| Fired Up | |
|---|---|
| Format | Situation comedy |
| Created by | Arleen Sorkin Paul Slansky[1] |
| Starring | Sharon Lawrence Leah Remini Mark Feuerstein Jonathan Banks |
| Theme music composer | Mark Mothersbaugh[1] |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 28 (five unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Kelsey Grammer Rudy Hornish[1] |
| Running time | 30 min |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | NBC |
| Original run | April 10, 1997 – February 9, 1998 |
Fired Up is a short-lived 1997–1998 situation comedy airing on NBC. It lasted for two seasons and 28 episodes. The series, the first from Grammnet Productions, starred Sharon Lawrence and Leah Remini. The series was about a self-centered promotions executive (Lawrence) and her mouthy assistant (Remini). The pair got fired from their jobs, and instead of getting other jobs, they teamed up to create a business as equal partners.
The tagline of the series was "First she got fired, then she got fired up."
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Gwendolyn Leonard (pronounced Len-nard) epitomized the term "self involved." After being fired from her corporate job, she was reduced to moving in with her former assistant, spunky Terry Reynolds, and starting up a new promotions business as her partner. Terry and her brother Danny shared a loft apartment atop a clock tower in New York City, and Danny worked as bartender at Clockworks, the restaurant below, while he pursued his dream of becoming a writer. Clockworks was owned by Guy Mann, an average Joe who adamantly pursued Gwen, though she kept him at arm's length (his response to each of her blow-offs was "Oh, yeah!").
Also regularly seen was Mrs. Francis, a crotchety unemployment agent whom Gwen ultimately inspired to quit her job and open up an eggroll shop; Ashley Mann, Guy's son who worked as a female impersonator; Scott Bickley, Danny's lecherous agent who moonlighted as a suit salesman; and Steve Summer, a former classmate of Gwen's who'd carried a torch for her for decades. Infrequently seen were Gwen's snobbish mother Rita (Dixie Carter) and Terry and Danny's loud-mouthed mother Tina (Randee Heller).
Fired Up was a mid-season replacement on NBC. It premiered on April 10, 1997, and ended the first season on June 23, after eight episodes. The second season premiered on September 22, 1997, and the last episode to air was on February 9, 1998.
It was a contemporary of shows such as Caroline in the City and Suddenly Susan. At one point, all three shows were part of a Monday night television promotion dubbed the "Ladies of Monday Night".[2]
Caryn James of The New York Times said the series had a "topical premise and an edgy lead character, just what most sitcoms lack" but that after a promising start, its first season episodes lost the "sharp writing this series needs."[1]
Fired Up premiered in the "cushy Thursday night slot after Seinfeld"[1] through May 15, 1996, on a night that NBC promoted as Must See TV. It started out strong in the ratings, with a premiere that garnered an 18.8 rating and 29 share[3], but after NBC changed its timeslot, the show lost its audience, and NBC canceled the show.
Fired Up had a short lived syndication on the USA Network.
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