Beggars and Choosers | |
---|---|
Genre | Comedy drama |
Created by | Peter Lefcourt Brandon Tartikoff |
Written by | Brad Buckner Chris Cluess Wendy Goldman Charlie Hauck Peter Lefcourt Scott Kaufer Eugenie Ross-Leming Julia Sayres Lynn Seifort David Shore |
Directed by | George Bloomfield Fred Gerber Joanna Kerns Sheldon Larry Richard J. Lewis Stuart Margolin George Mendeluk Ron Oliver Ron Orieux Michael Ritchie Helen Shaver Sandy Smolan Anne Wheeler Charles Winkler |
Starring | Beau Bridges Justin Carroll Colin Cunningham Kaj-Erik Eriksen Isabella Hofmann Carol Kane Keegan Connor Tracy Brian Kerwin Rudolf Martin William McNamara Bill Morey Paul Provenza Klodyne Rodney Charlotte Ross Tuc Watkins |
Theme music composer | David Schwartz |
Composers | Ferocious Fish Terry Frewer David Schwartz Stanley A. Smith Jim Guttridge |
Country of origin | United States Canada |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 42 |
Production | |
Executive producers | Kim Fleary Peter Lefcourt Scott M. Siegler Lilly Tartikoff |
Producer | Cal Shumiatcher |
Cinematography | Ron Orieux |
Editors | Lee Haxall Kevin Krasny |
Running time | 60 minutes |
Production companies | Granada Entertainment USA H. Beale Company |
Original release | |
Network | Showtime |
Release | June 19, 1999 – February 6, 2001 |
Beggars and Choosers is an American comedy-drama television series broadcast by Showtime. Developed by Peter Lefcourt and Brandon Tartikoff, the series was a comedic, behind-the-scenes look at network television. Its 42 episodes aired between June 19, 1999, and February 6, 2001.
The tongue-in-cheek series centered on Rob Malone, President of LGT, and his efforts to boost the network's sagging ratings with Lori Volpone, the scheming vice-president of Development, and Malcolm Laffley, a gay man who came out of the closet to clear himself of sexual harassment charges levied against him by a woman. Each episode provided amusing insight into how a network runs, from how its executives deal with temperamental stars to how they make big budget deals while trying to keep the network financially stable.
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "The Mountainmen" | Michael Ritchie | Peter Lefcourt | June 19, 1999 |
2 | 2 | ||||
3 | 3 | "Once More Unto the Breach" | George Bloomfield | Peter Lefcourt | June 26, 1999 |
4 | 4 | "Hat Trick" | Charles Winkler | Peter Lefcourt | July 3, 1999 |
5 | 5 | "The Ethel Merman Story" | Sandy Smolan | Peter Lefcourt | July 10, 1999 |
6 | 6 | "The Deal" | Stuart Margolin | David Shore | July 17, 1999 |
7 | 7 | "Sex, Drugs & Videotape" | Fred Gerber | Charlie Hauck | July 24, 1999 |
8 | 8 | "Unsafe Sex" | Stuart Margolin | Peter Lefcourt | July 31, 1999 |
9 | 9 | "The Velvet Curtain" | Unknown | David Shore | August 7, 1999 |
10 | 10 | "Touched by an Angel" | Rick Wallace | Story by : Lynn Siefert & David Shore & Charlie Hauck Teleplay by : David Shore & Charlie Hauck | August 14, 1999 |
11 | 11 | "Is It Good or Bad for the Jews?" | Sandy Smolan | Charlie Hauck | August 21, 1999 |
12 | 12 | "White Woman's Burden" | Charles Winkler | Julie Sayres and Eugenie Ross-Leming & Brad Buckner | August 28, 1999 |
13 | 13 | "Shakedown in Puerto Vallarta" | Sandy Smolan | Peter Lefcourt | September 4, 1999 |
14 | 14 | "Don't Try This at Home" | Charles Winkler | David Shore | September 11, 1999 |
15 | 15 | "Star Whores" | Richard Martin | Brad Buckner & Eugenie Ross-Leming | November 27, 1999 |
16 | 16 | "Always Leave 'Em Laughing" | Unknown | Peter Lefcourt | December 4, 1999 |
17 | 17 | "Faith, Hope & Chastity" | Unknown | Eugenie Ross-Leming & Brad Buckner | December 11, 1999 |
18 | 18 | "Russian Roulette" | Fred Gerber | Unknown | February 19, 2000 |
19 | 19 | "Death in Malibu" | Unknown | Peter Lefcourt | February 26, 2000 |
20 | 20 | "Fasten Your Seatbelts" | Unknown | Eugenie Ross-Leming & Brad Buckner | March 4, 2000 |
21 | 21 | "Disinformed Sources" | Joanna Kerns | Peter Lefcourt | March 11, 2000 |
22 | 22 | "The Cherry Orchard" | Unknown | Peter Lefcourt | March 18, 2000 |
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
23 | 1 | "PMS.com" | Joanna Kerns | Peter Lefcourt | June 27, 2000 |
24 | 2 | "Fifty Three Percent Solution" | Anne Wheeler | Scott Kaufer | July 4, 2000 |
25 | 3 | "Sex and Violence" | Richard J. Lewis | Brad Buckner & Eugenie Ross-Leming | July 11, 2000 |
26 | 4 | "Dog Day Afternoon" | Sheldon Larry | Peter Lefcourt | July 18, 2000 |
27 | 5 | "The Naked Truth" | Richard J. Lewis | Scott Kaufer | July 25, 2000 |
28 | 6 | "An Asian in the Sun" | Ron Oliver | Chris Cluess | August 1, 2000 |
29 | 7 | "The Leak" | Fred Gerber | Wendy Goldman | August 8, 2000 |
30 | 8 | "Hello Dalai" | Stuart Margolin | Eugenie Ross-Leming & Brad Buckner | August 15, 2000 |
31 | 9 | "Zero Tolerance" | George Mendeluk | Peter Lefcourt | August 22, 2000 |
32 | 10 | "The Wartime Consigliere" | Stuart Margolin | Scott Kaufer | August 29, 2000 |
33 | 11 | "Be Careful What You Wish For" | Helen Shaver | Brad Buckner & Eugenie Ross-Leming | September 5, 2000 |
34 | 12 | "Killer Sushi" | George Bloomfield | Peter Lefcourt | September 12, 2000 |
35 | 13 | "The Woodhouse Conundrum" | Ron Oliver | Scott Kaufer | December 5, 2000 |
36 | 14 | "Moles, Meatloaf & Myrna Loy" | David Warry-Smith | Eugenie Ross-Leming & Brad Buckner | December 12, 2000 |
37 | 15 | "Fathers & Sons" | Helen Shaver | Peter Lefcourt | January 2, 2001 |
38 | 16 | "Hitting the Bottle" | Charles Winkler | Scott Kaufer | January 9, 2001 |
39 | 17 | "Golf War Syndrome" | Cal Shumiatcher | Brad Buckner & Eugenie Ross-Leming | January 16, 2001 |
40 | 18 | "We'll Always Have Burbank" | Charles Winkler | Scott Kaufer | January 23, 2001 |
41 | 19 | "From Russia with Love" | Stuart Margolin | Eugenie Ross-Leming & Brad Buckner | January 30, 2001 |
42 | 20 | "The Long Goodbye" | Richard J. Lewis | Peter Lefcourt | February 6, 2001 |
The series was created by former NBC television executive Brandon Tartikoff who based the series on his own experiences. Tartikoff, whose wife Lily served as a producer on the series, died of Hodgkin's Disease two years before the series debuted. [1]
Filmed in Vancouver, Beggars and Choosers was produced for Showtime by Granada Entertainment USA and distributed by Buena Vista Television. [2]
Beggars and Choosers garnered very positive reviews from critics and, according to Showtime executive vice president of original programming Gary Levine, had a loyal audience, [1] but ratings for the series remained low. Showtime canceled the series after two seasons in December 2000. [2]
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | Casting Society of America | Best Casting for TV, Comedy Pilot | Marc Hirschfeld, Meg Liberman, and Joel Thurm | Nominated | |
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | Carl Reiner | Nominated | ||
2001 | Canadian Comedy Awards | Television – Pretty Funny Direction – Series | Charles Winkler | Nominated | |
GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding TV Comedy Series | Beggars and Choosers | Nominated |
Edith Falco is an American actress. Known for her roles on stage and screen she has received numerous accolades including four Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and five Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as a nomination for a Tony Award.
Brandon Tartikoff was an American television executive who was head of the entertainment division of NBC from 1981 to 1991. He was credited with turning around NBC's low prime time reputation with several hit series: Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, Law & Order, ALF, Family Ties, The Cosby Show, Cheers, Seinfeld, The Golden Girls, Wings, Miami Vice, Knight Rider, The A-Team, Saved by the Bell, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, St. Elsewhere, and Night Court.
Power Play is a Canadian television drama series, which aired on CTV from 1998 to 2000. The series was filmed at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario.
Linda Wallem is an American actress, writer, and producer.
Isabella Hofmann is an American actress known for her portrayal of Kate in Dear John (1988–1992), Megan Russert in Homicide: Life on the Street (1994–1997), and Dr. Renee Dunseith in Providence (2001–2002).
Antony Root is a British television executive and producer. He has worked in the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States. He was formerly Executive Vice President of Original Programming and Production for HBO Europe and Head of Original Production for WarnerMedia EMEA. He retired from this position in March 2023.
Teresa Parente is an American actress and singer.
NBCUniversal Syndication Studios, formerly known as NBCUniversal Television Distribution, Universal Domestic Television, Studios USA Television Distribution and MCA TV is the television syndication division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, in the United States. Its predecessors include NBC Enterprises, Universal Television Distribution, Multimedia Entertainment, PolyGram Television, and Sky Vision. At some point in its history, it was also known as "NBCUniversal Television & New Media Distribution" and "NBC Universal Television and New Media Distribution.” This unit is possibly the parent for the similarly named "NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution" unit.
Rudolf Martin is a German actor working mainly in the United States. He first appeared in off-Broadway productions and then moved on to extensive TV and film work. He has made guest appearances on numerous hit television series and recently started working in Germany as well. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
Keegan Connor Tracy is a Canadian actress and author. She is best known for her roles as Audrey Malone in the Showtime comedy-drama series Beggars and Choosers (1999–2000), the Blue Fairy in the ABC fantasy drama series Once Upon a Time (2011–18), Miss Blair Watson in the A&E drama series Bates Motel (2013–16), and Professor Lipson in the Syfy fantasy series The Magicians (2016–2020). Tracy's other notable work includes roles on the television series Jake 2.0, The 4400, Stargate SG-1, Supernatural, Psych, and Battlestar Galactica.
O'Hara, U.S. Treasury was an American television crime drama starring David Janssen and broadcast by CBS during the 1971–72 television season. Jack Webb's Mark VII Limited packaged the program for Universal Television. Webb and longtime colleague James E. Moser created the show; Leonard B. Kaufman was the producer. The series was produced with the full approval and cooperation of the United States Department of the Treasury.
Bonnie Hammer is an American network and studio executive. As of 2020, her title is vice-chairman, NBCUniversal.
Randel A. Falco is an American media executive. Falco was president and CEO of Univision Communications Inc. from June 2011 until retiring in June 2018. Before joining Univision in January 2011 as executive vice president and COO, he served as chairman of the board and CEO of AOL from November 2006 to March 2009. Prior to his tenure at AOL, he spent 31 years at NBC, including serving as the network's president and COO.
Warren W. Littlefield is an American television executive.
Gerhard Zeiler is an Austrian businessman who is the current president of Warner Bros. Discovery International, part of Warner Bros. Discovery. Before taking up the role at Turner/Warner, Mr Zeiler was chief executive officer of the German media company RTL Group and a member of the executive board of Bertelsmann, the media conglomerate that owns the RTL Group.
Theodore Anthony Sarandos Jr. is an American businessman who is the co-chief executive officer of Netflix.
"A Limo for a Lame-O" is a commentary delivered by Al Franken during Weekend Update on the May 10, 1980, episode of Saturday Night Live (SNL). Using the framework of his own desire to have a limousine drive him to and from his job at NBC, the network which broadcasts the program, Franken attacked network president Fred Silverman for NBC's poor showing in the Nielsen ratings during his tenure. It has been called "one of the meanest acts of character assassination in—well, the history of mean acts of character assassination."
I'm Dying Up Here is an American comedy-drama television series created by David Flebotte. The pilot was written by Flebotte and directed by Jonathan Levine. It premiered on Showtime on June 4, 2017. The series is executive produced by Flebotte, Jim Carrey, Michael Aguilar, and Christina Wayne. It was announced on January 12, 2016, that Showtime had ordered the pilot to series based on the bestselling nonfiction book by William Knoedelseder of the same title. On September 8, 2017, Showtime renewed the series for a 10-episode second season. The second season premiered on May 6, 2018. On September 28, 2018, Showtime announced that it had canceled the series.
Richard Adam Ludwin was an American television executive and former vice president at NBC Television. He is notable as the executive who backed Jerry Seinfeld's series Seinfeld, which went on to become one of the most popular and successful television sitcoms of all time. During his 31 years at NBC, Ludwin worked with every The Tonight Show host—Steve Allen and Jack Paar, albeit after their time on Tonight, as well as Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, and Jimmy Fallon. He also helped guide the network through the Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno conflict in 2010.
Scott Merrill Siegler, an American television executive and media investor who participated in the startup of TriStar Television studio, Netscape Communications, Pandora Media, and Granada America, was one of the first Hollywood broadcast executives to anticipate the entertainment potential in digital media. In 1993 he formed a partnership with James H. Clark, a.k.a. Jim Clark, departing CEO of Silicon Graphics and founder of Mosaic Communications, the forerunner of Netscape Communications.