Bette (2000–2001) User Reviews (19)

Too too much!

[Dgoldyn · 13 March 2002]

I really like Bette Midler. I was excited that she was going to have a tv series. But........

Every episode had Bette coming on like gangbusters claiming "i'm a diva, aren't I too much! Then her husband would come out and claim, "Bette your too much." Folllowed by Joanna Gleason, the gay personal assisant, her daughter and assorted guest stars claiming, "Bette calm down, you're too much." How can any other character be happy with lines like this!

Then Bette would be too much. No one else was allowed to be funny -or have a joke. It was as if the writers were afraid to develop others characters or God forbid--throw them a joke. I wish stars who go on tv wouldn't be afraid of being an ensemble. Only ensemble shows survive. Rosanne had one! Mary Tyler Moore had one. The Golden Girls had one! Hopefullly Bette learned to save her divaism for her concerts. Sit-Coms don't work that way.

One of the greatest ever known

[jcam-62866 · 10/10 · 9 March 2022]

One of the greatest performers, actresses and singers ever known. Her music, her acting and theater, could, if at all, be surpassed by barely a handful. I would love to recieve all the accolades she truly deserves...for all of her many attributes and true talents.

Gone too soon

[thegrarp · 10/10 · 7 October 2022]

This show was hilarious. I was so mad when it was canceled. Those who criticize this show as terrible makes me wonder what slock they were watching or considered good TV. Some of them I swear were written by people who didn't actually watch the show and/ or read something about it on a gossip column. I mean one person claimed that Bette was supposedly hard to work with. Well... Lucy was known for being b*tch with a capital C and people still loved/ love her. Who cares? The show was funny and while about a famous person (satiricaly about Bette) it still had a traditional TV family vibe. The show just got cut before it really had a chance to take off.

Bette Midler wonderful in self-titled comedy

[eazyme65 · 10/10 · 10 May 2006]

Bette Midler playing herself- I wasn't sure at first how this comedy would work out, but after the 1st episode I was hooked. Some people have claimed the scripts weren't all that great, but I have to strongly disagree. Bette's character of Bette is absolutely hysterical. Very few celebrities are able to poke fun at themselves for everyone to see. Some of the situations are "I love Lucy" style, and Bette pulls them off with class. And having celebrities like Dolly Parton coming in to join the show poking fun at themselves just adds to the fun. The chemistry between Bette and Joanna Gleason is fantastic. Great job of casting there, with Bette always hearing what she wants to hear, not what everyone is telling her, and Joanna trying to ease her into reality. I was disappointed when this show ended, and hope it will be released on DVD one day soon.

I laughed

[NYQueen82 · 26 March 2003]

This was a series that ended too soon, in my book. The comedy was well paced and Bette was wonderful to watch. The first episode was a scream and had me hooked from the get go. I wish it had lasted longer and I thought it really beat out the other new shows starting about the same time (The Gena Davis Show). It is too bad it went off the air so soon. If you ever get a chance to watch it, enjoy, and have a laugh for me.

The Best Television Series since "I Love Lucy"

[Brandon Hall · 10/10 · 1 January 2001]

This is my new favorite TV show, just because Bette Midler is in it, I watched the first epidode the second and now they are on about the 9th episode and I haven't missed one! I tape them all. If you want to watch a really good TV show, in my opinion the best one since I Love Lucy, watch Bette on CBS. This show has great plot lines, acting, and writing. If you haven't watched it yet watch it Wednesday at 8:00PM on CBS. BETTE MIDLER IS THE BEST ACTRESS EVER!

Best forgotten

[preppy-3 · 8 March 2006]

I, at first, thought a TV series with Bette Midler would be a great idea. I'm a big fan of hers and she has shown some great comedic talent in her movies. Unfortunately this was horrid! This show is infamous for all the behind the camera battles. From what was reported, Midler was a control freak and drove everybody crazy. Kevin Dunn (who played her husband) went head to head with her a few times--he was fired and replaced with Robert Hays. The scripts were (to be kind) unfunny and even Midler was bad! She's over the top all the time and runs around and screeches out every line. The entire cast basically seemed afraid to try and stop her--Dunn did and look what happened to him. The only one who comes through is Joanna Gleason who plays it quiet and calm--a welcome reprieve from Midler's dramatics.

This show didn't last long--I don't even think it played out a full season. It's mostly been forgotten and should stay that way. Even Midler has bad mouthed this!

Take a bad sitcom, add a bloated ego, you get "Bette"

[Hotoil · 2 January 2001]

Bette Midler's new series "Bette" sets new records in the field of horrible situation comedies. The plots and gags here are nothing new AT ALL! What makes this unique, though? There are many bad sitcoms. I mean, the entire genre has turned into one big over-used cliche. But even people who like sitcoms have to be turned off by this. Bette Midler plays herself, which means, you guessed it - 30 minutes of shameless self-promotion, sometimes disguised as thin self-satire but all the same. That, and Bette Midler painfully over-acts as she makes corny jokes and stumbles through these predictable plot devices.

Bette's star power may save it from as quick a cancellation it obviously deserves, but the half-hour laugh-track laden comedy doesn't get much worse than this.

First fall hit of 2000.

[hfan77 · 18 October 2000]

The first fall TV hit of 2000 happens to be the perfect vehicle for Bette Midler since she plays herself ala Jerry Seinfeld. It's well written, well acted and she has an outstanding supporting cast including Joanna Gleason as her best friend and manager Connie. Even though the show runs opposite "Millionaire", "Bette" could be the final answer to compete with Regis. A very funny show! I hope (to borrow a quote from another hit Wednesday CBS show from this year) it doesn't get "voted off the island." The best CBS sitcom on Wednesday night since "The Nanny."

It's "I Love Lucy" Bette-style

[MattWard · 13 January 2001]

This series has at times reminded me of I Love Lucy... but with that dash of originality... otherwise known as Bette Midler...

True, it's not one of those series to last for many years (The Simpsons, Law & Order, Murphy Brown) but it very well put together and written. Of course, it won't last, but at least we got to see something of the same arena as Lucille Ball's unforgettable character.

"Bette" may not leave behind a legacy and may not last that long... but it just proves that The Divine Miss M is not only the Queen of movies, music, comedy... but also, television.

"Bette" On DVD... Please

[JHHPRO · 5 April 2005]

How about "Bette: The Complete Series" all 18 episodes on DVD? Considering Bette issues a public apology for the series (complete with a video taped "Judge Judy" parody and a song) on her current tour the DVD release of her ill-fated 2000-2001 self titled sitcom most likely won't happen. I for one would buy it. I'm sure many if not all of the 20,000 fans that filled the Palace Of Auburn Hills in Detroit the night I saw my favorite Diva, as well as all of Miss M's fans all over the USA would purchase it. The show wasn't that bad. Misguided perhaps but, not the train wreck the critics have said it was. I think the highlights of the series were when Bette performed her hit songs and many new songs from her new CD at the time "Bette" I remember the Halloween episode revolved around Bette being mistaken for Dolly Parton and the episode concluding with a Bette and Dolly duet. Priceless! Many moments of comic gold. Not Bette at her best but, certainly worth a look.

Everything that is wrong with television...

[Sleepensheep · 5 July 2005]

This show represents everything that is wrong with some sit-coms. It appears that television executives, unable to come up with an original idea, constantly fall back on "celebrities" such as Midler, as the end of their career. Since they are at the end of their career, they are more willing to do the lowly sit-com (see: Gena Davis). Unfortunately, the shows most often have the supporting characters orbiting around the star, Midler, feeding her opportunities to drop her "funny" lines. If the supporting characters do have a joke, it is only meant as a set-up to Midler "sassier" line. With these sit-coms, Midler and Davis, the lead actor appears to have distaste for the genre of situation-comedy, and judging from the writing, the writers have the same distaste. Moreover, the t.v. execs must have a lowly opinion of the genre to assume that an ex-movie actress automatically equals television gold. This is only validated when Emmy judges, seeing the ex-movie star (Midler) doing the lowly sit-com, assumes she must be so much more talented than other actresses on other sit-coms who did not have the same movie career (Heaton, Louis-Dryfus, etc.) Seinfeld offers the best cure for this disease, when the huge comedy star (Seinfeld) had a show, but rather than having all the actors orbiting around him, he gave them the funniest lines. The result: perhaps the television show ever. Hopefully people have learned, and such tragedies as "Bette" will never be allowed to happen again.

The best tv show EVER!

[DixieCarter · 16 March 2001]

Oh my gosh, I loved this show, I am so sad it is cancelled, that was my Wednesday nights, watching Bette, I didn't miss one episode, not one, and I couldn't be disturbed while watching it, I am just so disappointed that it's gone, especially after it won a People's Choice Award and a TV Guide Channel award! I wish it would continue to be on and I just want to know why it was cancelled, I mean the cast was great!!!

My Favorite New Show

[cheraub · 20 December 2000]

I'm really impressed with all of the great new shows this season and this one is at the top of my list. I've been a fan of Bette Midlers for a long time and right now shes at her best. I've watched it since the beginning and haven't missed an episode. Its really really funny. I hope it does not get cancelled!

Bette Midler at Her Best!

[divineone121 · 11 October 2000]

This show is absolutely hilarious! Not only is Miss Midler very good and hilarious, but so is her supporting cast (Kevin Dunn, James Dreyfus, Lindsay Lohan, Joanna Gleason)! The pilot aired tonight on CBS and I was laughing through the whole thing!

"Bette" is about a superstar actress-singer (diva) named Bette (Bette Midler) who is married to Roy (Kevin Dunn), has a thirteen year old daughter Rose (Lindsay Lohan/Marina Malota), has a best friend/manager Connie (Joanna Gleason), and her accompanist Oscar (James Dreyfus). The show is about the ups-and-downs in Bette's career!

The first episode, which guest starred Danny DeVito, was about Bette trying to put the spark back in her marriage. It all started when Roy fell asleep on her, so she decides to go to a plastic surgeon, then starts to exercise! The supporting cast thinks it's because Danny DeVito wants Bette to play his MOTHER in his TV series! LOL!!

A very good show, A MUST-SEE!!

Very funny!!!

[oogy_boogy · 21 March 2002]

This show was one of the better things that i've actually seen Bette Midler in! I thought that it was funny, and not like all those other "wannabe" shows...

The only problem that i have with it, is that there is nothing to distinguish with alot of the time :( I didn't like the fact that it appeared (on the surface) at least, another crude attempt in order to raise falling royalities and also appease those who want to see her in another role. Don't get me wrong! I LIKED this show! But it had the ring of all those other shows (like the DREADED Geena Davis show!) in which they just want, one last bit of fame :( I kinda wished she hadn't stooped this low :(

I enjoyed this and i thought that it was actually one of the better things that i've seen on comercial Tv nowadays, i only hope that IF she does something like this anything, its WITHOUT the commercial overtones of "GIMME MONEY!"

Attractive and Fun Show, But Does It Have The Staying-Power?

[Vertigo-27 · 23 November 2000]

Very likable TV-series! It is great to see Bette Midler on a regular basis. She has the comic ability to have her own TV-series and it shows. The first few shows were doubtful, but after you get in the flow of things you adjust to it. The on-going joke about Sally Field winning Best Actress in "Norma Rae", over Bette for "The Rose"; will have you rolling on the floor. But unfortunately it will be thrown up against the show in a negative way, if it is kept up. The theme song to the show, "Nobody Else But You" is spectacular, it deserves as much radio play as possible (it's nice to dream). Oddly enough, as it may seem "Bette" seems to get better and better with each show. It is blossoming into attractive new ground for it's always-brilliant star. Unfortunately this show also has the making of a has-been, instant-canceller (let's hope not). Which definitely would not be attractive for Bette's on-the-verge career. But lets focus on the good thing, It's here for now. I urge you to take an interest in this good-natured show. Let's face it we are in desperate need of some new variety out there on the TV, and this is definitely it!

Always a funny show.

[karno5 · 18 March 2001]

A funny show,but doesn't have a good time slot,being up against one of NBC's power houses Also I think Kevin Dunn was a much funnier husband and belivable then Robert Hayes. Anyway it looks like it won't matter,as I understand that Bette has be cancelled.