November 30, 1989(1989-11-30)– August 19, 1990(1990-08-19)
Ann Jillian is an American sitcom television series created by Deidre Fay and Stuart Wolpert, starring Ann Jillian that aired on NBC from November 30, 1989, to August 19, 1990.[1]
After the death of her firefighter husband, Ann McNeil, an ex-Radio City Music Hall Rockette, and her 14-year-old daughter Lucy, move from New York to a small northern California village named Marvel, where Ann and her husband went for their honeymoon. Lucy is apprehensive of her new surroundings in a new town and at first misses the fast-paced atmosphere of New York City, but she begins to adjust and makes new friends. Ann is also learning to adjust as well as she starts a new job at a gift shop run by Mrs. Hufnagel. The teens that Lucy hangs out with are Kaz, Melissa, and Robin. Kaz's well-meaning grandfather, Duke, helps Ann and Lucy in their new surroundings.[2]
The pilot for the series was produced in early 1989, when it was called The Ann Jillian Show.[3] Retitled Ann Jillian, it premiered as a series on NBC on November 30, 1989, running for 7 episodes before it was put on hiatus in January. The series returned briefly in August 1990, running three additional episodes before being cancelled after a final broadcast on August 19. Three further episodes had been produced, but never aired.
At the time the pilot for the series was produced, Castle Rock Entertainment, which produced the show, also had another pilot produced for NBC named The Seinfeld Chronicles starring stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld. When it tested poorly, and Ann Jillian tested more positively, Castle Rock committed to Jillian's series, which was picked up for a full season order. However, the show would only last one season, whereas the subsequently re-titled Seinfeld lasted for nine seasons, ending in 1998, becoming among the most successful sitcoms in television history.[4]
Story by: Lyla Oliver & Patrick Cleary Teleplay by: Lyla Oliver & Patrick Cleary and David S. Cohen & Roger Schulman
August5,1990(1990-08-05)
03-0111
9
"Old Friends"
John Bowab
Shelly Zellman
August12,1990(1990-08-12)
03-0112
10
"It's a Mall World After All"
John Bowab
Tom Straw
August19,1990(1990-08-19)
03-0113
Note: This episode, the last produced, effectively served as a "pilot" to a rebooted version of the series – from this episode forward, the focus of the series would have shifted to Ann McNeil's new job as the activities director of the local Marvel shopping mall and the characters she worked with there.[7]
11
"Good Citizen"
John Bowab
Stephen Hattman & Stuart Wolpert
Unaired
03-0104
12
"A Housewarming"
John Bowab
Deidre Fay & Stuart Wolpert
Unaired
03-0106
13
"The Anniversary"
John Bowab
Lyla Oliver
Unaired
03-0110
Reception
Howard Rosenberg of Los Angeles Times reviewed the comedy negatively, quipping that the series "has more Anns than laughs."[8]
↑ Freeman, Marc (May 13, 2018). "'Seinfeld' Finale at 20: Hidden Tales From the Vault of a Comedian's Bizarro World". Encyclopedia of Things. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 16, 2018. Castle Rock, which owned the series, had two pilots at NBC that year: Seinfeld and one with Ann Jillian. Whereas Seinfeld tested poorly, Ann Jillian tested through the roof and earned a 13-episode commitment. Castle Rock decided to focus on that.
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