Makin' It
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Makin' It | |
---|---|
Genre | Sitcom |
Creator(s) | Mark Rothman Lowell Ganz Garry Marshall |
Starring | David Naughton Greg Antonacci Denise Miller Ellen Travolta Lou Antonio |
Opening theme | "Makin' It" |
Country of origin | ![]() |
Language(s) | English |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Production | |
Producer(s) | David W. Duclon Deborah Leschin Jeffrey Ganz |
Executive producer(s) | Thomas L. Miller Edward K. Milkis Lowell Ganz Mark Rothman |
Camera setup | Multi-camera |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Broadcast | |
Original channel | ABC |
Original run | February 1, 1979 – March 16, 1979 |
Links |
Makin' It was a short-lived sitcom starring David Naughton, who later starred in An American Werewolf in London, as a disco dancer in the late 1970s. The series only lasted eight episodes, airing on Fridays at 8:00PM on ABC from February 1 through March 16, 1979 before being canceled. It also aired in the United Kingdom on ITV from April 25 through June 13, 1979[1].
The show was set in Passaic, New Jersey and was about the daily life of Billy Manucci, a young man who frequented the local disco club, "Inferno," at night while working at an ice cream parlor called "Tasty Treats" during the day. Manucci was highly influenced by the disco craze and the movie Saturday Night Fever specifically.
Robert Stigwood, the producer of Saturday Night Fever as well as the Bee Gees' manager, was involved in the show's creation, as was Garry Marshall[2].
Contents |
[edit] Cast
- David Naughton - Billy Manucci
- Greg Antonacci - Tony Manucci
- Denise Miller - Tina Manucci
- Ellen Travolta - Dorothy Manucci
- Lou Antonio - Joseph Manucci
- Ralph Seymour - Al "Kingfish" Sorrentino
- Rebecca Balding - Corky Crandall
- Jennifer Perito - Ivy Papastegios
- Gary Prendergast - Bernard Fusco
- Wendy Hoffman - Suzanne
[edit] Episodes
No. | Title | Original Airdate |
---|---|---|
1 | "Staying Alive" | February 1, 1979 |
2 | "Art Auction" | February 2, 1979 |
3 | "Big Brother is Watching" | February 9, 1979 |
4 | "Fun, Fun, Fun (Part 1)" | February 16, 1979 |
5 | "Fun, Fun, Fun (Part 2)" | February 23, 1979 |
6 | "Something for Ma" | March 2, 1979 |
7 | "Tony's Homecoming" | March 9, 1979 |
8 | "Friends for Life" | March 16, 1979 |
[edit] Trivia
- Ellen Travolta, John Travolta's sister, played Billy Manucci's mother in the series, but was actually only eleven years older than Naughton himself.
- The theme song, sung by David Naughton, reached #5 on the Billboard Top 40 charts in 1979[3]. It entered the Top 40 on May 12, nearly two months after the show had been canceled.
- The show replaced the canceled Donny & Marie in the 8:00PM Friday time slot.
[edit] References
- ^ Mark Lewisohn, Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy, foreword by Ronnie Barker (London: BBC Worldwide Publishing, 2002)
- ^ Ibid.
- ^ Billboard Top 40 Hits of 1979