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Gimme A Break!
''Gimme a Break!'' is an American television sitcom created by Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen that aired on NBC for six seasons from October 29, 1981, to May 12, 1987. The series starred Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief ( Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. Premise In Glenlawn, a fictional suburb in California, Nellie Ruth "Nell" Harper (Nell Carter) agrees to look after the Kanisky household as a special favor to her dying friend Margaret Huffman Kanisky (played in flashback by Sharon Spelman), the wife of police chief Carl Kanisky (Dolph Sweet). More than a mere housekeeper and cook, Nell serves as a parental figure to the chief's three teenaged daughters, Katie ( Kari Michaelsen), Julie ( Lauri Hendler), and Samantha (Lara Jill Miller). A foster son, Joey ( Joey Lawrence), joins the Kanisky household in season three. Five episodes into the sixth and final season, the show changed locales from Glenlawn to New York City, when Nell, concerned for Joey ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sitcom
A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent setting, such as a home, workplace, or community. Unlike sketch comedy, which features different characters and settings in each Sketch comedy, skit, sitcoms typically maintain plot continuity across episodes. This continuity allows for the development of storylines and characters over time, fostering audience engagement and investment in the characters' lives and relationships. History The structure and concept of a sitcom have roots in earlier forms of comedic theater, such as farces and comedy of manners. These forms relied on running gags to generate humor, but the term ''sitcom'' emerged as radio and TV adapted these principles into a new medium. The word was not commonly used until the 1950s. Early television sitcoms were often filme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lara Jill Miller
Lara Jill Miller (born April 20, 1967) is an American actress and lawyer. She has played Samantha "Sam" Kanisky in the 1980s sitcom '' Gimme a Break!'' and Kathy on '' The Amanda Show''. She voices the title characters in '' Clifford's Puppy Days'', ''The Life and Times of Juniper Lee'' and '' Henry Hugglemonster''. She also voices Widget in '' Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!'', Lambie in ''Doc McStuffins'', Fink in '' OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes'', Lisa Loud in '' The Loud House'', Julie in '' Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi'', Libby Stein-Torres in '' The Ghost and Molly McGee'', Izzie in '' SciGirls'', Allie in ''Curious George'', and Cat in '' If You Give a Mouse a Cookie''. Early life and education Miller was born on April 20, 1967, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to Lois (née Noll) and Stanley Miller. Her parents were both Jewish. Her mother founded the talent agency Star Talent Management. Her father owned and operated a pajama factory. He was also well known for his participation in community theater, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Universal Television
Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a division of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming#Universal Studio Group, Universal Studio Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which, in turn, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. It serves as the network television production arm of NBC; a predecessor of the company, NBC Studios, previously assumed such functions, and a substantial portion of the company's shows air on the network. It was formerly known by various names, including Revue Studios, Universal Pictures Television Department, Universal-International Television, Studios USA Television LLC, Universal Studios Network Programming, Universal Network Television, Universal Domestic Television, NBC Universal Television Studio, and Universal Media Studios. It is also known as Open 4 Business Productions in copyright in certain television series produced by them since 2009. Re-established in 2004, both NBC Studios and the ori ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alan Landsburg Productions
Alan Landsburg Productions (ALP), later known as Reeves Entertainment Group and Reeves Entertainment, was an independent television production company founded by Alan Landsburg in 1971. The company produced ''In Search of... (TV series), In Search of...'' and ''That's Incredible!''. The company also found success in television movies (the Emmy-winning Mickey Rooney film ''Bill (1981 film), Bill''), and scripted shows (the sitcoms ''Gimme a Break!'' and ''Kate and Allie''). They made a few theatrical movies as well, most notably ''Jaws 3-D'' (1983). The company was acquired in 1978 by Reeves Communications Corp. In 1984, Landsburg left the company and formed The Landsburg Company, in partnership with Cox Enterprises, and ALP was renamed the Reeves Entertainment Group. David Auberbach, a friend of Landsburg served as vice president, received a new deal at the studio. Barris Industries originally owned a 5.27% stake in Reeves, with backing from Burt Sugarman. In 1987, the company ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous states border Canada to the north and Mexico to the south, with the semi-exclave of Alaska in the northwest and the archipelago of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The United States asserts sovereignty over five Territories of the United States, major island territories and United States Minor Outlying Islands, various uninhabited islands in Oceania and the Caribbean. It is a megadiverse country, with the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, third-largest land area and List of countries and dependencies by population, third-largest population, exceeding 340 million. Its three Metropolitan statistical areas by population, largest metropolitan areas are New York metropolitan area, New York, Greater Los Angeles, Los Angel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jay Graydon
Jay Joseph Graydon (born October 8, 1949, Burbank, California) is an American songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, keyboardist, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards (in the R&B category) with twelve Grammy nominations, among them the title "Producer of the Year" and "Best Engineered Recording". He has mastered many different music styles and genres, and his recordings have been featured on record, film, television and the stage. History Graydon made his singing debut on his second birthday on the "Joe Graydon Show," the first music/talk television show in Los Angeles, hosted by his father, Joe Graydon. During and for a brief time after his college days, Graydon played in the Don Ellis Band, whose style can be described as experimental post-bop jazz. He can be heard on the live double album '' Don Ellis at Fillmore'' and the studio albums '' The New Don Ellis Band Goes Underground'', '' Connection'' and '' Soaring''. L. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962) is an American talk show host, comedian, and actress. She began her comedy career as a teenager and received her breakthrough on the television series ''Star Search'' in 1984. After a series of television and film roles that introduced her to a larger national audience, O'Donnell hosted her own syndicated daytime talk show, ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show'', between 1996 and 2002, which won several Daytime Emmy Awards. During this period, she developed the nickname "Queen of Nice", as well as a reputation for philanthropic efforts. O'Donnell Coming out, came out as a lesbian in 2002. An outspoken advocate for LGBT social movements, lesbian rights and LGBT adoption in the United States, gay adoption issues, she is a foster care, foster and adoption, adoptive mother. Named ''The Advocate (LGBT magazine), The Advocate'' 2002 Person of the Year, she became a regular contributor to the magazine in 2023. O'Donnell also continues to be a television pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Sand
Paul Sand (born March 5, 1932) is an American actor and comedian. Background Sand was born Pablo Sanchez in Santa Monica, California, in 1932, the son of Ernest Rivera Sanchez, an aerospace tool designer, and Sonia Borodiansky (aka Sonia Stone), a writer. He is of Russian Jewish and Mexican American ancestry. Career At the age of 11, he started at Viola Spolin's Children's Theatre Company. From here, he attended Los Angeles State College before moving to Paris when he was 18. In Paris, Sand met Marcel Marceau, who was so impressed by his talents that he asked Sand to join his touring mime troupe. In 1960, along with Alan Arkin and others, Sand was a cast member of The Second City improvisational comedy troupe in Chicago, which had just been established the previous year. In 1966, he co-starred with Linda Lavin and Jo Anne Worley in the off-Broadway production '' The Mad Show'', inspired by '' Mad Magazine''. In 1971, Sand received a Tony Award for Best Performance ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matthew Lawrence
Matthew Lawrence (born Matthew William Mignogna; February 11, 1980) is an American actor, podcaster and singer, widely known for his roles in '' Mrs. Doubtfire'', ''Boy Meets World'' and ''Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad''. Lawrence also starred in the series '' Brotherly Love'' with his real-life brothers Joey and Andrew. Early life Lawrence was born in Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania to Donna Lynn (''née'' Shaw), a personnel manager and former elementary school teacher, and Joseph Lawrence Mignogna Jr., an insurance broker. His family's surname was changed to Lawrence from Mignogna when he was a toddler. The middle-born of three boys, he has two brothers, Joey and Andrew, both of whom are also actors. Lawrence attended classes at Abington Friends School. Career Lawrence began acting in the mid-1980s, playing Danny Carrington in ''Dynasty''. He studied acting at HB Studio in New York City. He continued as a child actor through the early 1990s, appearing in m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rosetta LeNoire
Rosetta LeNoire (born Rosetta Olive Burton; August 8, 1911 – March 17, 2002) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She was known to contemporary audiences for her work in television. She had regular roles on such series as ''Gimme a Break!'' (starting in S4E17 of the series) and ''Amen'' (in seasons 2 and 3); she is particularly known for her role as Estelle "Mother" Winslow on '' Family Matters'', which aired from 1989 to 1998. In 1999, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. Early life and career LeNoire was born in Harlem, New York City, as the eldest of five children to Harold Burton, who was from Dominica, and Nymarie Edith Jacques Helwig, of Jamaica in the West Indies. As a young girl, LeNoire suffered from rickets, which her godfather Bill "Bojangles" Robinson helped her overcome by teaching her to dance. Stage theater was her first love, and LeNoire performed in the Federal Theater Project's ''Bassa Moona'' and was cast as a witch in Orson Welles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jonathan Silverman
Jonathan Elihu Silverman (born August 5, 1966) is an American actor. He is 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 born in Los Angeles, California, to a Jewish family. He is the son of Hillel Emanuel Silverman, a rabbi and Devora (née Halaban) Silverman. He is the grandson of famous Conservative Rabbi Morris Silverman. His mother is from Jerusalem, where her family has lived since the establishment of Israel. He graduated Beverly Hills High School in 1984 and is friends with David Schwimmer, who was a classmate. Career Silverman is known for his roles the films ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985),''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' '' |
Joey Lawrence
Joseph Lawrence Mignogna III (born April 20, 1976) is an American actor, musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, podcaster, and game show host. He was a child actor in the early 1980s and portrayed Joey Russo in '' Blossom'' and Joe Longo in '' Melissa & Joey''. Lawrence also starred in '' Gimme a Break!'' (1983–87), and the series '' Brotherly Love'' with his real-life brothers Matthew and Andrew. His film appearances include '' Summer Rental'' (1985) and '' Oliver & Company'' (1988). Early life Lawrence was born and raised in Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. He is the eldest son of Donna Lynn (), a personnel manager and former elementary school teacher, and Joseph Lawrence Mignogna Jr., an insurance broker. He is of Italian and British descent. His family's surname was changed to "Lawrence" during his childhood when he started acting. He has two younger brothers, actors Matthew and Andrew. Lawrence graduated from Abingt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
