Bonnie(originally titledThe Bonnie Hunt Show) is an Americansitcomtelevision series that aired onCBSfrom September 22, 1995 to April 7, 1996.Bonnie Huntplays Bonnie Kelly, a television reporter who moves fromWisconsinto take a job with a Chicago television station where she encounters an eclectic group of coworkers.[1]
| Bonnie | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | The Bonnie Hunt Show |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Bonnie Hunt Rob Burnett |
| Written by | Bonnie Hunt |
| Directed by | John Bowab |
| Starring | Bonnie Hunt |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No.of seasons | 1 |
| No.of episodes | 13 (2 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Bonnie Hunt Rob Burnett David Letterman |
| Producers | Robert Wright John Bowab |
| Editor | Evan Wright |
| Production companies | Bob & Alice Productions Worldwide Pants Incorporated |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | September 22, 1995– April 7, 1996 |
| Related | |
| The Building(1993) | |
In addition to the stories concerning Bonnie's life inside and out of the station, each episode includes one of Bonnie's television news features, in which Hunt would improvise interviews with real people attending or involved in current real local events.
Cast
edit- Bonnie Huntas Bonnie Kelly
- Mark Derwinas Bill Kirkland
- Brian Howeas Sammy Sinatra
- Don Lakeas Keith Jedzik
- Tom Virtueas Tom Vandoozer
- Holly Wortell as Holly Janovsky
Production notes
editThe series premiered asThe Bonnie Hunt Showin September 1995 and aired under that title for the first six episodes before being placed on hiatus in November. Upon returning to the air in March, the show was retitledBonnieand ran for an additional five episodes in a new Sunday-night timeslot.[2]Despite improved ratings, the show was canceled, and the last two episodes were never aired.[citation needed]
As with Bonnie Hunt's previous short-run 1993 sitcomThe Building,The Bonnieexhibited a theatrical sensibility and minor mistakes, accidents and forgotten lines were often preserved in the aired episodes.[citation needed]Cast members Hunt, Don Lake, Tom Virtue and Holly Wortell had all starred inThe Building,which was also set in Chicago, produced byDavid Letterman'sWorldwide Pantsproduction company and directed byJohn Bowab.[3]Hunt createdBonniewithRob Burnettand wrote most of the episodes.[citation needed]
Hunt's next sitcomLife With Bonnie,created by Hunt and Lake, also featured Hunt, Derwin and Wortell, and it also focused on a Chicago news personality. Virtue had a recurring role on the show and Bowab directed several episodes.[citation needed]
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "First Day" | Unknown | Rob Burnett and Bonnie Hunt | September 22, 1995 |
| 2 | "Another Day at the Office" | Unknown | Bonnie Hunt | September 29, 1995 |
| 3 | "The Phone Call" | Unknown | Steve Faber and Bob Fisher | October 6, 1995 |
| 4 | "True Lies" | Unknown | Michael Short | October 13, 1995 |
| 5 | "Better Offer" | John Bowab | Bonnie Hunt (as Alice Jatczak) | October 20, 1995 |
| 6 | "Here's a Little Halloween Twist" | Unknown | Elaine Arata | October 27, 1995 |
| 7 | "Up All Night" | John Bowab | Bonnie Hunt, Elaine Arata, Steve Faber and Bob Fisher | March 10, 1996 |
| 8 | "On the Streets Where You Live" | John Bowab | Bonnie Hunt | March 17, 1996 |
| 9 | "Hair Today, Gone Merlot" | Unknown | Bonnie Hunt | March 24, 1996 |
| 10 | "To See or Not to See" | Unknown | Elaine Arata | March 31, 1996 |
| 11 | "Beginning of the Beginning" | Unknown | Bonnie Hunt and Elaine Arata | April 7, 1996 |
| 12 | "Queen of Hearts" | TBD | TBD | Unaired |
| 13 | "The Bermuda Triangle" | TBD | TBD | Unaired |
Reception
editKirk Nicewonger called the show "daring" in his review forUnited Feature Syndicate,he stated the show "has the nerve to shrug off the joke-every-seven-seconds sitcom straitjacket, and it recreates the way people really speak". He noted how the characters "interrupt each other, and step on one another's lines, creating a naturalistic, almost improvisational atmosphere that works brilliantly".[1]Frazier Moore wrote for theAssociated Pressthat the show is about "friends, faith and cutting the other guy a little slack", and as a result, the show is a "charming sitcom free of sarcasm, breast jokes, insults, gags, meanness and goofballs pretending to be people".[3]
References
edit- ^abNicewonger, Kirk (September 22, 1995). "Small-town life runs amok as American Gothic has debut".Hartford Courant.United Feature Syndicate.p. E4.
- ^Moore, Frazier (March 9, 1996). "Quirky but funny 'Bonnie' returns". Television/Radio.The Berkshire Eagle.Associated Press. p. C4.
- ^abMoore, Frazier (September 26, 1995). "The Bonnie Hunt Show breaks sitcom TV mold".The Beaufort Gazette.Associated Press.p. 10A.