The Terrible Catsafterme

SEASON 1

Created by Eric Monte

Opening theme: “What’s Happening!!” by Henry Mancini

NOTE: This series is a revival of the sitcom “What’s Happening!!,” which was based on the film “Cooley High”

• 001. Raj Returns – 9/7/1985
  • Roger “Raj” Thomas (Ernest Thomas) has been living away from Watts for years, working as a writer, but now returns back to town with his new wife Nadine Hudson Thomas (Anne-Marie Johnson), a social worker. They purchase the house where Roger grew up, now that his mother has remarried and moved to Arizona. Rogers old friends Shirley Wilson (Shirley Hemphill) and Dwayne Nelson (Haywood Nelson) are keeping watch on the house, and when they see the lights on, they believe there are intruders in the house. Roger and Nadine also think there are intruders, so they early attack each other before having a fond reunion and catching up. Now that Rob’s restaurant has closed, Shirley is in-between jobs, but waiting for something to pan out the next day. Dwayne has been working with computer following a stint in the Army. Their old friend Rerun is working at K-Doe’s Used Cars, and doing their commercials. Dwayne calls Rerun (Fred Berry) to tell him to hurry over to the Thomas house because there is an emergency. When he arrives, he is less than enthusiastic to see Raj and leaves immediately. He refuses to talk about him with Dwayne, who invites them both to meet at the dilapidated Rob’s. Once they get there and the old memories start coming back, they make up, and Rerun admits he is being childish, jealous that now that Raj has returned as a successful author, he will be in his shadow again, despite doing commercials himself. Raj admits that he sold very few books and is far from successful. Shirley shows up and tells them that she attempted to buy the restaurant but didn’t have enough money. Nadine talks Raj into going into the deal, so he becomes a silent part-owner. Teddy Wilson plays a bum named Mr. Lee living in Rob’s. 4/8/20

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SEASON 1 – NBC

Created by Fred Barron, Dottie Dartland, and Marco Pennette

Theme music by Jonathan Wolff

• 001. The Pilot – 9/21/1995
  • Caroline Duffy (Lea Thompson) is a cartoonist of the syndicated comic strip Caroline in the City living in Manhattan with her cat Salty. She lives in an apartment across the hall from her best friend Annie Spadaro (Amy Pietz). After a some unsuccessful attempts, she hires sardonic struggling artist Richard Karinsky (Malcolm Gets) as her colorist who only takes the job to make ends meet. Caroline has just broken up with Del Cassidy (Eric Lutes), the president of Cassidy Greeting Cards that handles the Caroline line of products. When she finds out that Del has a date that night, she pretends she also has a date and that they’re going to Remo’s… where Del happens to be taking his date. She tries to come up with a date and ends up meeting a man named Jeff (Jason Workman) by randomly throwing fruit out the window and seeing who it hits. It turns out that Jeff is married, so Caroline ends up by herself at Remo’s, running into Del and his perky blonde date Debby (Christine Taylor). Del find this out when Jeff calls and heads to Remo’s to deliver the note, and ends up kissing her and posing as her date. Del ends up jealous and Caroline admits the ruse. He wants to get back together, but she questions his commitment, so they agree to be friends. Andy Lauer is Charlie, Del’s delivery boy. Tom La Grua is Remo. John Mariano is Johnny the Maitre d’. Cathy Ladman is Caroline’s ultimate fan. Sean Sullivan is colorist applicant Monroe. 4/4/15

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SEASON 1 – CBS

Theme music written by Eliot Daniel

NOTE: This series was loosely based on the radio show “My Favorite Husband” which aired between 1948-1951. When Lucille Ball was asked to take that series to television, she refused to appear without her husband Desi Arnaz. 

• 000. Pilot – UNAIRED, filmed 3/2/1951
  • Cuban bandleader Ricky Ricardo is happy keeping  his wife Lucy at home to do the housework, cook the meals, and bear the children, but she has aspirations of breaking into show business. Ricky keeps it a secret as to when the TV sponsors are going to come check out his show to see if he has a future in TV. During rehearsal, Pepito the Clown (Pepito Perez) does his routine by imitating a baby and riding a tiny bike, but then gets injured on a full-sized bike. Ricky suggests that Pepito recuperate at his apartment before showtime. Lucy then finds out that the sponsors will be in the club that night. She ends up standing in for Pepito and shows up dressed as a hobo known as “The Professor” and does an act with a cello and seal horns. Lucy ends up getting a TV offer and Ricky doesn’t, but Ricky convinces her that she belongs at home to clean, bake, and raise his children. She tells him that she has a surprise for him… that she has made him a pie. Bob LeMond is the announcer. Joanne Perez appears as herself as Pepito’s wife. NOTE: This pilot was later remade as The Audition. 5/26/15

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SEASON 1 – Fox

Created by Will Forte

• 001. Alive in Tucson – 3/1/2015
  • In the year 2020, one year after a virus has rocked the Earth, Tucson, Arizona native Phil Miller (Will Forte) scours the entire country in a bus looking for signs of life on Earth, ultimately visiting every state and leaving signs that he is alive in Tucson before returning home. At first, he accepts his fate by moving into a giant house which he decorates with stolen, rare artifacts from museums all over the country, partaking in childish acts of vandalism, masturbating, and vowing to never talk to a volleyball as Tom Hanks did in the film Cast Away. When it becomes apparent that there is no one coming. He celebrates his birthday alone with a Twinkie and thinks back to life with his wife Patti (Patti Forte). Five months later, he has become a complete slob who has trashed his house, resorted to pooping into his pool, and drinking all day. He regularly hangs out a O’Rozco’s Bar & Grill, where, despite his earlier words, has set up numerous types of balls with faces on them whom he considers his friends. He reaches his low point when he introduces himself to a mannequin and her arm falls off. He decides to commit suicide by running his truck into a giant rock, but before he hits his target, he notices smoke rising in the distance. When he goes to investigate, he finds that it is a woman, but passes out when he sees her. He wakes to a beautiful woman named Veronica (Alexandra Daddario) and begins to kiss her… only to wake up and see another less attractive woman named Carol Pilbasian (Kristen Schaal) giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. When he jumps up, he initially frightens her, and she pulls a gun on him. Then cooler heads prevail, and they introduce themselves, Carol having followed Phil’s signs to get there. 3/31/20

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SEASON 1 – CBS

Created by Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, and Bernie West. The series is a spin-off of “All in the Family,” the episode “The Jeffersons Move on Up” from January 11, 1975, serving as the series pilot. 

Theme song: “Movin’ on Up” written by Jeff Barry and Ja’net Dubois, performed by Ja’net Dubois

• 001. A Friend in Need – 1/18/1975
  • Louise Jefferson (Isabel Sanford) brings her friend Diane Stockwell (Pauline Myers) up to visit her New York high-rise apartment, but Diane is shocked to find that Louise is not actually a maid as Diane is, but rather lives in the swanky home with her husband George (Sherman Hemsley). When George comes home, he tries to convince Louise that she needs a maid, but Louise is against the idea. Consulting their upstairs neighbors Tom (Franklin Cover) and Helen Willis (Roxie Roker), a racially mixed couple and the father of George and Louise’s son Lionel’s (Mike Evans) girlfriend Jenny (Berlinda Tolbert), Louise finds that they employ a cleaning lady. George’s mother Olivia (Zara Cully) acts as if she’s against Louise having a maid, until she finds out that she is aligned with Louise, and quickly changes her mind. George takes out an ad and gets a response from a lady named Florence Johnston (Marla Gibbs), and despite the fact that Louise tries to prove she doesn’t need her, she takes a liking to her and her acerbic wit against George, and agrees to hire her. Diane finds out and is offended that she wasn’t hired on full-time, and then reveals that she is the one working part-time as the Willis’ maid. Paul Benedict is the Jeffersons’ English neighbor Harry Bentley, who often relies on George walking on his back to crack it. 3/28/17

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