Muldo

A backburner story coming out of the 2009 Network up-fronts is Kelsey Grammer’s return to network TV, starring in ABC sitcom “Hank.”

“It’s about a CEO who is downsized and has to return home and reconnect with his family, ”producer Tom Werner told the Track. “Only with a lot less money,” 

Grammer is one of the best sitcom actors from the last 30 years, but this show seems like nothing more than early cancellation fodder to be replaced by another hour of “Dancing with the Stars.”  The combination of the premise and the title sound like another throw away that will be listed at the bottom of an article written a couple years from now about the next Kelsey Grammer vehicle.

Maybe I’m judging prematurely, but it will be tough for this show to overcome the previous success of Grammer in the “Frasier Crane” role.  His last attempt, FOX’s “Back to you,” had him co-starring with Patricia Heaton as newscasters at a fictional Pittsburgh television station.  It lasted one season and was cancelled after mediocre ratings.

Kelsey Grammer’s blessing and curse will always be Frasier Crane.   Over the span of 20 years and two wildly successful TV series, Grammer’s portrayal of the erudite psychologist was engrained in our memories. Most actors would not have the talent or genetic makeup to stretch one character for such a long period without letting their ego get in the way.

There will forever be stories of television actors losing interest in the characters they play after a handful of seasons, yearning to try something new, even if their current gig has given them big money and prominence.  It’s usually an attempt to either become a movie star or avoid being typecast.

Actors are adverse to staying in one role for so long because they yearn for attention themselves.  As an actor becomes merged with an identifiable character, they can never shed themselves of that image.  They need a source of acceptance as the people they are and their abilities, not of a piece of fiction that’s only one example of a variety of characters they can play.  For this reason, actors often become disdainful of the roles that made them famous.  It’s especially ironic since they would not have had a successful career had it not been for their signature character.

I once spoke to a struggling actor about this.  He looked at it from another angle, one that would be fully appreciative.  Instead of being upset that they’re only seen as one character, they would embrace it.  Making it as a working actor is hard enough.  Becoming a performer that people remember is nearly impossible. 

Essentially, every actor wants to make an impact on their audience.  They want to be remembered after they’re gone.  While it’s unfortunate that certain actors never got the chance to show range, at least they’ve made their mark.

Grammer is a prime example of this.  He’s branching out into new roles, which may or may not work, but he will never completely shy away from Frasier Crane, and that seems to be OK with him. 

Maybe I’ll be proven wrong about “Hank,” and it will be what “The New Adventures of Old Christine” is for Julia Louis-Dreyfus.  In the mean time, I’ll watch “Cheers” and “Frasier” Reruns, enjoy his acting, and wish him well.

Trollops.

In honor of Mother’s day, let’s remember what is arguably one of the worst TV shows of all time, “The Mommies.”  “Mommies” began as a comedy duo featuring Marilyn Kentz and Caryl Kristensen.  Instead of drinking boxed wine and screwing the pool boy, the two hens coped with their idiot husbands and insolent children by making “jokes” about suburban life.  They booked gigs and house wife counterparts across the country ate it up.  A modern day equivalent would be cloning Joy Behar and giving the new Behar twins a starring primetime vehicle.  The results would be equally unfunny.

After a short time as a duo, NBC decided to give these women their own show, even though they had no acting or producing experience.  The results were predictable.  Here’s the only clip I could find on youtube:

As you can see, the acting was top notch , the writing superb, and Julia Duffy was looking sexy.

An Entertainment Weekly review gives more insight to the lack of funny:

Kentz and Kristensen have an endless supply of material about how awful their kids are, how stupid their husbands are, and how ridiculous and wasted a woman’s life is if she settles for being merely a mother and wife. ”I don’t mind cooking-I just hate doing it for my family” is a typical zinger … Stuck in car-pool traffic at their children’s school with just-bought groceries in the back of the van, a Mommy will say, ”Let’s get the food home first-the kids have already gone bad.”

Hilarious!

For some reason, NBC kept this crap on for 38 episodes.  After its cancellation, “The Mommies” landed a daytime talk show on ABC titled “Caryl and Marilyn:  Real Friends.”  I’m sure it would’ve been more appropriately titled “Middle-aged Trollops:  Real Dull.”  It ran for one year before ABC replaced it with “The View,” starring Joy Behar.  The Circle Of Life.

So on this Mother’s day, give your mother a call or a hug if you’re close by.  And appreciate them for not creating drivel like this.