The Education of Max Bickford

This show tells about the life of a Jewish college professor called Max Bickford (Richard Dreyfuss) and his family, which includes Lester (Eric Ian Goldberg) and Nell (Katee Sackhoff), who also studies at the women's college where her father teaches.Other great characters are Andrea Haskell (Marcia Gay Harden), who's also a professor and Erica Bettis (Helen Shaver), who used to be a man.The Education of Max Bickford ran from 2001 to 2002.My question is why? Why did it last for one season only? I liked it.The comedy worked in it, the drama worked in it and the cast was magnificent.The adult actors were great, the kid actors were great.And then you could see these amazing guest stars making visits.There was Eli Wallach in three episodes as Jay Bickford, Max' father.In one episode there was Peter O'Toole as Sidney McKnight, an old professor.These legends can make any show better, and this one was good already.So why didn't it last? What can you do? Some shows go on and some don't.That's the way it goes.

Apparently, the creators of "The Education of Max Bickford," have LEFT the show, because the honchos at CBS want to make Max more "sympathetic."

Why does corrupt corporate marketing constantly encroach upon quality television? One of the things that makes "Bickford" such a delight is its departure from one-dimensional characters and caricatured portrayals which are so endemic to network programming. Yes, Max is hypocritical, contradictory, enervating and downright offensive. And yet, amidst all his spiritual blemishes, Max's good intentions, deep respect for his colleagues and love for his family shine through. As opposed to the black-and-white world of the cop-medical legal dramas that pervade our airwaves these days, the main character's complexity enhances his humanity, rather than diminishes it. Sound like someone you know? Look around...there's more than just a little bit of Max Bickford in each of us.

Perhaps the lower ratings are due to the uniquely American need for blinding escapism, albeit at the cost of introspection. God forbid network television should be an instrument of self-reflection. No, they need those ratings, those delicious and oh-so-informative demographics, which translate into advertising revenue and profit. Where is our profit as the intelligent, discriminating TV viewer, huh? HUH?

The portrayal of Erica (formerly Steve) and her ex-wife on the December 9 episode was excellent. As a post-operative male-to-female transsexual woman with an ex-wife of my own, I was amazed at the accuracy of the emotions the writers and actors gave these characters in the show. My only complaint was that the end result, with Erica inviting her ex-wife into the house for tea (or whatever) is a rare, rare outcome. In most cases, the ex-wife will have absolutely nothing to do with the transsexual woman, and frequently, the relationship is extremely antagonistic. (Mine is!) None the less, I applaud the creator and writers of this show for including a transsexual woman among the characters and give them all a great big, THANK YOU, for portraying us a real people, not freaks as shows such as Springer do.

Intelligent TV has returned to commercial television. Great topics with a fine grasp of cross generation relations. Maybe not a fair comparison, but M*A*S*H was rough around the edges when it started. "Max" has a great foundation to start on, it can only get better. Stick with it CBS I plan to keep watching. KM

We have been watching Max Bickford since the beginning. As a university professor for the past 35 years, who has been a Chair of a Department, and dealt with Presidents and Deans, Academic Senates and Boards of Governors, I was unsure what to expect when the series started. From my experience, the series truly gives the flavour of academic life, certainly as seen from the perspective of someone who, like Max, has to deal with colleagues of all temperaments and genders. I am often left wondering if the writers were students at MY institution!

Beyond the academic realism, the human side of this series is a real joy to watch and savour. To see a parent willing to sacrifice himself for his kids, to stand up for the "old-fashioned" liberal causes he believes in, and to challenge the rich and the powerful when necessary, is to enter again the world of principles and love that had seemed to have been overridden by the social Darwinism so necessary to the operation of the new economic order.

This is a great show--we certainly hope that it continues in the CBS lineup--it should have real legs. Thanks.