A Minute with Stan Hooper
Encyclopedia
A Minute with Stan Hooper, also known as Stan Hooper, is an American
sitcom
starring Norm Macdonald
. The series was a Carsey-Werner
production in association with Paramount Television
and aired on Fox
. The series was canceled after six of the thirteen episodes produced were aired.
The central character's name, Stan Hooper, was taken from Macdonald's work on Saturday Night Live
, but the characters were vastly different. The role also allowed Macdonald to play the straight man among a cast of eccentric characters, a departure from his traditional comedy style.
home to a small Wisconsin
town, Waterford Falls , where he hopes to better get in touch with Middle America in an attempt to make his weekly minute-long television commentaries more appealing to a larger audience. While there, he interacts with the folksy, and largely strange, townspeople of Waterford Falls.
, the entire series aired in late night timeslots on Network Ten
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
starring Norm Macdonald
Norm MacDonald
Norman Gene "Norm" Macdonald is a Canadian stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He is best known for his five seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, which included anchoring Weekend Update for three years...
. The series was a Carsey-Werner
Carsey-Werner Productions
Carsey-Werner Productions is an independent production company founded in 1981 by former ABC writer/producer duo Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner...
production in association with Paramount Television
Paramount Television
Paramount Television was an American television production/distribution company that was active from January 1, 1968 to August 27, 2006.Its successor is CBS Television Studios, formerly CBS Paramount Television...
and aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. The series was canceled after six of the thirteen episodes produced were aired.
The central character's name, Stan Hooper, was taken from Macdonald's work on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, but the characters were vastly different. The role also allowed Macdonald to play the straight man among a cast of eccentric characters, a departure from his traditional comedy style.
Production
According to Norm the show was originally planned as a 25 episode run, where at the end of the first season the show would dramatically change, with a drifter killing Norm's wife on the show. Each episode would have been more subversive at the plot twist would be the culmination of 'hoodwinking' the audience into thinking they were watching a traditional sitcom. The show was cancelled however before this idea could be implemented.Plot
Hooper, a famous newspaper columnist turned television commentator, moves his family from their New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
home to a small Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
town, Waterford Falls , where he hopes to better get in touch with Middle America in an attempt to make his weekly minute-long television commentaries more appealing to a larger audience. While there, he interacts with the folksy, and largely strange, townspeople of Waterford Falls.
Cast
- Norm MacdonaldNorm MacDonaldNorman Gene "Norm" Macdonald is a Canadian stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He is best known for his five seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, which included anchoring Weekend Update for three years...
as Stan Hooper - Penelope Ann MillerPenelope Ann MillerPenelope Ann Miller , sometimes credited as Penelope Miller, is an American actress...
as Molly Hooper - Reagan Dale NeisReagan Dale NeisReagan Dale Neis is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her lead role in the The WB sitcom, Maybe It's Me and co-starring in the Fox sitcom, A Minute with Stan Hooper...
as Chelsea - Eric LivelyEric LivelyEric Lawrence Lively is an American actor. He played the role Nick Larson in The Butterfly Effect 2.-Early life:Lively was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He has a sister, actress Blake Lively, half-sisters actresses Lori Lively and Robyn Lively and a half-brother, Jason Lively, who played Rusty in...
as Ryan - Fred WillardFred WillardFred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
as Fred Hawkins - Brian HoweBrian Howe (actor)Brian Howe is an American actor, most famous for his portrayal of stockbroker Jay Twistle in the film The Pursuit of Happyness. His other films include The Majestic, Catch Me If You Can, RV, Déjà Vu, Evan Almighty and Gran Torino...
as Gary - Garret Dillahunt as Lou Peterson
- Daniel RoebuckDaniel RoebuckDaniel James Roebuck is an American television film actor, writer and producer, primarily in films, soap operas and television.-Life and career:...
as Pete Peterson
Episode list
| Ep # | Episode | Overview | Production Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Stan moves with his family from New York to a small Wisconsin town, Waterford Falls, in order to better get in touch with “Middle America” to make his minute-long television commentaries more appealing to a larger audience. | Hoo-101 |
| 2 | Stan Goes To Washington | After he finds out that the same man has been mayor for five straight terms, Stan decides to run for town mayor to give the townsfolk another choice. However, Stan is shocked to learn of the cover-up behind the mayor and the involvement of Fred Hawkins in it, as well as the rest of the town. | Hoo-104 |
| 3 | The Hustler | After deciding to go out for a boy’s night out at Jimmy’s tavern with Lou and Pete Peterson, Stan is accused of using trick shots whenever he sinks a ball during a game of billiards for “dimes” and “nickels”. When Stan discovers that “dimes” and “nickels” are worth much more than he thought, Stan tries to save his opponent, Lou, from selling the diner. Meanwhile, Garry invites Molly to join him and the girls at their weekly bridge game at the Hooper residence. Ryan and Chelsea ask Stan for advice on planning their future while Chelsea contemplates her opportunities at a Cosmetics and Tattoo college. | Hoo-102 |
| 4 | An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving | Stan gets interested in turkey hunting, ordering everything on the menu in preparation for an outing. Stan then enlists Chelsea’s help in preventing Molly from cooking anything for Thanksgiving. | Hoo-106 |
| 5 | Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie | Fred’s frustration peaks because Gary has invited Molly and Chelsea to join the guys-only Christmas carolling group, ‘The Silent Knights’. Meanwhile, when the diner runs out of Stan’s favourite pie, Clara Meek’s apple pie, Stan tries his best in getting the recipe from the ailing Clara before she dies. | Hoo-109 |
| 6 | Fear Finds The Falls | To prove that the town isn’t inviolable to crime, Stan burgles the diner. | Hoo-107 |
| 7 | Stan's Biggest Fan | Stan discovers that his favourite fan lives nearby and gets the help of a cranky mailman to find him. | Hoo-105 |
| 8 | Good Golly, Miss Molly | A typo in the ‘Cheese Quarterly’ naming Molly as Fred’s mistress brings the town’s press down on Stan. | Hoo-103 |
| 9 | Snow Job | The town’s snowplough operator has a thing for Stan, but when Stan denies her, the whole town suffers. | Hoo-108 |
| 10 | Ghost Family | After learning that his boathouse is supposedly haunted, Stan investigates his property’s past. | Hoo-110 |
| 11 | The Milkman | After inadvertently getting the milkman fired, Stan helps him start his own “business”. | Hoo-111 |
| 12 | The Good Doctor | Stan suspects that the town’s doctor, Doc Goodman, isn’t really a doctor. | Hoo-112 |
| 13 | Stan's Best Friend | Problems arise after Stan mistakes a wolf that he found to be a cute puppy. | Hoo-113 |
International broadcasters
In AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the entire series aired in late night timeslots on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
.