Nine to Five (TV series)

infobox Television
show_name = 9 to 5


caption = Main title card
format = Sitcom
runtime = 30 minutes
producers = Jane Fonda(1982-1983)
Bruce Gilbert(1982-1983)
James Komack(1983)
starring = Rita Moreno
Rachel Dennison
Valerie Curtin
Leah Ayres
Sally Struthers
Jeffrey Tambor
Peter Bonerz
Edward Winter, et al.
country = USA
network = ABC (1982-1983)
First-run syndication (1986-1988)
first_aired = March 25, 1982
last_aired = September, 1988
num_seasons = 5
num_episodes = 82
list_episodes =
imdb_id = |

"9 to 5" was an American situational comedy based on the 1980 film of the same name.

"Nine to Five" aired from 1982 to 1983 and from 1986 to 1988. The show, which aired on ABC (March 25, 1982-October 27, 1983) and in first-run syndication (1986-88), featured Dolly Parton's younger sister, Rachel Dennison, in Parton's role; Rita Moreno and Valerie Curtin took over Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda's roles, respectively. In the second version of the show, Sally Struthers replaced Moreno. A total of 82 episodes were filmed.

ABC Run

Cast changes were constant early on, as the show tried to find the right ensemble combination. Jeffrey Tambor was the original Franklin Hart during the spring 1982 run, but that fall Peter Bonerz replaced him in that role. He would remain throughout the rest of "9 to 5"'s ABC run. In another key element straight from the movie, was resident flunky to Mr. Hart, office snoop Roz Keith (Jean Marsh). Roz was responsible for digging up the personal dirt on the secretaries and to help Hart scheme his way to the very top. Season two also saw the addition of Herb Edelman as fatherly salesman Harry Nussbaum, who became an ally to Violet, Judy and Doralee in their schemes against Mr. Hart. Another co-worker, Clair (Ann Weldon), became a regular.

Jane Fonda, who played Judy in the film version, acted as executive producer during the show's first two seasons. However, she quit the show after a dispute over the direction of the show. Her co-producer Bruce Gilbert went with her. Prior to the start of season three, veteran TV actor and producer James Komack stepped in to replace Fonda and Gilbert. His vision for the show caused many changes, which tried to add a new angle without taking the premise away from the original movie and TV format. Valerie Curtin was let go for the purposes of replacing Judy Bernly with a younger, 20-something secretary, Linda Bowman (Leah Ayres). She instantly became friends with Violet and Doralee, so much that she subsequently became a roommate of theirs in Violet's apartment. Also inhabiting this living arrangement was Violet's 12-year-old son Tommy (played by Tony La Torre, in between his stints on CBS' oft-cancelled "Cagney & Lacey"). Salesman Nussbaum was also replaced with the much younger, and noticeably sexier Michael Henderson (George Deloy), and Komack also found no more use for office snoop Roz, as she was dropped. Additionally, the company setting changed from Consolidated Companies to American House. Viewers and critics alike denounced the new changes instantly, and the revised "9 to 5" sank so much lower in the ratings that it was cancelled just five episodes into the new season.

First-run syndication

As was often the case with many 1980s network sitcoms with cult audiences or initial success, that ended up cancelled prematurely for whatever reason, "9 to 5" resurfaced in first-run syndication in the fall of 1986. Valerie Curtin was back as Judy Bernly, who was still as man-hungry as ever, as was Rachel Dennison as the ever buxom but now-married Doralee. Assuming the starring role, in place of the unavailable Rita Moreno, was Sally Struthers as slightly naive single mother Marsha McMurray Shrimpton, who added fresh perspective to the group. For the second time in the TV series, the company that the lead characters worked for changed again, this time to Barkley Foods International. In the syndicated version, Franklin Hart was history; the girls' superiors were ladies' man Russ Merman (Peter Evans), Bud Coleman (Edward Winter), and Marsha's boss in the 1986-87 season, Charmin Cunningham (Dorian Lopinto). The following season, Vice President of Sales E. Nelson Felb (Fred Applegate) became Marsha's boss. The series enjoyed a revival in popularity, and with its additional seasons in syndication, "9 to 5" became eligble for reruns.

Cast

1982-1983 version

*Rita Moreno ... Violet Newstead
*Rachel Dennison ... Doralee Rhodes Brooks
*Valerie Curtin ... Judy Bernly (March 1982-May 1983)
*Peter Bonerz ... Franklin Hart (September 1982-October 1983)
*Herb Edelman ... Harry Nussbaum (September 1982-May 1983)
*Jean Marsh ... Roz Keith (March 1982-May 1983)
*Ann Weldon ... Clair (September 1982-October 1983)
*Jeffrey Tambor ... Franklin Hart (March-April 1982)
*Leah Ayres ... Linda Bowman (September-October 1983)
*George Deloy ... Michael Henderson (September-October 1983)
*Tony La Torre ... Tommy (September-October 1983)

1986-1988 version

*Sally Struthers ... Marsha McMurray Shrimpton
*Rachel Dennison ... Doralee Rhodes Brooks
*Valerie Curtin ... Judy Bernly
*Edward Winter ... William 'Bud' Coleman
*Dorian Lopinto ... Charmin Cunningham (1986-1987)
*Fred Applegate ... E. Nelson Felb (1987-1988)
*Art Evans ... Morgan
*Peter Evans ... Russ Merman
*James Martinez ... James

Trivia

*The show's famous title track from the movie, "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton, was of course used as the theme song for the TV series. However, during the first season run in spring 1982, Phoebe Snow performed the vocals. Starting in season two and through the end of the show's syndication run in 1988, Parton did sing the theme once again.
*The first season was on film in front of a studio audience but switched to videotape for the next season.
*The necklace that Rachel Dennison wears with her character's name on it was the same one worn by her sister, Dolly Parton, who played Doralee in the film version of "Nine to Five". It was given to her by her sister when the series began filming.
*One of the most infamous revamps James Komack made in the mercifully short third season was the structure of the opening title sequence. For one, the opening was now on videotape, as the show had already been produced for about a year. While Parton's "9 to 5" song and the beginning shots of the girls hitting alarm clocks remained, the sequence now displayed Violet Newstead walking out to the new office set while the following words were typed out on screen as the frame freezed: "Dear Sir, I hope you will disregard our computer error and send back the $14,000,000 check we sent you..". This unusual attempt at sly humor for opening credits continued when each cast member was shown for their credit; each actor had their name shown at the top of the screen, while a witty, observational remark about their character was typed again down below. The complete list went as follows: *RITA MORENO "Types 60 words per minute - no mistarks" *RACHEL DENNISON "Is it five yet?" *LEAH AYRES "Lives for coffee breaks" *GEORGE DELOY "A good reason to come to work" *TONY LA TORRE "Only five more years to shaving" *and PETER BONERZ as HART "low-watt industry power"Scenes of the girls on the opening also featured them in both the usual office setting and working in the company's warehouse, with hardhats on (Komack probably wanted to appeal to a wider audience by mixing white-collar work in with the profession of the sterotypical "working Joe").
*As ABC decided to pull the plug on "9 to 5" just a month into the third season, five episodes were only broadcast in the 1983-84 season, but two remain unaired.

External links

* (1982-1983 version)
* (1986-1988 version)
* [http://www.jumptheshark.com/forum/9-5/1424 Jump The Shark - 9 to 5]
* [http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=241 9 to 5 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards]