Proving that there is still some love for 3 anti-establishment cops, "The Mod Squad" squeaked out a narrow victory in the recent "Favorite Aaron Spelling TV show" poll. One thing that I was reminded of in conducting this poll is that although "The Mod Squad" rarely shows up in reruns anymore, it is fondly remembered by those who grew up watching it in the late 60s and early 70s. Normally I don't participate in the polls, unless there is a tie. When I saw that it was knotted up between "Beverly Hills, 90210", "The Love Boat", and "The Mod Squad", I decided to exercise my right. Although I am a fan of the first two series, I had to cast my vote for Pete Linc, and Julie.When this poll was first posted, there were only 6 choices. After thinking about it, I decided to open things up and add three more series ("The Mod Squad", "Family", and "7th Heaven"). I did this because not everyone is a fan of the cheese and glitz normally associated with an Aaron Spelling production.
One thing that surprised me was the lack of votes for "Dynasty"; the show that based purely on Nielsen ratings, was Aaron Spelling's most successful series. Personally, I didn't care much for the saga of the Carringtons and their friends/lovers/enemies (I was more of a "Dallas" fan).
Receiving 3% of the vote was the 1976-80 drama "Family". It's a shame that this Emmy-winning series doesn't show up in syndication much these days. Not only was it well-done, but many of the topics that it touched on (alcoholism, sibling rivalry, adultery, etc. ) are timeless.
Here are the final results:
The Mod Squad- 19%
Beverly Hills, 90210 and The Love Boat- 16% each
Charlie's Angels- 12%
7th Heaven and Melrose Place- 9% each
Dynasty and Fantasy Island- 6% each
Family 3%
Below is the opening credits sequence, a clip from an early episode, and a 1970 promo of the winning series:
6 comments:
I actually like all of Aaron Spelling's show, with the exception of "Melrose Place" and that's only because I didn't watch it. I am surprised the "Mod Squad" was able to pull it off. It might be a case of remembering it fondly because I was watching it from a child's perspective. If I saw it today I might not feel the same as I did when I was 12.
That was fun. I met Clarence Williams III a long time ago...I wa sworking in a club and he was promoting a band...for the life of me I can't remember their name he made their video actually. It was a video release party...and I went up and talked to him...I told him how much I loved th e Mod Squad, and frankly...he kind of looked disappointed and embarassed...and I said no really. That show gave people things to think about that are still important and not reached mainstream...but should etc. We had an interesting discussion...I was completely in awe of him but then landed up having a good conversation!
I'll just come right out and admit that I chose Beverly Hills, 90210. Whenever I see it now on reruns I can't believe how cool I thought all of those characters were. Now, they seem pretty laughable. But of the shows listed, it's the only one that I ever truly enjoyed.
www.mamapj.com
Holly Smith...I voted for Bev9 too...all the way...
I tagged you for a meme ... hope you don't mind!
Pjazzy: I think I am one of the few who liked "Melrose Place" better before Heather Locklear joined the show. It just got too silly and sensationalistic for me. I also didn't like that they got rid of Vanessa Williams' character near the beginning of the 2nd season.
The Mod Squad's showing in the poll surprised me too. It would be nice if TV Land or some other channel took a chance and brought it back in reruns.
Candy: What a cool CW III story! In addition to what you said, I think another reason "The Mod Squad" has a special place in the hearts and minds of viewers is because it provided TV role models for youthful viewers (esp. blacks and females).
Holly: 90210? For shame Holly! Seriously, I was a regular viewer back in the day too (chances are that any guy between the ages of 30 and 40 who says he didn't watch it back then is lying). On weekend mornings, I still occas. catch an episode on SoapNet. I was telling a friend of mine that it's crazy how high Dylan's pompadour seems now.
BookMama: Although I don't have any posts that talk specifically about friends/family, etc., I will still play along. It may take me a week or so though.
Post a Comment