Emeril (TV series)
| Emeril | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Linda Bloodworth-Thomason |
| Starring | Emeril Lagasse Lisa Ann Walter Sherri Shepherd Carrie Preston Robert Urich |
| Composer | Bruce Miller |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 (3 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Linda Bloodworth-Thomason Harry Thomason |
| Producers | Adrienne Crow Barbara Stoll |
| Editor | Leo Papin |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies | Mozark Productions NBC Studios |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | September 25 – November 11, 2001 |
Emeril is an American sitcom starring Emeril Lagasse as himself. It aired on Tuesday nights on NBC from September 25, 2001 to November 11, 2001 from 8:00-8:30 EST. A total of 10 half-hour episodes were produced over one season, but only 7 aired.
Cast
- Emeril Lagasse as himself
- Lisa Ann Walter as Cassandra Gilman
- Carrie Preston as B.D. Benson
- Robert Urich as Jerry McKenney
- Sherri Shepherd as Melva LeBlanc
- Mary Page Keller as Nora Lagasse
Development
Having lost her development deal at CBS, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason sought to build a show around TV chef Emeril Lagasse. ABC passed on the show, even though Lagasse was appearing at that time on Good Morning America as a food correspondent.
NBC had high hopes for the show, as it was created by Bloodworth-Thomason, however the show was savaged by many critics, one calling it a train wreck. Lagasse was said to be hesitant to participate in the project.[1] The show was in the middle of filming when the September 11 terrorist attacks occurred;[2] the show was scheduled to premiere on September 18, a week after the attacks, but was delayed by a week. Despite this, the opening sequence still featured the World Trade Center towers standing. The show was never able to find much of an audience as a result and the sitcom quietly went off the air by November 2001.
Bloodworth-Thomason had planned for the show to be "a very sophisticated, grown up comedy, "and would "do for men what the women did for Designing Women."[3] However, a regime change at NBC left the show without any defenders at executive levels.[4]
After the poorly received first pilot,[5] the show was revamped turning the focus from Emeril's fictionalized home life to life on the set of a fictional version of Lagasse's Food Network show. A food stylist was added to the cast, as well as the additional casting of Robert Urich as Emeril's agent.[1] The show was produced by Mozark Studios in association with NBC Studios.[6]
The kitchen on the show was fully functional, and Lagasse would cook for the cast and staff.[7]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Fat" | Harry Thomason | Dan Cohen & F.J. Pratt | September 25, 2001 | TBA |
| 2 | "Fifteen Minutes" | Harry Thomason | Pamela Norris | October 2, 2001 | TBA |
| 3 | "Blind Dates" | Harry Thomason | David Nichols | October 9, 2001 | TBA |
| 4 | "Whose Life Is It Anyway?" | Harry Thomason | Linda Bloodworth-Thomason | October 16, 2001 | TBA |
| 5 | "The Sopranos Come to Dinner" | Harry Thomason | Linda Bloodworth-Thomason | October 23, 2001 | TBA |
| 6 | "Halloween" | Harry Thomason | Linda Bloodworth-Thomason | October 30, 2001 | TBA |
| 7 | "The Sidekick" | Harry Thomason | Dan Cohen & F.J. Pratt | November 11, 2001 | TBA |
| 8 | "Snow Day" | Harry Thomason | Pamela Norris | Unaired | TBA |
| 9 | "The Retreat" | TBD | TBD | Unaired | TBA |
| 10 | "One Man's Cornbread" | TBD | TBD | Unaired | TBA |
Reception
The E! show 101 Biggest Celebrity Oops ranked the sitcom at #51.[8] The LA Times called the show "pretty dreadful."[5] USA Today was kinder to the show, giving it 2 1/2 out of 4 stars. The review cited the show's improvement, stating that it may yet be a great sitcom and "but it's moving in the right direction, notch by notch. Like many series of late, this sitcom for star cable chef Emeril Lagasse has gone through a near-total overhaul since its barely-a-work-in-progress pilot was previewed to general dismay".[9]. The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present noted that show was at its best when Emeril was cooking. [10]
Awards
The show received an Emmy nomination for Art Direction For A Multi-Camera Series. [11]
In popular culture
The retooling of the show was parodied on the October 13, 2001 episode of Saturday Night Live.[12]
See also
References
- ^ a b From Scratch:Inside the Food Network (2013) Allen Salkin
- ^ https://tvline.com/2017/08/17/carrie-preston-emeril-nbc-lagasse-chef-sitcom/
- ^ "Tuned In: NBC still stirring 'Emeril' sitcom". Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ^ https://tvline.com/2017/08/17/carrie-preston-emeril-nbc-lagasse-chef-sitcom/
- ^ a b ROSENBERG, HOWARD (25 September 2001). "NBC Sitcom 'Emeril' Missing Some Essential Ingredients". Retrieved 29 September 2016 – via LA Times.
- ^ https://variety.com/2002/more/news/2002-emmy-nominees-part-iii-1117869883/
- ^ https://tvline.com/2017/08/17/carrie-preston-emeril-nbc-lagasse-chef-sitcom/
- ^ "101 Biggest Celebrity Oops". 2 March 2004. Retrieved 29 September 2016 – via IMDb.
- ^ "'Emeril' has right recipe". Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ^ Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable Shows 1946-Present, (2007) Brooks, M and Marsh, E. Ballentine
- ^ https://variety.com/2002/more/news/2002-emmy-nominees-part-iii-1117869883/
- ^ "Watch TV Funhouse: Fun with Real Audio - NBC Retools Emeril from Saturday Night Live on NBC.com". Retrieved 29 September 2016.
