Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a new feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Fridays, I will be reviewing T. and T., a Canadian show which ran in syndication from 1987 to 1990.  The show can be found on Tubi!

This week, season one of T and T comes to a close!

Episode 1.23 “Working It Out”

(Dir by Don McCutcheon, originally aired on June 23rd, 1988)

“In this episode,” Mr. T tells us, “push turns to shove and shove turns to ugly as a battle of sexes rages at Decker’s gym.”

Of all of the supporting characters who have been featured during the first season of T and T, Decker (played by David Nerman) has been the most prominent.  That makes sense when you consider that each first season episode features at least a few minutes of T.S. Turner throwing jabs in a boxing ring or hitting the punching bag in Decker’s Gym.  Decker is T.S.’s best friend.  He may not be smart but he is loyal.

This episode finds Decker in a bit of quandary because Jessie (Allison Mang) wants to join the gym but, when she brings in the membership fee, Decker is shocked to discover that Jessie can also be a girl’s name!  Decker’s gym is full of men who like to walk around in towels and say stuff like, “Where do you think you’re going, little girl?”  Decker says the gym is men only.

(Myself, I don’t know why anyone would want to join Decker’s shabby little gym, which looks like it reeks of sweat.)

Amy decides to sue for her right to use the gym and she hires Amy Taler.  Amy sends T.S. Turner down to Decker’s gym to talk to him about letting Jessie join.  Decker explains he has no problem with Jessie joining but gym bully Madigan (Kevin Lund) doesn’t want to any girls to join.  How much of a bully is Madigan?  His nickname is Mad Dog and he even accuses T.S. of “getting soft!”

Meanwhile, Amy informs Jessie that the gym is a public business and therefore anyone can join.  She also points out that there are other gyms in Canada, some of which are co-ed and women only.  Jessie says that Decker’s sweaty, shabby gym — which, I would add, has been the scene of several major crimes since this season began — is the closest to her house.  Personally, I would happily add a few minutes to my trip so that I could join a gym that doesn’t look like the set of a bad 70s porno but what do I know?

“She’s effeminate, isn’t she?” Sophie asks Amy about Jessie.

“You mean a feminist?” Amy replies.

“Yeah,” Sophie nods.

Amy rolls her eyes without answering Sophie’s question.  Personally, I’m wondering how Sophie went from being a computer expert in one episode to not knowing what a feminist is in this episode.

Back at the gym, Decker tries to talk Madigan into accepting Jessie as a member of the gym.  Decker tells Madigan that the men of the gym will just have to stop walking around without any clothes on.  “We’re working out and sweating!” Madigan replies, “It makes sense to walk around without any clothes on!”  And maybe Madigan would have a point if he was living in ancient Sparta but this is Toronto!

Decker goes to the law office, to talk to Amy.  Decker is worried that Madigan will kill Jessie.  Amy suggests turning his gym into a private club so that he can bar women from joining and offers to draw up the papers for him.  Whose side are you on, Amy!?

The next day, when Jessie shows up at the gym, Madigan and every guy in the gym walks out.  Only T.S. Turner stays to support Decker and Jessie.  When the guys fail to return the next day, Turner says, “Who cares?  I’m here.  Jessie’s here.  Amy’s here.”

Decker points out that everyone who left is going to want a refund on their membership fees and he’s not going to have the money to keep the gym open.  Decker will soon lose his business but at least Jessie didn’t have to spend an extra 5 or 10 minutes driving to a gym that doesn’t have a history of people being murdered in the locker rooms.

Later, when Jessie is out jogging, she’s approached by Madigan who explains that Turner has set up a “fitness test” at the gym to prove that Jessie has what it takes to be a member.  Jessie hasn’t heard anything about this and — oh no!  Is Madigan trying to trick Jessie into returning to the gym so that he and his evil friends can attack her!?  No, actually, it turns out that Turner actually did set up the fitness test but no one bothered to tell Jessie, which would seem to defeat the purpose of the whole thing.

(Amy says that Jessie left the gym before giving Turner a chance to explain his plan to her but why couldn’t he just call her and tell her?  I mean, I know this show is set in Canada but surely Jessie has a phone.  It’s not like they’re in Manitoba.)

Later, Amy takes Jessie to the gym, where Turner is waiting.  “Oh, Amy!” Turner says, “That’s a nice dress  you have on.  You got plans?”

“Dinner date,” Amy says.

“Don’t stay out too late,” Turner growls.

Anyway, the fitness test ends in a tie, which means that Jessie didn’t beat Madigan.  This is a problem because, as Madigan points out, Turner specifically said that Jessie would have to win to join the gym.  Jessie admits that “Mad Dog” Madigan is right.  Decker suggests letting the membership vote.  (Why didn’t you just do that to begin with, Decker!?)  Madigan says he wants to fight Turner without gloves.

“Now I see why they call you Mad Dog,” Turner replies before removing his jacket in slow motion and then flattening Madigan with one punch.

So, Jessie gets to join the gym, all because one man knocked out another.

“You know, Jessie,” Amy says, “I think you may have started a revolution.”

Anyway, this was a silly episode.  Jessie absolutely should have been allowed to join the gym, if she really wanted to spend her time at that ugly, foul-smelling hub of crime.  But the episode’s main message appeared to be that you can accomplish anything as long as Mr. T is around to beat up anyone standing in your way.

Episode 1.24 “Now You See It”

(Dir by Patrick Loubert, originally aired on June 20th, 1988)

Amy — and not T.S. — provides the introduction for the finale episode of season one.  “In this episode,” she tells us, “a psychic sees through a violent drug rip-off but no one is willing to listen.”

Despite not doing the intro for this episode, T.S. is still present.  At the courthouse, after Amy wins an acquittal for a shoplifter named Billy (Simon Reynolds, the stockboy from one of the other Canadian shows that I’m reviewing for Retro Television Reviews, Check It Out.). T.S. tells Billy, “Look here, little brother, if you want to change your life, meet me at Decker’s Gym.”  Is he going to try to set Billy up with Jessie?  T.S. leaves to buy the Billy a sandwich, which means that Amy is alone when she meets Emma (Gwynneth Walsh), a psychic who wants to sue the the police for firing her because they didn’t like her vision of what happened when a heroin dealer was murdered in a warehouse.

Amy agrees to sue the police — specifically Detective Thompson (A.C. Peterson) — for being rude to the psychic.  As she later tells T.S., it may seem like a small thing but it’s important to her.  “Sometimes,” T.S. replies, “it’s the small things that matter.”

Thompson agrees to apologize to Emma.  After he does so, Amy snaps, “You can stop playing the nice guy!  You’re off the hook!”  And, of course, Thompson isn’t a nice guy.  He’s the one killing the drug dealers!  T.S. figures this out when Billy tells him that he doesn’t want to deal drugs anymore because “the streets are dry” and T.S. has a series of black-and-white flashbacks to Thompson talking about the dead drug dealers.

Anyway, Thompson is captured and season one ends with an episode that attempted to cram 60 minutes worth of plot into just 30 minutes.  Overstuffed episodes were a frequent issue when it came to T and T‘s first season.

The first season can best be described as being uneven.  The show was at its best when it took advantage of Mr. T’s unique screen presence.  Though he definitely didn’t have the greatest range as an actor, Mr. T did show some comedic timing.  The show struggled whenever it didn’t focus on T.S. Turner and oddly, that happened in more than a few episodes, as if Mr. T wasn’t the main reason why anyone would be watching this show to begin with.  As a character, there was nothing particularly consistent about Amy, who was sometimes brilliant and sometimes woefully naïve.  The supporting cast was frequently underused, though Catherine Disher had a few funny moments as Sophie.  Seen today, the show is a time capsule of Canada in the late 80s and that is perhaps the main reason to watch it.

Next week: season 2 begins!