Programming any series against the #1 show is difficult. Obviously you counter program, which ABC had tried at the start of the season with Lottery.

Masquerade had already failed up against strong competition so there was no reason to believe it would do anything more than mediocre numbers up against Dallas. And NBC was also going with action shows-The Master/Legmen.

ABC should have split up Benson/Webster and moved Webster to 8pm and Benson till 9 against Dallas. Comedy would have been the best counter programming and Benson was familiar to audiences.

7 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

As for 9 to 5, after a shaky start Thurs @9 it was moved to the better slot following Three's Company where it did better. But then ABC moved it back to Thurs where it quickly flopped. Considering there were backstage problems (can somebody elaborate?) it was too soon to move it, ABC had already been burned moving Too Close for Comfort to Thurs@9 where is struggled a few seasons before.

9 to 5 (TV series) - Wikipedia

Jane Fonda, who also developed the film version, acted as executive producer during the show's first two seasons. However, she disassociated herself after a dispute over the direction of the show. Her co-producer Bruce Gilbert went with her. Prior to the start of Season 3, veteran TV actor and producer James Komack stepped in to helm the show in their stead. His vision for the show included many changes, which tried to add a new angle without taking the premise away from the original movie and TV format.

The Fonda character of Judy Bernly, portrayed by Valerie Curtin, was written out for the purposes of replacing her with a younger, 20-something secretary, Linda Bowman (Leah Ayres). She instantly became friends with Violet and Doralee, so much that she subsequently became a roommate of theirs in Violet's apartment. Also inhabiting this living arrangement was Violet's 12-year-old son Tommy (played by Tony La Torre, in between his stints on CBS' oft-cancelled Cagney & Lacey). Salesman Nussbaum was also replaced, by Michael Henderson (George Deloy), and Komack also dropped office snoop Roz. Additionally, the company setting changed from Consolidated Companies to American House.

The revamp caused an instant decline in the ratings, falling to 75th out of 76 shows, and the series was cancelled five episodes into the new season. As ABC decided to pull the plug on 9 to 5 just a month into the season, only five episodes were broadcast in the 1983–84 season, with two episodes remaining unaired.

The various openings cycling through 500 cast members (many of the people in the syndicated version I have never even heard of). I'm not sure if I dislike that or the nuclear holocaust season 2 opening more - probably the last one, as the season 2 opening at least has some good comic faces for Rita Moreno and Jean Marsh. Actually, I think I dislike the season 3 open even more.

9 To 5 TV Show Openings - All Five Seasons (1982 - 1984) & (1986 - 1988)

Edited 47 minutes ago47 min by DRW50

34 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

9 to 5 (TV series) - Wikipedia

Jane Fonda, who also developed the film version, acted as executive producer during the show's first two seasons. However, she disassociated herself after a dispute over the direction of the show. Her co-producer Bruce Gilbert went with her. Prior to the start of Season 3, veteran TV actor and producer James Komack stepped in to helm the show in their stead. His vision for the show included many changes, which tried to add a new angle without taking the premise away from the original movie and TV format.

The Fonda character of Judy Bernly, portrayed by Valerie Curtin, was written out for the purposes of replacing her with a younger, 20-something secretary, Linda Bowman (Leah Ayres). She instantly became friends with Violet and Doralee, so much that she subsequently became a roommate of theirs in Violet's apartment. Also inhabiting this living arrangement was Violet's 12-year-old son Tommy (played by Tony La Torre, in between his stints on CBS' oft-cancelled Cagney & Lacey). Salesman Nussbaum was also replaced, by Michael Henderson (George Deloy), and Komack also dropped office snoop Roz. Additionally, the company setting changed from Consolidated Companies to American House.

The revamp caused an instant decline in the ratings, falling to 75th out of 76 shows, and the series was cancelled five episodes into the new season. As ABC decided to pull the plug on 9 to 5 just a month into the season, only five episodes were broadcast in the 1983–84 season, with two episodes remaining unaired.

The various openings cycling through 500 cast members (many of the people in the syndicated version I have never even heard of). I'm not sure if I dislike that or the nuclear holocaust season 2 opening more - probably the last one, as the season 2 opening at least has some good comic faces for Rita Moreno and Jean Marsh. Actually, I think I dislike the season 3 open even more.

9 To 5 TV Show Openings - All Five Seasons (1982 - 1984) & (1986 - 1988)

Hart would insist the secretaries come to work on The Day After.

I did a double take when we got to Peter Evans, convinced he was either Peter Scolari or Dack Rambo with an assumed name.

If the Season 3 opening caught on, would they have updated the jokes under everyone's credit?