Ann Jillian (TV series)
Ann Jillian is an American sitcom television series created by Deidre Fay and Stuart Wolpert, starring Ann Jillian that aired on NBC from November 30, 1989 to August 19, 1990.[1]
| Ann Jillian | |
|---|---|
 Series premiere print advertisement | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Deidre Fay Stuart Wolpert |
| Starring | Ann Jillian Lisa Rieffel Amy Lynne Zachary Rosencrantz Noble Willingham Chantal Rivera-Batisse Cynthia Harris |
| Composer | Ray Colcord |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (3 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | 9-J Inc. Productions Castle Rock Entertainment |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | November 30, 1989 – September 1, 1990 |
Plot
After the death of her firefighter husband, Ann McNeil, an ex-Radio City Music Hall Rockette, and her 14-year-old daughter Lucy, move from New York to a small northern California village,[2] named Marvel, where Ann and her husband went for their honeymoon. Lucy is apprehensive of her new surroundings in a new town and at first misses the fast-paced atmosphere of New York City, but she begins to adjust and makes new friends. Ann is also learning to adjust as well as she starts a new job at a gift shop run by Mrs. Hufnagel. The teens that Lucy hangs out with were Kaz, Melissa, and Robin. Kaz's well-meaning grandfather, Duke, helped Ann and Lucy in their new surroundings.
Cast and characters
- Ann Jillian as Ann McNeil
- Lisa Rieffel as Lucy McNeil
- Noble Willingham as Duke Howard
- Cynthia Harris as Sheila Hufnagel
- Zachary Rosencrantz as Kaz Sumner
- Chantal Rivera-Batisse as Melissa Santos
- Amy Lynne as Robin Winkle
Production
The pilot for the series was produced in early 1989, when it was called The Ann Jillian Show.[3] Retitled Ann Jillian, it premiered as a series on NBC on November 30, 1989, running for 7 episodes before it was put on hiatus in January. The series returned briefly in August of 1990, running three additional episodes before being cancelled after a final broadcast on August 19. Three further episodes had been produced, but never aired.
At the time the pilot for the series was produced, Castle Rock Entertainment, which produced the show, also had another pilot produced for NBC named The Seinfeld Chronicles starring stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld. When it tested poorly, and Ann Jillian tested more positively, Castle Rock committed to Jillian's series, which was picked up for a full season order. However, the show would only last one season, whereas the subsequently re-titled Seinfeld lasted for nine seasons, ending in 1998.[4]
Episodes
| No. | Title [5] | Directed by [5] | Original air date | Prod. code [5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "California Dreamin'" | John Bowab | November 30, 1989 | 03-0101 |
| 2 | "Interrupted Melody" | John Bowab | December 3, 1989 | 03-0102 |
| 3 | "Love-15" | John Bowab | December 10, 1989 | 03-0105 |
| 4 | "Since I Don't Have You" | John Bowab | December 17, 1989 | 03-0108 |
| 5 | "Buddy System" | John Bowab | December 31, 1989 | 03-0103 |
| 6 | "Career Week" "Shoots and Ladders" | John Bowab | January 7, 1990 | 03-0107 |
| 7 | "The Crush" | John Bowab | January 20, 1990 | 03-0109 |
| 8 | "Run for the Roses" | John Bowab | August 5, 1990 | 03-0111 |
| 9 | "Old Friends" | John Bowab | August 12, 1990 | 03-0112 |
| 10 | "It's a Mall World After All" | John Bowab | August 19, 1990 | 03-0113 |
| Note: This episode, the last produced, effectively served as a "pilot" to a rebooted version of the series – from this episode forward, the focus of the series would have shifted to Ann McNeil's new job as the activities director of the local Marvel shopping mall and the characters she worked with there.[6] | ||||
| 11 | "Good Citizen" | John Bowab | Unaired | 03-0104 |
| 12 | "A Housewarming" | John Bowab | Unaired | 03-0106 |
| 13 | "The Anniversary" | John Bowab | Unaired | 03-0110 |
Reception
Howard Rosenberg of Los Angeles Times reviewed the comedy negatively, quipping that the series "has more Anns than laughs."[7]
References
- Tim Brooks; Earle Marsh (2003). "Ann Jillian (Situation Comedy)". The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (8th ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-345-45542-0.
- Vernon Scott (November 27, 1989). "New, Improved and Funnier Ann Jillian Launches TV Assault". Los Angeles Times. United Press International. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
- Diane Haithman (March 24, 1989). "TV Pilots Ready for an Air War". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
- Freeman, Marc (May 13, 2018). "'Seinfeld' Finale at 20: Hidden Tales From the Vault of a Comedian's Bizarro World". Encyclopedia of Things. Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
Castle Rock, which owned the series, had two pilots at NBC that year: Seinfeld and one with Ann Jillian. Whereas Seinfeld tested poorly, Ann Jillian tested through the roof and earned a 13-episode commitment. Castle Rock decided to focus on that.
- From the United States Copyright Office catalog: "Public Catalog - Copyright Catalog (1978 to present) - Basic Search [search: "Ann Jillian"]"". United States Copyright Office. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
- Vincent Terrace (February 12, 2013). "The Ann Jillian Show". Encyclopedia of Television Pilots, 1937–2012. McFarland. p. 184. ISBN 978-1-476-60249-3.
- Howard Rosenberg (November 30, 1989). "TV REVIEWS : More Anns, Fewer Laughs in NBC's 'Ann Jillian'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
External links
- Ann Jillian at IMDb