I still remember watching this show on Saturday nights back in the '80's over at my grandparents house.I believe it was on NBC-at 830pm right after Diff'rent Strokes (another classic sitcom that also has finally made it to DVD).It was an amazing show-It had the premise of a maid taking care of her employer-a police chief and his 3 teenage daughters.After 25 years since its premiere, several cast members have went to that great casting couch in the sky- Dolph Sweet (Chief Kanisky), Nell Carter (Nell Harper) and Howard Morton (Officer Ralph Simpson: They will live on forever via DVD. is an American sitcom which aired on NBC from October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. is an American sitcom that ran on NBC for six seasons (1981-87), 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). Typical family situation comedy, nothing special. Contents 1 Premise 2 Cast 2.1 Main characters 2.2 Recurring characters 3 Episodes 4 Production information 5 Broadcast history One episode has Katie hospitalized when her I.U.D. Nell's family. Producer Rod Parker expressed that it was difficult decision to let the girls go . Hillside Memorial Park, Culver City, CA 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. She did, however, return for an episode in Season 4, this time as a romantic interest for Grandpa. Her character married the only other Jewish person in the cast, Jonathan Silverman. Nell Carter, who plays the housekeeper for police Chief Carl Kanisky on ''Gimme a Break,'' will eulogize Sweet . The daughters were all fired at the end of the fifth season, because of the low ratings on the show. She said that "Once that original formula was broken, it just didn't feel the same. 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. But,they should of been in the show not wiped out all together. This does bring up the question of what happened to said uncle this whole time? 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. Dolph Sweet, the lovingly sarcastic police chief on television's "Gimme A Break" and an actor who began his career in a World War II prison camp, died May 8th, 1985 (shortly after filming the final episode of the 1984-1985 season) of cancer at Tarzana Hospital in Tarzana, California.He was 64. Nell Carter was interred in Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, California. Sweet died in 1985, at age 64, while the show was still in production. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. As ABC was developing Growing Pains, and putting the final touches on it before it went to series; they decided to replace the young actress who played Carol in the pilot, Elizabeth Ward, because she was not testing well with audiences, so Tracey Gold was tapped to take over for the role. . I think that the cast in Gimme a Break was excellent. 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. Despite these extensive changes, ratings continued to decline as NBC began to move the show around to various spots in its schedule (the show averaged out at #42 in the Nielsens for season six, which was actually 7 spots higher than in its third season, when NBC evidently gave the show more support). Joey's supposed backstory of living with an uncle was originally treated as a lie. In addition, she said Nell was also unhappy with the script for that week. Officer Simpson catches Joey Donovan, an abandoned seven-year-old boy, trying to bilk people out of their money. GIMME A BREAK (Entity Number: 1260888) was incorporated on 10/12/2001 in Ohio. aired 137 episodes over six seasons, with its finale airing on May 12, 1987. Pete Schrum who portrayed The Chief's brother Uncle Ed, who got married in season 2, disappeared. And as much as they tried to make it work, there were just things missing. Nell Carter portraying Nell Harper was awesome. 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). Reportedly, Nell's maternal instincts towards the girls and Joey on the show were quite real. He died 4 years after the show went off the air. That wasn't me; it was just a job.[4], The show received mixed reviews from critics when it premiered. The Season 2 episode "Julie Smokes" has Carl slap his daughter across the face when, after she lied to him that she was not smoking, she accidentally blew smoke in his face, having unsuccessfully concealed that she had currently been smoking a cigarette. Nell Carter got more creative control of the show when the new producers Rod Parker and Hal Cooper came onto to the show during it's third season. Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Although I don't remember much about it, I must say that it was a pretty good show. [13] and two Golden Globe nominations as Best Actress in a Television Series-Comedy or Musical. She believes it was the customer that the two guys had her sit with, and who she took a liking to. She might as well not have been there at all. The Alvin Show. The creators of the show were Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen. So three different actors were cast in the role of the youngest Kanisky child; a boy and two girls. Hazel,The Nanny, Mr. Belvedere, Benson,and Family Affair. in the spring of 1987. BREAKIN' GROUND LANDSCAPING, INC. Rosie O' Donnell and Nell didn't get along during the final season and O' Donnell said Nell treated her terribly. including a new theme song, new producers, and new writers (only co-Creator Mort Lachman stayed). There were two reasons why it didn't happen. Carter performed the shows catchy theme song, and her performance in the series earned her two Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations. In some of these episodes, the guest would eventually perform a song with Nell. One of the producers saw him perform on The Johnny Carson Show and immediately wanted to add him as a cast member. 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. why was gimme a break cancelled Posted on 2022527by Verified Purchase. John Hoyt's final acting role was Gimme A Break. on February 14, 2006, available in the United States only. outdated and vaguely stereotypical. Another issue was the Lawrence brothers Joey and Matthew, Nell's two young foster kids she was raising had no place in this proposed retooling. "Nell and the Kid" is about a deli owner who. 1,041. Nell says "Damn! Treat Williams and Beverly D'Angelo are also in the movie, and so is fellow NBC sitcom alumnus Charlotte Rae, from The Facts Of Life (1979). 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. I watched reruns of this show when it aired on USA in 1998. The Amazing Race. Gimme a Break! Carter performed both themes. Nell Carter was nominated twice for an Emmy for her work on this show. Nell Carter had a stormy relationship with Gimme a Break! Gimme a Break! When producers Hal Cooper and Rod Parker took over the show in Season 3 there many changes that occurred. my shows | like | set your list <preferences> Gimme a Break! Joey's father was portrayed by two different actors Fred McCarren and Patrick Collins (I). to check out the antics of the Kanisky family. 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. Over the course of the 198485 season, Sweet's health went into serious decline as the cancer further ravaged his body. I also love the grandfather character. As they were redoing it, the boy was replaced by Tracey Gold, who was going to play a tomboy named Samantha. However, Samantha usually acted as if she never knew her mother. Damn!" - The Complete Series - TVShowsOnDVD.com", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gimme_a_Break!&oldid=1105749188, Television series by Alan Landsburg Productions, Television series by Universal Television, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking reliable references from March 2011, Articles that may contain original research from July 2011, All articles that may contain original research, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Bob Christianson (first two seasons only), Best Young Actress in a Television Comedy Series, Best Young Supporting Actor in a Television Comedy Series, Best Young Supporting Actress in a Television Comedy Series, Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series, Mort Lachman and Associates (Entire Series), Lauri Hendler as Julie Kanisky Maxwell (seasons 1-5), This page was last edited on 21 August 2022, at 16:16. Inter-Uterine Device, an implanted birth control device that, at the time, had a reputation for piercing the uterus and causing dangerous bleeding and possible infection. A Fan Inquiry to Us on Facebook Leads to Some VERY Interesting New Information! 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. Margaret was dying of lung cancer, and the Chief could not have raised the kids alone. The other cast was great too. was a hit TV present that ran for six seasons from 1981 to 1987 on NBC. 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 . was an American sitcom that ran on NBC for six seasons from 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. Over its run, the series used two different theme songs. I don't remember the original theme song and after looking up old episodes on YouTube I hate it. The students suggested that if Culverhouse cared, we would give them a break. is an American television sitcom created by Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen, that aired on NBC for six seasons from October 29, 1981, to May 12, 1987. At The Center, Lilly (Gwen Verdon) says that the teen youth center burnt to the ground, and the seniors must share their center with the kids from the youth center. was a Syndication sitcom that was created by Mort Lachman & Sy Rosen, starring Nell Carter in the lead role. And if you tap below you can get the first 3 months for free! Later additions to the cast included Stanley Kanisky (Carls father), Adelaide Addy Wilson (Nells best friend, played by Telma Hopkins), Rue McClanahan is listed in the opening credits along with the other regulars even though, She was 54. The original version was used for the first two seasons and was replaced with an up-tempo rearrangement with new lyrics for season three onward. Nell Carter was the only cast member to appear in every episode. on Issac Hayes' hit song "Theme From Shaft.". He talks about how tough he and his family had it growing up, and also touches upon his deceased wife. Plot 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). premiered on NBC from October 29, 1981, and aired its final episode on May 12, 1987. 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. She attempted suicide and struggled with her faith. The show was produced by Alan Landsburg Productions (renamed as Reeves Entertainment Group in 1985). Although there was mutual animosity and hostility between Nell Carter and Rosie O'Donnell on the set, they reconciled when Nell appeared on Rosie's talk show several years later. Although the show never cracked the top 30, it was still considered a solid enough hit to keep on the air for six years. Theme song is catchy though,but that's it. Nell Carter This is one of many shows I used to watch just because it was on, not because I particularly enjoyed it. (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 The seniors and the youths work together to have their dance. Logo TV may used to air this show reruns from 2015 until the end of 2017. Telma Hopkins felt the show lost its ground quickly when they made all the changes in the sixth season. The episode Julie's Birthday (1985) was Dolph Sweet's last appearance before his death. Lara Jill Miller, in particular, was quite close to her. She went into rehab several times during production and was blowing her money on cocaine every week . Gimme a Break! On May 12, 1987, "Gimme a Break" was cancelled after 6 seasons and 137 episodes. During the downtimes from Gimme a Break, Joey Lawrence would tour with Nell Carter and Sammy Davis Junior, and would perform with them frequently. She tries to steal food from Max's fridge and may leave on the run, yet Max catches her. The show followed Nell Harper, the housekeeper to Carl Kanisky and his three teenage daughters, Katie, Julie, and Sam. However, if you ask me, it was still a good show. This was the first show in NBC's all-star Thursday night line-up. When I tried to tape it when I finally got my cable back and I was shocked to learn that it had been taken off the air. I forgot about this show and I've been watching the reruns . The series stars Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief ( Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. This sitcom centers on a housekeeper played by Nell Carter. But in the pilot, he slapped Katie, so that was not true. I think I'd rather watch Mr. Belvedere! 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. Parker said Carter spoiled him for a good two years and then suddenly turned on him. A later Season 1 episode, "Katie the Cheat," has Carl fuming when he learns that Katie did not actually take a college entrance exam (while Julie did). Kari Michaelson and Nell Carter both had eating disorders during production. Alpha House. Tubi acquired all seasons of the show as of February 1, 2022. ", http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Gimme-Break-The-Complete-Series/13768. All these years later I watched a couple episodes just to "check in", and it was pretty much as I'd remembered it. Visual Entertainment released the first two seasons of Gimme a Break!' 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). 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. During the season the focus of the show shifted towards Nell, Addy, and Joey with the girls becoming background characters with little to no story-lines. During the summer 1984 hiatus, Dolph Sweet underwent stomach surgery, which was revealed shortly after to be the first extensive treatment for cancer. [2][3][4][5] More recently as of January 2018, it is now shown on Antenna TV. 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. The performances were top-grade, too. We heart living like a star. episodes. It revolves around the manager of a Greek restaurant and his assistant investigate the disappearance of Nell's purse while dealing with the manager's father, who owns the restaurant. The Complete Series on DVD in Canada on July 20, 2010.[7]. 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. All rights reserved. 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