knightni Posted June 27, 2008 Author Share Posted June 27, 2008 List will continue tonight after 10:30pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigEdWalsh Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 I've moved and don't have a computer at the moment. God, I miss Soxtalk! Anyway, this list is pretty cool. I just can't believe how many shows are on this list so far that I haven't even ever heard of. But then, I'm old and mostly don't watch TV any more. I don't fault the young guys though for mentioning all this current stuff. Like was mentioned, that's (sadly) all they know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felix Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 I didn't make a list, but Everybody Loves Raymond? Seriously? To think a show like Futurama isn't going to be included but that is.. a shame! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted June 28, 2008 Author Share Posted June 28, 2008 15. The Cosby Show (1984-92) (5 of 18 lists - 62 points - highest ranking #2 SoxFan1) The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, first airing on September 20, 1984 and running for eight seasons on the NBC television network, until April 30, 1992. The show focused on the Huxtable family, an upper-middle class African-American family living in a brownstone building in Brooklyn, New York According to TV Guide, the show "was TV's biggest hit in the 1980s, and almost single-handedly revived the sitcom genre and NBC's ratings fortunes".[1] Originally, the show had been pitched to ABC, which rejected it.[1] Entertainment Weekly stated that The Cosby Show helped to make possible a larger variety of shows based on African Americans, from In Living Color to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.[2] The Cosby Show was also one of the first successful sitcoms based on the subject matter of a standup comedian’s act, blazing a trail for other such successful programs as Roseanne, The Drew Carey Show, Seinfeld, and Everybody Loves Raymond. The Cosby Show along with All in the Family are the only two American programmes that have been #1 in the Nielsen Ratings for five consecutive seasons. The show spawned the successful spin-off A Different World. Overview The show focused on the Huxtable family, an upper-middle class African-American family living in a brownstone in Brooklyn Heights, New York, at 10 Stigwood Avenue. The patriarch was the very playful, humorous, and fun-loving Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable, an obstetrician. The matriarch was his very eloquent, elegant, and assertive wife, attorney Clair (Hanks) Huxtable. The show involved the usual difficulties of children growing up, such as son Theo's experiences of dealing with dyslexia, which was based on Cosby's real-life child Ennis, who was dyslexic. Cosby had an unusually high level of creative control over the show. He wanted the program to be educational, reflecting Cosby's own background in education. He also insisted that the program be taped in New York City rather than Los Angeles, where most television programs were taped. The series was videotaped at the Kaufman Astoria Studios in the New York City borough of Queens. Although the cast and characters were predominantly African-American, the program is unusual in that issues of race were rarely mentioned when compared to other situation comedies of the time, such as The Jeffersons. However, The Cosby Show had African-American themes, such as civil rights marches, and it frequently promoted African-American and African culture represented by artists and musicians such as Jacob Lawrence, Miles Davis, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Lena Horne, Duke Ellington and Miriam Makeba. Cast Main article: List of The Cosby Show characters * Bill Cosby as Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable * Phylicia Rashād as Clair Olivia Hanks Huxtable * Sabrina LeBeauf as Sondra Huxtable Tibideaux (1985-1992, recurring previously) * Geoffrey Owens as Elvin Tibideaux (1987-1992, recurring previously) * Lisa Bonet as Denise Huxtable Kendall (1984-1987, 1989-1991) * Joseph C. Phillips as Martin Kendall (1989-1991) * Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Theodore Aloysius "Theo" Huxtable * Tempestt Bledsoe as Vanessa Huxtable * Keshia Knight Pulliam as Rudith Lillian "Rudy" Huxtable * Raven-Symoné as Olivia Kendall (1989-1992) * Erika Alexander as Pam Tucker (1990-1992) Episodes Main article: List of The Cosby Show episodes Pilot The Cosby Show pilot episode uses the same title sequence as the rest of the first season, and is widely regarded as the 'first episode'. However, it is notable for a number of differences from the remainder of the series. In the pilot, the Huxtables have only four children. Following the pilot, the Huxtables have five children, with the addition of their eldest daughter, Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf). Sondra was created when Bill Cosby wanted the show to express the accomplishment of successfully raising a child (e.g.- a college graduate). Whitney Houston was considered for the role of Sondra Huxtable. Sabrina LeBeauf almost missed out on the role because she is only 10 years younger (b. 1958) than Phylicia Rashad (b. 1948), who played her mother, Clair Huxtable, on the show. Bill Cosby's character is called "Clifford" in the pilot (as also evidenced by his name plate on the exterior of the Huxtable home). His name was later switched to "Heathcliff". Additionally, Vanessa refers to Theo as "Teddy" twice in the dining room scene. The interior of the Huxtables' home features an entirely different living room from subsequent episodes, and different color schemes in the dining room and the master bedroom. Throughout the remainder of the series, the dining room is reserved for more formal occasions. Furthermore, it is implied that Cosby's screen wife Clair is more of a housewife in the pilot, rather than the lawyer she came to be known as. Opening credits The show's theme music, "Kiss Me", was composed by Stu Gardner and Bill Cosby. Seven versions of this theme were used during the run of the series, making it one of the few television series to use multiple versions of the same theme song over the course of a series. Season seven's opening credits were originally those that were ultimately used in season eight. Due to legal complications regarding the background mural, season seven's opening was changed to the previous season's opening. The original season seven opening, with modifications, was used in the eighth and final season. Awards, nominations and honors Awards won Emmy Awards * Outstanding Comedy Series (1985) * Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series (1984) Michael J. Leeson and Ed. Weinberger * Justin Bukartek Lifetime Achievement Award Golden Globe Awards * Best TV Series-Comedy (1985) * Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series-Comedy Bill Cosby (1985-86) 2 wins NAACP Image Awards * Outstanding Comedy Series (1988) * Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Bill Cosby (1989, 1993) 2 wins * Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Phylicia Rashad (1988, 1989) 2 wins People's Choice Awards * Favorite New TV Comedy Program (1985) * Favorite TV Comedy Program (1985-1989) 5 wins * Favorite TV Comedy Series (1990, 1992) 2 wins * All-Time Favorite TV Program (1989) * Favorite Male Program in a New TV Program Bill Cosby (1985) * Favorite Female Program in a New TV Program Phylicia Rashad (1985) * Favorite Male TV Performer Bill Cosby (1986-1992) 7 wins * Favorite Female TV Performer Phylicia Rashad (1989) * Favorite All-Around Male Entertainer Bill Cosby (1986-1988, 1990-1991) 5 wins * Favorite All-Around Male Star Bill Cosby (1989) * Favorite Young TV Performer Keshia Knight Pulliam (1988) Awards nominated Emmy Awards * Outstanding Comedy Series (1986-87) 2 nominations * Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Phylicia Rashād (1985-86) 2 nominations * Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Lisa Bonet (1986) * Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Keshia Knight Pulliam (1986) * Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Malcolm-Jamal Warner (1986) Golden Globe Awards * Best TV Series-Comedy (1986-87) 2 nominations * Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series-Comedy Bill Cosby (1987) Honors * In 1999, Entertainment Weekly placed the The Cosby Show's debut at #28 in its list of the "100 Greatest Moments in Television".[3] * In 2002, TV Guide placed The Cosby Show at #28 in its list of the 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.[4] * In 2007, Time magazine placed the show on its unranked list of "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME".[5] * In 2007, USA Today's web site ranked the show as #8 in its list of the "top 25 TV moments of the past quarter century".[6] Criticisms In a 1992 book, authors Sut Jhally and Justin Lewis use the results of an audience study to argue that The Cosby Show obscured the issues of class and race and reinforced the belief that African-Americans have only themselves to blame if they don't succeed in society and ignoring that racism still exists and can be a factor in society.[7] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted June 28, 2008 Author Share Posted June 28, 2008 14. That '70s Show (1998-2006) (5 of 18 lists - 64 points - highest ranking #3 3E8) That '70s Show is an American television sitcom that centered on the lives of a group of teenagers living in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976 to December 31, 1979. It debuted on August 23, 1998 and its final episode aired May 18, 2006. That '70s Show was a launching pad for the film careers of some of its stars, who were mostly unknowns at the time they were hired. The show remains in syndication around the world. It will also begin airing on both The N on June 30, 2008 at 9PM eastern, 8PM central; and ABC Family on July 4, 2008 at 7PM eastern, 6PM central. Series overview History That '70s Show is the brainchild of 3rd Rock From the Sun creators Bonnie and Terry Turner and writer Mark Brazill. The working title for the series was Teenage Wasteland; other names considered were The Kids Are Alright, Feelin' All Right, and Reeling in the Years,[1] all of which are lyrics from popular songs of the period. The series was commissioned by the Fox Network, and the first season premiered on August 23, 1998, with an initial order of 22 episodes (extended to 25 on January 12, 1999).[2] The series did well, rating highly among several target demographics, including adults aged 18-49, as well as teenage viewers.[2] In February 1999, Fox ordered a second season, and as ratings rose the following September, the network opted to renew the series for two more seasons, bringing the total to four.[2] Continuing success saw changing time slots (Sundays to Mondays to Tuesdays to Wednesdays to Thursdays), as well as four additional seasons. The eighth season was announced to be the final season of the show on January 17, 2006,[3] and the final episode was filmed a month later, on February 17, 2006.[4] "That '70s Finale" originally aired on May 18, 2006. Characters Set in Point Place, Wisconsin, That '70s Show depicts the life of teenager Eric Forman (Topher Grace) and his five teenage friends: Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon), his girlfriend and next-door neighbor; Steven Hyde (Danny Masterson), a rebellious stoner who was eventually adopted by the Forman family and lives in their basement; Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), a dim-witted narcissistic ladies' man; Jackie Burkhart (Mila Kunis), a self-involved high school cheerleader overly preoccupied with wealth and status; and Fes (an acronym that stands for Foreign Exchange Student played by Wilmer Valderrama), an exchange student from a (presumably Latin American) country that is never identified. Relationships among the teens are explored, the primary focus being between Eric and Donna, who are the responsible ones, as evidenced in episodes such as "Dine and Dash." Their relationship sharply contrasts with the on-again, off-again relationship between Kelso and Jackie, who were usually portrayed as mutually obsessed despite their arguments and denials of love to spite one another. In both relationships, the couples have harsh disagreements, but come to terms with their differences. Jackie subsequently moved on to Hyde and later Fez as the series progressed. Other main characters include Eric's overbearing Korean war and WW2 veteran father, Red (Kurtwood Smith), his nice, yet overbearing mother Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp), who is struggling to be a caring mom and housewife while working as a nurse in a local hospital, and his older sister Laurie (Lisa Robin Kelly, 1998-2003 and Christina Moore, 2003-2004), whose promiscuity is the brunt of many jokes by the teenagers but does not deter Kelso from making moves on her. The show also depicts the relationship of Midge and Bob Pinciotti (Tanya Roberts and Don Stark), Donna's dim-witted parents, both of whom are easily influenced by the 1970s movements and fads, which places occasional stress on their marriage. Tommy Chong appeared as a frequently recurring character, Leo, the aging hippie owner of the Photo Hut. Eighth season changes Eric Forman and Michael Kelso were written out of the series after the seventh season, as actors Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher were to star in movies to be filmed during that season (Grace in Spider-Man 3 and Kutcher in The Guardian). Longtime character Leo returned with a more prominent role to help fill the gap. A new character named Randy Pearson, played by Josh Meyers, was introduced to take Eric Forman's place. Another new character, Samantha, played by Judy Tylor, was added to the cast as Hyde's wife for nine episodes, but both she and Meyers had their roles minimalized following a negative response from the fans over the season's new characters. Kelso appears in the first four episodes of the eighth season (with Kutcher credited as a special guest star) before moving to Chicago; both he and Eric returned for the series' final episode. The location of the show's introduction was also changed from Eric's 1969 Vista Cruiser to the "Circle." Cast Actor/Actress Character name Years credited as regular cast Topher Grace Eric Forman 1998–2005 Laura Prepon Donna Pinciotti 1998–2006 Danny Masterson Steven Hyde 1998–2006 Ashton Kutcher Michael Kelso 1998–20052 Mila Kunis Jackie Burkhart 1998–2006 Wilmer Valderrama Fez 1998–2006 Kurtwood Smith Red Forman 1998–2006 Debra Jo Rupp Kitty Forman 1998–2006 Don Stark Bob Pinciotti 1998–2006 Tanya Roberts Midge Pinciotti 1998–2001 Lisa Robin Kelly Laurie Forman 1999–2001 Tommy Chong Leo Chingkwake 2001–2002, 2005–2006 Josh Meyers Randy Pearson 2005–2006 Elements of the show The Seventies The show gained recognition for providing a bold retrospective of a decade full of political events and technological milestones that have dramatically shaped today's world. The show tackled significant social issues of the times, such as feminism, progressive sexual attitudes (although in some episodes more traditional values would carry the day, such as when Red ended his friendship with a fellow veteran who invited Kitty and him to a key party and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, co-starring as Eric Forman's possible gay love interest, was rebuffed), the economic hardships of recession, mistrust in the American government among blue-collar workers, political figures such as Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter (though both presidents are very rarely referenced throughout the series), teenage drug use, and developments in entertainment technology, from the television remote ("the clicker") to the video game Pong. The first season of the show focused extensively on current events and cultural trends, with each successive season focusing less and less on the socio-political aspects of the story, to the point that the decade simply became a backdrop against which the storylines unfolded. Likewise, the first season of the show also featured a recurring, non-comedic storyline in which the Forman family was in constant danger of losing their home due to Red's hours being cut back at the auto parts plant where he worked. Recurring storylines in later seasons, even when they carried dramatic elements, were always presented as primarily comedic. The series is something of a homage to the hit 1970s series Happy Days, which itself looked back twenty years to the Wisconsin of the 1950s. Dream sequences Signature elements of That '70s Show include surreal, sometimes elaborate, dream sequences to depict various characters' vivid imaginations or dreams, some of which include references to or parodies of fads and films of the time, such as Star Wars, Rocky, and Grease. In early dream sequences, the characters who were dreamt of were talking with voices of those who were imagining the scene. In That '70s Pilot, for instance, as the boys imagine the party scene, the partying adults speak with their voices. This was soon phased out. Sometimes, those who imagine scenes are heard narrating them, but even if they don't, the other characters perceive them (which means those who imagine tell them what they are dreaming about while we get to see the scene). In the episode "Stone Cold Crazy", Jackie even mentioned she liked the song which was playing in Fez's dream sequence. Such scenes are usually introduced by the wabbling screen transition. Sometimes, the transition is absent when the characters imagining the scene believe those scenes are real (for example, Eric's dream about Donna in "Eric's Birthday" or Jackie's dream about Hyde proposing in "It's All Over Now"). In the 100th episode "That '70s Musical", all singing scenes were Fez's dream sequences. The Circle Another signature element is frequent use of the 360-degree scenes, also known as "The Circle". It is presented as some characters (usually three or four, sometimes five, in the season 7 episode "Take It Or Leave It" there was a circle with only two characters, and in the season 6 episode "5:15" there is a unique circle with only one person sitting against a TV) sitting in a circle, usually around a table, with the camera panning from one character to another as he or she is speaking. Sometimes, for comic effect, the last sitting person in the circle is someone unexpected or absurd, like the gym teacher, Jackie's stuffed unicorn, Eric's dog, Fez's music teacher or a ceramic clown. The "circle" is essentially used to illustrate the teens' marijuana use, typically occurring in Eric's basement and later in Hyde's record store. All of these segments combine nonsensical dialog with deadpan humor. No actual smoking is depicted in these scenes (although it is noted that you can see Hyde "toasting" a swisher in an episode) smoke is visible only in the background and foreground. The circle is sometimes used for other purposes. Early episodes often used the "circle" during dinners at Formans' when Laurie came home. Sometimes, the "circle" takes place at the Formans' dining room when characters eat dessert or drink cocktails. In the last season, the "circle" is used in a sauna with Hyde, Red and Red's old friends. As shown in flashbacks, Eric, Kelso, and Hyde were the original basement "circle" members, and Fez joined them prior to the pilot. Donna first joined them in the episode "Hyde Moves In" and Jackie joined them in the episode "Cat Fight Club". Timeline Due to the show's long run, the timeline was noticeably slowed. The show was set in May 1976 upon its August 23, 1998 premiere. After twelve episodes of the first season (as well as episode 23, "Grandma's Dead", due to it being aired out of production order), the series transitioned to 1977, where it remained until late in the third season, then the time setting was 1978 until early in the sixth season. The remaining episodes took place in 1979. Hyde had an 18th birthday in 1978, despite dialogue suggesting that he is older than Eric, who turned 17 in episode 2, "Eric's Birthday" (set in 1976). Eric then turned 18 in episode 131, "Magic Bus" in 1978, two years after turning 17. Furthermore, all of the teenage characters are juniors in high school at the beginning of the series (except for Jackie, who is a year younger) and they don't become seniors until Season 5, which they also graduate in the season finale. This, combined with the fact that there were holiday-themed episodes almost every season, indicated a sense of time on That '70s Show that was loose at best. The year is determined in the last scene of the opening credits, which reveals a close-up of a Wisconsin license plate that reads the names of the creators and the sticker with the two-digit year — in this case, either "76," "77," "78,"or "79," and, in the final episode, "80." The year stickers for Wisconsin plates are issued for the upcoming twelve months (e.g., a sticker for "80" would be issued in 1979). The plate also appears at the end as the production logo for Carsey-Werner, also showing the year. Theme song The show usually opens with the theme song, "In the Street," by Alex Chilton and Chris Bell of the band Big Star. It was initially sung by Todd Griffin, but beginning with the second season, the song was performed by the band Cheap Trick, whose version is referred to as "That '70s Song (In the Street)." In a Rolling Stone magazine article in 2000, Chilton thought it was ironic that he is paid $70 in royalties each time the show is aired. [5] According to the official That '70s Show website, Danny Masterson (Steven Hyde) yells "Hello Wisconsin!" during the first season and Rick Nielsen (lead guitarist/songwriter for Cheap Trick) in all other seasons.[1] The lyrics were also slightly different during the first season, with instead of "We're all alright!" being shouted twice (a reference to Cheap Trick's 1978 single "Surrender"), "Whooa yeah!" is heard. The first season's theme was also in the key of G, whereas in subsequent seasons it was lowered to the key of D. Alternate holiday versions of the theme song were arranged for Halloween, Christmas and musical specials, using organ music and bells, respectively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxFan1 Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 That 70's Show before The Cosby Show is kinda sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted June 28, 2008 Author Share Posted June 28, 2008 13. M*A*S*H (1972-83) (5 of 18 lists - 78 points - highest ranking #2 Texsox) M*A*S*H is an American television series developed by Larry Gelbart, inspired by the 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker (penname for H. Richard Hornberger) and its sequels, but primarily by the 1970 film MASH, and influenced by the 1961 novel Catch-22. The series was a medical drama/black comedy produced by 20th Television Fox for CBS. The show followed a team of doctors and support staff stationed at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean Conflict. M*A*S*H's title sequence featured an instrumental version of the song “Suicide Is Painless,” which also appears in the original film. The show was created after an attempt to film the original book's sequel, "M*A*S*H Goes To Maine", failed. It is the most well-known version of the M*A*S*H works. The series premiered on September 17, 1972, and ended February 28, 1983, with the finale becoming the most-watched television episode in U.S. television history with over 105 million viewers[1]. It is widely considered one of the greatest shows in television history. The show is still broadcast in syndication on various television stations (mostly during the late night/early morning hours). The series spanned 251 episodes and lasted eleven seasons covering a three-year conflict. Many of the stories in the early seasons are based on real-life tales told by real MASH surgeons who were interviewed by the production team. Like the movie, the series was as much an allegory about the Vietnam War (still in progress when the series began) as about the Korean Conflict.[2] The show's producers have said that it was about war and bureaucracy in general. Synopsis M*A*S*H was a weekly half-hour situation comedy, sometimes described as “black comedy” or a "dramedy," because of the dramatic subject material often presented (the term "dramedy," although coined in 1978, was not in common usage until after M*A*S*H had gone off the air). The show was an ensemble piece revolving around key personnel in a United States Army Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH; the asterisks in the name are meaningless, introduced in the novel) in the Korean War (1950–1953). The 4077th MASH was just one of several surgical units in Korea. As the show developed, the writing took on more of a moralistic tone. Richard Hooker, who wrote the book on which the show (and the film version) was based, noted that Hawkeye was far more liberal in the show (in one of the sequel books, Hawkeye in fact makes reference to “kicking the bejesus out of lefties just to stay in shape”). While the show was mostly comedy, there were many episodes of a more serious tone. Stories were both plot- and character-driven. Most of the characters were draftees, with dramatic tension often occurring between them and "Regular Army" characters, either among the cast (Swit as Houlihan, Morgan as Potter) or as guest stars (including Eldon Quick, Herb Voland, Mary Wickes, and Tim O'Connor). A letter to TV Guide written by a former MASH doctor in about 1973 stated that the most insane jokes and idiotic pranks on the show were the most true to life, including Klinger's crossdressing. The hellish reality of the MASH units encouraged this behavior out of a desperate need for something to laugh at. (Another former MASHer, though, pointed out later that a habitual crossdresser would not last long in such a place; real women were too scarce.) Cast See also: List of notable guest stars on M*A*S*H M*A*S*H maintained a relatively constant ensemble cast, with four characters – Hawkeye, Mulcahy, Houlihan and Klinger – appearing on the show for all eleven of the seasons in which it ran. Several other main characters who left or joined the show midway through its original run supplemented these four, and numerous guest stars and one-time characters supplemented all of them. Character Actor/Actress Rank Role Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce Alan Alda Captain Chief surgeon John Patrick Francis Mulcahy George Morgan (Pilot Episode), Replaced by William Christopher 1st Lieutenant, later Captain Chaplain Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (O'Houlihan in the film) Loretta Swit Major Head nurse Maxwell Q. Klinger Jamie Farr Corporal, later Sergeant Medic/Orderly, later Company Clerk John Francis Xavier "Trapper" McIntyre (Seasons 1-3) Wayne Rogers Captain Surgeon Henry Braymore Blake (Seasons 1-3) McLean Stevenson Lieutenant Colonel Surgeon, Commanding officer Franklin Marion "Frank" Burns, also known as "Ferrett Face" (Seasons 1-5) Larry Linville Major, later Lieutenant Colonel (off-screen) Surgeon, Temporary Commanding officer (following the discharge of Henry Blake) Walter Eugene "Radar" O’Reilly (Seasons 1-8) Gary Burghoff Corporal Company Clerk, Bugler B. J. Hunnicutt (replaced Trapper; Seasons 4-11) Mike Farrell Captain Surgeon Sherman T. Potter (replaced Henry Blake; Seasons 4-11) Harry Morgan Colonel Surgeon, Commanding officer (After Lt. Col. Blake) Charles Emerson Winchester III (replaced Frank Burns; Seasons 6-11) David Ogden Stiers Major Surgeon Recurring characters * Nurse Kealani Kellye, a recurring character in the 4077th appearing in 82 episodes, played by Kellye Nakahara * Jeff Maxwell played the bumbling Pvt. Igor Straminsky in 66 episodes. In his earlier appearances, he was the camp cook's aide, complaining that despite not actually cooking the food, he still had to listen to everyone's gripes about it. He was often the target of Hawkeye's wrath because of the terrible food - and the recipient of his "river of liver and ocean of fish" rant in "Adam's Ribs". * Supply sergeant for the 4077th, Zelmo Zale, was portrayed by Johnny Haymer. He made his first appearance in the Season 2 episode, "For Want of a Boot", and his final appearance in the Season 8 episode, "Good-Bye Radar". Zale's name is mentioned for the final time in "Yessir, That's Our Baby". * G. W. Bailey played the perpetually lazy Sgt. Luther Rizzo in 14 episodes. * Dr. Sidney Freedman, a psychiatrist, was played by Alan Arbus who appeared twelve times (once as Dr. Milton Freedman). * Col. (Sam) Flagg, a paranoid intelligence officer, was played by Edward Winter and visited the unit six times. * Herb Voland appeared four times as Henry Blake's commander, Brigadier General Clayton. * G. Wood appeared three times as Brigadier General Hammond, the same role he played in the movie. * Robert F. Simon appeared three times as General Mitchell. * Loudon Wainwright III appeared three times as Captain Calvin Spaulding, who was normally seen playing his guitar and singing. * Eldon Quick appeared three times as two nearly identical characters, Capt. Sloan and Capt. Pratt, officers who were dedicated to paperwork and bureaucracy. * Sgt. Jack Scully, played by Joshua Bryant, appeared in three episodes as a love interest of Margaret Houlihan. * Pat Morita appeared twice as Capt. Sam Pak of the Republic of Korea Army. * Sorrell Booke appeared twice as Gen. Bradley Barker. * Robert Symonds appeared twice as Gen. Horace Baldwin. * Robert Alda, Alan Alda's father, appeared twice as Maj. Borelli, a visiting surgeon. * Lt. Col. Donald Penobscot appeared twice (played by two different actors), once as Margaret's fiancé and once as her husband. * Sgt. "Sparky" Pryor, a friend of Radar and Max, was a person whom people appeared to talk to on the telephone. He was seen only once, played by Dennis Fimple, in Tuttle (Season 1, Episode 15), but was sometimes faintly heard on the phone when he yelled. * Sal Viscuso and Todd Susman played the camp's anonymous P.A. system announcer throughout the series. This unseen character broke the fourth Wall only once, in episode "Welcome to Korea" (4-1) when introducing the regular cast members. Normally he just tells the camp about the incoming wounded with a sense of humor. Both Viscuso and Susman appeared onscreen as other characters in at least one episode each. Actors with multiple roles At least 18 guest stars made appearances as multiple characters: * Hamilton Camp appeared twice. First as the insane Corporal "Boots" Miller in "Major Topper" and again as a film distributor named Frankenheimer in "The Moon Is Not Blue". * Dennis Dugan appeared twice; as O.R. orderly Pvt. McShane in 3.20, "Love and Marriage" and again in 11.11, "Strange Bedfellows" as Col. Potter's philandering son-in-law, Robert (Bob) Wilson. * Tim O'Connor appeared as wounded artillery officer Colonel Spiker, and as visiting surgeon, Norm Traeger. Both characters were noticeably at odds with Hawkeye. * Dick O'Neill appeared three times (each time in a different U.S. service branch); as a Navy Admiral Cox, as an Army Brigadier General Prescott, and as a Marine Colonel Pitts. * Harry Morgan played both the 4077th's second beloved C.O. (Col. Sherman T. Potter), and the mentally unstable Major General Bartford Hamilton Steele in the show's third season in the episode "The General Flipped at Dawn". * Soon-Tek Oh appeared five times; twice as North Korean POWs (in 4.6, "The Bus", and 8.10, "The Yalu Brick Road"), once as a North Korean doctor (5.9, "The Korean Surgeon"), once as O.R. orderly Mr. Kwang ("Love and Marriage") and once as a South Korean interpreter who posed as a North Korean POW (11.3, "Foreign Affairs"). (Soon-Tek Oh is one of the few Korean actors to play a Korean on MASH; most of the other "Korean" characters were played by either Japanese or Chinese actors.) * Robert Karnes appeared twice: once as a Colonel in 4.1 and as a General in 6.4. * Clyde Kusatsu appeared four times; twice as a Korean bartender in the Officer's Club, once as a Chinese-American soldier, and once as a Japanese-American surgeon. * Robert Ito played a hood who works for the black market in 1.2, "To Market, To Market", and a North Korean soldier, disguised as a South Korean, looking for supplies, in "The Korean Surgeon". * Mako appeared four times; once as a Chinese doctor, once as a South Korean doctor, once as a South Korean officer, and once as a North Korean soldier. * Jerry Fujikawa appeared as crooked Korean matchmaker Dr. Pak in "Love and Marriage", as Trapper John's tailor in 3.3, "Officer of the Day", and as an acupuncturist named Wu in 8.24 "Back Pay". * John Orchard starred as the Australian anesthetist, Ugly John, in the first season, and later appeared in 8.13 as a disgruntled and drunken Australian MP Muldoon, who has an arrangement with Rosie the barkeep: he takes bribes (in the form of booze in is "coffee" mug) to "look the other way". * Richard Lee Sung appeared ten times as a local Korean who often had merchandise (and in one case, real estate) he wished to sell to the hospital staff; sold a backwards running watch to Major Burns. * Jack Soo appeared twice; once as black market boss Charlie Lee with whom Hawkeye and Trapper made a trade for supplies in "To Market, To Market", and in "Payday" as a peddler who sold Frank two sets of pearls, one real, the other fake. * Ted Gehring appeared twice: in 2.12 as moronic Supply Officer Major Morris who refuses to let the MASH doctors have a badly needed incubator, and in 7.6 as corrupt supply NCO Sgt Rhoden. * Eldon Quik appeared three times, once as a finance officer and twice as Captain Sloan. * Edward Winter appeared as an Intelligence Officer named "Halloran" in 2/13, and in 6 episodes as Colonel Flagg (although Halloran may have been one of Flagg's numerous and often mid-episode changing aliases). * Shizuko Hoshi appeared at least twice: once as "Rosie" of "Rosie's Bar" in episode 3.13, "Mad Dogs and Servicemen," and once in 4.18, "Hawkeye," as the mother in a Korean family. * John Fujioka, who played the uncredited role of a Japanese Golf Pro in the movie, appeared three times in the series. The first time was in "Dear Ma" (1975) as Colonel Kim, the second time was in "The Tooth Shall Set You Free" (1982) as Duc Phon Jong and the last time he played a peasant in "Picture This" (1982). * Stuart Margolin appeared twice. First as psychiatrist Captain Phillip Sherman in Season 1's "Bananas, Crackers and Nuts" (1.07) and again as plastic surgeon Major Stanley 'Stosh' Robbins in Season 2's "Operation Noselift" (2.18). Character names * Throughout the series, Klinger frequently introduces himself by his full name, Maxwell Q. Klinger, but never says what the Q. stands for. * B. J.'s real name is never given. In one episode, Hawkeye goes to extreme lengths to learn what "B. J." stands for, but all official paperwork concerning his friend claims that B. J. really is his first name. Toward the end of the episode, B. J. explains "My mother, Bea Hunnicut and my father, Jay Hunnicut.", and claims that this is the reason for his odd name. A recurring joke in that episode is that upon being asked what B. J. stands for, B. J. merely replies "Anything you want." * Frank Burns had three middle names during his time on the show: W., Marion, and D. (as in, "Franklin D. Whitebread marries Miss Cynthia Soon-to-be-Frigid") * Radar's first name is stated as Walter and once, in "Fade In, Fade Out", he introduces himself by his full name to Charles Emerson Winchester, III, as "Walter Eugene O'Reilly." The book says his name is J. Robespierre and his first name is not revealed in the film. Notable actors and actor information * Antony Alda, Alan Alda's half-brother, appeared in one episode ("Lend a Hand") as Corporal Jarvis. * Robert Alda, Alan Alda's father, had guest appearances in two episodes, "The Consultant" and "Lend a Hand". According to Alan Alda, "Lend a Hand" was his way of reconciling with his dad; he was always giving suggestions to Robert for their vaudeville act, and in "Lend a Hand" Robert's character was always giving Hawkeye suggestions. It was Robert's idea for the doctors to cooperate as "Dr. Right" and "Dr. Left" at the end of that episode, signifying both a reconciliation of their characters and in real life as well. * While most of the characters from the movie carried over to the series, only three actors appeared in both: Gary Burghoff (Radar O'Reilly) and G. Wood (General Hammond) reprised their movie roles in the series (though Wood appeared in only three episodes). Timothy Brown (credited as "Tim Brown") played "Cpl. Judson" in the movie and Spearchucker Jones in the series. * Two of the cast members, Jamie Farr (Klinger) and Alan Alda (Hawkeye Pierce) served in the U.S. Army in Korea in the 1950s after the Korean War. The dog tags Farr wears on the show are his actual dogtags. Farr served as part of a USO tour with Red Skelton. * Gary Burghoff's left hand is slightly deformed, and he took great pains to hide or de-emphasize it during filming. He did this by always holding something (like a clipboard), or keeping that hand in his pocket. * Most of the M*A*S*H main cast guested on Murder She Wrote. Wayne Rogers made five appearances as roguish PI Charlie Garrat. David Ogden Stiers appeared three times as a Civil War-infused college lecturer and once as a classical music radio host. G. W. Bailey appeared twice as a New York City cop. Larry Linville made two appearances as a cop who was sure that Jessica was CIA. Harry Morgan appeared once in a cleverly cut episode that mixed with a film he had once been in. William Christopher made an appearance as a murderous bird-watcher. Jamie Farr appeared in two episodes, once as a hopeful new publisher for Jessica Fletcher and again with Loretta Swit (she played as a modern artist framed for murder). Mike Farrell appeared as a Senate hopeful. The set The 4077th actually consisted of two separate sets. An outdoor set, located in the mountains near Malibu, California in Calabasas, Los Angeles County, California was used for most exterior and tent scenes for every season. The indoor set, located on a sound stage at Fox Studios, was used for the indoor scenes for the run of the series. Later, after the indoor set was renovated to permit many of the "outdoor" scenes to be filmed there, both sets were used for exterior shooting as script requirements dictated (for example, night scenes were far easier to film on the sound stage, but scenes at the chopper pad required using the ranch). Just as the series was wrapping production, a major brush fire destroyed the entire set on October 9, 1982. The fire was written into the final episode as a forest fire caused by enemy incendiary bombs. The Malibu location is today known as Malibu Creek State Park. Formerly called the Fox Ranch, and owned by 20th Century Fox Studios until the 1980s, the site today is returning to a natural state, and marked by a rusted Jeep and an ambulance used in the show, On February 23, 2008, series stars Mike Farrell, Loretta Swit, and William Christopher along with producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe and prolific M*A*S*H director Charles S. Dubin reunited at the set to celebrate its partial restoration. The rebuilt iconic signpost is now displayed on weekends along with tent markers and maps and photos of the set. The state park is open to the public. It was also the location where the film How Green Was My Valley (1941) and the Planet of the Apes TV series (1974) were filmed, among other productions. When M*A*S*H was filming its last episode, the producers were contacted by the Smithsonian Institution, which asked to be given a part of the set. The producers quickly agreed and sent the tent, signposts and contents of "The Swamp," which was home to Hawkeye, BJ, Trapper, Charles and Frank during the course of the show. The Smithsonian has The Swamp on display to this day. [1] Originally found on the Ranch, Radar's teddy bear, once housed at the Smithsonian, was sold at auction July 29, 2005, for $11,800. Changes During the first season, Hawkeye and Trapper's bunk mate was a black character called Spearchucker Jones, played by actor Timothy Brown, who appeared in the film version as a neurosurgeon. The character disappeared after 1.11 "Germ Warfare"; there is no record of African-American doctors serving in Korea.[2] Another actor, George Morgan, played Father Mulcahy only in the pilot episode. By season three, McLean Stevenson was growing unhappy playing a supporting role to Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers. Midway through the season, he informed the producers he wanted out of the show. With ample time to prepare a “Goodbye Henry” show, it was decided that Henry Blake would be discharged and sent home for the Season Three finale, which aired on Tuesday March 18, 1975. In the final scene of his last episode, “Abyssinia, Henry,” Radar tearfully reports that Henry's plane had been shot down over the Sea of Japan, and he was killed. The scene was the last one shot of the entire episode, and the page of script that reveals that development was only given to the cast moments before cameras rolled. The scene had to be shot twice due to a noise off camera, the actors had to recompose and act shocked at the news a second time. Up until then, they were going to get a message that Blake had arrived safely home. Although this is now regarded as a classic episode, at the time it garnered a barrage of angry mail from fans. As a result, the creative team behind M*A*S*H pledged that no other characters would leave the show in such a tragic fashion. Following his successful run on M*A*S*H, Stevenson starred a few short-lived television shows (Hello, Larry) and appeared in small roles in numerous others, including guest host of The Tonight Show (1975-79) and regular panelist on Match Game (1981-82). He died on February 15, 1996 of a heart attack. Wayne Rogers (Trapper John McIntyre) was planning to return for Season Four but also had a disliking of his supporting role to Alda and because of his contract, left the series. Though Rogers had been threatening to leave the series since Season One, his departure was unexpected, as compared to that of McLean Stevenson. In addition, Rogers felt his character was never given any real importance and that all the focus was on Alda's character. Mike Farrell (Rogers’ replacement) was hastily recruited during the 1975 summer production hiatus. Actor Pernell Roberts later would assume the role of a middle-aged John "Trapper" McIntyre, in the seven-year run of "Trapper John MD". As a result of two of the three leads having departed the series, Season Four was, in many ways, a major turning point for M*A*S*H. At the beginning of the fourth season, Hawkeye was informed by Radar that Trapper had been discharged while Hawkeye was on leave, and audiences did not see Trapper's departure, while B. J. Hunnicutt came in as Trapper's replacement. (Trapper, however, was described by Radar as being so jubilant over his release that "he got drunk for two days, took off all his clothes, and ran naked through the Mess Tent with no clothes on," and left with a message--a kiss on the cheek for Hawkeye.) In the season's second episode, Colonel Sherman T. Potter was assigned to the unit as commanding officer, replacing Frank Burns (who had taken over as commander after Blake's departure). The series, while still remaining a comedy, gradually became more emotionally rounded. Major Houlihan's role continued to evolve during this time; she became much friendlier towards Hawkeye and B.J., and had a falling out with Frank. She later married a fellow officer, Lieutenant Colonel Donald Penobscot, but the union did not last for long. The “Hot Lips” nickname was rarely used to describe her after about the midway point in the series. In fact, Loretta Swit wanted to leave the series in the 8th season to pursue other acting roles (most notably the part of Christine Cagney on Cagney & Lacey), but the producers refused to let her out of her contract. However, Swit did originate the Cagney role in the made-for-TV movie which served as that series' pilot. As the show progressed into its last few seasons, episodes frequently were used to demonstrate a moral point, most often about the horrors of war, in a move that has been criticized by some fans for overshadowing the careless comedic style for which the show had become famous. Episodes written or directed by Alan Alda had an even greater propensity to follow a moral path. Larry Linville noted that his “Frank Burns” character was easier to “dump on” after head comedy writer Larry Gelbart departed after Season Four and "Frank" and "Margaret" parted ways. Throughout Season Five, Linville realized he’d taken Frank Burns as far as he could, and he decided that since he’d signed a five-year contract originally, and his fifth year was coming to an end, he would leave the series. During the first episode of Season Six, Frank Burns (off camera) suffered a nervous breakdown due to Margaret's marriage, and was held for psychiatric evaluation. In an unexpected twist, Burns was then transferred stateside to an Indiana Veteran's Administration hospital, near his home, and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel - in a sense, Frank's parting shot at Hawkeye. Unlike McLean Stevenson and Wayne Rogers, Linville had no regrets about leaving the series, saying “I felt I had done everything possible with the character.” Major Charles Emerson Winchester, III (David Ogden Stiers) was brought in as an antagonist of sorts to the other surgeons, but his relationship with them was not as acrimonious (although he was a more able foil). Unlike Frank Burns, Winchester did not care for the Army. His resentment stemmed, in part, from the fact that he was transferred from Tokyo General Hospital to the 4077th thanks, in part, to a cribbage debt owed to him by his CO, Colonel Horace Baldwin. What set him apart from Burns as an antagonist for Hawkeye and B.J. was that Winchester was clearly an excellent, technically superior surgeon, though his work sometimes suffered from his excessive perfectionism when rapid “meatball surgery” was called for. Winchester was respected by the others professionally, but at the same time, as a Boston “blueblood,” he was also snobbish, which drove much of his conflict with the other characters. Still, the show's writers would allow Winchester's humanity to shine through, such as in his dealings with a young piano player who had partially lost the use of his right hand, the protection of a stuttering soldier from the bullying of other soldiers (it is revealed later that his sister stutters), his keeping a vigil with Hawkeye when Hawkeye's father went into surgery back in the States, or his continuing of a family tradition of anonymously giving Christmas treats to an orphanage. The episode featuring this tradition is considered by many fans to be among the most moving in the series, as Winchester subjects himself to condemnation after realizing that “it is sadly inappropriate to offer dessert to a child who has had no meal.” Isolating himself, he is saved by Corporal Klinger's own gift of understanding. For the final moment of the episode, Major and Corporal are simply friends. Gary Burghoff (Radar O'Reilly) had been growing restless in his role since at least season four. With each year he appeared in fewer episodes, and by season seven Radar is in barely half of the shows. Burghoff planned to leave at the end of the seventh season, but was convinced by producers to wait until the beginning of season eight, when he filmed a 2-part farewell episode, plus a few short scenes that were inserted into episodes preceding it. The series' final nod to Radar came when his iconic teddy bear was included in a time capsule of the 4077th instigated by Hot Lips. Max Klinger also grew away from the transvestite moniker that overshadowed him. He dropped his Section 8 pursuit when taking over for Radar as Company Clerk. Both Farr and the producers felt that there was more to Klinger than a chiffon dress, and tried to develop the character more fully. Farr stayed throughout the rest of the series. Change in tone As the series progressed, it made a significant shift from being primarily a comedy to becoming far more dramatically focused. Changes behind the scenes were the primary cause rather than the oft-cited cast defections. Executive Producer Gene Reynolds left at the end of season five, this coupled with head writer Larry Gelbart's departure the year before stripped the show of its comedic foundation. While M*A*S*H continued at a high level, the series best comedic work was, for the most part, in the past. Beginning with season six, Alan Alda and new Executive Producer Burt Metcalfe became the "voice" of M*A*S*H. By season eight, the writing staff had been overhauled and M*A*S*H displayed a whole different feel...now consciously moving between comedy and drama, unlike the seamless integration of years gone by. While this latter era showcased some fine dramatic moments, the attempts at pure comedy were not so successful. The quirky, fractured camp of the early years had gradually turned into a homogenized "family", clever dialogue gave way to puns, and the sharply defined characters were often unrecognizable and lost most of their comedic bite. In addition, the episodes became more political, and the show was often accused of “preaching” to its viewers. While the series remained popular through these changes, eventually it began to run out of creative steam. Harry Morgan, who played Colonel Potter, admitted in an interview that he felt "the cracks were starting to show" by Season Nine [3], and the cast had agreed to make season ten their last. In the end, they decided to extend the show for an additional year, making for a total of eleven seasons. "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” was the final episode of M*A*S*H. The episode aired on February 28, 1983 and was 2½ hours long. It was viewed by nearly 106 million Americans (77% of viewership that night) which established it as the most watched episode in United States television history, a record which still stands. A common urban legend states that the episode was seen by so many people that just after the end of the episode, the New York City Sanitation/Public Works Department reported the largest use of water ever around the city, due to New Yorkers waiting through the whole show to go to the toilet. However, this claim is unfounded.[4] Awards M*A*S*H won a total of 14 Emmys during its eleven-year run: * 1974 - Outstanding Comedy Series - M*A*S*H; Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds (Producers) * 1974 - Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda * 1974 - Best Directing in Comedy - Jackie Cooper * 1974 - Actor of the Year-Series - Alan Alda * 1975 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds * 1976 - Outstanding Film Editing for Entertainment Programming - Fred W. Berger and Stanford Tischler * 1976 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Gene Reynolds * 1977 - Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda * 1977 - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Gary Burghoff * 1979 - Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series - Alan Alda * 1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit * 1980 - Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Harry Morgan * 1982 - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Alan Alda * 1982 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series - Loretta Swit Popularity today Starting on January 1, 2007, TV Land aired M*A*S*H from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. for one week in a marathon. According to a press release available at the Futon Critic,[citation needed] the marathon of M*A*S*H episodes and specials that aired during the first week of January drew "an average of 1.3 million total viewers and scored double-digit increases in demo rating and delivery." Additionally, the marathon helped TV Land rank in the top ten basic cable channels among the adults 25–54 demographic for the week. Ratings for specific episodes and specials are also included in the press release: * "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen "– 1.3 million total viewers * Memories of M*A*S*H (20th Anniversary) – 1.5 million total viewers * 30th Anniversary Reunion Special – 1.4 million total viewers. M*A*S*H airs on TV Land and also airs four times a day, Monday through Friday on Hallmark Channel. In Australia, M*A*S*H is aired every weekday at 5pm on the Seven Network in an extensively cut-down form, and the network recently screened the final 2½-hour-long final episode, "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" at the special time of midday in place of the normal midday movie. In New Zealand, the Australian-owned Prime Television channel airs M*A*S*H every weekday at 4:30pm. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, digital channel Paramount Comedy 2 broadcasts two episodes each weekday morning between 9am and 10am, which are then repeated at 7pm that evening and in the early hours of the following morning. The channel also sometimes devotes entire weekends to M*A*S*H, with every episode from a particular season being broadcast. The outdoor set used for the movie, the early years of the series, and then limited times in later seasons, is now a part of Malibu Creek State Park. In early 2008, years of overgrown brush were cleared away, the iconic signpost was rebuilt and tent markers were installed to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the program's finale. On February 23, 2008 cast members Mike Farrell, Loretta Swit, William Christopher and Jeff Maxwell, producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe and prolific M*A*S*H director Charles S. Dubin reunited at the outdoor set for the first time to celebrate the milestone. One of the most recognizable sites in entertainment history has been reborn. It can be visited with park entry and a two mile hike, across some pretty rugged terrain (the roads formerly leading to the set have long since washed away). The indoor scenes were filmed on sound stage 9 at 20th Century Fox Studios in Century City, Los Angeles, California. Influences on pop culture * Author Paulette Bourgeois credits "C*A*V*E" (episode 164), in which Hawkeye was afraid of being in a dark cave, as the inspiration for the first work in the children's book series, Franklin. * Glen Charles and Les Charles, the creators of Cheers, started their careers in television by writing The Late Captain Pierce. They wrote no other episodes of the series. * On an episode of Family Guy, a character remarks "When I fire rockets, I always like to think I'm shooting at Jamie Farr and Alan Alda. Take that, wise cracking meat ball surgeon!" In another episode, the characters are discussing one of their characters leaving the show dramatically, spoofing the scene when Radar announces Colonel Blake's death, with Brian playing Radar. Also, in yet another episode, the character of Stewie, while intoxicated, sings the first few words of "Suicide is Painless", the show's opening theme. * On Sesame Street, Big Bird's teddy bear is named Radar. This is in homage to Radar O'Reilly's teddy bear. * On Futurama in the episode War Is the H-Word, one scene is set in a military hospital setting. The theme song from M*A*S*H plays and jokes and serious lines from the TV series are uttered by several different characters. One of the characters is a robot based on Hawkeye (named "iHawk") that says lines similar to those the original character used on the show (iHawk has a switch that goes from 'Irreverent' to 'Maudlin'). * On The Simpsons episode Half-Decent Proposal when Marge's ex-boyfriend, Artie Ziff (Jon Lovitz) whisks her away on his private helicopter for a weekend, Homer is waving goodbye to her from the backyard. Just then, the M*A*S*H theme begins to play and the scene pans out to a shot of Homer next to a stone message that reads, "Keep Your Clothes On", a nod to the Goodbye, Farewell and Amen episode. * Jamie Farr appeared as himself on a 1995 episode of Women of the House titled Guess Who's Sleeping in Lincoln's Bed? (the series was written and created by former M*A*S*H writer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason), and he ultimately got into drag. He also appeared in an episode of That '70s Show as himself, where he directly mentions his work on M*A*S*H. * On Scrubs, Episode 7 Season 1 My Super Ego, JD has a brief flashback were he is seven and he and his brother are playing MASH, his brother forcing him to be Hot Lips with a wig and to kiss Frank which is their dog with a cap on its head. Spin-offs and specials M*A*S*H had two official spin-off shows: the short-lived AfterMASH, which features several of the show's characters reunited in a midwestern hospital after the war, and an unpurchased television pilot, W*A*L*T*E*R, in which Walter “Radar” O’Reilly joins a stateside police force. A court ruled[citation needed] that the more successful Trapper John, M.D., is actually a spinoff of the original theatrical film. A documentary special titled Making M*A*S*H, narrated by Mary Tyler Moore and taking viewers behind the production of the Season 9 episodes "Old Soldiers" and "Lend a Hand", was produced for PBS in 1981. The special was later included in the syndicated rerun package, with new narration by producer Michael Hirsch. Two retrospective specials were produced to commemorate the show's 20th and 30th anniversaries, respectively. Memories of M*A*S*H, hosted by Shelley Long and featuring clips from the series and interviews with cast members, aired on CBS on November 25, 1991. A 30th Anniversary Reunion special, in which the surviving cast members and producers gathered to reminisce, aired on the Fox network on May 17, 2002. Hosted by Mike Farrell, he also got to interact with the actor he replaced, Wayne Rogers. Both specials are included as bonuses on the Collector's Edition DVD of "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen". Also included is "M*A*S*H: Television's Serious Sitcom", a 2002 episode of the A&E cable channel's Biography program detailing the history of the show. There was also an E! True Hollywood Story episode produced about the show. Many of the show's cast members appeared in a series of television commercials for IBM personal computers in the late 1980s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted June 28, 2008 Author Share Posted June 28, 2008 12. Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969-74) (5 of 18 lists - 79 points - highest ranking #1 knightni) Monty Python’s Flying Circus (also known as Flying Circus, MPFC or, during the final series, just Monty Python) is a BBC sketch comedy programme from the Monty Python comedy team, and the group's initial claim to fame. The show was noted for its surreal plots, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags, and sketches without punchlines. It also featured the animations of Terry Gilliam which were often sequenced or merged with live action. The first episode was recorded on 7 September 1969, and broadcast on 5 October of the same year on BBC One, with a total of 45 episodes airing over four seasons. The show often targeted the idiosyncrasies of British life (especially professionals) and was at times politically charged. The members of Monty Python were highly educated (Terry Jones and Michael Palin are Oxford graduates; while Eric Idle, John Cleese and Graham Chapman are Cambridge graduates; and American-born member Terry Gilliam is an Occidental College graduate), with their comedy often pointedly intellectual by way of numerous references to philosophers and literary figures. It followed and elaborated upon the style used by Spike Milligan in his series Q5, rather than the traditional sketch show format. The team intended their humour to be impossible to categorise, and succeeded so completely that the adjective "Pythonesque" had to be invented to define it, and later, similar material. Despite this, Jones once commented that the fact that they had created a new word in the dictionary shows how miserably they had failed. The series' famous theme song is the first segment of John Philip Sousa's Liberty Bell. Title The title Monty Python's Flying Circus was partly the result of the group's reputation at the BBC. Michael Mills, BBC's Head of Comedy, wanted their name to include the word "circus", because the BBC referred to the six members wandering around the building as a circus (in particular "Baron Von Took's Flying Circus"[1] after Barry Took, who had brought them to the BBC). The group added “flying” to make it sound less like an actual circus and more like something from World War I. “Monty Python” was added because they claimed it sounded like a really bad theatrical agent, the sort of person who would have brought them together. Titles considered instead of Monty Python’s Flying Circus include: * 1 2 3 * A Horse, a Bucket, and a Spoon * A Horse, A Spoon and A Basin * Baron Von Took’s Flying Circus * Barry Took’s Flying Circus[2] * Bun, Whackett, Buzzard, Stubble and Boot * Cynthia Fellatio's Flying Circus * Gwen Dibley’s Flying Circus * Handlebar Moustache Huzzah * It’s... * Owl-Stretching Time (which became the title of the show's 4th episode) * Sex and Violence * The Horrible Earnest Megapode * The Nose Show * The Plastic Mac Show * The Toad-Elevating Moment * The Venus De Milo Panic Show * The Year of the Stoat * Them * Vaseline Parade * Vaseline Review[citation needed] Recurring characters In contrast to many other sketch comedy shows, Flying Circus made up new characters for each new sketch and had only a handful of recurring characters, many of whom were involved only in titles and linking sequences, including: * The “It’s” man (Palin), a dishevelled hermit with torn clothes and a long, unkempt beard who would appear at the beginning of the programme, often after climbing up a mountain or performing a long or dangerous task and say, “It’s...” before being abruptly cut off by the opening titles, which started with the words 'Monty Python’s Flying Circus'. "It’s" was an early candidate for the title of the series. * Julius Caesar (Chapman) appearing randomly in the midst of a sketch to interrupt it, or as a main character of a parody, such as in the "Mouse Problem" sketch. * A BBC continuity announcer in a dinner jacket (Cleese), seated at a desk, often in highly incongruous locations, such as a forest or a beach. His line, “And now for something completely different,” was used variously as a lead-in to the opening titles and a simple way to link sketches (though Cleese is best known for it, the first time the phrase appeared in the show it was actually spoken by Idle in episode 2 where he introduced a man with three buttocks). It eventually became the show’s catch phrase, serving as the title for the troupe’s first movie. In Season 3, however, his line was shortened to simply: "And now..." * The Gumbies, a group of slow-witted individuals identically attired in gumboots (from which they take their name), high-water trousers, braces, and round, wire-rimmed glasses, with toothbrush moustaches and handkerchiefs on the tops of their heads (a stereotype of the English, working class holidaymaker). They hold their arms awkwardly in front of them, speak slowly in loud, low voices punctuated by frequent grunts and groans, and have a fondness for bashing bricks together. They often complain that their brains hurt. All of them are surnamed 'Gumby' (D.P. Gumby, R.S. Gumby, etc.). Even though all Pythons played Gumbies at one point, Michael Palin is the best-known for it, followed by John Cleese. * (First series, one appearance in the Third series) An armoured knight (Gilliam) carrying a chicken (raw), who would end sketches by hitting characters over the head with it. * A nude organist (played in his first two appearances by Gilliam, afterward by Jones) who provided a brief fanfare to punctuate certain sketches (most notably on a sketch poking fun at Sale of the Century) or as yet another way to introduce the opening titles. * Mr. Eric Praline, an eccentric, disgruntled man who often wears a Pack-a-Mac, played by Cleese. His most famous appearance is in the "Dead Parrot" sketch; most fans do not realise his multiple appearances are the same character since his name is only mentioned once on-screen, during the “Fish Licence” sketch of the episode entitled “Scott of the Antarctic.” The same sketch also reveals that he has multiple pets of wildly differing species, all of them named “Eric.” * A perverted upper-middle-class moustached man (Idle) who often appeared bothering other characters (usually Jones) with his perverted nature. He is characterized by his constant nudging gestures and way of speaking. His most famous appearance is in the Nudge Nudge sketch, though he also appears in other sketches, such as ruining a romantic evening between a man and a woman. * Biggles (Chapman, and in one instance Jones), a fictional WWI pilot from a series of stories by W. E. Johns. * So-called pepperpots: screeching middle-aged, lower-middle class housewives played by the cross-dressing Python men. The Pythons played all their own women, unless the part called for a younger, more glamorous actress (in which case usually Carol Cleveland, but occasionally Connie Booth, would play that part). “Pepper Pot” refers to what the Pythons believed was the typical body shape of middle-class British housewives, as explained by John Cleese in “How to Irritate People”. * Luigi Vercotti (Palin), a mafioso entrepreneur and pimp, accompanied in his first appearance by his brother Dino (Jones), but thereafter appearing alone, most notably as Ron Obvious' manager, and as the owner of La Gondola restaurant. With his brother, he attempts to talk the Colonel into having them protect his Army base. * Brief black-and-white stock footage, lasting only two or three seconds, of middle-aged women sitting in an audience and applauding. The film was taken from a Women’s Institute meeting. * Richard Baker, a well-known BBC newsreader of the 1970s, who appeared occasionally in the third series of the show to deliver short newscasts on ridiculous subjects. Another well-known BBC newsreader, Peter Woods, had a similar role in the fourth series. * Arthur Pewtey (Palin), a mild-mannered and polite but ultimately dull man who appears most notably in the Ministry of Silly Walks sketch, the Marriage Guidance Counsellor sketch (the only sketch where his full name is actually given) and in the Argument Clinic. * The Spanish Inquisition whose catchphrase was "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!". They consist of the Cardinal Ximinez (Palin), Cardinal Fang (Gilliam), and Cardinal Biggles (Jones). * Frenchmen - Cleese and Palin would dress in stereotypical French garb (striped shirt, tight pants, beret) and speak in garbled French, with incomprehensible accents. They had one fake mustache between them, and they would stick it onto the other person's lip when it was his turn to speak. Usually, the Frenchmen gave lectures, such as to explain the flying sheep (from episode 2, "Sex and Violence") and "La Marche Futile". The Frenchmen had outlandish movement and overacting. * Timmy Williams (Idle) - A flamboyant celebrity type that talks with a Paul Lynde-like whine and constantly has people making movies or doing interviews around him. He's often made out to be the center of attention, and was applauded whenever he appeared. * Nightclub Host (Palin) - An American-style man who wears a red suit and is always smiling. He linked sketches by introducing them as nightclub acts, and was occasionally seen after the sketch to comment on it. In one link, he was hit on the head with a chicken by another recurring character, an armored knight who would hit others over the head with a chicken whenever he appeared. Some other characters have proven very memorable, despite the fact that they appear in only one or two episodes, such as “The Colonel”, played by Chapman, who interrupts sketches when things become too silly, or when the Pythons rip off the army's slogan (and when the show needs to be cut off for time constraints in syndication); Ken Shabby, played by Palin, who starred in his own sketch in the first series and in the second series made a few brief cameos giving his thoughts on aftershave lotion and even his own religion; and Mrs. Premise and Mrs. Conclusion, played by Cleese and Chapman, two squawking housewives who talk to each other about how their children treat art, exploding penguins on television sets, spending four hours burying the cat, and how to put your budgie down. Two characters that were often mentioned but never seen were Ann Haydon-Jones and her husband Pip, who are mentioned in several sketches, most famously losing a seat to Engelbert Humperdinck in the Election Night Special sketch. Some of the Pythons' targets seemed to recur far more frequently than others. Reginald Maudling, a contemporary Conservative politician, was singled out for perhaps the most consistent ridicule. The contemporary Secretary of State for Education and Science, Margaret Thatcher, was occasionally mentioned (in particular, a reference to her brain being in her shin received an unusually hearty laugh from the studio audience). Then-US President Richard Nixon was also frequently mocked, as was Conservative party leader and later Prime Minister Edward Heath. The British Police are also a favourite target of theirs; they often act extremely bizarrely or stupidly, are depicted as drag queens, abusive with their legal powers, and they usually yell out "What's all this, then?" Some policemen have become recurring characters, such as Chief Constable Pan-Am. Regular supporting cast members included Carol Cleveland, Connie Booth, Neil Innes (in the fourth series) and The Fred Tomlinson Singers (for musical numbers). Popular character traits Although there were few recurring characters, and the six cast members played many diverse roles, each had some character traits that he had perfected. Chapman Graham Chapman was well known for his roles as straight-faced men, of any age or class (frequently an authority figure such as a military officer, policeman or doctor) who could, at any moment, engage in “Pythonesque” maniacal behaviour and then return to their former sobriety (see sketches such as "An Appeal from the Vicar of St. Loony-up-the-Cream-Bun-and-Jam", “The One-Man Wrestling Match”, "Johann Gambolputty" and “The Argument Clinic"). He was also skilled in abuse, which he brusquely delivered in such sketches as "The Argument Clinic" and "Flying Lessons". His dignified demeanour was put to good use when he played the straight man in the Python features Holy Grail and Life of Brian. Cleese John Cleese usually played the authority figure, or rather the ridiculous authority figure. Terry Gilliam claims that John Cleese is the funniest of the Pythons in drag, as he barely needs to be dressed up to look hilarious (see the Mr. and Mrs. Git sketch). Cleese is also well known for playing very intimidating maniacs (see the “Self-Defence Class"). Cleese’s character of Eric Praline, the put-upon consumer, featured in some of the most popular sketches, such as the “Dead Parrot” and the “Fish Licence” and to a lesser extent the “Cheese Shop sketch”. He is perhaps most famous for the “Ministry of Silly Walks”, where he worked for the eponymous government department, which sponsors the development of silly walks. Despite its popularity the Ministry of Silly Walks is one sketch which Cleese himself particularly disliked, due to the physical exertion required when repeating it for the stage shows. Other Cleese trademarks are the usage of the lines "You bastard!" and "Shut up!" Cleese also very often played Frenchmen (most of the times together with Palin) or any other kind of foreigner (Germans, Hungarians...) with rather ridiculous accents. Sometimes he even speaks French or German in sketches (such as "La marche futile" (end of the "Ministry of Silly Walks"-sketch , "The funniest joke in the World" or "Hitler in Minehead"), but still with a very heavy accent (or impossible to understand, as for example Hitler's speech). Gilliam Many Python sketches were linked together by the cut-out animations of Terry Gilliam, including the opening titles featuring the iconic giant foot that became a symbol of all that was “Pythonesque.” Gilliam’s unique visual style was characterised by sudden and dramatic movements and errors of scale set in surrealist landscapes populated by engravings of large buildings with elaborate architecture, grotesque Victorian gadgets, machinery, and people cut from old Sears Roebuck catalogues, supported by Gilliam’s airbrush illustrations and many famous pieces of art. All of these elements were combined in incongruous ways to obtain new and humorous meanings in the tradition of surrealist collage assemblies. The surreal nature of the series allowed Gilliam’s animation to go off on bizarre, imaginative tangents. Some running gags derived from these animations were a giant hedgehog named Spiny Norman who appeared over the tops of buildings shouting, “Dinsdale!”, further petrifying the paranoid Dinsdale Piranha, and The Foot of Cupid, the giant foot that suddenly squashed things. The foot is appropriated from the figure of Cupid in Agnolo Bronzino’s “An Allegory of Venus and Cupid”. Other memorable animated segments include the killer cars, Conrad Poohs and his Dancing Teeth, the carnivorous houses, the old woman who cannot catch the bus, the rampage of the cancerous black spot, and a giant cat that stomps its way through London, destroying everything in its path. The animation that received the most viewers' complaints was from the fourth series, in the episode How Not To Be Seen. A hill appears with three crosses silhouetted against the setting sun to the sound of a harmonium playing in a minor key. The camera slowly zooms in to reveal that it is, in reality, three telegraph poles. The animation was cut out for American broadcasts during the show, however, at the end of the episode when the show is played in one whole minute the pieces of the edited animation can be seen. This is also true for the 1999 A&E DVD version of the show. Although he was primarily the animator of the series, Gilliam sometimes appeared before the camera, as more grotesque characters and parts that no-one else wanted to play (generally because they required a lot of make-up or involved uncomfortable costumes). The most recurrent of these was a knight in armour who ended sketches by walking on-set and hitting another character on the head with a plucked chicken. Gilliam also played a man with a stoat through his head, Cardinal Fang in The Spanish Inquisition sketch and a hotel clerk in The Cycling Tour episode. Idle Eric Idle is perhaps best remembered for his roles as a cheeky, suggestive, slightly perverted, upper middle class “playboy” (see sketches such as “Nudge Nudge"), his role as crafty, slick salesmen (see the “Door-to-Door Joke Salesman” “Encyclopedia Salesman,” or his role as the shop keeper who loves to haggle in Monty Python’s Life of Brian). He is acknowledged as 'the master of the one-liner' by the other Pythons. He is also considered the best singer in the group, for example writing and performing “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from The Life of Brian. Though certainly not reaching Jones' level in drag, Idle was arguably the most feminine-looking of the Pythons. He often played female characters in a more straight-forward way, only altering his voice slightly, as opposed to the falsetto shrieking used by the other Pythons. His appearances as upper-class, middle-aged females are his most notable. Idle was the only member of the Pythons who wrote his sketches alone. The rest of them usually wrote in pairs (Palin/Jones and Cleese/Chapman). Jones Although all of the Pythons played women, Terry Jones is renowned by the rest to be 'the best Rat-Bag woman in the business'. His portrayal of a middle-aged housewife was louder, shriller and more dishevelled than that of any of the other Pythons (see “Dead Bishop” sketch or his role as Mandy in Life of Brian, Mrs. Linda S-C-U-M in “Mr. Neutron” or in "Spot The Brain Cell," or as the restaurateur in “Spam"). He also often played upper-class reserved men, such as in the famous “Nudge, Nudge” sketch and the "It's A Man's Life" sketch, and incompetent authority figures (Harry "Snapper" Organs). Palin While all of the Pythons excel at comic acting, Michael Palin was regarded by the other members of the troupe as the one with the widest range, equally adept as a straight man or wildly over the top character. He portrayed many working-class northerners, often portrayed in a disgusting light (see “The Funniest Joke in the World” sketch, or the “Every Sperm Is Sacred” segment of Monty Python's The Meaning of Life). On the one hand, he played weak-willed, put-upon men such as the husband in the Marriage Guidance Counsellor sketch, or the boring accountant in the “Lion Tamer” sketch. However, he was equally at home as the indefatigable Cardinal Ximinez of Spain in The Spanish Inquisition sketch. Another high-energy character that Palin portrays is the slick TV show host, constantly smacking his lips together and generally being over-enthusiastic (see the “Blackmail sketch") but with an underlying hint of self-revulsion (as when, in one sketch, he wipes his oily palms on his jacket, makes a disgusted face, and then continues). One of his most famous creations was the shopkeeper who attempts to sell useless goods by very weak attempts at being sly and crafty, which are invariably spotted by the customer (often played by Cleese) because the defects in the products are inherently obvious (see the “Dead Parrot”, the “Cheese Shop"); his spivvy club owner, Luigi Vercotti, in the “Piranha Brothers” and “Army Protection Racket” is another classic variant on this type. Palin is also well known for his leading role in the The Lumberjack Song. He also often plays foreigners (mostly French (as in "La marche futile") or German ("Hitler in Minehead")), mostly along with Cleese, who, of course, have a very heavy accent when speaking English. In one of the last episodes, he even delivers a full speech, first in English, then in French, then in German (sadly with an even heavier accent). Palin is the Python who surely played the fewest female roles. This is perhaps due to the fact that Palin in drag was a rather convincing woman (Among his most convincing portrayals of women are: the queen in the Michael Ellis Episode, Debbie Katzenberg the American in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life or as an idiot's wife in the Idiot in rural society sketch) Most famous sketches The troupe’s best-known sketches include: * Argument Clinic * Dead Parrot * The Lumberjack Song * Nudge Nudge * Self Defence Against Fresh Fruit * How Not To Be Seen * The Ministry of Silly Walks * Spam * The Funniest Joke in the World * The Bishop * Cheese Shop * The Spanish Inquisition * The Restaurant Sketch The ‘lost’ sketches John Cleese was reportedly unhappy with the use of scatological humour in Python sketches. The final episode of the third series of the show included a sketch called ‘Wee-Wee Wine Tasting’, which was censored following the BBC's and Cleese’s objections. The sketch involves a man taking a tour of a wine cellar where he samples many of the wine bottles' contents, which are actually urine. Also pulled out along with the ‘Wee-Wee’ sketch (for reasons unknown) was a sketch where Cleese had hired a sculptor to carve a statue of him. The sculptor (Chapman) had made an uncanny likeness of Cleese, except for that his nose was extremely long, almost Pinocchio size. The only clue that this sketch was cut out of the episode was in the “Sherry-Drinking Vicar” sketch, where, towards the back of the room, a bust with an enormously long nose sits. It is unlikely that these sketches will be released on DVD or broadcast on television, although copies of the script for these sketches can usually be found on the Internet. And, there are clues as to what was deleted in the episode. For example, the clue for the 'Wee-Wee' sketch is when Michael Palin is seen popping his head out of a barrel and spitting out liquid. The clue for the 'Revolting Cocktails' sketch was a strange animation link by Terry Gilliam in where forest animals (and a nude man) were slaughtered and made into a Safari Snowball. Some material originally recorded went missing later, mostly because of censorship. Sometimes it was just part of a sketch, such as the use of the word “masturbating” in the Summarize Proust sketch or “What a silly bunt” in the Travel Agent sketch, first muted, later cut out entirely. Some sketches were deleted in their entirety and were only recently recovered. One such sketch is the Political Choreographer Sketch, wherein a Conservative Party spokesman (Cleese) delivers a party political broadcast before getting up and dancing, being coached by a choreographer (Idle), and being joined by a chorus of spokesmen dancing behind him. The camera passes two Labour Party spokesmen practicing ballet, and an animation featuring Edward Heath in a tutu. Once deemed lost, a tape of this sketch, broadcast from a Buffalo, NY TV station, has turned up and can be seen on YouTube. Another is the "Satan" animation following the "Cartoon Religion" piece and preceding to "How Not To Be Seen," which had been edited out of the official tape. A single frame of the animation can be seen at the end of the episode, wherein that particular episode is repeated in fastforward. A B&W 16mm film print has turned up showing the animation in its entirety, and can also be seen online. At least two references to cancer were censored, both during the second season. In the sixth episode (It's A Living or School Prizes), Carol Cleveland's narration of a Gilliam cartoon suddenly has a male voice dub "gangrene" over the word cancer (although the word "cancer" was used and unedited when the animation appeared in the movie And Now for Something Completely Different. Another reference was removed from the Conquistador Coffee Campaign sketch in the second season's eleventh episode How Not to Be Seen, although a reference to leprosy remained intact. A restored Region 2 DVD release of Season 1 was released on 16 April 2007, with no additional features. Stage incarnations At several stages during and after the television series, the members of Monty Python embarked on a series of stage shows. These mostly consisted of sketches from the series, but also included other famous sketches such as the Four Yorkshiremen sketch, which subsequently became part of the Python repertoire. The shows also included songs from collaborator Neil Innes. Recordings of three of these stage shows have subsequently appeared as separate works: 1. Monty Python Live at Drury Lane (aka Monty Python Live at the Royal Theatre, Drury Lane), released as their fifth album in 1974 2. Monty Python Live at City Center, released in 1976 3. Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl, which is the most famous one, released as a film in 1982. In 2005 a troupe of actors headed by Rémy Renoux, translated and 'adapted' a stage version of Monty Python’s Flying Circus into French. Usually the original actors defend their material very closely, but given in this case the 'adaptation' and also the translation into French (with subtitles), the gang supported this production. The adapted material sticks reasonably close to the original text, mainly deviating when it comes to ending a sketch, something the Python members themselves changed many times over the course of their stage performances. Language differences also (understandably) occur in the lyrics of several songs. For example, ‘sit on my face’ (which, translated into french would be “Asseyez-vous sur mon visage") becomes 'come in my mouth'. Reviews: BBC Online News The Times Online The Landing of The Flying Circus John Cleese left the show after the third series, so he did not appear in the final six episodes that made up series four (other than a brief voice-over for one of Gilliam's animations in episode 41 "Michael Ellis"), although he did receive writing credits where applicable (for sketches derived from the writing sessions for Holy Grail). Neil Innes and Douglas Adams are notable as the only two non-Pythons to get writing credits in the show — Innes for songs in episodes 40, 42 and 45 (and for contributing to a sketch in episode 45), and Adams for contributing to a sketch about a doctor whose patients are stabbed by his nurse, in episode 45. Innes frequently appeared in the Pythons' stage shows and can also be seen in Monty Python and the Holy Grail and (briefly) in Life of Brian. Adams had become friends with Graham Chapman, where they later went to write the failed sketch show pilot Out of the Trees. Two episodes were produced in German for WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk) — both were titled Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus (the literal German translation of the English title). The first episode, advertised as Monty Python’s Fliegender Zirkus: Blödeln für Deutschland, was produced in 1971, and performed in German. The second episode, advertised as Monty Python’s Fliegender Zirkus: Blödeln auf die feine englische Art, produced in 1972, was recorded in English and later dubbed in German. The original English recording was transmitted by the BBC in October 1973. Although Cleese stayed for the third series, he claimed that he and Chapman only wrote two original sketches (“Dennis Moore” and “Cheese Shop"), whereas everything else derived from previous material. Nevertheless, the series still contains plenty of memorable sketches. Either the third series, or the fourth series, made without Cleese, are often seen as the weakest and most uneven of the four series, by both fans and the Pythons themselves. However, with the fourth series the Pythons started making episodes into more coherent stories which would be a precursor to their films, and featured Terry Gilliam more. The final episode of Series 4 was recorded on 16 November 1974 and broadcast on 5 December. That same year, Devillier-Donegan Enterprises syndicated the series in the United States of America among PBS stations, and the show premiered on KERA-TV in Dallas, Texas. It was an instant hit, rapidly garnering an enormous loyal cult following nationwide that surprised even the Pythons themselves, who did not believe that their humour was exportable without being tailored specifically for the North American market. When several episodes were broadcast by ABC in their “Wide World of Entertainment” slot in 1975 the episodes were re-edited, thus losing the continuity and flow intended in the originals. When ABC refused to stop treating the series in this way, the Pythons took them to court. Initially the court ruled that their artistic rights had indeed been violated, but it refused to stop the ABC broadcasts. However, on appeal the team gained control over all subsequent US broadcasts of its programmes. The case also led to them gaining the rights from the BBC once their original contracts ended at the end of 1980 (a unique arrangement at the time). The legacy lives on * Despite the end of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, the Pythons have produced a number of other stage and screen productions together. See Monty Python for a comprehensive list. * In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, Monty Python’s Flying Circus was placed fifth. * In 2007, TIME magazine included the show on their list of the "100 Best TV Shows of All Time." [1] * In April 2006, MPFC returned to non-cable American television on PBS. To celebrate, PBS brought the group together to take part in Monty Python's Personal Best, a six-episode series featuring each Python’s favorite sketches. * In a list of the 50 Greatest British Sketches released by Channel 4 in 2005[3], five Monty Python sketches made the list: o #2 – Dead Parrot o #12 – The Spanish Inquisition o #15 – Ministry of Silly Walks o #31 – Nudge Nudge o #49 – The Lumberjack Song Dead Parrot is the number 1 sketch in http://www.nerve.com/dispatches/nerveedito...edySketches/05/ The Four Yorkshiremen sketch also made the list, at number 46. Though the sketch originated on At Last the 1948 Show, the Pythons have been known to use the sketch during live shows. * In computing, the terms spam and the Python programming language [2] are both derived from the series. Episodes Main article: List of Monty Python's Flying Circus episodes . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted June 28, 2008 Author Share Posted June 28, 2008 11. The Office (UK) (2001-03) (5 of 18 lists - 82 points - highest ranking #2 BigSqwert) The Office is a BAFTA Award and Golden Globe Award winning, Emmy-nominated British television comedy that first aired in the UK on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough, Berkshire branch of the fictitious Wernham-Hogg Paper Company. Although fictional and scripted, the programme takes the form of a documentary (a fictional documentary, i.e. a mockumentary), with the presence of the camera often acknowledged. Two six-episode series were made, along with a pair of 45-minute Christmas specials. As well as being shown internationally on BBC Worldwide channels such as BBC Prime, BBC America and BBC Canada, the series has been sold to broadcasters in over 80 countries, including ABC in Australia, TVNZ in New Zealand and the pan-Asian satellite channel STAR World, based in Hong Kong. The show shares themes with a later social satire created by Gervais and Merchant, Extras, namely social clumsiness, the trivialities of human behaviour, self-importance and conceit, frustration and desperation and fame [1]. In May 2004 a French version called Le Bureau was made. A German version called Stromberg[2] was made in October 2004. In November 2004 a Brazilian show on the Globo channel, Os Aspones, was also heavily modelled on the series' format. Four years after the show's critical success an American version was launched on NBC on 24 March 2005. A fifth adaptation, the French-Canadian\Quebec's La Job, had its TV debut in January 2007. BBC Films is reported to be considering a motion picture version [3]. Background The show is set in Slough, England, a satellite town of London, immortalised for its lack of appeal by John Betjeman in his poem "Slough" ("Come, friendly bombs..."), in a small branch of the fictitious paper company Wernham Hogg (where "life is stationery"). The show has no laugh track and is in the mockumentary style, devised at a time when documentaries such as Airport and A Life of Grime (which follow people performing their jobs) were popular. The office is headed by regional manager David Brent (Gervais) and his assistant ("to the regional manager"), Gareth Keenan (Mackenzie Crook), who is also a lieutenant in the Territorial Army. Much of the series' comedic success stems from Brent, who frequently makes attempts to win favour with his employees and peers with embarrassing or disastrous results. Brent's character flaws are used to comic effect, including numerous verbal gaffes, unconscious racism, sexism and other social faux-pas. Other characters include the unassuming Tim Canterbury (Martin Freeman), whose relationship with bored receptionist Dawn Tinsley (Lucy Davis) is a major arc in the series. Their flirtation soon builds to a mutual romantic attraction, despite her engagement to the dour and laddish warehouse worker, Lee (Joel Beckett). The theme song for the show is "Handbags and Gladrags", arranged by Big George and originally written in the 1960s by Mike D'Abo, former vocalist for the pop group Manfred Mann. Characters Main characters The Office is essentially a character-based comedy, following around the people who work in the office environment. While being more of an ensemble piece than star-driven, four characters in particular are the primary focus of the show: David Brent David Brent (Ricky Gervais) is the general manager of the Slough offices of the Wernham Hogg paper merchants. He considers himself to be a successful maverick in the business world and a Renaissance man, talented in philosophy, music and comedy. Although he believes himself to be friendly, hilarious, and well-liked, he is in reality petty, pompous and snide. His immature behaviour comes across as he bumbles around the office—always hovering around the camera—telling unfunny jokes, performing hackneyed impressions and generally getting himself into trouble by talking before thinking. Although Brent considers himself to be a modern, politically correct man he often displays patronising (and at times offensive) attitudes towards women, ethnic minorities, homosexuals and disabled people. Tim Canterbury Tim Canterbury (Martin Freeman) is a sales rep at Wernham Hogg. Unlike David Brent, Tim is funny and unpretentious. His witticisms and friendliness make him one of the most likeable characters of the show. However, he leads an unsatisfying life—at 30, he still lives with his parents and works at a job he believes to be completely pointless. Although he wishes to leave Wernham Hogg to pursue his greater aspirations, his insecurity has prevented him from taking any significant action. Stuck in his drab lifestyle, he maintains his sanity by pursuing an improbable romance with the receptionist, Dawn Tinsley, and by playing practical jokes on Gareth. Gareth Keenan Gareth Keenan (Mackenzie Crook) is Tim's clueless desk mate and nemesis. Unlike Tim, Gareth is a humourless jobsworth with few attractive personality traits. He is obsessed with military violence and his service in the Territorial Army and perpetually annoys Tim with ridiculous, pretentious comments. He prides himself in being Team Leader, not realizing his title is mostly meaningless, and imposes the little authority he has on his co-workers. Like David Brent, Gareth is arrogant and oblivious. The rest of the office quietly recognizes Gareth as David Brent's lapdog. However it is seen in the Christmas special that Gareth has taken an ugly side against David Brent and patronises him and humiliates him to the cameras, which is almost a turn of the tables as it is seen on several occasions in the first and second series, David is treating Gareth poorly. Dawn Tinsley Dawn Tinsley (Lucy Davis) is Wernham Hogg's receptionist, and David Brent's dogsbody (gofer). She frequently has to put up with Brent's attempts at humour and social interaction. Like her friend and co-worker Tim, she is aware of the sad state of her unfulfilling life—she has been in a long, rocky engagement with her fiancé Lee and gave up illustrating children's books to pursue her current fruitless career. Secondary characters Several other recurring characters, although not central to the episodes, have made their mark on office life. These include: "Big" Keith Bishop (Ewen Macintosh): Keith works in the accounts department. Slow-talking, emotionless and suffering from eczema, he is a man of few words. When he does speak, his comments can be surprising and sometimes disturbing. He likes eating scotch eggs and watching Peak Practice. Chris "Finchy" Finch (Ralph Ineson): David's so-called "best friend", he is probably the only character in the series who is genuinely cruel. He is a confident, openly sexist, rasping-voiced northerner with a natural flair for bullying others with swift, humiliating putdowns (with Brent being his usual target). He likes to dominate conversations and is successful with women, but shows a humourless vicious streak when he loses the staff quiz in series one. David acts as his lackey, laughing at his jokes and attempting to ride his coat-tails into the limelight. Finch repays him with disdain. Jennifer Taylor-Clarke (Stirling Gallacher): David's boss in the first series. Jennifer is a serious-minded professional, and David's behaviour and comedy-driven style of management are shown to be puerile and ineffectual by contrast. David calls her Camilla Parker-Bowles—"Not to her face, of course... not 'cause I'm scared of her." Lee (Joel Beckett): Dawn's fiancé, who works in the company's warehouse. She met him in school and they have been together ever since. Whereas Dawn has dreams and yearns to be playful, Lee is humourless, unromantic and casually and obliviously dismissive of Dawn's ideas of being an illustrator. His idea of an amorous proposal was a four-word notice in the newspaper—"Lee love Dawn, marriage?"—to save money. It is clear from an early stage that Dawn stays with him out of a fear of loneliness rather than real love—Lee is safe and dependable. Lee is also more manly and physically imposing than Tim, Dawn's other potential interest, and for that reason Tim finds him intimidating. Ricky (Oliver Chris): Introduced as David's new temp in the pilot. He was primarily featured in episode three, where he and Tim form a team for trivia night under the name "the Tits". The two end up winning, thanks to Ricky successfully answering a tie-breaker question on Shakespeare, against Chris Finch. Finch, angered, challenges him over the circumstances of the victory in a petty feud, where Ricky calls him and Brent "sad little men". It is announced by Brent in the season one finale that Ricky is leaving. Donna (Sally Bretton): Donna is introduced in Series 1, Episode 2 as the daughter of David's best friends Ron and Elaine, who has come to work at the office, and is staying with David. Donna makes a quick impact in the office, and fails to reciprocate Gareth's romantic feelings towards her. Later, David confronts her for not returning home, and Donna angrily announces she stayed at her boyfriend's house, later revealed to be Ricky. She is almost always wearing a purple top. Neil Godwin (Patrick Baladi): David's boss in the second series. Originally David's counterpart at the Swindon branch of the company, Neil was promoted ahead of him when David failed a medical examination. Neil is young, charming, professional and energetic. He is a more competent manager than David, has a better relationship with the staff and, to pour vinegar into the wound, finds it easier to make the staff laugh. Brent is hugely resentful and jealous of him, and makes occasional (and largely unsuccessful) attempts to either undermine or rival him. Rachel (Stacey Roca): Another of the series two intake from Swindon. Rachel is bubbly and considered attractive by both Gareth and Tim. She and Tim start a relationship, making Dawn somewhat melancholy. After a deluded Gareth reveals his plans to seduce Rachel, he is shocked to discover that Rachel and Tim are now an item. However, toward the end of the second series, as she begins to pressure Tim to make a greater commitment, Tim realizes that his ongoing love for Dawn is far greater than his feelings for Rachel and breaks off the relationship. Rachel is not seen again after the second series. Trudy (Rachel Isaac): Welsh Trudy is first introduced in series two as one of several of the new intake from the Swindon branch. Almost immediately, she establishes herself as something of a fun time girl, blending in well with the rest of the staff and enjoying a booze fuelled birthday celebration in her honour at the office. Her casual, sexually charged nature doesn't go unnoticed by the male members of staff and both Gareth and Chris Finch take interest in her. We see her and Finch having sex in the less than exotic surroundings of a car park. By the time of the Christmas special, it initially seems that Trudy has mellowed somewhat, although she is seen in a passionate clinch with Oliver by the end of the Christmas party. Trudy is also quick to challenge Brent's style of management. Oliver (Howard Saddler): One of the series two intake from Swindon. Oliver is good natured, tolerant, easy-going and quiet, which is lucky for him as he is the only black person working in the office. As such he is the target for most of David's well-meaning but hideously misguided attempts to show what a politically correct and racially tolerant man he is. In the Christmas Specials, we see Oliver's co-worker Sheila clearly attracted to him, although he actually ends up in a steamy clinch with the more confident Trudy. Brenda (Julie Fernandez): Another of the former employees of the Swindon branch, Brenda is a wheelchair user, which naturally brings out the worst in David. During a fire drill, he and Gareth attempt to carry Brenda down the stairs but ultimately, as they see it as being too much effort for a mere drill, abandon her on the way down. Brenda is not impressed by David's patronising behaviour. She, like Oliver, is another character whose purpose is to highlight the gap between David's vision of himself as a modern enlightened man and the reality of his ignorance and thoughtlessness. Gareth, like Brent, is also seen to be incredibly awkward around Brenda. Episodes Main article: List of The Office (UK) episodes "The Office Values" and "Realising Potential" In 2004, Microsoft UK commissioned two 20-minute corporate videos featuring David Brent being interviewed by Jeff (Stephen Merchant), a Microsoft employee who becomes increasingly exasperated by Brent's antics. The ongoing theme is Brent's obvious resentment at the company's success. Brent also appears to believe he has what it takes to become the next managing director of Microsoft and continually drops hints to that effect. While not on general release, the videos emerged on the internet in 2006. They were posted on both YouTube and Google Video.[1] The clips also appeared on certain peer-to-peer networks. Microsoft was unhappy with the leak, stating that the videos "were never intended to be viewed by the public".[4] Awards In January 2004, The Office won the Golden Globe Award for "Best Television Series: Musical Or Comedy", beating nominees Arrested Development, Monk, Sex and the City and Will & Grace. It was the only British comedy in 25 years to be nominated for a Golden Globe, and the first ever to win one. Ricky Gervais was also awarded the Golden Globe for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series: Musical or Comedy" for his role. The series won the Best TV Comedy award, and Gervais the Best TV Comedy Actor award, at the British Comedy Awards 2002. In 2004, the BBC's Britain's Best Sitcom public poll voted it the 25th all-time favourite out of a preselected list of 100. In 2005, the series' concluding two-part special was nominated for two Emmys in the categories of "Outstanding Made for Television Movie" and "Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special" [2]. Cast Main cast * Ricky Gervais as David Brent * Martin Freeman as Tim Canterbury * Mackenzie Crook as Gareth Keenan * Lucy Davis as Dawn Tinsley * Patrick Baladi as Neil Godwin * Ralph Ineson as Chris Finch * Stirling Gallacher as Jennifer Taylor-Clarke Minor cast Series One and Two * Joel Beckett as Lee * Ben Bradshaw as Ben * Nicola Cotter as Karen Roper * Jamie Deeks as Jamie * Vincent Franklin as Rowan (training facilitator) * Jane Lucas as Sheila * Ewen Macintosh as Keith * Emma Manton as Emma * Ron Merchant as Gordon * Alexander Perkins as Ralph * Phillip Pickard as Phillip * Peter Purves as Himself (cameo) * David Schaal as Glynn Series One only * Sally Bretton as Donna * Oliver Chris as Ricky Howard * Angela Clerkin as Jackie * Yvonne D'Alpra as Joan * Robin Hooper as Malcolm Series Two only * Julie Fernandez as Brenda * Tom Goodman-Hill as Ray * Jennifer Hennessy as Jude * Matthew Holness as Simon (the computer geek) * Rachel Isaac as Trudy * Stephen Merchant as Oggie * Tony MacMurray as Tony * Stacey Roca as Rachel * Howard Saddler as Oliver . . . 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Brian Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Stop the list! It is tainted with "That 70's Show" on it! STOP THE MADNESS!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bones Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jun 28, 2008 -> 01:40 AM) That 70's Show before any other comedy program ever made is kinda sad. fixed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felix Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Monty Python should be #1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepyWhiteSox Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 M*A*S*H = #1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowand44 Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Lies. That 70's show is hilarious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted June 28, 2008 Author Share Posted June 28, 2008 #10-6 will be tonight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heads22 Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 knight, is there any way you can keep a running list either in the first or the last post? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted June 28, 2008 Author Share Posted June 28, 2008 QUOTE (Heads22 @ Jun 28, 2008 -> 07:10 PM) knight, is there any way you can keep a running list either in the first or the last post? Yooo razee! I'll see what I can do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggsmaggs Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 I didn't make a list, but my top 5 would be (in order): 1. Seinfeld 2. Family Guy 3. Late Show with David Letterman (would that count?) 4. Simsons (the middle years) tie 5. the Office tie 5. Scrubs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted June 29, 2008 Author Share Posted June 29, 2008 10. Married...With Children (1987-1997) (9 of 18 lists - 91 points - highest ranking #4 knightni) Married...With Children or Married with Children is an American sitcom about a dysfunctional family living in Chicago that lasted 11 seasons over a span of 10 years. It was the first-ever prime time television series to air on Fox, debuting on April 5, 1987, and airing its final first-run broadcast on June 9, 1997. The series was created by Michael G. Moye and Ron Leavitt. The show featured various racy topics, which garnered the fledgling Fox network a standing among the Big Three Television Networks (i.e. ABC, CBS and NBC). The series' 262 episodes over 11 seasons make it the second longest lasting sitcom on the Fox network behind The Simpsons The show's theme song is "Love and Marriage" by Frank Sinatra from the 1955 television production Our Town. Synopsis The show follows the lives of Al Bundy, a once-glorious high school football player turned hard-luck salesman of women's shoes; his wife, Peggy, a tartish, uneducated housewife with a large red bouffant hairdo, 1960s clothes, and funny walk caused by wearing high heels; Kelly, Al and Peggy's pretty, promiscuous, dim-witted daughter; and Bud, their unpopular, girl-crazy, intelligent son (and the only Bundy who ever attended college). Their neighbors are the upwardly-mobile Steve and Marcy Rhoades. (Marcy later marries Jefferson D'Arcy.) Most storylines involve a scheming Al being foiled by his cartoonish dim wit and bad luck. His rivalry and loathing of Marcy also play a significant role in most episodes. Characters The Bundy family The creators of the show named the "Bundy" family after their favorite wrestler King Kong Bundy, though some fans mistakenly believed that the name was derived from serial killer Ted Bundy. King Kong Bundy once appeared on the show as Peg's hick inbred uncle Irwin, and again appeared as his wrestling persona, since "NO MA'AM" (National Organization of Men Against Amazonian Masterhood, a fictional club depicted on the show) were big fans of the wrestler. Al Bundy The head of the Bundy family, Al (Ed O'Neill) is doomed to fail in all aspirations because of the 'Bundy curse.' Once a promising fullback for fictional Polk High School (his proudest moment in life was scoring four touchdowns in a single game), he was on his way to college on a scholarship until he impregnated his girlfriend, married her, broke his leg, and ended up a shoe salesman at 'Gary's Shoes' in the 'New Market Mall.' Al often spends time attempting to re-capture his glory days, but is usually undermined in spectacular fashion by bad luck and poor judgment. He considers his family to be the cause of his failures, and his resentment of them (and fear of having sex with his wife) provides much of the show's humor. However, Al is still devoted to them, given that he protectively beats up Kelly's boyfriends, once threatened a male stripper that "if my wife loses anything in your pants, so will you," once gave his entire paycheck to Bud to enjoy his 18th birthday at the "nudie bar", and holds down a lousy job to put food on the table (occasionally!). Despite his yearning for "the touch of a beautiful woman," he always passes on those rare temptations, once explaining, "I actually kinda like my family." He frequents "nudie bars" and strip joints with his friends. The only thing that seems to consistently put him in the mood for his wife is watching her do manual labor, which virtually never happens. It is mentioned in a Season 5 episode, aired in 1990, that Al is 43. Al has extremely severe foot odor, prefers the escapism of television and bowling over his dysfunctional family, and life of drudgery and starvation (as Peg refuses to cook, she claims that she is allergic to fire, despite the fact that she smokes); and is often seen in his trademark couch-potato pose — seated on the sofa with one hand stuck under the waistband of his pants. The foot odor is not his only health problem; once in 1993, he had a bad case of dandruff. He also has terrible teeth, as noted in the episode "Tooth or Consequences," where his extremely poor dental hygiene (green, black, bleeding, and loose teeth amongst them) leads to a trip to the dentist with typical bad luck results. This also happened to be the episode where Peggy made one of her few dinners and Al was unable to eat because his entire head was wrapped in gauze from his dentist visit. His dentist felt he may be able to save a few of his teeth but told his assistant he would need a drop cloth for the floor. Al's favorite television series, the fictional Psycho Dad, was a source of joy and entertainment that Al seemingly, at times, wanted to emulate. He would hum the words to the theme song, and pretend to "shoot" his fictional gun while watching the show. Much like Al, "Psycho Dad" was tormented by his family, and was stated to kill his wife and get revenge on his children in the opening credits and during various fictional "airings" of the episode, though no video was ever shown. His other joys were Westerns, often John Wayne films, most notably "Hondo," until Peg's family ruined his recording of the movie by taping over it with a song dedicated to her. He has also referenced "Shane" when the clan ruined his enjoyment of that movie. Al also has his "faithful" 1971 Dodge Dart that invariably had failed brakes, constant break-downs, and numerous other problems associated with its age. At the time of the fourth season at least, Al was still paying it off, despite it being over 20 years old, and by the eighth season, had passed one million miles. Al's house number in Chicago is 9764. The producers originally wanted to cast comedian Sam Kinison as Al Bundy. However, they ultimately chose not to, due to the profaneness of Kinison's comedy routines. Kinison would later play Al's guardian angel in the episode "It's a Bundyful Life," spoofing Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life. The producers also considered Michael Richards for the role. Peggy Bundy Margaret "Peggy" Bundy (née Wanker) (Katey Sagal) is Al's very lazy high school drop-out housewife. She refuses to cook or clean the house, and prefers looking for new clothes to washing them. She does not even think of having a job. During the day, she likes to watch all the daytime talk shows, sitting on the beloved family couch, and eating tons of bonbons (without getting fat). Her favorite TV shows are Oprah and The Phil Donahue Show, but she also enjoys watching the Home Shopping Network. Peggy is a red-head with a bouffant hairdo, and usually wears 1960s, and later, 1970s-styled fashion with skin tight pants and shirts, and Stiletto heels, which make her walk in a unique way. Peg was a cigarette smoker in early seasons, but soon quit. In tune with Peggy's character, it was revealed in the fourth season that she did not graduate high school like she thought, failing to meet a half-credit in home economics. She got her diploma, but only by stealing Kelly's final exam, and tricking her into going to summer school. She continually spends what little money Al makes on everything from expensive clothes to useless junk, even stealing from her children to get extra cash. Her maiden name is Wanker, and her family hails from the fictitious rural Wanker County, Wisconsin, where "As Einstein put it, everyone's relative." At Peg and Al's high school reunion, her rival muttered, "Peg...Peggy Wanker...Leave a tip, don't bother to thank her." What is never made clear is how she managed to go to high school with Al when her parents apparently never left Wanker County. The choice of the word wanker, is likely to be a private joke, since in British English, the word "wank" is a highly offensive term for masturbation, and "wanker" is often used as a strong insult, applicable either to an inadequate or obnoxious person. Despite her inappropriate behavior, she generally appeals to men, including Al whenever she does work. Like Al, she would never cheat on her partner -- but unlike Al, enjoys marital sex. She does not seem to mind her husband ogling other women, reading pornographic magazines, or going to strip joints -- most likely because she does the same things herself with other men. Her enthusiasm has caused some of the male strip joints she visits to establish the "Bundy rule" -- where women can no longer go into the back rooms to meet the dancers. During Season 6, Katey Sagal got pregnant in real-life, so it was written into the show. However, Katey suffered a miscarriage, so in true Dallas fashion, the writers made the whole storyline into one of Al's nightmares. Katey was pregnant again twice during the series' run, but instead of writing her pregnancies into the show, the producers either used camera shots from above the stomach, or wrote episodes without the character of Peggy, explaining her absence by having her set out in search of her missing father, and only occasionally calling home. The producers originally wanted Roseanne Barr to play Peggy Bundy, but she declined, and the producers cast Katey Sagal, who came up with Peg's final appearance, wanting to satirize the TV housewives of the '60s and '70s. Kelly Bundy Kelly (Christina Applegate) is the older child in the Bundy family, born on approximately November 27, 1972 or 1973 or sometime before February 19, as noted in "Peggy Turns 300," where Kelly says her birthday is in February, but erroneously refers to herself as an "Aquarium" instead of an Aquarian (Aquarius). "Pumpkin," as Al often calls her, is a promiscuous bimbo and stereotypical "dumb blonde." She may have inherited her behavior from her mother, known as "The Big Easy" in high school. Peg has attempted to convey some of her other "values" to Kelly, most notably advice on how to avoid working. During the series' run, Kelly got progressively more stupid. Initially, she was not the stereotypical dumb blonde bimbo she eventually becomes. In one episode, a flashback to Kelly's childhood reveals her to have been a prodigious reader until she banged her head during a road trip, instantly changing her personality to prefer focusing on her "shiny, shiny shoes." The show hints at her amazing intrinsic intellectual ability, which only exhibits itself on those rare occasions when she is not preoccupied with her social standing or with the opposite sex. For instance, she can predict the next number drawn on a roulette wheel, but only after letting her mind go blank. When properly motivated, she is able to solve complex mathematical equations, such as her calculation of the trajectory to shoot garbage bags into the D'Arcys' yard from a homemade catapult. It has been demonstrated that she can absorb a limited amount of information very well, but will forget something that she learned in the past once her limit is reached. In one episode, where Kelly appeared on a sports game show, sports-junkie Al takes advantage of that trait in order to train her for the show, filling her head with various (and somewhat useless) sports trivia. However, the plan backfires when Kelly forgets the answer to a high school football question, ironically about Al. Kelly is also known to display excellent hand-eye coordination when playing pool or performing archery. Kelly's comedic function tends to include blatant displays of naïvete and ignorance, with the typical response by the family of willfully allowing her to remain ignorant. Bud, in particular, likes to sow misconceptions in her mind. For example, she asks Bud to help her with her book report on Robinson Crusoe, but ends up reviewing Gilligan's Island instead. Her family is surprised to learn that she earned her high school diploma in 1990 -- but when she receives her diploma through the mail after finishing summer school, she asks her mother to read it to her. She then worked as a model and waitress. She had become a bottle-blonde at an early age at her mother's encouragement after a boy at school liked a natural blonde more than Kelly. (Years afterward, neither can remember their own natural hair-color.) She is obsessed with boys, hair bleach, and the telephone. Kelly was not allowed to have sleepovers or birthday parties from age eight to age sixteen, thanks to an experience she had at age eight, where "the judge wanted to try her as an adult." Though she often pokes fun at her younger brother, Bud, for being an under-developed, pubescent horndog, she usually seems to be proud of him whenever he manages to get an attractive date. On at least one occasion, she has also avenged Bud by humiliating a girl that humiliated him. For a short time, Bud is her official agent, entitled to 80% of her earnings. Kelly is very fond of her pets, even when unable to sufficiently care for them. Buck, the family dog, was generally considered to be hers, and she was the most upset when he died. However, when Buck was to be neutered, Al (not wanting to have Buck fixed) says "Buck is Bud's dog, and we have to get Bud's permission." When Peg asks Bud if it is okay to neuter "his" dog, Bud does not seem to care and simply says, "Sure." Her favorite comic strip is Garfield. Her less-than-stellar reading skills led to many comedic situations in which she would read the Garfield comic aloud, mispronouncing lasagne as "luh-SAG-nee." She also watches cartoons, such as Looney Tunes, under the impression that it is a nature show. Bud Bundy Bud Franklin Bundy, (David Faustino) is the second child, born on January 22 around 1974. In the first season, Bud is revealed to be in fifth grade, making him 10 or 11, but in subsequent seasons, he was aged to be within one year of Kelly, graduating high school in 1991. He was named after Al's favorite beer, Budweiser. The first word Bud spoke was "hooters." He believes himself to be attractive, sexy, and smooth, but often is typically caught in sexually humiliating scenarios. He is also shorter in stature than his sister, and a lot shorter than his mother. He does not appear to know how to impress women upon meeting them, and is often rejected. It is unclear when Bud lost his virginity, as it was depicted that he may have bedded women as far back as age 14, but in the fourth season, it is mentioned that he is still a virgin. Later in the series, he manages to have one-night-stands, including one with his cousin's fiancee, played by Joey Lauren Adams. He tries to get girls with the help of various alter-egos, including street rapper 'Grandmaster B' -- a persona often ridiculed by his family with the epithets 'Bed-wetter B', grasshopper B, 'Butt Wagger B', 'Cross-Dresser B', 'Grandma B', 'Grand Bastard B', 'Grand Marshall B',[1] etc. (Faustino has actually been featured in a few rap albums in real-life, and he also manages a nightclub.) Another alter-ego is 'Cool Bud', Bud's sexual, suave side with which he eventually 'merges', prompting him to become more 'cool'. Bud has been known to fail at romance, as those attracted to him are often undesirable (such as fat hotel guests, dowdy college librarians, and male hotel workers). Bud also takes an interest in Marcy; when Steve leaves her, he actively pursues her. After playing a trick on Kelly to prove her stupidity, Kelly proves not to be so foolish by making Bud and Marcy falsely believe they spent the night together. (Bud asks Marcy, "You are on the pill, right?" In response, Marcy looks nervous.) Out of the Bundys, Bud seems to be the most ashamed of the family as he often pretends not to know them. He is also arguably the most academically intelligent. He ridicules Kelly as a promiscuous dimwit, and although he quite frequently uses her ignorance to his benefit, he occasionally feels obliged to defend her when others exploit her foolishness -- but he is known to scheme against his own family. He makes honor roll throughout high school, and gets himself through college (and even earns scholarship money, which his family spends without his consent). During his college years, Bud is portrayed as the leader of his "social circle" (most of whom are stereotypical "losers"), as he appears to be the only one with the least bit of self-confidence. He is also Kelly's agent, receiving 80% of everything she makes. Although he is occasionally bullied and beaten by bigger men, Bud has inherited his father's talents for fist-fighting, once teaming up with Al to single-handedly beat up an entire gang of teenage punks, while helping Peg's father find a bear from Wanker County on the loose in Chicago. In two episodes, he has also assisted his fellow Bundys when they brawl with another family -- Al beats up the father, Peg beats up the mother, Kelly beats up the daughter, and Bud beats up the son. On his eighteenth birthday, Bud also helped Al during a strip-club brawl. He is not above fighting dirty by smashing his opponents over the head with chairs or bottles. Buck Buck (Played by Michael, trained by Steven Ritt[2]; voiceover by writer/producer Kevin Curran; on special episodes Buck is voiced by Cheech Marin. From season eight on, Buck voice was provided by staff member Kim Weiskopf), is the family dog. He is often "heard" by the audience through voiceovers that tell what is on his mind. He is just as disgusted with the family as the others. Peggy dotes on him, sometimes even cooking for him. Though extremely lazy, Buck has a huge, insatiable sexual appetite, having at one point impregnated all the female dogs in the neighborhood. Buck died at one point in the series to allow Michael, the dog that portrayed him, to retire. (Michael died nine months later) Buck went to animal heaven, and was reincarnated as Lucky, a cocker spaniel. In later seasons, Buck/Lucky would occasionally serve as the narrator in the second half of a two-part episode, recapping the events of the first part. Lucky A character whose voice-overs were performed by staff member Kim Weiskopf, Lucky is the spaniel that the family gets after Buck dies. He is the reincarnation of Buck, but no one in the family ever realizes this. In the episode "Lez Be Friends," the Bundy kids have difficulty entertaining a depressed Lucky; it is revealed that Lucky is gay, with a leather-clad olde english bulldog as his companion. Seven Seven-year-old Seven (Shane Sweet) is adopted by the Bundy family after being abandoned by his own parents, Zemus and Ida-Mae, cousins of Peggy who are both hillbillies. Seven was given his name by his parents, who claimed that he was the "seventh" child they had, but while counting up to 7, Zemus skipped a number, thus giving anecdotal evidence that Seven may only be their sixth child. In the seventh season, true to the Bundy name, he quickly proves himself to be manipulative, conniving, and good in a fist fight. Although the character was intended to generate fresh storylines, the show's writers ultimately found it difficult to work the boy into the show’s adult-themed scripts. The character was abruptly dropped, to the delight of the viewers. (A poll showed that more than 80% of the viewers did not like the character.) His final appearance was in the episode "Peggy And The Pirates," where Peggy sends him off to bed so that she can make love to Al. The character was never to be mentioned again, except for on three separate occasions in Season 8. One is when his face appears on the side of a milk carton over the words, “Have you seen me?” Another instance is when Marcy and Jefferson comes over to inform the Bundys that Seven has been staying with them, and has learned to chant "Kill the Bundys" with the rest of the people in the neighborhood. In episode 0823 ("Kelly Knows Something"), when Al is teaching sports trivia to Kelly, we see numerous (many essential) facts leaving her brain as she is learning. A picture of Seven flows out of her brain, indicating that she will no longer remember him. See also: Jumping the Shark.[3] Peggy's mother Heard only in frightening voice-overs by Kathleen Freeman and ground-shaking gags (making her an unseen character), she lives with the Bundys in later seasons. There are vague and comical references to her gigantic weight. This woman is mostly the victim of Al's abrasive, behind-the-back, and hatred-filled insults. She was set to be played by Divine, who died before production. She works a phone-sex hotline under the moniker "Butter." She also uses a pitch fork as an eating utensil. Peggy's father, Ephraim Peggy's father was played by Tim Conway, appearing occasionally in the last three seasons. It is implied that he was drunk, and held a shotgun to Al's head at Al and Peggy's wedding. (He calls Peggy by her true name "Margaret.") Unlike many other sitcoms with the father-in-law usually disapproving of the husband having married his daughter, Peg's father approves of Al so much that he held a gun to Al's head to force him to follow through on the marriage Al had drunkenly proposed to Peg, although Ephraim implied in "The Joke's on Al" that the gun wasn't loaded at the time. Ephraim, like his wife, was set to be played by Divine, who died before production. The neighbors Marcy Rhoades D'Arcy Marcy D'Arcy (Marcy Rhoades from Episodes 0101-0512, played by Amanda Bearse) is Peggy's best friend, Al's nemesis, and the family's next-door neighbor. Though she considers herself to be better than the Bundy family, Marcy often sinks to their level. She originally worked as a loan officer at the city bank (in a higher position than her husband, Steve), and then as the manager of the Kyoto National Bank since the second season. But for a brief time, she was demoted to drive-up window teller as punishment for approving a loan Al could not re-pay. She wins back her old job after frugging on her boss's desk for 20 minutes, clad only in a slip, while the other drive-up window tellers tossed quarters at her. Initially, Marcy was a sweet, wholesome newlywed, but years of living next to the Bundys apparently warped her into a character almost as outrageous as the Bundys. She contemptuously bickered with Al, and reveled in his misery. Marcy seemed to have a disturbing dark side, and enjoys sharing her past memories with Peg, but often tends to get lost in them. At various points in the series, she is identified as a Republican who looks down on the lower-class Bundy clan, but at other times, she is portrayed as a man-hating radical feminist and environmentalist. Al's most frequent targets are Marcy's tiny chest and her chicken-like stance when she gets annoyed. Its unknown if Marcy has any children in season 5 Marcy claimed she was pregnant though this was later written out of the show. One of the running gags in the series has Marcy often mistaken for a young boy, on one occasion even being mistaken for Bruce Jenner; when she reminisces about her first training bra, Al asks "How old were you then - twenty-five?!" Her cousin, Mandy, (also played by real-life lesbian Bearse) is a lesbian. Despite wanting to appear prudish, Marcy is shown to be a very sexual person, and is revealed to have a rather sordid sexual history, such as the "Little Bo Peep and the Cop" game. Although Marcy and Al are usually adversaries, they often unite in common causes, such as when Steve loses his job, and later when Jefferson comes into the series. Their teamwork is attributable to the fact that they are both "bread-winners," giving them occasional moments of mutual understanding. Steve Rhoades Steven "Steve" Bartholomew Rhoades (David Garrison) is Marcy's first husband. He is a banker who seems unfazed by his lower position than Marcy at the city bank. (When Marcy moves up to a high position at another bank, he gets her former job.) Steve initially condescends to the Bundys, but eventually becomes more like them, and generally turns to Al for male-bonding. Marcy was initially attracted to him because of his self-centered materialism. Steve seemed to be a fairly demure and buttoned-down character, compared to his wife and the Bundys, although he did show a dark side. As a banker, Steve took sadistic pleasure in humiliating people who bullied him in high school by making his former tormentors (many of whom were stuck in poor, dead-end jobs similar to Al's) grovel for bank loans, which he flatly refused. Steve also got his job as Dean of Bud's college by blackmailing the man who employed him as a chauffeur. Steve was written out of the show in the middle of the fourth season; Garrison had decided he no longer wanted to be tied down to a weekly television series, preferring to avoid being typecast in one role, and devote more time to his first love: stage acting. He reached an agreement with FOX to buy out the remainder of his contract. In the final episode shot, (though confusingly, not the final episode aired) in which he was a regular character, Steve is disenchanted with his and Marcy's yuppie lifestyle, and is increasingly interested in becoming an outdoorsman (a real-life interest of Garrison's). He then disappears, with the explanation that he left Marcy to become a forest ranger at Yosemite National Park. Prior to disappearing, his last job was as a "pooper scooper" at an exotic pet shop. In later seasons, Garrison would reprise the Steve Rhoades character on four occasions, returning to guest star in individual episodes (with Steve having pursued other careers in the meantime), as he eventually returns to professional life to become the Dean of Bud's college. This episode was to be the pilot of a spin-off series that never happened. Jefferson D'Arcy Jefferson Milhouse D'Arcy (Ted McGinley) is Marcy's second husband (original age unknown, but younger than Steve Rhoades, but one episode mentioned that he celebrated his 40th birthday), a "pretty-boy" who marries her for her money. Self-centered and lazy, he is a male equivalent of Peggy. Marcy met Jefferson (a bartender) at his workplace after a bankers' convention when she got drunk, and found herself married to him the next morning; she was horrified to find out that her name was now Marcy D'Arcy. He is the closest friend of Al, and often angers Marcy when he is bonding with him; unlike Steve Rhoades, who was more of a foil, or straight man, to Al, Jefferson tends to be very encouraging and attuned to Al's behavior. Marcy constantly bosses Jefferson around to keep him in check. However, behind her back, Jefferson often insults Marcy, and ignores her orders. When Marcy's favorite squirrel Zippy dies, Jefferson tells her that he will give it a proper burial, only to punt it out of his sight when Marcy turns around. Jefferson is a member of "NO MA'AM" along with Al, wearing the trademark T-shirt, but he always keeps a clean "YES MA'AM" T-shirt on underneath, which he quickly reveals if Marcy is about to bust one of "NO MA'AM"'s activities. He seems very afraid of provoking his wife's anger, and his fear is justified -- in one episode, after he angered Marcy, she kicked him in the behind so hard he had to go to the hospital to get her boot removed from his rear end. Marcy constantly hounds Jefferson to get a job. However, on the rare occasions when he actually gets one (working at the shoe store, being cast as an actor in a commercial, working as an aerobics instructor, working at an auto-repair shop in some menial position, etc.), he usually ends up working with beautiful women, which prompts a jealous Marcy to make him quit and return to his de facto job as her gigolo. This tendency runs in the D'Arcy family, as Jefferson's father also worked as a gigolo, and his mother worked as an exotic dancer before she was eaten by her snake at an airport. He is easily the most financially-scheming character of the show -- even more than the Bundys. Often, when Al stumbles into a unique lucrative opportunity, Jefferson typically persuades Al to take advantage of it. When Al was robbed in his shoe store, Jefferson convinced him to sue the mall while feigning psychological trauma. When Al discovered hidden shoes that he stocked away in the 1970s, Jefferson convinced him to use the shoes as a new gimmick for the store by taking advantage of the old shoes' popularity. When discovering Al's boss, Gary, was using illegal sweatshops to manufacture the shoes, Jefferson assists Al in a search for incriminating evidence. When Bud was involved in a romantic relationship with the (surprising to the characters, female) Gary (played by Janet Carroll), Jefferson convinced Al to permit the relationship, so Al can milk Gary out of her money through his son. After discovering that they were in possession of private pictures of Shannon Tweed in sexually provocative manners, Jefferson convinced Al to sell it to the media. During a rare time in which Al is struck with good luck, Jefferson persuades him into a high-stakes poker game with a group of ex-criminals. Jefferson also convinced Al to go home to have sex with his wife, so Al could win a radio contest. During the course of the series, it is revealed that Jefferson spent time in prison (for selling contaminated land as a vacation spot to several people, including Al) and used to be in the CIA. Occasionally, people claim to have seen him on Happy Days, a claim he always denies (Ted McGinley did, in fact, play Jefferson High School coach and teacher Roger Phillips on Happy Days later in the series, the obvious inspiration for the character's name). Ted McGinley had appeared previously as Peggy's husband, Mr. Norman Jablonski, in the second part of It's a Bundyful Life, where Al's guardian angel (Sam Kinison) shows Al what his family would have become if he was never born. The episode lightly parodies Capra's It's a Wonderful Life. Amber Amber (Juliet Tablak) is Marcy's niece. Amber's mother sent her to live with Marcy to get her out of her bad L.A. neighborhood. Bud tries relentlessly to bed, and succeeds, but only once. After season nine, Amber disappears without explanation. Like most females on the sitcom, she is typically repulsed by his objectifying views of females. However, she does appear to demonstrate an attraction to Bud (remarking to Kelly in private that she thinks he is cute), and freely kisses him as a way of saying goodbye. Recurring characters * Griff (Harold Sylvester) – First appears early in Season 9, and is a friend and co-worker of Al at the shoe store. He is also a member of Al's "NO MA'AM" organization. A divorcee, he shares many of Al's characteristics as far as work ethic and views on women go. However, Griff isn't quite as impolite and outspoken to their customers, or to their boss, Gary. He is also less callous; occasionally he feels uneasy when going along with one of Al or Jefferson's many schemes. Griff drives a GEO Metro, and is often mocked for this. However, Griff is happy because it is still more reliable than Al's 1970s Dodge. (Al says Griff's car is easier to push.) When Bud and Griff first met, Bud said Al never mentioned having a co-worker, and Griff said Al never mentioned having a son, a daughter, or a living wife, but had already annoyed him with all the times he mentioned scoring four touchdowns in one single game. * Bob Rooney (E. E. Bell) – One of Al's friends from the neighborhood, and treasurer of "NO MA'AM." He works as a butcher, has a wife named Louise (who is a friend of Peggy), and played on the same football team as Al at Polk High. He is always called by both his first and last name, even by his wife, and it is spelled as one word on his bowling shirt. Bell was the only member of the extended cast to spend a lot of time on the Usenet newsgroups fielding questions from viewers. * Officer Dan (Dan Tullis, Jr.) – A friend of Al's who is also in "NO MA'AM." Surprisingly, though he is part of "NO MA'AM," he often arrests them for their illegal antics. However, he does admit to his friends that he is a corrupt officer, which indicates he does help out the group now and then. In one of the times he was about to arrest them, he changes his mind and joins them when he learns they're trying to "bring back Psycho Dad." Though he was usually a cop, in season 6 Officer Dan arrives at the Bundy front door as an FBI agent looking for Steve Rhodes. * Ike (Tom McCleister) – Another member of "NO MA'AM." Sergeant of Arms of the organization. Believes Elvis is still alive. The character was named after producer Kim Weiskopf's best friends's son.[1] * Miranda Veracruz de la Hoya Cardinal (Teresa Parente) – Latina local news reporter originally from "a country named after the equator" who is typically assigned to cover the pathetic news stories in which the Bundys inevitably involve themselves. She often laments the sad state of her career on-air. While she only appears in a handful of episodes throughout the series, the character seems to be quite popular with fans. * The Wankers – Peggy's family, living in Wanker County ("The home of the gassy beaver"). They are more often mentioned than seen on camera. Peggy's mother is never shown (though she is heard in several episodes, voiced by Kathleen Freeman), but her father (Tim Conway) appears in a few episodes. Mrs. Wanker's unbelievable obesity is the subject of many jokes, including one in which Al goes blind after accidentally walking in on her bathing. Other extended family members includes Uncle Otto (James 'Gypsy' Haake), Uncle Irwin (Chris Pallies (King Kong Bundy)), the Wanker Triplets (Milly de Rubio, Elena de Rubio, Eadie de Rubio), Cousin Possum Boy (John Gerard), Cousin Effie (Joey Lauren Adams), Cousin Eb (William Sanderson), Cousin Zemus (Bob Goldthwait) and his wife Cousin Ida Mae (Linda Blair). In the UK and Australia, the word 'wanker' is a slang insult that means "someone who masturbates." It is not known whether the producers knew this, and included is as an in-joke for the benefit of British/Australian audiences, or whether the name is just a coincidence. When Peggy hears Al encouraging Kelly to get a job, she mentions a tradition of the female Wankers of having men being buried earlier for having to keep them. * Gary (Janet Carroll) – The owner of Gary's Shoes and employer of Al. Gary's first appearance in the series came after Al turned her women's shoe store into a men's, assuming Gary was male and therefore wouldn't notice. (Al never saw Gary in the first twenty years he worked in the store, leading him once to doubt that Gary really existed) Gary is incredibly wealthy (she would have been in the Forbes 400, but only reached #401 because of the shoe store--her only failing business venture). In the first appearance she said she owns, among other things, men, prompting Al to offer himself but she points out she said "men." Over the course of the series she makes several more appearances, always to the chagrin of Al, and in one episode even becomes the Sugar Momma of Bud, much to the chagrin of those who still thought she was a man. However she became too possessive leading Bud to break-up with her as he puts his dignity over her money. * Luke Ventura (Ritch Shydner) – A co-worker at the shoe store early in the series. He was a sly womanizer who was always seducing beautiful women and stealing Al's sales. Peg hated him while Al tolerated him. He disappears from the show after the first season, but is mentioned again in the ninth season episode "Pump Fiction," when Al learns from the shoe industry publication "Shoe News" that Luke is being given an award. Though he was portrayed to be a friend of Al's in the beginning of the series, after his disappearance, he had been spoken of as if he had since become Al's rival. * Aaron Mitchell (Hill Harper) – The third co-worker of Al's at the shoe store. A young football star at Polk High, he is on the verge of marrying a wonderful woman and going to college, achieving everything that Al ever wanted. Al chooses to live his life vicariously through Aaron, until his misguided advice accidentally drive the boy to a shrewish woman named "Meg" (a young copy of Peg) and the same dismal fate which had befallen Al. Aaron appeared only in the eighth season (5 episodes). * Dexter (Chi McBride) – He was the second co-worker with Al in Gary's Shoes. He was killed off when a fat woman fell on him during an Earthquake that was ironically caused by fat women. * Ariel (Jennifer Lyons) – One of Bud's love interests. She is the quintessential dumb blonde, sporting blonde hair, large breasts, skimpy outfits and a high-pitched voice. She is not very smart and Bud is constantly thinking of new ways to con her into having sex with him. * Jaclyn (Melissa De Sousa) Controversy and edited content One episode of Married... with Children was "lost" due to the efforts of a Michigan housewife (see below); it did, however, air outside the United States since the show went into syndication. Another edited episode involved Al trying to sell his Dodge before he is contacted by a Dodge representative wanting to record the moment when the odometer on the Dodge reaches all-zeros (1 million miles) was also the source of controversy. After meeting various people, Al is approached by two men dressed in all white tunics, holding a bundle of dynamite attached to an alarm clock. The men declare, "Look, we have no time to haggle; we need car and directions to Sears Tower." Rakolta boycott In 1989, Terry Rakolta, a homemaker from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, led a boycott against Married... with Children after viewing the episode Her Cups Runneth Over - 0306.[4] Offended by the images of an old man wearing a garter and stockings, the scene where Steve touches the panties of a mannequin dressed in S&M gear, a homosexual man wearing a tiara on his head (and Al's line, "...and they wonder why we call them 'queens'"), and a woman who takes off her bra in front of Al (and is shown with her arms covering her chest in the next shot), Rakolta began a letter-writing campaign to advertisers, demanding they boycott the show. After advertisers began dropping their support for the show and while Rakolta made several appearances on television talk shows, FOX executives refused to air the episode titled I'll See You In Court - 0310.[5] This episode would become known as the "Lost Episode" and was aired on FX on June 18, 2002, with some parts cut for time reasons. The episode was packaged with the rest of the third season in the January 2005 DVD release (and in the first volume of the Married...With Children Most Outrageous episode DVD set) with the parts cut from syndication put back in. During the first boycott, ratings for Married... with Children ironically rose due to interest in the show caused by Rakolta's crusade to have the show canceled. The increased number of viewers kept the show on the air until 1997. Rakolta has been referenced twice on the show: Rock and Roll Girl - 0414,[6] when a newscaster mentioned the city Bloomfield Hills, and No Pot To Pease In - 0909,[7] when a television show was made about the Bundy family and then was canceled because (according to Marcy) "some woman in Michigan didn't like it." Remakes United States In 1995 The WB made a sitcom Unhappily Ever After, the series lasted 4 years and was extremely similar to Married.. with Children in plots and character's personality, though didn't get the same popularity. It focused on Jack Malloy, a stressed out and hallucinating used car salesman, his wife Jennie, a sex-crazed, manipulative and self-centered housewife, Ryan Malloy, the eldest son who is dumb and stupid, Tiffany, the pretty, smart and skimpy-dressed virgin daughter, Ross, the youngest and most intelligent though is ignored by his family, and Mr. Floppy, a stuffed rabbit that lives in the Malloy's basement though he may just be a figment of Jack's crazed imagination. Argentina In Argentina a remake has been done under the name of Casados con Hijos. The show aired in 2005 and although it wasn't successful at first, it was aired again during summer and it got one of the highest ratings of the year and because of that, a second season has been done for 2006. The characters are Pepe (Guillermo Francella), Moni (Florencia Peña), Coqui (Darío Lopilato) and Paola (Luisana Lopilato), all under the 'Argento' surname. It should be noted that the show's reruns had higher ratings than when the episodes were first aired. Brazil A Guerra dos Pintos (War of the Pintos) was the title of the Brazilian remake. It ran for a short time on BAND before it got cancelled in 1999 due to poor ratings. Many episodes were left unaired. The Brazilian Bundys were called "Pintos" (hence the name of the series). Pinto translates to dick in Portuguese, and is also a common Brazilian surname. The Pintos lived in Rio de Janeiro. Al's equivalent, "Zé Pinto," was a shoe salesman just like Al, and he was a former soccer player as Al was a former football player. Peggy equivalent was named "Neide Pinto," Kelly named "Kelly Pinto" and Bud was "Joca Pinto" in the series. They also had a dog named Cachorro (which means dog in Portuguese). Their neighbours, the "Fialho's," were based on the Rhoades, not the D'Arcys. The storyline was exactly the same as in the early original version. Chile In Chile, a remake was made in 2006 and 2007, with the name Casado con Hijos, and it has been getting higher ratings, beating soap operas broadcasting in the same hour. The show was broadcasted daily. The characters were Alberto "Tito" Larraín (Al), María Eugenia "Quena" Gómez de Larraín (Peggy), Ignacio "Nacho" Larraín (Bud), and Titi (Kelly). Their neighbors are Marcia Durán (Marcy) and Pablo Pinto (both Steve Rhodes and Jefferson D'Arcy). Colombia In Colombia a remake named Casados con Hijos was made on 2005. The characters are "Paco" Rocha (Al), "Lola" (Peggy), Willy (Bud), and Kelly (Kelly). Germany The German sitcom Hilfe, meine Familie spinnt (Help me, my family's gone wild) is an adaptation of the first 26 episodes of Married... with Children produced by RTL Television in 1992, depicting the exploits of the Cologne family Strunk. The scripts and every single joke from Married... with Children were translated to German, with only minor adjustments to better fit the German audience, e.g. replacing names of celebrities mentioned in the show. Hilfe, meine Familie spinnt went on air March 4th, 1993 on RTL (called "RTL Plus" from 1984 to 1992) as a weekly show airing each Thursday at prime time, which traditionally begins at 20:15 in Germany. At first it had twice as many viewers as the dubbed original show which also aired on RTL (weekdays at changing times between 17:30 and 19:45), but Hilfe, meine Familie spinnt received overwhelmingly bad ratings from fans of the original show and critics alike, criticizing that the show was a poor imitation of Married... with Children. The number of viewers dropped considerably during the next weeks, and the show quickly got canceled. Hungary In 2006, Hungarian TV network TV2 brought the license rights including scripts and hired the original producers from Sony Pictures for a remake show placed in Hungarian environment. It was entitled Egy rém rendes család Budapesten (in English: Married with children in Budapest, loan translation: A horribly nice family in Budapest). The main story began with the new family called the Bándis inherit an outskirt house from their American relatives the Bundys. They filmed a whole season of 26 episodes, all of them being remade versions of the plots of the original first seasons. It was the highest budget sitcom ever made in Hungary. First it was aired on Tuesday nights, but was beaten by a new season of ER, then placed to Wednesday nights. The remake lost its viewers, but stayed on the air due to the contract between Sony and TV2. ([9][10][11]) Poland There is a sitcom called Świat według Kiepskich (The World According to the Kiepscy), which is loosely based on Married... with Children (in Poland entitled Świat według Bundych). It has been running since 1999. Although it has been cancelled for one year, during 2005-2006 period, under the fans pressure it has been brought back next year. It is still running with over 200 episodes. There are many differences between original 'Married... with Children' and 'Swiat według Kiepskich' such as the working wife, unemployed husband, half-disabled mother of the housewife, completely dumb son, a very greedy neighbour with his poshless wife and other changes like second neighbour, a fat man called 'Boczek' (Bacon). Few years before its first canncellation, the actor who played the Polish version of Al Bundy's son left the show. In real life, the actor met with unpleasant situations, in which people mistook his fictional character as himself. Despite rumours of a comeback, the actor never returned to the series. Another big change was when the actress who played the role of housewife's mother died at age of 87 in real life. The producers said that it was a great loss and her character was irreplaceable. Russia The Original MWC ran on NTV nightn air for almost three years, on daily basis involving the show of most episodes from seasons 1-10. However, not all episodes were shown on NTV. Russian adaptation Счастливы вместе (Sсhastlivy Vmeste) (Happy Together) is now airing on TNT channel across the country for the second season.[12][13] In April 2008, the producers announced all episodes of Married... with Children have been adapted as Schastlivy Vmeste episodes and, the 14th of April, 2008, they started a contest amongst the series' fans for new ideas for episodes[14]. The character names are: Gennadij Bukin (Al), Dasha (Peggy), Sveta (Kelly), Roma (Bud), Elena and Anatolij Poleno (Marcy and Jefferson Darcy), Evgeniy Stepanov (Steve Rhoades), Sema (Seven), Baron (Buck). Spain Originally it was aired at public channel "La 2." The Spanish TV network Cuatro created a Spanish version called Matrimonio con Hijos (Marriage with Children). It was cancelled after only one season. United Kingdom It was shown on ITV, and made no great impact, perhaps because of the questionable use of wholesome family comedian Russ Abbott in the lead role of Ted Butler, or perhaps because the original had already been shown on the same channel, albeit in a late-evening slot. Also, this version was considerably toned down from the original, despite the fact that British TV is in general more risque than American, and the BBC had already been showing shows similar to Married for years. The show was renamed Married for Life, in order to distinguish it from the original, which already had a cult following in the United Kingdom. Spin-offs * Married... with Children was adapted into a comic book series by NOW Comics in 1990. * The episodes Top of the Heap, Radio Free Trumaine, and Enemies were meant to be spin-offs. o Top of the Heap[15] was the only episode of the three to get its own show. It was notable as an early sitcom starring Matt LeBlanc. The show was about Vinnie Verducci (played by LeBlanc) and his father Charlie (played by Joseph Bologna) always trying get rich quick schemes. The Verduccis were introduced in an earlier episode where Vinnie played Kelly Bundy's boyfriend and Charlie played an old friend of Al Bundy's. The end of the pilot episode shows Al breaking into their apartment and stealing their TV to replace the one he lost betting on Vinnie in a boxing match. o Radio Free Trumaine was to be about Bud Bundy's time in college with the campus radio station, with Steve Rhoades as the antagonistic Dean. The episode co-starred Keri Russell. o Enemies was a Friends clone, featuring Alan Thicke, based around Kelly Bundy's social circle. * In addition to those three spin-offs, a Frasier-type spin-off (i.e., picking up from where the show it spun-off from left off) about Kelly Bundy was planned but never made for two reasons: Christina Applegate turned it down, and Fox's contract stated that the two Bundy children couldn't get spin-offs. Also, series co-creator Michael G. Moye proposed a NO MA'AM, spin-off, but got turned down mainly due to FOX's fears of alienating much of the female demographic. . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted June 29, 2008 Author Share Posted June 29, 2008 9. (tie) Family Guy (1999-2002, 2005-present) (9 of 18 lists - 97 points - highest ranking #4 MHizzle85, Balta1701) Family Guy is an animated American television sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane and airing on Fox. The show centers on a dysfunctional family that lives in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island. The show uses frequent "cutaway gags," jokes in the form of tangential vignettes that do not advance the story.[1] Family Guy was canceled once in 2000, and again in 2002, but strong DVD sales and the large viewership of reruns on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim convinced Fox to resume the show in 2005. It is the first canceled show to be resurrected based on DVD sales and the only one to be resurrected twice on that basis.[2] History Family Guy's first and second seasons were made starting in 1999 after the Larry shorts (its predecessor) caught the attention of the Fox Broadcasting Company during the 1999 Super Bowl commercial. Its cancellation was announced, but then a shift in power at Fox and outcry from the fans led to a reversal of that decision and the making of a third season after which it was canceled again. Reruns on Adult Swim drove interest in the show up, and the DVD releases did quite well, selling over 2.2 million copies in one year which renewed network interest.[3] Family Guy returned to production in 2004, making two more seasons (for a total of five) and a straight-to-DVD movie, Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story. The show celebrated its official 100th episode during its sixth season in Autumn of 2007, resulting in the show's syndication.[4] The show has been renewed for a seventh season, which is scheduled to air in Autumn of 2008. The show is contracted to keep producing episodes until 2012.[5] Characters Main article: List of characters from Family Guy The show revolves around the adventures of Peter Griffin, a bumbling but well-intentioned blue-collar worker. Peter is an Irish American Catholic with a thick Rhode Island / Eastern Massachusetts accent. His wife Lois is generally a stay-at-home mother and piano teacher, and has a distinct New York accent from being a member of the Pewterschmidt family of wealthy socialites. Peter and Lois have three children: teenage daughter Meg, who is frequently the butt of jokes for her homeliness and lack of popularity; teenage son Chris, who is overweight, unintelligent and, in many respects, a younger version of his father; and infant son Stewie, a diabolical child with adult mannerisms who speaks fluently with an affected English upper-class accent and stereotypical archvillain phrases.[6] Living with the family is Brian, the family dog, who is highly anthropomorphized, walks on two legs, drinks Martinis, smokes cigarettes and engages in human conversation, though he is still considered a pet in many respects. There are many recurring characters on the show who appear alongside the Griffin family on a regular basis. These include the family's colorful neighbors: sex-crazed airline-pilot bachelor Glenn Quagmire; mild-mannered deli owner Cleveland Brown and his wife (ex-wife as of the fourth-season episode "The Cleveland–Loretta Quagmire") Loretta Brown with their hyperactive son, Cleveland Jr.; paraplegic police officer Joe Swanson and his perpetually pregnant wife Bonnie; and creepy old gay pedophile Herbert. TV news anchors Tom Tucker and Diane Simmons also make regular appearances (along with Asian Reporter Tricia Takanawa and Blaccu-Weather meteorologist Ollie Williams), as well as mentally disturbed celebrity Mayor Adam West (voiced by and named after the real Adam West). For its first three seasons Family Guy did not used an especially large cast of recurring minor characters. Since returning from cancellation many one-shot characters from prior episodes have reappeared in new episodes, although most of the plotlines center on the exploits of the Griffin family. Setting The majority of events on the show take place in Quahog, Rhode Island, a fictional suburb of Providence. Seth MacFarlane, the show's creator, resided in Providence when he was a student at Rhode Island School of Design, and leaves unequivocal Rhode Island landmarks from which one may infer intended real-world locations for events.[7][8][9] Macfarlane also often borrows the names of Rhode Island locations and icons such as Pawtucket and Buddy Cianci for use in the show. McFarlane, in an interview with local WNAC Fox 64 News, has stated that the town is modeled after Cranston, Rhode Island. Several times every episode, the actual Providence skyline can be seen in the distance.[7] The three buildings that are depicted are, from left to right and furthest to closest, One Financial Center, 50 Kennedy Plaza, and the Bank of America Tower. This ordering of buildings and the angle at which they are viewed (see figure at right) indicates that Quahog is primarily west of downtown Providence if it is to have a real-world counterpart. However, in a few episodes Quahog is shown to have a coastline (see "Fifteen Minutes of Shame", "Fore Father", and "The Perfect Castaway"), which only Cranston and Providence possess. This is supported by the fact that the real-world "31 Spooner Street" is located in Providence [10][11], immediately west of Roger Williams Park. This could be a coincidence, as MacFarlane has said in a DVD commentary that the street was named after Spooner Hill Road, along which is his boyhood home. In "E Peterbus Unum", a map of Rhode Island is shown with Quahog shown in red with Quahog appearing to be in the vicinity of Tiverton. According to Mayor Adam West in "Fifteen Minutes of Shame", the town was founded by a sailor of a New York colony-bound boat who was thrown overboard for his loquaciousness. A magical clam rescued him and brought him to shore, together the two founding a new town named Quahog, a quahog being a type of clam. On MacFarlane's part, the choice of name is a nod to the state's characteristic staple. Although quahogs are common throughout New England, the small state of Rhode Island produces one quarter the country's catch. Cast See also: List of Family Guy voice actors and List of Family Guy guest stars The main cast and their main parts are as follows: Seth MacFarlane, who voices Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin, Brian Griffin, Glenn Quagmire, and Tom Tucker; Alex Borstein as Lois Griffin, Loretta Brown (until the character was retired in season four), and Trisha Takanawa; Seth Green as Chris Griffin; and Mila Kunis as Meg Griffin. The main cast do voices for several recurring characters other than those listed, as well as impersonate celebrities and pop-culture icons. Recurring cast members include: Patrick Warburton as Joe Swanson; Mike Henry as Cleveland Brown; Adam West as the mayor Adam West; Jennifer Tilly as Bonnie Swanson; John G. Brennan as Mort Goldman; Nicole Sullivan as Muriel Goldman; Carlos Alazraqui as Jonathan Weed (until the character was killed off in season three); Adam Carolla as Death (excluding his first appearance, during which the character was voiced by Norm MacDonald); Lori Alan as Diane Simmons. Lacey Chabert voiced Meg Griffin for the first production season (15 episodes); however, because of a contractual agreement, she was never credited.[12] She was eventually credited at the end of The Family Guy 100th Episode Special, which featured clips of her work. Episodes Main article: List of Family Guy episodes For the first half of the first season, the writers tried to work the words "murder" or "death" into the title of every episode to make the titles resemble those of old-fashioned radio mystery shows. On the DVD commentary for "Death Has a Shadow", creator Seth MacFarlane says that the writers stopped doing this when they realized they were beginning to get the titles confused. Beginning with "A Hero Sits Next Door", the episodes feature titles descriptive of their plots. Some episodes are not aired in full in their initial broadcast because of profanity or cultural references. Scenes are either re-edited or removed entirely from the episode. Some cut material is restored for later broadcast on other venues, such as Adult Swim. DVD releases also contain the uncensored material. Crossovers with American Dad! The show has periodically featured the inclusion of certain elements from American Dad!, another animated comedy series created and produced by Seth MacFarlane. Appearances include: * "Meet the Quagmires" – Roger, the alien who lives with the Smiths, makes a last-minute cameo in this episode, asking the Griffins, "Who ate all the Pecan Sandies?" His line is a reference to a line he said early in the American Dad! pilot episode, asking Francine if she bought Pecan Sandies while she was out shopping. He was voiced by Seth MacFarlane, who also voices him in American Dad!. * "Blue Harvest" – Roger can be spotted conversing with one of the alien bar patrons while holding a glass of wine during the cantina scene. * "Lois Kills Stewie" – CIA agent Stan Smith, the main character of American Dad!, as well as his supervisor Avery Bullock and the CIA Headquarters, are featured in this episode. Though the story is non-canon, these elements play a more prominent role in this episode, thus making it feel more like a real crossover. Stan and Bullock were voiced by their usual American Dad! voice actors, Seth MacFarlane and Patrick Stewart, respectively. Currently, there are no plans to do an actual Family Guy/American Dad! crossover, however, Seth MacFarlane said there may be one during the upcoming seventh season of Family Guy. [3] Feature length productions Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story Originally released as a direct-to-DVD movie, Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story comprises three episode length segments with a wraparound story. Different edits, both adding and deleting material, were eventually televised as the three-part season four finale ("Stewie B. Goode", "Bango Was His Name Oh!" and "Stu and Stewie's Excellent Adventure") Music and music video The show often incorporates music numbers in Broadway style as part of its episode technique, either as tangential flashbacks or to advance the plotline. On April 26, 2005 Family Guy: Live in Vegas was released and was a collaboration between composer Walter Murphy and Seth MacFarlane. It features a show tune theme. Only one song is related to the show, the theme song. Also included was the music video "Sexy Party". Writers' strike During the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, official production of the show was halted for most of December 2007 and various periods afterwards. Fox continued producing episodes without creator Seth MacFarlane's final approval which he termed as "a colossal dick move," in an interview with Variety. Though MacFarlane refused to work on the show, his contract under Fox required him to contribute to any episodes it would subsequently produce.[13] Production officially resumed after the end of the strike, with episodes airing regularly from February 17, 2008, onward.[14] Podcast In the United States, 28 episode podcasts were released on iTunes, and are also made available on the official site. These are audio-only promos where cast members talk about upcoming episodes and joke amongst themselves.[15] Title sequence The normal title sequence in Family Guy parodies TV programs like All in the Family with its nostalgic longing for values of days past. The sequence has had only small changes since the first episode in 1999: * Stewie, Meg, and Chris' pictures in the background originally contained simple outlines, but beginning with "A Picture Is Worth a 1,000 Bucks", the pictures have shown the actual characters. * Because so many people thought Stewie sang "effin' cry!" instead of "Laugh and cry" in the opening sequence (to the extent UK broadcaster Channel 4 would edit the line so Stewie would only be heard saying "Cry", and some versions of subtitles stating "F-in' cry!"), Seth MacFarlane resang that line to make it clearly "laugh and cry". The rerecording first appeared at the beginning of "The Kiss Seen Around the World" and remained through the end of season three, but the original recording returned when the show resumed airing on Fox in 2005, and has remained since. * Starting Season 4, all main characters' vocals during the part "He's a family guy!" have been muted. Unique title sequences Some title sequences are completely unique to select episodes. They are as follows: * The three "Road Trip" episodes ("Road to Rhode Island", "Road to Europe", "Road to Rupert") each has instead a sequence of still drawings representing that episode's road trip over an introductory musical fanfare taken from Road to Morocco. * "Brian Does Hollywood" – opens with a mock recap of the previous episode, consisting of a sequence of unrelated dramatic cliches and ending with the real premise of the episode. * "Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High" – title sequence replaced with a parody of the series Law & Order. * "PTV" – title sequence replaced with Osama Bin Laden going through various bloopers while trying to record a terrorist video before being beaten up by Stewie, followed by a Naked Gun parody going through familiar movie scenes, and finishing with a parody of The Simpsons title ending. * "Stu and Stewie's Excellent Adventure" – title sequence replaced with a parody of the series 24 recapping events from the previous two episodes along with an unrelated clip from The Chevy Chase Show. This opening is only featured in the edited-for-television version of the episode. * "Whistle While Your Wife Works" – same as the normal title sequence until the "musical stage" sequence, where Peter trips and falls down the stairs, rolling over Lois and Meg and crushing one of the dancers. Peter, oblivious to the suffocating dancer, complains he will have a swollen foot. Stewie then pops up in front of the camera, awkwardly suggesting to the operator that he should turn it off. * "Blue Harvest" – title sequence replaced with a parody of the opening crawl of Star Wars IV: A New Hope, utilizing the same fonts and music as that of the original film. Awards Family Guy and its cast have been nominated for 8 Emmy awards, with three wins:[16] * 2000: Outstanding Voice-Over Performance – Seth MacFarlane for "Stewie Griffin" * 2002: Outstanding Music and Lyrics – Walter Murphy (composer), Seth MacFarlane (lyricist) * 2007: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation – Steve Fonti (storyboard artist) The show has also been nominated for nine Annies, and won twice, both in 2006. The show has also been nominated for a Golden Reel Award three times, winning once.[16][17] Meta-humor Family Guy poses as a typical sitcom in many respects; however at other times, characters will make it very clear that they are aware they're on a television show. Many times, characters are seen breaking the fourth wall to address the audience directly. For example, when Vern and Johnny, the Vaudeville duo, appear for the fifth time on the show in the episode "Saving Private Brian", they are killed and Stewie steps into frame, saying "OK. They're dead. All right? We're not going to be seeing them again." Another example of the show's self-awareness happens in that same episode. Stewie has a line that is clearly intended to set up a cutaway gag, but after a pause during which nothing happens he says, "Oh...No clip? Huh. Thought we had a clip." and the action continues. Perhaps the greatest display of self-awareness in the show would be in the episode Lethal Weapons where Peter outright stated that the government should warn families about the dangers of violence on television. As a result of "bad-mouthing" the network, the budget for animation has been cut for the end of the episode. Ironically, in the later episode PTV, Peter complains about the FCC censoring television, as well as real life. But in the end, he manages to lift the ban on Quahog just by pointing out that the buildings in Washington look like private body parts. Criticism Family Guy has been panned by certain television critics, most notably from Entertainment Weekly,[18] which was in turn attacked by MacFarlane during a scene in Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story. The show is criticized for using story premises and humor similar to those used in episodes of The Simpsons,.[19] The Simpsons depicts Peter Griffin as a "clone" of Homer Simpson in a Halloween special,[20] and as a fugitive accused of "Plagiarismo" (faux-Italian for plagiarism) in the episode "The Italian Bob". Family Guy is also mocked in a two-part episode "Cartoon Wars" of South Park,[21] in which characters call the show's jokes interchangeable and unrelated to storylines; the writers of Family Guy are portrayed as manatees who write by pushing rubber "idea balls" inscribed with random topics into a bin. Seth MacFarlane responded to the criticism on the Volume 4 box set DVD commentary, saying it was completely founded and true, even giving reference to many skits and jokes that were meant for previously scripted episodes and later cut and recycled in future episodes. Other cartoonists who have publicly criticized Family Guy include John Kricfalusi, creator of Ren and Stimpy: "If you're a kid wanting to be a cartoonist today, and you're looking at Family Guy, you do not have to aim very high. You can draw Family Guy when you're ten years old. You do not have to get any better than that to become a professional cartoonist. The standards are extremely low."[22] The show's penchant for irreverent humor led to a controversy over a sequence in which Peter Griffin dances, in musical revue fashion, around the bed of a man with end-stage AIDS, delivering the patient's diagnosis in song.[23] Spin-Off The Hollywood Reporter recently announced that there are plans to produce a spin-off of Family Guy to be focused on Cleveland Brown. The project is named The Cleveland Show and will be created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Henry (the voice of Cleveland), and American Dad! showrunner Rich Appel.[24] Lawsuits Carol Burnett In March 2007, famed comedian Carol Burnett filed a lawsuit against 20th century Fox, claiming that it was a copyright infringement for her Charwoman cleaning character to be portrayed on the show without her permission. Besides that, Burnett stated that Fox violated her publicity rights. She was asking for $6 million in damages. On June 4, 2007, U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson rejected the lawsuit, stating that the parody was protected under the First Amendment, using Hustler v. Falwell as a precedent.[25][26] "I Need a Jew" On October 3, 2007, Bourne Co. Music Publishers filed a lawsuit accusing the show of copyright infringement upon the song "When You Wish Upon a Star" by a parody song entitled "I Need a Jew", from the episode When You Wish Upon a Weinstein. Bourne Co., the sole U.S. copyright owner of the song, alleges the parody pairs a "thinly veiled" copy of their music with antisemitic lyrics. Named in the suit are Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., Fox Broadcasting Co., Cartoon Network, Seth MacFarlane, and composer Walter Murphy; the suit seeks to stop the program's distribution, and unspecified damages.[27][28][29] Since "I Need a Jew" uses the copyrighted melody without commenting on that song, it may not be a First Amendment–protected parody per the Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. ruling.[30] Art Metrano In December 2007, actor/comedian Art Metrano filed a lawsuit accusing the show of copyright infringement over a scene in Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story in which Jesus performs Metrano's signature "magic" act which involved absurd faux magical hand gestures (such as making a finger "jump" from one hand to the other) while humming the distinctive tune "Fine and Dandy". Metrano's suit claims this performance is protected under terms of the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. Named in the suit are 20th century Fox, show creator Seth MacFarlane, and collaborators Steve Callaghan and Alex Borstein. Metrano performed this routine on programs such as The Tonight Show, where he made several appearances.[31][32] . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted June 29, 2008 Author Share Posted June 29, 2008 9. (tie) All In The Family (1971-79) (8 of 18 lists - 97 points - highest ranking #2 Brian) All in the Family is an acclaimed American situation comedy that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971 to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, the show was revamped, and given a new title, Archie Bunker's Place. This version of the sitcom lasted another four years, ending its run in 1983. Produced by Norman Lear and based on the British television series Till Death Us Do Part, the show broke ground in its depiction of issues previously deemed unsuitable for U.S. network television comedy, such as racism, homosexuality, women's liberation, rape, miscarriage, breast cancer and impotence. The show ranked #1 in the yearly Nielsen ratings from 1971 to 1976. As of 2007, The Cosby Show has been the only other show to top the ratings for at least five consecutive seasons. In 2002, All in the Family was ranked #4 on TV Guide's list of the 50 greatest TV shows of all time. Bravo also named the show's protagonist, Archie Bunker, TV's greatest character of all time. Premise This series starred veteran character actor Carroll O'Connor as Archie Bunker, a working-class, very outspoken bigot, prejudiced against everyone and everything not in agreement with his view of the world. His ignorance and stubbornness tend to cause his malapropism-filled arguments to self-destruct. He often responds to uncomfortable truths by blowing a raspberry. He longs for simpler times, when people sharing his viewpoint were in charge, as evidenced by the nostalgic theme song, "Those Were the Days," the show's original title. (In the first pilot filmed, the family name was Justice rather than Bunker [2].) By contrast, his wife Edith (Jean Stapleton) is a sweet, understanding, if somewhat intellectually limited woman. She usually defers to her always-opinionated husband, but on the rare occasions when she takes a stand, she proves to be one of the wisest characters in the series. This is perhaps best seen in episodes "The Battle of the Month" and "The Games Bunkers Play". Archie often tells her to "stifle herself" and calls her a "dingbat", but despite their very different personalities, they love each other deeply. They have one child, Gloria (Sally Struthers), who is married to perennial college student Michael Stivic (Rob Reiner). Michael is an archetypal 1960s-style liberal. He and Archie constantly clash over political, social, and personal issues. He is also an Atheist, which makes Archie extremely angry. For much of the series, the Stivics live in the Bunker home to save money, providing even more opportunity for the two men to irritate each other. When they finally move out, it is to the house next door, offered to them by George Jefferson, the owner, who knew it would get to Archie. Archie frequently calls his son-in-law "meathead" and "Polack" (pronounced Polock) to insult Michael's intelligence and Polish ancestry respectively. The show is set in the Astoria[3] section of Queens, one of New York City's five boroughs. Cast Main characters * Carroll O'Connor as Archie Bunker, frequently called a "lovable bigot," an assertively prejudiced blue-collar worker. Former child actor Mickey Rooney was Lear's choice to play Archie, but Rooney declined the offer due to the strong potential for controversy and, in Rooney's opinion, poor chance for success. O'Connor enthusiastically sought the part, even though he agreed with Rooney's assessment. O'Connor was living in Italy at the time, and made his acceptance contingent on Lear's covering his airfare back to Italy if the show failed. At the end of the 1973-74 season, O'Connor attempted to renegotiate his contract. When he and producers reached a stalemate, he went on strike. To work around his absence, the writers devised a three-part episode in which Archie disappears on his way to a convention (O'Connor only appears for less than a minute, at the very end of the third part). Had O'Connor not returned to work by the time taping began on the third part, the writers had reportedly planned to kill the character off. Ironically, O'Connor, the actor who fought the most with Lear, remained with the series throughout its run, including the Archie Bunker's Place era. All the other actors either were written off before the end of its run or debuted in later seasons. O'Connor appeared in all but seven episodes. * Jean Stapleton as Edith Bunker, née Baines. Stapleton remained with the show all through the original series run, but decided to leave before the first season of Archie Bunker's Place had wrapped up. At that point, Edith was written out as having suffered a stroke and died off camera, leaving Archie to deal with the death of his beloved "dingbat". Stapleton appeared in almost every show with the exception of four. * Sally Struthers as Gloria Bunker-Stivic, the Bunkers' college-age daughter, married to Michael Stivic. Gloria frequently attempts to mediate Archie and Michael's arguments. The roles of Archie and Edith's daughter and son-in-law (then named "Dickie") initially went to Candice Azzara and Chip Oliver. However, after seeing the show's pilot, the original production company, ABC, requested a second pilot, expressing dissatisfaction with both actors. Lear recast the "Gloria" and "Dickie" roles with Struthers and Reiner. Penny Marshall, whom Reiner married in April 1971, shortly after the program began, was also considered for the role of Gloria. * Rob Reiner as Michael Stivic, Gloria's college-student husband, a liberal Polish-American who constantly spars with Archie (in the original pilot, the character was Irish-American). As discussed in All in the Family retrospectives, Richard Dreyfuss sought the part, but Norman Lear was convinced to cast Reiner. Supporting characters * Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford and Mike Evans as George Jefferson, his wife Louise and their son Lionel, Archie's African American neighbors. George is Archie's combative black counterpart, while Louise is a smarter, more assertive version of Edith. Lionel and Louise joined the show in its first season. Although previously mentioned many times, George was not seen until 1973. Hemsley, who was Norman Lear's first choice to play George, was performing in the Broadway musical Purlie and did not want to break his commitment to that show. However, Lear kept the role waiting for him until he had finished with the musical. * Mel Stewart, as George's brother Henry Jefferson. Stewart filled in for Hemsley. The two appeared together only once, in the 1973 episode in which the Bunkers host Henry's going-away party, marking Stewart's final episode and Hemsley's first. Even when the Jeffersons were spun off into their own show in 1975, Stewart's character was rarely referred to again and was never seen. In the closing credits of the "The First and Last Supper" episode, Mel Stewart is credited as playing George Jefferson. Stewart was actually playing George's brother, Henry Jefferson, who was pretending to be George for most of the episode. * Betty Garrett and Vincent Gardenia as the liberal and Roman Catholic next-door neighbors Irene and Frank Lorenzo. They joined the show as semi-regulars in 1973; Gardenia only stayed for one season, but Garrett remained until her character was phased out in late 1975, later resurfacing as a regular in the sitcom Laverne and Shirley. * Danielle Brisebois as Edith's 9-year old niece, Stephanie Mills. The Bunkers take her in after the child's father, Floyd Mills, abandons her on their doorstep in 1978. (He later extorts money from them to let them keep her.) She would remain with the show through its transition to Archie Bunker's Place. * Allan Melvin as Archie's neighbor and best friend Barney Hefner. The character first appeared in 1973 as a fairly minor character. Barney's role expanded toward the end of the series, after the departures of Reiner and Struthers. Recurring characters * James Cromwell as Jerome[4] "Stretch" Cunningham (1973-1976), Archie's friend and coworker from the loading dock. What Archie did not know was that Stretch was Jewish, evident only after Stretch died and Archie went to the funeral. * Liz Torres as Theresa Betencourt (1976-1977), a Latina nursing student, who initially meets Archie when he is admitted to the hospital for surgery; she later rents Mike and Gloria's former room at the Bunker house. * Bob Hastings as Kelcy or Tommy Kelsey, who owns the bar Archie frequents and later buys. * Jason Wingreen as Harry Snowden, a bartender at Kelcy's Bar who continues to work there after Archie purchases it and eventually becomes his business partner. * Gloria LeRoy as Mildred "Boom-Boom" Turner, a buxom, middle-aged secretary at the plant where Archie works, who is not initially fond of Archie due to his and Stretch's leering and sexist behavior, but later becomes friendly with him, occasionally working as a barmaid at Archie's Place. Actors in multiple roles A number of actors played multiple roles during the show's run: * Jean Stapleton played both Edith Bunker and Judith Klammerstadt in the episode "A Girl Like Edith". The end credits list actress "Giovanna Pucci" for the latter character. In fact, this is a play on words with Stapleton's married name: Jean Putch. * Vincent Gardenia portrayed neighbor Jim Bowman, who sells the Jeffersons their house in "The Jeffersons Move In"; Curtis Rempley, half of a wife-swapping couple Edith befriends in "The Bunkers and the Swingers" (from the show's first and third seasons respectively); and later had a recurring role as neighbor Frank Lorenzo during the 1973-74 season * Gloria LeRoy played the wife of one of Archie's old Army buddies (Duke Loomis) in third season episode "The Threat" and later portrayed Mildred "Boom-Boom" Turner in a few episodes between 1974 and 1978. * Allan Melvin played NYPD Sergeant Paul Pulaski in the second-season episode "Archie and the Lock-up" and later played the recurring role of Archie's best friend Barney Hefner from 1973 on. * Marcia Rodd appeared in two episodes during the 1971-1972 season, playing two different characters, first as a single mother who accuses Mike of being the father of her eight-year old son in "Mike's Mysterious Son", and Maude's daughter Carol in the episode "Maude". (Adrienne Barbeau would take over the role of Carol on spinoff series Maude.) * Bill Macy first appeared as a uniformed Police Officer in the "Archie Sees a Mugging" episode before returning as Maude's husband * Roscoe Lee Browne appears as Hugh Victor Thompson III in "The Elevator Story" (1972) and then returns as Jean Duval in "Archie in the Hospital" (1973) * Burt Mustin played the role of night watchman Harry Feeney in the episode titled Archie is Worried About His Job. He came back later in a few episodes, as Justin Quigley, starting with Edith Finds an Old Man. * Sorrell Booke (who played Boss Hogg in the Dukes of Hazzard) played Mr. Bennett, the owner of a television station in "Archie and the Editorial (1972)" and then returned four more times as Mr. Sanders, Archie's boss down at the loading dock. "Kelcy" or "Kelsey" The name of the establishment is Kelcy's Bar (as seen in the bar window in various episodes). However, unaccountably, the end credits of episodes involving the bar owner spell the name "Kelcy" for the first two seasons and "Kelsey" thereafter, although the end credits show "Kelcy" in the "Archie Gets the Business" episode. Controversial nature In a warning to viewers, CBS ran a disclaimer before airing the first episode (which disappeared from the screen with the sound of a toilet flushing): "The program you are about to see is All in the Family. It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter we hope to show, in a mature fashion, just how absurd they are." All in the Family was notorious for featuring language and epithets previously absent from television, such as "f**" for homosexual, "s***" for Hispanics, "dago" and "wop" for Italians, "chink" for Asians, "spade" for Blacks, and phrases such as "God damn it." It was also famous for being the first major television show to feature the sound of a flushing toilet; it became a running gag on the show. While moral watchdogs attacked the show on those grounds, others objected to the show's portrayal of Archie Bunker as a "lovable" bigot. Defenders of the series pointed out that Archie usually lost his arguments by reason of his own stupidity. (It is perhaps worth noting that Alf Garnett, Archie Bunker's counterpart in the original British series, was far from lovable and used much stronger language that would not have been allowed on US network television.) In addition to its candid political dialogs, All in the Family's story lines also included a sense of realism not previously associated with sitcoms. A 1973 episode, for example, found the Bunkers discovering a swastika painted on their front door. (It had been intended for their Jewish neighbors down the street.) An activist from the Jewish Defense League showed up, proposing violent retaliation against whoever painted it, but upon leaving, he was blown up in his car, as the Bunkers watched in horror from their front door. To interweave illness, crime, or in this case, the off-screen violent death of a character into the plot of a comedy show was an unprecedented move. While Archie's bigotry and short-sightedness were the focus of much of the humor, Mike Stivic's naive liberal nature was on the receiving end of occasional jabs. In the episode Edith Writes a Song, where the family is held by African-American burglars, Mike attempts to intervene on Archie's behalf, explaining to the burglars how Archie does not know about the pain of ghetto poverty. One of the burglars, played by Demond Wilson and Cleavon Little, responds: "And YOU do?" Production Lear bought the rights to Till Death Us Do Part and incorporated his own family experiences with his father into the show. Lear's father would tell Lear's mother to "stifle herself" and she would tell Lear's father "you are the laziest white man I ever saw" (two 'Archieisms' that found their way onto the show). There were three different pilots shot for the series, first was named "Justice" in reference to Archie's family name (later changed to Bunker). The second was titled Justice for All but was later changed to Those Were the Days. Different actors played the roles of Mike, Gloria, and Lionel in the first two. ABC became uneasy at about the time Richard Dreyfuss sought the role of Michael and canceled the project. Rival network CBS was eager to update its image, and was looking to replace much of its then popular "rural" programming (Mayberry R.F.D., The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction and Green Acres) with more "urban", contemporary fare (see Rural purge), and was interested in Lear's project. They bought the rights from ABC and re-titled the show All in the Family. Lear initially wanted to shoot in black and white, perhaps feeling that it would emphasize the Bunkers' stark surroundings to greater effect. While CBS insisted on color, Lear had the set furnished in rather neutral tones, keeping everything relatively devoid of color. All in the Family was the first major American series to be videotaped in front of a live studio audience. At the time, sitcoms were shot on film in front of an audience (like Mary Tyler Moore and The Dick Van Dyke Show), and the 1960s had seen a growing number of sitcoms filmed on soundstages without audiences, with a laugh track simulating audience response. After the success of All in the Family, videotaping sitcoms in front of an audience became common format for the genre during the 70s. However, the use of videotape also gave All in the Family the look and feel of the classic sitcoms of early television, which had been performed live before a studio audience (including the original live broadcasts of The Honeymooners, to which All in the Family is sometimes compared. In the final season, the practice changed to playing the already taped and edited show to an audience and recording their laughter to add to the original sound track. Thus, the voice-over during the end credits was changed from Rob Reiner's "All in the Family was recorded on tape before a live studio audience" to Carroll O'Connor's "All in the Family was played to a studio audience for live responses." (Typically, the audience would be gathered for a taping of One Day At A Time, and get to see All In the Family as a bonus.) Throughout its run, Norman Lear took pride in the fact that canned laughter was never used (mentioning this on many occasions); the laughter heard in the episodes was genuine. The house shown in the opening credits is located at 89-70 Cooper Avenue in the Glendale neighborhood of Queens, New York. One may notice there is no porch on that house. The fictional address of the Bunker home was 704 Hauser Street and a number of scenes took place on a porch during the series' run. Awards All in the Family is the first of three sitcoms in which all the main characters won Emmy Awards (O'Connor, Stapleton, Struthers, and Reiner). The other two are The Golden Girls and Will & Grace. It won numerous Emmys: * Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Carroll O'Connor, 1972, 1977-1979 * Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Jean Stapleton, 1971, 1972, 1978 * Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role in a Comedy Series - Sally Struthers, 1972 (tied with Valerie Harper for The Mary Tyler Moore Show), 1979 * Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy Series - Rob Reiner, 1974, 1978 * Outstanding New Series - Norman Lear, 1971 * Outstanding Comedy Series - Norman Lear, 1971, 1972, 1973 (with John Rich); Mort Lachman and Milt Josefsberg, 1978 * Outstanding Direction in a Comedy Series - John Rich, 1972; Paul Bogart, 1978 * Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series - Burt Styler, 1972; Michael Ross, Bernard West and Lee Kalcheim, 1973; Bob Weiskopf, Bob Schiller, Barry Harman and Harvey Bronsten, 1978 * Outstanding Live or Tape Sound Mixing - Norman Dewes, 1972 It was nominated an additional 34 times. Its Golden Globe Awards are: * Best TV Actor, Musical/Comedy - Carroll O'Connor, 1972 * Best TV Actress, Musical/Comedy - Jean Stapleton, 1973, 1974 * Best Supporting Actress, Television - Betty Garrett, 1975 * Best TV Show, Musical/Comedy - 1972-74, 1978 There were also 21 nominations. Episodes Main article: List of All in the Family episodes The longest sustained audience laughter in the show's history occurred in the famous episode-ending scene in which guest star Sammy Davis, Jr. plays himself. Archie is working as a cabdriver. Davis leaves a briefcase behind in his taxi and goes to the Bunker home to pick it up. Archie asks for a photograph with the famous celebrity; the picture captures Davis (after hearing some of Archie's racist remarks) suddenly kissing a stunned Archie on the cheek. The ensuing laughter went on for so long that it had to be severely edited for network broadcast, as Carroll O'Connor still had one line ("Well, what the hell — he said it was in his contract!") to deliver after the kiss. (The line is usually cut in syndication.) Spin-offs and TV special All in the Family spawned several spin-offs, beginning with Maude on September 12, 1972. Maude Findlay, played by Beatrice Arthur, was Edith's cousin; she had first appeared on All in the Family in December 1971 in order to help take care of the Bunkers when they all were sick. Maude disliked Archie intensely, mainly because she thought Edith could have married better, but also because Archie was a conservative while Maude was very liberal in her politics. Maude was featured in another All in the Family episode in which Archie and Edith visited Maude's home in Westchester County to attend the wedding of Maude's daughter Carol — it aired near the end of the second season in the spring of 1972. The episode was essentially designed to set up the premise for the spin-off series Maude. In the episode, Bill Macy played Maude's husband, Walter; it was a role he would reprise for the weekly series that fall. Marcia Rodd, the actress who played Carol in the episode was replaced by Adrienne Barbeau in Maude. The second and longest-lasting spin-off of All in the Family was The Jeffersons. Debuting on CBS on January 18, 1975 The Jeffersons lasted 11 seasons compared to All in the Family's 9 seasons. The main characters of The Jeffersons were the Bunkers' former next-door neighbors George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) and his wife, Louise "Weezie" Jefferson (Isabel Sanford). George Jefferson was the owner of a chain of seven successful dry-cleaning stores; as The Jeffersons begins, they have just moved from the Bunkers' neighborhood to a luxury high-rise apartment building in Manhattan's Upper East Side. George was considered to be the "Black Archie Bunker", and just as racist as Archie. George and Louise would later appear on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. They bought the Banks mansion on the last show. Other spin-offs of All in the Family include: * Archie Bunker's Place was technically a spin-off, but was more of a continuation of the series. * Gloria, wherein Gloria divorces Mike and starts a new life. * 704 Hauser features the Bunkers' house with a new family. There were also two spin-offs from spin-offs of All in the Family: * Good Times, features Maude's former maid Florida Evans and her family in a Chicago ghetto * Checking In, the Jeffersons' maid Florence gets her own show A 90-minute retrospective, All in the Family 20th Anniversary Special, was produced to commemorate the show's 20th anniversary which aired on CBS February 16, 1991. It was hosted by the creator, Norman Lear, and featured a compilation of clips from the show's best moments including interviews with cast members Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers. Reiner and Lear promoted the special the previous week on The Arsenio Hall Show. Theme song The series' opening theme song "Those Were the Days",[13] written by Lee Adams (lyrics) and Charles Strouse (music), was presented in a unique way for a 1970s series: Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton seated at a console or spinet piano (played by Stapleton) and singing the tune on-camera at the start of every episode, concluding with live-audience applause. Several different performances were recorded over the run of the series, including one version that includes additional lyrics. The song is a simple, pentatonic melody (that can be played exclusively with black keys on a piano) in which Archie and Edith wax nostalgic for the simpler days of yesteryear. The additional lyrics in the longer version lend to the song a greater sense of sadness, and make poignant reference to social changes taking place in the sixties. A few perceptible drifts can be observed when listening to each version chronologically: In the original version after the first time the lyric "Those Were The Days" were sung over the tonic (root chord of the song's key) the piano strikes a Dominant 7th chord in transition to the next part and that is absent from subsequent versions. Jean Stapleton's screeching high note on the line "And you knew who you WEEERRE then" became louder, longer, and more comical, Carroll O'Connor's pronunciation of "welfare state" gained more of Archie's trademark enunciation and the closing lyrics (especially "Gee, our old LaSalle ran great.") were sung with increasingly deliberate articulation, as viewers had initially complained that they could not understand the words. In interviews, Norman Lear stated that the idea for the piano song introduction was a cost-cutting measure. After completion of the pilot episode, the budget would not allow an elaborate scene to serve as the sequence played during the show's opening credits. Lear decided to have a simple scene of Archie and Edith singing at the piano -- a sequence that became one of the most famous and parodied openings in TV history. The closing theme (an instrumental) was "Remembering You" played by Roger Kellaway with lyrics co-written by Carroll O'Connor. It was played over footage of houses in Queens intended to represent the Bunkers' neighborhood. Except for some brief instances in the very first episodes, there was no background or transitional music. Cultural impact * Then-US President Richard Nixon can be heard discussing the show (specifically the 1971 episodes "Writing the President" and "Judging Books by Covers") on one of the infamous Watergate tapes.[14] * Eric Cartman from South Park was created as an Archie Bunker type character. According to Trey Parker and Matt Stone, when they were creating South Park, they were vexed that it would be impossible to put a character like Archie Bunker on late-20th century television. They thought, however, that if he were an animated eight-year-old boy, it might just be allowed. * Popular T-shirts, buttons, and bumper stickers showing O'Connor's image and farcically promoting "Archie Bunker for President" appeared around the time of the 1972 presidential election. A number of voters were said to have voted for the fictional TV character as a write-in candidate. * Archie and Edith's chairs are now in the Smithsonian Institution.[15] Originally purchased by the show's set designer for a few dollars at a local Goodwill thrift store, the originals were given to the Smithsonian (for an exhibit on American television history) in 1978. It cost producers thousands of dollars to create replicas to replace the originals. * In 1998 All in the Family was honored on a 33-cent stamp by the USPS.[16] * On the TV series Family Guy, the opening sequence shows Peter and Lois Griffin playing the piano and singing, which is an homage to the opening sequence for All in the Family. Also, the Family Guy episode "PTV" depicts a fictional All in the Family scene where Archie and Edith get the Jeffersons to move by burning a cross on their lawn while dressed like members of the Ku Klux Klan. However, a two-part episode called "Archie and the KKK" shows that Archie does not approve of the racist organization. The closing credits are also parodied in the episode Stewie Loves Lois. * An episode of The Simpsons, "Lisa's Sax", features a parody of the opening sequence of All in the Family, with Marge playing piano and Marge and Homer singing an updated version of "Those were the Days". The episode then proceeds to state that it was filmed in front of a live studio audience. Homer Simpson also has some notable comparisons to Archie as well. including his first line following the intro to Bart: "hey there "meathead' what are you watching?" [17] * The show inspired the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series Wait Till Your Father Gets Home. * In the series The Golden Girls, in an episode where the girls discover their neighbor's palm tree has crashed into their yard after a storm, their neighbors make an appearance and have personalities very similar to the Bunkers. * There is an Amazing Race episode called "I've Become the Archie Bunker of the Home". * The television series History Bites was also known to parody the show, as witnessed in the Talkin' Turkey[18] episode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felix Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 (edited) Family Guy was funny for 2.5 seasons, and shouldn't be as high as it is. Also, because its fun to 'complain' about this, still no Futurama, damnit! Edited June 29, 2008 by Felix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted June 29, 2008 Author Share Posted June 29, 2008 7. Cheers (1982-93) (9 of 18 lists - 99 points - highest ranking #2 Rex Hudler) Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran eleven seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles-Burrows-Charles Productions in association with Paramount Television (now CBS Paramount Television) for NBC, having been created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles. The show is set in the Cheers bar (named for the toast "Cheers") in Boston, Massachusetts, where a group of locals meet to drink and have fun. The show's theme song was written by Judy Hart Angelo and Gary Portnoy and performed by Portnoy;[1] its famous refrain, Where Everybody Knows Your Name also became the show's tagline. After premiering on September 30, 1982, it was nearly cancelled during its first season when it ranked dead last in ratings.[2][3] However, Cheers eventually became a highly rated television show in the United States, earning a top-ten rating during eight of its eleven seasons, including one season at #1, and spending the bulk of its run on NBC's "Must See Thursday" lineup. Its widely watched series finale was broadcast on May 20, 1993. The show's 275 episodes have been successfully syndicated worldwide, and have earned 28 Emmy Awards from of a total of 117 nominations.[4] The character Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) was featured in his own successful spin-off, Frasier. Cast Cheers maintained an ensemble cast, keeping roughly the same set of characters for the entire run. Numerous secondary characters and love interests for these characters appeared intermittently to complement storylines that generally revolved around this core group. Character Actor/Actress Role Other occupation(s) Duration Sam Malone Ted Danson Bartender/Owner Former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox 1982-1993 Diane Chambers Shelley Long Waitress Author; graduate student 1982-1987 (1993; guest) Rebecca Howe Kirstie Alley Manager/Waitress Businesswoman 1987-1993 Carla Tortelli Rhea Perlman Waitress Homemaker 1982-1993 "Woody" Boyd Woody Harrelson Assistant Bartender Actor; politician 1987-1993 Norm Peterson George Wendt Customer Accountant; interior decorator; house painter 1982-1993 Cliff Clavin John Ratzenberger Customer Mailman 1982-1993 Frasier Crane Kelsey Grammer Customer Psychiatrist 1984-1993 Ernie "Coach" Pantusso Nicholas Colasanto Assistant Bartender Sam's coach 1982-1986 Lilith Sternin Bebe Neuwirth Customer Psychiatrist 1986-1993 The main cast of Cheers after season 7(from left to right): (top) John Ratzenberger, Roger Rees, Woody Harrelson (middle) Rhea Perlman, Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, George Wendt (bottom) Kelsey Grammer, Bebe Neuwirth. The main cast of Cheers after season 7 (from left to right): (top) John Ratzenberger, Roger Rees, Woody Harrelson (middle) Rhea Perlman, Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, George Wendt (bottom) Kelsey Grammer, Bebe Neuwirth. The character of Sam Malone was originally intended to be a retired football player and was originally supposed to be played by Fred Dryer, but after casting Ted Danson it was decided that a former baseball player would be more believable, given Danson's slimmer physique.[5] The character of Cliff Clavin was created for John Ratzenberger after he auditioned for the role of "Norm". While chatting with producers afterwards, he asked if they were going to include a "bar know-it-all", the part which he eventually played.[6] Kirstie Alley joined the cast when Shelley Long left, and Woody Harrelson joined when Nicholas Colasanto died. Danson, George Wendt, and Rhea Perlman were the only actors to appear in every episode of the series.[7] Paul Willson, who played the recurring barfly character of "Paul", made early appearances in the first season as "Glen", was credited as "Gregg", and also appeared in the show as a character named "Tom".[8] Guest stars Although Cheers operated largely around that main ensemble cast, guest stars did occasionally supplement them. Notable repeat guests included Jay Thomas as Eddie LeBec, Dan Hedaya as Nick Tortelli, Jean Kasem as Loretta Tortelli, Roger Rees as Robin Colcord, Tom Skerritt as Evan Drake, and Harry Anderson as Harry the Hat. Other celebrities guest-starred in single episodes as themselves throughout the series. Some sports figures appeared on the show as former team-mates of Sam's from the Red Sox such as Luis Tiant and Wade Boggs, while others appeared with no connection to Cheers such as Kevin McHale (star player of the Boston Celtics, Cheers' hometown basketball team) or Mike Ditka. Some television stars also made guest appearances such as Johnny Gilbert, Alex Trebek, Arsenio Hall, Dick Cavett, and Johnny Carson. Some political figures even made appearances on Cheers such as then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral William J. Crowe, former Colorado Senator Gary Hart, then-Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill, Senator John Kerry, then-Governor Michael Dukakis, and then-Mayor of Boston Raymond Flynn (the last four of which all represented Cheers' home state and city). Musician Harry Connick, Jr. appeared in an episode as Woody's cousin[9] and plays a song from his Grammy winning album We Are in Love (c. 1991). John Cleese won an Emmy for his guest appearance as "Dr. Simon Finch-Royce" in a fifth season episode "Simon Says".[4] Emma Thompson guest starred as Nanny Gee/Nanette Guzman, a famous singing nanny and Frasier's ex-wife. Christopher Lloyd guest starred as a tortured artist who wanted to paint Diane. The Righteous Brothers, Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley, also guest starred. Production The concept for Cheers was the end result of a long consideration process. The original idea was a group of workers who interacted like a family, hoping to be similar to The Mary Tyler Moore Show. They considered making an American version of the British Fawlty Towers centered around a hotel or an inn. When the creators settled on a bar as their setting the show began to resemble the radio show Duffy's Tavern. They liked the idea of a tavern as it provided a continuous stream of new people arriving, giving them a constant supply of characters.[3] After choosing a plot, the three had to choose a location. Early discussions centered around Barstow, California, then Kansas City, Missouri. They eventually turned to the East Coast and Boston. The Bull & Finch Pub in Boston that Cheers was styled after was originally chosen from a phone book. When Glen Charles asked the owner to shoot initial exterior and interior shots the owner agreed, charging $1. He has since gone on to make millions, licensing the pub's image and selling a variety of Cheers memorabilia, making the Bull & Finch the 42nd busiest outlet in the American food and beverage industry in 1997. Coincidentally during Shelley Long's casting (who was in Boston at the time filming A Small Circle of Friends) she remarked that the bar in the script resembled a bar she had come upon in Boston, which turned out to be the Bull & Finch.[3] Most Cheers episodes were shot before a live studio audience on Paramount Stage 25, generally on Tuesday nights. Scripts for a new episode were issued the Wednesday before for a read-through, Friday was rehearsal day, and final scripts were issued on Monday. Nearly 100 crewmembers were involved in the shooting of a single episode. Burrows, who directed most episodes, insisted on shooting on film rather than videotape. He was also noted for using motion in his directorial style, trying to always keep characters moving rather than standing still.[3] Crew The crew of Cheers numbered in the hundreds; as such, this section can only provide a brief summary of the many crewmembers for the show. The three creators — James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles — stayed on throughout the series as executive producers along with Tom Palmer.[10] In fact, the two Charles brothers kept offices on Paramount's lot for the duration of Cheers run. In the final seasons, however, they handed over much of the show to Burrows. Burrows is regarded as being a factor in the show's longevity, directing 243 of the episodes and supervising the show's production.[3] David Angell was also a part of the crew from the start, writing many Cheers episodes. The show was often noted for its writing[11][3] which most credit along with other production factors and the ensemble cast for the show's success. Awards Over its eleven-season run, Cheers and its cast and crew earned many awards. Cheers earned 117 Emmy nominations. In addition, Cheers has earned 31 Golden Globe nominations with a total of 6 wins. All ten of the actors who were regulars on the series received Emmy nominations for their roles. Cheers won the Golden Globe for "Best TV-Series - Comedy/Musical" in 1991 and the Emmy for "Outstanding Comedy Series" in 1983, 1984, 1989 and 1991. Cheers was presented with the "Legend Award" at the 2006 TV Land Awards, with many surviving cast members attending the event.[12] The following table summarizes awards won by the Cheers cast and crew.[4] Winner Award Kirstie Alley Emmy, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1991) Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical (1991) Ted Danson Emmy, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1990, 1993) Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical (1990, 1991) Woody Harrelson Emmy, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (1989) Shelley Long Emmy, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1983) Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical (1985) Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV (1983) Bebe Neuwirth Emmy, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1990, 1993) Rhea Perlman Emmy, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1984, 1985, 1986, 1989) John Cleese Emmy, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (1987) Production Awards Emmy, Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series (1983, 1991) Emmy, Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series (1983, 1984) Emmy, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Graphic Design and Title Sequences (1983) Emmy, Outstanding Film Editing for a Series (1984) Emmy, Outstanding Editing for a Series - Multi-Camera Production (1988, 1993) Emmy, Outstanding Live and Tape Sound Mixing and Sound Effects for a Series (1985) Emmy, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special (1986, 1987, 1990) Plot For the full list of episodes, see List of Cheers episodes Nearly all of Cheers took place in the front room of the bar, but they often went into the rear pool room or the bar's office. Cheers didn't show any action outside the bar until the first episode of the second season, which took the action to Diane's apartment. Cheers had some running gags, such as Norm arriving in the bar greeted by a loud "Norm!" Early episodes generally followed Sam's antics with his various women, following a variety of romantic comedy clichés to get out of whatever relationship troubles he was in for each episode. As the show progressed and Sam got into more serious relationships the general tone switched to comedy on Sam settling down into a monogamous lifestyle. Throughout the series, larger story arcs began to develop that spanned multiple episodes or seasons interspersed with smaller themes and one-off episodes. Romance The show's main theme in its early seasons was the romance between the intellectual waitress Diane Chambers and bar owner Sam Malone, a former major league baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and a recovering alcoholic .[13] After Long left the show, the focus shifted to Sam's new relationship with neurotic corporate climber Rebecca. Both romances became important continuing story lines, with relationship growth and change. The story arc began with mutual detestation but sexual attraction to dating and love, and back to detestation. Both relationships featured multi-episode "will they or won't they" sexual tension that drew viewers in. After Sam and Diane's courtship was consummated, the show's popularity grew greatly and subsequent TV shows now very commonly have such "will they or won't they" tensions between opposites.[14] Social issues Many Cheers scripts centered around or were improved with a variety of social issues. As Toasting Cheers puts it:[3] “ The script was further strengthened by the writers' boldness in successfully tackling controversial issues such as alcoholism, homosexuality, and adultery. ” Social class was a subtext of the show. The "upper class" - represented by characters like Diane Chambers, Frasier Crane, Lilith Sternin and (initially) Rebecca Howe — rubbed shoulders with middle and working class characters — Sam Malone, Carla Tortelli, Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin. An extreme example of this was the relationship between Woody Boyd and millionaire's daughter Kelly Gaines. Many viewers enjoyed Cheers in part because of this focus on character development in addition to plot development.[11][3] Feminism and the role of women were also recurring themes throughout the show, with some seeing each of the major female characters as a flawed feminist in her own way.[15] Diane was a vocal feminist, but Sam was the epitome of everything she hated: a womanizer and a male chauvinist. Their relationship led Diane to several diatribes on Sam's promiscuity, while Carla merely insulted people.[3] Carla was respected because of her power, while Diane was ignored as she commanded little respect. Rebecca was a stereotypical ambitious and golddigging woman, seeking relationships with her superiors at the Lillian Corporation, most notably Robin Colcord, to gain promotions or raises. However, she encountered a glass ceiling and ended the show by marrying a plumber rather than a rich businessman. Homosexuality was dealt with from the very first season, a rare move for American network television in the early 1980s. In the first season episode "The Boys In The Bar" (after the 1970s film The Boys in the Band) a friend and former teammate of Sam's comes out in his autobiography. Some of the male regulars pressure Sam to take action to ensure that Cheers does not become a gay bar. The episode won a GLAAD Media Award,[7] and the script's writers, Ken Levine & David Isaacs, were nominated for an Emmy Award for their writing.[4] Harvey Fierstein would later appear in the 1990s as "Mark Newberger", Rebecca's old high school sweetheart who is gay. Finally, the final episode included a gay man who gets into trouble with his boyfriend (played by Anthony Heald) after agreeing to pose as Diane's husband. Addiction also plays a role in Cheers, almost exclusively through Sam, although some critics believed the issue was never really developed.[16] Sam was a recovering alcoholic who ended up buying a bar after his baseball career was ruined by his drinking.[17] Frasier also has a notable bout of drinking in the fourth season episode "The Triangle." Some critics believe Sam was a generally addictive personality who had largely conquered his alcoholism but was still a sexual addict, shown through his womanizing.[18] Cheers owners Cheers obviously had several owners before Sam, as the bar was opened in 1889 (The "Est. 1895" on the bar's sign is a made-up date chosen by Carla for numerological purposes as revealed in the 8th season episode "The Stork Brings a Crane"). In the second episode, "Sam's Women", Norm tells a customer looking for the owner of Cheers that the man he thought was the owner has been replaced, and his replacement was replaced by Sam. The biggest storyline surrounding the ownership of Cheers begins in the fifth season finale, "I Do, Adieu", when Sam and Diane part ways, Shelley Long leaves the regular cast, and Sam leaves to attempt circumnavigating the Earth. Before he leaves, Sam sells Cheers to the Lillian Corporation. Sam returns in the sixth season premiere, "Home is the Sailor", having sunk his boat, to find the bar under the new management of Rebecca Howe. He begs for his job back and is hired by Rebecca as a bartender. Throughout the sixth season, Sam tries a variety of schemes to buy back Cheers. This plot largely comes to an end in the seventh season premiere, "How to Recede in Business", when Rebecca is fired and Sam is promoted to manager. Rebecca is allowed to keep a job at Lillian vaguely similar to what she had before, but only after Sam had Rebecca "agree" (in absentia) to a long list of demands that the corporation had for her. From there Sam would occasionally attempt to buy the bar back with schemes that usually involved wealthy executive Robin Colcord. Cheers did eventually end up back in Sam's hands in the eighth season finale, when it was sold back to him for eighty-five cents by the Lillian Corporation after he alerted the company of Colcord's insider trading. Rebecca earns back a waitress/hostess job from Sam. Other recurring themes Aside from the storylines that spanned across the series, Cheers had several themes that followed no storylines but that recurred throughout the series. There was a heated rivalry between Cheers and the rival bar, Gary's Olde Towne Tavern. One episode of every season depicted some wager between Sam and Gary, which resulted in either a sports competition or a battle of wits that devolved into complex practical jokes. Aside from the very first and very last "Bar Wars" episodes, the Cheers gang almost always lost to Gary's superior ingenuity, though they managed to trick him into missing the annual Bloody Mary contest in one episode. Another episode had Sam collaborating with Gary's to get revenge on his co-workers on a prior practical joke. Sam also had a long-running feud with the management of the upscale restaurant situated directly above the bar, Melville's. The restaurant's management found the bar's clientele decidedly uncouth, while Sam regarded the restaurant as snobbish (despite the fact that customers often drifted between the two businesses via a prominent staircase). This conflict escalated in later seasons, when Melville's came under the ownership of John Allen Hill (Keene Curtis), and it emerged that Sam did not technically own the bar's poolroom and bathrooms. Sam subsequently was forced to pay rent for them and often found himself at the mercy of Hill's tyranny. Norm Peterson continually searched for gainful employment as an accountant but spent most of the series unemployed, thereby explaining his constant presence in Cheers at the same stool. The face of his wife, Vera, was never fully seen onscreen, despite a few fleeting appearances and a couple of vocal cameos. Cliff Clavin seemed unable to shake the constant presence of his mother, Esther Clavin (Frances Sternhagen). Though she did not appear in every episode, he would refer to her quite often, mostly as both an emotional burden and a smothering parent. Carla Tortelli carried a reputation of being both highly fertile and matrimonially inept. The last husband she had on the show, Eddie LeBec, was a washed-up ice hockey goaltender who ended up dying in an ice show accident. Carla later discovered that Eddie had cheated on her, marrying another woman after impregnating her. Carla's sleazy first husband, Nick Tortelli, also made frequent appearances, mostly to torment Carla with a new custody battle or legal scam that grew out of their divorce. Carla's eight children (four of whom were "born" during the show's run) were also notoriously ill-behaved. Critical reactions Cheers was critically acclaimed in its first season, though it landed a disappointing 74th in the ratings that year out of only 74 shows.[19] This critical support, coupled with early success at the Emmys and the support of the president of NBC's entertainment division Brandon Tartikoff, is thought to be the main reason for the show's survival and eventual success.[20][21] The cast themselves went across the country on various talk shows to try to further promote the series after its first season. With the growing popularity of Family Ties which ran in the slot ahead of Cheers from both shows' inceptions until the end of the former was moved to Sundays in 1987 and the placement of The Cosby Show in front of both at the start of their third season (1984), the line-up became a runaway ratings success that NBC eventually dubbed "Must See Thursday". The next season, Cheers ratings increased dramatically after Woody Boyd became a regular character as well. By its final season Cheers had a run of eight consecutive seasons in the Top Ten of the Nielsen ratings.[3] Some critics now use Frasier and Cheers as a model of a successful spin-off for a character from an already successful series to compare to modern spin-offs. NBC dedicated a whole night to the final episode of Cheers. The show began with a "pregame" show hosted by Bob Costas, followed by the final 98-minute episode itself. NBC affiliates then aired tributes to Cheers during their local newscasts, and the night concluded with a special Tonight Show broadcast live from the Bull & Finch Pub. Although the episode fell short of its hyped ratings predictions to become the most-watched television episode, it was the most watched show that year, bringing in 80.4 million viewers (64 percent of all viewers that night), and ranked 11th all time in entertainment programming. The episode originally aired in the usual Cheers spot of Thursday night and was then rebroadcast on Sunday. Some estimate that while the original broadcast did not outperform the M*A*S*H finale, the combined non-repeating audiences for the Thursday and Sunday showings did. Toasting Cheers also notes that television had greatly changed between the M*A*S*H and Cheers finales, leaving Cheers with a broader array of competition for ratings.[3] Spin-offs, crossovers and cultural references Some of the actors and actresses from Cheers brought their characters into other television shows, either in a guest appearance or in a new spin-off. The most successful Cheers spin-off was the show Frasier which directly followed Frasier Crane after he moved back to Seattle, Washington (on the other end of Interstate 90) to live with his recently-disabled father and to host a call-in radio show. Frasier was originally supposed to be a small disliked character who only existed to further Diane and Sam's relationship, but Kelsey Grammer's acting turned what were supposed to be unfunny lines into comedy the audience enjoyed.[31] Sam, Diane and Woody all had individual crossover appearances on Frasier where they came to visit Frasier, and his ex-wife Lilith was a constant supporting character throughout Frasier. Cliff, Norm, Carla, (Rebecca Howe is the only "Cheers" regular aside from Coach—for obvious reasons—to not appear on "Frasier") and two of Cheers' regular background barflies Paul and Phil had a crossover together in the Frasier episode "Cheerful Goodbyes". In the episode Frasier, on a trip to Boston, meets the Cheers gang (not at Cheers itself however) and Cliff thinks Frasier has flown out specifically for his (Cliff's) retirement party, which Frasier ends up attending. Frasier was on the air for as many seasons as Cheers, going off the air in 2004 after an eleven-season run. Although Frasier was the most successful spin-off, The Tortellis was the first series to spin-off from Cheers, premiering in 1987. The show featured Carla's husband Nick Tortelli and his wife Loretta, but was cancelled after 13 episodes and drew protests for its stereotypical depictions of Italian Americans. In addition to direct spin-offs, several Cheers characters had guest appearance crossovers with other shows. In The Simpsons episode "Fear of Flying", Homer stumbles into a Cheers-like bar after being kicked out of Moe's. Most of the central cast appears in the episode, including Frasier (though ironically Frasier does not speak, as Grammer already had a recurring role on The Simpsons as Sideshow Bob). The tagline for Moe's Tavern "Where nobody knows your name" is also a reference to Cheers. Characters also had crossovers with Wings—which was created by Cheers producers/writers—and St. Elsewhere in a somewhat rare comedy-drama crossover.[32] The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine character Morn, who remained mostly at Quark's Bar, is named (as an anagram) for Norm Peterson.[33] The bar and its patrons were also featured in a scene in The Wonderful World of Disney TV special Mickey's 60th Birthday. The opening sequence and theme song has become iconic of the series, leading to parody such as on The Simpsons' episode "Flaming Moe's". The Scrubs episode "My Life in Four Cameras" makes numerous jokes about Cheers and multicamera setup laugh track sitcoms. Scrubs is notable for using a single camera setup, no laugh track, and not being filmed before a live audience. Cheers had all four cameras, a laugh track and was filmed before a live studio audience, and a dream sequence in "My Life in Four Cameras" was shot with three cameras. In addition, the main patient treated was fictional Cheers writer "Charles James," a mixture of Cheers three creators James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles. The episode makes repeated comments about these "traditional" sitcoms and ends with the opening notes of the Cheers theme playing while J.D. says "Unfortunately, around here things don't always end as neat and tidy as they do in sitcoms."[34][35][36] Licensing Cheers was perhaps the first major non-science fiction TV series to have an important licensing campaign since I Love Lucy. The show lent itself naturally to the development of "Cheers" bar-related merchandise, culminating in the development of a chain of "Cheers" themed pubs. Paramount's licensing group, led by Tom McGrath, developed the "Cheers" pub concept initially in partnership with Host Marriott which placed "Cheers" themed pubs in 24+ airports around the world. A full-scale Cheers reproduction was built in Piccadilly Circus in London and Boston boasts of the original Cheers bar (historically known to generations of Boston insiders as the Bull and Finch) as well as a Cheers restaurant in the Faneuil Hall marketplace and Sam's Place, a spin-off sports bar concept also located at Faneuil Hall. The theme song to the show was licensed to a Canadian restaurant, Kelsey's[37] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted June 29, 2008 Author Share Posted June 29, 2008 6. The Office (US) (2005-present) (9 of 18 lists - 111 points - highest ranking #3 Controlled Chaos, ChWRoCk2) The Office is a Golden Globe, Emmy & Peabody Award- winning American television sitcom airing on NBC and developed by Greg Daniels. It is an American adaptation of the BBC series of the same name. Unlike most sitcoms, The Office is shot in a single-camera setup, without a studio audience or a laugh track, and is made in the form of a documentary, or "mockumentary". It depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. Although fictional and scripted, the show takes the form of a documentary, with the presence of the camera openly acknowledged. The Office was adapted for American audiences by executive producer Greg Daniels, a veteran writer for Saturday Night Live, King of the Hill and The Simpsons. Original series creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who wrote "The Convict" episode,[1] have production credits. It is co-produced by Greg Daniels' Deedle-Dee Productions and Reveille Productions, in association with NBC Universal Television Studios. The show debuted on NBC as a midseason replacement on March 24, 2005, replacing the short–lived sitcom Committed.[2] In 2007 Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) started broadcasting episodes once a week, and will begin broadcasting the series five days a week in 2009. Production The British television series The Office, made for the BBC by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, enjoyed significant success at home and abroad, and won two Golden Globes. NBC therefore commissioned a U.S. version. Setting The British version had been set in Slough, a commuter town on the outskirts of London. Looking for a suitable U.S. equivalent, Executive Producer Greg Daniels considered Nashua, New Hampshire and Utica, New York before settling on Scranton, Pennsylvania. "It just seemed like a real place," he said later. "y definition the town we picked wouldn't have a lot of glitzy stuff going on."[3] It was just far enough away from New York to be credible as a location for a regional branch office. Daniels also recalled that the Paper Magic line of greeting cards was made in the city.[4] When asked before the premiere what differences there might be from the British version, Gervais joked that the American actors would have better teeth.[5] All filming is done in the Greater Los Angeles area, but the show makes many references to actual places and businesses in and near Scranton, such as the Mall at Steamtown, Lake Wallenpaupack, Abe's Deli, and the Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour. Dwight's "Froggy 101" bumper sticker is from local country station WGGY. "We went toward embracing the whole Scranton-ness of the setting," said Daniels.[3] Miscellaneous The show's first season had a run of just six episodes, and was filmed in an actual office.[6] For the second season, since NBC ordered a full run of episodes, filming moved to a sound stage at Valley Center Studios in Van Nuys, built to replicate the first season's environment,[6] including plaques and certificates hanging on walls using the names of crew members.[7] In keeping with its mockumentary format, the show has no laugh track. All music must be diegetic, with songs either sung or played by the characters or heard on radios, computers or other devices. Featured music tends to be well known, and often older, popular songs in order to reflect the character, such as Michael's attempt to seem hip by using "My Humps" as a ringtone.[8]Although the show is intended to be observed as a documentary, during some scenes it is obvious it took two separate takes because the camera that was just shooting will disappear (an example would be in the episode "Safety Training", Michael is on a rooftop standing next to a cameraman talking to the office members below, and when the office members respond to him, Michael is suddenly standing alone on the rooftop). Writers Producer Greg Daniels initially hired four writers for the series: Michael Schur[9], B.J. Novak, Paul Lieberstein[10] and Mindy Kaling.[11] He hired two consulting producers, Lester Lewis[12] and Larry Wilmore.[13] In the second season, Jennifer Celotta[14] and the team of Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg joined the writing staff.[15] Steve Carell wrote that season's finale, "Casino Night".[16] In the third season, original series creators Gervais and Merchant wrote "The Convict"[1] and veteran television comedy writer Brent Forrester began writing for the show.[17] Carell returned again with "Survivor Man"[18] in the fourth season, and Lester Lewis contributed an episode then as well.[19] Directors Ken Kwapis, a veteran of The Larry Sanders Show and Malcolm in the Middle, directed the pilot[20] and eight other episodes.[15][21][16][22] Daniels, Ken Whittingham,[10] and Bryan Gordon also began directing the show in the first season. Paul Feig, creator of Freaks and Geeks, directed four second season episodes, and one fourth season episode. He is currently scheduled to direct another episode. In the third and fourth seasons, directors known for their work on other series and in other media, such as J.J. Abrams, Harold Ramis, Jason Reitman, Amy Heckerling and Joss Whedon helmed episodes. The fourth season's "Money" marked Lieberstein's directorial debut. Casting All original series characters were adapted for the U.S. version. NBC programmer Kevin Reilly suggested Paul Giamatti to producer Ben Silverman for the role of Michael Scott, but the actor declined. Martin Short, Hank Azaria and Bob Odenkirk were also reported to be interested.[23] In January 2004, Variety reported Steve Carell of the popular Comedy Central program The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, was in talks to play the role. At the time, he was already committed to another NBC midseason replacement comedy, Come to Papa,[24] but the series was quickly cancelled, leaving him fully committed to The Office. Carell later stated he had only seen about half of the original pilot episode of the British series before he auditioned. He did not continue watching for fear that he would start copying Gervais' characterizations.[25] Rainn Wilson, who was cast as the power-hungry sycophant Dwight Schrute, had watched every episode of the series before he auditioned.[26] Wilson had originally auditioned for Michael, a performance he described as a "terrible [Ricky] Gervais impersonation"; however, the casting directors liked his audition as Dwight much more and hired him for the role. John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer were virtual unknowns before being cast in their respective roles as Jim and Pam, the central love interests. Krasinski recalled accidentally insulting Daniels while waiting to audition for the series, telling him, "I hope they [the show's developers] don't screw this up." Daniels then introduced himself and told Krasinki who he was.[27] Fischer prepared for her audition by looking as boring as possible, creating the original Pam hairstyle at her first audition for the show.[28] The supporting cast includes actors known for their improv work: Angela Kinsey, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Melora Hardin and David Denman.[29] Kinsey had originally auditioned for Pam. The producers thought she was "too feisty" for the character, but they called her back for the part of Angela Martin, which she won.[30] Flannery first auditioned for the part of Jan Levinson-Gould, before landing the role of Meredith Palmer.[31] Baumgartner originally auditioned for Stanley, but was eventually cast as Kevin.[32] Ken Kwapis liked the way Phyllis Smith, a casting associate, read with other actors auditioning so much that he cast her as Phyllis.[33] At the beginning of the third season, Ed Helms and Rashida Jones joined the cast as members of Dunder Mifflin Stamford. While Jones would later leave the cast for a recurring role, in February 2007 NBC announced that Helms was being promoted to a series regular.[34] Four of the show's writers have also stepped out in front of the camera. Novak was cast as reluctant temp Ryan Howard after Daniels saw his stand-up act. Paul Lieberstein was cast as human resources director Toby Flenderson on Novak's suggestion after his cold readings of scripts.[29] Greg Daniels originally was not sure where to use the Indian American Kaling on-screen in the series until the opportunity came in the second episode's script where Michael needed to be slapped by a minority. "Since (that slap), I've been on the show" (as Kelly Kapoor), says Kaling.[33] Schur has also made occasional appearances as Dwight's cousin Mose, and consulting producer Wilmore has played diversity trainer Mr. Brown. There were plans for Mackenzie Crook, Martin Freeman and Lucy Davis from the British version of The Office to appear in the third season,[35][36] but those plans were scrapped due to scheduling conflicts.[37] Improvisation A complete script is written for each episode of The Office. However, actors are given opportunities to improvise during shooting. "Our shows are 100 percent scripted," Fischer explained. "They put everything down on paper. But we get to play around a little bit, too. Steve and Rainn are brilliant improvisers."[38] The kiss Michael planted on Oscar in "Gay Witch Hunt" was improvised. "Steve just went into that bit on the fly," Fischer wrote. "Those looks of shock/giddiness/confusion on our faces are real. We were all on the edge of our seats wondering what would happen next. I can't believe we held it together for as long as we did. I'm not sure we've ever laughed so hard on set."[39] Format "The Office" is presented as a "mockumentary," and the primary vehicle for the show is that a camera crew has decided to film Dunder Mifflin and its employees, seemingly around the clock. The presence of the camera is openly acknowledged by the characters, with some characters (especially Michael Scott) enthusiastically participating in the filming while others (namely, Jan Levinson) are frequently annoyed or uncomfortable at its presence. The main action of the show is supplemented with talking-head interviews or "confessionals," with the characters speaking one on one with the camera crew about the day's events. Some characters use the camera's presence to their advantage. For example, in Christmas Party, Phyllis's boyfriend Bob Vance introduces himself repeatedly as "Bob Vance, Vance refrigeration" to garner publicity for his business. In other instances, the camera has affected plot lines. In The Dundies, a drunken Pam nearly confesses something to Jim, but shies away when she notices the camera. In E-mail Surveillance, Pam asks the crew to help her look for evidence of Dwight and Angela's secret relationship, which they later provide. In Fun Run, the cameras catch Jim and Pam kissing, which leads to them revealing (to the viewing audience at least) that they are in fact dating. In early episodes, the camera crews seemed confined primarily to the office setting, but as the show has expanded to include more about the characters' personal lives, the cameras have taken on an often-omnipresent, even intrusive persona. Characters are often followed out of the office and sometimes even to their homes. The cameras were present at Jim's barbecue and Michael's dinner party, and even when Jim and Pam left for a weekend getaway (although the trip was to Dwight's beet farm) - all arguably personal, not work-related, events. Behind-doors conversations are often filmed through a window or crack in the door. It is shown in The Injury that Michael is wearing a wireless microphone, which could explain why the cameras are often able to hear closed-door conversations. The cameras have caught Jan kissing Michael in Valentine's Day, much to Jan's chagrin, and, as mentioned above, revealed both Dwight and Angela's and Jim and Pam's personal relationships. Non-primary characters or extras who encounter the camera crew are usually unsurprised or unaffected by it, and the cameras were even allowed in to Michael, Jim and Karen's job interviews for a corporate position. Deleted scenes On The Office, deleted scenes are considered part of the show's story line, and have sometimes been restored in repeats to make episodes longer. In an experiment, a deleted scene from "The Return" was made available over nbc.com and iTunes that explained the absence of a character over the next several episodes. Daniels hoped that word of mouth among fans would spread the information, but eventually considered the experiment a failure.[40] The missing scene was restored in later airings. Product placement The Office has had product placement deals with Staples[41] and the Olympic baler,[42] as well as mentioning in dialog or displaying clear logos for products such as Sandals Resorts, HP and Gateway computers, and Activision's Call of Duty video game. In "The Merger", Kevin Malone uses a Staples-branded shredding machine to shred a Staples-branded CD-R and many other non-paper items, including a salad.[41] As with HP, Cisco Systems, a supplier of networking and telephone equipment, pays for product placement, which can be seen on close up shots of the Cisco IP Telephones.[43] In the Season two episode "The Secret" Michael takes Jim to Hooters to discuss Jim's feelings for Pam. In another episode: "The Merger" Angela refers to Hooters as a strip club, causing Michael to defend Hooters as a family place, and inform the camera of how many chains there are worldwide. Many products featured are not part of product placement agreements, but rather inserted by writers as products the characters would use, to create realism under the guise of a documentary. Apple, Inc. received over four minutes of publicity for the iPod when it was used as a much-desired gift in "Christmas Party", though the company did not pay for the placement.[44] Chili's restaurants were used for filming in "The Dundies" and "The Client", as the writers believed they were realistic choices for a company party and business lunch.[6][45] Though not an explicit product placement, the producers of the show had to allow Chili's to have final approval of the script before filming, causing a scene of "The Dundies" to be hastily rewritten when the chain objected to the original version.[6] Theme song and title sequence The theme song for The Office was written by Jay Ferguson and performed by The Scrantones.[46] It is played over the title sequence, which features some Scranton scenes and everyday office tasks being performed by the cast, with the cast and production credits. Some episodes of the series use a shortened version of the theme song. Starting with Season four, the theme song is played over the closing credits, which previously rolled in silence. Originally the theme song began each episode, however starting early in the second season (specifically "Office Olympics"), episodes have begun with a cold open followed by the theme. Characters The Office employs an ensemble cast. All of the main characters, and some minor ones, are based on characters from the British version of The Office. Michael Scott, the head of the Scranton branch of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, feels he is the life of the office; his employees feel otherwise. His assistant manager, sales representative Jim Halpert is dating the office receptionist, Pam Beesly, and plans to ask her to marry him. Their relationship comes after three seasons of friendship laced with sexual tension. Dwight Schrute, the assistant "to the" regional manager, is an award-winning salesman and former Lackawanna County volunteer reserve deputy sheriff known for his authoritarian personality and science fiction fandom. There is an ongoing rivalry between Jim and Dwight, whose differing personalities often cause them to be at odds with each other. Michael's boss, Dunder Mifflin's Vice President for Regional Sales, is Ryan Howard, who started out as a temporary worker in the Scranton office. The accounting department features the uptight Angela Martin, who wishes to keep things orderly and make sure situations remain as serious as possible, including her previous secret affair with Dwight; Kevin Malone, a sardonic, overweight man who revels in juvenile humor and is addicted to gambling and M&Ms; and the patient Oscar Martinez, whose homosexuality, timidity and Mexican American heritage make him a favorite target for Michael's off-hand comments. Rounding out the office are the stern salesman Stanley Hudson, who barely stands for Michael's constant references to his African-American heritage; anger-management grad and Angela's current boyfriend Andy Bernard, formerly of the Stamford, Connecticut branch office; former Woodstocker and all-around rule-breaker quality-assurance Creed Bratton; the innocent and timid Phyllis Lapin; the bubbly and talkative Kelly Kapoor; the depressed, alcoholic single mother Meredith Palmer, and frequent target of Michael's abuse human resources representative Toby Flenderson. Outside the office, there is Michael's former girlfriend Jan Levinson, who previously held the position of Vice President for Regional Sales. Also, Bob Vance, Phyllis' husband and owner of Vance Refrigeration, which shares an office building with Dunder Mifflin. He is consistently referred to as "Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration". Karen Filippelli, former saleswoman from Stamford, was Jim's insecure and paranoid girlfriend for most of Season 3, forming a quiet but tense rivalry with Pam as they fought for his attention. Karen is now Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin's Utica branch. Season synopses Main article: List of The Office (U.S. TV series) episodes A typical episode for a half-hour time slot runs 20½ minutes.[47] The final episode of the second season introduced the first of what would be several "super-sized" episodes (approximately 29-minute running time for a 40-minute time slot). The third season introduced the first of occasional hour-long episodes (approximately 41-minute running time; suitable for being shown as two separate normal episodes). Season one The first season featured six episodes that began airing on March 24, 2005 and finished on April 26, 2005. The series begins by introducing the office and its main characters via a tour given by Michael Scott for both the camera crew and Ryan Howard, a temp on his first day.[20] News soon spreads that Dunder Mifflin's corporate headquarters plan to downsize, and the Scranton branch faces a possible closure. Employee benefits are slashed, including health care.[10] Anxiety over downsizing grows, but Michael chooses to deny or downplay such a possibility in the interest of employee morale. Jim has a crush on Pam, his partner in crime when planning pranks against office mate Dwight, even though she has been engaged to Roy from the warehouse for a number of years. In the final episode of the season, to Pam's subtle concern, Jim begins dating Katy, a purse saleswoman who visits and sets up shop briefly in the office.[11] Season two The second season was the first full season for the show and included 22 episodes. The season premiere originally aired on September 20, 2005, and the season finale on May 11, 2006. First season plots continued and new plots emerged, as well as development in most secondary characters who were left to the background in season one. The fate of the Scranton branch remained unresolved, but it did not seem to be doing well in comparison with the other branches, particularly the Stamford branch. Over the season, romantic relationships develop between some of the characters. Jim's relationship with Katy continues, to Pam's chagrin. Michael and Jan have a one-night stand in the wake of Jan's divorce[48]. This is revealed to the company by one of the other regional managers who is angry with Michael.[49] He drifts into a relationship with Carol, the realtor who sells him his new condominium.[50] Dwight and Angela become involved after a nighttime tryst in Jim's backyard following a party.[14] They keep the relationship a secret from everyone else. Kelly develops a crush on Ryan. The audience also learns that Oscar is gay and Dwight doesn't realize this even when he sees Oscar and his partner together. Dwight resigns his position as a volunteer reserve deputy sheriff.[51] In Booze Cruise, Jim finally decides to reveal his feelings to Pam, but is seconds too late when Roy publicly announces he's ready to set their wedding date. Jim tells her he could not attend since he would (deliberately) be on vacation in Australia at that time.[21] He opens talks with Jan about transferring to Stamford, but has some unfinished business to attend to before deciding, finally telling Pam in the finale, that he loves her and then kisses her.[16] The Accountants Between seasons two and three in 2006, NBC released "The Accountants", ten short webisodes starring the trio of accountants, Angela, Oscar, and Kevin. The webisodes involve the group investigating a $3,000 discrepancy in the accounting books, where they interview many of the other employees in the office, finally leading them to believe that Michael took the money. But in the final webisode, the group ultimately discovers that the source of the missing money was an accounting mistake. The webisodes are included as extras in the season two DVD collection. Season three The third season had 23 episodes, consisting of 17 half-hour episodes, four 40-minute "super-sized" episodes, and two one-hour episodes. They originally aired from September 21, 2006 to May 17, 2007. Jim has transferred to the Stamford branch, where he takes over as assistant regional manager. He finds new love with coworker Karen Filippelli, and a workplace rival in Andy Bernard, who wanted his job. He is content, but misses his former coworkers. Back in Scranton, Pam has canceled the wedding and called off her engagement to Roy. Ryan has now been hired as a full-time sales representative. Carol breaks up with Michael, leading him eventually to return to Jan. Oscar is outed inadvertently by Michael, leading Jan to offer him a three-month paid vacation and a company car so he won't sue. He takes it and is gone for half the season. Dwight and Angela continue their relationship and keep it a secret from most of their coworkers. Corporate finally decides to close down the Scranton branch. But those plans are changed when the head of the Stamford branch, Josh Porter, who was to take a job similar to Jan's while Jim would head the enlarged Stamford office, tells Jan he will be leaving for a senior management position at Staples, a major competitor to Dunder Mifflin.[52] Instead, the Stamford branch is shut down and its employees merged into Scranton, where Pam and Jim are reunited. Michael's management style eventually leads all the employees merged from Stamford to quit except for Karen, Andy, and Jim. Pam tries to be honest with Roy about her past with Jim and tells him they kissed, which leads to Roy trashing the bar they are in. She tells him it's over. Roy shows up at the office and attacks Jim out of jealousy. After being subdued by Dwight, he is fired. Jan and Michael's relationship becomes public after he inadvertently emails a picture he took of her on the beach in Jamaica to Darryl. Phyllis becomes engaged to, and eventually marries, Bob Vance, owner of neighboring Vance Refrigeration. She takes a six-week honeymoon afterwards.[53] Andy is provoked to anger after a prank played on him by Jim and Pam and punches a wall. He is subsequently sent off to anger management training, precipitating a long absence of his character from the show.[54] Michael, after learning he is being considered for a corporate job, tries to pick his replacement through a series of Survivor-like challenges at a trip to the beach. Pam, not included in the games and feeling small, depressed, and left out, finally builds her courage and makes a speech to everyone, telling Jim she called off the wedding because of him. In the season's finale, Jim, Karen, and Michael are interviewing for the position at corporate that turns out to be Jan's. When she confronts her superiors about this, they explain that her increasingly erratic behavior is interfering with her job and fire her on the spot. Jim ultimately decides he does not want the corporate job. He drives back to Scranton without Karen and asks Pam out on a date, and she joyfully accepts. In the final scene, we learn Ryan has gotten Jan's job.[22] Season four NBC ordered a full fourth season[55] consisting of 30 half-hour segments, 10 of which were combined to form five one-hour episodes (aired at the beginning of the season), creating 25 episodes overall. After eight episodes were filmed, production was suspended due to the 2007–2008 writers' strike, in which not only the writers but also Carell refused to cross the picket line.[56] New post-strike episodes began airing April 10. The season ended with six new episodes, resulting in a shortened season of 14 total episodes,[57] consisting of 19 half hour segments. At the beginning of the season, Karen has left due to losing Jim to Pam. She becomes regional manager at the Utica branch.[58] Pam and Jim try, but ultimately fail, to keep their relationship secret.[59] Jan moves in with Michael, who takes a second job in telemarketing due to his deepening financial problems.[60] Angela and Dwight break up after he takes it upon himself to euthanize her very sick cat.[61] She begins dating Andy as Dwight licks his wounds. Meredith is absent from several episodes, convalescing and rehabilitating after Michael hits her with his car in the parking lot.[61] Ryan, in his new role, attempts to modernize Dunder Mifflin's way of doing business, with a new ad campaign and website. His efforts lead some of the older employees, and eventually Jim, to believe he is attempting to force them out of the company. Jan files a lawsuit against Dunder Mifflin for wrongful termination, which she loses because of Michael's testimony.[19] Michael and Jan host a disastrous dinner party, which ultimately ends in Michael leaving Jan. Jim also states that sometime in the future, he plans on proposing to Pam. Michael and Dwight travel to New York to party with Ryan, who has developed a drug problem. Ryan later starts to sabotage Jim's career but is then revealed to have committed fraud and will presumably be fired. Toby, after revealing his affection for Pam, announces he is leaving for Costa Rica. A replacement HR Rep, Holly Flax, is hired, who quickly shows fondness towards Michael after some awkward advances on his part. Their pending romance is cut short when Jan returns, pregnant from a sperm donor; Michael agrees to help her through the pregnancy. In the season finale, in a moment echoing their first date, Jim is about to propose to Pam, but Andy interrupts with his public proposal to Angela, who reluctantly agrees. Finally, Phyllis and the cameramen discover Angela and Dwight having sex on Angela's desk after hours. Future NBC ordered a fifth season consisting of 28 half-hour segments on April 10, 2008.[62] NBC also announced that Greg Daniels and the producers will be creating a spin-off series to air after NBC Super Bowl coverage in early 2009. NBC said the spin-off will take audiences on "another comic journey, complete with new faces and new locations, but with the same unique sense of humor and brand of quality from Daniels and his creative team. It's the next chapter of what viewers have come to know and love about 'The Office'". [63] Rashida Jones, who plays Karen Filippelli is rumored to be in the spin-off. [64] Response Before the show aired, Gervais acknowledged that there were feelings of hesitation from certain viewers. "I think people are always gonna be wary of a remake—it's a tradition," he said. "But this remake is aimed at the 249 million Americans who didn't see the original TV show. There's not gonna be many Texas farmhands going, 'Eccch, not another version. I can't believe it.'"[65] Critical reviews and commentary Before its first airing, the New York Daily News called it "so diluted there's little left but muddy water", and USA Today called it a "passable imitation of a miles-better BBC original".[66] A Guardian Unlimited review panned its lack of originality, stating, "(Steve Carell) just seems to be trying too hard ... Maybe in later episodes when it deviates from Gervais and Merchant's script, he'll come into his own. But right now he's a pale imitation."[67] Reviews became more positive in the second season. Time magazine remarked, "Producer Greg Daniels created not a copy but an interpretation that sends up distinctly American work conventions ... with a tone that's more satiric and less mordant. ... The new boss is different from the old boss, and that's fine by me."[68] Entertainment Weekly echoed these sentiments a week later, stating, "Thanks to the fearless Steve Carell, an ever-stronger supporting cast, and scripts that spew American corporate absurdist vernacular with perfect pitch, this undervalued remake does the near impossible—it honors Ricky Gervais' original and works on its own terms."[69] The Onion's A.V. Club expressed its views on the show's progression: "After a rocky start, The Office improved immeasurably, instantly becoming one of TV's funniest, sharpest shows. The casting of Steve Carell in the Gervais role proved to be a masterstroke. The American Office is that rarest of anomalies: a remake of a classic show that both does right by its source and carves out its own strong identity."[70] Time magazine's James Poniewozik named it one of the Top 10 Returning Series of 2007, ranking it at #6.[71] He also included it on his "The 100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME" list.[72] Some corporate executives and management consultants see the show as instructive to managers beyond merely providing a counterexample of quality management, "great material for management training on what not to do", according to one Florida real-estate developer. It reminds managers that they will never be perfect, certainly not to their subordinates, and that even their best plans will be subject to office gossip and other resistance. Yet they also note that Michael's subordinates remain loyal to him because he takes charge, however imperfectly.[73] The show has some superficial similarities to the 1990s comic-strip Dilbert, which also features employees coping with an inept superior. John Spector, CEO of The Conference Board, says that both show the impact a leader can have, for good or bad. Dilbert creator Scott Adams also touts the similarities: "The lesson from The Office and from Dilbert is that people are often dysfunctional, and no amount of training can fix it."[73] There have been political responses to the show. Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter believes the show's popularity arises partly from what he views as a political allegory of the George W. Bush administration. Michael and Dwight, he says, share much in common with George W. Bush and Dick Cheney respectively, both in appearance and temperament.[74] On an episode of The Daily Show, Republican presidential candidate John McCain, reportedly a devoted fan of the show, jokingly told Jon Stewart he might take Dwight Schrute as his running mate.[75] Rainn Wilson later accepted on Dwight's behalf while on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. A labor-affiliated group praised the episode "Boys and Girls" for what it considered an unusually frank depiction of union busting on American television.[76] Impact The city of Scranton, long known mainly for its industrial past as a coal mining and rail center,[4] has eagerly embraced, and been redefined by, the show. "We're really hip now", says the mayor's assistant.[3] The Dunder Mifflin logo is on a lamppost banner in front of Scranton City Hall, as well as the pedestrian bridge to the Mall at Steamtown. The Pennsylvania Paper & Supply Company, whose tower is shown in the opening credits, plans to add it to the tower as well.[89] Newspapers in other Northeastern cities have published travel guides to Scranton locations for tourists interested in visiting places mentioned in the show.[4][89][90] Scranton has become identified with the show outside the United States as well. In a 2008 St. Patrick's Day speech in its suburb of Dickson City, former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern identified the city as the home of Dunder Mifflin.[91] The inaugural The Office convention was held downtown in October 2007. Notable landmarks, some of which have been settings for the show, that served as venues include the University of Scranton, the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel and Steamtown Mall. Cast appearances were made by Greg Daniels, Ed Helms, Oscar Nunez, Angela Kinsey, Brian Baumgartner, Leslie David Baker, Mindy Kaling, Craig Robinson, Melora Hardin, Phyllis Smith, Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery, Bobby Ray Schafer, Andy Buckley. Not present were writer-actor Paul Lieberstein (who was originally going to make an appearance) and four of the five main actors: Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, and Jenna Fischer.[92] Other media Online releases Episodes from The Office were among the first television shows available for download from the iTunes Store beginning in December 2005. In 2006, ten internet-exclusive webisodes featuring the minor characters on The Office aired on NBC.com. "Producer's Cuts" (containing approximately ten additional minutes of material) of the episodes "Branch Closing" and "The Return" were also made available on NBC.com. The Office also became available for download from Amazon.com's Unbox video downloads in 2006. Sales of new The Office episodes on iTunes ceased in 2007 due to a dispute between NBC and Apple ostensibly over pricing.[96] Of the 12.4 million total viewings of "Fun Run", the fourth season's premiere, 2.7 million, or 22%, were on a computer via online streaming. "The Office", said The New York Times, "is on the leading edge of a sharp shift in entertainment viewing that was thought to be years away: watching television episodes on a computer screen is now a common activity for millions of consumers." It was particularly popular with online viewers, an NBC researcher said, because as an episode-driven sitcom without special effects it was easy to watch on smaller monitors such as those found on laptops and iPods.[97] Between the online viewings and those who use digital video recorders, 25-50% of the show's viewers watch it after its scheduled airtime.[98] The show's Internet success became an issue in the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Daniels and many of the cast members who double as writers posted a video to YouTube shortly after the strike began, pointing out how little, if any, they received in residuals from online and DVD viewing. "You're watching this on the Internet, a thing that pays us zero dollars," Schur said. "We're supposed to get 11 cents for every two trillion downloads." The writers were particularly upset that they weren't compensated for the Daytime Emmy Award winning summer webisodes "The Accountants", which NBC considered promotional material despite the embedded commercials.[99] Promotional The show's success has resulted in expansion outside of television. Characters have appeared in promotional materials for NBC, and a licensed video game—The Office—was released in 2007.[102][103] Other merchandise, from T-shirts and a bobblehead doll of Dwight Schrute[104] to more office-specific items such as parodies of the Successories motivational poster series featuring the cast,[105] is available. Dunder Mifflin has two websites,[106] and the cast members maintain blogs both as themselves and in character. Cast blogs Several members of the cast maintain blogs. Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey are the most active, posting regularly during the season.[107] Rainn Wilson writes in character on "Schrute Space" on NBC.com, which is updated periodically.[108] It is unknown whether Creed Bratton authors "Creed Thoughts", the blog attributed to his character.[109] Awards Year Result Award Category Recipient(s) 2006 Winner Golden Globe Awards Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Steve Carell[110] 2006 Winner Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Comedy[111] 2006 Winner Individual Achievement in Comedy Steve Carell[111] 2006 Winner Emmy Awards Outstanding Comedy Series[112] 2006 Winner Women's Image Network Awards Outstanding Comedy Series[113] 2006 Winner Outstanding Female Actress Jenna Fischer[113] 2006 Nominee Rose d'Or Awards Best Sitcom[114] 2007 Winner Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series[115] 2007 Winner American Cinema Editors – Eddie Award Best Edited Half Hour Series for Television Dean Holland and David Rogers for "Casino Night"[116] 2007 Winner Writers Guild of America Awards Best Comedy Series[117] 2007 Winner Episodic Comedy Writing Steve Carell for "Casino Night"[117] 2007 Winner Producers Guild Awards Episodic Television Comedy Greg Daniels & Kent Zbornak[118] 2007 Winner NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Director in Comedy Series Ken Whittingham for "Michael's Birthday"[119] 2007 Honored Peabody Awards[120] 2007 Winner Webby Awards Webby Award, Comedy: Individual Short or Episode The Office: Accountants[121] 2007 Winner People's Voice, Best Comedy: Individual Short or Episode 2007 Winner People's Voice, Best Television Website[122] 2007 Winner Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Broadband Program – Comedy producers Vivi Zigler, Jeff Ross, Jordon Schlansky, Mike Sweeney, and Robert Angelo and performers Paul Lieberstein, Michael Schur, Brian Baumgartner, Angela Kinsey, and Oscar Nunez for The Office: Accountants[123] 2007 Winner Emmy Awards Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series Dean Holland and David Rogers for "The Job"[124] 2007 Winner Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series Greg Daniels for "Gay Witch Hunt" [125] 2008 Winner Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series[126] . . . 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Brian Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 In one of my media classes, I did a report on how "All in the Family" was the most influential show in TV history and got an A+. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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