The Robert Guillaume Show

Last updated
The Robert Guillaume Show
Genre Sitcom
Created by Sy Rosen
Starring Robert Guillaume
Wendy Phillips
Marc Joseph
Ali Yurtseven
Kelsey Scott
Hank Rolike
ComposerKevin Guillaume
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
ProducerDean Zanetos
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesGuillaume-Margo Productions
New World Television
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseApril 5 (1989-04-05) 
July 19, 1989 (1989-07-19)

The Robert Guillaume Show is an American sitcom television series starring Robert Guillaume that aired on ABC from April 5 to July 19, 1989.

Contents

Synopsis

The series starred Guillaume as Edward Sawyer, a single father with two children who begins an interracial relationship with Ann (Wendy Phillips), his white secretary [1] who has a daughter of her own.

According to Guillaume's autobiography, he conceived the series with the intent of exploring racial complexities in a family situation in a comedic way, but was warned by ABC that the American public needed time to get used to the idea of an interracial romance. Guillaume maintained that ABC deliberately sabotaged the series by airing episodes out of order and showed a kiss between Edward and Ann on the second episode instead of the intended eighth. The series was soon canceled, lasting only thirteen episodes. [2]

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Hello Again" Oz Scott UnknownApril 5, 1989 (1989-04-05)17.8 [4]
2"Together Again" Neema Barnette UnknownApril 12, 1989 (1989-04-12)14.3 [5]
3"Drive, He Said"Oz ScottUnknownApril 19, 1989 (1989-04-19)13.5 [6]
4"Guaranteed Not to Shrink"John SguegliaStory by: Stephen Langford
Teleplay by: Philip Fenty
April 26, 1989 (1989-04-26)14.9 [7]
5"Educating Ann"Arlando SmithHollis Rich & Maiya WilliamsMay 3, 1989 (1989-05-03)12.6 [8]
6"Fast Friends"Whitney J. LeBlancMaiya WilliamsMay 17, 1989 (1989-05-17)10.3 [9]
7"All That Shimmers"Oz ScottSy Rosen & Phil DoranJune 7, 1989 (1989-06-07)9.2 [10]
8"They're Here"Oz ScottStory by: Joel Saltzman
Teleplay by: R.J. Colleary
June 14, 1989 (1989-06-14)7.5 [11]
9"You Win Some, You Lose Some"John SguegliaHollis RichJune 21, 1989 (1989-06-21)9.3 [12]
10"First Date"Oz ScottUnknownJuly 5, 1989 (1989-07-05)9.4 [13]
11"The Day After the Night Before"Oz ScottPhil Doran & Sy RosenJuly 12, 1989 (1989-07-12)10.1 [14]
12"A Piece of the Rock"Arlando SmithEhrich Van LoweJuly 19, 1989 (1989-07-19)10.5 [15]

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References

  1. Finke, Nikki (April 5, 1989). "It's Not Just Another Sitcom : Robert Guillaume Says New Show's Interracial Romance 'No Big Deal'". Los Angeles Times .
  2. Guillaume, Robert; Ritz, David (2002). Guillaume: A Life . University of Missouri Press. pp.  181–184. ISBN   0-8262-1426-6.
  3. Schmader, David (June 18, 2009). "Edutainment". The Stranger .
  4. "ABC's hit-and-miss week". Life. USA Today . April 12, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest   306166319.
  5. "CBS squeaks by into second". Life. USA Today . April 19, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest   306176608.
  6. "Sitcom rewards ABC's faith". Life. USA Today . April 26, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest   306174966.
  7. "We loved CBS' 'Lucy' tribute". Life. USA Today . May 3, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest   306197470.
  8. "Bright spots for No. 3 ABC". Life. USA Today . May 10, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest   306210811.
  9. "Everybody loved ABC's 'Baby'". Life. USA Today . May 24, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest   306198690.
  10. "Reruns top new contenders". Life. USA Today . June 14, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest   306213120.
  11. "NBC caps a year at the top". Life. USA Today . June 21, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest   306210130.
  12. "'Right' courts few viewers". Life. USA Today . June 28, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest   306211385.
  13. "Fox gets a boost from 'Video'". Life. USA Today . July 12, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest   306223263.
  14. "'All-Star Game' is a smash". Life. USA Today . July 19, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest   306215429.
  15. "Fox finally finds a top spot". Life. USA Today . July 26, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest   306211572.