''Throb'' 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 in

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, ...

from September 6, 1986, to May 21, 1988. The series, created by Fredi Towbin, was produced by

Procter & Gamble Productions The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer hea ...

in association with Taft Entertainment Television, and was distributed by

Worldvision Enterprises Worldvision Enterprises, Inc. was an American television program and home video distributor established in 1954 as ABC Film Syndication, the domestic and overseas program distribution arm of the ABC Television Network. They primarily licensed p ...

. The series' rights are currently held by

CBS Television Distribution CBS Media Ventures, Inc. (formerly CBS Television Distribution, Inc. and CBS Paramount Domestic Television, Inc.) is an American television distribution company owned by CBS Studios, part of CBS Entertainment Group, a division of Paramount Glob ...

Synopsis

The series revolved around thirty-something divorcee Sandy Beatty (

Diana Canova Diana Canova (born June 1, 1953) is an American actress, director, and professor. She is best known for her role as Corinne Tate on ''Soap'' (1977-1980). Early life Canova was born Diane Canova Rivero in West Palm Beach, Florida, to actress an ...

), who gets a job at a small new wave record label, Throb. Beatty's boss is Zachary Armstrong (

Jonathan Prince Jonathan Alexander Prince (born August 16, 1958) is an American actor, director, screenwriter and movie producer. Career Prince embarked on an acting career following graduation from Harvard University. His played Leo in the 1981 CBS series ''M ...

), who had a huge crush on Sandy. Beatty also has a 12-year-old son named Jeremy (played in the first season by

Paul Walker Paul William Walker IV (September 12, 1973 – November 30, 2013) was an American actor. He was known for his role as Brian O'Conner in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise. Walker began his career as a child actor in the 1980s, gaining recogniti ...

and in season two by Sean de Veritch). Beatty's best friend was Meredith (

Maryedith Burrell Maryedith Ann Burrell (née Smith; born May 20, 1952) is an American actress, comedian, film and television producer, writer and documentarian best known for starring roles on the television series '' Fridays'', ''Throb'', Ron Howard's '' Parenth ...

), a single teacher who lived in her building, and her co-workers included hip business manager Phil Gaines (Richard Cummings, Jr.), and British-born Prudence Anne Bartlett, who was nicknamed "Blue" (

Jane Leeves Jane Elizabeth Leeves (born 18 April 1961) is an English actress. Leeves played Daphne Moon on the NBC television sitcom ''Frasier'' from 1993 until 2004, for which she was nominated for an Emmy Awards, Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Awards, Gold ...

). During the second season, Sandy moved from her original apartment to the recently vacated penthouse in her building. She took in her co-worker Blue to help out with rent, but the differences between straitlaced, somewhat conservative Sandy and the free-spirited Blue became more pronounced as they both lived and worked together. However, they were still friends.

Casting

This show was the first time many American TV viewers saw Jane Leeves, who later gained fame as

Daphne Moon Daphne Crane (née Moon; born September 1961) is a fictional character on the American television sitcom ''Frasier'', played by Jane Leeves. An English immigrant from Manchester, Daphne is employed by Frasier as a live-in housekeeper and physical ...

on ''

Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Case ...

''. Paul Walker played Jeremy Beatty for the first season, and would become a leading man in Hollywood some 15 years later, particularly after his breakthrough role in ''

The Fast and the Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, ...

''. The creation of the Zachary Armstrong character, and the casting of Jonathan Prince in the role, was inspired by the (then) current rising fame of

Michael J. Fox Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian-American retired actor. Beginning his career in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1 ...

. Prince bore a strong physical resemblance to Fox, and played Zachary with many similar characterizations as Fox's ''

Family Ties ''Family Ties'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC for seven seasons, premiering on September 22, 1982, and concluding on May 14, 1989. The series, created by Gary David Goldberg, reflected the move in the United States f ...

'' character, Alex P. Keaton. Like Alex Keaton, Zachary was also a young, diminutive overachiever on the fast track who found himself attracted to women who were both older and taller than he, the main object of his affection being Sandy.

Cast

- Sandy Beatty *

- Zachary Armstrong *

- Meredith *

- "Blue" (Prudence Anne Bartlett) *

Richard Cummings Jr. Richard Cummings Jr. is an American actor and film director most recognized for his acting roles in the dramas '' thirtysomething'' and ''Northern Exposure''. He is currently working as a film and television director. Recent projects include ...

- Phil Gaines *

- Jeremy Beatty (1986–87) (as Paul W. Walker) *Sean de Veritch - Jeremy Beatty (1987–88)

Episodes

Season 1: 1986–1987

Season 2: 1987–1988

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0090533, title=Throb
German fan site
1986 American television series debuts 1988 American television series endings 1980s American sitcoms English-language television shows First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Television series by Procter & Gamble Productions Television series by CBS Studios Television shows set in New York City