Just the Ten of Us in My Dreams

I had a strange dream last night that involved Bill Kirchenbauer, better known as the dad from short lived ABC sitcom “Just the Ten of Us.”

I passed him on the street and gave him a sideways glance, excited about seeing him, but wanting to be discrete.  He noticed me and yelled, saying that he was the guy from “Just the Ten of Us” and that he didn’t appreciate me looking at him because he wanted his privacy.

The dream didn’t last long, and I woke up annoyed at this man that I’ve never met.  My anger soon turned to sadness when I googled the show and found out it was canceled after two seasons.  Not because of bad ratings, but due to network politics.

Instead of anger, I’m taking a moment to thank Bill, as well as the entire cast of “Just the Ten of Us,” for two laugh filled seasons and dozens of memories.

As a tribute to the show and everything that Bill Kirchenbauer stands for, I’ve posted its opening theme song.

The next time you’re down on yourself and you think that life couldn’t get any more bleak, repeat the following:  Life is a race and I know I can win it, cause I’m learning the rules of the game.  If I can stay on the ball, take it minute by minute, I just might make the hall of fame.

I do this, and I am highly successful.  It’s no coincidence.

“Mommies” no one could love

http://images.tvrage.com/shows/6/5989.jpg

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.