According to Rod Parker in an interview, at one point during the series Nell Carter had a slight falling out with Joey Lawrence because she thought he was getting too much screen-time. Gimme a Break! The show was produced by Alan Landsburg Productions, whose successor-in-interest, Reeves Entertainment Group, took over production in 1985. Reruns have also aired nationally on WWOR EMI Service (September 30, 1991 to December 31, 1993), TBS Superstation (September 22, 1986 to December 27, 2004) and the USA Network (September 22, 1997 to September 11, 1998). NBC granted Nell's wishes and replaced Lachman and Rosen with new show runners Rod Parker and Hal Cooper who previously worked on (All in the Family, Maude and Love, Sidney) beginning in Season 3. Cooper and Parker thought the original producers didn't utilize Nell's talents and one of the first things they changed to the show was having Nell sing more on the show. I vaguely remember the theme song. The show was produced by Alan Landsburg Productions (renamed as Reeves Entertainment Group in 1985). The series starred Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief (Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. She appeared in a Season 1 episode as one of Katie's friends. Spring break was eliminated as a way of reducing travel and thus the spread of COVID-19 amongst The University of Alabama campus community. Dolph Sweet and Nell Carter both died young. [5], By contrast, the New York Times found the show promising, praising the performances of Carter and Sweet and the way the show balanced wisecracks with bits of seriousness. Other cast members consisted of Dolph Sweet, Kari Michaelsen, Lauri Hendler, Lara Jill Miller, John Hoyt, Joey Lawrence & his brother Matthew Lawrence, Telma Hopkins, Jonathan Silverman, Rosetta LeNoire, Rosie O'Donnell and Paul Sand. is an American sitcom which aired on NBC from October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. The boss, Mr. Pappalardo, fires Tyler, and Nell realizes she didn't lose her purse after all, making Mr. Papallardo re-hire him. In the end, he forgives her, and tells her he was never as rich as he is now that he owns his own deli. Nell Carter and Joey Lawrence perform a "Me and My Shadow" number, much like Beatrice Arthur did with Esther Rolle on Maude (1972) due in part that both shows were executive produced by Hal Cooper. At this point, the only original cast member left was Nell Carter, the show's original premise and chemistry were gone and ratings continued to decline. / Age, September 13, 1948 I am sure if Nell Carter hadn't passed away, they would be bringing this show back. after the phone rings. Sadly, Nell Carter, who played Nell, and Dolph Sweet, who played Carl, have since passed away. The creators of the show were Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen. NBC president Brandon Tartikoff had a lot of faith in Nell Carter and thought she had potential to become a breakout star. He said Blossom, because Gimme a Break "was done so long ago, it's not really relevant at this point". Jonathan Silverman was a good addition after that. Although the show never cracked the top 30, it was still considered a solid enough hit to keep on the air for six years. She can do it all sing, dance and act. The Complete Series is now available in the US. DMCA. However, they were considered acceptable at the time. 1,041. Reminds me of Mama's Family or something. A later Season 1 episode, "Katie the Cheat," has Carl fuming when he learns that Katie did not actually take a college entrance exam (while Julie did). DON'T FORGET TO; SUBSCRIBE+LIKE+COMMENTGimmie a break is an American television sitcom that was created by Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen. Later additions to the cast included Stanley Kanisky (Carls father), Adelaide Addy Wilson (Nells best friend, played by Telma Hopkins), Rue McClanahan is listed in the opening credits along with the other regulars even though, She was 54. Nell Carter, who plays the housekeeper for police Chief Carl Kanisky on ''Gimme a Break,'' will eulogize Sweet . Then Gold was replaced last minute by Lara Jill Miller, who wound up playing Samantha for the duration of the show. Age, 83years (April 22, 1939) / It revolves around the manager of a Greek restaurant and his assistant investigate the disappearance of Nell's purse while dealing with the manager's father, who owns the restaurant. Holds up surprisingly well 30+ years later, I don't like the theme song for the first two seasons. Like Laura Jill Miller previously, Joey Lawrence was getting older. my shows | like | set your list <preferences> Gimme a Break! It came to a natural end with Tom moving away to be in Crossroads, but as we all know, that too has died on its arse so I. All of these things would be deemed as child abuse today and would never be in the show. The show's producers were very concerned about Nell Carter's escalating drug use, binge eating, rapidly fluctuating weight, and self-destructive lifestyle. ", http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Gimme-Break-The-Complete-Series/13768. Antenna TV aired the show from January 2, 2018 until December 31, 2021. Gimme a Break! Nell's mother was originally portrayed by Hilda Haynes. We heart you!!! With spotify premium, you get ad free music, forever! The producers wanted a foil for Nell to interact with instead of just solving the girls problems. There, they discovered Joey's irresponsible father, Tim (guest star Patrick Collins), who showed him his brother, Matthew (played by Matthew Lawrence, Joey's real-life brother), and left them with Nell and Grandpa. I was sad when Dolph Sweet died,he was funny even though I usually see him in reruns. Telma Hopkins The series was taped at Metromedia Square in Hollywood before a studio audience. Before she starred on Gimme a Break, Telma Hopkins' claim to fame was starring in the hit group from the 70s Tony Orlando and Dawn, of "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" fame. Gimme a Break! Status: cancelled/ended Network(s): NBC Run time: 30 min Episodes: 137 eps Genre(s): Comedy, Crime/Mystery . Altered Carbon. The world of online streaming is a callous one. Sweet had missed four episodes in the 1983-84 season because of Nell's Mama Maybelle (Rosetta LeNoire) began being seen in more recurring roles starting in season six after previous guest appearances. One of the episodes is called "Knock Three Times". Dolph Sweet's final episode aired May 11, 1985, three days after he died. Privacy Policy. Nell Carter and Dolph Sweet (who played The Chief) both played off one another well. During the filming of the backdoor pilot Nell and the Kid, Nell and Don Rickles didn't get along and were clashing all over the place. Lara Jill Miller said she routinely saw cocaine on the set. was an American sitcom that ran on NBC for six seasons from 1981-87, starring Nell Carter as Nell Harper, a once-aspiring singer who became a housekeeper for the Kaniskys: patriarch Carl, the chief of police of the fictional Glenlawn, California, and his daughters Katie, Julie, and Samantha. Nell says "Damn! Though the sitcom was hardly groundbreaking for its time,the series earned Nell Carter two Emmy nominations for her work and in turn gave her an opportunity to sing and dance in some of the episodes occasionally. [11] VEI released Gimme a Break! Damn! He shared the accountability together with his spouse's buddy, Nell Harper, performed by Tony-winning actor Nell Carter. For the final season, the show underwent a Retool, with most of the cast (minus the older Kanisky daughters) moving to New York City. She had suffered from diabetes and had recovered from a near-deadly bout with a brain aneurysm in the 1990s. Prior to the pilot episode . The show "Gimme A Break" was based on a cop who moved his family from New York to California after his wife Margaret passed away and also became the chief of police in a small fictional California town who in turn had this housekeeper named Nell who was no only in charge of the household,but also was in charge of his three daughters too in which Nell was not only the mother to them,but she had some tough love around that too. Answer (1 of 2): A2A When Gimme A Break started out it was mildly funny. on February 14, 2006, available in the United States only. If you want to be free from the ads forever consider buying spotify premium! "Gimme A Break" was one of those shows that always had something going for itself and for one this was out of a pick of standard 80's family shows that hit a home run and so much more with the prime essential element of actress Nell Carter,who was also a accomplish Broadway singer/dancer who won a Tony award for her work in "Ain't Misbehavin" in 1978. Nell Carter would admit later in interviews that she had a serious cocaine problem when she starred on this show, which spiralled out of control. Joey Lawrence didn't audition for his role on the show. If you tap now and watch the short video you'll get 30 minutes of ad free music! Carter also said that she called other cast members by their character names for the same reason. A foster son, Joey (Joey Lawrence) was added in Season 3. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A foster son, Joey (Joey Lawrence), was added to the Kanisky household in season three. Later additions to the cast included Stanley Kanisky (Carl's father), Adelaide "Addy" Wilson (Nell's best friend, played by Telma Hopkins), adopted son Joey (Joey Lawrence) and Nell's mother, Maybelle. Nov 05, 2007 #8. Carter had begun experimenting with cocaine while in the cast of Aint Misbehavin Copyright TV Series Finale. Reportedly, Carter was jealous of O'Donnell about stealing the limelight and wouldn't speak to her on set. Mamas Date The series stars Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief ( Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. Lawrence was added to show to take over the cute kid role with Lara Jill Miller getting older and maturing into a young women. What Are They Thinking of at NBC? During the show's third season, Telma Hopkins and Joey Lawrence joined the cast. Ambitions. In the series pilot, Katie is arrested for shoplifting. Miller also expressed in the same interview that she felt the producers made a big mistake getting rid of the daughters and implied that the decision came from the girls receiving less story-lines starting around the fourth season and more emphasis being put on Nell Carter and Thelma Hopkins. Houston played Rita, a friend of Katie Kanisky (Kari Michaelsen). Carl has to deal with the aftermath of shooting a man dead. On May 12, 1987, "Gimme a Break" was cancelled after 6 seasons and 137 episodes. The series stars Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief (Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. They ended up working out their differences and became friends. All rights reserved. Who was the unluckiest person in the world? When Carl demands an explanation, Katie makes a snide remark "She can't say anything, she's dead!" Excluding the Brady Bunch, which focused more on the trials and tribulations in a sugary way of a 'step' family; This show was perhaps one of the most underrated and perhaps the best that featured a 'servant' as the lead. In some of these episodes, the guest would eventually perform a song with Nell. But I actually like Mama's Family so go figure. During the show's third season, the writers changed the story line and made it that Margaret Kanisky, who was Carl's wife and a close friend of Nell's, asked Nell to raise her kids after she died. The first was composed by Bob Christianson with lyrics by Bob Garrett and Marley Sims; two versions of this song were used, one for the first season and a new recording for the second. Moreover, they featured near-identical scorelines: wild card Kimberly Birrell upset No.31 seed Kaia Kanepi 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1 and No.26 seed Elise Mertens scored her first win over Garbie Muguruza 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1. Nell Carter was the only cast member to appear in every episode. Nell started singing more, Nell's frumpy and unflattering wardrobe, hair and makeup was upgraded to more glamorous and stylish. Nell Carter got more creative control of the show when the new producers Rod Parker and Hal Cooper came onto to the show during it's third season. Early episodes implied it was recent, and any bad behavior from the girls was treated as a reaction to it, and the plotlines of a few early episodes revolve around Nell getting used to the family. I am so happy that this show has finally made it to the era of DVD. Gimme a Break is a non-profit whose mission is to care for caregivers by giving an emotional and physical break as. She made three guest appearances as three different people. The cast found out about the show's cancellation when it was announced at the wrap party. The episode soon only focuses on Max and Danny at the deli and then Max Green's slummy bachelor apartment and the interaction between him and Danny. to his question about how she'd think her mother would react if she knew her daughter had been arrested. In the episode he slaps Julie, Carl reveals his regret he never slapped Margaret (his now late wife and daughters' late mother) when he couldn't get her to stop smoking, in what would have been a misguided (to say the least) attempt to wake her up to the fact that she was killing herself with her chronic smoking. usually managed to land in the Top 40 during its first four seasons. Gimme a Break! This was also the title of a song by Tony Orlando & Dawn, of which Telma Hopkins was a member. She went into rehab several times during production and was blowing her money on cocaine every week . He threatens to spank Samantha, though it doesn't happen. Nell wonders why her mother would have a date, and when her mother shows up, she meets her date, Ernie, a man from her past. I thought she was great! Please help this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. Producer Rod Parker expressed that it was difficult decision to let the girls go . The sitcom aired on . What chapter does Gatsby meet Daisy at Nicks house. The Complete Series on DVD in Canada on July 20, 2010.[7]. 1981 Cast THEN AND NOW 2022 INCREDIBLE Changed, Thanks For The MemoriesGimme a Break! Margaret was dying of lung cancer, and the Chief could not have raised the kids alone. A running gag involved the Kanisky's goldfish, Gertrude. Nell and the Kanisky family lived at 2938 Wells Drive. Another issue was the Lawrence brothers Joey and Matthew, Nell's two young foster kids she was raising had no place in this proposed retooling. By the end of the Season 2 the tension between them gotten so bad to the point that Nell threatened the network and demanded either they get replaced or she wouldn't return to the show. is an American sitcom that ran on NBC for six seasons (198187), starring Nell Carter as Nell Harper, a once-aspiring singer who became a housekeeper for the Kaniskys: patriarch Carl, the chief of police of the fictional Glenlawn, California, and his daughters Katie, Julie and Samantha (the last of the kids played by a young Lara Jill Miller). She was inconsolable for days after the cast wrap party, refusing to see even close friends as she fell into dark despair. Rue McClanahan is listed in the opening credits along with the other regulars even though shes only a guest star. I think that the cast in Gimme a Break was excellent. McClanahan would not become a regular cast member on Gimme a Break; but she would return to NBC in 1985 for the sitcom Golden Girls. The blonde oldest girl was very pretty but didn't have much to do, just a "hi Nell" or "bye Dad" and that was it. Addy got a job in New York City, so Nell, Grandpa and Joey came to New York to join her. Carter found that she saw eye to eye more often with Parker and Cooper on all levels, and due to the stability the latter team would stay with the program for the rest of its run. As with many star vehicles in Hollywood, the main character was named after the star. Nell Carter didn't get along with the original producers, Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen. GIMME A BREAK!!! This was the first show in NBC's all-star Thursday night line-up. Cast members by their character names for the MemoriesGimme a Break was eliminated a. [ 7 ] `` Knock three Times '' in 1985 1981, until May 12, 1987 first seasons... Would never be in the cast wrap party Jill Miller previously, Lawrence. Caregivers by giving an emotional and physical Break as frumpy and unflattering wardrobe, hair makeup! 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