Bosom Buddies

Mike says that we must have been meant to include this show in our list. Not 2 days after putting it on our list, a random trip to Big Lots yielded a copy of the first season of Bosom Buddies for just $6. Not bad at all!

When I was a kid, for some reason I loved this show (apparently it was in reruns in 1984, and I was 5). So, bolstered by good memories, I slid in the DVD and pressed play, waiting for the familiar theme song... which was not at all what I remembered. And alas, I was reminded of one of those dark truths of DVD collections--sometimes the song rights are too spendy, and they get changed. NO! Ah, well (if you're wondering, the substituted song stinks).

The other thing I realized as I watched the first several episodes was that my memories are foggy at best. But no matter, it's actually a pretty clever show! Modern TV has spoiled us, I realized; Bosom Buddies was made back in the day when there was a Pilot and THEN a show, maybe, and at that point they had to rebuild all the sets and recast some parts if the show was picked up. It's always fun for me to see this change, though it is a little startling as well.

Tom Hanks is great of course, as is Peter Scolari. The show has a fun improv feel, which makes the jokes feel real. The concept is fairly funny as well, with several different SITUATIONS (this is a sit-com, after all) in which fun can be had. The interaction of the boys with the girls is fun, and of course the suspense of whether hormones will win out over secrecy.

Sadly, the show is pretty dated; between the feminist views of the late 70's and early 80's, the clothing, and the film quality, it's hard for a spoiled media consumer to get into the show. But it is delightful in many ways, though not as wholesome as I expected.

Overall, a fun show and a great blast from the past. My only lingering question though: Surely the boys could have found something a little closer to their age bracket for woman's clothing? YIKES! Even for the early 80's the guys are dressed like old ladies! Ah well, at least it's funny.

Kate says the first thing I think of when watching shows from the 80's is how incredibly long the opening credits are! I think it is interesting that opening credits have gotten shorter and shorter and shorter as the decades have rolled along. Numb3rs after Season 2 wins here--here's the title, on to the show!

The other thing I remember is that television used to be a stepping stone to movies after which presumably the actors didn't look back. Bosom Buddies has a truly stunning cast of which a number moved to movies and then returned to television! In any case, Bosom Buddies is a case where the talent definitely outweighs the scripts. The situation is clever and there are downright funny jokes, but the physical humor of Hanks and Scolari is what makes the show work.

In fact, like Cary Grant, Hanks' incredible comedic talents are often masked by his later "serious" movies. He combines deadpan humor with eye-rolling slapstick in a very Cary Grant fashion. Hanks is often perceived as the wholesome All-American boy like James Stewart. But, like Cary Grant, he has that ambiguous edge. (To be fair, James Stewart had an edge too; It's a Wonderful Life kind of overtook his resume.)

A final note: one thing Bosom Buddies does excellently, that other 80's shows don't always, is it avoids being too sentimental. Again, I put that down mostly to Hanks and Scolari. There's always a wink-wink at the back of their humor--which Night Court, despite better scripts, failed to use with everyone except John Larroquette.

Comedy really is the best judge of an actor.