I have not been around much because I have had friends stay over this past weekend, dinners out and now Christmas festivities is soon upon us. I apologize for not visiting like I want to but I have been busy making tags, bookmarks and cards. I will show them one day. This weekend I have to make my Advent Wreath and put up some decorations. This week for the movies....it's all about tv and we talk about the workplace. Head on over to Wandering Through the Shelves to see what the others have chosen. I love the 3 I chose this week as they are some of my favourites.
1.THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW-1970-1977
In honour of Mary Tyler Moore who died this year, I thought it only right to showcase her show especially with all the crap happening in the entertainment industry. She plays Mary Richards who is hired by WJM-TV as their Associate Producer. Her boss is Lou Grant, played wonderfully by Ed Asner. Murray Slaughter(Gavin Macleod) is the head writer, Ted Baxter (Ted Knight who is excellent!) as the vain and dumber than dumb newscaster, Sue Ann Nivens (Betty White) as the happy homemaker, Phyllis is Mary's landlady and friend (Cloris Leachman) and Rhoda is her best friend played by Valerie Harper. It's considered one of the best written comedies ever and a great shot in the arm for independent women who can make it anywhere! The antics in the newsroom was so funny especially when Ted Baxter goofed things up or Sue Ann was lusting after Lou. I loved it when Mary hosted a party because it was always a disaster. One of the best is the Chuckles the Clown episode...watch it on youtube!!
2. WKRP IN CINCINNATI-1978-1982
"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!" I love this show and the antics of all the people at this workplace from the bumbling but good hearted boss to the lecherous Herb Tarlek whom blonde Bombshell Jennifer, the secretary, had to always fend off and could...easily. Poor Less Nessman was a horrible reporter waiting for his walls and door to his own office. You have Andy hired to try to bring the radio station into the black and he hires Venus Flytrap as a DJ along with Dr. Johnny Fever, the spaced out DJ played brilliantly by Howard Hesseman. Bailey is a young newswoman trying to make her own claim. The famous Thanksgiving episode is just one of many. I think my favourite episode was to show the bad effects when drinking, unfortunately, Dr. Johnny Fever's reflexes just got better the more he drank.
3. FRASIER-1993-2004
This show is so well written, acted and intelligent with hilarious moments ("You dirty girl." "You Bad Boy") ...I watch this show any time I come across it. The character of Frasier started on another classic sitcom that would fit this theme, Cheers. Kelsey Grammar made the character so lovable and popular that he got his own show. Frasier, a psychiatrist, takes a job at a Seattle radio talk show where he listens to the trials and tribulations of people who call in about their various problems. His producer is Roz a sexy and independent woman with a very healthy sex drive. Frasier takes in his grumpy dad who is a no nonsense ex cop with a leg injury so he needs a live in physiotherapist, Daphne Moon. Frasier also has a brother, Niles, who is just as uptight,and snooty as his brother. Niles is married to Maris, whom no one ever sees, but has the unrequited hots for Daphne. A great show that I still wish was on the air with new episodes.
I love Cheers, Are You Being Served and Fawlty Towers to add a few more. What would be your picks?
Just enjoy friends and festivities!
ReplyDeleteWKRP is a great choice. The Office was a favorite of mine.
I'm familiar with all these shows but I never watched them. I do remember coming across Mary Tyler Moore on Nick and Nite and kind of laughing at her going to bed with a full face of makeup on. lol
ReplyDeleteI always have SUCH a soft spot for Mary, she's so great.
ReplyDeleteMary Tyler Moore was on just a bit before I was aware. My mom watched it, but I remember it more from reruns in the '90s. WKRP I watched at the time. I was young so I didn't really "get it", but my child self enjoyed it immensely. I never got into Frasier. I had stopped watching sitcoms by then.
ReplyDeleteAll great pics. I particularly loved WKRP.
ReplyDeleteYour opener was interesting, because I was just thinking as I pulled up your blog that it's almost Dec and time to start seeing some of Birgit's lovely Christmas Cards:_)
I've seen at least one episode of all those shows. Watched Frasier and Cheers on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteThen Alex chose The Office, which is another show I watched a lot and would have definitely chosen.
Scrubs
News Radio
Dirt
I went back to graduate school and then work in 1986, so my TV watching became non-existent. I watched your first two choices, but rarely saw Frazier. Saw Cheers in reruns. I loved the CSI dramas.
ReplyDeleteSeen all three at my sea. Murphy Brown popped in too as I thought about it.
ReplyDeleteMy first two thoughts were Cheers and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Your picks are my picks, Birgit! Enjoy the weekend!
ReplyDeleteI think I only watched Frazier once or twice, although I was a regular Cheers viewer.
ReplyDeleteThe other two are classics. Another MTM sitcom which often had work-related episodes was the 1970s The Bob Newhart Show.
As far as WKRP goes, when directly addressing my blog's readers, I often refer to them as my "fellow babies." I lifted that term from none other than Dr. Johnny Fever.
Tremendous choices!! MTM's show was just like a well oiled machine with each and every character a recognizable person writ large with Mary the calm center. The Chuckles episode is a brilliant example of what the show did best.
ReplyDeleteWKRP was another example of a perfectly cast show with all the characters, except Herb of course, respecting each other. Again that turkey episode is a great demonstration of what the show did so well.
Frasier is another perfect cast with the wonderous Harriet Samson Harris popping in every once in a while as Frasier's bloodsucking agaent BeBe Glazer.
I love my first two as well and I liked my third but it was gone in an instant.
Murphy Brown (1988-1998)-After spending some time in rehab for her drinking problem broadcaster and tough broad Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) returns to work on her news show FYI joining capable but insecure investigative reporter Frank Fontana (Joe Regalbuto), esteemed uptight anchorman Jim Dial (Charles Kimbrough) and perky former beauty queen turned features reporter Corky Sherwood (Faith Ford) and led by high strung producer Miles Silverberg (Grant Shaud) who frequently butts heads with the assertive Murphy. For ten seasons the team tackled topical subjects (including Murphy’s baby becoming a cause celebre when Vice President Dan Quayle condemned her for having a child out of wedlock) and Murphy’s inability to find a decent secretary-over the show’s run she had nearly 100. That is unless Murphy was home dealing with her permanent housepainter-daffy, endearing conceptual artist Eldin Bernecky (Robert Pastorelli). Winner of a massive amount of Emmys, Candice Bergen withdrew her name from contention after receiving her 5th.
Designing Women (1986-1993)-At the small Atlanta interior design firm Sugarbakers the four female partners-sisters, the fiery feminist Julia & shallow much married Suzanne Sugarbaker (Dixie Carter & Delta Burke) plus single mom Mary Jo Shively & naïve country girl Charlene Frazier (Annie Potts & Jean Smart) struggle to make a success of the business while discussing and quarrelling about their lives and the situations that cross their paths to humorous effect. Providing the male prospective is their handyman, ex-con Anthony Bouvier (Meshach Taylor). Brilliantly acted sitcom addressed many sensitive subjects including AIDS, racism, spousal abuse, homophobia and in the award winning episode “They Shoot Fat Women, Don’t They?” the cruelty towards people because one’s surface appearance has changed. Ironically for a show about a workable partnership between four people the show because infamous for its hostile work environment behind the scenes with Delta Burke and the producers clashing so strongly (and publicly) that she eventually left the show. It never recovered the special chemistry of its initial lineup.
Bay City Blues (1983)-Ensemble drama of minor league California baseball team The Bluebirds as they move from town to town. As the rookies, up and comers and one time big name players try and work together to form a winning team they have to deal with outside interference as well as each other. An entertaining “lost” series this extremely short-lived show (8 episodes) was Stephen Bochco’s follow-up to Hill Street Blues and starred many performers who appeared on that show or would on his next, L.A. Law including Dennis Franz, Ken Olin and Michele Greene plus a pre-stardom Sharon Stone.
I loved cheers but never got into Fraiser
ReplyDeleteI can't believe it. I've seen two of the three shows you featured. I saw MTM in reruns, as I did WKRP. I loved the turkeys episode, but the one I remember best is when Johnny Fever and (I think) Venus Flytrap were being interviewed by a state trooper about drunk driving. Each of the two men were to have a drink every 30 minutes and Fever kept saying he would get faster the more he drank. Although it was meant to show slower reaction times, Fever actually DID get faster. Of course, I didn't get it, so someone had to explain it to me. You were right about spaced out. It was a great show and I wish I had seen every episode, but I only got to see a two day binge of it. I am NOT a fan of comedy, but I truly loved that show.
ReplyDeleteI sort of liked MTM, but more for how there were as many if not more women on the set than men, something you rarely see even today many years later.
I haven't seen any of these.
ReplyDeleteYou picked some of the most iconic ones. I've seen some episodes of all of them, but don't really know that much about any of these shows. In fact I had to think about this and couldn't think of any in this work category that I remember. I don't watch all that many TV shows and especially shows like this.
ReplyDeleteI'm going for a stretch probably, but I'll suggest one of my all-time favorite shows--Quantum Leap. After all Sam Beckett's "workplace" was wherever he happened to fall into and the person who he would replace would be sitting in a waiting space at Beckett's laboratory. I think that arguably that show might qualify in this category.
Have lots of holiday fun!
Lee
Tossing It Out
I love Mary Tyler Moore. It's so sad she's gone now. She was a funny lady and was still a gorgeous woman in her final years.
ReplyDeleteI grew up with WKRP in Cincinnati and Frasier. I loved them. Very funny shows. Haven't seen much of the Mary Tyler Moore show- but I have heard great things about it. Great post!
ReplyDelete~Jess
Went with Cheers over Frasier, but I loved WKRP. I remember seeing a lot of Mary Tyler Moore as a kid, but that was so long ago I don't really remember much other than it being an iconic show.
ReplyDeleteDon’t know the middle one, maybe it never made it to the UK, but I remember Mary Tyler Moore with affection (and Rhoda) and still love Frasier. I bought a box set of DVDs cheap in a sale a few years ago so I have the whole thing and indulge frequently.
ReplyDeleteGreat picks! I didn't really appreciate Frasier until I was older, to realize how smart the writing is. And WKRP I just barely finished for the first time, since that's not something they show in regular syndication. I'm glad I did. Johnny Fever is a great character.
ReplyDeleteFrasier really was well done and always fun to watch.
ReplyDeleteHope you and yours are healthy and having the beginnings of a great week.
Love your show picks. Would have to ponder mine for a while! Enjoy your holiday crafting!
ReplyDeleteI was half expecting chuckles to pop up out of the coffin at his funeral until Mary Tyler Moore stifled a laugh or two and then burst into a whale of emotion. Only for Chuckles, what a name. You wouldn't expect any less of a send off for such a loved personality, sniff.
ReplyDeleteMary Tyler Moore was a reliable, enjoyable go-to through my younger days. May she rests in peace.
ReplyDeleteI thought WKRP was kinda boring and Frasier, kinda annoying.
OK so I am sorry for not responding to each of you but I am glad some of you loved my picks. Alex-I still have to see The Office as I never got into watching it. I should give it a chance. Joel-Love your picks-Murphy was a big hit much to Quayle's chagrin. Yes, Loved Bebe Frasier's devil agent. Bluebeard-That is my favourite episode too! Arlee-Quantum Leap totally works and what a great pick!!! I love that show. I think most of us miss MTM. Frasier annoying?? Well, Yes he could be and so could Niles which was half the fun but you have to love Roz. I do not understand Boring:)
ReplyDeleteThe only one I've seen is Frasier. I have not seen every episode, but have always enjoyed the ones I've seen.
ReplyDeleteOoh, 21 Jump Street. That was a great show. Does The Amazing Spider-Man count? If not, it should, because Spidey had TWO jobs. I remember The Love Boat being a great guilty pleasure when I was a kid too. I wanted to be a cruise director just like Julie.
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