Should Phyllis Have Ran Longer? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

callmetootie · 05-06-2001, 09:56 AM

I think that Phyllis should have lasted longer that 1975-1977. It should have ended when Rhoda ended. Post your thoughts on this topic here.

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Andrew Carden

APPLEI · 05-08-2001, 12:42 AM

I THINK PHYLLIS SHOULD'VE RUN AT LEAST 5 YEARS!

callmetootie · 05-08-2001, 07:09 PM

I think that 5 years would be a pretty good run for the show. People just didn't give it enough time to become anything.

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Andrew Carden

Titania · 05-09-2001, 06:08 PM

yup! if they had developed the characters more in time it would have been AWESOME!

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"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself or a Very Brady Anything!" ~ALF

"The only thing I ever dream is that Ive just won every beauty pageant in the world and all the people I dont like have to build me a castle in France" ~Stephanie Vanderkellen

callmetootie · 05-09-2001, 07:26 PM

Yeah, that was the thing that really bothered me in this show, was how badly and slowly the characters developed. Phyllis and Bess developed on MTM, and they had to redevelop all over again, because you're missing her husband, Lars and friends Rhoda and Mary. Without them, Phyllis is another story. 2 years wasnt enough I guess to get them developed in the series. I mean Bess turned from cute, harmless little girl to go on a ski trip and get pregnant teenager.

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Andrew Carden

Drew · 07-25-2001, 02:42 PM

I agree, Phyllis should have been given a few more years. It could have gotten better and more liked.

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Designing Women
JULIA~"...And that Margerie, is the night the lights went out in Georgia.

All in the Family
EDITH to ARCHIE~"Im not sure who married the meathead, Gloria or me."

PaulJ38 · 09-19-2001, 09:20 PM

The problem with "Phyllis" is that CBS acted too quickly in changing the format from season one to season two. But I think they felt the Barbera Colby murder was too much to endure even with Liz Torres there in her shoes. The best character on Phyllis was Mother Dexter !! Funny, funny lady. When she died, the series died and I remember Cloris Leachman say on a talk show that the show was cursed with the deaths of Ms Colby & Ms. Lowry. I doubt she would have continued anyway if CBS hadn't cancelled it.

JaneTVFan · 11-11-2001, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by callmetootie:
I think that Phyllis should have lasted longer that 1975-1977. It should have ended when Rhoda ended. Post your thoughts on this topic here.

Phyllis should have lasted five years like Rhoda. But Rhoda should have been cancelled
after two seasons. The last few years of that show were a waste.

OnTheMarkTexas · 09-11-2008, 10:30 PM

I definately think it could (and should) have lasted longer than 2 seasons -- 5 seasons would have been just fine.

IMO, they changed the character of Phyllis once she got her own show and I found her to be more of an air head. I understand it was all in an effort to soften the character and make her more appealing to audiences but they stripped away what made the character so annoying yet loveable in the first place.

While she had her flighty moments on the MTM Show, she was educated (a fact they ignored in her spin-off) and aside from some co-dependency issues, I think the writers could have handled the character much better then the did.

TVFactFan · 09-21-2008, 05:56 PM

The fact that the show finished in the top five the first season I would think it would have gottten atleast one more chance to improve after season 2

catlover79 · 09-21-2008, 08:30 PM

With all due respect to Cloris Leachman, an amazing actress and woman, I think there never should've been a Phyllis show at all. I don't think Phyllis was a strong enough character to carry her own show, but that's just my opinion...

scotsguy · 10-21-2008, 04:37 PM

I think as someone earlier said,they were too many changes between seasons 1 and 2,was almost like an overdoze of characters,they seemed to always try and bring in a Ted Baxter like character,season 1 it was Leo,season 2 Leonard,found them both annoying.

McGillicuddy · 12-02-2009, 09:06 PM

Well, I liked the original Julie (I wonder if Phyllis would have lasted if she survived), Jonathan, Audrey, and the hilarious Mother Dexter, also Bess, but I don't remember being on much. Didn't much care for the second Julie, Leo, Dan, Leonard or Harriett.

Marvo301 · 12-02-2009, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

With all due respect to Cloris Leachman, an amazing actress and woman, I think there never should've been a Phyllis show at all. I don't think Phyllis was a strong enough character to carry her own show, but that's just my opinion...

I agree completely! Phyllis was much better as a supporting character on TMTMS than as a lead character on her own show. I think even the producers realized this since, as noted in an above post, they made changes to the character on the spinoff show.

Mr. Television · 12-03-2009, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

I agree completely! Phyllis was much better as a supporting character on TMTMS than as a lead character on her own show. I think even the producers realized this since, as noted in an above post, they made changes to the character on the spinoff show.

The funniest person on the show was Mother Dexter.

05-06-2001, 09:56 AM	#1
callmetootie Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 06, 2001 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 4,768	Should Phyllis Have Ran Longer? I think that Phyllis should have lasted longer that 1975-1977. It should have ended when Rhoda ended. Post your thoughts on this topic here. ------------------ Andrew Carden

09-21-2008, 08:30 PM	#11
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	With all due respect to Cloris Leachman, an amazing actress and woman, I think there never should've been a Phyllis show at all. I don't think Phyllis was a strong enough character to carry her own show, but that's just my opinion...
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

05-08-2001, 12:42 AM	#2
APPLEI Member Forum Regular Join Date: Aug 16, 2000 Location: JACKSON MI. 49203 Posts: 810	I THINK PHYLLIS SHOULD'VE RUN AT LEAST 5 YEARS!

05-08-2001, 07:09 PM	#3
callmetootie Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 06, 2001 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 4,768	I think that 5 years would be a pretty good run for the show. People just didn't give it enough time to become anything. ------------------ Andrew Carden

05-09-2001, 06:08 PM	#4
Titania a part of that Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 04, 2000 Posts: 3,694	yup! if they had developed the characters more in time it would have been AWESOME! ------------------ "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself or a Very Brady Anything!" ~ALF "The only thing I ever dream is that Ive just won every beauty pageant in the world and all the people I dont like have to build me a castle in France" ~Stephanie Vanderkellen

05-09-2001, 07:26 PM	#5
callmetootie Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 06, 2001 Location: Clifton Park, NY Posts: 4,768	Yeah, that was the thing that really bothered me in this show, was how badly and slowly the characters developed. Phyllis and Bess developed on MTM, and they had to redevelop all over again, because you're missing her husband, Lars and friends Rhoda and Mary. Without them, Phyllis is another story. 2 years wasnt enough I guess to get them developed in the series. I mean Bess turned from cute, harmless little girl to go on a ski trip and get pregnant teenager. ------------------ Andrew Carden

07-25-2001, 02:42 PM	#6
Drew Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 12, 2001 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 300	I agree, Phyllis should have been given a few more years. It could have gotten better and more liked. ------------------ Designing Women JULIA~"...And that Margerie, is the night the lights went out in Georgia. All in the Family EDITH to ARCHIE~"Im not sure who married the meathead, Gloria or me."

09-19-2001, 09:20 PM	#7
PaulJ38 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Sep 19, 2001 Location: Mahwah, NJ Posts: 5	The problem with "Phyllis" is that CBS acted too quickly in changing the format from season one to season two. But I think they felt the Barbera Colby murder was too much to endure even with Liz Torres there in her shoes. The best character on Phyllis was Mother Dexter !! Funny, funny lady. When she died, the series died and I remember Cloris Leachman say on a talk show that the show was cursed with the deaths of Ms Colby & Ms. Lowry. I doubt she would have continued anyway if CBS hadn't cancelled it.

09-11-2008, 10:30 PM	#9
OnTheMarkTexas Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 05, 2008 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 61	I definately think it could (and should) have lasted longer than 2 seasons -- 5 seasons would have been just fine. IMO, they changed the character of Phyllis once she got her own show and I found her to be more of an air head. I understand it was all in an effort to soften the character and make her more appealing to audiences but they stripped away what made the character so annoying yet loveable in the first place. While she had her flighty moments on the MTM Show, she was educated (a fact they ignored in her spin-off) and aside from some co-dependency issues, I think the writers could have handled the character much better then the did.

09-21-2008, 05:56 PM	#10
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 98,950	The fact that the show finished in the top five the first season I would think it would have gottten atleast one more chance to improve after season 2

10-21-2008, 04:37 PM	#12
scotsguy Member Forum Regular Join Date: Nov 25, 2002 Location: Edinburgh,Scotland Posts: 696	I think as someone earlier said,they were too many changes between seasons 1 and 2,was almost like an overdoze of characters,they seemed to always try and bring in a Ted Baxter like character,season 1 it was Leo,season 2 Leonard,found them both annoying.

12-02-2009, 09:06 PM	#13
McGillicuddy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 28, 2002 Posts: 5,179	Well, I liked the original Julie (I wonder if Phyllis would have lasted if she survived), Jonathan, Audrey, and the hilarious Mother Dexter, also Bess, but I don't remember being on much. Didn't much care for the second Julie, Leo, Dan, Leonard or Harriett.