The Tortellis Retort - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 09-15-2004, 10:26 PM

I just recieved my copy of the ill fated Cheers spinoff The Tortellis. I started this thread to give a review of the show. Including all of you! I want you guys to see it and then come on this thread and talk about it. If interested, pm me your mailing address. Now keep in mind the tape is old so the quality isn't all that great, but still watchable. It'll be costly to me to mail out to everybody so it may take some time to get it out to everybody. Unless of course any of you would like to pick up the small shipping and handling fee.

Anyway, I want you Cheers fanatics to see a part of the Cheers history that hasn't been seen since 1987. My gift to all of you.

Brian Damage · 09-15-2004, 10:28 PM

The Tortellis

Picture courtesy of TVTome

Chambers · 09-15-2004, 10:33 PM

Have you started to watch it yet?

Brian Damage · 09-15-2004, 10:43 PM

No, I just got home from work and noticed that I recieved the tape. So I popped it in the vcr just to make sure it had the show on it. I'll watch it in a little while.

barwars · 09-16-2004, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brian Damage
No, I just got home from work and noticed that I recieved the tape. So I popped it in the vcr just to make sure it had the show on it. I'll watch it in a little while.

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Brian Damage · 09-16-2004, 11:42 PM

I was a little disappointed that the pilot and the episode with Norm and Cliff were not on this particular tape. Nevertheless it was great to relive this sitcom.

Brian Damage · 09-16-2004, 11:43 PM

Here are the episodes that are on the tape

The Ad Game

Nick's new TV ad for his TV hospital guarantees he will fix your TV in a day or eat a bug. A feisty woman may hold him to it.

Brian Damage · 09-16-2004, 11:44 PM

Viva Las Vegas

Nick's newest client as a manager, a struggling Elvis impersonator, becomes involved with Charlotte.

Brian Damage · 09-16-2004, 11:45 PM

Coochie-Coochie

guest star Charo

When Loretta kicks nick out of the house, he remembers all the good times they had.
He comes back and forgives her. She slams the dor in his face and he has a long talk with his neighbor. Then, he goes back and Loretta lets him in

Chambers · 09-16-2004, 11:46 PM

awesome.
Was it funnier or less funny than what you remember?

Brian Damage · 09-16-2004, 11:47 PM

Man of The Year

Nick & Loretta enter a competition for Man & Woman of the year, Nick wns & Loretta loses. Loretta finds out that Nick lied to win though

Brian Damage · 09-16-2004, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chambers
awesome.
Was it funnier or less funny than what you remember?

It had some funny moments. What makes it differ from Cheers is that the Tortellis was very sitcommy.

Brian Damage · 09-16-2004, 11:50 PM

The Good Life

When Nick starts complaining about how much his life sucks, Loretta reminds him of how much stuff is good in it

Brian Damage · 09-16-2004, 11:51 PM

Father Knows Best

When one of the Tortelli kids gets in trouble at school, good ol' dad gives him some advice which backfires, leaving Loretta to clean up the mess.

Brian Damage · 09-17-2004, 12:00 AM

This is some surprising comments from the Jump The Shark website...

1. And you thought Frasier was the only Cheers spinoff. This short lived series focused on Dan Hedaya as Nick Tortelli, Carla's unfaithful ex-husband.

2. This show sucked so bad. I only watched it because it had that chick from Ghostbusters (she danced with Rick Moranis at his party) She's a phenomenal actress and deserved an Emmy for her role as Loretta Tortelli.

3. This show never jumped. Of course, it wasn't on all that long, but it was always funny. Dan Hedaya was hilarious, and Jean Kasem was funny as his wife Loretta. Even potentially deadly ideas like guest stars Norm and Cliff from its parent show Cheers were saved by the consistently funny plots (Nick swearing he knows Sinatra and getting a guy who looks nothing like him to impersonate him.) Other funny episodes like entering a charity to get some publicity and being forced to drive 400 miles round trip to fix TV's in some motel by a bomb-test site (but then being honored for his charity work.) Nick doing a commercial where he promises to eat a bug if he can't fix a TV. Good Lord, this show had CHARO as a guest star and made it a funny half-hour! Name another show that managed to pull that off! As far as I'm concerned, Cheers had 2 quality spin-offs: Frasier got the audience it deserved and The Tortellis didn't. Maybe it was just too different from Cheers in form. But not in quality.

4. Well written, well cast, great show. Didn't deserve its fate.
I wholeheartedly agree with the previous poster. The Tortellis was very funny and well-written. I've seen Dan Hedaya in a number of dramatic and comedic roles in the past several years, and this show fit him to a T. He was born to play Nick Tortelli, Carla's weasel ex-husband. Likewise, Jean Kasem played Nick's new wife perfectly as a dumb blonde (which I'm told she's anything but in real life). Great show...wish it hadn't been cancelled!

5. This show definitely ate the big one. The NBC clowns thought they ha a funny and quality show. I will be willing to bet that the producers of Cheers had wished to eat the cold blue steel of a 357 Magnum. I was embarrassed for the actors. I hope they fired their agents for making them take such a role. When I see the cameo of a Tortelli on Cheers, I want to take a big grunt on his face for being such a lousy actor.

6. This show wasn't on long enough to jump. It was hilarious and the NBC execs that ditched it should have been fired.

09-15-2004, 10:26 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: 63,107	The Tortellis Retort I just recieved my copy of the ill fated Cheers spinoff The Tortellis. I started this thread to give a review of the show. Including all of you! I want you guys to see it and then come on this thread and talk about it. If interested, pm me your mailing address. Now keep in mind the tape is old so the quality isn't all that great, but still watchable. It'll be costly to me to mail out to everybody so it may take some time to get it out to everybody. Unless of course any of you would like to pick up the small shipping and handling fee. Anyway, I want you Cheers fanatics to see a part of the Cheers history that hasn't been seen since 1987. My gift to all of you.

09-15-2004, 10:28 PM	#2
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: 63,107	The Tortellis Picture courtesy of TVTome Attached Images

09-15-2004, 10:33 PM	#3
Chambers The Crane Trinity Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 27, 2004 Location: Where everybody knows a Crane. Posts: 5,427	Have you started to watch it yet?
	__________________ Member of the "God, Lilith is so ing cool" Fan Club Where everybody knows your tossed salads and scrambled eggs. FREEDOM OF THOUGHT blank

09-15-2004, 10:43 PM	#4
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: 63,107	No, I just got home from work and noticed that I recieved the tape. So I popped it in the vcr just to make sure it had the show on it. I'll watch it in a little while.

09-16-2004, 11:42 PM	#6
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: 63,107	I was a little disappointed that the pilot and the episode with Norm and Cliff were not on this particular tape. Nevertheless it was great to relive this sitcom.

09-16-2004, 11:43 PM	#7
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: 63,107	Here are the episodes that are on the tape The Ad Game Nick's new TV ad for his TV hospital guarantees he will fix your TV in a day or eat a bug. A feisty woman may hold him to it.

09-16-2004, 11:44 PM	#8
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: 63,107	Viva Las Vegas Nick's newest client as a manager, a struggling Elvis impersonator, becomes involved with Charlotte.

09-16-2004, 11:45 PM	#9
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: 63,107	Coochie-Coochie guest star Charo When Loretta kicks nick out of the house, he remembers all the good times they had. He comes back and forgives her. She slams the dor in his face and he has a long talk with his neighbor. Then, he goes back and Loretta lets him in

09-16-2004, 11:46 PM	#10
Chambers The Crane Trinity Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 27, 2004 Location: Where everybody knows a Crane. Posts: 5,427	awesome. Was it funnier or less funny than what you remember?

09-16-2004, 11:47 PM	#11
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: 63,107	Man of The Year Nick & Loretta enter a competition for Man & Woman of the year, Nick wns & Loretta loses. Loretta finds out that Nick lied to win though

09-16-2004, 11:50 PM	#13
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: 63,107	The Good Life When Nick starts complaining about how much his life sucks, Loretta reminds him of how much stuff is good in it

09-16-2004, 11:51 PM	#14
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: 63,107	Father Knows Best When one of the Tortelli kids gets in trouble at school, good ol' dad gives him some advice which backfires, leaving Loretta to clean up the mess.

09-17-2004, 12:00 AM	#15
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: 63,107	This is some surprising comments from the Jump The Shark website... 1. And you thought Frasier was the only Cheers spinoff. This short lived series focused on Dan Hedaya as Nick Tortelli, Carla's unfaithful ex-husband. 2. This show sucked so bad. I only watched it because it had that chick from Ghostbusters (she danced with Rick Moranis at his party) She's a phenomenal actress and deserved an Emmy for her role as Loretta Tortelli. 3. This show never jumped. Of course, it wasn't on all that long, but it was always funny. Dan Hedaya was hilarious, and Jean Kasem was funny as his wife Loretta. Even potentially deadly ideas like guest stars Norm and Cliff from its parent show Cheers were saved by the consistently funny plots (Nick swearing he knows Sinatra and getting a guy who looks nothing like him to impersonate him.) Other funny episodes like entering a charity to get some publicity and being forced to drive 400 miles round trip to fix TV's in some motel by a bomb-test site (but then being honored for his charity work.) Nick doing a commercial where he promises to eat a bug if he can't fix a TV. Good Lord, this show had CHARO as a guest star and made it a funny half-hour! Name another show that managed to pull that off! As far as I'm concerned, Cheers had 2 quality spin-offs: Frasier got the audience it deserved and The Tortellis didn't. Maybe it was just too different from Cheers in form. But not in quality. 4. Well written, well cast, great show. Didn't deserve its fate. I wholeheartedly agree with the previous poster. The Tortellis was very funny and well-written. I've seen Dan Hedaya in a number of dramatic and comedic roles in the past several years, and this show fit him to a T. He was born to play Nick Tortelli, Carla's weasel ex-husband. Likewise, Jean Kasem played Nick's new wife perfectly as a dumb blonde (which I'm told she's anything but in real life). Great show...wish it hadn't been cancelled! 5. This show definitely ate the big one. The NBC clowns thought they ha a funny and quality show. I will be willing to bet that the producers of Cheers had wished to eat the cold blue steel of a 357 Magnum. I was embarrassed for the actors. I hope they fired their agents for making them take such a role. When I see the cameo of a Tortelli on Cheers, I want to take a big grunt on his face for being such a lousy actor. 6. This show wasn't on long enough to jump. It was hilarious and the NBC execs that ditched it should have been fired.