Sydney (TV series)
| Sydney | |
|---|---|
 Craig Bierko, Valerie Bertinelli & Matthew Perry in Sydney | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Michael J. Wilson Douglas Wyman |
| Written by | Michael J. Wilson Billy Van Zandt Jane Milmore |
| Directed by | Lee Shallat-Chemel Iris Dugow Art Wolff Robert Berlinger John Ratzenberger |
| Starring | Valerie Bertinelli Matthew Perry Craig Bierko Daniel Baldwin Barney Martin |
| Theme music composer | Eddie Van Halen Alex Van Halen |
| Opening theme | "Finish What Ya Started" performed by Van Halen |
| Composer | Mason Cooper |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Pamela Grant |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 22–24 min |
| Production companies | Oomp & Friends Productions Gold Hat Entertainment Grant/Tribune Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | March 21 – June 25, 1990 |
Sydney is an American sitcom television series starring Valerie Bertinelli, Matthew Perry and Craig Bierko that aired on CBS from March 21 to June 25, 1990. It was created and written by Michael J. Wilson and Douglas Wyman. This series marked Valerie Bertnelli's return to a CBS series after One Day at a Time ended back in 1984.[1][2]
Synopsis
Sydney Kells (Valerie Bertinelli), the daughter of a now-deceased policeman, brings her New York City detective agency (in which she is the only investigator) back to her hometown and her family, including her over-protective brother Billy (Matthew Perry), himself a rookie cop. As she struggles to balance her personal and professional life, the main source of her work comes from an uptight lawyer (Craig Bierko), with whom she shares sexual chemistry. She and her best friend Jill (Rebeccah Bush) frequent a neighborhood bar run by Ray (Barney Martin), her father's old police partner.[3]
Cast
- Valerie Bertinelli as Sydney Kells
- Matthew Perry as Billy Kells
- Craig Bierko as Matt Keating
- Barney Martin as Ray
- Rebeccah Bush as Jill
- Perry Anzilotti as Perry
- Daniel Baldwin as Cheezy
- Georgia Brown as Linda Kells
Theme song
Bertinelli convinced then-husband Eddie Van Halen to grant permission for the Van Halen song "Finish What Ya Started", from their 1988 album OU812, to be used as the opening theme song to Sydney.[4]
Guest appearances
Pat Harrington, Jr., who appeared with Bertinelli in the long-running CBS sitcom One Day at a Time, guest starred as a rival private investigator in the seventh episode of the season, which was directed by Cheers regular John Ratzenberger. Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore, who acted as creative consultants on the show, also made various guest appearances. Chazz Palminteri played Tony in the episode "Love Ya, Babe", three years prior to his big screen breakout in A Bronx Tale. Other guest actors included Yeardley Smith, Kevin Dunn, Annabelle Gurwitch, Tony Longo, Andy Dick and Michael E. Knight.[5]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "You? You're a Private Eye?" | Lee Shallat Chemel | Maria A. Brown, Michael Wilson | March 21, 1990 |
| 2 | "Promises, Promises" | Iris Dugow | Maria A. Brown, Michael Wilson | March 28, 1990 |
| 3 | "Cliffhanger" | Lee Shallat Chemel | Maria A. Brown, Michael Wilson | April 4, 1990 |
| 4 | "Love Ya, Babe" | Lee Shallat Chemel | Maria A. Brown, Michael Wilson | April 11, 1990 |
| 5 | "She Loves Me" | Lee Shallat Chemel | Maria A. Brown, Michael Wilson | April 18, 1990 |
| 6 | "I Gotta Be Me" | Lee Shallat Chemel | Maria A. Brown, Michael Wilson | April 23, 1990 |
| 7 | "Georgie" | John Ratzenberger | Maria A. Brown, Michael Wilson | April 25, 1990 |
| 8 | "The Me Nobody Knows" | Iris Dugow | Maria A. Brown, Michael Wilson | May 2, 1990 |
| 9 | "Sydney's Mom" | Art Wolff | Maria A. Brown, Michael Wilson | May 23, 1990 |
| 10 | "36-24-36" | Art Wolff | Maria A. Brown, Michael Wilson | June 4, 1990 |
| 11 | "On a Claire Day" | Robert Berlinger | Maria A. Brown, Michael Wilson | June 11, 1990 |
| 12 | "Jake" | Ellen Gittelsohn | Maria A. Brown, Michael Wilson | June 18, 1990 |
| 13 | "Chicken a la Matt" | Lee Shallat Chemel | Maria A. Brown, Michael Wilson | June 25, 1990 |
References
- ^ "TV Review: Sydney". Entertainment Weekly. March 30, 1990.
- ^ "Sydney". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
- ^ "Valerie Bertinelli plays private eye 'Sydney' in new comedy". The Charleston News and Courier. April 11, 1990.
- ^ "Bertinelli plays private detective". The Daily News. April 11, 1990.
- ^ "Sydney Kells". www.thrillingdetective.com. Retrieved 2020-06-02.