comedy-drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
series broadcast by
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
. Developed by
Peter Lefcourt
Peter Lefcourt (born 1946) is an American television producer, a film and television screenwriter, and a novelist.
Lefcourt's early career involved writing teleplays for primetime series such as ''Cagney and Lacey'', ''Scarecrow and Mrs. King'' ( ...
and
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 Stre ...
, the series was a
comedic
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
, behind-the-scenes look at
network television
Network, networking and networked may refer to:
Science and technology
* Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects
* Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks
Mathematics
...
. Its 42 episodes aired between June 19, 1999, and February 6, 2001.
Synopsis
The
tongue-in-cheek
The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner.
History
The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scott ...
series centered on Rob Malone, President of LGT, and his efforts to boost the network's sagging ratings with Lori Volpone, the scheming Vice-President of Development, and Malcolm Laffley, a
gay
''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'.
While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
man who came
out of the closet
Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity.
Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
to clear himself of
sexual harassment
Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fro ...
charges levied against him by a woman. Each episode provided amusing insight into how a network runs, from how its executives deal with temperamental stars to how they make big budget deals while trying to keep the network financially stable.
Characters
* Rob Malone (
Brian Kerwin
Brian Kerwin (born October 25, 1949) is an American actor who has starred in feature films, on Broadway, and television series and movies.
Life
Kerwin was born in Chicago and raised in Flossmoor, Illinois. He has three siblings: Anne, Dennis, an ...
)
* Lori Volpone (
Charlotte Ross
Charlotte Ross (born January 21, 1968) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Eve Donovan on the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' from 1987 to 1991, and as Det. Connie McDowell on the ABC police procedural drama series ...
): The ambitious Vice President of Development for LGT
* Malcolm Laffley (
Tuc Watkins
Charles Curtis "Tuc" Watkins III (born September 2, 1966) is an American actor, known for his roles as David Vickers on ''One Life to Live'', Mr. Burns in '' The Mummy, Bob Hunter on ''Desperate Housewives'', Congressman Roger Harris on ''Black ...
)
* Kelly Kramer (
Christina Hendricks
Christina Rene Hendricks (born May 3, 1975) is an American actress and former model. With an extensive career on screen and stage, she has received various accolades, including six Primetime Emmy Award nominations, two Screen Actors Guild Awa ...
William McNamara
William West McNamara (born March 31, 1965) is an American film and television actor.
Personal life
Born in Dallas, Texas, McNamara is the son of a Ford Motor Company employee and an interior designer. He attended Salisbury School, Columbia Un ...
): An agent who is a thorn in Rob's side
* Parker Meridian (
Paul Provenza
Paul Provenza (born July 31, 1957) is a television presenter, actor, radio panelist, stand-up comedian, filmmaker, and skeptic based in Los Angeles. He has appeared on several podcasts and in recent years has interviewed other stand-up comedians. ...
): The
egomaniac
Egomania is a psychiatric term used to describe excessive preoccupation with one's ego, identity or selfdictionary.com and applies the same preoccupation to anyone who follows one’s own ungoverned impulses, is possessed by delusions of personal ...
al star of the hit LGT show ''Parker's Pals'' who is romantically involved with Rob's daughter Audrey
* Audrey Malone (
Keegan Connor Tracy
Keegan Connor Tracy (born December 3, 1971) is a Canadian actress and author. She is best known for her roles as Audrey Malone in the Showtime comedy-drama series '' Beggars and Choosers'' (1999–2000), the Blue Fairy in the ABC fantasy drama ...
): Rob and Cecile's slightly flaky 21-year-old daughter
* Emory "E.L." Luddin (Bill Morey): The frequently comatose founder and former CEO of LGT
* Lydia "L.L." Luddin (
Carol Kane
Carolyn Laurie Kane (born June 18, 1952) is an American actress. She became known in the 1970s and 1980s in films such as '' Hester Street'' (for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress), ''Dog Day Afternoon'', ''Annie ...
): E.L.'s wife, whose plans for an
eponymous
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical theatre, musical performances, sketch comedy, magic (illusion), magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is ...
are thwarted when Dan Falco buys the network
* Casey Lenox (
Sherri Saum
Sherri Michelle Saum (born October 1, 1974) is an American actress. Saum is best known for her co-lead role as Lena Adams Foster in the Freeform drama series '' The Fosters'' (2013–2018) as well as a subsequent guest star role in its spinoff ...
): A young ambitious new hire at LGT that Lori Volpone fears could threaten her career path
* Dan Falco (
Beau Bridges
Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III (born December 9, 1941) is an American actor and director. He is a three-time Emmy, two-time Golden Globe and one-time Grammy Award winner, as well as a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award nominee. Bridges was a ...
): A
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
who acquires ownership of LGT after obtaining 53% of the company's stock during a power struggle between the Luddins
* Wayne (
Alex Zahara
Alex Zahara is a Canadian television, film and voice actor. Born in Grande Prairie, Alberta, he was involved with theatre while still in school, performing in a stage version of '' MASH''. He later taught the "Acting for Teens" class at the Vanco ...
)
Episodes
Season 1: 1999–2000
Season 2: 2000–01
Production notes
The series was created by former NBC television executive Brandon Tartikoff who based the series on his own experiences. Tartikoff, whose wife Lily served as a producer on the series, died of Hodgkin's Disease two years before the series debuted.
Filmed in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, ''Beggars and Choosers'' was produced for Showtime by Granada Entertainment
USA and distributor by
Buena Vista Television
Buena ( ) is a borough in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,603,
Reception and cancellation
''Beggars and Choosers'' garnered very positive reviews from critics and, according to Showtime executive vice president of original programming Gary Levine, had a loyal audience, but ratings for the series remained low. Showtime canceled the series after two seasons in December 2000.