Recently a friend posted the Dear John intro on Facebook, declaring: "This has gotta be the saddest TV show intro ever. They don't make stuff this sad anymore." The Judd Hirsch sitcom aired on NBC from 1988 to 1992, and while the theme song has been fresh in our head since, we never fully absorbed the utter despair being presented to us every week in the opening—from the slumped-over search for a new place to live, to the finer details, like the cigarette hanging out of the mouth of John's new landlord in Rego Park, Queens (or Ozone Park, according to Wiki).
For those unfamiliar with the show, it is described thus:
"Dear John starred Judd Hirsch as easygoing Drake Prep high school teacher John Lacey who is dumped by his wife, Wendy, via a Dear John letter. Wendy ends up with everything in the divorce settlement, including custody of the couple's son, forcing John to move into an apartment in Ozone Park."
John goes on to lie to his child about the divorce and join a self help group (the One-2-One Club) for divorced, widowed or lonely people. Hilarity ensues, according to the laugh track.
We're calling it: Most Depressing Show Of Our Time (Except For Mama's Family).
