Baby... I'm Back!: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:47, 21 February 2014

Revision as of 00:24, 28 April 2014

Line 1:

{{refimprove}}

{{Infobox television

| show_name = Baby, I'm Back

Line 18 ⟶ 19:

| executive_producer = [[Charles Fries]]

| producer = Chet Dowling

| story editors = [[David Garber]]<br>Kevin Hartigan

| editor = Jim McElroy

| cinematography = Jim Kilgore

Line 36 ⟶ 37:

When Raymond Ellis (Wilson) and Olivia Ellis (Nichols) separate after seven years of marriage, Ray abandons the family (his wife, 7-year-old son Jordan, and 5-year-old daughter Angie) and heads to [[California]]. While in California, Ray finds out that his wife plans to remarry to Colonel Wallace Dickey, and that he has been declared legally dead. This prompts him to move back to Washington, D.C., where he tries to win back Olivia by proving he is a better husband, and a better father to his kids, and to prove that he is still legally alive. However, he now has to contend with his troublesome mother-in-law Luzelle (Helen Martin) and Olivia's soon to be husband Colonel Dickey.

==Production==

==Show cancellation==

The pilot was video taped in September of 1977. CBS picked the pilot up as a mid season replacement, going into production at the [[CBS Studio Center]] lot in November 1977, for airing in January 1978.

''Baby, I'm Back'' was abruptly cancelled on April 17, 1978 midway through its first season, but not due to poor ratings.

The pilot was video taped in the fall (September) of 1977. CBS TV picked the pilot up as a mid season replacement, going into production at the CBS-Studio Center lot in November 1977, for airing in January 1978. Chuck Fries produced, [[Lila Garrett]] (and Mort Lachman) created and also produced, supervising scripts and production, including casting. The initial 13 episodes were aired, with those episodesthen rerun during the summer of 1978. Surprisingly, the ratings over the rerun summer schedule improved with increased ratings numbers. However, during the course of 13 episodes, on the first day rehearsal script read of the eleventh episode, Demond Wilson, the star, had been demandingdemanded a stronger input into the show's projected development. Over a casting decision, Wilson walked off the stage, and production shut down for one and a half weeks. Wilson refused to work with an actress who was cast as for a minor one-episode appearance;{{who}} he demanded casting approval since he would not work with her. After negotiations between CBS, Chuck Fries, Lila Garrett, and Wilson, the series resumed production to complete the episode, but with a new actress. At the last show season final taping, the cast and crew were officially informed the plug had been pulled, and the show would not resume the following season, CBS refusing to put up with Wilson's demands. CBS TV executives had complimented the production's "look" after the initial show's airing because the series writing, cast, and visual production values set the show apart from the current networks' comedy series in their schedule (which were Norman Lear produced shows).{{who}}

On April 17, 1978 at the final taping of the last episode of the season, the cast and crew were officially informed that ''Baby, I'm Back'' was cancelled, and would not be coming back. The decision was made by CBS after the network refused to give in with Wilson's demands. CBS executives had complimented the production's "look" after the initial show's airing because the series writing, cast, and visual production values set the show apart from the current networks' comedy series in their schedule, including programs produced by [[Norman Lear]].

==Cast==

Line 47 ⟶ 51:

* [[Helen Martin]] as Luzelle Carter Wilson

* Ed Hall as Colonel Wallace Dickey

Lila Garrett cast individual crew members as non-speaking cast during the taping of the show's episodes. The craft service man and the art director were moving men in one episode. In rehearsal as two moving men, the art director tripped. The duo, asked by the director, to repeat the stumble routine, as they carried out a large prop mirror (that they had broken, off camera, in the bedroom), with the result that they received a bump up in pay and residuals because SAG determined they had been directed performing a special action, and not just a walk through.

==Episodes==

{| style="border-collapse: collapse;" border="1" cellpadding="3" width="500"

|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"

! '''Series #''' !!'''Season #''' !! '''Title''' !! '''Notes'''!!'''Original air date'''

Line 83 ⟶ 85:

==Syndication==

TheDue to its episode amount, the series was airednever insyndicated [[Broadcastto syndication|syndication]]local stations, though it aired on [[Black Entertainment Television|BET]] in the late 1980s and early-'90s1990s.

==External links==