Teachers (US TV series)
Encyclopedia
Teachers is an American
television sitcom that aired on NBC
. The show ran for six episodes until its cancellation on May 2, 2006. Loosely based upon a UK series of the same name
, it was developed by Matt Tarses, co-executive producer of the medical comedy Scrubs
.
, Teachers stars Justin Bartha
as Jeff Cahill, a skilled, idealistic young English
teacher at the fictitious Filmore High School
, whose apparent apathy toward his job masks his actual wisdom concerning teaching at an underfunded school. Sarah Alexander
co-stars as idealistic British
history
teacher Alice Fletcher, his only kindred spirit on the faculty, for whom Jeff also has romantic feelings. Alice does not reciprocate these feelings, but she is becoming fonder of him. Radio personality Phil Hendrie
plays Dick Green, an apathetic phys-ed and physics teacher, who spends his afternoons behind the gym. Deon Richmond
plays Calvin Babbitt, the drama teacher whose attitude about teaching falls somewhere between Jeff's and Dick's. He often gets caught up in Jeff's schemes. Kali Rocha
stars as the uncaring, rule-abiding Principal Emma Wiggins. Matt Winston
stars as Mitch Lenk, maths teacher and lap dog
to Principal Wiggins. It is implied that he is romantically interested in her. Sarah Shahi
stars as Tina Torres, an attractive teacher from Mexico
. She is Alice's possible rival for Jeff's affections, though it seems Jeff prefers Alice. It is revealed in Episode 05 ("Testing 1-2-3") that she does not have her teaching license
, having gone to school, but taking jobs before she took her finals
. However, she stated later in the episode that she will be taking them.
The series began development under the title Filmore Middle, which reflected its original middle school
setting.
Though adapted for American television by Matt Tarses, a writer and producer of the critically lauded series Sports Night
and Scrubs
. Teachers has been panned by many critics (including the San Francisco Chronicle
s Tim Goodman) as unoriginal and clichéd. The show was quickly cancelled by NBC, the news coming on May 15.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television sitcom that aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. The show ran for six episodes until its cancellation on May 2, 2006. Loosely based upon a UK series of the same name
Teachers (UK TV series)
Teachers is a British television sitcom, originally shown on Channel 4. The series follows a group of secondary school teachers in their daily lives....
, it was developed by Matt Tarses, co-executive producer of the medical comedy Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
.
Characters
Set in New JerseyNew 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...
, Teachers stars Justin Bartha
Justin Bartha
Justin Lee Bartha is an American actor, known for his co-starring role as Riley Poole in the National Treasure films and as Doug Billings in The Hangover and The Hangover Part II.-Early life:...
as Jeff Cahill, a skilled, idealistic young English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
teacher at the fictitious Filmore High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, whose apparent apathy toward his job masks his actual wisdom concerning teaching at an underfunded school. Sarah Alexander
Sarah Alexander
Sarah Alexander is an English actress, known for her roles in various British comedy series such as Armstrong and Miller, Smack the Pony, Coupling, The Worst Week of My Life and Green Wing....
co-stars as idealistic British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
teacher Alice Fletcher, his only kindred spirit on the faculty, for whom Jeff also has romantic feelings. Alice does not reciprocate these feelings, but she is becoming fonder of him. Radio personality Phil Hendrie
Phil Hendrie
Philip Stephen Hendrie is an American radio personality. He is best known as the host of The Phil Hendrie Show, a comedy talk radio program that is syndicated throughout North America on Talk Radio Network...
plays Dick Green, an apathetic phys-ed and physics teacher, who spends his afternoons behind the gym. Deon Richmond
Deon Richmond
Deon Richmond is an American actor from New York City; he is best known for his semi-regular childhood role as Rudy Huxtable's friend Kenny on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show....
plays Calvin Babbitt, the drama teacher whose attitude about teaching falls somewhere between Jeff's and Dick's. He often gets caught up in Jeff's schemes. Kali Rocha
Kali Rocha
-Early life:Rocha was born in Memphis, Tennessee and grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, graduating from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 1993.-Career:...
stars as the uncaring, rule-abiding Principal Emma Wiggins. Matt Winston
Matt Winston
Matthew "Matt" Winston is an American actor, the son of late special effects artist Stan Winston. He attended Yale, is married to Amy Smallman and has two small children....
stars as Mitch Lenk, maths teacher and lap dog
Lap dog
A lapdog or lap dog is a dog that is small enough to be held in the arms or lie comfortably on a person's lap. Lapdogs are not a specific breed, but is a generic term for a type of dog of small size and friendly disposition....
to Principal Wiggins. It is implied that he is romantically interested in her. Sarah Shahi
Sarah Shahi
Aahoo Jahansouz "Sarah" Shahi is an American actress and a former NFL Cheerleader. She is probably best known for starring in The L Word as Carmen de la Pica Morales and in Life as Detective Dani Reese...
stars as Tina Torres, an attractive teacher from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. She is Alice's possible rival for Jeff's affections, though it seems Jeff prefers Alice. It is revealed in Episode 05 ("Testing 1-2-3") that she does not have her teaching license
License
The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
, having gone to school, but taking jobs before she took her finals
Final examination
A final examination is a test given to students at the end of a course of study or training. Although the term can be used in the context of physical training, it most often occurs in the academic world...
. However, she stated later in the episode that she will be taking them.
Production
Like many American sitcoms, Teachers was shot before a studio audience.The series began development under the title Filmore Middle, which reflected its original middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
setting.
Though adapted for American television by Matt Tarses, a writer and producer of the critically lauded series Sports Night
Sports Night
Sports Night is an American television series about a fictional sports news show also called Sports Night. It focuses on the friendships, pitfalls, and ethical issues the creative talent of the program face while trying to produce a good show under constant network pressure...
and Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
. Teachers has been panned by many critics (including the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
s Tim Goodman) as unoriginal and clichéd. The show was quickly cancelled by NBC, the news coming on May 15.
Cast
- Justin BarthaJustin BarthaJustin Lee Bartha is an American actor, known for his co-starring role as Riley Poole in the National Treasure films and as Doug Billings in The Hangover and The Hangover Part II.-Early life:...
as Jeff Cahill - Sarah AlexanderSarah AlexanderSarah Alexander is an English actress, known for her roles in various British comedy series such as Armstrong and Miller, Smack the Pony, Coupling, The Worst Week of My Life and Green Wing....
as Alice Fletcher - Phil HendriePhil HendriePhilip Stephen Hendrie is an American radio personality. He is best known as the host of The Phil Hendrie Show, a comedy talk radio program that is syndicated throughout North America on Talk Radio Network...
as Dick Green - Deon RichmondDeon RichmondDeon Richmond is an American actor from New York City; he is best known for his semi-regular childhood role as Rudy Huxtable's friend Kenny on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show....
as Calvin Babbitt - Kali RochaKali Rocha-Early life:Rocha was born in Memphis, Tennessee and grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, graduating from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 1993.-Career:...
as Emma Wiggins - Sarah ShahiSarah ShahiAahoo Jahansouz "Sarah" Shahi is an American actress and a former NFL Cheerleader. She is probably best known for starring in The L Word as Carmen de la Pica Morales and in Life as Detective Dani Reese...
as Tina Torres - Matt WinstonMatt WinstonMatthew "Matt" Winston is an American actor, the son of late special effects artist Stan Winston. He attended Yale, is married to Amy Smallman and has two small children....
as Mitch Lenk
Episodes
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | U.S. rating/share (18-49) |
U.S. viewers (million) |
Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nielsen ratings
Based on average total viewers per episode of Teachers on NBC:| Timeslot (EDT) | Series Premiere | Series Finale | TV Season | Viewers (millions) |
Rank | 18-49 Rating/Share |
Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 9:30 P.M. (March 28, 2006 - May 2, 2006) | March 28, 2006 | May 2, 2006 | 2005-2006 2005-06 United States network television schedule This was the United States broadcast television schedule on all six commercial television networks for the fall season beginning in September 2005. All times are Eastern and Pacific.This would be the final season of broadcasting for both UPN and The WB... |
5.29 | #108 | 2.5/6 | #86 |