European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 10, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Why viewers like sitcoms that critics Don t by Diane Haitman. Los Angeles time we re the loud Crumb laxative who is she Fly a Anvil Coj to come to the family reunion because we re going to pick up the chuch ". Pan . Executive producer. Growing paint he loud. Dumb relative in question is the situation comedy More specifically Simual Ion comedies like Abc s growing pains which manage to survive and Prosper among the top.10 prime Home shows despite unfriendly a Crews. These Aie she shows people moan when they say piously i Nevei Walch the same unseen sitcoms thai somehow everyone seems mysteriously Amil Iii with Wall. I caught half o in this once when i was Homo and the car would t snarl and i had the Llu and the Remote control ,. People Icar coming Oul of the Silcon watchers close so much that in s not unusual Lor them to deny their Viewig habits even to themselves. Ask to viewers what they watch National Survey and they. Will say pubic broadcasting 1 asserts Alan Wurtzel. Abc s senior vice president of Mai Keling and research the number of people who Gay they Are watching. Pcs wore actually watching it their ratings would to Wurzel said. And it s not that people Are lying to you when they say they re watching pcs they realty think Hal they re watching Bui despite denials somebody is watching growing pains who s he Boss another Abc comedy the civil Icson 1 like and other sitcoms. Despite its trashing by much Ollie press the Lour season old growing pains ranked no. 5 in la so season s Nielsen ratings and ranks no 10 this season to Date who s the Boss ended last season in is nth place and ranks no 7 this season. choir popularity these shows help pick up the Check Tor prime time to in a while to May give Bitch to a show that pulls both lop ratings and Good reviews note the recent newcomer Rosu Annc the no. 2 prime-lime1 show and the continuing phenomenon of the nation s no 1 Lavonne the Cosby show networks rely on the much derided though proti1ablo, top 10 sitcoms to keep growing pains and who s the Boss help toot the Bill Lor the less lucrative More costly to produce thirty something. China Beach and so 20. They also provide a crucial Lead in to the late evening programs. In other ways such shows May be even More valuable than top rated late evening comedies such As Abc s cheers and dear John because they also draw an audience that includes More women and children who mate most of the family s purchasing decisions and present to s head Tiesi via worship ". the researchers have their own opinions Aslo Why approximately 30 million people Aie relaxing with growing pains and who s the floss each week. Bui the Best Way to Lind Oul Why people watch these shows is to ask themselves. -. The los Angeles tones Iden Lilied some regular watcher sol one or both comedies and Assed them to speak frankly about Why they want to. Spend their prime time with in Odoud. Dumb relative ,. Growing pains the Story of the Saver family of Hunting Lon on new York s Longi Island starring Lormer Law show Host Alan Thicke As Jason so Ayr Joanna Kerns As Maggie teen idol Kirk Cameron As Girt crazy College freshman Mike Tracey Gold As Brainy High schooler Jeremy Miller As the. Precocious Ben plus a new baby a Nel Woik the show irom Warner Bros. Television Farrier Hood has taken on a whole new meaning Lor Jason Seaver who has assumed the chores of cooking cleaning and minding the kids so his Wile Maggie can pursue a career in Ouina a after spending 1s years As a House we " reviews although to guide once praised the show on a warmth scale of 1 to 10. Vou d have to give growing parts an easy 9"other have approached with langs bared imagine lying on the Couch for 30 mules of psychobabble delivered by Alan Thicke who proves that old talk show hosts Don i die they isl Lake a clog lessons whole one acerbic scribe the weekly show is an adolescent forever stuck in puberty unable to Malure eternally inset in a childlike state of awkwardness gloated the Hollywood stars of to situation comedies Kirk Cameron above of growing pains and Tony Danza below of who a the Boss reporter s review of the 1938 89 season premiere the producers Havo grown used to people beginning cocktail party conversations Wilh never watch dumb sitcoms or my kids Walch your they live with it and ? the producers Point Oul Shal sitcom writers Are writing Lor a family audience not a "35 year old Man who works Al a the shows the critics love Are aimed Al adults gun Zylman said. My personal viewing habits would Noi include the show i work the viewers one evening Iho Akin family of los Angeles allowed a visitor to Walch them watch to. The group included Mother Jan a substitute librarian Nancy. 11, Judy 16, and their overnight guest 11-year old Dominique Welfley the Walher insurance broker sell Akin holed up in his study rather than watch although he occasionally enjoys Abc Gowen girls and Abc s Perlecy so ranges. Usually to would rather just watch tha news the family gathered Lor a rerun of growing pains in which a bad report card leads Mike Seaver to decide no to enter College in the tall but to pursue a get Rich Quick scheme to prove iha1 collage is no key to Success True to Silva Hon comedy s immutable morality. Mike learns the error of his ways before during and after. The family discussed what they liked about the show Jan Akin prefers growing pains to More slapstick comedies such As Abc s ported strangers that gets a Little silly sometime Sas Well As to Abc s family ties and the Cosby or Tot she believes Taos places Loo much focus on Star Michael j Fox and Thame Kealon family lather Steven Michael Gross is too wimpy. On Cosby she said the Wile is always putting Down i hink it s a healthier atmosphere than most family sitcoms it s a fairly accurate picture of whal family life is be Jan said they seem to be Able to Lalk things Oul and solve a monday april 10, 1989 she laughed aloud when Jason Seaver told his son on inc episode the decisions you make now Are going to ailed you for Iho rest 61 your that sounds she said it s something we iry to practice anyway open communication i Shink 1 gives a Good example that in you talk to your kids they la Lal Kuoyou. And in always ends Wilh a Judy said some 61 the family situations on Iho show Are Ide Lieal to conflicts within the Akin family Nancy agreed "1 like it cause like. Judy said some of the Silva tins compare to what we be had Wancy said. I like the Way Jeremy Miller cooperates with Kirk Cameron. Carol and Mike Light the Way we do they insult each Nancy also criticized the critics for trashing growing pains think they re comparing two different things. The shows that Are on later Are Moro serious. But the 8 o clock shows Are Lor the families " Dominique tunes in to growing pains because Joanna Kerns and All to mothers remind me of my mom for some reason. I also like the Way Kirk Cameron and other kids compete with each other. And is funny 1 like serious stuff but nol serious enough to make you cry. I also like the dad 1 liked the episode where the dad s lather who s the 80ss7 according to the network a Hall hour comedy Aboul a lovable sex baseball player turned live in housekeeper his Dyn Omile Boss lady who is an advertising exo Culive. Their respective kids and her Mother As they All share the Domestic Joys and woes of making an unusual Homo together in suburban Connecticut " Columbia pictures television in Slars former Boner Tony Danza As housekeeper Tony Micelli Judith Light As executive Angela Bower. Kathenne Helmond As Angela s Mother Mona Robinson Alyssa Milano As Sanantha Micelli and Danny Pmauro As Jonathan Bower. Reviews indifferent at Best. Pleasantly and forget table raved the Washington Post will or. Danza s pectorals be keep this sitcom alive it probably does t matter gushed the nov the producers declined to be interviewed Lor this Story not. Wanting Lobo lumped in the same category As growing pains. The viewers think Boss has a Prelly Good Cross see lion of age groups interaction Between age groups and in g an unusual arrangement Panza being a housekeeper retired Aero space Engineer Francis o Connor 65, of California said. L think there s enough variety and situation changes in s riot the kind of show where you end up at the end of the show and say who writes this stuff " o Connor prefers shows m which relationships seam realistic rather than seeing characters either in continual jeopardy or trying Loo hard for laughs " some comedies Are real Closy All the time and that s not really the real world he said. I had eight adds and i Don t see much real township to what you see on to none of them Are in jail they re making Money they re married none of them Are on welfare ,. I Don l Ihrk i d want most of the kids on to to be role models Lor my for his own in of men o Connor looks to Katherine Helmond s Mona the cast s Only senior citizen she s a free sout he said shyly. I m not necessarily Hal much of a free soul bul i like while o Connor Les realty based plot lines he also likes situation comedy s predictably Happy . 1 As far As i m concerned that s the real work people Are sensitive to each other As opposed to everyone being Oul for them seizes it leaves you with a Nice Loeling at Iho end that every Lomg worked Oul Well Rommel Valerro 25, of was Hollywood Calil a Media Secretary for an advertising Agency likes the a consummated Romance of Tony and Angela. In s just like How moonlighting was it s like you a tuned Hio it while they get together. Plus in s very Lunny very " the stars and stripes Page 17
