Calucci's Department
Calucci's Department is an American television sitcom broadcast by CBS on Friday at 8:00pm Eastern Time. It premiered on September 14, 1973, and after failing to compete in the ratings against NBC's Sanford and Son, was cancelled after the December 28 episode. It was replaced on January 11, 1974, by the 13-week Dirty Sally, a half-hour western starring Jeanette Nolan and Dack Rambo.
| Calucci's Department | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created by | Joseph Bologna Renée Taylor |
| Starring | Candice Azzara James Coco Jack Fletcher Bill Lazarus |
| Theme music composer | Marvin Hamlisch |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 11 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Robert Precht |
| Producer | Howard Gottfried |
| Production locations | Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | Sullivan Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Picture format | videotape |
| Original release | 14 September – 28 December 1973 |
The series focused on Joe Calucci, the supervisor of a New York City unemployment office. His day was spent dealing with a disparate group of claimants, the petty squabbles among the members of his staff (represented by a cross-section of ethnic backgrounds), the frustrations of governmental red tape, and his infatuation with his secretary Shirley. Except for the setting, the show was similar to the British hit Are You Being Served? which premiered the year before in 1972.
Principal cast
- James Coco ..... Joe Calucci
- Candy Azzara ..... Shirley Balukis
- Rosetta LeNoire ..... Mitzi Gordon
- Peggy Pope ..... Elanie Fusco
- Jack Fletcher ..... Oscar Cosgrove
- Jose Perez ..... Ramon Gonzalez
Episodes
| Episode # | Episode Title | Original Airdate | Episode Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The $80 Heist" | September 14, 1973 | After the $80 he has collected from staff is stolen, Calucci does some detective work to find the culprit, but becomes a psychoanalyst and peacemaker in the process. |
| 2 | "Calucci, His Brother's Keeper" | September 21, 1973 | Gonzalez asks Calucci for $400 after having his life threatened by loan sharks. |
| 3 | "Calucci, the Matchmaker" | September 28, 1973 | When Calucci's date with Shirley also involves finding a date for Elaine, he and Gonzalez go to great lengths to find her a date. |
| 4 | "Calucci Goes on a Diet" | October 5, 1973 | Calucci's trip to the doctor for stomach pains results in a directive to lose weight, an edict he finds it increasingly difficult to focus on. |
| 5 | "Winners and Losers" | October 12, 1973 | After Calucci is told that a member of his office staff must be fired, it becomes an incredibly difficult decision for him. |
| 6 | "The Bloom is Off the Rose" | October 19, 1973 | Calucci is upset when he finds out that his secretary and girlfriend, Shirley, once had another man in her life. |
| 7 | "Life is an Anchovy" | November 2, 1973 | The office staff is concerned when the usually sour Woods is even grumpier than ever because of problems at home. |
| 8 | "A Mother's Love" | November 9, 1973 | When Cosgrove begins to act neurotically, Calucci attempts to diagnose his problems. However, he doesn't count on the prescription for the cure from Cosgrove's mother. |
| 9 | "Gonzalez's Thrill" | November 16, 1973 | Confirmed bachelor Gonzalez appears ready to take the plunge into matrimony when he buys an engagement ring after meeting Samantha. |
| 10 | "Calucci and the Chicken or the Egg" | November 23, 1973 | Calucci finally gets up the courage to take Shirley home to meet his mother. |
| 11 | "Calucci's Raison D'Etre" | November 30, 1973 | Gonzalez decides there must be more to life than the office, setting Calucci off on a soul-searching quest for the meaning of his own. |
References
The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network Shows 1946 - Present by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, Ballantine Books, pp. 124–125 ISBN 0-345-35610-1