TV Guide's 1986 Fall Preview. Did shows suck?

[@DmitriVanderbilt]

Paul, I know you've said these videos perform the worst on your channel but I absolutely think this kind of passion project is exactly what youtube and media in general needs a lot more of - in many instances, the passion shines through brightly enough that you can capture the attention of anyone.

[@CallMeChato]

I love doing them. I don't enjoy going for the algo.

[@rommelbengali]

​@@CallMeChatoPaul, you better review X-Men 97. But have you actually seen it tho?

[@proehm]

​​@@CallMeChatoA lady that I used to work with and I always put together the "Fall Presentation" for our station's sales department to trot around. We used to handicap the new offerings. I would love to see a (as we called them) "cancelled between the feeds" review.

[@jswets5007]

​@@CallMeChato These are my favorite videos on your channel. Although most of them are entertaining. 😅

[@DsRandomMemories]

I'm a fan of these.

[@grokeffer6226]

👍👍👍 R.I.P. Rebecca Schaefer. 😟

[@ImmortalThanos]

I appreciate the love for Sledge Hammer. Such a phenomenal program that was sorely underappreciated in its time. It has aged like fine wine... with a lead chaser.

[@toweypat]

Oh yes, very funny show!

[@savageworks]

That show was AWESOME!!!

[@glenbuxton8143]

Sledge Hammer was due to failure because I loved it.

[@toweypat]

@@glenbuxton8143 Way to go, Glen!!!

[@juddgoswick2024]

Loved that show!

[@FatNorthernBigot]

A welcome return. 😊

[@wshelaga5721]

Nice to see one of these TV Guide videos pop up.

[@GartheKnightReturns]

“Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

[@thenapalmbrothershq5585]

I can say without a shadow of doubt that even if some shows in 1986 were mediocre the bulk was amazing compared to the garbage that is currently 'produced' .

[@KellymatthewBarnes]

“Of course.” - Bane.

[@andrewlowden322]

My brother and I LOVED Sledgehammer ("Trust me, I know what I'm doing!") and the Wizard. You made me lose it once you pulled up the Wizard as EVERY week at the end of the show they would give a sneak preview for next week's episode and it was ALWAYS the same one. I had to do with horse racing and yet it never came--rest assured it was bound for "next week". It was a running joke in our household for years

[@AL-ws5yi]

I loved Sledgehammer too! I made my mom and sister watch it too. Lol

[@juddgoswick2024]

That is hilarious 😂

[@bigd4229]

I really had fond memories watching Perfect Strangers when it was on TGIF. Something i always looked forward to with Mom.

[@juddgoswick2024]

It was a fun show!

[@martinjohnston1907]

"And now we are so happy, we do the Dance Of Joy!"

[@brenthays6539]

I loved Perfect Strangers. Balki and Larry had a very Three Stooges vibe to their physical comedy.

[@EdiGjon-yz3ek]

Really digging your videos, keep it real!

[@KellymatthewBarnes]

You’d do it for Randolph Scott.

[@t.j.payeur5331]

This was great,, thank you..a nice stroll down memory lane...Sledge Hammer was funny as hell, I loved it. He put a loudener on his .44 magnum...

[@Lostboy811]

I actually remember actually looking forward to new TV guides and reading them. Love this type of videos brings back memories of reading them.

[@andrewlowden322]

My mom was all-in on Our House and we used to watch it every Sunday. It was dreadful; I think I still have trauma

[@Beeznitchio]

We watched it every week as well. My grandmother who lived with us really liked it. I also remember my sister had a friend who was really in to Chad Allen. I was actually shocked watching this when he said two seasons. It is so strong in my childhood memory that I would have guessed like five seasons in the most unlikliest of scenarios where someone asked me.

[@robertfeldmann542]

Crime Story and Sledge Hammer are classics

[@zenwolf6073]

Keep it up and I might even pay you for my bootleg of "Boot to the Head"

[@savageworks]

RIP David Rapaport. He was a genuinely good actor with a fantastic screen presence. Really miss him, and loved the Wizard when I was young.

[@donnahdunthorn5207]

I loved Perfect Strangers. I watched it at home in the States then years later on AFN in Germany. It always made me laugh. Bronson also did the best audiobook narration of "Strangers on a Train" that I've ever heard. Top notch.

[@diegodelsol1309]

Bronson is really good at audiobook narration.

[@josephfisher426]

He was pigeonholed by this role, but he was a very good guest star on SVU, as a douchey Mr. Body.

[@donnahdunthorn5207]

@@josephfisher426 He was awesome as Craig Toomy in "The Langoliers." He made the show.

[@donnahdunthorn5207]

@@diegodelsol1309 I listen to audiobooks every day. So many have either bad or mediocre narration. He really does have a gift.

[@KellymatthewBarnes]

*🎼🎷🎸🎷🎸🎷We’re Perfect Strangers 🎸🎷🎸🎷🎹 - Saga🇨🇦* #RocKAnswers MostThings🎸

[@elmarakovideo]

Another great one Chato! The 2024-25 fall lineups look so dull versus 1986. Do we really need all the FBIs, multiple NCIS, and Law & Orders?🙄

[@Fraulein_Sausageball]

Speaking of Law and Order, Mariska Hargitay even shows up (albeit barely recognizable) in "Downtown" mentioned here lol

[@AlucardNoir]

ALF! fantastic show, one of ... Hungarian you say? Terrible show, just horrible. Should have been canceled before the pilot was even made.

[@magnificus8581]

I loved Sledge Hammer!

[@NogardCodesmith]

Trust me. I know what I'm doing.

[@kevinintheusa8984]

The biggest crime that went unsolved in Crime Story was the terrible black hair dye job on Dennis Farina. Wow. Welcome back TV Guide review, I have missed you.

[@Fraulein_Sausageball]

Probably my favorite quote by an actor describing his/her career: "Who is Jack Elam?" "Get me Jack Elam!" "Get me a Jack Elam type!" "Who is Jack Elam?"

[@juddgoswick2024]

Jack was the drunk doctor from Cannonball Run - and the baddy in numerous westerns.

[@KellymatthewBarnes]

“Struck by Lightning ⚡️ “ - Jack Elam as the Creature in a sitcom that was tragically cancelled 😞

[@louismendoza-y9l]

Sledge Hammer the apex of all art and entertainment. Truly Shakespeare for the 20th century.

[@pedroares6562]

Awesome episode, I can't beliebe 1986 is already almost 40 years ago! I love all the anecdotes and ... how many cancellations happened back there. TV is ruthless. Also ALF!!!!

[@Snicker60515]

Paul, it's been too long since you blessed us with the latest TV Guide Fall Preview episode! Thank you for that because I just LOVE these and reminiscing about the shows that I actually watched with my parents. Keep 'em coming because I want you to get us through the 90's as well. Automatic like even before hitting play!

[@paulcrawford9007]

One episode of Sledge Hammer ends with him saying one of his catch phrases, "Don't worry, I know what I am doing", cutting the wrong wire and setting off an atomic bomb. The next episode begins as he goes into the station with a band-aid on his face.

[@OldMan_PJ]

When Valerie renamed to the Hogans the TV broadcaster had a call-in vote to select the new name based on 2-3 choices but I no longer remember the other choices.

[@2ToyBoys]

How about "We Fired Valerie!"

[@KellymatthewBarnes]

I wonder if 1 of the Choices was The Jason Bateman Show? I know that’s the 1 I would’ve chosen.

[@donnahdunthorn5207]

From this list, the two shows I came back for week after week were "Perfect Strangers" and "LA Law." In the mix for me was a little show that had started the year before called "Moonlighting."

[@peternighswander9629]

LA Law truly was a masterpiece and was not afraid to provide shock value and tackle hard subjects that shows of its time would not dare

[@nsob8897]

I didnt watch it because I was far too young...even still, I knew how many seasons this show lasted right off the top of my head. That's how damned popular it was..

[@daverhodes362]

LA Law was picked up by ITV (main commercial network in the UK) - believe it struggled in the ratings as my region struggled to fill the ad breaks at 9pm on a Thursday. To be fair, it was on after the ratings-killing 'TV Eye' documentary series which didn't help.

[@Demolitiondude]

It's weird seeing Robert Englund and dee Wallace not in a horror movie.

[@KellymatthewBarnes]

And Robert England not as Willie the lovable Visitor from V.

[@YoniX50]

I Loved Perfect Strangers growing up :)

[@michaelconnor1542]

As a teen in 86, I grew up loving Lucille Ball and was saddened by how boring the 86 show was. So many fans and people in the industry, owe her a debt of gratitude. While never the biggest trekie, I am a huge sci-fi fan and recognize her contributions to my favorite genre of entertainment.

[@KellymatthewBarnes]

From Star Trek we got: The Tomorrow People, Space 1999, Blake’s 7, Babylon 5, FARSCAPE, to name a Powerful Few, and also all of the Star Trek Movies and 📺 Series’ including my favorite Star Trek the Animated Series.

[@buckiemohawk3643]

I loved sledge hammer as a kid.... it was amazing hilarious

[@spacedave2000]

TV Guide review is back! Big time flashback on a lot of these shows when I was just a young one! Thanks for the memories!

[@CallMeChato]

Glad you enjoyed it And thanks Space Dave.

[@LordEriolTolkien]

Balki was a pretty good character

[@KellymatthewBarnes]

A fair assessment if ever I read one.

[@GartheKnightReturns]

When I was a kid I loved the show The Wizard and I was dismayed how it just vanished since I wasn’t old enough to understand the inter workings of network programming. I also remember the episode of Designing Women you referenced. It starred Tony Goldwyn as the friend that was dying of AIDS.

[@frankowalker4662]

The stand out for me is Sledge Hammer.

[@NogardCodesmith]

Trust me. I know what I'm doing.

[@KellymatthewBarnes]

🎼“🎷🎹🎷🎹🎹🎸Open Up Your Fruit Cage🎷🎷🎷🎷🎹This is the New Stuff🎹🎷🎹🎷🎹” - Peter Gabriel🎙️🤩

[@frankowalker4662]

@@KellymatthewBarnes Unfortunately, they did'nt use that song in the series. LOL

[@captainwhitebread4616]

I appreciate these llooks back. For me, it's a challenge to see how many of the 80s shows I actually remember.

[@kenstrumpf909]

Sadly Rebecca Schaeffer of My Sister Sam was murdered by a crazed stalker shortly after the show was cancelled. I was a fan of hers and was very upset when it happened.

[@Goldenspiderducck]

Yeah, that was sad. Her murder prompted some of the very first anti-stalking laws.

[@boobah5643]

Apparently _My Sister Sam_ was Schaeffer's first big role, and she made the 'mistake' of responding to some of her early fan mail. Scare quotes because the reply may have helped inspire the parasocial relationship that led to her death, something that should not have been a problem. IIRC (too lazy to look it up) the podcast _Crimes of the Century_ covered Schaeffer's killing.

[@lunarmodule6419]

Touché! "LA Law" was 1million times better than stupid "Suits"

[@bjc9520]

These are my favourite videos on your channel.

[@bjc9520]

(LA Law music) 'Oh, sure. Like lawyers work in big skyscrapers and have secretaries...Look at him, he's wearing a belt... That's Hollywood for you.' The MAD Magazine LA Law cover by Mort Drucker is also a classic.

[@MykeLewisMusic]

I went back over the last couple years and re-watched stuff from the 80s. They were laying the groundwork for this current era even then.

[@kevinthetruckdriver353]

I remembered seeing *"Life with Lucy"* & OMG was it the pits. Watching Lucy doing slapstick at her age just wasn't funny. It was sad. Gale Gordon being as old as he was couldn't save that show. Some off those episodes are on KZbin.

[@tatersquad2000]

My Sister Sam: due to a fan campaign they actually brought the series back in 1988, only for it to be canceled again and then the star of the show was murdered just a year later!

[@Nicksonian]

That photo of Lucile Ball reminds me of the portraits of the aging Queen Elizabeth I.

[@michaelconnor1542]

Sandy Duncan was much better than Valerie Harper. Not just on the show. In general. I have never liked any of Harper's characters and was happy when she got killed off on The Hogans.

[@RhinoTheHamster400]

Danny Ponce... bloody hell, Great video so many familiar names and faces.Watching Sledge Hammer! on KZbin right now, this episode is gonna be the favorite of a certain Ironman and for the best watching experience watch this video IN A CAR

[@laurenmasters]

Yikes challenger, Chernobyl and pan am in the same year

[@Scrumtralecent]

I love all your work Paul but I live for these videos.

[@CallMeChato]

Glad you like them!

[@mercster]

I was 9 in 1986. I watched Perfect Strangers pretty religiously. Thanks Chato.

[@mercster]

Ditto for Head of the Class. I was so young, I didn't know Howard Hesseman from WKRP. EDIT: Ohhh, ya know I always thought, in my memory, the one with Billy Connolly was a different-but-similar show. I liked both versions. I think the classroom changed?

[@Keith-le7qh]

I love these episodes

[@shaggyaxe]

Sledge Hammer. The episode with the paper airplane. Hilarious. 😂 If you know, you know.

[@lilbuttercup]

I thought I was the only one who enjoyed both Starman and Sledgehammer. Bless you Paul !

[@AL-ws5yi]

I liked both too! I was so upset when they got cancelled.

[@KellymatthewBarnes]

🎼🎸🎸🎸There’s a Starman🎸🎹🎸🎹 - David and Mick.

[@debanydoombringer1385]

I loved that movie and the show was fun too.

[@boobah5643]

@@debanydoombringer1385 The line I always remember from the film was Bridges explaining stop lights. Green means 'go,' red means 'stop,' and yellow means 'go faster.'

[@Fraulein_Sausageball]

I had completely forgotten about the show "Amen" until this video. But the theme song came back to me immediately (not difficult, as it's just the royalty-free church song).

[@louberkman5995]

Me too.

[@shawncarter7188]

Yaaay! A TV guide video!

[@zsavior4535]

Man this is back when I actuall felt bad if I missed a TV show. Great video.

[@boobah5643]

Well, there was no guarantee that you'd ever have a chance to see it again. It _might_ make it into syndication... if it lasted long enough to put out the 65 minimum episodes, but otherwise? It wouldn't be until most of a decade later that these shows started to show up on DVD; very little TV was ever released on VHS.

[@strategicviewpoint6672]

I liked Sledge Hammer and have the DVD of the series. Pretty much the only series I remember of 1986

[@michaelconnor1542]

Sadly the Rebecca Schaefer of My Sister Sam would be murdered by an mentally disturbed "fan"/stalker, in 1989.

[@mentalplayground]

I missed those videos. ALF lasted 4 seasons = 99 Episodes, different times.

[@OutOfElmo]

Rebecca Schaeffer, the actress who played Patti on 'My Sister Sam' was murdered by an obsessed fan in 1989, after the show was cancelled. I remember this because she was my age, and I thought she was cute. It came as a massive shock.

[@michaelschroeck2254]

Sledge Hammer !!! Oh wow I loved that show!!!!

[@vwhite3055]

David Rasche was fantastic in Sledge Hammer. I agree it should not have been canceled.

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

I really miss Paul doing this especially the news recaps.

[@jpgabobo]

My Father collected comic books as well as TV guides. Still love to look up the late nite listings. Attack of the trifids anyone?

[@24framedavinci39]

My father recently burned a rip of Attack of the Triffids on a BD for me.

[@gsigs]

I always slept in a windowless room after that movie.

[@KellymatthewBarnes]

That always makes me hungry for 🥗, just like reading or watching Garfield the Cat gives me a hankerin’ for lasagna 🇮🇹

[@sharipowers1576]

Nice nostalgia. Forgot how good some of these shows were. Thanks for bringing these back.

[@pittland44]

Chato, I'm with you on Alf. My whole family despised that show, especially my Dad.

[@MarcCoteMusic]

Somehow, 1986 doesn't seem all THAT long ago to me even though I was just 22 at the time. But, my oh my, has TV changed since. I can see a modern retelling of LA Law working today with only minor changes, but pretty much nothing else would work in the current entertainment landscape. Notably, the number of comedies - some of which worked, while others clearly didn't - compared to today with... few... maybe none? I suppose it was a gradual shift from those still relatively innocent days to the dour, dramatic - even melodramatic - fare we see now, but was there a notable turning point? I don't know.

[@raymondsmith6870]

Sledgehammer is a comic gem that was heads above most other sitcoms at the time. The best episode is Haven't Gun,Will Travel where thieves steal Sledgehammer's beloved Magnum and he becomes a complete wimp without it. It is too bad it wasn't mentioned that is was also a victim of being bounced around the tv weekly schedule causing the rating to fall. It also was the fill in for the cancelled Life with Lucy show.

[@eazygamer8974]

I live in the US and the Walmart down the street has the complete set of Alf for 49 bucks. You can definitely buy it here.

[@lk8181]

while there are a ton of banger shows on there, it cannot be understated what a hit Matlock was. Nine seasons and has been in rotation on multiple channels for decades now. I've probably seen every epiosde at least 10 times. Also one of the catchest instrumental theme songs. Too bad we never got the Opie episode ;)

[@davepost7675]

I couldn't help be see the Newport ad across from Amen. There's a Dave Chappelle joke in there somewhere.

[@denroy3]

Yes, plenty of mispronounced names...but I'll call you our on just one, to be nice, EDIE McClurg, not Eddie, a woman.

[@CallMeChato]

Too many fucking names. :-)

[@nrrork]

Despite your disclaimer at the start, I gotta bust your chops a little for mispronouncing "Mypos". Balki mentioned the name of the place like 30 times per episode. 😁 Cousin Larry would explain how things are done in America, and Balki would be all "Oh, Cousin Larry. On Mypos we say: you can dress a sheep in a babushka, but that doesn't make it a pig!" or something nonsensical. But then he'd explain the meaning further and it would turn out to contain much more earnest wisdom than whatever madness Larry got caught up in. Then they do the dance of joy, roll credits, something about it being a Miller-Boyett Production. 20/20 would start afterwards.

[@CallMeChato]

I never watched the show.

[@donnahdunthorn5207]

@@CallMeChato It was charming.

[@KasumiKenshirou]

There were also a lot of episodes where Larry came up with a new get-rich-quick scheme. Balki would tell him he didn't think it was a good idea, and then Larry's scheme would fail.

[@JBOpie13]

The Wizard was great for kids and adults. Disappointed that CBS ditched it.

[@mattmack222]

Sledge Hammer was the best! Would never fly today, tho

[@cursedmonkey1033]

Brings back memories. But all I can remember watching at the time was Airwolf, the A Team, the gay sitcom Brothers on Showtime and Thundercats. Member Thundercats?

[@charlesratcliff2016]

Perfect Strangers is more like Odd Couple. I a lot of respect for Dixie Carter. To prove how Republican she was she was on the Politically Incorrect when she told Bill Maher she supported local militias.

[@CallMeChato]

That too but they were both dumb and got into physical gags.

[@peternighswander9629]

I never liked Perfect Strangers that much and seldom watched Designing Women though I had a major crush on Delta Burke and Jean Smart (still do). The show was not great but the actresses I mentioned including Annie Potts and Dixie went on to better things. Sad we lost Dixie over a decade ago

[@KellymatthewBarnes]

@@CallMeChato The Odd Couple is Penny Marshal’s first step toward Laverne and Shirley and nobody can change my mind, and I did/do love the Character of Myrna. I was more like Murray the “…hot Jewish 👮‍♂️” - Muarry, and Speed than Felix Unger or Oscar Madison. maybe close to Blinky Madison as well🤔?

[@loriloristuff]

Love Delta Burke and Dixie Carter!!!!! They truly made the gradual creep of leftism in "Designing Women" so good, so laughable. I also liked Dennis Farina in "Crime Story." "Head of the Class" was superior comedy. Some of these shows so needed to fail, quickly. Half a season was too much. "Sidekicks" was perhaps the worst.

[@seanestep4546]

Mypos? M-👁-pos!?! Don't be ridiculous... 😉

[@proehm]

Heart of the City showed me that a very young Christina Applegate had some pretty good dramatic chops. Later we found out they were imbedded inside serious comedic skills.

[@globalgaucho]

Good memorys about Alf, Sledge Hammer and The Wizard.

[@DoctorInk20]

Ah, yet another trip to TV's past. 😁 Nice one. I've only watched _ALF_ in the last year or so. It's a show I wanted to like more, but it just doesn't quite get there for me. Puppets are easy sell for me, but there's something missing in the writing or performances to make it *pop.* Probably just me. Don't let that taint your view, should you choose to watch it. _The Wizard_ is a show I'd quite like to see, though. Looks fun.

[@ZeopoZero]

Why do I feel if they tried to make Valerie today. A mom looking after three boys while the father is working a job that keeps him away from home for a very long period of time. One of the boys would be normal. One would be transitioning And doing makeup and all this stuff. And the other one would be adopted from an African background.

[@StreetPreacherr]

I'm always surprised to hear how 'short' the runs were for many of these shows. I would have guessed that ALF ran longer than 4 seasons!

[@boobah5643]

Plus there was a season or two of a Saturday morning cartoon set on his homeworld.

[@candide]

Great review! I’m always hesitant to watch such videos because they tend to make me nostalgic. Not this time though: although I remember some of those shows, I didn’t watch any of them. Except for ALF obviously. I mean who wouldn’t watch ALF? Your video reminded me that I had purchased a complete set of “Crime Story” (because of Billy Campbell) a while back, and I realised that I still haven’t watched it. I will get to it. So thank you for that! 😁

[@lilyvonshtuup]

I feel like only a Canadian could use the cockney term “Old Bird” & make it sound polite 🤣

[@LouisWritingSomethingCrazy]

I was so young when these shows were on the air. It's crazy how many of these that I remember. Perfect Strangers, Amen, Desigining Women, L.A. Law. Of course, the shows I liked at the time, notably Alf, was the only one I cared about. It's crazy how much I remember these others.

[@pittland44]

Chato, I'm not getting your notifications. I love your TV Guide videos. Thank you so much.

[@2ToyBoys]

I liked Valerie. It was a big deal when she was fired. I sure was missing "Its Your Move" with Jason Bateman...but he did ok...😊

[@mantisking6167]

21:10 Regarding Dan Schneider's career, this show was his foot in the door.

[@KasumiKenshirou]

😄

[@td8778]

Wilford Brimley was 52 for Our House. Let that sink in.

[@norbertzillatron3456]

I loved Sledge Hammer. Also made fun of movies like "Robocop" -- episode "Hammeroid".

[@btr3k]

Sledge Hammer! was great - I imagine lots of viewers of Chato were probably also fans of the show (or should be!). There is also the sendup of the Harrison Ford movie "Witness" - called "Witless". And, who can forget the end of the first season, and how it waves things away at the beginning of season 2... BTW - It's worth seeking out the blu-ray for the 80's Get Smart movie "The Nude Bomb", it has Alan Spencer's commentary which is fantastic. Please also do not listen to the other commentary on that disc.

[@KellymatthewBarnes]

Play Misty for Me was also lampooned in Sledge Hammer and according to the DVD commentaries so were many other Clint Eastwood films that weren’t in the Dirty Harry genre.

[@da009999]

How did the sponsors make any money spending all that money on commercials? I doubt anyone had the time to watch even 1 hour of these shows with their commercials.

[@christophertaylor9100]

Bronson Pinchot basically just played his character from Beverly Hills Cop Crime Story was really good, but didn't last long

[@donnahdunthorn5207]

Mark Linn Baker played the straight man to the outrageous Balki just like he'd played the straight man to the outrageous Alan Swann (Peter O'Toole) in "My Favorite Year."

[@TimScottSuiGeneris]

My teenage years, this was honestly a power house year for television. This year gave 84 a good challenge to best of the 80s.

[@superfuss1984]

Sledgehammer was kind of Cult in Germany! Fantastic Stuff...

[@markmedinabattletrix781]

Another awesome episode of Tv Guide!

[@KellymatthewBarnes]

This was a good video and I am sufficiently entertained 🎉