Working Stiffs (TV series)
| Working Stiffs | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Bob Brunner[1] |
| Directed by |
Penny Marshall Norman Abbott Greg Antonacci |
| Starring |
James Belushi Michael Keaton |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 9 (5 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Bob Brunner[1] |
| Running time | 30 min. (per episode; with commercials) |
| Production company(s) |
Huk & Frog Productions Paramount Television |
| Distributor | CBS Television Distribution |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CBS |
| Picture format | Film |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original run | September 15, 1979 – October 20, 1979 |
Working Stiffs is a short-lived 1979 American television series which starred James Belushi and Michael Keaton as brothers Ernie and Mike O'Rourke. The pair were janitors who aspired to work their way up in the field of business. The brothers worked in an office building owned by their Uncle Harry. Ernie and Mike also were roommates in an apartment over a cafe where they befriended the owner Mitch and waitress Nikki. Each episode featured slapstick and physical comedy. Penny Marshall directed the pilot. Includes an early appearance of Paul Reubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman) as Heimlich the delivery boy at the cafe.
The series aired on CBS. It competed against the highly-rated shows NBC's CHiPs and ABC's The Ropers in its timeslot. Nine episodes were produced but after four episodes aired, the series was canceled. After Belushi and Keaton became major film stars in the 1980s, six episodes of the show were released on home video. Reruns have also aired on A&E Network, Comedy Central and TV Land. The syndication package included the previously unaired episodes.
Cast
- James Belushi - Ernie O'Rourke
- Michael Keaton - Mike O'Rourke
- Val Bisoglio - Al Steckler
- Phil Rubinstein - Frank Falzone
- Allan Arbus - Mitch Hannigan
- Lorna Patterson - Nikki Evashevsky
- Paul Reubens-Heimlich
Episode list
| Nº | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Preview Presentation" | 1979.09.15 |
| 2 | "Looking for Mr. Goodwrench" | -- |
| 3 | "The Bank Robbery" | 1979.09.29 |
| 4 | "My Boys Are Having a Baby" | 1979.10.06 |
| 5 | "The Bosses" | -- |
| 6 | "Pal Joey" | 1979.10.20 |
| 7 | "The Old Man in the Building" | -- |
| 8 | "Trading Up" | -- |
| 9 | "Sagebrush Estates" | -- |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Bob Brunner, 'Happy Days' writer, dies". Variety Magazine. 2012-11-08. Retrieved 2012-11-27.
Brooks, Tim; Earl Marsh (2003). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.