''Good Advice'' is an American television

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 ...

that aired for two seasons 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 ...

from April 2, 1993, to September 6, 1994. It was co-created and executive produced by Danny Jacobson and Norma Safford Vela; and starred

Shelley Long Shelley Lee Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. Long portrayed Diane Chambers on the hit sitcom '' Cheers'' and received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Se ...

and

Treat Williams Richard Treat Williams (born December 1, 1951) is an American actor, writer and aviator who has appeared on film, stage and television in over 120 credits. He first became well known for his starring role in the 1979 musical film '' Hair'', and la ...

Synopsis

Dr. Susan DeRuzza (

) is a successful marriage therapist and the author of a best-selling book on the subject, ''Giving And Forgiving''. Upon returning from a six-week promotional tour she discovers her husband of 11 years, Joey ( Christopher McDonald), in bed with another woman. Furthermore, when she returns to her therapy office, she learns she is now sharing it with high-profile divorce attorney Jack Harold (

). While Susan and Jack don't agree on the basics of relationships, love or marriage, the one thing they do share is an undeniable sexual chemistry. Susan's confidant, Artie (

George Wyner George Wyner (born October 20, 1945) is an American film and television actor. Wyner graduated from Syracuse University in 1968 as a drama major and was an in-demand character actor by the early 1970s. Wyner has made guest appearances in over 1 ...

), tries to lend support at the office and her sister Paige (

Teri Garr Teri Ann Garr (born December 11, 1944) is an American former actress, dancer, and comedian. She frequently appeared in comedic roles throughout her career, which spans four decades and includes over 140 credits in film and television. Her accola ...

) and son Michael (

Ross Malinger Ross Aaron Malinger (born July 7, 1984) is an American former actor and automobile salesperson. He is best known for his roles as Jonah Baldwin in the 1993 movie ''Sleepless in Seattle'', starring Tom Hanks, and as Bobby Jameson in the 1997 Disne ...

) try to help at home.

Cast

as Susan DeRuzza *

as Jack Harold * Christopher McDonald (season 1) and

Peter Onorati Peter Onorati (born May 16, 1953) is an American actor. He is known for his TV roles as Charlie Howell on ''Civil Wars'' (1991–1993), Mr. Scotto on '' Murder One'' (1995–1997), Stanley Pearson on ''This Is Us'' (2017–2022), and Jeff Mumford ...

(season 2) as Joey DeRuzza *

as Michael DeRuzza *

Kiersten Warren Kiersten Nicolla Dale Warren is an American actress. Her best known roles include Alex Tabor on '' Saved by the Bell: The College Years'' and Nora Huntington on ''Desperate Housewives''. Life and career Warren is the mother of actress Misti Tra ...

as Lynn Casey (pilot only) *

as Artie Cohen *

Estelle Harris Estelle Harris (''née'' Nussbaum; April 22, 1928 – April 2, 2022) was an American actress and comedienne, known for her exaggerated shrill, grating voice. She was best known for her role as Estelle Costanza on ''Seinfeld''. Her other roles i ...

as Ronnie Cohen (season 1) *Lightfield Lewis as Sean Trombitas * Henriette Mantel as Henriette Campbell (season 2) *

as Paige Turner (season 2)

Guest stars

Wendie Malick Wendie Malick (born December 13, 1950) is an American actress and former fashion model, known for her roles in various television comedies. She starred as Judith Tupper Stone in the HBO sitcom '' Dream On'', and as Nina Van Horn in the NBC si ...

as Janet *

Anne Meara Anne Meara Stiller (September 20, 1929 – May 23, 2015) was an American actress and comedian. Along with her husband Jerry Stiller, she was one-half of the prominent 1960s comedy team Stiller and Meara. Their son is actor, director, and producer ...

as Verna *

as Chazz Bigelow * Xander Berkeley as Bernard *

Lisa Edelstein Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer * Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...

as Robin *

Liz Torres Elizabeth Larrieu Torres (born September 27, 1947) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. Torres is best known for her role as Mahalia Sanchez in the NBC comedy series ''The John Larroquette Show'' (1993–1996), for which she received two ...

as Juanita *

Mindy Sterling Mindy Lee Sterling (born July 11, 1953) is an American television, film and voice actress. She portrayed Frau Farbissina in the ''Austin Powers'' film series and starred in the web series ''Con Man'', the latter of which earned her a Primetime ...

as Jill * Jean Speegle Howard as Mrs. Coulson

Episodes

Season 1: 1993

Season 2: 1994

History

''Good Advice'' was intended to debut at the very beginning of the 1992–1993 season, but became a

mid-season replacement In American network television scheduling, a mid-season replacement is a television show that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between December and May. Mid-season replacements usually take place after a ...

in spring 1993 because the network's fall schedule was overcrowded. The initial order garnered solid ratings and generally positive critical reviews. This was Shelley Long's first return to series television after leaving her role as Diane Chambers on '' Cheers'' and also the first sitcom for

. CBS renewed the series for a second season, set to premiere Friday, Oct. 22, 1993, but production was halted after Long became sick with the flu. Long's illness prompted the network to put the show on indefinite hiatus; the season premiere aired in the summer of 1994, but the show was cancelled after the season ended. For the second season,

as Artie's mother and Christopher McDonald as Susan's ex-husband Joey were cut as regulars in lieu of bringing in

as Susan's sister. Henriette Mantel also joined the cast in season 2. ''Good Advice'' staff writers included

Michael Patrick King Michael Patrick King (born September 14, 1954) is an American director, writer, and producer. He is best known for directing and writing for ''Sex and the City'' and its film adaptations, and for co-creating the television comedies '' The Comeb ...

and Max Mutchnick.

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, id=0106013, title=Good Advice 1990s American sitcoms 1993 American television series debuts 1994 American television series endings CBS original programming English-language television shows Television series by Sony Pictures Television Television shows set in Los Angeles