Review of Melba

Melba (1986)
Notorious for lasting just ONE episode
26 July 2004
Long after Melba Moore's singing career came to a standstill, CBS provided her with this, her very own sitcom. Alas, for her, CBS, and all involved, it had the distinct misfortune of arriving the night of the first space shuttle disaster, garnering THE lowest ratings EVER for a first-run show and was canceled immediately. I happened to be one of the very few, probably, who caught this show and the space shuttle disaster merely hastened what was inevitable: cancellation. One cannot always base a review on just one episode, particularly a pilot - just as in life, a show must find its way, develop its own voice and flavor - but this was obviously another attempt by CBS to try and capture some of the audience the way NBC and "The Cosby Show" had, and it was done poorly, with writing that was, at best, mediocre and very forced, with hardly an honest-to-goodness laugh to be found, and featuring a leading lady who, while not without her charms (Moore comes off as a nice enough person and not without talent), seemed distinctly uneasy shouldering the burden of an entire show, something made all the clearer by a lack of any real chemistry with anyone else on-screen. Still, she tried, but it was a lousy show and what CBS did could only be called a mercy killing. If anyone remembers this show - and I don't profess to remember much about it, just how I felt about the show! - it's as a footnote in the history of Very Bad TV.
10 out of 13 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed