Listen Up! (TV series)
| Listen Up! | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Jeff Martin |
| Starring |
Jason Alexander Wendy Makkena Malcolm-Jamal Warner Will Rothhaar Daniella Monet |
| Composer(s) | Brian Kirk |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 22 |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Regency Television CBS Productions |
| Distributor | CBS Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | September 20, 2004 – April 25, 2005 |
| External links | |
| Production website | |
Listen Up! is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 20, 2004 until April 25, 2005. The sitcom was based loosely on the life and exploits of the popular sportswriter and sports-media personality Tony Kornheiser. Its principal executive producer was Jason Alexander, who was also the lead actor. Despite decent-to-good ratings, the show was canceled by CBS on May 18, 2005; "rising production costs" was the major reason officially given for the cancellation.
Premise
Tony Kleinman is a sports show host whose sidekick is Bernie Widmer, a former NFL player; together they host the TV show Listen Up! While Tony does talk about sports on the show and in his newspaper column, he strays away occasionally to talk about the daily exploits of his family: his wife, Dana, a fund-raiser coordinator; his son, Mickey, a 15-year-old golf prodigy, and Megan, his 14-year-old, know-it-all, smart-mouthed, soccer-playing daughter.
Cast members
Main characters
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Jason Alexander | Tony Kleinman |
| Wendy Makkena | Dana Kleinman |
| Malcolm-Jamal Warner | Bernie Widmer |
| Will Rothhaar | Mickey Kleinman |
| Daniella Monet | Megan Kleinman |
Response
Critical reaction was largely negative. USA Today's Robert Bianco wrote that the show makes the "mistake of trying to build a star vehicle around a second banana." [1] A New York Times review called it "a rickety vehicle for Jason Alexander." [2]
Critics disagreed on the supporting cast. USA Today: "When 'Listen Up' focuses on its supporting cast, the show works." The New York Times referred to a "stiff supporting cast." [3]
Matt Rouse of TV Guide wrote, "Forget about the 'Seinfeld' curse, this is just mediocre material and bad casting."[4]
Episodes
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "Pilot" | September 20, 2004 |
| 1-2 | "Hammer Time" | September 27, 2004 |
| 1-3 | "Grandmaster of the Wolfhunt" | October 4, 2004 |
| 1-4 | "Cool Jerk" | October 4, 2004 |
| 1-5 | "Quest For Fire" | October 18, 2004 |
| 1-6 | "Mickey Swallows a Bee" | October 25, 2004 |
| 1-7 | "The Gift of the Ton-i" | November 8, 2004 |
| 1-8 | "Sweet Charity" | November 15, 2004 |
| 1-9 | "Thanksgiving" | November 22, 2004 |
| 1-10 | "Mickey Without a Cause" | November 29, 2004 |
| 1-11 | "Enemy at the Gates" | December 13, 2004 |
| 1-12 | "Tony the Tiger" | January 3, 2005 |
| 1-13 | "Snub Thy Neighbor" | January 17, 2005 |
| 1-14 | "Weekend With Bernie" | January 31, 2005 |
| 1-15 | "Inky Dinky Don't" | February 7, 2005 |
| 1-16 | "Colon-Oopscopy" | February 14, 2005 |
| 1-17 | "Tony Whine-Man" | February 21, 2005 |
| 1-18 | "Couch Potato" | March 7, 2005 |
| 1-19 | "Waiting for Kleinman" | March 21, 2005 |
| 1-20 | "Check Mates" | April 11, 2005 |
| 1-21 | "Ebony and Irony" | April 18, 2005 |
| 1-22 | "Last Vegas" | April 25, 2005 |
Ratings
Premiere: 11.8 million
Last episode: 8.9 million[5]
External links
- Listen Up! at the Internet Movie Database
- Listen Up! at TV.com