Thursday Movie Picks-TV Spinoffs

I’m scared......why? I’m going on a plane! When I was young, I loved being on a plane and couldn’t wait to see the planes take off and land but now, I have become an idiot of nerves. The good news is that I am travelling to Vancouver to visit my dear friend, V.J. He will take me on the tour he works on where the tour group travels to Lake Louise, Banff and Lake Jasper. I can’t wait for this and I saved my coins to pay for the plane fare! I hope to write my posts ahead of time because I am off for 2 weeks and have no ability to place pics etc...on my blog because it’s not compatible with my IPad.  Isn't that the dumbest thing? This week, at Wandering Through The Shelves, it’s TV time and all about the spinoffs. I decided to stick to the 70’s which was full of comedies, dramas and variety shows and before political correctness, but full on cheesiness as well. Oh, if you check out my previous post there is the  movie blogfest where you pick 4 films that you feel define you and why. I felt it very freeing to write that post:) Ok so here are my 3...

1. THE JEFFERSONS-1975-1985

This series comes from the great show, All In The Family! The Jefferson used to be the neighbours of the Bunkers but they became rich from the laundry business and they moved on up to the big sky. Jefferson, played wonderfully by Sherman Hensley, is a jive talkin’ African American who could be a bigot, the opposite bigot to Archie Bunker. He is married to his strong, no nonsense wife played by Isabel Sanford. In the early episodes his wife must deal with her mother in law as well as George but “Weezie” can handle herself. They hire a maid  who can dish it out and take it and we meet their neighbours, one an Englishman, Bentley, who seems to be quite the lover but always needs George to walk on his back whenever he has back problems. Their neighbours, one floor above, are a happily married bi-racial couple who have a daughter. The Jefferson’s son and the neighbour’s daughter fall in love much to George’s chagrin. You hear Honky, zebra marriage and even that N word which I despise but this is the 70’s. I loved this show because George is always put in his place and despite his bellowing he defends his friends. I love this show and too bad it would never fly now, neither would All In The Family...the political correct police miss the point.

2. BRADY BUNCH HOUR-1976-1977

Oh..this is bad...very, very bad and Eve Plumb, who played Jan in the Brady Bunch Show was right not to join in this horrible show so we have Fake Jan. Robert Reed, who hated playing his character actually liked being on this show which is strange and poor Florence Henderson had to carry much of the singing and dancing since this was her true vocation (she did play Maria in The Sound Of Music). It starts that good ole Mike quits his architect job, uproots his family so they can star on their own variety show. Rip Taylor, plays the love interest to Alice in the show which just baffles me. The outfits and glitter and lack of singing talent from most of the cast is clearly evident.

3. MORK AND MINDY-1978-1982

Mork from Ork first came to be known on Happy Days, which was a show about the happy 1950's with The Fonz, the Cunninghams and Ritchie's friends, Potsie and Ralph. Mork comes to our planet to fetch a humdrum human, aka Ritchie and is foiled by The Fonz. from this humble beginning a superstar was born in the name of Robin Williams who played Mork on his own series. Mork is sent down to earth to learn more about our species and lives with a young woman who tries to teach him the earthly ways. Robin Williams often went off script (no kidding) and the show was a super hit for a while and made a huge star out of Robin Williams who I miss to this day.

What are your 3?