A Fine Romance (1989 TV series)
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{infobox television
| image = A Fine Romance titles.png
| caption =
| genre = Comedy drama
| creator = Peachy Markowitz
| starring = {{Plainlist|
}}
| composer = John Du Prez
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 12 (5 unaired)
| list_episodes =
| executive_producer =
| producer =
| editor =
| location =
| camera =
| runtime = 60 minutes
| company = Phoenix Entertainment Group
| network = ABC
| first_aired = {{Start date|1989|1|18}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1989|3|2}}
}}
A Fine Romance is an American comedy-drama television series that aired from January 18, 1989, to March 2, 1989 on ABC. The series was filmed on location at various places in Europe.{{cite book|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present|year=2003|publisher=Ballantine Books|isbn=0-345-45542-8|pages=410}}
Premise
A divorced couple work together as hosts of a travel show called Ticket to Ride.{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/shows/a-fine-romance-1989/|title=A Fine Romance (1989)|website=TV.com|access-date=June 5, 2020}} The locations they traveled to included Paris, Dublin, Budapest, and Malta.
Cast
- Christopher Cazenove as Michael Trent
- Margaret Whitton as Louisa Phillips
- Ernie Sabella as George Shipman
- Kevin Moore as Miles Barrish
- Dinah Lenney as Friday Forrester
Broadcast
The series was originally slated to air as a part of ABC's fall 1988 schedule, Sundays at 8/7c. However, the 1988 Writers Guild of America Strike had officially taken hold by the time of network upfronts in May, and A Fine Romance, along with all other scripted network shows, was affected. Although still featured in ABC's official fall preview reel as airing on Sundays in the fall, the series was soon announced to be on midseason status by the time the fall schedule was released, due to the strike delaying production. To fill the Sunday slot in the fall, ABC commissioned the revival of Mission: Impossible, one of many inexpensive programming alternatives the network was using to fill time during the strike.
The new M:I filled the Sunday 8 p.m. slot for several episodes until being moved to Saturdays in December 1988. Despite the Sunday slot becoming available, A Fine Romance instead premiered in January 1989 on Thursdays at 8/7c, where it replaced the cancelled freshman series Knightwatch. As was the case with the series it replaced, A Fine Romance lost out to The Cosby Show and A Different World on NBC and 48 Hours on CBS, and was pulled after barely two months. Five episodes remain unaired in the US, although the entire run was broadcast in the UK.
Episodes
{{Episode table |total_width=80 |background=#000000 |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |viewers= |episodes=
{{Episode list
|Title= Desperately Seeking Louisa
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|1|18}}
|Viewers=13.3{{cite news |date=January 25, 1989 |title=NBC scores super ratings |department=Life |work=USA Today |page=3D |id={{ProQuest|306147740}}}}
|EpisodeNumber=1
|DirectedBy= Thomas J. Wright
|WrittenBy= Peachy Markowitz and Jane Petteway
|ShortSummary= In Paris, Louisa tries to convince Michael to return to the show. Anne is kidnapped and Michael and Louisa work together to find her.
|LineColor= 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|Title= A Horse is a Horse, Of Course, Of Course
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|1|26}}
|Viewers=8.6{{cite news |date=February 1, 1989 |title=Midseason entries boost NBC |department=Life |work=USA Today |page=3D |id={{ProQuest|306144802}}}}
|EpisodeNumber=2
|DirectedBy= Stan Lathan
|WrittenBy= Ian Gurvitz
|ShortSummary= In Dublin, Louisa steals Michael's paycheck in order to buy a racehorse. Miles suspects his wife of having an affair with a butcher.
|LineColor= 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|Title= Absence of Chalice
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|2|2}}
|Viewers=7.6{{cite news |date=February 8, 1989 |title=Comedies sweep up for NBC |department=Life |work=USA Today |page=3D |id={{ProQuest|306179902}}}}
|EpisodeNumber=3
|DirectedBy= Gabrielle Beaumont
|WrittenBy= Bill Froelich
|ShortSummary= In Ireland, Louisa and Michael finds out that they are still legally married. Two thieves are trying to find a chalice that the townspeople are hiding.
|LineColor= 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|Title= Below Suspicion
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|2|9}}
|Viewers=6.9{{cite news |date=February 15, 1989 |title=CBS gallops to a tie with NBC |department=Life |work=USA Today |page=3D |id={{ProQuest|306163263}}}}
|EpisodeNumber=4
|DirectedBy= Reza Badiyi
|WrittenBy= John Amodeo
|ShortSummary= In Malta, both Michael and Louisa are preparing for dates. George tries to work a product placement into the show.
|LineColor= 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|Title= The Day of the Third, Thin, Wrong Woman Who Knew All Too Much About Eve
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|2|16}}
|Viewers=7.8{{cite news |date=February 22, 1989 |title=NBC's back alone on top |department=Life |work=USA Today |page=3D |id={{ProQuest|306175741}}}}
|EpisodeNumber=5
|DirectedBy= Gene Reynolds
|WrittenBy= Michael Aitkens
|ShortSummary= Michael and Louisa bet on who will be the first to start an argument. Louisa gets an assistant when she breaks her foot. George tries to cut the budget.
|LineColor= 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|Title= A Yank and the RAF
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|2|23}}
|Viewers=6.8{{cite news |date=March 1, 1989 |title=CBS up despite Grammy drop |department=Life |work=USA Today |page=3D |id={{ProQuest|306152931}}}}
|EpisodeNumber=6
|DirectedBy= Kevin Hooks
|WrittenBy= Mark Lisson
|ShortSummary= Suffering the effects of a minor auto accident in France, Louisa dreams about herself and Michael in World War II.
|LineColor= 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|Title= It's Just the Gypsy in My Soul
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|3|2}}
|Viewers=6.3{{cite news |date=March 8, 1989 |title=Hit-and-miss program changes |department=Life |work=USA Today |page=3D |id={{ProQuest|306184202}}}}
|EpisodeNumber=7
|DirectedBy= Reza Badiyi
|WrittenBy= Peachy Markowitz and Kathy McCormick
|ShortSummary= In Budapest, Louisa tries to make up with Michael after she destroys his prized possession, a first edition book. She is also told she has only a week or two to live, causing an unexpected reaction from Michael.
|LineColor= 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|Title= South by Southeast
|OriginalAirDate=Unaired
|Viewers=
|EpisodeNumber=8
|DirectedBy= David Tucker
|WrittenBy= Ian Gurvitz
|ShortSummary= Michael is mistaken for a man named Rappaport. Louisa tries to talk Michael into doing a Japanese dog food commercial.
|LineColor= 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|Title= Double Indignity
|OriginalAirDate=Unaired
|Viewers=
|EpisodeNumber=9
|DirectedBy= Harry Harris
|WrittenBy= Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham
|ShortSummary= In London, Louisa refuses to wear glasses. The show is filming at an old house owned by Michael's old girlfriend, and there is a rumor that the house is haunted by a ghost.
|LineColor= 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|Title= School Daze
|OriginalAirDate=Unaired
|Viewers=
|EpisodeNumber=10
|DirectedBy= Ray Austin
|WrittenBy= Peter Spence
|ShortSummary= In England, Michael is invited back to his old school to accept an award. A mink coat falls out of the sky and lands on Louisa, but she is chased by the coat's owner and a thief.
|LineColor= 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|Title= The Tomas Crown Affair
|OriginalAirDate=Unaired
|Viewers=
|EpisodeNumber=11
|DirectedBy= Ray Austin
|WrittenBy= Terry Nation
|ShortSummary= Michael breaks a tooth in Madrid after Louisa forces him to try some candy. Michael and Louisa are pursued by agents in San Francisco who try to get the diamond in Michael's tooth. Friday loses her luggage.
|LineColor= 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|Title= Th-The-That's All, Folks!
|OriginalAirDate=Unaired
|Viewers=
|EpisodeNumber=12
|DirectedBy= Harry Harris
|WrittenBy= Ian Gurvitz and Kathy McCormick
|ShortSummary= In Santa Cruz, California, there is a rumor that the travel show will be cancelled. Louisa does not know that she has valuable baseball in her purse.
|LineColor= 000000
}}
}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0096583}}
- [http://www.tv.com/shows/a-league-of-their-own-1993/ TV.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714081907/http://www.tv.com/shows/a-league-of-their-own-1993/ |date=2018-07-14 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fine Romance (1989 TV series)}}
Category:1989 American television series debuts
Category:1989 American television series endings
Category:1980s American comedy-drama television series