Hearts Afire
Encyclopedia
Hearts Afire is a sitcom that aired from September 14, 1992 to February 1, 1995 on CBS
. It starred John Ritter
and Markie Post
, with Post portraying a journalist
and Ritter playing a senator's aide.
The series' title is taken from a line in the Earth, Wind & Fire
song "That's the Way of the World
" (which originally served as the series' theme song).
and Harry Thomason
, the show starred John Ritter
and Markie Post
playing John Hartman and Georgie Anne Lahti Hartman, respectively. Supporting actors included Billy Bob Thornton
and Ed Asner
. The show was set in Washington, D.C.
and centered on a senator's aide (Ritter) and a political reporter (Post) whose professional disagreements masked a growing attraction for one another. Other costars on the show included George Gaynes
and Wendie Jo Sperber
. The series was itself a satire on current affairs in Washington, D.C.
In the second season, the show abruptly changed its setting to the Southern town where John Hartman grew up; he returns to take over the town's failing newspaper, and his wife and several of the other cast members joined him there.
(series executive producer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason's company) and Adam Productions (Ritter's company) under the dummy company
"Hearts Afire Productions". It did not receive any outside help from any major studio, although another independent distributor, Genesis Entertainment, handled international distribution outside the U.S. Because of this and the fact that only 54 episodes were produced, the series was never made available for television syndication, although USA Network
aired reruns.
The John Ritter estate now has complete control over the series. In 2005, the Ritter estate awarded the home video rights to Image Entertainment
(beating out favorites Lions Gate Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
). All three seasons of the series are now available on DVD
, in altered versions due to music rights issues. Some music has been re-scored, as it was in the USA Network rerun versions, but otherwise the content is unedited.
has released the entire series on DVD in Region 1. Seasons 1 and 2 contain special features including bloopers & outtakes.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. It starred John Ritter
John Ritter
Jonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian perhaps best known for having played Jack Tripper and Paul Hennessy in the ABC sitcoms Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules, respectively...
and Markie Post
Markie Post
Marjorie Armstrong "Markie" Post is an American actress, best known for her roles as bail bondswoman Terri Michaels in The Fall Guy on ABC from 1982 to 1985, as public defender Christine Sullivan on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1985 to 1992, and as Georgie Anne Lahti Hartman on the CBS sitcom...
, with Post portraying a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and Ritter playing a senator's aide.
The series' title is taken from a line in the Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
song "That's the Way of the World
That's the Way of the World
-1999 reissue:-Covers and samples:"Reasons", the album's breakout love ballad, has been covered by Stanley Turrentine, Ramsey Lewis, Maxi Priest and other artists. "Reasons" has also been sampled by Master P on Intro/17...
" (which originally served as the series' theme song).
Series premise
Created by Linda Bloodworth-ThomasonLinda Bloodworth-Thomason
Linda Bloodworth-Thomason is an American writer and television producer....
and Harry Thomason
Harry Thomason
Harry Z. Thomason, , is an American film and television producer and director, best known for the television series Designing Women. Thomason and his wife, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, are close friends of President Bill Clinton and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and played a major...
, the show starred John Ritter
John Ritter
Jonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian perhaps best known for having played Jack Tripper and Paul Hennessy in the ABC sitcoms Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules, respectively...
and Markie Post
Markie Post
Marjorie Armstrong "Markie" Post is an American actress, best known for her roles as bail bondswoman Terri Michaels in The Fall Guy on ABC from 1982 to 1985, as public defender Christine Sullivan on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1985 to 1992, and as Georgie Anne Lahti Hartman on the CBS sitcom...
playing John Hartman and Georgie Anne Lahti Hartman, respectively. Supporting actors included Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground and Tombstone...
and Ed Asner
Ed Asner
Edward Asner , commonly known as Ed Asner, is an American film, television, stage, and voice actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, primarily known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Lou Grant on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series, Lou Grant...
. The show was set in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and centered on a senator's aide (Ritter) and a political reporter (Post) whose professional disagreements masked a growing attraction for one another. Other costars on the show included George Gaynes
George Gaynes
George Gaynes is a Finnish-born American actor of stage, screen and television.He may be best known as Commandant Eric Lassard in the Police Academy series, and to television fans as the curmudgeonly Henry Warnimont on the NBC series Punky Brewster, in which his wife, Allyn Ann McLerie,...
and Wendie Jo Sperber
Wendie Jo Sperber
Wendie Jo Sperber was an American actress, best known for her performances in the films I Wanna Hold Your Hand , Bachelor Party and Back to the Future as well as the television sitcom Bosom Buddies .-Life:Sperber was born in Hollywood and aimed for a performing-arts career from high school onward...
. The series was itself a satire on current affairs in Washington, D.C.
In the second season, the show abruptly changed its setting to the Southern town where John Hartman grew up; he returns to take over the town's failing newspaper, and his wife and several of the other cast members joined him there.
Production and rights issues
The series was independently produced by Mozark ProductionsMozark Productions
Mozark Productions is a production company for TV shows such as Designing Women and Hearts Afire. This production company is the vanity card for creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason....
(series executive producer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason's company) and Adam Productions (Ritter's company) under the dummy company
Dummy company
A dummy corporation or dummy company is an entity created to serve as a front or cover for one or more companies. It can have the appearance of being real but lacks the capacity to function independently. The goal of a dummy corporation can be to conceal true ownership and/or avoid taxes...
"Hearts Afire Productions". It did not receive any outside help from any major studio, although another independent distributor, Genesis Entertainment, handled international distribution outside the U.S. Because of this and the fact that only 54 episodes were produced, the series was never made available for television syndication, although USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
aired reruns.
The John Ritter estate now has complete control over the series. In 2005, the Ritter estate awarded the home video rights to Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
(beating out favorites Lions Gate Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,...
). All three seasons of the series are now available on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, in altered versions due to music rights issues. Some music has been re-scored, as it was in the USA Network rerun versions, but otherwise the content is unedited.
DVD releases
Image EntertainmentImage Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
has released the entire series on DVD in Region 1. Seasons 1 and 2 contain special features including bloopers & outtakes.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | 16 | August 2, 2005 |
| The Complete Second Season | 22 | November 1, 2005 |
| The Complete Third Season | 14 | February 7, 2006 |
Cameos
- Hugh E. Rodham, father of former First Lady of the United StatesFirst Lady of the United StatesFirst Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
and current United States Secretary of StateUnited States Secretary of StateThe United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonHillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
, made a cameo appearance in 1992. The producers of the series were friends of the Clintons. - Political pundit Rush LimbaughRush LimbaughRush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
guest-starred as himself on a 1994 episode. That episode had the series' highest weekly rating, finishing at #8 for its original airing.