Mona Robinson: A Class Act

JONATHAN  Let's invite Sarah Brightman to come over in a "Cats" costume (Spadaro!) and share some memories. What about the things you remember that really don't deserve a place in your memory banks? I'm talking about old phone numbers or useless trivia or, probably most fun of all, random scraps of sitcom plots and moments. For example, I have this crystal clear memory of an episode of "Who's The Boss?" where Mona was annoyed about something (maybe Tony-related?) but then Angela reminded her that Tony was going to get her a Christmas present (or something like that). In wonderfully cheesy sitcom fashion, Mona switches on a dime from being angry to singing a Christmas carol, "Noel, Nooooooeeeellll." I don't remember the episode or any other details, just that one moment so incredibly vividly. As a child, I thought it was one of the most hilarious things I had ever seen. Why?!?! Is there any chance YOU remember that five-second bit?

BETHANY  Sadly, I do not remember this bit from WTB, and that is surprising, because I remember every moment of the episode featuring Tony's appendectomy.  Then, who doesn't?!?  But not this episode.  I do remember Herman Stiles singing "Through The Years" in lounge lizard fashion on "Evening Shade".  That is the most vivid, random thing that popped in my mind.  That leads me to my question for YOU.  Tell me, which are some of the greatest television single episodes of all time, non-finale?  The one that comes instantly to mind for me is the avalanche/ski lodge episode of "Designing Women".

JONATHAN  I don't remember that episode of "Designing Women" but I do have a random memory of seventh grade science class when the teacher was killing time for some reason and was letting us flip through the channels on the TV (on a rolling cart, LOLM). For some reason the kids stopped on an episode of DW that was set on New Year's Eve, maybe 1989 or something? And I remember the whole class was just kind of sitting there feeling the passage of time, like, how weird that it seemed so old but it was only a few years ago. Sometimes the things you learn in school aren't what the teachers are teaching you! Tell me more about the avalanche/ski lodge episode? Was it as memorable as Mary Jo singing "Behind Closed Doors" in a weird anti-redneck episode where they went to a country bar? Was it the same episode? :) 

BETHANY  How can you not remember that episode?  At least in my home, it was legendary!  :-)  Remember, it was the one where the ladies went skiing with their men (at that time, Hal Holbrook, Gerald McRaney, the cute little southern guy Mary Jo dated, and Bill, Charlene's pilot boyfriend who, as I recall, was very boring) and there was an avalanche and they were all stuck in their cabin the whole time?  And it became this big men vs.. women thing, with Julia doing her Dixie Carter feminism thing, and Hal Holbrook going toe-to-toe with her.  And everyone was fighting, and then they all got out to the little lodge restaurant or something and Charlene and Bill started dancing, and then very slowly they all begrudgingly started dancing.  And then by the end everyone was in love again!  REMEMBER??



He's no Joe Hackett.


JONATHAN  Charlene's boyfriend Bill WAS boring! Handsome but bland. Very Bill Pullman in the worst way. I'd really like to see that episode now that you have described. Do you remember a random moment on Roseanne when the power went out (I think they hadn't paid the bill) and so Roseanne was telling a story to her kids and was like, "Once upon a time there were four princesses who never did any work but just talked all day. After a few years, two of them left and the replacement princesses weren't any good." and then Darlene was like, "That's 'Designing Women,' mom." I do vividly remember the one where Julia kept crashing her car into the newsstand because it was selling adult magazines and every time the cop would ask her for her name, she would spell "Sugarbaker" in the perfect Dixie Carter fired-up way. Whatever happened to Noelle, Suzanne's pig?!

BETHANY  Living with Anthony at...wait a minute!  Whatever happened to Anthony?  I can't remember!  But I just had a funny thought of, tying back in to the first thing you said, Mona calling for Suzanne's pig.  Not really all that funny, actually.  Never mind.  You know what show I have been wanting to watch?  Murphy Brown.  But then I decide not to, because I fear the disappointment of it not being as great as I remember it.  There are a lot of shows that I feel that way about.  But I'm glad you mentioned Bill Pullman.  (That's all...just glad you mentioned him.  He hasn't been mentioned nearly enough in this blog.)

The good old days of Pullman.

JONATHAN  I loved the one where Anthony dressed as Consuela and took the citizenship test. Maybe Anthony, Suzanne, Noelle and Consuela are all living together in Atlanta, making sure to catch every new episode of FYI with their favorite newscasters? At the time, I thought Murphy Brown was the height of sophistication and grown-up humor. There was one joke where the punchline was something about Stone Phillips and I remember as a child being like, "BRILLIANT! Over my head, but BRILLIANT!" Did you ever see Diane English's remake of "The Women"? I would love to hear your opinion on that. And feel free to discuss more Bill Pullman! Apparently Mr. Wrong is available in all its parts on YouTube and I have re-watched WAAAAAY too many scenes online. Why didn't that lovely Ellen DeGeneres get to play any more romantic comedy leads? I was really rooting for her and Bill Pullman to get together!

BETHANY  He loved her enough to break his own finger for her!  HOW did that relationship not work out?!?