Down to Earth

I barely remember this show, given that I moved in 1986 from a place that didn't have cable, and subsequently missed half the show's run. I also was only about 8 years old at the time. I haven't much else to add to the previous person's summary, except that she WASN'T the only person who saw it, that the premise

was very clever and original, and despite having the world's worst actor (the late Dick Sargeant), I remember the show being awfully charming and, oddly

enough, the credits being especially interesting. I also remember asking my

mom what "23 skidoo" meant. I credit the show for sparking my personal interest in 1920s history. So if you were a writer for this sitcom, bravo for hitting at least one kid on the head! Let's hope more interesting premises as such come forth in TV in the future! Vive le flapper! (Question: did she actually get her wings? And did a bell ring?)

I also fondly remember watching this show as a child. I used to watch it every day at 4:30 on TBS after school while everyone else was watching ABC afterschool specials. I remember the opening sequence was in the style of an old 1920's newsreel with the theme song being a little like a swing song and saying something about Valentino. It's horrible that this show is not too familiar, because with Hollywood remaking the Dukes of Hazzard, The Addams Family and other old TV shows, this would seem like the perfect premise for a Hollywood remake. There was another show that used to show after it that I can only remember had Louis Arquette as a dirty old man. Maybe someday, TV will come back to what it used to be, instead of reality shows.

I very much remember "Down To Earth" as I acted in one of the episodes. I believe it was entitled "The Burro" and it is where young J.J. (or Jay Jay) ordered a donkey via mail order. I played the "delivery person" who brought the donkey to their door.

Not to ring my own bell, but what may be of interest to trivia fans is that I,Peter Ackemran, am the son of late TV Producer Harry Ackerman, who, among his many accomplishments was the Executive Producer of a TV show called "Bewitched" - which also starred Dick Sergent! The day I worked on the show was a wonderful opportunity for Dick and I to reconnect since the time I visited the set of his former show as a young boy.

I reminisce about "Down to Earth" because I see "Ethel" frequently in TV commercials. I also was about 7 or 8 when the show aired. In response to the other comments, I don't remember "Rocky Road", but I do remember "Small Wonder" and another sitcom called "Check It Out!" starring Don Adams in which all the story lines took place in a supermarket (I think Don Adams was the manager of the supermarket). Does anyone else remember that show? I loved "Down to Earth" and I never missed it. I have a memory of going out to eat with my parents to a barbecue joint that had small televisions on each table, and for a quarter or two you could watch TV while you ate. We happened to be there at the time "Down to Earth" was coming on, and I begged and pleaded and threw a fit because I wanted to watch "Down to Earth" and of course my mom and dad said "I don't think so, you can live without TV for 30 minutes" and that was just one more strike against my dad because I wanted to be just like Lissy Preston--her clothes, her hair, her rebel attitude--and my dad said that she looked like Boy George. I will never forget that.

The line containing the family's name that Traci B forgot:

"Back down to earth to teach the Prestons lessons, Richard Lizzie Dwayne and J.J. too! Now she must be a nineteen eighties' lady..." etc.

Just had to share, because I've had that damn theme song stuck in my head off and on for like, twenty years now :) I used to watch this show on the TBS Superstation (it was on right after the Monkees reruns). Those were long, boring summer vacations, with so little for me to do.