Besides "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," several sitcoms have tried to find laughs behind the headlines:
"Goodnight, Beantown" (1983-84): The chemistry between bickering co-anchors Mariette Hartley and Bill Bixby was just fine, but too many viewers felt Hartley was cheating on James Garner, her on-screen partner at the time in a string of beloved Polaroid commercials.
"Lateline" (1988-89): The poor reception to this "Nightline" spoof may have played a role in convincing co-creator and star Al Franken to consider a future in politics.
"Murphy Brown" (1988-98): Candice Bergen was so celebrated for her role as a pit-bull newsmagazine correspondent that she bowed out of the Emmy race. Everyone seemed to be in love with her — except Vice President Dan Quayle.
"Sports Night" (1998-2000): Before "The West Wing," Aaron Sorkin turned his attention to an ESPN-like sports organization whose team seemed more interested in flirting than reviewing basketball highlights. Well worth revisiting, especially episodes featuring William H. Macy as a mysterious ratings expert.
"Back to You" (2007-08): Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton play ex-lovers forced to share an anchor desk in Pittsburgh. Creators Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan saw something special in supporting player Ty Burrell and cast him in "Modern Family."
Neal Justin
