Who's the Boss?: The Road to Washington, Part 2

Kim Ulrich on Cheers

Who's the Boss?: The Road to Washington, Part 2
ABC
May 7, 1991
Sitcom
DVD
B

Gene Braunstein wrote this conclusion not to just the two-parter but to the season.  Christine, an attractive blonde Senator's assistant (played by Kim Ulrich) turns Tony's head in DC, so Mona encourages Angela to say something.  Light gives a great showdowny speech, although the audience already knows that Christine has given up Tony because he won't sell out.  Mona's advice that Angela "show, tell, and show again" how she feels about Tony is more successful, although still as inconclusive as most of the first seven seasons.  We didn't know things were about to change in Season Eight, but then neither did they.

Pat Sturges, who plays Liz, had previously played a Photographer on WtB.  Chappy is Pat Buttram's final role, and not a bad one to end on.

Who's the Boss? in its penultimate season ranges from C to B, with an average of B-.  So I don't think the series had by any means jumped the shark.  Yes, there are moments of staleness and de ja vu, and yes, I think adding Billy to the cast was a mistake, but there's nothing irreversible.  Season Eight would have its own missteps but I'm nonetheless glad things don't end here.

Who's the Boss?: The Road to Washington, Part 1

Who's the Boss?: The Road to Washington, Part 1
ABC
April 30, 1991
Sitcom
DVD
B

Daniel Palladino wrote this first half of the two-parter that would close out the season.  When Tony finds out that his elderly friend Chappy (Pat Buttram, even more of a scene-stealer this time) faces a cut in Medicare, Tony agrees to testify before the Senate on behalf of senior citizens.  The whole family takes a train to D.C. but it's delayed along the way, and Tony ends up in the same bunk with Angela.  She sleeps contentedly but he's too distracted, including by her sexy scent.  He's delirious in front of the Senators and even ends up giving a proto-Clintonian denial by telling CSPAN and everyone, "I did not sleep with Angela."  (Both figuratively and literally true, since they don't fool around and he doesn't sleep.)  Note that Sam and Matt have broken up for unexplained reasons.  The tag is scenes from next week, ones that look more soap-operatic out of context.

Ralph Manza had played Digger on Soap and is Francis here.

Who's the Boss?: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Who's the Boss?: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
ABC
April 16, 1991
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Teverbaugh, Va Salle, and Wolff wrote this filler episode that is not unlike the last episode of What's Happening!!, where a character promises a big act (Sammy Davis, Jr. there, Wilson Phillips here) but fails to deliver.  In this case, Tony's doo-wop group fills in, after Sam gently rejects Al's "personal, acoustic" music.

Of the Dreamtones, Charles G. Davis as Jimbo, John Hostetter as Satch, and Harvey Shield as D.J. are carryovers from the previous appearance, three years earlier, but Benny has been recast.  Charmaine Charles has his first of three WtB roles, as Screaming Girl.

Who's the Boss?: Tony and the Princess

The other Danza

Who's the Boss?: Tony and the Princess
ABC
March 26, 1991
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Three of the regular writers-- Graham, Kallis, and Palladino-- contributed this filler episode where Tony has to deal with a mobster's daughter.  It does mention Angela's interest in Tony's butt, so I guess there's a bit of shipping material.

Tom Troupe returns as Father Marconi.  Tony D's brother Matty makes his second appearance on WtB, this time as Marty of Marty's Melody Room, with Tony mixing up the names in one of the bloopers at the end.

Who's the Boss?: Choose Me

Who's the Boss?: Choose Me
ABC
March 12, 1991
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This story by Dawn Aldredge (her last for my shows) and Mona Marshall (who had played Shirley on WtB six years earlier) is better than the earlier "Tony the Matchmaker," although there's still the problem of Mona and another woman competing over a man that they're too good for.  The set-up is better here and it does show Tony and Angela competing indirectly, which is interesting.  Still, why would Tony want either Mona or the woman who's "been like a second mother to him" to be with a guy he disapproves of?  There are some funny moments though and it's pretty good for Season Seven.

Charles Frank, who was Capt. Hathaway and Lt. Martinson on M*A*S*H, plays Clifford, the man being fought over, and is only 43 at this point, while Helmond is 61 and Gemignani is 50 (but cast as older).

Who's the Boss?: Party Politics

Who's the Boss?: Party Politics
ABC
February 26, 1991
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Tony and Angela get involved in a senseless and expensive competition with their next-door neighbors the Harpers (Sam McMurray and Leah Ayres again), who've moved back after a year in Japan, apparently having bought their house back from Angela and exchanged their daughter who's Jonathan's age for a son who's Billy's age, turning six.  No one is the voice of reason here, although Sam and Jonathan come closest.  The episode is mildly funny in an over-the-top way, as when Angela says she's prepared to spend a quarter of a million dollars on Billy's birthday party.

Phil Doran, who wrote a couple Bob Newhart episodes, here does his first of ten, while Bob Rosenfarb wrote the episode called "The Kid" and would collaborate with Doran on those ten; Gene Braunstein is the WtB veteran among the three collaborators, with this as his twelfth of seventeen.  Josh Byrne makes his final appearance as Billy's frenemy Joey, while Ross Malinger's third and last WtB role is as Travis.  And Whose Line Is It Anyway? fans will be amused  that Ryan Stiles plays Bobo the Clown, who has ambitions as a Shakespearean actor.

Who's the Boss?: Let Her Tell You 'Bout the Birds and the Bees

Who's the Boss?: Let Her Tell You 'Bout the Birds and the Bees
ABC
February 19, 1991
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Tony, who's now 39, teaches a science class and when Mona fills in for a few minutes, she gives a sex talk.  Tony is pretty uptight about it, although the reaction of his boss and the local community is surprisingly positive.

This time Franklin Cover plays Mr. Campbell rather than Mr. Kimball, but he's still Tony's boss.  There are a few Roseanne connections in this episode.  Hal Rayle, who was an Announcer on Roseanne a couple years earlier, here is the Narrator of the '50s film Tony wants to play for his class.  Also, Yunoka Doyle and Cynthia Marie King, respectively Linda and Carrie here, were Darlene's classmates Meryl and Suzy recently.  And Andrea Walters, who plays Mrs. Barker, was Bonnie Lang, mother of Becky's first-season boyfriend Chip.

This is the 100th show I've reviewed from the 1990s and we're barely a year into the decade, although we won't maintain this average.

Who's the Boss?: Tony and Angela Get Divorced

Who's the Boss?: Tony and Angela Get Divorced
ABC
February 12, 1991
Sitcom
DVD
B

Michele J. Wolff turns out to be one of the better new writers this season, contributing a script (her first of eight) that gets the focus back on Tony & Angela's romance.  The title is somewhat inaccurate, in that they end up annulling the marriage that they accidentally entered by innocently signing the register at a South Carolina motel as husband and wife.  The family is of course delighted, the government not so much.  T & A celebrate their "divorce" with a big kiss and then he asks her on a date.

Dick Christie (the dad on Small Wonder) makes his first of two appearances as Angela's lawyer Ben.  Lee Garlington, who gives a fine, dry-witted performance as Ms. Foster from the IRS, had appeared once on Roseanne and would later play another character there.

Who's the Boss?: The Unsinkable Tony Micelli

Who's the Boss?: The Unsinkable Tony Micelli
ABC
February 5, 1991
Sitcom
DVD
C

Despite Gene Braunstein having written "In Search of Tony," this has such sloppy lack of continuity as Tony not having a bad knee and, more importantly, being afraid of water.  Also, there's unfunny fat-shaming, even by Angela.  Still, it's cute when she gives Tony a swimming lesson.

Who's the Boss?: Ms. Mom

Who's the Boss?: Ms. Mom
ABC
January 29, 1991
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This Albrecht & Keller story is at least as old as Little Women, only this time instead of Meg telling her husband he can bring friends over any time, and of course John picks the day that the house is a mess, it's Tony bringing his boss home while Angela has taken over the housework and childcare.  And the twist, as Sam lampshades it, is that this is actually role reversal upon the original role reversal of the series, as indicated by the title referencing the movie Mr. Mom.

Ross Malinger has his middle WtB role as Wild Kid #1, while Chris Paul Davis, who was the voice of Christopher before, is Kyle here.  Franklin Cover, instantly recognizable as Tom Willis from The Jeffersons, plays Mr. Kimball here but would be Mr. Campbell later.

Who's the Boss?: You Can Go Home Again

Who's the Boss?: You Can Go Home Again
ABC
January 22, 1991
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Sam has a cold and is feeling overwhelmed by life, not just school but a fight with Matt.  (We never hear if this is resolved, but they will break up later.)  She ends up moving back home for a few days, where the adults are happy to baby her.  (Jonathan figures out she's milking it.)  She even reverts back to high school enough to sneak out to go to a party and see her old friends.

This is Shana Lane-Block's last appearance on WtB.  Presumably, Bonnie (whose last name we finally find out is Munson) and Sam drifted further apart.

Who's the Boss?: Days of Blunder

Who's the Boss?: Days of Blunder
ABC
January 8, 1991
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This Leschin & Vignon story has Mona, Sam, and even Billy covering for 15-year-old Jonathan when he borrows Tony's Jeep to impress a Goth girl and gets into an accident.  Interestingly, Mona says, without kidding, that Jonathan "worships" Sam and has her picture in his wallet.  I would say that Halyalkar's acting is gradually improving, or maybe the lines they're writing for him fit Billy better.  There's a cute during-the-closing-credits scene with Angela moving the refrigerator to block Jonathan from going out with the Goth girl again.

Justin Lord, who was Harkness on M*A*S*H, plays Officer Norton.

Who's the Boss?: Broadcast Blues

Who's the Boss?: Broadcast Blues
ABC
December 18, 1990
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This Va Salle & Teverbaugh story isn't particularly funny, especially the stereotypical East Indian student, but I like Tony's fake story about Sam's birth, and the way that him being competitive is revisited, with him hesitant to compete against Communications major Sam for a campus sportscaster job.  Seventy-five-year-old Pat Buttram appears as Chappy for the first time.

Who's the Boss?: Who's Minding the Kid?

Who's the Boss?: Who's Minding the Kid?
ABC
December 4, 1990
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Besides being focused on Billy, the writing by Barry Vigon and Deborah Leschin (their first of two, and he'd done some of the last season of Soap) is a little weak, e.g. Mona not knowing how to spell "school."  There are moments of weirdness that work, like Cop Rock and driftwood, but no one is bringing their A game at this point.

Ellen Crawford, who was Brenda McNair on Three's Company, plays Prof. Wallace.  Ria Guillani has her first of three WtB roles, as Abbie.  Ironically, Edward Winter had played Eunice's married boyfriend on Soap, while here he dates Mona.  (I don't think he and Helmond had any scenes together on Soap though.)

Who's the Boss?: Inherit the Wine

Who's the Boss?: Inherit the Wine
ABC
November 27, 1990
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Daniel Palladino wrote this story which is set a month after the death of Tony's Uncle Aldo.  Tony, Angela, Sam, and Billy fly to Italy.  (I don't recall seeing Mona in this episode, and if it's explained why she and Jonathan don't go, it must be in a scene that dropped out of syndication.)  Tony's Aunt Rosa (Antonia Rey again) conveniently now speaks English and she explains things, including why the vineyard workers hated Aldo.  (In a nice touch, the statue of Aldo that they behead looks like Vito Scotti.)  I might've gone with a B but some of the lines are a little weak, and I didn't like the idea of Lucia being "an inheritance."

Anthony Ponzini, who plays Dante, looks much the same as he did eight years earlier on Three's Company as a crook named Tony.

Who's the Boss?: Starlight Memories

Who's the Boss?: Starlight Memories
ABC
November 20, 1990
Sitcom
DVD
B

Clay Graham wrote this story where Tony and Angela meet a couple who got together 46 years ago, and they imagine themselves as the couple's younger selves.  As with Angela dreaming she's Tony's Brooklyn wife, Light and Danza are able to be more physically and emotionally demonstrative than usual.  T & A decide that their slow pace is all right for them because they're happy.  (More than once, the script says they've been together seven years, when it's more like six and a half.)  We get another surreal tag, where slow-dancing in the living room makes everything turn to black & white, like in the older couple's story.

Brenda Varda, who plays the airheaded checker Lizzie, would be a Lawyer on Ellen a few years later.  Note that in the flashback, Ernie plays Ralph, the actor's real name.

Who's the Boss?: Four Alarm Tony

Who's the Boss?: Four Alarm Tony
ABC
November 13, 1990
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Neil Lebowitz, who wrote a couple early Mork & Mindy episodes and one for Three's Company around that same time, contributed this forgettable story about Tony living out his dream of becoming a fireman.  Still, Angela has some nice moments.

Billye Ree Wallace, who's a nameless Woman here, would be Polly on Ellen.  Dale Harimoto would reprise her role as reporter Laurie Lee the next season.  (She worked for KCET and was usually typecast as a reporter or similar in her acting roles.)  Ross Malinger has his first of three WtB roles, as Rory, while Josh Byrne returns as Joey.

Who's the Boss?: Roomies

"I'm sorry, but this season the producers just move
characters in and out on a whim.  It's nothing personal, Dude."

Who's the Boss?: Roomies
ABC
November 6, 1990
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Again, the writing (by David Lesser) and direction could be sharper here, but I enjoy a pre-Friends Matthew Perry as Sam's new roommate Benjamin.  Indeed, Milano has more chemistry with him than with Patrick Muldoon as fiance Matt, in his last onscreen appearance.  Sam and Matt have been involved three months and break up here but get back together for the time being.  The situation has some funny moments but never reaches the level of farce of Season Six, or for that matter Season One.  Note that Benjamin actually gets a last name, Dawson, while Matt never does.

Who's the Boss?: Parental Guidance Suggested

Who's the Boss?: Parental Guidance Suggested
ABC
October 30, 1990
Sitcom
DVD
C+


Gene Braunstein wrote this story where Billy feels pressured by Tony and Angela over-scheduling him, so he acts out by hitting the other kids at school.  I consider Billy a mildly annoying character and Halyalkar a not very talented even for his age actor, so it's hard for me to enjoy an episode focused on him.  True, in some ways he's just a catalyst to bring T & A closer, and indeed Andy (Doug Ballard) breaks up with Angela when he discovers that she considers Billy just as much her responsibility as Tony's.  It's not clear in this or any other episode how deep the feelings were/are between A & A, even less than what Kathleen really felt about Tony.  If the writing and direction were stronger in Season Seven, there would be more resonance to characters coming and going.  Anyway, I do like a post-Throb-pre-Frasier Jane Leeves as Billy's teacher Ms. Adams, the leap Tony makes on the couch, and Danza cracking up Light about his "shorts riding up."

Robert Clotworthy, who was Clete in the "Skating Rink" episode of The ABC After School Special, Private Welch on M*A*S*H, and Tony Williams on Three's Company, plays Greg.  Janice Kent, who was Cheryl Gainer on 3'sC, is Laurie here.  DeVera Marcus, who was Violet on Bosom Buddies and Dee on The Garry Shandling Show: 25th Anniversary Special, plays Willa.  Josh Byrne would return twice more in the role of Joey (shortly before going on to be a regular on Step by Step).

Who's the Boss?: The Kid

"Tony (series star Tony Danza)
is faced with a crucial decision
when asked by an elderly
woman, who was a neighbor of
his in his boyhood days, to take
over the raising of her five-year-
old grandson Billy (Jonathan
Halyalkar) on 'The Kid' episode
of  'WHO'S THE BOSS?'..."

Who's the Boss?: The Kid
ABC
October 23, 1990
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Bob Rosenfarb's first of eleven WtB stories is neatly summed up in the capsule to the right.  I'll add that although Angela is still dating Andy (Doug Ballard), she thinks about what it would be like to raise a child with Tony and is very open to the idea of taking in Billy.  Sam and Jonathan are fine with it, too, especially Sam.  To be honest, the conflict is almost nonexistent, and none of the negatives to the situation come up until later episodes.