Laurie Hill (TV series)

Last updated
Laurie Hill
LaurieHillTitle.jpg
Laurie Hill opening title
Genre Sitcom
Created by Neal Marlens
Carol Black
Directed by Linda Day
Starring DeLane Matthews
Robert Clohessy
Eric Lloyd
Ellen DeGeneres
Kurt Fuller
Joseph Maher
Doris Belack
Composer W.G. Snuffy Walden
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10 (5 unaired)
Production
Production companiesThe Black/Marlens Company
Touchstone Television
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseSeptember 30 (1992-09-30) 
October 28, 1992 (1992-10-28)

Laurie Hill is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from September 30, 1992 until October 28, 1992. [1] It starred DeLane Matthews as Dr. Laurie Hill, a pediatrician who tried balancing her roles as a doctor, wife and a mother to her young son. The series was created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black and produced by Touchstone Television. [2]

Contents

Synopsis

Laurie Hill (Matthews) was a pediatrician who partnered in a local neighborhood clinic known as Wiseman, Kramer & Hill. She was as fiercely loyal to her clinic and profession as she was compassionate in all aspects of her life. Constantly on call, Laurie was also on the emergency staff of the large St. John's Hospital, where cases often brought this otherwise low-key and gentle series into more adult territory. Balancing her personal and professional lives was another matter, as Laurie tried her best to make time for her husband Jeff (Robert Clohessy), a freelance writer who worked from home, and to be a pro-active mother to her rambunctious, adorable five-year-old son Leo (Eric Lloyd). Jeff, who was a kid at heart, took Laurie's schedule in stride as he reveled in the joys of being home for Leo. Father and son bonded over televised football games and other forms of manhood, which helped Leo cope with the longing he often felt for his busy mother. However, Jeff would sometimes wish for Laurie to slow down as well, expressing his desire for them to have more children. Laurie was not opposed to the idea, but wasn't sure how it would all work.

Laurie's colleagues at the clinic were truly family as well. She often engaged in silly, but more often witty banter with fellow doctors Spencer Kramer (Kurt Fuller), a neurotic and somewhat vain practitioner who had an aversion to treating children, and Walter Wiseman (Joseph Maher), the senior partner who was considering whether or not to retire. Adding to the office camaraderie were motherly receptionist Beverly Fielder (Doris Belack) and flaky nurse Nancy MacIntyre (Ellen DeGeneres), who became something of soul sisters to Laurie.

Stories alternated between Laurie's personal and professional fronts, and the variety of patients and cases assigned to her. Some of the latter were lighthearted and simplistic; to further add to the comedy/drama aspect of the series, some stories dealt with more serious issues, such as a patient's run-in with domestic violence, and Laurie and Nancy's suspicion that a young boy's low white blood cell count may be the sign of a more serious illness--AIDS—than what was first suspected. Laurie found herself getting emotionally involved with the case of the young boy, as she compared the parents' fears with the concern she would share for son Leo.

Cast

Main

Guest stars

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Pilot"UnknownUnknownSeptember 30, 1992 (1992-09-30)
2"Women on the Verge"UnknownUnknownOctober 7, 1992 (1992-10-07)
3"Crush"UnknownUnknownOctober 14, 1992 (1992-10-14)
4"Grasshopper"UnknownUnknownOctober 21, 1992 (1992-10-21)
5"Sick and Tired"UnknownUnknownOctober 28, 1992 (1992-10-28)
6"The Birds, the Bees and the Elephants"TBDTBDUnaired
7"The Heart Thing"TBDTBDUnaired
8"Walter and Beverly"TBDTBDUnaired
9"Much Ado About Nancy"TBDTBDUnaired
10"The Babysitter"TBDTBDUnaired

Broadcast and reception

Laurie Hill aired Wednesdays at 9:30/8:30c, [3] creating bookending of shows from creators Marlens and Black [4] for that evening's comedy lineup. The Wonder Years , which Marlens and Black also created/produced, [5] kicked off the Wednesday night schedule. Set to air in the coveted time slot [6] after sophomore hit series Home Improvement (which had moved into the Wednesday 9/8c slot just prior to that season's start), and given its creative lineage, Laurie Hill was expected to be successful. However, when Marlens and Black appeared on a press tour for the series in the summer of 1992, the first questions asked by those who had screened the pilot concerned whether or not they were serious about airing the program. This reception eventually lead to reviews that cited the series as being uninspired, sorely lacking and not living up to the innovative Wonder Years.

Originally slated to have a mid-September preview telecast in the Tuesday 9:30/8:30 slot (after Roseanne ), Laurie Hill was denied a special preview in the eleventh hour, and had its proper debut moved up to September 30, [7] in its regular time slot. It also became the last of ABC's new fall series to premiere. The pilot episode ranked a respectable 38th place [8] in the Nielsens when it finally aired, but it lost a lot of the audience from Home Improvement, [9] the #4 program that week and its lead-in. ABC canceled [10] [11] Laurie Hill after the fifth episode's airing on October 28, 1992, [12] leaving five remaining episodes unaired. [13]

After cancellation

From the show's premiere, Ellen DeGeneres was critically praised for her performance as Nancy MacIntyre. In the September 30, 1992 edition of the South Florida Sun Sentinel , columnist Tom Jicha explained in his review of the series, "The only comic relief comes from Ellen DeGeneres as Laurie's assistant. It's a brief – almost cameo – appearance, [14] but it's sufficient to raise speculation she would make a more enjoyable character in her own program." [15]

Months after the cancellation of Laurie Hill, Marlens and Black, together with partner David Rosenthal, received a new development deal with ABC, which resulted in the sitcom pilot entitled These Friends of Mine. Marlens and Black had enjoyed working with DeGeneres on Laurie Hill, and cast her as one of the four leads in their new comedy project. These Friends of Mine aired as a midseason replacement series beginning in March 1994, with DeGeneres again being a breakout talent among the cast. The series would be subsequently revamped to emphasize DeGeneres as the principal lead, and continued more familiarly thereafter as Ellen , running until 1998.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Wonder Years</i> 1980s American comedy-drama television series (1988–1993)

The Wonder Years is an American coming-of-age comedy television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black. It ran on ABC from January 31, 1988, until May 12, 1993. The series premiered immediately after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII. The series stars Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold, a teenager growing up in a suburban middle class family in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It co-stars Dan Lauria as his father Jack, Alley Mills as his mother Norma, Jason Hervey as his brother Wayne, Olivia d'Abo as his sister Karen, Josh Saviano as his best friend Paul Pfeiffer, and Danica McKellar as his girlfriend Winnie Cooper, with narration by Daniel Stern as an adult version of Kevin.

<i>All-American Girl</i> (TV series) American television sitcom (1994–1995)

All-American Girl is an American television sitcom starring Margaret Cho. The series aired on ABC from September 14, 1994, to March 15, 1995. It was loosely based on Cho's own experiences growing up in a Korean American family in San Francisco. Cho starred as Margaret Kim, the rebellious daughter of Korean emigrants and bookstore owners, whose American attitude often comes into conflict with her more traditional parents. Among her co-stars were BD Wong as Margaret's brother, and Amy Hill as her eccentric grandmother.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portia de Rossi</span> Australian-American actress

Portia Lee James DeGeneres, known professionally as Portia de Rossi, is an Australian-American retired actress. She played Nelle Porter on the American drama series Ally McBeal (1998–2002), for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award, Lindsay Bluth Fünke on the American television sitcom Arrested Development, and Elizabeth North on the American political thriller series Scandal (2014–2017). She is the founder and CEO of the art company General Public.

<i>Cosby</i> (TV series) American television series

Cosby is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 16, 1996, to April 28, 2000. The program starred Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad, who had previously worked together in the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–1992). Madeline Kahn portrayed their neighborly friend, Pauline, until her death in 1999. The show was adapted from the British sitcom One Foot in the Grave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillary B. Smith</span> American actress

Hillary Bailey Smith is an American actress, best known for her daytime soap opera roles as Margo Hughes on As the World Turns and Nora Gannon Buchanan on One Life to Live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vance DeGeneres</span> American actor, musician, film producer and screenwriter

Vance Elliott DeGeneres is an American actor, comedian, musician, film producer and screenwriter, known for his work in television and movies.

<i>Ellen</i> (TV series) American sitcom

Ellen is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from March 29, 1994, to July 22, 1998, consisting of 109 episodes. Ellen DeGeneres stars as the title character of Ellen Morgan, a neurotic bookstore owner in her thirties. The title of the series was These Friends of Mine for the first season, but it was subsequently changed to avoid confusion with the NBC series Friends, which premiered in September 1994.

Wednesday 9:30 is an American sitcom which aired on ABC in 2002. The series was created by Peter Tolan.

Neal Marlens is an American television producer and writer. He is known for work on the television series Growing Pains, The Wonder Years and Ellen, all with his wife, fellow television producer/writer Carol Black.

<i>The Ellen Show</i> American television sitcom

The Ellen Show is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ellen DeGeneres that was broadcast during the 2001–02 season on CBS, airing from September 24, 2001, to January 11, 2002. It also starred Cloris Leachman, Martin Mull, Kerri Kenney, Jim Gaffigan, and Emily Rutherfurd, with Diane Delano recurring.

Robert Clohessy is an American actor. He is best known for playing Correctional Officer Sean Murphy on the HBO prison drama Oz from seasons 3–6, in addition to playing Officer Patrick Flaherty on the NBC police procedural Hill Street Blues, Warden Boss James Neary on the HBO crime drama Boardwalk Empire for the first two seasons and Lieutenant Sid Gormley on the CBS police drama Blue Bloods.

David Samuel Rosenthal is an American writer and TV producer, best known as the executive producer of season seven of the popular comedy-drama Gilmore Girls and co-creator of the original Ellen TV series. He has also been known to work on The Middle and Jane the Virgin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Lenehan</span> American actress (born 1953)

Nancy Lenehan is an American actress. She made her big screen debut appearing in the 1980 action comedy film Smokey and the Bandit II and later had supporting roles in films She's Having a Baby (1988), Pleasantville (1998) and Catch Me If You Can (2002). Better known for her television appearances, Lenehan was regular cast member in a number of short-lived sitcoms, including Great Scott! (1992), The Faculty (1996), Married to the Kellys (2003–04), Worst Week (2008–09), How to Be a Gentleman (2011), and People of Earth (2016–17). She also had recurring roles on Grace Under Fire, My Name Is Earl, Caroline in the City, Ellen, The New Adventures of Old Christine and Veep.

Jim Craig (<i>One Life to Live</i>) Soap opera character

Jim Craig is a fictional character on the American soap opera One Life to Live played notably by actor Nat Polen from May 1969 until the actor and character's off-screen death in May 1981. Love Is a Many Splendored Thing actor Robert Milli originated the role from the pilot in July 1968 until 1969.

<i>The Jackie Thomas Show</i> American TV series or program

The Jackie Thomas Show is an American sitcom that aired on the ABC network from December 1992 to March 1993. The series received widespread attention due to its creators Roseanne Arnold, then starring in the fifth season of her comedy Roseanne, and her then-husband and Roseanne co-producer Tom Arnold. The Jackie Thomas Show starred Tom Arnold as a misanthropic sitcom actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen DeGeneres</span> American television host (born 1958)

Ellen Lee DeGeneres is an American former comedian, television host, actress, and writer. She starred in the sitcom Ellen from 1994 to 1998, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for "The Puppy Episode". She also hosted the syndicated television talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show from 2003 to 2022, for which she received 33 Daytime Emmy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Puppy Episode</span> 22nd and 23rd episodes of the 4th season of Ellen

"The Puppy Episode" is a two-part episode of the American situation comedy television series Ellen. The episode details lead character Ellen Morgan's realization that she is a lesbian and her coming out. It was the 22nd and 23rd episode of the series's 4th season. The episode was written by series star Ellen DeGeneres with Mark Driscoll, Tracy Newman, Dava Savel and Jonathan Stark and directed by Gil Junger. It originally aired on ABC on April 30, 1997. The title was used as a code name for Ellen's coming out so as to keep the episode under wraps.

<i>The Neighbors</i> (2012 TV series) American sitcom television series

The Neighbors is an American television science fiction sitcom that aired from September 26, 2012, to April 11, 2014, on ABC. The story line revolves around a family of humans living in a community of extraterrestrials. The series was created by Dan Fogelman, who also served as executive producer. Chris Koch, Jeffrey Morton, and Aaron Kaplan served as co-producers, and the first season was produced by ABC Studios and Kapital Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Very Good Production</span> American film and television production company founded by Ellen DeGeneres

A Very Good Production is an American film and television production company founded by comedian, television host, actress Ellen DeGeneres and Warner Bros. Television's Telepictures in 2003. It is known for producing the series The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The logo contains Ellen saying "Anyway..." while crossing her legs.

References

  1. Cotter, Bill (1997). The Wonderful World of Disney Television. Hyperion Books. p. 434. ISBN   0-7868-6359-5.
  2. The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present . Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 665. ISBN   0-345-45542-8.
  3. Rosenbluth, Jean (September 30, 1992). Variety TV REV 1991-92 17. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   9780824037963.
  4. Tracy, Kathleen (25 February 2005). Ellen: The Real Story of Ellen Degeneres. Pinnacle Books. p. 102. ISBN   9780786017508.
  5. Irvin, Robert (2016). Forgotten Laughs: An Episode Guide to 150 TV Sitcoms You Probably Never Saw.
  6. Voorhees, John (September 28, 1992). "'Child Of Rage' Boasts All The Elements Of Believability". The Seattle Times.
  7. Zurawik, David (September 30, 1992). "'Laurie Hill' is a bit too selfless to be believable". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on 2021-06-20.
  8. "These 12 sitcoms of the 1990s were brief hits but only lasted a year". MeTV. May 15, 2017.
  9. King, Susan (January 6, 1995). "PRESSURES OF SUCCESSFUL TV SHOW DRIVES ACTRESS". Greensboro News & Record.
  10. Sharkey, Betsy (January 10, 1993). "TELEVISION; The Short Life and Unhappy Death of 'Laurie Hill'". The New York Times.
  11. Shales, Tom (October 23, 1992). "'LAURIE HILL' CUT". The Washington Post.
  12. "October 28, 1992: Wednesday". TV Tango.
  13. Kurland, Daniel (November 12, 2018). "20 Best (And 10 Worst) Forgotten '90s Sitcoms, Officially Ranked". ScreenRant.
  14. O'Dell, Cary. "Awful 1990s TV shows!". TVparty!.
  15. Jicha, Tom (September 30, 1992). "After 'Wonder Years', It's All Down 'hill'". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2018-08-20.