The Powers That Be

This delightful comedy broad-casted in the 90's, was one of the best comedies since "I Love Lucy". It is a shame to think that it might be lost in the archives forever. How do we convince Columbia Pictures Television (Production) and Sony Pictures Television (Distributors) to release it again? This is an American political delight! Anybody with a suggestion? Who's rubber arm can we twist (",). So many television shows are available on DVD - why not this one? This series will share the the lime light with shows like "The Golden Girls". Margaret, the senator's wife played by Holland Taylor, brings a comical British Aristocracy like flavor to the screen. Something different than the usual shallow comedies that we see these days. This should not be lost to our children. This one of the rare ones!

This was one of the funniest TV shows, ever. My husband and I loved it. When we found out it was going to be cancelled, I did something I had never done before, I called NBC to protest the cancellation. I was told that they had hoped it would succeed and tried a 2nd season but the viewership still did not improve. I told them I thought they should give it one more season and put it in a better time slot. I compare the loss of this show to the loss of "Arrested Development", another great show that middle America couldn't get it's mind around. I also would like to see "The Power that Be" again, its been 13 years since it ended. I hope NBC comes out with the DVD.

What can one say about a solid (and short lived) political sitcom that has John Forsythe in a great comeback vehicle, Holland Taylor in her best TV role ever, as well as a pre-'Frasier' David Hyde Pierce doing his schtick before Niles was born? I'd say it's one of the best shows ever, even if it only lasted a handful of episodes. It also features Joseph Gordon Levitt (3rd Rock From the Sun) as well as a great comic turn by Elizabeth Berridge (who plays Charlotte, the family's long-suffering maid). Lots of good, smart, funny stuff here...and still no one watched. Perhaps it was the Saturday time slot that did it in. Then again, dumb usually hits big, so it's no wonder this didn't make it...

This series was a shining jewel and a white raven amidst an overload of mediocre US sitcoms. Intelligent, witty, and hilariously funny, it contained brilliantly absurd, unforgettable one-liners (like hysterical Caitlyn's desperate observation: "Ventriloquism is tearing this family apart!"). While the wife (Holland Taylor) is obsessively trying to promote the senator's position in society, an ambition constantly undermined by her dysfunctional family, the senator himself (John Forsyth in a fabulous parody on Blake Carrington) is more interested in dallying with his secretary and socializing with his extramarital daughter. Valerie Maheffey as his daughter Caitlyn created one of the funniest comedy characters ever.

I had the presence of mind to tape most episodes when this series aired. But I most sincerely concur with a previous reviewer in wondering why, with so much utter c**p issued on DVD, this is still unavailable. Could somebody please change that?

I have been looking for copies of this wonderful comedy since it's cancellation!

The wonderful cast and characters, and just hysterical writing made this show a winner in my book. Sadly, the public really never had a chance to appreciate it. David Hyde Pierce showed off his star qualities as Theodore and should have won many awards for the performances, long before Niles was an entity.

Clean and creative humor, slapstick, and sometimes just plain silliness made this show refreshing and fun.

Bring back episodes to syndication or DVDs, please!