The episode's main plotline was about Nell's stolen purse, but went into the relationship of Mr. Pappalardo, his son, Nicky, his son's friend, and the establishment that Mr. Pappalardo owned and made the boys operate. The "wacky" Swackhammer character, who served as a foil to Nell, disappeared after a few episodes in the second season. Please help this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. In a meta-sense, Carter received bushels of mail from children who watched the show, who saw her as one for them. 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. It's about Nell visiting Samantha at the latter's college and becoming the house mother to her and her dorm-mates. NBC president Brandon Tartikoff had a lot of faith in Nell Carter and thought she had potential to become a breakout star. So three different actors were cast in the role of the youngest Kanisky child; a boy and two girls. Sadly, Nell Carter, who played Nell, and Dolph Sweet, who played Carl, have since passed away. GIMME A BREAK (Entity Number: 1260888) was incorporated on 10/12/2001 in Ohio. Parker sat down with Lawrence and had numerous talks with him because he loved the kid and thought was a real pro. 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.. 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. Nell agreed, so as a favor to Margaret she moved into the Kanisky home and took over motherly duties. This is ironic since McClanahan was being groomed by the producers to be a regular character on the show - a love interest for the Chief (Dolph Sweet). 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. Carl has to deal with the aftermath of shooting a man dead. From 2006 until 2010, both networks are Ion Television and MeTV reruns this show, during daytime and nighttime. 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. Before Lawrence arrived on set Nell would take Lara to eat at restaurants, but when Lawrence arrive on set Nell shifted her focus to the much younger and cuter Joey. McClanahan would not become a regular cast member on Gimme a Break; but she would return to NBC in 1985 for the sitcom Golden Girls. And because Joey Lawrence was a big hit with audiences, and seemed to supplicate their need on the show. And didn't tell Carl because they both feared the exact angry reaction he ended up having. Gimme a Break! We heart living like a star. She did, however, return for an episode in Season 4, this time as a romantic interest for Grandpa. The final spin-off attempt of Gimme a Break was at the end of season 5 in 1986 in "The Purse Snatcher". Nell also served as a confidante to the chief's three daughters, 17-year-old Katie (Kari Michaelsen), 15-year-old Julie (Lauri Hendler), and 13-year-old Samantha (Lara Jill Miller). - 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. 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 Complete Series is now available in the US. Hopkins portrayed Addy Wilson, a longtime childhood best friend of Nell and a Ph.D graduate. The sitcom aired on . All is resolved when Andy brings up his deceased wife Maybelle, and how he's still not over her, but agrees to go to Lilly's place if she invites him again. Whitney was very young on Gimme A Break, and only had a minute or two on screen. Nell Carter Michaelson would binge, purge, and fast. The episode "Cat Story" was aired live over NBC-TV on March 2, 1985. GIMME A BREAK! Margaret was dying of lung cancer, and the Chief could not have raised the kids alone. By season three, when he was added as a regular, his hearing is normal and he is no longer senile. 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. I understand that they had Katie,Julie,Jonathan and baby Nelle exit. He then claimed she wasn't very nice to Lawrence and didn't want to do much with him. 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. Nell Carter and Dolph Sweet were very close and she was at his side when he died in 1985. 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). Also, I don't think I've seen every episode. At the end of the first episode of the fifth season, the picture fades of the Chief slowly, with no applause from the audience. They ended up working out their differences and became friends. While it can be assumed he started a new life after marrying, some lines act as if the Chief were an only child. Lara Jill Miller said she routinely saw cocaine on the set. Gimme a Break! 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. During the downtimes from Gimme a Break, Joey Lawrence would tour with Nell Carter and Sammy Davis Junior, and would perform with them frequently. Gimme a Break! aired 137 episodes over six seasons, with its finale airing on May 12, 1987. Gimme a Break! Marty (Paul Sand) was their landlord who also owned a Mexican restaurant under the name "Esteban." 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. 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. Ambitions. On May 12, 1987, "Gimme a Break" was cancelled after 6 seasons and 137 episodes. every chance we could. The show has been in syndication since 1985. Nell Carter and Rosie O'Donnell never got along in the final season of the show. (See the Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, What's Happening, The Partridge Family, etc.). "Gimme a Break!" became Sweet's last work because of his unfortunate cancer diagnosis, which took away his life in 1985. I wish I could sue NBC for the grievous consternation, intestinal distress and aggravated low moaning I have suffered as a result of Gimme a Break, Shales wrote, going on to criticize the shows sex jokes and what he found to be the racial stereotypes embodied by Carters character. Carters publicist Roger Lane said Carter, 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, At some point during the mid-1990s, Carter had begun a relationship with a woman named Ann Kaser, but this was not known to the public until after her death. 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. As the show grew in popularity, the cast also grew and they added in Carl's father played by Stanley Kanisky (who is almost like the original dad from Fraiser), Adelaide Wilson, who was Nell's best friend, played by Thelma Hopkins, Howard Morton who played Officer Ralph Simpson, and as all 80's shows of that time didthey added in an adorable kid, this one played by Joey Lawrence (pre Blossom) as adopted son" Joey"clever. Future seasons adding 'child' Joey Lawrence,Jonathon Silverman and Telma Hopkins as a fine tandem to Nell, especially proving more so important after Dolph Sweets sudden death with 2 seasons left. The show's producers were very concerned about Nell Carter's escalating drug use, binge eating, rapidly fluctuating weight, and self-destructive lifestyle. Nell and the Kaniskys had a black goldfish named Gertrude, who keeps getting killed throughout the series (accidentally by Nell, with a rogue vacuum cleaner, or with a sprinkle of Comet) only to reappear again. 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. 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. Joey Lawrence would reminisce in interviews about Nell Carter taking him to concerts and to shows and performances with her. Writing for the Washington Post, Tom Shales wrote an especially scathing review of the pilot episode. 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. As with many star vehicles in Hollywood, the main character was named after the star. A foster son, Joey (Joey Lawrence) was added in Season 3. On May 8, 1985, actor Dolph Sweet (who portrayed the character of Carl "The Chief" Kanisky) passed away from cancer at the age of 64 and his final appearance on the show aired three days later on the day of his funeral. One of the episodes is called "Knock Three Times". I forgot about this show and I've been watching the reruns . 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. 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. Officer Simpson, who remained a friend of the family after the death of his superior, stuck around for another season. / I was born in 1978. 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. Nell Carter . The Chief's brother, to a degree. You don't think? However, because of Dolph Sweet's death, the ratings dropped during the fifth season. Mr. Kaminsky was a widower with 3 daughters, in the initial seasons and Nell was the surrogate mom/housekeeper. 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. How long ago Margaret died. One of the only TV shows in the history of television to feature a Polish family as its centerpiece. Helen Hunt portrayed Katie's pregnant friend Valerie in season 1. If your show doesn't pull in enough viewers to justify its budget . Sweet on July 18th, 1920 in New York, New York. The cast found out about the show's cancellation when it was announced at the wrap party. was an American sitcom that ran on NBC for six seasons from 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. Visual Entertainment (under license from FremantleMedia) released the first two seasons of Gimme a Break! Gimme a Break! A real romance developed between Kari Michaelson and Andy Gibb when he guest starred. The first two seasons use a different theme than the later seasons. 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. Joey's supposed backstory of living with an uncle was originally treated as a lie. 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. FremantleMedia owns the international rights, as they own Thames Television, which acquired Alan Landsburg Productions and Reeves Entertainment Group product in 1990. We heart Celebrities. Carter had begun experimenting with cocaine while in the cast of Aint Misbehavin Lawrence was added to show to take over the cute kid role with Lara Jill Miller getting older and maturing into a young women. 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. The 1981 TV Guide Fall Preview used this pilot, as the basis for their description of the show. It was a sitcom that ran for a total of 6 seasons and consisted of 137 episodes. [5], By contrast, the New York Times found the show promising, praising the performances of Carter and Sweet and the way the show balanced wisecracks with bits of seriousness. 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. In Season 6, actors were only shown in the opening credits for episodes in which they appeared. 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. Watch Gimme a Break! Howard Morton's role on the show as Officer Simpson served no purpose anymore with The Chief gone. Contents 1 Cast 1.1 Main characters 1.2 Recurring characters Lara Jill Miller revealed in interview that she was initially fired along with Kari Michaelson and Lauri Hendler but ended up being kept around for six guest appearances due to her close relationship with Nell Carter who pulled strings with the network. In the show, the chief of police's wife has just died, and he asks Nell (Nell Carter) to come in and work for him, helping him raise his three daughters in the process. The only sitcom where there was an earthquake in two episodes. [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. This would eventually become known as "Must See TV", and come to include shows like Cheers (1982), Family Ties (1982), The Cosby Show (1984), Hill Street Blues (1981), Seinfeld (1989), L.A. Law (1986), ER (1994), Friends (1994), Will & Grace (1998), and The Office (2005), and would dominate the network ratings from the '80s into the 2000s. 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. 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 . Nell Carter was interred in Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, California. 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. 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. after the phone rings. This episode dealt with a Greek restaurant called "Two Guys From Greece" and the two guys who worked at it, Nicky, and his friend Tyler. The show was produced by Alan Landsburg Productions (renamed as Reeves Entertainment Group in 1985). Like Laura Jill Miller previously, Joey Lawrence was getting older. He never did, however, and eventually, Carl's worst fears losing his wife and partner in raising their daughters to lung cancer came true. Status: cancelled/ended Network(s): NBC Run time: 30 min Episodes: 137 eps Genre(s): Comedy, Crime/Mystery . Houston played Rita, a friend of Katie Kanisky (Kari Michaelsen). The episode Julie's Birthday (1985) was Dolph Sweet's last appearance before his death. Damn!" However, she was still seen occasionally in the sixth season, visiting from school. 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. It's cool that we have reruns of it. Nell Carter didn't get along with the original producers, Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen. The Mary Tyler Moore show, the main character was named after the star and! Took over motherly duties the second season a total of 6 seasons and consisted of 137.! 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why was gimme a break cancelled