Norman Lear was noted for his astounding and tremendous achievements in television. He will be heard from several times on this list of Top 400 Notable Programs Set in New York City. Mr. Lear's genius in creating some of the most memorable characters on some of the most unforgettable programs in history, guarantees he will be remembered as an important name in TV, forever.
However... we must be honest. Mr. Lear had a show or two that wasn't as successful as some of those landmark series that are preserved in places like the Smithsonian, or The Paley Center. This would be one.
Jimmy Coco was Joe, running a luncheonette in a midtown skyscraper with his wife, Angela (Geraldine Brooks), the Dumplings of "The Dumplings."
Two distinctive points about this show that are important: The first is that this was originally a newspaper comic strip, drawn by Fred Lucky, that amused Norman Lear, so he decided to develop it into a TV series.
The other point is that the two leads of the show were both "average" looking, but also very much in love with each other. And to be completely honest, the adjective used at the time of the show's release wasn't "average." It was either "overweight" or "fat." I guess compared to many of the stars of other programs on the Prime Time Network Schedule, they were, but ultimately, that wasn't at all fair.
Here's the problem with this series. The little luncheonette that The Dumplings run was frequented by the businessmen in the offices above it, with the vast majority of them working for an Oil company. How does that fit into their story? And with Joe and Angela being so much in love, where is the conflict that drives the comedy coming from?
New York plays a part because midtown is a hub of business traffic, all of them ready for lunch, and there's plenty to eat for everybody.
I think a show like this could always be useful for people to see because representation is important! You shouldn't have to believe you must look a certain way to find love or that who you are isn't good enough, as is. But it needed a concept that could support the comedy, and if this one found it, "The Dumplings" might have had a run like some of Lear's more successful comedies.
