Back to You
Encyclopedia
Back to You is an American situation comedy
series, which aired on Fox
from September 19, 2007 to May 14, 2008. The creators and executive producers were Christopher Lloyd
and Steven Levitan
, and the director was James Burrows
. The series starred Kelsey Grammer
and Patricia Heaton
as squabbling anchors of a news program. It was cancelled after one season.
) and Kelly Carr (Heaton
) were co-anchors of Pittsburgh news program WURG News 9 that had great on-screen chemistry, despite constant quarreling off-screen. However, Chuck left to take a job elsewhere. After an embarrassing comment he makes results in his dismissal from a large market LA newscast, Chuck returns to Pittsburgh after 10 years to become anchor on the newscast he originally left. Chuck also learns that he is the father of Carr's 10-year-old daughter. Their daughter, Gracie, turns 11 years old in the episode, "Something's Up There
".
and Patricia Heaton
were in talks to lead the cast of the series, originally titled Action News, which only had a script
commitment with 20th Century Fox Television
at the time. The script was reportedly a hot commodity with numerous networks interested before Fox
outbid the competition and gave it a blind thirteen-episode commitment in February 2007. Upon its pick-up, it also became Levitan and Lloyd's first project under their production banner, Levitan-Lloyd Productions. Grammer and Heaton were also confirmed to star in the series in the same month. It was renamed Back to You in April 2007 because Pittsburgh has a real life Channel 4
Action News
. (The show was originally to be set in Buffalo, New York
, which, at least in name, did not have an Action News station, but Lloyd felt that having a major-market news personality fall from Los Angeles (market #2) to Buffalo (market #49) was implausible. This was despite the fact that several prominent Los Angeles news anchors, including John Beard, Nick Clooney
, Maria Genero, Kevin O'Connell, and John Stehlin have all moved from the Los Angeles to the Buffalo markets, and all but Clooney remain there to this day.) The series was officially greenlit on May 11, 2007. James Burrows
, who had directed all the episodes of the show joined the staff as an executive producer in June 2007.
Produced by 20th Century Fox Television
and Levitan-Lloyd Productions, the series premiered on September 19, 2007. The show aired on Wednesday nights at 8:00/7:00c on Fox
, leading out 'Til Death
, which features Heaton's former Everybody Loves Raymond
co-star, Brad Garrett
. The first episode rated a promising 9.44 million viewers for Fox.
On October 24, 2007 the show was picked up for an additional 11 episodes, bringing the total number of episodes to 24.
Also, despite the show's cancellation, and no guarantee of its renewal, Channel 4 in the United Kingdom picked up the show. The series premiered in the UK on Wednesday, 11 June 2008 on More4
at 9.30pm.
in Los Angeles
, California
.
and Aimee Garcia were originally cast as Ryan Church and Montana Diaz Herrera respectively in February 2007 but the roles were re-cast in April 2007 with Josh Gad
and Ayda Field
replacing them. Fred Willard
was also cast as Marsh McGinley in February. Casting continued throughout March
with Ty Burrell
and Laura Marano
landing the last two regular spots in the series. There was also talk of casting Sung Hi Lee in a recurring role as Chuck Darling's love interest, but the producers decided in April to go in a different direction. She did appear in the Pilot.
The role of Gracie Carr was re-cast starting the tenth episode, "The Wall of Fame", and was played by Lily Jackson. Ayda Field was also dropped from the show after the tenth episode. The background used for Ayda Field's credit in the title sequence, a weather map of the United States, was still briefly shown but her image was replaced by a silhouette of a man.
.
The show went on hiatus on November 14 but returned on Tuesday February 26, 2008 at 9:30/8:30c. It aired a new episode that night and another on Wednesday February 27, 2008, the following day, and new episodes began airing weekly, starting Wednesday April 16, 2008. On this day, Back to You moved to its new time slot at 8:30/7:30c, following 'Til Death
, and replacing The Moment of Truth.
, the series was not renewed by the network on May 9, 2008, while' Til Death was renewed.
The comedy was shopped around for a new home, under Grammer's request, and CBS
was interested in picking up the comedy for a second season. With this, CBS was also interested in using the comedy to open an extension night of comedy beyond Monday night, giving the series as a solid anchor for the extension.
However, Grammer was already searching for a new show and ABC
had given him some new projects (one was an overseas remake
of Roman's Empire
, which failed to pick up, and Hank
, which premiered Fall 2009, but was canceled after five episodes). Heaton also was interested in an ABC project (The Middle
, which also premiered in fall 2009). As a result, Back to You was never renewed.
In a somewhat related note, the creators of the show, Lloyd & Levitan, would go on to create another fall 2009 series for ABC, Modern Family
, which features fellow Back to You star Burrell, as well as Willard as Burrell's character's father, and even airs after The Middle (which aired after Hank from September–November 2009).
" (aired November 14, 2007) involved Marsh trying to convince the show's lone Polish-American character, Gary, to go bowling after work by saying: "Come on, it's in your blood, like kielbasa
and collaborating with the Nazis." Fox later apologized on November 20, 2007. They vowed never to air the line of dialogue again in repeats and/or syndicated broadcasts. Fox stated that, "The line was delivered by a character known for being ignorant, clueless, and for saying outlandish things. Allowing the line to remain in the show, however, demonstrated poor judgment, and we apologize to anyone who was offended."
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
series, which aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
from September 19, 2007 to May 14, 2008. The creators and executive producers were Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Lloyd (screenwriter)
Christopher Lloyd is an American TV screenwriter and producer of Wings, Frasier, Out of Practice, Back to You, and Modern Family...
and Steven Levitan
Steven Levitan
Steven E. Levitan is an American director, screenwriter and producer of television comedies. He has created such TV series as Just Shoot Me!, Stark Raving Mad, Stacked, Back to You, and Modern Family....
, and the director was James Burrows
James Burrows
James Edward Burrows is an American television director who has been working in television since the 1970s.-Biography:...
. The series starred Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
and Patricia Heaton
Patricia Heaton
Patricia Helen Heaton is an American actress, comedienne, producer and model, best known for portraying Debra Barone on the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996 to 2005, for which she won two Emmy Awards....
as squabbling anchors of a news program. It was cancelled after one season.
Plot
Chuck Darling (GrammerKelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
) and Kelly Carr (Heaton
Patricia Heaton
Patricia Helen Heaton is an American actress, comedienne, producer and model, best known for portraying Debra Barone on the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996 to 2005, for which she won two Emmy Awards....
) were co-anchors of Pittsburgh news program WURG News 9 that had great on-screen chemistry, despite constant quarreling off-screen. However, Chuck left to take a job elsewhere. After an embarrassing comment he makes results in his dismissal from a large market LA newscast, Chuck returns to Pittsburgh after 10 years to become anchor on the newscast he originally left. Chuck also learns that he is the father of Carr's 10-year-old daughter. Their daughter, Gracie, turns 11 years old in the episode, "Something's Up There
Something's Up There
"Something's Up There" is the seventh episode of the first season of the situation comedy Back to You. It aired on November 14, 2007. This episode is also known for its controversial content.-Plot:It's Gracie's birthday and everything goes wrong....
".
Cast and characters
- Chuck Darling (Kelsey GrammerKelsey GrammerAllen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
) is the co-anchor at WURG-TV, News 9, and also the former co-anchor of WURG until New Year's EveNew Year's EveNew Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
1996, until he left for a better job, moving through different markets before finally moving to an anchor job in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Ten years later, he made a curse-filled outburst towards a co-worker, Darcy Tanner, which became a massive YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
sensation. He has now returned to WURG-TV and is once again co-anchor with Kelly Carr. He later finds out he has a child with Kelly named Gracie, a result of a one night stand the night before Chuck left. He and Gracie get along well, and despite the fact that Gracie is oblivious to his paternity, it seems that Chuck has passed on some of his personality traits to his daughter, which include their mutual dislike for Kelly. He was raised in Greenwich, ConnecticutGreenwich, ConnecticutGreenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
.
- Kelly Marsha Carr (Patricia HeatonPatricia HeatonPatricia Helen Heaton is an American actress, comedienne, producer and model, best known for portraying Debra Barone on the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996 to 2005, for which she won two Emmy Awards....
) is Chuck's co-anchor, and was formerly until New Year's Eve 1996 when he left WURG. As a result of getting drunk, doing a report on drunk driving, and later having sex with Chuck, she now has a daughter with Chuck. When Chuck returned, she wasn't happy, taking every chance to get angry at him. She revealed that her daughter Gracie is in fact Chuck's child.
- Montana Diaz Herrera (real name Sally Lerner) (Ayda FieldAyda FieldAyda Field is an American television actress. Field was born in Los Angeles, California, to a Turkish father and American mother.-Early life:...
) was WURG's purportedly Latina weatherwoman until episode 13 when she was fired. Montana isn't the most well educated person, but she will do a lot to make sure people in power like her. She also has a difficulty pronouncing "Monongahela". Her name has disappeared from the credits as of episode 10, because in the plot line for episode 13, she was fired. It is revealed her real name is Sally Lerner. She pretended to be Hispanic because most stations "only wanted to hire minorities." She chose the alias Montana because it was where she used to ice skate, and she chose Diaz Herrera only after mistaking it for "Happy Days" in Spanish. It has been alluded that she is Marsh's daughter. Montana/Sally's mother is named Louise Lerner.
- Ryan Church (Josh GadJosh GadJoshua “Josh” Gad is an American film-, television-, and stage-actor best known for playing Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Broadway musical The Book of Mormon and the role of Ryan Church in the television series Back to You. Gad has also appeared in episodes of ER, The Daily Show, Modern Family...
) is the news director at WURG. He stated in the pilot that he is 26 (and a half) years old, and his birthday falls in the month of March. He also has a crush on Montana, and repeatedly tries to impress her by doing stupid and dangerous things. He formerly ran the station's internet division.
- Gracie Carr (Laura MaranoLaura MaranoLaura Marie Marano is an American teen actress. She has appeared in Without a Trace and Back to You, in both instances playing the daughter of the main characters. In December, she will be starring in a lead role in the new Disney Channel series Austin & Ally...
then Lily JacksonLily JacksonLily Jackson is an American child actress. She is best known for her role as Gracie, the ten year old daughter of Chuck Darling and Kelly Carr of the sitcom, Back to You and for her recurring role as Poochie McGruder in Disney XD's Zeke and Luther-Biography:Prior to playing the role of Gracie...
) is Chuck and Kelly's daughter, though she was unaware that Chuck is her father until episode 11. She and her father Chuck seem to share many qualities, such as their sense of humor and their allergy to pistachios. She recently turned eleven. Lily Jackson replaced Laura Marano starting with the tenth episode, "The Wall of Fame", and Gracie reverted to the age of 10.
- Gary Crezyzewski (Ty BurrellTy Burrell- External links :*...
) is WURG's field reporter, a position he has held for 12 years. His ambition is to become an anchor, and it has been hinted that he holds a grudge against Chuck because Gary hoped to be the new anchor. He always ends up in awkward and unwanted situations while reporting, which have included, as he explains, "every freeway chase, toxic spill, and record snowfall". He was also seen to have been used as a test subject in a taser demonstration. His name is often mis-pronounced by his co-workers, especially Chuck. Gary is married to a woman named Kitty, and their marriage is described as somewhat antagonistic, but loving. Kitty is often mentioned, and usually described as behaving outlandishly, but is never seen on camera - much like Maris from FrasierFrasierFrasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
or Vera from CheersCheersCheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, both programs from Back to You producer Christopher Lloyd. Gary is of PolishPolesthumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
descent.
- Marsh McGinley (Fred WillardFred WillardFred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
) is WURG's fairly dim-witted sports anchor. He throws up before the beginning of each show. He also breaks down while reading Casey at the BatCasey at the Bat"Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888" is a baseball poem written in 1888 by Ernest Thayer. First published in The San Francisco Examiner on June 3, 1888, it was later popularized by DeWolf Hopper in many vaudeville performances.The poem was originally published...
, because his father used that poem to break his stutter. Could possibly be the father of Montana.
Guest stars
- Adam BuschAdam BuschAdam Busch is an American actor who played the recurring character Warren Mears on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He first appeared on Buffy in season 5, in an episode called "I Was Made to Love You".-Career:Early roles include Noah Allen from Nickelodeon's the Mystery Files of...
as Production Assistant - Bill MacyBill MacyBill Macy is an American television and stage actor.Macy was born in Revere, Massachusetts, to Mollie and Michael Garber, a manufacturer...
as Troy - Regan BurnsRegan BurnsRegan Burns is an American comedian. He is known for various small roles in TV commercials and programs...
as Mr. Robbins - Rick FittsRick FittsRick Fitts is an American television and film actor.Fitts has had minor roles in almost a hundred different television shows since his acting debut in 1980, in shows such as Knight Rider, Simon & Simon, The A-Team, Hill Street Blues, Jake and the Fatman, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Seinfeld,...
as David - Maurice G. Smith as Stage Manager
- Tia CarrereTia CarrereTia Carrere is an American actress, model, voice artist, and singer, perhaps most widely known for her role as Cassandra Wong in the feature films Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2, Queen Tyr'ahnee in Duck Dodgers, and as Sydney Fox in the TV series Relic Hunter.-Early life:Carrere was born in...
as Maggie - Tom KaneTom KaneTom Kane is a prominent American voice actor with over 25 years of experience. He is most widely known for his animation work...
as Voice-over Narrator
- Charisma CarpenterCharisma CarpenterCharisma Lee Carpenter is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Cordelia Chase in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel, for which she was nominated for four Saturn Awards. In her most recent film she starred opposite Sylvester Stallone and Jason...
as Brooke - Paul ButcherPaul Butcher (actor)Paul Butcher, Jr. is an American actor and singer.Butcher is best known for playing the role of Dustin Brooks, brother of Zoey Brooks, in the four seasons of the TV show Zoey 101....
as Well-Dressed Kid - Tricia O'Kelley as Colette
- Jed ReesJed ReesJed Rees is a Canadian Comedy Award-nominated actor from Vancouver, British Columbia, best known for his roles in movies such as Men With Brooms and The Ringer -Early life:...
as George - James Patrick StuartJames Patrick StuartJames Patrick Stuart is an English-American stage, film and television actor.-Theater:His early career began on stage, where his work received recognition.-Television:...
as Chad Brackett - Billy Mayo as Policeman
Episodes
Chronologically Fox aired the episodes out of order. The chronological episode list is:- "Pilot"
- "Fish Story"
- "The First Supper"
- "A Gentleman Always Leads"
- "A Night of Possibilities"
- "Gracie's Bully"
- "Something's Up There"
- "Business or Pleasure?"
- "Date Night"
- "Cradle to Grave"
- "The New Boss"
- "The House of Tomorrow"
- "Wall of Fame"
- "Hug and Tell"
- "Two Steps Forward, One Step Back"
- "Chuck and Kelly, Doin' It Again"
- "Hostage Watch"
Conception
It was reported in January 2007 that Kelsey GrammerKelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
and Patricia Heaton
Patricia Heaton
Patricia Helen Heaton is an American actress, comedienne, producer and model, best known for portraying Debra Barone on the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996 to 2005, for which she won two Emmy Awards....
were in talks to lead the cast of the series, originally titled Action News, which only had a script
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
commitment with 20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
at the time. The script was reportedly a hot commodity with numerous networks interested before Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
outbid the competition and gave it a blind thirteen-episode commitment in February 2007. Upon its pick-up, it also became Levitan and Lloyd's first project under their production banner, Levitan-Lloyd Productions. Grammer and Heaton were also confirmed to star in the series in the same month. It was renamed Back to You in April 2007 because Pittsburgh has a real life Channel 4
WTAE-TV
WTAE-TV is the ABC affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania that is licensed to Pittsburgh, broadcasting on UHF channel 51 and identifying via PSIP as channel 4 . It also serves as an ABC affiliate for the Wheeling/Steubenville and Clarksburg/Weston, West Virginia market areas...
Action News
Action News
Action News is a local television newscast format in the United States. It was conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at WFIL-TV by then-news director Mel Kampmann in 1970 as a response to the "Eyewitness News" format used on rival station KYW-TV...
. (The show was originally to be set in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, which, at least in name, did not have an Action News station, but Lloyd felt that having a major-market news personality fall from Los Angeles (market #2) to Buffalo (market #49) was implausible. This was despite the fact that several prominent Los Angeles news anchors, including John Beard, Nick Clooney
Nick Clooney
Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Clooney is an American journalist, anchorman, and television host. He is the brother of the late singer Rosemary Clooney, and father of actor and film director George Clooney.-Early life:...
, Maria Genero, Kevin O'Connell, and John Stehlin have all moved from the Los Angeles to the Buffalo markets, and all but Clooney remain there to this day.) The series was officially greenlit on May 11, 2007. James Burrows
James Burrows
James Edward Burrows is an American television director who has been working in television since the 1970s.-Biography:...
, who had directed all the episodes of the show joined the staff as an executive producer in June 2007.
Produced by 20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
and Levitan-Lloyd Productions, the series premiered on September 19, 2007. The show aired on Wednesday nights at 8:00/7:00c on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, leading out 'Til Death
'Til Death
’Til Death is an American sitcom which aired on the Fox network from September 7, 2006, to June 20, 2010. The series was created by husband-and-wife team Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, who were also the writers and executive-producers...
, which features Heaton's former Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...
co-star, Brad Garrett
Brad Garrett
Bradley "Brad" Garrett is an American actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, and professional poker player. Throughout he has appeared in numerous television and film roles....
. The first episode rated a promising 9.44 million viewers for Fox.
On October 24, 2007 the show was picked up for an additional 11 episodes, bringing the total number of episodes to 24.
Also, despite the show's cancellation, and no guarantee of its renewal, Channel 4 in the United Kingdom picked up the show. The series premiered in the UK on Wednesday, 11 June 2008 on More4
More4
More4 is a digital television channel, run by British broadcaster Channel 4, that launched on 10 October 2005. It is carried on Freeview, on satellite broadcasters Freesat and Sky, UK IPTV broadcaster TalkTalk TV and on UK cable network Virgin Media and in the Republic of Ireland cable networks...
at 9.30pm.
Production notes
Back to You was filmed at 20th Century Fox Studios20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Casting
After the first two leads were found, Paul CampbellPaul Campbell (Canadian actor)
-Life and career:From 2004 to 2006 he portrayed Billy Keikeya on the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. Campbell's character was a personal assistant to President Laura Roslin....
and Aimee Garcia were originally cast as Ryan Church and Montana Diaz Herrera respectively in February 2007 but the roles were re-cast in April 2007 with Josh Gad
Josh Gad
Joshua “Josh” Gad is an American film-, television-, and stage-actor best known for playing Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Broadway musical The Book of Mormon and the role of Ryan Church in the television series Back to You. Gad has also appeared in episodes of ER, The Daily Show, Modern Family...
and Ayda Field
Ayda Field
Ayda Field is an American television actress. Field was born in Los Angeles, California, to a Turkish father and American mother.-Early life:...
replacing them. Fred Willard
Fred Willard
Fred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
was also cast as Marsh McGinley in February. Casting continued throughout March
March 2007
March 2007 was the third month of that year. It began on a Thursday, and ended 31 days later on a Saturday.-International holidays:* March 1 – St Davids Day United Kingdom* March 4 – Purim * March 10 – Arba'een...
with Ty Burrell
Ty Burrell
- External links :*...
and Laura Marano
Laura Marano
Laura Marie Marano is an American teen actress. She has appeared in Without a Trace and Back to You, in both instances playing the daughter of the main characters. In December, she will be starring in a lead role in the new Disney Channel series Austin & Ally...
landing the last two regular spots in the series. There was also talk of casting Sung Hi Lee in a recurring role as Chuck Darling's love interest, but the producers decided in April to go in a different direction. She did appear in the Pilot.
The role of Gracie Carr was re-cast starting the tenth episode, "The Wall of Fame", and was played by Lily Jackson. Ayda Field was also dropped from the show after the tenth episode. The background used for Ayda Field's credit in the title sequence, a weather map of the United States, was still briefly shown but her image was replaced by a silhouette of a man.
Writers’ strike
Production on the show was halted on November 6, 2007 due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike
The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, more commonly referred to as simply the Writers' Strike, was a strike by the Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America, West ....
.
The show went on hiatus on November 14 but returned on Tuesday February 26, 2008 at 9:30/8:30c. It aired a new episode that night and another on Wednesday February 27, 2008, the following day, and new episodes began airing weekly, starting Wednesday April 16, 2008. On this day, Back to You moved to its new time slot at 8:30/7:30c, following 'Til Death
'Til Death
’Til Death is an American sitcom which aired on the Fox network from September 7, 2006, to June 20, 2010. The series was created by husband-and-wife team Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, who were also the writers and executive-producers...
, and replacing The Moment of Truth.
Cancellation
Despite having better ratings than its comedy companion 'Til Death'Til Death
’Til Death is an American sitcom which aired on the Fox network from September 7, 2006, to June 20, 2010. The series was created by husband-and-wife team Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, who were also the writers and executive-producers...
, the series was not renewed by the network on May 9, 2008, while
The comedy was shopped around for a new home, under Grammer's request, and CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
was interested in picking up the comedy for a second season. With this, CBS was also interested in using the comedy to open an extension night of comedy beyond Monday night, giving the series as a solid anchor for the extension.
However, Grammer was already searching for a new show and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
had given him some new projects (one was an overseas remake
Roman's Empire (U.S. TV series)
Roman's Empire was an American sitcom, set to air on ABC. Produced by Ashton Kucher and set to star Kelsey Grammer as Roman, the series is based on the BBC comedy series of the same name.-Plot:...
of Roman's Empire
Roman's Empire
Roman's Empire was a British television comedy show starring Mathew Horne, Neil Dudgeon, Chris O'Dowd, Montserrat Lombard and Sarah Solemani...
, which failed to pick up, and Hank
Hank (2009 TV series)
Hank is a comedy television series which ran on ABC from September 30, 2009, to November 4, 2009. The series was created by Tucker Cawley and is about a Wall Street executive who loses his job and reconnects with his small-town family...
, which premiered Fall 2009, but was canceled after five episodes). Heaton also was interested in an ABC project (The Middle
The Middle (TV series)
The Middle is an American situation comedy television series that premiered on ABC on September 30, 2009. The show features Frances "Frankie" Heck , a working-class, Midwestern woman married to Mike Heck who resides in the small fictional town of Orson, Indiana. They are the parents of three...
, which also premiered in fall 2009). As a result, Back to You was never renewed.
In a somewhat related note, the creators of the show, Lloyd & Levitan, would go on to create another fall 2009 series for ABC, Modern Family
Modern Family
Modern Family is an American television comedy series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, which debuted on ABC on September 23, 2009. Lloyd and Levitan serve as showrunner and executive producers, under their Levitan-Lloyd Productions label...
, which features fellow Back to You star Burrell, as well as Willard as Burrell's character's father, and even airs after The Middle (which aired after Hank from September–November 2009).
Critical reaction
Back to You received generally mixed reviews, receiving a rating of 58 from Metacritic.- I'd rather just watch Grammer and Heaton trade barbs in the newsroom. — Entertainment Weekly
- Fox's Back to You is back to TV comedy basics: multiple cameras, live audiences but, mostly, laughs. — Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
- Grammer and Heaton slip easily into characters who won't be easily mistaken for Frasier Crane or Debra Barone, the writing's professional, the supporting cast dependable (and in the case of Fred Willard, another Raymond veteran, dependably hilarious). — Philadelphia Daily NewsPhiladelphia Daily NewsThe Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The newspaper is owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Daily News began publishing on March 31, 1925, under...
- You have to admire Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton for holding up their end of the bargain, even if the material in their show, Back to You, is such a drop from "Frasier" and "Everybody Loves Raymond". — Philadelphia Inquirer
- The pilot's plot leads them in a direction where "this just in" becomes an obvious sexual metaphor—some of it is funny, but there's just too much. — Pittsburgh Post-GazettePittsburgh Post-GazetteThe Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
- Absolutely nothing about it is original or seeks to transform the half-hour genre. Still, the fact that it is executed by sure-footed comedy veterans more than makes up for the sin of familiarity. — Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Post-IntelligencerThe Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
Controversy
The episode "Something's Up ThereSomething's Up There
"Something's Up There" is the seventh episode of the first season of the situation comedy Back to You. It aired on November 14, 2007. This episode is also known for its controversial content.-Plot:It's Gracie's birthday and everything goes wrong....
" (aired November 14, 2007) involved Marsh trying to convince the show's lone Polish-American character, Gary, to go bowling after work by saying: "Come on, it's in your blood, like kielbasa
Kielbasa
Kielbasa, kołbasa, kobasa, kovbasa, kobasa, kobasi, and kubasa are common North American anglicizations for a type of Eastern European sausage. Synonyms include Polish sausage, Ukrainian sausage, etc...
and collaborating with the Nazis." Fox later apologized on November 20, 2007. They vowed never to air the line of dialogue again in repeats and/or syndicated broadcasts. Fox stated that, "The line was delivered by a character known for being ignorant, clueless, and for saying outlandish things. Allowing the line to remain in the show, however, demonstrated poor judgment, and we apologize to anyone who was offended."
U.S. television ratings
| Season | Timeslot | Season Premiere | Season Finale | TV Season | Ranking | Viewers (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Wednesday 8:00PM | September 19, 2007 | May 14, 2008 | 2007–2008 | #109 | 6.54 |
DVD release
| Season 1 | ||||
| Set Details | Special Features | |||
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| Region 1 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
Region 4 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
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| October 14, 2008 | October 22, 2008 | |||
External links
- Back to You at FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
.com - Back To You at The Futon Critic