Crazy Like a Fox review

Edited November 8Nov 8 by DRW50

The end of Alice, with Linda Lavin blaming the show's end on timeslot changes (love you, Linda, but that show was lucky to last as long as it did).

Edited November 8Nov 8 by DRW50

14 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

The end of Alice, with Linda Lavin blaming the show's end on timeslot changes (love you, Linda, but that show was lucky to last as long as it did).

The show was old, and it lost its luster after Belle left. Jolene wasn't funny, in my opinion..

Just now, Soapsuds said:

The show was old, and it lost its luster after Belle left. Jolene wasn't funny, in my opinion..

I'd say "Alice" lost its luster BEFORE Belle left.  Spinning Flo off was just the wrong thing to do (although, given how jealous Linda Lavin was of Polly Holliday's success on the show, the producers probably had no other choice).

1 minute ago, Khan said:

I'd say "Alice" lost its luster BEFORE Belle left.  Spinning Flo off was just the wrong thing to do (although, given how jealous Linda Lavin was of Polly Holliday's success on the show, the producers probably had no other choice).

Didn't Diane Ladd leave for the same reason?

2 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

Didn't Diane Ladd leave for the same reason?

Yep.  She couldn't stand working with Linda Lavin either.  That's why Celia Weston lasted as long as she did, I think.  Jolene wasn't nearly as flashy as Flo or Belle, and Weston herself posed no threat to Lavin's supremacy on the set.

27 minutes ago, Khan said:

I'd say "Alice" lost its luster BEFORE Belle left.  Spinning Flo off was just the wrong thing to do (although, given how jealous Linda Lavin was of Polly Holliday's success on the show, the producers probably had no other choice).

I think even by the time Polly left, Flo wasn't quite the same - there was only so many times they could have the catchphrases, and the grit that made the first season or two stand out more was gone. Diane was hobbled with a bad catchphrase, a messy character, and the show being out of steam. I think bringing Jolene in and marrying Vera were good ideas, but the show still was lucky to run that long. 

1983/84 to 1985/86 CBS pretty much tank jobbed almost all their 1970s holdovers: One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Alice; Trapper John, M.D.. For whatever reason CBS didn't tank job The Dukes of Hazzard after that show's ratings dropped off in 1982/83.

Edited November 8Nov 8 by kalbir

6 hours ago, kalbir said:

1983/84 to 1985/86 CBS pretty much tank jobbed almost all their 1970s holdovers: One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Alice; Trapper John, M.D.. For whatever reason CBS didn't tank job The Dukes of Hazzard after that show's ratings dropped off in 1982/83.

All of those shows had well and truly had their day by the time they were axed.

CBS just didn't develop a new set of shows. They tried a couple of times to bring in a new comedy  to the Sunday lineup eg Gloria and Stockard Channing but they didn't work.

By the time The Four Seasons and Maggie Briggs were placed on Sunday the schedule was falling apart.

And Trapper John coasted along Sunday @10. CBS never put another show there to try and build a new hit and refresh the lineup. Not even a 6 episode show that could be tested, like the did with Nurse and The Mississippi Fri @10.

On 11/8/2025 at 5:23 PM, Paul Raven said:

All of those shows had well and truly had their day by the time they were axed.

CBS just didn't develop a new set of shows. They tried a couple of times to bring in a new comedy  to the Sunday lineup eg Gloria and Stockard Channing but they didn't work.

By the time The Four Seasons and Maggie Briggs were placed on Sunday the schedule was falling apart.

And Trapper John coasted along Sunday @10. CBS never put another show there to try and build a new hit and refresh the lineup. Not even a 6 episode show that could be tested, like the did with Nurse and The Mississippi Fri @10.

CBS really should have taken advantage of developing an actual Tuesday night schedule during the 83-84 season. Obviously counter programming the A-Team and Riptide would’ve be a bit tough but it would’ve had to been better that ABC’s dismal Tuesday schedule and whatever TV movies  CBS was airing on Tuesday nights. 

CBS also coasted way on too much of its past successes obviously instead of going original shows and new talent. A show like AfterMASH shouldn’t have existed. 

Why did Dukes of Hazards ratings collapse after the original Duke boys returned lol?

A number of episodes of Kay O'Brien have been uploaded, a show that if it is remembered at all is for bumping Knots Landing from its time slot (and being an early starring role for Patricia Kalember).

Edited 6 hours ago6 hr by DRW50

Kay O'Brien debuted in 3rd place in the timeslot up against Hill St Blues and 20/20, 2 well established shows.

Wk 1 86/87 season.

On Thursday, NBC's powerful comedy lineup carried the evening for the network.

For the night, NBC averaged a 26.5/42, while CBS had a 13.2/21 and ABC a 10.7/17.

From 8 to 10, Cosby averaged a 35.5/55, Family Ties a 33.4/51, Cheers a 29.7/45, and the season premiere of Night Court a 26.8/41.

On CBS, Simon & Simon averaged a 11.8 /18 from 8 to 9, and Knots Landing averaged a 14.7/ 22 from 9 to 10.

On ABC, Our World averaged a 6.5/10 from 8 to 9, and The Colbys averaged a 10.5/16 from 9 to 10.

From 10 to 11, CBS's new Kay O'Brien averaged a 13.1/23, while NBC's Hill Street Blues averaged a 16.9/29 and ABC's 20/20 pulled in a 15.1/26.

Edited 42 minutes ago42 min by Paul Raven