Charles in Charge
Encyclopedia
Charles in Charge is an American sitcom
series which starred Scott Baio
as Charles, a 19-year-old student at the fictional Copeland College in New Jersey
, who worked as a live-in babysitter in exchange for room and board
. Baio directed many episodes of the show, and was credited with his full name, Scott Vincent Baio.
It was first broadcast on CBS
from October 3, 1984 to April 3, 1985, when it was cancelled due to a struggle in the Nielsen ratings
. It then had a more successful first-run syndication run from January 3, 1987 to November 10, 1990. 126 original episodes were aired in total. The show was produced by Al Burton Productions and Scholastic Productions in association with Universal Television
.
When the show ended its run on CBS, and entered first-run syndication in 1987, the story explained that the Pembrokes sub-leased their house and moved to Seattle, and the Powells moved in instead, thereby allowing Charles to live downstairs yet again. This time, the family consisted of grandfather Walter, mother Ellen (whose husband was in the Navy and consequently could only visit his family sporadically), and her three children: Jamie, Sarah, and Adam.
Charles' mother, Lillian, was played by Ellen Travolta, John Travolta
's sister. She also played her sisters (Charles's aunts), Sally and Vanessa. She had previously played the mother of Chachi Arcola, Scott Baio's character on Happy Days
and Joanie Loves Chachi
. Chachi's real name, incidentally, was also Charles.
Nicole Eggert went on to star in Baywatch
(1992–1994). Josie Davis also made one appearance in a 1998 Baywatch episode. Both Charles in Charge and Baywatch were TV shows that began on network TV, before moving to first-run syndication.
guest starred as "Stanley Willard", a malevolent loan officer, guidance counselor, college professor and mental patient throughout the series.
had a recurring role as Elliott Pembroke, Stan's nephew.
Meg Ryan
guest starred as "Meagan Parker" in two episodes of the show's first season: "War" on October 24, 1984 and "Charles 'R' Us" on February 13, 1985.
Rue McClanahan
guest starred as "Irene Pembroke," the children's paternal grandmother, in "Home for the Holidays," aired on December 19, 1984, and in "Pressure from Grandma," aired on January 30, 1985.
Matthew Perry
portrayed Lila Pembroke's mistaken date, "Ed Stanley," in the episode "The Wrong Guy".
Christina Applegate
portrayed Lila's friend Stacy in the episodes "Slumber Party" and "Snowed In."
The episode "Snowed In" on February 6, 1985, had a minor role for Kathy Ireland
.
star Mindy Cohn
guest starred in one episode as Buddy's fun loving sister who has a problem with alcoholism in the episode "Bottle Baby."
Addams Family
actor John Astin
guest starred in the episode "The Pickle Plot" as Charles' uncle Joe, the head of a pickle company.
Saved by the Bell
star Mark-Paul Gosselaar
guest starred in the episode "Runaround Charles" as a classmate of Jamie's
played Lillian's nephew Anthony.
Erika Eleniak
, who played Charles' girlfriend on three episodes, later went on to star in Baywatch (1989–1992).
Donny Most, who played Ralph on Happy Days, made a cameo appearance in "It's a Blunderfull Life".
Sally Struthers
who played Gloria on All in the Family guest starred as Jamie's teacher in episode "Sill at Large"
appeared in one episode playing a famous singer named Samantha Steele on "Paper Covers Rock".
Paul Walker
plays an illiterate friend of Sarah Powell on "Dead Puck Society".
Ami Foster
plays a snobbish friend of Jamie's on "Out with the In Crowd".
Tiffani-Amber Thiessen plays Charles' girlfriend Jennifer on "There's a Girl in My Ficus".
, and Al Burton, and performed by Shandi Sinnamon
. The theme music was mellower in the first season, and was remixed for the syndication run.
released a 3-disc set of the first season of Charles in Charge on DVD
in North America
on February 14, 2006. Due to poor sales, Universal licensed the rights to release the remaining four seasons to Arts Alliance America (which has since changed its name to Virgil Films & Entertainment) during the summer of 2007. Seasons four and five are not generally available, but were both released in mid-2009 as Amazon
exclusives. Soon after the release of season 5, Amazon placed a note on the season 4 and 5 product pages indicating the items could not be shipped internationally.
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 starred Scott Baio
Scott Baio
Scott Vincent James Baio is an American actor and television director, best known for his roles as Chachi Arcola on the sitcom Happy Days and its spin-off, Joanie Loves Chachi, and as the title character on the sitcom Charles in Charge....
as Charles, a 19-year-old student at the fictional Copeland College in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, who worked as a live-in babysitter in exchange for room and board
Room and board
Room and board describes a situation where, in exchange for money, labor or other considerations, a person is provided with a place to live as well as meals on a comprehensive basis...
. Baio directed many episodes of the show, and was credited with his full name, Scott Vincent Baio.
It was first broadcast on 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...
from October 3, 1984 to April 3, 1985, when it was cancelled due to a struggle in the Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
. It then had a more successful first-run syndication run from January 3, 1987 to November 10, 1990. 126 original episodes were aired in total. The show was produced by Al Burton Productions and Scholastic Productions in association with Universal Television
Universal Television
Universal Television is the television production arm of the NBCUniversal Television Group, and by extension, the NBC television network...
.
Premise
Charles first worked for the Pembroke family: wife Jill, husband Stan, and their three children: Lila, Douglas, and Jason.When the show ended its run on CBS, and entered first-run syndication in 1987, the story explained that the Pembrokes sub-leased their house and moved to Seattle, and the Powells moved in instead, thereby allowing Charles to live downstairs yet again. This time, the family consisted of grandfather Walter, mother Ellen (whose husband was in the Navy and consequently could only visit his family sporadically), and her three children: Jamie, Sarah, and Adam.
Main cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Scott Baio Scott Baio Scott Vincent James Baio is an American actor and television director, best known for his roles as Chachi Arcola on the sitcom Happy Days and its spin-off, Joanie Loves Chachi, and as the title character on the sitcom Charles in Charge.... |
Charles |
| Willie Aames Willie Aames Willie Aames is an American actor, film and television director, television producer, and screenwriter. He played Tommy Bradford on the 1970s’ Eight Is Enough and Buddy Lembeck on the 1980s’ Charles in Charge.-Early life:... |
Buddence "Buddy" Lembeck |
| 1984–1985 | |
| Jennifer Runyon Jennifer Runyon -Biography:She is known for guest appearances or secondary characters in various sitcoms and dramas, as well as a couple of made-for-TV movies. Among her roles are Sally Frame on Another World , Gwendolyn Pierce on Charles in Charge , and replacing Susan Olsen as Cindy Brady in A Very Brady Christmas... |
Gwendolyn Pierce |
| James Widdoes James Widdoes James "Jamie" Widdoes is an American actor and film and television director, sometimes credited as Jamie Widdoes.-Career:... |
Stan Pembroke |
| Julie Cobb Julie Cobb Julie Cobb is a longtime American actress, the daughter of actor Lee J. Cobb and actress Helen Beverley. At one point, she was a Playboy Bunny.... |
Jill Pembroke |
| April Lerman April Lerman April Lerman is an American former child actress who played the role of Kate, an orphan in the 1982 film of the musical Annie. She also was a regular cast member on the first season of Charles in Charge , where she played the character of Lila Pembroke.-Early life and career:Lerman was born in... |
Lila Pembroke |
| Jonathan Ward Jonathan Ward Jonathan Ward is an American actor born on February 24, 1970 in Elkridge, Maryland, USA. He has starred mostly in television programs and telefilms, but has also appeared in a small number of movies. His acting debut was on Broadway as Michael in Peter Pan.-Television credits:He was twelve years... |
Douglas Pembroke |
| Michael Pearlman Michael Pearlman Michael Pearlman , was an actor who appeared in Charles in Charge with Scott Baio. He also appeared in One Trick Pony, a feature film starring Paul Simon that was released in 1980. He now lives in Sheridan, Wyoming, where he works as a freelance writer and maintains a personal blog covering sports... |
Jason Pembroke |
| 1987–1990 | |
| James T. Callahan James T. Callahan James Thomas Callahan was an American film and television actor who appeared in more than 120 films and television shows between 1959 and 2007... |
Walter Powell |
| Sandra Kerns Sandra Kerns Sandra Borgsmiller Kerns is an American movie and television actress who worked on television in the 1970s and 1980s before retiring to care for her family with husband Hubie Kerns Jr., a stuntman.... |
Ellen Powell |
| Nicole Eggert Nicole Eggert Nicole Elizabeth Eggert is an American actress. Notable roles include Jamie Powell in the television series Charles in Charge and Summer Quinn in the TV Series Baywatch. She was most recently a contestant on the VH1 reality show Celebrity Fit Club.-Early life:Eggert was born in Glendale,... |
Jamie Powell |
| Josie Davis Josie Davis Josie Rebecca Davis is an American actress and producer, best known for her role as Sarah Powell in the television sitcom Charles in Charge from 1987 to 1990.-Television work:... |
Sarah Powell |
| Alexander Polinsky Alexander Polinsky Alexander Polinsky is an American actor, voice actor, and singer who is perhaps best known for his role as Adam Powell on Charles in Charge. After the show ended, he has made TV, voice, and movie appearances, as well as working as a mold-maker at a movie prop design studio... |
Adam Powell |
| Ellen Travolta Ellen Travolta Ellen Travolta is an American actress, the eldest sibling of John Travolta. She is probably best known for her portrayal of Louisa Arcola Delvecchio, the mother of Chachi Arcola in the 1950s-based sitcom Happy Days, and its unsuccessful spinoff, Joanie Loves Chachi... |
Lillian |
Charles' mother, Lillian, was played by Ellen Travolta, John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
's sister. She also played her sisters (Charles's aunts), Sally and Vanessa. She had previously played the mother of Chachi Arcola, Scott Baio's character on Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
and Joanie Loves Chachi
Joanie Loves Chachi
Joanie Loves Chachi is an American television spin-off of the popular American sitcom Happy Days that was originally broadcast on ABC from March 23, 1982 to September 13, 1983...
. Chachi's real name, incidentally, was also Charles.
Nicole Eggert went on to star in Baywatch
Baywatch
Baywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...
(1992–1994). Josie Davis also made one appearance in a 1998 Baywatch episode. Both Charles in Charge and Baywatch were TV shows that began on network TV, before moving to first-run syndication.
Guest cast
Ben SteinBen Stein
Benjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
guest starred as "Stanley Willard", a malevolent loan officer, guidance counselor, college professor and mental patient throughout the series.
Season 1
During the first season, Jerry LevineJerry Levine
Jerry Levine is an American actor and director, perhaps best known for his role as Rupert 'Stiles' Stilinski in the feature film Teen Wolf.-Career:...
had a recurring role as Elliott Pembroke, Stan's nephew.
Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan
Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra , professionally known as Meg Ryan, is an American actress and producer. Raised in Bethel, Connecticut, Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles, before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982...
guest starred as "Meagan Parker" in two episodes of the show's first season: "War" on October 24, 1984 and "Charles 'R' Us" on February 13, 1985.
Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan was an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family, and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.-Early life:McClanahan was born Eddie Rue...
guest starred as "Irene Pembroke," the children's paternal grandmother, in "Home for the Holidays," aired on December 19, 1984, and in "Pressure from Grandma," aired on January 30, 1985.
Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry is Canadian-American television and film actor.Matthew Perry or Matt Perry may also refer to:*Matthew C. Perry , American naval officer who forcibly opened Japan to trade with the West...
portrayed Lila Pembroke's mistaken date, "Ed Stanley," in the episode "The Wrong Guy".
Christina Applegate
Christina Applegate
Christina Applegate is an American actress. She is best known for playing Kelly Bundy on the Fox sitcom Married... with Children. Since then, she has established a film and television career, winning a Primetime Emmy and earning Tony and Golden Globe nominations...
portrayed Lila's friend Stacy in the episodes "Slumber Party" and "Snowed In."
The episode "Snowed In" on February 6, 1985, had a minor role for Kathy Ireland
Kathy Ireland
Kathleen Marie "Kathy" Ireland is an American former model, actress, and entrepreneur. She is the CEO and designer of her eponymous brand product marketing company, Kathy Ireland Worldwide.-Life and career:...
.
Season 3
The Facts of LifeThe Facts of Life (TV series)
The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focused on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, a prestigious...
star Mindy Cohn
Mindy Cohn
Mindy Heather Cohn is an American actress, comedian known for her role as Natalie Green, the smart, overweight student of Edna Garrett , on the TV show The Facts of Life, and also being the current voice for Velma Dinkley in the Scooby-Doo franchise, which she has held since 2002.She currently...
guest starred in one episode as Buddy's fun loving sister who has a problem with alcoholism in the episode "Bottle Baby."
Addams Family
The Addams Family (TV series)
The Addams Family is an American television series based on the characters in Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons. The 30-minute series was shot in black-and-white and aired for two seasons in 64 installments on ABC from September 18, 1964, to April 8, 1966...
actor John Astin
John Astin
John Allen Astin is an American actor who has appeared in numerous films and television shows, and is best known for the role of Gomez Addams on The Addams Family, and other similarly eccentric comedic characters.-Early years:...
guest starred in the episode "The Pickle Plot" as Charles' uncle Joe, the head of a pickle company.
Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell is an American television sitcom that aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later folded into the history of Saved by the Bell...
star Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Zack Morris in NBC's Saved by the Bell, Good Morning, Miss Bliss, and Saved by the Bell: The College Years, Detective John Clark in NYPD Blue, Jerry Kellerman in TNT's Raising the Bar, and more recently Peter...
guest starred in the episode "Runaround Charles" as a classmate of Jamie's
Season 4
For a few episodes of this season, Justin WhalinJustin Whalin
Justin Garrett Whalin is an American actor best known for his role as Jimmy Olsen in the American television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.-Early life:...
played Lillian's nephew Anthony.
Erika Eleniak
Erika Eleniak
Erika Eleniak is an American Playboy Playmate and actress, perhaps best known for her role in Baywatch as Shauni McClain. She also starred in the films Under Siege and The Beverly Hillbillies.-Early life:...
, who played Charles' girlfriend on three episodes, later went on to star in Baywatch (1989–1992).
Donny Most, who played Ralph on Happy Days, made a cameo appearance in "It's a Blunderfull Life".
Sally Struthers
Sally Struthers
Sally Ann Struthers is an American actress and spokeswoman, best-known for her roles as Gloria Stivic on All in the Family, for which she won two Emmy awards, and as Babette on Gilmore Girls.-Personal life:...
who played Gloria on All in the Family guest starred as Jamie's teacher in episode "Sill at Large"
Season 5
Samantha FoxSamantha Fox
Samantha Karen "Sam" Fox is an English dance-pop singer, actress, and former glamour model. In 1983, at the age of 16, she began her topless modeling career on Page Three of The Sun, and went on to become a popular pin-up girl...
appeared in one episode playing a famous singer named Samantha Steele on "Paper Covers Rock".
Paul Walker
Paul Walker
Paul William Walker IV is an American actor. He became well known in 1999 after his role in the hit film Varsity Blues. He is also known for starring in the surprise summer hit The Fast and the Furious. His other films include Joy Ride, Running Scared, Into the Blue and Eight Below...
plays an illiterate friend of Sarah Powell on "Dead Puck Society".
Ami Foster
Ami Foster
Ami Foster is a former American child actress. Foster is best remembered for playing Margeaux Kramer on the American television program Punky Brewster.-Biography:...
plays a snobbish friend of Jamie's on "Out with the In Crowd".
Tiffani-Amber Thiessen plays Charles' girlfriend Jennifer on "There's a Girl in My Ficus".
Theme song
The theme song was composed by David Kurtz, Michael JacobsMichael Jacobs
Michael Jacobs is a writer and producer whose work has appeared on Broadway, Off Broadway, television and film. He is the creator/producer of several popular television series including Boy Meets World, Dinosaurs, Charles in Charge and My Two Dads...
, and Al Burton, and performed by Shandi Sinnamon
Shandi Sinnamon
-Career:Shandi was born to a Huguenot family as Shandra Sinnamon in Miami, Florida. After dropping out of high school, she left home for Big Sur, California. Her ambition was to become a singer and songwriter....
. The theme music was mellower in the first season, and was remixed for the syndication run.
DVD releases
Universal Studios Home EntertainmentUniversal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
released a 3-disc set of the first season of Charles in Charge on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on February 14, 2006. Due to poor sales, Universal licensed the rights to release the remaining four seasons to Arts Alliance America (which has since changed its name to Virgil Films & Entertainment) during the summer of 2007. Seasons four and five are not generally available, but were both released in mid-2009 as Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
exclusives. Soon after the release of season 5, Amazon placed a note on the season 4 and 5 product pages indicating the items could not be shipped internationally.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | 22 | February 14, 2006 |
| The Complete Second Season | 26 | November 20, 2007 |
| The Complete Third Season | 26 | May 20, 2008 |
| The Complete Fourth Season | 26 | March 24, 2009 |
| The Complete Fifth Season | 26 | July 28, 2009 |
External links
- Charles in Charge Online at WikiaWikiaWikia is a free web hosting service for wikis . It is normally free of charge for readers and editors, deriving most of its income from advertising, and publishes all user-provided text under copyleft licenses. Wikia hosts several hundred thousand wikis using the open-source wiki software MediaWiki...