Did NBC's Retooling of 'The John Larroquette Show' Ruin A Perfectly Good Show??? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 05-24-2011, 10:35 PM

Television producer Don Reo was coming off a big success with Blossom in 1992, and actor John Larroquette had been a breakout success on Night Court, so the timing seemed perfect for the two to try something different together. And that’s exactly what The John Larroquette Show was—for its first season. Reo gave free rein to the darker, more intellectual side of his humor, and Larroquette sank his teeth into the role of a recovering drunk who could only get employment as the night manager of a ratty St. Louis bus terminal. The show was rife with literate jokes, drug references, sexual innuendo, and extremely black humor, and it was a critical success. But its ratings were mediocre, so NBC executives ordered a major retooling. By season two, Larroquette’s character had become more likeable, and no longer lived in a dingy, creepy apartment. (His transvestite hooker friend also all but vanished.) The bus station was made to look less dire and sleazy, and even the theme music was brightened up. The John Laroquette Show dragged on for another year, but it was never as good again.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-c...etoolin,25099/

robyrob · 05-25-2011, 01:12 AM

i thought it was a great show, i don't know why its ratings sucked.

skylark77 · 05-27-2011, 06:00 PM

Is that just a link you've offered, or did you write that article?

From what I've read, the show's first season didn't have stellar ratings, but wasn't mediocre... And it was the reliable ratings that NBC hoped to cash in on by taking the existing audience and bring in new viewers with the god-awful retooling.

That said...

Any show needs to evolve. Otherwise they stagnate. To the addicted fan, change often comes with outcry. "Oh, I don't like X now that they got rid of Y", etc. But without change, you're just watching the same old gags, which will have a natural decay of viewership.

Season Two, following Season One of TJLS, was NOT the time to evolve... at least not as rapidly as they did in the retooling. If this was the start to Season Three, I think the existing fans would have tolerated the changes much more easily, with the chance to introduce the idea of John moving to day-shift, and Carly deciding to change occupation, etc etc.

The artile also intimates that the show only had 2 seasons. It did here in Australia, as far as I know, as I'm sure we didn't get anything after the end of Season Two, but as we know, there was another season and a bit after that.

Google John Larroquette torrent to relive most of the series on AVI... except 75% of what we want to see - Season One.

70s show watcher · 05-27-2011, 07:56 PM

[QUOTE=robyrob]i thought it was a great show, i don't know why its ratings sucked.[/QUOTEi liked it too and so did my mother and she dosent like alot of sitcoms]

ekkostar · 05-27-2011, 09:42 PM

I've seen a few episodes of the first season and a few here and there of the following seasons through various online sources to jog my memory because I really haven't seen the show since USA's USAM block in the early 00s. I grew up watching it alongside Fraiser back in the 90s as well.

I prefer the first season over the rest of the series and I believe the first season alone deserves a DVD set. There's a lot of dark humor that wasn't present on TV during that time period, which is probably why it had trouble securing an audience. The one full episode I have on DVD-R consists of John brooding over his birthday and the bus station being held at gunpoint.

megamanj2004 · 05-29-2011, 09:54 PM

The retooling absolutely destroyed this show's future. No question about that.

The dark humor that made the 1st season enjoyable IMO was eliminated. Every progressing episode in the post-S1 eps. seemed like the show became more and more retooled til' it retooled itself into Cancelled Street.

catlover79 · 05-30-2011, 01:18 AM

Didn't David Cassidy write/perform the theme song to this show?

Marvo301 · 05-30-2011, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

Didn't David Cassidy write/perform the theme song to this show?

The theme song is called "St. Louis Toodle-oo" and yes it was written and performed by David Cassidy!

catlover79 · 05-30-2011, 11:48 AM

Thanks!!

05-24-2011, 10:35 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	Did NBC's Retooling of 'The John Larroquette Show' Ruin A Perfectly Good Show??? Television producer Don Reo was coming off a big success with Blossom in 1992, and actor John Larroquette had been a breakout success on Night Court, so the timing seemed perfect for the two to try something different together. And that’s exactly what The John Larroquette Show was—for its first season. Reo gave free rein to the darker, more intellectual side of his humor, and Larroquette sank his teeth into the role of a recovering drunk who could only get employment as the night manager of a ratty St. Louis bus terminal. The show was rife with literate jokes, drug references, sexual innuendo, and extremely black humor, and it was a critical success. But its ratings were mediocre, so NBC executives ordered a major retooling. By season two, Larroquette’s character had become more likeable, and no longer lived in a dingy, creepy apartment. (His transvestite hooker friend also all but vanished.) The bus station was made to look less dire and sleazy, and even the theme music was brightened up. The John Laroquette Show dragged on for another year, but it was never as good again. http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-c...etoolin,25099/
	__________________ The Key to the Kingdom of Heaven: John 3:3 *Money Doesn't Buy Happiness...But I'd Rather Cry in My Private Jet*

05-25-2011, 01:12 AM	#2
robyrob certified wackball#3 Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Aug 03, 2003 Location: hiding under the third booth at Arnold's Posts: 58,156	i thought it was a great show, i don't know why its ratings sucked.
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05-27-2011, 09:42 PM	#5
ekkostar Coffee, Tea & Larroquette! Senior Member Join Date: Apr 16, 2005 Posts: 1,077	I've seen a few episodes of the first season and a few here and there of the following seasons through various online sources to jog my memory because I really haven't seen the show since USA's USAM block in the early 00s. I grew up watching it alongside Fraiser back in the 90s as well. I prefer the first season over the rest of the series and I believe the first season alone deserves a DVD set. There's a lot of dark humor that wasn't present on TV during that time period, which is probably why it had trouble securing an audience. The one full episode I have on DVD-R consists of John brooding over his birthday and the bus station being held at gunpoint.
	__________________ "All my sitcoms had an audience, with four or five cameras, so working this way has always been appealing to me." - John Larroquette A living legend, five Emmys and a Tony award! Your favorites could never...

05-29-2011, 09:54 PM	#6
megamanj2004 Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 21, 2004 Posts: 2,357	The retooling absolutely destroyed this show's future. No question about that. The dark humor that made the 1st season enjoyable IMO was eliminated. Every progressing episode in the post-S1 eps. seemed like the show became more and more retooled til' it retooled itself into Cancelled Street.
	__________________ 10 AND A HALF YEARS GOING STRONG!!!

05-30-2011, 01:18 AM	#7
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Didn't David Cassidy write/perform the theme song to this show?
	__________________ "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

05-27-2011, 06:00 PM	#3
skylark77 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Aug 25, 2010 Posts: 16	Is that just a link you've offered, or did you write that article? From what I've read, the show's first season didn't have stellar ratings, but wasn't mediocre... And it was the reliable ratings that NBC hoped to cash in on by taking the existing audience and bring in new viewers with the god-awful retooling. That said... Any show needs to evolve. Otherwise they stagnate. To the addicted fan, change often comes with outcry. "Oh, I don't like X now that they got rid of Y", etc. But without change, you're just watching the same old gags, which will have a natural decay of viewership. Season Two, following Season One of TJLS, was NOT the time to evolve... at least not as rapidly as they did in the retooling. If this was the start to Season Three, I think the existing fans would have tolerated the changes much more easily, with the chance to introduce the idea of John moving to day-shift, and Carly deciding to change occupation, etc etc. The artile also intimates that the show only had 2 seasons. It did here in Australia, as far as I know, as I'm sure we didn't get anything after the end of Season Two, but as we know, there was another season and a bit after that. Google John Larroquette torrent to relive most of the series on AVI... except 75% of what we want to see - Season One.

05-27-2011, 07:56 PM	#4
70s show watcher Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 20, 2008 Location: between point place and studio 8 h Posts: 4,548	[QUOTE=robyrob]i thought it was a great show, i don't know why its ratings sucked.[/QUOTEi liked it too and so did my mother and she dosent like alot of sitcoms]

05-30-2011, 11:48 AM	#9
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Thanks!!