Roseanne: Call Waiting

Roseanne: Call Waiting
ABC
September 17, 1996
Sitcom
DVD
B

"What doesn't kill us is making us stronger...."  As Season Nine opens in this Ogier & Stephan story, five days have passed and Roseanne, who's staying at Jackie's, refuses to speak to Dan.  Darlene and David (who've been married eight days), and then Mark and D.J., come over to try to reconcile her with Dan.  But it takes imagining herself into Nick at Nite shows to make her realize that her relationship with Dan is better than most.  (The parodies/tributes are surprisingly good, especially the costumes.)  She goes home and she and Dan make up.  In a tag which would change the series even more, Jackie watches the lottery and realizes that she and Roseanne have picked the winning numbers.  Certainly a more upbeat cliffhanger than the last one.  Note that Asner appears briefly when Lou Grant reenters the room and says he hasn't been himself lately.  Marlo Thomas and Ted Bessell appear very briefly in a clip, but I don't have the room to tag them.

Mary Tyler Moore: The 20th Anniversary Show

"20" years later

Mary Tyler Moore:  The 20th Anniversary Show
CBS
February 18, 1991
Sitcom
VHS
B-

By now it should be clear that CBS was interpreting "20th anniversary" pretty loosely, eager to relive their glory days in the '70s.  This clip show at least has the advantage of getting the cast in a room together as themselves.  Much of it feels scripted, although the tears at the end look real.  MTM was one of those shows I watched all the time growing up but don't really feel inclined to get on DVD.  Still, it's nice to revisit.  This was taped after Ted Knight died, but the cast was then otherwise intact.

D.C. Follies: Reagan Tries to Wipe Out National Debt with TV Home Shopping Show

D.C. Follies: Reagan Tries to Wipe Out National Debt with TV Home Shopping Show
Syndicated
December 8, 1987
Satire
VHS
B-

Although three more episodes aired before the year closed out, this episode focuses on everyone's New Year's resolutions, with Reagan's attempt to wipe out the national debt creating moments not unlike the Fred Willard 1979 movie Americathon.  Ed Asner is the live guest star, mistaken for Gorbachev.

Match Game '77

Match Game '77
CBS
February 29, 1977 [sic]
Game Show
DVD
B

Obviously there was no Leap Day that year, and since this aired on a Friday, the date was more likely the 25th, but the DVD packaging says the 29th, so we'll go along with it.  And if that seems arbitrary, it's nothing compared to the infamous "school riot."  Judge (and producer) Ira Skutch decides that "college" matches "school," and so does "scuba diving school" but not "finishing school" or (arguably the best match) a frightened Patty's "night school.  Richard and Debralee are understandably upset, and the audience rebels, too.  After the commercial break, Brett and Charles make peace through humor, although there's still a bitter aftertaste.  (Luckily, just about everyone says "hooker" for the next question.)