Charlotte Brown - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JSP · 07-13-2014, 09:18 AM

This was basically the only writer on the show for all five seasons. All other seasons had other writers coming and going. I'm sure some feminists want to give her awards for the scripts she wrote and it's good and all that Rhoda had female writers at the time which was groundbreaking in the 70s, but I have to admit I'm just not a fan of her scripts for Rhoda. She always seemed to be the one that wrote a big relationship episode and the emphasis was always on some drastic change going on in the characters' lives and the jokes, comedy, and humor seemed to come secondary on her scripts if you ask me. She was more likely going to make you want to cry than laugh.

Call me sexist if you will but I really think Rhoda was a better show when the femininity was downplayed and more male cast members showed up during seasons 3 and 4. That's why I think these days there are just as many men that are fans of Rhoda as there were women. The male writers wrote better scripts that played up the jokes and gags.

Also, I think the main reason the ratings declined in Season 3 was due to women dropping out because they were upset over the breaking up of Rhoda's marriage. I believe men however kept watching and were the reason ratings stabilized in Season 4. Season 4 is definitely more of a guy's show than it was in Seasons 1 and 2.

Charlotte Brown seemed to take over most of the script direction in Season 5 and I think the poor quality of her scripts helped kill the show.

JSP · 07-13-2014, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSP

Charlotte Brown seemed to take over most of the script direction in Season 5 and I think the poor quality of her scripts helped kill the show.

Though to be fair to Charlotte, she wasn't the only writer in Season 5. A lot of new people were brought in that weren't there in Season 4 and I don't think they were as good as the people that came before them.

scotsguy · 07-14-2014, 09:15 PM

I love Rhoda,but am not that big fan of seasons 4 and 5.

The episode I really hate is the one where Rhoda,goes out on her own,the Rhoda of the MTM years would have done that no problem,I missed Rhoda's female friends in the later seasons,Susie and Myrna.

I even found Brenda rather dull with Benny,who I found annoying,and giving Rhoda a grumpy Lou Grant style Boss,show the writers were running out of ideas.

JSP · 07-15-2014, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotsguy

I love Rhoda,but am not that big fan of seasons 4 and 5.

The episode I really hate is the one where Rhoda,goes out on her own,the Rhoda of the MTM years would have done that no problem,I missed Rhoda's female friends in the later seasons,Susie and Myrna.

I even found Brenda rather dull with Benny,who I found annoying,and giving Rhoda a grumpy Lou Grant style Boss,show the writers were running out of ideas.

I will agree it seems like they scrapped everything that went on in the first two seasons and went in a completely different direction in Seasons 3 and 4 and then kind of went in another direction again in Season 5.

I liked the gruffness and social awkwardness of Jack Doyle in Season 4, but in Season 5 they made him too nice. It seemed like they were giving him lines they would have given Gary had they not fired him after Season 4. There was no need for Jack to appear in the first episode of Season 5. It really seemed to me he was reading lines that would have been for Gary Levy in that episode. Season 4 Jack wouldn't have been as concerned about Ida as Jack was in that episode. The writers lost momentum on what they were building in Season 4. Kept retooling and fixing what wasn't broken.

I have to admit I wasn't that big of a fan of Myrna, but obviously they weren't going to keep Myrna on when she switched jobs to go to the Costume Shop.

07-13-2014, 09:18 AM	#1
JSP Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 19, 2003 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 2,735	Charlotte Brown This was basically the only writer on the show for all five seasons. All other seasons had other writers coming and going. I'm sure some feminists want to give her awards for the scripts she wrote and it's good and all that Rhoda had female writers at the time which was groundbreaking in the 70s, but I have to admit I'm just not a fan of her scripts for Rhoda. She always seemed to be the one that wrote a big relationship episode and the emphasis was always on some drastic change going on in the characters' lives and the jokes, comedy, and humor seemed to come secondary on her scripts if you ask me. She was more likely going to make you want to cry than laugh. Call me sexist if you will but I really think Rhoda was a better show when the femininity was downplayed and more male cast members showed up during seasons 3 and 4. That's why I think these days there are just as many men that are fans of Rhoda as there were women. The male writers wrote better scripts that played up the jokes and gags. Also, I think the main reason the ratings declined in Season 3 was due to women dropping out because they were upset over the breaking up of Rhoda's marriage. I believe men however kept watching and were the reason ratings stabilized in Season 4. Season 4 is definitely more of a guy's show than it was in Seasons 1 and 2. Charlotte Brown seemed to take over most of the script direction in Season 5 and I think the poor quality of her scripts helped kill the show.

07-14-2014, 09:15 PM	#3
scotsguy Member Forum Regular Join Date: Nov 25, 2002 Location: Edinburgh,Scotland Posts: 696	I love Rhoda,but am not that big fan of seasons 4 and 5. The episode I really hate is the one where Rhoda,goes out on her own,the Rhoda of the MTM years would have done that no problem,I missed Rhoda's female friends in the later seasons,Susie and Myrna. I even found Brenda rather dull with Benny,who I found annoying,and giving Rhoda a grumpy Lou Grant style Boss,show the writers were running out of ideas.