While the nineties era brought several super hit comedy TV shows to the audience, including Friends, Frasier, and Cheers, Wings was also one of the best sitcoms aired during that time. The other top hit TV shows might have overshadowed it, but Wings had its own audience who could not control their laughter when watching this hilarious airport set sitcom.
Though Wings aired simultaneously as other hit TV shows, including Frasier, the attire and props used in the show make it appear more dated. If you want to remember the 90s era, binge-watching this TV show, “Wings” is the best idea. This show is worth every joke that makes you belly laugh throughout the episodes, from portable cassette players to dated phonebooks.
Why Wings Was Popular?
The series follows two brothers, Joe and Brian Hackett, and their misfit venture of operating a one-plane airline called the Sandpiper. The show’s set was at the Tom Nevers Field, a fictional airport, in the small town of Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Tim Daly and Steven Webber perfectly suited their characters as they played the two pilot brothers who started the Sandpiper airline. This show was all about the family-like bonding between co-workers at the workplace and their incredible chemistry. You would never get tired of laughing at the jokes time and again.
It is always good to have a list of TV shows to binge-watch as these quickly become your comfort shows that you would watch to relieve stress. If you have, somehow, missed following this fantastic TV show entailing crazy love triangles, die-hard ice hockey fan mobs, and also a special cameo from Jay Leno, then you should definitely add it to your watch list!
One of the best features about the show, which also made it extremely popular, is how it depicts the funniest people coming together to work for an airline. The brothers quarrel all the time, and the workers are sometimes unsuitable for their roles, making this show funnier than ever.
This classic TV show created the finest actors in Hollywood, who contributed to its fame. A true fan of this show will tell you how stupidly hilarious some iconic scenes were in the series. For example, the scene in which Lowell, the mechanic played by Thomas Haden Church, stands high on the bell tower and yells at his wife Bunny (played by Laura Elizabeth Innes).
Other scenes that have fans laughing hysterically include the priest making the cross when he sees the picture of an ugly baby and when the whole gang randomly discusses the grossest days while they dig a hole in Roy’s backyard for a Jacuzzi. David Schramm played the role of Roy. In the show, his only son, known as Roy Biggins Jr. (played by Abraham Benrubi), is secretly gay. The show has all the elements that make your belly hurt by laughing, not because the background laughter is high, but the jokes are eternally funny.
This TV show came nowhere close to the rating Cheers or Seinfeld received during those times. However, this is the show that gifted Hollywood most of its talents in the 90s. It is speculated that the careers of actors in the TV show Seinfeld, unfortunately, ended right with the show. It is true to a large extent too.
Compared to Seinfeld, you can still catch a glimpse of some actors from the Wings on a movie or show. Thomas Haden Church was the lead role of the HBO series Divorce, while Antonio (played by Tony Marc Shalhoub) was the cab driver in Monk.
Things Fans Did Not Know About the Wings
What’s more interesting is that the show’s script is the behind-the-camera facts for fans. Here are some facts for the ardent fan of the TV show Wings.
1. George Clooney was about to be in the show!
Way before George Clooney emerged as a superstar on the famous TV show ER, where he played the role of Dr. Doug Ross, he auditioned for the role of Brian Hackett. Had he been successful, we would have him as the fun-loving and flirtatious Brian Hackett.
Two of the other actors who auditioned for the same role were Hank Azaria and David Duchovny. However, Steven Weber got selected for the role and played it perfectly.
2. Bryan Cranston as Joe Hackett
Also, Tim Daly beat Bryan Cranston to land the role of Joe Hackett, the owner of Sandpiper airlines. Joe Hackett was the male version of Monica in Friends.
3. Tim Daly loved the show very recently
According to his interviews, Tim Daly was never really into the show, like most viewers, until recently. The show did not get as much credit as it deserved. The “Wings” counterparts, Friends and Seinfeld, got all the TV ratings and were considered hip shows. Daly admits being skeptical of the show in the beginning.
However, he openly states that he fell for the show’s comedy after being removed from the cast. He loved the wit, the acting, script, jokes, and the chemistry between all the cast members. It is a shame that this show got the deserving fame as a TV classic but not when it was running across the popular channels in America.
4. Only Three Emmy Nominations
Even with the unmatched comedy script and the tireless hard work of the cast members, Wings did not receive its rightful reception. The script and dialogue delivery of every cast member was outstanding. But despite everything, this TV show only received three Emmy nominations, out of which two were for the guest appearances of Kelsey Grammer, who played Frasier Crane, and Tyne Daly, playing Tim’s sister. The third Emmy was given in 1996 for Outstanding Makeup.
5. The Club Car
One of the most featured places in this iconic TV show is The Club Car. It is where the whole work gang goes for a hangout after work. The show’s creators did not record the scenes in the actual location, but The Club Car exists in reality, and you can visit it too. If you are a true fan of the show and ever want to have an airplane-themed party, then The Club Car can be the perfect place.
6. Tom Nevers Field is Actually a Park
As shown in the show, Tom Nevers Field is an airport on Nantucket. In reality, there is a park named Tom Nevers Field, and Nantucket Memorial Airport is where you can find real airlines working.
An Icon in the TV History
Even though this TV show did not get the appreciation it deserved when it was aired, it is now widely available on various streaming sites and apps. The fact that the show became popular after it ended years ago is sad and proof that it was one of the masterpieces in TV history.