CBS Show - "The Royal Family" from 1991

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ONE SEASON WONDERS: The Royal Family

Brief Pilot Review:

I have never been a fan of Sanford and Son and part of the reason is I don't really buy into Redd Foxx's brand of humor. That was evident again from the first few minutes of The Royal Family's pilot. It was just one insult-based joke after another between Foxx and Della Reese. Reese was game to go toe to toe with Foxx and had funnier delivery but it was such an off-putting way to start the series. From the little I have seen of Sanford, it seemed like Foxx had lost a step and his timing wasn't as strong as it was on the series that made him famous. There were flashes of some funny timing but overall, he seemed like a comedian who was past his prime (and unfortunately, his voice was a little hard to understand at times too).

The series did get better once the rest of the family arrived as the show quickly got through the premise and then settled into having fun with the ensemble. Future stars Larenz Tate and the late Naya Rivera had some good moments. Tate was saddled with an unnecessary attempt at a serious moment but he still handled it well. Rivera, who was only four years old when this was filmed, was a pretty typical cute sitcom kid but she had a ton of charm and some pretty decent comedic timing. Unlike some pilots, it was very easy to see what this sort of show would be. Even Foxx was softened some by the end of the episode (surprise, surprise) and the relationship between him and Reese got better when the insults slowed down a bit. The family seemed to have fun with each other in the scenes.

What Went Wrong:

One of the sadder entries in the "One Season Wonder" posts, this show did not make it due in large part to a tragic event on set. CBS was excited about Redd Foxx returning to TV and his return was a centerpiece to their marketing strategy. Their other big marketing point was the show was created by Eddie Murphy, who was a big name movie star. The show was given the 8pm Wednesday slot in an attempt to create a new comedy hour and the early results were not gangbusters but promising enough, beating ABC's competing comedy, Dinosaurs in the first couple weeks. Critics were mixed on the show with general praise for Foxx and Della Reese while still acknowledging it was a pretty standard family sitcom.

Everything changed on October 11, 1991 though when Foxx suffered a massive heart attack on set. Considering how often his character on Sanford and Son faked heart attacks, many thought it was a joke at first but soon realized it wasn't and Foxx was rushed to the hospital where he died later that evening. The series made the decision to go on without Foxx and went off the air for re-tooling. They brought in 277's Jackee Harry to play the younger sister of Reese's character and wrote Foxx's death into the script. The series aired one post-Foxx episode in November before going off the air until April. It returned to its Wednesday slot but the momentum had slowed and the show was working against its original premise. It was cancelled at the end of the season. Who knows what would have happened if Foxx had lived or if the show had managed to get back on the air quicker.