What do I mean, shoehorned dialogue? What I mean is this: it seems as though every issue-oriented episode (and there were a LOT of them) had someone spouting some obscure statistic as casually as they would say, "I'll take cream and two sugars in my coffee". The overly earnest dialogue was a harbinger of things to come--Quincy, ER, Designing Women all used the same technique to advance a largely left-wing agenda.
That being said, I really enjoyed Rossi and Billie's constant bickering. He never gave up (or had a clue). Ed Asner's portrayal was REALLY better in the MTM Show. The crustiness was just endearing, when he'd threaten to rearrange Ted Baxter's face. Here it was just pontificating. Sorry guys, just can't give the thumbs up to this one.
That being said, I really enjoyed Rossi and Billie's constant bickering. He never gave up (or had a clue). Ed Asner's portrayal was REALLY better in the MTM Show. The crustiness was just endearing, when he'd threaten to rearrange Ted Baxter's face. Here it was just pontificating. Sorry guys, just can't give the thumbs up to this one.