Greetings from Tucson
Greetings from Tucson is an American sitcom television series created by Peter Murrieta, which aired on The WB from September 20, 2002 to May 9, 2003, during the 2002-2003 season. The series was executive produced by Rob LaZebnik, Peter Murrieta, Howard Klein and David Miner.
| Greetings from Tucson | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Just Like You This Time |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Peter Murrieta |
| Starring | |
| Composer(s) | Los Lobos |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 22 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 21 minutes |
| Production company(s) | |
| Release | |
| Original network | The WB |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) |
| Original release | September 20, 2002 – May 9, 2003 |
Though reviews were mixed, critics applauded the abilities of the mostly-Latino cast, calling the show "a welcome addition to TV's largely white landscape," [1] and compared its premise to I Love Lucy, The Jeffersons and the thought-provoking 1970s comedies of Norman Lear.
Overview
Greetings from Tucson focused on the Tiant family, through the eyes of 15-year-old son David. His father Joaquin was a proud, pragmatic Mexican-American; mother Elizabeth is a feisty, no-nonsense white woman of Irish descent; and older sister Maria is a popular cheerleader. Also around were Joaquin's irresponsible brother Ernesto; Ernesto's son Daniel; Joaquin's mother Magdalena; and David's friend and new neighbor Sarah Tobin.
The series begins six months after Joaquin's promotion at the local copper mine enabled him to move the family to a better neighborhood. Based on the life of series creator Peter Murrieta, the series attempted to examine the themes of cultural identity, family and class. The family's former neighborhood was mentioned to be an impoverished area, where the family home had bars on the windows and was subject to frequent police helicopter flyovers. Stereotypes of Mexican-American culture are lampooned in the series, and used self-deprecatingly.
The show's title was meant to imitate the caption of a postcard, and the title sequence displayed the cast and credits on a series of postcards. The same visual device was used to transition between scenes. The exterior shot of the daughter's apartment building is a photograph of a real Tucson apartment complex, Casa Royale. The show's theme song was performed by Los Lobos.
Cast
- Julio Oscar Mechoso as Joaquin Tiant
- Rebecca Creskoff as Elizabeth Tiant
- Jacob Vargas as Ernesto Tiant
- Pablo Santos as David Tiant
- Aimee Garcia as Maria Tiant
- Sara Paxton as Sarah Tobin
- Lupe Ontiveros as Magdalena Tiant
- Bobby Chavez as Daniel Tiant
Recurring
- Molly Hagan as Karen Tobin
- James Widdoes as Don Tobin
Notable Guest Stars
- J.C. Chasez as Jay Dugray
- Carmen Electra as Rosa
- Teri Garr as Helen
- Willie Garson as Mr. Gargan
- Ana Ortiz as Angela
- Martin Mull as Tom
- Joe Regalbuto as Mr. Klein
- Brian Scolaro as Larry Janetti
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by [2] | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code [2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | James Widdoes | Peter Murrieta | September 20, 2002 | 62031-001 |
| 2 | "My Two Padres" | Michael Lessac | Michael Begler | September 27, 2002 | 62031-002 |
| 3 | "Driving" | James Widdoes | Peter Murrieta & Rob LaZebnik | October 4, 2002 | 62031-003 |
| 4 | "Work Ethic" | Michael Lessac | Vince Cheung & Ben Montanio | October 11, 2002 | 62031-004 |
| 5 | "Popularity" | Michael Lessac | Richard Goodman | October 18, 2002 | 62031-005 |
| 6 | "Spiteful Dating" | Joe Regalbuto | Theresa Mulligan | November 1, 2002 | 62031-006 |
| 7 | "Working Mothers of America" | Michael Lessac | Rob LaZebnik & Peter Murrieta | November 8, 2002 | 62031-007 |
| 8 | "Strike" | Joe Regalbuto | Vince Cheung & Ben Montanio | November 22, 2002 | 62031-008 |
| 9 | "Christmas" | Mark Cendrowski | Erica Rothschild | December 13, 2002 | 62031-010 |
| 10 | "Ball and Chain" | Joe Regalbuto | Michael Begler | January 10, 2003 | 62031-009 |
| 11 | "A Brand New Car" | Dana De Vally Piazza | Rob LaZebnik & Peter Murrieta | January 17, 2003 | 62031-011 |
| 12 | "Counseling" | Joe Regalbuto | Robert Aguilar Jr. | January 24, 2003 | 62031-012 |
| 13 | "Family Honor" | Joe Regalbuto | TBA | January 31, 2003 | 62031-013 |
| 14 | "Maria's Boyfriend" | Joe Regalbuto | Jenna Jolovitz | February 7, 2003 | 62031-014 |
| 15 | "Student Council" | Joe Regalbuto | TBA | February 14, 2003 | 62031-015 |
| 16 | "Coffee" | Joe Regalbuto | TBA | February 21, 2003 | 62031-016 |
| 17 | "The Breakup" | Joe Regalbuto | Vince Cheung & Ben Montanio | April 4, 2003 | 62031-017 |
| 18 | "Home Sweet Home" | Joe Regalbuto | Dan Tobin | April 11, 2003 | 62031-018 |
| 19 | "My Friend Mom" | Joe Regalbuto | TBA | April 18, 2003 | 62031-019 |
| 20 | "The First Time" | Joe Regalbuto | TBA | April 25, 2003 | 62031-020 |
| 21 | "Sibling Rivalry" | Tony Plana | Robert Aguilar Jr. | May 2, 2003 | 62031-021 |
| 22 | "Eegee's vs. Hardee's" | Jonathan Schmock | Jenna Jolovitz | May 9, 2003 | 62031-022 |
References
- Greetings from Tucson | PopMatters Television Review
- From the United States Copyright Office catalog: "Public Catalog - Copyright Catalog (1978 to present) - Basic Search [search: "Greetings from Tucson"]". United States Copyright Office. Retrieved 2018-05-03.
- Review by Steve Lutz, TeeVee.org, October 15, 2002
- Review by Tracy McLoone, September 23, 2002