Roundhouse (TV series)

Roundhouse
Genre	Sketch comedy Variety
Created by	Buddy Sheffield Rita Sheffield Hester
Written by	Bernie Ancheta Becky Hartman-Edwards Sheila R. Lawrence Nancy Neufeld Callaway Buddy Sheffield Rita Sheffield
Directed by	Rita Sheffield Ron Andreassen Bruce Gowers Gary Halvorson Paul Hoen Linda Mendoza Dennis Rosenblatt Kent Weed
Theme music composer	Buddy Sheffield
Composer(s)	Benny Hester Eric Hester Frank Musker James Raymond Marty Walsh
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	52
Production
Location(s)	Nickelodeon Studios (Season 1) CBS Studio Center (Season 2-4)
Running time	22–24 minutes
Production company(s)	Rebel Entertainment
Broadcast
Original channel	Nickelodeon
Original run	August 15, 1992 (1992-08-15) – January 27, 1996 (1996-01-27)

Roundhouse is an American sketch comedy television series that aired on Nickelodeon from August 15, 1992 through January 27, 1996.

Background

Roundhouse debuted as a part of the original SNICK lineup on Nickelodeon in 1992 and continued airing on the network through 1996.

Buddy Sheffield, a former writer for In Living Color, and Rita Sheffield Hester created and produced the series. Recording artist Benny Hester was the music producer as well as co-producer of the series. They titled the show in reference to the roundhouses used by railroad companies to turn trains around and get them on the right track. This was in line with the show's theme song, in which the characters stated "we can go anywhere from here". In addition, the stage for the show mirrored the interior of a roundhouse.

Episode format

Each episode revolved around the Anyfamily and their problems in daily life. The half-hour show, taped in front of a visible live audience, was broken up into sketches, dance sequences, and musical performances by both cast members and the house band. After everything is resolved story-wise, a cast member would say the words "Reprise the Theme Song and Roll the Credits", the cast then sang the theme song a cappella with a dance to close the show off. All music used on the show was written specifically for Roundhouse. Crystal Lewis and Shawn Daywalt were the principal vocalists for many of the songs in the first season. After Lewis left the series to pursue a career in Christian contemporary music, she was replaced by Lisa Vale, who left the series after Season 2 and was replaced by Amy Ehrlich and Jennifer Cihi for Season 3. Natasha Pearce became the series principal vocalist in Season 4, but Vale returned for the said season as well.

Cast

• Bryan Anthony(Season 4)
• Alfred Carr Jr.
• Jennifer Cihi (Season 3)
• John Crane
• Mark David
• Shawn Daywalt
• Ivan Dudynsky
• Micki Duran
• Amy Ehrlich (Season 3)
• Seymour Willis Green
• Crystal Lewis (Season 1)
• Dominic Lucero (Seasons 1 and 3)
• Shawn Muñoz (Season 3)
• David Nicoll (Season 4)
• Natalie Nucci
• Natasha Pearce (Season 4)
• Julene Renee
• David Sidoni
• Lisa Vale (Seasons 2 and 4)

Dominic Lucero

Following the first season of Roundhouse, cast member Dominic Lucero was diagnosed with lymphoma. He left the show for treatment, returning in several episodes in the show's third season. During the show's fourth season, Lucero died on July 1, 1994 at the age of 26. The final episode, however, was dedicated to his memory ("This one's for our friend Dominic, who couldn't be here"). His illness was unknown to the viewing audience, because at Lucero's request, his condition was not to be made public. His name and picture remained in the opening credits for the entirety of the show.

Roundhouse Band

• Jack Kelly - drums
• John Pena - bass
• James Raymond - keyboards
• Marty Walsh - guitar
• Will MacGregor - bass (Season 3)
• Abe Laboriel Jr. - drums (Season 4)

Episode guide

Season 1

• New Kid in Town (Pilot)
• You Can't Fire Your Family
• Last One Picked
• School Daze
• First Date
• Abusement Park
• TV on Trial
• Meat Market
• The Clock Strikes Back
• Conflict
• Lifestyles
• The School Play
• What If?

Season 2

• The Game of Popularity
• Environment
• Pets
• Step Family Feud
• In Trouble
• Independence
• Fears
• Best Friends
• And Baby Makes Three
• Summertime Blues
• Technobabble
• The Economy

Season 3

• Happy Holidays
• Women vs. Men
• Gang Violence
• Jealousy
• Talent
• Rock Stars
• Greed
• Prejudice
• Generation Gap
• Puberty
• Privacy
• Self-Esteem
• The Joke's On You
• Running Away
• Lies

Season 4

• The Big Quake
• Summer Camp
• Change
• Nobody's Perfect
• Dropout
• The History of Anyfamily - Part I
• The History of Anyfamily - Part II
• Justice
• Superstitions
• Stress and Success
• Obsession
• War & Peace
• Endings

Production notes

Sets

The first season was filmed on Stage 19 at Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando, Florida. Remaining seasons were shot on Stage 4 at CBS Studio Center in Hollywood, California.

Awards and nominations

Year	Result	Award	Category	Recipient
1993	Won	Young Artist Awards	Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Youth Series or Variety Show	Cast
1994	Nominated		Outstanding Youth Ensemble in a Cable or Off Primetime Series	Cast
1993	Won	CableACE Award	Original Song ("I Can Dream")	Benny Hester and Buddy Sheffield
1995	Nominated		Original Song ("Second Chance")	Eric Hester
1994	Won	Youth In Film Awards	Best Original Song ("Can't Let Go")	Benny Hester and Marty Walsh –
1994	Won	Ollie Award	Excellence in Television Programming for America's Children - American Center for Children's Television –	Roundhouse Producers –

Syndication

YTV in Canada also aired the series during its initial run on Nickelodeon. After the show ceased production in 1994, reruns aired on both BET and MTV.

VHS release

To date, two episodes have been released on VHS.

Episode	VHS Title
"New Kid In Town"	SNICK: Volume 1: Nick SNICKS Friendship
"You Can't Fire Your Family"	SNICK: Volume 2: Nick SNICKS The Family

External links

• Roundhouse at the Internet Movie Database
• Roundhouse at TV.com
• Easychair Expressway - Fan Website
• Down at the Roundhouse