Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)
Encyclopedia
Wednesday 9:30 (later retitled My Adventures in Television) is an American sitcom
which aired on ABC
in 2002. The series was created by Peter Tolan
.
; Lindsay Urich, an air-head who gets by on her looks; Joanne Walker, who exists as the token black person at the network; and head of programming Paul Weffler, who has an ability to get things done but is so clueless that often it is by accident. Overseeing them all is the president of the network, Red Lansing, whose orders - no matter how far-fetched - are always right.
The series didn't shy away from surprising storylines. Episode one featured David sleeping with Lori Loughlin
which caused a scandal at the network; episode three - "Death Be Not Pre-Empted" - featured the team going after ratings by airing the execution of a serial killer
, and episode six revolved around David's attempt to please all sorts of minority groups without displeasing others.
, of course). Since series creator Peter Tolan was a television veteran - having written for The Larry Sanders Show
, Ellen and Murphy Brown
, the series was able to attract big name guest stars such as Lori Loughlin, John Ritter
, Garry Shandling
and Lisa Rinna
who all appeared as themselves in the first few episodes. But low ratings caused ABC to put the series on hiatus
after just two episodes, and ultimately cancel it.
Three more episodes aired after May sweeps were over (with the show having been renamed as My Adventures in Television). The remaining seven episodes were never aired.
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...
which aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in 2002. The series was created by Peter Tolan
Peter Tolan
Peter James Tolan III is an American television producer, director, and screenwriter.-Early life and career:Tolan was born in Scituate, Massachusetts where he was a perrenial favorite in the high school's dramatic productions. Before leaving to pursue a career in Hollywood, Tolan founded a theater...
.
Premise
Idealistic television executive David Weiss joins struggling TV network IBS, only to discover it is a place of backstabbing, constant competition, and a fair bit of bad programming. His colleagues include: Mike McClaren, an exec who will do anything to get ahead in the business, including hiding his own homosexualityHomosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
; Lindsay Urich, an air-head who gets by on her looks; Joanne Walker, who exists as the token black person at the network; and head of programming Paul Weffler, who has an ability to get things done but is so clueless that often it is by accident. Overseeing them all is the president of the network, Red Lansing, whose orders - no matter how far-fetched - are always right.
The series didn't shy away from surprising storylines. Episode one featured David sleeping with Lori Loughlin
Lori Loughlin
Lori Anne Loughlin is an American actress, best known for her role as Rebecca Donaldson-Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House. As of 2011, she portrays the role of Debbie Wilson on 90210, the spin-off of Beverly Hills, 90210...
which caused a scandal at the network; episode three - "Death Be Not Pre-Empted" - featured the team going after ratings by airing the execution of a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
, and episode six revolved around David's attempt to please all sorts of minority groups without displeasing others.
Cast
- Ivan SergeiIvan SergeiIvan Sergei is an American actor known for his work in television.-Personal life:Sergei was born Ivan Sergei Gaudio in Hawthorne, New Jersey, and is of Dutch and Italian descent. Ivan attended Hawthorne High School, where he was a member of the graduating class of 1989, and was a quarterback on...
as David Weiss - Melinda McGrawMelinda McGrawMelinda Leigh McGraw is an American actress. She has starred in movies such as Albino Alligator , Wrongfully Accused , and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps , and is also known for her television performances on The Commish, The X-Files and Mad Men.-Early life:McGraw was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, to...
as Lindsay Urich - Ed Begley, Jr.Ed Begley, Jr.Edward James "Ed" Begley, Jr. is an American actor and environmentalist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He is best known for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich, on the television series St...
as Paul Weffler - Sherri ShepherdSherri ShepherdSherri Evonne Shepherd is an American comedienne, actress, and television personality. She is one of five co-hosts on the ABC daytime talkshow, The View, as well as being the current host of the Newlywed Game and having a recurring role as Angie Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock...
as Joanne Walker - James Michael McCauley as Mike McClaren
- John CleeseJohn CleeseJohn Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
as Red Lansing
Behind-the-scenes
The series was a mid-season replacement, premiering on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 (at 9:30pm, or 8:30 Central TimeCentral time
Central time can refer to:*North American Central Time Zone*Central European Time*Central Standard Time Australia...
, of course). Since series creator Peter Tolan was a television veteran - having written for The Larry Sanders Show
The Larry Sanders Show
The Larry Sanders Show is a satirical television sitcom that aired from August 1992 to May 1998 on the HBO cable television network in the United States. It starred stand-up comedian Garry Shandling as vain, neurotic talk show host Larry Sanders, and centered on the running of his TV show, and the...
, Ellen and Murphy Brown
Murphy Brown
Murphy Brown is an American situation comedy which aired on CBS from November 14, 1988, to May 18, 1998, for a total of 247 episodes. The program starred Candice Bergen as the eponymous Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news anchor for FYI, a fictional CBS television...
, the series was able to attract big name guest stars such as Lori Loughlin, John Ritter
John Ritter
Jonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian perhaps best known for having played Jack Tripper and Paul Hennessy in the ABC sitcoms Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules, respectively...
, Garry Shandling
Garry Shandling
Garry Emmanuel Shandling is an American comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for his work in It's Garry Shandling's Show and The Larry Sanders Show....
and Lisa Rinna
Lisa Rinna
Lisa Deanna Rinna is an American television host and actress. She is known for her roles as Billie Reed on Days of our Lives, Taylor McBride on Melrose Place, and most recently as the host of SoapNet's Soap Talk.-Acting:...
who all appeared as themselves in the first few episodes. But low ratings caused ABC to put the series on hiatus
Hiatus (television)
In television scheduling, a hiatus refers to a break of at least several weeks in the normal schedule of a broadcast programming. It can occur during a season of a television program, or can be between television seasons .- Planned hiatus :Many times television stations will implement a hiatus...
after just two episodes, and ultimately cancel it.
Three more episodes aired after May sweeps were over (with the show having been renamed as My Adventures in Television). The remaining seven episodes were never aired.
Season 1
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | Pilot | March 27, 2002 |
| 1-2 | "The Art of Groveling" | April 3, 2002 |
| 1-3 | "Death Be Not Pre-Empted" | May 29, 2002 |
| 1-4 | "Chinese Baby" | June 5, 2002 |
| 1-5 | "Fired" | June 12, 2002 |
| 1-6 | "Diversity" | Unaired |
| 1-7 | "No Escape" | Unaired |
| 1-8 | "The Line of Duty" | Unaired |
| 1-9 | "All the Way Home" | Unaired |
| 1-10 | "The Last Chance" | Unaired |
| 1-11 | "Journey By Night" | Unaired |
| 1-12 | "Kind Stranger" | Unaired |