Didn't Realize that the Sitcom "Webster," First Premiered Under A Different Title?! - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 04-17-2010, 10:16 AM

So imagine you're a husband and wife. You start your own production company, you make a show starring yourselves and, eventually, it gets picked up by the networks.

But couple Susan Clark and Alex Karras lived that dream, selling ABC on a couple-in-love sitcom titled Another Ballgame, starring themselves. Then, at the last minute, ABC suggested a twist: adding a young black actor to play their adopted son. The couple loved the idea. You had the racial element and storylines about the challenges of raising a fish-out-of-water child who had lost his own parents.

The network hired child actor Emmanuel Lewis.

What they didn't realize was that ABC was jealous of all the money NBC was making on Gary Coleman's show, Diff'rent Strokes. ABC next went about slowly changing the show into a terrible Diff'rent Strokes ripoff, selling the only celebrity their show had: a young black dwarf.

When ABC implemented a policy informally called "all Webster, all the time" in the show's storylines, Clark and Karras acquiesced, with the provision that ABC not change the show's name to Webster.

Soon after, ABC changed the show's name to Webster. By the end of the first season, the 12-year-old Lewis was given a full production credit, meaning he was also a boss.

http://www.cracked.com/article/135_6...-members-life/

catlover79 · 04-17-2010, 12:00 PM

I think I heard that a long time ago...can't remember where.

Syndication · 05-20-2010, 06:38 PM

I couldn't imagine a sitcom in the 80s about a couple in their age group living in an apartment in chicago. Just doesn't sound that interesting. They are probably better off the network did anything with it at all.

TV_on_the_Porch · 05-21-2010, 03:35 AM

The title "change" you refer to must have happened prior to the premiere of the show which was known from day one as Webster.

TV Knowledge Fan · 05-21-2010, 03:53 AM

...another proposed title for the series was "THEN CAME YOU" (TV GUIDE mentioned this title in an item about the series' pilot among proposed 1983-'84 series, in the spring of '83)- and the theme song was titled, "Then Came You" [by Steve & Madeline Sunshine]. But ABC insisted the series, after they bought it, change its name to "WEBSTER" before its premiere {I believe they also thought that would be a "better fit" with "BENSON", which preceeded it on Fridays}.

megamanj2004 · 06-04-2010, 01:59 AM

What was even worse was that ABC, the very network that green-lighted Webster also later went on and picked up the show that it ripped-off ("Diff'rent Strokes") during the 1985-86 season and had that show and Webster separated by Mr. Belvedere.

ABC had a chance to get DS in the beginning but their miscue in turning down the show made it a marginal benefit for NBC.

ABC waited until DS was tired out to even pick it up.

A sitcom about a couple living in a Chicago apartment just sounds too ordinary. Even another Chicago-apartment based sitcom The Bob Newhart did more than just have it be about a couple living in a Chicago apartment and make it work.

And as for Karras and Clark going off at the network brass and the crew aroudn the set for changing their product, I can understand since it was mostly their show but they eventually had to realize that in the long run a show about just a couple living in a Chicago partment wouldn't last very long without some type of pizazz happening to it.

04-17-2010, 10:16 AM	#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: 63,108	Didn't Realize that the Sitcom "Webster," First Premiered Under A Different Title?! So imagine you're a husband and wife. You start your own production company, you make a show starring yourselves and, eventually, it gets picked up by the networks. But couple Susan Clark and Alex Karras lived that dream, selling ABC on a couple-in-love sitcom titled Another Ballgame, starring themselves. Then, at the last minute, ABC suggested a twist: adding a young black actor to play their adopted son. The couple loved the idea. You had the racial element and storylines about the challenges of raising a fish-out-of-water child who had lost his own parents. The network hired child actor Emmanuel Lewis. What they didn't realize was that ABC was jealous of all the money NBC was making on Gary Coleman's show, Diff'rent Strokes. ABC next went about slowly changing the show into a terrible Diff'rent Strokes ripoff, selling the only celebrity their show had: a young black dwarf. When ABC implemented a policy informally called "all Webster, all the time" in the show's storylines, Clark and Karras acquiesced, with the provision that ABC not change the show's name to Webster. Soon after, ABC changed the show's name to Webster. By the end of the first season, the 12-year-old Lewis was given a full production credit, meaning he was also a boss. http://www.cracked.com/article/135_6...-members-life/
	__________________ The Key to the Kingdom of Heaven: John 3:3 *Money Doesn't Buy Happiness...But I'd Rather Cry in My Private Jet*

04-17-2010, 12:00 PM	#2
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	I think I heard that a long time ago...can't remember where.
	__________________ "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

05-21-2010, 03:53 AM	#5
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	Actually... ...another proposed title for the series was "THEN CAME YOU" (TV GUIDE mentioned this title in an item about the series' pilot among proposed 1983-'84 series, in the spring of '83)- and the theme song was titled, "Then Came You" [by Steve & Madeline Sunshine]. But ABC insisted the series, after they bought it, change its name to "WEBSTER" before its premiere {I believe they also thought that would be a "better fit" with "BENSON", which preceeded it on Fridays}.

06-04-2010, 01:59 AM	#6
megamanj2004 Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 21, 2004 Posts: 2,357	What was even worse was that ABC, the very network that green-lighted Webster also later went on and picked up the show that it ripped-off ("Diff'rent Strokes") during the 1985-86 season and had that show and Webster separated by Mr. Belvedere. ABC had a chance to get DS in the beginning but their miscue in turning down the show made it a marginal benefit for NBC. ABC waited until DS was tired out to even pick it up. A sitcom about a couple living in a Chicago apartment just sounds too ordinary. Even another Chicago-apartment based sitcom The Bob Newhart did more than just have it be about a couple living in a Chicago apartment and make it work. And as for Karras and Clark going off at the network brass and the crew aroudn the set for changing their product, I can understand since it was mostly their show but they eventually had to realize that in the long run a show about just a couple living in a Chicago partment wouldn't last very long without some type of pizazz happening to it.
	__________________ 10 AND A HALF YEARS GOING STRONG!!!

05-20-2010, 06:38 PM	#3
Syndication Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: san diego Posts: 15	I couldn't imagine a sitcom in the 80s about a couple in their age group living in an apartment in chicago. Just doesn't sound that interesting. They are probably better off the network did anything with it at all.

05-21-2010, 03:35 AM	#4
TV_on_the_Porch anything good on? Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Posts: 879	The title "change" you refer to must have happened prior to the premiere of the show which was known from day one as Webster.