The strange legacy of Diane English’s ‘Love & War’

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When Diane English left Murphy Brown in 1992, she was one of the most powerful and successful TV show producers in the business. She enjoyed unbelievable success running Murphy Brown for four seasons, leading the show to win 11 Emmys in those four years and when she left, the show was the third most popular television in America.

The project English took on after leaving Murphy Brown was a romantic comedy, Love & War, set in a New York City bar. Bringing over Murphy recurring star Jay Thomas as her leading man, English created a Cheers-esque show about denizens of a fictional bar, who hash out their issues. Thomas’ co-star was former L.A. Law star Susan Dey. Dey had just come off six years of working on that show, portraying the glamorous and beautiful lawyer, Grace Van Owen.

Dey played down-at-her-luck restaurateur Wally Porter, a woman who impulsively buys the fictional Blue Shamrock, after a drunken night. Thomas starred as Jack Stein, a blustery columnist, who holds court at the Shamrock with his witty rants. Wally and Jack start a courtship that apes the Sam and Diane dance from Cheers, all the while, the cherry, eccentric regulars at the Shamrock comment from the sidelines.

Love & War is not a good show, nor is it a worthy successor to Murphy Brown. It’s clear that the first season had a lot of kinks to iron out, namely its leading lady. Dey, a popular and appealing television actress was sorely out of place on the show. It’s clear that she was getting the Candice Bergen treatment. English excavated the comedienne in Bergen, an actress who toiled for years in an indifferent career as a leading lady. It was English’s magic touch that brought out the clown in Bergen; Dey’s Wally Porter is somewhat similar to Murphy – she’s a smart, strong-willed woman who wields her wit to take condescending men down a peg. But it’s clear from her first scene that Dey struggled with the comedic material. It’s not as if she has a lot to work with, but instead of being charming and clever, Dey came off as lost and distant.

Thomas – a consummate pro who could play sitcoms in his sleep – managed to squeeze out some funny with his role, which was essentially his Murphy Brown character, Jerry Gold, just less conservative. He able to imbue the character with some depth and add shading to the role when there was none. Though he was saddled with a leaden co-star, he was essential to the show.

Surrounding Thomas and Dey was a cast of actors who were reliable TV sitcom character actors who exemplified competence and proficiency. A pre-Mad Men Joel Murray, Suzie Plakson, and John Hancock completed the sitcom family (Hancock died during the first season to be replaced by Night Court vet Charlie Robinson). Broadway star Joanna Gleason also appears, seeming channeling Shelly Long, in a minor role as an uptight waitress. None of these performers did award-worthy work, but they did a solid job in creating the appropriate background noise. Thomas shared chemistry with his onscreen pals, and had English avoided the romantic angle of the premise, it may have developed into a better show.

But Dey was a major debit to the show, one that periled the show’s quality. She was replaced in the show’s second season with Designing Women alumna Annie Potts, who was free from the classic CBS sitcom. By 1993, Potts established herself as an estimable actress, effortlessly stealing scenes. She had created an admirable career in television and film, including stand-out supporting roles in movies like Ghostbusters, Pretty in Pink, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, and Texasville. Potts was often on hand to add class and energy to her scenes.

On Love & War, Potts starred as Dana Palladino, the Blue Shamrock’s new chef. Because Potts was so familiar to TV audiences as the sassy Southern belle, Mary Jo Shivley on Designing Women, it’s a bit of a shock to see her play the foul-mouthed Dana. Her cascading mane of auburn curls were hacked off, replaced by a spiky pixie cut. And her laconic Southern drawl was replaced by a tough New York accent (which Potts handled with solid skill).

Once Potts took over, the show improved immeasurably. The chemistry between her and Thomas worked well and the show became more of an ensemble piece, as well, with more episodes shifting focus to the other characters. The show still maintained the romantic duet between the two stars, eventually leading to an impending wedding, but the writers explored the relationships between the different characters.

English’s star power combined with the addition of Potts’ character (she scored her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress – Comedy Series in 1994, losing ironically, to former English muse Bergen for Murphy) gave the show three seasons before it was axed. The show managed 68 episodes, its first two seasons largely buoyed by its time slot after Murphy Brown (after moving to Wednesday, the show’s ratings tanked) After the show’s demise, English struggled to find another Murphy Brown-sized hit, working on a number of series, most notably the 1996-1997 Ted Danson/Mary Steenburgen vanity project, Ink. She returned to prominence in 2018 for the short-lived revival of Murphy Brown. Potts would go on to maintain a credible career in television, starring in several sitcoms and TV dramas, and becoming a much sought-after guest star and TV comedienne. Thomas worked in Hollywood on a variety of projects, before dying of throat cancer in 2017.

Love & War is an all-but forgotten show, though it served its purpose, which was mainly to see if English was able to do something else on TV outside of Murphy Brown. It’s the kind of show that would eventually find its way to rerun purgatory on basic cable. Though it exhibited some of English’s sophisticated wit and high-minded attitude (even the theme song is a so-so rip-off of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue), it eventually melted into the swarming morass of 1990s TV sitcom-dom.

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Hosted by Rachel Cox and Valerie Temple, Sliders and Wings is a podcast about the TV shows Sliders, Wings, and all the other forgotten TV shows of the 90s.

On this episode, Val and Rachel and Special (returning!) Guest Emily Wade discuss the pilot episode and second season premiere of Love & War, which is an American sitcom television series which aired on CBS from September 21, 1992 to February 1, 1995.

Created by Diane English, the series originally starred Susan Dey as Wally Porter, a New York City restaurateur, and Jay Thomas as Jack Stein, a newspaper columnist with whom she had an on-again, off-again romance.

After the first season, however, the show was retooled and Dey was fired by the producers of the show, saying that she and Thomas had "no chemistry" together. She was replaced by Annie Potts as Dana Palladino, who bought Porter's restaurant and also became a love interest for Jack.

The first season also featured moments when Jack or Wally would break the fourth wall and address the camera directly, generally using it as an opportunity to discuss an emotional crisis. This technique was dropped in later seasons.

Hot topics include: 1.) How CBS ruined Emily's childhood 2.) Why this show was so weird 3.) RIP Hunky Teddy Bear Jay Thomas 4.) Murphy Brown comparisons 5.) 3 redheads is too many for one show (Annie Potts has redhead energy) 6.) TV used to be theater, now it's the internet 7.) Emily's Korean sitcom obsession 8.) Accent Corner, What Ya Watching, and MAD Magazine 9.) Rachel and Val discuss Ted Lasso and Nomadland, but save Mare of Easttown talk for next week 10.)

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That Was a Show?

Love & War WAS a show. It’s basically what happens when Diane English, the legendary creator of Murphy Brown, makes a sitcom in the 80s rom-com style of movies like When Harry Met Sally. Love & War is about rough around the edges New York City newspaper columnist Jack Stein (Jay Thomas) and his attempts at romance—first in an on-again off-again relationship with restaurateur Wally Porter (Susan Dey), and then after a second season retooling, in a will-they or won’t-they with chef Dana Palladino (Annie Potts). Brynn, Aaron and Barry head on down to The Blue Shamrock (that’s the dive bar / fancy restaurant where it takes place!) to break the fourth wall (which they initially do but then stop doing!) to speak right to you, the audience, about why this show got sent back to the kitchen.

The podcast about failed or forgotten sitcoms from the 80s and 90s. Many sitcoms have stood the test of time and have millions of adoring fans—but those shows were diamonds in the rough. This podcast is not about those diamonds, it's about the rough. Some sitcoms were briefly popular in their time, some were cancelled almost immediately. You probably won't recognize most of these, and you'll say 'that was a show?' Hosted by Brynn Byrne, Aaron Yeger, and Andrew "Barry" Helmer. A Radio Gizmo Production. Artwork by Brian Walker. thatwasashow.com

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What were the biggest creative mistakes that were made during the production of the CBS sitcom Love & War (1992-95)?