Murder, She Wrote: Why the Spin-Offs Failed
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- Опубліковано 19 чер 2024
- You don't have to be a detective (or a mystery novelist) to see why these seven spin-offs of MURDER, SHE WROTE didn't succeed.
--- Contents of this video ----------------------------
00:00 - Introduction / Backstory
02:02 - Bill Maher as a private eye?
04:10 - The doggy detective
06:07 - 1940s period piece
07:53 - 30 ROCK meets Murder, She Wrote
09:48 - Unlucky New York Crime Show
10:10 - College Crimefighters
12:24 - The Law & Harry McGraw
13:08 - Conclusion
written and narrated by Kevin Maher
edited by Mike Schuster
produced by Kevin Maher and Nick Nadel for Atomic Abe Productions
Executive Producer: Tim Finn
Subscribe to @atomicabe for more videos about backdoor pilots and failed spin-offs.
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...I'm so used to Pushing Up Roses doing Murder She Wrote videos that I didn't even notice this wasn't posted by her until someone started talking.
ha ha, thank you!
Me too
Same
Saaaame
Same
I remember my grandmother wouldn’t watch it if it wasn’t an “Angela Lansbury episode.”
If I have other things to do, I don't watch "one of those weird episodes without Jessica Fletcher".
I wish that there had been a spin off of Dennis Stanton, the cat burglar turned insurance agent. I Loved that character.
I just saw that episode yesterday- I agree!!
RIP to the legendary Angela Lansbury
You forgot to include the late great Australian actor Keith Michell as reformed jewel thief and roguish insurance claims investigator Dennis Stanton whose crime solving misadventures became the focus of several episodes in Murder She Wrote.
Good point, we didn't get into Dennis Stanton in this video because it wasn't a spin-off attempt. The character eventually became the go-to for season 7's bookends. It seemed like they didn't want to spin the character off into a separate show, but keep him to round out the season. We also didn't want the video to go too long or lose its focus. But I wish we'd included some video footnote.
@@atomicabe
Thank you for the nice reply.
I personally found the late great Keith Michell as Dennis Stanton a very highly engaging and most entertaining scoundrel. He should have been rewarded with an EMMY nomination as Best Guest Actor
In A Drama Series.
@@atomicabe Fair enough. What about a video discussing the episodes where Jessica's supporting characters took the lead! You did allude to them at the start.
Yes that's IT! He was actually really good. Like a John Steed meets the Equalizer but softer and uses his wits than a gun.
@@davidaston5773 Yes, it sounds like we should've carved out some time in this video to recognize Dennis Stanton.
I think a better idea is to have all these backdoor Pilots as an anthology series, with Miss Fletcher telling these stories.
LOVE this idea!
I still watch Murder she wrote all the time 😅😅God I love JBF❤️
It's very comforting (for a show about murders)
I started watching with my Grandpa at 8 years old. I’m 29 and I have every piece of apparel and accessory you can think of hahaha. Even a bangle that says “What would Jessica Fletcher do?” I stll watch on Peacock, but I also own all 12 seasons in collectors edition. This series is timeless & is the best show of all time!
@@itl5196 That's awesome. I loved going back to watch these episodes. It's so much fun to revisit. Even the bookend episodes.
Me too! No cable right now! Been re-watching same ONE free on one on UA-cam!😂
Thank God Columbo on Tubi!🙏😅
#Angelien😇👽
@@atomicabe I know right 😂😂😂but JBF is the best 👏🏽😅
My mother and I watched "The Grand Old Lady" episode the night it aired and we picked up on the Ellery Queen parallels right of the bat.
Yes! We didn't get into it in the episode but once I saw a few episodes of Ellery Queen it was very clear who was who. Including Robert Vaughn as the John Hillerman character. (Still, a pretty fun episode. I like Gary Kroeger)
I used to watch this with my grandma ALL THE TIME (may she rest in peace) and I thought then what I still think to this day: there is something endearing about ordinary people trying to do what's right, even more so when it's a nosey old lady who just means well lol
Now, "Murder according to Maggie" was funny!
I would have loved to see this turned into a TV show, I loved this episode!
I loved when Harry McGraw was on Murder she wrote, He was funny!
I loved the show, The Law and Harry McGraw too!!
You forgot the Denis Stanton episodes. Those were my favorites. There were a few in Season 6, and several in Season 7. I think that could have stood as it's own series quite well.
That's a different situation because the network actually did buy a Dennis spin-off, and they filmed 6 episodes - but they never put it on the schedule, and the episodes were just aired as murder, she wrotes.
Great video! What about the episodes with I believe his name was Dennis Stanton, the former thief turned insurance investigator and his secretary, Rhoda? They could have done a spin-off series with them.
I loved the Ellery Queen mystery slow. It was a great mystery that challenged the viewer to solve it. Great cast and supporting cast.
I just watched the series for the first time as part of research for this video. I enjoyed ELLERY QUEEN and you can see how it shaped MURDER, SHE WROTE. Also, you can see who's based on who in MSW backdoor pilot episode.
Yes. Ellery Queen was very underrated
I just remembered one Murder She Wrote title called: When it is Beverly, it is Thursday.
Not quite it's: If It's Thursday, It Must Be Beverly
Let’s be honest, the magic of MSW was Angela as JBF. Spin-offs couldn’t survive bc she wasn’t in it. The plot was centered around her. Episodes of MSW where Jessica is only in the beginning to narrate a mystery got lower ratings.
I feel like her friends could hold their own spinoff
@@kelsey1467 which ones specifically?
@@sw9618 michel haggerty and dennis stanton
@@kelsey1467 Dennis -- tried and failed spin-off wise. And Len Cariou wasn't interested in a spin-off, I think I read that.
@@sw9618 Can I ask an honest question I know the network kind of screwed them over by moving nights but was 12 seasons enough or should there have been more cause im kind of paticular about that is less more sometimes and also what did you think of jessicas move to new york in season 8 I liked seeing her move up in the world I heard some people didnt like it I didn't mind and its not like she did not go to new york a lot before
Seven failed pilots from one series? This is got to be a record. I'm a fan of 'Murder, She Wrote' and having watched all the episodes, including the ones mentioned above, I never once thought to myself that I'd like to watch any of them as a series. Jess was the only detective, besides "Columbo', that I'd watched regularly. Only thing is, why was she herself never a suspect when her friends and acquaintances would wind up murdered everywhere she went around the world.
I think THE FACTS OF LIFE might be tied. DIAGNOSIS: MURDER had a lot, too.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 I wonder that every time I watch an episode! There was a theory I read that suggested every episode was how Jessica would have spun the murders to throw suspicion off of her.
They should have given her nephew Brady a series. Loved his goofyness and charm
Actually, it was Grady, and yes his charm was welcome addition to Jessica's essential supporting cast along with Seth and Mort, or Amos.
@@cowabungadoug Imagine if it had been Brady-- who was living all alone with his three sons, but ended up marrying one of Charlie Townsend's blonde detectives (who had three girls of her own), and they went around solving crimes with their six kids and dog! Genius!
I still watch this show love Grady & cameos we’re so great.
You lost me at 30 seconds in with the whole "pushing 60" and "imagine the demands that would place on a senior citizen" crap. She was 89 when she performed the role of Daisy from "Driving Miss Daisy" on "Great Performances," and she was 92 when she played Aunt March on the TV mini-series of "Little Women" in 2017. And she's still going strong today! Hollywood also has a habit of casting 20- and 30-something women as the wives of 40-something and older men, which is extremely irritating, not to mention unrealistic. The only time I know of that they did the reverse was when they cast Sherman Hemsley as George Jefferson, and Isabel Sanford as his wife, Louise. She was 20 years older than him.
Thank you! It's SO irritating to constantly see women cast as the love interests opposite men who are a lot older.
And you're so right; Angela Lansbury is a force of nature. 🥰
Yeah, I'm 60, and I was like, "Eh?"
Yes! That rubbed me the wrong way as well, one of the highlights of Murder She Wrote was the fact that she was always traveling, writing, meeting people and just being a badass. . There are teenagers who don't have half of the charm/energy that this woman had during any of her projects, age is irrelevant.
@@alyzu4755 that’s realistic though
60 isn't old...now...
Back then, I think, the 2nd gand smoke DEPRESSION/WW2 and other things made them looked older
So glad to see more MSW videos on UA-cam!
What about the episode with the 3 college students where one professor who stole one of the student’s music and that student was framed for his murder? That looked like a back door pilot.
This was great! I am so glad someone did a video on this. Also can’t believe Bill Maher was in another MSW episode other than the witch one. I don’t even remember watching it. I do love me some Harry McGraw though.
Hey, I'm a fan of your channel and your MSW videos. Thanks so much for watching and leaving a note. You made my day @Pushinguproses !
Jerry Orbach, "the dad from Dirty Dancing"??? No, Jerry Orbach: Lenny Briscoe from Law & Order for 13 years. Everybody knows him from Law & Order.
Now they do.
Well he did say at the end that he would go on to do another crime show and did the L&O sound effect.
Jerry Orbach, Broadway superstar, *almost* (not quite, for him or anyone else) as big a one as Angela Lansbury herself. "The Fantasticks", "Promises, Promises", "42nd Street". The latter was a stylistic forebear of his performance in "MSW", and later "Law & Order".
You-all keep forgetting that some of these actors brought their star with them to the show. MSW didn't make Lansbury a star; she was already a big, big star. Orbach was mostly known in New York, but there he was big. William Windom was known through many television roles, including as the main lead in "My World and Welcome To It" and a memorable turn as Commodore Decker in "Star Trek (Original Series)".
@@robertlongman7298 I did know Jerry Orbach was a big deal on Broadway, and I wish I could have seen him, but most people don't get the chance to see shows in New York or London, we get the traveling cast (who are often amazing, too). To most people he's Lennie Briscoe, the dad from Dirty Dancing, or Harry McGraw. Actually his best known role and least known role is Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast. He sang " Be our Guest". I bet if you asked people if they knew that the dad from Dirty Dancing/ Lenny Briscoe/ Harry McGraw was the voice of Lumiere and a Broadway star some would, but most wouldn't. He had an amazing talent! RIP!
There was another episode with Shawn Cassidy (I think) and Dinah Manoff that I thought would have made a good spinoff.
Yes, "Murder in a Minor Key" -- it was Shaun Cassidy and it's definitely a bookend (like "Good-Bye Charlie" Jessica is proof-reading her latest manuscript.) I'd read that this one wasn't a backdoor pilot. But now I wonder....
Murder in minor key . One of my favorites
I just saw this episode for the first time a few days ago. I loved it, Shaun Cassidy is such a charmer its easy to see why he was a teen heart throb. I totally woold have watched that show.
I love the Dennis Stanton ones, I think there where 3 of them?, anyway I would have watched a Stanton series.
I saw a ton of reruns while at the beach, and Good-bye Charlie was one of them. I love this show so much!
Jack and Bill was a quality episode. Jack being beautiful and deadly was a cute idea and fun to watch.
Class Act had a great premise and the supporting cast were very likeable. Of all of them that’s the one that I would have loved to see more of - it’s a proto How To Get Away With Murder.
I literally just looked for Class Act and that is how I ended up here.
Jessica could never be replaced.
Agreed! Accept no substitutes.
I don’t know how I found this channel but it’s LIT and I love it. Good job everyone involved this is MAD interesting. My Granny loves her some Murder she wrote so I’m here for IT! Landsberry was a huge part of my sibling and my childhoods lol. Our lil black behinds LOVE the show too.
Dennis Stanton has been mentioned, but there was Michael Haggerty who got several episodes of his own. Not sure why these characters weren't popular enough to get at least a half season show of their own. And then there was the MASH actor as the Harry McGraw replacement. I don't suppose they intended him as a spin off. But I'm sure they would have run with him if there had been a demand.
Wow, look at this roster of young actors who swept through CBS back in the day. Barry Newman's assistant, played by Grant Heslov, would go on to co-produce and direct some of Clooney's dramas.
That's right. Back in the day audiences might've known Grant Heslov as Chad Lowe's awkward best friend on SPENCER.
Andy Garcia appeared in the the first episode of Murder She Wrote playing a mugger
there was an episode where shaun cassidy was an investigator in a college mystery based on a book jessica wrote. that would make a great series
That episode or the reason I found this video! It HAS to be a back door pilot - there’s no other reason to have Jessica to just be narrating the plot of one of her novels
@@sweetmother2406 Whilst I agree it's a back door pilot, the reason for having Jessica narrate a story could be that Angela Lansbury wasn't available for filming for some reason, so they did all the shooting with Shaun and co, and then only needed her for a couple of days on a single set to narrate.
I wanted Michael Haggerty from MI6 to get a spin off. It probably would have gone the way of The Law & Harry McGraw because they would have made Michael a womanizer.
I would have watched that!
Couldn't stand Michael Haggerty, personally.
They did a spin-off pilot for Michael Haggerty this season - it was called 'The Sicilian Encounter', and it was pitched as a spy show where Michael and a ne'er-do-well playboy conman were going to travel the world doing missions for MI6, butting heads with CIA agent Deirdre Hall.
The show was specifically built around Michael and the actor playing the playboy because they'd been great together in the season-opener 'Appointment in Athens'. The problem? In that episode the guy had been playing the killer. The solution? The playboy was that character's identical twin brother.
Kind of shocked that didn't make it into this episode. Then again, they also thought the Donald Trump episode wasn't worth covering, so...
YES ... those were a lot of and the tongue-and-cheek fun that Jessica and he had was so good and felt genuine. Len Cariou played him so well and appeared in somewhere around 7 episodes overall.
Who knew that MSW had so many spin-offs. Thanks for posting!!
Sure thing. Thanks for watching! (Or at least commenting)
There was also a book end episode with Sean Cassidy as a law student who has to get his friend off the hook for killing his professor who stole his songs. I don't know that that episode was a potential spin off, though.
"Murder in a Minor Key" (3rd season)
I always thought that the episode where Lucie Arnaz plays a Brooklyn detective was supposed to be a vehicle for a spin-off..
Brilliant editing, btw!!
That was the Cagney and Lacey parody. Hilarious! One of my favorite episodes.
@@lorip4087 oh my god!!! You are right!! How did I not realize it when I saw it?? 😆🤦♂️
I loved C&L!! I need ro rewatch it!! xo
@@TomIdelson The Tara Tiara! It was Brilliant!😄
Great research! - And it's very well made.eserch!
Thank you!
@@atomicabe No, no - Thank you!
Boy I hated those bookend episodes…when Jessica started talking to us directly I knew we weren’t getting a proper JB Fletcher episode. None of the actors in the spin off pilots had series lead vibe - more like guest star role vibe.
I used to casually joke about a plot for the final episode of Murder She Wrote, where Jessica Fletcher would be revealed to have been a serial killer operating out of Cabot Cove, Maine.
I remember a few of the failed back door pilots. Unfortunately the last episode of Laverne and Shirley was a back door pilot for Carmine. Then the last season of Facts of Life had two I remember. The first was Blair running Eastland Academy. And the second one was Natalie and Tootie living in NY with other twenty something roommates. Two of the roommates was David Spade and Richard Grieco if I remember correctly.
The Proto-30 Rock and College Detective Team episodes, look like they would've been fun to watch. 😃
Yes, I agree. The Pat Hingle episode did not appeal to me but I'm surprised CBS didn't go for it.
Murder, She Wrote and Angela Lansbury remain iconic!
We long for the days of moral grandmas and law and order. This collection brought good feelings, if nostalgic, and warm appreciation for traditional values. Thanks for the lovely montage.
Thanks very much. I think the popularity of private detective stories in the '80s reflects a distrust of our institutions of law and order -- and a desire to see some 3rd party (private eyes, vigilantes) deliver justice, without the corruption of the larger system.
I remember an episode where she went to NYC and basically sat there while a retired detective and a dog did the work. It was Not Ken Howard. He had a mustache.
I need to see this one! What kind of dog was it?
It was a big dog. Like a German shepherd .
@@robshimer I'm going to seek this out. I need to see the NYC episodes. Thanks!
@@atomicabe maybe it was not nyc. It a city.
@@atomicabeI may be thinking the one you mentioned here.
I knew Maher as the star of "Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death" and "Pizza Man" long before anything else!
Yeah, I knew him from early tv roles like the sleazy lawyer hitting on Geena Davis in SARA. And the comical bartender in the made for tv movie CLUB MED who was always complaining to patrons about his problems.
Long Before, he starred in a TV comedy called Sara which starred Gena Davis...it only lasted a season.
@@atomicabe Yes, Sara! (sorry should've read your message first!) But, check out discount Bill Maher in Body Double.
DC Cab 1983
@@gbonkers666 Yes. I only recently learned that SARA was created by the team behind FAMILY TIES.
I remember the bookend season. It was pretty bad how they tied them in to Jessica. I liked the ones that at least had her "recurring" friends. But some of them had weaker mysteries. I remember a music ones had came down to "lights/phone order" that didn't seem clever at all.
There was one backdoor pilot that must have been from another season with Shaun Cassidy that was really pretty good
Yes "Murder in a Minor Key" -- another example of Jessica sharing a new book with viewers. I'd read that this bookend was not meant as a backdoor pilot -- but now I'm not so sure. It had a good premise and a strong cast. Shaun Cassidy returned to crime-solving days from THE HARDY BOYS.
I saw another one with one of Jessica Fletcher's characters as a detective. A tall grey haired man with a mustache. I saw it I tell ya! How come it wasn't mentioned?
Edit: Okay someone else asked with more details and you gave a sufficient answer. Cheers.
One I seen the other night, was Princesses. Was a back door forced in pilot on Whose The Boss with Tony Danza and was set to feature Fran Drescher who in the backdoor pilot had a horrible fake voice but in the actual show has her normal voice. I was reading about that so the all mighty alrgorthinm brought me here after.
Great show. Great video.I never knew about this
How about failed Matlock spinoffs that had a pilot episode, but NEVER came to fruition? One of them starred George Peppard (Breakfast At Tiffany's and The A-Team) and Traci Nelson (Rick Nelson's daughter who co-starred in Father Dowling Mysteries, opposite Tom Bosley.) That Matlock ep had a cameo of Ben Matlock, but it focused more on GP and TN's characters, as PI's, instead. That was the only Matlock ep that featured those two actors together.
What happened to Kene Holliday's character, Tyler Hudson, on Matlock? Why was he replaced by Clarence Gilyard?
Ooh, that is a fun idea. We've done a video about Tracy Nelson's backdoor pilot episode that ran during THE NANNY about a beauty parlor in Queens.
@@atomicabe That TN and GP backdoor pilot ep via Matlock did NOT really describe the connection between TN's character and Ben Matlock himself, other than something like GP's character Max is an old friend of Ben's. Never really understood how Ben knew TN's character. Turns out that GP's character is actually TN's character's biological father who left her at some point in time during her early childhood. And TN's character did not initially know GP's character when the two were introduced together. Great work chemistry for a father-daughter PI tandem who barely knew one another. There are NO clips of this Matlock ep here at YT, sadly. Might be on DVD or Blu Ray, though.
@@davej.meister5421 I have no idea.
I always wondered what Bill Maher did in his acting career. Literally, every time I see him in a movie or tv show, it’s usually just a fake Real Time segment.
There was an episode with Lucie Arnaz, “Wearing of the Green,” that felt like it was trying to spin-off Cagney and Lacey type characters. Does anyone know if that was the original goal? (I love both Lucy and Lucie!)
I thought that was well!
Yes, me too!!
Yesss I said the same thing And looked for it.
Of all of them Lt Ballinger and class act should have got the spin off, I loved the characters they had in that episode.
Yes, that show was fully realized with the police department, the college, the home life with his daughter, Ballinger's office. They really had it all mapped out.
I think the worst "bookend" episode of any show I watched was the season two finale of The Golden Girls. It was the original concept of Empty Nest. The girls setup the beginning, then it was a race to see how fast you could change the channel. 🤔
Yes, we did a video about that episode of THE GOLDEN GIRLS. It starred Rita Moreno and Paul Dooley, that went through a lot of changes when it became EMPTY NEST with Richard Mulligan.
Check out the Golden Girls backdoor pilot episode! Thanks for watching. ua-cam.com/video/uqB5_tBfUnE/v-deo.html
😂😂😂
No matter how dull you thought it was, you should've still filled us in on "O'Malley's Luck." Otherwise, excellent video.
That was good work. Bravo!
Thank you - very nice to hear
Unmentioned was the one episode of the spinoff "Killing, He Scribbled," lol.
RIP Angela Lansbury. You're right, a MSW episode needs Jessica Fletcher to work!
7:25 - The "period piece" seemed more Ellery Queen the first time I saw it. Thank you for confirming my suspicions.
No mention of the episodes featuring the Dennis Stanton (Kieth Michell) character I always found those quite enjoyable and always was a pity he never got his own show
Was that the one that had the smart aleck assistant?
@@citydweller99 Yes and also with his ungrateful boss
You didn’t mention “The Father Dowling Mysteries”, though! When Sheriff Tupper was replaced, the actor became a Chicago Catholic Priest solving crimes with a streetwise nun (you can’t make this stuff up).
Chicago was played by Denver.
I loved Sister Stevie! Father Dowling was fun.
@@gogreen7794 Bob or John? And how did he play a whole band?
That show wasn't mentioned because it wasn't an MSW spin-off.
One of my all time favorite shows..
I think that comment at the end perfectly cements why so many Backdoor pilots fail. We like these shows because we care about the characters and locations of THAT SHOW.
I never knew it had spinoffs. I can't wait to find out if I remember any of them
Great information.
"Murder - According to Maggie" looked like it would've been pretty good. In just that short clip it was apparent that the lead was appealing, attractive, and funny.
What about all the episodes with Dennis Stanton
The season 6 bookends featured one episode about Dennis Staton, the reformed jewel thief. That episode was the second appearance by Stanton and not a backdoor pilot. The character returned in season 7 and had five bookend episodes. It was like a limited-run series nestled into a season of MURDER, SHE WROTE. In Peter S. Fischer's book he mentions wanting to do a series with actor Keith Mitchell.
@@atomicabe ahh okay. Thank you for that explanation!
I didn't enjoy any of the spinoff episodes not surprised that none of them were greenlit
"'Backdoor Pilot, She Wrote" should have been the title of this video!
Does anyone else mistake 80's Bill Maher with 80's Craig Wasson?
And "Lookwell" was really funny. It's too bad it never got picked up
Yes, Bill Maher and Craig Wasson look so much alike. I wonder if they auditioned for the same roles.
@@atomicabe Probably! ☺️
Peter s Fischer wrote the queen Mary script.. wonder if there's any connection to miss Fischer murder mystery
As others have mentioned, "Murder in a Minor Key" definitely feels like a pilot for Chad and Jenny, especially when Jessica mentions her plans for a sequel with them
The British fella Dennis Stanton
More videos like this please 🙏
I used to watch this as a child, loved it
One of the few tv shows I ever watched, wasn't into TV back then.
Do an episode that theorizes that Jessica Fletcher was a serial killer who framed innocent people so she could have a book plot.
i had always thought that the 9 Dennis Stanton (Keith Michell) episodes were attempts at backdoor pilots for that character. 🙂
Yes, it really does seem that way, but from what I've read it wasn't the case. Those were episodes meant to help Angela Lansbury take a break.
Holy cow, Bill Maher! I was looking at him and saying WHI IS THAT! I KNOW HIM! But he was out of context….and a lot younger.
Thank you for explaining why murder she wrote season 5 has always confused me
I thought it was just Highlander: The Series that spent half a season setting up spin-offs but here we are
You have my attention.
@@atomicabe read up on season 6 of Highlander it's a wild ride, the last two episodes are McCloud free and they promote people to regulars even though they're only in 2-3 episodes out of 13.
@@BarnabusWalsh Wow. Thanks for this. It's a throwback to older TV practices, before there were cliff-hangers or season-long arcs. Just end the season by introducing new characters and set up their potential show.
@@atomicabe this was that up to 11. Every episode was just MacLeod running into someone new and having an adventure, then episode 10 does that without any regular cast.
Yes, I remember that. It even had a spin-off with Amanda, Elizabeth Gracen's character, but that show lasted only a season. I don't remember it being very good.
Also Len Cariou as Jessica's MI5 friend would have been a great spin off.
When I saw the jack and bill episode with my sister I literally said, ‘I wish this could have been a spinoff.’ It was great! So charming!
Monk is a great detective show too.
I love watching the repeats, but the book end episodes, are not usually my favorites. Especially the ones with Dennis Stanton.
You didn't like Dennis Stanton? Too bad; different strokes I guess. I really enjoyed the episodes with Dennis as well as the ones with Michael Haggerty (Len Cariou now Henry Reagan on Blue Bloods).
Love your channel. You should do a video on the failed spinoff of Welcome Back Kotter, Horshack.
Curiously there was an article in MAD Magazine titled "Spin-offs Yet To Come" which featured "Horshack" as a joke. Little did they know....
John Ritter was in a two season drama called Hooperman with a plot similar to Jack and Bill. I wonder how many other television episodes/shows were centered around a cop and a dog?
I still remember that feeling of my heart sinking every time Jessica would talk to the camera. I knew it was gonna be a side story. Season's six and seven were terrible.
Jerry Orbach also co-starred with Angela Lansberry as Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast. (The good one)
That's right!
11:26 where does that chopped liver line derive from? I knew I recognized it from The Nanny - it was used in the finale
Dennis Stanton, the college kids that solve a murder, were also possible spinoffs. Also O'Malley's Luck is great.
O'Malley's luck is fascinating because Ron Liebman is basically playing Donald Trump.
the Class Act episode was pretty good
I have never seen one episode. Those years was getting career together working 80 hrs a week. Went back to further my education. And, yup never saw Murder she wrote. I think I'll check it out on some streaming services.
In Murder -- According to Maggie you didn't even bother to mention the actor who played the actor was the great Tim Thomerson who among his 208 acting credits was in trancers and dollman.
Yeah the video had a lot of ground to cover (7 episodes in 13 minutes) so we didn't call out every actor. I love Tim Thomerson, he's got so many great credits. He has the funniest line in the movie RHINESTONE it made me laugh so hard.
This show was so popular during my youth and I have never seen a single episode. Am I missing out?
Hmm. Great question. I don't know. I'm not sure it would work if you didn't watch it at an impressionable age. But maybe? Give it a shot. If you like it, there are a lot of seasons.
The role of Maggie was played by Diana Canova of "Soap" fame.
Maher was already a detective on the comedy Hard Knocks back on Showtime. I remember it being paired with the show Brothers.
Bill Maher in "Murder, Politically Incorrect"
I've never looked into it, but I think Murder She Wrote was devised from the Columbo episodes. (1971) "Murder by The Book" (Mrs. Mayville mysteries, directed by Steven Spielberg) and (1977) "Try and Catch Me" about a female mystery writer. Both shows had the same creators.
Yes, I read Peter S. Fischer's book and you can trace lines from Columbo and Ellery Queen to Murder, She Wrote. (Ellery Queen was good at stacking the show with a lot of guest stars each week.)
Yes! Levinson & Link. They had MSW, Columbo, Ellery Queen, Mannix, and Scene of the Crime. The Ellery Queen *novels* were their starting-point.