MovieChat Forums > The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (1968) Discussion > Such a short run? Something is terribly...

Such a short run? Something is terribly wrong!

posted 19 years ago by big_bellied_geezer
14 replies | jump to latest

Hi,
I have long been curious as to why this show only lasted a short time? It lasted two seasons and only 50 episodes, not near long enough for such a quality show with such good initial buzz...

Does anyone out there have a good and accurate answer as to why this show seemed to vanish so quickly? First it ran on NBC, than ABC picked it up the next season and then canned it! Why? I wonder because the show seemed to be pleasant enough, a rather fluffy and cute show on par with other good comedies of the time, plus it had two very capable leads and some good support with Charles Nelson Reiley and Reta Shaw. Also consider the following...

1. In 1969 Hope Lange won an Emmy for her role as leading actress in a comedy series for her work on the series. Good publicity for a show in its first year wouldn't you think?

2. In 1969 Edward Mulhare was nominated for his role on the series as best leading actor in a comedy series.

3. In 1969 Hope Lange was nominated for a Golden Globe for her work on the series.

4. In 1969 The series was nominated for best outstanding comedy series.

5. Also in 1969 the series was nominated for an Emmy for best editing.

6. In 1970 Hope Lange won Emmy again in the lead actress catagory in a comedy for her role on The Ghost And Mrs Muir. Two years in a row, that doesn't happen too often to the same actress for the same show! Yet even more good publicity.

7. In 1970 Charles Nelson Reiley was nominated as best supporting actor in a comedy series for his work on this show.

8. In 1970 the series also was nominated for an Emmy for best editing.

9. Also in 1970 the series was nominated for an ACE award for best editing.

SO...I just do not get it...two important Emmy wins and seven other nominations within a mere two season time frame, and with all of this positive buzz that surrounded the show and its major stars this show only lasts two seasons and swiches networks too!!? Something went terribly TERRIBLY WRONG!!!

It seems to me as if the networks just pulled the plug on this show far too early instead of nurturing it along. How could something so positive turn so sour so fast? MY SUSPICIONS: I wonder if this was another colossal mistake made by NBC management in much the same way that NBC mismanaged and bungled the whole STAR TREK series when they killed off the original series around the same time in 1969? Pushing off a Emmy winning show from the schedule during its first year makes no sense whatsoever, and ABC not renewing it after multiple Emmy wins and nominations makes even less sense. This is truly an unsolved mystery to me...

If anyone out there knows for sure, I (and no doubt others) would love to read your posts!

Filling up your tank is filling up the pockets of the enemy

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] big_bellied_geezer 19 years ago

snowblanc_2000,
You do have some good points about the storyline running out of ideas as a comedy. When I consider the idea of treating the series as more of a drama as opposed to leaning so much into comedy as it did, the entire production takes on a strange note in my imagination, and there I begin to understand why some people who loved the Rex Harrison film version hated this show so much since it was derided as "an abomonation of the original story"

Upon reflection I suppose I did sense the underlying sadness in the way the TV series story and angle was constructed in a way that you always knew that Mrs Muir and the Captain were not meant to be, at least in this world. Thankfully the way the leads handled those moments in the story gave this some rather poignant scenes that must of not been totally offensive or lost entirely upon the voting bloc at the Emmy awards!

Despite any shortcomings in treating this in a lighter vein as the writers did, when one considers what was on TV back in the late Sixties, I still am surprised this did not last at least one more full season, and that still leaves me mystified for a good reason for this show's sudden demise.

Filling up your tank is filling up the pockets of the enemy

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] big_bellied_geezer 19 years ago

Once again, you make some good observations snowblanc_2000!

The state of such so called classic tv channels like TV Land has become appaling in my opinion. My interest in what they run for the most part now days is just not there. In my opinion, TV Land has become quite boring by constantly running the same banal stuff these past few years with rare exceptions. For the person like myself who seeks out seldom run older TV series, the choices are just not there on cable anymore it seems, almost a waste of money for me to even suscribe outside of a channel like TCM.

As for THE GHOST AND MRS MUIR, I taped the vast majority of episodes that I still have back in 1994 off of the FX channel when it was broadcasting them and it USED TO BE a quite interesting station for about five and a half seconds, showing many interesting off-beat classic and seldom seen series and having some fascinating live shows before they changed their entire programming and look around and became just another stupid soulless and faceless channel that I have avoided ever since.

Last time I heard, the DVD release of GHOST AND MRS MUIR was still a rumor...but a good rumor that I am reasonably sure should happen...it certaintly is overdue for any sort of release to home video that is for sure!

I am sure that if it does come out it will sell well, and I hope if it is done it is done in a season by season set in broadcast order with commentary or at least a special feature about the show, hopefully with recollections by Charles Nelson Reiley, any producers/directors and perhaps some of the kid actors from the show since they are the only ones still around.

As for me, I too am looking forward to Wild Wild West and MFU in complete season sets, including those WWW and MFU reunion movies from the Eighties!

Filling up your tank is filling up the pockets of the enemy

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] dwieselq 19 years ago

I remember when FX used to broadcast GAMM, I wish I had been more diligent in taping the episodes...and you're right, FX went down hill, "sold out" so to speak. The station initially boasted they aired their shows uncut, but I know for a fact they did edit out certain scenes in "Nanny and The Professor" to get more commercial time in. Pathetic in my opinion and an insult to fans.

TV Land does the same thing now...I've some several instances on the Brady Bunch where they add a "flip screen" edit that makes it seem like a natural scene change of the original broadcast, but it, in fact, is not. Talk about pathetic and unfair.

[–] ghostfan 19 years ago

I taped all the GAMM episodes when they ran on FX -- then later managed to get hold of episodes of the show taped when it ran on a Sacramento station in the 80's. FX cut at least three minutes from each GAMM episode also.

Sigh -- i can't wait until this show comes out on DVD! I wish someone would confirm the rumor -- October is entirely too close!

[–] melchycat 18 years ago

I too was lucky enough to acquire the uncut eps and let me tell you, it makes a huge difference. Compared to the FX ones, it's like watching a whole other show. But I am happy I did think to tape it when it was on FX, I've spent many happy times watching those tapes--but I'm almost afraid too anymore for fear they break.

I do think like someone said that the show didn't have anywhere else to go. There was talk about having Carolyn marry, and that just wouldn't have worked. But you can only have so many dream episodes before people start clamoring for the real thing. And given when this show was on, it would have been improper for the Captain to have physical touch. But I do wish it would have lasted longer. However that is what fan fiction is for and if you want some good stories go wallow at fanfiction.net. Or join a yahoo group like [email protected]. And my fingers are crossed on that DVD realease.

[–] everymedia 18 years ago

I also loved the FX network the way it was originally. It was personal, with the hosts addressing the audience, giving information on the shows. Some nice TV memories there.
Big Bellied, you described the station exactly how it became when it changed, "Soulless and faceless".

[–] amalgamd 19 years ago

It is interesting that it did not last longer than two seasons. You both bring up some very interesting points. Hope Lange winning two consecutive Emmys - and over Liz Montgomery, Marlo Thomas, Barbara Feldon, and Diahann Carroll - certainly suggests that the series wasn't just another nameless 1960s sitcom. I think that the series may have not succeeded in a longer run for a few reasons (just speculation on my part):

* I don't think the network gave the series much time to build a fan base. Many shows do not do excellently in the first season (I don't believe the series made it into the Top 20 - although I have to check that) and are booted off before they have a chance to build a fan base. Certainly the show received a reprieve from ABC, but it then went to another night and time - the fans that it built up may not have followed it to its second season.
* Changes in tastes regarding viewing interests (shift toward more 'realistic' comedy - Perhaps this explains why shows like GAMM, and "Nanny and the Professor" had quite short runs. That being said, I don't think viewers necessarily lost interest in shows that had a more fantasy element, only that the networks perhaps were not making them as frequently, turning more to shows like "All in the Family", and so on.
* Its timeslots. From memory, I think the show ran against staples like "The Lawrence Welk Show", which were long-established and had stable fan bases. Perhaps not the best timeslot for a show finding its feet.

If anyone would like to join a Hope Lange Yahoo discussion group (where there is lots of talk about GAMM) come on over to:
http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/hope_lange/

Adam :-)

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] JohnQ1127 13 years ago

Yeah, it is odd that a show so celebrated for quality by the Emmys would have such a short run on tv. In retrospect I'm actually surprised at how high the level of the dialogue was on that program. It's probably more a sad example of how Americans basically communicate on a 5th grade level in 2012.

TV is an odd medium in that a show's success will depend on it's competition from other programs in the same time slot. So regardless of the quality of the show, a show's time slot will greatly impact the life of that program.

Also in the pre VHS, DVR, Tivo days, people couldn't just record a show and watch it at a later time. Also, there were only 3 network channels and a few local channels so you were doomed as a show if you ran opposite a big hit show. Things are much more spread out nowadays with hundreds of cable channels so One show doesn't dominate the time slot like it used to.

GAMM, debuted on Saturday @8:30 pm on NBC opposite "Lawrence Welk" which was a top 30 program and "My Three Sons" which was a top 15 program.

It moved to ABC in it's second season which again is an odd thing after a show has been praised by the emmys.

In season Two, GAMM was broadcast on Thursdays @7:30 on ABC opposite "Family Affair" which was a Top Five show for the '69-70 season.

Gamm was a victim of a poor time slot. I'm sure it would have lasted much longer in a spot that wasn't as competitive. It could also be that the gimmicky supernatural sit-coms were on the way out.

GAMM was interesting in that it combined two themes, one that was popular in the 60's and one that would be popular in the late 60's-70's. One theme was the gimmicky supernatural sit-soms like Mr. Ed, My Mother the Car, My Favorite Martian, Bewitched, The Flying Nun, or I Dream of Jeanie. The other theme was the theme of the independent woman/women like Julia, Mary Tyler Moore, The Partridge Family, One Day at a time, Police Woman, Rhoda, Phyllis, and Charlie's Angels.

[–] ghostfan 13 years ago

John-

Love your analysis on this show, but as someone who was alive when this show first ran (I was 11 and fell in love with it immediately) I do need to point out that the show was cancelled by NBC before the Emmy program was aired and results announced. NBC didn't know they had cancelled a show that just won the leading actress an Emmy.

I remember quite clearly watching the awards for the 68-69 season... talk about ironies! The great William Windom won his emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for My World and Welcome To It, which was also cancelled... (sadly.. I loved that show, even if perhaps part of the humor went right over my head).

Then it was time for winner of Best Actress in a Comedy - and Hope Lange's name was announced. There was a "Whoop" from the audience, who knew that the show had - like MWAWTI, had been cancelled. Taking the stage, Hope made her thank you's to the Emmy people and then announced, with a a bit of smugness, that though the show had been cancelled by NBC, ABC had picked it up, and she would see us in the fall, after all.

I belive the situation repeated itself the following year also? For the 1969-70 season, Hope won again, and so did Don Adams, for "Get Smart," which was also slated for cancellation.

[–] JohnQ1127 13 years ago

@Ghostfan,

I was too young for the original broadcast of GAMM but I remember watching it in syndication during the mid 1970's. It's kind of unfortunate that it only had a two year run because it never made it into regular syndication runs like shows with 3-5 seasons. By the 1980's this show just seemed to disappear from memory.

I watched a few episodes of GAMM on youtube the other day and it brought back a lot of nostalgia. Like I said previously I was kind of surprised at the high level of dialogue for a gimmicky sit-com. I think that's just a sad indictment on the low level of discourse in 2012.

The winning of awards after a cancelation is an odd thing and I had no idea Hope Lange actually won an Emmy for this show.

It kind of reminds of a very good show called "Frank's Place" which only lasted one season (1987-1988) yet was nominated and won several awards after it was cancelled.