ABC had trouble filling the 8 pm (ET) slot on Wednesday nights in the 1972-3 season. First, Paul Lynde was given his own show after yeoman's work on not only Bewitched, which was now in reruns, six days a week at one point, but on Hollywood Squares over on NBC. Paul fell victim to the same bad luck that had plagued Tim Conway, a popular supporting player who couldn't carry a show as a lead, no matter how hard he tried.
Then, there was Thicker Than Water, Richard Long's final series, which barely got two months in before being cut. I can't remember if Long passed away during production.
Finally, there was Love Thy Neighbor, about two couples, one African-American, one white, looking to get along.
Joyce Bulifant, Ron Masak, Harrison Page, & Janet MacLachlan were the stars. 60's R & B singer Solomon Burke performed the show's theme song. Gilmore Box posted the intro:
If ABC wanted to pick up some of the vibe of CBS' All in The Family, it didn't work. I think the show lasted maybe a month before the fall lineup kicked in. Page would later be a foil for Don Rickles on CPO Sharkey. Masak had better luck, landing a long running gig as Sheriff Mort Metzger opposite Angela Lansbury on Murder, She Wrote, landing the role after Tom Bosley left for The Father Dowling Mysteries.
Joyce Bulifant might be better remembered for a recurring gig on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and as a panelist on Match Game, often miscast as a stereotyped blonde.
Rating: B.
No comments:
Post a Comment