Ed (TV series)

infobox Television
show_name = Ed


caption =
format = comedy-drama
runtime = 42 mins
creator = Jon Beckerman Rob Burnett
starring = Tom Cavanagh Julie Bowen Rachel Cronin Josh Randall Jana Marie Hupp Lesley Boone Michael Ian Black Justin Long Daryl "Chill" Mitchell Mike Starr
country = USA
network = NBC
first_aired = October 8, 2000
last_aired = February 6, 2004
num_seasons = 4
num_episodes = 83
list_episodes = List of Ed episodes
imdb_id = 0247091

"Ed" is an NBC television program produced by David Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated from 2000–2004.

The hour-long comedy-drama starred Tom Cavanagh as Edward Jeremy Stevens, the protagonist, Julie Bowen as his love interest Carol Phyllis Vessey, Josh Randall as his friend Dr. Mike Burton, Jana Marie Hupp as Mike's wife Nancy, Lesley Boone as their friend Molly Hudson, and Justin Long as awkward high-school student Warren Cheswick. Other supporting cast members included Michael Genadry and Ginnifer Goodwin as Warren's friends Mark and Diane, and Michael Ian Black, Mike Starr, Rachel Cronin, and (later) Daryl Mitchell as the employees of Stuckeybowl, Ed's bowling alley. Long term guest stars included John Slattery as Dennis Martino and Sabrina Lloyd as Frankie Hector. The show was created by executive producers Jon Beckerman and Rob Burnett. [cite news |work=The Futon Critic |title=On the Futon with... "The Knights of Prosperity" creators Rob Burnett & Jon Beckerman |first=Brian Ford |last=Sullivan |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/rant.aspx?id=20070307_knights |date=2007-03-07] David Letterman is also credited as one of the show's executive producers.cite news |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |title=It's prime time for 'Late Show' writers |first=Rob |last=Owen |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/tv/20001008ed5.asp |date=2000-10-08]

"Ed" received casting, writing, and directing Emmy nominations in 2001. Tom Cavanagh received a Golden Globe nomination and a TV Guide Award for his work on the program.

In 2004, despite a campaign by fans to keep the series on the air, NBC cut the show from their lineup because of poor ratings.

Premise

The show revolved around Cavanagh's Ed Stevens, a hotshot New York lawyer who on the same day is both fired from his job (for a misplaced comma that cost the firm $1.6 million) and discovers that his wife is sleeping with a mailman (the wife makes a point that it is not their mailman in particular, but another mailman).

Deciding to spend some time in his home town of Stuckeyville, Ohio, he is reunited with friends that he has missed, as well as Carol Vessey, a woman he had a crush on in high school.cite news |title=Dog Boy Saves NBC! Believe the hype: Ed is a good, weird time. |url=http://www.slweekly.com/index.cfm?do=article.details&id=1CD7E63E-2BF4-55D0-F1F4C24F4C625201 |work=Salt Lake City Weekly |first=Bill |last=Frost |date=2000-11-30] Determined to win Carol's heart, he decides to stay, buying a rundown bowling alley and setting up a new law firm in the process, being nicknamed the "Bowling-Alley Lawyer" ("I am a lawyer, I own a bowling alley. Two separate things"). [cite news |work=CNN |title=Tom Cavanagh of 'Ed' |first=Lori |last=Blackman |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2000/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/15/sbtst.cavanagh/ |date=2000-11-17]

"Ed" also had a number of running gags, such as Phil (Michael Ian Black) hatching ludicrous schemes usually to gain fame and/or fortune, and ten-dollar bets between Ed and Mike that would require one of them to do something extremely embarrassing.

Episodes

Production

The pilot

While the premise of the show hinges on the changes in Ed's life in New York and his initial return to Stuckeyville, the pilot which illustrated these events was not aired as part of the series. A summary using footage from the pilot, however, did appear at the beginning of the first regular episode.

In addition, the pilot also contained some notable casting choices, with Donal Logue portraying Phil and Janeane Garofalo guest-starring as Ed's ex-wife Liz. Michael Ian Black replaced Logue as Phil in re-shot scenes of the first episode and for the entire series, and a number of different actresses played Liz in her few appearances (for example, Lea Thompson played the character in several episodes near the end of the series).

The show was originally called "Ed," then titled "Stuckeyville" when in development at CBS and then renamed "Ed" again when it was picked up by NBC. [cite news |work=San Francisco Chronicle |title=`Ed' Has That Letterman Touch |first=Paul |last=Iorio |date=2000-09-24 |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/09/24/PK95844.DTL]

Locations

Although set in the fictitious town of Stuckeyville, Ohio, the majority of the series was actually shot in various towns in northern New Jersey including Hillsdale, Haworth, Westfield, Cranford, Nutley, Ridgewood , Harrington Park and Northvale. Many of the street names and towns mentioned on the show are real New Jersey street and town names.

Stuckeybowl was actually the former Country Club Lanes in Northvale, NJ, and also served as the show's headquarters. Many of the show's other sets were built in a cleared out portion of the bowling alley such as the interiors of Stuckeyville High School, the courtroom, and The Smiling Goat. Country Club Lanes went out of business several years ago, and was completely demolished in the late Spring of 2006, to make room for new housing.

Theme song

The opening credits theme song for the majority of the show's run was "Next Year" by Foo Fighters [cite news |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-28436309_ITM |work=Variety |title=Ed (review) |first=Laura |last=Fries |date=2000-10-02] , except during the entire second season when Clem Snide's "Moment in the Sun" was used. Season three reverted back to "Next Year" in the United States, after resolving the "complicated business reasons" that prevented its use the previous year. [cite news |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |title=TV Preview: 'Ed' creators hope to keep show fresh |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/tv/20020925ed5.asp |first=Barbara |last=Vancheri |date=2002-09-25] "Moment in the Sun" continued to be used outside the U.S., although the end credits list "Next Year" as the opening theme.

A framed Foo Fighters poster hung on the wall of Stuckeyville High School principal Molly Hudson's office.

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0247091|title=Ed
*imdb name|id=0065637|name=Jon Beckerman
*imdb name|id=0122427|name=Rob Burnett
*epguides|id=Ed|title=Ed
* [http://www.stuckeyville.com/ Virtual Stuckeyville fan community]