Ratings from the 1990s

[DaytimeFan]

Frasier has aged very well - aside from some dated clothing and technology the show is quite timeless.

 

I agree about Home Improvement. I don't think it had a comparable political sensibility to Roseanne. Tim Taylor had a TV show, a comfortable suburban house, three 'wholesome' sons - it definitely was a Trump ideal family. 

[Planet Soap]

Reminds me of the rural purge back in the 70s.

Black-ish and Grown-ish are now attempting to replicate that.

[kalbir]

Fox network firsts

End the season in the Top 30: The Simpsons (28th, tied w/ Night Court and Doogie Howser, M.D.) in 1989/90

End the season in the Top 20: The X-Files (11th), King of the Hill (15th), The Simpsons (18th) in 1997/98

End the season in the Top 10: Joe Millionaire (3rd) and American Idol (Tuesday 5th, Wednesday 6th) in 2002/03

End the season at #1: American Idol - Tuesday in 2005/06

 

[Khan]

On the one hand, it was an unprecedented feat that will likely never be repeated.  On the other hand, I feel like "Hearts Afire" and "Love & War" definitely suffered from structural flaws, which is why it didn't surprise me when both shows were retooled heavily in subsequent years.

Yup.

Yup.

[Vee]

@Khan, you'll be pleased to know I am digging into Designing Women beyond some idle viewing here and there in syndication for the first time on Hulu tonight. Anything to lift the spirits, and I'm running out of more Golden Girls to rewatch lol.

[Khan]

Poor LS.  They never get the proper credit for doing the young-professionals-in-the-big-city concept before "Friends" and "Sex and the City."

If you haven't done so already, I would suggest googling TC Carson (Kyle) and reading all about his struggles in maintaining dignity with his character against a network and production company that continually tried to paint him as the stereotypical buffoon.  It's enough to make you throw something out the old window.

[Vee]

Oh, I know all about it. I think some of us posted some of the stuff a few years back.

[Khan]

Fantastic!  My advice?  Appreciate the first three seasons, lower your expectations for S's 4, 5 and 6, and avoid S7 at all costs.

[Vee]

I mean, I know Jan Hooks is in there near the end, so that's hard to resist. I've only seen a handful of full episodes over the years, though I of course know Linda Bloodworth-Thomason.

I remember we discussed LS a while back around here when the constantly-in-limbo revival kept getting in the news. I think it was Kim Coles who said the one castmember dragging their feet on the revival was 'not who you think.' I hope it happens someday. I am very glad, at least, that Erika Alexander has reemerged in TV (Queen Sugar, etc) and in comics and genre work in a big way in the last decade.

[Khan]

Exactly.  Those shows -- "The Beverly Hillbillies," "Green Acres," "Mayberry R.F.D.," etc. -- were still doing reasonably well for CBS; however, the perception at that time was that CBS' demographics were becoming too old and too rural, so they had to go.

Enter "All in the Family" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

[BetterForgotten]

It can't be stressed enough that it was 60 Minutes and Murder She Wrote that largely kept CBS's ass afloat in the early 90's.

[Khan]

Agree.  Unfortunately, JH joined at a time when the show was on very shaky ground.  They were so preoccupied with weathering the cast departures and building up Julia Duffy as a worthy successor to Delta Burke's antagonist role that poor Jan got lost in the metaphorical shuffle.  Carlene never got the attention that she deserved.

Edited January 19, 2022 by Khan

[allmc2008]

My husband JT swears by that show while I tend to lean towards your liking. That said, it occurred to me once that the show was basically dramatized 'stand-up' and that helped me understand the scene length.

[kalbir]

More like from the late 1980s, once Dallas fell out of the Top 10.

[BetterForgotten]

Yeah, just keeping it in perspective for the 90's thread, lol.