''Mr. Sunshine''
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 ...
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 ...
for one season in 1986.
The series followed the trials and tribulations of Paul Stark (played by
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 ...
), a
blind university professor. Co-stars were
Barbara Babcock
Barbara Babcock (born February 27, 1937) is an American actress who played Grace Gardner on ''Hill Street Blues'', for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress—Drama Series in 1981, She played Dorothy Jennings on ''Dr. Quinn, ...
and
Leonard Frey
Leonard Frey (September 4, 1938 – August 24, 1988) was an American actor. Frey received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1971 musical film ''Fiddler on the Roof''. He made his stage debut in an Of ...
.
The series was controversial during its run, attracting criticism from interest groups claiming that ''Mr. Sunshine'' poked fun at the visually impaired by using the lead character's disability as a focus for much of the show's humor. Supporters of the series said the show treated the character and the disability respectfully.
Cast
*
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 Paul Stark
*
Nan Martin
Nan Martin (July 15, 1927 – March 4, 2010) was an American actress who starred in movies and on television.
Life and career
Early life
Born in Decatur, Illinois, and raised in Santa Monica, California, she attended Santa Monica High School.
...
as Grace D'Angelo
*
Leonard Frey
Leonard Frey (September 4, 1938 – August 24, 1988) was an American actor. Frey received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1971 musical film ''Fiddler on the Roof''. He made his stage debut in an Of ...
as Leon Walters
*
Cecilia Hart
Cecilia Hart (February 19, 1948 – October 16, 2016), sometimes credited as Ceci Jones, was an American actress who played Stacey Erickson in the CBS police drama ''Paris'', which originally ran from 1979 until 1980. Hart co-starred with her f ...
as Janice Hall
*David Knell as Warren Leftwich
*
Barbara Babcock
Barbara Babcock (born February 27, 1937) is an American actress who played Grace Gardner on ''Hill Street Blues'', for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress—Drama Series in 1981, She played Dorothy Jennings on ''Dr. Quinn, ...
as June Swinford
Episodes
References
External links
*
*
1980s American college television series
1980s American sitcoms
1986 American television series debuts
1986 American television series endings
American Broadcasting Company original programming
English-language television shows
Television series by CBS Studios
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