Was ABC Justified in Firing Susan and Wendy? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Kasey · 09-13-2014, 10:41 AM

To this day, I really don't understand this decision. At the time I was thrilled to hear Louise Lasser would be joining the cast because it meant that Mary Hartman would be coming back to TV and I always loved her performances. But rewatching the series as an adult, it's obvious the script quality took a nosedive in Season Two. There are several outstanding episodes that season, but it's very uneven compared to Season One, where practically all 13 episodes except for perhaps the Pilot and "Our Man Barry" are great.

It was stated that Susan Sullivan was "too uptown" and that was the reason for her firing. It's obvious that the Lois character is very savvy and if you think hard about it, why would an intelligent woman like her have to work nights at a restaurant away from her kids and husband?

I am not sure why they let Wendy go except maybe producers thought she and the Dot character were too similar (they weren't IMO).

I wish the original cast had stayed intact for at least a second season, then perhaps they could have brought Louise in for Season Three (with better writing for the other characters).

I never cared as much for Crystal Bernard and much less for Sheryl Lee Ralph. The only thing I liked better in the syndicated version was the caustic banter between Howard and Nancy, and the upbeat, bombastic Vegas-style music that played over the "Written by; Directed by" credits as the episode itself began.

Kasey · 09-13-2014, 03:52 PM

Good assessment! I know Louise had been a then-recent guest star on "Taxi" and ABC execs probably took notice of her work there and thought she could salvage "Living". They also weren't happy with the ratings and were scrambling to "fix" the show, when they should have put in on after "Three's Company" on Tuesdays in the first place because it wasn't "broke" to begin with.

You may be right about the budget, and that's why they immediately gave Wendy the gig on "Fantasy Island" which also killed 2 birds with 1 stone since they wanted to put Herve Villechaize in his place when he became too demanding.

TMC · 04-21-2018, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kasey

To this day, I really don't understand this decision. At the time I was thrilled to hear Louise Lasser would be joining the cast because it meant that Mary Hartman would be coming back to TV and I always loved her performances. But rewatching the series as an adult, it's obvious the script quality took a nosedive in Season Two. There are several outstanding episodes that season, but it's very uneven compared to Season One, where practically all 13 episodes except for perhaps the Pilot and "Our Man Barry" are great.

It was stated that Susan Sullivan was "too uptown" and that was the reason for her firing. It's obvious that the Lois character is very savvy and if you think hard about it, why would an intelligent woman like her have to work nights at a restaurant away from her kids and husband?

I am not sure why they let Wendy go except maybe producers thought she and the Dot character were too similar (they weren't IMO).

I wish the original cast had stayed intact for at least a second season, then perhaps they could have brought Louise in for Season Three (with better writing for the other characters).

I never cared as much for Crystal Bernard and much less for Sheryl Lee Ralph. The only thing I liked better in the syndicated version was the caustic banter between Howard and Nancy, and the upbeat, bombastic Vegas-style music that played over the "Written by; Directed by" credits as the episode itself began.

Wendy Schaal's character was the essentially the same character of Gale Edward's Dot. So it made sense to lose one of them and Dot was much funnier and had more ways to write for it.

Susan Sullivan and Barrie Youngfellow were also playing the same character essentially so one had to go. At the time that they felt that there were too many waitresses, and two of them (Lois and Jan) were essentially the "straight men". So they got rid of one and brought in a more well-known comic actress for the second season.

TV Guy · 04-21-2018, 08:22 PM

I can’t put it better than TMC. Spot-on observations

Five waitresses was too many. I liked the season 3 cast the best - they had great chemistry and well-defined characters. Seasons 4-6 weren’t quite as good, because I didn’t think Sheryl Lee Ralph was a great replacement for Ann Jillian.

TMC · 04-22-2018, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kasey

Good assessment! I know Louise had been a then-recent guest star on "Taxi" and ABC execs probably took notice of her work there and thought she could salvage "Living". They also weren't happy with the ratings and were scrambling to "fix" the show, when they should have put in on after "Three's Company" on Tuesdays in the first place because it wasn't "broke" to begin with.

You may be right about the budget, and that's why they immediately gave Wendy the gig on "Fantasy Island" which also killed 2 birds with 1 stone since they wanted to put Herve Villechaize in his place when he became too demanding.

Apparently, viewer feedback after Season 1 was that there was confusion whether the waitresses were possibly hookers based on the way they dressed and the title (hence why it was changed to Making A Living for Season 2) of the show. ABC cleaned it up considerably for Season 2 losing the jiggle factor.

Bare in mind that, during the first season, It's A Living lost a major sponsor (Proctor and Gamble) due to what they felt were outfits that were too revealing and a controversial segment in the pilot episode where one of the waitresses (who was a virgin) was agonizing whether she should go on a vacation with a new boyfriend because it could lead to sex. The other waitresses heartily encouraged her to go and not worry about it.

tlc38tlc38 · 04-22-2018, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kasey

I never cared as much for Crystal Bernard and much less for Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Having only seen half of season 3 of the entire series, Amy (Crystal Bernard) is actually my favorite character.

I'm not much of a Cassie fan (I just can't get past her horrible hair).

Jan doesn't impress me that much either...she has her moments but nothing special to me.

I really like Nancy and Sonny.

Kasey · 04-23-2018, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlc38tlc38

Having only seen half of season 3 of the entire series, Amy (Crystal Bernard) is actually my favorite character.

I'm not much of a Cassie fan (I just can't get past her horrible hair).

Jan doesn't impress me that much either...she has her moments but nothing special to me.

I really like Nancy and Sonny.

I enjoy hearing your feedback. Admittedly, Cassie was written better in the ABC years. She was more of a man-chaser and had better lines then. That hair was her trademark btw back in the day, I'll have you know!

Mr. Television · 04-23-2018, 02:33 PM

Susan Sullivan went right from IAL to Falcon Crest so she made out. Still liked her on the show though.

TMC · 09-06-2018, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kasey

I enjoy hearing your feedback. Admittedly, Cassie was written better in the ABC years. She was more of a man-chaser and had better lines then. That hair was her trademark btw back in the day, I'll have you know!

The knock that I've read regarding Cassie is that in the first syndication season (Season 3), she was rewritten to be more of the "mother" figure. Plus, Ann Jillian didn't physically fit the role anymore (bare in mind, that It's a Living seemed to be concieved as being kind of like a sexier, more "fantasy"/upscale version of Alice) because she had noticeably put on weight (I don't know if it was tied to her cancer ordeal) since the last time that It's a Living was on the air three years prior.

cbikle · 10-30-2019, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlc38tlc38

I'm not much of a Cassie fan (I just can't get past her horrible hair).

Her hairstyle is probably what got her into the door and how she got the job.

The platinum blonde look is pretty striking.

I remember a very young and pre-Married With Children, Christina Applegate sporting that look on a failed pilot, but I remember thinking that it was a strange and inappropriate look for a child actress to have and wondering if that was her call or if she had a stage mom that pushed that on her.

TMC · 05-27-2020, 12:40 AM

Apparently, it is true that Susan Sullivan was too "uptown" to be plausible as a working class waitress in the eyes of the network. You can read about it in the second paragraph below:

Kasey · 05-27-2020, 07:58 AM

Yes, it could be said that Lois was too savvy to be working nights at Above the Top. She should have been an office manager somewhere else. Still, she was a great character, and gave the show some class. That being said, I did love Maggie too, but the writing in S2 was hit-and-miss, and often not funny enough. Louise did knock every zinger out of the park though.

Road Dog · 05-27-2020, 12:48 PM

It's kind of ironic that Susan Sullivan and Wendy Schaal were the 2 ones replaced, yet they have had the longest and most successful Hollywood careers of the whole bunch. In fact they are both still active today.

Ann Jillan retired from acting in the late 90's, but she still makes public appearances as a motivational speaker promoting breast cancer awareness. Barrie Youngfellow also retired in the late 90's. She is married to Sam Freed who appeared in 2 episodes of IAL. Gail Edwards is kind of a head-scratcher because her career seemed to be really taking off when she landed the recurring role of Vicky Larson on FULL HOUSE, one of the most popular shows of the 90s. The rumor is that she was about to be promoted to the main cast when she suddenly decided to quit Hollywood and move to Arizona.

TMC · 05-27-2020, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road Dog

It's kind of ironic that Susan Sullivan and Wendy Schaal were the 2 ones replaced, yet they have had the longest and most successful Hollywood careers of the whole bunch. In fact they are both still active today.

Ann Jillan retired from acting in the late 90's, but she still makes public appearances as a motivational speaker promoting breast cancer awareness. Barrie Youngfellow also retired in the late 90's. She is married to Sam Freed who appeared in 2 episodes of IAL. Gail Edwards is kind of a head-scratcher because her career seemed to be really taking off when she landed the recurring role of Vicky Larson on FULL HOUSE, one of the most popular shows of the 90s. The rumor is that she was about to be promoted to the main cast when she suddenly decided to quit Hollywood and move to Arizona.

Sheryl Lee Ralph is also still active today among the IAL cast.

someguy23475 · 09-29-2020, 10:10 AM

Susan Sullivan’s character should have stayed. She was the “mother like” figure to the others, even more so than Barrie Youngfellow’s Jan. I have no qualms with dumping Wendy Schaal- she seemed to just be there most of the time.

Louise Lasser didn’t fit the show at all. That whole season is painful to watch.

09-13-2014, 10:41 AM	#1
Kasey Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 22, 2004 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,143	Was ABC Justified in Firing Susan and Wendy? To this day, I really don't understand this decision. At the time I was thrilled to hear Louise Lasser would be joining the cast because it meant that Mary Hartman would be coming back to TV and I always loved her performances. But rewatching the series as an adult, it's obvious the script quality took a nosedive in Season Two. There are several outstanding episodes that season, but it's very uneven compared to Season One, where practically all 13 episodes except for perhaps the Pilot and "Our Man Barry" are great. It was stated that Susan Sullivan was "too uptown" and that was the reason for her firing. It's obvious that the Lois character is very savvy and if you think hard about it, why would an intelligent woman like her have to work nights at a restaurant away from her kids and husband? I am not sure why they let Wendy go except maybe producers thought she and the Dot character were too similar (they weren't IMO). I wish the original cast had stayed intact for at least a second season, then perhaps they could have brought Louise in for Season Three (with better writing for the other characters). I never cared as much for Crystal Bernard and much less for Sheryl Lee Ralph. The only thing I liked better in the syndicated version was the caustic banter between Howard and Nancy, and the upbeat, bombastic Vegas-style music that played over the "Written by; Directed by" credits as the episode itself began.

04-23-2018, 02:33 PM	#8
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,125	Susan Sullivan went right from IAL to Falcon Crest so she made out. Still liked her on the show though.
	__________________ Sonny

09-13-2014, 03:52 PM	#2
Kasey Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 22, 2004 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,143	Good assessment! I know Louise had been a then-recent guest star on "Taxi" and ABC execs probably took notice of her work there and thought she could salvage "Living". They also weren't happy with the ratings and were scrambling to "fix" the show, when they should have put in on after "Three's Company" on Tuesdays in the first place because it wasn't "broke" to begin with. You may be right about the budget, and that's why they immediately gave Wendy the gig on "Fantasy Island" which also killed 2 birds with 1 stone since they wanted to put Herve Villechaize in his place when he became too demanding.

04-21-2018, 08:22 PM	#4
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	I can’t put it better than TMC. Spot-on observations Five waitresses was too many. I liked the season 3 cast the best - they had great chemistry and well-defined characters. Seasons 4-6 weren’t quite as good, because I didn’t think Sheryl Lee Ralph was a great replacement for Ann Jillian.

05-27-2020, 12:40 AM	#11
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,493	Apparently, it is true that Susan Sullivan was too "uptown" to be plausible as a working class waitress in the eyes of the network. You can read about it in the second paragraph below:

05-27-2020, 07:58 AM	#12
Kasey Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 22, 2004 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,143	Yes, it could be said that Lois was too savvy to be working nights at Above the Top. She should have been an office manager somewhere else. Still, she was a great character, and gave the show some class. That being said, I did love Maggie too, but the writing in S2 was hit-and-miss, and often not funny enough. Louise did knock every zinger out of the park though.

05-27-2020, 12:48 PM	#13
Road Dog Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 30, 2004 Posts: 94	It's kind of ironic that Susan Sullivan and Wendy Schaal were the 2 ones replaced, yet they have had the longest and most successful Hollywood careers of the whole bunch. In fact they are both still active today. Ann Jillan retired from acting in the late 90's, but she still makes public appearances as a motivational speaker promoting breast cancer awareness. Barrie Youngfellow also retired in the late 90's. She is married to Sam Freed who appeared in 2 episodes of IAL. Gail Edwards is kind of a head-scratcher because her career seemed to be really taking off when she landed the recurring role of Vicky Larson on FULL HOUSE, one of the most popular shows of the 90s. The rumor is that she was about to be promoted to the main cast when she suddenly decided to quit Hollywood and move to Arizona.

09-29-2020, 10:10 AM	#15
someguy23475 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Feb 02, 2006 Posts: 167	Susan Sullivan’s character should have stayed. She was the “mother like” figure to the others, even more so than Barrie Youngfellow’s Jan. I have no qualms with dumping Wendy Schaal- she seemed to just be there most of the time. Louise Lasser didn’t fit the show at all. That whole season is painful to watch.