Over the Top

"Over the Top" may not have been the best sitcom to ever come on TV, but it was far from the worst. As the dashing Simon Ferguson, Tim Curry got a chance to show his hysterical comedic side that audiences rarely get to see (with the exception of his two guest spots on "The Naked Truth"). Annie Potts was as terrific as always, playing a haggard character not too far away from the one she played on "Designing Women." Judging from the 3 episodes that aired, the background cast were kind of annoying and needed a little improvement, but they could have gotten better if given a chance. Sadly they never got that chance. I would be interested to see the original supporting cast, with "That '70s Show"'s Debra Jo Rupp, but the original episodes were scrapped before it ever hit the air, causing a delay in the show's debut, and ultimately, its quick cancellation. It's kind of hard to find an audience when they only air three episodes with less than minimal promotion!

Over the Top was pretty funny, but it is very hard to judge since only four episodes ever aired. The episodes I saw were funny, with Tim Curry really shining. The series had an interesting premise. It's a shame this show was so short lived.

Here in Cape Town, we saw the entire season. And I promise you, it was jolly funny! Tim and Annie and Simon and Hadley never stopped sparring, but their relationship and characters evolved over the course of the show, which was great fun to watch.

The supporting cast was also a treat, starting with the always-hilarious Liz Torres as man-crazy Rose, Steve Carell as zany, temperamental chef Yorgo, and Marla Sokoloff as the frustrated teen Gwen. A personal favourite is John O'Hurley as uptight but enamored accountant Robert, who carries a torch for Hadley right to the end.

A very warm, sweet series, I thought.

It's a shame this series never got the chance it deserved. Even years later, I still remember it vividly ... Curry was brilliantly funny, Potts was hilariously catty. And the chemistry worked. What casting! I stumbled back across this show when checking out the listings for the late (great) John Ritter ... his guest-spot on "Over the Top" is probably a large part of why I remember this show so vividly. Curry's character messing with Ritter's and convincing him the best way to win a part they were both vying for was to dress in drag and act like a spoiled child ... bizarre, but priceless :) The good ones never last, it seems. If they'd had more than a handful of TV spots for it, perhaps it would have gotten more viewers. I'd love to see these released on DVD, albeit only a few episodes. [But hey, they did this with "The Tick", another greatly under-appreciated show!] It would be nice to see those faces side by side again.

Some of the episodes started off a tad slow, and one or two of the guest stars needed improvement. If this show(consisting of only 12 episodes) had lasted longer, these improvements could've happened. This show is nowhere near as bad as the IMDb rating suggests, it is actually witty, warm and most importantly funny! The scripting is often hilarious, and this was made possible by the brilliant performances from Tim Curry and Annie Potts, who share a great chemistry. Luke Tarsitano is quite appealing as Daniel, not irritating really, and Marla Sokoloff is good as Gwen. Out of the supporting turns, Liz Torres and Steve Carell come off best as Rose and Yorgo. Two of my favourite moments were Tim and Annie singing "I'm Bonnie, I'm Clyde" and John Ritter in drag, all but to name a few. Overall, a short-lived and underrated show, if given the chance I think you will like it! 8/10 Bethany Cox