Caroline_in_the_City
| Caroline in the City | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Format | Sitcom |
| Created by | Fred Barron Dottie Dartland Marco Pennette |
| Starring | Lea Thompson Eric Lutes Malcolm Gets Amy Pietz Andy Lauer |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 97 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Fred Barron Dottie Dartland Marco Pennette |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | NBC |
| Original run | September 21, 1995 – May 11, 1999 |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Caroline in the City is an American sitcom that ran from September 21, 1995, to May 11, 1999, on the NBC television network. It starred Lea Thompson as cartoonist Caroline Duffy. The series premiered in the two-hour Thursday night block led by Friends.
Contents |
Premise
Caroline Duffy is a cartoonist living in a Manhattan loft. She spends many episodes searching for a husband and meddling in the lives of those around her.
Richard, her new colorist, develops feelings for her towards the end of the first season. He writes her a love letter and leaves it in a pile of wedding 'thank-you' cards. In it he tells her to meet him at Remo's, an Italian restaurant which appears in most episodes, if she loves him. She shows up, and Richard kisses her, but doesn't explain himself, but it turned out that Caroline didn't get any letter. Richard realizes that since Caroline is about to marry Del there is no place in her life for him and decides to leave Manhattan and start a new life in Paris.
Richard fails to sell enough paintings to stay in Paris, and moves back to Manhattan. The box of 'thank-you' cards with his love letter ends up at one of Caroline's friend's apartment as they plan a wedding. Annie finds the love note, and uses it to torture Richard.
Later Caroline discovers that she has feelings for Richard when he suddenly met on Manhattan his Italian ex-girlfriend Julia, but when Caroline left a message on his answering machine telling that she loves him Julia erased it. Then Richard and Julia got married, prompting a bitter love triangle between the three.
Towards the end of the series, Caroline and Richard do start dating. However, the show ended on a cliffhanger note -- as Caroline was about to get married to another man (Randy), Richard (who had broken up with Caroline over not wanting children, once he discovered he'd fathered a child with his former Italian fiancee) is shown at the wedding. Since the program was cancelled after that episode aired, the cliffhanger was never resolved.
Characters
Caroline Duffy
Played by Lea Thompson. She was a cartoonist (author of the eponymous comic strip). She is from Peshtigo, Wisconsin and often tries to make everyone like her. She also has serious trouble not meddling in the lives of everyone around her. She was engaged to Del during the first season, but the marriage never took place and their friendship remained intact. She develops a contemporary attraction to Richard, however she does not develop it as early as him during the series. As her relationship with Richard seemed impossible she was temporarily dating a veterinarian Joe (during season 2), businessman Trevor (during season 3) and school time friend from Peshtigo, Randy (season 4).
Del Cassidy
Caroline's sometimes boyfriend, played by Eric Lutes. They were engaged to be married during the first season, but broke it off in the season finale. Del worked at his father's greeting card company, but after he was fired he had to build his own business later in the series. Caroline becomes one of his only suppliers at this company, Eagle Greeting Cards.
Richard Karinsky
The colorist for the Caroline in the City comic strip, played by Malcolm Gets. He was in love with Caroline. Caroline and Richard did end up having a relationship. There was no love lost between him and Del because of Del's relationship with Caroline and Del's lack of intelligence.
Richard is highly sarcastic, especially to Annie. He is a struggling artist (painter) who usually lives in slummy parts of New York. A few times he had chances for his big break, but it always ended up as failure.
Annie Spadaro
Caroline's across the hall neighbor and best friend, played by Amy Pietz. Annie was a dancer in the Broadway production of Cats. After meeting Shadoe Stevens in LA she quits her job in Cats and rushes to California to shoot pilot for tv series. Unfortunately she gets fired from it and since she can't move back to Broadway she becomes unemployed until end of the series. She is somewhat promiscuous and wears unusual styles. Her mother Angie and brother Pete were recurring characters on the show.
After Richard writes Caroline a love letter which he later regrets, Annie by accident manages to get her hands on it and makes several copies. She uses the copies to blackmail him in a couple of times.
Charlie
Played by Andy Lauer. He was a delivery boy in Del's father company and after Del was fired they became partners in new company Eagle Greeting Cards. In last season he has moved to Europe.
Remo
Played by Tom La Grua. Italian owner of restaurant Remo's Ristorante where other characters usually have dinner or spend time. Remo's Ristorante was mentioned in Richard's love letter to Caroline which later was used by Annie's sister to write song Meet me at Remo's.
Joe DeStefano
Played by Mark Feuerstein. Veterinarian who used to date Caroline and came close to moving in to her apartment for good. His character disappears from series after he confessess to Caroline that he slept with his ex-girlfriend.
Julia Mazzone Karinsky
Played by Sofia Milos. At the beginning of the series she was Richard's love of his life (as he calls it 'sincere amore' - love that you don't have to question) and during season 3 she becomes his wife. She's from Italy where they first met. She is spoiled daughter of Italian businessman who didn't approve her relationship with Richard and tried to destroy him (first physically then economically).
Trevor
Played by Robert Gant. Caroline's boyfriend during the season 3. He owns a computer company and german shepherd dog. His character disappears in last episode of season 3 when Caroline rushes to Spain to meet Richard and Julia - Trevor realised that he will never win a place in Caroline heart over Richard.
Johnny
Played by John Mariano. Waiter in Remo's Ristorante. Usually takes part wherever Remo is.
Randy
Played by Anthony Tyler Quinn. Pediatrician, Caroline's schooltime friend (or boyfriend) from Peshtigo, Wisconsin. They meet in last season when Caroline's parents were selling their house. Since she grew up in this house she was trying to stop the sale and later was trying to buy it herself, but Randy already bought the house. When Caroline explained him how much this house means to her he agrees to sell it to her and rent it from her.
When he arrives to New York for the pediatricians seminary they meet again and Caroline realizes that she may still have some feelings for Randy despite that she is in relationship with Richard. When Richard left to Italy to take care of his son Annie brought Randy to cheer Caroline up which ended up with their wedding in last episode, but since the ending was suspended and never finished there isn't any answer to question if Randy became Caroline's husband.
Angie Spadaro
Played by Candy Azzara. Mother of Annie that constantly moves back to her daughter's flat which drives Annie crazy. During season 3 she got divorced.
Pete Spadaro
Played by Adam Ferrara. Brother of Annie that used to work in their father undertaking company. During the series he tries some other occupations influenced by Richard (electrician and artist painter).
elevator lady
Played by Cathy Ladman. Recurring character on the show - she was Caroline's neighbor from one of the upper floors. She often appears in key dialogues when someone enters the elevator. Also one of the episodes takes part in her flat.
Shelly
Played by Lauren Graham. Short time she was Richard's girlfriend. Richard was desperate to break up with her, but she always had reason not to.
Ratings
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Notable guest appearances
Thompson appeared as Caroline in the November 2, 1995 Friends episode "The One with the Baby on the Bus" soon after Caroline in the City debuted. [3]
Jane Leeves and David Hyde Pierce from the sitcom Frasier guest-starred as their characters Daphne Moon and Niles Crane in the 1995 episode "Caroline and the Bad Back;" Hyde Pierce appeared on the series again in 1996's "Caroline and the Cat Dancer" as a man hoping to win a role alongside Caroline's best friend Annie Spadaro in Broadway's Cats.[4] [5]
The Dick Van Dyke Show alumni Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam appeared as an elderly married couple in the 1996 episode "Caroline and the Watch." Amsterdam died later that year, making the episode his last television appearance; Marie later reprised her role in the 1997 episode "Caroline and the Kept Man."[6] [7]
Matthew Perry also made a guest appearance on the show, playing his original character from Friends: Chandler Bing.
Parodies
- The show was parodied on the cartoon Family Guy in one of its many off-topic scenes, in which Peter Griffin watches the show to "fool people into thinking he's gay."
- MadTV also parodied the show, portraying Caroline as dense and unaware of how to act out scenes, or that her co-star was gay (this part wasn't much of the parody since Malcolm Gets is actually gay[8]).
Timeslots
- September 1995 to July 1996 - Thursdays, 9:30 PM
- August 1996 to July 1997 - Tuesdays, 9:30 PM
- June 1997 to July 1998 - Mondays, 9:00 PM
- June 1998 to April 1999 - Mondays, 8:30 PM
DVD releases
CBS Home Entertainment released the first season of Caroline in the City on DVD in Region on August 12, 2008. Season 2 will be released on March 10, 2009. [1]
In Region 2, Revelation Films released all four seasons on DVD between August 2005 - June 2006.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Region 1 | Region 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete 1st Season | 24 | August 12, 2008 | August 22, 2005 |
| The Complete 2nd Season | 25 | March 10, 2009 | November 7, 2005 |
| The Complete 3rd Season | 26 | TBA | February 20, 2006 |
| The Complete 4th Season | 22 | TBA | June 26, 2006 |
References
- ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1990's
- ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1990's
- ^ Lea Thompson biography - IMDb.com
- ^ Jane Leeves profile - IMDb.com
- ^ David Hyde Pierce profile - IMDb.com
- ^ Rose Marie profile - IMDb.com
- ^ Morey Amsterdam profile - IMDb.com
- ^ Malcolm Gets [Dot] Com » Man in Chair Interview