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Such is the case with my current binge target "Moonlighting." Having originally premiered in 1985, I never sampled it then. All I would hear from friends who were fans was that the show had a problem maintaining its production schedule. There would be times you would not get to see two original episodes back-to-back.
Well, that's not a problem in 2024 where there are no such gaps. Early on, I really appreciated the comedic byplay between Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis. The dialogue was fast and furious. I hear that hour-long scripts which are usually sixty pages in length would stretch to 100 because this show was so snappy dialogue heavy.
What I also came to appreciate was the clever way they used to break the fourth wall like an old Bugs Bunny cartoon. Plus there are frequently elaborate musical production numbers and chase sequences, which I am sure contributed to the so-called production delays.
Still I was intrigued and would watch an episode a night right through the first three seasons. At the end of year three, Maddy Hayes and David Addison finally set a fire with their romantic sparks. It was all very satisfying.
And I moved on to Season 4. Shepherd, in real life, is pregnant and gets written out of the show for whole episodes at a time. Meanwhile, Bruce Willis is working on both the series and the movie "Die Hard" at the same time. Suddenly, two supporting actors are entrusted with whole episodes and the magic is gone. I understand that "Moonlighting" lasted only one more year and I understand why.
Suddenly, my binge is no longer nightly, but perhaps two or three episodes a week.
Now I finally know what everybody was bitching about in 1988.
Dinner last night: A long day of travel so nothing really.
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