Advent Calendar

Sitcom Advent Calendar Day Three

After the giant success of Cheers, Ted Danson did a few unmemorable moves, a guest spot on Frasier and The Simpsons, then a single season of the sitcom Ink with his wife Mary Steenburgen.

But what you’ll find behind door number three today is what he did next.

Becker.

I remember watching this on the Paramount Comedy Channel when it was shown alongside Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show, and Newsradio, but it vanished from the screens before I ever got to see Nancy Travis take up her role in it.

Becker ran for six seasons over 129 episodes from 1998 to 2004, and was created by David Hackel for CBS.

Here are the opening titles, which really put me in mind of NYPD Blue.

So, what do you think? Do you remember Becker? Is it a better role for Danson than Sam Malone?

Becker
Day Three
Buy My Books
  • Proctology: A Bottom Examination
    Proctology: A Bottom Examination

    For a long time now I’ve been wanting to write an old-fashioned programme guide. One you can hold in your hand and thumb through, make notes on, spill coffee on. So I did. Proctology: A Bottom Examination is my deep dive into Bottom, the hit BBC Two sitcom starring Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson. That’s…

Follow
Most Read
  • Re-Casting Keanu
    Re-Casting Keanu

    Keanu Reeves is 56. That makes him eight years older than Clive Dunn was when he was first cast in Dad’s Army. But don’t panic, Clive Dunn was always playing much older characters than his own age. Keanu Reeves is 56. That makes him seven years older than Stephanie Cole was when she was first…

From The Archive

Sign up for my FREE newsletter