Beggars and Choosers (TV series)
Beggars and Choosers is a comedy-drama series broadcast by Showtime. Developed by Peter Lefcourt and Brandon Tartikoff, the series was a comedic, behind-the-scenes look at network television. Its 42 episodes aired between June 19, 1999 and December 12, 2000.
| Beggars and Choosers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Comedy-drama |
| Created by | Peter Lefcourt Brandon Tartikoff |
| Written by | Brad Buckner Chris Cluess Wendy Goldman Charlie Hauck Peter Lefcourt Scott Kaufer Eugenie Ross-Leming Julia Sayres Lynn Seifort David Shore |
| Directed by | George Bloomfield Fred Gerber Joanna Kerns Sheldon Larry Richard J. Lewis Stuart Margolin George Mendeluk Ron Oliver Ron Orieux Michael Ritchie Helen Shaver Sandy Smolan Anne Wheeler Charles Winkler |
| Starring | Beau Bridges Justin Carroll Colin Cunningham Kaj-Erik Eriksen Isabella Hofmann Carol Kane Keegan Connor Tracy Brian Kerwin Rudolf Martin William McNamara Bill Morey Paul Provenza Klodyne Rodney Charlotte Ross Tuc Watkins |
| Theme music composer | David Schwartz |
| Composer(s) | Ferocious Fish Terry Frewer David Schwartz Stanley A. Smith Jim Guttridge |
| Country of origin | United States Canada |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 42 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Kim Fleary Peter Lefcourt Scott M. Siegler Lilly Tartikoff |
| Producer(s) | Cal Shumiatcher |
| Cinematography | Ron Orieux |
| Editor(s) | Lee Haxall Kevin Krasny |
| Running time | 60 mins. (approx) |
| Release | |
| Original network | Showtime |
| Original release | June 19, 1999 – December 12, 2000 |
Synopsis
The tongue-in-cheek series centered on Rob Malone, President of LGT, and his efforts to boost the network's sagging ratings with Lori Volpone, the scheming Vice-President of Development, and Malcolm Laffley, a gay man who came out of the closet to clear himself of sexual harassment charges levied against him by a woman. Each episode provided amusing insight into how a network runs, from how its executives deal with temperamental stars to how they make big budget deals while trying to keep the network financially stable.
Characters
- Rob Malone (Brian Kerwin)
- Lori Volpone (Charlotte Ross): The ambitious Vice President of Development for LGT
- Malcolm Laffley (Tuc Watkins)
- Kelly Kramer (Christina Hendricks)
- Cecile Malone (Isabella Hofmann): Rob's wife
- Brad Advail (William McNamara): An agent who is a thorn in Rob's side
- Parker Meridian (Paul Provenza): The egomaniacal star of the hit LGT show Parker's Pals who is romantically involved with Rob's daughter Audrey
- Audrey Malone (Keegan Connor Tracy): Rob and Cecile's slightly flaky 21-year-old daughter
- Emory "E.L." Luddin (Bill Morey): The frequently comatose founder and former CEO of LGT
- Lydia "L.L." Luddin (Carol Kane): E.L.'s wife, whose plans for an eponymous variety show are thwarted when Dan Falco buys the network
- Casey Lenox (Sherri Saum): A young ambitious new hire at LGT that Lori Volpone fears could threaten her career path
- Dan Falco (Beau Bridges): A Buddhist who acquires ownership of LGT after obtaining 53% of the company's stock during a power struggle between the Luddins
- Wayne (Alex Zahara)
Production notes
The series was created by former NBC television executive Brandon Tartikoff who based the series on his own experiences. Tartikoff, whose wife Lily served as a producer on the series, died of Hodgkin's Disease two years before the series debuted.[1]
Filmed in Vancouver, Beggars and Choosers was produced for Showtime by Granada Entertainment USA and distributor by Buena Vista Television.[2]
Reception and cancellation
Beggars and Choosers garnered very positive reviews from critics and, according to Showtime executive vice president of original programming Gary Levine, had a loyal audience,[1] but ratings for the series remained low. Showtime canceled the series after two seasons in December 2000.[2]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Casting Society of America | Best Casting for TV, Comedy Pilot | Marc Hirschfeld, Meg Liberman, and Joel Thurm | Nominated | |
| Emmy Award | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | Carl Reiner | Nominated | ||
| 2001 | Canadian Comedy Awards | Television – Pretty Funny Direction – Series | Charles Winkler | Nominated | |
| GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding TV Comedy Series | Beggars and Choosers | Nominated |
References
- De Vries, Hilary (2000-07-02). "The Makers of TV Are Happy to Mine Their Own Business". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
- Steven J., Stark (2000-12-18). "'Beggars' Signs Off At Showtime". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2009-04-15.