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.

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!"

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.

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!!