Will & Grace - Limited Revival on NBC for 2017/2018 Season

[Freddie2]

Let's not forget Make Room For Granddaddy as far as TV revivals go. From what I've seen, that show wasn't half-bad. 

 

One Day At A Time and Arrested Development are the only "resurrected" shows in this recent trend that I think are any good. But really, is anyone surprised that Fuller House is absolute bottom-tier entertainment?

[HarryCarter]

Let's not forget Make Room For Granddaddy as far as TV revivals go.

 

Of course!

[Luvsbway]

We, as in you and I? Really? I was there in '96, but skipped '97. Then I was there in '98 and (I think) '99 and '01. Can't remember if I was there in 2000. One of those years (the year Tab Hunter was there) I wasn't at a table because I got put up on the stage.

Yes 99' then because I have a picture of you on stage.

[LittleRickyII]

But really, is anyone surprised that Fuller House is absolute bottom-tier entertainment?

 

Well, as someone who thinks the original series was bottom-tier entertainment, no surprise here!

[LittleRickyII]

Yes 99' then because I have a picture of you on stage.

 

  OMG, you have something even I don't have!  That was the one and only time I was ever on stage, unless you count the sixth grade production my entire class had to participate in.  I was up there with Miss Eva, so she must be in that picture, too.  Glen Charlow was responsible for that.  I arrived to the convention late that year, and Glen informed me upon my arrival that he had volunteered me.  Not a problem, though.  Dinner backstage with the performers is a cool memory.

[Luvsbway]

The pictures are in this thread.

 

http://www.lucylounge.com/index.php?/topic/3286-loving-lucy-1999/&do=findComment&comment=96865

 

I think I have one more that I didn't post. I'll check because I remember Eve being in it. I'll look tonight.

[LittleRickyII]

The pictures are in this thread.

 

http://www.lucylounge.com/index.php?/topic/3286-loving-lucy-1999/&do=findComment&comment=96865

 

I think I have one more that I didn't post. I'll check because I remember Eve being in it. I'll look tonight.

 

You are wondaful!  Thank you!  That's Eva at the table with me, and at the other table my very dear friend, Eve Diana, with Eric Schwarz, I think?  And Mike Broad, who was sitting at a table with Glen.

[Luvsbway]

Ok then I do have posted the picture I was thinking of.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

OMG, my memory is either failing me, or I was just oblivious (which frequently is the case with me), but I have no recollection of a drink spilling on Mr. Hayes.  Or maybe this was a different night?  When I met him, it was the night of the banquet.  There were only about six of us seated there.  Patrick was on my left, the blonde woman was on Patrick's left, and Sean was to her left (and directly across from me).  And then there were a couple guys to my right (Sean's left).  Perhaps you were one of those guys?  I assumed at the time that those guys were friends of Sean's.  I don't remember Tom being with us, though, at least not initially.  Maybe he showed up after a bit.  But sitting there in my personal horror of realizing I had this big celebrity in front of me whose very popular TV show I had never even watched, I was keeping my mouth shut for fear someone might ask me something about Will and Grace.  I was sort of in another zone.  But yes, we should ask Patrick about that blonde woman.  Or maybe not?  I like thinking that I once might have hung out with Amy Poehler.  If it turns out that wasn't her, that will end that little fantasy.

No, don't think that because my memory could be off too because the more I think about it, Tom may not have been there since he was so busy with convention business; also I don't remember it being evening but daytime.  He was dressed very casually and wearing a baseball cap (as I found many celebrities - male or female - would do when I lived in LA to try and go "incognito").  Couldn't have been nicer, even to this drunk gal who was totally obnoxious.  She was far gone enough that I don't think she realized at first she'd spilled her drink on him and when she did she wasn't very apologetic! 

 

Unfortunately it was long ago enough I don't remember exactly who was there, how many of us, etc. but I do remember that he was there to see and support Patrick...so which year would you say this was? Didn't he (Patrick) direct the show one year (or more)? Maybe that's why he was there... I don't recall either (though I'd like to know) how they knew each other but then, I should remember that Hollywood could be a very "small" town sometimes!

 

Thanks for clarifying Breck!  Sure wish we could pull a Cher and "turn back time"!

[Neil]

....and with varying degrees of success, wouldn't you agree? While I've enjoyed the "reboots" of The X-Files and (to my surprise) "One Day at a Time", I still feel overall that resucitating long-dead characters/shows/favorites is more often than not not a great idea! Exhibit A: "Fuller House" B: "The 'New' Monkees" C. "The 'New' Leave it to Beaver"... need I go on?

 

"One Day at a Time" is getting a reboot?   When it was on, I would have suggested just "the boot".  With no Bonnie Franklin....what,  "calling Sandy Duncan!"?   Also no Pat Harrington who, as I recall from my brief ODAAT scene watching was the source of most of the 'comedy'. 

In all fairness to ODAAT and other videotaped hit comedies of the time ("Alice", "Jeffersons" "Good Times", even "WKRP" which I never cottoned to), I didn't really give them a chance.  Other than "All in the Family", I thought videotape cheapened the look and made the illusion harder to overcome.  I was always aware this was a set and the audience response seemed to be much more a part of the show.  The other BIG exception "Golden Girls".  Maybe there are more I can't recall this moment. 

[LittleRickyII]

No, don't think that because my memory could be off too because the more I think about it, Tom may not have been there since he was so busy with convention business; also I don't remember it being evening but daytime.  He was dressed very casually and wearing a baseball cap (as I found many celebrities - male or female - would do when I lived in LA to try and go "incognito").  Couldn't have been nicer, even to this drunk gal who was totally obnoxious.  She was far gone enough that I don't think she realized at first she'd spilled her drink on him and when she did she wasn't very apologetic! 

 

Unfortunately it was long ago enough I don't remember exactly who was there, how many of us, etc. but I do remember that he was there to see and support Patrick...so which year would you say this was? Didn't he (Patrick) direct the show one year (or more)? Maybe that's why he was there... I don't recall either (though I'd like to know) how they knew each other but then, I should remember that Hollywood could be a very "small" town sometimes!

 

Thanks for clarifying Breck!  Sure wish we could pull a Cher and "turn back time"!

 

Would love to turn back time on that!  But now I'm thinking we must have met Sean Hayes at different times that day.  Perhaps you met him before the banquet?  It was definitely in the evening when I met him because I remember going to bed right afterwards.  I'm sure I would have remembered a drunk woman spilling a drink on him.  What I do remember were two girls, and I do mean girls.  They looked like teenagers.  Perhaps they were older, but not much older.  They weren't drunk, just apparently very starstruck.  But like I said, at the point when they came by our table, I had no clue that I was having drinks with a celebrity!    So I was totally in the dark about why these young women (or girls) were acting so ridiculous.  It wasn't until Patrick whispered in my ear that I understood.

 

Patrick was very involved in all of those conventions and the banquet shows, so it's very likely he directed one or more of them.  He may have performed in all of them.

[Mot Morenzi]

"One Day at a Time" is getting a reboot?   When it was on, I would have suggested just "the boot".  With no Bonnie Franklin....what,  "calling Sandy Duncan!"?   Also no Pat Harrington who, as I recall from my brief ODAAT scene watching was the source of most of the 'comedy'. 

In all fairness to ODAAT and other videotaped hit comedies of the time ("Alice", "Jeffersons" "Good Times", even "WKRP" which I never cottoned to), I didn't really give them a chance.  Other than "All in the Family", I thought videotape cheapened the look and made the illusion harder to overcome.  I was always aware this was a set and the audience response seemed to be much more a part of the show.  The other BIG exception "Golden Girls".  Maybe there are more I can't recall this moment.

 

I know what you mean. A lot of videotaped shows from the 70s, especially, seem to have a very over-involved (in my opinion) studio audience. Their reactions always seem so huge, and so frequent. Lines that might only earn a titter in filmed shows receive raucous laughter, and there are times when mammoth applause breaks appear to occur every few minutes. And the writing for many of them seemed so heavy-handed. With all due respect to Norman Lear, I think his soapbox was sometimes more important to him than quality comedy (I feel ODAAT suffered the most from this from what I've seen, though I've seen very few episodes of most Lear shows).

 

Even The Golden Girls could get a bit preachy at times, but the writing was so strong they managed to blend the soapbox moments far more seamlessly into the situations and characters, and make them funny, whereas some Lear characters feel merely like pretenses for spouting political rants. Again, my personal opinions.

[LittleRickyII]

"One Day at a Time" is getting a reboot?   When it was on, I would have suggested just "the boot".  With no Bonnie Franklin....what,  "calling Sandy Duncan!"?   Also no Pat Harrington who, as I recall from my brief ODAAT scene watching was the source of most of the 'comedy'. 

In all fairness to ODAAT and other videotaped hit comedies of the time ("Alice", "Jeffersons" "Good Times", even "WKRP" which I never cottoned to), I didn't really give them a chance.  Other than "All in the Family", I thought videotape cheapened the look and made the illusion harder to overcome.  I was always aware this was a set and the audience response seemed to be much more a part of the show.  The other BIG exception "Golden Girls".  Maybe there are more I can't recall this moment. 

 

I love Norman Lear and his great contributions to television, but I'm with you on One Day at a Time.  IMO, that show was the beginning of the decline in Norman Lear's creativity.  I do admire the man, who is like 95 now, sharp as ever, and producing again!  But I always hated that show.  AntennaTV started showing reruns about a year ago, and I tried to watch again to give it another chance and see if my opinion had changed.  But no, I still hate it.  Yes, Pat Harrington was supposed to be the comic relief.  My mother loved this show and I remember her laughing hysterically at him.  But I never found his character funny at all.  And the show is just an annoying soap opera disguised as a sitcom.  Normal Lear's hit shows after that were Diff'rent Strokes and Facts of Life.  I don't care much for Diff'rent Strokes, and I loathe Facts of Life.  None of these later series measure up to All in the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons, or even Good Times, in my opinion.

[Luvsbway]

Speaking of Lear, Netflix has a great documentary on him that is currently streaming.

[Mot Morenzi]

I love Norman Lear and his great contributions to television, but I'm with you on One Day at a Time. IMO, that show was the beginning of the decline in Norman Lear's creativity. I do admire the man, who is like 95 now, sharp as ever, and producing again! But I always hated that show. AntennaTV started showing reruns about a year ago, and I tried to watch again to give it another chance and see if my opinion had changed. But no, I still hate it. Yes, Pat Harrington was supposed to be the comic relief. My mother loved this show and I remember her laughing hysterically at him. But I never found his character funny at all. And the show is just an annoying soap opera disguised as a sitcom. Normal Lear's hit shows after that were Diff'rent Strokes and Facts of Life. I don't care much for Diff'rent Strokes, and I loathe Facts of Life. None of these later series measure up to All in the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons, or even Good Times, in my opinion.

I watched the pilot of One Day at a Time last year, I think it was, and it did nothing for me. I found the whole affair to be very soapy and overdone. The characters were non-existent; they felt like political props designed by a committee. And that awful 70s hairstyle the eldest daughter had, ugh!

[Mot Morenzi]

I must say, in this day and age of single camera shows, I'm looking forward to the return of an established and lauded three camera comedy. I think there are too few of those of any particular note these days.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

I must say, in this day and age of single camera shows, I'm looking forward to the return of an established and lauded three camera comedy. I think there are too few of those of any particular note these days.

I agree... and actually there are usually at least four, sometimes five cameras utilized depending upon the show.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

Of course!

D'oh! How'd we forget that one given the connection?? Well maybe because it was a "one season wonder"!

[JoeySanJoaquin]

OMG, my memory is either failing me, or I was just oblivious (which frequently is the case with me), but I have no recollection of a drink spilling on Mr. Hayes.  Or maybe this was a different night?  When I met him, it was the night of the banquet.  There were only about six of us seated there.  Patrick was on my left, the blonde woman was on Patrick's left, and Sean was to her left (and directly across from me).  And then there were a couple guys to my right (Sean's left).  Perhaps you were one of those guys?  I assumed at the time that those guys were friends of Sean's.  I don't remember Tom being with us, though, at least not initially.  Maybe he showed up after a bit.  But sitting there in my personal horror of realizing I had this big celebrity in front of me whose very popular TV show I had never even watched, I was keeping my mouth shut for fear someone might ask me something about Will and Grace.  I was sort of in another zone.  But yes, we should ask Patrick about that blonde woman.  Or maybe not?  I like thinking that I once might have hung out with Amy Poehler.  If it turns out that wasn't her, that will end that little fantasy.

I didn't know he was there at different times but it sounds like he probably was.  He left when I saw him right after she spilled her drink on him, I think to change clothes (or at least his shirt, she got him pretty good if I remember right).

 

I wouldn't beat myself up over not knowing who he was...I mean, the show was a hit by this point (which year/convention was this?? They all sort of blur now for me...) but it's not as if he was instantly a "name", at least not by "icon" standards...of course, now if you ran into him no doubt you'd know who he was, right?

 

Jeez those were fun times.... sad to think we won't ever see those again!

[Mot Morenzi]

I agree... and actually there are usually at least four, sometimes five cameras utilized depending upon the show.

True. I believe the proper term nowadays is multi-camera. My mistake.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

True. I believe the proper term nowadays is multi-camera. My mistake.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

Speaking of Lear, Netflix has a great documentary on him that is currently streaming.

Ooh good to know, I liked his book but wish it had had more anecdotes about the backstage stuff that went on at all the shows he produced but then, being over 90 perhaps he simply doesn't remember a lot of inticrate details....

 

Netflix is the "outlet" airing the 13 "new" episodes of ODAT (which Lear is an EP on, BTW), and while they kept the "bones" of the original show & concept, the family is now Latina, headed by Justine Machada (who used to be on HBO's "Six Feet Under") as a recently-separated nurse, the great character actor Stephen Toblosky plays her boss, comic actor Todd Grinnell plays Schneider, and best of all multi-award winner veteran 85 y/o Rita Moreno steals the show as Machada's old-fashioned, spunky very Catholic 70 y/o mother who lives with the family.  (I haven't seen all 13 yet, but of the handful I have, check out episode 3 for the breadth and range this amazing lady brings to the role... and you may want a Kleenex handy!)

 

I was on the fence given how I feel about most of these "updates", to the point I passed up the chance to go to a couple of the tapings, and given how the show turned out (pretty well, I think) and I won't have the chance to go to another anytime soon, I'm now sorry I didn't go. 

 

I do however, look forward to another "binge" to see the remaining episodes.  Like Netflix's other wundaful show "Frankie & Johnny", if the quality is maintained I can see this going for several seasons and god willing, Miss Moreno right along with it!

[Mot Morenzi]

Here's a new interview with Megan Mullally, where she talks about the election sketch and the upcoming revival.

 

http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/megan-mullally-talks-secret-will-grace-episode-reunion-w462649

[LittleRickyII]

I didn't know he was there at different times but it sounds like he probably was.  He left when I saw him right after she spilled her drink on him, I think to change clothes (or at least his shirt, she got him pretty good if I remember right).

 

I wouldn't beat myself up over not knowing who he was...I mean, the show was a hit by this point (which year/convention was this?? They all sort of blur now for me...) but it's not as if he was instantly a "name", at least not by "icon" standards...of course, now if you ran into him no doubt you'd know who he was, right?

 

Jeez those were fun times.... sad to think we won't ever see those again!

 

I believe it was the final convention in 2001.  So Will and Grace had been on about three years.  And yes, I would most definitely recognize him if I saw him now!  I still haven't seen a whole lot of Will and Grace, but I've seen enough to know who all the actors are.  And I've seen Sean Hayes in various other things since then, such as the Three Stooges movie and his solo sitcom a couple years ago (Sean Saves the World), which incidentally had a very (unusually) realistic-looking set for a show filmed in front of a studio audience.  Kudos to that set designer.  Too bad the series didn't last.

[JoeySanJoaquin]

I liked it...especially the dynamic between he and Linda Lavin.