|
|
Post by horsemen4ever on Jan 4, 2016 22:55:22 GMT -5
Well I have been watching reruns of Spin City on Laff or whatever this cable channel is called,and yikes season 5 and 6 really suck, not only because they replaced the lead character, but just feels different from what it was before, maybe moving to LA from NY had a lot of do it. Also you lost 3 of the supporting cast.
And I don't want to blame it all on Charlie Sheen, the writing is just not the same. It went from a political satire sictom to just a office sitcom, except for the Mayorial election in the first half of season 6, it had very little politics. Why couldn't the writers just leave well enough alone.
To be fair, the show peaked at season 3, that season had some of the best episodes like "Dick Clark's Rockin Make - Out 99" and of course the Back To The Future reunion. In season 4 they lost one cast member, not saying she the most important person on the show, but you lose one cog in the cast and effects everyone, and season 4 wasn't bad just not as good as previous seasons. Maybe it was the perfect time to end it, the Michael J. Fox farewell felt like a perfect finale. Should have left on a high note.
Say what you want, but when Shelly Long left Cheers and Kristie Allie replaced her, it felt mostly the same, but with Spin City it just felt like a different type of show with different type of writing. Why they have to make it so different? You could tell a lot of the heart was gone after season 4.
I know it is a weird thread to talk about a random sitcom, but though I would endulge you, and besides we talk about Back To The Future all the time, so why not.
|
|
|
|
Post by Red Impact on Jan 4, 2016 22:58:53 GMT -5
Yes.
So much of the cast just disappeared for no reason, and nothing they did could top Fox's departure from the series. That's not Sheen's fault at all, when you lose that much of the cast, you need to end a sitcom.
|
|
|
|
Post by Limity (BLM) on Jan 4, 2016 23:15:07 GMT -5
I think it got better once Sheen got there. I think his character was much funnier than Fox's.
Mayor: "To help me through the loss, I'd like to call you Mike."
Charlie: "Sir, I'd prefer to start with a clean slate."
Mayor: "I admire your candor, Mike."
Although just as funny was Alan Ruck and Michael Boatman's characters. Many times they stole the show.
And go right now and Google Spin City, and look at the cast pictures. Barry Bostwick looks like a really happy Ron Perlman.
|
|
|
|
Post by horsemen4ever on Jan 4, 2016 23:33:46 GMT -5
I think it got better once Sheen got there. I think his character was much funnier than Fox's. Mayor: "To help me through the loss, I'd like to call you Mike." Charlie: "Sir, I'd prefer to start with a clean slate." Mayor: "I admire your candor, Mike." Although just as funny was Alan Ruck and Michael Boatman's characters. Many times they stole the show. And go right now and Google Spin City, and look at the cast pictures. Barry Bostwick looks like a really happy Ron Perlman. We can agree to disagree. I do agree about Alan Ruck and Michael Boatman's character, (BTW did they ever do a Ferris Butler reference, they did reference for Michael J. Fox's famous previous works all the time, and Charlie Sheen when he got there) also Richard Kind was hilarious. I remember this classic line. Paul: If you would have giving me 5 more minutes I could have turned it around. Mike: If I have giving you another 5 minutes, you would have pronounced the mayor dead. But on Charlie's character, but it is like I said, the last two seasons felt more like an office sitcom than a political satire sitcom, and example is Charlie compared to Mike, they focused on his relationship than his actual job. Yes with Mike you got a lot of relaitonship humor, but it was balenced with political stuff. With Mike it a lot to do with politics and saving the mayor's butt in the latest mayoral blunder of the week, balenced out with his love life, with Charlie it was 90% about his love life. But if that is your perfer humor so be it, not saying it is bad thing, but for me the show didn't start out that way, being about the mayoral staff with a major part of the show in the first 4 seasons, which was not the case in season 5 and 6, there are plending of sitcoms about office humor. |
|
|
|
Post by Vice honcho room temperature on Jan 4, 2016 23:56:32 GMT -5
I wish Heather Locklear never came on the show.
|
|
|
|
Post by Danimal on Jan 5, 2016 4:13:37 GMT -5
Yes. So much of the cast just disappeared for no reason, and nothing they did could top Fox's departure from the series. That's not Sheen's fault at all, when you lose that much of the cast, you need to end a sitcom. Ya, I think it was the supporting-cast being gutted, not Sheen, that hurt the show. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2016 6:44:24 GMT -5
I wish Heather Locklear never came on the show. WHOA ABC aired something like that?! ....but seriously folks, try the veal. It is surprisingly good. The loss of so many characters was very jarring. Shunting Connie Britton into the background as Locklear took over the main female lead role was weird already, but that loss - though kind of overdue - still stung. Jennifer Esposito......I don't recall, did she leave when Fox left or did she leave a bit before that? Anyway that was another surprise loss for the show, as she was becoming sort of a big deal at the time. IIRC Janelle was in a relationship with the Mayor just...abruptly ended. And then James who also left. Ultimately they were a lot of redundant characters being cleared out, but they all worked in their own ways so the loss was felt. Sheen was fine in the role, I thought, and Locklear somehow seemed a better fit with him than with Fox. What hit me most was how Alan Ruck (Stuart) vanished for a lot of the last season (he was sick in real life). He was a real big part of the show working for me, so that loss, albeit temporary (he returned for a moment or two in the last ep) was a colossal reason I gave up. |
|
|
|
Post by SHAKEMASTER TV9 is Don Knotts on Jan 5, 2016 7:22:34 GMT -5
Jennifer Esposito left after the 3rd season. That's when I decide to stop watching in reruns. Season 4 isn't as funny as it was, I really disliked breaking up Mike and Nikki and the manner they did it. I did like Season 4 finale and don't dislike Locklear or Caitlin overall, but it felt like it actually was. Change the show's dynamic because Fox is leaving.
|
|
Futureraven: Beelzebruv
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
The Ultimate Arbiter of Right And Wrong
Spent half my life here, God help me
Posts: 15,050
|
Post by Futureraven: Beelzebruv on Jan 5, 2016 7:24:26 GMT -5
I think it got better once Sheen got there. I think his character was much funnier than Fox's. Mayor: "To help me through the loss, I'd like to call you Mike." Charlie: "Sir, I'd prefer to start with a clean slate." Mayor: "I admire your candor, Mike." Although just as funny was Alan Ruck and Michael Boatman's characters. Many times they stole the show. And go right now and Google Spin City, and look at the cast pictures. Barry Bostwick looks like a really happy Ron Perlman. We can agree to disagree. I do agree about Alan Ruck and Michael Boatman's character, (BTW did they ever do a Ferris Butler reference, they did reference for Michael J. Fox's famous previous works all the time, and Charlie Sheen when he got there) also Richard Kind was hilarious. I remember this classic line. Paul: If you would have giving me 5 more minutes I could have turned it around. Mike: If I have giving you another 5 minutes, you would have pronounced the mayor dead. But on Charlie's character, but it is like I said, the last two seasons felt more like an office sitcom than a political satire sitcom, and example is Charlie compared to Mike, they focused on his relationship than his actual job. Yes with Mike you got a lot of relaitonship humor, but it was balenced with political stuff. With Mike it a lot to do with politics and saving the mayor's butt in the latest mayoral blunder of the week, balenced out with his love life, with Charlie it was 90% about his love life. But if that is your perfer humor so be it, not saying it is bad thing, but for me the show didn't start out that way, being about the mayoral staff with a major part of the show in the first 4 seasons, which was not the case in season 5 and 6, there are plending of sitcoms about office humor. Yeah Richard Kind was so funny in that, the whole episode about him being sued for being shot in the head, and just his increasing levels of amazement at the situation. |
|
|
|
Post by Jedi-El of Tomorrow on Jan 5, 2016 8:43:28 GMT -5
We can agree to disagree. I do agree about Alan Ruck and Michael Boatman's character, (BTW did they ever do a Ferris Butler reference, they did reference for Michael J. Fox's famous previous works all the time, and Charlie Sheen when he got there) also Richard Kind was hilarious. I remember this classic line. Paul: If you would have giving me 5 more minutes I could have turned it around. Mike: If I have giving you another 5 minutes, you would have pronounced the mayor dead. But on Charlie's character, but it is like I said, the last two seasons felt more like an office sitcom than a political satire sitcom, and example is Charlie compared to Mike, they focused on his relationship than his actual job. Yes with Mike you got a lot of relaitonship humor, but it was balenced with political stuff. With Mike it a lot to do with politics and saving the mayor's butt in the latest mayoral blunder of the week, balenced out with his love life, with Charlie it was 90% about his love life. But if that is your perfer humor so be it, not saying it is bad thing, but for me the show didn't start out that way, being about the mayoral staff with a major part of the show in the first 4 seasons, which was not the case in season 5 and 6, there are plending of sitcoms about office humor. Yeah Richard Kind was so funny in that, the whole episode about him being sued for being shot in the head, and just his increasing levels of amazement at the situation. "When I bite into a York Peppermint Patty, I get shot!" The show should have ended after season 4. When Charlie came in the show became less of an ensemble show, while Mike was the main character it was an ensemble show. It's the opposite of when Shelley Long left Cheers, when she left and Kirstie Alley came in, it became more of an ensemble show, with Sam and Rebecca as the leads. |
|
JDviant
Unicron
XB1 username: lil giant robot
Posts: 3,103
|
Post by JDviant on Jan 5, 2016 8:56:01 GMT -5
I like Sheen on the show, and am happy it continued. I'll echo the idea that it was the other cast members leaving that hurt it, but Sheen was really strong.
|
|
|
|
Post by A Platypus Rave on Jan 5, 2016 10:39:02 GMT -5
(BTW did they ever do a Ferris Butler reference, they did reference for Michael J. Fox's famous previous works all the time, and Charlie Sheen when he got there) From what I remember In one episode, Alan Ruck was wearing a Red Wings Jersey for a large part of it. |
|
|
|
Post by horsemen4ever on Jan 8, 2016 19:24:55 GMT -5
The show should have ended after season 4. When Charlie came in the show became less of an ensemble show, while Mike was the main character it was an ensemble show. It's the opposite of when Shelley Long left Cheers, when she left and Kirstie Alley came in, it became more of an ensemble show, with Sam and Rebecca as the leads. Funny thing is that is what the show was originally suppose to be. It was suppose to focus more on Mike and his girlfriend the mom from Spy Kids, and the staff were suppose to more second tear characters, very quickly they changed that to focus more on the mayoral staff, watch the first 13 episodes or so that Carla Gugino was on the show, and see how each episode after next the less importance her role is in the main plots of each episode are. The first two or so episode, her character next to Mike really gets a lot of focus, but not only after that, the writers just put her in some side plots and such. So I guess you can say in season 5 things kind of went full circle. Kind of ironic. |
|
|
|
Post by RadcapRadsley on Jan 8, 2016 23:11:35 GMT -5
I thought this was awful the 2 or 3 episodes I remember seeing. Surprised it lasted so long was it on after Home Improvement or something?
|
|
