What Might've Been: Class of '55 (1972)

 It was 1972. With two hit series thriving-----The Mary Tyler Moore Show was soon to begin season 3, and Room 222 heading into season 4----James L. Brooks returned to 20th Century Fox, home of Room 222, to film a pilot for another series, this one to be for CBS.

Class of '55 was, unfortunately, rejected by CBS after all, but Fox took a shine to one of its leads, Alan Alda. The 2nd generation actor, of course, would move on to M*A*S*H and icon status in short order, but what would've happened had CBS bought Class of '55? We'll never know for sure.

Our cast also includes Gary Conway (ex-Land of The Giants, Burke's Law), and, in smaller parts, Heshimu (Room 222) and Jamie Farr, who appears at the end as a hustling photographer. Louise Lasser was four years away from Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman when cast as the female lead, but as a YouTube commenter notes, she'd done a pilot with Alda a few years earlier.

Of course, Jamie Farr would join Alda on M*A*S*H, finally landing a signature role of his own after being a character actor for a few years.

Rating: A-.