Working Stiffs | |
---|---|
Genre | Sitcom |
Created by | Arthur Silver Bob Brunner [1] Marc Sotkin Harry Colomby |
Developed by | David W. Duclon |
Directed by | Penny Marshall Norman Abbott Greg Antonacci |
Starring | James Belushi Michael Keaton |
Composer | John Cacavas |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 9 (5 unaired) |
Production | |
Executive producers | Bob Brunner [1] Arthur Silver |
Running time | 30 min. (per episode; with commercials) |
Production companies | Frog Productions Huk, Inc. Paramount Television |
Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | September 15 – October 20, 1979 |
Working Stiffs is an American sitcom that starred James Belushi and Michael Keaton as brothers Ernie and Mike O'Rourke. The pair were janitors who aspired to work their way up in the field of business. The brothers worked in an office building owned by their Uncle Harry. Ernie and Mike also were roommates in an apartment over a cafe where they befriended the owner Mitch and waitress Nikki. Each episode featured slapstick and physical comedy. Penny Marshall directed the pilot.
The series aired on CBS. It competed against the highly-rated shows NBC's CHiPs and ABC's The Ropers in its timeslot. Nine episodes were produced but after four episodes aired, the series was canceled. After Belushi and Keaton became film stars in the 1980s, six episodes of the show were released on home video. Reruns have also aired on A&E Network, Comedy Central and TV Land. The syndication package included the previously unaired episodes.
Nº | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "The Preview Presentation" | Penny Marshall | Marc Sotkin | September 15, 1979 |
2 | "Looking for Mr. Goodwrench" | Norman Abbott | E. Jack Kaplan | September 22, 1979 |
3 | "The Bank Robbery" | Norman Abbott | Alan Aidekman | September 29, 1979 |
4 | "My Boys Are Having a Baby" | Arthur Silver | Gail Honigberg | October 6, 1979 |
5 | "The Bosses" | Greg Antonacci | David W. Duclon | N/A |
6 | "Pal Joey" | Dennis Steinmetz | E. Jack Kaplan | N/A |
7 | "The Old Man in the Building" | TBD | TBD | N/A |
8 | "Trading Up" | TBD | TBD | N/A |
9 | "Sagebrush Estates" | TBD | TBD | N/A |
John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was one of seven Saturday Night Live cast members of the first season. Along with Chevy Chase, he was arguably the most popular member of the Saturday Night Live ensemble. Belushi had a partnership with Dan Aykroyd. They had first met while at Chicago's The Second City comedy club, remaining together as cast members on the inaugural season of the television show Saturday Night Live.
Daniel Edward Aykroyd is a Canadian and American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer.
Family Ties is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, premiering on September 22, 1982, and concluding on May 14, 1989. The series, created by Gary David Goldberg, reflected the social shift in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. Because of this, Young Republican Alex P. Keaton develops generational strife with his ex-hippie parents, Steven and Elyse Keaton.
My Three Sons is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was filmed in black-and-white and broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seven seasons, which were filmed in color. My Three Sons chronicles the life of widower and aeronautical engineer Steven Douglas as he raises his three sons.
According to Jim is an American sitcom television series starring Jim Belushi in the title role as a suburban father of three children. It originally ran on ABC from October 3, 2001, to June 2, 2009.
Michael John Douglas, known professionally as Michael Keaton, is an American actor. He has received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. In 2016, he was named Officer of Order of Arts and Letters in France.
Spin City is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996, to April 30, 2002, on ABC. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show is set in a fictionalized version of the New York City mayor's office, and originally starred Michael J. Fox as Mike Flaherty, the Deputy Mayor of New York. Fox departed in 2000 at the conclusion of Season 4 due to symptoms of Parkinson's disease, and Charlie Sheen became the new lead as Charlie Crawford for the final two seasons. The series was cancelled after six seasons in May 2002.
Carole Penny Marshall was an American actress, film director, and producer. She is best known for her role as Laverne DeFazio on the television sitcom Laverne & Shirley (1976–1983), receiving three nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her portrayal.
Michael O'Donoghue was an American writer, actor, editor and comedian.
Donaldo Gugliermo "Dennis" Farina was an American stage and film actor, who prior to his acting career worked as a Chicago police detective.
Meredith Ann Baxter is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles on the CBS sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie (1972–1973), ABC drama series Family (1976–1980) and the NBC sitcom Family Ties (1982–1989). A five-time Emmy Award nominee, one of her nominations was for playing the title role in the 1992 TV film A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story.
The Wayans Bros. is an American sitcom television series that aired on The WB from January 11, 1995, to May 20, 1999. The series starred real life brothers Shawn and Marlon Wayans, comedian John Witherspoon and Anna Maria Horsford.
Less than Perfect is an American television sitcom created by Terri Minsky and starring Sara Rue and Sherri Shepherd which originally aired on ABC from October 1, 2002, to June 6, 2006. It follows Claude (Rue), who works at a television network named GNB, as well as her friends and colleagues.
Mitchell Donald "Mitch" Hurwitz is an American television writer, producer, and actor. He is best known as the creator of the television sitcom Arrested Development as well as the co-creator of The Ellen Show. He is also a contributor to The John Larroquette Show and The Golden Girls.
Mary is an American comedy variety show hosted by and starring Mary Tyler Moore that aired Sundays at 8:00 pm (EST) on CBS from September 24 to October 8, 1978, with a total of three episodes aired over one season.
Robert Illes is an American award-winning screenwriter, television producer, playwright and author.
"The Last Voyage of the Starship Enterprise" is a comedy sketch that first aired on May 29, 1976, during episode 22 of the first season of the NBC variety show, Saturday Night Live. The twelve-minute sketch was written by Michael O'Donoghue during a month-long process consulting with actor John Belushi. The sketch is a satire of the 1969 cancellation of Star Trek. The set design featured an effective replica of the bridge of the USS Enterprise. Dress rehearsal was difficult, with the writer doubting whether Belushi was able to pull off an effective parody of William Shatner's performance as Captain James Kirk. However, the result was a success, and O'Donoghue immediately congratulated Belushi after his performance and reflected that he had perfectly parodied Shatner as Kirk.
Robert Brunner was an American screenwriter, film producer, and television producer. He frequently collaborated in film and television with Garry Marshall, the creator of Happy Days. Brunner is credited with creating the "Fonzie" nickname for Henry Winkler's character, Arthur Fonzarelli, on Happy Days. He also created one of Fonzie's key catchphrases, "Sit on it."
K.C. Undercover is an American comedy television series created by Corinne Marshall that aired on Disney Channel from January 18, 2015 to February 2, 2018. The series stars Zendaya, Veronica Dunne, Kamil McFadden, Trinitee Stokes, Tammy Townsend, and Kadeem Hardison.
Not Safe with Nikki Glaser is an American television sex comedy talk show series hosted by Nikki Glaser. It premiered February 9, 2016 at 10:30 p.m. in the United States on Comedy Central, in Canada on MUCH, and in the United Kingdom on 4Music. The show features Glaser and a panel of comedians as they talk about topics about sex.
Brooks, Tim; Earl Marsh (2003). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows . Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.