Big Brother Jake
| Big Brother Jake | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Chris Auer |
| Directed by | Gary Shimokawa |
| Starring | Jake Steinfeld Barbara Meek Ben Siegler Josiah Trager Gabrielle Carmouche Jeremy Wieand Daniel Hifler Elizabeth Narvaez Melody Combs Rachelle Guzy Denise Devin Jane Connell |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 88 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Chris Auer |
| Producer | Christopher Frederick |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | NorthStar Entertainment Group Family Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | The Family Channel |
| Release | September 2, 1990 – April 10, 1994 |
Big Brother Jake is an American sitcom starring Jake Steinfeld that aired on The Family Channel[1] from September 2, 1990, to April 10, 1994. It is notable for being the first sitcom on The Family Channel.[2]
Plot
[edit]The show follows the life of Jake Rozzner (Steinfeld), a former Hollywood stuntman who returned to his Brooklyn foster home to help out his recently widowed foster mother, Connie "Ma" Duncan with her foster children. The foster family included Lou, Kateri, Jill, Andy, and Dave. Jill left the show after two seasons and a young, abandoned Asian girl, Caroline was in the care of Ma Duncan.[3]
Gary was Jake's good friend from high school who was now a Manhattan lawyer and Jane was Jake's former high school girlfriend. Miss Morgan was the social worker before being replaced with Miss Domedian. The older youngsters attended Frederick Douglass High School. Jake was the narrator of the show.[3]
Cast
[edit]- Jake Steinfeld as Jake Rozzner
- Barbara Meek as Connie "Ma" Duncan
- Ben Siegler as Gary MacClemore
- Josiah Trager as Loomis "Lou" Washington
- Gabrielle Carmouche as Kateri Monroe
- Jeremy Wieand as Andy King
- Daniel Hilfer as Dave King
- Elizabeth Narvaez as Jill Kenyon (1990–1992)
- Melody Combs as Jane O'Hara (1991–1993)
- Rachelle Guzy as Caroline (1992-1994)
- Denise Devin as Miss Meg Morgan (1990-1991)
- Jane Connell as Miss Roberta Domedian (1991-1994)
Episodes
[edit]Season 1 (1990–91)
[edit]| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Twin Pecs" | Gary Shimokawa | Ed Ferrara & Kevin Murphy | September 2, 1990 |
| 2 | 2 | "Who's Afraid of Thomas Wolfe?" | Unknown | Chris Auer | September 14, 1990 |
| 3 | 3 | "The 10% Solution" | Unknown | Chris Auer | September 21, 1990 |
| 4 | 4 | "Jake and the No. 2 Pencil" | Unknown | Chris Auer | September 28, 1990 |
| 5 | 5 | "Dinner for Eight" | Unknown | Chris Auer | October 5, 1990 |
| 6 | 6 | "The World of Mrs. Fong" | Unknown | Chris Auer | October 12, 1990 |
| 7 | 7 | "Dress Blues" | Unknown | Margaret Beddow Hatch | October 19, 1990 |
| 8 | 8 | "Satellites" | Gary Shimokawa | Jon Cooksey & Ali Marie Matheson | October 26, 1990 |
| 9 | 9 | "The Prodigal Dad" | Gary Shimokawa | Jon Cooksey & Ali Marie Matheson | November 2, 1990 |
| 10 | 10 | "What's Opera Jake?" | Unknown | Chris Auer | November 9, 1990 |
| 11 | 11 | "What's Wrong with This Picture?" | Gary Shimokawa | Maria A. Brown | November 16, 1990 |
| 12 | 12 | "The Rise and Fall of Vito Parchesi" | Unknown | Ed Ferrara & Kevin Murphy | November 23, 1990 |
| 13 | 13 | "They Call Me Mellow Cello" | Unknown | John Griffiths & Tom Sheppard | December 2, 1990 |
| 14 | 14 | "A Dreidel Spins in Brooklyn" | Unknown | Chris Auer & Jeffrey Sweet | December 9, 1990 |
| 15 | 15 | "Jake's Date" | Gary Shimokawa | Larry Balmagia | December 16, 1990 |
| 16 | 16 | "The Grocer Always Rings Twice" | Gary Shimokawa | Jim Lincoln | December 23, 1990 |
| 17 | 17 | "Stop Me Before I Paint Again" | Unknown | Maria A. Brown | December 30, 1990 |
| 18 | 18 | "Todd's Feast" | Gary Shimokawa | Chris Auer | January 6, 1991 |
| 19 | 19 | "Didn't You Used to Be Somebody Else?" | Unknown | Margaret Beddow Hatch | January 13, 1991 |
| 20 | 20 | "Marriage 101" | Unknown | Steve Sylvester | January 20, 1991 |
| 21 | 21 | "The Once and Future Kings" | Unknown | Jon Cooksey & Ed Ferrara & Ali Marie Matheson & Kevin Murphy | January 27, 1991 |
| 22 | 22 | "They Shoot Social Workers, Don't They?" | Unknown | Chris Auer & Stephen Wells | February 3, 1991 |
Season 2 (1991–92)
[edit]| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 1 | "Remodeling with the Enemy" | Gary Shimokawa | Chris Auer | September 1, 1991 |
| 24 | 2 | "Roberta's Flak" | Gary Shimokawa | Ed Ferrara & Kevin Murphy | September 8, 1991 |
| 25 | 3 | "Six Characters in Search of a Catcher's Mill" | Gary Shimokawa | Chris Auer | September 15, 1991 |
| 26 | 4 | "They're Not Booin', They're Louin'" | Gary Shimokawa | Jim Lincoln | September 22, 1991 |
| 27 | 5 | "Two Guys from Brooklyn" | Gary Shimokawa | Maria A. Brown | September 29, 1991 |
| 28 | 6 | "Dressed to Thrill" | Gary Shimokawa | Kris and Buzz McLaughlin | October 6, 1991 |
| 29 | 7 | "The Old Man and the C" | Gary Shimokawa | Jon Cooksey & Ali Marie Matheson | October 13, 1991 |
| 30 | 8 | "Friends and Big Women" | Gary Shimokawa | Michael Loman | October 20, 1991 |
| 31 | 9 | "It Came from Social Services" | Gary Shimokawa | Ed Ferrara & Kevin Murphy | October 27, 1991 |
| 32 | 10 | "An Immovable Feast" | Gary Shimokawa | Jon Cooksey & Ali Marie Matheson | November 24, 1991 |
| 33 | 11 | "Romeo, Juliet, Jake & Jill" | Gary Shimokawa | Sam Greenbaum | December 1, 1991 |
| 34 | 12 | "The Boys from Near Syracuse" | Unknown | Jim Lincoln | December 8, 1991 |
| 35 | 13 | "Open Season" | Gary Shimokawa | Chris Auer | December 15, 1991 |
| 36 | 14 | "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Unknown | Ed Ferrara & Kevin Murphy | January 5, 1992 |
| 37 | 15 | "True Lou" | Unknown | Mary Anne Cherry | January 12, 1992 |
| 38 | 16 | "The Son Also Rises" | Unknown | Jon Cooksey & Ali Marie Matheson | January 26, 1992 |
| 39 | 17 | "Five Easy Steps" | Gary Shimokawa | Kris and Buzz McLaughlin | March 1, 1992 |
| 40 | 18 | "The Song and Dance Man" | Gary Shimokawa | Stephen Wells | March 8, 1992 |
| 41 | 19 | "Presumed Guilty" | Gary Shimokawa | Arnie Wess & Dave DiGregorio | March 15, 1992 |
| 42 | 20 | "Who's Sorry Now?" | Gary Shimokawa | Chris Auer | March 22, 1992 |
| 43 | 21 | "Goodbye Ms. Phipps" | Gary Shimokawa | Steve Wells & Jim Lincoln | March 29, 1992 |
| 44 | 22 | "Reunion" | Gary Shimokawa | Lisa Swain | April 12, 1992 |
Season 3 (1992–93)
[edit]| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 1 | "Snap Decisions" | Unknown | Jon Cooksey & Ali Marie Matheson | October 4, 1992 |
| 46 | 2 | "Surprise, No Party" | Unknown | Arnie Wess & Dave DiGregorio | October 11, 1992 |
| 47 | 3 | "Louis Armstrong Slept Here" | Unknown | George Yanok | October 18, 1992 |
| 48 | 4 | "Just a Gigolo" | Unknown | Ed Ferrara & Kevin Murphy | October 25, 1992 |
| 49 | 5 | "Tis a Pity She's a Grouch" | Unknown | Story by : Cary McNeal Teleplay by : Ed Ferrara & Kevin Murphy | November 1, 1992 |
| 50 | 6 | "Fathers and Sons" | Unknown | Jim Lincoln | November 8, 1992 |
| 51 | 7 | "The Unbearable Politeness of Being" | Unknown | Jon Cooksey & Ali Marie Matheson | November 29, 1992 |
| 52 | 8 | "Symbolic Gesture" | Unknown | Sherri Ziff | December 6, 1992 |
| 53 | 9 | "Jake's Next Date" | Unknown | Terry Erwin | December 13, 1992 |
| 54 | 10 | "As Time Goes By" | Unknown | Jon Cooksey & Ali Marie Matheson | January 3, 1993 |
| 55 | 11 | "The Importance of Being Ernest" | Unknown | Ed Ferrara & Kevin Murphy | January 10, 1993 |
| 56 | 12 | "The Mousetrap" | Unknown | Chris Auer | January 17, 1993 |
| 57 | 13 | "Enemies: A Law Story" | Gary Shimokawa | Dave Rodgers & Dan Studney | January 31, 1993 |
| 58 | 14 | "It's All in Your Family" | Unknown | George Yanok | February 7, 1993 |
| 59 | 15 | "Heroes" | Unknown | Ben Siegler | February 21, 1993 |
| 60 | 16 | "The Apes of Wrath" | Unknown | Stephen Wells & Dennis Green | February 28, 1993 |
| 61 | 17 | "A League of His Own" | Unknown | Jim Lincoln | March 7, 1993 |
| 62 | 18 | "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" | Unknown | Ed Ferrara & Kevin Murphy | March 14, 1993 |
| 63 | 19 | "Front Window" | Unknown | Terry Erwin | March 21, 1993 |
| 64 | 20 | "Rebirth of a Salesman" | Unknown | Chris Auer | March 28, 1993 |
| 65 | 21 | "Cyrano Domedian" | Unknown | Jim Lincoln | April 11, 1993 |
| 66 | 22 | "Burma Shave" | Unknown | Chris Auer | April 18, 1993 |
Season 4 (1993–94)
[edit]| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 1 | "The Chocolate Bear War" | Unknown | Story by : Peter T. Kenny & Jim Lincoln Teleplay by : Jim Lincoln | September 12, 1993 |
| 68 | 2 | "Loneliness of the Long Distance Kateri" | Unknown | George Yanok | September 19, 1993 |
| 69 | 3 | "Awakenings" | Unknown | Jon Cooksey & Ali Marie Matheson | September 26, 1993 |
| 70 | 4 | "Desperately Seeking Daryl" | Unknown | Ed Ferrara & Kevin Murphy | October 3, 1993 |
| 71 | 5 | "Coup for Two" | Unknown | Chris Auer | October 10, 1993 |
| 72 | 6 | "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Bubba" | Unknown | George Yanok | October 17, 1993 |
| 73 | 7 | "The Buddy System" | Unknown | Jim Lincoln | October 31, 1993 |
| 74 | 8 | "Embrace You" | Unknown | Ed Ferrara & Kevin Murphy | November 7, 1993 |
| 75 | 9 | "Never on a Sundae" | Unknown | Tom Mardirosian | November 14, 1993 |
| 76 | 10 | "Rain Men" | Unknown | Julie Curtis Ames & Andrew Ames | November 21, 1993 |
| 77 | 11 | "Requiem for a Heavyweight" | Unknown | Jon Cooksey & Ali Marie Matheson | December 5, 1993 |
| 78 | 12 | "I'll Be Sick for Christmas" | Unknown | Chris Auer | December 12, 1993 |
| 79 | 13 | "The Not-Ready-for-Prime-Time Player" | Unknown | Ed Ferrara & Kevin Murphy | January 9, 1994 |
| 80 | 14 | "The Turkey and I" | Unknown | Barry Harman & Harve Brosten | January 23, 1994 |
| 81 | 15 | "The Lost Detail" | Unknown | Jon Cooksey & Ali Marie Matheson | February 13, 1994 |
| 82 | 16 | "And Baby Makes Two" | Unknown | Jon Cooksey & Ali Marie Matheson | February 27, 1994 |
| 83 | 17 | "How I Got Into College" | Unknown | Jim Lincoln | March 5, 1994 |
| 84 | 18 | "Lomax: A Suitable Case for Treatment" | Unknown | Ed Ferrara & Kevin Murphy | March 13, 1994 |
| 85 | 19 | "The Don is Done" | Unknown | George Yanok | March 20, 1994 |
| 86 | 20 | "The Charade's the Thing" | Unknown | Timothy Williams | March 27, 1994 |
| 87 | 21 | "Betty Blue" | Unknown | Jim Lincoln | April 3, 1994 |
| 88 | 22 | "My Own Private Dakota Park" | Unknown | Jim Lincoln | April 10, 1994 |
References
[edit]- ^ Cohn, Robert (October 3, 1990). "'Big Brother Jake' - a warm, affecting, ethnic situation comedy". St. Louis Jewish Light. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
- ^ "The Family Channel debuts its first sitcom". The Bradenton Herald. September 2, 1990. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
- ^ a b Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (9 ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. p. 138. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved 2024-07-18.