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Post by topbilled on Oct 16, 2023 18:20:04 GMT
Some bosses are better than others.
One of the best? Trail boss Gil Favor (Eric Fleming) on TV's Rawhide. After Favor retired from the cattle drive, his ramrod Rowdy Yates (Clint Eastwood) was promoted in the final season.
One of the worst TV bosses? Maybe Mel Sharples (Vic Tayback) on the long-running sitcom Alice. While the role was softened considerably from the feature film ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE, he was still a jerk to the waitresses who worked for him. Sometimes Mel was shown to be vulnerable and not as bad as his gruff exterior indicated. But he was still a difficult and demanding boss for Alice, Flo, Vera, Belle and Jolene to work for!
Which TV bosses do you rate the best, and the worst..?
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Post by jinsinna13 on Oct 17, 2023 13:37:01 GMT
My best would have to be Judge Harry T. Stone of Night Court and Steve McGarrett of the original Hawaii Five-O. Judge Stone was quirky, and everybody enjoyed his easygoing and fun nature. McGarrett always got his cases solved, no matter how difficult his cases were.
My worst would have to be Mr. Burns of The Simpsons, Shay Moseley of NCIS: Los Angeles, and Mel Sharples of Alice. (Agree with you on the last one, TopBilled.) Mr. Burns was a despicable individual and was not above doing unethical things to screw his employees over. Moseley was a temporary replacement for Hetty, and she annoyed everybody by yelling constantly. (Needless to say, I was glad when she was written out of the show.) I didn't watch much of Alice, but the only thing I remember about the show was Sharples yelling constantly.
My middle of the road would have to be Professor John Robinson and Major Don West of Lost in Space. They were decent bosses, but dealing with Dr. Smith drove them bananas.
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Post by topbilled on Oct 17, 2023 14:09:55 GMT
Yes, I was thinking of McGarrett from the original H5O. He was fair, firm and intelligent. Off-camera Jack Lord was said to be a perfectionist and he required everyone to be on their "A" game all the time. He really was the boss of the show, especially after creator-producer Leonard Freeman died.
Going back to Mel Sharples on Alice the writers tried to give him a catchphrase which was 'Stow it!' anytime someone challenged him. I guess that was his version of 'shut up.' LOL Sometimes there were slight variations, depending on whom he was yelling at. If it was Beth Howland's character Vera, he'd say 'Stow it, Dingy!' If it was Celia Weston's character Jolene, he'd say 'Stow it, Blondie!'
One season there was a riff on Dickens' Christmas Carol, where Mel drifted off to sleep and was visited by three ghosts. But did he really change after realizing how much of a Scrooge he had been? Not really!
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Post by Swithin on Oct 19, 2023 0:25:50 GMT
I liked Don Porter as Ann Sothern's boss in Susie/Private Secretary. He was later her boss on The Ann Sothern Show as well, after Ernest Truex's character was transferred to Calcutta. 
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Post by intrepid37 on Oct 19, 2023 1:40:52 GMT
Lou Grant was a boss on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Played by Ed Asner, he was gruff and very funny. Quite a popular character for the entire run of the show.
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Post by topbilled on Oct 19, 2023 2:25:26 GMT
On Dallas J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) was despicable towards a lot of people...but his one redeeming trait is that he was always a good boss to his secretary Sly (Deborah Rennard). |
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Post by BunnyWhit on Nov 2, 2023 15:19:42 GMT
One of the worst:
Mr. Mooney -- The Lucy Show (1962-1968)
Played by Gale Gordon, Mr. Mooney was a cantankerous know-nothing. I always thought he was needlessly mean to Lucy's Mrs. Carmichael.
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One of the best:
Mrs. Pynchon -- Lou Grant (1977-1982)
Played by Nancy Marchand, Mrs. Pynchon was the patrician owner of the Los Angeles newspaper founded by her father. Though those who worked for her sometimes did not agree with her, she was a cunning businesswoman who wanted nothing more than to be fair and honest with her employees and the news.
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