The Terrible Catsafterme

SEASON 1 – Fox

Created by Ron Leavitt and Arthur Silver

This series is a spinoff of “Married…with Children” via the backdoor pilot episode “Top of the Heap”

Theme song: “Puttin’ on the Ritz” written by Irving Berlin, performed by Kenny Yarbrough

• 001. The Agony and the Agony – 4/14/1991
  • Charlie Verducci (Joseph Bologna) works as a superintendent of a slum apartment in Chicago, and lives in one of the apartments with his son Vinnie (Matt LeBlanc) and his cat Mr. Fluffy. Charlie constantly tries to get out of fixing anything requested by the residents, especially the mouthy Lupe Hernandez (Irene Olga Lopez). One of the neighbor girls, Mona Mullins (Joey Lauren Adams) is only sixteen years old, but is constantly propositioning Vinnie, who tries to avoid her advances since she is underage. Although Charlie his instituted the “Verducci Master Plan” of getting Vinnie married off to a rich woman, Charlie goes after a job as a parking attendant at the Rolling Hills Country Club. However, when he walks into the club, various members from the aerobics group including, Mrs. Epstein (Mary Pat Gleason) and Mrs. Gilbert (Alisha Fontaine) are charmed by him. The manager Alixandra “Alix” Stone (Rita Moreno) wants him to take over as an event coordinator as the current one, Carlo Dupree (Jeff Riley) is working his last day. Charlie comes to the country club to see Vinnie and runs afoul of the short and effeminate security officer Emmet Lefebvre (Leslie Jordan). Charlie tries to hit on Alixandra, but she tells him that he’s the kind of guy who she always falls in love with… but is ultimately bad for her. He nearly gets her to accept a dinner invitation, but then turns him down when she realizes he wants her to cook.  Vinnie is embarrassed when he starts making mistakes including bringing member Frank Clayton (Rod Arrants) some dinner rolls when he wants his Rolls Royce. Vinnie also pours water on the table and a guest when he sees a flambe on fire. Charlie talks Vinnie into going back for the evening 50’s dance, where he meets Fred Epstein (Richard Fancy) and Gil Gilbert (Greg Lewis), who both make fun of him for the water incident. Vinnie also gets a visit from his friend Bud Bundy (David Faustino), who is posing as a pro golfer to impress his girlfriend, Lynette. Mrs. Epstein and Mrs. Gilbert get Vinnie on the dance floor and they and the other ladies all dirty dance with him. Charlie overhears their husbands threatening to beat up Vinnie, so he poses as someone who wants to go after him as well, telling them that he doesn’t care if he is a vicious boxer who has maimed many and has challenged Mike Tyson. They suddenly lose interest in enacting revenge.  Charlie takes another crack at hitting on Alixandra with some tired flattery. All the ladies get Vinny back on the floor to dance La Bamba. Anita Mann is Bee Bee. NOTE: This is the follow-up episode to the backdoor pilot Top of the Heap episode of Married…with Children that aired on 4/7/1991. 1/22/23

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SEASON 1 – TBS

Created by Betsy Thomas

Theme composed by Ed Alton

• 001. Pilot – 11/28/2006
  • Penelope “P.J.” Franklin (Jordana Spiro) is a tomboyish sportswriter working for the Chicago Sun-Times, living in Chicago and covering the Cubs. She narrates the story and relates most of the things going on in her life to sports, especially baseball. P.J. mostly hangs out with her henpecked brother Andy (Jim Gaffigan), along with a group of their other male friends, including Brendan “Brando” Dorff (Reid Scott), a rock and roller working as a radio DJ who is on and off with his girlfriend Wendy, and who used to roommates in college with P.J., Mike Callahan (Jamie Kaler), a ladies’ man who works for the Cubs, and Kenny Bunin (Michael Bunin), a sports memorabilia store owner who struggles with getting dates. P.J. does have one close female friend, Stephanie Layne (Kellee Stewart), who constantly offering advice on dating men. A sportswriter named Bobby Newman (Kyle Howard) from the rival newspaper the Chicago Tribune when he begins covering the Cubs as well. They instantly have a crush on each other, and he begins playing on their softball team. She is thrilled when accepts an invite to play poker with P.J. and the guys at her house, although none of the guys seem to understand why P.J. is going to great lengths to look good, wear makeup, and make appetizers. The other guys keep frustrating her as well, as they pull him away after the game, before she can have any alone time with him. Nevertheless, he waits outside her place and the asks if they can have a drink together. She invites him upstairs, and she quickly gets him into the bedroom. Bobby seems more intent on slowing things down, and is rather turned off by how fast she is moving. He leaves before they sleep together, leaving P.J. rather distraught and confused as to the status of their relationship. Meanwhile, Brando, has again broken up with by his girlfriend Wendy and is forced to move in with P.J, but he gets called back to go to see her for an ’emotional booty call’, and act that will keep him tethered to her, much to P.J.’s concern about his well being. 1/16/22

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SEASON 1 – CBS

Created by David Davis and Lorenzo Music

Opening theme: “Home to Emily” by Lorenzo Music and Henrietta Music

• 001. Fly the Unfriendly Skies – 9/16/1972
  • Dr. Robert Hartley (Bob Newhart) is a psychologist living in a high-rise apartment in Chicago, Illinois with his with his wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette). Bob is hosting a fear-of-flying workshop and is getting ready to take the group – which includes neurotic Elliot Carlin (Jack Riley), angry Victor Gianelli (Noam Pitlik), and flighty Lillian Bakerman (Florida Friebus) – on a flight to New York. When he asks Emily to join him, Bob finds out that Emily too is afraid of flying. Their next door neighbor Howard Borden (Bill Daily) offers no reassurance. Emily joins the group and attends a meeting where Howard comes to speak but reveals his fear of public speaking. When they finally get on the airplane, Emily ends up chickening out and having the plane turned around. After Bob returns from the trip, Emily breaks down in tears…only to find out that her crying makes Bob laugh. She is forgiven and pleased that Bob is laughing rather than yelling at her. Marcia Wallace is the office receptionist Carol Kester. Peter Bonerz is orthodontist Jerry Robinson, who has his office on the same floor as Bob and has become a friend of Bob’s. Patricia Smith is Emily’s friend Margaret Hoover. Penny Marshall appears as the flight attendant. 1/16/15

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SEASON 1 – CBS

Created by Bernard Slade

Theme song: “Love Is Crazy” by Jerry Fielding (music) and Diane Hildebrand (lyrics)

• 001. Bridget Loves Bernie – 9/16/1972
  • Jewish New York cab driver Bernie Steinberg (David Birney) and rich Catholic teacher Bridget Fitzgerald (Meredith Baxter) are in love, despite the obstacle of their religions. Knowing this, they visit Bridget’s brother Mike (Robert Sampson), a priest, for advice. He can only offer his understanding, but warns of their parents’ reactions. The couple visit Bernie’s family – his father Sam (Harold J. Stone), mother Sophie (Bibi Osterwald), and uncle Moe Plotnik (Ned Glass), and Bridget ends up sick from the Jewish food. Then they visit Bridget’s family – her father Walter (David Doyle) and mother Amy (Audra Lindley). After mistakenly thinking that Bernie’s black friend Otis Foster (William Elliot) is Bernie, they are relieved to find out that he is only Jewish. Still the diner is uncomfortable as they try to appease him by serving him something other than ham. Bernie almost breaks it off due to all the potential problems, but Bridget talks him into eloping. When the couple do not come home, their worried families all get together and eventually find them both in bed. They are somewhat relieved to find that they are married, and all hold a reception with their new in-laws. Uncle Moe hides the Fitzgeralds’ hub caps for fear that their German car would be robbed in the Jewish neighborhood. Ivor Barry plays the Fitzgeralds’ butler Charles. 1/14/14 Read the rest of this entry »

SEASON 1 – FOX

Theme song: “The Simpsons Theme” by Alf Clausen

NOTE: This series began life as a series of bumpers and short subjects as seen in the variety series “The Tracey Ullman Show” between 1987-1989

• 001. Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire – 12/17/1989
  • The Simpson family – Homer (Dan Castellaneta), Marge (Julie Kavner), Lisa (Yeardley Smith), Bart (Nancy Cartwright), and Maggie – are preparing for Christmas by attending Lisa’s school Christmas pageant and putting up decorations. Homer works at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and their boss Mr. Montgomery Burns (Harry Shear) announces that the workers will not be getting a Christmas bonus this year. Marge has saved a jar of Christmas money but has to spend it to have a tattoo removed from Bart. Homer is crestfallen that he will not be able to provide a good Christmas for his family, so after visiting Moe’s, a bar run by Moe Szyslak (Hank Azaria), he decides to train to be a department store Santa. Bart ends up unmasking him, and Homer confides in his bonus situation. The pair take his $13 Santa money and go to the dog track and bet it all on a long-shot dog named Santa’s Little Helper. He loses, but when the dog’s owner kicks him out into the street, Homer and Bart bring him home, and the family considers it to be a great Christmas gift, despite Marge’s two sisters Patty and Selma’s (both voiced by Julie Kavner) constant bashing of Homer. The family sings Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer with the standard and not-so standard interjections from Bart and Lisa. Pamela Hayden is the voice of Todd Flanders and Milhouse Van Houten. Dan Castellaneta is Barney Gumble and Grampa Abraham Simpson. Harry Shearer voices Principal Seymour Skinner.  1/14/14

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