Sydney (TV series)

Last updated
Sydney
Sydneyleads90.jpg
Craig Bierko, Valerie Bertinelli, and Matthew Perry in Sydney
Genre Sitcom
Created by Michael J. Wilson
Douglas Wyman
Written byMichael J. Wilson
Billy Van Zandt
Jane Milmore
Directed by Lee Shallat-Chemel
Iris Dugow
Art Wolff
Robert Berlinger
John Ratzenberger
Starring Valerie Bertinelli
Matthew Perry
Craig Bierko
Daniel Baldwin
Barney Martin
Theme music composer Eddie Van Halen
Alex Van Halen
Opening theme"Finish What Ya Started"
performed by Van Halen
ComposerMason Cooper
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producerPamela Grant
Camera setup Multi-camera
Running time2224 min
Production companiesOomp & Friends Productions
Gold Hat Entertainment
Grant/Tribune Productions
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseMarch 21 (1990-03-21) 
June 25, 1990 (1990-06-25)

Sydney is an American sitcom television series starring Valerie Bertinelli, Matthew Perry, and Craig Bierko that aired on CBS from March 21 to June 25, 1990. It was created and written by Michael J. Wilson and Douglas Wyman. This series marked Valerie Bertnelli's return to a CBS series after One Day at a Time had ended in 1984. [1] [2]

Contents

Synopsis

Sydney Kells (Valerie Bertinelli), a private investigator from a family of police officers, relocates her one-woman private detective agency from New York City to her small hometown. There, Sydney struggles to balance her personal and professional life. Her main client is an uptight lawyer, Matt Keating (Craig Bierko), with whom she shares sexual chemistry. Her over-protective brother Billy (Matthew Perry), a rookie officer, tries to help her when he can. Sydney and her best friend Jill (Rebeccah Bush) frequent a neighborhood bar run by Ray (Barney Martin), her father's old police partner. [3]

Cast

Theme song

Bertinelli convinced then-husband Eddie Van Halen to grant permission for the Van Halen song "Finish What Ya Started" to be used as the opening theme song to Sydney. [4]

Guest appearances

Pat Harrington, Jr., who appeared with Bertinelli in the long-running CBS sitcom One Day at a Time, guest starred as a rival private investigator in the seventh episode of the season, which was directed by John Ratzenberger. Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore, who acted as creative consultants on the show, also made various guest appearances. Chazz Palminteri played Tony in the episode "Love Ya, Babe". Other guest actors included Yeardley Smith, Kevin Dunn, Annabelle Gurwitch, Tony Longo, Andy Dick and Michael E. Knight. [5]

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date Prod.
code
1"You? You're a Private Eye?" Lee Shallat Michael J. Wilson March 21, 1990 (1990-03-21)3105
2"Promises, Promises"Iris DugowMichael WilsonMarch 28, 1990 (1990-03-28)3107
3"Cliffhanger"Lee ShallatMichael WilsonApril 4, 1990 (1990-04-04)3106
4"Love Ya, Babe"Lee ShallatStory by: Michael Wilson & Douglas Wyman
Teleplay by: Michael Wilson
April 11, 1990 (1990-04-11)3109
5"She Loves Me"Lee ShallatMichael WilsonApril 18, 1990 (1990-04-18)3107
6"I Gotta Be Me"Lee ShallatMichael WilsonApril 23, 1990 (1990-04-23)3110
7"Georgie" John Ratzenberger Michael Wilson & Barney Dunn & Maria A. BrownApril 25, 1990 (1990-04-25)3111
8"The Me Nobody Knows"Iris DugowMichael WilsonMay 2, 1990 (1990-05-02)3104
9"Sydney's Mom" Art Wolff Michael Wilson & Douglas Wyman & Maria BrownMay 23, 1990 (1990-05-23)3103
10"36-24-36"Art WolffMichael Wilson & Douglas Wyman & Maria BrownJune 4, 1990 (1990-06-04)3102
11"On a Claire Day"Robert BerlingerBilly Van Zandt & Jane MilmoreJune 11, 1990 (1990-06-11)3112
12"Jake" Ellen Falcon Michael Wilson & Douglas WymanJune 18, 1990 (1990-06-18)5001
13"Chicken a la Matt"Lee ShallatMichael WilsonJune 25, 1990 (1990-06-25)3113

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Perry</span> American and Canadian actor (1969–2023)

Matthew Langford Perry was an American and Canadian actor. He gained international fame for starring as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom Friends (1994–2004). Perry also appeared on Ally McBeal (2002) and received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his performances in The West Wing (2003) and The Ron Clark Story (2006). He played a leading role in the NBC series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006–2007), and also became known for his leading film roles in Fools Rush In (1997), Almost Heroes (1998), Three to Tango (1999), The Whole Nine Yards (2000), Serving Sara (2002), The Whole Ten Yards (2004), and 17 Again (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Lee Roth</span> American rock singer (born 1954)

David Lee Roth is an American rock singer, songwriter and lyricist. Known for his wild and energetic stage persona, he was the lead vocalist of the hard rock band Van Halen for three stints: from 1974 to 1985, during 1996, and from 2006 to when they disbanded in 2020. He has also had a successful solo career, releasing numerous RIAA-certified Gold and Platinum albums. After more than two decades apart, Roth re-joined Van Halen in 2006 for a North American tour that became the highest-grossing in the band's history, and one of the highest-grossing of that year. In 2007, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Van Halen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt LeBlanc</span> American actor (born 1967)

Matthew Steven LeBlanc is an American actor. He garnered global recognition with his portrayal of Joey Tribbiani in the NBC sitcom Friends and in its spin-off series, Joey. For his work on Friends, LeBlanc received three nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also starred as a fictionalized version of himself in Episodes (2011–2017), for which he won a Golden Globe Award and received four additional Emmy Award nominations. He co-hosted Top Gear from 2016 to 2019. From 2016 to 2020, he played patriarch Adam Burns in the CBS sitcom Man with a Plan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Leeves</span> English actress

Jane Elizabeth Leeves is an English actress, best known for her role as Daphne Moon on the NBC sitcom Frasier (1993–2004), for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. She also played Joy Scroggs on TV Land's sitcom Hot in Cleveland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendie Malick</span> American actress (born 1950)

Wendie Malick is an American actress and former fashion model, known for her roles in various television comedies. She starred as Judith Tupper Stone in the HBO sitcom Dream On, and as Nina Van Horn in the NBC sitcom Just Shoot Me!, for which she was nominated for two Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valerie Bertinelli</span> American actress (born 1960)

Valerie Anne Bertinelli is an American actress and television personality. She first achieved recognition as an adolescent, portraying Barbara Cooper Royer on the sitcom One Day at a Time (1975–1984), for which she won two Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film. She subsequently earned adult stardom as Gloria on the religious drama series Touched by an Angel (2001–2003), and Melanie Moretti on the sitcom Hot in Cleveland (2010–2015), which brought her a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. In 2012, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

<i>One Day at a Time</i> (1975 TV series) American television sitcom (1975–1984)

One Day at a Time is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from December 16, 1975, to May 28, 1984. It stars Bonnie Franklin as a divorced mother raising two teenage daughters, played by Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertinelli, set in Indianapolis.

<i>OU812</i> 1988 studio album by Van Halen

OU812 is the eighth studio album by American rock band Van Halen. It was released in 1988 and is the band's second album to feature vocalist Sammy Hagar. Van Halen began work on the album in September 1987 and completed it in April 1988, one month before its release.

<i>For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge</i> 1991 studio album by Van Halen

For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge is the ninth studio album by American rock band Van Halen. It was released on June 17, 1991, on Warner Bros. Records and is the third to feature vocalist Sammy Hagar. It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart and maintained the position for three consecutive weeks. The album marked a record in the band's history, seeing seven of its eleven tracks released as singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Gordon</span> American actor

Barry Gordon is an American actor and political talk show host. He was the longest-serving president of the Screen Actors Guild, having served from 1988 to 1995. He is perhaps best known as the original voice of Donatello and Bebop in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Kruschen</span> Canadian actor (1922–2002)

Jacob "Jack" Kruschen was a Canadian character actor who worked primarily in American film, television and radio. Kruschen was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dr. Dreyfuss in the 1960 comedy-drama The Apartment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barney Martin</span> American actor (1923–2005)

Barney Martin was an American actor, best known for playing Morty Seinfeld, father of Jerry, on the sitcom Seinfeld (1991–1998). He also played supporting roles in Mel Brooks's The Producers (1967), and the Dudley Moore comedy Arthur (1981). He originated the role of Amos Hart in the 1976 Broadway production of Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitney Blake</span> American actress and director (1926–2002)

Whitney Blake was an American film and television actress, director, and producer. She is known for her four seasons portraying Dorothy Baxter, the mother, on the 1960s sitcom Hazel, and as co-creator and writer of the sitcom One Day at a Time. With her first husband she had three children, including actress Meredith Baxter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolfgang Van Halen</span> American musician

Wolfgang William Van Halen is an American musician. The son of actress Valerie Bertinelli and guitarist Eddie Van Halen, he performed alongside his father as the bassist for the rock band Van Halen from 2007 to 2020. He also performed with the heavy metal band Tremonti from 2012 to 2016. After his father's death in 2020 led to the disbandment of Van Halen, he began to focus on his solo project Mammoth WVH, in which he performs all instruments and vocals. His debut album Mammoth WVH was released in 2021, and his second album Mammoth II was released in 2023.

<i>Café Americain</i> American television sitcom

Café Americain is an American television sitcom starring Valerie Bertinelli that aired on NBC from September 18, 1993, to February 8, 1994, with two leftover episodes shown on May 28, 1994. It was filmed at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finish What Ya Started</span> 1988 single by Van Halen

"Finish What Ya Started" is a song by Van Halen taken from their 1988 album OU812.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Van Zandt</span> American playwright and actor

William Van Zandt is an American playwright and actor, and the author of the upcoming theatrical memoir Because It's Funny! as well as the best-selling TV memoir Get in the Car, Jane.

<i>Hot in Cleveland</i> American television sitcom

Hot in Cleveland is an American television sitcom aired on TV Land and starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick, and Betty White.

Michael J. Wilson is an American screenwriter best known as the creator of the Ice Age movie franchise for 20th Century Fox. He became the second sole-creator of an animated movie franchise that went on to generate over $1 billion from theatrical and ancillary markets after only one sequel.

References

  1. "TV Review: Sydney". Entertainment Weekly. March 30, 1990.
  2. "Sydney". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  3. "Valerie Bertinelli plays private eye 'Sydney' in new comedy". The Post and Courier . Charleston. April 11, 1990.[ dead link ]
  4. "Bertinelli plays private detective". The Daily News. April 11, 1990.
  5. "Sydney Kells". www.thrillingdetective.com. Retrieved 2020-06-02.