Living Dolls

Living Dolls is an American sitcom featured on the fall 1989 schedule of ABC. It was a spin-off created by a writer from Who's the Boss? and featuring characters introduced during an episode of that show. The show was the acting debut of Halle Berry.[1] Both Who's the Boss? and Living Dolls were produced by ELP Communications through Columbia Pictures Television and ABC.

This article is about the television show. For the documentary, see Living Dolls: The Making of a Child Beauty Queen.
Living Dolls
GenreSitcom
Created byRoss Brown
StarringMichael Learned
Leah Remini
Deborah Tucker
Alison Elliott
Halle Berry
David Moscow
Theme music composerJohn Beasley
John Vester
Opening theme"Take Your Best Shot"
ComposerJonathan Wolff
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producersRoss Brown
Martin Cohan
Phyllis Glick
Blake Hunter
ProducersR.J. Colleary
Martha Williamson
Running time22–24 minutes
Production companiesELP Communications
Columbia Pictures Television
Release
Original networkABC
Original releaseSeptember 26 (1989-09-26) –
December 30, 1989 (1989-12-30)
Related
Who's the Boss?

Synopsis

The show featured Charlie Briscoe (Leah Remini), a friend of Samantha Micelli (the Who's the Boss? character played by Alyssa Milano). Samantha is dabbling in a modeling career and Charlie, a friend from Samantha's old Brooklyn neighborhood, comes to visit. While doing some test shots for a dog food commercial, it is discovered that Charlie is very photogenic. Charlie is then befriended by the owner of a modeling agency for teenage girls, Trish Carlin (Michael Learned). Trish is also a friend of advertising executive Angela Bower, one of the main characters on Who's the Boss? Trish becomes a mother figure to Charlie and the other models.

Production and reception

Living Dolls began as a back-door pilot on Who's the Boss? that aired in March 1989. In the backdoor pilot, Vivica A. Fox portrayed Emily and Jonathan Ward portrayed Rick. Executives disliked the original cast, and held auditions for recasting when the pilot was picked up to series in May.[2] Halle Berry replaced Fox in the series, while David Moscow was cast to replace Ward. The backdoor pilot was reaired in September as an episode of Living Dolls.[3]

In a later interview, Michael Learned recalled writers were inconsistent in writing her character, saying "I was told that she was supposed to be... kind of a tough cookie, and so that's what I understood was what they wanted in my character, when in truth what they wanted was Charlotte Rae in Facts of Life.[4] Learned also felt that producers were planning to replace her with Marion Ross, who guest starred in the final two episodes.[4] During the filming of one episode, Berry collapsed on the set and went into a coma; she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes shortly thereafter.[4][5]

Upon its debut, the series was panned by critics and received mostly negative reviews.[2] It was the only series to receive an "F" grade by People magazine in its 1989 fall preview issue.[6] Learned later criticized producers for underutilizing Berry.[4] ABC canceled the series after 12 episodes in December 1989.[7]

Cast

Guest

Episodes
No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"Living Dolls"John SguegliaRoss BrownSeptember 26, 1989 (1989-09-26)[lower-alpha 1]
2"It's All Done with Mirrors"John SguegliaRoss BrownSeptember 26, 1989 (1989-09-26)
3"It's My Party"John SguegliaEric GillilandSeptember 30, 1989 (1989-09-30)
4"Martha Means Well"Lee BernhardiR.J. CollearyOctober 7, 1989 (1989-10-07)
5"Seeing Is Believing"Lee BernhardiMatt EmberOctober 21, 1989 (1989-10-21)
6"Guess Who's Not Coming to Dinner"Andy CadiffR.J. CollearyNovember 4, 1989 (1989-11-04)
7"Rick's Model Girlfriend"Lee BernhardiJames GatesNovember 11, 1989 (1989-11-11)
8"The Not So Sweet Smell of Success"Andy CadiffMark C. MillerNovember 18, 1989 (1989-11-18)
9"The Flash Is Always Greener"Jonathan WeissMartha WilliamsonNovember 25, 1989 (1989-11-25)
10"He's Ba-aack!"Valentine MayerEric Gilliland & Martha WilliamsonDecember 2, 1989 (1989-12-02)
11"'C' Is for Model"Lee BernhardiMartha WilliamsonDecember 9, 1989 (1989-12-09)
12"And I Thought Modeling Was Hard"James WiddoesRoss Brown & R.J. CollearyDecember 16, 1989 (1989-12-16)
13"Beauty and the Beat"James WiddoesSusan Sebastian & Diana AyersDecember 30, 1989 (1989-12-30)

Notes
  1. Originally aired as an episode of Who's the Boss? on March 29, 1989.

References
  1. "Halle Berry's Journey From Miss USA Runner-Up To Oscar Winner". Access Hollywood. June 16, 2011.
  2. Ewey Johnson, Melissa (2009). Halle Berry: A Biography. ABC-CLIO. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-313-35834-0.
  3. Dayton Daily News, September 26, 1989
  4. "Michael Learned discusses the Whos the Boss spinoff Living Dolls". YouTube. March 2, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  5. "Halle Berry reveals coma drama". Irish Examiner. December 18, 2005. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  6. "Throwing a Curveball: Surprising Spin-Offs". Screenrush. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  7. "'Homeroom', 'Living Dolls' canceled by ABC". Sun Journal. 1989-12-06. p. 29. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
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