Khan

Of course, it would've needed to be someone who had some recognizability, yet was comfortable playing second banana to Lucy - which was easier said than done. (Just ask Audrey Meadows, Ann Sothern, Joan Blondell and even Vivian Vance). Ideally, though, it could've been someone like Betty Garrett (and in my version, her character has known Lucy's since they were young actresses trying to break into show business). Oh, and I definitely would've tapped Ginger Rogers to guest star in an episode - maybe as a Sue Mengers-esque modeling agent whose client dies under mysterious circumstances.

I think so, too. I could see a series where Lucy, as a one-time chorus girl and B-movie actress (from Jamestown, NY, Lucy's actual hometown) turned housewife and mother, has a son who followed in his late father's footsteps and joined the LAPD. He literally married the girl next door several years before; and when Lucy isn't pestering the two about giving her a grandchild, she's using her ingenuity and knack for zany disguises to help him solve cases for the department. Lucie Arnaz could have recurred as Lucy's daughter, a single gal who's desperate to find Mr. Right, but always ends up with Mr. Really Wrong; and Gale Gordon could have guest-starred in one episode as an aging Don Juan-type who romances elderly women, then parts with their money and jewelry.

Which is sad, because, if anything, America felt the rest of the show (minus Gale Gordon) let her down. Lucy was television royalty. She deserved so much better than a show that was written and produced by a team who were out-of-touch with the times.

LOL!! I'm just surprised Monica managed to have a flashback for that long without Alan coming in and interrupting her. ("Could I have my shirt back, please?")

Nowadays, Charlie would be communicating with Bosley and the ladies via text messaging, lol.

It's almost as if Monica has been hypnotized, lol.

I don't think I watched enough of Dan O'Connor's work on GH to offer a definitive opinion, but I definitely watched enough of David Kreizman's work on GL and AMC to say "no."

Jennifer must have tripped over something and fell into the door. Why was the doctor in the next scene apologizing to Scott? And why did Scott walk away as if he'd been told they weren't going to give him a refund? Poor Jennifer. Her accident precipitated so much - her subsequent disfigurement, her affair with John Wyatt, her suicide attempt that caused brain damage, her shooting Eunice to death and ultimately ending up in a sanitarium. I wish SFT had brought her back down the road, however. If not with Morgan Fairchild, then maybe another actress; and even if both John and Eunice were gone, maybe she could've returned in order to wreak havoc in Suzi's life.

You know, when I watched the first episode of "In the House," something told me Debbie Allen would not last long on that show. Not that she isn't capable of performing comedy, but she just seemed so out-of-place with LL Cool J and those kids.

What about Janet Jackson on "Fame," lol? It seems like Valerie Bertinelli has had a bit more success in TV movies and miniseries than in half-hour comedies.

I'd forgotten about "True Colors" as well. That was when FOX still presented itself as a hipper, edgier alternative to the "Big Three."

Woah my God! Was that THE scene? I've been waiting YEARS to see Jennifer Pace fall through that damn patio door.

Thank you so much, @dragonflies ! Here's wishing everyone a fun and safe holiday as well!

You can tell almost right away whenever a character is in a storyline that, for whatever reason, is not clicking. It's almost as if you can feel the writers struggling just to get them to the next plot point, because the characters are being asked to do something that they simply wouldn't do.

Suddenly, I feel like singing the "Facts of Life" theme song, lol.

I forgot to mention this before: in the entire 20 years that the original "Law & Order" was on the air, there was only one female detective on the show: Nina Cassady, played by Milena Govich. I wouldn't swear to it, but how Cassady gets transferred to the 27th precinct and becomes Ed Green's latest partner (she participates in a shootout at a beauty salon) sounds an awful lot like the first time we see Katy Mahoney in action on "Lady Blue." Were the show's producers making a sly comment on LB and what might've been a directive from NBC to introduce a female detective on their show? I think so, lol.

Whenever I think about Aunt Fran - which isn't all that often, lol - the first thing that springs to my mind is her constant bitching and moaning about Sonja getting the room that once was her writing office (or was her writing office, I can't recall which atm). If having "a room of one's own" is so damned important to you, Frannie, then just move the [!@#$%^&*] out!

Thanks for that link, @DRW50 ! Honestly, I never know WHAT to think about Fran Drescher. It seems as if most of the projects that she and her ex have created and produced come from their own personal experiences - which is good, I guess, because the more authentic something is, and the more personal, the more it will connect with the audience. Yet, you really have to wonder if their personal lives are soooooooooooo colorful that they inspire not one, not two, but THREE shows? Like, who else has a life THAT interesting, lol?

https://tenor.com/becfh.gif

Why was she right, lol? Speaking of Fran Drescher, have we covered her career or track record, both pre- and post-"Nanny"?

Oops! Sorry, @Franko , lol! Same here. IMO, Suzanne Martin was just using crap that she didn't get to use on her last series, ABC's "Hot Properties," which the network canned after 13 episodes, I think. Ironically, I'm starting to wonder whether people are growing weary of all the procedural shows that are out there now on all the networks and streaming platforms, lol. Also, I should clarify: I thought John Hillerman and Georgia Engel worked great with Betty on TBWS, but the rest of the supporting cast...? Oof. Thanks, @soapfan770 , for reminding us about "Orleans"! Did anyone watch the show? If so, what do you think? (Truth be told, I think I might have missed out on that one intentionally, lol). ICAM!! As a matter of fact, I'm sure I've read somewhere that Buzz and Sonja were created only because NBC wanted characters on the show that (they thought) would appeal to younger audiences.

I see where you're coming from, @Paul Raven , but I'm also inclined to agree with @All My Shadows . I think a spin off centered around Sue Ann (with Phyllis popping in occasionally, since I think Betty and Cloris always worked so well together) would've had a better chance at success post-MTMS. The biggest issue I had with "The Betty White Show" - apart from the underwhelming supporting cast* and the videotape look that made the entire production look cheap and muddy - was that the BTS satire of '70's cop shows was so toothless, like a really bad "Carol Burnett Show" sketch. IMO, if you're going to do a satire of something, you've got to be razor sharp, or you'll look skittish, which will KILL the comedy but good. (*If we ever compile an official "Actors They Tried SO Hard to Make Happen" list, I'm adding Caren Kaye's name to the top of that list).

In my version, he died in a mysterious rock-climbing accident.

ICAM with everything you've said here, @All My Shadows!

In her Television Academy interview, Rue talks about her time on "Mama's Family." Initially, she says, she looked forward to working with Vicki Lawrence and Ken Berry (whom she had had a crush on), because Aunt Fran, as originally written, was supposed to be this force of nature who could go toe-to-toe with Thelma. By the time production began, however, the plan had changed, with Dorothy Lyman (or, "this actress on 'All My Children'," as Rue refers to her) added as Thelma's chief antagonist, and Aunt Fran being reduced to "this mousy little thing with the Peter Pan collars and the ringlets." So, yeah, Rue wasn't happy about that experience, because Fran was no longer the character she had envisioned portraying.