Vote for why you think it jumped
Never Jumped
Network Switch (ABC to CBS)
Singing (Unchained Melody)
Shark Bytes
Funny how I've still to this day remember this as one of the few sitcoms I enjoyed watching, that is, until it switched networks. Jonathan Winters was and still is my all time favorite comedian and seeing him on this show affirmed this. The first season was obviously it's best and was definitely disappointed by the retooling - Bonnie Hunt is also great, but the show lost it's zip. Believe it or not, I'm actually watching the first episode as I write this - over 17 years after I saw it the first time (VHS still rules when you can't find it on DVD!).
DAVIS RULES was an above average sitcom that died an unjustified death because ABC never really allowed it find an audience. This show worked because of the sheer comic genius of Jonathan Winters and the solid acting skills of Randy Quaid, who was rarely seen to better advantage. Having pros like Patricia Clarkson and Bonnie Hunt present didn't hurt proceedings either. This show had smart writing and a wonderful cast and I still wonder why it was cancelled so quickly. DAVIS RULES never jumped the shark.
Davis Rules JTS when that chubby kid serenaded some girl he liked with "Unchained Melody", which had been played to death after the movie "Ghost" came out. I was ready to hitch a ride on the Vomit Express when this kid tried to look all earnest and in love. Typical ABC network tripe.
When Patricia Clarkson left and they introduced Giovanni Rabisi. Also, less emphasis on Jonathan Winters.
I loved this show on its original network. My heart was broken when it was cancelled. My heart leapt up when I heard it would be revived on another network. Alas, the new network show totally sucked. There was no excuse for eliminating the Rigo character. He was the best thing about the show.
Enjoyed it. Wish they had given it more time. Cosmo was missed after the first season, but Bonnie Hunt kept me watching just to see her scenes with Jonathon Winters. When he'd go off script she was the only one who could keep up with him. Everyone else just sat around and laughed. Those scenes had a special charm to them. And Giovanni Ribisi (one of the best young actors working today) was another smart addition to the cast. One of my favorite episodes was the one in which his girlfriend was having a baby (not his) and he and Dwight were like tag team birthing partners. Bonnie hung around the waiting room trying to pick up young single doctors. They basically took an old hackneyed sitcom plot and invested it with some new life. Somehow it worked. And it's the only episode I happen to have on tape.
Does anyone remember Rigo? Rigo Berto? He was the eldest son's best friend. A chubby hispanic kid who I thought delivered deadpan humor as good as, if not better, than even Bob Newhart. That kid was so good, they started putting him other scenes on the show where is character was out of context, such as giving fire drill instructions to the kindergarteners. Rigo was HILARIOUS. Angela Watson, who later was on "Step by Step" was really cute as Trevor's girlfriend. This show was really good, and Bonnie Hunt made the ensemble cast even better. But, in the end, it was just another sitcom about a single parent's family, which didn't offer much else than the Hogan Family, and couldn't compete with Roseanne. The pickup by CBS immediately associated it with poorly-lit sets, and punchlines that drop like bricks.
I really loved this show when it was on, and definitely, the moving to and "retooling" by CBS completely ruined it. Even though it starred two big talents like Jonathan Winters and Randy Quaid, it was truly an ensemble show, and removing the eldest child, Robbie (Trevor Bullock) and the girlfriend, Cosmo (Patricia Clarkson), knocked the show completely off balance. They built up this wonderful, natural progression of Dwight (Quaid) and Cosmo falling in love, only to have her disappear from Season 2. I stopped watching after the season opener, but fortunately, I taped most of the Season 1.
This sitcom was "Davis Rules", which premiered in 1991 on ABC right after the Super Bowl. Randy Quaid played Dwight Davis, a grammar school teacher, a single father of three sons, and the son of an eccentric dad played by Jonathan Winters. I loved this Casey-Warner-produced sitcom because of Mr. Winters; I thought he stole the show in almost every episode. I also loved the blonde actress (not Bonnie Hunt) whom I thought Dwight had a crush on. I could've remembered her flirting with Dwight's dad a couple of times. Unfortunately, "Davis Rules" jumped the shark when it switched networks (ABC to CBS) and was "retooled" in 1992. The only noteworthy thing about the second season on CBS was Bonnie Hunt playing Jonathan Winters' daughter. Other than that, I stopped watching the show because of the retooling. CBS finally pulled the plug on the show in 1992.
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