Over the years, many TV series have been named after their lead characters. Because we allow these characters into our living rooms everyday/week, it is easy for us to get on a one-name basis with them. Below is a chronological list compiling the full names of 13 duos throughout TV history. At the end of each entry are the years that the series was in production.
1. Amos Jones and Andrew Hogg Brown ("Andy") of "Amos and Andy"- (1951-1953)
2. Nanny & the Professor (Phoebe Figalilly and Harold Everett)- (1970-1971)
3. Chico and the Man (Chico Rodriguez and Ed Brown)- (1974-1978)
4. Dave Starsky and Ken Hutchinson ("Hutch")- (1975-1979)
5. Laverne De Fazio and Shirley Feeney- (1976-1983)
6. Tenspeed (E.L. "Early Leroy" Turner, played by Ben Vereen) and Brown Shoe (Lionel Whitney, played by Jeff Goldblum) of "Tenspeed and Brown Shoe"- (1980)
7. Rick Simon and Andrew Jackson (A.J.) Simon of "Simon and Simon"- (1981-1988)
8. Christine Cagney and Mary Beth Lacey of "Cagney and Lacey"- (1982-1988)
9. Kate McArdle and Allie Lowell of "Kate and Allie"- (1984-1989)
10. Kenan Rockmore and Kel Kimble- (1996-1999)
11. Malcolm McGee and Eddie Sherman- (1996-2000)
12. Dharma Finkelstein and Greg Montgomery of "Dharma and Greg"- (1997-2002)
13. Will Truman and Grace Adler- (1998-2006)
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51 comments:
Aw, Nanny and the Professor! Loved that show, even if it was a blatant Mary Poppins rip off. And Phoebe Figalilly has to be one of the great character names ever! Poor 10 Speed and Brownshoe -- looks like they didn't even make it a season.
Um, I hate to gloat (no, actually, I love to gloat) but I got to you before you got to me AGAIN this week!
I didn't know many of these (their real names that is). Great idea for this week. I used to love watching Kate and Allie, as well as Laverne and Shirley. I saw Malcolm and Eddie for the first time the other day (just b/c it was on right after Diff'rnt Strokes) and it was pretty funny.
www.mamapj.com
You never really think of these dynamic duos having entire names. I knew quite a few of them. Laverne and Shirley's last names always came up. I sure didn't know Amos and Andy's last names. You must have been watching Nanny & the Professor on Hulu (lol). Tenspeed & Brown Shoe is another blast from the past. Early?
I didn't know some of the duo's, only Starsky & Hutch, Cagney & Lacey and the more recent ones.
My TT is about reiki.
I used to really like Cagney and Lacey. Starsky and Hutch is on reruns here, but sadly it hasn't aged well at all.
I MISS Laverne & Shirley. I was also a big fan of Will & Grace, and Dharma and Greg.
You come up with such neat stuff!
Smiles,
Holly
http://theabundanceplace.com
I love the list. I have old TV Themes. Nanny and the Professor was one of my favorites, too.
SJR
The Pink Flamingo
http://thepinkflamingo.blogharbor.com/blog
I always love you TT's and the popculture lists. You bring back a lot of memories for me!
By wife went into labour whilst watching Mary Beth deliver in Cagney and Lacey. And she never said a word until after the show!
I remember about half of those. I wouldn't be your pick for a partner in Trivial Pursuit!
That TT certainly brings back a few memories. Cagney & Lacey was a fave of mine. And maybe I am being a purist, but I think Chico & The Man stopped in 1977, regardless of what sad excuse for the show may have been broadcast in 1978.
The Gal Herself: If you want to stroll down memory lane, you can watch episodes of "Nanny and the Professor" on a new site called Hulu.com. The site has several classic and recent series available to view for free!
I was disappointed when "Tenspeed and Brown Shoe" was cancelled after less than a season. I think it was one of Stephen J. Cannell's best series.
Yeah, you beat me again damnit!
Holly Smith: If your cable company/satellite service carries WE TV, you can catch reruns of "Kate and Allie". I used to watch it sometimes after work until my cable company moved WE to a higher channel that I don't get. :-(
On what channel are you watching "Malcolm and Eddie" and "Diff'rent Strokes"? Chances are I don't get the channel, but you never know.
Pjazzy: I've been kinda tied up with things so I haven't had time to check out Hulu.com lately. I'll try to catch an episode of something during lunch tomorrow.
In an episode of "Tenspeed and Brown Shoe", Tenspeed explained that he was named "Early Leroy" because he was a premature baby. I saw that episode only once nearly 30 years ago and that stuck with me after all this time. It's funny the things you remember/forget.
Tink: I am curious to see your T13 because I have heard the word "reiki". However, I can't remember what it is.
Robin: I was a big fan of "Cagney and Lacey" as well. Did you catch any of the reunion movies that they did in the 1990s? I saw at least the first one and it was pretty good. The chemistry that Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly shared when they were making the series was still there.
Holly: Thanks...it's always great to hear that people enjoy these little lists that I create. Believe me, this week was a bit of a struggle. One of the funniest sitcom episodes in TV history was when Laverne and Shirley needed money to buy cocktail dresses. To earn the money they served as guinea pigs for a weekend (Laverne couldn't sleep and Shirley couldn't eat). Did you ever see that one?
SJ: In case you are interested, you can watch episodes of "Nanny and the Professor" on a new free streaming video service called Hulu.com. Be prepared to spend some time on the site because they have hundreds of shows (both old and new).
Chelle Y.: Thank you!
Anthony: That's quite a story! That must mean that your son or daughter is about 23 years old now.
Kay: You never know. You might be pretty strong in Trivial Pursuit categories like History, Science, and Lit. Thanks for visiting.
Nicholas: If the producers of "Chico and the Man" and NBC were smart, they would have pulled the plug on the show when Freddie Prinze died. That show was garbage after his death.
Gosh this is very interesting to me. I have such a tough time naming people in stories and novels. I really struggle with it. I'm amazed at these names - some are so plain, while others so different.
Well done! Happy TT!
I never would have guessed the names of Nanny and the Professor!
That must have taken a lot of research to find all of those. Great TT.
http://wheretheroadtakesus.blogspot.com
Laverne and Shirley was one of my favorites shows growing up.fun list.
Happy T13!
Another trip down memory lane. What happened to the good ole' days of TV anyway? Happy TT:)
Hey Malcolm,
Like "Thea", "Different Strokes" and Malcolm and "Eddie" are on BET. Unfortunately you don't get that channel, but maybe you should holla at your cable provider because everybody gets BET nowadays, whether they want it or not. They also telecast "In Living Color" in the middle of the night.
Oh yeah "Kate and Allie" comes on afternoons on Women's Entertainment Channel (WE).
I LOVED Dharma and Greg. The episode with the duck is possibly one of the funniest ever on TV.
Never knew about the Ben Vereen show.
The only one I am really familiar with is Will & Grace--loved that show! Those two were hilarious together ;) Happy TT!
You listed a few old favorites of mine. Simon and Simon was especially fun to watch since I was a kid growing up in San Diego when it was on. Happy TT.
Hey Malcolm, thanks for bringing some of these shows to mind - I hadn't thought of them for years. I loved Kate and Allie, Cagney and Lacey, Starsky & Hutch...
One of my old favorites would also fit: Alias Smith and Jones. I was devastated when Pete Duel committed suicide, I think I was 11 years old...it was Christmas. Very sad.
I'm going to have the Nanny theme song in my head now...Isn't she the evil witch on Passions now?
2-5 7-9 and 12 feel like my friends from the past --that is funny
Cool idea! I did not know about half of them :o) Happy TT!
Those brought back a lot of memories.
I loved Dharma and Greg!
Great post. Did not know some those. Tenspeed and Brownshoe I do not remember at all...
Great list! Watched many of those (later shows) in my day!
I have no idea why, but Sanford and Son was the first thing to pop in my head. Apparently something about it stayed with me on a greater level than I ever knew. LOL.
Happy TT, Malcolm :)
~X
All of these are terrific duos. I would add Moonlighting, Remington Steel, Bosom Buddies...but you've made me realize that there aren't that many shows right now based on the chemistry of two main characters...not that I can think of quickly anyways.
Great list!
I was slow getting mine up today but here it is:
http://gnosticminx.blogspot.com/2008/04/goddesses-of-sort-13-favourite-female.html
Wow! It's amazing how characters' first names (or nicknames) become so ingrained in our pop culture psyche that we don't need last names to recognize them. Cool TT.
O.G. Claudia: Thanks! Coming up with the perfect name for one of your characters must be hard.
Sandy: Like The Gal Herself mentioned earlier, Phoebe Figalilly (aka Nanny) is a great name!
Siteseer: It took a little bit of leg work to fill in some of the wholes, but I mainly pulled this from memory (I remember the strangest things) and a great reference book called "The Complete Directory of Prime Time Network and Cable Shows".
Adelle: L&S was solid until the producers made the mistake of moving the characters to California.
Lori: I think there is still plenty of quality TV being made today. Because we have so many options, the crap may outweigh the quality stuff... who knows. I also feel that there was a lot of substandard TV back in the old days. The thing is, we rarely see it in reruns and therefore it gets forgotten.
Pjazzy: Thanks for the info. If I get the urge, I might contact Charter.
Journeywoman: I just watched the "Duck" episode of "Dharma and Greg" on You Tube... not bad. "Captain, my captain".
Bethany: I thought "Will and Grace" was a really good show until they went guest-star happy and started having celebs on practically every week.
Pussreboots: I used to watch "Simon and Simon" with my mother quite a bit. Good show, great theme song.
Barbara: I almost included "Alias Smith and Jones" on this T13. I have vague recollections of my mother watching this in prime time. I caught it in reruns on occasion in the 80s and a few years ago on The Encore Western Channel. That was truly a shame what happened to Peter Duel. They probably should have cancelled the show after his suicide.
Mistress of the D: Yes, Juliet Mills plays Tabitha the witch on "Passions". That is one way out soap, lol.
Marcia: I wish that Lifetime or somebody would bring back "Cagney and Lacey" (#8). I haven't seen it since the 90s.
Ivanhoe, Linda, and Teamouse: Thanks for commenting.
Toni: "Tenspeed and Brown Shoe" was kinda one of those "blink and you miss it" shows. It's too bad that ABC didn't give it more of a chance.
Colleen: Thank you.
Xakara: When it comes to sitcom duos, "Sanford and Son" is at or near the top of the list. I remember that we used to watch it every Friday night on NBC when I was a kid.
Candy: If this was strictly a list of great TV duos, it would have been quite different. I probably would have included Lucy and Ethel, Hawkeye and Trapper, and Max and 99 just to name a few. So many from which to choose.
If you haven't seen it, you should check out "Two and A Half Men". Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer have amazing chemistry. Another one of my favorite duos from recent years is Faith Ford and Kelly Ripa of "Hope and Faith". Although this may be blasphemous to some, Hope and Faith reminded me of Lucy and Ethel.
Hoyeya: Good point. I did a T13 last year on the real names of TV characters who used nicknames. I may dust that subject off again. Thanks for stopping by.
I just checked, and the channel is 46/BET. I'm sure you have it.
Holly: Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, BET is not a part of the cable package where I live. This makes no sense to me because BET is usu. one of those channels that is automatically included. It makes even less sense when you consider that BET Jazz is offered by my cable company.
Now I just want to stay home and watch old tv shows. Well, first I would have to find the old tv shows. I had forgotten all about Nanny and the Professor.
I will be checking out Hulu.com...And the vacuum cleaner will languish unused for another day. Oh, well.
Dang, forgot the link to my TT...
http://ratsinlabcancer.blogspot.com/2008/04/thursday-thirteen_17.html
Oh, I love me some Will. Happy TT!
Not just a cool informational list, but also a trip back through time. I'd never heard of Tenspped and Brownshoe.
Thank you kindly.
-Celticlibrarian
http://fremontlibraries.wordpress.com
This was so original! How in the world did you think of these! very entertaining!
http://www.luluspetals.blogspot.com/
Interesting! I learn all sorts of things reading TT lists.
~angelle
How could your forget the Dynmic Due Batman and Robin?
Nanny and the Professor, and Starsky and Hutch are the only two that I ever watched. I watched too much TV in my teen years.
Happy TT!
Julie: In case you haven't checked it out yet, Hulu.com can be addicting. Every time I visit the site, they have added new shows (old and new)!
Chris: Eric McCormack has been laying a little low since "Will and Grace" left the air. I checked imdb.com and found that he has several projects in post-production.
Calliope: Thank you. Because it was so short-lived, I thought that "Tenspeed and Brown Shoe" might be a show that some people wouldn't remember.
Lucy: What can I say? I have been a TV freak ever since I was little, lol.
Angelle: Glad to hear that I could kick some knowledge your way.
Randilin: Thanks for stopping by and commenting. To answer your question, I didn't forget Batman and Robin. If you'll notice, all of the duos are from TV series that were named after their characters. Since the show wasn't called "Batman and Robin", the Dynamic Duo weren't eligible for inclusion.
Denise: Starsky and Hutch were a couple of smart asses... which is one reason I liked them.
Aww, Kate and Allie. I used to watch the reruns when I was home sick as a kid. I loved Darma and Greg too. I wish it was still on. :)
I used to watch 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9. This was a great TT!
I remember alot of those. Chico And The Man, I only liked the song, love Starsky And Hutch, Laverne and Shirley was kool as .... (you can fill in the blank) ''thems be my gals'', i had to throw that in. Tenspeed and Brown Shoe was so weird, Simon and Simon I like (like Starsky and Hutch), Cagney and Lacey was ok, Malcolm and Eddie, I had to grow into, Will and Grace, blahh,
Im surprised that you don't have Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, and Flip Wilson.
5,8, 12 & 13 were all my favs. Happy TTing. Loved Mary Poppins too.
Once again you brought back a pleasant memory...as a little girl, I LOVED "Nanny and the Professor"! Even though, as "the gal herself" commented, it was a blatant Mary Poppins rip-off--with a bit of "I Dream of Jeannie" and "Bewitched" thrown in.
Jessica: I wouldn't be surprised if "Dharma and Greg" popped up on Nick At Nite or TV Land within the next few years.
Forgetfulone: I remember watching "Chico and the Man" on Friday nights right after "Sanford and Son". It's too bad that Freddie Prinze couldn't keep it together.
Mad Hatter: I can tell that you are quite the TV fan! We would have lots to talk about. Since this T13 featured exclusively fictional duos, I didn't include Columbo or Flip Wilson. :-)
Homemom3: I just remembered the episode of "Laverne and Shirley" where this guy (as a way to get back at them) scribbled Laverne and Shirley's phone number on the wall in a men's room. Laverne and Shirley then dressed as men to sneak into the bathroom in order to scrub it from the wall. Funny stuff!
Cindy: A few weeks ago I watched an episode of "Nanny and the Professor" on Hulu.com. Although it's not classic TV in my opinion, it was a pleasant trip back to my childhood days.
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