Temperatures Rising
Encyclopedia
Temperatures Rising is an American television situation comedy
that ran from September 12, 1972 to August 29, 1974 on the ABC
network.
The network had a good deal of faith in the low-rated series, which went through three cast changes, two different formats, and two time slots during its run.
's Capitol General Hospital, presided over by chief of surgery Vincent Campanelli (James Whitmore
). In its second season, the overhauled series became The New Temperatures Rising Show and Capitol General was transformed into a private medical facility owned by Martha Mercy (Sudie Bond) and run by her penny-pinching son Paul (Paul Lynde
). Cleavon Little
was the sole survivor of the original cast.
Media reports at the time stated that ABC research indicated that viewers liked Temperatures Rising but disliked James Whitmore, whereas viewers liked Paul Lynde but not The Paul Lynde Show
. Therefore, the positive items were combined. Due to plummeting ratings, the network cancelled the show mid-season, but resuscitated it - with still more changes in cast (most notably, Alice Ghostley
replaced Bond in the role of Paul's sister Edwina) and premise - in the summer of 1974, when it ran for two months before being cancelled permanently. When the show was initially cancelled in January, 1974, its time slot was taken by a mid-season replacement, the long-running Happy Days
.
William Asher
, who worked for years on then-wife Elizabeth Montgomery
's Bewitched
, produced TR for Screen Gems
. He brought Lynde onto the cast following the failure of a separate sitcom
during 1972-73, a show intended as a vehicle for the comedy actor (he played a recurring character on Bewitched) and regular on the game show Hollywood Squares
.
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...
that ran from September 12, 1972 to August 29, 1974 on the 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...
network.
The network had a good deal of faith in the low-rated series, which went through three cast changes, two different formats, and two time slots during its run.
Synopsis
Initially, the show was set at Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
's Capitol General Hospital, presided over by chief of surgery Vincent Campanelli (James Whitmore
James Whitmore
James Allen Whitmore, Jr. was an American film and stage actor.-Early life:Born in White Plains, New York, to Florence Belle and James Allen Whitmore, Sr., a park commission official, Whitmore attended Amherst Central High School in Snyder, New York, before graduating from The Choate School in...
). In its second season, the overhauled series became The New Temperatures Rising Show and Capitol General was transformed into a private medical facility owned by Martha Mercy (Sudie Bond) and run by her penny-pinching son Paul (Paul Lynde
Paul Lynde
Paul Edward Lynde was an American comedian and actor. A noted character actor, Lynde was well known for his roles as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched and Harry MacAfee, the befuddled father in Bye Bye Birdie...
). Cleavon Little
Cleavon Little
Cleavon Jake Little was an American film and theatre actor.Little was widely known for his lead role as Sheriff Bart in the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles. He also was the irreverent Dr...
was the sole survivor of the original cast.
Media reports at the time stated that ABC research indicated that viewers liked Temperatures Rising but disliked James Whitmore, whereas viewers liked Paul Lynde but not The Paul Lynde Show
The Paul Lynde Show
The Paul Lynde Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC. The series stars Paul Lynde and aired from September 13, 1972 to September 8, 1973.-Setting:...
. Therefore, the positive items were combined. Due to plummeting ratings, the network cancelled the show mid-season, but resuscitated it - with still more changes in cast (most notably, Alice Ghostley
Alice Ghostley
Alice Margaret Ghostley was an American actress. She was best known for her roles as housekeeper Esmeralda on Bewitched, as Cousin Alice on Mayberry R.F.D., and as Bernice Clifton on Designing Women, for which she received an Emmy Nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1992...
replaced Bond in the role of Paul's sister Edwina) and premise - in the summer of 1974, when it ran for two months before being cancelled permanently. When the show was initially cancelled in January, 1974, its time slot was taken by a mid-season replacement, the long-running 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....
.
William Asher
William Asher
William Asher is an American television and film producer, film director, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific early directors in the budding television industry, producing or directing over two dozen of the leading television series.With television in its infancy, he introduced the...
, who worked for years on then-wife Elizabeth Montgomery
Elizabeth Montgomery
Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery was an American film and television actress whose career spanned five decades. She is perhaps best remembered for her roles as Samantha Stephens in Bewitched, as Ellen Harrod in A Case of Rape and as Lizzie Borden in The Legend of Lizzie Borden.-Early life:Born in Los...
's Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
, produced TR for Screen Gems
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....
. He brought Lynde onto the cast following the failure of a separate sitcom
The Paul Lynde Show
The Paul Lynde Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC. The series stars Paul Lynde and aired from September 13, 1972 to September 8, 1973.-Setting:...
during 1972-73, a show intended as a vehicle for the comedy actor (he played a recurring character on Bewitched) and regular on the game show Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
.
Cast
- James WhitmoreJames WhitmoreJames Allen Whitmore, Jr. was an American film and stage actor.-Early life:Born in White Plains, New York, to Florence Belle and James Allen Whitmore, Sr., a park commission official, Whitmore attended Amherst Central High School in Snyder, New York, before graduating from The Choate School in...
as Dr. Vincent Campanelli (First cast) - Cleavon LittleCleavon LittleCleavon Jake Little was an American film and theatre actor.Little was widely known for his lead role as Sheriff Bart in the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles. He also was the irreverent Dr...
as Dr. Jerry Noland (All three casts) - Joan Van ArkJoan Van ArkJoan Van Ark is an American actress, most notable for her role as Valene Ewing, which she originated on the CBS series Dallas and continued for thirteen seasons on its spin-off, Knots Landing...
as Nurse Annie Carlisle (First cast) - Reva RoseReva RoseReva Rose is an American actress of stage and screen, best known for playing Lucy van Pelt in the Off-Broadway production of Clark Gesner's You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.- Stage :...
as Nurse Mildred MacInerny (First cast) - Nancy Fox as Nurse Ellen Turner (First and third casts)
- Paul LyndePaul LyndePaul Edward Lynde was an American comedian and actor. A noted character actor, Lynde was well known for his roles as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched and Harry MacAfee, the befuddled father in Bye Bye Birdie...
as Dr. Paul Mercy (Second and third cast) - Sudie Bond as Martha Mercy (Second cast)
- John DehnerJohn DehnerJohn Dehner was an American actor in radio, television, and films, playing countless roles, often as a droll villain. Between 1941 and 1988, he appeared in over 260 films and television programs. Prior to acting, Dehner had worked as an animator at Walt Disney Studios, and later became a radio...
as Dr. Charles Claver (Second cast) - Jeff Morrow as Dr. Lloyd Axton (Second cast)
- Alice GhostleyAlice GhostleyAlice Margaret Ghostley was an American actress. She was best known for her roles as housekeeper Esmeralda on Bewitched, as Cousin Alice on Mayberry R.F.D., and as Bernice Clifton on Designing Women, for which she received an Emmy Nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1992...
as Edwina Moffitt (Third cast) - Barbara Rucker as Nurse Kelly (Third cast)