Encore! Encore! is an American sitcom television series created by David Angell, Peter Casey, David Lee, Chuck Ranberg and Anne Flett-Giordano, starring Nathan Lane as an opera singer. On the verge of becoming "The Fourth Tenor", Lane's character injures his vocal cords and must move in with his family, who run a vineyard in Northern California. The series premiered on NBC on September 22, 1998 and ended on January 27, 1999.[1]

Encore! Encore!
GenreSitcom
Created byDavid Angell
Peter Casey
David Lee
Chuck Ranberg
Anne Flett-Giordano
Written by
Directed by
Starring
ComposerBruce Miller
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13 (2 unaired)
Production
Executive producersDavid Angell
Peter Casey
David Lee
Chuck Ranberg
Anne Flett-Giordano
ProducerMary Fukuto
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time22–24 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseSeptember 22, 1998 (1998-09-22) –
January 27, 1999 (1999-01-27)

Encore! Encore! struggled in the ratings from the start. After its fourth episode aired on October 27, 1998, NBC put the series on hiatus for almost two months. Thirteen episodes were ordered but the series was cancelled at midseason with two episodes left unaired. The final network episode aired on January 27, 1999. All 13 episodes later ran on Bravo.

Cast

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Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Pilot"David LeeStory by : David Angell & Peter Casey & David Lee & Chuck Ranberg & Anne Flett-Giordano
Teleplay by : Chuck Ranberg & Anne Flett-Giordano
September 22, 1998 (1998-09-22)
2"I Am Joe's Ego"Pamela FrymanCharlie HauckSeptember 29, 1998 (1998-09-29)
3"The French Connection"Michael LembeckStory by : Valerie Curtin & Jon Sherman
Teleplay by : Jon Sherman
October 20, 1998 (1998-10-20)
4"Master Class"Ken LevineJon ShermanOctober 27, 1998 (1998-10-27)
5"Sour Grapes"Sheldon EppsBrown MandellDecember 16, 1998 (1998-12-16)
6"The Diary"Jeff MelmanChristina LynchDecember 23, 1998 (1998-12-23)
7"Mr. Joe's Wild Ride"Michael LembeckJon ShermanDecember 30, 1998 (1998-12-30)
8"I Know How Caged Bird Tastes"Jeff MelmanCharlie HauckJanuary 6, 1999 (1999-01-06)
9"Crime and Punishment"Michael LembeckChristina LynchJanuary 13, 1999 (1999-01-13)
10"To Soeur with Love"Jeff MelmanChuck Ranberg & Anne Flett-GiordanoJanuary 20, 1999 (1999-01-20)
11"The Doubt of the Benefit"Ken LevineJohn AugustineJanuary 27, 1999 (1999-01-27)
12"A Review to Remember"TBDDavid IsaacsUnaired
13"Soul Food"TBDCharlie HauckUnaired

Critical reception

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A New York Observer review described the show as "the 'Moose Murders' of sitcoms -- it won't be here past Halloween, but the recollection of its awfulness will give you untold delight for years to come."[2] For The Washington Post, Tom Shales described Lane's character as "a nagging fussbudget who makes unreasonable demands on all those around him".[3] TeeVee.org writer Chris Rywalt observed that Lane spoke with "one of those upper-crust anti-accent accents" on the show and added: "Once the show gets beyond the accents, it collapses humorlessly."[4] In contrast, The New York Times gave a very positive review to the show's debut, saying it possessed the "most accomplished, high-powered cast on television."[5]

References

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  1. ^ The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 364. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.
  2. ^ Rutenberg, Jim (2003-09-21). "Hunting for a Sitcom Hit Among the Misses". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-02-25.
  3. ^ Shales, Tom (September 22, 1998). "'Sports Night': A Homer in Its First At-Bat". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 19, 1999. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  4. ^ Rywalt, Chris (November 6, 1998). "Fall '98: Accent! Accent!". TeeVee.org. Archived from the original on June 28, 2001. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  5. ^ James, Caryn (1998-09-22). "One Family's Regal Airs, Another's Upward Mobility". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
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