Frank's Place

Frank's Place is one of my favorite shows. Very underrated, very unappreciated and quite ahead of its time. The episode in which the corpse shows up sitting in the back row at his own funeral, with Bach's marvelously macabre "Toccata in D Minor" as the stinger, is pure genius. The episode in which the homeless man stands at the back door singing "Daaaaaaaaaaayyyyy-OOOOOOOO!" (Harry Belafonte, eat your heart out) is classic. And who could believe that Shorty! The use of subtitles to translate that spicy-as-gumbo Louisiana gush - what a hoot! My husband, whose father was from Louisiana, could always understand every word Shorty said. I had to rely on the subtitles. Why, why, why wasn't this show given a chance? Because it was sensitive, intelligent and enormously funny, that's why. Diversity, the dearth of which is so lamented today, came to TV in 1987 and was shuffled off with less finesse than was the missing corpse. Our loss. TV Land, bring it back! I promise to set my VCR!

This show was so unique and so classy and so very well done in every way, that there are many many people who still rave about it to this day. If any show ever deserved to have all of its episodes on a DVD - - this is absolutely the one. The dialog was perfectly written. The music was wonderful and appropriate. It goes without having to elaborate that each one of the actors was talented and a joy to see and hear.

And, one of this show's most unique and classy perks was something that was pure class. There was NO LAUGH TRACK.

Frank's place was truly one of the greatest. This kind of quality is sorely missed. If only this show would be repeated now on any channel, anywhere- - that would be a wonderful thing. And if word got out that indeed it could be seen again on TV, it would not only instantly attract the viewers who still miss it very much; it would most likely establish a significant number of new loyal fans.

Somehow, someone, anyone, PLEASE create a DVD of it.

I've got to agree, this is closer to real Louisiana folks & New Orleans than anything else you'll find, and there's a lot of heart to it. I sense that the series was a labor of love, and I wish I could have it on DVD, along with Evening Shade.

I still so miss this show. Even more now that there is so little of quality on network television. I rank it with Barney Miller and Frasier in the superiority of its comedy writing. Far and away one of the most intelligent shows ever produced. But then so much more than comedy. So deep and true and human. With wonderful performances by the entire, quirky cast. With real essence of place, which seemed to figure as another character in the overall mix. Such conscience, compassion and heart.

It is very dispiriting that such high quality entertainment is choked off as very possibly too black, but is followed by such a host of "black" shows so dumbed down, stereotypical, canned and downright silly as to only be able to aspire to mediocrity.

What a blessing it would be to be able to acquire the episodes on DVD. And/or to get the same dream team together for another stellar effort. I know the characters were only [?] fictional, but they felt so much like friends. COME BACK!!!

This show was a victim of CBS. As other posters here have so adroitly put it, this was a wonderful, well done show about a New Orleans restaurant. The setting, the characters, the little touches throughout were positively intoxicating. The episodes I remember are "The Bum Out Front" and "Dueling Voodoo". The "Voodoo" episode was especially memorable because the lead character literally had to use magic powder to undo a curse. I remember when the show aired, it did have low ratings, but I thought they would renew it and give it another shot, because the show was of such high quality. I thought CBS would do what NBC did when it renewed the low rated but high quality "Cheers" and "Hill St. Blues" and gave them the time to find their audience. It was canceled by CBS and I have never forgotten how disappointed I was at that decision. Part of the reason it was taken off of the air, was so that the leads actors in the series, Tim Reid and his wife Daphne Maxwell Reid could do a forgettable hour long detective show called "Snoops". "Frank's Place" truly was a victim of CBS, I'd love to see the series on DVD or on Nick at Night again.