Modern Family article on why Wings was never a hit - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Helen Chapel · 03-12-2010, 05:48 PM

I found this over at TWoP and thought I would bring it over here:

http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/13/w...ood-not-great/

I think the best comparison for MF that I’ve heard, from a couple of people including Justin, is Wings. Especially since both its creators, Chris Lloyd and Steven Levitan, were longtime Wings writers. There was a show whose writing had all the “quality” benchmarks in place, assembled an excellent cast (including Tim Daly, Steven Weber, Tony Shalhoub and Thomas Hayden Church), and was almost always enjoyable to watch, just as Modern Family is — for me — usually enjoyable. But it never added up to more than a pleasantly enjoyable show, easy to watch and forget. The characters were all recognizable as stock types delivering their well-written stock lines in stories that were well-crafted but unsurprising. Wings appeared at a time when there were lots of really good, surprising comedies on the networks, so it was generally regarded as a middle-of-the-pack show. If it came back as a new show today, it might be regarded differently, but it might not deserve it, even now.

Chocoholic · 03-12-2010, 06:36 PM

I never could understand why Wings wasn't more of a hit. I like it a heck of a lot better than some of the more popular shows of that era.

I don't get Modern Family at all. I tried and found it trashy and unfunny.

awiena · 03-18-2010, 02:55 PM

Hello there, yes I wonder too why wings never hits even here in Holland, I like wings more than any other sitcom, and here every day Ned and Stacey is on, OMG what happened with THC, he's trying so hard to be funny, but he's not.I miss THC as a Lowell, see, everybody knows him as Lowell, the mecanic and I see Tim Daly also in other tv series Private Practise, Tim Daly is amazing tv actor, I find his performance on Private Practise not so banging, I have dvd of Soprano, thats really super acting of TD, I really missed wings, it is a good show if you all read Steven Weber blogs, some of the comments asks him about wings about Brian Hacketts, but he never return to answered back. I read Ken Levine blogs too, one of two he's post about wings and mentioned how wonderfull Crystal Bernard is, I hope she come back to make a flim or music, or maybe she can be one of the judge of US X Factor ( a program like America Idol's but more selective)

spunkygirl · 03-18-2010, 04:23 PM

If Wings wasn't a hit, it sure wouildn't have lasted 8 seasons........

Sure it wasn't a mega hit, but it had a good following and still does. How many shows can we say that about?

gopyle · 10-23-2011, 04:11 PM

It must have been somewhat of a hit as long as it ran. I think it is one of the best.

born2late · 10-23-2011, 08:04 PM

Wings was a funny show, better than most of the comedies today. It had to be doing something right to run for eight years. Not into MF, but I do love The Middle.

Nyan · 10-23-2011, 10:30 PM

A while back on Ken Levine's blog he pretty much outed Thomas Haden Church as kinda a loud, overbearing douche and there are Conan clips with Thomas and Norm MacDonald that pretty much confirm his rather obnoxious (and unfunny) personality.

MasterEdward · 02-04-2012, 01:25 AM

I don't get it, since when is a sitcom running 7 years not a hit? I agree though I really didn't like Lowell, although on some episodes he was pretty funny as long as he was in the background and I don't like actor Thomas Haydn Church either. Since they've started rerunning it on Reelz Channel I'm watching it as much as I can. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it, it's a very funny show.

Ed.

Ant-Lox · 03-31-2013, 01:33 AM

It's a simplistic show, not as heavy as Frasier or Cheers, which are it's counterparts.

The small town setting gave it a nice, small, welcome feeling. But if you blink, you'll forget all about it.

ratner43 · 07-25-2013, 01:13 PM

Wings was a great show, forgettable depending on what you want from it, most of what you said is valid but

Cheers was about jerks and losers, Frasier was about sophistication and what it takes to be happy, there was a weight to them and the issues. The deepest Wings ever got was the Hacketts, dreams and stress characters went to, it was like the everyman show, it seemed like the toughest show to explain of the three but also the most satisfying as they made every season different in some way.

Wings reminds a bit of the class comedies of the 60-80s rather then the 90s, Three's Company, I Love Lucy,

Ironically Wings is the least Farcical of the three shows,

ratner43 · 07-25-2013, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helen Chapel

I found this over at TWoP and thought I would bring it over here:

I think the best comparison for MF that I’ve heard, from a couple of people including Justin, is Wings. Especially since both its creators, Chris Lloyd and Steven Levitan, were longtime Wings writers. There was a show whose writing had all the “quality” benchmarks in place, assembled an excellent cast (including Tim Daly, Steven Weber, Tony Shalhoub and Thomas Hayden Church), and was almost always enjoyable to watch, just as Modern Family is — for me — usually enjoyable. But it never added up to more than a pleasantly enjoyable show, easy to watch and forget. The characters were all recognizable as stock types delivering their well-written stock lines in stories that were well-crafted but unsurprising. Wings appeared at a time when there were lots of really good, surprising comedies on the networks, so it was generally regarded as a middle-of-the-pack show. If it came back as a new show today, it might be regarded differently, but it might not deserve it, even now.

Chris Lloyd and Steven Levitan were writers on Wings for 2-4 years, wasn't that thrilled about what they said about Wings on emmylegends interview, they both seemed to treat Wings as a springboard for there career rather then a show they cared about.

Dave Hackel and Ian Gurvitz seemed to be the real heart of Wings who ended up working together on another amazing show, Becker, it rivaled Frasier for a few years.

aeromasspilot · 05-16-2014, 04:03 AM

Wings had a very familiar structure with its cast. Very similar to Seinfeld, I love Lucy. Like Wings, these shows had one normal character.. ie Jerry Seinfeld, Ricky Ricardo, and Tim Daly. They were surrounded with the abnormal. ie: Elaine, Krammer, Geoge... Lucy Ricardo, Fred and Ethyl Mertz, Wings had Lowell, Brian, Faye Antonio... It works.. and it's funny. I'm very happy to see that the sitcom is alive and well with the success of "how I met your mother" and "The Big Bang Theory" great sitcoms (like Wings) with class and style.

king of comedy · 05-16-2014, 06:43 AM

It was Cheers at an airport.

icecream · 05-16-2014, 11:43 AM

Wings is much better than Modern Family.

Spark Of Spirit · 05-16-2014, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catsrule

Wings is much better than Modern Family.

I agree there. I always thought Wings deserved more than it got.

03-12-2010, 05:48 PM	#1
Helen Chapel Wings fan Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 20, 2003 Location: USA Posts: 73	Modern Family article on why Wings was never a hit I found this over at TWoP and thought I would bring it over here: http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/01/13/w...ood-not-great/ I think the best comparison for MF that I’ve heard, from a couple of people including Justin, is Wings. Especially since both its creators, Chris Lloyd and Steven Levitan, were longtime Wings writers. There was a show whose writing had all the “quality” benchmarks in place, assembled an excellent cast (including Tim Daly, Steven Weber, Tony Shalhoub and Thomas Hayden Church), and was almost always enjoyable to watch, just as Modern Family is — for me — usually enjoyable. But it never added up to more than a pleasantly enjoyable show, easy to watch and forget. The characters were all recognizable as stock types delivering their well-written stock lines in stories that were well-crafted but unsurprising. Wings appeared at a time when there were lots of really good, surprising comedies on the networks, so it was generally regarded as a middle-of-the-pack show. If it came back as a new show today, it might be regarded differently, but it might not deserve it, even now.

03-31-2013, 01:33 AM	#9
Ant-Lox Cloud Watcher Senior Member Join Date: Feb 18, 2004 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,824	It's a simplistic show, not as heavy as Frasier or Cheers, which are it's counterparts. The small town setting gave it a nice, small, welcome feeling. But if you blink, you'll forget all about it.
	__________________ Currently Watching: Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Sports Allegiances Philadelphia 76ers Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia Eagles Detroit Red Wings New York Football Giants

07-25-2013, 01:13 PM	#10
ratner43 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jul 01, 2013 Posts: 16	Wings was a great show, forgettable depending on what you want from it, most of what you said is valid but Cheers was about jerks and losers, Frasier was about sophistication and what it takes to be happy, there was a weight to them and the issues. The deepest Wings ever got was the Hacketts, dreams and stress characters went to, it was like the everyman show, it seemed like the toughest show to explain of the three but also the most satisfying as they made every season different in some way. Wings reminds a bit of the class comedies of the 60-80s rather then the 90s, Three's Company, I Love Lucy, Ironically Wings is the least Farcical of the three shows,
	Last edited by ratner43; 07-25-2013 at 01:35 PM.

05-16-2014, 11:43 AM	#14
icecream Cat-tastic and Whiskerlicious Forum Celebrity Join Date: Sep 01, 2006 Location: The Catacombs Posts: 20,904	Wings is much better than Modern Family.
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03-12-2010, 06:36 PM	#2
Chocoholic Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 01, 2000 Location: Between a rock and a hard place. Posts: 11,235	I never could understand why Wings wasn't more of a hit. I like it a heck of a lot better than some of the more popular shows of that era. I don't get Modern Family at all. I tried and found it trashy and unfunny.

03-18-2010, 02:55 PM	#3
awiena Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 21, 2010 Location: net;herland Posts: 7	Hello there, yes I wonder too why wings never hits even here in Holland, I like wings more than any other sitcom, and here every day Ned and Stacey is on, OMG what happened with THC, he's trying so hard to be funny, but he's not.I miss THC as a Lowell, see, everybody knows him as Lowell, the mecanic and I see Tim Daly also in other tv series Private Practise, Tim Daly is amazing tv actor, I find his performance on Private Practise not so banging, I have dvd of Soprano, thats really super acting of TD, I really missed wings, it is a good show if you all read Steven Weber blogs, some of the comments asks him about wings about Brian Hacketts, but he never return to answered back. I read Ken Levine blogs too, one of two he's post about wings and mentioned how wonderfull Crystal Bernard is, I hope she come back to make a flim or music, or maybe she can be one of the judge of US X Factor ( a program like America Idol's but more selective)

03-18-2010, 04:23 PM	#4
spunkygirl Member Moderator Forum Celebrity Join Date: Apr 26, 2003 Posts: 21,563	If Wings wasn't a hit, it sure wouildn't have lasted 8 seasons........ Sure it wasn't a mega hit, but it had a good following and still does. How many shows can we say that about?

10-23-2011, 04:11 PM	#5
gopyle Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 22, 2011 Posts: 235	It must have been somewhat of a hit as long as it ran. I think it is one of the best.

10-23-2011, 08:04 PM	#6
born2late Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 01, 2011 Location: Tn Posts: 360	Wings was a funny show, better than most of the comedies today. It had to be doing something right to run for eight years. Not into MF, but I do love The Middle.

10-23-2011, 10:30 PM	#7
Nyan Be The Rainbow! Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 29, 2011 Location: Land of Pop Tarts Posts: 141	A while back on Ken Levine's blog he pretty much outed Thomas Haden Church as kinda a loud, overbearing douche and there are Conan clips with Thomas and Norm MacDonald that pretty much confirm his rather obnoxious (and unfunny) personality.

02-04-2012, 01:25 AM	#8
MasterEdward Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Oct 18, 2011 Posts: 37	I don't get it, since when is a sitcom running 7 years not a hit? I agree though I really didn't like Lowell, although on some episodes he was pretty funny as long as he was in the background and I don't like actor Thomas Haydn Church either. Since they've started rerunning it on Reelz Channel I'm watching it as much as I can. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it, it's a very funny show. Ed.

05-16-2014, 04:03 AM	#12
aeromasspilot Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 27, 2003 Posts: 20	Wings had a very familiar structure with its cast. Very similar to Seinfeld, I love Lucy. Like Wings, these shows had one normal character.. ie Jerry Seinfeld, Ricky Ricardo, and Tim Daly. They were surrounded with the abnormal. ie: Elaine, Krammer, Geoge... Lucy Ricardo, Fred and Ethyl Mertz, Wings had Lowell, Brian, Faye Antonio... It works.. and it's funny. I'm very happy to see that the sitcom is alive and well with the success of "how I met your mother" and "The Big Bang Theory" great sitcoms (like Wings) with class and style.

05-16-2014, 06:43 AM	#13
king of comedy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Aug 31, 2012 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,140	It was Cheers at an airport.