''Szysznyk'' (pronounced SIZ-nik) 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 ...

produced by

Paramount Television The original incarnation of Paramount Television was the name of the television production division of the American film studio Paramount Pictures, that was responsible for the production of Viacom television programs, until it changed its name ...

. Originally broadcast 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 ...

as a summer replacement series, five episodes were aired during August 1977, followed by ten more during the 1977-78 television season. The series starred

Ned Beatty Ned Thomas Beatty (July 6, 1937 – June 13, 2021) was an American actor and comedian. In a career that spanned five decades, he appeared in more than 160 films. Throughout his career, Beatty gained a reputation for being "the busiest actor in ...

as Nick Szysznyk.

Plot

Retired

Marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

Nick Szysznyk is a supervisor at a

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

community center.Overview of ''Szysznyk''
at ''The New York Times'' The ongoing punchline of the show was that people meeting Szysznyk for the first time almost invariably mispronounced his surname. An example from one episode included a narcotics detective who pronounced his name "Sneeze-wick".

Cast

as Nick Szysznyk *

Olivia Cole Olivia Carlena Cole (November 26, 1942 – January 19, 2018) was an American actress, best known for her Emmy Award-winning role in the 1977 miniseries ''Roots''. Early life and education Cole was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the daughter of Ar ...

as Ms. Harrison *

Leonard Barr Leonard Barr (born Leonard Barra; September 27, 1903 – November 22, 1980) was an American stand-up comedian, film actor, and dancer. Barr appeared several times with Dean Martin (his nephew) and Jerry Lewis when they hosted the Colgate Come ...

as Leonard Kriegler * Thomas Carter as Ray Gun

Guest stars

* Susan Lanier as Sandi Chandler (two episodes)

Episode list

Season 1 (1977)

Season 2 (1977–78)

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0075589 1970s American sitcoms 1977 American television series debuts 1978 American television series endings Television series by CBS Studios English-language television shows Television shows set in Washington, D.C. CBS original programming