Over the Top (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Over the Top is an American sitcom
starring Tim Curry
, Annie Potts
and Steve Carell
. The series premiered on ABC
on October 21, 1997. Although 12 episodes were produced, the series was canceled after only three episodes had aired.
Days to Remember, down on his luck, eccentric, self-centered actor Simon Ferguson (Tim Curry) moves into Manhattan
's Metropolitan Hotel, which is run by ex-wife Hadley Martin (Annie Potts), whom he was married to 20 years prior... for twelve days. Despite her initial exasperation with her ex, Hadley again succumbs to the "Ferguson charm," as do all of those around her.
Simon reluctantly plays role model to Hadley's children from a different marriage: precocious seven-and-a-half year-old Daniel (Luke Tarsitano
) and angst-ridden teen Gwen (Marla Sokoloff
). The hotel's psychotic Greek chef, Yorgo Galfanikos (Steve Carell
), also looks up to Simon, having been a fan of his soap opera and films. Also seen are Rose (Liz Torres
), the hotel's assistant manager, Robert McSwain (John O'Hurley
), the hotel's main investor, Tommy Sutton (Devin Neil Oatway), a popular jock Gwen fawns over, and Jesse (Danny Strong
), a geek who is smitten with Gwen.
Episodes mostly centered around Simon's outlandish shenanigans and attempts to break back into show business.
, and although it would not be ready to hit the air for the 1996-1997 season, it remained in development. Tim Curry was aboard and wanted the relationship between the two leads to be loosely based on his relationship with friend and next door neighbor Annie Potts, to whom he said, "I wish you could do this with me!" Potts was starring in the TV spin-off of the popular film Dangerous Minds
at the time, so it did not seem as though a reunion was imminent (the two had previously co-starred together as husband and wife in the film Pass the Ammo
). Three days before they were ready to shoot the pilot for Over the Top, Dangerous Minds
was canceled, and although Potts was heartbroken over the cancellation of that series, she jumped at the chance to work with Curry again.
The premise of the pilot was that Curry's character, actor Simon Ferguson, was fired from his soap opera, so he visited the quaint bed and breakfast
in Upstate New York
owned by his ex-wife, Kate (Potts), whom he was once married to for six months. Although flabbergasted with Simon, Kate ultimately decided to let her ex stay on as a new addition to the staff. The cast was rounded out by Luke Tarsitano
and Natanya Ross
as Kate's children from a subsequent marriage, Debra Jo Rupp
as the maid, and a then-unknown actor named Steve Carell
as manic chef Yorgo.
By the time the pilot was filmed, ABC Entertainment president Ted Harbert
had been replaced by Jamie Tarses
, whom executive producer Robert Morton
was dating. Rumors began to swirl that the series was only picked up as a result of their romance, and it did not help matters that the press was only shown snippets of the pilot episode. In the months between the time the series was picked up and its scheduled premiere, Morton and Tarses' relationship ended.
Originally slated to debut on September 23, 1997 the show's premiere was delayed until October 21, opposite the World Series
, so it could be retooled. Natanya Ross
and Debra Jo Rupp
were replaced by Marla Sokoloff
and Liz Torres
, and John O'Hurley
's character was written into the show. Kate was renamed Hadley and her character became more sympathetic toward Simon. The setting was changed to New York City and the pilot was reshot (as the episode "I'm Bonnie, I'm Clyde"). The reason given for the retooling was because in NYC there would be more opportunities "for comedic interaction with city characters," but the press began to speculate that the changes were again a result of the failed Tarses/Morton romance. Morton sidestepped this question by claiming, "We needed to give Tim a bigger playing field," and that the cast "was not as comfortable with each other as we wanted." ABC, meanwhile, claimed that they did not want their 8:00 p.m. lead-in show, Soul Man
, to face off against what was expected to be a high-rated season premiere of Mad About You
, so they rearranged the schedule. "By shifting Soul Mans time slot for the first few weeks of the season," Tarses released in a public statement, "we're giving this pivotal series the luxury to recapture its audience without intense premiere competition."
The show's stars, however, remained optimistic. Curry went on a promotional tour, appearing on talk shows such as The View, Vibe
, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee
, and Arthel & Fred, though interviewers seemed to focus less on Over the Top and more on The Rocky Horror Picture Show
. Potts, meanwhile, also did some interviews, barely acknowledging the behind the scenes problems and claiming that the show should speak for itself.
Over the Top received minuscule network promotion (generally only small blurbs tacked onto the ends of commercials for Soul Man) and aired for three weeks with dismal ratings before being canceled (in some markets the final November 4 episode was bumped off the schedule unannounced for election coverage, and some TV Guide
listings were a little slow to catch up, citing the unaired episodes "Who's Afraid of Simon Ferguson?" and "The Review" in the weeks following the show's cancellation). Production was instantly halted two episodes shy of the standard 13-episode order for a new series, and almost immediately following the show's cancellation, executive producers Mitchel Katlin and Nat Bernstein cried foul, blaming the Morton/Tarses breakup for the demise of the show.
review that Curry "gives it his maul," and that the show's leads seemed "lost in the TV equivalent of summer stock." Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly
went one step further, likening it to a variation of The Odd Couple
that possessed "neither romantic spark nor crisp verbal byplay." The Los Angeles Daily News
claimed it was the worst new show of the season, and that if you tuned in to the show at 8:30, you would "probably be watching something else by 8:38." TeeVee's Peter Ko wrote a lengthy review (which itself got some publicity nine years later) in which he heavily bashed Curry, then he went on to state, "I have stood in a freezer full of dead people at the morgue. I have seen a man's scalp pulled back over his nose. I've even seen 35 minutes of Ellen DeGeneres's Mr. Wrong
. But I can now honestly say that until Steve Carell's turn in the premiere of Over the Top, I have never known true horror." The Washington Post
s Tom Shales
, on the other hand, was substantially kinder than most critics, saying "the show seemed merely okay at first encounter," but after seeing the season's other new shows, "Over the Top is looking better and better. I could almost kiss it right on the lips."
Over the Top debuted opposite the World Series
with minuscule promotion to lowest ratings ABC had ever had for a non-rerun-filled Tuesday night, so it was canceled after only three episodes had aired.
Although the complete series barely aired anywhere in the world, all 12 episodes of the show that were filmed (including the original version of the pilot) were subsequently leaked and have been circulating rabidly amongst Curry's legions of fans. Initial copies that surfaced featured Finnish
subtitles; dupes of VHS press screeners
later began to make the rounds.
The series gained additional interest after Steve Carell
became famous and mentioned it several times in interviews, particularly after reading an excerpt of Peter Ko's review during a 2006 Television Critics Association
speech.
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 Tim Curry
Tim Curry
Timothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
, Annie Potts
Annie Potts
Anne Hampton "Annie" Potts is an American film and television actress. She is known for her roles in the 1980s popular films such as Ghostbusters , Pretty in Pink , Jumpin' Jack Flash , Who's Harry Crumb? and Ghostbusters II . Potts is also known as a voice-actress...
and Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
. The series premiered on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
on October 21, 1997. Although 12 episodes were produced, the series was canceled after only three episodes had aired.
Synopsis
After being fired from the soap operaSoap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Days to Remember, down on his luck, eccentric, self-centered actor Simon Ferguson (Tim Curry) moves into Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
's Metropolitan Hotel, which is run by ex-wife Hadley Martin (Annie Potts), whom he was married to 20 years prior... for twelve days. Despite her initial exasperation with her ex, Hadley again succumbs to the "Ferguson charm," as do all of those around her.
Simon reluctantly plays role model to Hadley's children from a different marriage: precocious seven-and-a-half year-old Daniel (Luke Tarsitano
Luke Tarsitano
Luke Tarsitano is an American television actor, born March 18, 1990. He played the character of Fudge in the series of that name and had guest appearances on Frasier, on Suddenly Susan, and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. During one of these visits, Leno asked if it was true that Tarsitano had...
) and angst-ridden teen Gwen (Marla Sokoloff
Marla Sokoloff
Marla Lynne Sokoloff is an American actress and musician, known for playing the part of Lucy Hatcher on the TV show The Practice, and Gia Mahan on the ABC sitcom, Full House.- Personal life :...
). The hotel's psychotic Greek chef, Yorgo Galfanikos (Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
), also looks up to Simon, having been a fan of his soap opera and films. Also seen are Rose (Liz Torres
Liz Torres
Elizabeth "Liz" Torres is an actress, singer, and comedienne of Puerto Rican descent.-Early years:Torres was born in the Bronx borough of New York City where her parents had settled after moving from Puerto Rico. There she received her primary and secondary education...
), the hotel's assistant manager, Robert McSwain (John O'Hurley
John O'Hurley
John George O'Hurley is an American actor, voice actor, and television personality. He is known for the role of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and was the host of the game show Family Feud from 2006 to 2010.-Early life:...
), the hotel's main investor, Tommy Sutton (Devin Neil Oatway), a popular jock Gwen fawns over, and Jesse (Danny Strong
Danny Strong
Daniel W. Strong is an American actor and writer in film and television.-Early life:Strong was born and raised in Manhattan Beach, California. where he would rent videos from Video Archives, becoming friends with Quentin Tarantino who was then a clerk there...
), a geek who is smitten with Gwen.
Episodes mostly centered around Simon's outlandish shenanigans and attempts to break back into show business.
Production
The show was pitched in early 1996 to ABC president Ted HarbertTed Harbert
Edward W. "Ted" Harbert III is currently Chairman, NBC Broadcasting. Before joining NBCUniversal, he was the president and CEO of the Comcast Entertainment Group.-Life and career:...
, and although it would not be ready to hit the air for the 1996-1997 season, it remained in development. Tim Curry was aboard and wanted the relationship between the two leads to be loosely based on his relationship with friend and next door neighbor Annie Potts, to whom he said, "I wish you could do this with me!" Potts was starring in the TV spin-off of the popular film Dangerous Minds
Dangerous Minds (TV series)
Dangerous Minds is an American drama television series that aired on ABC network between September 1996 and March 1997. The series is based on the motion picture film, Dangerous Minds...
at the time, so it did not seem as though a reunion was imminent (the two had previously co-starred together as husband and wife in the film Pass the Ammo
Pass the Ammo
Pass the Ammo is a 1988 film starring Bill Paxton, Annie Potts, and Tim Curry. The film is a spoof of televangelism released right after the real-life Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart scandals. The movie's working title during production, "...And Pass the Ammunition," references the phrase "praise...
). Three days before they were ready to shoot the pilot for Over the Top, Dangerous Minds
Dangerous Minds (TV series)
Dangerous Minds is an American drama television series that aired on ABC network between September 1996 and March 1997. The series is based on the motion picture film, Dangerous Minds...
was canceled, and although Potts was heartbroken over the cancellation of that series, she jumped at the chance to work with Curry again.
The premise of the pilot was that Curry's character, actor Simon Ferguson, was fired from his soap opera, so he visited the quaint bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
in Upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
owned by his ex-wife, Kate (Potts), whom he was once married to for six months. Although flabbergasted with Simon, Kate ultimately decided to let her ex stay on as a new addition to the staff. The cast was rounded out by Luke Tarsitano
Luke Tarsitano
Luke Tarsitano is an American television actor, born March 18, 1990. He played the character of Fudge in the series of that name and had guest appearances on Frasier, on Suddenly Susan, and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. During one of these visits, Leno asked if it was true that Tarsitano had...
and Natanya Ross
Natanya Ross
Natanya Ross is an actress who is most famous for playing Robyn Russo, a regular character in The Secret World of Alex Mack. She has also starred in The Baby-Sitters Club and the 1995 television version of Freaky Friday....
as Kate's children from a subsequent marriage, Debra Jo Rupp
Debra Jo Rupp
Debra Jo Rupp is an American film and television actress, perhaps best known for her role as Kitty Forman on the long-running Fox sitcom, That '70s Show...
as the maid, and a then-unknown actor named Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
as manic chef Yorgo.
By the time the pilot was filmed, ABC Entertainment president Ted Harbert
Ted Harbert
Edward W. "Ted" Harbert III is currently Chairman, NBC Broadcasting. Before joining NBCUniversal, he was the president and CEO of the Comcast Entertainment Group.-Life and career:...
had been replaced by Jamie Tarses
Jamie Tarses
Jamie Tarses was head of ABC's entertainment division from 1996 to 1999, the first woman and one of the youngest people to hold such a post in an American broadcast network...
, whom executive producer Robert Morton
Robert Morton
Robert Morton was an English composer of the early Renaissance, mostly active at the Burgundian court. He was highly regarded at the time. Only secular vocal music, all Rondeaux for three voices, survive.-Life:...
was dating. Rumors began to swirl that the series was only picked up as a result of their romance, and it did not help matters that the press was only shown snippets of the pilot episode. In the months between the time the series was picked up and its scheduled premiere, Morton and Tarses' relationship ended.
Originally slated to debut on September 23, 1997 the show's premiere was delayed until October 21, opposite the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, so it could be retooled. Natanya Ross
Natanya Ross
Natanya Ross is an actress who is most famous for playing Robyn Russo, a regular character in The Secret World of Alex Mack. She has also starred in The Baby-Sitters Club and the 1995 television version of Freaky Friday....
and Debra Jo Rupp
Debra Jo Rupp
Debra Jo Rupp is an American film and television actress, perhaps best known for her role as Kitty Forman on the long-running Fox sitcom, That '70s Show...
were replaced by Marla Sokoloff
Marla Sokoloff
Marla Lynne Sokoloff is an American actress and musician, known for playing the part of Lucy Hatcher on the TV show The Practice, and Gia Mahan on the ABC sitcom, Full House.- Personal life :...
and Liz Torres
Liz Torres
Elizabeth "Liz" Torres is an actress, singer, and comedienne of Puerto Rican descent.-Early years:Torres was born in the Bronx borough of New York City where her parents had settled after moving from Puerto Rico. There she received her primary and secondary education...
, and John O'Hurley
John O'Hurley
John George O'Hurley is an American actor, voice actor, and television personality. He is known for the role of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and was the host of the game show Family Feud from 2006 to 2010.-Early life:...
's character was written into the show. Kate was renamed Hadley and her character became more sympathetic toward Simon. The setting was changed to New York City and the pilot was reshot (as the episode "I'm Bonnie, I'm Clyde"). The reason given for the retooling was because in NYC there would be more opportunities "for comedic interaction with city characters," but the press began to speculate that the changes were again a result of the failed Tarses/Morton romance. Morton sidestepped this question by claiming, "We needed to give Tim a bigger playing field," and that the cast "was not as comfortable with each other as we wanted." ABC, meanwhile, claimed that they did not want their 8:00 p.m. lead-in show, Soul Man
Soul Man (TV series)
Soul Man is an American sitcom that aired on ABC in 1997 that lasted two seasons and starred Dan Aykroyd.The series premiered on April 15, 1997, and was picked up for a second season of 22 episodes after only three episodes aired for the first season...
, to face off against what was expected to be a high-rated season premiere of Mad About You
Mad About You
Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City. Reiser played Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker. Hunt played Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist...
, so they rearranged the schedule. "By shifting Soul Mans time slot for the first few weeks of the season," Tarses released in a public statement, "we're giving this pivotal series the luxury to recapture its audience without intense premiere competition."
The show's stars, however, remained optimistic. Curry went on a promotional tour, appearing on talk shows such as The View, Vibe
Vibe (TV series)
VIBE was a short-lived syndicated late night talk show that was spun off from the magazine of the same name. Premiering in August 1997, it was produced by Quincy Jones, hosted by Chris Spencer, and featured President Bill Clinton on its first episode. Like The Arsenio Hall Show of the early 1990s,...
, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
, and Arthel & Fred, though interviewers seemed to focus less on Over the Top and more on The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
. Potts, meanwhile, also did some interviews, barely acknowledging the behind the scenes problems and claiming that the show should speak for itself.
Over the Top received minuscule network promotion (generally only small blurbs tacked onto the ends of commercials for Soul Man) and aired for three weeks with dismal ratings before being canceled (in some markets the final November 4 episode was bumped off the schedule unannounced for election coverage, and some 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...
listings were a little slow to catch up, citing the unaired episodes "Who's Afraid of Simon Ferguson?" and "The Review" in the weeks following the show's cancellation). Production was instantly halted two episodes shy of the standard 13-episode order for a new series, and almost immediately following the show's cancellation, executive producers Mitchel Katlin and Nat Bernstein cried foul, blaming the Morton/Tarses breakup for the demise of the show.
Reception
The show was almost universally critically panned. Matt Roush wrote in his USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
review that Curry "gives it his maul," and that the show's leads seemed "lost in the TV equivalent of summer stock." Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
went one step further, likening it to a variation of The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple (TV series)
The Odd Couple is a television situation comedy broadcast from September 24, 1970 to July 4, 1975 on ABC. It starred Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison. It was based upon the play of the same name, which was written by Neil Simon.Felix and Oscar are two divorced men....
that possessed "neither romantic spark nor crisp verbal byplay." The Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....
claimed it was the worst new show of the season, and that if you tuned in to the show at 8:30, you would "probably be watching something else by 8:38." TeeVee's Peter Ko wrote a lengthy review (which itself got some publicity nine years later) in which he heavily bashed Curry, then he went on to state, "I have stood in a freezer full of dead people at the morgue. I have seen a man's scalp pulled back over his nose. I've even seen 35 minutes of Ellen DeGeneres's Mr. Wrong
Mr. Wrong
Mr. Wrong is 1996 romantic comedy film starring Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Pullman. DeGeneres still mentions this film occasionally in her talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show.-Plot summary:...
. But I can now honestly say that until Steve Carell's turn in the premiere of Over the Top, I have never known true horror." The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
s Tom Shales
Tom Shales
Thomas William "Tom" Shales is an American critic of television programming and operations. He is best known as TV critic for The Washington Post; in 1988, Shales received the Pulitzer Prize...
, on the other hand, was substantially kinder than most critics, saying "the show seemed merely okay at first encounter," but after seeing the season's other new shows, "Over the Top is looking better and better. I could almost kiss it right on the lips."
Over the Top debuted opposite the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
with minuscule promotion to lowest ratings ABC had ever had for a non-rerun-filled Tuesday night, so it was canceled after only three episodes had aired.
Although the complete series barely aired anywhere in the world, all 12 episodes of the show that were filmed (including the original version of the pilot) were subsequently leaked and have been circulating rabidly amongst Curry's legions of fans. Initial copies that surfaced featured Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
subtitles; dupes of VHS press screeners
Screener
A screener is an advance screening of a film sent to critics, awards voters, video stores , and other film industry professionals, including producers and distributors. A screener often has no post-processing....
later began to make the rounds.
The series gained additional interest after Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
became famous and mentioned it several times in interviews, particularly after reading an excerpt of Peter Ko's review during a 2006 Television Critics Association
Television Critics Association
The Television Critics Association is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian journalists and columnists who cover television programming...
speech.
Cast
- Tim CurryTim CurryTimothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
as Simon Ferguson - Annie PottsAnnie PottsAnne Hampton "Annie" Potts is an American film and television actress. She is known for her roles in the 1980s popular films such as Ghostbusters , Pretty in Pink , Jumpin' Jack Flash , Who's Harry Crumb? and Ghostbusters II . Potts is also known as a voice-actress...
as Hadley Martin - Steve CarellSteve CarellSteven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
as Yorgo Galfanikos - Luke TarsitanoLuke TarsitanoLuke Tarsitano is an American television actor, born March 18, 1990. He played the character of Fudge in the series of that name and had guest appearances on Frasier, on Suddenly Susan, and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. During one of these visits, Leno asked if it was true that Tarsitano had...
as Daniel Martin - Marla SokoloffMarla SokoloffMarla Lynne Sokoloff is an American actress and musician, known for playing the part of Lucy Hatcher on the TV show The Practice, and Gia Mahan on the ABC sitcom, Full House.- Personal life :...
as Gwen Martin - Liz TorresLiz TorresElizabeth "Liz" Torres is an actress, singer, and comedienne of Puerto Rican descent.-Early years:Torres was born in the Bronx borough of New York City where her parents had settled after moving from Puerto Rico. There she received her primary and secondary education...
as Rose - John O'HurleyJohn O'HurleyJohn George O'Hurley is an American actor, voice actor, and television personality. He is known for the role of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and was the host of the game show Family Feud from 2006 to 2010.-Early life:...
as Robert McSwain
Episodes
| # | Title | Original airdate | Guest-stars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "Pilot" | unaired | Debra Jo Rupp Debra Jo Rupp Debra Jo Rupp is an American film and television actress, perhaps best known for her role as Kitty Forman on the long-running Fox sitcom, That '70s Show... , Natanya Ross Natanya Ross Natanya Ross is an actress who is most famous for playing Robyn Russo, a regular character in The Secret World of Alex Mack. She has also starred in The Baby-Sitters Club and the 1995 television version of Freaky Friday.... |
| 1-2 | "I'm Bonnie, I'm Clyde" (retooled pilot) | October 21, 1997 | Barry Gordon Barry Gordon Barry Gordon is an American film, television and voice actor and political talk show host and producer. He was the longest-serving president of the Screen Actors Guild, having served from 1988 to 1995.-Biography:... , Devin Neil Oatway |
| 1-3 | "Who's Afraid of Simon Ferguson?" | unaired | Drew Pillsbury, Devin Neil Oatway |
| 1-4 | "The Kernel" | October 28, 1997 | Alyson Reed Alyson Reed Alyson Reed is an American dancer and actress.Reed grew up in Anaheim, California and attended Anaheim High School, where she graduated in 1976. She was a varsity songleader for two years, and was ASB President as a senior. She began performing in high school, and one of her major roles was as... |
| 1-5 | "The Review" | unaired | Martin Mull Martin Mull Martin Mull is an American actor who has starred in his own television sitcom and acted in prominent films. He is also a comedian, painter, and recording artist... |
| 1-6 | "Simon, We Hardly Knew Ye" | unaired | Sam Rubin |
| 1-7 | "It's Gwen's Party and Hadley'll Cry If She Wants To" | unaired | Devin Neil Oatway, Danny Strong Danny Strong Daniel W. Strong is an American actor and writer in film and television.-Early life:Strong was born and raised in Manhattan Beach, California. where he would rent videos from Video Archives, becoming friends with Quentin Tarantino who was then a clerk there... |
| 1-8 | "The Bee Story" | unaired | Jon Polito Jon Polito Jon Polito is an American actor and voice artist, who is known for working with the Coen Brothers, most notably in the major supporting role of Italian gangster Johnny Caspar in Miller's Crossing. He also appeared in the first two seasons of Homicide: Life on the Street and on the first season of... , Meagen Fay Meagen Fay Meagen Fay is an American actress.A native of Chicago, in the early 1980s Fay was a featured cast member at The Second City. Her first television role was in the 1987 television series Ohara.... , Mary Lynn Rajskub Mary Lynn Rajskub Mary Lynn Rajskub is an American actress and comedian, best known for her leading role as Chloe O'Brian on the Fox action-thriller 24.-Early life:... |
| 1-9 | "The Nemesis" | November 4, 1997 | 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... |
| 1-10 | "Acting Out" | unaired | Ian Abercrombie Ian Abercrombie Ian Abercrombie is an English actor, best known for playing Alfred Pennyworth in Birds of Prey. He appeared as Elaine Benes' boss Justin Pitt during the sixth season of Seinfeld, and as a fastidious butler on Desperate Housewives.-Biography:He is the cousin of John Abercrombie, a jazz guitarist of... |
| 1-11 | "The Southern Story" | unaired | Grace Zabriskie Grace Zabriskie Grace Zabriskie is an American actress. She has appeared in many popular American films but, she is best known for her work in television. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the television series Twin Peaks, Seinfeld, and Big Love.-Early life:Zabriskie was born in New Orleans, Louisiana... |
| 1-12 | "Fight Night at the Metropolitan" | unaired | Erik Estrada Erik Estrada Henry Enrique "Erik" Estrada is an American police officer and actor, known for his co-starring lead role in the 1977–1983 United States police television series CHiPs... , Danny Strong Danny Strong Daniel W. Strong is an American actor and writer in film and television.-Early life:Strong was born and raised in Manhattan Beach, California. where he would rent videos from Video Archives, becoming friends with Quentin Tarantino who was then a clerk there... |