GIMME A BREAK!!! Spring break was eliminated as a way of reducing travel and thus the spread of COVID-19 amongst The University of Alabama campus community. Carters publicist Roger Lane said Carter, Nell Carter, the robustly sassy singer and actress who exploded onto the New York musical stage in the Fats Waller revue Aint Misbehavin and went on to become a popular television star in the series Gimme a Break!, died yesterday at her home in Beverly Hills, Calif. She was, At some point during the mid-1990s, Carter had begun a relationship with a woman named Ann Kaser, but this was not known to the public until after her death. Parker sat down with Lawrence and had numerous talks with him because he loved the kid and thought was a real pro. All is resolved when Andy brings up his deceased wife Maybelle, and how he's still not over her, but agrees to go to Lilly's place if she invites him again. to check out the antics of the Kanisky family. is an American sitcom which aired on NBC from October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. One of the episodes is called "Knock Three Times". She was basically the whole show , which dealt with many cast changes, perhaps the most shocking being Chief Carl Kaminskys death- Dolph Sweet. Laurie Hendler on the other hand, was upset and caught by surprise because she had recently purchased a new house. One of the producers saw him perform on The Johnny Carson Show and immediately wanted to add him as a cast member. Nell Carter and Dolph Sweet were very close and she was at his side when he died in 1985. Mamas Date [14], This article is about the television series. One episode has Katie hospitalized when her I.U.D. episodes. / Everyone called Carl "Chief" or "Daddy" except for his parents and brother who called him by his first name. Date of death. cast members, and just focuses on the two boys and Mr. Pappalard. Although the show never cracked the top 30, it was still considered a solid enough hit to keep on the air for six years. However, Samantha usually acted as if she never knew her mother. He said Blossom, because Gimme a Break "was done so long ago, it's not really relevant at this point". NBC warned the producers that if they wanted a sixth season, drastic changes would have to be made or the series would be canceled. Moreover, they featured near-identical scorelines: wild card Kimberly Birrell upset No.31 seed Kaia Kanepi 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1 and No.26 seed Elise Mertens scored her first win over Garbie Muguruza 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1. It was sad when the actor who played the chief died. The producers had zero intentions on recasting Dolph Sweet's role of The Chief. "Gimme A Break" was one of those shows that always had something going for itself and for one this was out of a pick of standard 80's family shows that hit a home run and so much more with the prime essential element of actress Nell Carter,who was also a accomplish Broadway singer/dancer who won a Tony award for her work in "Ain't Misbehavin" in 1978. Discovery Kids on NBC Schedule April 9, 2005, Discovery Kids on NBC Schedule May 14, 2005, Discovery Kids on NBC Schedule May 21, 2005, Discovery Kids on NBC Schedule May 28, 2005, Discovery Kids on NBC Schedule June 11, 2005, Discovery Kids on NBC Schedule April 2, 2005, Lauri Hendler as Julie Kanisky Maxwell [seasons 1-5], Kari Michaelson as Katie Kanisky [seasons 1-5], Lara Jill Miller as Samantha "Sam" Kanisky, Dolph Sweet as Chief Carl Kanisky [seasons 1-4], Howard Morton as Officer Ralph Simpson [seasons 1-5], John Hoyt as Grandpa Stanley Kanisky [seasons 2-6], Joseph Lawrence as Joey Donovan [seasons 3-6], Telma Hopkins as Addy Wilson [seasons 4-6], Jonathan Silverman as Jonathan Maxwell [seasons 4-5], Peter Schrum as Uncle Ed Kanisky [season 2], Jane Dulo as Grandma Mildred Kanisky [season 2], Rosetta LeNoire as "Mama" Maybelle Harper [season 6], Matthew Lawrence as Matthew Donovan [season 6], Rosie O'Donnell as Maggie O'Brien [season 6]. Ms. Carter collapsed and was found by one of her sons, said her spokesman, Roger Lane. Two new characters were added to the cast: Addy Wilson, Nell's longtime friend, and Joey Donovan, an abandoned seven-year-old orphan. Hazel,The Nanny, Mr. Belvedere, Benson,and Family Affair. Later, when he comes back, the two boys try to prove that he stole her purse by putting another purse out to be stolen, along with money from the cash register. Margaret was dying of lung cancer, and the Chief could not have raised the kids alone. Michaelson would binge, purge, and fast. On May 12, 1987, "Gimme a Break" was cancelled after 6 seasons and 137 episodes. Prior to the pilot episode . [12], Nell Carter received two Emmy nominations as Best Actress in a Comedy Series. As the fifth season saw the death of the chief, Nell became the head of the household. Nell Carter and Rosie O'Donnell never got along in the final season of the show. [13] and two Golden Globe nominations as Best Actress in a Television Series-Comedy or Musical. Like the episodes "Nell and the Kid" and "The Center", this episode does not rely on any Gimme A Break! However, if you ask me, it was still a good show. The network fired the three daughters, Jonathan Silverman, and Howard Morton, the location was changed from Glenlawn, California to more upscale Manhattan, New York, Nell became an assistant at a publishing house, and Joey Lawrence's younger brother Matthew Lawrence was added to the cast. At the start of the 198687 season, Katie moved to San Francisco; Julie, Jonathan, and baby Nell moved to San Jos; and Samantha attended college in New Jersey. I know she did musicals but her singing voice is like chalk on a blackboard, very nasal. Personally I'd kept Gimme a break on forever or even three more seasons. Carter's character works in the home of a widowed chief of police who needs help taking care of his three daughters. One of Nell and Addy's New York neighbors was a young lady named Maggie O'Brien, played by Rosie O'Donnell. Nell Carter and Joey Lawrence perform a "Me and My Shadow" number, much like Beatrice Arthur did with Esther Rolle on Maude (1972) due in part that both shows were executive produced by Hal Cooper. Nell Carter had expressed that throughout the series run she got criticized and backlash from the black media for her role on the show and that she was never asked to be on the cover on any black owned magazines. If you grew up in the 80's this show was a must see. This line retcons the events of "Samantha Steals a Squad Car", when she, Season 3s The Way to a Mans Heart has her in Weight Winners, a. 38 on TV Land's list of "The 100 Most Unexpected TV Moments"; the latter episode depicted Joey dressing and performing in blackface at Nell's church benefit at Sam's behest after Nell did not allow Sam to go on an unchaperoned fishing trip. By the fifth season, ratings started declining and NBC demanded the producers retool the show. The Kanisky daughters need all the help they can . Nell becomes sort of a mother figure for the girls, and everyone tries to learn from each other. NBC canceled the series in the spring of 1987. The first was composed by Bob Christianson with lyrics by Bob Garrett and Marley Sims; two versions of this song were used, one for the first season and a new recording for the second. Those episodes were: Nell and the Kid, The Center, and The Purse Snatcher. The original version was used for the first two seasons and was replaced with an up-tempo rearrangement with new lyrics for season three onward. Gimme A Break, was certainly in the same league as any of NBC's other popular comedy shows. A real romance developed between Kari Michaelson and Andy Gibb when he guest starred. Like Laura Jill Miller previously, Joey Lawrence was getting older. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. Nell's Mama Maybelle (Rosetta LeNoire) began being seen in more recurring roles starting in season six after previous guest appearances. Perhaps television brings Whitney's acting skills out more cause she was really good in her scenes in "Silver Spoons." dckc1966. He talks about how tough he and his family had it growing up, and also touches upon his deceased wife. Though I watched Gimme a Break from the start, it goes without saying that I lacked the maturity at that age to fully understand the adult humor and social issues being explored. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A foster son, Joey (Joey Lawrence), was added to the Kanisky household in season three. The name Matthew would pop up again in the show, as Matthew Lawrence joined the cast in season 6 as Joey's little brother, Matthew Donovan. . 'Gimme A Break'!And Get This Travesty off the Tube. Nov 05, 2007 #8. - A Fan Inquiry to Us on Facebook Leads to Some VERY Interesting New Information! May 12, 1987 True Hollywood Story, she was adamant that frequently calling her "Maggie" was a tactic to help young Joey and Matthew Lawrence focus on their lines, rehearsals and shootings without acting up, as kids often do. was an American sitcom that ran on NBC for six seasons from 1981-87, starring Nell Carter as Nell Harper, a once-aspiring singer who became a housekeeper for the Kaniskys: patriarch Carl, the chief of police of the fictional Glenlawn, California, and his daughters Katie, Julie, and Samantha. Sammy Davis, Jr. made an appearance on this show, and did duets with Nell and Joey. Antenna TV aired the show from January 2, 2018 until December 31, 2021. It's cool that we have reruns of it. The episode "Cat Story" was aired live over NBC-TV on March 2, 1985. (a Titles & Air Dates Guide) . [2][3][4][5] More recently as of January 2018, it is now shown on Antenna TV. Her character married the only other Jewish person in the cast, Jonathan Silverman. How long ago Margaret died. For the six seasons that in ran on NBC-TV(1981-1987) in the eighties,this was one of those shows that was constantly in the top ten ratings during its run on the Peacock network. For the primary 4 seasons, Dolph Sweet performed police Chief Carl Kanisky, elevating his three daughters after his spouse's demise. With spotify premium, you get ad free music, forever! Nell wonders why her mother would have a date, and when her mother shows up, she meets her date, Ernie, a man from her past. Carters publicist Roger Lane said Carter collapsed and died of natural causes in her Beverly Hills home. I was young when this show aired. "The day it was announced we had an MBA class and the topic was corporate culture. on DVD in Canada between 2006-07. Nell Carter got more creative control of the show when the new producers Rod Parker and Hal Cooper came onto to the show during it's third season. There was a Matthew Kanisky in the unaired pilot, and a Matthew Donovan, Joey's brother, who was brought in during the last season. after Carl dies, much in the same way Florida Evans shouts the same thing after her husband James died on Good Times, ten years earlier. I still have not received not even an email from them and I still continue to check on all the following channels just to see if they have brought back this show. O'Donnell later revealed how, at first, she was thrilled and excited at being cast on a major prime time television show, yet very quickly became disappointed and disheartened at feeling snubbed by most of the cast, who, for the most part, treated her more as an interloper than as a fellow actor. Jonathan Silverman was a good addition after that. "Parents' Week". Reruns have also aired nationally on WWOR EMI Service and USA. The show followed Nell Harper, the housekeeper to Carl Kanisky and his three teenage daughters, Katie, Julie, and Sam. She had been in rehearsals for ''Raisin,'' a musical adaptation of the play ''A Raisin in the Sun . ", "Gimme a Break! . The one that I really thought that she outdid herself in was the "Emergency". Rosetta LeNoire took over the role during the show's fourth season. McClanahan would not become a regular cast member on Gimme a Break; but she would return to NBC in 1985 for the sitcom Golden Girls. Gimme A Break was in the sitcom line-up, on NBC in the 80s. Very good show that was one of many throughout TV sitcom history that revolved around a housekeeper/butler. Date of birth. This was and to this day is still one of my all time favorite sitcoms of the eighties. Added to that, he did not help with taking care of his brother's children after the Chief died. I watched reruns of this show when it aired on USA in 1998. Now, maybe it's just because I watched the three or four episodes that were the exception to the rule, but didn't that oldest daughter ever have any lines? In revealing that their late mother, Margaret, was a heavy smoker, Carl reveals that he and Margaret had fought about the issue many times and that he wishes he had slapped her to get her to realize she was killing herself. Most of the show's humor came from the clashes of culture (Nell, the Sassy Black Woman from the South vs. straightlaced second-generation Polish Chief Kanisky) and generation (Nell and Carl vs. the girls) in an otherwise standard 80s Dom Com setting. Universal Studios Home Entertainment released a three-disc DVD of the complete first season of Gimme a Break! All these years later I watched a couple episodes just to "check in", and it was pretty much as I'd remembered it. in the spring of 1987. The series stars Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief ( Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. Joey Lawrence was asked in an interview if he had the choice to reboot Blossom or Gimme a Break!, which show would he pick. The original unaired pilot had the same plot as season one, episode one, "Katie the Crook", but it had a different set for the house, and the third Kanisky child was a redheaded boy named Matthew. "Gimme a Break! Instead of the Chief taking her in to custody, Max decides to adopt her, and has her work to pay back the money and food she stole. "Gimme a Break!" became Sweet's last work because of his unfortunate cancer diagnosis, which took away his life in 1985. We heart movies. Parker was completely bewildered regarding the fallout. Lara Jill Miller, in particular, was quite close to her. Nell Carter, who plays the housekeeper for police Chief Carl Kanisky on ''Gimme a Break,'' will eulogize Sweet . The US syndication rights are held by NBCUniversal Television Distribution, the successor company to original syndicator MCA TV. I am sure if Nell Carter hadn't passed away, they would be bringing this show back. I think that the cast in Gimme a Break was excellent. is an American sitcom which aired on NBC from October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. Lara Jill Miller was shown in opening credits as a regular cast member, rather than a guest star, in the episodes where she appeared. is an American sitcom that ran on NBC for six seasons (198187), starring Nell Carter as Nell Harper, a once-aspiring singer who became a housekeeper for the Kaniskys: patriarch Carl, the chief of police of the fictional Glenlawn, California, and his daughters Katie, Julie and Samantha (the last of the kids played by a young Lara Jill Miller). Other cast members consisted of Dolph Sweet, Kari Michaelsen, Lauri Hendler, Lara Jill Miller, John Hoyt, Joey Lawrence & his brother Matthew Lawrence, Telma Hopkins, Jonathan Silverman, Rosetta LeNoire, Rosie O'Donnell and Paul Sand. The world of online streaming is a callous one. She revealed an incident where the cast was in the lunchroom doing a reading of the script and Joey and Matthew Lawrence's mother Donna Lawrence started making her way into the room and Nell Carter yelled across the room at the boys mother to get out and inappropriately called her the "c-word slur" right in front of the two brothers who were in the room when the incident happen. As they were redoing it, the boy was replaced by Tracey Gold, who was going to play a tomboy named Samantha. Nell Carter, 54, the Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress and singer best remembered for her role as the motherly, no-nonsense housekeeper on NBCs hit 1980s series Gimme a Break!, died Thursday at her home in Beverly Hills, the Associated Press reports. Everyone was ideally cast, the costume design was great. Cozi TV started airing the show as of January 3, 2022. Also, I don't think I've seen every episode. The husband (played by Dolph Sweet) is the chief of police of Glenlawn CA. The Alvin Show. every chance we could. [11] VEI released Gimme a Break! Place of burial Given some supportive scripts, Miss Carter and Mr. Sweet could insure a good run for this series.[6]. Nellie Ruth "Nell" Harper (Nell Carter) agrees to be a housekeeper for the Kanisky household as a special favor to her late friend, Margaret Kanisky (ne Huffmann) (played in flashback by Sharon Spelman), who was the wife of police chief Carl Kanisky (Dolph Sweet). Watch Gimme a Break! We heart influencers and interesting people. This is one of many shows I used to watch just because it was on, not because I particularly enjoyed it. A foster son, Joey (Joey Lawrence), was added to the Kanisky household in season three. When Carl demands an explanation, Katie makes a snide remark "She can't say anything, she's dead!" The 1981 TV Guide Fall Preview used this pilot, as the basis for their description of the show. Nell's middle name is Ruth, which was also Nell Carter's middle name in real life.