Dream On (TV series)
| Dream On | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by |
Marta Kauffman David Crane |
| Starring |
Brian Benben Chris Demetral Denny Dillon Wendie Malick Dorien Wilson Michael McKean |
| Theme music composer | Michael Skloff |
| Composer(s) | Michael Skloff |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 120 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Kevin Bright John Landis |
| Producer(s) |
David Crane Jeff Greenstein Robb Idels Marta Kauffman Jeff Strauss Ron Wolotzky |
| Camera setup | Single camera |
| Running time | 30 min |
| Production company(s) |
Kevin Bright Productions St. Clare Entertainment MCA Television Entertainment |
| Distributor |
Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions NBCUniversal Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network |
HBO (1990–1996) Fox (1995) (edited) |
| Audio format | Stereophonic sound |
| Original release | July 8, 1990 – March 27, 1996 |
Dream On is an American adult-themed situation comedy about the family life, romantic life, and career of Martin Tupper, a divorced New York City book editor played by Brian Benben. The show distinctively interjected clips from older black-and-white television series to punctuate Tupper's feelings or thoughts. It was created by Marta Kauffman and David Crane, the team who later created the TV show Friends. It ran for six seasons on HBO between 1990 and 1996.
Premise
The show centered on Martin Tupper's (Brian Benben) life in an apartment in New York City with his teenaged son, and relating to his ex-wife, while trying to date other women and succeed as an editor for a small book publisher with Toby, his brassy secretary. Judith, his ex-wife, went on to marry Dr. Richard Stone - the never-seen (until the end of the series), most impossibly successful man on the planet (astronaut, brain surgeon, the fifth Beatle and consultant to the Pope); despite Martin's undying love for Judith, he could never compete with the legendary Dr. Stone. The opening indicates Martin's mother was "friendly", and always parked him in front of the TV, hence the association of sex with his memories. The show was notable for its frequent use of clips from old movies and TV shows to express Martin's inner life and feelings, which lent it much of its quirky appeal, reminding viewers about the impact of TV on their consciousness. The show was also significant for being one of the first American sitcoms to use uncensored profanity and nudity.[1]
Dream On first aired July 1990 on HBO, and was cancelled by HBO in March 1996. One season of the show, with language and nudity edited for broadcast, aired in prime time on the Fox Network in 1995: Sunday at 9:30-10:00 pm from January to April and Monday at 9:00-10:00 pm from June to July.[2] This bowdlerized version was later made available in syndication.
Cast
- Brian Benben, as Martin Tupper, is the viewpoint character of the series. He is a book editor who had watched a lot of 1950s shows that he expresses his thoughts through snippets of old TV dramas.[3]
- Wendie Malick, as Judith Tupper Stone, is Martin's ex-wife who has since remarried to a perfect guy.[3]
- Chris Demetral, as Jeremy Tupper, is Martin's teenaged son.[3]
- Jeff Joseph, as Eddie Charles, is a talk show host and Martin's best friend. (season 1)
- Dorien Wilson, as Eddie Charles (seasons 2–6)[4]
- Denny Dillon as Toby Pedalbee
- Michael McKean, as Gibby Fiske, Martin's boss (recurring during seasons 2–6)[3]
- Renée Taylor, as Martin's mother, Doris Tupper (occasional during seasons 3–5)
Episodes
Critical reception
Time magazine called the show "engaging", noting that its use of old clips was "a clever gimmick [that] perks up familiar material"[5] and later called the second season of the "decidedly adult sitcom...better than ever."[6]
The New York Times had mixed opinions about the show. In their first-season review, John J. O'Connor said Dream On was not "different from ordinary network fare...except for, as might be expected, the more freewheeling language and treatments of sex"; by the season's third episode, the show's protagonist is "already becoming just another nice bachelor father, not all that different from the one John Forsythe played on television several decades ago."[7] About a year later, O'Connor said, while the show "has its weak spots, most notably in a pointless tendency to be smarmy" with "clips... that are sometimes less witty than painfully obvious. But Dream On takes unusual chances and has a habit of turning out to be refreshingly original."[8]
Production notes
The show was created by Marta Kauffman and David Crane, who also served as producers. Dream On was executive produced by Kevin Bright and John Landis. Landis also directed several episodes of the series.
To this day, the static shown on the TV towards the end of the opening credits forms part of the opening credits/introduction on every show made by HBO.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Title | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | CableACE Award | Editing a Comedy Special or Series/Music Special | John Axness For episode "The First Episode" |
| 1991 | Comedy Series | Kevin Bright, David Crane, Robb Idels, Marta Kauffman, John Landis, Bill Sanders, and Ron Wolotzky | |
| Actress in a Comedy Series | Wendie Malick | ||
| 1993 | Actress in a Comedy Series | Wendie Malick | |
| 1994 | Editing in a Comedy/Music Special or Series | David Helfand For episode "The Son Also Rises" | |
| Actress in a Comedy Series | Wendie Malick | ||
| 1995 | Actress in a Comedy Series | Wendie Malick | |
| 1993 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Comedy Series | Betty Thomas For episode "For Peter's Sake" |
| Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | David Clennon For episode "For Peter's Sake" | ||
| 1994 | GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Comedy Series | |
| 1993 | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor Starring in a Cable Series | Chris Demetral |
Syndication
The edited version of the series aired in syndication on Comedy Central in the United States.
International airings
In Canada, Dream On aired on the cable movie station Superchannel, in late-night timeslots on CBC Television, and later on SexTV: The Channel, The Comedy Network, and with French subtitles on Télé-Québec.
In New Zealand, the edited version screened on TV2, while the unedited version appeared on SKY 1.
The show aired on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom (for the first two series, before the remainder was shown on Sky1 – the majority of the Sky episodes were later shown on ITV4 in a late-night slot around 2006–07), in France, the show aired on Canal Jimmy, in Switzerland on TSR, in Germany on RTL2, in Norway on TV3 and on Raisat Cinema, Canale 5, and Rai 4 in Italy. It was also broadcast by Canal + in Poland as one of its first shows.
In Israel, the entire show aired on Bip; it is still aired on a regular basis, usually at night as it managed to retain its popularity.
DVD releases
Seasons one and two are currently available on DVD for both regions 1 and 2; seasons three through six have not been released.[9]
References
- ↑ Showtime's Brothers and Steambath preceded this show by several years.
- ↑ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (Ninth Edition). Ballantine Books. p. 390. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
- 1 2 3 4 http://www.ew.com/article/1992/06/19/hbos-dream-sauciest-show-television
- ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/1995-07-09/news/tv-21809_1_dorien-wilson
- ↑ "Critics' Voices: Jul. 23, 1990". Time. July 23, 1990. Retrieved 2009-11-09.
A neurotic New Yorker (Brian Benben) copes with divorce, dating and other modern trials, while scenes from old TV shows rattle around in his head. A clever gimmick perks up familiar material in this engaging sitcom series from executive producer John Landis.
- ↑ "Critics' Voices: Sep. 2, 1991". Time. September 2, 1991. Retrieved 2009-11-09.
Book editor and divorced dad Martin Tupper (Brian Benben) is trying to make sense of the '90s. So why do scenes from – '50s TV shows keep popping into his head? In its second season, this decidedly adult sitcom, which makes deft use of old black-and-white clips, is better than ever.
- ↑ O'Connor, John J. (July 10, 1990). "A Modern Life Lived in 50's and 60's Images". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-11-09.
- ↑ O'Connor, John J. (August 2, 1991). "Dream On and Some Other Games People Play". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-11-09.
- ↑ Dream On at TVShowsOnDVD.com
External links
- Dream On at the Internet Movie Database
- Dream On at TV.com
- Dream On at epguides.com