Cleghorne!

Last updated
Cleghorne!
Cleghorne! titles.png
Genre Sitcom
Created by
Directed by
Starring
ComposerTom Rizzo
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes15 (3 unaired)
Production
Executive producers
  • Steve Pepoon
  • David Silverman
  • Stephen Sustaric
Producers
Running time2224 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network The WB
ReleaseSeptember 10 (1995-09-10) 
December 17, 1995 (1995-12-17)

Cleghorne! is an American sitcom television series starring comedian Ellen Cleghorne that aired on The WB from September 10 to December 17, 1995. Garrett Morris and Alaina Reed Hall costarred as Ellen's character's parents, Sidney and Lena, with Steve Bean, Cerita Monet Bickelmann, Michael Ralph and Sherri Shepherd.

Contents

Among the first batch of original programming ordered by the newly launched WB network, the series was put on hiatus after 12 episodes in December 1995. The show was later cancelled with three episodes left unaired.

Synopsis

The series focuses on the life of Ellen Carlson (Cleghorne), a single mom who is raising her nine-year-old daughter Akeyla on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Comedic situations arise as Ellen tries to balance raising her daughter, running a local production company in SoHo, and the interference her overbearing parents, Sidney and Lena, who live next door.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Development

Cleghorne was the third black woman to be credited on Saturday Night Live (1991–1995), after Yvonne Hudson and Danitra Vance, and the first woman of color to appear on the series as a full-fledged cast member for longer than a single season. [1] She left to focus on her starring role in her own sitcom, Cleghorne!. [2] In 1995, Cleghorne! was among the first batch of original programming ordered by the newly launched WB network, then run by former Fox executives who had worked on shows like In Living Color , in which Cleghorne had also appeared. [1] The sitcom was also the first time two Saturday Night Live cast members of color (Cleghorne and original SNL cast member Morris) had worked together on a show after appearing on SNL. [1] The series was also the first television acting job for Shepherd, [3] who would later appear again with Morris on another WB sitcom The Jamie Foxx Show ,[ citation needed ] and would eventually be known for her roles in the sitcoms Less than Perfect and 30 Rock , and as co-host of the ABC talk show The View . [4] [5]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Genesis" Stan Lathan Steve Pepoon & David Silverman & Stephen SustarsicSeptember 10, 1995 (1995-09-10)3L01
Ellen reluctantly lets her parents and Victoria move into the apartment next door.
2"Sister of the Bride"John SguegliaDarryl J. QuarlesSeptember 17, 1995 (1995-09-17)3L03
Facing deportation, Tyrell proposes to Ellen. She says no, but Victoria offers to marry him instead.
3"My Daughter Attends the French School of New York (and Yours Doesn't)"David GrossmanMark DropSeptember 24, 1995 (1995-09-24)3L04
Ellen enrolls Akeyla in an exclusive private school.
4"All Grown Up and No Place to Go"David GrossmanRob HanningOctober 1, 1995 (1995-10-01)3L05
Ellen attends Akeyla's school dance and connects with another parent, Jeff.
5"Adventures in Babysitting"John SguegliaAdam I. LapidusOctober 8, 1995 (1995-10-08)3L02
Ellen's father will not let Ellen pay her mother babysit Akeyla, but Ellen does not want Lena to do it for free.
6"The Parent Trap"David GoldmanNancylee MyattOctober 15, 1995 (1995-10-15)3L06
Ellen and Tyrell speak at Career Day at Akeyla's school.
7"twenty-ninesomething"Linda DayMindy SchneiderOctober 29, 1995 (1995-10-29)3L07
Ellen learns she is a year older than she thought.
8"Losing Faith"Terri McCoyMichael RiedelNovember 5, 1995 (1995-11-05)3L08
After the reverend she has encouraged Ellen to date confesses he is already married, a disillusioned Lena casts aside her religious beliefs and decides to live life in the fast lane for a while.
9"Home Alone"Terri McCoyAmy MorlandNovember 12, 1995 (1995-11-12)3L09
With their parents out of town, Victoria feels neglected and clings to Ellen, who urges her to enjoy her independence. The advice backfires when Victoria throws a wild party that ends with a burglary.
10"Girlfriendz"David GrossmanNancylee MyattNovember 19, 1995 (1995-11-19)3L10
Ellen cancels a meeting to tend to a friend who has left her husband, but winds up in a sticky situation when she runs into her client at a restaurant.
11"This Magic Moment"David GrossmanRachel LipmanNovember 26, 1995 (1995-11-26)3L11
Ellen tries to have a night alone with her boyfriend, but the family cannot stay away.
12"Brother from Another Planet"Linda DayNelson CostelloDecember 17, 1995 (1995-12-17)3L12
Ellen's therapist brother Rob comes home for Sidney and Lena's 35th-anniversary party, but his over-analysis of his parents' relationship causes Sidney to move out.
13"Akeyla Doesn't Live Here Anymore"TBDTBDUNAIRED3L13
Ellen and Jeff take a ski trip with Akeyla and Jeff's son George, who are not getting along.
14"Money for Nothing and Your Chicken for Free"TBDTBDUNAIRED3L14
Tyrell opens a restaurant.
15"Sidney's Choice"TBDTBDUNAIRED3L15
Sidney enlists the family to help him win a bowling tournament.

Broadcast

Cleghorne! debuted on The WB on September 10, 1995, but was put on hiatus in December 1995 having aired 12 episodes. [2] [6] The show was later cancelled with three episodes left unaired. [2] [1] Cleghorne later said, "I don't think I was ready. In terms of being strong and saying, 'I can write, this is what I do,' and feel confident in that. And to be able to say, 'No, this does not work, this works better.'" [1]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , Cleghorne! has an approval ratings of 40% based on 5 reviews, with an average score of 0.85/10. [7] Slate called Cleghorne! "part of a chapter in television history, a rare moment when black audience demographics were taken seriously by networks and advertisers. Aside from the 1970s, this period [in the 1990s] featured one of the highest concentrations of black scripted programming ever." [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garrett Morris</span> American actor (born 1937)

Garrett Isaac Morris is an American actor. He was part of the original cast and was the first Black cast member of the sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live, appearing from 1975 to 1980. He also played Jimmy on The Jeffersons (1983–1984). Morris had one of the starring roles, as Junior "Uncle Junior" King, on the sitcom The Jamie Foxx Show, which aired from 1996 to 2001. Morris also had a starring role as Earl Washington on the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls, from 2011 to 2017. He is also known for his role in the sitcom Martin as Stan Winters, from 1992 to 1995, until he suffered an injury. Also, he made two guest appearances on The Wayans Bros. in season one, episode one as himself and again on episode ten as the brothers' uncle Leon (1995). He played a concerned teacher in the film Cooley High (1975), Slide in Car Wash (1976), and Carl in The Census Taker (1984).

<i>In Living Color</i> American sketch comedy television series

In Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series that originally ran on Fox from April 15, 1990, to May 19, 1994. Keenen Ivory Wayans created, wrote and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Television and was taped at stage 7 at the Metromedia Square on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.

Mad TV is an American sketch comedy television series created by David Salzman, Fax Bahr, and Adam Small. Loosely based on the humor magazine Mad, Mad TV's pre-taped satirical sketches were primarily parodies of popular culture and occasionally politics. Many of its sketches featured the show's cast members playing recurring original characters and doing celebrity impressions. The series premiered on Fox on October 14, 1995, and ran for 14 seasons. Its final episode aired on May 16, 2009.

<i>The Jamie Foxx Show</i> American sitcom

The Jamie Foxx Show is an American television sitcom created by Jamie Foxx and Bentley Kyle Evans for The WB. It premiered on August 28, 1996, and ended on January 14, 2001, with a total of 100 episodes over the course of five seasons.

<i>Saturday Night Live</i> American late-night live TV sketch comedy and variety show

Saturday Night Live (SNL) is an American late-night live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The show's premiere was hosted by George Carlin on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title NBC's Saturday Night. The show's comedy sketches, which often parody contemporary American culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, with featured performances by a musical guest. An episode normally begins with a cold open sketch that is usually based on political events and ends with someone breaking character and proclaiming, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!", properly beginning the show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark McKinney</span> Canadian actor and comedian (b. 1959)

Mark Douglas Brown McKinney is a Canadian actor and comedian. He is perhaps best known as Glenn from Superstore or as a member of the sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall, which includes starring in the 1989 to 1995 TV series The Kids in the Hall and 1996 feature film Brain Candy. He was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 1997; and from 2003 to 2006, he co-created, wrote and starred in the series Slings & Arrows. He also appeared as Tom in FXX's Man Seeking Woman. From 2015 to 2021, he appeared as store manager Glenn Sturgis on NBC's Superstore.

<i>Less than Perfect</i> American television sitcom (2002–2006)

Less than Perfect is an American television sitcom created by Terri Minsky and starring Sara Rue and Sherri Shepherd which originally aired on ABC from October 1, 2002, to June 6, 2006. It follows Claude (Rue), who works at a television network named GNB, as well as her friends and colleagues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaina Reed Hall</span> American actress and singer (1946–2009)

Alaina Reed Hall was an American actress and singer who portrayed Olivia Robinson, Gordon's younger sister, on the PBS children's television series Sesame Street, and Rose Lee Holloway on the NBC sitcom 227.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Cleghorne</span> American actress and comedian

Ellen Leslye Cleghorne is an American actress and comedian. Cleghorne is best known for her tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1991 to 1995. She was the sketch comedy show's second African-American female repertory cast member, succeeding Danitra Vance in its eleventh season, and the first African-American female cast member to stay for more than one season. She returned for its 40th anniversary special on February 15, 2015. Cleghorne was ranked the 69th greatest Saturday Night Live cast member by Rolling Stone magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sherri Shepherd</span> American actress (born 1967)

Sherri Evonne Shepherd is an American actress, comedian, author, podcaster, and television presenter. She currently hosts the daily syndicated daytime talk show, Sherri. From 2007 to 2014, Shepherd was a co-host of the daytime talk show The View, for which she received multiple Daytime Emmy Award nominations, winning one in 2009. She hosted Dish Nation from 2019 to December 2022, with her final months in limited episodes due to her talk show. She also starred in the sitcoms The Jamie Foxx Show (1999-2001), Less than Perfect (2002–2006), Sherri (2009), Trial & Error (2017–2018), and Mr. Iglesias (2019–2020).

First Time Out is an American sitcom television series that aired on The WB. Originally holding the working title Girlfriends and described as a "Latino Living Single", the series premiered on September 10, 1995, and last aired an original episode on December 17, 1995, after which time it was put on hiatus by The WB, leaving four episodes unaired.

<i>Saturday Night Live</i> season 20 Season of television series

The twentieth season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between September 24, 1994, and May 13, 1995.

<i>Saturday Night Live</i> season 18 Season of television series

The eighteenth season of Saturday Night Live, an American sketch comedy series, originally aired in the United States on NBC between September 26, 1992, and May 15, 1993.

Abigail Elliott is an American actress and comedian. She was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2008 to 2012, and has starred on the Bravo comedy Odd Mom Out, the NBC sitcom Indebted, and the FX/Hulu comedy-drama The Bear. She is the daughter of actor and comedian Chris Elliott and sister of Bridey Elliott.

<i>The Wendy Williams Show</i> American television talk show (2008–2022)

The Wendy Williams Show is an American syndicated talk show created and hosted by Wendy Williams, and produced by Wendy Williams Productions, along with Perler Productions. The show was distributed by Debmar-Mercury and aired nationally, with Fox's owned-and-operated stations serving as its primary affiliate base. The talk show first aired on July 14, 2008, in select major U.S. markets and later expanded nationwide on July 13, 2009, due to loyal viewership which proved highly profitable. It aired its final episode on June 17, 2022, with reruns continuing on most TV stations until September 9.

<i>Sherri</i> (2009 TV series) American television sitcom

Sherri is an American television sitcom starring Sherri Shepherd that ran on Lifetime for one season from October 5, 2009, to December 1, 2009. The show is based on Shepherd's life. The first preview of the show aired on September 4, 2009. Sherri was the first comedy series ever to be owned by Lifetime. The network picked up 12 episodes of the show which were produced in New York by Lifetime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenny Slate</span> American actress, comedian, and writer (born 1982)

Jenny Slate is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and writer. Following early acting and stand-up roles on television, Slate gained recognition for her live variety shows in New York City and for co-creating, writing, and producing the children's short film and book series Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2010–present).

"When It Rains, It Pours" is the second episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 82nd overall episode of the series. It was written by co-show runner and executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by series producer Don Scardino. "When It Rains, It Pours" originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 30, 2010. Guest stars in this episode include Joanna Adler, Ben Bailey, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Castaldo, Paul Giamatti, Andrea Mitchell, Chris Parnell, Sherri Shepherd, and Brian Williams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of The WB</span> History of the defunct American broadcast television network

The WB was an American broadcast television network operated as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. Entertainment division of Time Warner and the Tribune Broadcasting subsidiary of the Tribune Company. Launched on January 11, 1995, it was one of two networks developed by major film and television studios in late 1993—alongside the United Paramount Network —to compete with Fox and the longer established Big Three television networks.

The sketch comedy television series Saturday Night Live (SNL) has parodied President Joe Biden since 1991, covering his time as a United States Senator, his time as Vice President under President Barack Obama, during his campaign to defeat president Donald Trump for the presidency, and as the president of the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hoglund, Andy (December 13, 2018). "How SNL's Ellen Cleghorne Laid the Groundwork for a Generation of Black Comedians". Slate . Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Wright, Megh (August 14, 2012). "Saturday Night's Children: Ellen Cleghorne (1991-1995)" . Vulture . Archived from the original on July 6, 2019. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  3. Grant, Teddy (August 27, 2018). "Sherri Shepherd on Overcoming Fear and if She Would Ever Go Back to The View". Ebony . Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  4. Pierce, Scott D. (October 1, 2002). "New ABC sitcom is Less Than Perfect". Deseret News . Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  5. Montgomery, Katrina (February 7, 2013). "Actress Sherri Shepherd Talks 30 Rock, Plan D, and Her Upcoming Stand-Up Show at Tempe Center for the Arts". Phoenix New Times . Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  6. Variety staff (December 17, 1995). "WB Net Revamps Sunday Slate". Variety . Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  7. Cleghorne! at Rotten Tomatoes