Roseanne: Happy Birthday

The kids all grown up and Roseanne blonde.

Roseanne: Happy Birthday
ABC
May 8, 1990
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Roseanne's sister Geraldine co-wrote this episode with another woman, and neither of them worked on any other of my shows.  It's a bit slow-moving but would be important in retrospect, to the point that I winced at one part.*  Roseanne is turning 37 and as a birthday present Dan turns the basement into a writing space.  I recall David** as moving in there later, but maybe that's retconned.

Lori Tan Chinn, Elizabeth Franz, Debra Mooney, and Melora Walters return as Iris, Mrs. Wellman, and Debbie respectively.

Roseanne in its second season ranges from C to B+, with an average, like the first season, of a low B.  There are again missteps with Roseanne's workplace and otherwise, and some of the risks taken, such as the "musical" episode, are not well thought out.  Still it remains unlike any of its contemporaries.  I'm definitely curious to see where it goes in Season Three.


*SPOILER: Roseanne says she doesn't have time to write with work, Dan, and the kids, so he says, "Hey, I won't live forever."  Whether or not this line was meant to be ouchy at the time, it would be after the final episode.

**For the second time, D.J. is called David, this time by Darlene.  This makes her renaming of her future boyfriend even stranger, but we'll get to that.

Who's the Boss?: The All-Nighter

Who's the Boss?: The All-Nighter
ABC
May 8, 1990
Sitcom
DVD
B+

Clay Graham wrote this story which is arguably the most controversial and/or pivotal one in the series.  Angela has new clients from the recording industry, Jon Petrie (John Sanderford, who played Eric on Bosom Buddies) and Peter Gerber (Stan Ivar, who'd be back in the role in the Season Seven opener).  Meanwhile, Tony and his study group are trying to cram for an upcoming test.  Angela suggests they rent a motel room in order to study in peace.  Three of the group bail but Tony stays behind with Kathleen Sawyer (Kate Vernon), an opinionated but attractive blonde.  Tony "gets lucky," as perceptive Mona guesses the next morning, but he feels like he "betrayed Angela."  The implication is that he hasn't had sex with anyone since the makeout and conversation in Jamaica.  But he doesn't know if this is a one-night stand or something more.  Angela, on the edge of tears, suggests that they see other people, as part of the "journey" of their relationship.  The episode and the season end with Tony wanting to say something to Angela as she goes out the door to have coffee with Peter.

Debbie (Tara Karsian) and Kyle (Dan Stockenberg) had appeared in the episode about Sam's married grad student crush, but they were nameless then.  The Motel Manager is played by Dick Miller, who of course has a ton of credits, especially film, but was last seen in my TV collection as a Guard on Soap.

Season Six has some great moments, particularly with T & A.  Even this episode is about their relationship.  However, this doesn't mean that all the episodes are great.  The range is C to B+ and the average is B-.  Season Seven would deal with the fall-out of this episode, with mixed results, but, yes, it would remain an interesting journey.

Jeeves and Wooster: The Purity of the Turf

Jeeves and Wooster: The Purity of the Turf
ITV
6 May 1990
Historical Comedy
DVD
B-

This is based on two short stories, one of them called (I believe) "The Purity of the Turf."  For a change, the stories aren't interwoven and pretty much stand alone, although Bertie's Uncle George and his refound lost love Maudie do show up at the country fete.  As for the "turf," various bets are made before and during the fete, with Rupert Steggles (played by Richard Braine, who would return a couple years later in the totally different role of Gussie Fink-Nottle #2) as the bookie.  Bingo (Michael Siberry) "falls in love again," twice, and Bertie claims it's only been a week and a half since Daphne, who followed Honoria, although maybe Bertie is exaggerating for effect.

Richard Dixon, John Pirkis, Michael Ripper, and Richard Stirling return as respectively Oofy Prosser, Freddie Chalk-Marshall, the Drones Porter, and Boko Fittleworth.  I should note that I don't feel like most of the characters are that memorable, but the George/Maudie thing is cute and I would've been happy with a whole hour about them.

Roseanne: Fathers and Daughters

Roseanne: Fathers and Daughters
ABC
May 1, 1990
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Roseanne regrets that she's closer to her mom and Jackie is closer to their dad, so she doesn't want the same pattern repeated with her own daughters.  It feels like more should happen with the Dan & Becky hanging-out and the Roseanne & Darlene hanging-out than everyone deciding things are fine as they are.  I mean, 22 minutes to come up with that?  But there are some nice moments along the way.

Lindsay Fisher makes her middle of three appearances as Becky's friend Dana Hudson, and Jimmy Meltrigger is referenced as Becky's ex-boyfriend, who dumped her for one of her other friends.  Gary is also referred to, as he was in the previous episode, but at least we've seen him lately.

Who's the Boss?: Sit Down and Be Counted

Who's the Boss?: Sit Down and Be Counted
ABC
May 1, 1990
Sitcom
DVD
C+

While this isn't bad for a clip show, and I do like the concept for it-- Tony, Angela, and Mona try to explain their household to census-taker Hank Sloan (Ray Buktenica, who you may remember from Rhoda)-- I don't think the flashbacks support the main idea as well as those in "Life with Father."  Still, it's nice to revisit Season One especially, and there's a twist ending that doesn't particularly fit with the timeline of "three months later" but is a nice bit of self-parody, ABC announcer and all.  Note that Tony gives his birthdate as April 23, 1952, which matches canon for the most part, but Angela's October birthday, according to Mona, does not fit her being a Gemini.

Cinnamon, Fisch, Kallis, and Wengrod are all credited with the writing, but I don't know if that includes the archive material.

Jeeves and Wooster: Tuppy and the Terrier

Jeeves and Wooster: Tuppy and the Terrier
ITV
29 April 1990
Historical Comedy
DVD
B-

This story combines three in one, with Bertie following Bobbie Wickham's scheme to get vengeance on Barmy Fotheringay Phipps (Adam Blackwood again); Bertie letting her use his flat to host Broadway producer Mr. Blumenfield and his eight-year-old son (Billy J. Mitchell and Anatol Yusef in their first of two appearances); and Tuppy courting an opera singer.  Aunt Dahlia (Brenda Bruce, my favorite in the role) wants to break up that romance, since Tuppy was courting her daughter Angela.  We'll find out more about Tuppy/Angela later.  Bertie's song this episode, not counting his dreadful "Sonny Boy," is the very catchy "Forty-Seven Ginger-Headed Sailors."  The beginning of the episode, all that golf, is slow, but Mackintosh is a cute little dog.

Michael Ripper returns as the Drones Porter.

Jeeves and Wooster: Jeeves Takes Charge

Only Jeeves can get Bertie out of this predicament.

Jeeves and Wooster: Jeeves Takes Charge
ITV
Historical Comedy
22 April 1990
DVD
B-

Clive Exton adapted this and I think all the other episodes of the four series of the programme, basing this episode on two of the early short stories.  It's a reasonably faithful adaptation, although understandably a lot of time is spent introducing characters, including ones who have little to do with the present tale.  This, combined by the slow-paced direction, by Robert Young (not that Robert Young) as it would be for the other episodes of Series One, gives a feeling that it takes awhile to get going.  The liveliest moments are due to the music, that is, the jaunty theme tune (with perfect animation), the incidental music, and of course the duet for "Minnie the Moocher."  As with the books, it's difficult to say when exactly this is set, other than "between the World Wars," although there is a reference to a wine from '27.

The first scene is set in a courtroom, as a hungover and incoherent Bertram Wilberforce Wooster (the marvelous Hugh Laurie) is sentenced five pounds by the judge, Sir Watkyn Bassett (John Woodnutt, who would be featured more prominently in his five later appearances), for stealing a policeman's helmet.  He returns home and just wants to collapse in bed but is woken by the arrival of the new valet that the agency sent over.  This valet is Jeeves (the understated but splendid Stephen Fry) and he's about to change Bertie's life, for the better.  I'll note here that at 30 and 32 respectively, Laurie is a bit too old for the 25-ish Wooster and Fry is definitely too young for the middle-aged Jeeves, but they're so perfectly cast, and of course have long-standing chemistry, that the viewer can soon overlook that.

Bertie's stern Aunt Agatha (Mary Wimbush) thinks he's wasting his life and she wants him to marry Honoria Glossop (Liz Kettle) as a steadying influence.  So he reluctantly goes down to the estate of her parents, Sir Roderick and Lady Glossop (Roger Brierly and Jane Downs), where he meets his old pal Bingo Little (Michael Siberry).  Complications, including cats stolen by his cousins Claude and Eustace, ensue.

Adam Blackwood makes his first of four appearances as Barmy Fothingay (pronounced "Fungy") Phipps, Richard Dixon his first of eight as Oofy Prosser, John Pirkis his first of three as Freddie Chalk-Marshall, Michael Ripper his first of six as the Drones Porter, and Richard Stirling his first of two as Boko Fittleworth.  Yet it is Robert Daws who'll be the main familiar face throughout the series, getting more to do in his seven later appearances as Tuppy Glossop (yes, related to these Glossops), while those around him are recast and/or underused.