Wednesday, May 3, 2023

What Might've Been: America 2100 (1979)

 Ever since Room 222 ended, Karen Valentine had a hard time finding another hit series. Most folks will only remember her frequent appearances on Hollywood Squares and talk shows as the balance of her work in the 70's. A self-titled sitcom bombed, and she otherwise made a number of TV-movies, including "The Daughters of Joshua Cade" and a Gidget TV-movie, both for ABC.

In 1979, ABC & Paramount thought they had something that would work.

America 2100 is more about a pair of 20th century comedians who'd been in suspended animation after suffocating to death being awakened in the 22nd century, with Valentine as a scientist assigned to their case. Sid Caesar ("Grease") is heard as the voice of the computer, MAX.


Austin & Irma Kalish were prolific writers during the 60's & 70's, and also gave Paramount Out of The Blue, which bowed in the fall of '79. Banking on Caesar & Valentine alone to carry this just wasn't meant to work. I should know. I actually sat & watched this with my folks.

Rating: C.

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