A True One Hit Wonder! 'Bridget Loves Bernie'

[Babalu]

Originally Posted by bencasey

Watched the first 2 episodes. The show holds up well, is very funny. I find it interesting that people are so brainwashed by modern TV, where nobody looks at anything as abnormal and they accept everything (other than Tim Allen's character on Last Man Standing). People believe that's how the world is when it isn't that way. At least BLB shows how people react realistically to different cultures. Too bad the religious groups shut it down. Plus, how hot was the young, heterosexual Meredith Baxter?

Damn, she's stunning.

[James28]

On Stuck in the 70s's (now Mr. Television) point on page 3 on Bridget Loves Bernie being a long-runner if not for the early cancellation: In any "What if" scenario on Bridget Loves Bernie being a long-running series, there are a few factors to consider:

Meredith Baxter and David Birney got married in real life, a year after BLB's cancellation.

Ms. Baxter's first pregnancy (could that have been written into BLB)?

Ms. Baxter's role as Nancy Lawrence-Maitland in the late-70s ABC drama titled Family would have had to go to a different actress.

Under this scenario, I think M*A*S*H would have been cancelled after one season due to low ratings, or moved to another network (like NBC or ABC), and BLB would have taken all of M*A*S*H's timeslots.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Vahan

Blame the stupid religious groups, and CBS for bowing down to them.

Why didn't the early 70s American television sitcom "Bridget Loves Bernie" starring Meredith Ann Baxter and David Birney last more than one season?

• It’s not really funny - Unfortunately while the late David Birney and Meredith Baxter were an attractive couple, their sitcom timing left much to be desired. Coupled with the surprisingly weak writing, the series was always going to have a rough time and its premature failure was the result.
  
• Birney never gelled with audiences - Since he passed away recently I have thought about his roles on television and in films and I really cannot remember a single instance where Birney stood out from the crowd. While he was obviously a talented performer, he really never attracted the audiences that he needed to become and remain famous. The series was just another indicator of that.
  
• The series was (in what would be very amusing today) controversial as it depicted an interfaith marriage - It’s difficult for most audiences today to get their minds around it, but marrying outside of your religious faith was viewed with a great deal of controversy and even depictions of it were viewed as being “disturbing”. Had the series possibly downplayed the religious divide, the series might have lasted longer. However, it was a core theme of the narrative and the show was dropped despite its relatively high ratings.

[ceedude]

Originally Posted by Babalu

Damn, she's stunning.

Sometimes you don't switch teams, but the team switches you...