What Might've Been: The Shape of Things (1982)

 George Schlatter was back on top at NBC with Real People. In the spring of 1982, he sold the network a short-term satire-variety series that really was an attempt to recapture the spirit of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, but built around women.

The Shape of Things, however, despite its concept, would not get past its 3 episode order. It wasn't that viewers weren't ready for it, the network actually fumbled the ball by not doing enough to promote it. Plus, each episode had a different set of hostesses. The one constant on the men's side was David Ruprecht ("The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island"), who I believe appeared in all three episodes.

The only complete episode available is the finale, headlined by Rita Moreno (9 to 5, ex-The Electric Company), Eileen Brennan (Private Benjamin, ex-13 Queens Boulevard), Donna Dixon (Bosom Buddies), and Nancy Dussault (Too Close For Comfort). Guests include Alan King, Robert Guillaume (Benson), Howie Mandel, six months away from St. Elsewhere & Laugh Trax, & Rhonda Bates (Speak Up America).

If they were going to treat King like that, they should've sent for Rodney Dangerfield, as that would've been more his schtick to get disrespected.

No rating. Just a public service. Baseball was priority 1 at my house in the spring.