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Head over Heels (American TV series)

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For the 1993 British drama series, see Head over Heels (UK TV series).
Head over Heels
Promotional image for Head Over Heels
GenreSitcom
Created byJeff Franklin
StarringPeter Dobson
Mitchell Whitfield
Eva LaRue Callahan
Cindy Ambuehl
Patrick Bristow
ComposersPaul Buckley
Jonathan Wolff
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerJeff Franklin
ProducersPamela Putch
Andrew Gottlieb
Vince Cheung and Ben Montanio
Production locationsLos Angeles, California
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesJeff Franklin Productions
Columbia TriStar Television
Original release
NetworkUPN
ReleaseAugust 26 –
October 28, 1997

Head Over Heels is an American television sitcom created by Jeff Franklin that aired for one season on United Paramount Network (UPN) from August 26, 1997 to October 28, 1997. The series revolves around the brothers Jack and Warren Baldwin (played by Peter Dobson and Mitchell Whitfield, respectively), who own the Head Over Heels video dating agency based in Miami Beach. The episodes include their employees, who are portrayed by Eva LaRue, Patrick Bristow, and Cindy Ambuehl in supporting roles.

Scenes frequently use sex comedy. Andrew Gottlieb was a co-producer for the show, while Vince Cheung and Ben Montanio were its consulting producers. Initially cast as the main characters' mother, Connie Stevens was removed from Head Over Heels after the pilot episode was retooled.

Head Over Heels was the lowest-performing show tracked by Nielsen Holdings for the 1997–1998 television season. Even though UPN primarily markets its programming to black audiences, the show received attention for not having a black main character. Through its inclusion of the bisexual Ian, Head Over Heels was one of 30 programs in the television season to feature a gay, lesbian or bisexual character. Critical response to the series was primarily negative; television critics panned its humor and characters.

Premise and characters

Set in Miami Beach,[1] the series revolves around the Head Over Heels video dating agency, operated by the brothers Jack and Warren Baldwin (Peter Dobson and Mitchell Whitfield, respectively) with the intention to “help people find love and make a reasonable profit”.[2][3] Throughout the episodes, they are shown as opposites of one another.[4] Warren is characterized as "better-mannered" and more involved in the business than his "lecherous" brother.[1][5] While Jack is portrayed as a ladies' man who dates clients,[3][6] Warren still loves his estranged wife who had an affair with a professional football player.[6] As a child, Jack looked up to Jim Lange, the host of The Dating Game, as his hero.[7]

The Head Over Heels staff includes two romance counselors: Carmen (Eva LaRue) and Ian (Patrick Bristow).[1][2] While working as a "romance engineer" for the dating service,[8] Carmen is completing a Ph.D. on human behavior and sexuality;[2] she identifies herself as a feminist.[9] Ian, who is bisexual and celibate, is frequently questioned about his sexuality,[1][3] and former stripper Valentina (Cindy Ambuehl) is a receptionist who is knowledgable about computers.[2][5] Karen Dior, Bernie Kopell, and Jim Lange guest-starred in an episode.[10][11]

Television critics noted that Head Over Heels frequently uses sex comedy,[1][5][12] with The Washington Post's Tom Shales referring to it as a "smutcom".[5] Alan Frutkin of The Advocate compared the series to the sitcoms Friends and Married... with Children.[10] Storylines include a policy that bans the agency's employees from dating their clients,[2] Jack using Cap'n Crunch as an alias on chat rooms to seduce women,[9] and Valentina saying she would open the mail topless for $1,000 a week.[13]

Production

A black-and-white image of a woman with long hair and a low-cut dress. She is smiling toward the camera.
Cast as the main characters' mother, Connie Stevens (pictured in the 1960s) was removed from the show following "a creative change".[14]

Created and executively produced by Jeff Franklin, Head Over Heels was handled by Montrose Productions in association with Jeff Franklin Productions and Columbia TriStar Television.[2] Due to Franklin's previous work on the sitcom Full House, Dusty Saunders of Rocky Mountain News wrote: "I still wonder if Franklin isn't ridding himself of a lot of sexual TV frustration, after all those years with fictional giddy family members."[15] While Pamela Putch and Andrew Gottlieb worked as additional producers for the series, Vince Cheung and Ben Montanio were consulting producers. Even though the show was set in Miami Beach, filming took place in Los Angeles.[2] Matthew Diamond directed three episodes, while Amanda Bearse and Asaad Kelada each did one.[11] Jonathan Wolf and Paul Buckley composed the show's music.[2]

Connie Stevens was initially cast as the Baldwins' mother in a recurring capacity.[8][14] According to a New York Daily News writer, United Paramount Network (UPN) had chosen Head Over Heels for production due to Stevens.[14] However, the network removed the actress from the project due to "a creative change".[14] In the original pilot episode, the mother was portrayed as the dating agency's original owner, and she had passed it down to her sons.[14] Characterized as "cavorting bimbo of a mother",[16] she has a relationship with a Hispanic personal trainer, and frequently talks about having sex with him.[6][8] In the revised pilot, references to the history of the dating company and the Baldwins' involvement were removed.[14] Despite the casting changes, a Turner Classic Movies contributor described Head Over Heels as "resurrect[ing] the acting career of Connie Stevens".[17] During the production of the second pilot, LaRue was added to the show after her character (Maria Santos) was removed from the soap opera All My Children.[14][18]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUS viewers
(millions)
1"One Down"Matthew DiamondJeff FranklinAugust 26, 1997 (1997-08-26)[11]—
Warren Baldwin institutes a policy that bans Hand Over Heels employees from dating the clients, but he is unable to adhere to it himself.
2"Gigolo Guy"Matthew DiamondJon RossSeptember 2, 1997 (1997-09-02)[11]—
Jack Baldwin is targeted by a photo studio owner, while Ian's macho brother visits the agency.
3"Game Show Guy"Matthew DiamondJeff FranklinSeptember 9, 1997 (1997-09-09)[11]—
Warren hosts a game show based on the Head Over Heels dating service.
4"Vice Guy"Amanda BearseFran KauferSeptember 16, 1997 (1997-09-16)[11]—
Jack encourages his employees to avoid their vices for a week.
5"Witness Guy"Paul KreppelAndrew GottliebSeptember 23, 1997 (1997-09-23)[11]—
The dating agency works with a client who is part of witness protection.
6"Hot Guy"Paul KreppelJeff FranklinSeptember 30, 1997 (1997-09-30)[11]—
Valentina and Carmen fight over an attractive client.
7"Spider Guy"Asaad KeladaJeff FranklinOctober 14, 1997 (1997-10-14)[11]2.1[19]
When Warren is admitted to the hospital, Jack is left as the primary boss of the agency. The employees become concerned with Jack's unorthodox business practices, including recruiting clients from a retirement home.
8"Reunion Guy"Mark K. SamuelsJeff FranklinOctober 28, 1997 (1997-10-28)[11]—
While attending their high school reunion, Warren and Jack try to impress their former classmates and prove they are successful and desirable.

Broadcast history

A black-and-white image of a man with short dark hair and a sweater with a white shirt underneath. He is looking toward the camera.
Patrick Bristow (pictured) plays a bisexual character on Head Over Heels, making it one of 30 shows in the 1997–1998 television season to feature a LBGT role.[20]

Head Over Heels was one of three new shows that UPN ordered for the 1997–1998 television season, alongside the sitcoms Hitz and Good News.[21] It was part of the network's decision to push its prime-time schedule into four nights a week.[22] The cast for Head Over Heels does not feature a black actor, even though UPN primarily targets its programming towards black audiences;[8] the network president Dean Valentine denied accusations that he was "abandoning the black audience or turning down projects featuring black stars and producers".[23]

Through the character Ian, Head Over Heels was one of 30 programs in the 1997–1998 television season to feature a gay, lesbian or bisexual character.[20] When discussing Ian's sexuality, Patrick Bristow said that the character has "a rich, rich and spotted past".[8] Sociologist Suzanna Danuta Walters wrote that Ian, along with Wallace Langham's role on the sitcom Veronica's Closet, represented a trend in which "homosexuality is a running gag" and characters are in denial about their sexuality.[24]

Airing after Hitz,[1] Head Over Heels was broadcast on Tuesday nights at 9:30 pm EST;[2] it was originally scheduled for 8:30 EST.[4][15] The series carried a TV-PG parental rating,[25] due to suggestive language and sexual situations.[9] However, Deseret News' Scott Pierce felt that it should have received a TV-14 rating due to its sexual content.[13] The series attracted a weekly average of just 2.3 million viewers;[12] for the premiere, the rating was 3.8/6.[26] It tied with the sitcom Alright Already as the lowest-performing show tracked by Nielsen Holdings for the television season.[27]

Head Over Heels was the first show canceled in the 1997–1998 television season;[12][28] even though 13 episodes were ordered,[12] only eight were broadcast.[11] Despite reports that Head Over Heels would air through November,[12] the final episode was shown on October 28, 1997.[11] Dobson and Whitfield appear in all eight episodes, while Ambuehl and LaRue are in four and Bristow is in seven.[29]

Critical reception

Head Over Heels received a negative response from television critics. According to E! News' Joal Ryan, the series was known as the "Worst New Show of the Season" upon its release.[12] Criticism was primarily targeted toward its sexual humor,[1][3][13][28] with a Deseret News writer criticizing its "tasteless, vulgar jokes about sexual performance, orgasms and bodily functions".[30] Rocky Mountain News's Dusty Saunders panned Head Over Heels as an unsuccessful attempt to emulate Friends.[15] Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times referred to the series as "the mother of all asinine sitcoms [and] a show with as much weight as a G-string".[16] While criticizing Head Over Heels as a miss for UPN, Tom Shales wrote that its humor "doesn't come off as ugly and vicious" as the sitcom Cuts.[5]

Critics had a primarily negative response toward the characters; some commentators described the representation of its female characters as sexist.[6][9] David Zurawik of The Baltimore Sun criticized the series for its representation of women, citing Valentina and the Baldwins' mother as negative examples.[6] Even though he praised the opening titles as similar to the crime drama Silk Stalkings, Adam Sandler of Variety had a more negative response to the characters; he wrote that Diamond "has given his cast every cliche imaginable to either articulate or act out".[2] The Los Angeles Daily News Keith Marder panned the series as "a mess of ridiculous caricatures and poor taste".[31] Alternatively, Tom Shales praised Patrick Bristow as a scene stealer and Valentina's portrayal as skilled with technology as "a cute touch".[5]

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Boedeker, Hal (August 26, 1997). "UPN Goes On The Offensive With Its 2 Foul And Repulsive Sitcoms UPN". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Sandler, Adam (August 26, 1997). "Head Over Heels". Variety. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b c d Carman, John (August 25, 1997). "UPN Stoops To Conquer Good Taste". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b Pierce, Scott D. (May 21, 1997). "UPN adds 4 more sitcoms". Deseret News. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ a b c d e f Shales, Tom (August 25, 1997). "UPN Fall Scoreboard: 1 Hit, 2 Misses". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b c d e Zurawik, David (August 25, 1997). "UPN specializing in crude sitcoms Previews: If Andrew (Dice) Clay is your cup of tea, you'll gulp down UPN's latest lemons". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Terrace (2009): p. 657
  8. ^ a b c d e Hill, Michael E. (August 24, 1997). "UPN Trots Out Three New Sitcoms; `Clueless' Joins Next Month". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help) (subscription required)
  9. ^ a b c d Grahnke, Lon (August 26, 1997). "Dating games fall flat in `Heels'". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help) (subscription required)
  10. ^ a b Frutkin, Alan (September 16, 1997). "The Best Fall Television". The Advocate (742): 55. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Episodes". TV Guide. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ a b c d e f Ryan, Joal (October 3, 1997). "UPN Clubs "Head"; Gumbel's Got Droopy "Eye"". E! News. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ a b c Pierce, Scott (August 25, 1997). "UPN premieres 3 new sitcoms". Deseret News. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g "New Star for 'Sun': Roseanne Appearing in '3rd Rock' Opener". New York Daily News. August 12, 1997. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ a b c Saunders, Dusty (August 25, 1997). "UPN stumbles with 'Head Over Heels'". Rocky Mountain News. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help) (subscription required)
  16. ^ a b Rosenberg, Howard (August 25, 1997). "A Wobbly Start, That's for Sure". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ "Biography". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Talking With..." People. September 8, 1997. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "Game 2 of Series Slides into Top 10". Rocky Mountain News . October 23, 1997. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help) (subscription required)
  20. ^ a b "TV finds more room for gays; GLAAD says record 30 gay characters will be featured in new and returning shows. (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, 1997-98 season)". Broadcasting & Cable. August 18, 1997. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help) (subscription required)
  21. ^ Jicha, Tom (May 21, 1997). "UPN: Three New Shows, `Clueless'". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ "UPN Expanding Prime-time Offerings". Chicago Tribune. May 21, 1997. Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ Braxton, Greg (December 20, 1997). "UPN denies giving up on its black viewers". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help) (subscription required)
  24. ^ Walters (2003): p. 117
  25. ^ "'Hitz': New UPN sitcom has feet of (Andrew Dice) Clay". The Standard-Times. August 26, 1997. Retrieved July 22, 2018. {{cite web}}: no-break space character in |work= at position 21 (help)
  26. ^ Hontz, Jenny (August 28, 1997). "UPN Tuesday series bows drop from '96". Variety. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  27. ^ "What ranked and what tanked". Entertainment Weekly. May 29, 1998. Archived from the original on July 12, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ a b "Worst of Tube". People. December 29, 1997. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  29. ^ "Cast". TV Guide. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  30. ^ "UPN is making changes but not enough". Deseret News. September 1, 1997. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ Marder, Keith (September 14, 1997). "Season's Best, Worst Shows". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help) (subscription required)

Book sources

  • Terrace, Vincent (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 Through 2007: F-L. Jefferson: McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-3305-6.
  • Walters, Suzanna Danuta (2003). All the Rage: The Story of Gay Visibility in America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-87232-7.

External links

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