The War at Home (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The War at Home is an American sitcom
that ran from September 11, 2005 to April 22, 2007 on Fox
. It follows the antics of a largely dysfunctional Long Island
family. It ran for two full years but was not picked up for a third season.
Jewish insurance salesman. He is often portrayed as insensitive and cynical, and sometimes as a paranoid, overprotective and hypocritical bigot. His family (especially Larry) find it difficult to accept his behaviour. Dave is constantly scolded and insulted (and even punched once) by Larry for always picking on him. It is established toward the end of season one that Dave is the way he is because he had a father who constantly badgered him. Dave's wife Vicky is an attractive Italian Catholic part-time receptionist at a Doctors' office. Generally levelheaded, she usually spends her time dealing with Dave's unreasonable behavior, but can be quite obnoxious herself.
Of their three children, the oldest is Hillary (Kaylee DeFer
), a typical 17-year old who frequently misbehaves, trying to get away with bad behavior behind the backs of her parents, who often regard her with suspicion. Second oldest is 16-year-old Larry (Kyle Sullivan
), an odd misfit given to emotional outbursts (such as when Vicky denies him permission to see Brian Boitano
star as Bilbo Baggins
in The Lord of the Rings
On Ice). Larry is often seen with his best friend Kenny. Initially Dave believes that the boys are both gay, but it is later revealed to the audience that while Larry is not gay, Kenny has a secret crush on Larry. Dave, and to a lesser extent Vicky, often treat Larry's flamboyancy with wary eyes. The youngest child, the pubescent
14-year-old Mike (Dean Collins
), must deal with issues such as masturbation
, dating and underage gambling. His character is portrayed as tougher and more cynical than Larry's.
The series frequently breaks the fourth wall
between segments of an episode, during which Dave or other characters deliver a rant or other comment directly relating to the scene.
, but received critical acclaim during its 2nd season for its handling of Kenny's "coming out
" story arc, including a Humanitas Prize
nomination for Lotterstein
, as well as a GLAAD Award nomination for "Outstanding Comedy Series".
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 ran from September 11, 2005 to April 22, 2007 on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. It follows the antics of a largely dysfunctional Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
family. It ran for two full years but was not picked up for a third season.
Cast
- Michael RapaportMichael RapaportMichael David Rapaport is an American, actor, director and a comedian. He has acted in more than forty films since the early 1990s...
as David "Dave" Gold - Anita BaroneAnita BaroneAnita Louise Barone is an American actress. She is best known for co-starring roles in sitcoms The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Daddio and The War at Home.-Life and career:Barone was born in St. Louis, Missouri...
as Victoria "Vicky" Gold - Kyle SullivanKyle SullivanKyle Russell Sullivan is an American actor, known for appearing on the TV series All That and the Fox sitcom The War at Home....
as Lawrence Alan "Larry" Gold - Kaylee DeFerKaylee DeFerKaylee DeFer is an American actress. DeFer currently stars in The CW's Gossip Girl as Ivy Dickens, a con artist who assumes the role of the Serena van der Woodsen's cousin Charlie Rhodes...
as Hillary Gold - Dean CollinsDean Collins (actor)Dean Richard Collins is an American actor, best known for playing the character Mike Gold in the Fox television sitcom The War at Home. The series ran from September 2005 to April 2007. Previously, he had recurring roles in MADtvs "Reading Caboose" skit as Ernie, and as Warren Feide in Jack & Bobby...
as Michael "Mike" Gold - Rami MalekRami MalekRami Said Malek is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the gay teenage next-door-neighbor, "Kenny" on the FOX comedy series The War at Home; for his role as Merriell "Snafu" Shelton in the HBO miniseries The Pacific; and for his role as the pharaoh Ahkmenrah in the feature films...
as Khaleel Nazeeh "Kenny" Al-Bahir
Plot
The show depicts the lives of Dave and Vicky and their three children as they live their lives in Long Island, New York, dealing with normal family issues. Dave is a middle classMiddle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
Jewish insurance salesman. He is often portrayed as insensitive and cynical, and sometimes as a paranoid, overprotective and hypocritical bigot. His family (especially Larry) find it difficult to accept his behaviour. Dave is constantly scolded and insulted (and even punched once) by Larry for always picking on him. It is established toward the end of season one that Dave is the way he is because he had a father who constantly badgered him. Dave's wife Vicky is an attractive Italian Catholic part-time receptionist at a Doctors' office. Generally levelheaded, she usually spends her time dealing with Dave's unreasonable behavior, but can be quite obnoxious herself.
Of their three children, the oldest is Hillary (Kaylee DeFer
Kaylee DeFer
Kaylee DeFer is an American actress. DeFer currently stars in The CW's Gossip Girl as Ivy Dickens, a con artist who assumes the role of the Serena van der Woodsen's cousin Charlie Rhodes...
), a typical 17-year old who frequently misbehaves, trying to get away with bad behavior behind the backs of her parents, who often regard her with suspicion. Second oldest is 16-year-old Larry (Kyle Sullivan
Kyle Sullivan
Kyle Russell Sullivan is an American actor, known for appearing on the TV series All That and the Fox sitcom The War at Home....
), an odd misfit given to emotional outbursts (such as when Vicky denies him permission to see Brian Boitano
Brian Boitano
Brian Anthony Boitano is an American figure skater from Sunnyvale, California. He is the 1988 Olympic champion, the 1986 and 1988 World Champion, and the 1985-1988 U.S. National Champion. He turned professional following the 1988 season...
star as Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist and titular character of The Hobbit and a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of J. R. R...
in The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
On Ice). Larry is often seen with his best friend Kenny. Initially Dave believes that the boys are both gay, but it is later revealed to the audience that while Larry is not gay, Kenny has a secret crush on Larry. Dave, and to a lesser extent Vicky, often treat Larry's flamboyancy with wary eyes. The youngest child, the pubescent
Puberty
Puberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction, as initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads; the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a boy...
14-year-old Mike (Dean Collins
Dean Collins (actor)
Dean Richard Collins is an American actor, best known for playing the character Mike Gold in the Fox television sitcom The War at Home. The series ran from September 2005 to April 2007. Previously, he had recurring roles in MADtvs "Reading Caboose" skit as Ernie, and as Warren Feide in Jack & Bobby...
), must deal with issues such as masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
, dating and underage gambling. His character is portrayed as tougher and more cynical than Larry's.
The series frequently breaks the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
between segments of an episode, during which Dave or other characters deliver a rant or other comment directly relating to the scene.
Origin of title
The phrase 'The War at Home' was originally used to describe the conflict between the US authorities and anti-Vietnam protesters and draft-avoiders within the US during the 60s. Thus the series title is a metaphor for domestic conflict.Critical reception
The show was originally panned by critics, scoring a 28/100 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, but received critical acclaim during its 2nd season for its handling of Kenny's "coming out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
" story arc, including a Humanitas Prize
Humanitas Prize
The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser — also the founder of Paulist Productions — but is generally not seen as specifically directed toward religious...
nomination for Lotterstein
Rob Lotterstein
Rob Lotterstein is an American television writer, producer and creator. He has produced and written for numerous television sitcoms including Boy Meets World, Suddenly Susan, Ellen, and Will & Grace, as well as serving as creator and executive producer of the critically acclaimed FOX sitcom The War...
, as well as a GLAAD Award nomination for "Outstanding Comedy Series".
Seasonal ratings
| Season | Episodes | Premiere | Season finale | Viewers (in millions) | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005–06 | 22 | September 11, 2005 | April 30, 2006 | 7.2 | #82 |
| 2 | 2006–07 | 22 | September 10, 2006 | April 22, 2007 | 4.9 | #118 |
Awards
| Year | Award | Category/Recipient(s) | Episode | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Art Directors Guild Art Directors Guild The Art Directors Guild is an American labor union and branch of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees representing almost 2,000 motion picture and television professionals.... |
TV - Multi-Camera Television Series John Shaffner (production designer Production designer In film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the... ) |
Pilot | ||
| Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... |
TV - Choice Comedy/Musical Show | — | |||
| TV - Choice Actor: Comedy Michael Rapaport Michael Rapaport Michael David Rapaport is an American, actor, director and a comedian. He has acted in more than forty films since the early 1990s... |
— | ||||
| TV - Choice Parental Unit Anita Barone Anita Barone Anita Louise Barone is an American actress. She is best known for co-starring roles in sitcoms The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Daddio and The War at Home.-Life and career:Barone was born in St. Louis, Missouri... & Michael Rapaport Michael Rapaport Michael David Rapaport is an American, actor, director and a comedian. He has acted in more than forty films since the early 1990s... |
— | ||||
| 2007 | Humanitas Prize Humanitas Prize The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser — also the founder of Paulist Productions — but is generally not seen as specifically directed toward religious... |
TV - 30-Minute Category Rob Lotterstein Rob Lotterstein Rob Lotterstein is an American television writer, producer and creator. He has produced and written for numerous television sitcoms including Boy Meets World, Suddenly Susan, Ellen, and Will & Grace, as well as serving as creator and executive producer of the critically acclaimed FOX sitcom The War... |
"Kenny Doesn't Live Here Anymore" | ||
| Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
TV Series - Best Supporting Young Actor Dean Collins Dean Collins (actor) Dean Richard Collins is an American actor, best known for playing the character Mike Gold in the Fox television sitcom The War at Home. The series ran from September 2005 to April 2007. Previously, he had recurring roles in MADtvs "Reading Caboose" skit as Ernie, and as Warren Feide in Jack & Bobby... |
— | |||
| 2008 | GLAAD Media Award | TV - Outstanding Comedy Series | — | ||
| Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
TV Series - Best Supporting Young Actor Dean Collins Dean Collins (actor) Dean Richard Collins is an American actor, best known for playing the character Mike Gold in the Fox television sitcom The War at Home. The series ran from September 2005 to April 2007. Previously, he had recurring roles in MADtvs "Reading Caboose" skit as Ernie, and as Warren Feide in Jack & Bobby... |
— |
DVD releases
| DVD Name | Release Date | Ep # | Special Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | May 15, 2007 | 22 |
|
International broadcasters
| Country | Broadcaster | Timeslot |
|---|---|---|
 Australia |
Nine HD Nine HD Nine HD was an Australian television channel, owned by Nine Entertainment Co., that launched on 17 March 2008. The channel was available to high definition digital television viewers in metropolitan and regional areas through a number of owned-and-operated and affiliate stations... |
Sundays at 10.30pm |
 Austria |
ORF ORF (broadcaster) Österreichischer Rundfunk, ORF, is the Austrian national public service broadcaster.Funded from a combination of a television licence fees and revenue from limited on-air advertising, ORF is the dominant player in the Austrian broadcast media... |
|
 Belgium |
VT4 VT4 VT4 is a Flemish commercial television channel. It is part of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG.The channel began broadcasting on 1 February 1995. The channel initially had no Belgian broadcasting license and was transmitted via London . The channel now broadcasts legally from Zaventem in Belgium... |
Weekdays at 18.00 pm |
 BosniaBosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the... |
Pink BH Pink BH Pink BH is a regional television station in Bosnia and Herzegovina and is a member of the Pink Media Group which also owns sister television stations in Serbia and Montenegro . Pink BH's main headquarters is in Sarajevo.... |
Saturdays at 12.30pm |
 Kingdom of Bulgaria |
Nova Television and Fox Life Fox Life Fox Life is a television network, launched by the Fox Broadcasting Company, which airs across Latin America, Europe and Japan . Its basic programming include numerous television series, sitcoms and movies, among others, which includes some original programming in certain regions... |
Weekdays at 10.00 pm |
 Canada |
Global Global Television Network Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division... |
|
 Independent State of Croatia |
RTL Televizija RTL Televizija RTL Televizija is a Croatian commercial broadcaster with national availability that has been broadcasting since April 30, 2004.RTL Televizija is 74% owned by the RTL Group.... , RTL 2 RTL 2 (Croatia) -Airing currently:* Bella Calamidades * Columbo * Dexter * Dollhouse * Everybody Loves Raymond * How I Met Your Mother ... |
Weekdays at 7.45 pm |
 Cyprus |
NTV | |
 Czech Republic |
HBO | |
 Denmark |
6'eren 6'eren 6'eren is a Danish subscription television channel operated by SBS TV A/S, part of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG. It replaced SBS net on January 1, 2009.... , SBS Net |
Weekdays at 16.15 |
 Finland |
MTV3 MTV3 MTV3 is a Finnish commercial television station owned by Bonnier. It had the biggest audience share of all Finnish TV channels until Finnish Broadcasting Company’s YLE1 took the lead. The letters MTV stand for Mainos-TV , due to the channel getting its revenue from running commercials... |
Thursdays at 14.15 |
 Early Modern France |
M6 Métropole 6 M6, also known as Metropole television, is the most profitable private national French TV channel and the third most watched television network in the French-speaking world... and Canal + |
|
 Germany |
RTL 2 RTL II RTL II is a privately owned, commercial, general-interest German television channel.It was founded as a second-generation commercial broadcaster in 1993. It quickly became infamous for its perceived "trash programming", comprising lots of soft porn as well as shows such as Peep and many... |
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 Hungary |
HBO | |
 Iceland |
Stöð 2 Stöð 2 Stöð 2 is an Icelandic television channel, owned and operated by 365. Founded in 1986, It was the first privately owned television station in Iceland following the lifting of the state monopoly on television broadcasting... |
|
 Republic of Ireland |
RTÉ RTE RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey... , E4 and Channel 4 Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel... |
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 Israel |
Yes Stars Comedy Yes Stars Comedy Yes Comedy is an Israeli television channel carried by the Israeli satellite television provider - yes, which broadcasts American and British TV shows of the sitcom, dramedy and comedy genres... |
Weekdays at 9:30 pm ReeRun 11:30 am,next day 4:00 pm |
 Italy |
Joi Joi (TV channel) Joi is an Italian Entertainment TV channel, owned by Mediaset and broadcast on Premium Gallery, a Digital terrestrial television service in Italy. It is devoted to Family entertainment and broadcasts Movie and TV Series... |
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 Kenya |
NTV | |
 Latvia |
LNT Latvijas Neatkariga Televizija LNT is a major private television company in Latvia. It was created in 1996, under the name Pica TV. LNT features shows such as Chuck, Dexter, The O.C. and Nip/Tuck.... |
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 Lithuania |
TV1 TV1 (Lithuania) TV1 is a TV channel in Lithuania, launched in 2003. It is a sister channel of LNK television.... |
Weekdays at 20:00 ReeRun 14:30 |
 Netherlands |
NET5 | |
 New Zealand |
TV2 | |
 Norway |
TV Norge | Weekdays at 16:30 |
 Philippines |
JackTV | |
 Poland |
TVN Siedem TVN Siedem TVN 7 is a Polish television channel specialising in action, drama and comedy shows and movies. The channel was launched on March 1, 2002, replacing RTL 7. It is part of the TVN network which is owned by ITI Group.... , HBO Comedy |
Weekdays at 19:30 (7:30pm; TVN Siedem) |
 Portugal |
Fox Next Fox Next FOX:Next was a television channel operated by Fox International Channels in Portugal. Its programming was basically focused on television series and movies. The channel was launched in Portugal on April 14, 2008, as part of the meo package line-up... |
Weekdays at 14:40 |
 Kingdom of Romania |
Pro Cinema PRO Cinema PRO Cinema is a Romanian movie channel that is owned by Central European Media Enterprises and launched on April 19, 2004. It was the first Romanian TV channel dedicated exclusively to movies, and as such it attracted a significant audience from its very inception, mainly in the 18-49 urban... |
|
 Serbia |
TV Avala TV Avala TV Avala is a Serbian television network with national frequency. Registered as a limited liabilty company, the station was given a national TV frequency in Serbia in April 2006.... |
Weekdays at 19.55 |
 Slovakia |
TV Markíza | Weekdays at 13.25 pm |
 Slovenia |
Kanal A Kanal A Kanal A is the first commercial television station in Slovenia. The television program, which has been operating within PRO PLUS d.o.o., has national coverage. In its primary target group of viewers , Kanal A is the second most watched TV programme in Slovenia... |
Weekdays at 16.40 pm |
 South Africa |
SABC3, M-Net M-Net M-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers.... , M-Net Series and Go Go (TV channel) Go was a a TV channel on the DStv satellite network. The channel was broadcast on DStv channel 84. After a channel shuffle by DStv in October 2007, go was moved to channel 123. go was a channel for preteens, teens and twenty-somethings... |
|
 Spain |
TVE2 | Weekdays at 20.00 pm |
 Sweden |
Kanal 5 Kanal 5 (Sweden) Kanal 5 is a Swedish commercial television channel established in 1989. It is owned by the media corporation ProSiebenSat.1 Media.After a troublesome 1990s, Kanal 5 launched new strategies in the early 2000s that established it as a popular entertainment channel targeting young people... and Kanal 9 Kanal 9 Kanal 9 is a commercial television channel owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG broadcasting to Sweden. It targets the 30-59 age group, which is a slightly older age group than the sister channel Kanal 5. The channel launched on 25 February 2007. Its opening night featured the 79th Academy Awards... |
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 Switzerland |
SF zwei | |
 Turkey |
ComedyMax ComedyMax ComedyMax is a television channel in Turkey, which broadcasts worldwide hit TV series as Turkish subtitled. It is exclusively available for Digiturk satellite package subscribers.-Shows:Some of the shows on ComedyMax:... |
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 United Kingdom |
E4 and Channel 4 Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel... |
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 Ukraine |
1+1 1+1 - History :TV channel "1+1" was founded in August 1995, headed by its original President Alexander Rodnyansky who also was its general director from 1996 to 2002... |
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 Venezuela |
Venevisión Venevisión Venevisión is one of Venezuela's largest television networks and a Venezuelan cable and terrestrial television network, which is owned and presided over by Gustavo Cisneros... |