TV shows that could have been great . . . - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 08-25-2014, 01:39 AM

if it had not been for (insert reasons here).

AMackII · 06-21-2019, 04:18 AM

The Dukes of Hazzard: if it weren't for Vance & Coy
Match Game(1970s): if it never move to Mornings in 1977

AMackII · 06-22-2019, 07:33 AM

Saved by the Bell: The College Years- If Zack continue his relationship with Leslie instead of going back to Kelly

treky · 06-23-2019, 12:59 AM

MASH-if they never let Alan Alda take over the typewriter and directors chair and make it all preachy and dramatic and "...oh we're doctors and we're nurses and we save lives which makes us so good...and death is such a bummer...and war is hell..." and on and on...

Heenan Fan · 06-23-2019, 01:11 AM

I knew you were going to say this treky before I even clicked on, and even though I agree with everything you said, I don't think this applies here. Yes, MASH would of been much better if Alda didn't take over. But overall, the show is still considered great. The finale was the highest rated non Super Bowl tv show of all-time. But yeah, MASH would of been much better if Alda would of left the show instead of Gelbart, Stevenson, or even Wayne Rogers.

Heenan Fan · 06-23-2019, 01:17 AM

Police Squad...if the American public didn't have such short attention span.

glickmam · 06-23-2019, 04:39 AM

Homicide: Life on the Street - if it weren't for NBC Entertainment president Warren Littlefield's constant meddling.

cfr1970 · 06-23-2019, 01:38 PM

Resurrection could have been great if it hadn't devolved into a boring nighttime soap opera. Same with Under the Dome.

Both series started off with interesting and unique concepts but couldn't maintain that momentum and quickly fizzled. I tuned out of both of them quickly.

Duster76 · 06-23-2019, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treky

MASH-if they never let Alan Alda take over the typewriter and directors chair and make it all preachy and dramatic and "...oh we're doctors and we're nurses and we save lives which makes us so good...and death is such a bummer...and war is hell..." and on and on...

MASH was a victim of its own success, the show was so popular with the audience that it ran about 5 seasons longer than it should have from an artistic standpoint. The Korean War lasted 3 years, the average tour of duty was about 18 months. At the beginning of the series the main cast which was older than most of the Korean War participants to begin with could still get by, but by season 7 it was starting to look a little ridiculous (Alda, Farr, Swit were well into their 40's by that point). After season 7 the show took on a surreal quality, the audience was required to expand their imaginations and suspend any contextual analysis it would normally engage in. My point, somewhere around the end of season 6 or 7, the original series is replaced by some other product requiring the viewer to reimagine this set of circumstances in a different way. It worked (not for me) for the audience at that time.

Schmoopie · 06-26-2019, 02:42 AM

Joan of Arcadia started out great and it actually had promise toward the end of the second season. I was kind of devastated when I read that it had been canceled and even my husband was disappointed b/c they were hinting at a big storyline. Would have been interesting to see.

Yong Fang · 06-26-2019, 08:10 AM

My vote for a show that could have been great but wasn’t was Sullivan and Son on TBS.

If you don’t remember the show, here it is.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan_%26_Son

I would have retooled the show as a family comedy and basically did away with the bar. Have the Dan Lauria character married to the Jodi Long character with Steve Byrne as the son. I would have dropped the bar altogether and every other cast member except for Brian Doyle-Murray would could have played the older brother to the Lauria character and a foul for the Jodi Long character (sort of like the funny tension between Sanford and Son’s Aubt Esther and Fred Sanford).

Jodi Long was hilarious and had her role as an Asian woman ball buster down to a tee. Basically she was the one I watched the show for. The American husband sort of letting her be the boss until she got too out of line to where he would have to step up. The son who is half Asian and half White having to navigate through life being a part of two divergent cultures, and the approval of the parents and especially the mother. Could have made the Lauria character a little bit more like his Wonder Years character, a bit more strong (because of his wife) and not so much of a pushover like he was in Sullivan and Son.

Christine Ebersole, the guy who played her son, the love interest, the Arab guy (might have used him as a recurring character maybe) would be gone. The daughter was Ok, but the actress was full Asian and maybe could have been better played by a half Asian, half white actress. Ken Jeong would have been fine.

Good concept but wasted by all the idiot characters in the bar, the too formulatic sitcomish routines and it wasn’t good and it could have been. I am an American married to a Chinese woman so I can relate. We never had a baby but we tried so I could have been in this situation. A show which could have been good but want at all. Shame.

Yong Fang · 06-26-2019, 08:21 AM

Concerning MASH there was a late season episode where there was a system that the duopoly tent was the make out/sex room for privacy but someone was in there (maybe Winchester) and Klinger tried to go in there with his date and kindly told Winchester that they always put a coat hanger on the door handle, and they have “been doing this for years”.

This was the problem. In real life no military personal was ever in one place “for years” and people rotated all the time. Colonel Potter would not have stayed “for years”, he would have been rotated home after six months. So would everyone else. It was like MASH was like a concentration camp where everyone was stuck until the war was over and it was implied that Hawkeye was actually sticks there for the duration of the war. Wouldn’t happen in real life.

The crazy thing was after 1983 there was a vote from the cast to keep the show going for a 12th season and Morgan, Christopher and Farr wanted to keep the show going because it was the best job they ever had and made a career of the series. Fortunately Alda and the other players were in the majority. MASH could have been on until 1984.

Edward216 · 06-26-2019, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treky

MASH-if they never let Alan Alda take over the typewriter and directors chair and make it all preachy and dramatic and "...oh we're doctors and we're nurses and we save lives which makes us so good...and death is such a bummer...and war is hell..." and on and on...

No, I couldn't disagree with you more. War IS hell, and I'm glad they were willing to show the realities of it. But I also thought it was a really funny show too.

Ed.

08-25-2014, 01:39 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,743	TV shows that could have been great . . . if it had not been for (insert reasons here).

06-23-2019, 12:59 AM	#4
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	MASH-if they never let Alan Alda take over the typewriter and directors chair and make it all preachy and dramatic and "...oh we're doctors and we're nurses and we save lives which makes us so good...and death is such a bummer...and war is hell..." and on and on...
	__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny points to a tray of rubies. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her."

06-23-2019, 01:11 AM	#5
Heenan Fan Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Oct 19, 2016 Posts: 6,001	I knew you were going to say this treky before I even clicked on, and even though I agree with everything you said, I don't think this applies here. Yes, MASH would of been much better if Alda didn't take over. But overall, the show is still considered great. The finale was the highest rated non Super Bowl tv show of all-time. But yeah, MASH would of been much better if Alda would of left the show instead of Gelbart, Stevenson, or even Wayne Rogers.
	__________________ "Hello, Adam's Ribs? I'd like to place a takeout order please. OK, you got a pencil? I want 20 pounds, no make that 40 pounds of your best ribs, THE JUMBOS! And I want some BBQ sauce...a GALLON! I'm having a party. My mother's out on parole." - Hawkeye

06-26-2019, 02:42 AM	#10
Schmoopie Keep Calm and Love Snoopy Forum Star Join Date: Jul 13, 2008 Location: Lynnwood, Washington Posts: 15,697	Joan of Arcadia started out great and it actually had promise toward the end of the second season. I was kind of devastated when I read that it had been canceled and even my husband was disappointed b/c they were hinting at a big storyline. Would have been interesting to see.
	__________________ In memory of my wonderful husband. I love and miss you more than words can say, but I will always and forever keep you in my heart. September 23, 1961-January 14, 2019

06-21-2019, 04:18 AM	#2
AMackII Member Forum Star Join Date: Oct 23, 2015 Location: St. Louis Posts: 17,225	The Dukes of Hazzard: if it weren't for Vance & Coy Match Game(1970s): if it never move to Mornings in 1977

06-22-2019, 07:33 AM	#3
AMackII Member Forum Star Join Date: Oct 23, 2015 Location: St. Louis Posts: 17,225	Saved by the Bell: The College Years- If Zack continue his relationship with Leslie instead of going back to Kelly

06-23-2019, 01:17 AM	#6
Heenan Fan Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Oct 19, 2016 Posts: 6,001	Police Squad...if the American public didn't have such short attention span.

06-23-2019, 04:39 AM	#7
glickmam Member Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 03, 2007 Posts: 661	Homicide: Life on the Street - if it weren't for NBC Entertainment president Warren Littlefield's constant meddling.

06-23-2019, 01:38 PM	#8
cfr1970 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 13, 2017 Location: Kissimmee, Florida Posts: 3,368	Resurrection could have been great if it hadn't devolved into a boring nighttime soap opera. Same with Under the Dome. Both series started off with interesting and unique concepts but couldn't maintain that momentum and quickly fizzled. I tuned out of both of them quickly.

06-26-2019, 08:10 AM	#11
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,073	My vote for a show that could have been great but wasn’t was Sullivan and Son on TBS. If you don’t remember the show, here it is. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan_%26_Son I would have retooled the show as a family comedy and basically did away with the bar. Have the Dan Lauria character married to the Jodi Long character with Steve Byrne as the son. I would have dropped the bar altogether and every other cast member except for Brian Doyle-Murray would could have played the older brother to the Lauria character and a foul for the Jodi Long character (sort of like the funny tension between Sanford and Son’s Aubt Esther and Fred Sanford). Jodi Long was hilarious and had her role as an Asian woman ball buster down to a tee. Basically she was the one I watched the show for. The American husband sort of letting her be the boss until she got too out of line to where he would have to step up. The son who is half Asian and half White having to navigate through life being a part of two divergent cultures, and the approval of the parents and especially the mother. Could have made the Lauria character a little bit more like his Wonder Years character, a bit more strong (because of his wife) and not so much of a pushover like he was in Sullivan and Son. Christine Ebersole, the guy who played her son, the love interest, the Arab guy (might have used him as a recurring character maybe) would be gone. The daughter was Ok, but the actress was full Asian and maybe could have been better played by a half Asian, half white actress. Ken Jeong would have been fine. Good concept but wasted by all the idiot characters in the bar, the too formulatic sitcomish routines and it wasn’t good and it could have been. I am an American married to a Chinese woman so I can relate. We never had a baby but we tried so I could have been in this situation. A show which could have been good but want at all. Shame.

06-26-2019, 08:21 AM	#12
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,073	Concerning MASH there was a late season episode where there was a system that the duopoly tent was the make out/sex room for privacy but someone was in there (maybe Winchester) and Klinger tried to go in there with his date and kindly told Winchester that they always put a coat hanger on the door handle, and they have “been doing this for years”. This was the problem. In real life no military personal was ever in one place “for years” and people rotated all the time. Colonel Potter would not have stayed “for years”, he would have been rotated home after six months. So would everyone else. It was like MASH was like a concentration camp where everyone was stuck until the war was over and it was implied that Hawkeye was actually sticks there for the duration of the war. Wouldn’t happen in real life. The crazy thing was after 1983 there was a vote from the cast to keep the show going for a 12th season and Morgan, Christopher and Farr wanted to keep the show going because it was the best job they ever had and made a career of the series. Fortunately Alda and the other players were in the majority. MASH could have been on until 1984.