But maybe not.
I found this video. And I’m laughing and laughing. You won’t understand why, probably, unless you were a fan of the groundbreaking television series Cagney & Lacey.
Cagney & Lacey was the first, and quite possibly, the only tv show to have ever been brought back from cancellation by its fans’ campaigns on its behalf. It ran for seven seasons from 1981 to 1988, it enjoyed an uninterrupted and unmatched six year winning streak of Best Lead Actress Emmys for its two stars, and when it finally left the airwaves, it came back in four separate reunion movies.
I think it was also the first show where the two main characters were women. Previously, almost all dramas would center on one or more male leads, a couple of supporting men, and a token woman. As if one woman was enough to represent all women. As if there were no differences among women. As if the defining characteristic of any woman was that she was a woman.
And then we got Cagney and Lacey.
Two completely different women. In the same show.
Smart scripts. Extraordinary performances by Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless.
Let me say that again.
Extraordinary.
Fully-realized, three-dimensional, very real characters who changed and grew and suffered and thrived—and solved crimes! It was a police procedural that took on big issues—women’s rights, career vs. family, police corruption, love and loyalty and friendship. No other show I have seen has ever struck and maintained the balance this one did between the professional and the personal.
It had a great supporting cast, but the center was always Cagney and Lacey, Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless.
I loved it! And I still love it in the few DVDs that are available.
But what I’m laughing about today is this video I found of Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless singing at a 1999 benefit. If you were a fan of Cagney & Lacey, you’ll probably agree that it’s hilarious. If you weren’t, you might enjoy it anyway. If not, go get the DVDs. Watch a few episodes. Then come back.
Either way, here’s the link:
