Angie

The sitcom was initially the highest-rated new series of 1978-1979 TV series, appearing on schedule in January 1979 (tying with "Mork and Mindy" for that honor). However, unlike the Orsonian goofball, "Angie" was the victim of a massive revamp during its second season and a victim of constant schedule shuffling--moved from night to night, time slot to time slot, repeatedly for months, by ABC until viewers lost interest in searching for it, then abandoned the ship. The only rats here, however, were the ABC executives who, like all network suits, failed to realize the damage that instability does to a potential hit series with immediate high ratings, a lovable heroine, a cast of crazies and the audience. I truly miss this show one-quarter of a century later. Robin Fletcher