Goodnight, Beantown
| Goodnight, Beantown | |
|---|---|
 Opening title | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Written by |
AJ Carothers Elias Davis Bill Greer Kathy Greer Steve Kline Ron Osborn David Pollock Jeff W. Reno |
| Directed by |
Alan Bergmann Peter Baldwin Alan Bergmann Bill Bixby Kim Friedman David Nelson Will Mackenzie Dick Martin Bob Sweeney Harry Winer |
| Starring |
Bill Bixby Mariette Hartley |
| Composer(s) | Dennis McCarthy |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 18 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Bill Bixby Paul Treva Brandon AJ Carothers |
| Producer(s) |
Elias Davis Charles B. Fitzsimons Bill Greer Kathy Greer David Pollock |
| Cinematography | Richard C. Glouner |
| Running time | 30 mins. |
| Production company(s) |
Bixby-Brandon Productions Warner Bros. Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | April 2, 1983 – August 29, 1984 |
Goodnight, Beantown is an American sitcom that aired on CBS for two brief seasons in 1983 and 1984.
Synopsis
The series starred Bill Bixby as Matt Cassidy and Mariette Hartley as Jennifer Barnes, two news anchors at a fictional Boston, Massachusetts television station. Matt is a longtime fixture at station WYN-TV where he anchors the evening news broadcasts, but when the ratings for his news broadcast begin to slide, the station management pairs the reluctant anchor with a female co-anchor, Jennifer.
The series follows their rocky relationship as they are not only co-workers, but are also across-the-hall neighbors in the same building. Although slightly antagonistic at work, they don't let that stand in their way of being attracted to one another.
The series title comes from Matt's sign off on the nightly newscasts, "Goodnight, Beantown."
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 in 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 in the spring of 1983 for a limited run of five episodes. When it returned in the fall, it lasted 13 more episodes before being cancelled due to low ratings.
Cast
- Bill Bixby...Matt Cassidy
- Mariette Hartley...Jennifer Barnes
- George Coe...Dick Novak
- Tracey Gold...Susan Barnes
- G. W. Bailey...Albert Addelson
- Stephanie Faracy...Valerie Wood
- Charles Levin...Sam Holliday
- Jim Staahl...Frank Fletcher
- Todd Susman...Augie Kleindab
Episode guide
Season 1
| Episode # | Production Code | Episode Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 167901 | Pilot | April 2, 1983 |
| 2 | 167902 | "The Out-of-Towner" | April 9, 1983 |
| 3 | 167904 | "The Source" | April 16, 1983 |
| 4 | 167903 | "Custody" | April 23, 1983 |
| 5 | 167905 | "Please Stand By" | April 30, 1983 |
Season 2
| Episode # | Production Code | Episode Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 185334 | "Hooking for Mister Goodbar" | October 1, 1983 |
| 7 | 185333 | "What's Good for the Goose" | October 8, 1983 |
| 8 | 185331 | "A Felon Needs a Girl" | October 15, 1983 |
| 9 | 185332 | "Invasions of Privacy" | October 22, 1983 |
| 10 | 185335 | "Popsicle" | October 29, 1983 |
| 11 | 185336 | "Our Man in the Slammer" | November 5, 1983 |
| 12 | 185338 | "Looking Forward to the Past" | November 12, 1983 |
| 13 | 185338 | "Happy Medium" | November 19, 1983 |
| 14 | 185340 | "Valerie's Fan" | December 3, 1983 |
| 15 | 185337 | "An Old Flame Flickers" | December 17, 1983 |
| 16 | 185341 | "Peace on Earth (aka Deadline)" | January 4, 1984 |
| 17 | 185342 | "The Consumer's Best Friend" | January 11, 1984 |
| 18 | 185343 | "Lost and Foundering" | January 18, 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 | | |||