It's time to walk back amongst the video clips lining the walls and drag one out into the light for all to see...what will it be tonight...?
Yes, that's a good one. Short and sweet. So once upon a time there was a thing called TGIF, which was a block of silly family oriented sitcoms that aired on - surprise! - Friday nights on ABC. The anchor show for pretty much the whole life of TGIF was Full House, which ran for roughly 29 years, or maybe it only felt that way. For one of those early seasons, the last half-hour sitcom of the four was a show called I Married Dora. It really wasn't much. A widower with two kids has a wonderful housekeeper/nanny from a South American country always on the brink of war. She has immigration problems and faces deportation, which will be dangerous as all get out. So, like the title says, the guy marries Dora to keep her around his household. But of course there's no love - it's a business arrangement, so he's still dating on the side. *cue laugh track*
Actually, let's cue the show's credits with two video clips tonight. Here's that one:
Look at little Juliette Lewis! Ha!
Well, I actually watched this show religiously, because the guy in the show was Daniel Hugh Kelly, who I'd just finished watching on a three year run as the McCormicky half of Hardcastle and McCormick, one of my all-time faves. So I sat through some pretty goofy comedy, and this show was the only one I ever saw with a disclaimer stating the act of marrying an illegal alien to avoid deportation is against the law. But I spent a lot of the time the show was on wishing the late great Henry Jones would clear his throat. (Watch anything with him from the 80's and you'll know what I'm talking about).
Okay, well, the show comes to the end of the season, and the producers are well aware that the ratings have not been good. So in the story, they have Daniel Hugh Kelly get a job in another country, and as the last episode nears its end, he gets on a plane, leaving Dora and the kids behind. But that wasn't quite the end...
Is that awesome or what? I went out of my mind when I saw that the night it aired. Of course, those 13 episodes (one interrupted by the rescue of Baby Jessica from the well - and never finished airing) are gone - probably never to be seen again. That actually makes me sad, even though it wasn't that great to begin with. But at least we can celebrate one of my favorite endings of all time with these clips!
Til next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!
We all have our favorite movies, or shows, that were largely ignored by the world--but loved by us, don't we?
ReplyDeleteSomehow that just made 'em better.
I think it's awesome that Dora's childhood adventures in her home country were captured, recorded, and animated. Pity she couldn't bring Boots into the U.S.
Hardcastle and McCormick was one of my favorites as well. Even the theme song rocked--and I now realize that I can recall the prologue and most of the lyrics.
Which is good. Because, you know, I didn't need that storage space for anything over the last 20 years.
Full House did run for 29 years, which is odd, because there were only three episodes. Each involved misunderstandings with the girls, and Uncle Jesse getting his GED, and a last minute talent show featuring Joey's voice acting.