Judd Hirsch returned to television in 1988 with Ed. Weinberger's adaptation of the British sitcom, Dear John. Amazingly, this series lasted twice as long as the original. In England, the original Dear John had two "series" (seasons) between 1986-7. The American version, airing on NBC, ran for 4 years (1988-92).
Hirsch is the title character, a divorced school teacher who enters a support group for divorcees and widowed men and women.
To be perfectly honest, I had not seen the series when it aired initially, but now it runs weekday mornings on Antenna TV (check your listings), so I took a look at it this morning. For now, let's take a look at the pilot.
The closest I've been to a support group like John's was when I was in group therapy for psych issues in the early 80's. That said, I can't totally relate to John's sitch, since I've never been married, though I've been dumped a couple of times by ex-girlfriends. However, in terms of the format, Hirsch, who was comfortable as part of an ensemble on Taxi a few years earlier, finds another comfort zone here. John Tracey is no Alex Rieger, but Hirsch pours as much emotion into the role as he can. While Hirsch didn't win an Emmy, guest star Cleavon Little did for his 1-off appearance in season 1. Go figure.
I'm impressed with the show, and I wish I'd given it more attention back in the day.
Rating: B.
No comments:
Post a Comment