Grace al rojo vivo

I'd just like to combat the last viewer comment I saw up here, which was slightly sexist and rather negative about the show. 'Grace Under Fire' did slip in its later seasons, but originally it was a clever, well-written show with a tight, vibrant cast and some great lines. I'm glad to see it airing in syndication now.

I don't understand these complaints about "cliched strong women" and "yet another brassy know-it-all female"-- all TV ever gives us is bimbos as role-models, and you complain about a rare jewel like Grace? Just goes to show how fragile men and their little egos can be. This show was the best of the best. I'm sad the Big Recession had to end and all these Strong Women shows are over, and the Man Shows are back... because we NEED more brassy know-it-all women like Grace. We need an alternative to show our daughters on TV, to keep them from developing bulimia and learning phrases like "Math is hard! Let's go shopping!"

If you had a hideous screeching racist mother-in-law, delinquent kids, a retarded deadbeat ex-husband, and a bunch of goober co-workers at the oil refinery, what would stop YOU from getting loaded? The fact that Grace stays sober under all this is as perfect a role model as you could wish for. The character doesn't (because she's a TV character), and I frankly don't care what the actress does. Grace is brilliant, incisive, witty, vulnerable, and after all, human.

Where else can you hear lines like: "When we're married, we treat our men like vegetables; when we're divorced, we treat our vegetables like men"? All hail.

Grace Kelly (Brett Butler) is divorced from her abusive loser husband Jimmy (Geoff Pierson) and raising her three kids, Libby, Quentin, and Patrick, by herself in Missouri. She starts her job at the oil refinery working with lovable co-workers Dougie and Vic among others. Her neighbor friend Nadine (Julie White) sets her up with pharmacist Russell Norton (Dave Thomas). They become best friends connecting over their bad former marriages and lack of sexual chemistry. Nadine is happily married to Wade Swoboda (Casey Sander). There are Grace's sisters Faith and Evie, and her intrusive mother-in-law Jean Kelly. There is Russell's father Floyd (Tom Poston). Grace is a recovering alcoholic since giving birth to Quentin and had given up Matthew (Tom Everett Scott) for adoption.

This Chuck Lorre show is similar to Roseanne if Roseanne got beaten by her drunken husband and left him. I can do without the abuse background which is hard for any comedy. There is good irreverent sarcasm from Butler. Thomas is a veteran who delivers. The cast sometimes barely hold back laughing at their own jokes. Libby and Quentin #2 are great. They're allowed to be little angels and devils. It's a good white trash sitcom. However, Butler's personal addiction demons slowly destroyed the show.

The decline started in the third season and the slide picked up steam in the fourth until its end after a shortened fifth season. I'm not sure how much Emmet's Secret bothered the blue collar fans. A new Quentin #3 was needed to start season four. The new much-older Quentin is an annoying whiny delinquent teen. The fifth season sees the departure of Julie White and some wholesale changes. It's the beginning of the end as Butler fell apart behind the scenes.

One thing I liked so much about this show, was that the "human" side was equally (if not more) important as the comedy. It really made this show what it is, at least for the first 3 seasons. I also loved how the cast can't keep a straight face around Dave Thomas.

Season 4 reeked of network meddling. Let me be the first to say, New Quentin sucks (technically Brett Butler's fault for flashing Original Quentin). This season's changes are too numerous to go into, but they seemingly wrote out all the funny characters (how do you get rid of Dave Thomas and Tom Poston?!), plus 2/3 of her kids, and it seemed like every episode revolved around New Quentin. Honestly, was there a clamoring for New Quentin? Moving her abusive ex-husband in seemed like a desperation move.

Season 5 rights a lot of wrongs, at least in terms of focus, and incorporating the entire cast (though Nadine is absent). Grace has a steady job, and they bring back the pharmacy with Russell and Floyd! Although if you liked the human drama element, it's gone here, in favor of a more traditional sitcom. Still, a funny season.

Butler seems particularly messed up in the season finales for both seasons 4 and 5. I would actually consider this to be one of (baby crazy) Chuck Lorre's weaker shows, but there is still plenty to enjoy here. Well worth the low asking price for 5 full seasons on DVD.

It ran during a time when I wasn't watching much TV, but I really enjoyed it. I just caught a rerun on the Oxygen Network, and it was nice to see it again.

Brett Butler is one of the most talented actors ever. Her show was clever, smart, and free of the saccharine that plagues a lot of sitcoms. The supporting cast—Dave Thomas, Paul Dooley, Tom Poston and others—fleshed out a genuine portrait of America with believable, sympathetic characters. I'd love to see Ms. Butler do another TV show. I know I'd watch it.

I caught her once on "Celebrity Jeopardy," and she showed that she's as smart as she seems. I don't mean to ignore the rest of the cast, but hell, Butler is one of the greatest talents out there, and I miss her show.