Hooperman

Last updated
Hooperman
Genre Comedy drama
Created by Steven Bochco
Terry Louise Fisher
Starring John Ritter
Debrah Farentino
Barbara Bosson
Felton Perry
Clarence Felder
Sydney Walsh
Joseph Gian
Alix Elias
Paul Linke (1988–1989)
Rod Gist (1988–1989)
Composer Mike Post
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes42
Production
Executive producerRobert M. Myman
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesAdam Productions
20th Century Fox Television
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseSeptember 23, 1987 (1987-09-23) 
July 19, 1989 (1989-07-19)

Hooperman is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC from September 23, 1987, to July 19, 1989. The show centered on the professional and personal life of San Francisco police Inspector Harry Hooperman, played by John Ritter. The series was created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, who were the team responsible for creating L.A. Law . Though not the first comedy drama, Hooperman was considered the vanguard of a new television genre when it premiered, and critics coined the term "dramedy" to describe it. [1] [2]

Contents

Synopsis

Ritter plays San Francisco police Inspector Harry Hooperman. In the first episode, Hooperman inherits the rundown apartment building he lives in when his elderly landlady is killed in a robbery. He also inherits her temperamental pet Jack Russell terrier named Bijoux. Due to the demands of his job as a police officer, he hires Susan Smith (played by Debrah Farentino) to be the building manager, and the pair become romantically involved throughout the first season.

Also starring on the show was Alix Elias as the cheerful and bubbly police dispatcher, Betty Bushkin; Barbara Bosson was Hooperman's divorced superior, Capt. Celeste "C.Z." Stern; Felton Perry as Harry's partner, Inspector Clarence McNeil; Clarence Felder as redneck inspector Boris "Bobo" Pritzger; Joseph Gian as Rick Silardi, a gay cop, and Sydney Walsh as officer Maureen "Mo" DeMott, his patrol partner who was intent on "saving" him from being gay by making unwanted passes. Dan Lauria played Celeste's former husband, Lou Stern.

The theme music was composed by Mike Post.

Guest stars in the series' 42-episode run included: Don Cheadle, Kim Delaney, Dennis Dugan, Norman Fell (who worked with Ritter on The Stone Killer and Three's Company ), Miguel Ferrer, Jack Gilford, Mark Hamill, Joanna Kerns (who did a guest spot on Three's Company), Richard Kind, Dan Lauria, Jane Leeves, Lorna Luft, David Paymer, Barbara Rush, and Shannon Tweed.

Except for a brief syndicated run on the FX Network in the mid 1990s, and the pilot rebroadcast on TV Land in 2003 following Ritter's death, the series has not aired since then.

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 22September 23, 1987 (1987-09-23)May 18, 1988 (1988-05-18)
2 20November 30, 1988 (1988-11-30)July 19, 1989 (1989-07-19)

Season 1 (1987–88)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
Rating/share
(households)
11"Hooperman" Gregory Hoblit Steven Bochco & Terry Louise Fisher September 23, 1987 (1987-09-23)5J0121.5/35 [3]
22"The Answer My Friend Is Passing in the Wind"Gregory HoblitSteven Bochco & Terry Louise FisherSeptember 30, 1987 (1987-09-30)5J0217.5/28 [4]
33"Don We Now Our Gay Apparel" Rick Wallace Steven Bochco & Terry Louise FisherOctober 7, 1987 (1987-10-07)5J0516.8/26 [5]
44"Aria da Capo" John Patterson Story by: Steven Bochco
Teleplay by: Leon Tokatyan
October 14, 1987 (1987-10-14)5J0417.9/27 [6]
55"John Doe, We Hardly Knew Ye"John PattersonStory by: Lydia Woodward
Teleplay by: Rick Kellard
October 28, 1987 (1987-10-28)5J0612.8/20 [7]
66"The Shooting"Nick HavingaStory by: Steven Bochco & Amy K. Milkovich & Ed Milkovich
Teleplay by: Leon Tokatyan
November 4, 1987 (1987-11-04)5J0715.9/25 [8]
77"Hot Wired" Michael Zinberg Story by: Steven Bochco & Rick Kellard
Teleplay by: Rick Kellard
November 18, 1987 (1987-11-18)5J0814.7/24 [9]
88"Baby Talk" Anson Williams Steven HollanderNovember 25, 1987 (1987-11-25)5J1015.0/26 [10]
99"Blues for Danny Welles" Kim Friedman Story by: Robert Rabinowitz & Steven Bochco & Rick Kellard
Teleplay by: Rick Kellard
December 2, 1987 (1987-12-02)5J1117.8/29 [11]
1010"I, Witness"Kim FriedmanStory by: Ross Hirshorn
Teleplay by: Leon Tokatyan & Rick Kellard
December 9, 1987 (1987-12-09)5J0916.0/25 [12]
1111"Deck the Cell with Bars of Folly" Peter Werner Story by: Steven Bochco
Teleplay by: Peter Nasco
December 23, 1987 (1987-12-23)5J1214.4/25 [13]
1212"The Naked and the Dead" Paul Lynch Story by: Steven Bochco & Gina Goldman
Teleplay by: Gina Goldman
January 6, 1988 (1988-01-06)5J1315.6/24 [14]
1313"The Snitch"Rick WallaceTerry HartJanuary 13, 1988 (1988-01-13)5J1414.2/22 [15]
1414"Chariots of Fire"Michael ZinbergJames KramerJanuary 20, 1988 (1988-01-20)5J1515.6/24 [16]
1515"High Noon"Kim FriedmanSteven HollanderFebruary 3, 1988 (1988-02-03)5J1616.4/25 [17]
1616"Blaste from the Past"Anson WilliamsPhil Kellard & Tom MooreFebruary 10, 1988 (1988-02-10)5J1714.5/22 [18]
1717"Tomato Can" John Patterson John SchulianMarch 9, 1988 (1988-03-09)5J1913.2/20 [19]
1818"Me and Mr. Magoo" Carl Gottlieb Rick KellardMarch 16, 1988 (1988-03-16)5J0313.7/22 [20]
1919"Baby on Board" Bethany Rooney Gina WendkosApril 6, 1988 (1988-04-06)5J1814.6/24 [21]
2020"Trudy and Clyde"Michael ZinbergStory by: Rick Kellard & Steven Hollander
Teleplay by: Phil Kellard & Tom Moore
April 13, 1988 (1988-04-13)5J2012.6/20 [22]
2121"Nick Derringer, P.I."Michael ZinbergSteven Bochco & Rick KellardMay 4, 1988 (1988-05-04)5J2214.0/23 [23]
2222"Surprise Party"John PattersonStory by: Steven Bochco & Phil Kellard & Tom Moore
Teleplay by: Gary Rosen
May 18, 1988 (1988-05-18)5J2111.1/19 [24]

Season 2 (1988–89)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
Viewers
(millions)
231"Requiem for an S.O.B."Win PhelpsRick KellardNovember 30, 1988 (1988-11-30)6X0121.7 [25]
242"We'll Always Have Paris" Alan J. Levi Story by: Rick Kellard & Michael Wagner
Teleplay by: Phil Kellard & Tom Moore & Jill Gordon
December 7, 1988 (1988-12-07)6X0218.2 [26]
253"Who Do You Truss?"Alan J. LeviPhil Kellard & Tom MooreDecember 14, 1988 (1988-12-14)6X0319.8 [27]
264"In Search of Bijoux" Anson Williams Jill GordonDecember 21, 1988 (1988-12-21)6X0420.8 [28]
275"Look Homeward, Dirtbag" Rob Cohen Story by: Jill Gordon & Michael Wagner
Teleplay by: Douglas Steinberg & Rick Kellard & Michael Wagner
January 11, 1989 (1989-01-11)6X0614.2 [29]
286"Nightmare in Apartment One" Jeff Melman Phil Kellard & Tom MooreJanuary 18, 1989 (1989-01-18)6X0719.2 [30]
297"Hooperman Goes to Hell in a Handcart" Ron Lagomarsino Michael WagnerJanuary 25, 1989 (1989-01-25)6X0514.0 [31]
308"Rashomanny"Ron Lagomarsino R.W. Goodwin February 1, 1989 (1989-02-01)6X1017.9 [32]
319"In the Still of My Pants" Betty Thomas Jill GordonFebruary 8, 1989 (1989-02-08)6X0916.3 [33]
3210"The Dating Game" Neema Barnette Sam GreenbaumFebruary 15, 1989 (1989-02-15)6X1216.9 [34]
3311"Intolerance" Eric Laneuville Michael WagnerFebruary 22, 1989 (1989-02-22)6X1113.9 [35]
3412"The Nun and I" Roy Campanella II Vic Rauseo & Linda Morris March 1, 1989 (1989-03-01)6X1416.6 [36]
3513"The Sure Thing"Bethany RooneyStory by: Phil Kellard & Tom Moore & Rick Kellard
Teleplay by: Jill Gordon
March 15, 1989 (1989-03-15)6X1314.7 [37]
3614"The Long So Long" Jeffrey D. Brown Bob Dolan SmithMarch 22, 1989 (1989-03-22)6X1515.7 [38]
3715"Stakeout"Max TashJill GordonJune 14, 1989 (1989-06-14)6X189.2 [39]
3816"Dog Day Afternoon, Morning and Night"Betty ThomasJill Gordon & Phil Kellard & Tom Moore & Michael WagnerJune 21, 1989 (1989-06-21)6X2010.9 [40]
3917"Love Bytes" Arlene Sanford Phil Kellard & Tom MooreJune 28, 1989 (1989-06-28)6X1610.8 [41]
4018"Take My Building, Please"Roy Campanella IIRick KellardJuly 5, 1989 (1989-07-05)6X1910.0 [42]
4119"Some of That Jazz"Arlene SanfordGlen MerzerJuly 12, 1989 (1989-07-12)6X0810.7 [43]
4220"Goodnight, Sweet Hooperman"Betty ThomasMichael WagnerJuly 26, 1989 (1989-07-26)6X1710.6 [44]

Home media

On January 24, 2017, Olive Films released both seasons on DVD in Region 1. [45] [46]

Awards and nominations

The pilot episode won the 1988 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series. [47]

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