Welcome to a new Wildcard Wednesday! This week marks the end of my tenth year here on That’s Entertainment! Since June 17, 2013, I’ve published 1,571 original posts, and I have something special planned next week in honor of this milestone. But first… tradition!
Like we’ve done for every anniversary, I want to reflect on this past “season” and share a few of my favorite entries. As always, many thanks should go to you, my wonderful readers, subscribers, and friends — I’m so grateful for your support and kindness over these last ten years. I say it every time, but that’s because it’s true: this wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun without you. So, let’s take a look back at 2022-2023, where we talked about sitcom seasons that aired in the ’90s, along with a rich assortment of Wildcard and Musical rarities…
Musical Theatre Monday – March 20, 2023
“Frasier & Maryann (& Doogie & Sondheim)”
I love when my interests on this blog intersect, and that’s exactly what happened in March’s Musical Theater Monday entry, where I was able to share an audio recording of a beloved Sondheim masterwork from a production that featured a handful of sitcom stars — Kelsey Grammer, Christine Baranski, and Neil Patrick Harris. That’s synergy!
Situation Comedy Tuesday – January 25, 2023
“The Ten Best 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN Episodes of Season One”
Of all the sitcoms that I examined during our second sweep back through the 1990s, I must confess that 3rd Rock From The Sun was the strongest and the most deserving of holding court with all the previous classics we covered many years ago. The best season of 2022-2023’s best sitcom was its first; if you’re looking for a place to start, this is it.
Situation Comedy Tuesday – May 16, 2023
“The Ten Best ELLEN Episodes of Season Five”
Ellen may not be my favorite sitcom — and, heck, I almost didn’t cover it until it was widely requested in the 2023 survey — but I’m so glad that I squeezed it in, as I think it made for my finest commentary of the past year, especially with regard to the final two seasons, which courageously had its lead character come out as gay… for better and for worse.
Wildcard Wednesday – October 05, 2022
I haven’t had the opportunity lately to watch as many movies or read as many plays as I’d like, so my October essay on the 1937 comedy Susan And God (by Rachel Crothers), along with its 1940 film adaptation, stands out as a rare example of something that I’d like to do more of going forward. I also am really proud of my commentary in this piece.
Wildcard Wednesday – November 16, 2022
“The American TV Sitcom Turns 75!”
The American Television Sitcom turned 75 in November, via the premiere of DuMont’s Mary Kay And Johnny, and as one of the internet’s few salutes to this major anniversary, I was so thrilled to also share a brief clip of the only known extant episode, as shown in a 2002 TV Land documentary. If you missed this post the first time, it’s a must-see!
Thanks again to everyone who’s made these last ten years possible!
(And stay tuned next week for some anniversary treats!)
Come back next week for a new Wildcard! And stay tuned Monday for another musical rarity!