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Beverly Hills Buntz
''Beverly Hills Buntz'' is an American comedy-drama television series and a spin-off of the acclaimed police drama ''Hill Street Blues''. Beverly Hills Buntz aired on NBC from November 5, 1987, to April 22, 1988. Overview The show was a half-hour dramedy, a hybrid between light private eye fare and a sitcom. The main character, Norman Buntz, was previously seen as a morally and ethically questionable cop on ''Hill Street Blues'', which was a dramatic series (this series is one of a handful of examples of a series in one genre, drama, spinning off a series in another: comedy). The series has the character quitting the police force, moving to Beverly Hills, and becoming a private investigator. In a programming experiment, NBC president Brandon Tartikoff announced that this show would be a "designated hitter" and was originally given prize time slots once a month following ''Cheers'' and ''Night Court''. The other two "designated hitters" that season were the Bruce Weitz and Nancy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Comedy Drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical hour-long legal or medical drama, but exhibit far fewer jokes-per-minute as in a typical half-hour sitcom. In the United States Examples from United States television include: ''M*A*S*H (TV series), M*A*S*H'', ''Moonlighting (TV series), Moonlighting'', ''The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd'', ''Northern Exposure'', ''Ally McBeal'', ''Sex and the City'', ''Desperate Housewives'' and ''Scrubs (TV series), Scrubs''. The term "dramedy" was coined to describe the late 1980s wave of shows, including ''The Wonder Years'', ''Hooperman'', ''Doogie Howser, M.D.'' and ''Frank's Place''. See also *List of comedy drama television series *Black comedy *Dramatic structure *Melodrama *Seriousness *Tragicomedy *Psychological ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brandon Tartikoff
Brandon Tartikoff (January 13, 1949 – August 27, 1997) was an American television executive who was the president of NBC from 1981 to 1991. He was credited with turning around NBC's low prime time reputation with such hit series as ''Hill Street Blues'', ''L.A. Law'', ''Law & Order'', '' ALF'', ''Family Ties'', ''The Cosby Show'', ''Cheers'', ''Seinfeld'', ''The Golden Girls'', ''Wings'', ''Miami Vice'', ''Knight Rider'', ''The A-Team'', ''Saved by the Bell'', ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', '' St. Elsewhere'', and ''Night Court''. Tartikoff also helped develop the 1984 sitcom ''Punky Brewster''; he named the title character after a girl he had a crush on in school. He was also involved in the creation of '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' and '' Beggars and Choosers''. Biography Early life and career Born to a Jewish family in Freeport, New York, Tartikoff was a graduate of the Lawrenceville School and Yale University, where he contributed to campus humor magazine ''The Yale ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1980s American Sitcoms
__NOTOC__ Year 198 (CXCVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sergius and Gallus (or, less frequently, year 951 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 198 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. Events By place Roman Empire *January 28 **Publius Septimius Geta, son of Septimius Severus, receives the title of Caesar. **Caracalla, son of Septimius Severus, is given the title of Augustus. China *Winter – Battle of Xiapi: The allied armies led by Cao Cao and Liu Bei defeat Lü Bu; afterward Cao Cao has him executed. By topic Religion * Marcus I succeeds Olympianus as Patriarch of Constantinople (until 211). Births * Lu Kai (or Jingfeng), Chinese official and general (d. 269) * Quan Cong, Chinese general and advisor (d. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1980s American Crime Television Series
__NOTOC__ Year 198 (CXCVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sergius and Gallus (or, less frequently, year 951 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 198 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. Events By place Roman Empire *January 28 **Publius Septimius Geta, son of Septimius Severus, receives the title of Caesar. **Caracalla, son of Septimius Severus, is given the title of Augustus. China *Winter – Battle of Xiapi: The allied armies led by Cao Cao and Liu Bei defeat Lü Bu; afterward Cao Cao has him executed. By topic Religion * Marcus I succeeds Olympianus as Patriarch of Constantinople (until 211). Births * Lu Kai (or Jingfeng), Chinese official and general (d. 269) * Quan Cong, Chinese general and advisor (d. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Patterson (director)
John Tiffin Patterson (April 4, 1940 – February 7, 2005) was a television director known for his work on drama series, who also made television films. He directed thirteen episodes of ''The Sopranos'', including the first five season finales. Patterson was born in Buffalo, New York. Biography Aged 19, Patterson joined the United States Air Force where he navigated B-52 bombers for the Strategic Air Command. He resumed his college studies while a reservist and graduated from the University at Buffalo. He earned a master's degree at Stanford University in 1970, where he was a classmate of ''The Sopranos'' creator David Chase. He was nominated for the Emmy award in 2002 and 2003 for his work on ''The Sopranos'' and won The Directors Guild of America award for the show in 2002. As a director, Patterson worked for several television studios, including HBO and CBS. He directed episodes of ''The Sopranos'', ''Providence'', ''The Practice'', ''Carnivàle'', ''Family Law'', '' Six ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George Wyner
George Wyner (born October 20, 1945) is an American film and television actor. Wyner graduated from Syracuse University in 1968 as a drama major and was an in-demand character actor by the early 1970s. Wyner has made guest appearances in over 100 television series and co-starred in nine. His roles include Assistant District Attorney Bernstein on the series ''Hill Street Blues'', Colonel Sandurz in the film '' Spaceballs'', and Rabbi Nachtner in ''A Serious Man''. Early life Wyner was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His father, Edward, founded and managed Boston's Ritz Carlton Hotel, which was the premier society hotel in Boston through the 1950s. Wyner's father died while his son was in high school. Wyner's family is Jewish. Career Wyner was introduced to producer Steven Bochco while appearing in Bochco's short-lived 1976 series, ''Delvecchio''. This led to the role as Irwin Bernstein in ''Hill Street Blues'', and to roles in four subsequent Bochco productions: ''Doogie Howser, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hal Ashby
William Hal Ashby (September 2, 1929 – December 27, 1988) was an American film director and editor associated with the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking. Before his career as a director Ashby edited films for Norman Jewison, notably ''The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming'' (1966), which earned Ashby an Oscar nomination for Best Editing, and '' In the Heat of the Night'' (1967), which earned him his only Oscar for the same category. Ashby received a third Oscar nomination, this time for Best Director for '' Coming Home'' (1978). Other films directed by Ashby include ''The Landlord'' (1970), ''Harold and Maude'' (1971), ''The Last Detail'' (1973), ''Shampoo'' (1975), '' Bound for Glory'' (1976), and ''Being There'' (1979). Early life Ashby was born September 2, 1929, in Ogden, Utah, the youngest of four siblings born to Mormon parents Eileen Ireta (née Hetzler) and James Thomas Ashby, a dairy farm owner. Ashby's parents divorced in 1936, after which his father rem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miami Vice
''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs, two Miami-Dade Police Department, Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. The series ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984 to 1989. The USA Network began airing reruns in 1988 and broadcast an originally unaired episode during its syndication run of the series on January 25, 1990. Unlike standard police procedurals, the show drew heavily upon 1980s New wave music, New Wave culture and is noted for its integration of contemporary pop and rock music and stylish or stylized visuals. ''People (magazine), People'' magazine states that ''Miami Vice'' was the "first show to look really new and different since color TV was invented". Michael Mann directed a Miami Vice (film), film adaptati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Bronx Zoo (TV Series)
''The Bronx Zoo'' is an American drama television series that was directed by Allan Arkush and Paul Lynch that aired on NBC from March 19, 1987 to June 29, 1988. It lasted two seasons before cancelation. Plot Benjamin Harrison High School is set in the impoverished, unruly inner-city Bronx. Principal Joe Danzig (Edward Asner) does his best to maintain optimism, while dealing with the lack of motivation and direction of his staff. Cast * Edward Asner as Principal Joe Danzig * Kathleen Beller as Mary Caitlin Callahan * Jerry Levine as Matthew Littman * Nicholas Pryor as Jack Feldspar * Mykelti Williamson as Gus Butterfield * David Wilson as Harry Barnes * Kathryn Harrold Kathryn Harrold (born August 2, 1950) is an American counselor and retired actress, best known for her leading roles in films '' The Hunter'' (1980), '' Modern Romance'' (1981), '' The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper'' (1981), '' Yes, Giorgio'' (1982), ... as Sara Newhouse Episodes Season 1 (1987) Season 2 (1987 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edward Asner
Eddie Asner (; November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is best remembered for portraying Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' and its spin-off series ''Lou Grant'', making him one of the few television actors to portray the same character in both a comedy and a drama. Asner is the most honored male performer in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards, having won seven – five for portraying Lou Grant (three as Supporting Actor in a Comedy Television Series on ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' and two as Lead Actor in a Dramatic Television Series on spin-off ''Lou Grant''. His other Emmys were for performances in two television miniseries: '' Rich Man, Poor Man'' (1976), for which he won the Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Performance in a television series award, and ''Roots'' (1977), for which he won the Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mama's Boy (TV Series)
''Mama's Boy'' is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 19, 1987 until August 6, 1988. It was created by Susan Harris, and produced by Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions and it was distributed by TeleVentures. The comedy starred Bruce Weitz and Nancy Walker in the lead roles. ''Mama's Boy'' was proposed as a new NBC project to debut as a series sometime during the 1987–88 season. When it debuted, it was described as a "designated hitter" -- "a show that will be broadcast monthly and then, ratings permitting, be ready to move into a weekly slot if required." However, after a couple of telecasts in the fall of 1987, the network continued to air the series' initial episodes sporadically (with as many as five months passing between episodes three and four) without a regular time slot. By the end of the season, NBC decided not to upgrade the show from "specials" status; only seven episodes were produced, with six airing through August 6, 1988. The last episode ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nancy Walker
Nancy Walker (born Anna Myrtle Swoyer; May 10, 1922 – March 25, 1992) was an American actress and comedian of stage, screen, and television. She was also a film and television director (lending her talents to ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', on which she also made several guest appearances). During her five-decade-long career, she may be best remembered for her long-running roles as Mildred on ''McMillan & Wife'' and Ida Morgenstern, who first appeared on several episodes of ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' and later became a prominent recurring character on the spinoff series ''Rhoda''. Early life Walker was born in 1922 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the elder of two daughters of vaudevillian Dewey Barto (né Stewart Steven Swoyer) and Myrtle Flemming Lawler, a dancer. The couple wed in Manhattan in 1919. Walker and her father both stood 4'11" (1.50 m). Her younger sister was Betty Lou Barto. Acting career In 1937, as "Nan Barto", Walker appeared on the NBC radio programs ''Co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
