I was just Netflix-on-demanding an episode of Kate & Allie in which Kate helps out at a public access cable channel staffed by Andrea Martin (an obvious choice, given her SCTV background), Bill Cobbs, and Grant Shaud. It looked like it might be a backdoor pilot… and you know, if now, a mere 24 years later, some ABC exec finally got around to saying “yes”, it would probably still be a very workable concept with that fine cast.
Time does not ruin all things
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If ABC were to run that show, it would be 23 years after CBS broadcast “Roxie”, which aired for two whole episodes in April 1987 (the Kate & Allie episodes were from December 1986). Between the backdoor pilot and the actual series, the concept changed to a local UHF station and featured, in addition to Andrea Martin, Teresa Ganzel, Mitchell Laurance, Ernie Sabella and Jack Riley (!).
Not disagreeing about your bigger point that it would probably still be a watchable show today with that original pilot’s cast.
Ach! I did not know that – and it’s the sort of thing I really should know. Now I really want to see those two episodes (and would not be surprised if there were four more sitting in the can, never aired.) Thank you for the very informative comment.
(Caught the lovely Teresa Ganzel’s name as one of those providing extra voices on Toy Story 3… and she wasn’t the only person of note in that li’l group.)
I have only the vaguest memories of those two episodes of Roxie (I have always been a big AM fan; saw her on Broadway as Aunt Eller in Oklahoma! a few years back). I must have been the only person watching. I do seem to recall that they were not nearly as funny as the K&A episodes, probably having been rewritten and otherwise massaged (the cast changes I’m sure) at the behest of the network into yet another bland workplace sitcom.