Q: I watched the late Matthew Perry on “Friends” and remembered that he was in another sitcom before that one, on Fox. What was the name of that sitcom?
‘Friends’ was far from Perry’s first gig
Late actor was on several series before he landed on the hit sitcom.
By Rich Heldenfels
September 9, 2024 at 8:59AM
A: Before hitting it big on “Friends,” Perry was a regular on several series, according to “The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows.” You may be remembering “Second Chance” (later retitled as “Boys Will Be Boys”), which aired on Fox in 1987-88 and underwent a lot of changes in its short run as first a fantasy comedy and later a teen ensemble. Then there was “Sydney” for CBS in 1990, starring Valerie Bertinelli as a private eye and Perry as an attorney she worked with. And “Home Free,” on ABC in 1993, with Perry as “a lazy, freeloading 22-year-old” living with his mother and facing changes when his divorced sister moves in.
Familiar face
Q: Have you seen the commercial for a phone that translates audio to written words? It features an older couple as grandparents “speaking” with their grandson about him playing baseball and playing at first base as his grandpa did. Something tickled my memory about the grandmother. Is she Kathy Garver, “Cissy” from “Family Affair”?
A: She is. Garver, who co-starred in “Family Affair” from 1966-71 (and guest-starred on the short-lived “Family Affair” revival in 2002), has remained active in acting, voice work and commercials. You can read more about her at kathygarver.com.
More ‘Joe’ coming
Q: I just finished watching the first season of “Average Joe.” The last episode ended with a cliffhanger. I want to know if there’s going to be a second season.
A: There will be. The drama starring Deon Cole as a plumber who learns that his dead father left some dangerous secrets had its first season on BET+ last year, and more recently Netflix added the first season’s 10 episodes. BET+ ordered a second season in June, with Cole promising that the new season “will be crazy.”
‘Revolt’ has ended
Q: I recently stumbled across “Good Girls Revolt” on Amazon Prime. It was set in the turbulent ‘60s. I thought it was a great show. Any chance of it coming back?
A: The drama about young women trying to get ahead at a male-dominated ‘60s newsmagazine received quite a few good reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes’ summary calling it “a compelling true story, told by a talented cast.” But it was canceled in 2016 after a single season, with one Amazon executive saying it “wasn’t performing at the levels we had hoped for.” Still, series creator Dana Calvo told Newsweek.com that the series was performing well but another Amazon executive didn’t like the show.
‘Family’ matter
Q: Whatever happened to the wonderful drama series, “Family”? It aired in the late ‘60s or early ‘70s and starred Sada Thompson, Kristy McNichol and Meredith Baxter Birney. They’ve never shown reruns that I know of.
A: The well-liked drama originally aired from 1976 to 1980. It was nominated for 17 Emmys during its run and won four acting awards — two to McNichol and one each to Thompson and Gary Frank. I remember reruns on cable many years ago, and have found it on the free streaming service Tubi.
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