''9 to 5'' is an American
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
television series based on the
1980 film of the same name that aired on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
from March 25, 1982, to October 27, 1983, and in
first-run syndication from September 13, 1986, to March 26, 1988.
''9 to 5'' features
Rachel Dennison
Rachel Ann George-Parton (formerly Dennison, née Parton; born August 31, 1959) is an American retired singer and actress and the youngest sister of entertainer Dolly Parton.
Career
Parton was raised in the Church of God. She is the youngest ...
,
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
's younger sister, in Parton's role of Doralee Rhodes;
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and thea ...
portrayed the
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. She started her career as a stand-up comedian as well as performing off-Broadway during the 1960s. Her breakout role was on the vari ...
role of Violet Newstead, and
Valerie Curtin
Valerie Curtin is an American actress and screenwriter.
Personal life
Curtin was born in Jackson Heights, New York, the daughter of radio actor Joseph Curtin. She attended Lake Erie College.
She is a cousin of TV comedian/actress Jane Curtin ...
took the
Jane Fonda
Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, sev ...
role of Judy Bernly. In the truncated third season, Curtin's Judy Bernly was replaced with
Leah Ayres
Leah Ayres Kalish (born Leah Simpson; May 28, 1957) is an American actress, best known for her role as Janice Kent in the sports thriller '' Bloodsport'' and as Valerie Bryson on the daytime serial ''The Edge of Night''. Kalish is a Master Yoga T ...
as secretary Linda Bowman. In the second version of the show,
Sally Struthers
Sally Anne Struthers (born July 28, 1947) is an American actress and activist. She played Gloria Stivic, the daughter of Archie and Edith Bunker (played by Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton) on ''All in the Family'', for which she won two Emmy ...
replaced Moreno, and Curtin returned as Judy. A total of 85 episodes were filmed. The first season was on film in front of a studio audience but switched to
videotape
Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videocassett ...
for the next season. While the first two seasons had the same opening clips, the remaining three seasons had noticeable differences between them.
ABC run
Seasons 1–2
The first two seasons' opening credits featured clips from the 1980
movie trailer
A trailer (also known as a preview, coming attraction or attraction video) is a commercial advertisement, originally for a feature film that is going to be exhibited in the future at a movie theater/cinema. It is a product of creative and techni ...
, of various office duties being performed.
Cast changes were constant early on, as the show tried to find the right ensemble combination.
Jeffrey Tambor
Jeffrey Michael Tambor (born July 8, 1944) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles such as Jeffrey Brookes, the uptight neighbor of Stanley and Helen Roper in the television sitcom ''The Ropers'' (1979–1980), as Hank Kings ...
was the original Franklin Hart (
Dabney Coleman
Dabney Wharton Coleman (born January 3, 1932) is an American actor.
Coleman's best known films include ''9 to 5'' (1980), '' On Golden Pond'' (1981), ''Tootsie'' (1982), '' WarGames'' (1983), '' Cloak & Dagger'' (1984), ''The Beverly Hillbillies ...
's character from the film) during the spring 1982 run, but that fall
Peter Bonerz
Peter R Bonerz (, born August 6, 1938) is an American actor and director.
Early life
Bonerzwas born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Elfrieda (née Kern) and Christopher Bonerz. He grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he attended Marquette Un ...
replaced him in that role. He would remain throughout the rest of ''9 to 5s ABC run. In another key element straight from the movie, resident flunky to Mr. Hart, office snoop Roz Keith (portrayed in the original film by
Elizabeth Wilson
Elizabeth Welter Wilson (April 4, 1921 – May 9, 2015) was an American actress whose career spanned nearly 70 years, including memorable roles in film and television. In 1972 she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for ...
), was played by British actress
Jean Marsh
Jean may refer to:
People
* Jean (female given name)
* Jean (male given name)
* Jean (surname)
Fictional characters
* Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character
* Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations
* Jea ...
(of ''Upstairs, Downstairs'' fame). Roz was responsible for digging up the personal dirt on the secretaries and to help Hart scheme his way to the very top.
Season 2 also saw the addition of
Herb Edelman
Herbert Edelman (November 5, 1933 – July 21, 1996) was an American actor of stage, film and television. He was twice nominated for an Emmy Award for his television work. One of his best-known roles was as Stanley Zbornak, the ex-husband of ...
as fatherly salesman Harry Nussbaum, who became an ally to Violet, Judy and Doralee in their schemes against Mr. Hart. Another co-worker, Clair (Ann Weldon), became a regular. The sitcom proved to be very popular, ranking at #15 for its first season.
Season 3
Jane Fonda, who also developed the film version, acted as executive producer during the show's first two seasons. However, she disassociated herself after a dispute over the direction of the show. Her co-producer Bruce Gilbert went with her. Prior to the start of Season 3, veteran TV actor and producer
James Komack
James Komack (August 3, 1924 – December 24, 1997) was an American television producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. He is best known for producing several hit television series, including ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'', '' Chico and ...
stepped in to helm the show in their stead. His vision for the show included many changes, which tried to add a new angle without taking the premise away from the original movie and TV format.
The Fonda character of Judy Bernly, portrayed by Valerie Curtin, was written out for the purposes of replacing her with a younger, 20-something secretary, Linda Bowman (
Leah Ayres
Leah Ayres Kalish (born Leah Simpson; May 28, 1957) is an American actress, best known for her role as Janice Kent in the sports thriller '' Bloodsport'' and as Valerie Bryson on the daytime serial ''The Edge of Night''. Kalish is a Master Yoga T ...
). She instantly became friends with Violet and Doralee, so much that she subsequently became a roommate of theirs in Violet's apartment. Also inhabiting this living arrangement was Violet's 12-year-old son Tommy (played by Tony La Torre, in between his stints on
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
' oft-cancelled ''
Cagney & Lacey
''Cagney & Lacey'' is an American police procedural drama television series that aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982, to May 16, 1988. The show is about two New York City police detectives who lead very dif ...
''). Salesman Nussbaum was also replaced, by Michael Henderson (
George Deloy
George DelHoyo (born November 23, 1953), also known as George Deloy, is a Uruguayan-born American actor.
Theatre
DelHoyo, who was also raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, began performing in the theatre in New York City during the 1970s. Working und ...
), and Komack also dropped office snoop Roz. Additionally, the company setting changed from Consolidated Companies to American House.
The revamp caused an instant decline in the ratings, falling to 75th out of 76 shows, and the series was cancelled five episodes into the new season. As ABC decided to pull the plug on ''9 to 5'' just a month into the season, only five episodes were broadcast in the 1983–84 season, with two episodes remaining unaired.
Episodes
ABC ratings
First-run syndication
New episodes of ''9 to 5'' surfaced in
first-run syndication in Fall 1986. Valerie Curtin was back as Judy Bernly as was Rachel Dennison. Assuming the starring role, in place of the unavailable Rita Moreno, was Sally Struthers as slightly naive single mother Marsha McMurray Shrimpton, who added fresh perspective to the group. For the second time in the TV series, the company that the lead characters worked for changed again, this time to Barkley Foods International.
In the syndicated version, Franklin Hart was history; the girls' superiors were ladies' man Russ Merman (
Peter Evans), Bud Coleman (
Edward Winter), and Marsha's boss in the 1986-87 season, Sharmin Cunningham (Dorian Lopinto). The following season, Vice President of Sales E. Nelson Felb (
Fred Applegate) became Marsha's boss. Also featured were James (James Martinez), the maintenance man of the Barkley Foods building, and Morgan (
Art Evans), the
Jamaican-accented mailroom clerk who added to the office camaraderie.
The
syndication arm of 20th Century Fox Television sold the series to stations across the United States, including those owned by then-corporate sibling
Fox Television Stations
Fox Television Stations, LLC (FTS; alternately Fox Television Stations Group, LLC), is a group of television stations located within the United States, which are owned-and-operated by the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the Fox Corp ...
. ''9 to 5'' also aired on
WTBS in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
,
whose then-status as a cable
superstation
''Superstation'' (alternatively rendered as "super station" or informally as "SuperStation") is a term in North American broadcasting that has several meanings. Commonly, a "superstation" is a form of distant signal, a terrestrial television, br ...
made the series available to a national audience.
Cast
The cast underwent near-constant turnover, with only
Rachel Dennison
Rachel Ann George-Parton (formerly Dennison, née Parton; born August 31, 1959) is an American retired singer and actress and the youngest sister of entertainer Dolly Parton.
Career
Parton was raised in the Church of God. She is the youngest ...
appearing throughout the show's run.
The leading characters:
*
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and thea ...
as Violet Newstead (Seasons 1, 2, 3)
*
Rachel Dennison
Rachel Ann George-Parton (formerly Dennison, née Parton; born August 31, 1959) is an American retired singer and actress and the youngest sister of entertainer Dolly Parton.
Career
Parton was raised in the Church of God. She is the youngest ...
as Doralee Rhodes Brooks
*
Valerie Curtin
Valerie Curtin is an American actress and screenwriter.
Personal life
Curtin was born in Jackson Heights, New York, the daughter of radio actor Joseph Curtin. She attended Lake Erie College.
She is a cousin of TV comedian/actress Jane Curtin ...
as Judy Bernly (Seasons 1, 2, 4, 5)
*
Leah Ayres
Leah Ayres Kalish (born Leah Simpson; May 28, 1957) is an American actress, best known for her role as Janice Kent in the sports thriller '' Bloodsport'' and as Valerie Bryson on the daytime serial ''The Edge of Night''. Kalish is a Master Yoga T ...
as Linda Bowman (Season 3)
*
Sally Struthers
Sally Anne Struthers (born July 28, 1947) is an American actress and activist. She played Gloria Stivic, the daughter of Archie and Edith Bunker (played by Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton) on ''All in the Family'', for which she won two Emmy ...
as Marsha McMurray Shrimpton (Seasons 4, 5)
Their boss:
*
Jeffrey Tambor
Jeffrey Michael Tambor (born July 8, 1944) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles such as Jeffrey Brookes, the uptight neighbor of Stanley and Helen Roper in the television sitcom ''The Ropers'' (1979–1980), as Hank Kings ...
as Franklin Hart (Season 1)
*
Peter Bonerz
Peter R Bonerz (, born August 6, 1938) is an American actor and director.
Early life
Bonerzwas born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Elfrieda (née Kern) and Christopher Bonerz. He grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he attended Marquette Un ...
as Franklin Hart (Seasons 2, 3)
* Dorian Lopinto as Charmin Cunningham (Season 4)
*
Fred Applegate as E. Nelson Felb (Season 5)
Their co-workers:
*
Jean Marsh
Jean may refer to:
People
* Jean (female given name)
* Jean (male given name)
* Jean (surname)
Fictional characters
* Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character
* Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations
* Jea ...
as Roz Keith (Seasons 1, 2)
*
Herb Edelman
Herbert Edelman (November 5, 1933 – July 21, 1996) was an American actor of stage, film and television. He was twice nominated for an Emmy Award for his television work. One of his best-known roles was as Stanley Zbornak, the ex-husband of ...
as Harry Nussbaum (Season 2)
* Ann Weldon as Clair (Seasons 2, 3)
* George Deloy as Michael Henderson (Season 3)
*
Edward Winter as William 'Bud' Coleman (Seasons 4, 5)
*
Art Evans as Morgan (Seasons 4, 5)
*
Peter Evans as Russ Merman (Seasons 4, 5)
* James Martinez as James (Seasons 4, 5)
Their family:
* Tony La Torre as Tommy (Season 3)
Theme music
The hit title song from the movie, "
9 to 5", written and performed by Dolly Parton, was used as the theme song for the TV series. However, during the first season run in spring 1982,
Phoebe Snow
Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs "San Francisco Bay Blues", "Poetry Man", "Harpo's Blues", and her credited g ...
performed the vocals. Starting with Season 2 and through the end of the show's syndication run in 1988, Parton's vocals were featured in the theme.
Differences between the film and TV series
Several other plot changes were present in the TV series that were not featured in the film. For instance, the film shows aspects of Violet's life as a widow supporting four children, the most visible of whom is Tommy. While this carried over to the television series, only her son Josh was featured. Also, due to the casting of Rita Moreno, Violet's maiden name was changed to Fernandez in the television series, and her characterization was changed to a fiery Latina woman. While the film portrayed Franklin Hart as a womanizing, despotic tyrant, he is instead portrayed as bumbling and incompetent in the television series. In the film, Doralee's husband's name was Duane, while in the television version, the character was initially single, and, in later seasons, married a man named Curtis.
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
1982 American television series debuts
1988 American television series endings
1980s American workplace comedy television series
1980s American sitcoms
American Broadcasting Company original programming
English-language television shows
First-run syndicated television programs in the United States
Television series by 20th Century Fox Television
Live action television shows based on films
American television series revived after cancellation
GMA Network original programming
Television shows set in Ohio