Barefoot in the Park (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = Barefoot In The Park
format = Sitcom
runtime = 30 minutes per episode
executive_producer = William P. D'Angelo
starring = Scoey Mitchell
Tracy Reed
Thelma Carpenter
Nipsey Russell
Harry Holcombe
Vito Scotti
country = USA
network = ABC
first_aired = September 24, 1970
last_aired = December 17, 1970
num_episodes = 12
imdb_id = 0065276|

"Barefoot in the Park" was an American television situation comedy based on a Neil Simon Broadway play, debuting in 1970 ("The Odd Couple" was another). Most of the cast members on the program were black, making it the first United States television situation comedy since Amos 'n' Andy to have a predominately black cast (Vito Scotti was the sole major white character). "Barefoot in the Park" had also been a successful 1967 film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.

On the television show, Scoey Mitchell played Paul Bratter, a newlywed black attorney for the law firm Kendricks, Keene & Klein. He lived in lower Manhattan with his wife, Corie (played by Tracy Reed). The show was basically a slice of life situation comedy about surviving in New York City. Other regulars included Thelma Carpenter as Corie's mother, Mable Bates, Harry Holcombe played Mr. Kendricks, Vito Scotti played Mr. Velasquez and Nipsey Russell rounded out the cast as local pool hall owner, Honey Robinson.

The show premiered on Thursday, September 24, 1970, at 9:00 pm, on ABC-TV (It was the lead-in show for another program that also debuted on September 24, "The Odd Couple"). It was produced by William P. D'Angelo and various episodes were written or directed by much of the same team that had developed "The Odd Couple" (Jerry Paris, Harvey Miller, Bruce Bilson and Garry Marshall among others).

Only 12 episodes were produced. Scoey Mitchell did not get along with the producers and was fired after the 12th was completed.

Trivia

* Dead End Kids alumnus Huntz Hall and actor Jackie Coogan appeared on the 10th episode, aired December 3, 1970 and entitled "Disorder in the Court" (which gets its title from the 1936 Three Stooges short).
* Susan Harris, who was to become the creator and writer of the situation comedies "Soap" and "The Golden Girls", wrote the third episode, aired October 8, 1970 and entitled "You'll Never Walk Alone", a reference to the title of the closing song from the musical "Carousel".
* Penny Marshall made one of her earliest television appearances on the fourth episode of the series, aired October 5, 1970 and entitled "In Sickness and in Health". As a side note, Marshall's later co-star of the mid 1970s television success "Laverne and Shirley", Cindy Williams, appeared on the sixth episode, which aired on October 29, 1970 and was entitled "The Marriage Proposal".

Episode list

External links

*imdb title|0065276|Barefoot in the Park