The Nutt House
Encyclopedia
The Nutt House is a short-lived situation comedy that aired on NBC
as part of its 1989 Fall lineup
.
and Alan Spencer
and was a broad farce about a once-prestigious New York City
hotel
which had of late fallen on hard times, in part, no doubt, due to its unfortunate name, the result of its being named for the proprietress, Edwina Nutt (Cloris Leachman
). Other characters included manager Reginald Tarkington (Harvey Korman
), and head of housekeeping Ms. Frick (also portrayed by Leachman). Frick, a more pleasant version of Leachman's Frau Blucher character from Brooks' Young Frankenstein
appeared in every episode, Mrs. Nutt only in the pilot.
The Nutt House was a very broad satire
in which the main story was periodically interrupted by short, unrelated, and often surreal background gags not unlike those of Police Squad. Its audience was quite a narrow one, as the single-camera show was intensely visual, and it was canceled within six weeks of its premiere. However, all eleven of the produced episodes were broadcast on BBC 2 in the United Kingdom where Police Squad was making a comeback thanks to the success of The Naked Gun
. It became a moderate success being shown on Saturday evening following Clive James
' Saturday Night Clive. Brooks appeared on this programme to promote the first episode of The Nutt House on 14 October 1989. However, to the dismay of viewers the BBC did not give the show a fixed airtime. Usually shown around 23.00 hours (but sometimes as late as 23.30), the final episode was inexplicably at 19.30 on 16 December 1989.
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...
as part of its 1989 Fall lineup
1989-90 United States network television schedule
The following is the 1989–90 United States network television schedule, the broadcast television schedule of the four United States television networks—ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC—for the fall season beginning in September 1989. All times are Eastern and Pacific, with certain exceptions,...
.
Overview
The Nutt House was the creation of executive producers Mel BrooksMel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
and Alan Spencer
Alan Spencer
Alan Spencer is an American television writer and producer, known for creating the 1980s satirical police series Sledge Hammer!. He was one of the youngest people ever to join the Writers Guild of America, writing for television at the age of fifteen...
and was a broad farce about a once-prestigious New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
which had of late fallen on hard times, in part, no doubt, due to its unfortunate name, the result of its being named for the proprietress, Edwina Nutt (Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman is an American actress of stage, film and television. She has won eight Primetime Emmy Awards—more than any other performer—and one Daytime Emmy Award...
). Other characters included manager Reginald Tarkington (Harvey Korman
Harvey Korman
Harvey Herschel Korman was an American comedic actor who performed in television and movie productions beginning in 1960...
), and head of housekeeping Ms. Frick (also portrayed by Leachman). Frick, a more pleasant version of Leachman's Frau Blucher character from Brooks' Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein is a 1974 American comedy film directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein. The supporting cast includes Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Richard...
appeared in every episode, Mrs. Nutt only in the pilot.
The Nutt House was a very broad satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
in which the main story was periodically interrupted by short, unrelated, and often surreal background gags not unlike those of Police Squad. Its audience was quite a narrow one, as the single-camera show was intensely visual, and it was canceled within six weeks of its premiere. However, all eleven of the produced episodes were broadcast on BBC 2 in the United Kingdom where Police Squad was making a comeback thanks to the success of The Naked Gun
The Naked Gun
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is a 1988 American comedy film that is the first in a The Naked Gun series of films starring Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, and O. J. Simpson...
. It became a moderate success being shown on Saturday evening following Clive James
Clive James
Clive James, AM is an Australian author, critic, broadcaster, poet and memoirist, best known for his autobiographical series Unreliable Memoirs, for his chat shows and documentaries on British television and for his prolific journalism...
' Saturday Night Clive. Brooks appeared on this programme to promote the first episode of The Nutt House on 14 October 1989. However, to the dismay of viewers the BBC did not give the show a fixed airtime. Usually shown around 23.00 hours (but sometimes as late as 23.30), the final episode was inexplicably at 19.30 on 16 December 1989.