In this TV Guide post, we’ll do something a bit different. Rather than look at each day’s schedule, let’s take a glance at the Fall Preview section. It’s 1989 (September 9th – 15th, to be exact), and, from the looks of things, television has gone to shit. Take a gander at the coming attractions for the Fall of ’89 and see for yourself…
Basically a rip-off of Candid Camera, but without the charm… and without my favorite pervert, Alan Funt.
Yes, this is where COPS began, and it’s still kickin’ today. The novelty of seeing dirty crackheads getting chased by out-of-shape officers, just never gets old.
Oh my God, I’d forgotten about this drivel. Apparently, it was a revamp of an equally awful sitcom, Duet. Say what you will about the preachy Norman Lear sitcoms of the seventies, they at least had substance.
Yeesh. I watched this stuff. What was wrong with me? Surely there was something better to do than watch Anything but Love? I had friends, I was in college, I lived in Southern California…. yet, there I sat, watching this garbage. Go figure.
I completely understand why people like this show; however, I just was never able to get into it. It wasn’t for lack of trying; it just didn’t do it for me.
Diane Sawyer the “sexy, savvy former co-editor of 60 Minutes.” Sexy?
Living Dolls – Don’t remember there being a spinoff of Who’s the Boss? And it starred Halle Berry.
Life Goes On – Who doesn’t love the affable Corky Romany, the Down’s Syndrome kid who brings such wisdom and joy to his family and high school classmates?…. Me, that’s who.
Grieco was Johnny Depp’s replacement on 21 Jump Street as I recall…. and as I also recall, I couldn’t stand this SOB. He was supposed to be tough because had holes in his jeans, but he looked and acted like Zoolander.
So, they hire a witch for a housekeeper…. and the yawnfest begins. Not edgy, not intelligent, not funny, not original, not well acted, and not… renewed for a second season. But it did have Alyson Hannigan.
Just kill me now.
I have no memories of this show whatsoever. It could have been underappreciated genius – I’ll never know.
Another piece of shit. I know I sound overly harsh; but, if you look back at other TV posts, I positively gush over programming from the seventies, and even early eighties. For me, the networks were really laying turds by the end of the eighties…. which is why, I believe, Seinfeld caught on- it was so different from this garbage.
Whoah! A sitcom directed by Wes Craven? I had no idea this existed. Starring pedophile Jeffery Jones as well!
Social commentary disguised as sci-fi. Sometimes that’s a good thing… and, in this case, not so much.
I don’t remember this show, but I understand it wasn’t so bad. The pilot is supposed to be hilarious, and it won a few Emmys. But, unfortunately, no one watched and it was cancelled after 20 episodes. Jane Sibbett looks hot; might be worth a watch.
Another show I routinely watched. It wasn’t so bad, but pretty standard fare. Unsolved Mysteries was much better.
A werewolf private eye…. and you dared to doubt that TV had fallen off a cliff in the late 80s?
Lynn Redgrave and Jackie Mason – possibly television’s all time worst couple.
Nope.
Just read this description. Nothing I can say will do it justice. This is what the bottom of the barrel looks like, folks.
Hated Doogie. And the Nut House – how was this not amazing? It’s the work of Mel Brooks and the dude behind Sledgehammer, and it stars comic legends Korman and Leachman….. this should have been incredible!
Hey look, it’s Josh Brolin!
Two shows that need no introduction: one with the Hoff, the other with the Urkel. Both stupid as the day is long, and both wildly popular.
Yawn.
Well, that’s it for what’s coming in Fall of ’89, As you can see, the world was in desperate need of Seinfeld and Friends. The big guns of the 80s were over or on their last leg: Rosanne, Cheers and Cosby… and this was their replacement? When the best in the batch may be Doogie Howser, you know there’s a problem.
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