The show has been renewed for a fifth season, but it was undecided what would be done about Sweets character, Bozek said. Lara Jill Miller spoke out in the early 1990s, when the media started doing stories about child stars gone bad. Although I don't remember much about it, I must say that it was a pretty good show. I still have not received not even an email from them and I still continue to check on all the following channels just to see if they have brought back this show. I don't remember the original theme song and after looking up old episodes on YouTube I hate it. The overhaul and changes made for the sixth season didn't work out, so the producers quickly scrambled to retool yet again with the ratings continuing to decline. The plan was for Nell to become a housemother at Samantha's college dorm, reminiscent of the early seasons of the hit NBC sitcom the The Facts of Life. Kaser was named as the heir to Carters property and guardian of Carters children. That wasn't me; it was just a job.[4], The show received mixed reviews from critics when it premiered. Nell Carter, Jonathan Silverman, Joey Lawrence, and Matthew Lawrence all play characters named after themselves. Who was the unluckiest person in the world? I wish I could sue NBC for the grievous consternation, intestinal distress and aggravated low moaning I have suffered as a result of Gimme a Break, Shales wrote, going on to criticize the shows sex jokes and what he found to be the racial stereotypes embodied by Carters character. Two new characters were added to the cast: Addy Wilson, Nell's longtime friend, and Joey Donovan, an abandoned seven-year-old orphan. Early in her career, singer Whitney Houston made her acting debut in a non-singing role the Season 3 episode Katie's College. Although there was mutual animosity and hostility between Nell Carter and Rosie O'Donnell on the set, they reconciled when Nell appeared on Rosie's talk show several years later. The world of online streaming is a callous one. The next networks I'm going to write to are TBS, PAX TV, and possibly ABC Family and request that they bring this incredibly show back on the air so I can tape it. O' Donnell has stated numerous times over the years during the final season of the show Nell Carter was in a bad place with personal issues and extremely miserable and unpleasant to be around. Nell Carter won an Emmy and a Tony Award. She can do it all sing, dance and act. Nell Carter was nominated twice for an Emmy for her work on this show. The other cast was great too. Grandpa (John Hoyt) starts off season 1 as almost deaf and very senile. The Complete Series is now available in the US. One of the producers saw him perform on The Johnny Carson Show and immediately wanted to add him as a cast member. Officer Simpson catches Joey Donovan, an abandoned seven-year-old boy, trying to bilk people out of their money. She was 54. This was also the title of a song by Tony Orlando & Dawn, of which Telma Hopkins was a member. During the summer 1984 hiatus, Dolph Sweet underwent stomach surgery, which was revealed shortly after to be the first extensive treatment for cancer. The original version was used for the first two seasons and was replaced with an up-tempo rearrangement with new lyrics for season three onward. DVD news: Announcement for Gimme a Break! Five episodes into the sixth and final season, the show changed locales from Glenlawn to New York City, when Nell, concerned for Joeys welfare after he moved there with his absentee father, traveled there to check on him. Parker was completely bewildered regarding the fallout. I had a crush on Joey Lawrence and Matt was cute too. On May 12, 1987, "Gimme a Break" was cancelled after 6 seasons and 137 episodes. What chapter does Gatsby meet Daisy at Nicks house. 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. The episode only includes Nell and Grandpa from the main cast, and begins with Nell telling Grandpa to go the senior citizen center because it has a mess of women, to which he agrees. [citation needed] The uneasy interaction heightened as the show's success grew heavily in the early seasons, so much that Mitchell and Neigher were dismissed from the show at the behest of Carter just prior to the start of the 198384 season. / In 2009, VEI announced that they plan on releasing the entire series in a complete series box set in 2010. The first two seasons use a different theme than the later seasons. Considering it was a. Ironically though Dolph Sweet died in 1985, the actor who played his father (John Hoyt) made appearances til the end of the show. Inter-Uterine Device, an implanted birth control device that, at the time, had a reputation for piercing the uterus and causing dangerous bleeding and possible infection. Joey Lawrence portrayed Joey Donovan, a 7 year old orphan who would end up living with the Kaninsky family and becoming Nell's foster son. Gimme a Break! 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. Gimme a Break! Final episode date. If I thought television could get substantially worse than this, I am not sure I would have the courage or desire ever to turn the set on again, Shales concluded. Taking the job in honor of the man's late wife, who was also Nell's friend, the housekeeper becomes a surrogate mother to the girls and a confidant . Joey Lawrence was asked in an interview if he had the choice to reboot Blossom or Gimme a Break!, which show would he pick. This sitcom centers on a housekeeper played by Nell Carter. is an American sitcom which aired on NBC from October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. The abrupt changes in tone are handled adroitly, John J. OConnor wrote. Gimme A Break! In a meta-sense, Carter received bushels of mail from children who watched the show, who saw her as one for them. Nell Carter and Dolph Sweet (who played The Chief) both played off one another well. For US airdates of a foreign show, click The Futon Critic. There was also friction between O'Donnell and Carter herself, who did not befriend the younger comedienne and only addressed her during rehearsals as her character's name "Maggie", which according to O'Donnell, was not because Carter was into the Stanislavsky Method. Before Lawrence arrived on set Nell would take Lara to eat at restaurants, but when Lawrence arrive on set Nell shifted her focus to the much younger and cuter Joey. 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. I loved it when I was little but imo this has not aged well. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that I'll always remember this show in my memory forever, even though I don't think I've seen every episode. After the death of Dolph Sweet (Carl) after season 4, the series continued for a season with Nell as the sole head of the Kanisky household. is an American television sitcom created by Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen, that aired on NBC for six seasons from October 29, 1981, to May 12, 1987. The American syndication rights are held by NBC Universal Television Distribution, the successor company to original syndication MCA Television. This was the first show in NBC's all-star Thursday night line-up. Gimme A Break was in the sitcom line-up, on NBC in the 80s. It turns out that he was a jazz musician that knew her mother When Grandpa comes to get the boys pajamas, since they are sleeping in his apartment because Addy is sick in bed, he tells Nell that her mother has a date. As they were redoing it, the boy was replaced by Tracey Gold, who was going to play a tomboy named Samantha. Pete Schrum who portrayed The Chief's brother Uncle Ed, who got married in season 2, disappeared. (a Titles & Air Dates Guide) . But in the pilot, he slapped Katie, so that was not true. NBC president Brandon Tartikoff had a lot of faith in Nell Carter and thought she had potential to become a breakout star. Nell was at Dolph's bedside during his death, and read his eulogy at his funeral. The network fired the three daughters, Jonathan Silverman, and Howard Morton, the location was changed from Glenlawn, California to more upscale Manhattan, New York, Nell became an assistant at a publishing house, and Joey Lawrence's younger brother Matthew Lawrence was added to the cast. The show has been in off-network syndication since 1985. Alpha House. was an American sitcom that ran on NBC for six seasons from 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. She had moved in with her other daughter and son-in-law, who also recently moved to New York and was a TV weatherman. It was released as the third and final single from the album on March 3, 2008, by Jive Records.The song was written by Nate "Danja" Hills, Jim Beanz, Keri Hilson and Marcella Araica, while production was handled by Danja and vocal production was handled by Beanz. [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. After Gimme a Break wrapped in the spring of 1987, Telma Hopkins and Rosetta Lenoire would co-star two years later in the smash hit ABC sitcom Family Matters. 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). 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. Thelma Hopkins said if the script didn't call for it they wouldn't speak to each other and weren't close outside of the show, but in time managed a decent working relationship. I am so happy that this show has finally made it to the era of DVD. The black face performance (Joey dresses up like Al Jolson and performs "Toot Toot Tootsie") was ranked number 38 on TV Lands "100 Most Unexpected TV Moments". It's cool that we have reruns of it. 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. Privacy Policy. "Julie's Birthday" aired three days after Sweet passed on from the disease at age 64. 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. Carter's character works in the home of a widowed chief of police who needs help taking care of his three daughters. 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. What Are They Thinking of at NBC? The series stars Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief (Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. I don't want to go to my grave being known as the girl from 'Gimme a Break, she told The New York Times in 1988. Gimme A Break, was certainly in the same league as any of NBC's other popular comedy shows. This prompts her to move out of the house temporarily, and when Carl stands his ground and justifies his actions, Nell, Katie and Samantha ostracize him forcing his hand and, in talking to Julie, getting him to reveal why he was so furious with her. Nell Carter's debut on television was not this show but Cindy; a TV movie which was a 1978 black musical satire of Cinderella. Julie and Jonathan, who were now living in the Chief's old room, found out they were expecting a baby; their daughter, whom they named after Nell, was born before season's end. Nell becomes sort of a mother figure for the girls, and everyone tries to learn from each other. He was born Adolphus J. Nell agreed, so as a favor to Margaret she moved into the Kanisky home and took over motherly duties. According to Telma Hopkins, Nell Carter was devastated when the show was canceled and was an emotional wreck at the wrap party. Ambitions. Sammy Davis, Jr. made an appearance on this show, and did duets with Nell and Joey. 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. And as much as they tried to make it work, there were just things missing. The one that I really thought that she outdid herself in was the "Emergency". She estimated that at the height of her addiction, she was spending $1000 to $2000 or more a day on drugs. I have, in fact, written a review of this episode and it has been posted. Status: cancelled/ended Network(s): NBC Run time: 30 min Episodes: 137 eps Genre(s): Comedy, Crime/Mystery . Like the episodes "Nell and the Kid" and "The Center", this episode does not rely on any Gimme A Break! Even Jonathan Silverman was a semi-regular at one point playing Julie's husband. We heart Hollywood History. Lara Jill Miller, in particular, was quite close to her. Nell Carter didn't get along with the original producers, Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen. Everyone was ideally cast, the costume design was great. He created the role of Police Chief Carl Kanisky in Gimme a Break in 1981. If you grew up in the 80's this show was a must see. aired 137 episodes over six seasons, with its finale airing on May 12, 1987. It was a sitcom that ran for a total of 6 seasons and consisted of 137 episodes. If your show doesn't pull in enough viewers to justify its budget . 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. We heart books. Kari Michaelson, who portrayed oldest daughter Katie on the show, said she was relieved when she got the call that she, Laurie Hendler, and Lara Jill Miller were getting fired during the 1986-1987 season. The series starred Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief ( Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. Nell, first for the girls' mother, and then later after the death of their father. The episode's main plotline was about Nell's stolen purse, but went into the relationship of Mr. Pappalardo, his son, Nicky, his son's friend, and the establishment that Mr. Pappalardo owned and made the boys operate. Reportedly, Nell's maternal instincts towards the girls and Joey on the show were quite real. Gimme a Break! Although the show never cracked the top 30, it was still considered a solid enough hit to keep on the air for six years. But her mom did and helped her obtain it. For other uses, see. GIMME-A-SIGN INC. Cancelled. Mamas Date http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/GimmeABreak. I know she did musicals but her singing voice is like chalk on a blackboard, very nasal. She famously shouted, "Shut your mouth!" why was gimme a break cancelled Posted on 2022527by Verified Purchase. This is one of many shows I used to watch just because it was on, not because I particularly enjoyed it. Nelle was the most loyal, lovable, and funny person. 73years (October 28, 1948) I was 9 years old in 1981 when this show debuted. to check out the antics of the Kanisky family. He died 4 years after the show went off the air. In 2009, VEI announced that they plan on releasing the entire series in a complete series box set in 2010. Very good show that was one of many throughout TV sitcom history that revolved around a housekeeper/butler. One of the only TV shows in the history of television to feature a Polish family as its centerpiece. Not a brilliant show by any means, but certainly a show that highlights the great talents of Nell Carter, in basically her only venture in TV. Their business is recorded as REGISTERED TRADE NAME. Alvin and the Chipmunks. Dolph Sweet and Nell Carter both died young. / And if you tap below you can get the first 3 months for free! Plot The show was about a woman named Nell Harper (Nell Carter), who agrees to be a housekeeper for the Kanisky household as a special favor to her late friend, Margaret Huffman Kanisky (played in flashback by Sharon Spelman) who was the wife of police chief Carl Kanisky (Dolph Sweet). Your email address will not be published. She went into rehab several times during production and was blowing her money on cocaine every week . However, Samantha usually acted as if she never knew her mother. The show aired in ten different time slots during its six season run. KARI MICHAELSEN Advertisement The '80s was a great decade for young Kari Michaelsen. A foster son, Joey (Joey Lawrence) was added in Season 3. Gimme a Break is a non-profit whose mission is to care for caregivers by giving an emotional and physical break as. The episode "Cat Story" was aired live over NBC-TV on March 2, 1985. However, another good one that I think deserves mentioning is Hazel Shermet. To each their own though. Logo TV may used to air this show reruns from 2015 until the end of 2017. She was basically the whole show , which dealt with many cast changes, perhaps the most shocking being Chief Carl Kaminskys death- Dolph Sweet. Hopkins appeared on many Motown hits and worked with legendary acts like the Four Tops and Marvin Gaye. Antenna TV aired the show from January 2, 2018 until December 31, 2021. How do they think of this stuff? Veterans of Cancelled TV Shows That We Lost in March 2009, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart. a guest appearance by Tony Randall in part two, NBC was to have an entire block of live episodes the night the episode originally aired. Please help this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. How much bleeding is normal in early pregnancy? ", "Gimme a Break! Carter also said that she called other cast members by their character names for the same reason. Nov 05, 2007 #8. In this episode, she was a busy body on a hospital pay phone. Nell's mother was originally portrayed by Hilda Haynes. New Release. NBC had many quality sitcoms on the air in the 80s, such as Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts Of Life, Silver Spoons, etc. There were two Matthews on the show. [2][3][4][5] More recently as of January 2018, it is now shown on Antenna TV. GIMME A BREAK! Before that she was a contract singer for Motown. She's in the "White Boys/Black Boys" number with Night Court (1984)'s Ellen Foley. A guide listing the titles AND air dates for episodes of the TV series Gimme a Break!. Nell Carter Ironically, Tracey Gold, who was herself replaced last minute before the show went to series; wound up doing this herself to another actress for another family sitcom 4 years later. This show is in syndication on Antenna Tv and the episodes are on YouTube . Nell Carter, 54, the Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress and singer best remembered for her role as the motherly, no-nonsense housekeeper on NBC's hit 1980s series "Gimme a Break!," died Thursday at her home in Beverly Hills, the Associated Press reports. When his backstory is finally explained when he reunites with his father, in particular that his mother is dead and his father was at sea, it turns out that he really was living with an uncle at the time Nell adopted him. Nell's family. By season three, when he was added as a regular, his hearing is normal and he is no longer senile. Nov 05, 2007 #9. The boss, Mr. Pappalardo, fires Tyler, and Nell realizes she didn't lose her purse after all, making Mr. Papallardo re-hire him. The "wacky" Swackhammer character, who served as a foil to Nell, disappeared after a few episodes in the second season. Answer (1 of 2): A2A When Gimme A Break started out it was mildly funny. Hazel,The Nanny, Mr. Belvedere, Benson,and Family Affair. With Nell Carter, Dolph Sweet, Kari Michaelsen, Lauri Hendler. Contents 1 Premise 2 Cast 2.1 Main characters 2.2 Recurring characters 3 Episodes 4 Production information 5 Broadcast history We heart you!!! Rue McClanahan is listed in the opening credits along with the other regulars even though shes only a guest star. Nell Carter Telma Hopkins She and Max Green (Don Rickles) catch an orphaned girl named Danny stealing money and food. Gimme a Break! We heart living like a star. Sweet continued dropping weight, due to cancer. And there was also occasional humorous interplay with the Chief's children and their grandfather, as well as with some of the early guest. Gimme a Break! The only other storyline in the episode consisted of the activities director Lilly, a four time widow, having a crush on one of the senior members named Andy, and how he refused to go to her house for dinner many times. She was a mother figure on the set. A feisty housekeeper named Nell helps a widowed police chief raise his three daughters in a sassy sitcom that mocked stereotypes by showing a loving relationship . #IHeartHollywood. The seniors and the youths work together to have their dance. When they brought the character back in season 2 she was replaced with actress Bonnie Urseth. During the season the focus of the show shifted towards Nell, Addy, and Joey with the girls becoming background characters with little to no story-lines. after the phone rings. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Gimme a Break! 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. This would eventually become known as "Must See TV", and come to include shows like Cheers (1982), Family Ties (1982), The Cosby Show (1984), Hill Street Blues (1981), Seinfeld (1989), L.A. Law (1986), ER (1994), Friends (1994), Will & Grace (1998), and The Office (2005), and would dominate the network ratings from the '80s into the 2000s. Rosie O'Donnell made her television acting debut on this show. She said that she passed the bar in three states, had a successful career, and lived a positive life. Gimme a Break! / "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. [13] and two Golden Globe nominations as Best Actress in a Television Series-Comedy or Musical. Discovery Kids on NBC Schedule April 9, 2005, Discovery Kids on NBC Schedule May 14, 2005, Discovery Kids on NBC Schedule May 21, 2005, Discovery Kids on NBC Schedule May 28, 2005, Discovery Kids on NBC Schedule June 11, 2005, Discovery Kids on NBC Schedule April 2, 2005, Lauri Hendler as Julie Kanisky Maxwell [seasons 1-5], Kari Michaelson as Katie Kanisky [seasons 1-5], Lara Jill Miller as Samantha "Sam" Kanisky, Dolph Sweet as Chief Carl Kanisky [seasons 1-4], Howard Morton as Officer Ralph Simpson [seasons 1-5], John Hoyt as Grandpa Stanley Kanisky [seasons 2-6], Joseph Lawrence as Joey Donovan [seasons 3-6], Telma Hopkins as Addy Wilson [seasons 4-6], Jonathan Silverman as Jonathan Maxwell [seasons 4-5], Peter Schrum as Uncle Ed Kanisky [season 2], Jane Dulo as Grandma Mildred Kanisky [season 2], Rosetta LeNoire as "Mama" Maybelle Harper [season 6], Matthew Lawrence as Matthew Donovan [season 6], Rosie O'Donnell as Maggie O'Brien [season 6].