Empty Nest
Encyclopedia
Empty Nest is an American sitcom that originally aired on NBC
from 1988 to 1995. The series was created as a spin-off of The Golden Girls
by creator and producer Susan Harris. For its first three seasons, Empty Nest was one of the year's top 10 most-watched programs. It was produced by Touchstone Television.
The show concept borrowed some elements from the British comedy series Father, Dear Father
, also featuring a father living with his two daughters and large dog. However, unlike that series (in which the daughters are still teenagers and the ex-wife and her new husband are both conspicuously present), the two daughters in Empty Nest are self-supporting adults, and the lead character is a widower.
Empty Nest was part of NBC's Saturday night block of programming, and during its first four seasons it aired at 9:30pm ET, directly following The Golden Girls.
and Rita Moreno
respectively) were introduced as the Girls' neighbors, a middle-aged couple suffering from empty nest syndrome
. The set of the Corliss house was exactly the same as the one that later became the Weston residence, and they also had an annoying neighbor played by David Leisure
(although named Oliver). However, the couple apparently fared poorly with test audiences and the premise was extensively revamped.
), whose life is turned upside down when his wife, Libby, dies, and two of his adult daughters move back into the family home in Miami. Early episodes established that The Golden Girls were neighbors of the Westons (Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan
, and Betty White
all guest-starred as their Golden Girls characters, and vice-versa).
Eldest daughter Carol (Dinah Manoff
) was a neurotic and high-strung recent divorcée, while middle daughter Barbara (Kristy McNichol
) was a tough undercover police officer. The two sisters frequently bickered and vied for the attention of their father, whom they still called "Daddy." The Westons' large dog Dreyfuss was also prominently featured.
In 1992, Kristy McNichol left the show and the youngest Weston daughter Emily (Lisa Rieffel
) joined the cast. Her character had not been seen before, but had been previously mentioned as being away at college. Rieffel left after one season and for the show's final two seasons, only Carol remained of the Weston children. McNichol returned for the series finale
in 1995.
Another main character was the Westons' neighbor Charley (David Leisure
), a womanizing cruise ship employee who frequently barged into the house unannounced to borrow food or make sexist comments. Charley had a father-son relationship with Harry and a love-hate relationship with Carol.
Harry's job was another major focus for the show. For the first five seasons Harry worked at a hospital where he was aided by his wise-cracking Southern nurse Laverne (Park Overall). In season six, Harry retired, eventually going to work for a struggling inner-city medical clinic run by the tough-talking Dr. Maxine Douglas (Marsha Warfield
). Laverne, having been fired by Dr. Weston's replacement, came to work there as well.
Other characters who later joined the cast were Carol's boyfriend, Patrick (Paul Provenza
), an artist who was almost as eccentric as she. Patrick convinced the Westons to let him use their empty garage as his new painting studio, and when his relationship with Carol became serious, he eventually moved in altogether. Their romantic bliss was short-lived, as they broke up at the beginning of season six. However, this was not before Carol became pregnant with Patrick's child; their son, Scotty, was born in November 1993, and Carol chose to raise the baby on her own. Estelle Getty
reprised her Golden Girls character Sophia Petrillo
during Empty Nest's final two seasons (after the cancellation of The Golden Palace
). It was explained that Sophia had moved back into the nearby Shady Pines retirement home.
, a sitcom about a group of nurses working in the same hospital as Dr. Weston. The three series (Empty Nest, Golden Girls and Nurses) represented one of the few times in American television history that three shows from the same producer, all taking place in the same city and explicitly set up with the characters knowing each other from the very beginning, aired on the same network in one night. On at least two occasions, Harris wrote storylines which carried through all three series.
and George Tipton
and performed by Billy Vera
. For the first three seasons, the song was done in a slower, more melancholy yet comical arrangement. The original opening titles sequence showed Harry Weston taking Dreyfuss for a walk around town, with still images of the other regular cast members shown as they were credited.
When the third season began, a new opening sequence debuted. This was made up of footage from series episodes showing each of the regular cast members. For the final four seasons the theme song was done in a higher, more upbeat arrangement and the titles sequence style introduced in the third season remained.
began airing reruns with a 24-hour marathon on February 26 of that year. The reruns were removed in summer 2011.
Previously, Empty Nest aired on TBS from September 16 to December 6, 1996, and on WGN from September 16, 1996 to March 26, 1999.
Empty Nest is an American sitcom that originally aired on NBC
from 1988 to 1995. The series was created as a spin-off of The Golden Girls
by creator and producer Susan Harris. For its first three seasons, Empty Nest was one of the year's top 10 most-watched programs. It was produced by Touchstone Television.
The show concept borrowed some elements from the British comedy series Father, Dear Father
, also featuring a father living with his two daughters and large dog. However, unlike that series (in which the daughters are still teenagers and the ex-wife and her new husband are both conspicuously present), the two daughters in Empty Nest are self-supporting adults, and the lead character is a widower.
Empty Nest was part of NBC's Saturday night block of programming, and during its first four seasons it aired at 9:30pm ET, directly following The Golden Girls.
and Rita Moreno
respectively) were introduced as the Girls' neighbors, a middle-aged couple suffering from empty nest syndrome
. The set of the Corliss house was exactly the same as the one that later became the Weston residence, and they also had an annoying neighbor played by David Leisure
(although named Oliver). However, the couple apparently fared poorly with test audiences and the premise was extensively revamped.
), whose life is turned upside down when his wife, Libby, dies, and two of his adult daughters move back into the family home in Miami. Early episodes established that The Golden Girls were neighbors of the Westons (Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan
, and Betty White
all guest-starred as their Golden Girls characters, and vice-versa).
Eldest daughter Carol (Dinah Manoff
) was a neurotic and high-strung recent divorcée, while middle daughter Barbara (Kristy McNichol
) was a tough undercover police officer. The two sisters frequently bickered and vied for the attention of their father, whom they still called "Daddy." The Westons' large dog Dreyfuss was also prominently featured.
In 1992, Kristy McNichol left the show and the youngest Weston daughter Emily (Lisa Rieffel
) joined the cast. Her character had not been seen before, but had been previously mentioned as being away at college. Rieffel left after one season and for the show's final two seasons, only Carol remained of the Weston children. McNichol returned for the series finale
in 1995.
Another main character was the Westons' neighbor Charley (David Leisure
), a womanizing cruise ship employee who frequently barged into the house unannounced to borrow food or make sexist comments. Charley had a father-son relationship with Harry and a love-hate relationship with Carol.
Harry's job was another major focus for the show. For the first five seasons Harry worked at a hospital where he was aided by his wise-cracking Southern nurse Laverne (Park Overall). In season six, Harry retired, eventually going to work for a struggling inner-city medical clinic run by the tough-talking Dr. Maxine Douglas (Marsha Warfield
). Laverne, having been fired by Dr. Weston's replacement, came to work there as well.
Other characters who later joined the cast were Carol's boyfriend, Patrick (Paul Provenza
), an artist who was almost as eccentric as she. Patrick convinced the Westons to let him use their empty garage as his new painting studio, and when his relationship with Carol became serious, he eventually moved in altogether. Their romantic bliss was short-lived, as they broke up at the beginning of season six. However, this was not before Carol became pregnant with Patrick's child; their son, Scotty, was born in November 1993, and Carol chose to raise the baby on her own. Estelle Getty
reprised her Golden Girls character Sophia Petrillo
during Empty Nest's final two seasons (after the cancellation of The Golden Palace
). It was explained that Sophia had moved back into the nearby Shady Pines retirement home.
, a sitcom about a group of nurses working in the same hospital as Dr. Weston. The three series (Empty Nest, Golden Girls and Nurses) represented one of the few times in American television history that three shows from the same producer, all taking place in the same city and explicitly set up with the characters knowing each other from the very beginning, aired on the same network in one night. On at least two occasions, Harris wrote storylines which carried through all three series.
and George Tipton
and performed by Billy Vera
. For the first three seasons, the song was done in a slower, more melancholy yet comical arrangement. The original opening titles sequence showed Harry Weston taking Dreyfuss for a walk around town, with still images of the other regular cast members shown as they were credited.
When the third season began, a new opening sequence debuted. This was made up of footage from series episodes showing each of the regular cast members. For the final four seasons the theme song was done in a higher, more upbeat arrangement and the titles sequence style introduced in the third season remained.
began airing reruns with a 24-hour marathon on February 26 of that year. The reruns were removed in summer 2011.
Previously, Empty Nest aired on TBS from September 16 to December 6, 1996, and on WGN from September 16, 1996 to March 26, 1999.
Empty Nest is an American sitcom that originally aired on NBC
from 1988 to 1995. The series was created as a spin-off of The Golden Girls
by creator and producer Susan Harris. For its first three seasons, Empty Nest was one of the year's top 10 most-watched programs. It was produced by Touchstone Television.
The show concept borrowed some elements from the British comedy series Father, Dear Father
, also featuring a father living with his two daughters and large dog. However, unlike that series (in which the daughters are still teenagers and the ex-wife and her new husband are both conspicuously present), the two daughters in Empty Nest are self-supporting adults, and the lead character is a widower.
Empty Nest was part of NBC's Saturday night block of programming, and during its first four seasons it aired at 9:30pm ET, directly following The Golden Girls.
and Rita Moreno
respectively) were introduced as the Girls' neighbors, a middle-aged couple suffering from empty nest syndrome
. The set of the Corliss house was exactly the same as the one that later became the Weston residence, and they also had an annoying neighbor played by David Leisure
(although named Oliver). However, the couple apparently fared poorly with test audiences and the premise was extensively revamped.
), whose life is turned upside down when his wife, Libby, dies, and two of his adult daughters move back into the family home in Miami. Early episodes established that The Golden Girls were neighbors of the Westons (Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan
, and Betty White
all guest-starred as their Golden Girls characters, and vice-versa).
Eldest daughter Carol (Dinah Manoff
) was a neurotic and high-strung recent divorcée, while middle daughter Barbara (Kristy McNichol
) was a tough undercover police officer. The two sisters frequently bickered and vied for the attention of their father, whom they still called "Daddy." The Westons' large dog Dreyfuss was also prominently featured.
In 1992, Kristy McNichol left the show and the youngest Weston daughter Emily (Lisa Rieffel
) joined the cast. Her character had not been seen before, but had been previously mentioned as being away at college. Rieffel left after one season and for the show's final two seasons, only Carol remained of the Weston children. McNichol returned for the series finale
in 1995.
Another main character was the Westons' neighbor Charley (David Leisure
), a womanizing cruise ship employee who frequently barged into the house unannounced to borrow food or make sexist comments. Charley had a father-son relationship with Harry and a love-hate relationship with Carol.
Harry's job was another major focus for the show. For the first five seasons Harry worked at a hospital where he was aided by his wise-cracking Southern nurse Laverne (Park Overall). In season six, Harry retired, eventually going to work for a struggling inner-city medical clinic run by the tough-talking Dr. Maxine Douglas (Marsha Warfield
). Laverne, having been fired by Dr. Weston's replacement, came to work there as well.
Other characters who later joined the cast were Carol's boyfriend, Patrick (Paul Provenza
), an artist who was almost as eccentric as she. Patrick convinced the Westons to let him use their empty garage as his new painting studio, and when his relationship with Carol became serious, he eventually moved in altogether. Their romantic bliss was short-lived, as they broke up at the beginning of season six. However, this was not before Carol became pregnant with Patrick's child; their son, Scotty, was born in November 1993, and Carol chose to raise the baby on her own. Estelle Getty
reprised her Golden Girls character Sophia Petrillo
during Empty Nest's final two seasons (after the cancellation of The Golden Palace
). It was explained that Sophia had moved back into the nearby Shady Pines retirement home.
, a sitcom about a group of nurses working in the same hospital as Dr. Weston. The three series (Empty Nest, Golden Girls and Nurses) represented one of the few times in American television history that three shows from the same producer, all taking place in the same city and explicitly set up with the characters knowing each other from the very beginning, aired on the same network in one night. On at least two occasions, Harris wrote storylines which carried through all three series.
and George Tipton
and performed by Billy Vera
. For the first three seasons, the song was done in a slower, more melancholy yet comical arrangement. The original opening titles sequence showed Harry Weston taking Dreyfuss for a walk around town, with still images of the other regular cast members shown as they were credited.
When the third season began, a new opening sequence debuted. This was made up of footage from series episodes showing each of the regular cast members. For the final four seasons the theme song was done in a higher, more upbeat arrangement and the titles sequence style introduced in the third season remained.
began airing reruns with a 24-hour marathon on February 26 of that year. The reruns were removed in summer 2011.
Previously, Empty Nest aired on TBS from September 16 to December 6, 1996, and on WGN from September 16, 1996 to March 26, 1999. TBS Log - Sitcoms Online Message Boards TV Guide - September 14-20, 1996 TV Guide - March 20-26, 1999
The CBC
in Canada
reran the series in the 1980's and 1990's.
and the Golden Globe Award
for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. The series received a number of other Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations over the years, especially for Mulligan and for Park Overall who was nominated three times for a Golden Globe Award.
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 1988 to 1995. The series was created as a spin-off of The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
by creator and producer Susan Harris. For its first three seasons, Empty Nest was one of the year's top 10 most-watched programs. It was produced by Touchstone Television.
The show concept borrowed some elements from the British comedy series Father, Dear Father
Father, Dear Father
Father, Dear Father is a British television sitcom produced by Thames Television for ITV from 1968 to 1973 starring Patrick Cargill. It was subsequently made into a spin-off film of the same title released in 1973....
, also featuring a father living with his two daughters and large dog. However, unlike that series (in which the daughters are still teenagers and the ex-wife and her new husband are both conspicuously present), the two daughters in Empty Nest are self-supporting adults, and the lead character is a widower.
Empty Nest was part of NBC's Saturday night block of programming, and during its first four seasons it aired at 9:30pm ET, directly following The Golden Girls.
History
An incarnation of the series was initially featured in the Season 2 Golden Girls episode "Empty Nests". In the episode, George and Renee Corliss (played by Paul DooleyPaul Dooley
-Personal life:Dooley was born Paul Dooley Brown in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the son of Ruth Irene , a homemaker, and Peter James Brown, a factory worker. Dooley was a cartoonist as a youth and drew a strip for a local paper in Parkersburg. He joined the Navy before discovering acting while at...
and Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno is a Puerto Rican singer, dancer and actress. She is the only Hispanic and one of the few performers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony, and was the second Puerto Rican to win an Academy Award....
respectively) were introduced as the Girls' neighbors, a middle-aged couple suffering from empty nest syndrome
Empty nest syndrome
Empty nest syndrome is a general feeling of loneliness that parents or guardians may feel when one or more of their children leave home; it is more common in women...
. The set of the Corliss house was exactly the same as the one that later became the Weston residence, and they also had an annoying neighbor played by David Leisure
David Leisure
David Russell Leisure is an American actor best known for his role as Charley Dietz in the sitcom Empty Nest from 1988 to 1995 and fictional automotive "pitch man" Joe Isuzu in a series of North American television commercials for Isuzu from 1986 to 1990, and again from 1999 to 2001.Additional...
(although named Oliver). However, the couple apparently fared poorly with test audiences and the premise was extensively revamped.
Plot
The show revolves around pediatrician Dr. Harry Weston (Richard MulliganRichard Mulligan
Richard Mulligan was an American television and film actor best known for his role as Burt Campbell in the 1970s sitcom Soap and later as Dr. Harry Weston on The Golden Girls and its spin-off Empty Nest.-Early life:He was born in New York City, the younger brother of director Robert Mulligan...
), whose life is turned upside down when his wife, Libby, dies, and two of his adult daughters move back into the family home in Miami. Early episodes established that The Golden Girls were neighbors of the Westons (Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan was an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family, and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.-Early life:McClanahan was born Eddie Rue...
, and Betty White
Betty White
Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
all guest-starred as their Golden Girls characters, and vice-versa).
Eldest daughter Carol (Dinah Manoff
Dinah Manoff
Dinah Beth Manoff is an American stage, film and television actress and television director best known for her roles as Elaine Lefkowitz on Soap, Marty Maraschino in the film Grease, Libby Tucker in both the stage and film adaptations of I Ought to Be in Pictures, for which she won a Tony award,...
) was a neurotic and high-strung recent divorcée, while middle daughter Barbara (Kristy McNichol
Kristy McNichol
Christina Ann "Kristy" McNichol is an American actress.McNichol is best known for her roles as Leticia “Buddy” Lawrence on the television drama series Family and as Barbara Weston on the sitcom Empty Nest. She is also the sister of former child actor Jimmy McNichol...
) was a tough undercover police officer. The two sisters frequently bickered and vied for the attention of their father, whom they still called "Daddy." The Westons' large dog Dreyfuss was also prominently featured.
In 1992, Kristy McNichol left the show and the youngest Weston daughter Emily (Lisa Rieffel
Lisa Rieffel
Lisa Rieffel is an American singer, musician, and actress.Rieffel was born in Denville, New Jersey. She is a founding member and lead singer of the Los Angeles-based alternative rock band Killola, and has been a singer/actress since childhood...
) joined the cast. Her character had not been seen before, but had been previously mentioned as being away at college. Rieffel left after one season and for the show's final two seasons, only Carol remained of the Weston children. McNichol returned for the series finale
Life Goes On (Empty Nest)
"Life Goes On" is the name of the final episode of the American television series Empty Nest. This episode ran for 1 hour and aired on NBC on April 29, 1995. This episode marked the return of Kristy McNichol, who left during the fifth season after she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.This was...
in 1995.
Another main character was the Westons' neighbor Charley (David Leisure
David Leisure
David Russell Leisure is an American actor best known for his role as Charley Dietz in the sitcom Empty Nest from 1988 to 1995 and fictional automotive "pitch man" Joe Isuzu in a series of North American television commercials for Isuzu from 1986 to 1990, and again from 1999 to 2001.Additional...
), a womanizing cruise ship employee who frequently barged into the house unannounced to borrow food or make sexist comments. Charley had a father-son relationship with Harry and a love-hate relationship with Carol.
Harry's job was another major focus for the show. For the first five seasons Harry worked at a hospital where he was aided by his wise-cracking Southern nurse Laverne (Park Overall). In season six, Harry retired, eventually going to work for a struggling inner-city medical clinic run by the tough-talking Dr. Maxine Douglas (Marsha Warfield
Marsha Warfield
Marsha Warfield is an American actress and comedienne best known for her 1986–1992 role of Roz on the popular NBC sitcom Night Court. Roz, a tough, no-nonsense bailiff in Judge Stone's court, acted primarily as a straightwoman to the other bailiff character, Bull . She also starred in the sitcom...
). Laverne, having been fired by Dr. Weston's replacement, came to work there as well.
Other characters who later joined the cast were Carol's boyfriend, Patrick (Paul Provenza
Paul Provenza
Paul Provenza is an actor, comedian and filmmaker, a self-professed skeptic currently based in Los Angeles.-Early years:...
), an artist who was almost as eccentric as she. Patrick convinced the Westons to let him use their empty garage as his new painting studio, and when his relationship with Carol became serious, he eventually moved in altogether. Their romantic bliss was short-lived, as they broke up at the beginning of season six. However, this was not before Carol became pregnant with Patrick's child; their son, Scotty, was born in November 1993, and Carol chose to raise the baby on her own. Estelle Getty
Estelle Getty
Estelle Scher-Gettleman , better known by her stage name Estelle Getty, was an American actress, who appeared in film, television, and theatre...
reprised her Golden Girls character Sophia Petrillo
Sophia Petrillo
Sophia Petrillo is a fictional character from the TV series The Golden Girls, and its spin-offs The Golden Palace and Empty Nest. She was portrayed by Estelle Getty for 10 years and 258 episodes and was arguably the breakout character of the show...
during Empty Nest's final two seasons (after the cancellation of The Golden Palace
The Golden Palace
The Golden Palace is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1992, to May 14, 1993. The show was a spin-off and continuation of the sitcom The Golden Girls....
). It was explained that Sophia had moved back into the nearby Shady Pines retirement home.
Cast
- Richard MulliganRichard MulliganRichard Mulligan was an American television and film actor best known for his role as Burt Campbell in the 1970s sitcom Soap and later as Dr. Harry Weston on The Golden Girls and its spin-off Empty Nest.-Early life:He was born in New York City, the younger brother of director Robert Mulligan...
as Dr. Harry Weston - Dinah ManoffDinah ManoffDinah Beth Manoff is an American stage, film and television actress and television director best known for her roles as Elaine Lefkowitz on Soap, Marty Maraschino in the film Grease, Libby Tucker in both the stage and film adaptations of I Ought to Be in Pictures, for which she won a Tony award,...
as Carol Weston - Kristy McNicholKristy McNicholChristina Ann "Kristy" McNichol is an American actress.McNichol is best known for her roles as Leticia “Buddy” Lawrence on the television drama series Family and as Barbara Weston on the sitcom Empty Nest. She is also the sister of former child actor Jimmy McNichol...
as Barbara Weston (1988–1992, 1995) - David LeisureDavid LeisureDavid Russell Leisure is an American actor best known for his role as Charley Dietz in the sitcom Empty Nest from 1988 to 1995 and fictional automotive "pitch man" Joe Isuzu in a series of North American television commercials for Isuzu from 1986 to 1990, and again from 1999 to 2001.Additional...
as Charley Dietz - Park Overall as Laverne Todd
- Estelle GettyEstelle GettyEstelle Scher-Gettleman , better known by her stage name Estelle Getty, was an American actress, who appeared in film, television, and theatre...
as Sophia PetrilloSophia PetrilloSophia Petrillo is a fictional character from the TV series The Golden Girls, and its spin-offs The Golden Palace and Empty Nest. She was portrayed by Estelle Getty for 10 years and 258 episodes and was arguably the breakout character of the show...
(1993–1995) - Paul ProvenzaPaul ProvenzaPaul Provenza is an actor, comedian and filmmaker, a self-professed skeptic currently based in Los Angeles.-Early years:...
as Patrick Arcola (1992–1993) - Lisa RieffelLisa RieffelLisa Rieffel is an American singer, musician, and actress.Rieffel was born in Denville, New Jersey. She is a founding member and lead singer of the Los Angeles-based alternative rock band Killola, and has been a singer/actress since childhood...
as Emily Weston (1992–1993) - Marsha WarfieldMarsha WarfieldMarsha Warfield is an American actress and comedienne best known for her 1986–1992 role of Roz on the popular NBC sitcom Night Court. Roz, a tough, no-nonsense bailiff in Judge Stone's court, acted primarily as a straightwoman to the other bailiff character, Bull . She also starred in the sitcom...
as Dr. Maxine Douglas (1993–1995) - Bear the Dog as Dreyfuss
Notable guest stars
- Loni AndersonLoni AndersonLoni Kaye Anderson is an American actress who played the role of Jennifer Marlowe on the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.- Early life :...
- Mayim BialikMayim BialikMayim Hoya Bialik is an American actress who also holds a PhD in neuroscience.Her most notable TV roles have been as Blossom Russo on NBC's Blossom and as Amy Farrah Fowler on CBS's The Big Bang Theory.-Early life:...
- Eddie BrackenEddie BrackenEdward Vincent "Eddie" Bracken was an American actor.-Life and career:Bracken was born in Astoria, New York, the son of Catherine and Joseph L. Bracken. Bracken performed in vaudeville at the age of nine and gained fame with the Broadway musical Too Many Girls in a role he reprised for the 1940...
- Garth BrooksGarth BrooksTroyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
- Stephen DorffStephen DorffStephen Dorff is an American actor, best known for portraying Stuart Sutcliffe in Backbeat, Johnny Marco in Somewhere, and for his roles in Blade and Cecil B. DeMented.-Early life:...
- Morgan FairchildMorgan FairchildMorgan Fairchild is an American actress. She achieved prominence during the late 1970s and early 1980s with continuing roles in several television series, in which she usually conveyed a glamorous image. Fairchild has also performed in live theater and played guest roles in television comedies...
- Zsa Zsa GaborZsa Zsa GaborZsa Zsa Gabor is a Hungarian-born American stage, film and television actress.She acted on stage in Vienna, Austria, in 1932, and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She emigrated to the United States in 1941 and became a sought-after actress with "European flair and style", with a personality that...
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- Lee GrantLee GrantLee Grant is an American stage, film and television actress, and film director. She was blacklisted for 12 years from film work beginning in the mid-1950s, but worked in the theatre, and would eventually win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Felicia Carp in the...
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- Carol KaneCarol KaneCarolyn Laurie "Carol" Kane is an American actress. Kane has worked on the stage, on the screen and in television. She appeared on the television series Taxi in the early 1980s, as the wife of the character played by Andy Kaufman. She received two Emmy Awards for her work...
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- Debra Jo RuppDebra Jo RuppDebra Jo Rupp is an American film and television actress, perhaps best known for her role as Kitty Forman on the long-running Fox sitcom, That '70s Show...
- Peter ScolariPeter ScolariPeter Scolari is an American television, film and stage actor best known for his roles in the television shows Newhart, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, and Bosom Buddies.-Career:...
- Yeardley SmithYeardley SmithYeardley Smith is a French-born American actress, voice actress, writer and painter. She is best known for her long-running role as Lisa Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons....
- Renée TaylorRenee TaylorRenée Taylor is an American actress, Academy Award nominated writer and one-time director, best-known for having played Fran Drescher's outspoken mother, Sylvia Fine, on the TV series The Nanny.- Career :...
- Jeffrey TamborJeffrey TamborJeffrey Michael Tambor is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles as George Bluth Sr. and Oscar Bluth on Arrested Development and Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show.-Early life:...
- Danny ThomasDanny ThomasDanny Thomas was an American nightclub comedian and television and film actor, best known for starring in the television sitcom Make Room for Daddy . He was also the founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital...
- Adrian Zmed
Nielsen ratings
- 1988–89 Season: 19.2 rating 17.35 million households: #9
- 1989–90 Season: 18.9 rating 17.40 million households: #9
- 1990–91 Season: 16.7 rating 15.54 million households: #7
- 1991–92 Season: 14.3 rating 14.17 million households: #23
- 1992-93 Season: 10.96 million viewer: #45
- 1993-94 Season: 9.46 million viewers: #62
- 1994-95 Season: 6.90 miillion viewers: #118
Production notes
In 1991, Empty Nest spawned its own spinoff, NursesNurses (TV series)
Nurses is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from 1991 to 1994, developed and produced by Susan Harris as a spin-off of Empty Nest .-Synopsis:...
, a sitcom about a group of nurses working in the same hospital as Dr. Weston. The three series (Empty Nest, Golden Girls and Nurses) represented one of the few times in American television history that three shows from the same producer, all taking place in the same city and explicitly set up with the characters knowing each other from the very beginning, aired on the same network in one night. On at least two occasions, Harris wrote storylines which carried through all three series.
Theme song
The show's theme song was "Life Goes On", written by John BettisJohn Bettis
John Bettis is an American lyricist who has co-written many famous popular songs over the years. In 2011, John was inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame as well as the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame....
and George Tipton
George Tipton
George Aliceson Tipton, also known as George Tipton is an American composer, musical arranger and conductor.Among Tipton's works are the theme songs for the TV shows Benson, It's a Living, I'm a Big Girl Now and Empty Nest, plus incidental music for numerous shows, including The Courtship of...
and performed by Billy Vera
Billy Vera
Billy Vera is an American singer, actor, writer and music historian.-Life and career:Vera was born in Riverside, California. He began his singing career in 1962 as a member of the Resolutions. He went on to write several songs throughout the early 1960s, writing for the likes of Barbara Lewis,...
. For the first three seasons, the song was done in a slower, more melancholy yet comical arrangement. The original opening titles sequence showed Harry Weston taking Dreyfuss for a walk around town, with still images of the other regular cast members shown as they were credited.
When the third season began, a new opening sequence debuted. This was made up of footage from series episodes showing each of the regular cast members. For the final four seasons the theme song was done in a higher, more upbeat arrangement and the titles sequence style introduced in the third season remained.
Syndication
Although the series had a run in local syndication beginning in September 1993, the show had not aired anywhere in the United States from September 2000 until February 2011, when Hallmark ChannelHallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts across the United States. Their programming includes a mix of television movies/miniseries, syndicated series, and lifestyle shows that are appropriate for the whole family...
began airing reruns with a 24-hour marathon on February 26 of that year. The reruns were removed in summer 2011.
Previously, Empty Nest aired on TBS from September 16 to December 6, 1996, and on WGN from September 16, 1996 to March 26, 1999.
Empty Nest is an American sitcom that originally 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 1988 to 1995. The series was created as a spin-off of The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
by creator and producer Susan Harris. For its first three seasons, Empty Nest was one of the year's top 10 most-watched programs. It was produced by Touchstone Television.
The show concept borrowed some elements from the British comedy series Father, Dear Father
Father, Dear Father
Father, Dear Father is a British television sitcom produced by Thames Television for ITV from 1968 to 1973 starring Patrick Cargill. It was subsequently made into a spin-off film of the same title released in 1973....
, also featuring a father living with his two daughters and large dog. However, unlike that series (in which the daughters are still teenagers and the ex-wife and her new husband are both conspicuously present), the two daughters in Empty Nest are self-supporting adults, and the lead character is a widower.
Empty Nest was part of NBC's Saturday night block of programming, and during its first four seasons it aired at 9:30pm ET, directly following The Golden Girls.
History
An incarnation of the series was initially featured in the Season 2 Golden Girls episode "Empty Nests". In the episode, George and Renee Corliss (played by Paul DooleyPaul Dooley
-Personal life:Dooley was born Paul Dooley Brown in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the son of Ruth Irene , a homemaker, and Peter James Brown, a factory worker. Dooley was a cartoonist as a youth and drew a strip for a local paper in Parkersburg. He joined the Navy before discovering acting while at...
and Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno is a Puerto Rican singer, dancer and actress. She is the only Hispanic and one of the few performers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony, and was the second Puerto Rican to win an Academy Award....
respectively) were introduced as the Girls' neighbors, a middle-aged couple suffering from empty nest syndrome
Empty nest syndrome
Empty nest syndrome is a general feeling of loneliness that parents or guardians may feel when one or more of their children leave home; it is more common in women...
. The set of the Corliss house was exactly the same as the one that later became the Weston residence, and they also had an annoying neighbor played by David Leisure
David Leisure
David Russell Leisure is an American actor best known for his role as Charley Dietz in the sitcom Empty Nest from 1988 to 1995 and fictional automotive "pitch man" Joe Isuzu in a series of North American television commercials for Isuzu from 1986 to 1990, and again from 1999 to 2001.Additional...
(although named Oliver). However, the couple apparently fared poorly with test audiences and the premise was extensively revamped.
Plot
The show revolves around pediatrician Dr. Harry Weston (Richard MulliganRichard Mulligan
Richard Mulligan was an American television and film actor best known for his role as Burt Campbell in the 1970s sitcom Soap and later as Dr. Harry Weston on The Golden Girls and its spin-off Empty Nest.-Early life:He was born in New York City, the younger brother of director Robert Mulligan...
), whose life is turned upside down when his wife, Libby, dies, and two of his adult daughters move back into the family home in Miami. Early episodes established that The Golden Girls were neighbors of the Westons (Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan was an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family, and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.-Early life:McClanahan was born Eddie Rue...
, and Betty White
Betty White
Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
all guest-starred as their Golden Girls characters, and vice-versa).
Eldest daughter Carol (Dinah Manoff
Dinah Manoff
Dinah Beth Manoff is an American stage, film and television actress and television director best known for her roles as Elaine Lefkowitz on Soap, Marty Maraschino in the film Grease, Libby Tucker in both the stage and film adaptations of I Ought to Be in Pictures, for which she won a Tony award,...
) was a neurotic and high-strung recent divorcée, while middle daughter Barbara (Kristy McNichol
Kristy McNichol
Christina Ann "Kristy" McNichol is an American actress.McNichol is best known for her roles as Leticia “Buddy” Lawrence on the television drama series Family and as Barbara Weston on the sitcom Empty Nest. She is also the sister of former child actor Jimmy McNichol...
) was a tough undercover police officer. The two sisters frequently bickered and vied for the attention of their father, whom they still called "Daddy." The Westons' large dog Dreyfuss was also prominently featured.
In 1992, Kristy McNichol left the show and the youngest Weston daughter Emily (Lisa Rieffel
Lisa Rieffel
Lisa Rieffel is an American singer, musician, and actress.Rieffel was born in Denville, New Jersey. She is a founding member and lead singer of the Los Angeles-based alternative rock band Killola, and has been a singer/actress since childhood...
) joined the cast. Her character had not been seen before, but had been previously mentioned as being away at college. Rieffel left after one season and for the show's final two seasons, only Carol remained of the Weston children. McNichol returned for the series finale
Life Goes On (Empty Nest)
"Life Goes On" is the name of the final episode of the American television series Empty Nest. This episode ran for 1 hour and aired on NBC on April 29, 1995. This episode marked the return of Kristy McNichol, who left during the fifth season after she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.This was...
in 1995.
Another main character was the Westons' neighbor Charley (David Leisure
David Leisure
David Russell Leisure is an American actor best known for his role as Charley Dietz in the sitcom Empty Nest from 1988 to 1995 and fictional automotive "pitch man" Joe Isuzu in a series of North American television commercials for Isuzu from 1986 to 1990, and again from 1999 to 2001.Additional...
), a womanizing cruise ship employee who frequently barged into the house unannounced to borrow food or make sexist comments. Charley had a father-son relationship with Harry and a love-hate relationship with Carol.
Harry's job was another major focus for the show. For the first five seasons Harry worked at a hospital where he was aided by his wise-cracking Southern nurse Laverne (Park Overall). In season six, Harry retired, eventually going to work for a struggling inner-city medical clinic run by the tough-talking Dr. Maxine Douglas (Marsha Warfield
Marsha Warfield
Marsha Warfield is an American actress and comedienne best known for her 1986–1992 role of Roz on the popular NBC sitcom Night Court. Roz, a tough, no-nonsense bailiff in Judge Stone's court, acted primarily as a straightwoman to the other bailiff character, Bull . She also starred in the sitcom...
). Laverne, having been fired by Dr. Weston's replacement, came to work there as well.
Other characters who later joined the cast were Carol's boyfriend, Patrick (Paul Provenza
Paul Provenza
Paul Provenza is an actor, comedian and filmmaker, a self-professed skeptic currently based in Los Angeles.-Early years:...
), an artist who was almost as eccentric as she. Patrick convinced the Westons to let him use their empty garage as his new painting studio, and when his relationship with Carol became serious, he eventually moved in altogether. Their romantic bliss was short-lived, as they broke up at the beginning of season six. However, this was not before Carol became pregnant with Patrick's child; their son, Scotty, was born in November 1993, and Carol chose to raise the baby on her own. Estelle Getty
Estelle Getty
Estelle Scher-Gettleman , better known by her stage name Estelle Getty, was an American actress, who appeared in film, television, and theatre...
reprised her Golden Girls character Sophia Petrillo
Sophia Petrillo
Sophia Petrillo is a fictional character from the TV series The Golden Girls, and its spin-offs The Golden Palace and Empty Nest. She was portrayed by Estelle Getty for 10 years and 258 episodes and was arguably the breakout character of the show...
during Empty Nest's final two seasons (after the cancellation of The Golden Palace
The Golden Palace
The Golden Palace is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1992, to May 14, 1993. The show was a spin-off and continuation of the sitcom The Golden Girls....
). It was explained that Sophia had moved back into the nearby Shady Pines retirement home.
Cast
- Richard MulliganRichard MulliganRichard Mulligan was an American television and film actor best known for his role as Burt Campbell in the 1970s sitcom Soap and later as Dr. Harry Weston on The Golden Girls and its spin-off Empty Nest.-Early life:He was born in New York City, the younger brother of director Robert Mulligan...
as Dr. Harry Weston - Dinah ManoffDinah ManoffDinah Beth Manoff is an American stage, film and television actress and television director best known for her roles as Elaine Lefkowitz on Soap, Marty Maraschino in the film Grease, Libby Tucker in both the stage and film adaptations of I Ought to Be in Pictures, for which she won a Tony award,...
as Carol Weston - Kristy McNicholKristy McNicholChristina Ann "Kristy" McNichol is an American actress.McNichol is best known for her roles as Leticia “Buddy” Lawrence on the television drama series Family and as Barbara Weston on the sitcom Empty Nest. She is also the sister of former child actor Jimmy McNichol...
as Barbara Weston (1988–1992, 1995) - David LeisureDavid LeisureDavid Russell Leisure is an American actor best known for his role as Charley Dietz in the sitcom Empty Nest from 1988 to 1995 and fictional automotive "pitch man" Joe Isuzu in a series of North American television commercials for Isuzu from 1986 to 1990, and again from 1999 to 2001.Additional...
as Charley Dietz - Park Overall as Laverne Todd
- Estelle GettyEstelle GettyEstelle Scher-Gettleman , better known by her stage name Estelle Getty, was an American actress, who appeared in film, television, and theatre...
as Sophia PetrilloSophia PetrilloSophia Petrillo is a fictional character from the TV series The Golden Girls, and its spin-offs The Golden Palace and Empty Nest. She was portrayed by Estelle Getty for 10 years and 258 episodes and was arguably the breakout character of the show...
(1993–1995) - Paul ProvenzaPaul ProvenzaPaul Provenza is an actor, comedian and filmmaker, a self-professed skeptic currently based in Los Angeles.-Early years:...
as Patrick Arcola (1992–1993) - Lisa RieffelLisa RieffelLisa Rieffel is an American singer, musician, and actress.Rieffel was born in Denville, New Jersey. She is a founding member and lead singer of the Los Angeles-based alternative rock band Killola, and has been a singer/actress since childhood...
as Emily Weston (1992–1993) - Marsha WarfieldMarsha WarfieldMarsha Warfield is an American actress and comedienne best known for her 1986–1992 role of Roz on the popular NBC sitcom Night Court. Roz, a tough, no-nonsense bailiff in Judge Stone's court, acted primarily as a straightwoman to the other bailiff character, Bull . She also starred in the sitcom...
as Dr. Maxine Douglas (1993–1995) - Bear the Dog as Dreyfuss
Notable guest stars
- Loni AndersonLoni AndersonLoni Kaye Anderson is an American actress who played the role of Jennifer Marlowe on the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.- Early life :...
- Mayim BialikMayim BialikMayim Hoya Bialik is an American actress who also holds a PhD in neuroscience.Her most notable TV roles have been as Blossom Russo on NBC's Blossom and as Amy Farrah Fowler on CBS's The Big Bang Theory.-Early life:...
- Eddie BrackenEddie BrackenEdward Vincent "Eddie" Bracken was an American actor.-Life and career:Bracken was born in Astoria, New York, the son of Catherine and Joseph L. Bracken. Bracken performed in vaudeville at the age of nine and gained fame with the Broadway musical Too Many Girls in a role he reprised for the 1940...
- Garth BrooksGarth BrooksTroyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
- Stephen DorffStephen DorffStephen Dorff is an American actor, best known for portraying Stuart Sutcliffe in Backbeat, Johnny Marco in Somewhere, and for his roles in Blade and Cecil B. DeMented.-Early life:...
- Morgan FairchildMorgan FairchildMorgan Fairchild is an American actress. She achieved prominence during the late 1970s and early 1980s with continuing roles in several television series, in which she usually conveyed a glamorous image. Fairchild has also performed in live theater and played guest roles in television comedies...
- Zsa Zsa GaborZsa Zsa GaborZsa Zsa Gabor is a Hungarian-born American stage, film and television actress.She acted on stage in Vienna, Austria, in 1932, and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She emigrated to the United States in 1941 and became a sought-after actress with "European flair and style", with a personality that...
- Marla GibbsMarla GibbsMarla Gibbs is an American television and film actress and singer. She is best remembered for playing Louise and George Jefferson's sarcastic maid, Florence Johnston, on The Jeffersons and spinoff Checking In...
- Bobcat GoldthwaitBobcat GoldthwaitRobert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film and television director. He is commonly known for his energetic, ravenous stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice.- Early life :Goldthwait was born in Syracuse,...
- Lee GrantLee GrantLee Grant is an American stage, film and television actress, and film director. She was blacklisted for 12 years from film work beginning in the mid-1950s, but worked in the theatre, and would eventually win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Felicia Carp in the...
- Pat HarringtonPat HarringtonPat Harrington may refer to:*Pat Harrington, Sr. , Canadian actor*Pat Harrington, Jr. , his son, American actor*Pat Harrington , Canadian soccer player-See also:...
- Phil HartmanPhil HartmanPhilip Edward "Phil" Hartman was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and graphic artist. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Hartman and his family moved to the United States when he was 10...
- Earl HollimanEarl Holliman-Early life:Earl Holliman was born at Delhi in Richland Parish of northeastern Louisiana. Holliman’s biological father died before he was born, and his biological mother, living in poverty with several other children, gave him up for adoption at birth...
- Gordon JumpGordon JumpAlexander Gordon Jump was an American actor best known as the clueless radio station manager Arthur "Big Guy" Carlson in the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati and the incompetent "Chief of Police Tinkler" in the sitcom Soap...
- Carol KaneCarol KaneCarolyn Laurie "Carol" Kane is an American actress. Kane has worked on the stage, on the screen and in television. She appeared on the television series Taxi in the early 1980s, as the wife of the character played by Andy Kaufman. She received two Emmy Awards for her work...
- Joey LawrenceJoey LawrenceJoseph "Joey" Lawrence is an American actor, R&B-singer, and TV-host. He is known for his roles in the TV-series Gimme a Break!, Blossom, and Melissa & Joey.- Early life :...
- Jane LynchJane LynchJane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee...
- Audrey MeadowsAudrey MeadowsAudrey Meadows was an American actress best known for her role as the deadpan housewife Alice Kramden on the 1950s American television comedy The Honeymooners.-Early life:...
- Edie McClurgEdie McClurgEdie McClurg is an American character actress. She is known for her perky North Central dialect , common to persons from Middle America.-Career:...
- Jerry OrbachJerry OrbachJerome Bernard "Jerry" Orbach was an American actor and singer. He was well known for his starring role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in the Law & Order television series and as the voice of Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As well, Orbach was a noted musical theatre star...
- Matthew PerryMatthew PerryMatthew Perry is Canadian-American television and film actor.Matthew Perry or Matt Perry may also refer to:*Matthew C. Perry , American naval officer who forcibly opened Japan to trade with the West...
- Geraldo RiveraGeraldo RiveraGeraldo Rivera is an American attorney, journalist, author, reporter, and former talk show host...
- Doris RobertsDoris RobertsDoris Roberts is an American character actress of film, stage and television. She has received five Emmy Awards. She began her career in 1952, and may be best-known as Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996–2005....
- Debra Jo RuppDebra Jo RuppDebra Jo Rupp is an American film and television actress, perhaps best known for her role as Kitty Forman on the long-running Fox sitcom, That '70s Show...
- Peter ScolariPeter ScolariPeter Scolari is an American television, film and stage actor best known for his roles in the television shows Newhart, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, and Bosom Buddies.-Career:...
- Yeardley SmithYeardley SmithYeardley Smith is a French-born American actress, voice actress, writer and painter. She is best known for her long-running role as Lisa Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons....
- Renée TaylorRenee TaylorRenée Taylor is an American actress, Academy Award nominated writer and one-time director, best-known for having played Fran Drescher's outspoken mother, Sylvia Fine, on the TV series The Nanny.- Career :...
- Jeffrey TamborJeffrey TamborJeffrey Michael Tambor is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles as George Bluth Sr. and Oscar Bluth on Arrested Development and Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show.-Early life:...
- Danny ThomasDanny ThomasDanny Thomas was an American nightclub comedian and television and film actor, best known for starring in the television sitcom Make Room for Daddy . He was also the founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital...
- Adrian Zmed
Nielsen ratings
- 1988–89 Season: 19.2 rating 17.35 million households: #9
- 1989–90 Season: 18.9 rating 17.40 million households: #9
- 1990–91 Season: 16.7 rating 15.54 million households: #7
- 1991–92 Season: 14.3 rating 14.17 million households: #23
- 1992-93 Season: 10.96 million viewer: #45
- 1993-94 Season: 9.46 million viewers: #62
- 1994-95 Season: 6.90 miillion viewers: #118
Production notes
In 1991, Empty Nest spawned its own spinoff, NursesNurses (TV series)
Nurses is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from 1991 to 1994, developed and produced by Susan Harris as a spin-off of Empty Nest .-Synopsis:...
, a sitcom about a group of nurses working in the same hospital as Dr. Weston. The three series (Empty Nest, Golden Girls and Nurses) represented one of the few times in American television history that three shows from the same producer, all taking place in the same city and explicitly set up with the characters knowing each other from the very beginning, aired on the same network in one night. On at least two occasions, Harris wrote storylines which carried through all three series.
Theme song
The show's theme song was "Life Goes On", written by John BettisJohn Bettis
John Bettis is an American lyricist who has co-written many famous popular songs over the years. In 2011, John was inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame as well as the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame....
and George Tipton
George Tipton
George Aliceson Tipton, also known as George Tipton is an American composer, musical arranger and conductor.Among Tipton's works are the theme songs for the TV shows Benson, It's a Living, I'm a Big Girl Now and Empty Nest, plus incidental music for numerous shows, including The Courtship of...
and performed by Billy Vera
Billy Vera
Billy Vera is an American singer, actor, writer and music historian.-Life and career:Vera was born in Riverside, California. He began his singing career in 1962 as a member of the Resolutions. He went on to write several songs throughout the early 1960s, writing for the likes of Barbara Lewis,...
. For the first three seasons, the song was done in a slower, more melancholy yet comical arrangement. The original opening titles sequence showed Harry Weston taking Dreyfuss for a walk around town, with still images of the other regular cast members shown as they were credited.
When the third season began, a new opening sequence debuted. This was made up of footage from series episodes showing each of the regular cast members. For the final four seasons the theme song was done in a higher, more upbeat arrangement and the titles sequence style introduced in the third season remained.
Syndication
Although the series had a run in local syndication beginning in September 1993, the show had not aired anywhere in the United States from September 2000 until February 2011, when Hallmark ChannelHallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts across the United States. Their programming includes a mix of television movies/miniseries, syndicated series, and lifestyle shows that are appropriate for the whole family...
began airing reruns with a 24-hour marathon on February 26 of that year. The reruns were removed in summer 2011.
Previously, Empty Nest aired on TBS from September 16 to December 6, 1996, and on WGN from September 16, 1996 to March 26, 1999.
Empty Nest is an American sitcom that originally 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 1988 to 1995. The series was created as a spin-off of The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
by creator and producer Susan Harris. For its first three seasons, Empty Nest was one of the year's top 10 most-watched programs. It was produced by Touchstone Television.
The show concept borrowed some elements from the British comedy series Father, Dear Father
Father, Dear Father
Father, Dear Father is a British television sitcom produced by Thames Television for ITV from 1968 to 1973 starring Patrick Cargill. It was subsequently made into a spin-off film of the same title released in 1973....
, also featuring a father living with his two daughters and large dog. However, unlike that series (in which the daughters are still teenagers and the ex-wife and her new husband are both conspicuously present), the two daughters in Empty Nest are self-supporting adults, and the lead character is a widower.
Empty Nest was part of NBC's Saturday night block of programming, and during its first four seasons it aired at 9:30pm ET, directly following The Golden Girls.
History
An incarnation of the series was initially featured in the Season 2 Golden Girls episode "Empty Nests". In the episode, George and Renee Corliss (played by Paul DooleyPaul Dooley
-Personal life:Dooley was born Paul Dooley Brown in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the son of Ruth Irene , a homemaker, and Peter James Brown, a factory worker. Dooley was a cartoonist as a youth and drew a strip for a local paper in Parkersburg. He joined the Navy before discovering acting while at...
and Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno is a Puerto Rican singer, dancer and actress. She is the only Hispanic and one of the few performers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony, and was the second Puerto Rican to win an Academy Award....
respectively) were introduced as the Girls' neighbors, a middle-aged couple suffering from empty nest syndrome
Empty nest syndrome
Empty nest syndrome is a general feeling of loneliness that parents or guardians may feel when one or more of their children leave home; it is more common in women...
. The set of the Corliss house was exactly the same as the one that later became the Weston residence, and they also had an annoying neighbor played by David Leisure
David Leisure
David Russell Leisure is an American actor best known for his role as Charley Dietz in the sitcom Empty Nest from 1988 to 1995 and fictional automotive "pitch man" Joe Isuzu in a series of North American television commercials for Isuzu from 1986 to 1990, and again from 1999 to 2001.Additional...
(although named Oliver). However, the couple apparently fared poorly with test audiences and the premise was extensively revamped.
Plot
The show revolves around pediatrician Dr. Harry Weston (Richard MulliganRichard Mulligan
Richard Mulligan was an American television and film actor best known for his role as Burt Campbell in the 1970s sitcom Soap and later as Dr. Harry Weston on The Golden Girls and its spin-off Empty Nest.-Early life:He was born in New York City, the younger brother of director Robert Mulligan...
), whose life is turned upside down when his wife, Libby, dies, and two of his adult daughters move back into the family home in Miami. Early episodes established that The Golden Girls were neighbors of the Westons (Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan
Rue McClanahan was an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Vivian Harmon on Maude, Fran Crowley on Mama's Family, and Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1987.-Early life:McClanahan was born Eddie Rue...
, and Betty White
Betty White
Betty White Ludden , better known as Betty White, is an American actress, comedienne, singer, author, and former game show personality. With a career spanning seven decades since 1939, she is best known to modern audiences for her television roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and...
all guest-starred as their Golden Girls characters, and vice-versa).
Eldest daughter Carol (Dinah Manoff
Dinah Manoff
Dinah Beth Manoff is an American stage, film and television actress and television director best known for her roles as Elaine Lefkowitz on Soap, Marty Maraschino in the film Grease, Libby Tucker in both the stage and film adaptations of I Ought to Be in Pictures, for which she won a Tony award,...
) was a neurotic and high-strung recent divorcée, while middle daughter Barbara (Kristy McNichol
Kristy McNichol
Christina Ann "Kristy" McNichol is an American actress.McNichol is best known for her roles as Leticia “Buddy” Lawrence on the television drama series Family and as Barbara Weston on the sitcom Empty Nest. She is also the sister of former child actor Jimmy McNichol...
) was a tough undercover police officer. The two sisters frequently bickered and vied for the attention of their father, whom they still called "Daddy." The Westons' large dog Dreyfuss was also prominently featured.
In 1992, Kristy McNichol left the show and the youngest Weston daughter Emily (Lisa Rieffel
Lisa Rieffel
Lisa Rieffel is an American singer, musician, and actress.Rieffel was born in Denville, New Jersey. She is a founding member and lead singer of the Los Angeles-based alternative rock band Killola, and has been a singer/actress since childhood...
) joined the cast. Her character had not been seen before, but had been previously mentioned as being away at college. Rieffel left after one season and for the show's final two seasons, only Carol remained of the Weston children. McNichol returned for the series finale
Life Goes On (Empty Nest)
"Life Goes On" is the name of the final episode of the American television series Empty Nest. This episode ran for 1 hour and aired on NBC on April 29, 1995. This episode marked the return of Kristy McNichol, who left during the fifth season after she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.This was...
in 1995.
Another main character was the Westons' neighbor Charley (David Leisure
David Leisure
David Russell Leisure is an American actor best known for his role as Charley Dietz in the sitcom Empty Nest from 1988 to 1995 and fictional automotive "pitch man" Joe Isuzu in a series of North American television commercials for Isuzu from 1986 to 1990, and again from 1999 to 2001.Additional...
), a womanizing cruise ship employee who frequently barged into the house unannounced to borrow food or make sexist comments. Charley had a father-son relationship with Harry and a love-hate relationship with Carol.
Harry's job was another major focus for the show. For the first five seasons Harry worked at a hospital where he was aided by his wise-cracking Southern nurse Laverne (Park Overall). In season six, Harry retired, eventually going to work for a struggling inner-city medical clinic run by the tough-talking Dr. Maxine Douglas (Marsha Warfield
Marsha Warfield
Marsha Warfield is an American actress and comedienne best known for her 1986–1992 role of Roz on the popular NBC sitcom Night Court. Roz, a tough, no-nonsense bailiff in Judge Stone's court, acted primarily as a straightwoman to the other bailiff character, Bull . She also starred in the sitcom...
). Laverne, having been fired by Dr. Weston's replacement, came to work there as well.
Other characters who later joined the cast were Carol's boyfriend, Patrick (Paul Provenza
Paul Provenza
Paul Provenza is an actor, comedian and filmmaker, a self-professed skeptic currently based in Los Angeles.-Early years:...
), an artist who was almost as eccentric as she. Patrick convinced the Westons to let him use their empty garage as his new painting studio, and when his relationship with Carol became serious, he eventually moved in altogether. Their romantic bliss was short-lived, as they broke up at the beginning of season six. However, this was not before Carol became pregnant with Patrick's child; their son, Scotty, was born in November 1993, and Carol chose to raise the baby on her own. Estelle Getty
Estelle Getty
Estelle Scher-Gettleman , better known by her stage name Estelle Getty, was an American actress, who appeared in film, television, and theatre...
reprised her Golden Girls character Sophia Petrillo
Sophia Petrillo
Sophia Petrillo is a fictional character from the TV series The Golden Girls, and its spin-offs The Golden Palace and Empty Nest. She was portrayed by Estelle Getty for 10 years and 258 episodes and was arguably the breakout character of the show...
during Empty Nest's final two seasons (after the cancellation of The Golden Palace
The Golden Palace
The Golden Palace is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1992, to May 14, 1993. The show was a spin-off and continuation of the sitcom The Golden Girls....
). It was explained that Sophia had moved back into the nearby Shady Pines retirement home.
Cast
- Richard MulliganRichard MulliganRichard Mulligan was an American television and film actor best known for his role as Burt Campbell in the 1970s sitcom Soap and later as Dr. Harry Weston on The Golden Girls and its spin-off Empty Nest.-Early life:He was born in New York City, the younger brother of director Robert Mulligan...
as Dr. Harry Weston - Dinah ManoffDinah ManoffDinah Beth Manoff is an American stage, film and television actress and television director best known for her roles as Elaine Lefkowitz on Soap, Marty Maraschino in the film Grease, Libby Tucker in both the stage and film adaptations of I Ought to Be in Pictures, for which she won a Tony award,...
as Carol Weston - Kristy McNicholKristy McNicholChristina Ann "Kristy" McNichol is an American actress.McNichol is best known for her roles as Leticia “Buddy” Lawrence on the television drama series Family and as Barbara Weston on the sitcom Empty Nest. She is also the sister of former child actor Jimmy McNichol...
as Barbara Weston (1988–1992, 1995) - David LeisureDavid LeisureDavid Russell Leisure is an American actor best known for his role as Charley Dietz in the sitcom Empty Nest from 1988 to 1995 and fictional automotive "pitch man" Joe Isuzu in a series of North American television commercials for Isuzu from 1986 to 1990, and again from 1999 to 2001.Additional...
as Charley Dietz - Park Overall as Laverne Todd
- Estelle GettyEstelle GettyEstelle Scher-Gettleman , better known by her stage name Estelle Getty, was an American actress, who appeared in film, television, and theatre...
as Sophia PetrilloSophia PetrilloSophia Petrillo is a fictional character from the TV series The Golden Girls, and its spin-offs The Golden Palace and Empty Nest. She was portrayed by Estelle Getty for 10 years and 258 episodes and was arguably the breakout character of the show...
(1993–1995) - Paul ProvenzaPaul ProvenzaPaul Provenza is an actor, comedian and filmmaker, a self-professed skeptic currently based in Los Angeles.-Early years:...
as Patrick Arcola (1992–1993) - Lisa RieffelLisa RieffelLisa Rieffel is an American singer, musician, and actress.Rieffel was born in Denville, New Jersey. She is a founding member and lead singer of the Los Angeles-based alternative rock band Killola, and has been a singer/actress since childhood...
as Emily Weston (1992–1993) - Marsha WarfieldMarsha WarfieldMarsha Warfield is an American actress and comedienne best known for her 1986–1992 role of Roz on the popular NBC sitcom Night Court. Roz, a tough, no-nonsense bailiff in Judge Stone's court, acted primarily as a straightwoman to the other bailiff character, Bull . She also starred in the sitcom...
as Dr. Maxine Douglas (1993–1995) - Bear the Dog as Dreyfuss
Notable guest stars
- Loni AndersonLoni AndersonLoni Kaye Anderson is an American actress who played the role of Jennifer Marlowe on the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.- Early life :...
- Mayim BialikMayim BialikMayim Hoya Bialik is an American actress who also holds a PhD in neuroscience.Her most notable TV roles have been as Blossom Russo on NBC's Blossom and as Amy Farrah Fowler on CBS's The Big Bang Theory.-Early life:...
- Eddie BrackenEddie BrackenEdward Vincent "Eddie" Bracken was an American actor.-Life and career:Bracken was born in Astoria, New York, the son of Catherine and Joseph L. Bracken. Bracken performed in vaudeville at the age of nine and gained fame with the Broadway musical Too Many Girls in a role he reprised for the 1940...
- Garth BrooksGarth BrooksTroyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
- Stephen DorffStephen DorffStephen Dorff is an American actor, best known for portraying Stuart Sutcliffe in Backbeat, Johnny Marco in Somewhere, and for his roles in Blade and Cecil B. DeMented.-Early life:...
- Morgan FairchildMorgan FairchildMorgan Fairchild is an American actress. She achieved prominence during the late 1970s and early 1980s with continuing roles in several television series, in which she usually conveyed a glamorous image. Fairchild has also performed in live theater and played guest roles in television comedies...
- Zsa Zsa GaborZsa Zsa GaborZsa Zsa Gabor is a Hungarian-born American stage, film and television actress.She acted on stage in Vienna, Austria, in 1932, and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She emigrated to the United States in 1941 and became a sought-after actress with "European flair and style", with a personality that...
- Marla GibbsMarla GibbsMarla Gibbs is an American television and film actress and singer. She is best remembered for playing Louise and George Jefferson's sarcastic maid, Florence Johnston, on The Jeffersons and spinoff Checking In...
- Bobcat GoldthwaitBobcat GoldthwaitRobert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film and television director. He is commonly known for his energetic, ravenous stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice.- Early life :Goldthwait was born in Syracuse,...
- Lee GrantLee GrantLee Grant is an American stage, film and television actress, and film director. She was blacklisted for 12 years from film work beginning in the mid-1950s, but worked in the theatre, and would eventually win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Felicia Carp in the...
- Pat HarringtonPat HarringtonPat Harrington may refer to:*Pat Harrington, Sr. , Canadian actor*Pat Harrington, Jr. , his son, American actor*Pat Harrington , Canadian soccer player-See also:...
- Phil HartmanPhil HartmanPhilip Edward "Phil" Hartman was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and graphic artist. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Hartman and his family moved to the United States when he was 10...
- Earl HollimanEarl Holliman-Early life:Earl Holliman was born at Delhi in Richland Parish of northeastern Louisiana. Holliman’s biological father died before he was born, and his biological mother, living in poverty with several other children, gave him up for adoption at birth...
- Gordon JumpGordon JumpAlexander Gordon Jump was an American actor best known as the clueless radio station manager Arthur "Big Guy" Carlson in the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati and the incompetent "Chief of Police Tinkler" in the sitcom Soap...
- Carol KaneCarol KaneCarolyn Laurie "Carol" Kane is an American actress. Kane has worked on the stage, on the screen and in television. She appeared on the television series Taxi in the early 1980s, as the wife of the character played by Andy Kaufman. She received two Emmy Awards for her work...
- Joey LawrenceJoey LawrenceJoseph "Joey" Lawrence is an American actor, R&B-singer, and TV-host. He is known for his roles in the TV-series Gimme a Break!, Blossom, and Melissa & Joey.- Early life :...
- Jane LynchJane LynchJane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee...
- Audrey MeadowsAudrey MeadowsAudrey Meadows was an American actress best known for her role as the deadpan housewife Alice Kramden on the 1950s American television comedy The Honeymooners.-Early life:...
- Edie McClurgEdie McClurgEdie McClurg is an American character actress. She is known for her perky North Central dialect , common to persons from Middle America.-Career:...
- Jerry OrbachJerry OrbachJerome Bernard "Jerry" Orbach was an American actor and singer. He was well known for his starring role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in the Law & Order television series and as the voice of Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As well, Orbach was a noted musical theatre star...
- Matthew PerryMatthew PerryMatthew Perry is Canadian-American television and film actor.Matthew Perry or Matt Perry may also refer to:*Matthew C. Perry , American naval officer who forcibly opened Japan to trade with the West...
- Geraldo RiveraGeraldo RiveraGeraldo Rivera is an American attorney, journalist, author, reporter, and former talk show host...
- Doris RobertsDoris RobertsDoris Roberts is an American character actress of film, stage and television. She has received five Emmy Awards. She began her career in 1952, and may be best-known as Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996–2005....
- Debra Jo RuppDebra Jo RuppDebra Jo Rupp is an American film and television actress, perhaps best known for her role as Kitty Forman on the long-running Fox sitcom, That '70s Show...
- Peter ScolariPeter ScolariPeter Scolari is an American television, film and stage actor best known for his roles in the television shows Newhart, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, and Bosom Buddies.-Career:...
- Yeardley SmithYeardley SmithYeardley Smith is a French-born American actress, voice actress, writer and painter. She is best known for her long-running role as Lisa Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons....
- Renée TaylorRenee TaylorRenée Taylor is an American actress, Academy Award nominated writer and one-time director, best-known for having played Fran Drescher's outspoken mother, Sylvia Fine, on the TV series The Nanny.- Career :...
- Jeffrey TamborJeffrey TamborJeffrey Michael Tambor is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles as George Bluth Sr. and Oscar Bluth on Arrested Development and Hank Kingsley on The Larry Sanders Show.-Early life:...
- Danny ThomasDanny ThomasDanny Thomas was an American nightclub comedian and television and film actor, best known for starring in the television sitcom Make Room for Daddy . He was also the founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital...
- Adrian Zmed
Nielsen ratings
- 1988–89 Season: 19.2 rating 17.35 million households: #9
- 1989–90 Season: 18.9 rating 17.40 million households: #9
- 1990–91 Season: 16.7 rating 15.54 million households: #7
- 1991–92 Season: 14.3 rating 14.17 million households: #23
- 1992-93 Season: 10.96 million viewer: #45
- 1993-94 Season: 9.46 million viewers: #62
- 1994-95 Season: 6.90 miillion viewers: #118
Production notes
In 1991, Empty Nest spawned its own spinoff, NursesNurses (TV series)
Nurses is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from 1991 to 1994, developed and produced by Susan Harris as a spin-off of Empty Nest .-Synopsis:...
, a sitcom about a group of nurses working in the same hospital as Dr. Weston. The three series (Empty Nest, Golden Girls and Nurses) represented one of the few times in American television history that three shows from the same producer, all taking place in the same city and explicitly set up with the characters knowing each other from the very beginning, aired on the same network in one night. On at least two occasions, Harris wrote storylines which carried through all three series.
Theme song
The show's theme song was "Life Goes On", written by John BettisJohn Bettis
John Bettis is an American lyricist who has co-written many famous popular songs over the years. In 2011, John was inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame as well as the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame....
and George Tipton
George Tipton
George Aliceson Tipton, also known as George Tipton is an American composer, musical arranger and conductor.Among Tipton's works are the theme songs for the TV shows Benson, It's a Living, I'm a Big Girl Now and Empty Nest, plus incidental music for numerous shows, including The Courtship of...
and performed by Billy Vera
Billy Vera
Billy Vera is an American singer, actor, writer and music historian.-Life and career:Vera was born in Riverside, California. He began his singing career in 1962 as a member of the Resolutions. He went on to write several songs throughout the early 1960s, writing for the likes of Barbara Lewis,...
. For the first three seasons, the song was done in a slower, more melancholy yet comical arrangement. The original opening titles sequence showed Harry Weston taking Dreyfuss for a walk around town, with still images of the other regular cast members shown as they were credited.
When the third season began, a new opening sequence debuted. This was made up of footage from series episodes showing each of the regular cast members. For the final four seasons the theme song was done in a higher, more upbeat arrangement and the titles sequence style introduced in the third season remained.
Syndication
Although the series had a run in local syndication beginning in September 1993, the show had not aired anywhere in the United States from September 2000 until February 2011, when Hallmark ChannelHallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts across the United States. Their programming includes a mix of television movies/miniseries, syndicated series, and lifestyle shows that are appropriate for the whole family...
began airing reruns with a 24-hour marathon on February 26 of that year. The reruns were removed in summer 2011.
Previously, Empty Nest aired on TBS from September 16 to December 6, 1996, and on WGN from September 16, 1996 to March 26, 1999. TBS Log - Sitcoms Online Message Boards TV Guide - September 14-20, 1996 TV Guide - March 20-26, 1999
The CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
reran the series in the 1980's and 1990's.
Awards
In 1989, Richard Mulligan won both the Emmy AwardEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
and the Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. The series received a number of other Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations over the years, especially for Mulligan and for Park Overall who was nominated three times for a Golden Globe Award.