There was a "Soap" marathon on Antenna TV just before Thanksgiving. The first two years were great. The last two were a little too "out there" for me. One thing, or one person, is constant, Katherine Helmond. She played Jessica Tate and hit every scene in which she appeared out of the park. There were light moments. There was some downright daffiness. She could do the sad and dramatic scenes, too. Helmond never received her due for her work on "Soap."
I loved "Barney Miller" from the pilot to the finale, and I do manage to catch an episode or two most days. The performances, all of them, were great. What strikes me when I watch again is the quality of the writing and the timing of the delivery. Jack Soo didn't have many lines, but he added so much to that show.
Two of the main "Scrubs" characters are now in a cell phone commercial, leading to even more speculation there will be a reunion show, a limited series, or a movie. The talk has been out there for years. It's seemed to increase in intensity lately. Even though "Scrubs" is one of my favorite shows of all time, I wish they would just leave it alone. You can't go back. You can't improve it. Just sit back and marvel at some great episodes.
GSN recently put the original "Card Sharks" and "Family Feud" back on the schedule.
"Card Sharks" was one of those shows where everything worked. It was a simple and fun game, easy to play along at home. Great set. Great theme. Great host, Jim Perry. He moves the game along and appears to have fantastic fun doing so. I always believed Jim Perry's hosting skills were underrated.
Richard Dawson WAS "Family Feud. The producer in me timed it out the other day. Dawson is introduced. He plays kissy touchy feely with the contestants, and it's a whopping six minutes before they actually start to play the game. I know Dawson's charm was part of the attraction, but SIX MINUTES before the first question!?!? Unreal. Drew Carey is taking bids on "The Price is Right" less than one minute after appearing on stage.
But the big story is GSN greenlighting a new version of "Split Second." The show first appeared in the early 70's with Tom Kennedy. It was tough for a contestant because you had to be smart and fast. It must have been a bear to host because the game moved so quickly. I want to have high hopes here, but most GSN original productions are rather cheesy. There are some exceptions. Years ago, "Inquisition" was fantastic. "America Says" is a fun way to spend a half hour. "The Chase" is very good, and I really don't like what ABC did with it. "Master Minds" is a good quiz. The Chuck Woolery version of "Lingo" was great. On the other hand, "People Puzzler" is exceptionally stupid. "Chain Reaction" is a good game with poor execution and they seem to seek out the dumbest contestants to play. "Catch 21" and "Common Knowledge" needed better hosts.
