Mr. Smith (TV series)
{{Short description|American sitcom}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
|image = Mr. Smith (TV series).jpg
|caption = Promotional photo for Mr. Smith
|creator = Stan Daniels
Ed. Weinberger
|genre = Sitcom
|writer = Dari Daniels
George Kirgo
David Lloyd
Douglas Wyman
|director = Stan Daniels
Ralph Helfer
Gerald Hirschfeld
Ed. Weinberger
|starring = Leonard Frey
Tim Dunigan
Terri Garber
Laura Jacoby
Stuart Margolin
|voices = Ed. Weinberger
|composer = Patrick Williams
|country = United States
|language = English
|num_seasons = 1
|num_episodes = 13
|executive_producer = Stan Daniels
Ed. Weinberger
|producer = Ralph Helfer
|runtime = 30 minutes
|company = Weinberger/Daniels Productions
Paramount Television
|channel = NBC
|first_aired = {{Start date|1983|09|23}}
|last_aired = {{End date|1983|12|16}}
}}
Mr. Smith is an American sitcom that aired on Fridays at 8:00 pm ET on NBC from September 23 through December 16, 1983. The title character was a talking orangutan.[https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/11/arts/nbc-schedules-nine-new-programs-for-fall.html Bedell, Sally. "NBC Schedules Nine New Programs for Fall," The New York Times, Wednesday, May 11, 1983.] Retrieved February 15, 2025. Mr. Smith was canceled after thirteen episodes had been aired.
The orangutan who played Mr. Smith had previously been featured in the 1978 film Every Which Way But Loose and its 1980 sequel Any Which Way You Can.{{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|page=789}}
Synopsis
Originally a part of a traveling act called the Atwood Orangutans, Cha Cha and Bobo are separated from their trainer Tommy Atwood (Tim Dunigan) after he is knocked unconscious in a car accident while the act is traveling from Arizona to California. Frightened by the commotion caused by the accident, Cha Cha and Bobo both run away. Cha Cha is eventually found and sent to a government research center in Washington, D.C.. Weeks later, Cha Cha escapes from the center and ends up in a research lab where he finds an experimental mixture to increase human intelligence being developed. After drinking the mixture, Cha Cha is able to talk (his voice was provided by series executive producer Ed. Weinberger){{cite book|last=Brant|first=Marley |title=Happier Days: Paramount Television's Classic Sitcoms, 1974-1984|publisher=Billboard Books|year=2006|isbn=0-8230-8933-9|page=260}} and is later determined to have an I.Q of 256. He is then renamed Mr. Smith and, due to his high intelligence, becomes a political adviser. Mr. Smith's old trainer Tommy later becomes his assistant while Mr. Smith attempts to solve various political problems and his surrounding staff, which includes his secretary Raymond Holyoke (Leonard Frey), attempt to keep his identity hidden from the general public.
Mr. Smith's premiere episode brought in a weak 12.1/22 rating/share and ranked 47th out of 57 shows that week {{Cite web|url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/10outlandish/|title=10 Of The Most Outlandish TV Concepts Ever - TVObscurities|website=Television Obscurities|date=16 August 2009 |accessdate=Aug 8, 2021}} and was panned by critics. Viewership decreased as the season progressed and the series was canceled (along with seven other NBC series) on December 14, 1983.[https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/15/arts/nbc-revises-prime-time-schedule.html Smith, Sally Bedell. "NBC Revises Prime-Time Schedule," The New York Times, Thursday, December 15, 1983.] Retrieved February 15, 2025.{{cite web|url=http://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/10outlandish/|title=Television Obscurities - 10 Of The Most Outlandish TV Concepts Ever|date=2004-01-01|publisher=tvobscurities.com|accessdate=2008-08-28}}{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE4DA103EF936A15753C1A961948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=6|title=Starting Over: TV's Grant Tinker|last=Shah|first=Diane K.|date=1987-10-25|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=2008-08-28}}
Cast
- Leonard Frey as Raymond Holyoke
- Tim Dunigan as Tommy Atwood
- Terri Garber as Dr. July Tyson
- Laura Jacoby as Ellie Atwood
- Stuart Margolin as Dr. Klein
US television ratings
{{Television season ratings
| title = Show
| hide_timeslot =y
| show_references = y
| hide_viewers = y
| hide_18_49_rank = y
| hide_18_49_rating = y
| link1 = #Episode list
| episodes1 = 13
| start1 = {{Start date|1983|09|23}}
| end1 = {{End date|2013|9|16}}
| season1 = 1983-84
| rank1 = 95
}}
Episode list
{{Episode table |background=#8B4513 |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes=
{{Episode list
| NumParts =2
| EpisodeNumber_1 = 1
| EpisodeNumber_2 = 2
| Title_1 = Welcome to Washington: Part 1
| Title_2 = Welcome to Washington: Part 2
| DirectedBy =
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1983|9|23}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| Title = Mr. Smith Finds His Brother
| DirectedBy =
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1983|9|30}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| Title = Mr. Smith Operates
| DirectedBy = Ed. Weinberger
| WrittenBy = David Lloyd
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1983|10|14}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 5
| Title = Mr. Smith Rescues Bobo
| DirectedBy = Gerald Hirschfeld
| WrittenBy = Al Aidekman
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1983|10|21}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 6
| Title = Mr. Smith Falls in Love
| DirectedBy = Gerald Hirschfeld
| WrittenBy = David Lloyd
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1983|10|28}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 7
| Title = Mr. Smith Gets Physical
| DirectedBy =
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1983|11|4}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 8
| Title = Goodbye, Mr. Smith
| DirectedBy =
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1983|11|11}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 9
| Title = Mr. Smith Loses a Friend
| DirectedBy =
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1983|11|18}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 10
| Title = Mr. Smith Plays Cyrano
| DirectedBy =
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1983|11|25}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 11
| Title = Mr. Smith Makes a Commercial
| DirectedBy =
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1983|12|2}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 12
| Title = Mr. Smith Goes Public
| DirectedBy =
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1983|12|16}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 13
| Title = Mr. Smith Goes to Court
| DirectedBy =
| WrittenBy =
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1983|}} or Unaired?
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
}}
Awards and nominations
{{Awards table|5}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan=3 | 1984
| Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore)
| Patrick Williams
(For episode "Mr. Smith Falls in Love")
| {{nominated}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |Young Artist Awards
| Best Young Actress in a New Television Series
| Laura Jacoby
| {{nominated}}
|
|-
| Best New Television Series
| Mr. Smith
| {{nominated}}
|
|-
| 1985
| Best Young Actress in a New Television Series
| Laura Jacoby
| {{nominated}}
|
|}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0085059|title=Mr. Smith}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mister Smith (TV series)}}
Category:1983 American television series debuts
Category:1983 American television series endings
Category:1980s American sitcoms
Category:American fantasy comedy television series
Category:Television shows about apes
Category:Television series by CBS Studios
Category:American English-language television shows