Lost on Earth is an American sitcom starring Tim Conlon. The series premiered January 4, 1997 on the USA Network.[1][2] It centers on a group of aliens who took the form of puppets after catching broadcasts of The Muppet Show and a reporter who's forced to work with them on a TV series.
| Lost on Earth | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Science fiction Sitcom |
| Created by | Doug Lawrence Sy Rosen Ackbaar Goulding |
| Starring | Tim Conlon Paul Gleason Stacy Galina |
| Composer | Jim Latham |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | David Steinberg David Salzman Quincy Jones |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | Home by Six Productions Quincy Jones/David Salzman Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | USA Network |
| Release | January 4 – April 2, 1997 |
Plot
editKTEE-TV television reporter David Rudy (Tim Conlon) has just suffered an on-air gaffe that could cost him his job. Rather than be fired, Rudy accepts a demotion from his boss, George Greckin (Paul Gleason), by agreeing to host a children's puppet show. Rudy quickly discovers that the puppets are not props, but are real aliens that became stranded on Earth while exploring the universe. Rudy is also dating the boss's daughter Sherry (Stacy Galina).
Cast
edit- Tim Conlon as David Rudy - David is a mild-mannered reporter who grew up in an orphanage. Since h has no family safety net, he struggles to keep his life together, and he walks a tightrope working with his girlfriend.
- Stacy Galina as Sherry Greckin - Sherry is the station's business manager, and she's wound a little too tight. She's the girlfriend of David and the daughter of station owner George.
- Victor Togunde as Nick - Nick is a smart alec whom David befriended at the bar. The two frequently bond over drinks, and (in the unaired episodes) Nick ultimately learns the secret of David's puppets.
- Paul Gleason as George Greckin - George is the blowhard station owner, and father of Sherry.
Aliens
edit- Terri Hardin/Kristin Charney as Angela - Angela is the only female of the group, and she's horny for David.
- Kevin Carlson as Ahab - Ahab is a gruff, armless weirdo who's quick with the quips.
- Peter McCowatt/Greg Ballora as Philippe - Philippe is the leader of the aliens.
- Sandey Grinn as Bram - Bram is a sadsack who's in love with Angela.
- Drew Massey as Reliegh - Raleigh is the most humanistic alien of the crew.
- Carl J. Johnson as Cubby - Cubby is a giant pig-like creature.
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "They're Alive" | Gary Brown | Sy Rosen & Ackbaar Goulding | January 4, 1997 | 9601 |
|
An embarrassing on-air incident causes David to get demoted from reporter to host of a puppet show. But when he discovers he's working with aliens who have taken the form of puppets, his show's an unexpected hit. | |||||
| 2 | "In Arms Way" | Gary Brown | Story by : Larry Spencer & Vicki S. Horwits Teleplay by : Larry Spencer | January 11, 1997 | 9602 |
|
George demands that David gets rid of armless Ahab, and when he doesn't do it, Ahab finds himself sitting in the local thrift store. Meanwhile, Dave decides to try out for an anchorman job. | |||||
| 3 | "Commitment" | Paul Fusco | Phil Doran | January 18, 1997 | 9604 |
|
After David says, "I love you," Sherry freaks out, dumps him, and begins dating meathead anchorman Brad Shaw (John O'Hurley). Meanwhile, in a moment of vulnerability, Angela kisses Bram. | |||||
| 4 | "Freedom" | Paul Fusco | Larry Spencer & Phil Doran | January 25, 1997 | 9605 |
|
The aliens get a chance to mingle at the TV station's costume party. | |||||
| 5 | "Metamorphosis" | Gary Brown | Doug Chamberlin & Chris Webb | February 1, 1997 | 9603 |
|
In an effort to win David's affections, Angela makes herself up to look like Sherry. The plan backfires and gets David into trouble with both Sherry and the new sponsors. | |||||
| 6 | "Acceptance" | Paul Fusco | Rick Rogers & Frank Santopadre | February 8, 1997 | 9606 |
|
The aliens have been stalking Seinfeld star Michael Richards, and in an attempt to cover, David blurts out that Richards is an old friend. Suddenly, George expects an exclusive interview. | |||||
| 7 | "Nick Knows" | Peter Baldwin | TBD | unaired | 9607 |
| 8 | "Puppet Love" | Phil Ramuno | TBD | unaired | 9608 |
| 9 | "Guaranteed Not to Shrink" | Rick Locke | TBD | unaired | 9609 |
| 10 | "Father's Day" | Gary Brown | TBD | unaired | 9610 |
| 11 | "Where There's Smoke" | Gary Brown | TBD | unaired | 9611 |
| 12 | "Death of a Custodian" | Gary Brown | TBD | unaired | 9612 |
| 13 | "Going Home" | Paul Fusco | TBD | unaired | 9613 |
Reception
editSteven Linan of the Los Angeles Times called the series "mirthless" and "a lost cause". Linan also stated that the show is "too silly for adults and too coarse for kids".[1] John Levesque of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer did not find the series funny, and said that the scripts were "unimaginative" and "unprofessional".[3] Claude Brooks of The Palm Beach Post said the series "isn't that bad", however "the puppets are funnier than the humans". Brooks referred to the series as essentially "3rd Rock from the Sun meets The Muppet Show".[4]
References
edit- ^ a b Linan, Steven (January 4, 1997). "USA Adds Sitcoms 'Earth' and 'Crib'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
- ^ Dempsey, John (December 4, 1996). "USA bumping up original output". Variety. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
- ^ Levesque, John (January 3, 1997). "'Jag' is Back But Not Much Better; 'Lost on Earth' is Just Plain Lost". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. 34.
- ^ Brooks, Claude (January 4, 1997). "USA's New Offerings Fall Short". The Palm Beach Post. pp. 4.D.