Goodnight, Beantown
| Goodnight, Beantown | |
|---|---|
 Opening title | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | AJ Carothers |
| Written by | AJ Carothers Elias Davis Bill Greer Kathy Greer Steve Kline Ron Osborn David Pollock Jeff W. Reno |
| Directed by | Alan Bergmann Peter Baldwin Alan Bergmann Bill Bixby Kim Friedman David Nelson Will Mackenzie Dick Martin Bob Sweeney Harry Winer |
| Starring | Bill Bixby Mariette Hartley |
| Composer | Dennis McCarthy |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 18 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Bill Bixby Paul Treva Brandon AJ Carothers |
| Producers | Elias Davis Charles B. Fitzsimons Bill Greer Kathy Greer David Pollock |
| Cinematography | Richard C. Glouner |
| Running time | 30 mins. |
| Production companies | Bixby-Brandon Productions Warner Bros. Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | April 2, 1983 – January 15, 1984 |
Goodnight, Beantown is an American sitcom that aired on CBS for two brief seasons in 1983 and 1984.
Synopsis
The series starred Bill Bixby as Matt Cassidy and Mariette Hartley as Jennifer Barnes, two news anchors at a fictional Boston, Massachusetts television station. Matt is a longtime fixture at station WYN-TV where he anchors the evening news broadcasts, but when the ratings for his news broadcast begin to slide, the station management pairs the reluctant anchor with a female co-anchor, Jennifer.
The series follows their rocky relationship as they are not only co-workers, but are also across-the-hall neighbors in the same building. Although slightly antagonistic at work, they don't let that stand in their way of being attracted to one another.
The series title comes from Matt's sign off on the nightly newscasts, "Goodnight, Beantown."
Co-stars included Tracey Gold as the divorced Jennifer's daughter Susan and George Coe as station manager Dick Novak. Over the two seasons, Charles Levin, G. W. Bailey, Jim Staahl, Stephanie Faracy, and Todd Susman played their co-workers at WYN.
Bixby and Hartley had previously worked together in an episode of The Incredible Hulk, and at the time of making Goodnight, Beantown, Hartley was appearing in a series of television commercials for Polaroid cameras with James Garner.
The series first aired Sunday at 8:00 pm in the spring of 1983 for a limited run of five episodes. When it returned in the fall, it aired Sunday at 9:30 pm for 13 more episodes before being cancelled due to middling ratings.
Cast
- Bill Bixby...Matt Cassidy
- Mariette Hartley...Jennifer Barnes
- George Coe...Dick Novak
- Tracey Gold...Susan Barnes
- G. W. Bailey...Albert Addelson
- Stephanie Faracy...Valerie Wood
- Charles Levin...Sam Holliday
- Jim Staahl...Frank Fletcher
- Todd Susman...Augie Kleindab
US Television Ratings
| Season | Episodes | Start Date | End Date | Nielsen Rank | Nielsen Rating | Tied With |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-83 | 5 | April 2, 1983 | April 30, 1983 | 21 | 18.6[1] | "Knots Landing" |
| 1983-84 | 13 | October 2, 1983 | January 15, 1984 | 34 | 16.6[2] | "Cheers" |
Episode guide
Season 1 (1983)
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | Harry Winer | AJ Carothers | April 2, 1983 |
| 2 | 2 | "The-Out-of-Towner" | Harry Winer | Elias Davis & David Pollock | April 9, 1983 |
| 3 | 3 | "The Source" | Harry Winer | Steve Kline | April 16, 1983 |
| 4 | 4 | "Custody" | Peter Baldwin | AJ Carothers | April 23, 1983 |
| 5 | 5 | "Please Stand By" | Peter Baldwin | Steve Kline | April 30, 1983 |
Season 2 (1983–84)
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | "Hooking for Mr. Goodbar" | Bill Bixby | Bill Greer & Kathy Greer | October 2, 1983 |
| 7 | 2 | "What's Good for the Goose" | Harry Winer | Ron Osborn & Jeff Reno | October 9, 1983 |
| 8 | 3 | "A Felon Needs a Girl" | Bill Bixby | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | October 16, 1983 |
| 9 | 4 | "Invasions of Privacy" | Alan Bergmann | AJ Carothers | October 23, 1983 |
| 10 | 5 | "Popsicle" | Dick Martin | Bill Greer & Kathy Greer | October 30, 1983 |
| 11 | 6 | "Our Man in the Slammer" | Will Mackenzie | Bill Greer & Kathy Greer | November 6, 1983 |
| 12 | 7 | "Looking Forward to the Past" | Kim Friedman | Ron Osborn & Jeff Reno | November 20, 1983 |
| 13 | 8 | "Valerie's Fan" | Bob Sweeney | Ron Osborn & Jeff Reno | December 4, 1983 |
| 14 | 9 | "Happy Medium" | Kim Friedman | Ron Osborn & Jeff Reno | December 11, 1983 |
| 15 | 10 | "Peace on Earth" | Bill Bixby | Steve Kline & Ron Osborn & Jeff Reno | December 25, 1983 |
| 16 | 11 | "The Consumer's Best Friend" | David Nelson | Gibson Carothers | January 1, 1984 |
| 17 | 12 | "Lost and Foundering" | Bob Sweeney | Bill Greer & Kathy Greer | January 8, 1984 |
| 18 | 13 | "An Old Flame Flickers" | Harry Winer | A.J. Carothers | January 15, 1984 |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Emmy Award | Nominated | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Mariette Hartley |
| 1984 | Young Artist Award | Winner | Best Young Actress in a New Television Series | Tracey Gold |
| Best New Television Series |
References
- ^ Lina. "The TV Ratings Guide: 1982-83 Ratings History -- Soap Bubbles Rise, Several Veterans Part and NBC Renews Poorly Rated Masterpieces". Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ "1983-84 Ratings History -- The Networks Are Awash in a Bubble Bath of Soaps".
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External links
- 1983 American television series debuts
- 1984 American television series endings
- 1980s American television series
- 1980s American sitcoms
- CBS original programming
- Television shows set in Massachusetts
- Television series by Warner Bros. Television
- Television news sitcoms
- English-language television programs
- Television series about journalism
- Television series about television
- Television shows set in Boston