It's time for us to get back into another bread and butter topic but something we've not touched in sometime-- A Short lived sitcom. There's a context to this sitcom that we must explain.
First let's talk about T..G.I.F on ABC. The block is well know for giving hit series from "Full House", "Family Matters", "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", "Boy Meets World", and more. It was a highly successful block for ABC who has thought to even bring it back twice. The original block was doing very well until about 1997-98 season this is where things took a turn. Rewind back to 1996, ast this point TGIF had removed two veteran shows from focus to add in series to refresh the line up a little, this brings us "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" It fit with new owner, Disney, idea to give the line up from a family show block to a more teen block. Also Clueless but that died. (We may talk about that one day) This change allowed to end two series "Step by Step", and "Family Matters" which were going down in the ratings (with age) canceled. These shows didn't want die so easily and another network had their eye on them ,CBS. (Yes I did that pun and don't feel ashamed about it.)
Back to 1997, CBS had launched a new block to compete with a slightly weakened T.G.I.F with the CBS block party. Which,also allowed "Family Matters" and "Step By Step " to continue to live. To be fair, the Block party did hurt T.G.I.F but it was more like a double sided sword where they stabbed T.G.I.F and let some blood out and slowly died while the block party got injured more and died after year. T.G.I.F had tried the whole "hey this show works for us, so let's make more of that" with "You Wish" (one day will cover that maybe) and "Teen Angel" to work on Sabrina's supernatural greatness, these shows failed and T.G.I.F for rest of the season was 2 shows.
To 1998. Where they kind of lost it , but we may have to talk more about T.G.I.F later. In 1998 they had tried a new show with some star power , The Olsen Twins. If you don't know this, the Olsen twins were big in the 1990's they starred on "Full House" and then branched off into movies, and specials, and series to the point of over exposure. ABC had thought that maybe bringing them back to TV on their network would help so much faith in this program they put it as the launch show at 8pm/7c. Leading into vetrans, Boy Meets World, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. This brings us to our topic "Two of a Kind".
More after the jump because we went long here.
"Two of a Kind" was produced by Miller-Boyett, the same company and people who brought us "Full House", and other large T.G.I.F hits. You can see ABC's logic, get a company that produced big hits for them and two stars. Mary-Kate Olsen plays Mary-Kate Burke (yeah) and Ashley Olsen plays Ashley Burke. (Woah don't stretch yourself show) they are twins (really stretching) who are 12 years old with their widower father , Kevin Burke not played by a guy named Kevin, instead by Christopher Sieber. Mary Kate plays the tomboy and Ashley is the girly girl (this helps some of the episodes have a plot.)
In the first episode, since Mary-Kate and Ashley aren't old enough to be home alone (and we need something else in this series to work) because their father a college professor and also a widower (because they aren't paying for a mom actress unless this show makes some money!) they are baby sat and not happy with the lady watching them their neighbor, Mrs. Baker. Also apparently in the pilot they are 1l. Evenutally a college student of Kevin's named Carrie ends up being their new baby-sister while the twins get Mrs.Baker , who is a widow, and a man named Mr.Filmore together so she can be pre-occupied with him or something.
Most of the series 22 episodes plots are having to do with the pre-teen twins dealing with pre-teen stuff , like boys and school issues because of course. If this show was a Nick or Disney Channel series airing today it wouldn't be out of place (though it would also be less slickly produced either). Since the are identical twins we get some plots of them switching places when need is there. Carrie ends up living in their house after episode 16.
The series wasn't bad for what it was but, it didn't catch fire for ABC and it ended after one season. The repeats made it to Fox Family, which is where I remember the show from where they aired it daily like mad men. They never revived the series. It's not a sitcom that would set fire or change things really but it was still a fun show. Kind of strange they picked it up since it didn't fit with their whole Teens focus they were trying for T.G.I.F but apparently they were going with star power but may have not grabbed viewers.
I do think if this series had made it as an early Disney Channel series or had premiered just tick earlier like 1996 (though not with 12 year olds or whatever) it might have been a little stronger and more remembered that's how things happen though. Both series that were new in the 1998-99 season for TGIF didn't make it leaving Sabrina and Boy Meets World left. The repeats of the series lasted on Fox Family even after Disney (irony) bought it until I'm guessing, the rights with it from WB had ended.
I used "Two of Kind" since talking about every episode really wouldn't be enthralling to talk a little about the end of TGIF. Latter-day TGIF gave us a some more short-lived to play with so, we will be making a return.
Tune in next time , when we wonder why NBC didn't try and join the Friday fun with "Hey we're the number 1 network leave us alone, we have our gimmick on Thursday! Watch Friends!" .
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