Was bored earlier this week and just said, "eh- why not?" I enjoyed revisiting The Jeffersons and Night Court. I was looking around the main TV room for something to watch, a roommate had a copy of this DVD lying around and you know what? I never really watched the show before. All I knew was that it was about DJ's and a radio station in Cincinnati. I didn't know anything else about it. To say I was pleasently surprised is like saying the Atlantic Ocean is kinda big. This, ladies and gentlemen, is how a sitcom should be done! It's brave and thought-provoking, thoroughly well-written, sharp as a tack, not abusive to any of the characters, and every last episode is a winner. And that's just for starters.
I guess I expected Loni Anderson would be a little like Suzanne Somers in Three's Company, just there for the eye-candy. Well, not only is she probably the smartest and most on-the-ball character working at that station who also gets at least half of the smartest lines- right off the bat in the first episode, in walks a smoking hot guy wearing jeans tighter than any of her tops were!
The intelligence of this show even extends to anticipating criticism, so to stifle that- they give us equal-opportunity eye-candy (which I promise you- I'm grateful for). And like Jennifer, Andy's another of the smartest characters on the show. All is fair, nobody is just there to get pointless laughs. Nor are any of the characters made more important, or under-utilized. Everyone gets good lines and every character gets several major scenes or an entire episode devoted to them.Also- they replaced a major supporting character (Carlson's mother) with an actress who gives the character more humanity than legend Sylvia Sidney did (though it was great to see her drop by for the pilot episode). You're not really supposed to like her because she poses one of the biggest threats to the station / characters, but you really do. And Carlson's often clueless behavior when talking to other people pays off when he has to confront her character. He's great at those scenes. I also was truly surprised by the actor who played the wrestling priest. And how funny Herb's wife was. And how sweet Hoyt Axton's character was, though you probably expected some more cliched moments (from lesser sitcoms who ripped this type of plotline off) with him cornering the guy he doesn't like. The "Fish Story" episode has also been ripped off since, so I can't say I recognize the Laverne & Shirley quality the network said got the episode such high ratings.
Les Nesman is a trip. Though I feared he'd come off as a kind of Screechy nerdy sidekick, he has some very funny moments of getting angry at Herb. And exercising in that ridiculous t-shirt. Herb struck me as the least amusing character- but they definitely found a perfect joke for him. When he has to make a sale to the wiry, nasal little Electronics guy. A truly hilarious scene. And of course, there's Johnny. Every scene he's in is a blast (when we're not being forced to hear the awful, cheesy replacement music cues- this also affected at least one of Venus's scenes). And he's equally funny with or without the glasses on. I especially loved any scene where he's talking to Jennifer or fooling around with her. They have a wonderfully fun childlike relationship with each other. Can't express enough about him.
The show defies all expectations, goes into several taboo areas, and manages physical comedy without just being silly at every turn. I was always surprised. When it's serious, it couldn't be more smart. And during the less serious moments, it never loses its' integrity. Even if we have to suffer through more replacement music- I want to see a Season 2 release. This time, I'll even buy it for myself.
All in all, this season was funny, dramatic, depressing, suspenseful, fun, heartwarming, heartbreaking, romantic, and highly recommended. Can't wait for Season Seven soon!
). Jack and Pacey are both awesome, too, and Dawson and Joey annoyed me a LOT less this season, surprisingly. Perhaps they're finally growing up? Mitch's death was sudden, and sad. On the brightside, however, was Audrey Lydelle. Busy Phillips is so hilarious and very pretty! Can't wait for season 6 (And Andie's return!)