeslot in the 1990's which is why NBC's sitcom slate now absolutely sucks.

James28 · 07-23-2010, 03:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treky

because it got low ratings and, unfortunetaly, that's about all that the networks really care about; sometimes.

Its ratings were not low, it was a main eventer in the Nielsen ratings placing at #8 for the 1997-98 season. The true reason why Union Square was cancelled in unknown, it probably lost a lot of ground from Friends.

Du Mont · 07-23-2010, 03:56 PM

'Union Square' performed below expectations in the hammock position between 'Friends' and 'Seinfeld', losing millions of viewers 'Friends' viewers, and not appealing enough to the millions more who tuned back into NBC for 'Seinfeld' at 9 pm. So NBC must have deemed it to be a viewer flow problem when they decided to replace it.

It's mid-season replacement, 'Just Shoot Me', did a much better retention job, no doubt confirming NBC's suspicions that the slot was capable of producing big numbers, and millions of viewers just had a problem with 'Union Square' as a show.

Where the Peacock failed was in giving 'Union Square' any sort of tryout in another timeslot to see if it could carry over its substantial Thursday night audience to another night. In those days, NBC had so many sitcom slots available, but they never even did a one-off test of 'Union Square'. That might have been that they felt there was a lack of a compatible sitcom in their schedule, but I doubt it. 'Union Square' would have fit in the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday sitcom blocks, or even the Sunday pairing.

factsoflife · 03-06-2011, 02:28 AM

The issue back then was that NBC had so many hit sitcoms that when a few shows failed to get above a certain number and especially when it failed to attract the right demographics it was cut.

Marvo301 · 03-06-2011, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim856796

Its ratings were not low, it was a main eventer in the Nielsen ratings placing at #8 for the 1997-98 season. The true reason why Union Square was cancelled in unknown, it probably lost a lot of ground from Friends.

Bullseye Jim. As well as Union Square did in the ratings it didn't hold enough of the Friends audience and so NBC cancelled it.

James28 · 10-13-2011, 05:04 PM

NBC had no right to release Union Square from its contract. No matter how much ground they lost from its lead-in, with ratings that high, it should still be renewed for another season.

factsoflife · 10-13-2011, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James28

NBC had no right to release Union Square from its contract. No matter how much ground they lost from its lead-in, with ratings that high, it should still be renewed for another season.

The other reason Union Square got canceled is because it was one of the worst reviewed shows of the season. Critics savaged it, NBC probably saw it as an embarrassment.

TMC · 06-12-2022, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by factsoflife

The other reason Union Square got canceled is because it was one of the worst reviewed shows of the season. Critics savaged it, NBC probably saw it as an embarrassment.

I read that the fundamental problem with Union Square was that it was originally written for one actress (Mel Gorham). NBC in their infinite wisdom, ultimately decided that Gorham didn't work so they replaced her with Constance Marie, who is likeable, but whose character had no personality. While Mel Gorham and her character did have a personality, it was an annoying one.

The show now with Constance Marie as the lead, was surround by a bunch of bland characters who had no personalities--or who depended on the actors' personas to provide one--and the show had no direction, point of view, or laughs.

01-24-2001, 07:53 AM	#1
Patti61 Member Forum Cub Join Date: Jan 23, 2001 Location: Rutland, MA, USA Posts: 2	Help - Can't remember name of show There was a show on a couple of years ago that was centered around a diner/restaurant.. There was a character with a Jamaican accent and he had long dread locks.. The chef may have been a former boxer or ex-con I can't remember, but fancied the ladies, The storyline alwasy featured this group who hung out at this restaurant.

04-20-2001, 12:15 PM	#3
Ran Guest Posts: n/a	i LOVED Union Square!! the stupid guy rocked! "it's LUCKY PIE!" man I miss that show! That jamaican guy kicks ass too. Hahaha, the ex-con cook, man I miss that show, thanks for bringing up good memories! hahahaha, sigh good good show.
Ran Guest Posts: n/a

09-22-2007, 08:34 AM	#5
Bob's TV Treasures Member Forum Regular Join Date: Aug 12, 2004 Location: california Posts: 529	Union Square Critics absolutely lambasted that show. However, I kind of liked it, too. I thought it had potential.

09-22-2007, 01:33 PM	#6
JulieSomoski Roseanne Reboot - March 27! Forum Veteran Join Date: Nov 06, 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 7,558	Why was it cancelled? I'm sure it was only popular because it wsa a part of NBC's must-see TV, but still.
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09-29-2007, 10:38 PM	#7
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	because it got low ratings and, unfortunetaly, that's about all that the networks really care about; sometimes.
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02-03-2001, 06:47 PM	#2
factsoflife Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 11, 2000 Posts: 8,741	i think you rtalking about NBC's unioun Square.. which aired in 1997-1998 on NBc Thursdays at eight-thirty right after Friends. it was actually pretty good.. to bad it was canceled.

09-09-2007, 11:39 PM	#4
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,967	If "Union Square" was the 8th most populat show of the 1997-98 season, why was it cancelled?

09-29-2007, 10:49 PM	#8
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,125	It was one of the many shows that NBC wasted in the 8:30 and 9:30 Thursday timeslot in the 1990's which is why NBC's sitcom slate now absolutely sucks.
	__________________ Sonny

07-23-2010, 03:56 PM	#10
Du Mont Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 15, 2007 Posts: 331	'Union Square' NBC 'Union Square' performed below expectations in the hammock position between 'Friends' and 'Seinfeld', losing millions of viewers 'Friends' viewers, and not appealing enough to the millions more who tuned back into NBC for 'Seinfeld' at 9 pm. So NBC must have deemed it to be a viewer flow problem when they decided to replace it. It's mid-season replacement, 'Just Shoot Me', did a much better retention job, no doubt confirming NBC's suspicions that the slot was capable of producing big numbers, and millions of viewers just had a problem with 'Union Square' as a show. Where the Peacock failed was in giving 'Union Square' any sort of tryout in another timeslot to see if it could carry over its substantial Thursday night audience to another night. In those days, NBC had so many sitcom slots available, but they never even did a one-off test of 'Union Square'. That might have been that they felt there was a lack of a compatible sitcom in their schedule, but I doubt it. 'Union Square' would have fit in the Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday sitcom blocks, or even the Sunday pairing.

03-06-2011, 02:28 AM	#11
factsoflife Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 11, 2000 Posts: 8,741	The issue back then was that NBC had so many hit sitcoms that when a few shows failed to get above a certain number and especially when it failed to attract the right demographics it was cut.

10-13-2011, 05:04 PM	#13
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,967	NBC had no right to release Union Square from its contract. No matter how much ground they lost from its lead-in, with ratings that high, it should still be renewed for another season.