why *did* Rhoda get divorced so quickly?

[Leon A. Helguera]

da...@library.health.ufl.edu wrote:

In article <4qpo9e$a...@dfw-ixnews3.ix.netcom.com>
DACu...@ix.netcom.com (Deborah A. Currie) writes:
:From: DACu...@ix.netcom.com (Deborah A. Currie)
:Subject: Re: Why *did* Rhoda get divorced so quickly?
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 1996 22:17:59 GMT

ric...@infi.net (Rickey Wright) wrote:

I'm new to the group and get the feeling that this might have been
recently
discussed here, so I apologize if this is a repeat. But why *did*
they break
up so soon after the beginning of the show? My girlfriend and I have
been
discussing this a lot, and we have theories, but no real
information. If you
know, please e-mail me in addition to posting. Thanks.



ric...@infi.net
"These brothers got on flat shoes. I said, 'Wait a minute! You can't
play
funk with flat shoes!'" -- Prince
ATX1DT9,627-1828q

I thought they married her off in the first place because she was
pregnant or thought she was. Then (the way I heard it) when she
wasn't pregnant and the show went downhill after the marriage, they
just made her single again, just like in the beginning. Did anyone
else hear it that way?

Debbie (dacu...@ix.netcom.com) Dallas,TX

I believe the co star walked because the actress who plays Rhoda was
hard to work with. Didn't see act up on the her last show demanding
more
control.
Dan

Bienvenidos Dan,
No, I <never> heard any mention of David Groh walking because of
Valerie Harper's behavior! As far as I ever heard, they got along like a
house on fire ( in other words-fine). The reason the producers always
said they divorced was that they just couldn't keep finding interesting
(read:funny) things to happen to Rhoda while she was married since her
life was in perfect order and one of the sitcom rules is that there has
to be some kind of conflict for thinsg to work! Luckily ,they had Ida .
Unfortunately, Nancy Walker took a leave of absence after Rhoda
separated to make two forgettable sitcoms( "Nancy Walker Show" and
"Blansky's Beauties") which bombed but ,fortunately , the writers
left the door open for her so she was back a year later! Unfortunately,
during that year she was gone ( and Rhoda being separated) they had some
of the lamest and unfunny episodes of the show and the show was
permanently damaged before it gasped its way to obilivion.
As to what happenned on "Valerie", that's something was in dispute
for a long time ( read:lawsuits back and forth) so I'd rather not lift
the lid on <that> pot! . She did make two sitcoms after that " City" and
"The Office" which did poorly , although I never heard any inkling that
she was anything less than professional to her co-stars or producers on
those two!
Also, for the record Rhoda and Joe did <not> marry because she
thought she was pregnant but ( it turned out) because she refused to move
in with him unless they were husband and wife ( she was more Ida's
daughter than she cared to admit!)
Anyway, that's all I have to say about this for now!
Walk Proud and Far,
Leon

[John Stone]

I think it was a mistake to give her a show of her own where
she is the star, some people because of their personality or
presence or whatever just do better in a
supporting role and not as a lead actor or actress. Anyone
remember "Flo's Yellow Rose" (I think that was the name of the
show) where Polly Holiday got a spin off series of her own?
Another mistake, again someone who is better in a
supporting role and not as a lead actress. John S.

[Christopher Siciliano]

First off, I read a article in TV guide back then that the producers
say that the "Joe" charecter got so boring that they decided to write
him out of the show. I guess the writers could not do anything with his
character. TV is full of stories of stars thinking they can do better
with their own show, the classic being Maclaine Stevenson leaving MASH
to do a series of bad sitcoms. The their was Redd Foxx leaving Sanford
and son and jumping to ABC for another bad show or Norman Fell and
Audrea Lindley leaving threes company for their own show.

[Otha Stubblefield]

Christopher Siciliano <tu...@injersey.com> writes:

To correct some things, Redd Foxx didn't leave, everyone else did. The
show became Sanford, which lost some of the allure without Demond Wilson
to be his foil. I also think that Whitman Mayo also didn't return. His
show, Grady, was also not very big. Did Hello Larry with MCLEAN Stevenson
last more than one season? It seemed to drag on like a dog that's had 2 of
it's legs broken in a car accident. If you're going to mention the Ropers,
you should also mention the failed attempt to reincarnate Three's Company
as Three's a Crowd. Poof, it went!

[John Stone]

Add Joanie loves Chachi to the list of quick disappearing
spin off shows. John S.

[hugh c]

On Jun 27, 1996 19:46:48 in article <Re: why *did* Rhoda get divorced so

quickly?>, 'John Stone <2067...@msu.edu>' wrote:


>someone who is better in a
>supporting role and not as a lead actress

I disagree. The appeal of Rhoda was that of a single, spinster-type
character, applicable as either supporting or lead. Her marriage destroyed
that premise, and therefore the show.
--
hugh c

[Gary Levine]

hu...@usa.pipeline.com(hugh c) wrote:
>I disagree. The appeal of Rhoda was that of a single, spinster-type
>character, applicable as either supporting or lead. Her marriage destroyed
>that premise, and therefore the show.

I agree. I thought the character of Rhoda was strong enough to sustain a
show, and surrounding her with Nancy Walker, Harold Gould, and Julie
Kavner looked promising. I was surprised and disappointed when they
married her off so quickly.

gary