Drexell's Class
| Drexell's Class | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by |
Andrew Nicholls Darrell Vickers |
| Written by |
Bill Boulware Eric Brand Ralph R. Farquhar Jim Herzfeld Phil Kellard Wayne Kline Robert Kurtz Tom Moore Andrew Nicholls Darrell Vickers George Zateslo |
| Directed by |
Matthew Diamond Dick Martin Gino Tanasescu John Tracy |
| Starring | Dabney Coleman |
| Theme music composer | Kurt Farquhar |
| Composer(s) |
Rich Eames Scott Gale |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 18 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Phil Kellard Tom Moore David A. Neuman |
| Producer(s) | Marsha Posner-Williams |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Grantwood Productions 20th Century Fox Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox |
| Original release | September 19, 1991 – March 5, 1992 |
Drexell's Class is an American sitcom that aired Thursday at 8:30 on Fox as part of its 1991–92 lineup. The show was created by Andrew Nicholls and Darrell Vickers.
Synopsis
Drexell's Class starred Dabney Coleman as Otis Drexell, a fifth-grade teacher at fictional Grantwood Elementary School in Cedar Bluffs, Iowa. Drexell's backstory revealed that he was a corporate raider who lost a large amount of money on a failed venture, dodged his taxes, and was arrested. At his sentencing, he was offered a suspended sentence if he worked as a teacher at the understaffed school to pay off his back taxes. Drexell was a divorced man whose two daughters lived with him. The cast also included two antagonists, rival teacher Roscoe Davis (Dakin Matthews) and Principal Francine Itkin (Randy Graff), who was later succeeded by Principal Marylin Ridge (Edie McClurg).
One of Drexell's few friends at the school was school janitor George (Cleavant Derricks), who shared Drexell's love of sports and beer. Most episodes revolved around Drexell's unwillingness to teach his students lessons by the book, or trying to be a good father to his daughters. Occasionally, Drexell's ex-wife made appearances; Drexell hoped she would remarry so he could stop paying alimony.
Cast
- Dabney Coleman ... Otis Drexell
- Randy Graff ... Principal Francine E. Itkin
- Dakin Matthews ... Roscoe Davis
- Jason Biggs ... Willie Trancas
- Heidi Zeigler ... Nicole Finnigan
- Damian Cagnolatti ... Kenny Sanders
- Matthew Lawrence ... Walker
- A. J. Langer ... Melissa Drexell
- Brittany Murphy ... Brenda Drexell
- Edie McClurg ... Principal Marilyn Ridge
- Cleavant Derricks ... George Foster
- Phil Buckman ... Slash
- Jacqueline Donnelly ... Bernadette
- Matthew Slowik ... Lionel
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Otis' Last Day" | TBA | TBA | September 19, 1991 |
| 2 | "Air Drexell" | Matthew Diamond | Dennis Klein | September 26, 1991 |
| 3 | "Misery Loves Drexell" | TBA | TBA | October 3, 1991 |
| 4 | "Love Walked Right In and Swept Mr. Drexell Away" | TBA | TBA | October 10, 1991 |
| 5 | "Convictions" | TBA | TBA | October 17, 1991 |
| 6 | "Viva Lost Wages" | TBA | TBA | October 24, 1991 |
| 7 | "Best Halloween Ever" | TBA | TBA | October 31, 1991 |
| 8 | "Driving Drexell Crazy" | TBA | TBA | November 7, 1991 |
| 9 | "Down and Out at the Out 'n In" | TBA | TBA | November 14, 1991 |
| 10 | "The Best Thanksgiving Ever" | TBA | TBA | November 21, 1991 |
| 11 | "Bully for Otis" | TBA | TBA | December 5, 1991 |
| 12 | "Silent Night, Holy Smokes" | TBA | TBA | December 12, 1991 |
| 13 | "My Own Private Iowa" | TBA | TBA | January 16, 1992 |
| 14 | "Beauty and the Beast" | TBA | TBA | January 23, 1992 |
| 15 | "Ashes to Ashes" | TBA | TBA | February 6, 1992 |
| 16 | "Till Death Do You Part" | TBA | TBA | February 13, 1992 |
| 17 | "Cruisin'" | TBA | TBA | February 20, 1992 |
| 18 | "The Resentments" | TBA | TBA | March 5, 1992 |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Title of work | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Young Artist Awards | Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Television Series | |
| 1992 | Young Artist Awards | Best Young Actor Guest Starring or Recurring Role in a TV Series | Michael Oliver |
| 1992 | Young Artist Awards | Best Young Actor Guest Starring or Recurring Role in a TV Series | Brandon Quintin Adams |
In popular culture
- The Simpsons made light of the show's cancellation in their 1992 "Treehouse of Horror III" episode with a "graveyard of cancelled shows". A tombstone of Drexell's Class is featured alongside tombstones of Fish Police, Capitol Critters, and Family Dog.
References
- Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows