I wonder if the addition of Heather Locklear's character Caitlin Moore in season 4 was the beginning of the end of the show since the last 2 seasons focused more on her and Charlie while the original characters become sidelined. I don't think that Charlie Sheen was the cause of the show's end since he just came in to fill a void.
shareThe shows decline was MJF leaving, not just the other characters who came and went.
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I think that the reason seasons 5-6 are critized by fans because the show focused more on the dynamic with Charlie and Caitlin whereas the remaining original 4 character Paul, Carter, Stuart, and the Mayor were reduced to appearing in the background with hardly anything to do.
shareI think the show, might have work better if they had cast another female to heather locklear sidekick?
shareI wonder what the show would have been like in the 4th season if Jennifer Esposito had stayed.She only left because of some stupid advice from Spike Lee,and Heather Locklear would've come on board anyway,to help ease Michael J.Fox's work load.That would've meant that for the first time there would have been four women in the main cast,Caitlin,Nikki,Stacey and Janelle,and Stacey wouldn't have taken any crap from Caitlin.
I missed Stacey when she left,damn that Spike Lee.
It would've turn in to a chick tv show?
shareNo I wouldn't say so.The women were hot,but they weren't as funny as the guys.
It would have just meant more female eye candy,but the guys would still have dominated the show.
But the dynamics between the women would have been different with Caitlin and Stacey both in it.
Season 4 is hit-or-miss, but Mike's character wasn't so much a stick figure that you could throw in any other character, played by any other person, and expect it to work the same.
Locklear herself didn't wreck the show - she's a good actress. But Caitlin - who was added to provide conflict - just didn't feel right.
Without Mike, the show nosedived. The Charlie character, which I don't recall if he was a retread of Mike or attempting to be someone different, just didn't work.
After 9/11, the show would likely have seen a ratings plummet - "Spin City" was always jubilant and fun, and in the city it was placed in having a major attack against it... even I would have turned off.
Friends carried on as normal and that was also set in NY. At the time it wasn't criticised, nor did it lose viewers.
shareI wouldn't know for sure, but I do have to say that Heather Locklear really was NOT the right person to play Caitlin Moore. Heather belongs with Drama, not Comedy. A person with hostile behavior really has no sense of humor whatsoever.
"Tsuppari is my former name."
Locklear replacing Jennifer Esposito started the decline, then with James and Nikki leaving and not being replaced killed it. Charlie replacing Michael was a sideways move, the show wouldnt have lasted any longer or been any better if Michael stayed.
shareI am watching spin city for the first time from season 1.
Right now i am right in the middle of season 4 and i got to agree that season 4 is when it declined.
I haven't even watched season 5 or 6 yet so it definitely was not because of charlie.
I don't think heather was the cause. I think season 4 declined for a few reasons
1, The character of caitlyn did not suit the show. The character was not funny and too drama and bitchy. We shouldn't blame heather locklear for this. It's the writers fault for making the character that way.
2, Jennifer Esposito leaving. She was a really funny character. Her character was more suited to the show than caitlyn.
3, James, carter, nikki not getting as much airtime on seasonn 4. what is up with that? they were solid main characters throughout season 1-3. The audience is already attached to them and suddenly they are not main characters anymore.
As i said. i am only in the middle of season 4 and have not watched season 5 or 6 yet but i already feel like they are wrapping up the show and it has started to decline. Even if MJF Could've stayed and done another season. I think it should've ended at the end of season 4.
Yup.. Hopefully they can minimize Locklear on Franklin and Bash next season. Season 4 may have declined but I recently watched the first episode of season 5 and it was just BAD.. very bad. And I was a fan on Sheen's sillier Hot Shots and Major League roles. He just seemed a poor fit for the series.
share"Locklear replacing Jennifer Esposito started the decline, then with James and Nikki leaving and not being replaced killed it. Charlie replacing Michael was a sideways move, the show wouldnt have lasted any longer or been any better if Michael stayed."
Woah there, back it up a little...
If Michael had stayed the production would've stayed in NY and James and Nikki would've stayed too.
Locklear was mainly bought in to ease the workload on Michael J Fox. If Fox wasn't ill, she probably wouldn't have been on the show at all.
Fox being unwell and leaving was the major catalyst for the show's decline.
I'd have loved to have seen a few more series with Fox and the old crew.
Have to agree. Locklear and Sheen had no business on this show. I don't know why the writers were trying to turn a comedy into a drama.
shareI believe it was Locklear who destroyed 'Spin City' and I certainly enjoyed Sheens' role!
P.S. Locklear is ruining 'Franklin & Bash' in much the same manner!
Neither one was the cause of the shows decline, but there are several other reasons that one could subjectively say the show had a decline in quality and they are:share
“Loss of Michael J. Fox”: At the end of the fourth season of the show, series star Michael J. Fox announced he was leaving the series due to the worsening of his Parkinson's Disease. The announcement came as a shock to American viewers who were not aware of his diagnosis until 2000. His character on the show, Mike Flaherty was charming, charismatic and energetic and brought a lot of heart to the show. Frankly he is why we watched the show. His exit was a major blow to the series and caused a lot of the appeal of the series to vanish.
“Loss of Bill Lawrence”: At the same time that MJF left the show, series creator and head writer Bill Lawrence also departed the series. This was a huge blow to the series as it was a tough enough task asking viewers to accept the exit of Fox and the addition of Charlie Sheen, who was fine enough in his role; but was not the same as Fox. It was a whole other thing to ask us to accept the show w/out its creative force. Lawrence has a unique writing style and his exit really impeded the shows quality.
“Loss of Key Characters”: Several other key characters left at the end of season four, including fan favorites James (Alexander Chaplin), Nikki (Connie Britton) and Janelle (Victoria Dillard). It was just too much change all at once.
“ABC Network Issues”: At the same time Spin City was going through changes, ratings for most of ABC’s series were also dropping dramatically. In 1999, ABC hit pay dirt with the success of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”, a massive hit that took the country by storm and were at one time drawing nearly 30 million viewers and airing five nights a week.
it could have survived without one or two 'staff' continuing on but this was Fox's show. Critical difference between how Fox and Sheen played lead. I don't know what got into Goldberg but they probably just should have ended the series if they could not find a replacement lead who was similar to Fox.
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