Empty Nest

[Groove1670]

Hallmark had the rights to the show and aired the last part of 2011. Has is appeared anywhere else?

 

[Markxxx]

I really liked this, Dinah Manoff's comedic ability was sorely under rated and Kristy McNichol proved she was not only funny, but she never looked better.

WGN had the local rights in Chicago and I've never seen the air since. I guess it along with the "Golden Girls" (Also on WGN locally in Chicago) must not have been popular in reruns, in Chicago, since they were both yanked after about a year and never showed up anywhere else.

 

[therealjm12]

Golden Girls is on constantly on Hallmark Channel. It's probably their most successful show. Empty Nest was on Hallmark but did disappear. Maybe it's being rested but it seemed like they only ran it on weekend mornings. Another show that has disappeared is Dear John. Not a bad show and there were many episodes. Should have done well in syndication.

 

[Markxxx]

I loved "Dear John" and I have season one of VHS, from off air tapes, but I didn't like it much in reruns. I liked it first run though.

I think shows that use too many "tight" roles and lines for their character don't hold up well when you see them one episode after another.

Like 'Were there any SEXUAL problems?" Or "I'm KIRK" Or the winy guy, it's funny once a week but if you see the episodes two in a row night after night, it tires fast.

And it's not just "Dear John" other shows have this problem ("I'm talking to you, later day episodes of 'Happy Days'.") ;D

 

[FreddyE1977]

Caught a little of Golden Girls the other day. I had forgotten what a sexually edgy show it was
for its time. Not two minutes in and they were cracking their first vibrator joke. A basic cable
standard today, but kind of out-there for the network primetime schedule circa 1987.

My grandmother loved this show, along with The Love Boat and Three's Company.
(and yes, we all thought for an old lady she had very strange taste in TV programs)

 

[LKellerIII]

I loved "Dear John" and I have season one of VHS, from off air tapes, but I didn't like it much in reruns. I liked it first run though.

I think shows that use too many "tight" roles and lines for their character don't hold up well when you see them one episode after another.

Like 'Were there any SEXUAL problems?" Or "I'm KIRK" Or the winy guy, it's funny once a week but if you see the episodes two in a row night after night, it tires fast.

And it's not just "Dear John" other shows have this problem ("I'm talking to you, later day episodes of 'Happy Days'.") ;D

For me, a lot of these shows don't age well - probably because I've seen them before and can anticipate the plot and most of the comedy set-ups. Seinfeld is one of the few exceptions for me. As for Happy Days (and Laverne and Shirley) - I had tired of both those shows after about two first-run seasons. I might watch now once or twice for nostalgia sake, but that would be about it.

Interestingly, the most successful actor to come out of Dear John seems to be Jere Burns, who played Kirk. That guy is everywhere - mostly playing villains in dramas now, as he did last season on FX's Justified.

 

[jwgreek8606]

Empty Nest was also reran on superstation WGN in the late 90s. I'd love to see this show go out on DVD

 

[therealjm12]

If Happy Days & Laverne & Shirley had stayed in their time period (50's)instead of trying to "Hip" the shows up for younger viewers they would have done in reruns. That's why M*A*S*H, The Untouchables, and other period shows still work.

 

[rnigma1]

I remember that the writer's strike of 1988 was the reason for "Dear John," an adaptation of a Britcom; so that scripts from the British original could be adapted. (That was also why ABC revived "Mission: Impossible" that year; their plan was to reuse scripts from the original series. However, the strike ended when shooting began, so new scripts were written.)