Husbands, Wives & Lovers
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image =
| caption =
| alt_name =
| genre = Sitcom
| creator = Hal Dresner
Joan Rivers
| developer =
| writer =
| director = James Burrows
Marc Daniels
Alan Myerson
Bill Persky
| creative_director =
| presenter =
| starring =
| judges =
| voices =
| narrated =
| theme_music_composer = Ken Welch
Mitzie Welch
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| composer = Jack Elliott
Allyn Ferguson
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 10
| list_episodes =
| executive_producer = Hal Dresner
Edgar Rosenberg
| producer = Don Van Atta
| editor = Marco Zappia
| location =
| cinematography =
| camera =
| runtime = 60 minutes
| company = 20th Century Fox Television
| channel = CBS
| first_aired = {{Start date|1978|3|10}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1978|6|30}}
| related =
}}
Husbands, Wives & Lovers is an American television sitcom that aired for one season on CBS in 1978.
Created by Joan Rivers, this program focused on the relationships of five suburban couples living in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California.
Development
The show originated as a pilot Husbands & Wives, which aired on July 18, 1977. It was written by Joan Rivers and Hal Dresner, and directed by Bill Persky, and garnered 18.3 million viewers. When the pilot was developed into a series, it was now filmed instead of taped. Stephen Perlman, Lynne Marie Stewart and Jesse Welles replaced Alex Rocco, Suzanne Zenor and Linda Miller in the roles of Murray, Joy and Helene respectively, the "Bells" were changed to the Bellinis, the "Cutlers" to the Willises and "Rita Bell" became Rita DeLatorre (with Lennie and Rita living together instead of being married).Bruce B. Morris, Prime Time Network Serials: Episode Guides, Casts and Credits for 37 Continuing Television Dramas, 1964-1993, McFarland and Company, 1997.
Cast and characters
- Cynthia Harris as Paula Zuckerman
- Stephen Pearlman as Murray Zuckerman, Paula's husband, a traveling pharmaceutical salesman
- Lynne Marie Stewart as Joy Bellini
- Eddie Barth as Harry Bellini, Joy's husband, a blue-collar self-made man who owns a fleet of garbage trucks
- Ron Rifkin as Ron Willis, a dentist who is separating from his wife
- Jesse Welles as Helene Willis, Ron's wife
- Charles Siebert as Dixon Carter Fielding, corporate lawyer who is representing Ron and Helene in their divorce proceedings
- Claudette Nevins as Courtney Fielding, Dixon's materialistic wife
- Mark Lonow as Lennie Bellini, Harry's brother who runs a jeans boutique
- Randee Heller as Rita DeLatorre, Lennie's lover, who co-runs the boutique
Episode list
{{Episode table |background=#FF5F57 |overall=5 |title=15 |director=15 |writer=15 |airdate=15 |viewers=15|episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| Title = Ron and Helene Separate
| DirectedBy = Marc Daniels
| WrittenBy = Harry Cauley
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1978|3|10}}
| ShortSummary =
|Viewers=15.2
| LineColor = FF5F57
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| Title = Ron Moves In and Helene Steps Out
| DirectedBy = Alan Myerson
| WrittenBy = Stephen Black & Henry Stern
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1978|3|17}}
| ShortSummary =
|Viewers=16.7
| LineColor = FF5F57
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| Title = Ron Is Accused
| DirectedBy = Marc Daniels
| WrittenBy = Steve Kreinberg & Andy Guerdat
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1978|3|24}}
| ShortSummary =
|Viewers=13.3
| LineColor = FF5F57
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| Title = Everybody Is Looking for a Little Action
| DirectedBy = Mark Daniels
| WrittenBy = Hal Dresner
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1978|4|7}}
| ShortSummary =
|Viewers=14.2
| LineColor = FF5F57
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 5
| Title = The Women Strike
| DirectedBy = Jim Burrows
| WrittenBy = Joan A. Gil
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1978|4|21}}
| ShortSummary =
|Viewers=12.3
| LineColor = FF5F57
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 6
| Title = Dixon and Courtney Adopt
| DirectedBy = Alan Myerson
| WrittenBy = Katherine Reback
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1978|4|28}}
| ShortSummary =
|Viewers=12.0
| LineColor = FF5F57
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 7
| Title = Murray Gets Sacked and Paula Gets Hired
| DirectedBy = Jim Burrows
| WrittenBy = Ron Bloomberg
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1978|6|9}}
| ShortSummary =
|Viewers=9.9
| LineColor = FF5F57
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 8
| Title = Predictions Come True
| DirectedBy = Marc Daniels
| WrittenBy = Andy Guerdat & Steve Kreinberg
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1978|6|16}}
| ShortSummary =
|Viewers=10.3
| LineColor = FF5F57
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 9
| Title = Women Write Stories and the Men Buy a Horse
| DirectedBy = Jim Burrows
| WrittenBy = Martin Donovan
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1978|6|23}}
| ShortSummary =
|Viewers=9.3
| LineColor = FF5F57
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 10
| Title = Six Characters Flunk a Sex Quiz and Go Somewhere to Do Something About It
| DirectedBy = Alan Myerson
| WrittenBy = Howard Ostroff
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1978|6|30}}
| ShortSummary =
|Viewers=11.9
| LineColor = FF5F57
}}
}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0077028}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Husbands, Wives and Lovers}}
Category:1970s American sitcoms
Category:1978 American television series debuts
Category:1978 American television series endings
Category:Television shows set in California
Category:Television series by 20th Century Fox Television
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