I found it highly entertaining. The scripts this time weren't nearly as good as the scripts used in the previous specials - it was more obvious than ever what a comedown these shows were for Lear at the time. (The Diff'rent Strokes script was almost ridiculously simplistic.) But the cast was having so much fun (especially Aniston, Hahn, Hart and Lithgow) that they overcame the scripts' limitations. The show was also a nice reminder of how good Aniston can be in a TV ensemble, when she's not trying to dominate a movie. Perhaps director Jim Burrows, her original director on Friends, was an influence there. Too many commercial breaks interrupted the flow - I think Facts of Life was broken into about 5 segments. On the plus side, though, those '70s-style commercials with Alfonso Ribeiro were consistently clever. (And who was the announcer doing the Ernie Anderson impression?) All in all, not classic television, but a nice way to spend 90 minutes.
On Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 4:25:13 AM UTC-5 Dave Sikula wrote: > The wife, who watched both shows as a kid, watched this and laughed and > laughed. > > Myself, the only thing I found amusing was Bateman and Arnett having a > silent argument in the background of one scene. > > All of these reboots have confirmed my feelings of how terrible the Lear > shows were: preachy and sanctimonious. > > Bah. > > --Dave Sikula > > On Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at 3:52:34 PM UTC-8 Brad Beam wrote: > >> Since Jon Stewart has already been pegged as a cameo for tonight's show*, >> my money is on Molly Ringwald appearing - perhaps as Blair's mother. >> >> * >> https://tvline.com/2021/12/02/jon-stewart-facts-of-life-live-in-front-of-a-studio-audience-cast/ >> >> On Sunday, November 21, 2021 at 4:57:34 PM UTC-5 PGage wrote: >> >>> The material is not substantial enough to justify either lazy or >>> inspired. Brad chose the accurate word originally: Obvious. >>> >>> On Sun, 21 Nov 2021 at 12:23 PM M-D November <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> I have to admit, I'm not sure if Hart as Arnold is lazy, inspired, or >>>> (somehow) a bit of both. >>>> >>>> On Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 9:32:06 PM UTC-5 Brad Beam wrote: >>>> >>>>> "Diff'rent Strokes" and "The Facts of Life" will be offered up on >>>>> December 7 with Kevin Hart playing Arnold, obviously. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/jimmy-kimmel-norman-lear-live-in-front-of-a-studio-audience-diffrent-strokes-facts-of-life-1235115754/ >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _ _ >>>>> >>>>> |_>|_> Brad Beam- Belle WV >>>>> >>>>> |_>|_> http://www.facebook.com/74bmw >>>>> >>>> -- >>>> >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "TVorNotTV" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/9d7e706c-a4ce-41d2-8484-20b5a3741a47n%40googlegroups.com >>>> >>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/9d7e706c-a4ce-41d2-8484-20b5a3741a47n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>> . >>>> >>> -- >>> Sent from Gmail Mobile >>> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/8eaae44d-48c3-4409-a32e-ecfdfd14f681n%40googlegroups.com.
