Platypus Man
{{Short description|1995 American sitcom TV series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image =
| caption =
| genre = Sitcom
| creator = Barry Fanaro
Mort Nathan
| writer =
| director = Dick Brown
Andy Cadiff
| starring = Richard Jeni
Ron Orbach
Denise Miller
David Dundara
| composer = Rich Eames
Scott Gale
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 13
| executive_producer = Barry Fanaro
Mort Nathan
| producer = Michael Davidoff
Marica Govons
Bill Rosenthal
Michael Rotenberg
| editor = Robert Bramwell
Richard Rodono
| cinematography = Frank Raymond
| runtime = 30 mins. (approx)
| company = Fanaro-Nathan Productions
Paramount Television
| network = UPN
| first_aired = {{start date|1995|1|23}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1995|5|15}}
}}
Platypus Man is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from January 23 to May 15, 1995, during the network's first season.{{Cite web|url=http://old.post-gazette.com/tv/20000726owen2.asp|title=Tuned In: UPN announces name change, celebrates ratings|website=old.post-gazette.com|access-date=2017-10-31|date=July 6, 2000|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107011943/https://old.post-gazette.com/tv/20000726owen2.asp|archivedate=November 7, 2017}}Carter, Bill (October 6, 1994). A New Network Hopes To Lure Fox Viewers. The New York Times Starring comedian Richard Jeni, the television series was based on an hour-long HBO special of Jeni's filmed in 1992. The series lasted one season, with a total of thirteen episodes.
Platypus Man premiered January 23, 1995. The concept of a "Platypus Man" (a solitary male, like the male platypus), the concept of a "cooking show for guys" and the scenes involving the main character's social life were drawn from Jeni's stand-up routines.O'Connor, John J. (January 30, 1995). [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEEDD1E3EF933A05752C0A963958260 Television Review; 2 New Sitcoms, 1 New Network.] The New York Times
The show, paired with Pig Sty, followed Star Trek: Voyager on UPN's Monday schedule. Both Pig Sty and Platypus Man were canceled in July 1995.{{cite web|url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/120687|title=Kids Will Be Kids|last=Roberts|first=Johnnie L. |date=1995-07-03|magazine=Newsweek|access-date=2009-03-23}}
Origin
In the early 1990s, Jeni developed a comedy routine where he watched a National Geographic special on the platypus. In the routine, Jeni went on to describe how he found himself relating to the TV show, and the concept of a "platypus man" was expanded to become the theme behind Jeni's 1992 HBO comedy special.
The HBO special was taped in 1992 at the Park West Theater in Chicago, Illinois and covered topics such as news ("the bad news"), sports (including Jeni's "NFL Football Referee" routine), politics, music and sex. Executive producers on the project were Richard Jeni and Michael Rotenberg, it was produced by Tom Bull and Sandy Chandley, and post-production was handled by Steve Sharp and Juniper Recording Studios.
The set design for the special was created by Norm Dodge and included a checkered tile floor, a backdrop with painted-on palm trees, a refrigerator and microwave at one end of the stage (provided by Aronson Furniture, for a comedic bit entitled "Bill the Belching Gourmet"), and a black sofa at the other end of the stage. This design was reproduced in clay for the opening sequence of Platypus Man, in which art director Rick Toone of D&K Group/Claymagic used the process of claymation to introduce the show with the help of a duck-billed clay version of Richard Jeni and footage from the platypus exhibit at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.
The live-action portions of the opening sequence were shot inside and outside of Jeni's house in the Hollywood Hills (in the bedroom, bathroom, hallway, driveway, balcony and pool area) and on the streets of West Hollywood, California. The song "Platypus Man" that opened and closed the special was created with the combined efforts of Scott May, Richard Jeni, and fellow comedian Rondell Sheridan and sung in a blues-like voice by Jeni.
Synopsis
In the series, Jeni played a fictitious version of himself and was host of a cooking show called Cooking with the Platypus Man. Ron Orbach played Lou, executive producer of his cooking show and his best friend since childhood. Denise Miller played Paige, his sportswriter neighbor. David Dundara played Tommy, his bartending younger brother.
Cast
- Richard Jeni as Himself
- David Dundara as Tommy Jeni
- Denise Miller as Paige McAllister
- Ron Orbach as Lou Golembiewski
Episodes
{{No plot|section|date=September 2018}}
{{Episode table
|background=#8B4513
|overall=5
|title=
|director=
|writer=
|airdate=31
|episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| Title = Pilot
| DirectedBy = Andy Cadiff
| WrittenBy = Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1995|1|23}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| Title = 9½ Days
| DirectedBy = Gary Brown
| WrittenBy = Michael Davidoff and Bill Rosenthal
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1995|1|30}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| Title = The Apartment Show
| DirectedBy = Gary Brown
| WrittenBy = Marc Sotkin
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1995|2|6}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| Title = NYPD Nude
| DirectedBy = Andy Cadiff
| WrittenBy = Barry Fanaro and Mort Nathan
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1995|2|13}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 5
| Title = Sweet Denial
| DirectedBy = Gary Brown
| WrittenBy = Gail Parent
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1995|2|20}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 6
| Title = New York on $2,000 a Day
| DirectedBy = Gary Brown
| WrittenBy = Michael Davidoff and Bill Rosenthal
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1995|2|27}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 7
| Title = Lou's the Boss
| DirectedBy = Gary Brown
| WrittenBy = Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1995|3|6}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 8
| Title = The Crush
| DirectedBy = Gary Brown
| WrittenBy = Mary Ann Barnes and Sheila Barnes
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1995|3|13}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 9
| Title = Both Sides Now
| DirectedBy = Gary Brown
| WrittenBy = Danny Smith
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1995|3|20}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 10
| Title = Without a Hitch
| DirectedBy = Gary Brown
| WrittenBy = Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1995|4|10}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 11
| Title = Lower East Side Story
| DirectedBy = Gary Brown
| WrittenBy = Bill Prady
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1995|5|1}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 12
| Title = Out of the Mouths of Babes
| DirectedBy = Gary Brown
| WrittenBy = Billiam Coronel and Robert Bruce
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1995|5|8}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 13
| Title = Dying to Live
| DirectedBy = Gary Brown
| WrittenBy = Marc Sotkin and Gail Parent
| OriginalAirDate = {{start date|1995|5|15}}
| ShortSummary =
| LineColor = 8B4513
}}
}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0112124}}
- {{epguides|id=PlatypusMan}}
- [https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~aarong/from-andrew/upn/platypus/platypus.html About Platypus Man]
{{UPN}}
Category:1990s American sitcoms
Category:1995 American television series debuts
Category:1995 American television series endings
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:Television series about mammals
Category:Television series by CBS Studios
Category:Television shows set in New York City