The Class
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Class | |
|---|---|
 Cast of The Class |
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| Genre | Sitcom |
| Starring | Andrea Anders Jon Bernthal Lizzy Caplan Jesse Tyler Ferguson Heather Goldenhersh Sean Maguire Jason Ritter |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of episodes | 19 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CBS |
| Picture format | 1.33:1 480i (SDTV), 1.78:1 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original run | September 18, 2006 – present |
| Links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
The Class is a television sitcom created by David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik. The show premiered at 8:00 p.m. on September 18, 2006 on CBS. It also airs in Canada on CTV, in Latin America on Warner Channel, and will premiere in the United Kingdom on Channel 4 in the coming months. Due to the overwhelming reputation of the creators, many networks (including NBC, FOX, and CBS) made bids for a full 13-episode season, prior to seeing a pilot. Ultimately, CBS won the bidding war with an undisclosed amount.[1]
As of October 9, 2006, CBS shifted the show to the 8:30 p.m. time slot, because its disappointing ratings were impacting the success of How I Met Your Mother in its sophomore year. The ratings then began to steadily improve, and CBS later ordered six more episodes of The Class, bringing the episode order for the first season to 19.[2] The Class ended its first season on March 5, 2007. It's not currently known if the show will return for a second season.
The Class is also the first ever sitcom to show a live table read session and a live rehearsal. They were shown on Monday January 15, 2007 at 11am PST and Wednesday January 17, 2007 at 1pm PST, respectively. The webcasts were shown Here. The webcasts were available after the live feed as well.
Contents |
[edit] Premise
The Class revolves around a core group of eight 28-year-olds who were all in the same third-grade class 20 years ago. A former classmate brings them all together for a party to celebrate his engagement to a girl he met in the class. However, she ends up dumping him at the party as the reunited classmates get to know each other. "They have separate lives and there are few connections that exist beforehand", Klarik said. "But through the course of the series, connections are made between the characters. It's about following their individual lives—there's no one living room where they gather."[3]
Beyond the core eight, Crane and Klarik said the show will be populated by several other recurring characters.
[edit] Cast and characters
[edit] Starring Cast
| Role | Actor/Actress |
|---|---|
| Ethan Haas | Jason Ritter |
| Kat Warbler | Lizzy Caplan |
| Lina Warbler | Heather Goldenhersh |
| Richie Velch | Jesse Tyler Ferguson |
| Kyle Lendo | Sean Maguire |
| Duncan Carmello | Jon Bernthal |
| Nicole Allen | Andrea Anders |
[edit] Formerly Starring
| Role | Actor/Actress |
|---|---|
| Holly Ellenbogen | Lucy Punch |
[edit] Recurring Cast
| Role | Actor/Actress |
|---|---|
| Tina Carmello | Julie Halston |
| Yonk Allen | David Keith |
| Perry Pearl | Sam Harris |
| Palmer | Jaime King |
| Fern Velch | Sara Gilbert |
| Aaron | Cristián de la Fuente |
| Oprah Liza Pearl | Karley Scott Collins |
| Benjamin Chow | Trent Ford |
[edit] Characters
- Ethan Haas was head-over-heels in love with his fiancée, Joanne Richman (Kasey Wilson), and planned the ultimate surprise party: a reunion with their third grade classmates to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the day they met. However, Joanne felt he was smothering her and left. He is a pediatrician with a golden retriever, like his ex-fiancée. He met a woman named Sue who mistook Ethan for a guy named Dan (Sue and Dan were going on a blind date). When Ethan decided to tell Sue the truth about him lying about his false identity at Oprah's birthday party (after many people called him by his real name), she dumped him. He has developed a strong friendship with Kat ever since Ethan was dumped by Joanne, and the two spend a lot of time with each other. He was the one who found out about Kat's boyfriend, Ben Chow, cheating on her with a girl named Susan, from Ben's son, one of Ethan's patients. As of the end of the first season, Ethan has discovered he has romantic feelings for Kat and will try to pursue a relationship with her.
- Lina Warbler wears her heart on her sleeve and remains optimistic about love. She is Kat Warbler's fraternal twin sister. She received the telephone call about Ethan's party just as she found her boyfriend in bed with another woman. At the party, she hit it off with Richie, but their budding relationship has encountered significant obstacles, especially the revelation that Richie is married, although it seems that she has forgiven him. After their first date, Richie accidentally ran over Lina's feet with his car, breaking several bones and causing her to wear casts until recently. Lina is also a vegetarian. She later hosts a dinner party where she makes Moroccan chicken that tastes horrible. Lina and Richie become informally engaged at the end of Season 1.
- Kat Warbler is Lina's cynical fraternal twin sister whose sarcastic tongue may hide her kind heart. She is a photographer. She helps Ethan cope after he is dumped, and despite her cynicism, she seems attracted to him. The two share a strong friendship. Her birthday is adjacent to Son of Sam's. She dated a world-famous violinist named Ben Chow, whom she had stalked for months, until she found that he had another girfriend named Susan. She broke up with him when she asked him about it.
- Duncan Carmello was the well-liked boy in school, who is now a contractor, but still lives with his mother. He had a relationship with Nicole Allen in high school, but dumped her, a decision he now regrets. In the 02/12/07 episode, it was revealed that he dumped her because she was "being a bitch" the night of Valentine's Day. After they spend the night of the party together, he gets a job renovating her house while trying to win her back. In "The Class Springs A Leak", he had finished the renovations, prompting Nicole to decide whether or not she wants to be with Yonk or Duncan; she chose Duncan. However, when Nicole expresses doubts about the relationship as Yonk is in the hospital, he refuses to leave the relationship in limbo.
- Kyle Lendo was a popular boy in high school with whom all the girls were in love. He took Holly Ellenbogen to the senior prom, only to cheat on her with another guy at the afterparty. He is currently in a relationship with his live-in boyfriend, Aaron (Cristián de la Fuente). One of the reasons he goes to the party is to make amends. He is a first grade teacher at an elite private school. He enjoys watching television, especially when Holly is reporting on the news. He has become good friends with Ethan since the party for Holly's daughter Oprah, when Ethan pretended to be someone else.
- Richard (a.k.a. Richie) Brittany Velch was a quiet kid whose life has gone downhill since third grade. His suicide attempt was interrupted by Ethan's party invitation. He and Lina hit it off at the party, but Richie accidentally ran over her feet with his car afterwards. At the hospital, an angry Kat told him to stay away and he went back to finish his suicide. He was just swallowing the pills when Kat called to tell him the first thing Lina said was she wanted to go out with him again. He is currently helping Duncan renovate Nicole and Yonk's house. Though (unhappily) married when he met Lina, he has left his wife, something that he had been trying to work up the courage to do for years. He informally asked Lina to marry him at the end of Season 1, and she accepted.
- Nicole Allen (formerly Nicole Campbell) is a pretty woman who was popular in high school. She was in love with Duncan, but he dumped her on Valentine's Day. She is now the unfulfilled but loving trophy wife of former pro-football player Yonk Allen. After the party, she spent the night with Duncan but went back to her husband. When Duncan visited and pointed out how badly the house was built since it was his first job, Nicole relayed the condition of the house to her husband Yonk who had her hire Duncan to do the renovations. She was given a stripping pole for an anniversary gift from Yonk, which only showed how little he knew about her. In "The Class Springs A Leak", Nicole decides to leave Yonk for Duncan. In the Season 1 Finale, however, she expresses doubt about whether she will be able to leave Yonk after his heart attack.
[edit] Formerly Starring Characters
- Holly Ellenbogen was Kyle Lendo's prom date, but her heart was broken when he cheated on her with another guy at the afterparty of their senior prom. She is now a successful television news reporter. She is also married to Perry Pearl. She goes to the party to show Kyle how happy she is and rub it in his face. She and Perry have a daughter, Oprah Liza Pearl (Karley Scott-Collins), who attends the school where Kyle teaches. Holly appears to be the one person oblivious to how Perry seems to be a walking gay stereotype. She apparently gets this trait from her mother, who is also married to an effeminate man. She has not been seen on the show since Episode 12, when Lucy Punch left the show due to creative differences. [4] However, Perry makes an appearance hosting dinner with Nicole & Duncan in Episode 16, which confirms that Holly is okay, despite the cliffhanger from her last appearance in Episode 12 where Fern says she is going to "get" her over the phone.
[edit] Recurring Characters
- Tina Carmello: Duncan's mother. She means well but can sometimes be a bit overbearing. She did show understanding when Nicole came by to be with Duncan and she left them alone. She frequently appears at unexpected times, particularly when she suddenly starts speaking while Duncan is having a telephone conversation, Duncan having been unaware that his mother was also on the line.
- Yonk Allen: A legendary University of Tennessee and Philadelphia Eagles football player and barbecue grill spokesman. Seems to put his personal achievements ahead of Nicole and be oblivious to her feelings. He is aware of his wife and Duncan's former relationship, and while uncomfortable, uses Duncan to get insights into his wife's psyche. Nicole is his third wife. He has at least two daughters from a previous marriage, one who is attractive and one who inherited his build. In the end of "The Class Rides a Bull" episode, he gets a heart attack when he finishes riding the bull after having lunch with Duncan and Richie, who suggested that they would ride the bull while Nicole was packing her things to move out. He undergoes a quintuple bypass surgery.
- Perry Pearl: Holly's husband, a highly effeminate man. He has recently begun a job decorating the Allens' home.
- Palmer: Ethan's ex-girlfriend. She went to school with Kat, who strongly dislikes her. Is also a photographer and usually takes pictures of fruit in costumes, which annoys Kat. Is known to be not so smart and her relationship with Ethan is more sexual than serious. They recently broke up.
- Fern Velch: Richie's wife. She works as a cleaning lady in Lina's office. She was his first (and only) girlfriend in college. Richie has recently left her after years of unhappiness, to which she responded with a death threat to Holly Ellenbogen (who she thought Richie was leaving her for). It was revealed in the episode "The Class Hits It" that Richie had only ever slept with Fern and she literally boo'ed him during intercourse.
- Aaron: Kyle's partner. Holly has difficulty understanding him, supposedly due to his heavy Hispanic accent (though in reality it is not very strong). He is not fond of Holly, but he tolerates her for Kyle's sake.
- Oprah Liza Pearl: Holly and Perry's daughter, whom Perry named after Oprah Winfrey and Liza Minelli. She has a birthday in the episode "The Class Celebrates a Birthday."
- Benjamin Chow: Kat's ex-boyfriend. Is an internationally known violinist and was once stalked by Kat (he forgave her after he found out). He cheated on his girlfriend Susan, with Kat. Benjamin also has a son named Jonah, who is a patient of Ethan's.
[edit] Episodes
Further Information: List of The Class episodes
Season One (2006-2007):
01. The Class Reunites [Pilot]
02. The Class Visits a Hospital
03. The Class Learns About Hurricanes
04. The Class Blows the Whistle
05. The Class Gets Frozen Yogurt
06. The Class Goes Trick-or-Treating
07. The Class Goes to a Bar
08. The Class Celebrates a Birthday
09. The Class Gives Thanks
10. The Class Runs Into a Convenience Store
11. The Class Celebrates an Anniversary
12. The Class Visits a Bad Neighborhood
13. The Class Hits It
14. The Class Has to Go to a Stupid Museum
15. The Class Eats Morrocan Chicken
16. The Class Has a Snow Day
17. The Class Springs a Leak
18. The Class Rides a Bull
19. The Class Goes Back to the Hospital [Season Finale]
[edit] International broadcasters
| Country | TV Network(s) | Series Premiere | Weekly Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States |
CBS Television | September 18, 2006 | Mondays 8:30pm ET |
 Canada |
CTV television network | September 18, 2006 | Mondays 8:30pm ET |
 Latin America |
Warner Channel | November 10, 2006 | Fridays 8:30pm (Caracas) |
 Brazil |
Warner Channel | November 10, 2006 | Fridays 8:30pm |
 United Kingdom |
E4 (first run) and Channel 4 (re-runs) |
2007 | |
 New Zealand |
TV2 | 2007 |
[edit] Criticism
The show has been criticized because it does not contain a single non-white lead, especially considering its location of Philadelphia, a city where the white population is not a majority. The creators of the show have defended this charge, saying that one of the characters is adopted by Korean parents,[5] and "...when we wrote the script, we wrote it color-blind." Television columnist Lisa de Moraes does not believe this, saying that David Crane has used the color-blind "excuse" since Friends.[6] Nonetheless, Crane promises to make the cast more diverse, saying that this is something he is "now deliberately going about addressing".[7]
[edit] Ratings competition
The Class is currently aired against Prison Break on Fox, Deal or No Deal on NBC, Wife Swap on ABC and All of Us on The CW. The Class consistently surpasses Wife Swap and All of Us (the latter of which is also produced by Warner Bros. Television).[8]
[edit] Awards
The Class won the Best New Comedy Award in the People's Choice Awards in its first year. It was up against 30 Rock and 'Til Death. The Class has also been nominated by the Art Director's Guild for Excellence in Production Design: Multi Camera Television Series. This is for the Pilot.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ http://news.aol.com/entertainment/tv/articles/_a/studio-60-class-underwhelm-in-debuts/20060920065009990001
- ^ http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch.aspx?id=class&view=listings
- ^ http://www.samharris.com/theclass/
- ^ http://community.tvguide.com/thread.jspa?threadID=700016446
- ^ http://www.suntimes.com/output/elfman/cst-ftr-elf19.html
- ^ http://blog.washingtonpost.com/tvblog/2006/07/colorblind_casting.html
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-07-16-woods_x.htm
- ^ http://www.abcmedianet.com/pressrel/dispDNR.html?id=121206_07
- ^ http://imdb.com/title/tt0484082/awards
[edit] External links
- The-Class.Org - Fansite
- The Class Blog
- Transcripts of episodes of The Class
- TV Series Finale - article on show's future
