Rags To Riches
Encyclopedia
Rags to Riches is an American musical comedy drama series that was broadcast on NBC
for two seasons from 1987 to 1988. Set in the 1960s, the series tells the story of Nick Foley, a self-made millionaire who adopts five orphan girls. Each episode included music videos of hit songs from the era sung by the cast integrated into the plot (usually with the lyrics changed so that they provided comment on the storyline).
), the millionaire owner of Foley's Frozen Foods, is a street-wise New Jersey
-born businessman with a playboy lifestyle. In the TV movie pilot
which launched the series, Foley attempts to develop a family man image by bringing a group of six orphaned girls to live in the mansion in Bel Air where he lives with his butler
, John Clapper (Douglas Seale
). He does this to help seal a business deal and does not intend to keep them there permanently. But his plans change when he grows fond of the girls, and he ends up adopting them.
The adjustment is huge on both sides, as the girls acquire a father with no parenting experience. Having spent the past few years in a rundown children's home, the girls now find themselves in the lap of luxury. The series follows the trials and tribulations of the girls and a man who has previously never loved anyone but himself and often struggles to cope with his new family.
In the pilot for the series, Foley takes in a group of six girls. However in the subsequent episodes of the show, Foley has adopted five girls: Rose (aged 17), Diane (aged 16), Marva (aged 15), Patti (aged 14) and Mickey (aged 8). The sixth girl, Nina, appears only in the pilot (after the pilot was made, it was decided that six children was too many for the series cast, so Nina was written out with the explanation that she had been reunited with her birth mother).
The series differed from regular comedy-dramas in that the cast would frequently burst into song to help explain their feelings or move along the plot. Each episode therefore contained at least two music videos, most of them covers of hit songs from the 1960s with the lyrics changed to provide comment on the storyline of the episode.
, you'll like Rags to Riches", ratings for the series were not strong enough for its Friday night time slot, and NBC canceled the show part way through its second season.
under the German title, Full House: Rags to Riches in 2011. Season two will be released on October 2, 2011.
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...
for two seasons from 1987 to 1988. Set in the 1960s, the series tells the story of Nick Foley, a self-made millionaire who adopts five orphan girls. Each episode included music videos of hit songs from the era sung by the cast integrated into the plot (usually with the lyrics changed so that they provided comment on the storyline).
Synopsis
Nick Foley (Joseph BolognaJoseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna is an American actor.-Life and career:Bologna was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Brown University, where he majored in art history. After a hitch with the marines, Bologna was hired to produce and direct Manhattan-based TV commercials.The actor has a long history in film...
), the millionaire owner of Foley's Frozen Foods, is a street-wise New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
-born businessman with a playboy lifestyle. In the TV movie 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...
which launched the series, Foley attempts to develop a family man image by bringing a group of six orphaned girls to live in the mansion in Bel Air where he lives with his butler
Butler
A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
, John Clapper (Douglas Seale
Douglas Seale
Douglas Seale was a British stage and film actor.He provided the voice of Krebbs in The Rescuers Down Under . Two years later, Seale voiced the Sultan in Aladdin. He also appeared in several movies including Amadeus and Ernest Saves Christmas...
). He does this to help seal a business deal and does not intend to keep them there permanently. But his plans change when he grows fond of the girls, and he ends up adopting them.
The adjustment is huge on both sides, as the girls acquire a father with no parenting experience. Having spent the past few years in a rundown children's home, the girls now find themselves in the lap of luxury. The series follows the trials and tribulations of the girls and a man who has previously never loved anyone but himself and often struggles to cope with his new family.
In the pilot for the series, Foley takes in a group of six girls. However in the subsequent episodes of the show, Foley has adopted five girls: Rose (aged 17), Diane (aged 16), Marva (aged 15), Patti (aged 14) and Mickey (aged 8). The sixth girl, Nina, appears only in the pilot (after the pilot was made, it was decided that six children was too many for the series cast, so Nina was written out with the explanation that she had been reunited with her birth mother).
The series differed from regular comedy-dramas in that the cast would frequently burst into song to help explain their feelings or move along the plot. Each episode therefore contained at least two music videos, most of them covers of hit songs from the 1960s with the lyrics changed to provide comment on the storyline of the episode.
Reception
Promoted with the tagline, "If you liked AnnieAnnie (musical)
Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
, you'll like Rags to Riches", ratings for the series were not strong enough for its Friday night time slot, and NBC canceled the show part way through its second season.
Cast and characters
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Joseph Bologna Joseph Bologna Joseph Bologna is an American actor.-Life and career:Bologna was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Brown University, where he majored in art history. After a hitch with the marines, Bologna was hired to produce and direct Manhattan-based TV commercials.The actor has a long history in film... |
Nick Foley |
| Douglas Seale Douglas Seale Douglas Seale was a British stage and film actor.He provided the voice of Krebbs in The Rescuers Down Under . Two years later, Seale voiced the Sultan in Aladdin. He also appeared in several movies including Amadeus and Ernest Saves Christmas... |
John Clapper |
| Kimiko Gelman Kimiko Gelman Kimiko Gelman American actress.Gelman is best known for starring in the television series Rags to Riches from 1987 to 1988, where she played the role of Rose... |
Rose |
| Bridget Michele | Diane |
| Tisha Campbell Tisha Campbell-Martin Tisha Michelle Campbell-Martin is an American actress and singer, known for her starring roles in television series Martin and My Wife and Kids and now is starring in the new television series The Protector... |
Marva |
| Blanca De Garr | Patti |
| Heidi Zeigler Heidi Zeigler Heidi Zeigler is a former child actress from the United States. Zeigler's most notable roles were in the television series Rags to Riches and Just the Ten of Us... |
Mickey |
| Heather McAdam Heather McAdam Heather McAdam is an American actress and yoga instructor.McAdam's major acting projects have included the roles of Catherine "Cat" Margolis in the television series Sisters , Dwana Pusser in Walking Tall , and Michelle Ryan in Salvage 1... |
Nina |
| Sarah Buxton | Amy Hillerman |
| Sue Ball | Marnie |
| Jeff Harlan | Marty |
| John Christy Ewing | Mr Donovan |
| Sandy Ward | Al Schweikert |
Season 1
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | Pilot | March 3, 1987 |
| 1-2 | "High Society" | March 15, 1987 |
| 1-3 | "Foley vs Foley" | March 22, 1987 |
| 1-4 | "First Love" | March 29, 1987 |
| 1-5 | "Business is Business" | April 5, 1987 |
| 1-6 | "Patty's Mom" | April 12, 1987 |
| 1-7 | "Bad Blood" | April 19, 1987 |
| 1-8 | "Born to Ride" | April 26, 1987 |
Season 2
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 2-1 | "Vegas Rock" | September 18, 1987 |
| 2-2 | "Once In a Lifeguard" | September 25, 1987 |
| 2-3 | "That's Cheating" | October 2, 1987 |
| 2-4 | "Wilderness Blues" | October 16, 1987 |
| 2-5 | "Dear Diary" | October 23, 1987 |
| 2-6 | "Hunk in the House" | November 6, 1987 |
| 2-7 | "Marva in the Key of Cee" | November 13, 1987 |
| 2-8 | "Beauty and the Babe" | November 20, 1987 |
| 2-9 | "A Russian Holiday" | December 11, 1987 |
| 2-10 | "A Very Foley Christmas" | December 20, 1987 |
| 2-11 | "Guess Who's Coming To Slumber?" | January 8, 1988 |
| 2-12 | "Sweet 16" | January 15, 1988 |
DVD Release
Although never released on DVD in the United States, the first season was released in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
under the German title, Full House: Rags to Riches in 2011. Season two will be released on October 2, 2011.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
Winner | Best Young Actress Under Ten Years of Age in Television or Motion Pictures | Heidi Zeigler |
| Nominated | Best Family Comedy Series | |
||
| Nominated | Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress in a Television Comedy Series | Blanca De Garr | ||
External links
- Rags to Riches on Facebook
- Rags to Riches online (Pilot TV-movie)