Suddenly Susan (1996-2000) - Did you watch?

Cause when you think of comedy, you think of Brooke Shields.

Rosie was on an episode

Of all the options to watch, this is what you went with?

I always got confused between Kathy and the other redheaded snatcheroo that was on NewsRadio.

OP's post reads like an alien or bot trying to understand the tropes of 90's sitcoms.

And while we're at it, Veronica's Closet and Caroline in the City were much better shows

R5 I plan on watching both.

I’ve seen a few episodes of Caroline back then. Been over 20 years.

R5, all three were forgettable.

The show is interesting in the sense that you get to see Kathy Griffin before all the plastic surgery she’s had. She’s had a LOT of work done.

David died 20 years ago.

[quote] Veronica's Closet and Caroline in the City were much better shows

Eh, they were way worse.

Eric Lutes WAS pretty back in the day, though.

David Strickland's death was very sad. Yes, he was on drugs and allegedly Andy dick was supplying him with his drugs. Also, David was gay and apparently was having a difficult time dealing with this. Keep in mind this was the 90's when it wasn't okay to be gay especially in closeted Hollywood.

But it was never confirmed he was gay.

I always wanted them to rework the song from Little Shop of Horrors for the opening. “Suddenly Susan, is standing beside you, don’t need no make-up, don’t have to pretend....”

Are there any sitcoms now with that same SS/W&G/Ellen vibe? Just friends working and hanging out, witty lines?

[quote]Cause when you think of comedy, you think of Brooke Shields.

Oh come on! Her Yentl knockoff Sahara is one of the funniest movies of the eighties.

Eat your hearts out Barbra (and Dustin).

[quote] Veronica's Closet and Caroline in the City were much better shows.

None of these shows could hold a candle to The Single Guy.

R13 I was told he was struggling with his sexuality by one of his very good friends, who I was also friends with. This was just after he died. I had met David once just before he died and he seemed straight to me, so when his friend told me about his struggle, I was surprised. His friend was very angry with Andy, (who I had met about 3 times, around this time, and each time he was high on something). Every time David would get sober, Andy would tempt him back into that world because no one likes to use alone. All of David's friends wanted him to stay away from Andy and outright blamed Andy for his death. Is it Andy's fault? Probably not, but the temptation constantly dangled in front of him didn't help.

Thanks to this show, the world got saddled with that dumb bitch Kathy Griffin.

I fuckin' hate Kathy Griffin. My god she SUCKED at acting! I couldn't understand why they hired her, but the whole show was impossible to watch!

R18 I wanna believe you, but I always find it too convenient someone on here knows someone who is friends with a celebrity that has confided in them they are gay. The same story, different celebrity over and over.

Brooke Shields is the nicest celeb I've ever met.

[quote] But it was never confirmed he was gay.

Who?

David looked like gay porn star Christopher Scott

R21 That is a true story. And the guy who shared this, did so, because David was dead, otherwise he probably would not have share that. And he was speculating as to what led David to commit suicide. He was an emotional mess before his death apparently. He was very depressed, but he had everything to live for. His career was going great and he had sold a series to a network, so he had other irons on the fire.

There are a million things that can make someone depressed. It isn’t always about sexuality. Look at all the millionaires miserable and depressed. Money and success mean shit in the end.

That was a great post r18.

Thank you for sharing.

We don't know his background, but young men are constantly committing suicide when the can't accept their sexuality. On his wikipedia it says he had a prostitute visit him just before he died. Maybe he couldn't perform because he was gay and that was it for him. He checked out of this world!

It died down for a while, but it's starting up again: Everything we talk about someone being gay here, no matter how their degree of fame, someone will pop into a thread and insist that person is not gay. Almost like they are offended by it. So annoying.

r29 We will never know if he was or wasn't. Even his friend didn't know for sure because He dated women. But he knew that David share his confusion with him. He could have been sexually abused as a boy and that disorients a man sexuality. I would guess those demons are want haunted him. As someone who was abused myself, I'm still dealing with after affects like addiction and depression, so I would love to know he left a note, but I don't know if he did.

R29 probably because most men aren’t gay yet on DL this lie of every man being gay is pushed. There is zero proof he was gay. Nothing. Nada. He spent the night with a FEMALE hooker. Not an hour, HOURS with a hooker. So I doubt he “couldn’t perform”. Plus he was linked to females. Never a male. Never seen with a man. Nothing.

DL loves to lie. This is why someone always has to bring REALITY back into the posts. Too many lies over and over. What are the odds someone on here ALWAYS knows a celebrity or someone who knows a celeb that they are close enough to that they confide that they are gay in them? This story is told over and over on this site with a different celeb every couple of months.

His anxiety about questioning his sexuality is what he shared with his 'straight' friend, who was lovely guy, so I could see why he would confide in that specific person. Whether he acted on it or not, we'll never know. But again if was gay he wouldn't date someone openly in that era-- the late 90's-- no one did back then. So imagine the pressure to NOT be yourself but wanting to! Male actors were told to stay in the closet because it could ruin their careers. Fact.

If you're so disgusted with all of us r31, perhaps you would be happier elsewhere.

I watched one season or so for the cute guys.

OH. And by the way, Andy was sleeping with men during this time, which he admits to. So David found another guy who was questioning his own sexuality, too, and they befriended each other. I bet Andy has plenty of stories And allegely, Andy was with him in that hotel room, at some point, the night he died.

Andy never hid he fucked men. He was open with that shit even in the 90s.

Andy was with many people before they died r35, that is part of the missing pieces to many stories.

The scene in Jurassic Park where Andy is smashed against a plate glass window and eaten by the T Rex is how I like to think of him.

I skipped this and Veronica's Closet, I think they were part of the Thursday line up

We need a "Caroline in the City Was Utter Shit" thread! Another show that was so bad it doesn't play in reruns. Even CoziTV doesn't want these shows!!!!

Suddenly Susan is on RokuTV and another one. I forgot.

Caroline I haven’t seen on much or anything.

Nestor Carbonell and his forest of eyelashes can fuck me into next week anytime!

Poor Nester still has to prove his eyelashes are his and not fake. No one believes him. He was bullied while a kid for his eyelashes.

He was so sexy during Susan. He was a young sexy Papi.

At his show was the very definition of bland mediocrity. They literally had two sets - the teeny tiny office, and Sudan’s apartment with the shut in grandma who never seemed to leave. I think in season 5 they would have revealed she was a malevolent spirit haunting Susan

The show averages 25 million viewers per episode for season 1, finishing the season at #3.

Season 2 was moved from Thursday night to Monday, against Cosby on CBS, and it fell drastically in ratings, and averaged 11 million viewers a week and finished the season at #71

Season 3 averaged 9 million viewers and finished the season at #81

Season 4 averaged 6 million viewers and finished the season at #94

Unfortunately, that was Kathy's actress apex. That character was tailor-made for her.

For those of you who do not know why shows like Caroline or Suddenly Susan are never in syndication, it is because they did not reach 100 episodes. Shows need to hit 100 episodes to be sold into syndication so they have many episodes to keep replaying.

Brooke speaks about it here, how they cut her show off at 99 on purpose, keeping it from being sold into syndication

[quote] We need a "Caroline in the City Was Utter Shit" thread! Another show that was so bad it doesn't play in reruns. Even CoziTV doesn't want these shows!!!!

There were at least 6 sitcoms that NBC tried desperately to make happen in the late 1990s -- Suddenly Susan, Caroline in the City, Veronica's Closet, Just Shoot Me, The Single Guy, and Boston Common. NBC would air them in the Thursday slots between Friends and Seinfeld and ER, where, of course, they would do well (a test pattern would've done well in those slots). Then NBC would move them to a different night, and their ratings would plunge. Some of the shows were mildly successful (I think Just Shoot Me lasted 6 or 7 seasons), but none of them ended up becoming "the next Friends," which is what NBC was hoping for.

Just Shoot Me did well overall. The rest fell hard and fast.

If I recall correctly Brooke got Suddenly Susan after she appeared on Friends and was quite funny. Missed opportunity not to have her Susan character be quirky and funny too.

R50 correct. She mentions that in the video at r47. That one episode of Friends is what got them to offer her a sitcom of her own.

PS episode 18 of season 4, titled “The Gay Parade”, was Filmed but never ever aired, to this day.

I like this show a lot. I used to watch it all the time, when it was on the air. It was mindless fun, like many adult sitcoms of the time. Season 4 had Rob Estes as Susan's love interest after Judd Nelson left the series, and that was an upgrade.

Rob Estes had great pecs.

The weirdest part of Strickland killing himself is that he did it the morning of the day his movie "Forces of Nature", starring Sandy and Ben Affleck came out. Supposedly he was already someone who battled depression and anxiety (according to some that knew him closely) but after his role in that movie was cut down a lot in editing, he was really depressed over it. Despite his successes, he seemed very hard on himself, and if it is true he was sexually confused, that would only make things worse.

Yes, David’s role in FoN was much larger originally, and he shot the scenes, but when he saw the film for the first time at the premiere he fell into a funk by how much they trimmed down his part. That was supposed to be his big breakthrough into comedic films, but after seeing how small his role became, he fell into a funk because he knew it would do nothing for him. And supposedly he put a lot of time into his part.

Estes has a nice everything. He is gorgeous. R54 his face was gorgeous.

I always found it odd how at the end of season 3 the shows Creators, Producers, and some actors jumped ship. Was it because of the falling ratings or Strickland killing himself at the end? I know Judd Nelson seemed heart broken by his death, and he left after season 3 (the finale was the goodbye episode to Strickland). Season 4 had new Producers, Entirely new writers, and many new actors also.

NOPE.

Brooke is pretty good in this show. Why did the network kill it? Why has it never been released on dvd?

I believe Strickland was going to be replaced after the (second) pilot was shot — there was an earlier one with a completely different supporting cast — but Shields went to the mat for him and insisted he be kept on.

One of the actors in the initial pilot was the guy who gives Naomi a ride in his truck at the beginning and ending of SHOWGIRLS...

Brooke Shields was HILARIOUS when she played Joey's demented stan on Friends.

Yes r60. The actor who played Susan’s boyfriend on the original pilot came back and played the man that takes her to Italy during the season one finale.

The original concept was for a drama, also. Then it was made a comedy.

R44, "Suddenly Sudan"? Staring Darfur Orphan?

[quote] They literally had two sets - the teeny tiny office, and Sudan’s apartment

Suddenly Sudan.

Has Susan Dey commented yet?

We used to call it Suddenly Snoozin' because it was so fucking nap inducing.

It was cute. Season 2 was better than 1

Brooke Shields is very good when she plays quirky, off-kilter characters. As mentioned, she was very funny on Friends, and I loved her on The Middle.

But Suddenly Susan didn't take advantage of her comedic gifts. It was too dull for my liking.

Brooke was surprisingly good on SVU as a demented grandmother who abducts Olivias' adopted son.

First, she was playing a grandmother. Second, she was believable as a "crazy just under the veneer"woman.

I love Kathy Griffin as a comic but as an actress on SS, she wasn't very good. And lets not even get into Shakes the Clown.

This show should be rebooted as Suddenly Sudan. Gabrielle Union stars as Sudan returning to the mother continent after spending time in the US and gets reacclimated to the culture. Hilarity ensues.

The new reboot should be Suddenly Seymour, about her late in life coming out as trans and his trials and tribulations on having a medically created penis.

The show has been syndicated. And almost every sitcom has had a wacky neighbor/coworker/whatever at some point unless one of the major characters was the wacky person. Some like Bill daily on Newhart were predictable and awful. Some like the red head on News Radio were pretty good.

R54, what is The Gay Parade about? Would that episode airing have qualified the show to cross the hundred episode mark and therefore be sold into syndication?

R74 no, with it the show still was under 100. The episode is counted as a number but never aired. NBC didn’t air it, for whatever the reasons may be.

Brooke looks surprisingly convincing as a (very pretty) boy @ R16.

I never noticed before how masculine her features were, which is surprising, considering how beautiful she was.

She was very beautiful as a teen.

That number to 100 episodes or a show doesn't go into syndication isn't the rule anymore and it was a loose number traditionally. 93 episodes is acceptable for syndication, but in this show's case, it just wasn't good. No one had the heart to tell Brook how awful the show was and that is the real reason the show is barely syndicated today. (if at all) They lied to her.

R78 the rule applied to NBC series in the 90s. Yes. And their deal to sell into syndication was to get to 100 episodes.

I remember reruns playing on WGN years ago. The show wasn't re-run much because it stunk!

The Datalouge Thread Copycat strikes again.

It really is a psycho. Single White Female. There's no soul or personality of its own. I made a joke in a Trump thread and now the gaping vaccuum of attention OP has to start a whole thread about an irrelevant, corny frau show.

F&F, KILL THE OP WITH FIRE, PLEASE

I read something in the last decade that a show only needs 88 episodes for syndication.

Does anyone know the exact number now?

R82 in the 90s and sooner it was 100. Some made deals for it to be less.

Now it’s much less

Nestor Carbonell was a perfect age and sexiness on Bates Motel 2013-17

I am on season 4 now. While entertaining, it is not the same without some of the other characters, mainly David Strickland’s “Todd”. I got teary eyed watching the episode before the finale and then the finale dedicated to him, because of his absence and knowing why. The show truly is not the same without him.

I felt bad for him watching season 3. His role was cut down significantly. He was not given much of anything to do during season 3, and by the mid point watch... he looked different. Miserable. He barely even smiled.

Throughout season 1 and 2 he played Todd as young and dumb and naive and full of energy and life and happy... by mid season 3 he looked like he lacked energy and would never smile and looked sad behind the eyes. I wonder what was going on with him. Sigh. We will never know. That is part of what I find most sad by his death... and he was just so young still. I wish someone was with him that night OTHER THAN ANDY DICK to help him.

How are you watching it, R85?

No I had taste

R12 Really? I remember being surprised when he died because he had then-recently been liked to Brooke Shields.

I remember being really heartbroken over David Strickland.

David's death was very very sad.

r86 the show is on Roku app for free

Thanks R90

R91 no problem. All the season are on there. It’s a fun watch.

[quote]Brooke speaks about it here, how they cut her show off at 99 on purpose, keeping it from being sold into syndication

Even if cancelled by the network, couldn't the production company have produced another few episodes if they were that close? It would seem syndication money would make the additional production costs worthwhile.

I think the show would do better now in syndication

R6, Caroline in the City is one of the first shows that made me realize I was gay. I was a teenager when it came out and there was this one episode about the character Del comparing dick sizes with another character in the locker room while shirtless that made me insanely horny.

I like to think of Susan, Caroline, Veronica, et. al as either "sandwich shows" (since they didn't do so great leading an hour or night) or "four year flops" (recognizing both their shelf life and lack of footprint).

Don't forget Fired Up! And The Naked Truth (poached from ABC). I think both stumbled into two seasons.

Hard to believe now, but at one point NBC had 18 sitcoms running on a weekly basis. 4 Monday through Thursday, and two on Sunday.

Suddenly Susan makes 2 Broke Girls look like Shakespeare.

Good gawd ... We've got Men Behaving Badly, Jenny, Suddenly Susan, Fired Up, Caroline in the City, The Naked Truth, Mad About You, NewsRadio, Frasier, Just Shoot Me!, The Tony Danza Show, Built to Last, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Working, Friends, Union Square, Seinfeld and Veronica's Closet. Not to mention four installments of Dateline (Sunday-Tuesday, Friday), one movie night (Sunday), three prestige dramas (ER, Law & Order and Homicide), one failed prestige drama (Players) and the Saturday genre night (The Pretender, Sleepwalkers, Profiler).

r99 you are making me miss the 90s so bad lol. I used to love The Pretender and Profiler

Sorry to hijack the thread (although I suspect Brooke wouldn't mind), but it's fascinating how many of those '90s sitcoms BOMBED HARD. That Tony Danza show was gone within weeks.

r101 still happens....

Most show bomb.

The first few seasons were good. The last few sucked.

The first 3 seasons were good... season 4 sucked

I have the distinctive of being in the audience for one of the never aired episodes of Built to Last, R99.

Distinction*

The first two or three seasons were fine, mindless entertainment. "Veronica's Closet" was the same during its first season, but it was ruined by the addition of Ron Silver and stopped watching.

^^^Later sitcoms like "Gary Unmarried" (Jay Mohr's show) and "Kevin Can Wait" (Kevin James) were okay during their first seasons, but ruined by the "fixes" employed during their second seasons.

Idk why Kevin Can Wait needed Leah Remini... for that just bring back King of Queens