Mr. Dugan
Encyclopedia
Mr. Dugan is an American sitcom
about a black
Congressman
that was scheduled to air in March 1979 on CBS
, but never aired.
felt his long-running comedy Maude
was getting stale, so he decided to enliven things by moving the show to Washington, D.C. and making the title character a Congresswoman. After two episodes in this new setting, star Beatrice Arthur
decided not to continue, and the show abruptly left the air. Lear, however, still believed in the concept, and filmed a new pilot
tilted Onward and Upward, with essentially the same script and cast—except with John Amos
(as a black former pro football star running for the United States Congress
) replacing Arthur. Creative differences between Amos (who had co-starred in Lear's Good Times
) and the producers led to Amos bowing out; the show was renamed Mr. Dooley and finally Mr. Dugan. Cleavon Little
(best known as the sheriff in the classic movie comedy Blazing Saddles
) was hired as the title character, a fledgling black Congressman. The supporting cast remained the same.
Mr. Dugan had been scheduled for a March 11, 1979 premiere, and was heavily promoted by its network, CBS. A special screening for real black Congressmen, however, proved to be an unmitigated disaster; many found the show "demeaning" and threatened a boycott of CBS if the program aired. Lear subsequently pulled the plug on Mr. Dugan, saying "we have not yet totally fulfilled our intention for the series."
The series was eventually reworked into the short-lived series, Hanging In
, which aired on CBS in the summer of 1979.
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...
about a black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
Congressman
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
that was scheduled to air in March 1979 on 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...
, but never aired.
History
In early 1978, producer Norman LearNorman Lear
Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
felt his long-running comedy Maude
Maude (TV series)
Maude was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS network from September 12, 1972 until April 22, 1978.Maude starred Beatrice Arthur as Maude Findlay, an outspoken, middle-aged, politically liberal woman living in suburban Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York with...
was getting stale, so he decided to enliven things by moving the show to Washington, D.C. and making the title character a Congresswoman. After two episodes in this new setting, star Beatrice Arthur
Beatrice Arthur
Beatrice "Bea" Arthur was an American actress, comedienne and singer whose career spanned seven decades. Arthur achieved fame as the character Maude Findlay on the 1970s sitcoms All in the Family and Maude, and as Dorothy Zbornak on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls, winning Emmy Awards for both...
decided not to continue, and the show abruptly left the air. Lear, however, still believed in the concept, and filmed a new pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
tilted Onward and Upward, with essentially the same script and cast—except with John Amos
John Amos
John Amos is an American actor and former football player. His television work includes roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Good Times, the miniseries Roots, and a recurring role in The West Wing. He has also appeared on Broadway and in numerous motion pictures in a career that spans four decades...
(as a black former pro football star running for the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
) replacing Arthur. Creative differences between Amos (who had co-starred in Lear's Good Times
Good Times
Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Michael Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer...
) and the producers led to Amos bowing out; the show was renamed Mr. Dooley and finally Mr. Dugan. Cleavon Little
Cleavon 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...
(best known as the sheriff in the classic movie comedy Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles is a 1974 satirical Western comedy film directed by Mel Brooks. Starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, the film was written by Brooks, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Al Uger, and was based on Bergman's story and draft. The movie was nominated for three...
) was hired as the title character, a fledgling black Congressman. The supporting cast remained the same.
Mr. Dugan had been scheduled for a March 11, 1979 premiere, and was heavily promoted by its network, CBS. A special screening for real black Congressmen, however, proved to be an unmitigated disaster; many found the show "demeaning" and threatened a boycott of CBS if the program aired. Lear subsequently pulled the plug on Mr. Dugan, saying "we have not yet totally fulfilled our intention for the series."
The series was eventually reworked into the short-lived series, Hanging In
Hanging In
Hanging In is an American sitcom that aired on CBS in 1979, executive produced by Norman Lear.-Synopsis:After his failed attempt to launch the sitcom Mr. Dugan, Lear reworked the project, finally coming up with Hanging In, the story of Lou Harper, a former pro football star who becomes president of...
, which aired on CBS in the summer of 1979.