This show was one of my favorite's as a kid growing up in the 1980s It had me laughing constantly. GIMME A BREAK. cast members, and just focuses on the two boys and Mr. Pappalard. He died 4 years after the show went off the air. All is resolved when Andy brings up his deceased wife Maybelle, and how he's still not over her, but agrees to go to Lilly's place if she invites him again. outdated and vaguely stereotypical. Jane Dulo who portrayed Mildred Kanisky, mother of Carl Kanisky (played by Dolph Sweet) was born October 13, 1917 (some sources give 1912 and 1918 as her birth year); and with Sweet being born July 18, 1920, he and Dulo are too close in age to be playing mother and son credibly. She was 54. There were some memorable episodes (such as when Samantha puts Joey in black face to get back at Nell, or when Nell undergoes hypnotherapy to remember where she had put something only to become helpless whenever someone knocked three times, or when the chief was on a stakeout with another officer and told him a horrible gay joke, only to learn that the other officer was gay), but the show was fairly standard. Nell Carter, 54, the Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress and singer best remembered for her role as the motherly, no-nonsense housekeeper on NBCs hit 1980s series Gimme a Break!, died Thursday at her home in Beverly Hills, the Associated Press reports. Gimme A Break! From 1981 to 1987, viewers tuned into Gimme a Break! every chance we could. Nell and the Kaniskys had a black goldfish named Gertrude, who keeps getting killed throughout the series (accidentally by Nell, with a rogue vacuum cleaner, or with a sprinkle of Comet) only to reappear again. Nell's character went back to school to get her diploma and starting taking college courses in child psychology. For the six seasons that in ran on NBC-TV(1981-1987) in the eighties,this was one of those shows that was constantly in the top ten ratings during its run on the Peacock network. She tries to steal food from Max's fridge and may leave on the run, yet Max catches her. The creators of the show were Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen. In 2009, VEI announced that they plan on releasing the entire series in a complete series box set in 2010. They kept Lara Jill Miller as Sam. ", "Gimme a Break! One of the episodes is called "Knock Three Times". / He was funny, and changed as the show went on, from the senile old goat to a wise old man. Her character married the only other Jewish person in the cast, Jonathan Silverman. This re-write was due in part of the backlash the show receiving at the time for the depiction of Nell's character as the "black maid" to a white family. The performances were top-grade, too. Over the six-year run, a number of celebrities appeared on the show, including singer Whitney Houston, Andy Gibb, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Ray Parker, Jr.. Required fields are marked *. Sweet died in 1985, at age 64, while the show was still in production. Nell Carter had expressed that throughout the series run she got criticized and backlash from the black media for her role on the show and that she was never asked to be on the cover on any black owned magazines. Nell Carter On May 8, 1985, actor Dolph Sweet (who portrayed the character of Carl "The Chief" Kanisky) passed away from cancer at the age of 64 and his final appearance on the show aired three days later on the day of his funeral. A new theme, with music by Jay Graydon and lyrics by Richard Page, was introduced in the third season and used for the remainder of the show's run. Early in her career, singer Whitney Houston made her acting debut in a non-singing role the Season 3 episode Katie's College. In one episode the chief takes off his belt and chases around Katie threatening to hit her. is an American sitcom that ran on NBC for six seasons (198187), starring Nell Carter as Nell Harper, a once-aspiring singer who became a housekeeper for the Kaniskys: patriarch Carl, the chief of police of the fictional Glenlawn, California, and his daughters Katie, Julie and Samantha (the last of the kids played by a young Lara Jill Miller). Nell's Mama Maybelle (Rosetta LeNoire) began being seen in more recurring roles starting in season six after previous guest appearances. To open the next season, the crew wrote out the character of Carl Kanisky and built the season premiere ("Joey's Train") around the family's coming to terms with the loss and their indecision over facing the one place that evoked the most memories of Carl his empty bedroom. He is survived by his wife of eleven years and son from his first marriage. Mamas Date The sitcom aired on . Hopkins portrayed Addy Wilson, a longtime childhood best friend of Nell and a Ph.D graduate. websites online as a spin-off attempt, this episode most likely was a tester for a new series, as it aired at the end of the season (which is when tester episodes usually aired for new fall series). Carter's character works in the home of a widowed chief of police who needs help taking care of his three daughters. Nell Carter was nominated twice for an Emmy for her work on this show. What chapter does Gatsby meet Daisy at Nicks house. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/GimmeABreak. And there was also occasional humorous interplay with the Chief's children and their grandfather, as well as with some of the early guest. Sadly, Nell Carter, who played Nell, and Dolph Sweet, who played Carl, have since passed away. [citation needed] The uneasy interaction heightened as the show's success grew heavily in the early seasons, so much that Mitchell and Neigher were dismissed from the show at the behest of Carter just prior to the start of the 198384 season. The show "Gimme A Break" was based on a cop who moved his family from New York to California after his wife Margaret passed away and also became the chief of police in a small fictional California town who in turn had this housekeeper named Nell who was no only in charge of the household,but also was in charge of his three daughters too in which Nell was not only the mother to them,but she had some tough love around that too. Nell Carter had a stormy relationship with Gimme a Break! Two episodes were particularly noteworthy. Laurie Hendler who plays "Julie" is shown for only a few seconds at the start of episode 3 season 6 (Below Sea Level) taking a seat behind Nell & Joey on an airplane even though she was fired at the end of season 5. I vaguely remember the theme song. Grandpa (John Hoyt) starts off season 1 as almost deaf and very senile. There were two reasons why it didn't happen. She went into rehab several times during production and was blowing her money on cocaine every week . Alphas. episodes. By season three, when he was added as a regular, his hearing is normal and he is no longer senile. "Baby of the Family" had a resentful and jealous Samantha dressing up Joey in black face for a performance at Nell's black church, to get even with Nell for ignoring her. The series starred Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief ( Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. Those episodes were: Nell and the Kid, The Center, and The Purse Snatcher. Answer (1 of 2): A2A When Gimme A Break started out it was mildly funny. She famously shouted, "Shut your mouth!" Nell Carter and Dolph Sweet (who played The Chief) both played off one another well. Both Nell and Joey play characters named after the actors. Kari Michaelson, who portrayed oldest daughter Katie on the show, said she was relieved when she got the call that she, Laurie Hendler, and Lara Jill Miller were getting fired during the 1986-1987 season. Carter would binge eat. Lara Jill Miller said she routinely saw cocaine on the set. On May 12, 1987, "Gimme a Break" was cancelled after 6 seasons and 137 episodes. When his backstory is finally explained when he reunites with his father, in particular that his mother is dead and his father was at sea, it turns out that he really was living with an uncle at the time Nell adopted him. Nellie Ruth "Nell" Harper (Nell Carter) agrees to be a housekeeper for the Kanisky household as a special favor to her late friend, Margaret Kanisky (ne Huffmann) (played in flashback by Sharon Spelman), who was the wife of police chief Carl Kanisky (Dolph Sweet). I had a crush on Joey Lawrence and Matt was cute too. Nell tries to interfere in her mother's love life.Director:Phil RamunoWriters:Mort Lachman (creator), Sy Rosen (creator), 2 more credits Stars:Nell Carter, . NBC already had a college oriented show in development starring Lisa Bonet, The Cosby Show spin-off A Different World for the 1987-1988 season. When he returned in the seventh episode, the cast was shocked by his thin appearance. Enough said. "Gimme a Break!" became Sweet's last work because of his unfortunate cancer diagnosis, which took away his life in 1985. Their business is recorded as REGISTERED TRADE NAME. As the fifth season saw the death of the chief, Nell became the head of the household. Gimme a Break! / (TV Series) Julie Smokes (1983) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Jim Drake Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) Produced by Film Editing by Larry Harris Casting By Randy Stone Art Direction by Peter Clemens Costume Design by Palmer Brown Makeup Department Production Management 32. on DVD in Canada between 200607. If you want to be free from the ads forever consider buying spotify premium! GIMME-A-SIGN INC. Cancelled. In addition, she said Nell was also unhappy with the script for that week. The "Flashback" episode shows her alive when the girls were relatively young, but still old enough to remember her. The sitcom took place in the fictional Los Angeles, California, suburb of Glenlawn. NBC had many quality sitcoms on the air in the 80s, such as Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts Of Life, Silver Spoons, etc. Gimme a Break! The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons Ever! While it can be assumed he started a new life after marrying, some lines act as if the Chief were an only child. NBC warned the producers that if they wanted a sixth season, drastic changes would have to be made or the series would be canceled. Throughout the course of Gimme a Break, there had been several un-successful spin-off attempts. Gordon Ramsays 24 Hours to Hell and Back, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life), Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! Carter found that she saw eye to eye more often with Parker and Cooper on all levels, and due to the stability the latter team would stay with the program for the rest of its run. to his question about how she'd think her mother would react if she knew her daughter had been arrested. is an American sitcom which aired on NBC from October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. Dolph Sweet's final episode aired May 11, 1985, three days after he died. 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