The cast addition of Joey Lawrence's younger brother Matthew Lawrence in the final season, was forced on the producers and ordered from NBC to preserve the cuteness factor. We heart influencers and interesting people. Nell Carter as an overweight housekeeper, a devout guardian to 3 teenage white girls and a force not to be reckoned with whenever she dealt with the Chief of Police - Carl Kanisky, pretty well sums up what this 1980s sitcom is about. Wonderful show with many risqu , over the top episodes. Theme song is catchy though,but that's it. Ms. Carter collapsed and was found by one of her sons, said her spokesman, Roger Lane. The Complete Series is now available in the US. To open the next season, the crew wrote out the character of Carl Kanisky and built the season premiere ("Joey's Train") around the family's coming to terms with the loss and their indecision over facing the one place that evoked the most memories of Carl his empty bedroom. [14], This article is about the television series. on DVD in Canada between 200607. Watch Gimme a Break! Mort Lachman, the show's co-creator, was retained as co-producer (he would serve in this role for all six seasons). The show "Gimme A Break" was based on a cop who moved his family from New York to California after his wife Margaret passed away and also became the chief of police in a small fictional California town who in turn had this housekeeper named Nell who was no only in charge of the household,but also was in charge of his three daughters too in which Nell was not only the mother to them,but she had some tough love around that too. The episode Julie's Birthday (1985) was Dolph Sweet's last appearance before his death. Lara Jill Miller said the jealousy her character feels when Joey was adopted by the Kanisky clan, and she was no longer the baby of the family, was quite real; She was in fact jealous of the attention Joey Lawrence was now getting on the set. Grandma Kanisky was dropped from the show with the explanation that she had passed away. Gimme a Break was almost canceled after it's first season due too poor ratings. TV Listings. According to Telma Hopkins, Nell Carter was devastated when the show was canceled and was an emotional wreck at the wrap party. For US airdates of a foreign show, click The Futon Critic. It's cool that we have reruns of it. The episode "Cat Story" was performed and broadcast live on March 2, 1985, as a promotional gimmick, which the cast was able to pull off without a hitch. Ambitions. Over the six-year run, a number of celebrities appeared on the show, including singer Whitney Houston, Andy Gibb, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Ray Parker, Jr.. ", "Gimme a Break! Not a brilliant show by any means, but certainly a show that highlights the great talents of Nell Carter, in basically her only venture in TV. (a Titles & Air Dates Guide) . Two new characters were added to the cast: Addy Wilson, Nell's longtime friend, and Joey Donovan, an abandoned seven-year-old orphan. GIMME-A-SIGN INC. Cancelled. Nell's Mama Maybelle (Rosetta LeNoire) began being seen in more recurring roles starting in season six after previous guest appearances. The series starred Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief (Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. In 2009, VEI announced that they plan on releasing the entire series in a complete series box set in 2010. She revealed an incident where the cast was in the lunchroom doing a reading of the script and Joey and Matthew Lawrence's mother Donna Lawrence started making her way into the room and Nell Carter yelled across the room at the boys mother to get out and inappropriately called her the "c-word slur" right in front of the two brothers who were in the room when the incident happen. [7][8][9][10] Distribution rights are jointly owned by The Program Exchange and NBCUniversal Television Distribution, successor in interest to previous syndicator MCA Television. They ended up working out their differences and became friends. BREAKIN' GROUND LANDSCAPING, INC. All these years later I watched a couple episodes just to "check in", and it was pretty much as I'd remembered it. It has been nice revisiting the story lines, how real they were , and how people can still relate .i am glad to eee some of the cast is extremely successful RIP to some of the cast who I loved as a teenager . She tries to steal food from Max's fridge and may leave on the run, yet Max catches her. A foster son, Joey (Joey Lawrence) was added in season 3. 'Gimme A Break'!And Get This Travesty off the Tube. The American syndication rights are held by NBC Universal Television Distribution, the successor company to original syndication MCA Television. Laurie Hendler who plays "Julie" is shown for only a few seconds at the start of episode 3 season 6 (Below Sea Level) taking a seat behind Nell & Joey on an airplane even though she was fired at the end of season 5. Nell agreed, so as a favor to Margaret she moved into the Kanisky home and took over motherly duties. A female classmate had called Sam another ethnic slur, referring to her as a "dumb Polack," at school, which resulted in Sam getting into a physical altercation with the girl in which Sam was hit with a stick. FremantleMedia owns the international rights, as they own Thames Television, which acquired Reeves Entertainment Group in 1990. Nell Carter and Dolph Sweet were very close and she was at his side when he died in 1985. If you grew up in the 80's this show was a must see. Nell wonders why her mother would have a date, and when her mother shows up, she meets her date, Ernie, a man from her past. Over its run, the series used two different theme songs. Damn!" Altered Carbon. We heart movies. She went into rehab several times during production and was blowing her money on cocaine every week . In 2009, VEI announced that they plan on releasing the entire series in a complete series box set in 2010. But her mom did and helped her obtain it. Nell Carter http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/GimmeABreak. She said that she passed the bar in three states, had a successful career, and lived a positive life. They either recast them, lose cast members or cancel their show. Mamas Date Cozi TV started airing the show as of January 3, 2022. Netflix has announced that Daybreak will not be renewed for a second season. Originally, Nell's mother supported her dream of being a singer, but later became a shrill woman who never had faith in her. In Season 6, actors were only shown in the opening credits for episodes in which they appeared. And if you tap below you can get the first 3 months for free! During the filming of the backdoor pilot Nell and the Kid, Nell and Don Rickles didn't get along and were clashing all over the place. Nell Carter would admit later in interviews that she had a serious cocaine problem when she starred on this show, which spiralled out of control. is an American sitcom that ran on NBC for six seasons (198187), starring Nell Carter as Nell Harper, a once-aspiring singer who became a housekeeper for the Kaniskys: patriarch Carl, the chief of police of the fictional Glenlawn, California, and his daughters Katie, Julie and Samantha (the last of the kids played by a young Lara Jill Miller). Nell's father was originally the one who disapproved of Nell's dreams, but after he died. Minelli flew her to a special rehab center the Halzalden Clinic in Minnesota where she kicked her habit a second time and lost over 90 pounds. Before she starred on Gimme a Break, Telma Hopkins' claim to fame was starring in the hit group from the 70s Tony Orlando and Dawn, of "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" fame. John Hoyt, however, who played Sweet's on-screen father Stanley, was born October 5, 1904 (some sources say 1905), nearly 16 years before him, making their age difference more credible. Also, the network had nothing to replace the show with as they were struggling with their programming and ratings during this time period. Final episode. Sadly Dolph Sweet passed away during the 3rd season but the show was able to continue thanks to a stellar cast including the 3 daughters Katie, Samantha, and Julie (Kari Michaelsen, Lara Jill Miller and Lauri Hendler) also Silver screen legend John Hoyt as Grandpa Stanley, Howard Morton as the lovable but bumbling Officer Simpson as well as Thelma Hopkins as Addie and Joey Lawrence round out the cast. She estimated that at the height of her addiction, she was spending $1000 to $2000 or more a day on drugs. Like Laura Jill Miller previously, Joey Lawrence was getting older. Nell Carter had a stormy relationship with Gimme a Break! The US syndication rights are held by NBCUniversal Television Distribution, the successor company to original syndicator MCA TV. I would be very interested in what anyone here thinks of it. I loved grandpa too. However, another good one that I think deserves mentioning is Hazel Shermet. episodes. In addition, she said Nell was also unhappy with the script for that week. The creators of the show were Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen. This was a reasonably funny comedy starring Nell Carter. Howard Morton's role on the show as Officer Simpson served no purpose anymore with The Chief gone. . Alphas. Ironically, Tracey Gold, who was herself replaced last minute before the show went to series; wound up doing this herself to another actress for another family sitcom 4 years later. Sadly, Nell Carter, who played Nell, and Dolph Sweet, who played Carl, have since passed away. so it is a very stressful job on top of raising his daughters without their mother, But the chemistry Nell and Dolph had was terrific. She can do it all sing, dance and act. One episode has Katie hospitalized when her I.U.D. Lara Jill Miller was shown in opening credits as a regular cast member, rather than a guest star, in the episodes where she appeared. She did, however, return for an episode in Season 4, this time as a romantic interest for Grandpa. Nell became an uptight, overdramatic control freak after season two. Gimme a Break! "There ain't no Julio here!" in the spring of 1987. Officer Simpson also disappeared after Season 5, but it can be assumed that, without the Chief, there was just no excuse for him to be around. I am sure if Nell Carter hadn't passed away, they would be bringing this show back. Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) And because Joey Lawrence was a big hit with audiences, and seemed to supplicate their need on the show. This instance accidentally retcons the pilot episode's instance by having Carl say he's never slapped one of his daughters before. There were some memorable episodes (such as when Samantha puts Joey in black face to get back at Nell, or when Nell undergoes hypnotherapy to remember where she had put something only to become helpless whenever someone knocked three times, or when the chief was on a stakeout with another officer and told him a horrible gay joke, only to learn that the other officer was gay), but the show was fairly standard. Gimme a Break! GIMME A BREAK!!! Visual Entertainment released the first two seasons of Gimme a Break!' Nell's family. 38 on TV Land's list of "The 100 Most Unexpected TV Moments"; the latter episode depicted Joey dressing and performing in blackface at Nell's church benefit at Sam's behest after Nell did not allow Sam to go on an unchaperoned fishing trip. Hopkins portrayed Addy Wilson, a longtime childhood best friend of Nell and a Ph.D graduate. 1,041. It was sad when the actor who played the chief died. I think I'd rather watch Mr. Belvedere! When they brought the character back in season 2 she was replaced with actress Bonnie Urseth. Given some supportive scripts, Miss Carter and Mr. Sweet could insure a good run for this series.[6]. After The Cosby Show (1984) became a big hit, NBC didn't want to a show about a black housekeeper raising a white family on the same network as the Cosby Show with a black family where the father is a doctor and the mom is a lawyer. She was 54. In the episode "Nell's Friend" Addy talks about the progress of Black Women in modern American society. After the death of Dolph Sweet (Carl) after season 4, the series continued for a season with Nell as the sole head of the Kanisky household. Kaser was named as the heir to Carters property and guardian of Carters children. on February 14, 2006, available in the United States only. Though the sitcom was hardly groundbreaking for its time,the series earned Nell Carter two Emmy nominations for her work and in turn gave her an opportunity to sing and dance in some of the episodes occasionally. Nell Carter, 54, the Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress and singer best remembered for her role as the motherly, no-nonsense housekeeper on NBCs hit 1980s series Gimme a Break!, died Thursday at her home in Beverly Hills, the Associated Press reports. In fact it, along with Fame, Hill Street Blues, Cheers and Taxi became the original Thursday night anchors of "Must See TV" programming on NBC. She was a mother figure on the set. Nell Harper is the no-nonsense housekeeper and surrogate mother for police chief Carl Kanisky's children: Samantha, Julie and Katie. At first, everyone hates the idea, but then they all decide to have a dance there consisting of both punk rock and old time music from the early 1900s. Sammy Davis, Jr. made an appearance on this show, and did duets with Nell and Joey. She said that "Once that original formula was broken, it just didn't feel the same. The show aired in ten different time slots during its six season run. On May 12, 1987, "Gimme a Break" was cancelled after 6 seasons and 137 episodes. Rosetta LeNoire took over the role during the show's fourth season. Alpha House. Sweet on July 18th, 1920 in New York, New York. The daughters were all fired at the end of the fifth season, because of the low ratings on the show. on Issac Hayes' hit song "Theme From Shaft.". Sweet died Wednesday at Tarzana Hospital, said NBC-TV publicist Matt Bozek. This show was one of my favorite's as a kid growing up in the 1980s It had me laughing constantly. Telma Hopkins felt the show lost its ground quickly when they made all the changes in the sixth season. Officer Simpson, who remained a friend of the family after the death of his superior, stuck around for another season. I forgot about this show and I've been watching the reruns . The sitcom aired on . In real life the three performers would all go on tour together during their hiatuses. Prior to the pilot episode . "Gimme a Break!" became Sweet's last work because of his unfortunate cancer diagnosis, which took away his life in 1985. NBC had many quality sitcoms on the air in the 80s, such as Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts Of Life, Silver Spoons, etc. Joey's supposed backstory of living with an uncle was originally treated as a lie. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from [email protected]. She was inconsolable for days after the cast wrap party, refusing to see even close friends as she fell into dark despair. We heart Beverly Hills. (TV Series) Julie Smokes (1983) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Jim Drake Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) Produced by Film Editing by Larry Harris Casting By Randy Stone Art Direction by Peter Clemens Costume Design by Palmer Brown Makeup Department Production Management after Carl dies, much in the same way Florida Evans shouts the same thing after her husband James died on Good Times, ten years earlier. / For the primary 4 seasons, Dolph Sweet performed police Chief Carl Kanisky, elevating his three daughters after his spouse's demise. [11] VEI released Gimme a Break! Privacy Policy. Nell wonders why her mother would have a date, and when her mother shows up, she meets her date, Ernie, a man from her past. Mr. Kaminsky was a widower with 3 daughters, in the initial seasons and Nell was the surrogate mom/housekeeper. The network fired the three daughters, Jonathan Silverman, and Howard Morton, the location was changed from Glenlawn, California to more upscale Manhattan, New York, Nell became an assistant at a publishing house, and Joey Lawrence's younger brother Matthew Lawrence was added to the cast. Officer Simpson catches Joey Donovan, an abandoned seven-year-old boy, trying to bilk people out of their money. The second spin-off attempt from Gimme a Break occurred at the end of season three in 1984 during the episode "The Center". She might as well not have been there at all. is an American sitcom which aired on NBC from October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. ", http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Gimme-Break-The-Complete-Series/13768. The Chief's brother, to a degree. Gimme a Break! I had a crush on Joey Lawrence and Matt was cute too. 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