James "Jimmy" Stewart was one of the most successful movie stars of his generation, best known today for his lead roles in many of Alfred Hitchcock's best movies or perhaps as George Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life." He was a lovable everyman-type lead, and in 1971 he briefly tried to bring that approachable charm of his into the world of television: in September 1971 the first episode of his sitcom, "The Jimmy Stewart Show," aired on NBC. The reviews were rough.

"'The Jimmy Stewart Show' may succeed because Jimmy Stewart is the star," wrote TV critic Clarence Peterson in the aftermath of the premiere. "But the debut was a half-hour idealization of 'the good old days.' Most of the humor was inadvertent."

Critic Larry Williams at the Memphis-based paper The Commercial Appeal wa

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