The Tony Randall Show
Encyclopedia
The Tony Randall Show is an American
television sitcom
that debuted on September 23, 1976 and aired on ABC
during its first season and on CBS
for its second and final season.
as Walter Franklin, a middle-aged widowed judge, and took place in Philadelphia. The show followed the reserved Franklin dealing with being a single parent, raising his teenage daughter (Devon Scott
) and preteen son (Brad Savage
). At times he also had to play surrogate parent to his daffy English housekeeper (Rachel Roberts), whose inedible cooking was a frequent source of humor. At work, Judge Franklin had to contend with his dour and proper secretary, Miss Reubner (Allyn Ann McLerie), and his court reporter, Jack Terwilliger (Barney Martin), as well as presiding over court cases. Actor Zane Lasky played the recurring role of Mario Lanza, a nerdy, overbearing assistant whom Judge Franklin despised, but who kept getting rehired by Miss Reubner. Other recurring roles were played by Michael Keaton
(the third film role of his career), Annette O'Toole
, and Michael Durrell
. In the show's second season, Devon Scott was replaced by Penny Peyser
, and Hans Conried
joined the cast as Walter's irascible father.
The show was produced by MTM Enterprises
and aired for one season on ABC. For its second season, the series moved to CBS where it aired for one more season before being canceled. Writer/producer Gary David Goldberg
discusses behind-the-scenes stories in his autobiography, Sit, Ubu, Sit.
or DVD
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television sitcom
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...
that debuted on September 23, 1976 and aired 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...
during its first season and 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...
for its second and final season.
Synopsis
The series starred Tony RandallTony Randall
Tony Randall was a U.S. actor, comic, producer and director.-Early years:Randall was born Arthur Leonard Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Julia and Mogscha Rosenberg, an art and antiques dealer...
as Walter Franklin, a middle-aged widowed judge, and took place in Philadelphia. The show followed the reserved Franklin dealing with being a single parent, raising his teenage daughter (Devon Scott
Devon Scott
Devon Patricia Scott Elstob is a former American actress and youngest daughter of the late George C. Scott. She starred in the The Tony Randall Show, which ran from 1976 to 1978.-Filmography:-External links:...
) and preteen son (Brad Savage
Brad Savage
Brad Savage is an American actor best known for his role as Danny in the 1984 movie Red Dawn, for which he received a nomination for the Young Artist Award in the category "Best Young Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Musical, Comedy, Adventure or Drama".-Biography:Brad Savage was born in...
). At times he also had to play surrogate parent to his daffy English housekeeper (Rachel Roberts), whose inedible cooking was a frequent source of humor. At work, Judge Franklin had to contend with his dour and proper secretary, Miss Reubner (Allyn Ann McLerie), and his court reporter, Jack Terwilliger (Barney Martin), as well as presiding over court cases. Actor Zane Lasky played the recurring role of Mario Lanza, a nerdy, overbearing assistant whom Judge Franklin despised, but who kept getting rehired by Miss Reubner. Other recurring roles were played by Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton
Michael John Douglas , better known by the stage name Michael Keaton, is an American actor known for his early comedic roles, most notably his performance as the title character of Tim Burton's Beetlejuice . Keaton is also famous for his dramatic portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Tim Burton's...
(the third film role of his career), Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole is an American actress, dancer, and singer-songwriter. She is most recently known for portraying Martha Kent, the mother of Clark Kent on the television series Smallville.-Early life and career:...
, and Michael Durrell
Michael Durrell
Michael Durrell is an American actor.He began his career in the role of attorney Peter Wexler on CBS in the soap opera The Guiding Light. In 1969 he appeared on stage in "Cock-A-Doodle-Dandy" at the Lyceum Theatre in New York City...
. In the show's second season, Devon Scott was replaced by Penny Peyser
Penny Peyser
Penny Peyser is an actress. She graduated from Emerson College in Boston in 1973.-Career:Peyser is best known for her role as Cindy in the 1980s series Crazy Like a Fox...
, and Hans Conried
Hans Conried
Hans Georg Conried, Jr. was an American comedian, character actor and voice actor.-Early years:He was born on April 15, 1917 in Baltimore, Maryland to Hans Georg Conried, Sr. and Edith Beyr Gildersleeve. His mother was a descendant of Pilgrims, and his father was a Jewish immigrant from Vienna,...
joined the cast as Walter's irascible father.
The show was produced by MTM Enterprises
MTM Enterprises
MTM Enterprises was an American independent production company established in 1969 by Mary Tyler Moore and her then-husband Grant Tinker to produce The Mary Tyler Moore Show for CBS...
and aired for one season on ABC. For its second season, the series moved to CBS where it aired for one more season before being canceled. Writer/producer Gary David Goldberg
Gary David Goldberg
Gary David Goldberg is a United States writer and producer for television and film. Goldberg is best known for his work on Family Ties , Spin City , and his semi-autobiographical series Brooklyn Bridge .-Background:Gary David Goldberg was born on June 25, 1944, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of...
discusses behind-the-scenes stories in his autobiography, Sit, Ubu, Sit.
Syndication and DVD release
The series has been seen in syndication, but was never officially released on VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
or 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....
.
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Golden Globes | Nominated | Best TV Actor - Musical/Comedy | Tony Randall |