Bosom Buddies: What Price Glory?

Bosom Buddies: What Price Glory?
ABC
January 1, 1981
Sitcom
DVD
B

This is unfortunately the only Buddies episode written by Roger Garrett.  It offers a nice blend of humor (among the references, That Girl and Shari Lewis) and food for thought.  The agency has a potential client, Dr. Leonard Bob (James Callahan, who'd been Tommy Gillis on M*A*S*H but is probably most recognizable for Charles in Charge), and the question is whether Kip and Henry can be sleazy enough to win him over.  They recognize that being in advertising involves some compromises, but they value their integrity.

Note that when Kip and Henry show up in leisure suits like Dr. Bob, it's an example of costumes telling part of the story.  (In '75, for instance, leisure suits wouldn't have the connotations of sleaziness and insincerity they do by the early '80s.  Bob Hartley wore them and he was nothing like this Dr. Bob.)

Hello, Larry's Joanna Gleason plays Faith Crane, but it's the actress playing her sister Esther who's more of a household name: L.A. Law's Susan Ruttan in her little-screen debut.  Patrick Quinn didn't really do much more acting, but he's quite good as Marty Bursky and at times suggests Sam McMurray of The Tracey Ullman Show.  This is the first of two Buddies episodes directed by Bowab, who did one for Soap's second season.