Forgotten Imported Sitcoms Memorial Thread (or The Conrad Bain Trust)

[TJ]

A tribute to those bought-in shows that the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 used to fling out as easily-forgotten filler in the pre-multichannel age. Anyone else remember Mama Malone, shown by Channel 4 in its early days and starring Lila Kaye as a woman who broadcast a cable TV cookery show live from her family home kitchen (and had a demented stereotype perpetuating theme song that went something like "she's a best-a baker, pizza maker, pepper shaker, wide-as-an-acre Mama in the world!")?

[Derek Trucks]

Funnily enough, when I saw this thread title I immediately thought of Platypus Man, which I believe was also about a TV cook.

those bought-in shows that the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 used to fling out as easily-forgotten filler in the pre-multichannel age

Unfortunately that's what the BBC considered Seinfeld.

[The Mumbler]

First run was 9pm, Wednesdays, though.  Three months before The Day Today.  Seinfeld's ratings were dire from the off.  No-one can ever accuse BBC2 of not giving it a chance.  Reviews were interestingly so-so as well, considering what people later started to say about it.

Now, Larry Sanders Show - *there* was a shitty slot.

My personal favourite US import that no-one ever remembers except me was No Soap, Radio, a curious sitcom sort of set in a hotel, with opening titles on a rollercoaster.  A pre-Police Academy Steve Guttenberg was in it.  Lasted five episodes - and BBC2 showed all of them in the spring of 1983.  I've a nasty feeling it was appalling, but something compelled me to watch them all.

[Jemble Fred]

I'd love to see Small Wonder again – me and my brother were a bit obsessed by it as kids. And I get the feeling, if I watched it now, it would be extremely disturbing viewing.

Oh, and ALF deserves a terrestrial repeat.

[TotalNightmare]

Out Of This World...

is that the sitcom about the girl who's mum shafted an alien and then he bolts leaving the mother alone with the child who can pause time, whilst the dad 'nanoo nanoo's' in every now and then to offer pearls of wisdom?

dunno why i mentioned that, but i seem to remember watching a fair bit of it years ago.

[Paul Dee]

Out Of This World...

is that the sitcom about the girl who's mum shafted an alien and then he bolts leaving the mother alone with the child who can pause time, whilst the dad 'nanoo nanoo's' in every now and then to offer pearls of wisdom?.

Yes. It got a repeat run on that kid's channel Trouble about 4 years ago I think. I used ot love that as a child.

[Bean Is A Carrot]

My Mother The Car (bollocks to buying it on DVD).

[The Mumbler]

Bean knows this already, but James L. Brooks got his very first writing credit on My Mother The Car in 1965.  He co-wrote an episode with Allan Burns, with whom he created The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1970.  Brooks imparted this magnificent piece of information on a Radio 3 series about American sitcom writing in 1999.

[benthalo]

I'd love to see Small Wonder again – me and my brother were a bit obsessed by it as kids.

I was much the same but they turned up again on a satellite station about ten years ago. They're quite, quite dreadful.

[Jemble Fred]

I'd love to see Small Wonder again – me and my brother were a bit obsessed by it as kids.

I was much the same but they turned up again on a satellite station about ten years ago. They're quite, quite dreadful.

I suspected as much. But what intrigues me is, were they disturbing? This small girl that they could just switch off – those cold eyes – a girl destined never to grow up, never to learn....

Chilling stuff for comedy. If you look at it that way.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I remember Eerie, Indiana being quite good, although I was only about 15 at the time, so who knows.

[micanio]

I used to watch Hermans Head avidly in about 1992 or 1993 on C4 on a Wed night. Used to love it but is probably awful to watch now

[The Mumbler]

You know what, it's an awful thing to think, but C4 bought all those 6pm shows - Duet, My Two Dads, Blossom, Kate & Allie, A Different World et al - more or less while biding time to fund Hollyoaks.

True fact: the Diff'rent Strokes spin-off, The Facts of Life, gave Kathy Lette her big break in writing.  Another reason to hate it.  (I've seen it, and it made DS look like Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads.)

[Bert Thung]

Two Australian comedy imports I remember on Channel 4 in the early eighties. One was Norman Gunston, a spoof interviewer with shaving cuts all over his face. Seemed to remember enjoying it, until a xmas special, which rather bizzarely ended with him dressed as santa, getting his beard caught in a gas oven and suffocating.

There was another Aussie sitcom I liked. It was a kind of Steptoe/Sorry set up, where a middle aged man was trapped by his dominating Mum.

ps For any Aussies reading, what was the name of Paul Hogan's best mate in his shows?  The one that wore the multi-coloured cap and had a permanent gurn. My favourite part of the show him as a kid

[The Mumbler]

The second one you mention, Bert, was almost certainly Mother & Son.  Remade for Britain in the mid-90s as Keeping Mum, with Stephanie Cole, David Haig and Meera Syal.

Anyone else remember the Canadian comedy double act Wayne & Shuster, whose CBC compilations were shown in the first year of Channel 4?  On at teatime.

[Phil_A]

Eerie, Indiana is hardly forgotten - it used to be on all the time in the mornings on pre-T4 channel 4. And yes, it was still great.

Now here's one you may've forgotten - The Munsters Today, made 1988-91, used by  ITV regions as a filler in subsequent years. A very poor "modernised" update with(obviously) none of the original cast or, for that matter, any of the charm, wit, or style of the sixties version. It also appeared to've been made on a budget of about $3. But I think the worst part of all was how they ruined the Munsters theme music by adding lyrics to it - "We're the Munsters! We're the Munsters! Todaaaaaaaay!" Cringeworthy.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Eerie, Indiana is hardly forgotten - it used to be on all the time in the mornings on pre-T4 channel 4. And yes, it was still great.

.

Oh, I must have missed those showings. Might have to search out some episodes

Do they still show Dinosaurs? Odd Saturday afternoon ITV show

[another Mr. Lizard]

'Barney Miller' (great, laid-back cop comedy starring Hal Linden), and 'WKRP In Cincinatti' (Doctor Johnny Fever, Les Nessman, Herb Tarlek and gang in a radio station-set sitcom) were my late-night U.S. faves. In fact, in that early 80s gulf between the introduction of the VCR and the introduction of breakfast t.v., these were regular time-shifted morning viewing for me.

[Clinton Morgan]

Charles In Charge an American sitcom shown in the pre-Neighbours post-Children's BBC slot before the news. Bloody schoolkids ruined my enjoyment of Rolf's Cartoon Time when they skived school to see Scott, Henry and Charlene.

[Clinton Morgan]

Now here's one you may've forgotten - The Munsters Today, .

Oh, I haven't forgotten *that*.

[dan dirty ape]

I remember a US teen show based around a lovelorn geek called The Marshall Chronicles, which seemed at the time to be a slight cut above yer Blossoms, My Two Dads and whatnot but possibly wasn't.

Going back further, the one with the everyman superhero with that had the supremely cheesy 'believe it or not, I'm walking on air' theme tune. Now that WAS bad.

[The Mumbler]

That'll be The Greatest American Hero.  The theme tune for which was the template for George Costanza's ansaphone message, of course.

[easytarget]

I remember Eerie, Indiana being quite good, although I was only about 15 at the time, so who knows.

There's a 6 DVD set of Eerie, Indiana out in the US. My rubbish local video shop has it. Perhaps a rubbish local video shop near you has it too.

I remember it being ace, but I think I was 15 as well.

[HeskethBang]

And not forgetting
We got it made (dodgy as fuck)
and
It's your move (Horrific early 1985 Jason Bateman scheduled in early evening BBC1 schedules)

[The Mumbler]

And not forgetting
We got it made (dodgy as fuck)

...With its hilarious pun on the word "maid".  Shown at *8.30* on BBC1, in a double bill with repeats of Porridge.  Incredible.

[phantom_power]

anyone who liked eerie, indiana should watch wonderfalls, showing on sky at the moment. it is very reminiscent of eerie.

another import i used to watch was let the blood run free, an australian spoof medical drama. i recently found out that when it was originally shown, viewers could phone in and vote for the outcome of each show. it was the first interactive tv programme. i remember it being funny in a ridiculously ott way, with characters called nurse pam sandwich and dr richard lovechild. the actor who played warren cronkshonk is now in kath and kim

[13 schoolyards]

For any Aussies reading, what was the name of Paul Hogan's best mate in his shows? The one that wore the multi-coloured cap and had a permanent gurn. My favourite part of the show him as a kid

Strop.  Played by John Cornell, who produced / wrote / directed most of Hoges movies throughout the years.  And who helped develop World Series Cricket.  A very, very rich man.

[Bean Is A Carrot]

The second one you mention, Bert, was almost certainly Mother & Son.  Remade for Britain in the mid-90s as Keeping Mum, with Stephanie Cole, David Haig and Meera Syal.

Yep, that's Mother and Son. Quite a controversial show because it made fun of alzheimers. Or so the Australian equivilant of a Miffed of Tunbridge Wells type reckoned.

[Bean Is A Carrot]

True fact: the Diff'rent Strokes spin-off, The Facts of Life, gave Kathy Lette her big break in writing.  Another reason to hate it.  (I've seen it, and it made DS look like Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads.)

You think that's bad? You should read the novel she wrote based on her experiences of writing for American sitcoms. It's called The Llama Parlour.

[Godzilla Bankrolls]

The second one you mention, Bert, was almost certainly Mother & Son.  Remade for Britain in the mid-90s as Keeping Mum, with Stephanie Cole, David Haig and Meera Syal.

Yep, that's Mother and Son. Quite a controversial show because it made fun of alzheimers. Or so the Australian equivilant of a Miffed of Tunbridge Wells type reckoned.

Wasn't the UK version panned for similar reasons? How dark.