Welcome to a new Wildcard Wednesday! This week, I’ve got another Q&A entry, where I answer questions submitted by readers. Thanks to everyone who sent in something — if you don’t see your “Q” here, I just may “A” it next time. (And keep them coming — any related topic on which you want my opinion and/or a little research? Just let me know!)
Scott Best asks… What are your general thoughts on the two TV versions of the Life of Riley?
You can read what I think of The Life Of Riley (both versions) in my book! But to give you a preview here, I’d say the show, overall, is a foundational example of the bumbling patriarch sitcom, with an appealing blue-collar bent that gives some comic shape to an otherwise bland suburban family premise where few great characters, and stories, exist beyond Riley himself.
Billy45… says… I saw a feature on Desi Arnaz this morning on TV that said he invented the TV rerun. After doing some research online for more information, I found a blog post you wrote in 2023 saying that this is not true. I was wondering if you can go into more detail about this.
I actually mention this briefly in my book, but I don’t go into much detail about it there either. Here’s a slightly longer answer based on my research. For starters, the concept of showing something over again on TV was not capable of invention in 1952 because it was generally understood already as a benefit of utilizing the film format. Newsreels, filmed sporting events, and, of course, motion pictures were often repeated throughout the 1940s. And as it applies to series television specifically (a “rerun” as we understand the term), more than a handful of regularly scheduled filmed programs had already presented on-network repeats prior to I Love Lucy in fall 1952. For instance, Amos ‘n Andy, another CBS sitcom, had the entirety of its first season shown again in primetime, beginning December 1951. Other filmed series that were rerun in primetime before October 1952 include Trouble With Father and Beulah, and, beyond the sitcom genre, The Lone Ranger. What’s more, the first reference I can find in Variety to “re-run” as a noun and related to network television comes from August 1948. So, Lucy – though a great sitcom (it’s my favorite from the decade), and indeed the first popular example of this art form on TV — is far from the first show to have been rerun, which means Desilu could not possibly have invented it as a concept. (The same goes for the syndication market — there were plenty of shows, including sitcoms, being sold to air on individual stations before Lucy!)
Bob Richter has a hunch… Jackson, Was watching an old Andy Griffith re-run that centered around the Darlings and was struck especially with the silent sons who made up the band how much they seemed like Southern forerunners to Newhart’s Larry and the Daryl’s. Though the later were of course more prominent regulars they were both used as more rural backwoods counterparts to the main characters. Any knowledge that the Darlings may have inspired the Daryls?
Yes, it’s possible that the Darlings were a reference point. Newhart creator Barry Kemp has even acknowledged the similarities between the two sets of brothers. Here’s an article from 1985.
Issa Kelly writes in with… Since you’ve done Laura Petrie vs Mary Richards and Sue Ann Nivens vs Rose Nylund, what are the differences between Maude Findlay and Dorothy Zbornak, and which character do you prefer?
Maude is the more temperamentally precise because she was originally defined by her politics and, as a result, tends to exist in more specific stories where she’s the singular comic force. Dorothy, on the other hand, is a more detail-rich and emotionally realistic proxy-human, largely defined by her relationships with others, and her show, as a matter of narrative focus, has more equal and consistent character work around her. I personally prefer Dorothy because I prefer The Golden Girls and how it’s written overall; it espouses more character-driven ideals than Norman Lear’s Maude (while also honoring the genre’s comedic promise a bit more exclusively). So, while Maude is the stronger and more exact figure — she’s easier to define in a sentence, and more singularly showcased in plots via her series’ premised design — I think Dorothy is the richer character, for she exists in a better written show and is reflective of that elevated context.
esoteric1234 asks… Is there any sitcom that you used to like but now you don’t?
Sort of. I’m always changing my mind because I’m always evolving as a thinking individual, so there are many sitcoms that I’ve come to like more than I once did, and some sitcoms that I’ve come to like less. In general, if I’ve ever had an enjoyable experience consuming a show, I try to let that memory guide my opinion, because I fundamentally love this genre and want to appreciate as much of it as I can. Thus, there’s nothing I fully don’t like that I previously did. However, when covering something for Sitcom Tuesdays, I need to find some way to love it to justify the focus, which means I’m almost always concentrating on a show’s best attributes and therefore having a better view of it there than when I drop in later for a revisit. Indeed, there are sitcoms I liked more in the spotlight than upon reflection. Here are a few recent examples: Becker, Scrubs, and Two And A Half Men. I still enjoy them all to some extent, but I think less now of each than I did during coverage because I’m not as focused on their strengths.
Have a question for me? Submit it at the “Ask Jackson (Q&A)” link.
Come back next week for another Wildcard! And stay tuned for more sitcom fun!