''Dear John'' 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 that aired on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

from October 6, 1988 to July 22, 1992. It was originally based on the British sitcom of the same name. It was retitled ''Dear John USA'' when it was shown in the United Kingdom. During its four-season run, it was bounced to and from various time periods on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. It moved from its post-''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...

'' slot on Thursdays to a post-''

Night Court ''Night Court'' is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984 to May 31, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan municipal court presided over by a young, unorthodox judge, Harold "Harry" T. Stone (portray ...

'' slot on Wednesdays in 1990.

Synopsis

The sitcom is set in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Judd Hirsch Judd Seymore Hirsch (born March 15, 1935) is an American actor. He is known for playing Alex Rieger on the television comedy series ''Taxi'' (1978–1983), John Lacey on the NBC series '' Dear John'' (1988–1992), and Alan Eppes on the CBS seri ...

stars as John Lacey, a teacher at a preparatory school in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. After ten years of marriage, one day he returns home and finds a

Dear John letter A Dear John letter is a letter written to a man by his wife or romantic partner to inform him that their relationship is over, usually because his partner has found another lover. The man is often a member of the military stationed overseas, alth ...

: His wife, Wendy, is leaving him for his best friend. When the court grants Wendy the house and custody of their son, Matthew, John moves into an apartment in the

Rego Park Rego Park is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City. Rego Park is bordered to the north by Elmhurst and Corona, to the east and south by Forest Hills, and to the west by Middle Village. Rego Park's boundaries include Queens ...

neighborhood of

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

. Six months after the divorce, John joins the One-To-One Club, a

support group In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping str ...

for people who are divorced and single. The series chronicles John's life and the lives of his new friends at the One-to-One Club.

Characters

The original group consisted of: *John Lacey (

), a school teacher who tries—not always successfully—to keep his life from falling apart after his acrimonious, financially devastating divorce. *Louise Mercer (

Jane Carr Ellen Jane Carr (born 13 August 1950) is an English actress. She is well known for her first film role as Mary McGregor in drama '' The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'' (1969) and the voice role of " Pud'n" on the animated ''The Grim Adventures of ...

), the founder and leader of the One-to-One Club, an Englishwoman whose conversation frequently returns to the topic of sex. (Her catchphrase, usually said as people discuss their previous relationships: "Were there any ... ''sexual'' problems?") Has a child named Nigel out of wedlock in season 2. *Kirk Morris (

Jere Burns Jere Eugene Burns II (; born October 15, 1954) is an American actor who has appeared in theatre productions and on television. He played the roles of ladies' man Kirk Morris on the television series '' Dear John'', DIA psychiatrist Anson Fullert ...

), a cocky, self-styled ladies' man who is a preening narcissist and habitual liar. *Kate McCarron ( Isabella Hofmann), a beautiful divorcée with some self-image issues. She and John share an attraction, but she eventually marries a police officer in season 4, while remaining a regular attendee at club meetings. Kate also opens a restaurant ("Kate's Place") in season 4. *Ralph Drang (

Harry Groener Harry Groener (born September 10, 1951) is a German-born American actor and dancer, perhaps best known for playing Mayor Wilkins in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (seasons 3, 4 and 7). Early life Groener was born in Augsburg, Bavaria, West German ...

), a shy, unconfident milquetoast who works as a

tollbooth A tollbooth (or toll booth) is an enclosure placed along a toll road that is used for the purpose of collecting a toll from passing traffic. A structure consisting of several tollbooths placed next to each other is called a toll plaza, tollga ...

collector. His marriage lasted less than 6 hours; his Bulgarian wife (who married him only to avoid being deported) deserted him at the wedding reception. Noted for his extremely nasal, whining voice, and his propensity for being manipulated by Kirk. Seen only in seasons 1-3; he then simply disappears. After several episodes, it is briefly mentioned he 'graduated' from the group, but no details are offered. *Bonnie Philbert (

Billie Bird Billie Bird Sellen (February 28, 1908 – November 27, 2002), better known professionally as Billie Bird, was an American actress and comedian. She played Margie in '' Dear John'' (1988–1992). Early life Born in Pocatello, Idaho, Bird was ...

), a talkative retiree who often references her sexually adventurous past. Seen infrequently in the very earliest episodes, Mrs. Philbert effectively becomes a regular by mid-season 1. *Tom (

Tom Willett Thomas "Tom" Willett (born 1938) is an American television and film actor, record producer, singer-songwriter, and YouTuber. Called the "modern-day silent screen star", Willett is best known for playing non-speaking roles, such as the character ...

), a very tall and extremely quiet man, almost always seen sporting a bow-tie. He does not actually ever speak at any meeting, and usually sits near the back—but eventually becomes Mrs. Philbert's ongoing boyfriend. Later additions were: *Mary Beth Sutton (

Susan Walters Susan Walters, is an American actress and former model, best known for her roles as Lorna Forbes on the ABC daytime soap opera '' Loving'' from 1983 to late 1986 and as Diane Jenkins on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' from 2001 ...

), a beautiful, naive young Southerner from a wealthy background. She eventually finds work as a soap opera writer. Added midway through season 2, staying through the end of the series. *Denise (

Olivia Brown Olivia Margarette Brown (born April 10, 1960) is an American actress, best-known for her role as detective Trudy Joplin in the NBC crime drama series ''Miami Vice'' (1984–1989). Life and career Brown was born in Frankfurt, West Germany, and ra ...

), who frequently drops by group meetings as she attends the weight control group across the hall at the community center. Seen only in season 3, beginning partway through. *Ben Conners ( William O'Leary), a maintenance man at the Rego Park Community Center. He becomes involved with Louise and is friendly with the group. Seen throughout season 4. *Annie Marino (

Marietta DePrima Marietta DePrima Newbern (born May 3, 1964) is an American actress, best known for playing the role Sally Rogers, opposite actor Eric Allen Kramer, on the ABC/UPN sitcom, ''The Hughleys''. Early life Marietta is a graduate of Carmel Catholic ...

), an aspiring actress who joins the group after her husband deserts their marriage—and sublets their apartment to Kirk without telling her. Added partway through season 4. Recurring characters: *Wendy Lacey (

Carlene Watkins Carlene Watkins (born June 4, 1952) is an American actress best known for such television series and films as ''Best of the West'', ''Bob'', '' Dear John'', ''The Tortellis ''The Tortellis'' is an American sitcom television series and the fir ...

in season 1,

Deborah Harmon Deborah Harmon (born May 8, 1951) is an American film and television actress. Harmon was born in Chicago, Illinois. She attended The Second City troupe in Chicago until moving to Los Angeles to pursue an active acting career. She is probably bes ...

in seasons 3-4), John's ex-wife. Though she left John, she later decides she wants another child with him. She goes to extreme lengths to make this happen without trying to actually win him back. *Matthew Lacey (

Ben Savage Bennett Joseph Savage (born September 13, 1980) is an American actor. He played the lead role of Cory Matthews on the ABC sitcom ''Boy Meets World'' (1993–2000) and its Disney Channel sequel ''Girl Meets World'' (2014–2017). Early life Sava ...

in seasons 1-2, Billy Cohen in season 3), John's school age son who lives with his mother. John and Matthew have a good relationship, despite their limited time together. *Brad Durman (

Peter Jurasik Peter Jurasik ( ; born April 25, 1950) is an American actor known for his television roles as Londo Mollari in the 1990s science fiction series ''Babylon 5'' and Sid the Snitch on the 1980s series ''Hill Street Blues'' and its short-lived spin ...

), an often-weaselly fellow teacher of John's. Seen in seasons 2-3. *Dr. Hendricks (

Raye Birk Raye Birk (born May 27, 1943, Flint, Michigan) is an American film and television actor best known for a variety of roles, such as playing the role of Pahpshmir in the first and last of the ''Naked Gun'' movies, and a variety of television appea ...

), the headmaster at the school where John teaches. Seen in seasons 2-4. *Chow Ling (Cu Ba Nguyen), a recent immigrant who attends meetings in the community center both to learn English and to quit smoking. Seen in seasons 2-3. *Mitch Kurland (

Greg Salata Gregory Salata (born July 21, 1949) is an American actor who first came to prominence in the 1975 film ''Deadly Hero''. He is an actor, known for ''Weekend at Bernie's'', ''The Pink Panther ''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise ...

), a police officer who marries Kate. Seen in season 4 only. *Curtis (

Ruben Santiago-Hudson Ruben Santiago-Hudson (born Ruben Santiago Jr., November 24, 1956) is an American actor, playwright, and director who has won national awards for his work in all three categories. He is best known for his role of Captain Roy Montgomery from 2009 ...

) and Calvin (Tim Jones), employees at Kate's Place. Seen in season 4 only.

Episodes

Reception

Critical response

John Leonard of ''New York'' magazine previewed the

pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...

, in which John Lacey tries to attend a support group "for the recently singled", and stumbles instead into a meeting of

Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international mutual aid fellowship of alcoholics dedicated to abstinence-based recovery from alcoholism through its spiritually-inclined Twelve Step program. Following its Twelve Traditions, AA is non-professi ...

. "I found this funny, and maybe even profound," Leonard wrote. NBC launched the show two days before ''

Empty Nest ''Empty Nest'' is an American television sitcom that aired for seven seasons on NBC from October 8, 1988, to April 29, 1995. The series, which was created as a spin-off of ''The Golden Girls'' by creator and producer Susan Harris, starred Ric ...

'', another sitcom about a middle-aged man who recently lost his wife. "Some talented people run around in them agreeably," said Leonard, commenting on both shows.

Ratings

In its first season, the sitcom was part of NBC's Thursday night lineup. It attracted the eleventh largest audience of all

prime time Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

television programs in the United States for the 1988–89 season. Its viewer share (as recorded in

Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

) declined in later seasons. NBC moved its

time slot Broadcast programming is the practice of organizing or ordering (scheduling) of broadcast media shows, typically radio and television, in a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or season-long schedule. Modern broadcasters use broadcast automation ...

several times.

Paramount Domestic Television Paramount Domestic Television (PDT) was the television distribution arm of American television production company Paramount Television, once the TV arm of Paramount Pictures. It was formed in 1982 originally as Paramount Domestic Television and V ...

sold the show into

syndication Syndication may refer to: * Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system * Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips * Web syndication, ...

after ''Dear John'' ended its run in 1992.

Awards

In "Stand By Your Man", the thirteenth episode of the first season,

Cleavon Little Cleavon Jake Little (June 1, 1939 – October 22, 1992) was an American stage, film, and television actor. He began his career in the late 1960s on the stage. In 1970, he starred in the Broadway production of '' Purlie'', for which he earned both ...

makes a

guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other p ...

as a

closeted ''Closeted'' and ''in the closet'' are metaphors for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and other (LGBTQ+) people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and human ...

gay man whose marriage to a woman has just ended. His performance won him a

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. Prior to 1988 the category was not gender specific, thus was called Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series. These awards, li ...

at the

41st Primetime Emmy Awards The 41st Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 17, 1989. The ceremony was broadcast on Fox from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. The ceremony saw the guest acting categories double, as they were now based on g ...

in 1989. Judd Hirsch won a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

for Best Actor in a Comedy in 1989 and was nominated again the following year.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dear John (American TV series) 1980s American sitcoms 1988 American television series debuts 1990s American sitcoms 1992 American television series endings American television series based on British television series English-language television shows NBC original programming Psychotherapy in fiction Queens, New York, in fiction Television series about divorce Television series by CBS Studios Television shows set in Queens