| Billy | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Michael Elias Rich Eustis |
| Written by | Philip Chapin Michael Elias Rich Eustis |
| Directed by | John Bowab Robert Berlinger Howard Storm Sam Weisman |
| Starring | Billy Connolly Marie Marshall Johnny Galecki Natanya Ross Clara Bryant |
| Theme music composer | Jerome Kern Oscar Hammerstein II |
| Opening theme | "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star" |
| Composer(s) | Ed Alton |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Michael Elias Rich Eustis |
| Producer(s) | Ray Jessel Frank Pace Rebecca Parr Ehrich Von Lowe |
| Editor(s) | Jimmy B. Frazier |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Warner Bros. Television |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC |
| Original run | January 31, 1992 – July 4, 1992 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Head of the Class |
Billy is an American situation comedy that aired on ABC for half a season from January to May 1992. A spin-off of Head of the Class, the series stars Billy Connolly as Billy MacGregor, a Scottish teacher who moves to America in order to build a new life for himself.
Contents |
Following the end of the Head of the Class series, Billy moves to Berkeley, California where he marries Mary Springer (played by Marie Marshall), a single mom with several children, so he could get his green card. The marriage is arranged in order to prevent Billy from being deported back to the UK. Billy becomes Mary's boarder, living in her basement apartment with the strictest of rules: no drinking, no smoking, no pets, and no sex.
The series follows Billy's misadventures as he adjusts to life in California while staying one step ahead of immigration officials seeking to prove his marriage is a sham. Meanwhile, his relationship with Mary's children (played by Johnny Galecki, Natanya Ross, and Clara Bryant) deepens to a parental level, and Billy and Mary likewise find themselves drawing closer together, although the series was cancelled before this subplot could be carried out.
Billy premiered as the sitcom that completed ABC's TGIF lineup, Fridays at 9:30/8:30c. After two months in this time period, the show moved to Saturday night (just one week after ABC abruptly ended the failed TGIF sister lineup, I Love Saturday Night), at 8:30/7:30c. While on Saturdays, the program would switch time slots a few more times, but none of the moves heralded better ratings; Billy folded after one season.
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | Pilot | January 31, 1992 |
| 1-2 | "Hot Stuff" | February 7, 1992 |
| 1-3 | "Parenting 101" | February 14, 1992 |
| 1-4 | "Poker Face" | February 21, 1992 |
| 1-5 | "Billy Gets the Bird" | February 28, 1992 |
| 1-6 | "Gimme Some Credit" | March 6, 1992 |
| 1-7 | "Futile Attraction" | March 13, 1992 |
| 1-8 | "Billy Flunks Mary" | March 21, 1992 |
| 1-9 | "Out All Night" | March 28, 1992 |
| 1-10 | "Home Alone, Almost" | April 4, 1992 |
| 1-11 | "Love Me, or Leave Me (Part 1)" | April 11, 1992 |
| 1-12 | "Love Me, or Leave Me (Part 2)" | April 18, 1992 |
| 1-13 | "Thunder from Down Under" | May 30, 1992 |