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Nurses (TV series)
Encyclopedia
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 (which, in turn, was a spin-off of The Golden Girls
).
hospital as Empty Nests Dr. Harry Weston. Initially, the main characters were strong-willed nurse Annie Roland (Arnetia Walker
), sarcastic nurse Sandy Miller (Stephanie Hodge
), dim-witted nurse Julie Milbury (Mary Jo Keenen) and Latina
nurse Gina Cuevas (Ada Maris
) who frequently reminisced about her homeland, the fictional San Peqeuño. Also in the cast were arrogant Dr. Hank Kaplan (Kip Gilman), wise-cracking orderly
Paco Ortiz (Carlos Lacamara
) and flaky nurse Greg Vincent (Jeff Altman
). In addition, Florence Stanley
had a recurring role during the first season as Dr. Riskin.
Changes were made, however, after the first season. In an effort to boost ratings, David Rasche
joined the cast in the second season as Jack Trenton, a slimy white-collar criminal forced to perform community service at the hospital, and in the final season Loni Anderson
joined the cast as new hospital administrator Casey McAfee. Other changes included the addition of Markus Flanagan
as Luke Fitzgerald for the second season only, the changing of the show's theme song in seasons two and three, having nurse Gina and Dr. Hank Kaplan get married (Gina being pregnant with Dr. Hank's child). Nurse Greg Vincent was also written off after season one.
In the show's final season, nurse Sandy was gone, and the show's focus moved increasingly from the nurses to Casey McAfee's adjustments in running the hospital under a new HMO, and the antics of Jack Trenton and his sidekick Paco the orderly.
The ratings failed to improve, however, and NBC canceled the show after its third season.
.
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
that aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from 1991 to 1994, developed and produced by Susan Harris
Susan Harris
Susan Harris is an American television comedy writer and producer.Harris created numerous TV series: Soap, Benson, The Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Nurses, and The Golden Palace....
as a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of Empty Nest (which, in turn, was 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...
).
Synopsis
The show revolved around a group of nurses working at the same MiamiMiami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
hospital as Empty Nests Dr. Harry Weston. Initially, the main characters were strong-willed nurse Annie Roland (Arnetia Walker
Arnetia Walker
Arnetia Walker is an American actress whose most famous roles are as Nurse Annie Roland in the NBC sitcom Nurses and Ms. Ross in the WB dramedy Popular....
), sarcastic nurse Sandy Miller (Stephanie Hodge
Stephanie Hodge
Stephanie Hodge is an American actress and stand-up comedian. She was in the television series Suite Life of Zack and Cody starring as Brianna's mom.-Acting credits:...
), dim-witted nurse Julie Milbury (Mary Jo Keenen) and Latina
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
nurse Gina Cuevas (Ada Maris
Ada Maris
Ada Maris is a Mexican-American actress. She was born Ada Marentes and has been married to actor Tony Plana since 1988. They have two children.-Career:...
) who frequently reminisced about her homeland, the fictional San Peqeuño. Also in the cast were arrogant Dr. Hank Kaplan (Kip Gilman), wise-cracking orderly
Orderly
A medical orderly , is a hospital attendant whose job consists of assisting medical and/or nursing staff with various nursing and/or medical interventions. These duties are classified as routine tasks involving no risk for the patient.- Job details :Orderlies are often utilized in various hospital...
Paco Ortiz (Carlos Lacamara
Carlos Lacamara
Carlos Lacámara , sometimes credited as Carlos Lacamara or Carlos LaCamara, is a Cuban-born American actor and playwright who has had a long career on American television, making his first appearance in 1983 on the sitcom Family Ties...
) and flaky nurse Greg Vincent (Jeff Altman
Jeff Altman
Jeff Altman is an American stand-up comedian who has appeared as a guest on Late Show with David Letterman 40 times, most recently on October 7, 2011. He has also had numerous acting roles in movies and television such as Dr...
). In addition, Florence Stanley
Florence Stanley
Florence Stanley was an American actress of stage, film, and television.-Early life and career:Florence Stanley was born as Florence Schwartz in Chicago, the daughter of Hanna and Jack Schwartz. She began a long career on stage, film and TV starting in the 1940s...
had a recurring role during the first season as Dr. Riskin.
Changes were made, however, after the first season. In an effort to boost ratings, David Rasche
David Rasche
-Early life and career:Rasche was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His father was a minister and farmer. Rasche started in theatre, but also has appeared on numerous movies and television series. He became a member of the Chicago Second City, after John Belushi moved on to Saturday Night Live...
joined the cast in the second season as Jack Trenton, a slimy white-collar criminal forced to perform community service at the hospital, and in the final season Loni Anderson
Loni Anderson
Loni Kaye Anderson is an American actress who played the role of Jennifer Marlowe on the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.- Early life :...
joined the cast as new hospital administrator Casey McAfee. Other changes included the addition of Markus Flanagan
Markus Flanagan
-Life and career:Flanagan was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He co-starred in the Nickelodeon series Unfabulous as Jeff Singer, the father of Emma Roberts' character, from 2004 to 2007. Other television credits include CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, Judging Amy, and Northern Exposure...
as Luke Fitzgerald for the second season only, the changing of the show's theme song in seasons two and three, having nurse Gina and Dr. Hank Kaplan get married (Gina being pregnant with Dr. Hank's child). Nurse Greg Vincent was also written off after season one.
In the show's final season, nurse Sandy was gone, and the show's focus moved increasingly from the nurses to Casey McAfee's adjustments in running the hospital under a new HMO, and the antics of Jack Trenton and his sidekick Paco the orderly.
The ratings failed to improve, however, and NBC canceled the show after its third season.
Syndication
In the United States, reruns have aired in the past on LifetimeLifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
.