CBS Wednesday night lineup – Clacking the dream

I’ve discovered that the great reveal of this entire undertaking is seeing what old shows first saw the light of day on what networks. And while I realize that nothing makes a show more or less a CBS show, for instance (although FOX sitcoms do have a similar feel, don’t they?), I find myself surprised by some of my discoveries nonetheless.

Interestingly, CBS Wednesdays appeared pretty barren to me at a quick glance, but further investigation brought to light a bunch of “Wow, really?” moments for me that were rather nice.

So, without further delay, I give you my dream Wednesday night on CBS.

8:00-8:30 This half hour saw a lot of quick failures. Mr. Merlin tried its hand at the tale of Merlin, setting him up in modern day (1981) San Francisco. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers failed to capture the magic of the original movie it was based on, while Whiz Kids’ tech angle may have played better today. The Oldest Rookie oddly cast Paul Sorvino on the right side of the law, while The Van Dyke Show was the one that failed for Dick. A Peaceable Kingdom was about a zoo director, The Royal Family collapsed upon Redd Foxx’s sudden death, The Hat Squad had kids sanctioned to help the police (hear that Shawn and Gus?), and Hearts Afire did little more than give us a few extra TV years with John Ritter. The Boys are Back was about the already-stale-then tale of an older couple whose adult kids move back home, Bless This House was an Andrew Dice Clay vehicle (yikes!), Still Standing tried to prove that you’re never too old and married to have fun, and Courting Alex was Jenna Elfman’s previous mistake. I’ve watched The Nanny in reruns, but it was only ever enjoyable enough when I had nothing else to do … which I can’t even say for Jericho. Bill Cosby should have kicked whoever floated the idea for Cosby, while putting aside her new awards, Julia Louis-Dreyfus might consider doing the same to the creators of The New Adventures of Old Christine. And then, of course, there were the odd assortment of reality series and game shows, like Star Search, Amazing Race, Kid Nation, Power of 10, Big Brother, and The Price Is Right. I almost overlooked my pick, but then found it upon closer scrutiny. It was 1984 when Scott Baio became known as something other than Chachi. I’d love to see a good Charles in Charge marathon even today.

8:30-9:00 Another odd assortment of mostly misfits. Better Days was The Fresh Prince in reverse, and Work with Me could have been the comedic version of The Practice. Doctor Doctor was at least ten years too early for the medical craze, while Daddy’s Girls was an early look at Keri Russell that we shouldn’t have gotten. Dave’s World survived on the back of the hilarious Harry Anderson, while how Yes, Dear kept ticking is anybody’s guess. We covered The Nanny above, Murphy Brown is safe on my Mondays, and Gary Unmarried is an enthusiastic no. In the end I almost went with Out of Practice — Christopher Gorham and the over-sexed (at least her character) Paula Marshall were weak, but the show introduced me to Ty Burrell, which is worth more than his weight in gold. Even my dislike of Stockard Channing by that point in time didn’t affect my enjoyment of the show. However, I was recently poking around Hulu, and decided to catch a couple episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati (that theme song has been in my head for years) … as corny as it is, I still love it. WKRP it is!

9:00-10:00 A number of shows that aired here are fondly remembered by many, but sadly are nothing that I can relate to, like Alice, The Equalizer, Jake and the Fatman, In the Heat of the Night, Touched by an Angel, and Magnum, P.I. (which I already gifted to Debbie on Thursdays). Charlie & Co. was meant to be CBS’s answer to The Cosby Show but died before the end of its first season, and I enjoy The King of Queens but only in moderation. My selection here is actually an hour long, so it pays to mention the handful of shows that appeared in the 9:30 slot on the network as well. Filthy Rich was a dead man’s last laugh, Becker was a mean joke perpetrated by Ted Danson on all of us, while Center of the Universe was just sad for John Goodman. Here I’m going with a current favorite — while it’s disappointing me this season, Criminal Minds has been a strong horse for years. I’m betting this dip will reverse itself.

10:00-11:00 One of the great things about TiVo is that I can make my own television watching schedule, and I always make sure to watch something light after Criminal Minds. The problem with only getting to choose from what has been on is that 10PM is an unlikely hour at which to find a light show. The Equalizer and Wiseguy are too discordant with my tastes, while I cannot watch doctors on TV (the exception being Grey’s Anatomy), so Chicago Hope is out. And none of the CSIs intrigue me, so CSI: NY is out too. Shannon was like a serialized version of Die Hard, Tucker’s Witch was a post-Women’s Lib Bewitched, WIOU was a soap version of Back to You, and Courthouse was a serious Night Court. Wolf Lake had werewolves taking over a town, while The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire stumps me at its name. I’m going to play it safe here — Free Play for an official selection, and then a pre-recorded something light to ward off the Criminal Minds nightmares.

All in all, a pretty good balance for the night. What does your dream Wednesday night on CBS look like?

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Feb 18, 2010 @ 11:00 EST5EDT