TV SHOWS I REALLY MISS

AS ALL THE NETWORKS RELEASED THEIR NEW SCHEDULES OF SHOWS THIS WEEK, I COULDN'T HELP LOOKING BACK AND THINKING ABOUT WHAT I REALLY WISH WAS GOING TO BE ON NEXT SEASON.


I think that current TV is the most exciting, challenging, thought-provoking medium we have today. From House of Cards to 13 Reasons Why to Grace and Frankie to Scandal, things have never been better. But, as I was drifting off to sleep last night, I started thinking about shows I really wish I could watch every week with new episodes again. 

Here are some of those shows I miss. Is your favorite on it, too?

THAT GIRL, starring Marlo Thomas, was the VERY FIRST show EVER starring a single-woman lead. She wasn't someone's wife. She wasn't dependent on anyone. It was a ground-breaking show that broke the barriers for all the comedy shows starring single women that followed. I'd love to see THAT GIRL today, updated to current situations, AND starring Marlo. Millions of women would watch because her situation would, once again, reflect a gigantic segment of the population. Networks----are you listening

THE DAYS AND NIGHTS OF MOLLY DODD, starring Blair Brown. This show, about a quirky, independent, complicated single woman, took things way beyond a Mary Tyler Moore character. It ran on NBC and LIfetime in the late 80s, and earned Blair five Emmy nominations. I just adored it.

BOSTON LEGAL was a totally insane law show with inventive characters and story lines. I REALLY miss seeing James Spader, Candice Bergen, and William Shatner.

SQUARE PEGS was on CBS in the 80s. It was the forerunner of EVERY show about high school kids that came after it. CBS should never have canceled it, but it was so ahead of its time, those executives didn't realize what they had. Tracy Nelson's character, which she totally re-invented from what was written on the page, was a stand-out. 13 REASONS WHY, plus ALL  of the CW and FREEFORM'S programming owe it all to SQUARE PEGS.

THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW and YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS (SID CAESAR AND IMOGENE COCA) were the most brilliant variety shows ever done. There isn't one show featuring sketches and character comedy that can come close. End of discussion. Every episode of these shows is a master class.

I SIMPLY MISS ALLY MCBEAL. I guess I just love shows with unusual characters and unique story lines. David Kelley's wild show, took hour-long "dramedy" off the charts. It invented that form. I miss those characters. I miss dancing babies and people singing Barry White songs.


AND NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS:

TWO OF MY FAVORITES ARE COMING BACK!

TWIN PEAKS AND ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT!!!!!

We already know that ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT will be good, because it has come back before and been great. Thank you, NETFLIX. TWIN PEAKS was a show that had me rivited from the first guitar note of that theme, to worrying about Laura Palmer every night. Please, God, I hope it's good. This is a show that has to be absolute perfection to compare to the original.There isn't room for even one mistake.

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And now, I confess my secret longing, even though I risk a response of laughter.
I really wish SOUL TRAIN (in its original form) were on again. Just one more stroll through the line, please.......