''Hot in Cleveland'' 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 ...

TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division. Originally a spinoff of Nick at Nite consisting exclusively of classic television shows, the channel now airs a combination of recent and cl ...

starring

Valerie Bertinelli Valerie Anne Bertinelli (born April 23, 1960) is an American actress. She first achieved recognition as a child actress, portraying Barbara Cooper Royer on the sitcom '' One Day at a Time'' (1975–1984) for which she won two Golden Globe Award ...

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 Award and a Golden Globe Award. She also played ...

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 ...

, and

Betty White Betty Marion White (January 17, 1922December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of Golden Age of Television, early television, with a television career spanning almost seven decades, White was noted for her vast work i ...

. The series, which was TV Land's first original series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's highest rated telecast in the cable network's 14-year history. The series was originally picked up for 10 episodes. On May 1, 2014, TV Land renewed ''Hot in Cleveland'' for a sixth season and confirmed the following November that it would be the show's last. The series ran for 128 episodes, with the hour-long final episode airing on June 3, 2015. The series was created by Suzanne Martin and executive produced by Martin,

Sean Hayes Sean Patrick Hayes (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He is best known for playing Jack McFarland on the NBC sitcom ''Will & Grace'', for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award, four SAG Awards, and one American Com ...

and Todd Milliner, through their production companies SamJen Productions and Hazy Mills Productions, and is produced in association with TV Land. The concept behind the show was based on an original idea by

Lynda Obst Lynda Rosen Obst (born April 14, 1950)Lynda Obst
studio audience A studio audience is an audience present for the recording of all or part of a television program or radio program. The primary purpose of the studio audience is to provide applause and/or laughter to the program's soundtrack (as opposed to canned ...

at CBS's Studio Center in Studio City, California.

Synopsis

The series centers on three aging entertainment industry veterans from Los Angeles: Melanie (

), Joy (

), and Victoria (

). The three women find a more welcoming and less shallow, less youth-obsessed community in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, where, as seen in the pilot episode, their

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

-bound plane makes an emergency landing. They decide to stay and lease a home where sassy caretaker Elka (

) resides in the guest house.

Cast and characters

Main cast

as Melanie Hope Moretti, a writer and mother of college-age kids Will and Jenna. Depressed by her divorce, she boards a plane to Paris in the pilot episode with her best friends. However, when the plane makes an emergency landing in Cleveland, Melanie loves the city and its people so much that she decides to stay. In season 4, she finds work at a PR firm where she develops a relationship with her boss Alec. They briefly move in together, but break up so Alec can pursue a chance at fatherhood. Melanie discovers she is pregnant at the end of season 4 with Alec's baby; however, it turns out that she has a brain tumor, which caused symptoms that affected her pregnancy test. After getting the tumor removed, she is given her own talk show at a Cleveland radio station which she uses to give out advice to listeners. *

as Rejoyla "Joy" Scroggs, a never-married beautician, known as the "Eyebrow Queen of Beverly Hills", who counts among her clients stars such as Oprah Winfrey and Ryan Seacrest. Joy's mother, who lives in England, is highly critical of her. Joy had a son, Owen, when she was 15, but put him up for adoption. In the first season finale, Joy receives a message from her son, but a tornado prevents her from contacting him. Her son finally comes to visit her in season 2, with disastrous results. At the end of season 3, a baby is left on the women's doorstep. This baby is revealed in season 4 as Joy's grandson Wilbur. At the end of season 4, Joy's "Baby-Daddy" Simon shows up and wants to get back together. Joy eventually marries her quirky boss, Bob, in the series finale and they adopt a baby girl they name Elizabeth or Betty for short. *

as Victoria Chase, a six-time-divorced, Daytime Emmy and Oscar Award-winning actress who is famous for playing the lead role of Honor St. Raven in the 27-year running soap opera, ''Edge of Tomorrow''. With the show recently canceled, Victoria laments that her only career opportunities are playing

Megan Fox Megan Denise Fox (born May 16, 1986) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the family film '' Holiday in the Sun'' (2001), which was followed by numerous supporting roles in film and television, such as the teen musical comedy ...

's grandmother and Melanie Griffith's mother (in separate projects), and promoting adult underpants in Japan. She has also appeared in numerous Lifetime movies, the titles of which she brings up throughout the series. Her jobs in Cleveland have included high school drama teacher and reporter for ''Oh Hi, Ohio'', a local news magazine program. In season 4, she stars in a fictional

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

movie, later marrying her co-star Emmett Lawson while he is in prison. Also in season 4, someone reveals her real age, but it is bleeped and the character's mouth is obscured. She has two daughters, Emmy (an actress) and Oscar (a journalist), and one son named Tony (a software developer whom she often forgets). She is sworn enemies with

Susan Lucci Susan Victoria Lucci (born December 23, 1946) is an American actress, television host, author and entrepreneur, best known for portraying Erica Kane on the ABC daytime drama ''All My Children'' during that show's entire network run from 1970 ...

and has fought Melanie Griffith. *

as Elka Ostrovsky, an elderly Polish

caretaker Caretaker may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''The Caretaker'' (film), a 1963 adaptation of the play ''The Caretaker'' * '' The Caretakers'', a 1963 American film set in a mental hospital * Caretaker, a character in the 1974 film '' ...

whose judgmental retorts to the other women in the pilot reveal an astringent demeanor and allude to a storied life, including escaping from the

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

s, an active sex life, heavy drinking, and possible marijuana use. It is revealed in the first season finale that her late husband had mob connections, and that the smell of marijuana came from the polish of his stolen goods. In the season 2 finale her "dead" husband surprisingly shows up at her wedding to Fred. White was only expected to have a guest role in the pilot episode, but her performance was so well-received that the producers decided to make her a regular. Elka is 88 at the start of the series (White's real-life age in 2010). During season 3, she celebrates her 90th birthday, and she later remarks her age in several episodes. A

running joke A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are not ...

on the series is Elka's ability to attract men better than Joy does. Elka is elected to a Cleveland City Council seat in season 5. She becomes mayor in season 6, after the previous mayor passed away.

Recurring cast

Wayne Knight Wayne Elliot Knight (born August 7, 1955) is an American actor. In television, he played Newman on '' Seinfeld'' (1992–1998) and Officer Don Orville on '' 3rd Rock from the Sun'' (1996–2001). He also voiced Igor on ''Toonsylvania'' (1998 ...

as Rick (seasons 1–2), the women's neighbor and a reporter for the ''

Cleveland Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday. As of M ...

''. Rick has slept with Joy, but professes in Season 2 that he is more attracted to Melanie. *

Carl Reiner Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, stand-up comedian, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned seven decades. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, ...

as Maxwell Sidney "Max" Miller (seasons 1–3; 5), Elka's on-again/off-again (mostly off) boyfriend *

(seasons 1–3; 5), as a fictionalized version of herself. A rival of Victoria's from their soap opera days, who is constantly competing with her. In season 6, she is revealed by Victoria's mother Penny to be Victoria's half-sister from an affair her father Alex had during their marriage. *

Huey Lewis Hugh Anthony Cregg III (born July 5, 1950), known professionally as Huey Lewis, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band, Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many o ...

as Johnny Revere (seasons 1–3, 6), a famous musician who has an on/off sexual relationship with Victoria that dates back many years. Though the two have genuine affection for each other, career pursuits always got in the way of a lasting relationship. In the series finale, the two finally decide to settle down, and they get engaged. * Joe Jonas as Will Moretti (seasons 1; 3), Melanie's son, who is in college *

Juliet Mills Juliet Maryon Mills (born 21 November 1941) is an English-American actress. She is the daughter of actor Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell and the eldest of three siblings; her younger siblings are actress Hayley Mills and director Jonathan ...

as Philippa Scroggs (seasons 1; 4–6), Joy's uptight and critical mother *

Michael McMillian Michael McMillian (born October 21, 1978) is an American actor and writer, known for his roles as Henry Gibson on '' What I Like About You'', Steve Newlin on the HBO series ''True Blood'', Owen on ''Hot in Cleveland'' and Tim in ''Crazy Ex-Girl ...

as Owen Berr (seasons 2–6), Joy's son from a teenage pregnancy, whom she gave up for adoption. He has his own son, Wilbur, in the fourth season. * Jennifer Love Hewitt as Emmy Chase (seasons 2–3; 5), Victoria's actress daughter. In the fifth season, it is revealed she is married and eight months pregnant with a daughter, named Melon, to whom she gives birth in the same episode. She played a cop named Cole in the TV series ''Cole's Law''. *

John Mahoney Charles John Mahoney (June 20, 1940 – February 4, 2018) was an English-born American actor. He was known for playing Martin Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Frasier'' (1993–2004), and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for the role in 2000. Mahone ...

as Roy Miller (seasons 2–3; 5), a waiter who flirts with Elka in season two. In season three, he fakes a murder investigation to get closer to Elka. The two start dating, and go on many adventures, including skydiving. They break up after Roy's mother disapproves of Elka, but get back together in season 5, albeit briefly. *

Buck Henry Buck Henry (born Henry Zuckerman; December 9, 1930 – January 8, 2020) was an American actor, screenwriter, and director. Henry's contributions to film included his work as a co-writer for Mike Nichols's ''The Graduate'' (1967) for which he r ...

as Fred (seasons 2–3), Elka's fiancé in season 2. Their wedding is halted before they say their vows after Elka's "dead" husband shockingly shows up. *

James Patrick Stuart James Patrick Stuart is an American actor, currently portraying Valentin Cassadine on the daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'', for which he received three consecutive Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Dram ...

as Colin Cooper (seasons 2–3), Victoria's co-anchor on ''Oh Hi, Ohio'', whom she finds annoying. He has an off/on relationship with Joy throughout the second and third seasons. *

Jon Lovitz Jonathan Michael Lovitz (; born July 21, 1957) is an American actor and comedian. He was a cast member of ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1985 to 1990. Lovitz starred as Jay Sherman in '' The Critic'' and played a baseball scout in '' A League of ...

as Artie Firestone (seasons 2–3), a mentally unstable billionaire who is heir to the Firestone family fortune. In season two, while disowned by his family and homeless, he became engaged to Joy so she could get her

green card A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. ("The term 'lawfully admitted for permanent residence' means the status of having been ...

. In season three, he began taking medication for his mental illness and was welcomed back into the Firestone family. The character's name and personal fortune is a reference to another character played by Lovitz,

Artie Ziff The American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' contains a wide range of minor and supporting characters like co-workers, teachers, students, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, and even animals. The write ...

, on ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

''. *

Georgia Engel Georgia Bright Engel (July 28, 1948 – April 12, 2019) was an American actress. She is best known for having played Georgette Franklin Baxter in the sitcom ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' from 1972 to 1977, Pat MacDougall on ''Everybody Loves Ra ...

as Mamie-Sue Johnson (seasons 3–6), a naïve friend of Elka's. She and Elka run an illegal pharmacy in the fourth season. *

Dave Foley David Scott Foley (born January 4, 1963) is a Canadian actor, stand-up comedian, director, producer and writer. He is known as a co-founder of the comedy group The Kids in the Hall, who have appeared together in a number of television, stage and ...

as Dr. Robert "Bob" Moore (seasons 1, 4–6). In his first appearance in season 1, he is the head of a Cleveland medical foundation who checks on Victoria when she fakes a deadly disease in order to gain sympathy for her Emmy nomination. He reappears in season 4 as Joy's strange and sleazy employer at a private detective agency where she works as a college intern. He quickly becomes infatuated with Joy. By Season 6, Joy finally reciprocates the feelings and the two get engaged. They get married and adopt a baby girl named Betty in the series finale. * Craig Ferguson as Simon (seasons 4–6), Joy's former lover, Owen's father, and Wilbur's grandfather, who comes back into her life unexpectedly *

Jay Harrington James H. Harrington III, professionally known as Jay Harrington, (born November 15, 1971) is an American actor. He is known for his role as the title character in the ABC sitcom ''Better Off Ted'' in 2009-2010 and since 2017 as Sgt. David "Deacon ...

as Alec Jones (seasons 4–5), Melanie's boss and love interest in the fourth season. He and Melanie break up amicably, so that he can have the chance to be a father. *

Heather Locklear Heather Deen Locklear (born September 25, 1961) is an American actress famous for her role as Amanda Woodward on ''Melrose Place'' (1993–1999), for which she received four consecutive Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress – Television ...

as Chloe Powell (season 4), Alec's ex-wife who is still his business partner * Alan Dale as Emmett Lawson (season 4), Victoria's on-screen and off-screen love interest during the fourth season. He proposes to Victoria, but is soon arrested for tax fraud. He and Victoria marry in prison in the season finale, but he escapes from prison disguised as her. He faked his death and is presumably still alive in a remote area of the world, but Victoria decides to move on without him. *

Eddie Cibrian Edward Carl Cibrian ( ; born June 16, 1973) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Cole Deschanel on the television series '' Sunset Beach'' and Jimmy Doherty on ''Third Watch''. His other notable television roles include Matt ...

as Sean (season 4), Joy's fireman love interest *

Tim Daly James Timothy Daly (born March 1, 1956) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Joe Hackett on the NBC sitcom ''Wings'' and his voice role as Clark Kent/Superman in '' Superman: The Animated Series'', as well as his recurring role as ...

as Mitch Turner (season 5), Joy's new boss after he takes over the detective agency from Bob. He later becomes Joy's boyfriend. *

Bill Bellamy William Bellamy (born April 7, 1965) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Bellamy first gained national notoriety on HBO's Russell Simmons' ''Def Comedy Jam'', where he is credited for creating or coining the phrase "booty call", descri ...

as Councilman Jim Powell (season 5), a former Ohio State University football star who holds a city council seat that Elka seeks

Guest stars

Season 1

Guest stars during the first season included

Shirley Knight Shirley Knight Hopkins (July 5, 1936 – April 22, 2020) was an American actress who appeared in more than 50 feature films, television films, television series, and Broadway and Off-Broadway productions in her career, playing leading and charac ...

as Melanie's overprotective mother, Loretta;

Hal Linden Hal Linden (born Harold Lipshitz, March 20, 1931) is an American stage and screen actor, television director and musician. Linden began his career as a big band musician and singer in the 1950s. After a stint in the United States Army, he began ...

as Victoria's womanizing actor father, Alex; singer Joe Jonas as Melanie's son, Will;

as Max, Elka's boyfriend;

Bil Dwyer William Michael "Bil" Dwyer (born March 30, 1962) is an American stand-up comedian, game show host, actor, and writer. He is perhaps most well known as the host or play-by-play announcer on series such as ''BattleBots,'' ''I've Got a Secret'', a ...

as Melanie's ex-husband Anders; and

as Joy's critical mother, Philippa. Other first season guest stars include John Schneider,

, Robert Gant,

Amy Yasbeck Amy Marie Yasbeck (born September 12, 1962) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Casey Chappel Davenport on the sitcom ''Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Acc ...

Tim Conway Thomas Daniel "Tim" Conway (December 15, 1933 – May 14, 2019) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and director. From 1966 to 2012 he appeared in more than 100 TV shows, TV series and films. Among his more notable roles, he portrayed the ...

, Mark Indelicato, David Starzyk,

Gary Anthony Williams Gary Anthony Williams (born March 14, 1966) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He voiced the character of Uncle Ruckus on '' The Boondocks'', and a number of video game characters. He also appeared on the television series '' Weeds'' ...

and

Season 2

For the second season,

Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), which ...

guest starred in the season premiere as Elka's jail cellmate, in the wake of the latter's arrest in the first season finale. This marked the first time since 1977, when ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Mo ...

'' ended, that White and Moore had worked together. Sherri Shepherd appeared in two episodes as the judge in Elka's competency case. David Starzyk, John Schneider, Huey Lewis, Wayne Knight and Carl Reiner all reprised their roles from season 1. Bonnie Franklin also guest starred as Melanie's ex-boyfriend's mother, Franklin reuniting with '' One Day at a Time'' co-star

. On July 20, 2011,

Doris Roberts Doris May Roberts ( Green; November 4, 1925 – April 17, 2016) was an American actress whose career spanned seven decades of television and film. She received five Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild award during her acting career, which bega ...

appeared as Lydia Dombrosky, Elka's nemesis. Jennifer Love Hewitt guest starred as Victoria's daughter Emmy, while

appeared as Joy's son, Owen.

appeared in multiple episodes as Elka's love interest and eventual fiancé.

Jimmy Kimmel James Christian Kimmel (born November 13, 1967) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is the host and executive producer of ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', a late-night talk show that premiered on ABC on January 26, 2003, ...

, and Melanie Griffith made guest appearances as themselves. Michael E. Knight,

, Isaiah Mustafa,

Monica Horan Monica Louise Horan (born January 29, 1963) is an American actress best known for her role as Amy MacDougall-Barone on the television sitcom ''Everybody Loves Raymond''. Life and career Horan was born in Darby, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Selm ...

Max Greenfield Max Greenfield (born September 4, 1979) is an American actor. He appeared in recurring roles in ''Veronica Mars'' and ''Ugly Betty''. He co-starred as Schmidt in the Fox sitcom ''New Girl'', for which he received nominations at the Primetime Em ...

Mindy Cohn Mindy Cohn (born May 20, 1966) is an American actress, who appeared on VH1's List of "100 Greatest Kid Stars". She starred as Natalie Green in the sitcom '' The Facts of Life'' from 1979 to 1988, and is known for voicing Velma Dinkley in the ''S ...

Amy Sedaris Amy Louise Sedaris (; born March 29, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, and writer. Most recently, she has appeared in both ''The Mandalorian'' (2019–2020) and '' The Book of Boba Fett'' (2022) as Peli Motto. She played Jerri Blank in the ...

Frank Caliendo Frank Caliendo Jr. (born January 19, 1974) is an American comedian, actor and impressionist, best known for his impersonations on the Fox Network television series ''MADtv'', and as the in-house prognosticator for '' Fox NFL Sunday''. In 2007 ...

Cedric the Entertainer Cedric Antonio Kyles (born April 24, 1964), better known by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He hosted BET's '' ComicView'' during the 1993–1994 season and '' Def Comedy Jam'' in 1995. He is ...

Darnell Williams Darnell Williams (born 3 March 1955) is a British-born soap opera actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Jesse Hubbard on the ABC soap opera ''All My Children'' from 1981 to 1988, and from 2008 to 2011, a role which has earned him two Day ...

and

' ''

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, and David Lee (as Grub ...

'' co-stars

Peri Gilpin Peri Gilpin (born Peri Kay Oldham; May 27, 1961) is an American actress. She portrayed Roz Doyle in the television series ''Frasier'' and Kim Keeler in the ABC Family television drama ''Make It or Break It''. She is due to reprise the role of R ...

and

also appeared on the show as guest stars.

Don Rickles Donald Jay Rickles (May 8, 1926 – April 6, 2017) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became known primarily for his insult comedy. His film roles include ''Run Silent, Run Deep'' (1958) with Clark Gable, Carl Reiner's ''Enter La ...

made a surprise appearance as Elka's dead husband in the Season 2 finale, "Elka's Wedding".

Season 3

Season three features guest stars such as series producer

as a hand model boyfriend of Victoria's,

Gilles Marini Gilles Marini (; born 26 January 1976) is a French actor known for his roles in the film ''Sex and the City'', and in the American television shows '' Brothers & Sisters'', '' Switched at Birth'' and ''Devious Maids''. He was also the runner-up i ...

as Captain Lebeau,

Kathie Lee Gifford Kathryn Lee Gifford ( née Epstein; born August 16, 1953) is an American television presenter, singer, songwriter, actress and author. From 1985 to 2000, she and Regis Philbin hosted the talk show '' Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee''. Gifford is ...

, Sandra Bernhard,

as Elka's late husband Bob, who faked his death,

(Leeves' former ''

'' costar) as Roy, Elka's boyfriend, and

Laura San Giacomo Laura San Giacomo (born November 14, 1962) is an American actress. She played Cynthia in the film ''Sex, Lies, and Videotape'' (1989) for which she won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female, Kit De Luca in the film ''Pretty Woman ...

as Melanie's estranged sister, and

Baron Davis Baron Walter Louis Davis (born April 13, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who is a studio analyst for the '' NBA on TNT''. He was a two-time NBA All-Star, made the All-NBA Third Team in 2004, and twice led the NBA in ...

and Josh Cribbs as themselves. In addition to Mary Tyler Moore guest starring in the second season premiere, the third season saw Betty White reunite with

Ed Asner Eddie Asner (; November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is best remembered for portraying Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' a ...

and

in two separate episodes. The season includes the return of guests Jennifer Love Hewitt, Susan Lucci, Huey Lewis, Joe Jonas and Jon Lovitz.

Cybill Shepherd Cybill Lynne Shepherd (born February 18, 1950) is an American actress and former model. Her film debut and breakthrough role came as Jacy Farrow in Peter Bogdanovich's coming-of-age drama ''The Last Picture Show'' (1971) alongside Jeff Bridges. ...

, Curtis Armstrong,

Andy Richter Paul Andrew Richter (born October 28, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and talk show announcer. He is best known as the sidekick for Conan O'Brien on each of O'Brien's talk shows: ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Late Night'' and ' ...

Roger Bart Roger Bart (born September 29, 1962) is an American actor and singer. He won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for his performance as Snoopy in the 1999 revival of '' You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown''. Bart received his second Tony Award n ...

Paul Dooley Paul Dooley (born Paul Brown; February 22, 1928) is an American character actor, writer and comedian. He is known for his roles in '' Breaking Away'', '' Sixteen Candles'', and ''Popeye''. Early life Dooley was born Paul Brown on February 22, ...

Jonathan Silverman Jonathan Elihu Silverman (born August 5, 1966) is an American actor, known for his roles in the comedy films ''Brighton Beach Memoirs'', ''Weekend at Bernie's'', and its sequel ''Weekend at Bernie's II''. Early life and education Silverman was ...

, Doug Savant,

Rhea Perlman Rhea Jo Perlman (born March 31, 1948) is an American actress. She played head-waitress Carla Tortelli in the sitcom '' Cheers'' (1982–1993). Over the course of 11 seasons, Perlman was nominated for ten Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting ...

Kristin Chenoweth Kristin Dawn Chenoweth (; born Kristi Dawn Chenoweth; July 24, 1968)Kristin Cheno ...

Barry Bostwick Barry Knapp Bostwick (born February 24, 1945) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Brad Majors in the musical comedy horror film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975) and Mayor Randall Winston in the sitcom ''Spin City'' (199 ...

, Alex Borstein, Dan Cortese, Lee Corso,

Kevin Nealon Kevin Nealon (; born November 18, 1953) is an American comedian and actor. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1986 to 1995, acted in several of the Happy Madison films, played Doug Wilson on the Showtime series '' Weeds'', and p ...

Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, talk show host, game show host, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest working ma ...

Joan Rivers Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedian, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona—heavi ...

, and

David Spade David Wayne Spade (born July 22, 1964) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, television host, and writer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' in the 1990s, and he later began an acting career in both film and television. He also s ...

—who had co-starred with Malick in '' Just Shoot Me'', as had San Giacomo—also make guest appearances in the third season.

Rick Springfield Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debut ...

portrays an impersonator of himself who tricks Joy into sleeping with him in episode 16. Dan Dotson and Laura Dotson from " Storage Wars" appear as themselves in Episode 22.

Season 4

Season four recurring guests include

as Chloe,

as Alec, and Alan Dale as Emmett. Other guest stars include Craig Ferguson, who plays the ex-boyfriend that left Joy when she became pregnant,

as Sean,

Fred Willard Frederic Charles Willard (September 18, 1933 May 15, 2020) was an American actor, comedian, and writer. He was best known for his roles in the Rob Reiner mockumentary film '' This Is Spinal Tap'' (1984); the Christopher Guest mockumentaries '' W ...

as Dr. Hill, and

Gary Anthony Sturgis Gary Anthony Sturgis is an American actor, musician, writer, director, producer, teacher and entrepreneur, known for his role as Bar Patron and other characters in the television series '' America's Most Wanted'', and for providing the voice of E ...

as Officer Davenport, while Ed Begley Jr., Nicholas Bishop,

Heather Dubrow Heather Paige Dubrow (née Kent; born January 5, 1969) is an American actress and television personality. Heather portrayed Lydia DeLucca in the television series '' That's Life'' in 2000 and starred on the reality television series ''The Real H ...

, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and George Hamilton (actor), George Hamilton also make guest appearances.

and

reprise their roles from the previous season, while

returns as Owen, Joy's son and

returns for one episode as Joy's mother. In the live episode for the mid-season premiere, Academy Award winner Shirley Jones makes a guest appearance, as does William Shatner as "Sally from Cincinnati". Carol Burnett guest-starred as Victoria's mother and Jean Smart guest-starred as Victoria's sister in the second episode of the summer season.

also reprised his role as Elka's ex-boyfriend, Nick. ''

'' cast reunited on screen for the first time in 36 years, in Hot in Cleveland (season 4)#ep79, an episode where

, Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, Betty White and Georgia Engel were all members of a 1960s bowling team reuniting for the first time in 50 years. In the season finale, Melanie announces she is pregnant, Joy rekindles her love for her son's father, and Victoria's husband, Emmett, who is in jail, has escaped on the night of their jailhouse honeymoon.

Season 5

Season 5 premiered with ''The Soul Man'' with two back-to-back live episodes on March 26, 2014 (10:00PM EDT and 10:30PM EDT). Guest stars in the premiere episode included

and

reprising their roles from the previous seasons, as well as Ken Jeong and Albert Tsai making a guest appearances with Alex Trebek appearing as himself.

made a special guest appearance reprising his role from the ''Hot in Cleveland'' spin-off ''The Soul Man'', while Betty White reprised her role as Elka on ''The Soul Man''. Jennifer Love Hewitt,

, Craig Ferguson,

and

reprised their roles from the previous seasons.

was added as recurring character Mitch, Joy's new boss and love interest. Additional guest appearances were made by Thomas Lennon, Jaime Pressly, Angela Kinsey, Chris Elliott, Jason Priestley, Sarah Hyland,

, Cheri Oteri, Chevy Chase, Rob Schneider, Nora Dunn, Morgan Fairchild, Coby Bell, Chris Colfer, Will Sasso, Steven Tyler (in the special animated episode), Queen Latifah, Perez Hilton and Debra Monk.

Season 6

The sixth season was announced by TV Land as the final season for the series. Guest stars for this season include: Ernie Hudson as one of Victoria's ex-husbands who helps her come to terms with their once embarrassing legacy, Lesley Nicol (actress), Lesley Nicol who appeared in the Christmas episode; Andrew J. West as a man who hits on Melanie, Timm Sharp as the producer of Victoria's new TV show, and Robert Wagner as Jim, a new man in Elka's life. Mario Lopez appears as himself, with newly appointed Councilwoman Elka trying to lure him into taping his TV show in Cleveland. Gladys Knight and Ben Vereen appear in the "One Wedding and One Funeral" episode. Will Sasso reprises his role as Franky, Melanie's co-host on the "He Said/She Said" radio program. Bob Newhart, Thomas Gibson and

all appear in the season and series finale. Stacy Keach plays Victoria's father Alex in two episodes.

Episodes

Development and production

''Hot in Cleveland'' was TV Land's first attempt at a first-run scripted comedy (the channel has rerun other sitcoms since its debut) and was produced by

's Hazy Mills Productions and written by Suzanne Martin, who also served as the showrunner. It was shot with a multicamera setup in front of a live

studio audience A studio audience is an audience present for the recording of all or part of a television program or radio program. The primary purpose of the studio audience is to provide applause and/or laughter to the program's soundtrack (as opposed to canned ...

at the CBS Studio Center production studios. Martin initially got the idea from the period after Estelle Getty died, when clips of Getty's sitcom, ''The Golden Girls'', were being replayed on the news. This caused Martin "to think about women in their 50s and what the show meant for women now." She then devised a scenario in which "women in that age group landed somewhere in America and they were 'hot again' there". Martin initially pitched the series to CBS, who rejected it, which Martin believes was "because it involved women older than the demo they were looking at". At the time of the pickup, Martin was unaware of TV Land's existence. TV Land announced that the show had been renewed for a second season on July 7, 2010. The 20-episode second season began production on November 1, 2010, and premiered January 19, 2011. On February 28, 2011, TV Land renewed the show for a third season to consist of 22 episodes. On March 21, 2011, TV Land announced that the third season order had been increased to 24 episodes. On January 12, 2012, TV Land renewed the series for a fourth season. Betty White was only meant to appear in the pilot of the show but was asked to stay on for the entire series.

Spin-off series and crossovers

On April 18, 2011, it was announced that

would guest star in a season 2 episode as a minister who gets caught up in the girls' problems. The episode served as a backdoor pilot for a spin-off series to star Cedric. The episode entitled "Bridezelka" was written by ''Hot in Cleveland'' creator Suzanne Martin and aired on August 24, 2011. The spin-off series centers on Reverend Boyce (Cedric) as he moves from Cleveland to St. Louis and has to balance his wild past as an R&B singer with the expectations of his congregation and his family. On January 12, 2012, TV Land officially picked up the pilot to series, under the title ''Have Faith''; with the first season set to have 12 episodes. On March 11, 2012, it was announced that the series' title was changed from ''Have Faith'' to ''The Soul Man''. The series premiered on June 20, 2012. In the March 27, 2014 premiere of ''Hot in Cleveland'', Cedric the Entertainer reprises his role as Reverend Boyce; however, he doesn't appear to recognize the characters from his appearance in Season 2 of ''Hot in Cleveland''. Betty White also reprises her role as Elka on ''The Soul Man''. In the second season of ''Hot in Cleveland'', the show crossed over with daytime soap opera ''All My Children'', in the two-part episode "I Love Lucci". Wendie Malick appeared on ''All My Children'', where she was credited as Victoria Chase, while Susan Lucci appears as herself on ''Hot in Cleveland''. The fifth season of ''Hot in Cleveland'' featured a crossover with the television series ''Kirstie (TV series), Kirstie'', which also aired on TV Land in 2013–14.

Critical reception

The show received positive reviews from critics. Wendie Malick received extensive praise for her performance. The first season scored a 65 out of 100 on Metacritic.

Comparisons with ''The Golden Girls''

''Hot in Cleveland'' has been referred to as a modern spin on the classic 1980s television series ''The Golden Girls'' which also featured actress Betty White in a starring role. Craig Berman of ''Today (NBC program), Today'' stated that the show is "as close as we're likely to get to a repeat of White's 1980s ensemble comedy hit, ''The Golden Girls'' ... [TV Land] the network known as the refuge for people looking to fall asleep to reruns of shows from their childhood has made its first scripted program a modern version of the classic sitcom premise." Alessandra Stanley of ''The New York Times'' commented: "This is the first original scripted comedy on TV Land, a network that was founded on reruns. So not surprisingly, ''Hot in Cleveland'' is a pastiche of classics – a little bit ''Cheers'' and ''

'', a little bit ''The Golden Girls''." Michael Musto of ''The Village Voice'' wrote: "Wendy Malick is basically the modern-day Bea Arthur. Sweet-faced Valerie Bertinelli is the new Betty White. Been-around Jane Leeves is the nouveau Rue McClanahan. And witheringly sarcastic Golden Girl Betty White has turned into Estelle Getty."

Awards and nominations

Betty White received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for her role as Elka Ostrovsky, and went on to win the award. The cast received a nomination for Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. On May 17, 2011, TV Land entered the show in the race for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. The show submitted for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Comedy Series and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for all four leading women, to reinforce the idea of an ensemble cast. The show also submitted in technical categories. On July 14, 2011, the show received two Primetime Emmy nominations, including Betty White getting nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series. In December 2011, Betty White received her second consecutive SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. She went on to win it. ''Hot in Cleveland'' was also nominated for five other Emmys.

Ratings

The series premiere of ''Hot in Cleveland'' was a ratings success for TV Land. It earned a 1.9 rating, averaged 2 million viewers among the network's target audience of adults 25–54, and averaged 1.3 million among women 25–54. It drew a total of 4.75 million viewers, making it the most watched show in TV Land history.

Home media

Paramount Home Media Distribution has released all six seasons on DVD in Region 1.

Broadcast

Syndication

On March 20, 2013, TV Land announced that ''Hot in Cleveland'' had been renewed for a 24-episode fifth season, to begin in late fall of 2013. With the fifth season bringing the total episodes in the series to 104, TV Land also announced it had made deals in 92% of the U.S. television markets for a syndication package, which premiered in the fall of 2014. The show also aired on Nick Jr.'s short-lived NickMom block from May 23 to September 27 2015, and on GetTV since 2019.

International

On June 22, 2010, it was announced that Endemol would distribute ''Hot in Cleveland'' internationally, while CBS Television Distribution would own the US rights, with syndication to start in 2013. The show began broadcasting on July 5, 2010, in Canada on CTV Television Network, CTV, and on July 9 on The Comedy Network. Only Season 1 and Part 1 of Season 2 have aired. It currently airs in strip on M3 (Canadian TV channel), M3. It began broadcasting on July 26, 2010, in Australia on the Nine Network. Since 2020, all six seasons have been available for streaming on Network 10#10 Play, 10 Play, though out of order for many episodes causing confusion when end of season cliffhangers, eg, are not resolved for several episodes. In the UK and Ireland, the series began airing on Living (UK TV channel), Sky Living on February 15, 2011. For season 3, the show switched to Sony Entertainment Television (UK & Ireland). In South Africa, it began broadcasting on M-Net on July 8, 2011. In India, ''Hot in Cleveland'' started airing from June 2012 on Comedy Central (India), Comedy Central.

References

External links

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Episode guide
at TVGuide.com {{GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Individual Episode Hot in Cleveland, 2010s American sitcoms 2010 American television series debuts 2015 American television series endings English-language television shows Television series by Endemol Television series by Hazy Mills Productions Television shows set in Cleveland TV Land original programming Television series about old age