Hot l Baltimore

Last updated
Hot l Baltimore
Hot L Baltimore title card.png
Based on The Hot l Baltimore by Lanford Wilson
Developed byNorman Lear
Rod Parker
Starring Richard Masur
Conchata Ferrell
James Cromwell
Al Freeman Jr.
Jeannie Linero
Gloria LeRoy
Robin Wilson
Stan Gottlieb
Lee Bergere
Henry Calvert
Charlotte Rae
Composer Marvin Hamlisch
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producer Norman Lear
ProducerRod Parker
EditorTerry M. Pickford
Running time22 minutes
Production company T.A.T. Communications Co.
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseJanuary 24 (1975-01-24) 
April 25, 1975 (1975-04-25)

Hot l Baltimore is a 1975 American sitcom created by Norman Lear, adapted from the 1973 off-Broadway play The Hot l Baltimore by Lanford Wilson.

Contents

Premise and run

The show takes place in the fictional Hotel Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland, and draws its title from the cheap establishment's neon marquee which has a burned-out letter "E". The half-hour series premiered January 24, 1975, [1] and was produced by Norman Lear for ABC. It was the first Lear property to air on ABC.

The series had several controversial elements, including two primary characters who were prostitutes, one of whom was an illegal immigrant, and one of the first gay couples to be depicted on an American television series. Because of the subject matter, the show was the first ABC network show to have a warning at its opening, cautioning viewers about mature themes. ( All in the Family , also produced by Lear, ran a similar disclaimer when it debuted in 1971 on CBS, but ceased doing so with its second telecast.) The network supported the show and gave it a full publicity campaign, but it failed to win an audience and was canceled after 13 episodes. Its last telecast was June 6, 1975.

This series is notable as the first failure for Lear after a streak of mega-hit TV series, beginning with All in the Family (1971) and continuing with Sanford and Son (1972), Maude (1972), Good Times (1974), and The Jeffersons (1975), the last of which premiered six days before this show. It finished the season in 69th place out of 84 shows with an average 14.7 rating. [2]

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Suzy's Wedding" Bob LaHendro Ron Clark & Rod ParkerJanuary 24, 1975 (1975-01-24)
Suzy announces she is going to marry a Hollywood producer.
2"Millie's Beau"Unknown Rudy De Luca & Barry Levinson January 31, 1975 (1975-01-31)
Millie's new boyfriend turns out to be one of Suzy's clients. The residents try to figure out a way to tell Millie.
3"Suzy's New Job"Bob LaHendro Woody Kling & David Swift February 7, 1975 (1975-02-07)
After she loses her job as a dance teacher, Suzy decides to complain to the White House.
4"The Rent Increase"Unknown Barry E. Blitzer & Jack KaplanFebruary 14, 1975 (1975-02-14)
Ainsley's mother issues an unexpected rent increase to the tenants. On the verge of being evicted, the residents are moved to protests, with a highly imaginative maneuver by Moose.
5"George and Gordon" Burt Brinckerhoff Woody KlingFebruary 21, 1975 (1975-02-21)
George and Gordon's latest spat promises to blossom into a hotel-wide fray.
6"The Date"Bob LaHendroRon ClarkFebruary 28, 1975 (1975-02-28)
Just to prove that he's not afraid of anything, Bill agrees to take April out on a date.
7"The Deportation of Suzy"Bob LaHendroElias Davis & David PollockMarch 7, 1975 (1975-03-07)
Suzy is threatened with deportation as an undesirable alien.
8"Mrs. Bellotti's Boyfriend"Unknown Charlie Hauck March 14, 1975 (1975-03-14)
Mrs. Bellotti has fallen deeply in love with Chapman Packer, but her first love is her son Moose, and everything hinges on a very successful meeting of the two men in her life.
9"Bingham's Con"Unknown Jay Sommers March 21, 1975 (1975-03-21)
Ex-convict Mojo Thompson arrives at the hotel in search of his old buddy Charles Bingham. Mojo soon enthralls the residents with wild tales of his former shenanigans, but in the process he also happens to divulge a few secrets from Charles' past, things Bingham would rather keep dead and buried.
10"Historic L Baltimore"UnknownDouglas Arango & Phil DoranMarch 28, 1975 (1975-03-28)
Ainsley's mother has successfully targeted the Hotel Baltimore with the wrecking ball. Hoping to save the building from an untimely demolition, Clifford manages to have it declared a historic landmark. However, the scheme quickly backfires; with the building now more valuable than ever, a Japanese corporation decides to purchase it, but the unlikeliest of residents may prove to be the hotel's ultimate savior.
11"Ainsley Loves April"UnknownWoody KlingApril 4, 1975 (1975-04-04)
An armed gunman invades the hotel lobby and threatens the residents, but is defeated by April. Having witnessed April's heroism, Clifford Ainsley suddenly sees her in a very different light; he falls head over heels in love with her, giving April a rare opportunity to be treated like a queen.
12"Suzy's Problem"UnknownCharlie HauckApril 11, 1975 (1975-04-11)
Suzy, depressed about turning 30, feels she is wasting her life after contracting a sexually transmitted disease.
13"Ainsley's Secret"UnknownElias Davis & David PollockApril 25, 1975 (1975-04-25)
Evie, a woman from Ainsley's past, arrives at the hotel and accuses him of being the father of her child, which he vehemently denies. Ultimately, he agrees to settle the problem with a payoff to Evie. Although he couldn't possibly be the father, the reason he couldn't forms the crux of Ainsley's secret.

Related Research Articles

<i>All in the Family</i> American sitcom television series (1971–1979)

All in the Family is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS for nine seasons from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979, with a total of 205 episodes. It was later produced as Archie Bunker's Place, a continuation series, which picked up where All in the Family ended and ran for four seasons through April 4, 1983.

The year 1972 involved some significant events in television. Below is a list of notable television-related events.

The year 1975 involved some significant events in television. Below is a list of television-related events which happened that year.

<i>Sanford and Son</i> American sitcom television series (1972–1977)

Sanford and Son is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977. It was based on the British sitcom Steptoe and Son, which initially aired on BBC1 in the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1974.

<i>The Streets of San Francisco</i> American crime drama television series

The Streets of San Francisco is an American television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television.

<i>Maude</i> (TV series) American television sitcom (1972–1978)

Maude is an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972, until April 22, 1978. The show was the first spin-off of All in the Family, on which Bea Arthur had made two appearances as Maude Findlay, Edith Bunker's favorite cousin. Like All in the Family, Maude was a sitcom with topical storylines created by producers Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin.

<i>The Jeffersons</i> American sitcom (1975–1985)

The Jeffersons is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. The Jeffersons is one of the longest-running sitcoms in history.

<i>Barney Miller</i> American sitcom

Barney Miller is an American sitcom television series set in a New York City Police Department police station on East 6th Street in Greenwich Village. The series was broadcast on ABC from January 23, 1975, to May 20, 1982. It was created by Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker. Noam Pitlik directed the majority of the episodes. It spawned a spin-off series, Fish, that ran from February 5, 1977, to May 18, 1978, focusing on the character Philip K. Fish.

<i>Room 222</i> American comedy TV series

Room 222 is an American comedy-drama television series produced by 20th Century Fox Television that aired on ABC for 112 episodes, from September 17, 1969, until January 11, 1974. The show was broadcast on Wednesday evenings at 8:30 (ET) for its first two seasons, before settling into Friday evenings at 9:00, following The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family, and preceding The Odd Couple and Love, American Style.

<i>The Flip Wilson Show</i> American variety television series (1970–1974)

The Flip Wilson Show is an hour-long variety show that originally aired in the US on NBC from September 17, 1970, to June 27, 1974. The show starred American comedian Flip Wilson; the program was one of the first American television programs starring a black person in the title role to become highly successful with a white audience. Specifically, it was the first successful network variety series starring an African American. During its first two seasons, it was the nation's second most watched show according to Nielsen ratings.

<i>The Hot l Baltimore</i> Play written by Lanford Wilson

The Hot L Baltimore is a 1973 American play by Lanford Wilson set in the lobby of the Hotel Baltimore. The plot focuses on the residents of the decaying property, who are faced with eviction when the structure is condemned. The play draws its title from the hotel's neon marquee with a burned-out "e" that was never replaced.

Tandem Productions, Inc. was a film and television production company that was founded in 1958 by television director Bud Yorkin and television writer/producer Norman Lear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ELP Communications</span> American television production company

ELP Communications was an American television production company that originally began in 1974.

The decade of the 1970s saw significant changes in television programming in both the United Kingdom and the United States. The trends included the decline of the "family sitcoms" and rural-oriented programs to more socially contemporary shows and "young, hip and urban" sitcoms in the United States and the permanent establishment of colour television in the United Kingdom.

<i>The Nancy Walker Show</i> 1976 American TV series or program

The Nancy Walker Show is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 30, 1976, to December 23, 1976. The series, produced by Norman Lear, was a starring vehicle for Nancy Walker after she gained a new-found television following as both the McMillans' housekeeper Mildred on McMillan & Wife and as Rhoda Morgenstern's mother Ida Morgenstern on Rhoda. The series was a ratings flop and was cancelled after only 12 aired episodes.

In regard to children's programming, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) has aired mostly programming from Walt Disney Television or other producers. This article outlines the history of children's television programming on ABC including the various blocks and notable programs that have aired throughout the television network's history.

<i>In the Beginning</i> (TV series) Short-lived TV sitcom starring McLean Stevenson.

In the Beginning is an American sitcom originally created by Norman Lear, Jim Mulligan, and Norman Steinberg and produced by Lear's Tandem Productions company. The show aired on CBS from September 20 to October 18, 1978, and was cancelled after its first five episodes aired due to low ratings.

<i>CBS Thursday Night Movie</i> American television series

CBS Thursday Night Movie was the network's venture into the weekly televising of then-recent theatrical films, debuting at the start of the 1965–1966 season, from 9:00 to 11 p.m.. Unlike its two competitors, CBS had delayed running feature films at the behest of the network's hierarchy. Indeed, as far back as 1960, when Paramount Pictures offered a huge backlog of titles for sale to television for $50 million, James T. Aubrey, program director at CBS, negotiated with the studio to buy the package for the network. Aubrey summed up his thinking this way: "I decided that the feature film was the thing for TV. A $250,000 specially-tailored television show just could not compete with a film that cost three or four million dollars." However, the network's chairman, William Paley, who considered the scheduling of old movies "uncreative", vetoed the Paramount transaction.

By 1969, Major League Baseball had grown to 24 teams and the net local TV revenues had leaped to $20.7 million. This is in sharp contrast to 1950 when local television brought the then 16 Major League clubs a total net income of $2.3 million. Changes baseball underwent during this time, such as expansion franchises and increasing the schedule from 154 games to 162, led to a wider audience for network and local television.

From 1965 through 1975, in addition to the Saturday night game on CBC, Hockey Night in Canada also produced and broadcast a Wednesday night game on CTV, CBC's privately owned competitor; beginning in the 1975–76 NHL season, these midweek games began to broadcast by local stations. In 1970–71, the Vancouver Canucks joined the NHL, meaning that there were now three possible venues for an HNIC telecast.

References

  1. Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (9 ed.). New York: Random House Publishing. p. 635. ISBN   978-0-345-49773-4 . Retrieved 2024-06-04 via Google Books.
  2. "The TV Ratings Guide: 1974-75 Ratings History".