Life's Work
{{Short description|American television series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| genre = Sitcom
| runtime = 30 minutes{{cite web | url = http://www.antoniogenna.net/doppiaggio/telefilm/lapazzavitasigrahunter.htm| title = Duration of show (Italian) | publisher = Antonio Genna| accessdate = 2011-05-11}}
| image = LWAnimate1.gif
| caption = Title screen with programming information
| camera = Multi-camera
| country = United States
| company = Weest, Inc.
Touchstone Television
| network = ABC
| first_aired = {{start date|1996|9|17}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1997|6|10}}
| language = English
| composer = Mark Mothersbaugh
Bob Mothersbaugh
| opentheme = "Life's Work" (instrumental)
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 18
| list_episodes =
| creator = Warren Bell and Lisa Ann WalterLisa
| starring = Lisa Ann Walter
Michael O'Keefe
Lainie Kazan
Jenny O'Hara
Alexa Vega
}}
Life's Work is an American sitcom series that aired from September 1996 to June 1997 on ABC; the show stars Lisa Ann Walter as Lisa Ann Minardi Hunter, an assistant district attorney in Baltimore.
Lisa Ann always wanted to practice law since she was young because she always argued with her parents. She also had a basketball coach husband named Kevin Hunter (Michael O'Keefe) who served as the patriarch of the family. Together, they raised a seven-year-old daughter Tess (Alexa Vega) and a toddler son named Griffin (Cameron and Luca Weibel).{{cite web | url = http://www.tv.com/lifes-work/show/2258/summary.html| title = Series Summary | publisher = TV.com| accessdate = 2008-08-15}} During the entire run of the series, an electric guitar & piano instrumental was used as the show's opening theme. Walter helped Mark Mothersbaugh write the theme.
Walter was an actress turned stand-up comic whose "voice" of a busy working mom became a top headlining act in the 1990s. ABC developed Life's Work for Walter, where she played a feisty feminist who could stand up to her mother in addition to her superiors at work.{{cite web | url = http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/77132| title = Lisa Ann Walter Summary | publisher = Sitcoms Online| accessdate = 2010-03-17}} Walter received almost unanimous positive reviews for her portrayal of a harried working mother in a bold departure from the usual working mom shows where you never see the mom actually working.
As of July 2022, 15 (of the 18) episodes are available to purchase on several streaming services including AppleTV, Amazon, and YouTube.
In one of the episodes, Lisa Ann claimed to have a sexual affair with then-current American President Bill Clinton.{{harvnb|Damerini, Margaria 2001|p= 426|ref=Damerini, Margaria 2001}}
Cast
=Main=
- Lisa Ann Walter as Lisa Ann Minardi Hunter
- Michael O'Keefe as Kevin Hunter
- Alexa Vega as Tess Hunter
- Cameron and Luca Weibel as Griffin Hunter
=Recurring=
- Larry Miller as Mr. Jerome Nash
- Lightfield Lewis as Matt Youngster
- Molly Hagan as Dee Dee Lucas
- Jenny O'Hara and Lainie Kazan as Constance "Connie" Minardi
- Tara Karsian as Emily
Episodes
{{Episode table |background=#E38181 |overall=5 |title=18 |director= |writer= |airdate= |prodcode= |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 1
|Title = Pilot
|DirectedBy = Michael Lessac
|WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s= Lisa Ann Walter & Warren Bell|t= Warren Bell}}
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1996|9|17}}
|ProdCode = L402
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 2
|Title = Daycareless
|DirectedBy = Michael Lessac
|WrittenBy = Nora Lynch & Paul Palisoul
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1996|9|24}}
|ProdCode = L404
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 3
|Title = Contempt
|DirectedBy = Michael Lessac
|WrittenBy = Warren Bell
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1996|10|1}}
|ProdCode = L406
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 4
|Title = Concert
|DirectedBy = Michael Lessac
|WrittenBy = Vicki S. Horowitz
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1996|10|8}}
|ProdCode = L407
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 5
|Title = Burnout
|DirectedBy = Michael Lessac
|WrittenBy = Elin Hampton & David Fury
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1996|10|15}}
|ProdCode = L405
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 6
|Title = Playdates
|DirectedBy = Michael Lessac
|WrittenBy = Tim Maile and Douglas Tuber
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1996|10|22}}
|ProdCode = L403
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 7
|Title = Girlfriends
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy = Alana Burgi & Marsha Myers
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1996|10|29}}
|ProdCode = L408
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 8
|Title = Pregnancy
|DirectedBy = Michael Lessac
|WrittenBy = Mitchell Newman
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1996|11|12}}
|ProdCode = L409
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 9
|Title = Jobs
|DirectedBy =
|WrittenBy = Elin Hampton & David Fury
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1996|11|19}}
|ProdCode = L410
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 10
|Title = Gobbledegook
|DirectedBy = Michael Lessac
|WrittenBy = Nora Lynch & Paul Palisoul
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1996|11|26}}
|ProdCode = L411
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 11
|Title = Boss
|DirectedBy = Michael Lessac
|WrittenBy = Bernie DeLeo
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1996|12|3}}
|ProdCode = L412
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 12
|Title = Fired
|DirectedBy = Michael Lessac
|WrittenBy = Douglas Tuber & Tim Maile
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1996|12|17}}
|ProdCode = L413
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 13
|Title = Harassment
|DirectedBy = Howard Murray
|WrittenBy = Matt Ember & Warren Bell
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1997|1|7}}
|ProdCode = L414
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 14
|Title = Fraud
|DirectedBy = Howard Murray
|WrittenBy = Marsha Myers & Alana Burgi
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1997|1|14}}
|ProdCode = L415
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 15
|Title = Neighbors
|DirectedBy = Michael Lessac
|WrittenBy = Douglas Tuber & Tim Maile
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1997|1|28}}
|ProdCode = L417
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 16
|Title = Ride Along
|DirectedBy = Michael Lessac
|WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s= Lois Bromfield|t= Phil Palisoul & Nora Lynch}}
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1997|5|27}}
|ProdCode = L418
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 17
|Title = Dates
|DirectedBy = Michael Lessac
|WrittenBy = Nora Lynch & Phil Palisoul
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1997|6|3}}
|ProdCode = L416
|LineColor = e38181
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 18
|Title = Banquet
|DirectedBy = Michael Lessac
|WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s= Douglas Tuber & Tim Maile|t= Alana Burgi & Marsha Myers}}
|OriginalAirDate= {{Start date|1997|6|10}}
|ProdCode = L419
|LineColor = e38181
}}
}}
Cancellation
The show was put on hiatus after the episode "Neighbors" aired on January 27, 1997. Months later, having finished the season in 38th place with a 9.5 rating, the show was officially cancelled even though it held on to more than 90% of the viewers who watched the final season of Roseanne.{{cite web | url = http://www.geocities.com/owepar2/canceled.html | title = Why Life's Work Didn't Last | publisher = Internet Archive| date = 2002-10-16| accessdate = 2008-08-15 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20021016024020/http://www.geocities.com/owepar2/canceled.html |archivedate = 2002-10-16}}
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book|surname=Damerini |first=Leopoldo|author2=Fabrizio Margaria |title=Dizionario dei telefilm |year=2001 |publisher=Garzanti |edition=1ª |editor=Garzanti |isbn=88-11-74000-2|ref=Damerini, Margaria 2001}}
Category:1990s American multi-camera sitcoms
Category:1996 American television series debuts
Category:1997 American television series endings
Category:1990s American legal television series
Category:1990s American workplace comedy television series
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:Television series by ABC Studios