Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly broke barriers as the first female dramatic leads on television, and now the Cagney & Lacey duo is reuniting to celebrate their DVD release and digital debut with full episodes now available online. Daly and Gless will be stopping TVGuide.com's studio this week to talk nostalgia and their recent projects.
Tell us what you would like to know about these legendary ladies after the jump?
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It's Wednesday, so you know what that means.... It's "Pick of the Week" time!May 8 brings us a couple of Season 1 sets, a couple of complete series sets, with the only volume release being Voltron.I'm drawn toward choosing from two releases this week — Cagney & Lacey Season 1 and The 4400 Season 3. I decided to go with Cagney because it's a long-awaited series, though The 4400 has more bonus material, a better transfer and better audio. But it's a newer show, so that's to be expected.I've been forever linked to Cagney & Lacey for obvious reasons (hint: it has something to do with my last name). Some people have a hard time spelling "Lacey" so I would just say, "Like Cagney & Lacey" and they would realize it's "Lacey" and not "Lacy." Cagney & Lacey, for those who aren't aware, started as a TV movie, then received a short first season before airing a complete second season. Sharon Gless joined the series in Season 2, so MGM decided it was best to release these epi...
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Question: I don't have any wagers, arguments or bets to settle. I just have a question, if that's OK. Was there another actress who played Cagney on Cagney & Lacey before Sharon Gless did, or is my memory failing already? Thank you for your time.
Answer: Actually, there were two, Ruth. Loretta Swit (M*A*S*H) first played Det. Chris Cagney in the CBS TV-movie that aired in 1981. However, after that movie proved successful enough for the network executives, who didn't initially believe the concept was strong enough for a show to order up a series, Swit was unavailable. In stepped actress Meg Foster, and the reason for her abrupt departure, together with the lack of network spin on it, provides an interesting lesson in how different today's political climate is from that of 20 years ago.
"[T]oo
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Question: Don't you think they should do a spin-off from Judging Amy featuring Tyne Daly's character, Maxine? She is such a wonderful actress.
Answer: She was my main reason for watching Judging Amy, so of course I like this idea. But given that CBS canceled the show because the network desired younger demographics (which is why Love Monkey is getting a shot there, starting this week), a show built around Maxine would be, putting it kindly, a tough sell. In a few weeks, I'll be seeing Tyne Daly in a new Broadway play alongside Cynthia Nixon. I'll be sure to give her your regards.
[Editor's Note: If you missed Friday's column, you'll find it here.]
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Question: One of my favorite shows from around the late '60s to early '70s took place on a deserted island, where a bunch of college-age students were marooned after their airplane crash-landed. Since they were stranded, they decided they were going to build a new civilization and not make any of the same mistakes the "establishment" made back home. I think it was called The New People or something along those lines. I'd love to know more about the series and who starred in it. Thanks a lot!
Answer: It was indeed called The New People and, though the legendary Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery) was credited as the creator, it was an Aaron Spelling affair. It enjoyed a very brief run on ABC, from September 1969 to the following January.
In what was apparently supposed to be an e
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