Next up on my completely randomly selected list of nights and networks was supposed to be FOX Fridays. But with Malcolm in the Middle already accounted for on my Sundays, I was kind of left with absolutely nothing of interest to choose from. Sorry fans of America’s Most Wanted, Dark Angel, Firefly, Nanny 911, The Return of Jezebel James, Brothers, The X-Files, Renovate My Family, Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy, and Dollhouse, but that option pool is not for me.
Instead, I’m moving on to a night that has definitely seen itself transformed a few times over. Sunday nights on ABC once belonged to the Magical Kingdom. Now Minnie’s dead, and Mickey and Goofy have been locked in a closet. Long live the women of Wisteria Lane (I guess — I’ve never seen the show).
7:00-9:00 The 7PM hour on Sundays actually saw more competition than you’d imagine. Believe it or not, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! aired a show back in the 1980s, and in 1989 a little series called Life Goes On premiered to some rave reviews. And as much as we make fun of it, America’s Funniest Home Videos has seen many a successful year kicking off a traditionally quiet night on television. There must be some reason it continues to be reinvented and rebroadcast. You’ll also notice that the 8:00-9:00 slot is encompassed here as well, which means shows like MacGyver, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition are being evaluated too. But for me, this little window of time has only ever had one real owner: The Wonderful World of Disney. Now, I don’t remember exactly what we used to watch on this show growing up, but I do recall Sunday night Disney movies about hijinks at summer camp, and other similarly sticky situations that kids get themselves into. Plus that intro with the Magical Kingdom and the fireworks … yes it did.
9:00-10:00 Not much on tap here, and the truth is that this night is mainly a dog, and one that I might have also skipped were it not for the great opportunity that 10PM provides (you’ll see). The 9 o’clock hour has given us such gems as Dolly, 20/20, Snoops, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Oprah’s Big Give, and the above-mentioned Desperate Housewives. It has also provided many of you with a few good years of Alias. Unfortunately, I just can’t give this one to you — I’d be pandering if I chose a show I not only have never watched, but one that I also couldn’t imagine ever sitting down in front of (as opposed to just using the picture above). And you wouldn’t want that, would you? Instead, for the second time I call Free Play … put your kids to bed after letting them stay up late for Disney, and get yourself ready for what’s to come.
10:00-11:00 Okay, so this is what the night is all about. After years of airing a Disney movie from 9:00-11:00, ABC began taking advantage of 10PM by broadcasting solid dramas. No, Buck James doesn’t really count, but the hour has seen The Practice, Dragnet, Grey’s Anatomy (remember that in 2005?), and the newer Brothers & Sisters, which I don’t watch but thank for giving people Rob Lowe again. So what is it that I’m hyped up about? In 2004, Boston Legal lived a short life here! So whereas I had conflicts with it in other timeslots throughout the week, sneaking this great show in on Sunday nights not only allows me other choices elsewhere, but also all-but ensures that it will be my overall pick for the 10PM Sunday night slot — that’s right, this is going all the way there. Stay tuned. So we’ll close out Sunday night on ABC with some Boston Legal … just as God intended.
Lot of memories and good times here. Plus some time for myself. What does your perfect Sunday night on ABC look like?
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Dec 16, 2009 @ 14:00 EST5EDT
If God intended for Boston legal to be on Sundays than ABC must be the devil.
Oh yeah they are. After LOST finishes all the shows I watch will be on Fox, how sad. lol
*POST AUTHOR*
That’s sad, man — other than The Simpsons and Family Guy, there’s not a single thing I watched on FOX this half-season. Do you like punishing yourself? :)
you guys don’t watch enough TV.
Personally, Boston Legal was better after it moved out of Sunday, with the addition of better cast like Julie Bowen, Mark Valley, and Candice Bergen during season two.
Sunday has been a cornerstone for ABC, it’s the only night of the week they haven’t changed the lineup for four seasons.
It was my appointment TV when Alias was on (modern classic season 1 and 2), and it was great when Grey’s Anatomy was there for its first two seasons before moving to Thursday and got completely unwatchable. Nowadays, Brothers & Sisters filled the void left behind by Grey’s just fine.
Really? Because Mark Valley was there since the Pilot and Candice Bergen was there since the 11th episode, both of which were on Sunday nights. lol
I watch House, Bones, and Glee, everything else is on Cable. It’s sad that i find almost everything on TV to be useless garbage.
Man! I haven’t seen much Network shows since Boston Legal. I watch Desperate Housewives then Brothers & Sisters. The alphabet soup networks ratings will continue to drop due to ideologues versus what the public desires. I may tune in for sports but othe rthan that, I watch FOX,CNN,HLN,Cable On Demand. Its a shame how the ” New York Cicle ” discriminates against the mainstream Americans from writing and production to financial corporate heads in the entertainment biz.
Running short of things to write about I see.
*POST AUTHOR*
As empty as the night is, it’s actually a linchpin in this series — which is already six parts in — because of Boston Legal. What better to write about on a TV site than a perfect week of television? :)
ABC Sunday night, you have got to be kidding. CBS on Sunday night, just like most nights. With the exception of sports on FOX, I could get buy pretty easy without either ABC, or FOX. Just give me cable, a little of NBC, and almost all of CBS and I’m happy.