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Q: Sitcom title needed: Western novice settlers; network 1980s era TV ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: Sitcom title needed: Western novice settlers; network 1980s era TV
Category: Arts and Entertainment > Television
Asked by: doctordon-ga
List Price: $10.00
Posted: 15 Oct 2005 17:49 PDT
Expires: 14 Nov 2005 16:49 PST
Question ID: 580753
I remember a sitcom on a network in the 1980s, but can't remember the
name.  It was on for only one season.  I need the name, and if
possible, the leading actor and actress.
The premise was similar to Green Acres, but set in the 1880s era.  The
housewife had a difficult time, but the husband enjoyed the new
frontier life, in spite of the hardships.  They might have had one
young child about 5 yr old.  The actor and actress were playing
settlers in their young 20's, unlike Green Acres.  One episode had the
wife complaining to her husband that she swept the floors all day, and
they were still dirty.  The husband replied "They are dirt floors!"
Answer  
Subject: Re: Sitcom title needed: Western novice settlers; network 1980s era TV
Answered By: pinkfreud-ga on 15 Oct 2005 18:41 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
I am confident that you are remembering "Best of the West," which ran
for 22 episodes on ABC during the 1981-1982 season.

"Best of the West was a rollicking spoof of the cliches of TV
Westerns. 'Best' was Sam Best, a Civil War veteran from Philadelphia
who journeyed west in 1865. With him were his ten-year-old son Daniel
and his new wife Elvira, a Southern belle whom he had met while
burning her father's plantation to the ground. Fluttery Elvira and
smart-mouthed Daniel were not exactly at home on the rough-and-tumble
frontier. Elvira did her best to tidy up their new cabin, though.
Dabbing daintily at the floor with a broom she sighed, 'I just can't
seem to get the dirt off this floor"--to which Sam deadpanned, 'It's a
dirt floor.' And from city kid Daniel came: 'I want you to understand,
Dad, I'm never going outside."

Sitcoms Online: Best of the West
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/bestofthewest.html

"Like the short-lived series Quark, Best of the West functioned
primarily as a parody of a genre. Only instead of parodying
science-fiction, Best of the West lampooned the Westerns that had been
so popular in the 1950s and 1960s...

Sam Best?s family was also funny as bitter fish-out-of-water types who
have no interest in roughing it out west after living a decidedly more
comfortable life in Philadelphia. In the first episode, Best?s son
Daniel stated to his father 'I want you to understand Dad, I?m never
going outside.' Or Best?s wife who complained that she couldn't seem
to get the dirt off the floor of their new home, to which Best replied
flatly 'It?s a dirt floor."

Yesterdayland: Best of the West 
http://yesterdayland.web-daemon.com/primetime/pt1066.php

You'll find information about the cast (and a list of the titles and
broadcast dates of the 22 episodes) here:

Epguides: Best of the West
http://epguides.com/BestoftheWest/

Since I remember this show with some fondness, I "cut to the chase"
when doing my Google search. This is the search string I used:

Google Web Search: "best of the west" "dirt floor"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22best+of+the+west%22+%22dirt+floor%22

I hope this is the correct show! If it is not, or if anything is
unclear or incomplete, please request clarification; I'll be glad to
offer further assistance before you rate my answer.

Best regards,
pinkfreud
doctordon-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars
Answered correctly within a few hours of posting.  Great job, thanks.

Comments  
Subject: Re: Sitcom title needed: Western novice settlers; network 1980s era TV
From: pinkfreud-ga on 15 Oct 2005 21:00 PDT
 
If anyone reading this is interested in encouraging the release of
"Best of the West" on DVD, you can "vote" for it here (free, easy
registration is required):

TV Shows on DVD
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/showinfo.cfm?showID=901

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