According to Jim

According to Jim is an American sitcom television series starring Jim Belushi in the title role as a suburban father of three children (and then five children, starting with the seventh season finale). It originally ran on ABC from October 3, 2001, to June 2, 2009.

According to Jim
GenreSitcom
Created by
Starring
Opening theme"Sweet Home Chicago" cover by Jim Belushi
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons8
No. of episodes182 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Tracy Newman
  • Jonathan Stark
  • Suzanne Bukinik
  • Marc Gurvitz
  • Jim Belushi
  • John D. Beck
  • Ron Hart
  • David Feeney
  • Warren Bell
  • Bob Nickman
  • Howard J. Morris
  • Nastaran Dibai
  • Jeffrey B. Hodes
  • John Peaslee
  • Judd Pillot
Producers
  • Robert Heath
  • Harry Hannigan
  • Christopher J. Nowak
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time22 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkABC
Original releaseOctober 3, 2001 (2001-10-03) 
June 2, 2009 (2009-06-02)

Synopsis

The cast of According to Jim.

Jim is a happy-go-lucky suburban father. Much like his real-life counterpart, Jim's character is a fan of blues music, as well as the Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks. Together with his wife Cheryl, they have three children, daughters Ruby and Gracie and son Kyle. In the seventh season they become parents of twin boys Gordon and Jonathan.

Jim often finds himself in difficult situations, because his slacker sensibilities cause him to search for alternative ways to get things done with less effort. While Cheryl's brother Andy is Jim's best friend/brother-in-law, her sister Dana frequently teams up with Cheryl against Jim. He also prefers to lie to Cheryl and Dana to do his own activities but they end up backfiring on him. He hates losing to women, especially if Cheryl or Dana find out. He doesn't like people interrupting him when he talks, so he speaks over them to shut them up. Jim often makes an example of Andy, who for most of the series does not have a steady girlfriend. Dana and Jim argue constantly, but Dana flirts with Jim when she's drunk, discovering after one such event that she respects Jim as a loving father despite his flaws.

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
122October 3, 2001 (2001-10-03)May 15, 2002 (2002-05-15)
228October 1, 2002 (2002-10-01)May 20, 2003 (2003-05-20)
329September 23, 2003 (2003-09-23)May 25, 2004 (2004-05-25)
427September 21, 2004 (2004-09-21)May 27, 2005 (2005-05-27)
522September 20, 2005 (2005-09-20)May 2, 2006 (2006-05-02)
618January 3, 2007 (2007-01-03)May 16, 2007 (2007-05-16)
718January 1, 2008 (2008-01-01)May 27, 2008 (2008-05-27)
818December 2, 2008 (2008-12-02)June 2, 2009 (2009-06-02)

Cast and characters

Main and recurring cast

Jim Belushi
Jim Belushi as James "Jim" Orenthal
Courtney Thorne-Smith
Courtney Thorne-Smith
as Cheryl Mabel
Actor Character Seasons
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Jim Belushi James "Jim" Orenthal Main
Courtney Thorne-Smith Cheryl Mabel Main
Kimberly Williams-Paisley Dana Main Special Guest[lower-alpha 1]
Larry Joe Campbell Andy Main
Taylor Atelian Ruby Main
Billi Bruno Gracie Main
Conner Rayburn Kyle Does not appear Main[lower-alpha 2]
Mitch Rouse Ryan Gibson Does not appear Recurring[lower-alpha 3] Does not appear Guest[lower-alpha 4]
  • Jim Belushi as James "Jim" Orenthal (seasons 1–8): the titular role of the series. Jim is a suburban family man, successful construction business owner (Ground Up Design),[1] and blues garage band frontman. In his stubborn ways, Jim gets himself into various predicaments, which compel him to solve in creative ways, all while battling his own conscience. Despite his best efforts, Jim ultimately admits his wrong-doings to Cheryl and others involved. Shenanigans aside, Jim is happily married to his loving wife, Cheryl. Jim and Cheryl's three children (Ruby, Gracie and Kyle) complement the family dynamic through the series' run. At the end of season 7, Cheryl gives birth to the series' identical twin sons, Johnathan and Gordon.
Jim is an avid Chicago sports enthusiast. In numerous episodes, Jim is seen watching Chicago Bears football games in his living room. In season 4's "Poking the Bear" episode, Jim shows his disdain for other football teams when his potential client takes him to a Green Bay Packers game.
He enjoys playing harmonica and fronting his garage band. In various episodes, he and his band practice in the garage, except when Cheryl takes over the garage with a yoga class in season 2's "The Closet" episode, forcing Jim and the band to practice in the attic.
  • Courtney Thorne-Smith as Cheryl Mabel (seasons 1–8): Jim's wife, as well as Dana and Andy's older sister
  • Kimberly Williams-Paisley as Dana (seasons 1–7; special guest season 8): Cheryl's younger sister. Dana is a vice president for a marketing company and prides herself at being good at her job. She often sides with her sister, Cheryl, during family quarrels.
  • Larry Joe Campbell as Andy (seasons 1–8): Cheryl's younger brother. Andy is a Standford University graduate and works for Jim as an architect at their construction company, Ground Up Design. He often sides with Jim during family squabbles. He is a sci-fi enthusiast who collects video games, Nerf guns, DVD movies, board games, and comic books (as seen in season 6's "Separate Ways"). Andy considers himself to be a "lady's man", but his pick-up lines don't bring many long-term relationships.
  • Taylor Atelian as Ruby (seasons 1–8): Jim and Cheryl's first child. Like her mother, Cheryl, Ruby is a leader amongst her siblings.
  • Billi Bruno as Gracie (seasons 1–8): Jim and Cheryl's second child. Gracie often sides with Ruby during sibling rivalries against Kyle.
  • Conner Rayburn as Kyle (seasons 4–8): Jim and Cheryl's third child. Kyle is not particularly interested in sports and finds it difficult to connect with his father on the topic.
  • Mitch Rouse as Dr. Ryan "Doc" Gibson (recurring seasons 4–6; guest season 8): Cheryl's doctor in season 4's "Poking the Bear" episode. Ryan later becomes Dana's boyfriend, the two eventually marry, and have 1 child together.

Other appearances

  • Tony Braunagel as Tony (seasons 1–8): A member of Jim's band
  • Connor and Garret Sullivan as baby Kyle (seasons 1–3)
  • John Rubano as John (seasons 1–8): A member of Jim's band
  • Charlie Hartsock as Charlie (seasons 3–8): A member of Jim's band
  • Robert Belushi as Pizza boy / adult Kyle / Various (seasons 1–6, 8)
  • Mark Beltzman as Beltzman (seasons 3–4, 6): A member of Jim's band
  • Christopher Moniyhan as Chris (seasons 1–2): A member of Jim's band
  • Jamison Belushi as Various (seasons 5–8)
  • Dan Aykroyd as Danny Michalski (seasons 1–3, 8): Jim's long-time friend and police officer
  • Kathleen Noone as Maggie (seasons 1–2, 4–5): Cheryl, Dana and Andy's mother
  • Jackie Debatin as Mandy (season 8): Ruby's piano teacher. Later, Andy's girlfriend.
  • Cynthia Stevenson as Cindy Devlin (seasons 2–4, 6): Cheryl's obnoxious soccer-mom friend
  • Tim Bagley as Tim Devlin (seasons 2–4, 6): Cindy's husband
  • Mo Collins as Emily (seasons 7–8): Andy's girlfriend
  • Chris Elliott as Reverend Pierson (seasons 2–3)
  • Brad Paisley as Eddie (season 2): Dana's boyfriend and Andy's replacement on keyboards for a gig. He also portrays Chad (season 2) in the episodes "You Gotta Love Somebody (Parts 1 & 2)".
  • Laraine Newman as Officer Laraine Elkin (seasons 2–3): Danny's police officer partner
  • Jennifer Coolidge as Roxanne (seasons 2–3): Jim's estranged sister
  • Erik Estrada as Himself (season 5). He also portrays the Devil (season 8) in the episode "Heaven Opposed to Hell".
  • Lee Majors as God (seasons 7–8)
  • Nicole Sullivan as Alicia (season 1): Ruby's piano teacher and Andy's girlfriend
  • Brian Urlacher as Himself (season 1)
  • Cindy Crawford as Gretchen Saunders (season 2): A seductive female manager at a car dealership in "Cars & Chicks"
  • Mike Ditka as Himself (season 2)
  • Trista Sutter as Herself (season 2)
  • Bo Diddley as Himself (season 2)
  • Jack Coleman as Sean Curran (season 2)
  • Wayne Newton as Himself (season 2)
  • Jane Lynch as Janice (season 3): Jim and Cheryl's neighbor
  • Tom Bergeron as Himself (season 3)
  • James Earl Jones as the voice of Royal Flush (season 3): A stainless steel talking toilet
  • Dave Coulier as the voice of Angry Pete (season 4): A psychotic turkey in "The Hunters"
  • Tom Arnold as Max (season 4): A Green Bay Packers fan and Jim's potential client
  • Hugh Hefner as Himself (season 5)
  • Linda Hamilton as Melissa Evans (season 5): Jim's former girlfrield
  • Barry Williams as Ben (season 5)
  • Julie Newmar as Herself (season 5)
  • Tim Meadows as Dennis (season 6)
  • George Takei as Himself (season 6)
  • Phil LaMarr as Kurt (season 6)
  • Cole Sprouse as Himself (season 7)
  • Dylan Sprouse as Himself (season 7)
  • Steve Guttenberg as Himself (season 8)
  • Rob Moran as Director (season 8)
  • Constance Marie as Victoria (season 8): Jim's former girlfriend
  • James Lipton as The Devil (season 7)

Production

Development

According to Jim was created by Tracy Newman and Jonathan Stark. The sitcom was produced by ABC's in-house production company and Newman/Stark, Suzanne Bukinik Entertainment and Brad Grey Television. The series was filmed at the CBS Studio Center in Los Angeles.

Belushi, besides playing Jim, directed 30 episodes and is credited as executive producer.

Belushi's fictional character Jim's band in the series is the real-life House of Blues band The Sacred Hearts, for which Jim Belushi often sings lead.[2]

Influences

Belushi says he set the show's trademark tone back in the show's 2001 pilot.[3]

"The original script called for Jim to go to the wife and apologize," he recalls. "I said to the writers, 'Why do we have to do a show where the guy is going to apologize at the end of every episode? Was he really wrong? He's contrite, sure. But isn't he just being a man?'"

In an interview, Jim Belushi explained that the show many times directly reflected his actual life. Quite a few episodes were experiences taken directly from Belushi's home. Most of the episodes were taken from experiences inside the writers' homes, too. He adds:[4]

"Every show is based in somebody's reality. Whether it's [co-stars] Larry's, or mine, or Courtney's, or the writers'. Because it was a relationship show about a family, everyone would bring in their experiences as a family, and we would do shows around them."

Family names

Last names were never really addressed for the entire run of the show. None of the main characters did get a last name until Season 4 when Kimberly Williams-Paisley's character Dana married Dr. Ryan Gibson (played by Mitch Rouse). She became Dana Gibson with their marriage. Only guest characters had first and last names in most cases.[4]

Music

The According to Jim soundtrack was recorded at Ultratone Studies in Studio City, California and released by Hollywood Records on November 1, 2005.[5][6]

Track listing

All songs are performed by Jim Belushi and The Sacred Hearts.[5][6]

No.TitleWriter(s)Original artist (date)Length
1."Sweet Home Chicago"Robert JohnsonRobert Johnson (1936)3:28
2."Cadillac Man"Jim Belushi, Glen Clark 2:36
3."Say I Do"Belushi, Clark, Jana Hunter, Mitch Hunter 2:55
4."Have Love, Will Travel"Richard BerryRichard Berry (1959)3:26
5."Three Hundred Pounds of Joy"Willie DixonHowlin' Wolf (1963)4:07
6."Jimmie's Theme"Belushi, Clark 3:42
7."Angel"Belushi, Clark 3:11
8."Mellow Down Easy"Willie DixonLittle Walter (1954)3:12
9."Girl Watcher"Ronald Killette, Wayne PittmanThe O'Kaysions (1968)3:21
10."I've Got Everything I Need (Almost)"Don WalshDownchild Blues Band (1973)2:44
11."Bless My Soul"Belushi, Clark 2:44
12."Mambo Miami"Belushi, Clark 3:40
13."Viva Las Vegas"Doc Pomus, Mort ShumanElvis Presley (1964)3:53
14."All She Wants to Do Is Rock"Theodore McRae, Wynonie HarrisWynonie Harris (1949)2:44
Total length:45:43

Release

Broadcast

The show first aired following the surprise hit comedy My Wife and Kids and quickly developed an audience of its own. For its second season ABC placed it on its revitalized Tuesday line-up, which also included John Ritter's 8 Simple Rules, Bonnie Hunt's Life with Bonnie and Sara Rue's Less Than Perfect. Week by week, the show attracted more and more viewers, becoming ABC's second most watched sitcom. The show performed so well that the network made a risky move: putting Jim opposite the NBC juggernaut Frasier. Although Jim did not beat the competition, it performed well enough to secure itself that spot on the 2003 fall schedule.

On May 15, 2007, ABC announced that According to Jim would not be renewed for another season. ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson said, "We are talking to the studio to see if there's something financially, a deal that would make sense for us."[7] But on June 27, 2007, ABC renewed the show for a seventh season with 18 episodes.[8]

According to Jim returned to ABC's schedule on Tuesday, January 1, 2008, with two episodes at 9 pm and 9:30 pm. After that, the series moved to its regular time slot at 8 pm. Despite the writer's strike, ABC announced that the show would produce all 18 episodes ordered for this season.[9]

On February 27, 2008, it was reported that ABC was close to renewing According to Jim for an eighth season.[10] On May 13, 2008, ABC officially renewed the series and Season 8 began airing on December 2, 2008.[11] Kimberly Williams-Paisley left the show's regular cast at the beginning of Season 8 and was not in the Season 8 opening credits,[12] to devote her time to motherhood. She made a guest appearance only in the season finale.

In December 2008, co-star Larry Joe Campbell said that the sets had been destroyed, indicating that the series was canceled, but that a series finale had been recorded.[13] After the first six episodes of Season 8 all aired in December, According to Jim returned to ABC's schedule on April 14, 2009, for the final 12 episodes.[14] The series finale of According to Jim aired on June 2, 2009, on ABC, and was titled "Heaven Opposed to Hell."

Home media

Lionsgate Home Entertainment (under license from ABC Studios) has released the first five seasons on DVD in Region 1.

DVD NameEp#Release Date
The Complete First Season22October 21, 2008 (2008-10-21)
The Complete Second Season28May 4, 2010 (2010-05-04)
The Complete Third Season29May 3, 2011
The Complete Fourth Season27July 5, 2011
The Complete Fifth Season22October 4, 2011
The Complete Sixth Season18TBA
The Complete Seventh Season18TBA
The Complete Eighth and Final Season18TBA

Reception

Ratings

The sitcom debuted in 2001 on ABC with an average of 10 million viewers for its first year. The audience grew in the second year to over 10.3 million. The ratings remained consistent for Seasons 3 and 4 as well. Starting with Season 5, the ratings began to decline. The series was often scheduled against the hugely successful American Idol. By Season 6, According to Jim was down to 6.7 million viewers.

Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of According to Jim on ABC.

Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.

Season Timeslot Premiere Finale TV season Ranking Viewers
(in millions)
1st Wednesday 8:30 p.m. October 3, 2001 May 15, 2002 2001–2002 #55[15] 10.0
2nd Tuesday 8:30 p.m. October 1, 2002 May 20, 2003 2002–2003 #51[16] 10.3
3rd Tuesday 9:00 p.m. September 23, 2003 May 25, 2004 2003–2004 #51[17] 9.9
4th Tuesday 9:00 p.m. September 21, 2004 May 17, 2005 2004–2005 #47[18] 9.9
5th Tuesday 8:00 p.m. September 20, 2005 May 2, 2006 2005–2006 #108[19] 6.7
6th Wednesday 9:00 p.m. January 3, 2007 May 16, 2007 2006–2007 #119[20] 6.7
7th Tuesday 9:00 p.m. January 1, 2008 March 11, 2008 2007–2008 #146[21] 5.3
Tuesday 8:30 p.m. April 15, 2008 May 27, 2008 2007–2008 #171[21] 4.1
8th Tuesday 9:00 p.m. December 2, 2008 December 30, 2008 2008–2009 #104[22] 5.6
Tuesday 9:30 p.m. December 2, 2008 December 30, 2008 2008–2009 #127[22] 4.8
Tuesday 8:00 p.m. April 14, 2009 June 2, 2009 2008–2009 #148[22] 3.8
Tuesday 8:30 p.m. April 14, 2009 June 2, 2009 2008–2009 #149[22] 3.8

Accolades

According to Jim was nominated for 20 awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards (all for cinematography).

Association Year[lower-alpha 5] Category Nominee(s) / Work Result Ref(s)
NAACP Image Awards 2007 Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series Lauren Breiting (for "The Stick") Nominated [23]
Primetime Emmy Awards 2006 Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series George Mooradian (for "Mr. Right") Nominated [24]
2007 Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series George Mooradian (for "Hoosier Daddy") Nominated [24]
2008 Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series George Mooradian (for "The Chaperone") Nominated [24]
2009 Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series George Mooradian (for "Heaven Opposed to Hell") Nominated [24]
Young Artist Awards 2002 Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actress Age Ten or Under Taylor Atelian Nominated [25]
Billi Bruno Nominated [25]
2003 Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actress Age Ten or Younger Taylor Atelian Nominated [26]
2004 Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actress Age Ten or Younger Taylor Atelian Nominated [27]
Billi Bruno Nominated [27]
2005 Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actress Age Ten or Younger Taylor Atelian Nominated [28]
Billi Bruno Nominated [28]
2006 Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actor Age Ten or Younger Connor and Garret Sullivan Nominated [29]
Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actress Ten or Younger Taylor Atelian Nominated [29]
Billi Bruno Nominated [29]
Best Family Television Series (Comedy) According to Jim Nominated [29]
2007 Best Performance in a TV Series – Young Actress Age Ten or Younger Billi Bruno Nominated [30]
Best Performance in a TV Series – Guest Starring Young Actor Austin Majors Nominated [30]
2008 Best Performance in a TV Series – Young Actor Ten or Under Conner Rayburn Nominated [31]
Best Performance in a TV Series – Supporting Young Actress Taylor Atelian Nominated [31]

Notes

  1. Williams-Paisley makes her only season eight appearance and is credited as special guest in its finale.
  2. In the fourth season, Rayburn is initially credited as co-star in the closing credits before being promoted to the main cast in the seventh episode.
  3. Rouse is only credited as guest star in episodes he appears in.
  4. Rouse makes his only season eight appearance and is credited as guest star in its finale.
  5. Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

References

  1. "According to Jim". tvseriesfinale.com. February 2, 2009. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  2. "The Sacred Hearts". Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  3. "According to Jim wraps his run". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  4. "7 things you didnt know about According to Jim". April 7, 2017. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  5. "According To Jim Soundtrack-Discogs". discogs.com. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  6. "According to Jim Soundtrack". allmusic.com. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  7. "TV Series Finale - 2007 Cancelled Shows: ABC Cuts Some Beloved Series". Archived from the original on May 17, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2007.
  8. "ABC Renews 'According to Jim'". TVWeek. June 27, 2007. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  9. "Breaking News - 'Jim' to Finish Out Season for Abc - TheFutonCritic.com". thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  10. "Ausiello on Heroes, "Bubble Show" Mystery, Lost and More!". October 21, 2012. Archived from the original on June 3, 2008. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  11. "Breaking News - ABC Unveils 2008-09 Primetime Schedule - TheFutonCritic.com". thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  12. "Breaking News - ABC Sets Return Date for "Jim," End Date for "Boston" - TheFutonCritic.com". thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  13. "Canceled TV shows HQ - TV Series Finale". canceled + renewed TV shows - TV Series Finale. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009.
  14. "Breaking News - According to Jim to Return to ABC Tuesdays - TheFutonCritic.com". thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  15. "USATODAY.com - How did your favorite show rate?". usatoday.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  16. "Rank And File". ew.com. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  17. "ABC Medianet". abcmedianet.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  18. "ABC Medianet". abcmedianet.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2007. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  19. Archived May 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  20. "Disney General Entertainment Content Press". Archived from the original on January 7, 2009.
  21. "Disney General Entertainment Content Press". Archived from the original on April 13, 2010.
  22. "Disney General Entertainment Content Press". Archived from the original on January 31, 2010.
  23. "2007 Image Award nominees and winners". hollywoodreporter.com. March 2007. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  24. "According to Jim Emmy nominations". emmys.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  25. "Twenty-Third Annual Young Artist Awards 2002". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  26. "Twenty-Fourth Annual Young Artist Awards—NOMINATIONS and AWARDS". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on December 4, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  27. "25th Annual Young Artist Awards—WINNERS and NOMINEES!". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on August 2, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  28. "26th Annual Young Artist Awards—WINNERS and NOMINEES!". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on March 4, 2008. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  29. "27th Annual Young Artist Awards—twentyseventh annual nominees". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on July 4, 2010. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  30. "28th Annual Young Artist Awards—twentyeighth annual nominees". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on June 27, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  31. "Young Artist Awards 2008". famousfix.com. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
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