Working (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Working was an American situation comedy
that aired on NBC
from 1997 to 1999. The series was created and executive produced by Michael Davidoff and Bill Rosenthal.
as the naive Matt Peyser, whose ideals are constantly challenged by his boss, Tim Deale, played by Maurice Godin. Other characters included dim-witted Jimmy (Dana Gould
), Hal (Sarah Knowlton) the under-respected secretary, the overly perky Abby Cosgrove (Arden Myrin
), the acerbic Delaney (Steve Hytner
) and no-nonsense manager Evelyn (Yvette Freeman
).
Due to faltering ratings, the network attempted to breathe new life into the show during the second season with some cast changes. This included writing out the characters of Jimmy and Hal. They were replaced by Debi Mazar
as the ruthless Liz and Rebecca McFarland as Val (As an in-joke
, when Matt first sees Liz and Val he mistakenly calls them Jimmy and Hal). During the series run, Danica McKellar
, formerly a co-star of Savage's of The Wonder Years
, made two guest-appearances playing a woman Savage's character meets in a bar (who turns out to be related to his boss), and of whom he says "she reminds me of a girl I grew up with!"
Ratings for the series didn't improve and NBC canceled Working in January 1999. 35 of the 39 episodes produced were aired. Working was later reaired on the USA Network
(now a sister network
to NBC), including the never-before-seen episodes.
" performed by Devo
, set over top of scenes of work, including marching workers from the film Metropolis
, frantic work scenes from Terry Gilliam
's Brazil
and office scenes from Billy Wilder
's The Apartment
. The vocals of the theme song were removed for the USA Network broadcasts.
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 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...
from 1997 to 1999. The series was created and executive produced by Michael Davidoff and Bill Rosenthal.
Synopsis
Working took a satirical (and sometimes over-the-top) look at office life within a big corporate company. The show starred Fred SavageFred Savage
Fredrick Aaron "Fred" Savage is an American actor, director and producer of television and film.He is best known for his role as Kevin Arnold in the American television series The Wonder Years and as the grandson in The Princess Bride...
as the naive Matt Peyser, whose ideals are constantly challenged by his boss, Tim Deale, played by Maurice Godin. Other characters included dim-witted Jimmy (Dana Gould
Dana Gould
Dana John Gould is an American comedian and comedy writer born and raised in Hopedale, Massachusetts. His upbringing and his extended family lent themselves to his stand-up routine, which has been seen on HBO, Showtime, and Comedy Central, among other places.-Career:After high school, he studied...
), Hal (Sarah Knowlton) the under-respected secretary, the overly perky Abby Cosgrove (Arden Myrin
Arden Myrin
Arden Myrin is an American comedian and actress known for her role on the television show MADtv.-Early years:Myrin was born in Little Compton, Rhode Island, a seaside fishing village. She was the younger of two children; her father was an accountant, and her mother was a real estate agent. As a...
), the acerbic Delaney (Steve Hytner
Steve Hytner
Stephen Arthur "Steve" Hytner is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Kenny Bania in Seinfeld...
) and no-nonsense manager Evelyn (Yvette Freeman
Yvette Freeman
Yvette Freeman is an American actress best known for her role as Haleh Adams, a registered nurse, on the NBC drama ER...
).
Due to faltering ratings, the network attempted to breathe new life into the show during the second season with some cast changes. This included writing out the characters of Jimmy and Hal. They were replaced by Debi Mazar
Debi Mazar
Deborah "Debi" Mazar is an American actress, perhaps best known for her Jersey Girl-type roles; as sharp-tongued women in independent films; and for her recurring role as press agent Shauna Roberts on the HBO series Entourage.-Early life:...
as the ruthless Liz and Rebecca McFarland as Val (As an in-joke
In-joke
An in-joke, also known as an inside joke or in joke, is a joke whose humour is clear only to people who are in a particular social group, occupation, or other community of common understanding...
, when Matt first sees Liz and Val he mistakenly calls them Jimmy and Hal). During the series run, Danica McKellar
Danica McKellar
Danica Mae McKellar is an American actress, academic, and education advocate. She is best known for her role as Winnie Cooper in the television show The Wonder Years, and later as author of the three The New York Times bestsellers, Math Doesn't Suck, Kiss My Math, and Hot X: Algebra Exposed, which...
, formerly a co-star of Savage's of The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years is an American television comedy-drama created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. It ran for six seasons on ABC from 1988 through 1993. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988 after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII....
, made two guest-appearances playing a woman Savage's character meets in a bar (who turns out to be related to his boss), and of whom he says "she reminds me of a girl I grew up with!"
Ratings for the series didn't improve and NBC canceled Working in January 1999. 35 of the 39 episodes produced were aired. Working was later reaired on the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
(now a sister network
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
to NBC), including the never-before-seen episodes.
Theme song
The show used a cover of the song "Working in the Coal MineWorking in the Coal Mine
"Working in the Coal Mine" is a song with music and lyrics by Allen Toussaint.After Toussaint returned to New Orleans from the Army , he formed a production company, Sansu, with partner Marshall Sehorn. A number of singles, performed by Lee Dorsey, followed in 1965-66, including "Working in the...
" performed by Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, set over top of scenes of work, including marching workers from the film Metropolis
Metropolis (film)
Metropolis is a 1927 German expressionist film in the science-fiction genre directed by Fritz Lang. Produced in Germany during a stable period of the Weimar Republic, Metropolis is set in a futuristic urban dystopia and makes use of this context to explore the social crisis between workers and...
, frantic work scenes from Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
's Brazil
Brazil (film)
Brazil is a 1985 British science fiction fantasy/black comedy film directed by Terry Gilliam. It was written by Gilliam, Charles McKeown, and Tom Stoppard and stars Jonathan Pryce. The film also features Robert De Niro, Kim Greist, Michael Palin, Katherine Helmond, Bob Hoskins, and Ian Holm...
and office scenes from Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder was an Austro-Hungarian born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist, and journalist, whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age...
's The Apartment
The Apartment
The Apartment is a 1960 American comedy-drama film produced and directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. It was Wilder's follow-up to the enormously popular Some Like It Hot and, like its predecessor, was a commercial and critical hit, grossing $25...
. The vocals of the theme song were removed for the USA Network broadcasts.
Cast
- Fred SavageFred SavageFredrick Aaron "Fred" Savage is an American actor, director and producer of television and film.He is best known for his role as Kevin Arnold in the American television series The Wonder Years and as the grandson in The Princess Bride...
... Matt Peyser - Maurice GodinMaurice Godin (actor)Maurice Godin is an Canadian actor, who has appeared in several films and television shows.-Career:Born in Toronto, Canada, Godin has been acting in theatre, television and film for the past thirty years...
... Tim Deale - Yvette FreemanYvette FreemanYvette Freeman is an American actress best known for her role as Haleh Adams, a registered nurse, on the NBC drama ER...
... Evelyn Smalley - Steve HytnerSteve HytnerStephen Arthur "Steve" Hytner is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Kenny Bania in Seinfeld...
... John Delaney - Arden MyrinArden MyrinArden Myrin is an American comedian and actress known for her role on the television show MADtv.-Early years:Myrin was born in Little Compton, Rhode Island, a seaside fishing village. She was the younger of two children; her father was an accountant, and her mother was a real estate agent. As a...
... Abby Cosgrove - Dana GouldDana GouldDana John Gould is an American comedian and comedy writer born and raised in Hopedale, Massachusetts. His upbringing and his extended family lent themselves to his stand-up routine, which has been seen on HBO, Showtime, and Comedy Central, among other places.-Career:After high school, he studied...
... Jimmy Clarke (1997-1998) - Sarah Knowlton ... Hal (1997-1998)
- Rebecca McFarland ... Val Gibson (1998-1999)
- Debi MazarDebi MazarDeborah "Debi" Mazar is an American actress, perhaps best known for her Jersey Girl-type roles; as sharp-tongued women in independent films; and for her recurring role as press agent Shauna Roberts on the HBO series Entourage.-Early life:...
... Liz Tricoli (1998-1999) - Kate HodgeKate HodgeKate Hodge is an American actress and film producer.-Career:Born in Berkeley, California, Hodge's first starring role was as Michelle, the heroine of the 1990 horror film Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III...
... Chris Grant (1998)
Season 1
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | Pilot | October 8, 1997 |
| 1-2 | "Close Quarters" | October 15, 1997 |
| 1-3 | "Rumoring" | October 29, 1997 |
| 1-4 | "Quick Out of the Gate" | November 5, 1997 |
| 1-5 | "Sexual Harassment" | November 12, 1997 |
| 1-6 | "Lost Weekend" | November 19, 1997 |
| 1-7 | "Creative Matt" | December 3, 1997 |
| 1-8 | "Top O' the World Ma" | December 10, 1997 |
| 1-9 | "Medieval Christmas" | December 17, 1997 |
| 1-10 | "The Breakfast" | January 7, 1998 |
| 1-11 | "Enemies: A Love Story" | January 14, 1998 |
| 1-12 | "Sam I Am" | January 21, 1998 |
| 1-13 | "Boys Club" | January 28, 1998 |
| 1-14 | "Hatchet Man" | February 4, 1998 |
| 1-15 | "Mum's the Word" | February 25, 1998 |
| 1-16 | "As Bad As It Gets" | March 18, 1998 |
| 1-17 | "Labor Pains" | March 25, 1998 |
| 1-18 | "The Gold Digger" | April 1, 1998 |
| 1-19 | "Equality" | April 15, 1998 |
| 1-20 | "The Lying Game" | April 29, 1998 |
| 1-21 | "Due Process" | May 6, 1998 |
| 1-22 | "The Brown Noser" | May 13, 1998 |
Season 2
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 2-23 | "Home-O-Apathy" | September 22, 1998 |
| 2-24 | "The Closer" | September 29, 1998 |
| 2-25 | "Armageddon Outta Here" | October 27, 1998 |
| 2-26 | "Performance Review" | November 3, 1998 |
| 2-27 | "Good Val Hunting" | November 10, 1998 |
| 2-28 | "Networking" | November 17, 1998 |
| 2-29 | "A Boy, A Girl, And His Bird" | December 1, 1998 |
| 2-30 | "The Consultant" | December 8, 1998 |
| 2-31 | "Greenery" | December 18, 1998 |
| 2-32 | "The Christmas Party" | December 22, 1998 |
| 2-33 | "Romeo and Julie" | January 11, 1999 |
| 2-34 | "The Retreat" | January 18, 1999 |
| 2-35 | "The Prodigy" | January 25, 1999 |
| 2-36 | "Manifesto Destiny" | Never aired |
| 2-37 | "The Other Executive" | Never aired |
| 2-38 | "She Loves Me, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" | Never aired |
| 2-39 | "Sliding Doors" | Never aired |
Awards
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Young Artist Awards | Won | Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series - Young Performer Age Ten or Under | Sara Paxton Sara Paxton Sara Paxton is an American actress, model and singer. She grew up in California and began acting at an early age, appearing in many minor roles in both films and television shows, before coming to wider renown in 2004, after playing the title role in the series Darcy's Wild Life and Sarah Borden... |