The TV Column

Toast to NBC's history a 'must see' for nostalgia

Frasier star Kelsey Grammer is shown in a 1994 publicity photo with Moose, who played the scene-stealing Eddie. The Parson Russell terrier died in 2006 at the age of 15.
Frasier star Kelsey Grammer is shown in a 1994 publicity photo with Moose, who played the scene-stealing Eddie. The Parson Russell terrier died in 2006 at the age of 15.

Remember when NBC had all the "Must See TV" shows? Ah, the good ol' days.

Must See TV was the advertising slogan for the network in the 1990s and usually referred to the powerhouse Thursday night lineup of comedies and dramas that dominated the ratings.

Those shows, going back to the mid-1980s, included The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Cheers, Night Court, Wings, Hill Street Blues and L.A. Law.

By the mid-'90s, Thursday nights included the killer lineup of Mad About You, Friends, Seinfeld, Frasier and ER.

Later entries to the Thursday schedule were Scrubs, Will & Grace, 30 Rock, The Office and Parks and Recreation.

TV doesn't get much better than that.

NBC then hit a rough patch and its comedy well dried up. Who remembers The Michael J. Fox Show, Sean Saves the World, Welcome to the Family, Bad Judge and A to Z? Me, neither.

Must See TV will be one of the eras celebrated on The Paley Center Salutes NBC's 90th Anniversary, airing from 7 to 10 p.m. today on NBC. Kelsey Grammer hosts.

Five-time Emmy winner Grammer is a fitting frontman for the special because he has played psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on Cheers and Frasier and won a guest star Emmy playing the role on Wings.

Frasier Crane made his TV debut in the third season premiere of Cheers (1984) and was intended to last only a few episodes. He was a hit.

After Cheers ended, Frasier moved to his own spin-off in Seattle. Frasier ran from 1993 to 2004 and co-starred David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, Peri Gilpin and John Mahoney.

The National Broadcasting Company was founded in 1926 by the Radio Corporation of America and is the oldest major broadcast network in the country.

Television boomed following World War II thanks in large part to TV's first megastar -- Milton Berle, whose Texaco Star Theatre began in June 1948 and drew the first large audiences to NBC. In 1951, the first telecasts from coast to coast took place.

Among those joining Grammer in recalling the history of the network will be Ted Danson, Tina Fey, Debra Messing and Noah Wyle.

Long Island Medium. Season 7 debuts at 7 p.m. on TLC with "Star Studded Spirit." In the episode, medium/ghost whisperer Theresa Caputo meets with celebrities Rosie O'Donnell, who connects with both of her parents; Billy Gardell (Mike & Molly), who gets validations from his late grandfather and mother-in-law; Ta'Rhonda Jones (Empire), who hears from a deceased cousin; and Mo'Nique (Precious), who reunites with a dead relative.

As a reminder, Caputo bills herself as "an average mom" who helps clients find closure by connecting with dead loved ones. Some have called her a fraud and charlatan, but let's be kind and just stick with entertainer.

The Good Fight. The spin-off of The Good Wife debuts at 7 p.m. today on CBS, then the remaining nine episodes of Season 1 move over to the streaming service CBS All Access as an enticement to new subscribers.

The series follows The Good Wife star Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart, who is forced out of her law firm after a financial scam destroys her life savings.

She then must join Lucca Quinn (the talented British actress Cush Jumbo) at another firm and drama ensues.

The Good Wife star Julianna Margulies won't be in this one.

Finding Bigfoot: Favorite Excursions. Season 1 premieres at 7 p.m. today on Animal Planet. This "new" series is Animal Planet's attempt to milk this cash cow one more time by having the gang reflect on some of their favorite outings in their futile but incessant search for Bigfoot.

Our intrepid Sasquatch hunters are the members of the Bigfoot Field Research Organization (BFRO). The president is Matt Moneymaker and the researchers are James "Bobo" Fay, Cliff Barackman and field biologist Ranae Holland.

In this episode, "Bigfoot BBQ," The crew hopes to entice any nearby Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) with a cookout after receiving tips from a local expert about some secret squatchy hot spots.

When Calls the Heart. Attention fans of TV-G romance. Season 4 arrives at 8 p.m. today on Hallmark. Teacher Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow) struggles to help a young boy come to terms with an old injury while she and Constable Jack Thornton (Daniel Lissing) help coach the kids in baseball.

Bates Motel. Season 5 (the final season) debuts at 9 p.m. Monday on A&E, Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network. The series, a contemporary prequel to Psycho, stars Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates and Freddie Highmore as her troubled son, Norman.

The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:

mstorey@arkansasonline.com

Style on 02/19/2017

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