The Powers That Be

This was a brilliant mix of satire, slapstick, and flat-out silliness. In tone it resembled some British sitcoms more than many American ones--that might have helped it fail (along with its incredibly lousy, undeserved time slot). It should have succeeded; I still find people who remember it and laugh. Fantastic cast, hilarious plots, and educated, witty writing (similar to "Frasier")...I wish one of the cable channels would pick up the episodes and show them again! I'd also be willing to pay for the set of episodes, just don't know where to find them.

This was a wonderfully humorous (laugh out loud stuff) sit-com about a senator, his large smart/crazy family, his mistress, his "in" with the new administration---unfortunately being stuck on early Saturday primetime and going insufficiently viewed (I guess), so prematurely cancelled after around 12-15 episodes--check the great cast: JOHN FORSYTH, HOLLAND TAYLOR, DAVID HYDE PIERCE, VALERIE MAFAFFEY, ELIZABETH BERRIDGE, ETC. By all means see it if the opportunity presents itself.

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...

The network powers don't know a good thing if it came and bit them in the behind. Anyway, the main character is played by the wonderful John Forsythe who is a Washington Politician. He is married to the equally wonderful Holland Taylor who is so brilliant as his wife. David Hyde Pierce was here before his life changing role on Frasier. Robin Bartlett played the politician's illegitimate adult daughter. Joseph Gordon Leavitt was here before playing an alien on Third Rock from the Sun. The show had a solid cast, writing, and a good future but I guess networks don't care about quality as so much as the age of it's viewers. I remember this show and think it would have lasted given the opportunity but I guess network executives are smarter than the general public.

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?