Aline et Cathy

"Kate & Allie" wasn't just a typical sitcom. It has a certain level of importance in the History of Women on Television. Show creator Sherry Coben clearly wanted to tell the story of independent females making it in the city. And the program's producer/director Bill Persky was partially responsible for another iconic independent TV woman: Marlo Thomas' Ann Marie from "That Girl." You might say this scenario was one possible evolution of that character.

Kate McArdle (Susan Saint James) and Allie Lowell (Jane Curtin) were two divorced women with kids, who were friends from school. Kate was a struggling travel agent with her daughter Emma (Ari Meyers) and a ne'er do well actor as her former husband. Allie was a Connecticut Doctor's ex with two: Jennie (Allison Smith) and Chip (Freddie Koehler) and presumably a decent alimony settlement. In order to help each other out, they all lived together in a sprawling street level duplex apartment in Greenwich Village. Kate had a bedroom, Allie had a bedroom, Chip, the lone bit of male representation, had his room and the two girls shared a room. What was the rent on this place in the 1980s? There was a slight "Odd Couple" element to the story lines, as Kate tended to be free-spirited and fun, and Allie typically was conservative and more realistic/pessimistic. Their ex husbands would occasionally appear but the focus was always on the two women, the issues they dealt with and the problems they faced trying to have careers and raise their kids well and even sometimes have a social life in New York City.

The charm of the show was in the chemistry of the players. There was a real sense of family coming from the five regular performers and that helped to create a believability that came through on camera. Somehow though, when Ari Meyers left the program, the spell seemed to have been broken. In the episodes where Ari was no longer a part of the cast, the program seemed to lack something. Perhaps the writing suffered, and the story lines fell into more typical sitcom style areas. The setting also changed as the women moved from their homey/funky Village digs into some sterile skyscraper, and the show only lasted one season after Ari's departure.

This was one of only two prime time series that were shot in New York during this era of television. The other was "The Cosby Show." "Kate & Allie" filmed at the iconic "Ed Sullivan Theater," which has been home to "Late Show With David Letterman" since 1993.

I first stumbled across KATE & ALLIE back in 1988, when the series was being transmitted by our national broadcasting service. At first I didn´t find the premise all that promising - two divorced mothers and their respective offspring sharing an apartment and their lives in New York.

I must have watched the initial episode at least 12 times before I decided to keep the recording.

What made me change my mind? First of all, there were the sterling performances by most of the actors, Jane Curtin and Susan St. James in particular. Slowly I began to appreciate that this series was not only funny, it dealt with real, everyday issues in a non-preachy way.

And finally - what REALLY convinced of me of the show´s high quality was the Queen of Deadpan herself, Jane Curtin. (So called by John Lithgow, her co-star in the current hit series "3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN, no less!) She can make even duff lines shine with her spot-on delivery.

Kate McArdle (Susan Saint James) is a single New York mom with Emma (Ari Meyers). She is divorced from the well-meaning but unreliable actor Max and working as a travel agent after a bohemian life. Her childhood friend Allie (Jane Curtin) gets divorced after 14 years from surgeon Charles Lowell who has moved on with girlfriend Claire. She was the submissive conservative housewife who had never worked outside the home and is going back to college. She moves in with Kate taking her kids Chip (Frederick Koehler) and Jennie (Allison Smith).

The first season is a six episode mid-season replacement. Jane Curtin is doing her comedic turns. It is a terrific start to a good sitcom. The show is bolstered by the compelling female friendship of Kate and Allie. Their daughters form a cute parallel friendship. It uses the new landscape of divorce. It has a sweet humor without going too silly. I also like the cold opening sequences of Kate and Allie talking on the streets of New York. They're like little nuggets of 80's New York street life. The kids started doing those openings when Susan Saint James got pregnant during the filming of the fourth season. The show does flatten out over the years. Ari Meyers leaves the show during season 5 for college and Allie marries Bob Barsky in season 6. The lost of Emma leaves a hole in the chemistry. There is always a threat of a guy breaking up the show and its original intent of life as divorced women together. Eventually, TV writing is pulling the show apart and it becomes more constructed. Anyways, six seasons is a pretty good run. Maybe it could have transitioned into a spin off of Emma and Jennie going off to college. If the show has to have a marriage, it should have been one of the girls. The show eventually runs its course. Binging this some thirty years later, it's amazing how much of it comes back to my memory.

All of those who would like to see this series again should be aware that it is currently playing Monday through Friday on RTN: The Retro Television Netork. It's a small syndicated network a lot like TVLand. Most markets that have it are carrying it as a digital subfeed, so you will need a TV with a digital receiver or a digital converter box to see it.

The network's website can be viewed at http://www.rtnville.com

Note sure what else I can say to extend this to 10 lines, really. Just wanted to issue a "heads-up" since I see that there are some "Kate and Aliie" fans reading this site.

I used to watch this show when I was growing up. Although I don't remember much about it, I must say that it was a pretty good show. Also, I don't think I've seen every episode. However, if you ask me, it was still a good show. I vaguely remember the theme song. Everyone was ideally cast, the costume design was great. The performances were top-grade, too. I just hope some network brings this series back one day so that I'll be able to see every episode. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that I'll always remember this show in my memory forever, even though I don't think I've seen every episode. Now, in conclusion, when and if this show is ever brought back on the air, I hope that you catch it one day before it goes off the air for good.