TV Tuesday

TV Tuesday

It's TV Tuesday, because Kelly Ripa tells me to from the magic box....

Tuesday at 9/8 central CBS is running the 159th episode of one of it's classic TV series: The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited. This episode was written 40 years later, with all the surviving cast members in it. This will be an actual episode, with the actors in character, not just actors sitting around reminiscing about the good old days.

Bill Persky, the show's writer-producer, said in TV Guide: "Everybody's memory was not what it was. We could remember a joke from 40 years ago, but we couldn't remember whether we decided to do a scene this way or that way. Everybody had something they almost remembered, so when we were looking for a title, I came up with The Dick Van Dyke Show Almost Remembered. The comic timing was terrific- except when they couldn't hear anything. There was a lot of "What? What? What?" The greatest below-the-line expense was for hearing aid batteries."

On that note, how do you feel about reunion shows?

1. What show would you like to see brought back for an hour or two episode, to see how the characters are doing now? (This should be a show that it might be possible to do a reunion on.)

Perfect Strangers. But not as a continuation of the series as it ended.

There was an episode of Perfect Strangers where they flashed forward to a future where Cousin Larry had never asked his girlfriend out. He's old, bald and alone. Meanwhile, Balki owns the Chicago Cubs, and he throws the first pitch out. At every game.

I would like to see a television series based around that possible future. Where Cousin Larry gets to live in Balki's mansion, but in a smaller room than Balki's stuffed sheep Dmitri. That sort of thing.

2. Pick a show that could not realistically be brought back for a reunion, because some or all of the cast members are gone. What if they could have done a reunion before it was too late? Name the show you'd most like to see.

What, like Ozzie and Harriet? Isn't Dave the only one who's still alive? So a reunion show would just be him sitting around the house, moping about how much he misses Ozzie, and Harriet, and his brother Rick.

3. Which reunion show have you watched and thought "Wow, they should have left that one alone!"

I've never thought that. Not once. I think all shows should have reunion shows. And that there should be a night on broadcast television set aside specifically for reunion shows.

And perhaps a cable channel, which shows only reunion shows.

After several years, you could have reunion shows where the casts of the reunion shows get together and reminisce about the reunion.

~Bonus~ Which do you prefer- a "reunion" episode of the series, or a "cast reunion" where the actors sit around and talk about the making of the show?

I prefer a reunion where they get together and play a game. Perhaps even Win, Lose or Draw, starring Burt Convey.