Syndicated Shenanigans: Isabel Sanford's Honeymoon Hotel

If you're looking for any longer than a five-night stay, you're out of luck.

Welcome back to Syndicated Shenanigans!

Obligatory intro: I have a fascination with syndicated series, particularly those that ran for multiple seasons but which I’d never even so much as read about until the internet educated me about their existence. Mind you, I’m also fascinated by the ones that only ran for a single season. Ultimately, I guess what I’m saying is that pop culture that successfully flies under the radar of someone like myself, who practically subsists on pop culture… That stuff just fascinates me to no end, period, and if you’re here, you’re either equally fascinated or else you’re just indulging me, but either way, read on as we take a look at…

If you’re of a certain generation, then the title of this show doesn’t really need an explanation. Oh, sure, the series as a whole needs one, but if you grew up during the ‘70s and the ‘80s in particular, then you most likely can identify Isabel Sanford as The Actress Formerly Known as Weezy.

Yep, that’s right: Isabel Sanford was Louise Jefferson, long suffering wife of dry-cleaner magnate George Jefferson, with whom she famously moved on up to the east side to a deluxe apartment in the skyyyyyy, where they resided from January 18, 1975  to July 2, 1985.

Eleven seasons is a damned fine run for any sitcom, but it had to end sometime, and when it did, Sanford’s TV husband, Sherman Hemsley, got right back on the prime-time horse and kicked off a new multi-season run on Amen, which had a more-than-respectable five season run from 1986 to 1991.

Isabel? Not so much. While Sherman was busy getting prepped to do Amen, she did a one-off episode of Crazy Like a Fox that is so fondly remembered that even IMDb only credits her as “Actress,” and as Amen kicked off its run in the fall, she did one-off episodes of You Are the Jury (playing Judge Elizabeth Robbins in the case of The State of Ohio vs. James Wolsky) and Mike Hammer, where her character name alone makes me want to see the episode.

Hey, if you can resist the temptation to see what she looks like when she’s playing someone named Hot Mama Vibes, congratulations. Me, I don’t have that kind of stamina…and I’ll bet you don’t, either, particularly not if I’ve got the clip cued up with just enough set-up to have her character’s introduction make sense.

You’re welcome, devoted readership!

So that’s where Isabel Sanford was when Sherman Hemsley was starting his run on Amen. Is it any wonder why she was on a quest for full-time gainful employment with a series of her own?

As well she should’ve been: Sanford had name recognition, and she had the benefit of being a familiar face after 11 seasons in prime-time…and that’s not even counting the four years of recurring appearances on All in the Family that preceded The Jeffersons! And while I obviously don’t know this for sure, I think it’s fair to say that the studio behind the series (the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group) and the show’s executive producers (Gordon Farr and TV legend Fred Silverman) were driven by one perfectly reasonable thought: “If Sherman Hemsley can have a successful second act, then why can’t Isabel Sanford?”

The problem, of course, is that when you think of The Jeffersons and the reasons why it was funny, you have to go relatively far down the list to find Isabel Sanford…and that’s through no fault of her own, obviously. She played an important part in the series, serving up the straight lines, but the result of playing that role well is that she delivered the set-ups and George, Florence, Mr. Bentley, the twosome of Tom and Helen Willis, and - early in the show’s run - Mother Jefferson got the big laughs.

That might not be why Hemsley got himself a series situated smack dab in the middle of NBC’s high-rated Saturday night lineup and Sanford ended up with a syndicated sitcom, and even if it was why it happened, that doesn’t make it fair, but if there’s one thing you can say about Isabel Sanford’s Honeymoon Hotel, it’s that the people behind it had high hopes and big plans for the program when it premiered on January 5, 1987.

No, seriously: we’re talking new episodes five days a week.

Yes, you read that correctly…and if you read that correctly, then you probably also read the subtitle to this article correctly, which - if you do the math - does indeed mean that Isabel Sanford’s Honeymoon Hotel concluded its run on January 9, 1987.

Oof.

Per an August 1986 article in the L.A. Times, the plan was to bypass doing a proper pilot in favor of filming a full week of shows, after which “one hundred episodes would be completed prior to the series’ debut on a lineup of independent stations and network affiliates yet to be announced.”

The aforementioned Mr. Farr explained the premise of the series in a September 1986 interview with the Washington Afro-American:

“She plays a lady who inherits a debt-laden ‘Honeymoon Hotel. The local bank has bailed out the hotel on one condition – that their man be put in as general manager. This penny-pinching, acerbic prude becomes Isabel’s daily antagonist. Her staff – chambermaid, head of security, bartender, chef, and bellhop – are a motley collection of bizarre comedy characters. The series will be a blend of the work arena and her home life. Isabel is her 16-year-old niece’s guardian, and never having a child of her own, each day is an adventure. She also juggles the two men in her life – her conman ex-husband who has arrived on the scene trying to win her back, and her new suitor, a cop who takes an instant dislike to her ex.”

Holy shit, there are enough plotlines for about five series in that paragraph! That the show only lasted for five episodes is just… I mean, damn.

But having said that, if you’re wondering why the series never made it past those five episodes, I may be able to help you with that. No, I couldn’t find a full episode of the series anywhere on the internet (big surprise), but I did find this review by Greg Dawson of the Orlando Sentinel*, wherein he pretends to be an operator answering calls from viewers of WCPX-Channel 6, one of the stations where those first five episodes aired. There aren’t a lot of times that I’d ask you to stop reading this site in favor of reading another site, but I’m not kidding: click on that link and read it right now, for it is glorious.

*I’m getting reports that some people are clicking on the link to the review and, instead of the review, they’re getting an article about COVID deaths. I’m not getting that, and I can’t seem to reproduce it for some reason, but if that happens to you, scroll to the very bottom of this piece, and I’ll include the full text. Do try to click on the link first, though. #SupportYourLocalCritic

Yeah, I know, most of you just said, “I hear ya, brother, but I’m still going to read it later,” so if you’re one of those folks, just know this: after that review ran, it’s fair to say that if you were to have represented the future of Isabel Sanford’s Honeymoon Hotel in a street sign, it would be this one.

[I’m just reasonably presuming that the bloody handprints would be those of the show’s writers.]

Alas, there would be no further headlining opportunities for Isabel Sanford on the small screen. Plenty of TV guest spots, sure, and even a few movie roles, including Original Gangstas and Sprung, but her Honeymoon Hotel was her only shot at a series of her own.

What a tremendous waste of a great comic foil.

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“IS THAT A 'NO,' SIR FOR 'HONEYMOON'?”

Greg Dawson of the Sentinel Staff

THE ORLANDO SENTINEL

“Good evening. WCPX-Channel 6, a station you can believe in. May I help you?

"Yes, sir. That's right. We did ask viewers to call and tell us what they think of the new series we're showing this week, Honeymoon Hotel.

"That's right, sir. Seven-thirty every night this week, then we open our switchboards for an hour to give viewers the opportunity to comment.

"No, sir, this is not somebody's idea of a joke. If enough viewers tell us they like these first five episodes of Honeymoon Hotel then the station will put the show on permanently in the fall.

"Yes, sir, we do expect you to believe that. I don't know why the station never asked your opinion about a show before. Yes, sir, I'll bet a lot of people would have liked the chance to vote on Sally Jesse Raphael.

"No, sir, I don't think asking for public comment is just a ploy to attract viewers who wouldn't watch otherwise. If they want to know what viewers really think why don't they just look at the ratings? That's a good question, sir.

"You say the last time a big company asked for your input it was ignored? Yes, sir, it sounds like a fine idea to me, but you'll have to ask somebody at Wendy's why they still don't have pork burgers. At WCPX you can have it your way, at least when it comes to Honeymoon Hotel.

"That's right, sir, this is the same Isabel Sanford who played George Jefferson's wife, Louise, on The Jeffersons. I was shocked, too. Yes, she does make the doorways look narrow.

"No, Everett Hughes did not draw the short straw to see who would go on the air and ask viewers to watch Honeymoon Hotel. As program director he has no choice. Yes, sir, I hope Mr. Hughes is being well paid, too.

"What's Honeymoon Hotel supposed to be about? As far as I can tell, it's about a hotel for honeymooners run by Isabel Sanford and a staff of zany characters. No, sir, I haven't heard of any of the other actors either. Yes, it's quite possible they're all down on their luck.

"I don't know why Isabel Sanford would do a show like this, sir. Maybe she needs the work. After all, it's been two years since The Jeffersons was canceled. You say she obviously hasn't had any trouble putting food on the table, or taking it off? If I may say so, that's very cruel, sir.

"You want me to put down that Honeymoon Hotel reminds you of a cross between Love Boat and Three's Company? But twice as dumb and half as subtle? Of course I believe you, sir, but give me an example.

"One character says, 'He's a passionate francophile.' And another says, 'You mean he loves hot dogs?' Yes, sir, I'm sure it's supposed to be funny. No, sir, I don't know if Mr. Hughes thought it was funny.

"I think you've made your point, sir. All right, just one more. The assistant manager says, 'Someone insulted the chef's buns.' And Isabel Sanford says, 'I think they're kinda cute.' Yes, sir, I see what you mean. Yes, there oughta be a law.

"Who's the pea brain behind his show? That would be Fred Silverman, sir. Yes, the same pea brain who used to be at NBC. Yes, the same one who tried to knock off Johnny Carson with Alan Thicke. No, sir, I don't know why he keeps coming back for more punishment.

"No, you're not the first viewer to complain about The Dating Game being pre-empted this week. Yes, sir, I'll put that down just the way you said it: After this week, as far as you're concerned the honeymoon is over."