Down to Earth (U.S. TV series)

Last updated
Down To Earth
Down to Earth title screen.jpg
Genre Sitcom
Created by Sam Harris
Bruce H. Newberg
Starring Carol Mansell
Stephen Johnson
Dick Sargent
David Kaufman
Kyle Richards
Randy Josselyn
Marla Rubinoff
Lester Fletcher
Ronnie Schell
Michael Delano
Rip Taylor
Composer(s)Tom Wells
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes110
Production
Executive producer(s)Arthur Annecharico
Running time30 minutes
Production company(s) Arthur Company
Procter & Gamble
Distributor Warner Bros. Television (1996-present)
Release
Original network TBS
Original release 1984  – 1987

Down to Earth is an American fantasy sitcom series that ran on Superstation TBS from 1984 to 1987. The series was originally produced by The Arthur Company, and later, by Procter & Gamble Productions and was the Superstation's first original series. [1] [2]

United States Federal republic in North America

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.

A sitcom, clipping for situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new characters in each sketch, and stand-up comedy, where a comedian tells jokes and stories to an audience. Sitcoms originated in radio, but today are found mostly on television as one of its dominant narrative forms. This form can also include mockumentaries.

For 1984 in television see:

Contents

Premise

The series revolved around Ethel MacDoogan, a free-spirited woman who lived the "Roaring 1920s." era. However, in 1925 she suffered a fatal accident, colliding with a trolley. Ethel waits in Heaven for 60 years for a chance to earn her wings, until finally she is sent to earth in the 1980s to help the Preston family. [3]

Heaven Place where beings such as gods, angels, spirits, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or live.

Heaven, or the heavens, is a common religious, cosmological, or transcendent place where beings such as gods, angels, spirits, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or live. According to the beliefs of some religions, heavenly beings can descend to earth or incarnate, and earthly beings can ascend to heaven in the afterlife, or in exceptional cases enter heaven alive.

The Prestons are a typical modern-day family with modern-day situations: widowed father Richard is a realtor, though he retired a few months after and began working as a licensing agent for new inventors; older son Duane is very class-conscious; daughter Lissy is very opinionated; Jay Jay, the youngest, just wants someone who can fill their late mother's void. It is Jay Jay's prayer for an angel to come into their lives that summons Ethel, and he is the only one who knows her true identity.

Infiltrating the household as housekeeper/maid, Ethel is clueless about even the simplest conveniences of modern-day life. Jay Jay helps cover for her when it comes to adapting to the newfangled inventions of the past 60 years, and she eventually wins over the Prestons by helping them deal with their problems.

Popping in from time to time is the Prestons' ditsy next-door neighbor Candy Carlysle, who became a regular character in 1985.

In addition to her earthly employer, Ethel is under the constant eye of her heavenly boss and their successors, who watch her every move—and her every mistake. Her first overseer, Mr. Divine, kept a close eye on her. He was moved to another position in Heaven a few months after, and the very concerned but comical Lester Luster took over, followed by her ex-fiance/con-man Jake, with the outrageous Stanley McCloud (played by Rip Taylor) taking over in the show's final years.

Rip Taylor American actor

Charles Elmer "Rip" Taylor Jr. is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his exuberance and flamboyant personality, including his wild moustache, toupee and, his habit of showering himself with confetti.

A few months after the show's beginning, a turning point occurred: Ethel's mission on Earth proved successful and she was ordered back to Heaven. Realising how much the Prestons meant to her and vice versa, she begged Lester Luster to postpone her return to Heaven. Together, they created a deal that she would help him with any crises on Earth that he brought to her attention and that she would have to return to Heaven if she was unsuccessful.

Production notes

The series made several changes to its cast. Besides the ethereal bosses, it changed the earthly father as well, becoming the second series in which Dick Sargent replaced another actor in the same role. [4]

Dick Sargent American actor

Richard Stanford Cox, known professionally as Dick Sargent, was an American actor, notable as the second actor to portray Darrin Stephens on ABC's fantasy situation comedy Bewitched. He took the name Dick Sargent from a Saturday Evening Post illustrator/artist of the same name.

The show's central characters were jointly created, and the core format was jointly developed, by Star Search winner, singer, actor and AIDS activist Sam Harris, who collaborated with Arthur L. Annecharico to do so. Harris also wrote several episodes of the show.

<i>Star Search</i> television series

Star Search was an American television show that was produced by T.P.E./Rysher Entertainment from 1983 to 1995, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Al Masini. A relaunch was produced by 2929 Productions from 2003 to 2004. On both versions of the show, contestants competed in several genres of entertainment. The show was originally filmed at the old Earl Carroll Theatre, at 6230 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood and later at the Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida.

Sam Harris (singer) American singer and actor

Samuel Kent Harris is an American pop and theater musician as well as a television, theater and film actor.

In addition to having run on TBS, Down to Earth also had subsequent runs on Good Life TV in 2007.

Reception

The Ocala Star-Banner called Down to Earth "one of the better sitcoms on the air nowadays". [5]

Cast

Season 3 main cast of Down to Earth (l-r) Kyle Richards, Dick Sargent, Carol Mansell, David Kaufman, Randy Josselyn and Marla Jeanette Rubinoff. Down to Earth season 3 cast.jpg
Season 3 main cast of Down to Earth
(l–r) Kyle Richards, Dick Sargent, Carol Mansell, David Kaufman, Randy Josselyn and Marla Jeanette Rubinoff.

Episodes

Season 1


Season 2


Season 3

Crew

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Associated Press (June 4, 1985). "Author Co. makes cable comedies". The Madison Courier.
  2. ↑ John Carman (September 2, 1985). "Latest comedy has 'Rocky Road' to hoe on WTBS". The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
  3. 1 2 Rothenberg, Fred (March 9, 1984). "Ted Turner's first sitcom makes its debut Saturday". The Beaver County Times . Beaver, PA. Associated Press . Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Cable capers". The Ledger . Lakeland, FL. November 30, 1984. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Impersonator Prefers Mondale". Ocala Star-Banner. May 26, 1984. p. 51.
  6. ↑ TBS promotional campaign
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