Dear John (US TV series)
Encyclopedia
Dear John is an American
sitcom
that aired on NBC
from 1988 to 1992. The series was originally based on the British sitcom of the same name
. Dear John was retitled Dear John USA when it was shown in the UK. During its four-season run, the series was bounced to and from various time periods on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. When the series moved from its post-Cheers
slot on Thursdays to a post-Night Court
slot on Wednesdays in 1990, series regular Jere Burns
appeared in a network promo side-by-side with John Larroquette
of Night Court
.
Reruns were syndicated to various local stations shortly after Dear John ended its run in 1992, and the series also aired on E!
for a brief period in the mid-1990s. Dear John has not been seen in the United States since then.
as easygoing Drake Prep high school teacher John Lacey who is dumped by his wife, Wendy, via a Dear John letter
. Wendy ends up with everything in the divorce settlement, including custody of the couple's son, forcing John to move into an apartment in Queens
.
John soon joins the One-2-One Club, a self help group for divorced, widowed or lonely people. The group is led by Louise (Jane Carr
), a sex-obsessed British woman. Other members of the group include Kate McCarron (Isabella Hofmann
), a sweet divorcée; Kirk Morris (Jere Burns
), a cocky ladies' man; Ralph Drang (Harry Groener
), a shy and neurotic tollbooth collector; Bonnie Philbert (Billie Bird
), a feisty senior citizen; and Tom, Mrs. Philbert's quiet boyfriend (Tom Willett
).
won an Emmy Award
for his role in the episode Stand By Your Man.
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...
that aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from 1988 to 1992. The series was originally based on the British sitcom of the same name
Dear John (UK TV series)
Dear John is a British sitcom, written by John Sullivan. Two series and a "special" were broadcast between 1986 and 1987.This sitcom's title referred to letters sent by girls to their boyfriends breaking off the relationship, known as "Dear John" letters. In the opening episode, John discovers his...
. Dear John was retitled Dear John USA when it was shown in the UK. During its four-season run, the series was bounced to and from various time periods on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. When the series moved from its post-Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
slot on Thursdays to a post-Night Court
Night Court
Night Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
slot on Wednesdays in 1990, series regular Jere Burns
Jere Burns
Jerald Eugene "Jere" Burns II is an American actor who has appeared in theatre productions and on television and is best known for his role as ladies' man Kirk Morris on the television series, Dear John.-Early life:...
appeared in a network promo side-by-side with John Larroquette
John Larroquette
John Edgar Bernard Larroquette, Jr. is an American film, television and Broadway actor. His roles include Dan Fielding on the series Night Court, Mike McBride in the Hallmark Channel series McBride, John Hemingway on The John Larroquette Show, and Carl Sack in Boston Legal.-Personal...
of Night Court
Night Court
Night Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
.
Reruns were syndicated to various local stations shortly after Dear John ended its run in 1992, and the series also aired on E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
for a brief period in the mid-1990s. Dear John has not been seen in the United States since then.
Synopsis
Dear John starred Judd HirschJudd Hirsch
Judd Hirsch is an American actor most known for playing Alex Rieger on the television comedy series Taxi, John Lacey on the NBC series Dear John, and Alan Eppes on the CBS series Numb3rs.-Early life and education:...
as easygoing Drake Prep high school teacher John Lacey who is dumped by his wife, Wendy, via a Dear John letter
Dear John letter
A "Dear John letter" is a letter written to a husband or boyfriend by his wife or girlfriend to inform him their relationship is over, usually because the author has found another lover. Dear John Letters are often written out of an inability or unwillingness to inform the person face to face...
. Wendy ends up with everything in the divorce settlement, including custody of the couple's son, forcing John to move into an apartment in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
.
John soon joins the One-2-One Club, a self help group for divorced, widowed or lonely people. The group is led by Louise (Jane Carr
Jane Carr
Ellen Jane Carr is an English actress. She is well known for the voice role of "Pud'n" on the animated The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy . She also played a character called "Pudding" in one of her earliest TV appearances, the Jilly Cooper-penned BBC sitcom It's Awfully Bad For Your Eyes,...
), a sex-obsessed British woman. Other members of the group include Kate McCarron (Isabella Hofmann
Isabella Hofmann
Isabella Hofmann is an American actress, born in Chicago, Illinois. She is best known for her lead role on Homicide: Life on the Street as Lt. / Capt. / Det...
), a sweet divorcée; Kirk Morris (Jere Burns
Jere Burns
Jerald Eugene "Jere" Burns II is an American actor who has appeared in theatre productions and on television and is best known for his role as ladies' man Kirk Morris on the television series, Dear John.-Early life:...
), a cocky ladies' man; Ralph Drang (Harry Groener
Harry Groener
Harry Groener is a German-born American actor and dancer, perhaps best known for playing Mayor Wilkins in Buffy the Vampire Slayer .-Early life:...
), a shy and neurotic tollbooth collector; Bonnie Philbert (Billie Bird
Billie Bird
Billie Bird was an American actress and comedienne.-Early life:Born Berniece Bird in Pocatello, Idaho, Bird was discovered at the age of eight while living at an orphanage...
), a feisty senior citizen; and Tom, Mrs. Philbert's quiet boyfriend (Tom Willett
Tom Willett
Tom Willett is an American musician, author and entertainment industry executive. He toured and recorded extensively as a bass player during the 1960s and 1970s, served as booking agent and manager for numerous artists in the 1980s, and worked as an artist and repertoire and marketing executive...
).
Awards
In 1989 Cleavon LittleCleavon Little
Cleavon Jake Little was an American film and theatre actor.Little was widely known for his lead role as Sheriff Bart in the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles. He also was the irreverent Dr...
won an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for his role in the episode Stand By Your Man.