Do You Think David Groh Was Unjustly Fired From 'Rhoda?' - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 03-11-2011, 09:37 PM

...Or was it just time to separate him from the show? I read an article where he was happy to be moving on from the sitcom, but of course he could've been just saying that...

liane49 · 04-02-2013, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

...Or was it just time to separate him from the show? I read an article where he was happy to be moving on from the sitcom, but of course he could've been just saying that...

I herd the producers on the show just thought the charactor Rhoda worked better being single then married. She felt bad for David but they remained friends.

JSP · 09-06-2014, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

...Or was it just time to separate him from the show? I read an article where he was happy to be moving on from the sitcom, but of course he could've been just saying that...

I'm sure he wasn't let go for doing a bad job. It was just decided that Rhoda shouldn't be married anymore and there was no place for him anymore on the show.

Consider that he was laid off, not fired.

Anna Karenina · 09-02-2017, 10:26 PM

Yes!

They trashed his character too and made it seem like he never wanted to be married to Rhoda which was such garbage.

Bonniegirl · 09-02-2017, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anna Karenina

Yes!

They trashed his character too and made it seem like he never wanted to be married to Rhoda which was such garbage.

I was sad to see Rhoda and Joe divorce!!

I liked Joe and thought it was nice that Rhoda found a good guy!

But than I still liked the show without Joe ! Rhoda moved on nicely! She was a strong woman!

But yeah, it was kind of a shame for David Groh!

Anna Karenina · 09-02-2017, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bonniegirl

I was sad to see Rhoda and Joe divorce!!

I liked Joe and thought it was nice that Rhoda found a good guy!

But than I still liked the show without Joe ! Rhoda moved on nicely! She was a strong woman!

But yeah, it was kind of a shame for David Groh!

If they went their separate ways mutually it would have been one thing. But it seemed like he just randomly dumped her for no solid reason. Kind of like Ann Romano trying to "find herself" out of her own marriage.

She was a strong woman to be sure but I just don't like how he left her. It didn't seem to make any sense. What was he specifically disenchanted with when it came to her? He just wanted to be "free" I guess to explore his options. They made his character seem suddenly a jerk so as to prop her character up.

This song reminds me of their random breakup.

Bonniegirl · 09-02-2017, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anna Karenina

If they went their separate ways mutually it would have been one thing. But it seemed like he just randomly dumped her for no solid reason. Kind of like Ann Romano trying to "find herself" out of her own marriage.

She was a strong woman to be sure but I just don't like how he left her. It didn't seem to make any sense. What was he specifically disenchanted with when it came to her? He just wanted to be "free" I guess to explore his options. They made his character seem suddenly a jerk so as to prop her character up.

This song reminds me of their random breakup.

Yeah I guess the writers thought Rhoda as a character was better to be unlucky in love! Even after finding a nice guy and being married , it wasn't to work out!!

Sad cause yes it made a nice guy have to become a jerk!

And sad for Rhoda too, cause as strong, pretty, intelligent , funny / good personality as she was and didn't NEED a man to validate her. Maybe she wanted to settle down, not have to deal with BS and the dating scene anymore!!

And her and Joe would have had BEAUTIFUL children together!!

Anna Karenina · 09-02-2017, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bonniegirl

Yeah I guess the writers thought Rhoda as a character was better to be unlucky in love! Even after finding a nice guy and being married , it wasn't to work out!!

Sad cause yes it made a nice guy have to become a jerk!

And sad for Rhoda too, cause as strong, pretty, intelligent , funny / good personality as she was and didn't NEED a man to validate her. Maybe she wanted to settle down, not have to deal with BS and the dating scene anymore!!

And her and Joe would have had BEAUTIFUL children together!!

Yes, their kids would have been BEAUTIFUL and they would have been very happy together but the writers I guess felt there needed to be this kind of forced conflict to make the show interesting

David Groh deserved a lot better but he was a good sport about the whole thing apparently.

And you are so right about Rhoda too.

snowpeck · 10-20-2017, 03:37 PM

The problem was the writers didn't know how to write for a character that was happily married. They only knew how to make someone's life struggles funny. Not that they weren't good at that, but in their minds, happy didn't equal funny.

Mr. Television · 10-20-2017, 03:41 PM

The Producers ruined a top 10 show by separating them. I watched it every week the first 2 years but after that very rarely. As I said in another thread, you can't build that wedding up and make it a national event only to tear it apart a few years later. The public felt cheated.

hno:

TMC · 09-03-2019, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snowpeck

The problem was the writers didn't know how to write for a character that was happily married. They only knew how to make someone's life struggles funny. Not that they weren't good at that, but in their minds, happy didn't equal funny.

David Groh arguably had very little charm or charisma. He also arguably didn't have much in the way of any comic chops, which wasn't necessarily an issue since Joe was usually the straight man who fed Rhoda her lines. But they also made Joe very gruff and quick to anger (and they also did something that they hadn't done that much with Rhoda - make her combative). So without that charm or comic ability, Groh had a hard time diffusing Joe's unlikable nature. As a result, it was hard to want to spend time with the character, and because Rhoda was so beloved, you wanted her with someone who deserved her.

Yong Fang · 09-14-2019, 09:34 AM

On YouTube now there are basically the four (or 4 1/2 seasons of the show). I want to make an OP of my thoughts of the show, now seeing them as an adult ( the show came on when I was young child of 10) and my thoughts. I still will.

I didn’t much like Joe the character. Most of the time he seemed angry, jerky and unkind. But this is how the writers made his character. I think that the writers of the show wanted a quick payoff of Rhoda getting married to this man for high ratings (and succeeded mightly) but then didn’t know what to do with the dynamic of the marriage. It was like the writers said “Oops we made a bad mistake, Rhoda should be single again) It wasn’t Groh’s fault, he is a player and he had to read his lines and he was great at it. But Joe the character was usually a jerk but there was some kindness and thoughtfulness to him).

I don’t know why the writers got “cold feet” and did what they did. There was a lot of material for two married people with problems and different personalities to resolve them. A lot of the show was between her sister Brenda and her mother Ida. A lot of the show could have been about a 35 year old first married woman with a man she knew for a short time and went from there. I married my wife after knowing her three months. Been married 18 years. I am American and she is Chinese so there are a lot of differences there, much more than Rhoda and Joe.

The fans went WTF when the two divorced. The show took a wrong direction and the ratings showed it. Groh didn’t want to quit the show I believe (from what I have read in YouTube comments) the writers wanted him gone. Groh’s character showed a lot of kindness to Rhoda. He is what I call a “big city guy” a New Yorker and so was she. But in the end in hindsight this was forgiven and showed a man (Groh) who wanted a girlfriend and not a wife. It went a direction the very good writers wanted to take. It was a gamble and arguably it failed. They should have stayed together and made a better show.

Also Julie Kavner was foxy.

Duster76 · 09-14-2019, 11:55 PM

The public story on what transpired doesn't add up. The producers always become the bad guys in these situations, the star has to keep their hands clean (that goes with the territory). Harper was no wallflower, she made additional salary demands between the first and second season of Rhoda, and we all know what went on with respect to her next series, Valerie. Harper was not only the star of Rhoda, but the series was a top 10 smash the first two seasons. Producers are business people, you don't start making major changes to show that is a hit with the audience without full knowledge and approval of the star. There was a story Suzanne Pleshette would tell, she called Bob Newhart to discuss a change in direction under consideration for The Bob Newhart Show. The plan for the next season was for the couple to have a baby on the series, Bob responded to her, who are the planning to cast in the role of Bob next season, long story short, no baby. In addition to Harper, the network has a seat at the table and the network people tend to be very conservative, and they would normally be very reluctant to fool with such a popular series in this manner. Keep in mind the fact that while there had been other divorced characters on TV before (Lou Grant and his wife for example), the audience had been with this couple since the beginning, and this couple was the main focus of the show. I don't think the network would have OK'd it without the star not only on board but maybe pushing the angle.

Divorce is a very depressing topic to introduce into a comedy series, and to have to play out in real time, the series never recovered from it. I know David Groh wasn't funny, and it probably would have been better for Rhoda to be single and unattached from the start of the series, but the series was so successful in the first two seasons, the solution turned out to be a cure that was worse than the disease.

Bonniegirl · 09-15-2019, 02:52 AM

I don't mean to talk about another show on a Rhoda thread but it is on the same subject sort of! Not that Rob Reiner was fired or anything because Mike and Gloria had already left NY and went to California in All in the family, Rob and Sally leaving the show. And at this point it was already Archie Bunkers place, not All in the family anymore ! But I hated the way Mike was portrayed , he was made to look like the bad guy , leaving Gloria for another woman !! I wish it could have been a more amiable divorce, just the two drifting apart or something! A shame that they had to have Mike be an A** , what was the point ?, they had been off the show for years!? I know it had to be explained why Gloria came back to NY , to star in her own spinoff series Gloria. But as ? said did they really have to make Mike be the bad guy?

Same of course what they did to MacKenzie Phillips , even worse! Really making Julie awful by abandoning her baby and Husband!

rcbrad · 09-15-2019, 09:08 AM

It seems like the producers made a decision to marry Rhoda off too quick and then they turned around and did it again with divorcing them too quick. Yes, the show never fully recovered. The divorce was melancholy and somewhat depressing enough. Having Rhoda working in a broken down costume shop with a mediocre work related supporting cast did not help too much. When the producers changed, some of the humor and situations were becoming contrived and somewhat silly. They should have had her take on something more lively and exciting with a better supporting cast in the workplace to energize the series.

03-11-2011, 09:37 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: 63,108	Do You Think David Groh Was Unjustly Fired From 'Rhoda?' ...Or was it just time to separate him from the show? I read an article where he was happy to be moving on from the sitcom, but of course he could've been just saying that...
	__________________ The Key to the Kingdom of Heaven: John 3:3 *Money Doesn't Buy Happiness...But I'd Rather Cry in My Private Jet*

10-20-2017, 03:37 PM	#9
snowpeck Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 13, 2001 Location: Atlanta Posts: 759	The problem was the writers didn't know how to write for a character that was happily married. They only knew how to make someone's life struggles funny. Not that they weren't good at that, but in their minds, happy didn't equal funny.
	__________________ My trading website: http://www.gregbrobeck.net

10-20-2017, 03:41 PM	#10
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,125	The Producers ruined a top 10 show by separating them. I watched it every week the first 2 years but after that very rarely. As I said in another thread, you can't build that wedding up and make it a national event only to tear it apart a few years later. The public felt cheated. hno:
	__________________ Sonny

09-02-2017, 10:26 PM	#4
Anna Karenina Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Nov 09, 2006 Posts: 10,086	Yes! They trashed his character too and made it seem like he never wanted to be married to Rhoda which was such garbage.

09-14-2019, 09:34 AM	#12
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,072	On YouTube now there are basically the four (or 4 1/2 seasons of the show). I want to make an OP of my thoughts of the show, now seeing them as an adult ( the show came on when I was young child of 10) and my thoughts. I still will. I didn’t much like Joe the character. Most of the time he seemed angry, jerky and unkind. But this is how the writers made his character. I think that the writers of the show wanted a quick payoff of Rhoda getting married to this man for high ratings (and succeeded mightly) but then didn’t know what to do with the dynamic of the marriage. It was like the writers said “Oops we made a bad mistake, Rhoda should be single again) It wasn’t Groh’s fault, he is a player and he had to read his lines and he was great at it. But Joe the character was usually a jerk but there was some kindness and thoughtfulness to him). I don’t know why the writers got “cold feet” and did what they did. There was a lot of material for two married people with problems and different personalities to resolve them. A lot of the show was between her sister Brenda and her mother Ida. A lot of the show could have been about a 35 year old first married woman with a man she knew for a short time and went from there. I married my wife after knowing her three months. Been married 18 years. I am American and she is Chinese so there are a lot of differences there, much more than Rhoda and Joe. The fans went WTF when the two divorced. The show took a wrong direction and the ratings showed it. Groh didn’t want to quit the show I believe (from what I have read in YouTube comments) the writers wanted him gone. Groh’s character showed a lot of kindness to Rhoda. He is what I call a “big city guy” a New Yorker and so was she. But in the end in hindsight this was forgiven and showed a man (Groh) who wanted a girlfriend and not a wife. It went a direction the very good writers wanted to take. It was a gamble and arguably it failed. They should have stayed together and made a better show. Also Julie Kavner was foxy.

09-14-2019, 11:55 PM	#13
Duster76 Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 01, 2008 Location: New jersey Posts: 1,639	The public story on what transpired doesn't add up. The producers always become the bad guys in these situations, the star has to keep their hands clean (that goes with the territory). Harper was no wallflower, she made additional salary demands between the first and second season of Rhoda, and we all know what went on with respect to her next series, Valerie. Harper was not only the star of Rhoda, but the series was a top 10 smash the first two seasons. Producers are business people, you don't start making major changes to show that is a hit with the audience without full knowledge and approval of the star. There was a story Suzanne Pleshette would tell, she called Bob Newhart to discuss a change in direction under consideration for The Bob Newhart Show. The plan for the next season was for the couple to have a baby on the series, Bob responded to her, who are the planning to cast in the role of Bob next season, long story short, no baby. In addition to Harper, the network has a seat at the table and the network people tend to be very conservative, and they would normally be very reluctant to fool with such a popular series in this manner. Keep in mind the fact that while there had been other divorced characters on TV before (Lou Grant and his wife for example), the audience had been with this couple since the beginning, and this couple was the main focus of the show. I don't think the network would have OK'd it without the star not only on board but maybe pushing the angle. Divorce is a very depressing topic to introduce into a comedy series, and to have to play out in real time, the series never recovered from it. I know David Groh wasn't funny, and it probably would have been better for Rhoda to be single and unattached from the start of the series, but the series was so successful in the first two seasons, the solution turned out to be a cure that was worse than the disease.

09-15-2019, 02:52 AM	#14
Bonniegirl AKA Hazel Horvath Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 10, 2014 Posts: 65,398	I don't mean to talk about another show on a Rhoda thread but it is on the same subject sort of! Not that Rob Reiner was fired or anything because Mike and Gloria had already left NY and went to California in All in the family, Rob and Sally leaving the show. And at this point it was already Archie Bunkers place, not All in the family anymore ! But I hated the way Mike was portrayed , he was made to look like the bad guy , leaving Gloria for another woman !! I wish it could have been a more amiable divorce, just the two drifting apart or something! A shame that they had to have Mike be an A** , what was the point ?, they had been off the show for years!? I know it had to be explained why Gloria came back to NY , to star in her own spinoff series Gloria. But as ? said did they really have to make Mike be the bad guy? Same of course what they did to MacKenzie Phillips , even worse! Really making Julie awful by abandoning her baby and Husband!

09-15-2019, 09:08 AM	#15
rcbrad Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 21, 2007 Posts: 479	It seems like the producers made a decision to marry Rhoda off too quick and then they turned around and did it again with divorcing them too quick. Yes, the show never fully recovered. The divorce was melancholy and somewhat depressing enough. Having Rhoda working in a broken down costume shop with a mediocre work related supporting cast did not help too much. When the producers changed, some of the humor and situations were becoming contrived and somewhat silly. They should have had her take on something more lively and exciting with a better supporting cast in the workplace to energize the series.