Mr. Belvedere
Encyclopedia
Mr. Belvedere is an American sitcom that originally aired on ABC
from March 15, 1985, until July 8, 1990. The series was based on the Lynn Aloysius Belvedere character created by Gwen Davenport for her 1947 novel Belvedere, which was later adapted into the 1948 film Sitting Pretty. The sitcom stars Christopher Hewett
in the title role, who takes a job with an American family headed by George Owens, played by Bob Uecker
.
in the film Sitting Pretty. Webb's performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Sitting Pretty told the story of an arrogant genius who answers an employment ad for a baby sitter for three bratty kids. He accepts such employment because he is secretly writing a novel about a community filled with gossips and busybodies. Webb reprised the role in two more movies, Mr. Belvedere Goes to College
(1949) and Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell
(1951).
As early as the 1950s, attempts were made to adapt the character to television, with three pilots
made during the '50s and '60s, including a 1965 version starring Victor Buono
in the title role. All efforts, however, were unsuccessful until 1985, when ABC was finally able to get the show up and running with British actor Christopher Hewett
playing Lynn Belvedere.
, a suburb of Pittsburgh
, takes in an English butler
after he emigrates to the United States.
The posh butler, Lynn Belvedere, struggles to adapt to the Owens household. The breadwinner, George (Bob Uecker
), is a sportswriter. His wife Marsha (Ilene Graff
) is attending law school. At the show's start, oldest son Kevin (Rob Stone
) is a senior in high school, daughter Heather (Tracy Wells
) is a freshman, and Wesley (Brice Beckham
) is in elementary school. Over the course of the series, George becomes a sportscaster
, Marsha graduates from law school and starts a career as a lawyer, Kevin leaves for college and gets his own apartment, and Heather moves up in high school.
Several episodes dealt with Belvedere and Wesley, with whom he shares a close, if often adversarial, relationship. In one of many very special episode
s, one of Wesley's classmates contracts HIV
via Factor VIII
, like Ryan White
. When all of Wesley's classmates shun him for still associating with his friend (due to the belief at the time of stereotypes of AIDS being mainly associated with drug addicts and gay men), Belvedere is there for him and the child, and he helps the other students befriend the boy. In another episode, Wesley confronts a scout leader who had touched him inappropriately. Mr. Belvedere serves as a mentor of sorts to Wesley any time he has trouble, and also helps the other children when needed.
Each episode ended with Mr. Belvedere writing in his journal about the day with the Owens family, ending with him either giving a witty comment off the record or continuing in some odd activity he is engaged in along with his writing.
A frequent gag on the show involved Heather's best friend Angela Shostakovich (Michele Matheson), often mispronouncing Mr. Belvedere's name (with such variations as "Mr. Bumpersticker" and "Mr. Bellpepper"). Another frequent gag involved Mr. Belvedere making fun of Wesley's best friend Miles Knobnoster (Casey Ellison
) because of his orthodontic headgear
. Yet another recurring gag featured George always trying to be initiated into the Happy Guys of Pittsburgh, a local men's club. Wesley's highly acrimonious relationship with the never-seen next door neighbors, the Hufnagels, was another recurring plot element.
In the two-part series finale, Mr. Belvedere marries and moves to Africa.
singer Leon Redbone
. It was written by Judy Hart-Angelo and Gary Portnoy
,
who had previously written the theme songs to Cheers
and Punky Brewster
.
The song was originally composed in 1984 for a rejected TV pilot called Help (which was later resurrected as Marblehead Manor
for NBC in 1987). It starred a pre-Seinfeld
Michael Richards
as an inept member of an eccentric couple's household staff, who were perpetually conniving to pull the wool over the eyes of the mansions' newly hired head butler. With a minor lyrical re-write, it quickly became the theme song to Mr. Belvedere.
In 2007, a never-before-heard full-length version of the theme was released by Portnoy on his CD, Destiny.
For syndicated reruns, a shorter 30 second version was recorded, in order to accompany the shorter opening for the syndicated airings. The original theme song was 55 seconds long. The 55 second version has been restored on Shout! Factory
's DVD releases.
There were three different ending themes during the show's original run:
Its first season (1985) was exempt from the Nielsen ratings as it aired too few episodes before the end of April to be counted.
In its second season (1985-86), the show ranked #45 with a 14.8 rating.
In season three (1986-87), the show fell to #51 with a 13.7 rating. At the end of the 1986-87 season, ABC decided to cancel the show, but brought it back in October 1987.
In season four (1987-88), the show won its Friday night time slot over Dallas, but still fell to #64 and an 11.5 rating for the year.
In season five (1988-89), the show rose to a 12.2 rating and #47 for the season.
However, in the sixth and final season (1989-90), the show was moved to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday nights, which led to a steep ratings decline from its old Friday night slot. Mr. Belvedere fell to a 6.3 rating, merely ranking #93 out of 106 shows. In its final airing before being shelved (December 30, 1989), the series ranked #70 out of 83 shows. The two-part finale, which aired on July 1 and July 8, 1990, ranked #59 and #37, respectively, out of the 86 shows airing those weeks.
Sources: Mr. Belvedere Online, Los Angeles Times
). The daytime reruns consisted entirely of seasons 1–3.
On September 11, 1989 (around the same time the show entered its final season), and continuing in an on-again, off-again manner until 1996, it was seen in local syndication on Fox
affiliates. Along with the addition of seasons 4–6, ten previously unaired episodes, two from season 5 and eight from season 6, were also added to the syndication package.
The series was also seen on the FOX satellite channel Foxnet
in the early 2000s.
It also aired in Canada on CTS
from 2002–2004. Certain episodes were not shown due to their perceived offensive nature.
On December 17, 2009, American Life Network showed both of the shows' Christmas-themed episodes, as part of their month-long block of Christmas-themed episodes from TV shows owned by 20th Century Fox Television ("Christmas Story" from season 4 and "A Happy Guy's Christmas" from season 6). This was the first time in a little over a decade that the show has been seen in US syndication.
As of October 3, 2011, reruns are currently airing on FamilyNet
, the first time in over 15 years this show has been in regular syndication.
(under license from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
) has released the first four seasons of Mr. Belvedere on DVD in Region 1. Currently, Shout! Factory doesn't have the rights to seasons 5 & 6, and is still in long-drawn-out negotiations to acquire those remaining episodes (46 in total).
All episodes released so far are presented as they originally aired, but without the commercial bumpers, which were also intact in syndication.
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...
from March 15, 1985, until July 8, 1990. The series was based on the Lynn Aloysius Belvedere character created by Gwen Davenport for her 1947 novel Belvedere, which was later adapted into the 1948 film Sitting Pretty. The sitcom stars Christopher Hewett
Christopher Hewett
Christopher Michael Hewett was an English actor and theatre director best known for his role as Lynn Belvedere on the ABC sitcom Mr. Belvedere.-Career:...
in the title role, who takes a job with an American family headed by George Owens, played by Bob Uecker
Bob Uecker
Robert George "Bob" Uecker is an American former Major League Baseball player, later a sportscaster, comedian, and actor. Uecker was given the title of "Mr. Baseball" by Johnny Carson...
.
Format
The character of Lynn Belvedere was originally created by Gwen Davenport in her 1947 novel, Belvedere. The following year, the title character was portrayed by Clifton WebbClifton Webb
Clifton Webb was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for his Oscar-nominated roles in such films as Laura, The Razor's Edge, and Sitting Pretty...
in the film Sitting Pretty. Webb's performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Sitting Pretty told the story of an arrogant genius who answers an employment ad for a baby sitter for three bratty kids. He accepts such employment because he is secretly writing a novel about a community filled with gossips and busybodies. Webb reprised the role in two more movies, Mr. Belvedere Goes to College
Mr. Belvedere Goes to College
Mr. Belvedere Goes to College is a 1949 American comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent. The screenplay written by Mary Loos, Mary C. McCall, Jr., and Richard Sale was based on characters created by Gwen Davenport...
(1949) and Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell
Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell
Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell is a 1951 comedy film, the third and final one starring Clifton Webb as Lynn Belvedere. Mr. Belvedere lies about his age and lives in a senior citizens home to determine if there was any point in growing old...
(1951).
As early as the 1950s, attempts were made to adapt the character to television, with three pilots
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...
made during the '50s and '60s, including a 1965 version starring Victor Buono
Victor Buono
Charles Victor Buono was an American actor and comic.-Early life and career:Buono was born in San Diego, California, the son of Myrtle Belle and Victor Francis Buono . His maternal grandmother, Myrtle Glied , was a Vaudeville performer on the Orpheum Circuit...
in the title role. All efforts, however, were unsuccessful until 1985, when ABC was finally able to get the show up and running with British actor Christopher Hewett
Christopher Hewett
Christopher Michael Hewett was an English actor and theatre director best known for his role as Lynn Belvedere on the ABC sitcom Mr. Belvedere.-Career:...
playing Lynn Belvedere.
Premise
A middle-class family in Beaver Falls, PennsylvaniaBeaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Beaver Falls is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,987 at the 2010 census. It is located 31 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, and on the Beaver River, six miles from its confluence with the Ohio River...
, a suburb of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, takes in an English butler
Butler
A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
after he emigrates to the United States.
The posh butler, Lynn Belvedere, struggles to adapt to the Owens household. The breadwinner, George (Bob Uecker
Bob Uecker
Robert George "Bob" Uecker is an American former Major League Baseball player, later a sportscaster, comedian, and actor. Uecker was given the title of "Mr. Baseball" by Johnny Carson...
), is a sportswriter. His wife Marsha (Ilene Graff
Ilene Graff
Ilene Graff is an American actress and singer.The Brooklyn native began her professional career as a teenager when she performed as a background singer and commercial actress while attending Van Buren High School in Queens Village...
) is attending law school. At the show's start, oldest son Kevin (Rob Stone
Rob Stone (actor)
-External links:*...
) is a senior in high school, daughter Heather (Tracy Wells
Tracy Wells
Tracy Wells is an American actress. Wells was played a main character on the American sitcom Mr. Belvedere as Heather Owens. She won the Young Artist Award in the "Best Young Actress Starring in a New Television Series" category for her work on that show. She was also a guest star on the show...
) is a freshman, and Wesley (Brice Beckham
Brice Beckham
James Brice Beckham is an actor most famous for his role as Wesley T. Owens in the television sitcom Mr. Belvedere and for his role as Corey in I Hate My 30's. He currently lives in Los Angeles and is a member of LA's Namaste theater group.-Biography:Beckham attended Walter B...
) is in elementary school. Over the course of the series, George becomes a sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
, Marsha graduates from law school and starts a career as a lawyer, Kevin leaves for college and gets his own apartment, and Heather moves up in high school.
Several episodes dealt with Belvedere and Wesley, with whom he shares a close, if often adversarial, relationship. In one of many very special episode
Very special episode
"Very special episode" is an advertising term originally used in American television commercials to refer to an episode of a sitcom or television drama that deals with a serious or controversial social issue...
s, one of Wesley's classmates contracts HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
via Factor VIII
Factor VIII
Factor VIII is an essential blood clotting factor also known as anti-hemophilic factor . In humans, Factor VIII is encoded by the F8 gene...
, like Ryan White
Ryan White
Ryan Wayne White was an American teenager from Kokomo, Indiana, who became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS in the United States, after being expelled from middle school because of his infection. A hemophiliac, he became infected with HIV from a contaminated blood treatment and, when diagnosed...
. When all of Wesley's classmates shun him for still associating with his friend (due to the belief at the time of stereotypes of AIDS being mainly associated with drug addicts and gay men), Belvedere is there for him and the child, and he helps the other students befriend the boy. In another episode, Wesley confronts a scout leader who had touched him inappropriately. Mr. Belvedere serves as a mentor of sorts to Wesley any time he has trouble, and also helps the other children when needed.
Each episode ended with Mr. Belvedere writing in his journal about the day with the Owens family, ending with him either giving a witty comment off the record or continuing in some odd activity he is engaged in along with his writing.
A frequent gag on the show involved Heather's best friend Angela Shostakovich (Michele Matheson), often mispronouncing Mr. Belvedere's name (with such variations as "Mr. Bumpersticker" and "Mr. Bellpepper"). Another frequent gag involved Mr. Belvedere making fun of Wesley's best friend Miles Knobnoster (Casey Ellison
Casey Ellison
Casey Ellison is a former American child actor best known for his role as Allen Anderson on Punky Brewster.-Career:He had a recurring minor role on Mr. Belvedere. Ellison has also guest starred on episodes of Newhart, 21 Jump Street, and The Wonder Years...
) because of his orthodontic headgear
Orthodontic headgear
Orthodontic headgear is a type of orthodontic appliance attached to dental braces or a palatal expander that aids in correcting severe bite problems.- Need for treatment and concurrent corrections :...
. Yet another recurring gag featured George always trying to be initiated into the Happy Guys of Pittsburgh, a local men's club. Wesley's highly acrimonious relationship with the never-seen next door neighbors, the Hufnagels, was another recurring plot element.
In the two-part series finale, Mr. Belvedere marries and moves to Africa.
Main characters
- Christopher HewettChristopher HewettChristopher Michael Hewett was an English actor and theatre director best known for his role as Lynn Belvedere on the ABC sitcom Mr. Belvedere.-Career:...
as Mr. Lynn Belvedere - Bob UeckerBob UeckerRobert George "Bob" Uecker is an American former Major League Baseball player, later a sportscaster, comedian, and actor. Uecker was given the title of "Mr. Baseball" by Johnny Carson...
as George Owens - Ilene GraffIlene GraffIlene Graff is an American actress and singer.The Brooklyn native began her professional career as a teenager when she performed as a background singer and commercial actress while attending Van Buren High School in Queens Village...
as Marsha Owens - Rob StoneRob Stone (actor)-External links:*...
as Kevin Owens - Tracy WellsTracy WellsTracy Wells is an American actress. Wells was played a main character on the American sitcom Mr. Belvedere as Heather Owens. She won the Young Artist Award in the "Best Young Actress Starring in a New Television Series" category for her work on that show. She was also a guest star on the show...
as Heather Owens - Brice BeckhamBrice BeckhamJames Brice Beckham is an actor most famous for his role as Wesley T. Owens in the television sitcom Mr. Belvedere and for his role as Corey in I Hate My 30's. He currently lives in Los Angeles and is a member of LA's Namaste theater group.-Biography:Beckham attended Walter B...
as Wesley T. Owens
Recurring characters
- Miles Knobnoster, Wesley's best friend, who is always being made fun of because of his orthodontic headgearOrthodontic headgearOrthodontic headgear is a type of orthodontic appliance attached to dental braces or a palatal expander that aids in correcting severe bite problems.- Need for treatment and concurrent corrections :...
. Played by Casey EllisonCasey EllisonCasey Ellison is a former American child actor best known for his role as Allen Anderson on Punky Brewster.-Career:He had a recurring minor role on Mr. Belvedere. Ellison has also guest starred on episodes of Newhart, 21 Jump Street, and The Wonder Years... - Angela Shostakovich, Heather's best friend, who is always mispronouncing Mr. Belvedere's name. Played by Michele Matheson
- Burt Hammond, bombastic and overly talkative chief spokesman and membership director for the Happy Guys of Pittsburgh, a local men's club; he is always trying to initiate George as a member. Played by Raleigh Bond. The "Stakeout" episode from season 5 was his final appearance. Bond died months after that episode was taped.
- Carl Butlam, Mr. Hammond's obsequious assistant. Played by Jack DodsonJack DodsonJack Dodson Born John S. Dodson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was an American television actor best remembered for the milquetoast character Howard Sprague in The Andy Griffith Show and its spin-off Mayberry R.F.D. From 1959 until his death in 1994, Dodson was married to television art director...
. - Wendy, Kevin's female and geeky high school friend. Played by Winifred FreedmanWinifred FreedmanWinifred Freedman is an American actress and singer primarily known for her roles in television.She is perhaps best known for playing Annette Mastorelli, Chachi Arcola's cousin and bass guitar playing bandmate in Joanie Loves Chachi, the short-lived spin-off of Happy Days...
. - Robert GouletRobert GouletRobert Gerard Goulet was a Canadian American entertainer as a singer and actor. He played the role of Lancelot in the Broadway musical Camelot of 1960.-Early life:...
, legendary singer and actor. Occasionally sings duets with Marsha. George finds him to be irritating. Played by Goulet himself. - Skip Hollings, George's co-anchor at the TV station. Played by Norman Bartold. Prior to the character's first appearance in season 4, Bartold played as a hotel clerk in a season 3 episode.
- Carl, Kevin's best friend. Played by Willie GarsonWillie GarsonWillie Garson is an American character actor. He has appeared in over 50 movies, usually playing minor roles...
. - Tami, one of George's co-anchors at the TV station. Played by Patti Yasutake and in some episodes by Maggie Han.
- Marjorie, Junior High student, and one of Wesley's love interests. Appeared during the final season. Played by Laura Mooney. Prior to season 6, Mooney appeared as "Roberta" in a season 4 episode.
Theme song
The show's theme song was performed by ragtimeRagtime
Ragtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
singer Leon Redbone
Leon Redbone
Leon Redbone is a singer and guitarist specializing in interpretations of early 20th-century music, including jazz and blues standards and Tin Pan Alley classics....
. It was written by Judy Hart-Angelo and Gary Portnoy
Gary Portnoy
Gary Portnoy is a singer/ songwriter from New York, best known for co-writing and singing the theme songs to two U.S. television sitcoms:*Cheers Theme: "Where Everybody Knows Your Name"*Punky Brewster Theme: "Every Time I Turn Around"...
,
who had previously written the theme songs to Cheers
Cheers
Cheers 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...
and Punky Brewster
Punky Brewster
Punky Brewster was an American sitcom about a girl named Punky Brewster being raised by her foster parent...
.
The song was originally composed in 1984 for a rejected TV pilot called Help (which was later resurrected as Marblehead Manor
Marblehead Manor
Marblehead Manor was an American television sitcom that originally ran from 1987 to 1988 in first run syndication. It starred British comic actor Paxton Whitehead, American actor Phil Morris, Canadian actress Linda Thorson, American actor and screenwriter Bob Fraser and Michael Richards...
for NBC in 1987). It starred a pre-Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
Michael Richards
Michael Richards
Michael Anthony Richards is an American actor, comedian, writer and television producer, best known for his portrayal of the eccentric Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom Seinfeld....
as an inept member of an eccentric couple's household staff, who were perpetually conniving to pull the wool over the eyes of the mansions' newly hired head butler. With a minor lyrical re-write, it quickly became the theme song to Mr. Belvedere.
In 2007, a never-before-heard full-length version of the theme was released by Portnoy on his CD, Destiny.
For syndicated reruns, a shorter 30 second version was recorded, in order to accompany the shorter opening for the syndicated airings. The original theme song was 55 seconds long. The 55 second version has been restored on Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
's DVD releases.
There were three different ending themes during the show's original run:
- An instrumental version of the theme song was used as the ending theme for Seasons 1 and 2.
- A DixielandDixielandDixieland music, sometimes referred to as Hot jazz, Early Jazz or New Orleans jazz, is a style of jazz music which developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century, and was spread to Chicago and New York City by New Orleans bands in the 1910s.Well-known jazz standard songs from the...
rendition of the ending theme was used in Season 3. - A jazzier rendition of the ending theme was used in Seasons 4–6.
Ratings and cancellation
The series did not rate in the Top 30 shows in any of its six seasons, but it did have a relatively solid ratings base, and often won its time slot.Its first season (1985) was exempt from the Nielsen ratings as it aired too few episodes before the end of April to be counted.
In its second season (1985-86), the show ranked #45 with a 14.8 rating.
In season three (1986-87), the show fell to #51 with a 13.7 rating. At the end of the 1986-87 season, ABC decided to cancel the show, but brought it back in October 1987.
In season four (1987-88), the show won its Friday night time slot over Dallas, but still fell to #64 and an 11.5 rating for the year.
In season five (1988-89), the show rose to a 12.2 rating and #47 for the season.
However, in the sixth and final season (1989-90), the show was moved to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday nights, which led to a steep ratings decline from its old Friday night slot. Mr. Belvedere fell to a 6.3 rating, merely ranking #93 out of 106 shows. In its final airing before being shelved (December 30, 1989), the series ranked #70 out of 83 shows. The two-part finale, which aired on July 1 and July 8, 1990, ranked #59 and #37, respectively, out of the 86 shows airing those weeks.
Network history
- March 15, 1985 – April 26, 1985 (Friday nights; 8:30 P.M.)
- August 16, 1985 – March 6, 1987 (Friday nights; 8:30 P.M.)
- May 1, 1987 – September 11, 1987 (Friday nights; 8:30 P.M.)
- October 30, 1987 – January 8, 1988 (Friday nights; 9:00 P.M.)
- January 15, 1988 – February 12, 1988 (Friday nights; 8:30 P.M.)
- March 4, 1988 – July 28, 1989 (Friday nights; 9:00 P.M.)
- August 4, 1989 – September 1, 1989 (Friday nights; 8:30 P.M.)
- September 9, 1989 – December 30, 1989 (Saturday nights; 8:00 P.M.)
- July 1 and 8, 1990 (Sunday nights; 8:30 P.M.); the 2-part series finale
Sources: Mr. Belvedere Online, Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The 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....
Syndication history
The show first went into reruns on ABC's daily daytime schedule from September 7, 1987 to January 15, 1988, (replacing the short-lived game show Bargain HuntersBargain Hunters
Bargain Hunters is a game show that aired on ABC in the summer of 1987, hosted by Peter Tomarken, which combined elements of The Price Is Right with home shopping. The show was canceled after nine weeks and replaced by reruns of Mr. Belvedere....
). The daytime reruns consisted entirely of seasons 1–3.
On September 11, 1989 (around the same time the show entered its final season), and continuing in an on-again, off-again manner until 1996, it was seen in local syndication 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...
affiliates. Along with the addition of seasons 4–6, ten previously unaired episodes, two from season 5 and eight from season 6, were also added to the syndication package.
The series was also seen on the FOX satellite channel Foxnet
Foxnet
Foxnet was a cable network that was available to markets in the United States without an affiliate of the Fox Network. It was usually available in very small television markets....
in the early 2000s.
It also aired in Canada on CTS
Crossroads Television System
Crossroads Television System, or CTS, is a privately held Canadian television system.CTS airs predominantly Christian-based religious programming, most notably 100 Huntley Street, The Michael Coren Show and LIFE Today with James & Betty Robison, as well as other religious and faith based...
from 2002–2004. Certain episodes were not shown due to their perceived offensive nature.
On December 17, 2009, American Life Network showed both of the shows' Christmas-themed episodes, as part of their month-long block of Christmas-themed episodes from TV shows owned by 20th Century Fox Television ("Christmas Story" from season 4 and "A Happy Guy's Christmas" from season 6). This was the first time in a little over a decade that the show has been seen in US syndication.
As of October 3, 2011, reruns are currently airing on FamilyNet
FamilyNet
FamilyNet is a broadcast television network owned by ComStar Media Fund and based in Atlanta, Georgia. The network was founded in 1979 as the National Christian Network, and took the name FamilyNet in 1988 under the ownership of Jerry Falwell. The channel was acquired by InTouch Ministries in...
, the first time in over 15 years this show has been in regular syndication.
DVD releases
Shout! FactoryShout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
(under license from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
) has released the first four seasons of Mr. Belvedere on DVD in Region 1. Currently, Shout! Factory doesn't have the rights to seasons 5 & 6, and is still in long-drawn-out negotiations to acquire those remaining episodes (46 in total).
All episodes released so far are presented as they originally aired, but without the commercial bumpers, which were also intact in syndication.
| DVD Name | Ep# | Release Date | Special Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seasons One & Two | 29 | March 17, 2009 |
|
| Season Three | 22 | September 8, 2009 |
|
| Season Four | 20 | January 19, 2010 |
|
| Season Five | 24 | TBA |
|
| Season Six | 22 | TBA |
|
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Primetime Emmy Award Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming... |
Won | Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Series | George Spiro Dibie (For episode "Stranger in the Night") |
| 1986 | Young Artist Awards | Nominated | Best New Television Series – Comedy or Drama | |
| Best Young Supporting Actor in a New Television Series | Brice Beckham | |||
| Won | Best Young Actress Starring in a New Television Series | Tracy Wells | ||
| 1987 | Nominated | Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress, Starring in a Television, Comedy or Drama Series | Tracy Wells | |
| Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor Starring in a Television Comedy or Drama Series | Brice Beckham | |||
| 1988 | Nominated | Best Family Comedy Series | |
|
| Best Young Female Superstar in Television | Tracy Wells | |||
| Best Young Male Superstar in Television | Brice Beckham | |||
| 1989 | Nominated | Best Young Actress Guest Starring in a Drama or Comedy Series | Laura Jacoby (For episode "Pigskin") |
|
| Best Young Actress – Starring in a Television Comedy Series | Tracy Wells | |||
| Best Young Actor – Starring in a Television Comedy Series | Brice Beckham | |||
| Best Family Television Series | |
|||
| 2004 | TV Land Award | Nominated | Best Broadcast Butler | Christopher Hewett |
External links
- Mr. Belvedere fansite
- Mr. Belvedere on FishAndSpaghetti.com A tournament designed to determine TV's best housekeeper featuring Mr. Belvedere