Howard Morton's role on the show as Officer Simpson served no purpose anymore with The Chief gone. Tracey Gold was originally tapped to play Samantha, but at the last moment was replaced by Lara Jill Miller. 52 - Minutes needed for No.19 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova to defeat Ysaline Bonaventure 6-2, 6-1, the quickest match of the first . NBC canceled the series in the spring of 1987. I loved it when I was little but imo this has not aged well. During the show's third season, Telma Hopkins and Joey Lawrence joined the cast. Reportedly, Nell's maternal instincts towards the girls and Joey on the show were quite real. Too many changes were made and and the series was a completely different show from when it started. She played one of the wicked stepsisters. Nell's airhead and squeaky voice friend Angie portrayed by Alvernette Jimenez was dropped from the show. (See the Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, What's Happening, The Partridge Family, etc.). They kept Lara Jill Miller as Sam. 1,041. Age, September 13, 1948 Gimme a Break! Nell Carter, the robustly sassy singer and actress who exploded onto the New York musical stage in the Fats Waller revue Aint Misbehavin and went on to become a popular television star in the series Gimme a Break!, died yesterday at her home in Beverly Hills, Calif. She was 54. Laurie Hendler on the other hand, was upset and caught by surprise because she had recently purchased a new house. But in the pilot, he slapped Katie, so that was not true. There, they discovered Joey's irresponsible father, Tim (guest star Patrick Collins), who showed him his brother, Matthew (played by Matthew Lawrence, Joey's real-life brother), and left them with Nell and Grandpa. Nell was at Dolph's bedside during his death, and read his eulogy at his funeral. The Kanisky daughters need all the help they can . 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. She went into rehab several times during production and was blowing her money on cocaine every week . Everyone called Carl "Chief" or "Daddy" except for his parents and brother who called him by his first name. NBC president Brandon Tartikoff had a lot of faith in Nell Carter and thought she had potential to become a breakout star. Lara Jill Miller said she routinely saw cocaine on the set. The "wacky" Swackhammer character, who served as a foil to Nell, disappeared after a few episodes in the second season. Final episode date. It was a sitcom that ran for a total of 6 seasons and consisted of 137 episodes. Now, in conclusion, when and if this show is ever brought back on the air, I hope that you catch it one day before it goes off the air for good. They either recast them, lose cast members or cancel their show. on Issac Hayes' hit song "Theme From Shaft.". Nell Carter and Dolph Sweet (who played The Chief) both played off one another well. Carter performed both themes. Nell Carter [11] VEI released Gimme a Break! During the first season, Nell Carter and Dolph didn't get along in the beginning coming from different backgrounds in real life and in showbiz. Dolph Sweet and Nell didn't get along at first but ended up becoming friends. The abrupt changes in tone are handled adroitly, John J. OConnor wrote. She said that "Once that original formula was broken, it just didn't feel the same. Theme song is catchy though,but that's it. During the downtimes from Gimme a Break, Joey Lawrence would tour with Nell Carter and Sammy Davis Junior, and would perform with them frequently. Houston played Rita, a friend of Katie Kanisky (Kari Michaelsen). Ambitions. These attributes contributed to the producers decision to drop most of the cast for sixth season except for Nell Carter, Thelma Hopkins, Joey Lawrence and John Hoyt. 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. Reruns of the series are a mainstay of many of Sinclair Broadcast Group's The CW, MeTV and MyNetworkTV stations, especially in low-traffic time periods, due to the low-cost barter setup of The Program Exchange. 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. Alvin and the Chipmunks. The performances were top-grade, too. Carter's character works in the home of a widowed chief of police who needs help taking care of his three daughters. Rosie O' Donnell and Nell didn't get along during the final season and O' Donnell said Nell treated her terribly. Joey accidentally shoots Nell in the leg while playing with Carl's gun, not realizing that it was loaded. I used to watch this show when I was a little girl. One of the producers saw him perform on The Johnny Carson Show and immediately wanted to add him as a cast member. GIMME-A-SIGN INC. Cancelled. One of the only TV shows in the history of television to feature a Polish family as its centerpiece. , Whatever Happened To: The Cast Of "Gimme A Break!". Reminds me of Mama's Family or something. He talks about how tough he and his family had it growing up, and also touches upon his deceased wife. TV Listings. Carter found that she saw eye to eye more often with Parker and Cooper on all levels, and due to the stability the latter team would stay with the program for the rest of its run. I saw episodes from Seasons One and Two and it seemed like the middle and younger daughters got all the speaking parts, and the youngest one all the zingers. Joey's supposed backstory of living with an uncle was originally treated as a lie. Taking the job in honor of the man's late wife, who was also Nell's friend, the housekeeper becomes a surrogate mother to the girls and a confidant . 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While it can be assumed he started a new life after marrying, some lines act as if the Chief were an only child. When his backstory is finally explained when he reunites with his father, in particular that his mother is dead and his father was at sea, it turns out that he really was living with an uncle at the time Nell adopted him. To the show's credit, they initially did handwave her mother's change in personality as a reaction to her husband's death, but they also changed her name (from Emma to Maybelle) and the actress. John Hoyt's final acting role was Gimme A Break. A feisty housekeeper named Nell helps a widowed police chief raise his three daughters in a sassy sitcom that mocked stereotypes by showing a loving relationship . I like the theme song from the third season. Several spin-offs were considered by producing pilot episodes during the series run. As they were redoing it, the boy was replaced by Tracey Gold, who was going to play a tomboy named Samantha. Gimme A Break, was certainly in the same league as any of NBC's other popular comedy shows. NBC then hired the veteran team of Rod Parker and Hal Cooper to take over as executive producers, following their stint at the recently canceled Love, Sidney. Date of death. outdated and vaguely stereotypical. Miller also expressed in the same interview that she felt the producers made a big mistake getting rid of the daughters and implied that the decision came from the girls receiving less story-lines starting around the fourth season and more emphasis being put on Nell Carter and Thelma Hopkins. Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) She was 54. Nell Carter didn't get along with the original producers, Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen. She and Max Green (Don Rickles) catch an orphaned girl named Danny stealing money and food. Gimme a Break! Lauri Hendler was the only Jewish member of the original cast. KARI MICHAELSEN Advertisement The '80s was a great decade for young Kari Michaelsen. 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. Another episode that aired earlier in the 198485 season, "Baby of the Family", ranked No. Officer Simpson catches Joey Donovan, an abandoned seven-year-old boy, trying to bilk people out of their money. According to Telma Hopkins, Nell Carter was devastated when the show was canceled and was an emotional wreck at the wrap party. FremantleMedia owns the international rights, as they own Thames Television, which acquired Reeves Entertainment Group in 1990. Grandpa (John Hoyt) starts off season 1 as almost deaf and very senile. Julie and Jonathan, who were now living in the Chief's old room, found out they were expecting a baby; their daughter, whom they named after Nell, was born before season's end. A very young Joey Lawrence also appeared in it as a young street-hustler-turned-foster-kid-for-the-family. If you tap now and watch the short video you'll get 30 minutes of ad free music! She was inconsolable for days after the cast wrap party, refusing to see even close friends as she fell into dark despair. Officer Simpson, who remained a friend of the family after the death of his superior, stuck around for another season. BREAK POINT BOOKS & MORE Cancelled. Reportedly, Carter was jealous of O'Donnell about stealing the limelight and wouldn't speak to her on set. Added to that, he did not help with taking care of his brother's children after the Chief died. The show centered on the lives of the Kanisky Family in Glenlawn, CA, headed by Carl (Dolph Sweet), the widowed Chief of Police in town. Nell Carter had a stormy relationship with Gimme a Break! Required fields are marked *. BREAK TIME SERVICE Cancelled. / episodes. The series premiered on October 29, 1981. Though I watched Gimme a Break from the start, it goes without saying that I lacked the maturity at that age to fully understand the adult humor and social issues being explored. The episode Julie's Birthday (1985) was Dolph Sweet's last appearance before his death. How long ago Margaret died. This re-write was due in part of the backlash the show receiving at the time for the depiction of Nell's character as the "black maid" to a white family. Early episodes implied it was recent, and any bad behavior from the girls was treated as a reaction to it, and the plotlines of a few early episodes revolve around Nell getting used to the family. "There ain't no Julio here!" A foster son, Joey (Joey Lawrence) was added in Season 3. 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. Carter died in 2003, at age 54. was a hit TV present that ran for six seasons from 1981 to 1987 on NBC. 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. If you grew up in the 80's this show was a must see. This is one of many shows I used to watch just because it was on, not because I particularly enjoyed it. Joey Lawrence portrayed Joey Donovan, a 7 year old orphan who would end up living with the Kaninsky family and becoming Nell's foster son. While never a powerhouse in the ratings, Gimme a Break! Kari Michaelsen and Lauri Hendler returned for the Season Six episode Sam Goes to College at the beginning of Season Six despite leaving the show the previous season. Gimme A Break! Lara Jill Miller was shown in opening credits as a regular cast member, rather than a guest star, in the episodes where she appeared. On May 12, 1987, "Gimme a Break" was cancelled after 6 seasons and 137 episodes. And didn't tell Carl because they both feared the exact angry reaction he ended up having. It came to a natural end with Tom moving away to be in Crossroads, but as we all know, that too has died on its arse so I. GIMME A BREAK (Entity Number: 1260888) was incorporated on 10/12/2001 in Ohio. We heart all thing in the Entertainment field. Contents 1 Cast 1.1 Main characters 1.2 Recurring characters Kaser was named as the heir to Carters property and guardian of Carters children. The Complete Series on DVD in Canada on July 20, 2010.[7]. And because Joey Lawrence was a big hit with audiences, and seemed to supplicate their need on the show. Prior to the pilot episode . Sweet died in 1985, at age 64, while the show was still in production. The first was composed by Bob Christianson with lyrics by Bob Garrett and Marley Sims; two versions of this song were used, one for the first season and a new recording for the second. Lara Jill Miller spoke out in the early 1990s, when the media started doing stories about child stars gone bad. Also, the network had nothing to replace the show with as they were struggling with their programming and ratings during this time period. He was funny, and changed as the show went on, from the senile old goat to a wise old man. 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. Enjoy all of Ms. Carters' talents and cherish them for all time. For US airdates of a foreign show, click The Futon Critic. Why Did People In Old Hollywood Talk Funny. Nell says "Damn! Joey's father was portrayed by two different actors Fred McCarren and Patrick Collins (I). One episode has Katie hospitalized when her I.U.D. Platinum. This does bring up the question of what happened to said uncle this whole time? 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. Lauri Hendler, who played Julie on the show, admits in interviews that although everyone involved in the production was aware that Dolph was fatally ill for several months, and they all knew his time was coming, when the producers made the announcement on the set that Dolph had passed she burst into uncontrollable tears. Place of burial The original unaired pilot had the same plot as season one, episode one, "Katie the Crook", but it had a different set for the house, and the third Kanisky child was a redheaded boy named Matthew. They even doubled down and added ANOTHER cute kid in the form of Matthew Lawrence, who played Joey's brother Matthew. IHeartHollywood.com is an online magazine about all thing "Hollywood." Hopkins revealed she convinced LeNoire who was hesitant to read the script and take on a role on the series predicting it would be a big hit. Visual Entertainment (under license from FremantleMedia) released the first two seasons of Gimme a Break! Perhaps television brings Whitney's acting skills out more cause she was really good in her scenes in "Silver Spoons." dckc1966. This was the first show in NBC's all-star Thursday night line-up. Throughout the course of Gimme a Break, there had been several un-successful spin-off attempts. Hopkins appeared on many Motown hits and worked with legendary acts like the Four Tops and Marvin Gaye. In this episode, she was a busy body on a hospital pay phone. You don't think? At the start of the 198687 season, Katie moved to San Francisco; Julie, Jonathan, and baby Nell moved to San Jos; and Samantha attended college in New Jersey. Gimme a Break! We heart influencers and interesting people. Ms. Carter collapsed and was found by one of her sons, said her spokesman, Roger Lane. Later, when he comes back, the two boys try to prove that he stole her purse by putting another purse out to be stolen, along with money from the cash register. It's that easy! Towards the bottom of the page of reviews, there is one by somebody who named several stars who, at one point or another, made guest appearances on this series. She's in the "White Boys/Black Boys" number with Night Court (1984)'s Ellen Foley. Marty (Paul Sand) was their landlord who also owned a Mexican restaurant under the name "Esteban." This was and to this day is still one of my all time favorite sitcoms of the eighties. At the end of the first episode of the fifth season, the picture fades of the Chief slowly, with no applause from the audience. O'Donnell later revealed how, at first, she was thrilled and excited at being cast on a major prime time television show, yet very quickly became disappointed and disheartened at feeling snubbed by most of the cast, who, for the most part, treated her more as an interloper than as a fellow actor. The only sitcom where there was an earthquake in two episodes. is an American television sitcom created by Mort Lachman. The show was about a woman named Nell Harper (Nell Carter), who agrees to be a housekeeper for the Kanisky household as a special favor to her late friend, Margaret Huffman Kanisky (played in flashback by Sharon Spelman) who was the wife of police chief Carl Kanisky (Dolph Sweet). They ended up working out their differences and became friends. I think that the cast in Gimme a Break was excellent. In revealing that their late mother, Margaret, was a heavy smoker, Carl reveals that he and Margaret had fought about the issue many times and that he wishes he had slapped her to get her to realize she was killing herself. New Release. The cast found out about the show's cancellation when it was announced at the wrap party. O' Donnell has stated numerous times over the years during the final season of the show Nell Carter was in a bad place with personal issues and extremely miserable and unpleasant to be around. That wasn't me; it was just a job.[4], The show received mixed reviews from critics when it premiered. [6], VEI released Gimme a Break! Hazel,The Nanny, Mr. Belvedere, Benson,and Family Affair. 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.. By season three, when he was added as a regular, his hearing is normal and he is no longer senile. For the six seasons that in ran on NBC-TV(1981-1987) in the eighties,this was one of those shows that was constantly in the top ten ratings during its run on the Peacock network. When the two are arguing, Katie makes a snide remark about why she thinks her father wanted her to take the test, prompting him to warn her to stop, and when she presses on, he takes off his belt and chases after her. Damn! The first occurred at the end of season two in 1983 with the episode "Nell and the Kid" in which Nell goes to Max's Deli. Later additions to the cast included Stanley Kanisky (Carls father), Adelaide Addy Wilson (Nells best friend, played by Telma Hopkins), adopted son Joey (Joey Lawrence) and Nells mother, Maybelle. But the show belong to Nell Carter who was a joy to watch. One of the episodes is called "Knock Three Times". From 1981 to 1987, viewers tuned into Gimme a Break! Reportedly, the tears of the cast during this fifth season retrospective episode, when the Chief and Dolph died were quite real. This prompts her to move out of the house temporarily, and when Carl stands his ground and justifies his actions, Nell, Katie and Samantha ostracize him forcing his hand and, in talking to Julie, getting him to reveal why he was so furious with her. At this point, the only original cast member left was Nell Carter, the show's original premise and chemistry were gone and ratings continued to decline. Bring this hit sitcom back on the air, immediately. Before that she was a contract singer for Motown. 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. We heart Beverly Hills. All these years later I watched a couple episodes just to "check in", and it was pretty much as I'd remembered it. If you grew up in the 80's this show was a must see. 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