Domestic Life (TV series)

Domestic Life is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from January 4 to April 15, 1984. Steve Martin served as executive producer.

Domestic Life
GenreSitcom
Created by
Starring
  • Martin Mull
  • Judith-Marie Bergan
  • Robert Ridgely
  • Christian Brackett-Zika
Theme music composerWendy Haas-Mull
Opening theme"God Bless the Domestic Life"
performed by Martin Mull
ComposerDavid Michael Frank
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10 (1 unaired)
Production
Executive producerSteve Martin
Producers
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseJanuary 4 (1984-01-04) –
April 15, 1984 (1984-04-15)

Premise

Martin Crane moved to Seattle to take a commentator job at KMRT-TV. His spot on the station's evening news was called "Domestic Life". Others in the cast were Martin's wife Candy, his 15-year-old daughter Didi, and 10-year-old son Harold.

Production notes

Steve Martin and Martin Mull were friends who met doing stand-up. Martin suggested they try to pitch a sitcom starring Mull. The first idea was to do a show about a politician who gets elected to Washington, but NBC passed. They then came up with a Father Knows Best style show. Mull called the show "a gentle spoof of family sitcom cliches."[1] NBC did not want to make it but CBS agreed to make six episodes.[2]

Mull said he wanted his character to talk to the camera like George Burns. "We (he and Martin) thought one of my strengths might be as a monologuist, talking right to the camera. So we tried to figure out what kind of occupation a character could have where he could talk right down the barrel. That's why we chose a television commentator."[3]

There were many unintentional similarities between Domestic Life and Frasier which premiered nine years later. Both series were set in Seattle with a character named Martin Crane,[4] and both featured a character broadcasting an advice show.[5] Martin Mull's character, Martin Crane, hosts a segment on a local news television show offering his wisdom on the problems of "domestic life", while offering little practical help to his own family.[5]

The show began in January as a mid-season replacement.[6] Country singer-songwriter Hoyt Axton made a guest appearance in the show's fifth episode ("Harold, Can You Spare $4000?").

Reviewing the opening episode the New York Times said "The tone is right, the cast is about perfect and the result is often quite funny".[7]

Ratings were not strong and the show was cancelled. Mull said "I think the only reason they canceled us, since television is a business, was because we weren't getting the numbers. Some perfectly dreadful things get big ratings, so go figure. CBS kept moving us around and people couldn't find us. I think people tend to plan their viewing."[8]

Martin Mull later recalled:

I believe we were voted by Time as one of the top 10 shows of the year on the same day CBS canceled us. And the other thing that sticks in my mind, other than just having a ball doing it, because it was my first starring role, was that Tom Hanks was our warm-up man. He would warm up the audience for us. I don’t know whatever happened to that kid, but he was very good at that.[9]

Cast

US television ratings
Season Episodes Start Date End Date Nielsen Rank Nielsen Rating[10] Tied With
1983–84 10 January 4, 1984 April 15, 1984 69 13.4 N/A

Episodes
Nº Title Director Writer(s) Air date
1"Harold in Love"Will MackenzieHoward Gewirtz & Ian PraiserJanuary 4, 1984 (1984-01-04)
2"Small Cranes Court"Michael LessacHoward Gewirtz & Ian PraiserJanuary 11, 1984 (1984-01-11)
3"Good Neighbor Cliff"Will MackenzieJack CarrerowJanuary 18, 1984 (1984-01-18)
4"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Dentist"Jim DrakeHoward Gewirtz & Ian PraiserJanuary 25, 1984 (1984-01-25)
5"Harold, Can You Spare $4,000?"Jim DrakeHoward Gewirtz & Ian PraiserFebruary 1, 1984 (1984-02-01)
6"Harold at the Bat"Will MackenzieHoward Gewirtz & Ian PraiserMarch 18, 1984 (1984-03-18)
7"Cooking with Candy"Sam WeismanLisa A. BannickMarch 25, 1984 (1984-03-25)
8"Rip Rides Again"Jim DrakeHoward Gewirtz & Ian PraiserApril 1, 1984 (1984-04-01)
9"The Candidates"Jim DrakeLisa A. Bannick & Jack CarrerowUNAIRED
10"Showdown at Walla Walla"Jim DrakeDavid AngellApril 15, 1984 (1984-04-15)

References
  1. "MULL PLIES HIS QUIET HUMOR ON TV SHARBUTT, JAY". Los Angeles Times. Feb 21, 1984. p. g1.
  2. Preston, Marilynn (Jan 15, 1984). "Martin Mull out to show Father in a new light". Chicago Tribune. p. i3.
  3. Deans, Laurie (31 Mar 1984). "Mull mulls over his life, domestic and otherwise". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. p. 40.
  4. The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 324. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.
  5. Shales, Tom (1984-01-04). "The New Sitcoms: Three's a Crowd". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  6. "CBS-INTRODUCING 5 NEW PROGRAMS". New York Times (Late (East Coast) ed.). 6 Dec 1983. p. C.23.
  7. O'Connor, John J. (4 Jan 1984). "TV: THREE COMEDIES: [Review]". New York Times (Late (East Coast) ed.). p. C.19.
  8. Buck, Jerry (30 May 1985). "IN MULL SPECIAL, LAST LAUGH IS ON WHITE CULTURE". Orlando Sentinel (3 STAR ed.). p. E.7.
  9. Harris, Will (December 3, 2013). "Martin Mull talks Dads, Lenny Bruce, and opening for The Pointer Sisters". AV Club.
  10. "1983–84 Ratings History -- The Networks Are Awash in a Bubble Bath of Soaps".
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