Room 222
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Room 222 | |
|---|---|
 Room 222 opening title |
|
| Format | Comedy-drama |
| Created by | James L. Brooks |
| Starring | Lloyd Haynes Denise Nicholas Michael Constantine Karen Valentine |
| Theme music composer | Jerry Goldsmith |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 112 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Gene Reynolds |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | 20th Century Fox Television |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC |
| Original run | September 11, 1969 – January 11, 1974 |
Room 222 is an American television comedy-drama produced by 20th Century Fox Television. The series aired on ABC from September 17, 1969, to January 11, 1974, for 112 episodes. The show was broadcast on Wednesday evenings at 9:00 PM (EST) for its first two seasons before settling into its best-known time slot of Friday evenings at 9:00 PM, following The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family and preceding The Odd Couple and Love, American Style.[1]
In 1970, Room 222 earned Emmy Awards in three categories: Outstanding New Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Michael Constantine), and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Karen Valentine).
Contents |
[edit] Cast
- Lloyd Haynes - Pete Dixon
- Denise Nicholas - Liz McIntyre
- Michael Constantine - Seymour Kaufman
- Karen Valentine - Alice Johnson
[edit] Recurring cast
- Howard Rice - Richie Lane
- Heshimu - Jason Allen
- Eric Laneuville - Larry
- Ta-Tanisha - Pamela
- Judy Strangis - Helen Loomis
- David Jolliffe - Bernie
- Pendrant Netherly - Al Crowley
- Pamela Peters - Laura
- Carol Green - Kim
- Bruno Kirby - Herbie Constadine
- Ty Henderson - Cleon
- Hollis Irving - Miss Evans
- Patsy Garrett - Miss Hogarth
- Carol Worthington - Miss Portnoy
- Ivor Francis - Mr. Dragon
[edit] Synopsis
The series focused on an American history class at the fictional Walt Whitman High School in Los Angeles, California, although it also depicted other events at the school. The class, held in Room 222, was taught by Pete Dixon (Lloyd Haynes), an idealistic African-American teacher. Other characters featured in the show were the school's compassionate guidance counselor, Liz McIntyre (Denise Nicholas), who was also Pete's girlfriend; the dryly humorous school principal, Seymour Kaufman (Michael Constantine), and the petite and enthusiastic Alice Johnson (Karen Valentine), a student teacher. Also shown was Patsy Garrett as Mr. Kaufman's secretary, Miss Hogarth. In addition, many recurring students were featured from episode to episode.
Pete Dixon delivered gentle lessons to his students in tolerance and understanding. Students admired his wisdom, insight and easygoing manner. The themes of the episodes were sometimes topical, reflecting the current political climate (the late 1960s and early to mid-1970s such as the Vietnam War, women's rights, race relations and Watergate). However, most plots were timeless and featured themes common to teenagers of any era. For example, the 1974 episode entitled "I Didn't Raise My Girl to Be a Soldier?" deals with parent-teenager issues and gender role issues.
The show featured many actors who went on to become major stars, such as Bruno Kirby, Bernie Kopell, Cindy Williams, Teri Garr, Jamie Farr, Rob Reiner, Anthony Geary, Richard Dreyfuss, Chuck Norris, Kurt Russell, and Mark Hamill. Child actor Flip Mark made one of his last screen roles in the 1969 episode "Funny Boy".
Room 222 was filmed at Los Angeles High School,(Los Angeles, California).[2]
Room 222's initial episodes garnered weak ratings and ABC was poised to cancel the program after one season. But the show earned several nominations at the 1970 Emmy Awards and ABC relented. After the series ended, the program entered syndication and was rerun on several television stations throughout the United States.
The theme song was composed by film composer Jerry Goldsmith, written in a 7/4 time signature.
[edit] DVD release
On March 24, 2009, Shout! Factory released Season 1 of Room 222 on DVD in Region 1. [1]
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season One | 26 | March 24, 2009 |
"Forty Years On": Featurette with all-new interviews with series creator James L. Brooks and cast members Denise Nicholas & Michael Constantine. |
[edit] References
- ^ Room 222 at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Closing credits of Room 222 (DVD)
[edit] External links
- Room 222 at the Internet Movie Database
- Room 222 at TV.com
- Room 222 overview from KFCPlainfield
- Room 222 at The Museum of Broadcast Communications
- Room 222 opening credits and theme song on YouTube
- Karen Valentine & Room 222 from Roy Hooper
