Living Dolls
Encyclopedia
Living Dolls is an American situation comedy
featured on the fall 1989 schedule of ABC
. It was a spin-off
created by a writer from Who's the Boss?
and featuring characters introduced during an episode of that show. The show is notable as the acting debut of Halle Berry
. Both Who's the Boss? and Living Dolls were produced by ELP Communications
through Columbia Pictures Television
and ABC.
), a friend of Samantha Micelli (the Who's the Boss? character played by Alyssa Milano
). Samantha is dabbling in a modeling career and Charlie, a friend from Samantha's old Brooklyn neighborhood comes to visit. While doing some test shots for a dog food commercial, it is discovered that Charlie is very photogenic. Charlie was then befriended by the owner of a modeling agency for teenage girls, Trish Carlin (Michael Learned
).
magazine in its 1989 fall preview issue. ABC canceled the series after 12 episodes.
before turning into a series. In that episode, Vivica A. Fox
played Kelly instead of Halle Berry
.
Two pilots were made for the series. The first, in which Berry, Moscow, and Tucker did not appear, was produced to introduce Living Dolls as a spin-off. Their roles were portrayed by other actors. Executives disliked the original cast and held auditions for recasting. Another pilot was shown directly before the Living Dolls premiere, which illustrates the reasons why Charlie moved in with Trish in the first place.
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...
featured on the fall 1989 schedule of 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...
. It was a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
created by a writer from Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss? is an American sitcom created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, which aired on ABC from September 20, 1984 to April 25, 1992...
and featuring characters introduced during an episode of that show. The show is notable as the acting debut of Halle Berry
Halle Berry
Halle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
. Both Who's the Boss? and Living Dolls were produced by ELP Communications
Embassy Television
...
through Columbia Pictures Television
Columbia Pictures Television
Columbia Pictures Television was the second name of the Columbia Pictures television division Screen Gems . The studio changed its name on September 4, 1974.-1974-1982:...
and ABC.
Synopsis
The show featured Charlie Briscoe (Leah ReminiLeah Remini
Leah Marie Remini is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens and as Stacey Carosi on the NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell...
), a friend of Samantha Micelli (the Who's the Boss? character played by Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...
). Samantha is dabbling in a modeling career and Charlie, a friend from Samantha's old Brooklyn neighborhood comes to visit. While doing some test shots for a dog food commercial, it is discovered that Charlie is very photogenic. Charlie was then befriended by the owner of a modeling agency for teenage girls, Trish Carlin (Michael Learned
Michael Learned
Michael Learned is an American actress known for her role as Olivia Walton on The Waltons.-Personal life:Learned was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Elizabeth Duane "Betti" and Bruce Learned, a diplomat. Her maternal grandfather was an attaché for the United States Embassy in Rome...
).
Reception
Living Dolls was universally derided by critics and received mostly negative reviews. It was the only series to receive an "F" grade by PeoplePeople (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine in its 1989 fall preview issue. ABC canceled the series after 12 episodes.
Production
The series had a back-door pilot on Who's the Boss?Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss? is an American sitcom created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, which aired on ABC from September 20, 1984 to April 25, 1992...
before turning into a series. In that episode, Vivica A. Fox
Vivica A. Fox
Vivica Anjanetta Fox is an American actress and television producer. She is best known for her roles in the films Independence Day, Set It Off, Soul Food, Why Do Fools Fall In Love,Kill Bill and Juwanna Mann....
played Kelly instead of Halle Berry
Halle Berry
Halle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
.
Two pilots were made for the series. The first, in which Berry, Moscow, and Tucker did not appear, was produced to introduce Living Dolls as a spin-off. Their roles were portrayed by other actors. Executives disliked the original cast and held auditions for recasting. Another pilot was shown directly before the Living Dolls premiere, which illustrates the reasons why Charlie moved in with Trish in the first place.
Cast
- Michael LearnedMichael LearnedMichael Learned is an American actress known for her role as Olivia Walton on The Waltons.-Personal life:Learned was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Elizabeth Duane "Betti" and Bruce Learned, a diplomat. Her maternal grandfather was an attaché for the United States Embassy in Rome...
as Miss Patricia "Trish" Carlin - Leah ReminiLeah ReminiLeah Marie Remini is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens and as Stacey Carosi on the NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell...
as Charlene "Charlie" Briscoe - Deborah TuckerDeborah TuckerDeborah Tucker is an actress who appeared in U.S. television and film during the late-1980s and early-1990s.Her first credited appearance as an actress was as a cast member of the short-lived television series Living Dolls in September 1989...
as Caroline Weldon - Melissa Willis as Caroline Weldon (in pilot episode)
- Alison ElliottAlison ElliottAlison A. Elliott is an American actress.Elliott was born in San Francisco, CA, the daughter of Barbara, a teacher of nursing, and Bob Elliott, a computer executive. She moved with her family to Tokyo, Japan when she was 4 years old, and then moved back to San Francisco when she was 8, where she...
as Martha Lambert - Halle BerryHalle BerryHalle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
as Emily Franklin - Vivica A. FoxVivica A. FoxVivica Anjanetta Fox is an American actress and television producer. She is best known for her roles in the films Independence Day, Set It Off, Soul Food, Why Do Fools Fall In Love,Kill Bill and Juwanna Mann....
as Emily Franklin (in pilot episode) - David MoscowDavid MoscowDavid Raphael Moscow is an American actor. His first major role was as the young Josh Baskin in the 1988 film Big, in which his character was magically transformed into an adult played by Tom Hanks.-Early life:...
as Eric "Rick" Carlin - Jonathan WardJonathan WardJonathan 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...
as Eric "Rick" Carlin (in pilot episode)
Season 1
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "It's All Done with Mirrors" | September 26, 1989 |
| 1-2 | "It's My Party" | September 30, 1989 |
| 1-3 | "Martha Means Well" | October 7, 1989 |
| 1-4 | "Seeing Is Believing" | October 21, 1989 |
| 1-5 | "Guess Who's Not Coming to Dinner" | November 4, 1989 |
| 1-6 | "Rick's Model Girlfriend" | November 11, 1989 |
| 1-7 | "The Not So Sweet Smell of Success" | November 18, 1989 |
| 1-8 | "The Flash Is Always Greener" | November 25, 1989 |
| 1-9 | "He's Ba-aack!" | December 2, 1989 |
| 1-10 | "C Is for Model" | December 9, 1989 |
| 1-11 | "And I Thought Modeling Was Hard" | December 16, 1989 |
| 1-12 | "Beauty and the Beat" | December 30, 1989 |