Such a frustrating disappointment

Gripping story with well-crafted characters

Expected more

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Many people here seem to think that this was a network program--but it was not.It was part of a new kind of programing, direct-to-syndication, that Norman Lear started with Mary Hartman. He tried to build on that success with All That Glitters, which tanked big time. The sad part was it had been on the air for a few months and had moved from foregrounding the concept to foregrounding the characters--which made it into something strange and fascinating.Maybe there is a book someone should write about the days of pre-cable, when various producers tried to find ways to avoid the heavy hand of the networks....

To say this show was ahead of its time is a gross understatement (as others in this forum have already noted). It ran as an independent show, after Mary Hartman Mary Hartman in many markets, which put it on between 11:30 and midnight in Vermont where I saw it. That it has never been available in any form on video is a crime (although I have a few other candidates for that particular crime). Lois Nettleton, Jessica Walter, and Gary Sandy were outstanding in their portrayals, although my favorite remains Chuck McCann as a harried house-husband. Of all the male actors, he captured his character best. Whether the audience was ready for the show will remain a mystery, since few people ever had the opportunity to see it. But WOULD SOMEBODY PLEASE BRING THIS OUT ON DVD??? Thanks in advance

Satirical soap opera in the vein of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman". In this the women are in charge and the men are objectified.This was controversial when it aired on TV. Norman Lear already had "Mary Hartman..." on the air and figured he could try another show in the same format. Most stations aired this late at night (it didn't show here until 11:30) so this never had a chance. Also there was a transsexual character--a real first for TV. I was only 15 when this aired and found it pretty funny--but obvious. This was basically a one-joke satire--it just put women in the place of men and that was it. All the obvious issues were addressed pretty quickly and then this had nowhere to go. The writing was sharp and they had a great cast but, after the initial controversy, this show quickly died. It would NOT be made today. So--on one hand I enjoyed it. On the other I found it obvious. I wonder if it would hold up today.

I seem to remember it being on one of the (few) independent channels of the era. The other comment here talks about 'network.' That's all I really wanted to ask, but it wants me to write ten lines. Since I wrote the summary here I often get e-mail about this show and my only knowledge comes from having watched it when it aired. I did get to ask Norman Lear about it when he spoke here once. At the time I tried to post a comment quoting his response, but I think that the powers-to-be probably didn't want to have me asserting what Norman said.If you write to me about this show, bear in mind that I just got to watch it when it aired and I am just relying on those memories.