I definitely don't hate Jesse, but I've got to go with Jack. If only because I preferred the early seasons of the show, which had a better combination of mystery, action and comedy. The show just got sillier every season after Charlie Schlatter joined the cast (which I'm sure is NOT his fault).
shareI'm not too sure that we can complain about a show featuring a murder occuring either in or around one particular hospital every single week, and being solved by the same staff members of that hospital whilst off duty, can get sillier.
Jack was no Jesse. The show was at it's best with Jesse involved and whilst Norman still there. It's only a shame that Jesse's time didn't overlap with Delores as I'm sure that could have been a fun relationship to see played out. When you watch the early episodes now Scott Baio bizarrely seems to think he's starring in a different kind of show from everyone else.
I'm sure we CAN complain about a show becoming something different than it started out as. It became more of a parody in later seasons.
Scott Baio's character was written differently than everyone else. He was supposed to be a street-smart, wiseguy type of guy who had to do a lot of the action scenes.
No. Like I said I'm not sure we can complain. Well yeah, we can in as much as people like to complain about anything these days but there's no real basis for complaint here.
Jesse just fits the show and Dick Van Dyke's lighter tone way better. And of course it had to change - would we rather have Jack eventually turning to Mark and going "Hey Mark, you know what's weird - people are getting killed around here all the time, what's going on?" and then Jack uncovering some occult demonic possession thing going on as the cause then beating the crap out of the cult leader? No. No one wanted to see that, it had to change...
Not sure we can say it became a parody as such either. Can't remember any of the team making quips along the lines of "hey, don't worry we'll work it all out, we always do anyway...". Nothing like that, it just had a lighter tone. And even then that's incorrect applying that flippantly across the later seasons. I remember they did try for a while there to make it a bit edgier with Steve's police capers coming more to the fore, episodes with bombers, etc which weren't particularly fun. I believe Dick himself was unhappy they went in that direction for a while.
What nonsense. If a show changes its tone, there's certainly a basis to complain. And that's an exaggeration, because I was hardly complaining and just explaining why I prefer the earlier seasons.
Occult demonic possession? What are you going on about?😑
The show definitely became more of a parody with episodes like the one about Big Brother. But those bomber episodes are a good example of how the show became more over-the-top.
I didn't even watch the show til the seasons Jesse was in when watching it on TV as a kid. I bought the first season on DVD and then sold it because it just wasn't what I wanted to watch. I'd rather watch the later seasons with Jesse than Jack from the first season. And also because I hate that stupid Hospital Administrator with the glasses and the black hair.
shareNo way! That's Norman. His meddling / cost cutting attempts were comedy gold...
shareYou can feel free to like him but I hated him. When they took him off the show it was better.
shareWell indeed. And you Sir are free to hate him all you like...
Did you enjoy Jesse and Steve's BBQ Bob's purchase? I thought that was another step up for the show. I liked when the episodes ended with them all tucking into barbecue or tasting the sauces. Great times...
I admit, I haven't actually watched the series in quite a while. I was rented the first DVD of f Season 3 from Netflix about 6 years ago but then they couldn't send me the rest. I haven't wanted to buy the DVDs since they have stopped being made and cost a lot. But I do remember Jesse fairly well and he is more fun to me.
shareI liked Norman (who was actually in FOUR seasons) MUCH better than that woman with the short red hair who later took over.
Don't buy the second season either, because that one was also with Jack instead of Jesse.
I much preferred Jesse over Jack. Jack just seemed way too full of himself (portraying himself as some kind of doctor/gangster/big man) when he was just a small wannabe tough guy (he was to Diagnosis Murder what Scrappy Doo was to Scooby Doo), whereas Jesse portrayed a character who was more down to earth, who seemed more sensitive in his actions and didn't try and create a a persona of someone bigger than himself. To all those Die hard Jack fans, Don't get me wrong they both had their drawbacks, but I just found Jesse a more likeable character on a whole.
shareI actually like Scrappy Doo but to be fair I haven't seen the original shows with him and the whole gang in several years. For all I know he could be really bad in those. In recent years I've only seen the 3 Scooby Doo animated movies from the late 80s that just have him, Shaggy, and Scooby in them and I also have watched the 13 ghosts of Scooby Doo. I liked him in those. And frankly I always hated him being the bad guy in the 2002 live action movie. All this because the guy who directed it was a stupid jerk who wanted to destroy Scrappy Doo. That stupid Mystery Incorporated episode where they go to a museum and see a stuffed figure of Scrappy and say, "We promised to never talk about him." Those people can suck a bag of rocks.
shareI personally always hated Scrappy Doo, He was an Obnoxious little trouble maker and an immature role model for young kids (since he always wanted to get into punch ups). All the best loved Scooby Doo series were without Scrappy involved and he is hated throughout the Scooby Doo community. I respect your opinion though.
share"he was to Diagnosis Murder what Scrappy Doo was to Scooby Doo"
Not exactly. Jack was an original character, while Scrappy was added much later.
I was referring to the character's characteristics being similar.
shareIt's been a while since I saw Scrappy in action, but the characters seem to be very different. Wasn't Scrappy a kind of hyper, happy-go-lucky type? Not exactly the same.
shareActually, you could also put a case that Scott Baio was a Scrappy Doo-a-like in Happy Days as well... A Fonz lite if you will.
share