Life's Work
Encyclopedia
Life's Work was a situation comedy that aired from September 1996 to June 1997 on the American Broadcasting Company
channel; the show starred Lisa Ann Walter as Lisa Ann Minardi Hunter, the assistant district attorney
.
Lisa Ann always wanted to practice law since she was young because she always argued with her parents. She also had a basketball coach husband named Kevin Hunter (Michael O'Keefe) who served as the patriarch of the family. Together, they raised a 7-year-old daughter Tess (Alexa Vega) and a toddler son named Griffin (Cameron and Luca Weibel). During the entire run of the series, a simple electric guitar
instrumental solo was used as the show's opening theme. Laugh track
s were used in all episodes in the sitcom as it was filmed "live before a studio audience."
During the 1990s, it was very common to give stand-up comedians
their own sitcom on TV; even if their first one had flopped. Lisa Ann Walter was a stand-up comedian who played a mouthy feminist who could stand up to her mother in addition to her superiors at work. While Lisa Ann's character had plenty of zingers to her, there was still a sense of "been-there-done-that" with her character.
In one of the episodes, Lisa Ann claimed to have a sexual affair with then-current American President Bill Clinton
.
. During this episode, Lisa's mother Connie (portrayed by Jenny O'Hara) was recruited to help take care of the children. This occurred after she visited the family in the episode Gobblegook for a Thanksgiving
meal.
Trying to make a comeback from being forced to wear classic briefs when it took four of her G-strings to "make a decent rag," Lisa referred to her new underwear as "big kid pants
," suggesting that she was handed a pair of underwear that only child
ren should wear.
to see his wife having an extramarital affair with the new district attorney. She didn't realize that she couldn't juggle the banquet, an elegant dinner
with her husband, and please her boss at the same time.
and held on to 90% of the viewers who watched the final season of Roseanne
. Towards the end of the final season, Home Improvement and Michael J. Fox
's Spin City
flourished in the ratings, taking away viewers from this show. All of this combined with the fact that the ratings for Roseanne saw a major decrease that eventually contributed to the cancellation of this show.
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...
channel; the show starred Lisa Ann Walter as Lisa Ann Minardi Hunter, the assistant district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
.
Lisa Ann always wanted to practice law since she was young because she always argued with her parents. She also had a basketball coach husband named Kevin Hunter (Michael O'Keefe) who served as the patriarch of the family. Together, they raised a 7-year-old daughter Tess (Alexa Vega) and a toddler son named Griffin (Cameron and Luca Weibel). During the entire run of the series, a simple electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
instrumental solo was used as the show's opening theme. Laugh track
Laugh track
A laugh track is a separate soundtrack invented by Charles "Charley" Douglass, with the artificial sound of audience laughter, made to be inserted into television programming of comedy shows and sitcoms.The term "laugh track" does not apply to the genuine audience laughter on shows that shoot in...
s were used in all episodes in the sitcom as it was filmed "live before a studio audience."
During the 1990s, it was very common to give stand-up comedians
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
their own sitcom on TV; even if their first one had flopped. Lisa Ann Walter was a stand-up comedian who played a mouthy feminist who could stand up to her mother in addition to her superiors at work. While Lisa Ann's character had plenty of zingers to her, there was still a sense of "been-there-done-that" with her character.
In one of the episodes, Lisa Ann claimed to have a sexual affair with then-current American President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
Boss
One of the most crucial episodes in the series was titled Boss. This episode was originally aired on December 3, 19961996 in television
The year 1996 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1996.For the American TV schedule, see: 1996-97 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
. During this episode, Lisa's mother Connie (portrayed by Jenny O'Hara) was recruited to help take care of the children. This occurred after she visited the family in the episode Gobblegook for a Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
meal.
Trying to make a comeback from being forced to wear classic briefs when it took four of her G-strings to "make a decent rag," Lisa referred to her new underwear as "big kid pants
Undergarment
Undergarments or underwear are clothes worn under other clothes, often next to the skin. They keep outer garments from being soiled by bodily secretions and discharges, shape the body, and provide support for parts of it. In cold weather, long underwear is sometimes worn to provide additional...
," suggesting that she was handed a pair of underwear that only child
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
ren should wear.
Banquet
In the final episode of Life's Work, Lisa's husband Kevin looks at a banquetBanquet
A banquet is a large meal or feast, complete with main courses and desserts. It usually serves a purpose such as a charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a celebration, and is often preceded or followed by speeches in honour of someone....
to see his wife having an extramarital affair with the new district attorney. She didn't realize that she couldn't juggle the banquet, an elegant dinner
Dinner
Dinner is usually the name of the main meal of the day. Depending upon culture, dinner may be the second, third or fourth meal of the day. Originally, though, it referred to the first meal of the day, eaten around noon, and is still occasionally used for a noontime meal, if it is a large or main...
with her husband, and please her boss at the same time.
Cancellation
The show was officially put on hiatus on after airing the episode Neighbors on January 27, 1997. Months later, the show was officially canceled even though it earned higher ratings than The Drew Carey ShowThe Drew Carey Show
The Drew Carey Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004. The show was set in Cleveland, Ohio, and revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the actor....
and held on to 90% of the viewers who watched the final season of Roseanne
Roseanne (TV series)
Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family...
. Towards the end of the final season, Home Improvement and Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
's Spin City
Spin City
Spin City is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 until April 30, 2002 on the ABC network. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J. Fox as Mike...
flourished in the ratings, taking away viewers from this show. All of this combined with the fact that the ratings for Roseanne saw a major decrease that eventually contributed to the cancellation of this show.