Since I started watching The Good Wife a few months ago, I’ve become a bit more interested in the main actors’ histories, particularly Christine Baranski. She is always praised as such a great actress, and while I think she’s great as Diane Lockhart, I really couldn’t imagine her in a different role. So I decided to check out Cybill, the mid-’90s comedy that she starred in with Cybill Shepherd (whom I also like).
I’m just about finished with the first season, and I have to say that I do think this show is marvelous! It is truly funny, and Cybill and Maryann (Baranski) have such terrific chemistry on-screen. I know they had their battles off the set (just like Cybill and Bruce Willis), but the product they put out there was great.
Admittedly, Maryann is about as far away from Diane Lockhart as one can get, so I tip my cap to Baranski for showing such range. At the same time, I have to give Cybill credit too because her character is vastly different from Maddie Hayes in Moonlighting, which was pretty much the only thing I knew her from before. Sure, Maddie comes out sometimes in a particular way Cybill says her lines, but I usually can watch this without thinking of Blue Moon or Lockhart Gardner at all.
Besides the two main leads, I like the Tom Wopat character, too. But I have to say that neither Ira nor Zooey do anything for me. Ira is too sloppy and average-looking for me to buy him and Cybill as a couple (plus, he has awful hair), and Zooey is all smart-ass all the time, which is extremely annoying.
Oh, I forgot to mention another thing I like about the show: seeing all the fashions and “technology” from 15 years ago! The cordless phones they use are especially funny, and I believe Maryann had a cellular phone in at least one episode. The thing was a brick, like the one Zack Morris used to carry on Saved By the Bell. Obviously they didn’t have an incredible s bell to show off back then, but it’s still hilarious to see what we considered “cutting edge” such a short time ago!
Anyway, I won’t be recapping Cybill at all because I doubt many people are interested in the series anymore. But I can’t wait to finish all four seasons!
