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Bagdad Cafe (TV series)

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Bagdad Cafe
GenreSitcom
Based onBagdad Cafe by Percy Adlon
Developed by
  • Mort Lachman
  • Sy Rosen
Directed byPaul Bogart
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes15
Production
Executive producers
ProducerMichael Mount
Running time23 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseMarch 30, 1990 (1990-03-30) –
July 27, 1991 (1991-07-27)

Bagdad Cafe is an American television sitcom starring Whoopi Goldberg and Jean Stapleton that aired on CBS. The series premiered March 30, 1990,[1][2] and ran two seasons before being cancelled in winter 1990. The last two episodes aired in July 1991. The show is based on the 1987 Percy Adlon film Bagdad Cafe.

Cast

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In this version, Jasmine was not German.

Production

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The series was shot in the conventional sitcom format, in front of a studio audience.[3] The show did not obtain a sizable audience, being forced to compete with ABC's Top 20 hit Family Matters and was cancelled after two seasons.[4]

Insiders say that production of the series ended on November 16, 1990, after a dispute between Goldberg and the show's co-executive producer, Thad Mumford.[5] Executive producer Kenneth Kaufman was told that Goldberg called CBS president Jeff Sagansky in late November to say that she was quitting the show.[4] With no time to recast Goldberg's role, CBS ended the series and pulled the remaining episodes from the broadcast schedule.[4]

Episodes

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Fifteen episodes were produced, and are registered with the United States Copyright Office.[6]

Season 1 (1990)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code [6]
11"Pilot"Paul BogartMort Lachman & Sy RosenMarch 30, 1990 (1990-03-30)101
22"When You're Hot, You're Hot"UnknownUnknownApril 6, 1990 (1990-04-06)103
33"You Say It's Your Birthday"UnknownUnknownApril 13, 1990 (1990-04-13)102
44"Too Many Cooks"UnknownUnknownApril 27, 1990 (1990-04-27)106
55"Breakdown"UnknownUnknownMay 4, 1990 (1990-05-04)105
66"Art"UnknownUnknownMay 11, 1990 (1990-05-11)104

Season 2 (1990–91)

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No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code [6]
71"This Bird Has Flown"UnknownUnknownSeptember 28, 1990 (1990-09-28)204
82"Not Enough Cooks"UnknownUnknownOctober 5, 1990 (1990-10-05)201
93"City on a Hill"UnknownUnknownOctober 26, 1990 (1990-10-26)202
104"Sixteen Candles"UnknownUnknownNovember 2, 1990 (1990-11-02)205
115"I Got a Crush on You"UnknownUnknownNovember 9, 1990 (1990-11-09)206
126"Rainy Days and Mondays"Paul BogartVicki S. HorwitzNovember 16, 1990 (1990-11-16)207
137"Hell Hath No Fury"UnknownUnknownNovember 23, 1990 (1990-11-23)203
148"Over My Dead Body"UnknownUnknownJuly 27, 1991 (1991-07-27)208
159"Prisoner of Love"Paul BogartVictor FrescoJuly 27, 1991 (1991-07-27)209

Reception

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Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly rated the series a C, saying that "rarely has a bad sitcom been better acted". Despite being impressed with the acting from Stapleton and Little, Tucker was disappointed that the producers did not hire better writers, to match the quality of the movie on which the series is based.[3] Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times said the show's premiere "doesn't click tonight, it yields no laughs".[2] However, John J. O'Connor of The New York Times remarks that "the stars seem to be enjoying themselves immensely", and compliments the director of the pilot noting, "Paul Bogart, a sitcom miracle worker, directs the first episode with enough aplomb to qualify himself as a master illusionist".[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b O'Connor, John J. (March 30, 1990). "TV Weekend; Open Season on Husbands as Comedy Stars Return". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
  2. ^ a b Rosenberg, Howard (March 30, 1990). "TV Reviews - Goldberg, Stapleton Team in 'Bagdad Cafe'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
  3. ^ a b Tucker, Ken (March 30, 1990). "Bagdad Cafe". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
  4. ^ a b c Harris, Mark (December 21, 1990). "Goodbye to Bagdad Cafe". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2020-12-05. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
  5. ^ Puig, Claudia (November 27, 1990). "TV & Video". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-07-09.
  6. ^ a b c From the United States Copyright Office catalog: "Public Catalog - Copyright Catalog (1978 to present) - Basic Search". United States Copyright Office. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
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