Back in April, I published a Spotlight about a short-lived CBS sitcom from the summer of 1993 called The Boys. Today I’m publishing a Spotlight about its companion series The Building. Bonnie Hunt created and starred in The Building, which she also executive produced with David Letterman. Like The Boys, it was one of several shows CBS tried out during the summer of 1993. The network hoped to determine which of its potential mid-season replacements were successes rather than roll the dice in January.
The Building was a hit with critics, most of whom raved about the show, but viewers didn’t tune in. Although 11.1 million viewers watched the premiere, ratings dropped after that and CBS soon pulled the plug. If a sitcom drew that many viewers on a Friday today, it would be picked up for a full season instantly. Only five of the six completed episodes of The Building aired. I’ve seen three of them and I agree with critics. It was a different kind of sitcom and a very good one.
Aside from the Hunt, the cast included Holly Wortell, Don Lake, Tom Virtue, Richard Kuhlman, and Mike Hagerty. Guest starts included George Clooney, David Letterman (uncredited), Richard Kind, Andy Dick, and Jim Belushi.
This was a funny show. I remember this one foul-mouthed character; some of his lines were bleeped for comedic effect. The whole show had this loose, improv quality. Too bad it didn’t last.
I think Letterman had a thing for Hunt, as he was involved in a few projects of hers. Actually, everyone in the industry seems to think she’s talented – but clearly not the general public.
Also, ‘Guest stars…Richard Kind, Andy Dick, and Jim Belushi.’. That’s the most horrific sentence I’ve ever read.
About the only thing good about The Building was the charm and obvious abilities of Bonnie. Literally everyone else was miscast.
The writing was very weak, and you could just feel that everyone on-screen thought that their own (pretentious and amateurish) ad-libbing and their characters’ quirkiness were pure genius.
They weren’t. It was contrived and smug. Even adorable, talented Bonnie couldn’t save the show from itself.
Professional critics very often have no idea what they’re talking about.