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"Bosom Buddies" & TV Syndication Question

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disman00911

I have a question for those who are experts on 1980s TV (or classic TV in general). I was wondering how the show "Bosom Buddies", which starred a pre-big screen Tom Hanks, got to air in syndication reruns despite only lasting two seasons with 37 episodes. I had always assumed that for a show to be syndicated in reruns, it needed to either match or exceed four seasons or 65 episodes (or close to it). Also, why didn't it get revived like other shows that got previously cancelled after one or two seasons, such as "Mama's Family", "Charles In Charge" and "It's a Living". Repeats of "Bosom Buddies" aired on NBC in the summer of 1984 (two years after its cancellation on ABC) due to Hanks' newly found success as a movie star. Obviously, his character would either be recast or replaced altogether with a new character had "Bosom Buddies" had gotten the same treatment as the shows mentioned earlier. To answer my own question, Hanks having a high price-tag is probably why the show didn't get a revival like the shows mentioned earlier.

There seemed be a trend in the 1980s where a show gets cancelled by one of the Big Three (CBS, NBC, & ABC) and was resurrected in syndication. "Charles In Charge" had a year-gap between its 1st season on CBS (1984-1985, 22 episodes) and its syndicated run (the other four seasons from 1987-1990; 104 episodes) "Mama's Family" had a two-year gap between its original NBC run (1983-1984; 35 episodes) and its syndicated run (1986-1990; 95 episodes). "It's A Living" had a three-year gap between its original ABC run (1980-1982; 27 episodes) and its syndicated run (1985-1989; 93 episodes). Plus there were a few shows that continued on first-run syndication after being dropped by one of the big three networks (i.e. "Punky Brewster"[1984-1988], "Webster"[1983-1989]) but I'm more focused on shows that had at least a year gap between its network run and first-run syndication. Also, I'm not counting sequel shows with a more notable year-gap between them (i.e. "What's Happening"[1976-1979] & "What's Happening Now" [1985-1988] or "WKPR In Cincinnati" [1978-1982] & "The New WKPR In Cincinnati" [1991-1993]).

Comparing the lengths of seasons of 1980s shows to shows from the 1960s, I'm guessing the amount of episodes per season were higher in the 1960s than in the 1980s. "The Monkees"(1966-1968), for example, had only two seasons but with 58 episodes. "The Addams Family"(1964-1966), also lasted only two seasons but had 64 episodes. Going a decade earlier, "The Honeymooners" only had 39 episodes during its original run (just two more episodes than "Bosom Buddies") yet is largely considered to be one of the greatest TV sitcoms of all time and its repeats have lived on syndicated for many years. That show also had 107 "Lost Episodes" from Jackie Gleason's 1950s sketch show that aired during the 1980s.

I wasn't alive when "Bosom Buddies" originally aired but I do remember seeing a rerun of this show airing during the weekend on one of the local stations during the 1990s when I was young. I assumed that it had more than 37 episodes and more than two seasons, which is why I'm making this post. I was also wondering what other shows that didn't last very long (compared to shows that had over 5 seasons or over 100 episodes) also got aired in reruns on syndication during the 1980s or 1990s. Thanks.
 
'Too Close For Comfort', the 1980-83 Ted Knight sitcom, was the show that started the 'revived for first-run syndication' trend, airing its first syndicated episode in early 1984(delayed from fall '83, due to Knight's health issues). TCFC changed title and format, as 'The Ted Knight Show' in early 1986, and was set for renewal when Knight died of cancer that summer.
 
I can only remember seeing Bosom Buddies reruns listed on cable. I never saw where any local station carried it, at least in the Memphis and Jackson, TN area.
 
Thanks for the replies so far. Growing up in the Chicago area, I saw a 1998 Chicago tv schedule and WPWR 50 (then an UPN affiliate) aired "Bosom Buddies" reruns on Saturdays for a time. In the mid-1980s, reruns aired on WGBO 66 (then an independent) but I was in diapers back then and far too young to remember those years as I was a child of the 1990s. As for "Too Close For Comfort", I do remember seeing reruns of that show airing on WFLD Fox 32 at various times in the 1990s and still remember that show's theme song for some strange reason. I also remember "Charles In Charge" and "Mama's Family" reruns with the latter airing on Channel 66 (before it changed to Univision in 1995) and WGN 9 airing reruns of the former during the early half of the 90s. I don't remember "It's a Living" at all and didn't even know its existence until Antenna TV starting airing it.

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I just thought of another short-lived, 2-season sitcom that I remember seeing listed on the TV schedule whenever I read the newspaper. I remember reruns of the 1974-75 show "That's My Mama" (39 episodes total) airing late at night on WPWR 50 in 1998.
 
I was wondering how the show "Bosom Buddies", which starred a pre-big screen Tom Hanks, got to air in syndication reruns despite only lasting two seasons with 37 episodes.
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I think you answered your own question. Hanks' popularity gave Bosom Buddies new commercial life, just as I Spy and Fat Albert (both of which had fallen into relative obscurity) began airing more frequently after the massive success of The Cosby Show.
 
That's true but "I Spy" lasted three seasons with 82 episodes (more than twice of amount of episodes of "Bosom Buddies") although that show was well before my time. I do remember a 2002 movie starring Eddie Murphy that was based on the tv show.
 
Don't forget "Gidget", which lasted one season and a mere 32 episodes but was actually syndicated during the 80s. Of course the continued stardom of Sally Field was a big reason the sitcom was brought back. It even prompted a revival called "The New Gidget" which lasted two seasons.
 
anotherguyTN said:
I can only remember seeing Bosom Buddies reruns listed on cable. I never saw where any local station carried it, at least in the Memphis and Jackson, TN area.
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Bosom Buddies never aired in Des Moines Iowa in reruns but in the local tv guide Iowa edition Bosom Buddies was listed Monday through Friday at 5:30pm on independent network KLJB 18 in the Quad Cities in 1988.
 
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