What made this show lose its touch!?!?!?!

[stevea]

Dixie Carter created the role. Mobley was mostly OK, but I think her understandable angst when Sam was missing came across as over-acting. She made it sound like a 1950s soap opera; the only thing missing was the organ.

[EccentricGenius]

Originally Posted by stevea

Dixie Carter created the role. Mobley was mostly OK, but I think her understandable angst when Sam was missing came across as over-acting. She made it sound like a 1950s soap opera; the only thing missing was the organ.

I couldn't agree with you more, stevea. Mary Ann Mobley's overall uneven performance as the second Maggie--replacing, of course, the late Dixie Carter--in the eighth and (sadly) final season of Strokes leaves a whole hell of a lot to be desired, particularly in the aforementioned season eight premiere "Sam's Missing." Mobley's overacting in that otherwise disappointing hour-long episode--can you actually believe "Sam's Missing" was an hour long?--makes Elizabeth Berkley's performance as the caffeine pill-addicted overachiever Jessie Spano in the infamous Saved By The Bell episode "Jessie's Song" look Oscar-worthy by comparison.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by EccentricGenius

Simply put, the introductions of both Maggie McKinney and (eventually) her precocious son, Sam, midway through Strokes' sixth season marked the beginning of the beginning of the end for the long-running sitcom, along with Dana Plato's abrupt termination--due to her real-life pregnancy--upon the conclusion of that aforementioned season.

And let's not forget the rise and eventual success of lighthearted and lightweighted eighties family sitcoms such as Family Ties, Growing Pains, Who's The Boss?, and, of course, The Cosby Show that contributed to Strokes' downfall and later cancellation.

Diff'rent Strokes, when it debuted was probably more in-line with the Norman Lear brand of sitcoms of the day, which was very confrontational and socially conscious. Sitcoms (like the ones that you mentioned) as the '80s wore on, became more aspirational so in that regard, Diff'rent Strokes kind of looked out of place in a post-Cosby Show world.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Mace Dolex

I think bringing in Maggie was ok for Philip to have a companion but there was no need to bring in Sam that by doing that it didn't let the show evolve and kept it as a safe kiddie show.

When Sam came along, they pretty much plugged him into Arnold's old spot and shifted Arnold into what was otherwise, Willis' role. It felt like by this point, the show didn't really know what to do with Willis, especially when Kimberly was no longer in the main cast.

[Fallon97]

I don't think the show ever lost its touch. It was good til the end.