I Just Watched...

[Lorna]

I think that the unfortunate string of JESSICALESS EPISODES that start in SEASON THREE and get out of hand in SEASON 6 before thankfully STOPPING ALTOGETHER were an extremely halfassed attempt at morphing the series into a similar kind of "umbrella" sort of deal where the sleuths rotated

If the episodes had been cast with less loathesome people (BARRY NEWMAN and THAT IRISH INSPECTOR GUY not included) and if they hadn't be written by a monkey chained to a typewriter they MIGHT have made it work.

[txfilmfan]

Oh, wow. didn't realize that about the house! (am assuming the inside was a studio set?) Yeah, Jessica was always having back problems. LOL. That episode borrowed heavily from Sorry, Wrong Number.

It was given whenever Kate Mulgrew was in an episode she wound up being the killer, but I remember one where she wasn't, though she always played unpleasant characters...

[END quote]

yeah, the interiors of JESSIE'S HOUSE were all shot on the UNIVERSAL LOT I imagine. CROSSED UP is, I think, the only extended look we get into her bedroom.

with KATE MULGREW, you have to consider her history with MRS. COLUMBO, which hard as it is to believe, was an ACTUAL THING THAT RAN ON NETWORK TV, and as good an actress as KATE MULGREW is, HOLY S*** that show SUCKED, and I think COLUMBO and MRS COLUMBO and MsW shared producers(?), so there is a chance they were atoning for THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE OF HER STARRING AS MRS COLUMBO FOR NINE DREADNAUGHT-LIKE EPISODES by giving her juicy parts on MsW.

The two Columbos had just three things in common: the name (at least for a while), the network, and the production studio. The original Columbo ended its NBC run in the late 1970s. NBC was in the ratings toilet by this time, and they were looking for anything they could get to right the ship. They (really, Fred Silverman) pitched the idea of a Columbo spin-off, and it was made by Universal, but the original Columbo producers wanted nothing to do with it. In fact, Mrs. C.'s name was changed (along with the show's title) after a disastrous reception from the first season.

Columbo itself was what we'd probably call a limited series these days - only 8 episodes or so per season. This was because it was part of a Universal package of mystery/detective shows that rotated through the year. Each show had an average of 8 episodes, and there would be 3 or 4 shows that would rotate weekly under the series umbrella title. They called this a wheel series. McCloud and McMillan & Wife were part of the rotation.

Yes, I remember that rotating series. I think several others were added along the way. Wasn't Banacek part of it too at one point?

Sort of. NBC did so well with the original Sunday night NBC Mystery Movie, with the 3 series I mentioned above, that they cloned the concept for a Wednesday night slot. Banacek was part of the Wednesday series.

Quincy, M.E. started out as part of these wheel series too, but was later spun off on its own separate 1 hour drama series.

[Hibi]

After researching, found out Banacek was part of another rotating series show on NBC.

[Lorna]

We were all denied the epic crossover event that would have been MURDER, SHE WROTE MEETS QUINCY, M.E.

[Hibi]

I think that the unfortunate string of JESSICALESS EPISODES that start in SEASON THREE and get out of hand in SEASON 6 before thankfully STOPPING ALTOGETHER were an extremely halfassed attempt at morphing the series into a similar kind of "umbrella" sort of deal where the sleuths rotated

If the episodes had been cast with less loathesome people (BARRY NEWMAN and THAT IRISH INSPECTOR GUY not included) and if they hadn't be written by a monkey chained to a typewriter they MIGHT have made it work.

Aside from Angela being exhausted, I think they were also tryouts for possible new series, but none of them turned out to be. I never watched those. When ratings slumped when Jessica didn't appear (except in wrap arounds). The show went all Angela all the time, thankfully! Some of those were pretty bad. I remember one was about a dog walker? Another with Shaun Cassidy as some college age sleuth......

The only spin off was that Harry McGraw character, but that show only lasted a season. I never watched it. A little Harry went a long way....

I didn't realize it at the time, but William Windom sort of left the show for some other series (Parenthood?) that I think only lasted a season. Unsure what season that was. I remember there was another doctor/coroner in one Cove episode. He only appeared once that year. I think that was the season they brought that annoying Gazette editor on. I couldn't stand that guy. Apparently Angela couldn't either and she got rid of him. (He was trying to promote some romance between his character and Jessica and she was having none of it!)

[Hibi]

We were all denied the epic crossover event that would have been MURDER, SHE WROTE MEETS QUINCY, M.E.

LMREO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quincy is on vacation visiting some relative in Cabot Cove. As usual, someone dies and Seth is out of town, so he pairs up with Jessica to solve the case!

[txfilmfan]

I think that the unfortunate string of JESSICALESS EPISODES that start in SEASON THREE and get out of hand in SEASON 6 before thankfully STOPPING ALTOGETHER were an extremely halfassed attempt at morphing the series into a similar kind of "umbrella" sort of deal where the sleuths rotated

If the episodes had been cast with less loathesome people (BARRY NEWMAN and THAT IRISH INSPECTOR GUY not included) and if they hadn't be written by a monkey chained to a typewriter they MIGHT have made it work.

They did that because Lansbury had indicated she might retire, as she grew to dislike the pace of filming a US TV series. The show nearly ended after the fifth season. I guess she got her second wind later on (she also became Executive Producer)

[Lorna]

.

The only spin off was that Harry McGraw character, but that show only lasted a season. I never watched it. A little Harry went a long way....

I didn't realize it at the time, but William Windom sort of left the show for some other series (Parenthood?) that I think only lasted a season. Unsure what season that was. I remember there was another doctor/coroner in one Cove episode. He only appeared once that year. I think that was the season they brought that annoying Gazette editor on. I couldn't stand the guy. Apparently Angela couldn't either and she got rid of him. (He was trying to promote some romance between his character and Jessica and she was having none of it!)

1. I KNOW RIGHT????? I love JERRY ORBACH, but HARRY is kinda eh.
2. yeah it's weird- ROBERT PINE plays him one time and he's played by another actor on another appearance. the character appears in DEAD MAN'S GOLD (along with SETH) and OBITUARY FOR A DEAD ANCHOR (where he serves as stand-in)
3. OH MY GOD SERIOUSLY???????!!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE'D YOU HEAR/READ THIS? SPILL!!!!!! (I NEVER LIKED HIM EITHER)

[Hibi]

I think that the unfortunate string of JESSICALESS EPISODES that start in SEASON THREE and get out of hand in SEASON 6 before thankfully STOPPING ALTOGETHER were an extremely halfassed attempt at morphing the series into a similar kind of "umbrella" sort of deal where the sleuths rotated

If the episodes had been cast with less loathesome people (BARRY NEWMAN and THAT IRISH INSPECTOR GUY not included) and if they hadn't be written by a monkey chained to a typewriter they MIGHT have made it work.

They did that because Lansbury had indicated she might retire, as she grew to dislike the pace of filming a US TV series. The show nearly ended after the fifth season. I guess she got her second wind later on (she also became Executive Producer)

Towards the end of the series it became a guessing game every spring if Angela would sign on for another year. That penultimate season actually filmed 2 endings on the last episode as she hadn't made up her mind yet. She decided to return. Then they repaid her by moving the show to Thursday nights and killing the show.. I'm sure she came to regret that decision.

[Hibi]

.

The only spin off was that Harry McGraw character, but that show only lasted a season. I never watched it. A little Harry went a long way....

I didn't realize it at the time, but William Windom sort of left the show for some other series (Parenthood?) that I think only lasted a season. Unsure what season that was. I remember there was another doctor/coroner in one Cove episode. He only appeared once that year. I think that was the season they brought that annoying Gazette editor on. I couldn't stand the guy. Apparently Angela couldn't either and she got rid of him. (He was trying to promote some romance between his character and Jessica and she was having none of it!)

1. I KNOW RIGHT????? I love JERRY ORBACH, but HARRY is kinda eh.
2. yeah it's weird- ROBERT PINE plays him one time and he's played by another actor on another appearance. the character appears in DEAD MAN'S GOLD (along with SETH) and OBITUARY FOR A DEAD ANCHOR (where he serves as stand-in)
3. OH MY GOD SERIOUSLY???????!!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE'D YOU HEAR/READ THIS? SPILL!!!!!! (I NEVER LIKED HIM EITHER)

I forget where I read that. I think he was added that season to fill the gap of Windom not being around. Angela was adamant that there'd be no romance and he didnt last more than a season!

The article didn't come out and say who the character/actor was, but it had to have been him. And he didn't return to the show after that season.

[txfilmfan]

I think that the unfortunate string of JESSICALESS EPISODES that start in SEASON THREE and get out of hand in SEASON 6 before thankfully STOPPING ALTOGETHER were an extremely halfassed attempt at morphing the series into a similar kind of "umbrella" sort of deal where the sleuths rotated

If the episodes had been cast with less loathesome people (BARRY NEWMAN and THAT IRISH INSPECTOR GUY not included) and if they hadn't be written by a monkey chained to a typewriter they MIGHT have made it work.

They did that because Lansbury had indicated she might retire, as she grew to dislike the pace of filming a US TV series. The show nearly ended after the fifth season. I guess she got her second wind later on (she also became Executive Producer)

Towards the end of the series it became a guessing game every spring if Angela would sign on for another year. That penultimate season actually filmed 2 endings on the last episode as she hadn't made up her mind yet. She decided to return. Then they repaid her by moving the show to Thursday nights and killing the show.. I'm sure she came to regret that decision.

CBS as much as admitted that mistake, when they put it back on Sundays later, but the damage was done. They took their only scripted Top 10 series (60 Minutes being their only other Top 10) and killed it by moving it up against NBC's long-running "Must See TV" lineup, which had dominated Thursdays since 1984 or so. The big network affiliate realignment that year didn't help either (when Fox bought the rights to the NFL, which CBS had lost, and resulted in the biggest shakeup in network affiliation ever as Fox scrambled to get stronger local affiliates)

[Hibi]

They did that because Lansbury had indicated she might retire, as she grew to dislike the pace of filming a US TV series. The show nearly ended after the fifth season. I guess she got her second wind later on (she also became Executive Producer)

Towards the end of the series it became a guessing game every spring if Angela would sign on for another year. That penultimate season actually filmed 2 endings on the last episode as she hadn't made up her mind yet. She decided to return. Then they repaid her by moving the show to Thursday nights and killing the show.. I'm sure she came to regret that decision.

CBS as much as admitted that mistake, when they put it back on Sundays later, but the damage was done. They took their only scripted Top 10 series (60 Minutes being their only other Top 10) and killed it by moving it up against NBC's long-running "Must See TV" lineup, which had dominated Thursdays since 1984 or so. The big network affiliate realignment that year didn't help either (when Fox bought the rights to the NFL, which CBS had lost, and resulted in the biggest shakeup in network affiliation ever as Fox scrambled to get stronger local affiliates)

Yes, after Angela quit, ending the show, they moved it back to its old Sunday slot for the last 4 episodes. When they moved it to Thurs nights I started missing episodes as I'd forget it was on or was busy doing something else. It was a perfect Sunday night show. I'd watch 60 Mins; then Murder and often the CBS Sun. movie.

[Hibi]

Kate Mulgrew was married to some Dem. Ohio politician ( I forget who or if they are still married). He ran for governor some years back, but he lost. Kate could've been Ohio's first lady!

[HoldenIsHere]

Speaking of Kate Mulgrew, when I first saw her on Ryan's Hope I was sure she was going to be a big star. She left the show when her contract was up and went in search of other things. Many years passed before she got the lead in Star Trek: Voyager.

Replacing Kate Mulgrew in what was effectively the leading role was a huge problem for Ryan's Hope. Just when the first replacement, Mary Carney, was catching on, ABC fired her, and the subsequent recasts were so dire that the show killed off the character.

I enjoyed watching RYAN'S HOPE when SoapNet aired the reruns in the 2000s.
The acting and writing in the first few years were fantastic.
I especially loved the scenes with Kate Mulgrew (Mary Ryan) and Delia Reid (Ilene Kristen). I think Delia married and divorced both of Mary's brothers.

Didn't Kate Mulgrew come back when Mary was brought back as a ghost?