Goodnight, Beantown is an American sitcom that aired on CBS for two brief seasons in 1983 and 1984.
Synopsis[]
The series cast
The series stars Bill Bixby as Matt Cassidy, and Mariette Hartley as Jennifer Barnes: two news anchors at WYN-TV, a fictional television station in Boston, Massachusetts. Matt is the station's evening news anchor and a longtime fixture at the station. However, when Matt's ratings begin to slide, the station management pairs the reluctant anchor with female co-anchor Jennifer.
The series follows their rocky relationship as they are not only coworkers but neighbors in the same building. Although slightly antagonistic at work, they are attracted to each other.
The series title comes from Matt's signoff at the end of the nightly newscasts, as "Beantown" is a common nickname for Boston (despite locals' disdain for the appellation).[1]
Co-stars included Tracey Gold as the divorced Jennifer's daughter Susan and George Coe as station manager Dick Novak. Over the two seasons, Charles Levin, G. W. Bailey, Jim Staahl, Stephanie Faracy and Todd Susman played their co-workers at WYN.
Bixby and Hartley had previously worked together on an episode of The Incredible Hulk, and at the time of making Goodnight, Beantown, Hartley was appearing in a series of television commercials for Polaroid cameras with James Garner.
The series first aired Sundays at 8:00 p.m. in the spring of 1983 for a limited run of five episodes. When it returned in the fall, it aired Sundays at 9:30 p.m. for 13 more episodes before being canceled because of its middling ratings.[citation needed]
Cast[]
- Bill Bixby as Matt Cassidy
- Mariette Hartley as Jennifer Barnes
- George Coe as Dick Novak
- Tracey Gold as Susan Barnes
- G. W. Bailey as Albert Addelson
- Stephanie Faracy as Valerie Wood
- Charles Levin as Sam Holliday
- Jim Staahl as Frank Fletcher
- Todd Susman as Augie Kleindab
US television ratings[]
| Season | Episodes | Start Date | End Date | Nielsen Rank | Nielsen Rating | Tied With |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-83 | 5 | April 3, 1983 | May 1, 1983 | 21 | 18.6[2] | Knots Landing |
| 1983-84 | 13 | October 2, 1983 | January 15, 1984 | 34 | 16.6[3] | Cheers |
Episode guide[]
Season 1 (1983)[]
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | “Pilot” | Harry Winer | AJ Carothers | April 3, 1983 |
| 2 | 2 | “The-Out-of-Towner” | Harry Winer | Elias Davis & David Pollock | April 10, 1983 |
| 3 | 3 | “The Source” | Harry Winer | Steve Kline | April 17, 1983 |
| 4 | 4 | “Custody” | Peter Baldwin | AJ Carothers | April 24, 1983 |
| 5 | 5 | “Please Stand By” | Peter Baldwin | Steve Kline | May 1, 1983 |
Season 2 (1983–84)[]
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | “Hooking for Mr. Goodbar” | Bill Bixby | Bill Greer & Kathy Greer | October 2, 1983 |
| 7 | 2 | “What's Good for the Goose” | Harry Winer | Ron Osborn & Jeff Reno | October 9, 1983 |
| 8 | 3 | “A Felon Needs a Girl” | Bill Bixby | Kathy Greer & Bill Greer | October 16, 1983 |
| 9 | 4 | “Invasions of Privacy” | Alan Bergmann | AJ Carothers | October 23, 1983 |
| 10 | 5 | “Popsicle” | Dick Martin | Bill Greer & Kathy Greer | October 30, 1983 |
| 11 | 6 | “Our Man in the Slammer” | Will Mackenzie | Bill Greer & Kathy Greer | November 6, 1983 |
| 12 | 7 | “Looking Forward to the Past” | Kim Friedman | Ron Osborn & Jeff Reno | November 20, 1983 |
| 13 | 8 | “Valerie's Fan” | Bob Sweeney | Ron Osborn & Jeff Reno | December 4, 1983 |
| 14 | 9 | “Happy Medium” | Kim Friedman | Ron Osborn & Jeff Reno | December 11, 1983 |
| 15 | 10 | “Peace on Earth” | Bill Bixby | Steve Kline & Ron Osborn & Jeff Reno | December 25, 1983 |
| 16 | 11 | “The Consumer's Best Friend” | David Nelson | Gibson Carothers | January 1, 1984 |
| 17 | 12 | “Lost and Foundering” | Bob Sweeney | Bill Greer & Kathy Greer | January 8, 1984 |
| 18 | 13 | “An Old Flame Flickers” | Harry Winer | A.J. Carothers | January 15, 1984 |
Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Emmy Award | Nominated | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Mariette Hartley |
| 1984 | Young Artist Award | Winner | Best Young Actress in a New Television Series | Tracey Gold |
| Best New Television Series | -
|
References[]
- ↑ Baker, Matthew Reed (2017-09-17). "Why Is Boston Nicknamed Beantown?". Boston Magazine.
- ↑ Lina. "The TV Ratings Guide: 1982-83 Ratings History -- Soap Bubbles Rise, Several Veterans Part and NBC Renews Poorly Rated Masterpieces". Retrieved on 1 April 2018.
- ↑ "1983-84 Ratings History -- The Networks Are Awash in a Bubble Bath of Soaps".
