Hello, Larry
Encyclopedia
Hello, Larry is an American sitcom which aired on NBC
from January 26, 1979, to April 30, 1980.
) is a radio talk show host who left Los Angeles
after being divorced and moved to Portland, Oregon
, with his two teenage daughters, Diane (played in the first season by Donna Wilkes
and in the second season by Krista Errickson
) and Ruthie (played by Kim Richards
). In the first season, episodes centered on Larry at the radio station
and his smart remarks to callers. The supporting cast consisted of producer Morgan (Joanna Gleason
) and morbidly obese engineer Earl (George Memmoli
).
, who usually did not approve of Larry's parenting; Tommy, a purportedly worldly wise teenage boy played by John Femia, who became a love interest of Ruthie's; former Harlem Globetrotters
player Meadowlark Lemon
as himself, running a local sporting goods store in the series; and Larry's father, played by Fred Stuthman, who moved in with the younger Alders. None of these people, nor a two-part episode in which Larry's ex-wife Marian (played by Shelley Fabares
) tried to reconcile with him, were enough to save the show, and it was canceled in the spring of 1980.
The shift to more family-related stories in the second season was represented by a change in the line of the show's opening theme lyrics; the line that went "..the calls are comin' in, you'd better start to grin.." in reference to Larry's radio career gave way to "you're raising them just fine, but keep an open mind.." when the stories became more focused on the Alder household. In both seasons, the lyrical line always ended with "cause you never know just what they're gonna say."
and The Andy Griffith Show
), consisted of 35 episodes. Bensfield and Grant had also worked on One Day at a Time
, a CBS
sitcom about a single woman raising two teenaged daughters alone, and many critics noted the similarity of the two series. The show was produced by Woody Kling and directed by Doug Rogers.
Diff'rent Strokes connection Hello, Larry is sometimes referred to as a spin-off
of Diff'rent Strokes
. In actuality, it was conceived as a show in its own right. After struggling to gather ratings, NBC rescheduled it to appear immediately following Diff'rent Strokes and had it written in that Larry and Phillip Drummond were old army friends (with Drummond's company becoming the new owners of Larry's radio station), thereby allowing several crossover episodes on both programs in the hope of raising Hello, Larrys popularity.
in his The Tonight Show
monologues. Indicative of NBC's struggles at the time, Hello, Larry, despite its extremely poor reception, lasted 35 episodes and was renewed for a second season.
Although viewers and critics had high hopes for Hello, Larry, McLean Stevenson, in fact, already had two other unsuccessful sitcoms under his belt since leaving M*A*S*H—The McLean Stevenson Show, which also aired on NBC, in 1976-77, and In the Beginning, which aired in 1978. Stevenson would go on to appear in one more series that would fail with him as a star, Condo in 1983.
TV Guide
ranked the series number 12 on TV Guide's 50 Worst Shows of All Time list in 2002.
The show has often been referred to as an euphemism
for badness. In one example, Arianna Huffington
said that "John McCain's return to the Senate will be the chilliest reception for a war hero since McLean Stevenson tried to talk his way back onto MASH after Hello Larry tanked."
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 January 26, 1979, to April 30, 1980.
First season
Larry Alder (played by McLean StevensonMcLean Stevenson
Edgar McLean Stevenson, Jr. , better known as McLean Stevenson, was an American actor most recognized for his role as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on the TV series M*A*S*H...
) is a radio talk show host who left Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
after being divorced and moved to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, with his two teenage daughters, Diane (played in the first season by Donna Wilkes
Donna Wilkes
Donna Wilkes is an American film actress known for her roles in several films, most notably the starring role in 1984's Angel, which became a cult classic. She has also appeared in several television programs such as Father Murphy and the soap opera Days of our Lives...
and in the second season by Krista Errickson
Krista Errickson
Krista Anne Errickson is an American actress, journalist, and documentary writer/producer who appeared in films and television productions in the 1980s and 1990s. As a teen actress, she is most recognized for her role as teen antagonist Cinder in the 1980 movie Little Darlings and the TV series...
) and Ruthie (played by Kim Richards
Kim Richards
Kimberly "Kim" Richards is an American actress, former child actress, and television personality. She had roles in several Disney movies in the 1970s and later TV shows in the late 1970s and early 80s before returning to the screen with her sister Kyle Richards on Bravo's The Real Housewives of...
). In the first season, episodes centered on Larry at the radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
and his smart remarks to callers. The supporting cast consisted of producer Morgan (Joanna Gleason
Joanna Gleason
Joanna Gleason is a Canadian actress and singer. She is a Tony Award-winning musical theatre actress and has also had a number of notable film and TV roles.-Early life:...
) and morbidly obese engineer Earl (George Memmoli
George Memmoli
George Memmoli was a New York City born actor. Memmoli was a friend and frequent collaborator of director Martin Scorsese, providing memorable appearances in Mean Streets , New York, New York , and contributed to a documentary focused on a mutual friend of Scorsese's and Memmoli's - American Boy:...
).
Second season
In an effort to make the character (and series) more likeable, the episodes were based almost entirely around the home life of Larry and the girls, with Morgan and Earl being seen less frequently. In addition, various supporting characters were added in the apartment building where Larry and the girls lived; these included a black neighbor, Leona, played by Ruth BrownRuth Brown
Ruth Brown was an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, composer and actress, noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for Atlantic Records in the 1950s, such as "So Long", "Teardrops from My Eyes" and " He Treats Your Daughter Mean".For these...
, who usually did not approve of Larry's parenting; Tommy, a purportedly worldly wise teenage boy played by John Femia, who became a love interest of Ruthie's; former Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
player Meadowlark Lemon
Meadowlark Lemon
Meadow "Meadowlark" Lemon is an American basketball player, actor, and minister. For 22 years, Lemon was known as the "Clown Prince" of the touring Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. He played in more than 16,000 games for the Globetrotters and is a 2003 inductee of the Naismith Memorial...
as himself, running a local sporting goods store in the series; and Larry's father, played by Fred Stuthman, who moved in with the younger Alders. None of these people, nor a two-part episode in which Larry's ex-wife Marian (played by Shelley Fabares
Shelley Fabares
Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares is an American actress and singer. Fabares is known for her roles as Donna Reed's oldest child, Mary Stone, on The Donna Reed Show , and as Craig T. Nelson's love interest and eventual wife, Christine Armstrong Fox, on the sitcom Coach. She also was Elvis...
) tried to reconcile with him, were enough to save the show, and it was canceled in the spring of 1980.
The shift to more family-related stories in the second season was represented by a change in the line of the show's opening theme lyrics; the line that went "..the calls are comin' in, you'd better start to grin.." in reference to Larry's radio career gave way to "you're raising them just fine, but keep an open mind.." when the stories became more focused on the Alder household. In both seasons, the lyrical line always ended with "cause you never know just what they're gonna say."
Production
The series, created by Dick Bensfield and Perry Grant (veteran writers with a résumé going back to The Adventures of Ozzie and HarrietThe Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet is an American sitcom, airing on ABC from October 3, 1952 to September 3, 1966, starring the real life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television where it continued its success, running on both radio and TV for a couple of years...
and The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
), consisted of 35 episodes. Bensfield and Grant had also worked on One Day at a Time
One Day at a Time
One Day at a Time is an American situation comedy on the CBS network that aired from December 16, 1975 until May 28, 1984. It portrays Ann Romano, a divorced mother, played by Bonnie Franklin, her two teenage daughters Julie and Barbara Cooper and Schneider, their building superintendent .The show...
, a CBS
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...
sitcom about a single woman raising two teenaged daughters alone, and many critics noted the similarity of the two series. The show was produced by Woody Kling and directed by Doug Rogers.
Diff'rent Strokes connection Hello, Larry is sometimes referred to as a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986...
. In actuality, it was conceived as a show in its own right. After struggling to gather ratings, NBC rescheduled it to appear immediately following Diff'rent Strokes and had it written in that Larry and Phillip Drummond were old army friends (with Drummond's company becoming the new owners of Larry's radio station), thereby allowing several crossover episodes on both programs in the hope of raising Hello, Larrys popularity.
Failure and legacy
Hello, Larry had the misfortune of appearing on NBC at a time when that network was at its nadir in the ratings. The show was greeted by viewers who had high expectations based on Stevenson's M*A*S*H association but quickly gained an extremely bad reputation as a weakly written, unfunny sitcom. The show was not helped by frequent ridicule from Johnny CarsonJohnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
in his The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
monologues. Indicative of NBC's struggles at the time, Hello, Larry, despite its extremely poor reception, lasted 35 episodes and was renewed for a second season.
Although viewers and critics had high hopes for Hello, Larry, McLean Stevenson, in fact, already had two other unsuccessful sitcoms under his belt since leaving M*A*S*H—The McLean Stevenson Show, which also aired on NBC, in 1976-77, and In the Beginning, which aired in 1978. Stevenson would go on to appear in one more series that would fail with him as a star, Condo in 1983.
TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
ranked the series number 12 on TV Guide's 50 Worst Shows of All Time list in 2002.
The show has often been referred to as an euphemism
Euphemism
A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...
for badness. In one example, Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington is a Greek American author and syndicated columnist. She is best known as co-founder of the news website The Huffington Post. A popular conservative commentator in the mid-1990s, she adopted more liberal political beliefs in the late 1990s...
said that "John McCain's return to the Senate will be the chilliest reception for a war hero since McLean Stevenson tried to talk his way back onto MASH after Hello Larry tanked."