When Did Too Close For Comfort Change To The Ted Knight Show And Why Did They Change - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Scoobiedoo30 · 09-13-2002, 12:36 PM

Does Anyone Know When To Close For Comfort Change To
The Ted Knight Show Any Why The Changed The Name From
To Close For Comfort To The Ted Knght Show.

Thaks
Aaron The Repoter

Brian Damage · 09-13-2002, 02:33 PM

It changed names in 1986, the reason the show changed names is because the show was doing a complete overhaul. Henry and Muriel would move away from San Francisco and get into a new business, etc,etc. They wanted to distinguish the new show from the old one, hence the name change.

Dr. Thong · 09-20-2003, 01:11 PM

Did Deborah Van Valkenburgh and Lydia Cornell leave the show voluntarily or were they fired?

It's kind of sad when you consider than not long after the show changed, Ted Knight passed away.

There was an amusing skit with Bill Murray and Chevy Chase hawking a book titled "The Quotable Caddyshack" on Saturday Night Live many years later. The premise was that so many people quoted dialogue from the movie that this book was essential for anyone who wanted to make small talk at the office or at a party. They said that part of the proceeds would go to the Ted Knight Slow Burn Foundation. I think Ted would've gotten a kick out of that...

Mr. Television · 09-20-2003, 01:14 PM

The Ted Knight Show episodes are in the Too Close For Comfort syndicated package and are syndicated as Too Close For Comfort.

Bronson · 05-27-2007, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Thong

Did Deborah Van Valkenburgh and Lydia Cornell leave the show voluntarily or were they fired?

I hated it when they left. Loved Jackie and Sara.

James28 · 03-03-2008, 10:56 PM

I know Too Close For Comfort may have never aired a proper series finale, but what if The Ted Knight Show had never came along?

Mr. Television · 03-03-2008, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim856796

I know Too Close For Comfort may have never aired a proper series finale, but what if The Ted Knight Show had never came along?

They should have had a final episode where the cast came out of character and honored Ted Knight. Maybe bring back Lydia and Deborah for that too. That would have been a proper ending.

Jude The Obscure · 03-04-2008, 10:40 AM

Never got to see those last season episodes as no station in my area had picked up "The Ted Knight Show".

FELLNORM · 04-12-2010, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jude The Obscure

Never got to see those last season episodes as no station in my area had picked up "The Ted Knight Show".

Watch some of them on my YouTube channel: FELLNORM.

TMC · 04-08-2018, 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FELLNORM

Watch some of them on my YouTube channel: FELLNORM.

After five seasons of Too Close for Comfort, that series essentially ended and was spun off into The Ted Knight Show. With a mostly empty nest and an upgrade in living space, it could hardly be called Too Close for Comfort anymore. When Knight died after the first season, they changed the credits and put that one season into the Too Close For Comfort syndication package. Though the name was kept to keep things recognizable and sadly Knight didn't live long enough for there to be a "show". But the original plan was to run for a few seasons as The Ted Knight Show and build up enough for a separate syndication package.

Dr. Thong · 04-08-2018, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

After five seasons of Too Close for Comfort, that series essentially ended and was spun off into The Ted Knight Show. With a mostly empty nest and an upgrade in living space, it could hardly be called Too Close for Comfort anymore. When Knight died after the first season, they changed the credits and put that one season into the Too Close For Comfort syndication package. Though the name was kept to keep things recognizable and sadly Knight didn't live long enough for there to be a "show". But the original plan was to run for a few seasons as The Ted Knight Show and build up enough for a separate syndication package.

These days, they would have just kept the name, despite the cast changes.

It's more about "branding" these days and Too Close For Comfort had a following.

TMC · 04-08-2018, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Thong

These days, they would have just kept the name, despite the cast changes.

It's more about "branding" these days and Too Close For Comfort had a following.

I'm assuming that The Ted Knight Show was supposed to be its own separate entity (even though it's technically not an out and out spin-off, since it isn't centered on a supporting character like Jackie, Sara or Monroe) a la Archie Bunker's Place. But imagine if after the first season of Archie Bunker's Place, Carroll O'Connor suddenly died and it was retroactively considered the tenth season of All in the Family for the syndicated reruns.

Dr. Thong · 04-09-2018, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

I'm assuming that The Ted Knight Show was supposed to be its own separate entity (even though it's technically not an out and out spin-off, since it isn't centered on a supporting character like Jackie, Sara or Monroe) a la Archie Bunker's Place. But imagine if after the first season of Archie Bunker's Place, Carroll O'Connor suddenly died and it was retroactively considered the tenth season of All in the Family for the syndicated reruns.

TMC · 04-13-2018, 03:09 AM

I can kind of understand the rationale behind not calling it Too Close for Comfort if Jackie and Sara weren't going to be involved anymore. This was mind you, before "jumping the shark" entered the lexicon, so the producers must've made a preemptive strike. But outside of marketing purposes, why rename it The Ted Knight Show? I mean, Ted Knight already had own self-titled sitcom in-between his stints on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and TCFC.

They could've called the revamped show Henry Rush or Mill Valley.

https://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/05/a...own-paper.html

Quote:

''The Ted Knight Show,'' which premieres tonight at 7:30 on Channel 5, is about a small-town newspaper that gives journalism, television-style, a bad name, and makes a strong case for repealing the First Amendment. It's a tossup which rings more hollow -the newspaper characters or the canned laughter.

The newspaper is called The Marin Bugler. That doesn't necessarily mean it takes place in lovely, laid-back Marin County, over the bridge from San Francisco, except for an opening stock shot and what looks like a painted mountain in the background. The locales may be real but they look like the same old Los Angeles studio set. The only thing missing is the chase on the freeway.

Ted Knight plays the role of the new editor of The Marin Bugler. Two actresses are wasted - Nancy Dussault as his sympathetic wife and Nancy Carroll as the widow of the publisher. They seem to talk a decibel or two higher than necessary, possibly to cover up for the shortcomings of the script. Mr. Knight's main contribution to the improvement of The Bugler is to wring his hands and roll his eyes. Miss Carroll doesn't like to change things on the old paper, and she's probably right. Leave worse enough alone.

Those responsible for this opening episode include the creator of the show, Brian Cooke; the producer and writer, George Yanok; the executive producer, Aaron Ruben, and the director, Peter Baldwin.

Some of the future newspaper episodes listed sound a little more promising - one on toxic waste, another on a Vietnamese family - but the first show looks like a typographical error. Someone should have stopped the presses on The Bugler.

Dr. Thong · 04-13-2018, 07:36 PM

And one thing that was never explained was how Henry went from being a cartoonist to the editor of a newspaper.

Now, if Henry had been a features writer or a reporter, it would be logical that he would be promoted to editor. An editor has to be a writer first.

Henry did write the comic strip, but that's a different type of writing.

09-13-2002, 12:36 PM	#1
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	When Did Too Close For Comfort Change To The Ted Knight Show And Why Did They Change Does Anyone Know When To Close For Comfort Change To The Ted Knight Show Any Why The Changed The Name From To Close For Comfort To The Ted Knght Show. Thaks Aaron The Repoter
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09-13-2002, 02:33 PM	#2
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,108	It changed names in 1986, the reason the show changed names is because the show was doing a complete overhaul. Henry and Muriel would move away from San Francisco and get into a new business, etc,etc. They wanted to distinguish the new show from the old one, hence the name change.
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09-20-2003, 01:14 PM	#4
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,127	The Ted Knight Show episodes are in the Too Close For Comfort syndicated package and are syndicated as Too Close For Comfort.
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09-20-2003, 01:11 PM	#3
Dr. Thong a/k/a "ACK!" Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 10, 2001 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 5,546	Did Deborah Van Valkenburgh and Lydia Cornell leave the show voluntarily or were they fired? It's kind of sad when you consider than not long after the show changed, Ted Knight passed away. There was an amusing skit with Bill Murray and Chevy Chase hawking a book titled "The Quotable Caddyshack" on Saturday Night Live many years later. The premise was that so many people quoted dialogue from the movie that this book was essential for anyone who wanted to make small talk at the office or at a party. They said that part of the proceeds would go to the Ted Knight Slow Burn Foundation. I think Ted would've gotten a kick out of that...

03-03-2008, 10:56 PM	#6
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,973	I know Too Close For Comfort may have never aired a proper series finale, but what if The Ted Knight Show had never came along?

03-04-2008, 10:40 AM	#8
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,519	Never got to see those last season episodes as no station in my area had picked up "The Ted Knight Show".

04-13-2018, 07:36 PM	#15
Dr. Thong a/k/a "ACK!" Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 10, 2001 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 5,546	And one thing that was never explained was how Henry went from being a cartoonist to the editor of a newspaper. Now, if Henry had been a features writer or a reporter, it would be logical that he would be promoted to editor. An editor has to be a writer first. Henry did write the comic strip, but that's a different type of writing.