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Join Date: Jan 09, 2001
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https://web.archive.org/web/20070225...ptheshark.com/
- Other Thoughts:
After the "Golden Girls" left the Saturday schedule, the show just got plain awful, especially when Patrick, Emily, and Maxine arrived. Even when Estelle Getty came to the show it just made it look even worse.
It never jumped!! I thought it might when Kristy McNichol left but the addition of Marsha Warfield and Estelle Getty was pure genius. And with Dinah Manoff on board it could never have been bad.
It jumped every time Estelle Getty dropped by.
I'd say it jumped during the fifth season. First of all Kristy McNichol was gone (due to her manic depression). Also the live-in boyfriend character wasn't that great and the other, younger sister brought on didn't work too well. But thankfully the show did bounce back when Marsha Warfield and Estelle Getty came on board. Unfortunately by that time the Saturday night magic of previous years (with all 3 Miami-based shows) was gone and the ratings tanked.
The show itself never jumped the shark. It was as entertaining at the end as it was during it's "prime." In fact, even a big cast/setting change made the show better instead of worse. Moving Harry and Laverne to the clinic was a great idea. Marsha Warfield's "Maxine" was a lot more open and funnier than her Night Court character. Kristy McNichol's departure was upsetting, but she wasn't the most entertaining one on the show. Now if Dinah Manoff (or even Park Overall) would've left it would've definitely jumped. The show could've been as big a hit in the ratings at the end if only NBC would've made any attempt at building a successful Saturday night lineup after The Golden Girls left the air.
While the show did a 'mini-hop' when they had that grating,obnoxious Carol (who has to be THE most non-simpatica character on a sitcom) move back to Harry's house so we'd have to hear her hateful whining MORE, I have to say that it REALLY jumped when the cool nurse Laverne got her divorce! I had always liked that this girl from a tiny town in Arkansas seemed to have it FAR more together than all these smug, self-important bores in Miami so WHY couldn't they have kept her happily married instead of turning her into wreck? Like this show didn't have enough neurotic whiners on it as it was! I think the show would have been FAR better had she stayed married, and if Harry had taken Dreyfuss and just moved into the pediatrician's office and BARRED the . .er . .witchy daughter Carol from EVER visiting! That divorce started the show losing ALL touch with its original foundation!
Although the ratings did dwindle the last couple seasons, the show itself never jumped. It was as entertaining at the end as it was at the beginning. And regarding another comment I saw here, I'd have to say that Carol was the funniest thing on the show. Dinah Manoff definitely has a lot of talent to be able to convincingly pull off playing a nutcase like Carol and not be that way in reality. Actually if you see the early episodes, Carol wasn't that neurotic or nuts in the beginning.
After Kristy MacNichol left, they tried filling the empty air (of which there was a LOT) with the suddenly-sibling Emily, a seemingly lobotomized Sophia (from the Golden Girls next door), and more plot-lines for the hick nurse and Joe Isuzu. The worst part was what they did to the character of Sophia. Once a spunky, beloved granny with 'tude, she became a walking, headband wearing, one-liner Pez dispenser as quickly as she could say "Of course, Dr. Weston--we'd be glad to watch Dreyfuss for the weekend!" They also had her living back at Shady Pines, the constant source of her now-flat jokes. For chrissakes, she made Dinah Manoff look funny. Then they brought on Marcia Warfield, who I think was secretly sodomizing the patients at Dr. Weston's new free clinic...come to think of it, was this show ever funny?
This show started out rather bland but quickly got better. By the third season things were going great and the show was up for Best Comedy Series. Changes during the fifth season could've ruined everything but those changes couldn't be avoided and did lead to new storylines and several excellent episodes. By the last season you could tell the show was running out of steam, do largely to the fact that NBC didn't seem to care much about it's once-successful Saturday night lineup. But Empty Nest itself was always entertaining. With talents like Richard Mulligan, Kristy McNichol, Park Overall, Marsha Warfield, and especially Dinah Manoff, it couldn't have been bad.
This show was a bore from the very beginning.
Way too much Charlie!! Anytime they take a TV commercial "character" (Joe Isuzu) and import him into a TV show (Charlie Deets), you know they're in trouble. He was funny at first; after all, has there *ever* been a sitcom without an annoying/insensitive neighbor (Steve Urkel, Skippy from Family Ties, Kimmy Gibler, Jack's friend in Three's Company - the list goes on...)? But later on, every episode was based on some dumbass/insensitive thing Charlie does. How far can the joke of his being a lowly purser on a cruise ship get taken (and did he ever actually go out to sea?)? At one point, the Weston's also started to realize that Charlie was actually a creature deserving of pity and compassion, and didn't he and Carol "do it" at one point? <shudder> I would also like to point out that this show Jumped big time (IMO) when Harry went to work at that "clinic". The dynamic between Laverne and Harry at his hospital office was awesome. Throwing Marsha Warfield into the mix just ruined it for me.
and I didn't even LIKE Barbara!
This show really began to go down hill when Kristy McNichol left. Not that her departure made much of a difference, but Dinah Manoff's character became more and more prominent....and more and more annoying. She turned from a slightly neurotic but bearable contrast to McNichol's character to a whiny, self-absorbed, histrionic piece of crap. She was unwatchable. The addition of Maxine was a good one, and while the appearance of Sophia was pointless, it was good to see her back. One thing I never understood...Harry worked in the medical profession, and he had the fancy house and all, but Charlie, who lived next door in the same seemingly swanky neighborhood, worked on a cruise ship. How the hell did he afford to live there? And did anyone see the original pilot for "Empty Nest" on a "Golden Girls" episode? It starred Rita Moreno and included David Leisure as the annoying neighbor, only this time his name was "Oliver." Totally bizarre.
Empty Nest started out as a very good show, until Kristy MacNichol left the show to take care of her health problems. As soon as the show started focusing on the Dinah Manoff character, everything went down hill. Has there ever been a more annoying unlikeable character in the history of television? For those Carol haters, rent the first Child's Play film. See Dinah Manoff pushed out of a high story window. If only the other characters on Empty Nest had as much sense. Essentially very talented comedic character actor Richard Mulligan was wasted,in a very weak role. Harry needed some cajones to put all the annoying supporting characters in their place. At least the money from this show kept Mr. Mulligan comfortable until he succumbed from cancer earlier this year.
Does anyone remember when Matt Perry came on and he had Diabetes...and that doctor gave him a pez dispenser. Do you know sugar diabetes is much more serious than that? Yikes what the hell was up with those writers.
I absolutely LOVED this show, and I truly missed Kristy McNichol. In a sense, that could be considered the Jump the Shark moment, as I knew that the show would never be "as good" again. But when Carol got her boyfriend, she was no longer the pathetic loser that everyone loved to laugh at, and the show's spark was completely gone. At that point, I knew the show would never even be good again. The balance of the cast was thrown off, and the shows seemed to degenerate into a string of semi-funny jokes. What a shame. This was my favorite show at the time. And, medical issues aside, my favorite episode was the diabetes episode--hilarious and touching. "Hey, I've got one of those!"
The show was good and it was actually funny. But by the end I did have to admit that I was tuning in to see the dog and Park Overall
A lot of things COULD have ruined this one: Kristy McNichol's departure, adding Emily and Patrick, dumping them and bringing on Sophia Petrillo and Maxine, Carol's pregnancy, moving from the pediatrics office to the clinic, turning the tough-as-nails Laverne into a country ditz, having Loni Anderson drop by all the time, and so on...but luckily even with all these changes the show managed to always be entertaining...thanks in large part to the talent of Dinah Manoff.
It never jumped! Started off a little bland...became great...became something different when Kristy McNichol flew the coop and new faces started popping up...but always remained enjoyable.
This was a case where I never realized how important one person was to a show's stability until she left. Kristy's more low-key comedy skills and her relatively stable character were the perfect contrast to high-strung Carol and mugging Richard Mulligan. Then she suddenly vanished. Even worse, she was replaced by unsympathetic, bratty, untalented Emily. I quit within 3 episodes of this twit (something about her convincing a painter that he was gay?). When I heard she'd been fired, I tuned back in eventually, and saw a free clinic where Laverne worked for no apparent reason, and Marsha Warfield playing her "Night Court" character with an MD. Maybe this wasn't too bad. I wouldn't know, because I couldn't sit through the episode. The show was never as tolerable without Kristy. She was the heart of this series, she truly was.
I was always off and on and finally OFF with this show. Mulligan was a good actor but way over the top, his hillbilly nurse made the folks on Hee Haw look like sophisticates, Dinah Manoff has one of the most whiny, grating voices in the world (ironic, as her mom, actress Lee Grant has a sexy voice). When my girl Kristy left (the only person I liked on the show) I was out. I came back with the addition of Estelle (Sophia) Getty and Marsha Warfield. Two very funny ladies, but I think it was too late--the Jaws theme just got LOUDER and LOUDER and LOUDER.
Does anyone remember when Garth Brooks made a guest appearance on this show? I can remember a conversation between the doctor and Laverne that went something like this: Dr. Weston: "Garth Brooks...Oh, right! That country singer" Laverne: (something to the effect of)" 'that country singer'?" That's like calling Arnold Schwarzenegger 'that guy with the nice build'..." Later, somehow Garth Brooks somehow ends up in Dr. Weston's home, and the Doc asks Garth if he knows Vic Damone. Makes you wonder who jumped the shark first - Empty Nest or Garth Brooks?
Yes, When Kristy McNicol left the show went down hill. Marsha Warfield was bad enough for Night Court, but when she came there in order to get a new career, she took that show to hell too--damn, that is a disease--become the person to bring hope to 2 shows and kill them both--too bad Kristy decided she was def a Lez--she would have been fun to bone--remember The Pirate Movie--damn!!
Empty Nest never ever jumped. NBC never gave its Saturday line up that much credit. You know Golden Girls,Empty Nest,Nurses. They got a lot of ratings. EN almost jumped with Charlie Dr. Westons annoying neighbor. He bugged Harry about his problems. He had no reason really to go over to his house. Also I'm curious. Can someone clear this up for me. Was Dr.Weston's clinic where he work at the same place the show Nurses was. They seem to be all in Miami. Does anyone know? The shark was paralyzed when this show aired in 88' and he couldn't jump.
For all those who remember only the later seasons, I'd suggest you watch re-runs of the first 4. Seasons 1 to 4 contained some of the best writing I've ever seen in a sitcom; eg Carol sleeps with the 19 yr old kid, Carol dates Harry's friend, Charlie loses his sex drive (the bit at the end where he's rubbing the daughter's shoulders and gets it back!). Also, for bondage fans, Carol and Barbara get tied up, by home invaders!? and at the end the crim says he likes one of them and they try to find out which one. I felt that way about the daughters myself - having a strong preference for Carol. It's a shame Kristy left bc once she departed the whole voyeurism of watching and lusting after the doctors zany daughters was replaced by a scramble to fill the void. I mean Patrick and Emily were just dreadful. But, you've got to give the show credit, it did manage to find some stability for seasons 6 and 7, but it just wasn't the same. Most of these shows are just about checking out the actresses and a pregnant Carol just wasn't sexy. (Still liked her though).
EMPTY NEST was one of the better offerings from NBC in its later years. I really loved this sitcom initially for two reasons: The late Richard Mulligan (RIP, Richard), so memorable as Burt on SOAP, proved to be a sensitive and charming actor in a role completely removed from Burt. This character was a quiet, modest dedicated physician who loved children, his own and his patients. I also loved the fact that the character never fell out of love with his departed wife. She was almost like another character on the show Mulligan made his love for her so apparent. The other reason I loved this show as the brilliant and highly underrated Dianah Manoff as Carol. This actress had impeccable comic timing and made Carol one of the most interesting of TV characters, even if she was a total basket case. I finally figured out that it must be in her genes when I learned that her mother is the brilliant Oscar and Emmy winner Lee Grant. Manoff made Carol endearing and very difficult to dislike. Park Overall had her moments as Laverne as did David Leisure as Charlie. Sadly, this show jumped the shark with the on-again off again appearances of Kristy McNichol. McNichol is a great actress and never looked more beautiful than when she was on this show but it was frustrating to never know from week to week whether or not she was going to be there. Apparently, McNichol was going through some serious emotional problems during production which seriously affected the status of the show but I found it aggravating when she there one week and then gone for three and there another week and gone for six. It was the Mackenzie Phillips syndrome all over again. Once a core character is let go, that should be it. The rest of the cast was strong enough to carry on without her and they did.
Empty Nest was an underrated show. I guess because NBC only cared about Thursday nights. Saturdays were the best back in the day. We had Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Nurses then Saturday Night Live after the news. This show never jts. It came close to jts with Charlie. He came over ever day to grope Dr. Weston's daughters. He worked on a cruise ship shouldn't he be gone for long periods of time. Anyway he still had funny lines. When Marsha Warfield shows up and Sophia joined I felt they tried to patch up Kristy McNichol leaving when they didn't need to. The show did fine when Kristy left. Ah they don't make sitcoms like this anymore. NBC recently got beat by FOX and are now 4th in primetime. Maybe they should go back to their glory days from the 80's and 90's and get a hint on how tv shows are suppose to be made.
Barbara was there to balance the screen time with Carol (played by Dinah Manoff). With no Barbara, more of the focus was shifted to Carol, and she was just so annoying. At least she had a big rack, so it wasn't all bad.
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10-02-2013, 12:23 AM
Empty Nest Boned the Fish When...
