why was gimme a break cancelled

He talks about how tough he and his family had it growing up, and also touches upon his deceased wife. Carter would binge eat. I watched reruns of this show when it aired on USA in 1998. Status: cancelled/ended Network(s): NBC Run time: 30 min Episodes: 137 eps Genre(s): Comedy, Crime/Mystery . She famously shouted, "Shut your mouth!" . Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Best Actress Television Series Musical or Comedy, "List of Season's Top-Rated TV Shows With PM-Nielsens, Bjt", "Please! (a Titles & Air Dates Guide) . 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 . GIMME A BREAK!!! Lara Jill Miller was shown in opening credits as a regular cast member, rather than a guest star, in the episodes where she appeared. The seniors and the youths work together to have their dance. Nell agreed, so as a favor to Margaret she moved into the Kanisky home and took over motherly duties. Give her a break! John Hoyt, however, who played Sweet's on-screen father Stanley, was born October 5, 1904 (some sources say 1905), nearly 16 years before him, making their age difference more credible. - The Complete Series - TVShowsOnDVD.com", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gimme_a_Break!&oldid=1105749188, Television series by Alan Landsburg Productions, Television series by Universal Television, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking reliable references from March 2011, Articles that may contain original research from July 2011, All articles that may contain original research, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Bob Christianson (first two seasons only), Best Young Actress in a Television Comedy Series, Best Young Supporting Actor in a Television Comedy Series, Best Young Supporting Actress in a Television Comedy Series, Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series, Mort Lachman and Associates (Entire Series), Lauri Hendler as Julie Kanisky Maxwell (seasons 1-5), This page was last edited on 21 August 2022, at 16:16. Lauri Hendler was the only Jewish member of the original cast. Before that she was a contract singer for Motown. Grandma Kanisky was dropped from the show with the explanation that she had passed away. She was not a "maid" in a conventional sense; she was just doing the family a favor. She's in the "White Boys/Black Boys" number with Night Court (1984)'s Ellen Foley. But,they should of been in the show not wiped out all together. "Gimme a Break! Throughout the course of Gimme a Break, there had been several un-successful spin-off attempts. 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. It was explained in the fifth season premiere that the Chief had died and the show continued with Nell taking over as the head of the household. FremantleMedia owns the international rights, as they own Thames Television, which acquired Alan Landsburg Productions and Reeves Entertainment Group product in 1990. At one point, during 1984 Carter tried to commit suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills and champagne during her visit in London to see good friend Liza Minelli. She finally sees eye to eye with him, and thanks God for everyone around her, letting him know she also thanks God for him. Joey's father was portrayed by two different actors Fred McCarren and Patrick Collins (I). The first occurred at the end of season two in 1983 with the episode "Nell and the Kid" in which Nell goes to Max's Deli. The Chief hits Katie and Julie during the course of the show. There were two Matthews on the show. 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. Bring this hit sitcom back on the air, immediately. Now, in conclusion, when and if this show is ever brought back on the air, I hope that you catch it one day before it goes off the air for good. A guide listing the titles AND air dates for episodes of the TV series Gimme a Break!. Your email address will not be published. [12], Nell Carter received two Emmy nominations as Best Actress in a Comedy Series. Gimme a Break! The other cast was great too. All rights reserved. Nell Carter DMCA. aired 137 episodes over six seasons, with its finale airing on May 12, 1987. Another episode has Julie not knowing the cause of her mother's death (it was lung cancer, which is how Carl convinces Julie to quit smoking). DON'T FORGET TO; SUBSCRIBE+LIKE+COMMENTGimmie a break is an American television sitcom that was created by Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen. 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). What Are They Thinking of at NBC? All these years later I watched a couple episodes just to "check in", and it was pretty much as I'd remembered it. - A Fan Inquiry to Us on Facebook Leads to Some VERY Interesting New Information! The world of online streaming is a callous one. When he returned in the seventh episode, the cast was shocked by his thin appearance. 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. 15 were here. But her mom did and helped her obtain 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. Dolph Sweet and Nell Carter both died young. Writing for the Washington Post, Tom Shales wrote an especially scathing review of the pilot episode. "There ain't no Julio here!" This was meant to be a cliffhanger season finale, as the episode ends saying "To Be Continued", but the next season's premiere had to be retooled to have the family deal with the Chief's death instead of his reaction to Julie's sudden marriage. We heart all thing in the Entertainment field. We heart influencers and interesting people. The episode Julie's Birthday (1985) was Dolph Sweet's last appearance before his death. 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. 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. The Season 2 episode "Julie Smokes" has Carl slap his daughter across the face when, after she lied to him that she was not smoking, she accidentally blew smoke in his face, having unsuccessfully concealed that she had currently been smoking a cigarette. Originally, Nell's mother supported her dream of being a singer, but later became a shrill woman who never had faith in her. Carter performed the shows catchy theme song, and her performance in the series earned her two Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from [email protected]. Sweet had missed four episodes in the 1983-84 season because of after the phone rings. I was young when this show aired. Series Info. Gimme A Break, was certainly in the same league as any of NBC's other popular comedy shows. With spotify premium, you get ad free music, forever! Final episode date. Most of the show's humor came from the clashes of culture (Nell, the Sassy Black Woman from the South vs. straightlaced second-generation Polish Chief Kanisky) and generation (Nell and Carl vs. the girls) in an otherwise standard 80s Dom Com setting. This instance accidentally retcons the pilot episode's instance by having Carl say he's never slapped one of his daughters before. Date of death. The writers wrote a two part backdoor pilot towards the end of the sixth season titled Parent's Weeks. However, Samantha usually acted as if she never knew her mother. Laurie Hendler who plays "Julie" is shown for only a few seconds at the start of episode 3 season 6 (Below Sea Level) taking a seat behind Nell & Joey on an airplane even though she was fired at the end of season 5. Nell started singing more, Nell's frumpy and unflattering wardrobe, hair and makeup was upgraded to more glamorous and stylish. 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. 1981 Cast THEN AND NOW 2022 INCREDIBLE Changed, Thanks For The MemoriesGimme a Break! Another episode that aired earlier in the 198485 season, "Baby of the Family", ranked No. usually managed to land in the Top 40 during its first four seasons. Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) websites online as a spin-off attempt, this episode most likely was a tester for a new series, as it aired at the end of the season (which is when tester episodes usually aired for new fall series). True Hollywood Story, she was adamant that frequently calling her "Maggie" was a tactic to help young Joey and Matthew Lawrence focus on their lines, rehearsals and shootings without acting up, as kids often do. 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. These attributes contributed to the producers decision to drop most of the cast for sixth season except for Nell Carter, Thelma Hopkins, Joey Lawrence and John Hoyt. Kari Michaelsen and Lauri Hendler returned for the Season Six episode Sam Goes to College at the beginning of Season Six despite leaving the show the previous season. When producers Hal Cooper and Rod Parker took over the show in Season 3 there many changes that occurred. He died 4 years after the show went off the air. 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. Damn! In "Julie Smokes", after slapping Julie, Carl says he had never laid a hand on his kids before. At The Center, Lilly (Gwen Verdon) says that the teen youth center burnt to the ground, and the seniors must share their center with the kids from the youth center. / I loved it when I was little but imo this has not aged well. Who was the unluckiest person in the world? Parker was completely bewildered regarding the fallout. To each their own though. I understand that they had Katie,Julie,Jonathan and baby Nelle exit. A female classmate had called Sam another ethnic slur, referring to her as a "dumb Polack," at school, which resulted in Sam getting into a physical altercation with the girl in which Sam was hit with a stick. This does bring up the question of what happened to said uncle this whole time? 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). We heart living like a star. Instead of the Chief taking her in to custody, Max decides to adopt her, and has her work to pay back the money and food she stole. (See the Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, What's Happening, The Partridge Family, etc.). Most series that I like or love were usually made before I was born, and whenever I was old enough to understand the series. I used to watch this show when I was a little girl. This episode dealt with a Greek restaurant called "Two Guys From Greece" and the two guys who worked at it, Nicky, and his friend Tyler. on DVD in Canada between 2006-07. Producers found it increasingly difficult to keep him on-screen due to his condition and gaunt appearance, but Sweet insisted on working as much as possible in order to help him cope with his illness. on Issac Hayes' hit song "Theme From Shaft.". KARI MICHAELSEN Advertisement The '80s was a great decade for young Kari Michaelsen. Visual Entertainment released the first two seasons of Gimme a Break!' The network deemed Gimme a Break! Her character married the only other Jewish person in the cast, Jonathan Silverman. Two episodes were particularly noteworthy. Jane Dulo who portrayed Mildred Kanisky, mother of Carl Kanisky (played by Dolph Sweet) was born October 13, 1917 (some sources give 1912 and 1918 as her birth year); and with Sweet being born July 18, 1920, he and Dulo are too close in age to be playing mother and son credibly. I was 9 years old in 1981 when this show debuted. Gimme a Break! The second spin-off attempt from Gimme a Break occurred at the end of season three in 1984 during the episode "The Center". was a hit TV present that ran for six seasons from 1981 to 1987 on NBC. Although not noted on several Gimme A Break! 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. Although the show never cracked the top 30, it was still considered a solid enough hit to keep on the air for six years. Carter's character works in the home of a widowed chief of police who needs help taking care of his three daughters. They kept Lara Jill Miller as Sam. , and the experimentation became regular use. Addy got a job in New York City, so Nell, Grandpa and Joey came to New York to join her. Minelli flew her to a special rehab center the Halzalden Clinic in Minnesota where she kicked her habit a second time and lost over 90 pounds. 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. So three different actors were cast in the role of the youngest Kanisky child; a boy and two girls. BREAK TIME SERVICE Cancelled. 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. Prior to the pilot episode . During the summer 1984 hiatus, Dolph Sweet underwent stomach surgery, which was revealed shortly after to be the first extensive treatment for cancer. The "Flashback" episode shows her alive when the girls were relatively young, but still old enough to remember her. Whitney was very young on Gimme A Break, and only had a minute or two on screen. Ms. Carter collapsed and was found by one of her sons, said her spokesman, Roger Lane. Rosie O' Donnell revealed in a podcast interview with actress Busy Phillips, that on her first day on set was a toxic experience. 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. 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. Nov 05, 2007 #8. There were two reasons why it didn't happen. This was explained in the Flashback episode in Season 3. Carters publicist Roger Lane said Carter, Nell Carter, the robustly sassy singer and actress who exploded onto the New York musical stage in the Fats Waller revue Aint Misbehavin and went on to become a popular television star in the series Gimme a Break!, died yesterday at her home in Beverly Hills, Calif. She was, At some point during the mid-1990s, Carter had begun a relationship with a woman named Ann Kaser, but this was not known to the public until after her death. Like the episodes "Nell and the Kid" and "The Center", this episode does not rely on any Gimme A Break! NBC had many quality sitcoms on the air in the 80s, such as Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts Of Life, Silver Spoons, etc. That wasn't me; it was just a job.[4], The show received mixed reviews from critics when it premiered. Nell's Mama Maybelle (Rosetta LeNoire) began being seen in more recurring roles starting in season six after previous guest appearances. Nell's mother was originally portrayed by Hilda Haynes. NBC canceled the series in the spring of 1987. / 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. Joey: Part 1: Directed by Hal Cooper. Then and NOW 2022 INCREDIBLE Changed, Thanks for the MemoriesGimme a Break!: Directed by Hal.. Shocked by his thin appearance Alan Landsburg Productions and Reeves Entertainment Group product in 1990 episode 's by... Dolph Sweet 's last appearance before his death a two part backdoor pilot towards the of... 4 ], nell Carter received two Emmy nominations as Best Actress in a Comedy series this. Should of been in the 198485 season, `` Shut your mouth! there had been several un-successful attempts... Lauri Hendler was the only other Jewish person in the spring of 1987 `` from! 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