Major Dad
{{Short description|1989–1993 American television series}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2016}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox television
|image = Major dad.jpg
|caption = The cast of Major Dad.
|genre = Sitcom
|creator = John G. Stephens
Richard C. Okie
|developer = Earl Pomerantz
|starring = Gerald McRaney
Shanna Reed
Beverly Archer
Jon Cypher
Nicole Dubuc
Chelsea Hertford
Matt Mulhern
Marisa Ryan
|theme_music_composer =
|opentheme =
|endtheme =
|composer = Roger Steinman
Steve Dorff
|country = United States
|language = English
|num_seasons = 4
|num_episodes = 96
|list_episodes = List of Major Dad episodes
|executive_producer = Rick Hawkins
Gerald McRaney
Richard C. Okie
Earl Pomerantz
|producer = Jim Evering
Barry Gold
Janet Leahy
Liz Sage
Todd Stephens
|editor = Skip Collector
John William Heath
Augie Hess
|camera = 35mm Multi-camera
|runtime = 30 minutes
|company = S.B.B. Productions
Spanish Trail Productions
Universal Television
|network = CBS
|first_aired = {{start date|1989|9|17}}
|last_aired = {{end date|1993|5|17}}
}}
Major Dad is an American sitcom television series created by Richard C. Okie and John G. Stephens, developed by Earl Pomerantz, that originally ran from September 17, 1989, to May 17, 1993, on CBS, starring Gerald McRaney as Major John D. MacGillis and Shanna Reed as his wife Polly. The cast also includes Beverly Archer, Matt Mulhern, Jon Cypher, Marisa Ryan, Nicole Dubuc, and Chelsea Hertford.
Synopsis
The first season is set at the fictional Camp Singleton (meant to represent Camp Pendleton),{{citation needed|date=November 2016}} where hard-charging United States Marine Corps Major John D. "Mac" MacGillis is commander of the infantry training school's acquisition division. MacGillis's life is changed when he falls in love with a liberal journalist, Polly Cooper. The show follows Mac in his work life, where he deals with Lt. Eugene Holowachuk (Matt Mulhern), Sgt. Byron James (Marlon Archey), and Merilee Gunderson (Whitney Kershaw), as well as his home life, as he learns to live with Polly's three daughters, Elizabeth, Robin, and Casey.
At the beginning of the second season, the MacGillis family moves to Camp Hollister (based on Marine Corps Base Quantico), where Mac must adapt to the role of staff secretary (or "staff weenie") and the crazy antics of Commanding (Brigadier) General Marcus C. Craig, Aide-de-Camp 1st Lt. Eugene Holowachuk (who transferred with Major MacGillis from Camp Singleton), and Gunnery Sgt. Alva "Gunny" Bricker, the General's secretary, a no-nonsense Marine, who despite her brusque nature and unprepossessing physical appearance, is the target of many enthusiastic (and unseen) suitors. Character development increased during the second season, such as the revelation that MacGillis is a former member of the United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon.
Major Dad incorporated the 1991 Persian Gulf War into storylines, depicting Mac staying stateside instead of going to Saudi Arabia as he wanted. Scenes with Polly writing in her diary were shot as late as possible to incorporate breaking news.{{Cite magazine |last=Tucker |first=Ken |date=1991-02-22 |title=The War and 'Major Dad' |url=https://ew.com/article/1991/02/22/war-and-major-dad/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |language=en}} After rewriting the last six episodes of the 1990-1991 season because of the war, the show had to again modify episodes because the war ended sooner than expected.{{Cite news |last=Herbert |first=Steven |date=1991-03-11 |title='Major Dad' Gets a Change of Orders : Television: The end of the Gulf War forces the CBS military sitcom to revise episodes that were altered when war began. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-03-11-ca-161-story.html |access-date=2024-06-13 |work=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}
Cast
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|
- Gerald McRaney as Maj. John D. "Mac" MacGillis
- Shanna Reed as Pollyanna "Polly" Esther Cooper MacGillis
- Marisa Ryan as Elizabeth Cooper MacGillis
- Nicole Dubuc as Robin Cooper MacGillis
- Chelsea Hertford as Casey Cooper MacGillis
- Matt Mulhern as Lt. Eugene "Gene" Holowachuk
- Marlon Archey as Sgt. Byron James (season one)
- Jon Cypher as Brig. Gen. Marcus C. Craig (seasons two-four)
- Whitney Kershaw as Merilee Gunderson (season one)
- Beverly Archer as GySgt. Alva "Gunny" Bricker (seasons two-four)
- Timothy Schnabel as Billy Sparling (some episodes)
}}
Episode guide
{{Main|List of Major Dad episodes}}
{{:List of Major Dad episodes}}
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" | ||||
| Year
! Award ! Result ! Category ! Recipient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color: #EAEAEA;"
| 1992 | BMI Film & TV Award | Won | BMI TV Music Award | Steve Dorff |
| 1992 | Emmy Award | Nominated | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Main Title Theme Music | Steve Dorff |
| rowspan=2|1990 | rowspan=8|Young Artist Awards | Nominated | Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series | Chelsea Hertford |
| style="background-color: #EAEAEA;"
| Won | Best New Television Series | {{center | ||
| }} | ||||
| rowspan=4|1991 | rowspan=4|Nominated | Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series | Marisa Ryan | |
| Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series | Chelsea Hertford | |||
| Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series | Nicole Dubuc | |||
| Best Young Actor Supporting or Re-Occurring Role for a TV Series | Chance Michael Corbitt | |||
| 1992 | Nominated | Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series | Marisa Ryan | |
| 1993 | Nominated | Outstanding Actress Under Ten in a Television Series | Chelsea Hertford |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0096643}}
- {{epguides|id=MajorDad}}
- [http://www.retrojunk.com/content/tv/4645/index/ Major Dad introduction] (video clip)
Category:1989 American television series debuts
Category:1993 American television series endings
Category:1980s American multi-camera sitcoms
Category:1990s American multi-camera sitcoms
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:Military comedy television series
Category:Television series by Universal Television
Category:Television shows set in California
Category:Television shows set in Virginia
Category:Television shows about the United States Marine Corps
Category:Television series about families
Category:1980s American workplace comedy television series