Dharma & Greg#Cast
{{short description|American television sitcom (1997–2002)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Dharma & Greg logo.svg
| genre = Sitcom
| creator = {{ubl|Dottie Dartland|Chuck Lorre}}
| starring = {{plainlist|
- Jenna Elfman
- Thomas Gibson
- Joel Murray
- Mimi Kennedy
- Alan Rachins
- Mitchell Ryan
- Susan Sullivan
- Shae D'lyn
- Susan Chuang
- Helen Greenberg
}}
| opentheme = "Dharma & Greg" by Dennis C. Brown
| endtheme = "Dharma & Greg" (some episodes)
| composer = Dennis C. Brown
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 5
| num_episodes = 119
| list_episodes = List of Dharma & Greg episodes
| executive_producer = {{plainlist|
- Chuck Lorre
- Brian Medavoy
- Erwin More (all; entire run)
- Dottie Dartland (1997–1999)
- Regina Stewart (1999–2000)
- Bill Prady (1999–2002)
}}
| camera = Multi-camera
| runtime = approx. 22 minutes
| company = {{plainlist|
- Chuck Lorre Productions
- More-Medavoy Productions
- 4 to 6 Foot Productions (seasons 1–2)
- 20th Century Fox Television
}}
| network = ABC
| first_aired = {{start date|1997|9|24}}
| last_aired = {{end date|2002|4|30}}
}}
Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC for five seasons from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002, with a total of 119 episodes.{{cite web |title=BBC – Comedy Guide – Dharma and Greg |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/d/dharmaandgreg_1299003490.shtml |date=January 5, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050105094311/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/d/dharmaandgreg_1299003490.shtml |archive-date=January 5, 2005}}
The show starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married on their first date despite being polar opposites. The series was co-produced by Chuck Lorre Productions, More-Medavoy Productions and 4 to 6 Foot Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television. The show's theme song was written and performed by composer Dennis C. Brown.
Created by executive producers Dottie Dartland and Chuck Lorre, the comedy took much of its inspiration from culture-clash "fish out of water" situations.{{cite web |title=Dharma & Greg trivia |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118303/trivia |publisher=IMDb |access-date=June 30, 2007}} The show earned eight Golden Globe nominations, six Emmy Award nominations, and six Satellite Award nominations.{{cite web |title=Dharma & Greg awards |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118303/award |publisher=IMDb |access-date=June 30, 2007}} Elfman earned a Golden Globe in 1999 for Best Actress.
Show summary
Free-spirited yoga instructor/dog trainer Dharma Finkelstein and straight-laced lawyer Greg Montgomery marry on their first date despite being complete opposites. Their conflicting views lead to comical situations. Greg is an Ivy League graduate who was raised by wealthy, conservative parents. After graduation from Harvard and Stanford, he went to work with the U.S. Attorney's Office as a federal prosecutor in San Francisco. He then meets Dharma, who was raised by hippie parents. They fall in love immediately and elope. Despite being totally different, their parents eventually learn to tolerate each other.
Cast
= Main =
- Jenna Elfman as Dharma Freedom Montgomery
- Thomas Gibson as Gregory Clifford "Greg" Montgomery
- Susan Sullivan as Katherine "Kitty" Montgomery
- Mitchell Ryan as Edward Montgomery
- Mimi Kennedy as Abigail Kathleen "Abby" O'Neil
- Alan Rachins as Myron Lawrence "Larry" Finkelstein
- Shae D'lyn as Jane Deaux (seasons 1–4; guest season 5)
- Joel Murray as Peter James "Pete" Cavanaugh
- Helen Greenberg as Marcie (season 5; guest seasons 3–4)
- Susan Chuang as Susan Wong (season 5; guest seasons 3–4)
= Recurring =
- Lillian Hurst as Celia
- Yeardley Smith as Marlene
- Floyd Westerman as George Littlefox
- Kathryn Joosten as Claire
- J. D. Walsh as Donald
- Kevin Sorbo as Charlie
Episodes
{{see also|List of Dharma & Greg episodes}}
{{:List of Dharma & Greg episodes}}
Awards and nominations
In 1998, the Online Film & Television Association Awards{{cite web|url=http://ofta.cinemasight.com/Awards/Television/9798.html|title=1997-98: The Season of Merlin|publisher=Online Film & Television Association|access-date=27 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019130240/http://ofta.cinemasight.com/Awards/Television/9798.html|archive-date=October 19, 2015|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://ofta.cinemasight.com/Awards/Television/9899.html|title=1998-99: The Season of The Practice|publisher=Online Film & Television Association|access-date=27 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194944/http://ofta.cinemasight.com/Awards/Television/9899.html|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://ofta.cinemasight.com/Awards/Television/9900.html|title=1999-2000: The Season of The West Wing|publisher=Online Film & Television Association|access-date=27 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215400/http://ofta.cinemasight.com/Awards/Television/9900.html|archive-date=March 3, 2016|url-status=dead}} nominated Elfman for Best Actress in a Comedy Series and the series itself as Best New Comedy Series.
Jenna Elfman was nominated three times for Best Television Actress – Musical/Comedy Series at the Golden Globes and won in 1999. Thomas Gibson and Susan Sullivan were both nominated for Golden Globes but neither ever won the award. The show itself was nominated for Best Best Musical/Comedy Series in 1998 and 1999.{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/tv-show/dharma-greg |website=Golden Globe Awards |access-date=26 April 2022|title=Dharma & Greg }}
Ratings and cancellation
{{original research|date=February 2014}}
The series was a top-25 fixture in the US during its first three seasons, first airing Wednesday at 8:30 p.m., then at 8:00. It was moved to Tuesdays at 9 p.m. during its third season where it experienced a dramatic ratings lift thanks to a lead-in of the then red-hot Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. As ratings for that series waned in 2000/2001, Dharma & Greg suffered a similar fate, compounded by NBC moving Frasier into the same time slot. As Millionaire fell even further and was moved off the night in the fall of 2001, ABC tried to rebuild a Tuesday night comedy block consisting of Dharma & Greg, What About Joan?, Bob Patterson, and Spin City. Bob Patterson and What About Joan? were quickly cancelled while Dharma & Greg and Spin City shared the 8 p.m. hour for the rest of the season.
The final episode aired on April 30, 2002, to 6.8 million viewers, compared to the 20 million the series had peaked two years previously. Along with Ally McBeal and Dawson's Creek, Dharma & Greg was one of the last three surviving shows to debut during the 1997–98 season (Dawson's Creek would remain for one more season in 2002–03).
Home media
Season 2 was released in Australia as a Region 4 PAL on January 22, 2008, with a picture of Dharma and Greg dancing on the cover.{{cite web |url=http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/796723 |title=Buy Dharma & Greg - Season 2 (3 Disc Set) on DVD-Video from |website=EzyDVD.com.au |access-date=2016-02-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110412062324/http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/796723 |archive-date=April 12, 2011 |df=mdy-all }} It is available in Japan as a Region 2 NTSC format with a picture of them sitting down for the cover art.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B000NIVJ0O |title=ダーマ＆グレッグ シーズン2 DVD-BOX DVD・ブルーレイ - ジェナ・エルフマン, トーマス・ギブソン, スーザン・サリバン, ミミ・ケネディ, ミッチェル・ライアン, アラン・レイキンズ |website=Amazon.co.jp |date=June 2, 2007 |access-date=2016-02-23}} In the spring of 2008, the second season was released in Europe (Netherlands) as a Region 2 PAL as well. All countries have different covers, and all are using the "dance shot".
On November 11, 2014, 20th Century Fox released season 2 in Region 1 via Amazon.com's CreateSpace program. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Amazon.com.{{cite web |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Dharma-Greg-Season-2/20478 |title=Dharma & Greg DVD news: Announcement for Dharma & Greg - The Complete Season 2 |website=TVShowsOnDVD.com |access-date=2016-02-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050454/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Dharma-Greg-Season-2/20478 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |df=mdy-all }}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Overview |
| rowspan="2"|Season
! colspan="4"|Release date |
|---|
| width="150"|Region 1
! width="150"|Region 2 ! width="150"|Region 2 ! width="150"|Region 4 |
| Season 1 |
| Season 2
| {{N/a|TBA}} |
Vanity cards
The vanity card for Chuck Lorre Productions at the end of each episode included a message written by producer and show co-creator Chuck Lorre, expressing his personal views on a variety of subjects. Because the card only appeared on the screen for a brief moment, it was usually readable only by those who recorded the program and paused it (although the complete collection of cards has now been posted on Lorre's website).{{cite web|url=http://chucklorre.com |title=CLP - Vanity Cards |website=Chucklorre.com |date=2016-02-18 |access-date=2016-02-23}}
Messages were also included on the vanity cards for later Chuck Lorre Productions shows, such as Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, and Mike & Molly.
Crossovers
Elfman and Gibson had a cameo appearance in the ninth season premiere of Two and a Half Men, "Nice to Meet You, Walden Schmidt". Their characters are not named either in the dialogue or the credits (possibly for legal reasons due to Men{{-'}}s being produced by a different studio),{{cite web |url=http://www.aoltv.com/2011/09/21/thomas-gibson-explains-the-dharma-and-greg-reunion/ |title=What To Watch |website=Aoltv.com |access-date=2016-02-23 |archive-date=October 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026195206/http://www.aoltv.com/2011/09/21/thomas-gibson-explains-the-dharma-and-greg-reunion/ |url-status=dead }} but they appear to be based on Dharma and Greg. While the couple remain married, Greg seems overly tired of his responsibilities and marriage, even going so far as to sarcastically hint at divorce to Evelyn Harper (along with a self-inflicted gunshot gesture) when leaving. Joel Murray also makes a cameo appearance in the episode, although not as Pete but as a character named "Doug".{{cite web |author=Carina MacKenzie |url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2011/09/dharma-greg-reunite-for-two-and-a-half-men-season-9-premiere.html |title=Dharma & Greg reunite for 'Two and a Half Men' Season 9 premiere – Zap2It |website=Zap2it |date=2011-09-20 |access-date=2016-02-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310123349/http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2011/09/dharma-greg-reunite-for-two-and-a-half-men-season-9-premiere.html |archive-date=March 10, 2014 |df=mdy-all }} Elfman had also previously appeared on that show in its first season as the free-spirited Frankie in the two-part episodes "Round One to the Hot Crazy Chick" and "That Was Saliva, Alan."
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Wikiquote}}
- {{IMDb title|0118303}}
- [http://www.chucklorre.com/index-dg.php Vanity card archive for Dharma & Greg]
- [http://dh.henryherman.com/dharma/ The D&G Experience (Fan Site)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426091722/http://dh.henryherman.com/dharma/ |date=April 26, 2012 }}
{{Chuck Lorre}}
{{People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dharma and Greg}}
Category:1990s American multi-camera sitcoms
Category:1997 American television series debuts
Category:2000s American multi-camera sitcoms
Category:2002 American television series endings
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:Fictional married couples
Category:Television series about families
Category:Television series about marriage
Category:Television series by 20th Century Fox Television
Category:Television series created by Chuck Lorre