Monday, June 20, 2011

Tuesday's Forgotten TV: Domestic Life

It's time once again to blow the dust off forgotten footage from the past.  This week, it's the short-lived Martin Mull sitcom Domestic Life.

Mull plays Seattle TV personality Martin Crane, whose vignettes about family life in the 80s is called, coincidentally, Domestic Life.  His life is, of course, humorously complicated, with a suffering but loving wife, frustrated teenage daughter, and very precocious 10-year-old son, who runs his own businesses.  That's right--a business owning 10-year-old son.  The one episode I remember most clearly featured Martin asking his son for a $4000 loan.

The show was short-lived, as previously stated (aren't all my selections short-lived?), premiering January 4, 1984 and ending on September 1st the same year.  While the series didn't help Mull's career, at least it didn't hurt either.

Here is the series theme song (with lyrics written by Mull), followed by a promo for the show.




In my research, I was surprised to learn that the show was executive-produced by Steve Martin.

Thanks!

7 comments:

Todd Mason said...

I don't know if I completely missed this one, as a Mull fan already by 1984, but that was one of the Bad years in several ways, and I was very busy for the first four months, when CBS was actually promoing the series, presumably (and maybe not pre-empting it at any possible opportunity).

Todd Mason said...

...or if I've simply forgotten about it.

Todd Mason said...

And if a selection wasn't shortlived, it'd have to be pretty elderly (and not continually replayed) to be truly overlooked these days! DEATH VALLEY DAYS or LIFE IS WORTH LIVING or CAPTAIN VIDEO might qualify.

Phillyradiogeek said...

It was a very starnadrd, ordinary sitcom, not bad, but certainly not innovative either. The theme song clip popped up in my YouTube recommendations, and a blog post was born.

Really want to get the blog mojo running again, but good gravy is time so sparing these days...

Todd Mason said...

Well, hell, Brian, the job can be time-consuming enough...having emotionally and otherwise dependent folks in one's life just adds to that, and Me Time might or might not be Blog Time.

But, of course, one much do the Tuesday's Overlooked. (Fit of coughing.) Whenever you need an a/v geeking release valve...

Todd Mason said...

One must, or much, do what one can (or cutch).

wv: monittr (hmmm)

ajm said...

Steve Martin's production company was called (IIRC) 40 Share.