Men Behaving Badly (American TV series)

Men Behaving Badly
Title screen
GenreSitcom
Based onMen Behaving Badly
by Simon Nye
Developed byMatthew Carlson
Written byMatthew Carlson
Starring
ComposerBen Vaughn
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes35 (7 unaired)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerBeryl Vertue
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseSeptember 18, 1996 (1996-09-18) –
December 17, 1997 (1997-12-17)
Related
Men Behaving Badly (UK)

Men Behaving Badly is an American sitcom television series on NBC from September 18, 1996, to December 17, 1997. It is based on the 1992 British sitcom of the same name.[2][3]

Synopsis

Set in Indianapolis, Indiana, the show starred Rob Schneider, Ron Eldard, and Justine Bateman. Kevin (Eldard) and Jamie (Schneider) were college buddies sharing an apartment and living out a second childhood, much to the chagrin of Kevin's girlfriend Sarah (Bateman). Brenda (Dina Spybey) was an upstairs neighbor that Jamie flirted with.[4]

Eldard and Bateman left after the first season amid rumors that they clashed with Schneider and the show's producers.[5] They were replaced by Ken Marino and Jenica Bergere, and Spybey was promoted from recurring to series regular.

Cast

Justine Bateman and Ron Eldard left after season one due to salary demands.

Reception

Reviewers found the show's content to be too risqué, pushing its brand of gross-out humor beyond all but the racist cable shows of the day.[6][7][8][9] [10] The first season ran for 22 episodes. Altogether 13 episodes were completed for the second season, albeit with Schneider as the sole original member in the main cast.[2] Only six of those completed episodes ever aired during the initial run because of dropping ratings and steep competition from CBS's Touched by an Angel, Fox's The Simpsons, and ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney.

Home media

The entire series of 35 episodes was released as a Region 1 DVD box set in February 2007.[11][12]

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
122September 18, 1996 (1996-09-18)June 4, 1997 (1997-06-04)
213September 28, 1997 (1997-09-28)December 17, 1997 (1997-12-17)

Season 1 (1996–97)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date Viewers
(millions)
11"Babies Having Babies"James BurrowsMatthew CarlsonSeptember 18, 1996 (1996-09-18)14.8[13]
22"Temptation"James BurrowsGary Murphy & Neil ThompsonSeptember 25, 1996 (1996-09-25)11.8[14]
33"The Bed"James BurrowsMatthew CarlsonOctober 2, 1996 (1996-10-02)11.0[15]
44"Hot Parkas"Jeff MelmanTom BradyOctober 23, 1996 (1996-10-23)11.5[16]
55"Getting the Bugs Out"James BurrowsBilliam CoronelOctober 30, 1996 (1996-10-30)11.5[17]
66"Jamie's in Love"James BurrowsMatthew CarlsonNovember 6, 1996 (1996-11-06)10.1[18]
77"Drunken Proposal"Michael ZinbergGary Murphy & Neil ThompsonNovember 13, 1996 (1996-11-13)9.5[19]
88"Sarah's Vestigial Organ"Jeff MelmanBill FreibergerNovember 20, 1996 (1996-11-20)9.1[20]
99"Road Trip"Tom CheronesGary Murphy & Neil ThompsonDecember 11, 1996 (1996-12-11)10.1[21]
1010"Christmas"Rod DanielMatthew CarlsonDecember 18, 1996 (1996-12-18)11.3[22]
1111"Wet Nurse"Ellen GittelsohnJohn Frink & Don PayneJanuary 8, 1997 (1997-01-08)11.77[23]
1212"The Odds Couple"James BurrowsTom BradyJanuary 15, 1997 (1997-01-15)11.48[24]
1313"Jamie Needs a Kid"Michael ZinbergReid HarrisonFebruary 5, 1997 (1997-02-05)10.33[25]
1414"Playing Doctor"James BurrowsJohn Frink & Don PayneFebruary 12, 1997 (1997-02-12)10.40[26]
1515"Brenda is Moved"Michael ZinbergTom BradyFebruary 19, 1997 (1997-02-19)10.42[27]
1616"I Am What I Am"Michael ZinbergStory by : Tom Brady & Bill Freiberger
Teleplay by : Tom Brady
April 2, 1997 (1997-04-02)11.74[28]
1717"The Party Favor"Michael ZinbergBrown MandellApril 9, 1997 (1997-04-09)12.13[29]
1818"Getting Rid of Harry"Rick BerenSimon NyeApril 16, 1997 (1997-04-16)10.14[30]
1919"After Midnight"Shelley JensenSteven LevitanMay 7, 1997 (1997-05-07)9.08[31]
2020"Testing, Testing"Michael ZinbergRob HanningMay 14, 1997 (1997-05-14)8.67[32]
2121"It's Good to Be Dead"Michael LembeckRick NyholmMay 21, 1997 (1997-05-21)7.66[33]
2222"The Box"Brian K. RobertsJoe Becker & Jim LongstreetJune 4, 1997 (1997-06-04)8.78[34]

Season 2 (1997)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date Viewers
(millions)
231"No Retreat, No Surrender"Michael ZinbergStory by : Jeff Martin
Teleplay by : John Bowman & Tom Brady
September 28, 1997 (1997-09-28)11.23[35]
242"Got Milk?"Michael ZinbergStacie LippOctober 5, 1997 (1997-10-05)9.70[36]
253"The Sting"Michael ZinbergJeff Filgo & Jackie FilgoOctober 12, 1997 (1997-10-12)8.84[37]
264"Spoils of War"Rod DanielRick NyholmNovember 2, 1997 (1997-11-02)7.20[38]
275"Special Delivery"Sam SimonJeff Filgo & Jackie FilgoNovember 9, 1997 (1997-11-09)8.35[39]
286"The Gift of Jami"Michael ZinbergMatt TarsesDecember 17, 1997 (1997-12-17)8.40[40]
297"Here We Go Again"Michael ZinbergStory by : John Bowman
Teleplay by : Jeff Martin & Tom Brady
Unaired (Unaired)N/A
308"Jamie's Got Next"Michael ZinbergMatt TarsesUnaired (Unaired)N/A
319"The Tape"Michael ZinbergAmy WelshUnaired (Unaired)N/A
3210"The Truth About Cats and Ducks"Rod DanielBill WrubelUnaired (Unaired)N/A
3311"The Fur Man Cometh"Michael ZinbergStacie LippUnaired (Unaired)N/A
3412"Welcome to JamieCo"Michael ZinbergStacie LippUnaired (Unaired)N/A
3513"Carpe Dino"Michael ZinbergRick NyholmUnaired (Unaired)N/A

References

  1. ^ "Men Behaving Badly". 17 September 1996.
  2. ^ a b "BBC - Comedy Guide - Men Behaving Badly". January 20, 2005. Archived from the original on 2005-01-20.
  3. ^ "20 THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT MEN BEHAVING BADLY FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT TV'S MOST POLITICALLY INCORRECT SITCOM THE SHOW'S CREATOR WAS OUT BOOZING WITH HIS BUDDIES WHEN HIS WIFE WENT INTO LABOR & HE WAS TOO DRUNK TO ATTEND THE BIRTH OF HIS CHILD". New York Daily News.
  4. ^ James, Caryn (September 18, 1996). "Men Will Be Boys, And Slobs and Dogs". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "Eldard, Bateman bail out of 'Men Behaving Badly'". Deseret News. June 20, 1997.
  6. ^ "BAD BEHAVIOR ON 'MEN' HAS SLOB APPEAL". Chicago Tribune. 9 November 1996.
  7. ^ Hass, Nancy (January 26, 1997). "Sex and Today's Single-Minded Sitcoms". The New York Times.
  8. ^ "Trouble With 'Men' Isn't Just Guy Thing". Los Angeles Times. December 2, 1996.
  9. ^ "NBC's "Men Behaving' isn't so bad". Tampa Bay Times.
  10. ^ "Full Groan men behaving badly". Washington Post.
  11. ^ "Men Behaving Badly – Complete Series, PopMatters". March 6, 2007.
  12. ^ "DVD Talk". www.dvdtalk.com.
  13. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. September 25, 1996. p. 3D.
  14. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. October 2, 1996. p. 3D.
  15. ^ Graham, Jefferson (October 9, 1996). "Baseball on NBC helps CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  16. ^ Bush, Alan (October 30, 1996). "World Series lineup gives Fox a major win". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  17. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 6, 1996. p. 3D.
  18. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 13, 1996. p. 3D.
  19. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 20, 1996. p. 3D.
  20. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 27, 1996. p. 3D.
  21. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. December 18, 1996. p. 3D.
  22. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. December 25, 1996. p. 3D.
  23. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 6-12)". The Los Angeles Times. January 15, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  24. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 13-19)". The Los Angeles Times. January 22, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  25. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 3-9)". The Los Angeles Times. February 12, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  26. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 10-16)". The Los Angeles Times. February 20, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  27. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 17-23)". The Los Angeles Times. February 26, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  28. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (March 31-April 6)". The Los Angeles Times. April 9, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  29. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (April 7–13)". The Los Angeles Times. April 16, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  30. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (April 14–20)". The Los Angeles Times. April 23, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  31. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (May 5–11)". The Los Angeles Times. May 14, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  32. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (May 12–18)". The Los Angeles Times. May 21, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  33. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (May 19–25)". The Los Angeles Times. May 29, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  34. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Jun. 2-8)". The Los Angeles Times. June 11, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  35. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Sept. 22-28)". The Los Angeles Times. October 1, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  36. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Sept. 29-Oct. 5)". The Los Angeles Times. October 8, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  37. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 6-12)". The Los Angeles Times. October 15, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  38. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 27-Nov. 2)". The Los Angeles Times. November 5, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  39. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 3-9)". The Los Angeles Times. November 12, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  40. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Dec. 15-21)". The Los Angeles Times. December 24, 1997. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon