Brooklyn Bridge (TV series)

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Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge cast photo
GenreSitcom/Comedy drama
Created byGary David Goldberg
Starring
Theme music composer
Opening theme"Just Over the Brooklyn Bridge"
performed by Art Garfunkel
ComposerDavid McHugh
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes35 (includes 2 two-part episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 20, 1991 (1991-09-20) –
August 6, 1993 (1993-08-06)

Brooklyn Bridge is an American sitcom television series which aired on CBS between September 20, 1991, to August 6, 1993. It is about a Jewish American family living in Brooklyn in the middle 1950s. The premise was partially based on the childhood of executive producer and creator Gary David Goldberg.[1]

Brooklyn Bridge won a Golden Globe for Best Television Comedy or Musical and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1992.

Throughout the TV show there are various references to the family's origins as Jews from Poland/Russia. There are also various references and actions showing how the young boys feel as Americans.

The cast was led by Marion Ross; Art Garfunkel performed the theme song, which was titled "Just Over the Brooklyn Bridge."[1]

In 1997, "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" was ranked number 46 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.[2] While the show received acclaim, low ratings were present from the get-go. By November of 1992, CBS put the show on hiatus, which Goldberg believed was a lie done to quietly kill the show off.[3] Despite a grassroots viewer campaign by the Viewers for Quality Television and others, the show was cancelled at the end of the following year.

DVD release[edit]

Gary David Goldberg had announced on his official website that CBS Home Entertainment (with distribution by Paramount Home Entertainment) would release the complete series of Brooklyn Bridge on DVD in Region 1 in the middle of May 2010.[4] However, the DVD was later delayed indefinitely; Goldberg died in 2013.[5] Bootleg copies of select episodes in VHS quality were once available on YouTube.[6]

Cast[edit]

Episodes[edit]

Series overview[edit]

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
122September 20, 1991 (1991-09-20)April 20, 1992 (1992-04-20)
213September 13, 1992 (1992-09-13)August 6, 1993 (1993-08-06)

Season 1 (1991–92)[edit]

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date Viewers
(millions)
11"When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"Sam WeismanGary David GoldbergSeptember 20, 1991 (1991-09-20)15.5[7]
22
33"Death in Brooklyn"Sam WeismanBrad HallSeptember 27, 1991 (1991-09-27)14.0[8]
44"Boys of Summer"Bradley SilberlingJohn MasiusOctober 4, 1991 (1991-10-04)12.9[9]
55"Sylvia's Condition"Sam WeismanPeter Schneider & Ben CardinaleOctober 18, 1991 (1991-10-18)7.6[10]
66"What I Did for Love"Donald ReikerTheresa RebeckOctober 25, 1991 (1991-10-25)8.3[11]
77"War of the Worlds"Sam WeismanS : Peter Schneider & Ben Cardinale
T : Gary David Goldberg and Brad Hall
November 6, 1991 (1991-11-06)13.4[12]
88
99"Dinner at Six"Sam WeismanGary David Goldberg & Brad HallNovember 13, 1991 (1991-11-13)13.1[13]
1010"Old Fools"Kristoffer TaboriPeter Schneider & Ben CardinaleNovember 20, 1991 (1991-11-20)13.4[14]
1111"Saturday"Donald ReikerBrad Hall & John MasiusNovember 27, 1991 (1991-11-27)12.9[15]
1212"Get a Job"Sam WeismanBrad HallDecember 8, 1991 (1991-12-08)14.5[16]
1313"Where Have You Gone, Jackie Robinson?"Sam WeismanGary David Goldberg & Brad HallDecember 11, 1991 (1991-12-11)12.6[17]
1414"The Gift"Seth FreemanSeth Freeman & Brad HallJanuary 1, 1992 (1992-01-01)21.1[18]
1515"Boys and Girls Together"Sam WeismanGary David Goldberg & Brad HallJanuary 15, 1992 (1992-01-15)12.3[19]
1616"Boys and Girls Apart"Sam WeismanGary David Goldberg & Brad HallJanuary 22, 1992 (1992-01-22)13.0[20]
1717"Boys and Girls Together Again"Sam WeismanGary David Goldberg & Brad HallJanuary 29, 1992 (1992-01-29)13.8[21]
1818"On the Road"Sam WeismanTheresa RebeckFebruary 5, 1992 (1992-02-05)12.0[22]
1919"Great Expectations"Brad SilberlingLisa MelamedMarch 4, 1992 (1992-03-04)11.8[23]
2020"A Tale of Two Boroughs"Brad SilberlingGary David Goldberg and Brad HallMarch 11, 1992 (1992-03-11)11.7[24]
2121"Rainy Day"Michael J. FoxBrad Hall & John MasiusApril 13, 1992 (1992-04-13)15.4[25]
2222"On the Line"Kenneth ZunderPeter Schneider & Ben CardinaleApril 20, 1992 (1992-04-20)16.4[26]

Season 2 (1992–93)[edit]

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date Viewers
(millions)
231"Brave New Worlds"Sam WeismanSeth Freeman, Gary David Goldberg, and Brad HallSeptember 13, 1992 (1992-09-13)14.4[27]
242"Plaza Sweet"Donald ReikerBrad HallSeptember 19, 1992 (1992-09-19)8.0[28]
253"Rockette to the Moon"Sam WeismanPatricia Jones and Donald ReikerSeptember 26, 1992 (1992-09-26)8.5[29]
264"Nun But the Brave"Sandy SmolanBud WiserOctober 3, 1992 (1992-10-03)8.4[30]
275"In the Still of the Night"Sam WeismanBrad HallNovember 7, 1992 (1992-11-07)8.9[31]
286"The Last Immigrant"Sam WeismanPeter Schneider & Ben CardinaleNovember 14, 1992 (1992-11-14)9.7[32]
297"In a Family Way"Sam WeismanBrad HallApril 10, 1993 (1993-04-10)11.0[33]
308"Good as Gold"Sam WeismanS : Joyce Maynard
T : Gary David Goldberg & Brad Hall
April 17, 1993 (1993-04-17)10.1[34]
319"The Wild Pitch"Craig ZiskPatricia Jones and Donald ReikerApril 24, 1993 (1993-04-24)8.8[35]
3210"The Date"Brad HallJoseph PurdyJuly 16, 1993 (1993-07-16)6.0[36]
3311"Keeping Up with the Joneses"Sam WeismanBrad HallJuly 23, 1993 (1993-07-23)5.3[37]
3412"The Hollywood Country Club"Kenneth ZunderPeter SchneiderJuly 30, 1993 (1993-07-30)6.4[38]
3513"No Time Like the Future"James SimonsS : Ben Cardinale
S/T : Peter Schneider
August 6, 1993 (1993-08-06)6.2[39]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Award Category Recipient Result
1992 American Cinema Editors' Eddie Award Best Edited Episode from a Television Series Roger Bondelli, Jerry U. Frizell and Ron Volk (For episode "War of the Worlds") Won
1993 Best Edited Half Hour Series for Television Roger Bondelli (For episode "Brave New World") Won
American Society of Cinematographers Award Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series Kenneth Zunder Nominated
American Television Awards[40] Best Actress, Situation Comedy Marion Ross Nominated
1992 Golden Globe Award Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy Won
1993 Nominated
1992 Humanitas Prize 30 Minute Category John Masius Won
60 Minute Category Gary David Goldberg (For episode "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling") Nominated
Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Comedy Series Gary David Goldberg, Sam Weisman, Seth Freeman, Brad Hall, Alice West and Craig Zisk Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Marion Ross Nominated
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Sam Weisman (For episode "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling") Nominated
Outstanding Main Title Design Ed Sullivan and Judy Korin Nominated
Outstanding Main Title Theme Music Marvin Hamlisch, Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman (For episode "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling") Nominated
Outstanding Editing for a Series - Single Camera Production Roger Bondelli, Jerry U. Frizell and Ron Volk (For episode "War of the Worlds") Nominated
Outstanding Costumes for a Series Linda M. Bass (For episode "War of the Worlds") Nominated
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special David Schneiderman, Jim Fitzpatrick, Bruce P. Michaels and Gary Montgomery (For episode "Get a Job") Nominated
1993 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Marion Ross Nominated
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Joel Grey Nominated
Outstanding Editing for a Series - Single Camera Production Ron Volk (For episode "In the Still of the Night") Nominated
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special David M. Ronne, Bruce P. Michaels, Gary Montgomery and Jim Fitzpatrick (For episode "The Wild Pitch") Nominated
1992 Producers Guild of America Award Outstanding Producer of Television Gary David Goldberg Won
Television Critics Association Award Program of the Year Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Comedy Nominated
Viewers for Quality Television Award Best Quality Comedy Series Won
Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series Marion Ross Won
1993 Best Quality Comedy Series Won
Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series Marion Ross Won
Best Specialty Player Joel Grey Nominated
Writers Guild of America Award Episodic Comedy Gary David Goldberg (For episode "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling") Nominated
1992 Young Artist Award Best New Family Television Series Won
Best Young Actor Starring in a New Television Series Danny Gerard Nominated
Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor Under 10 Matthew Louis Seigel Nominated
1993 Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series Danny Gerard Nominated
Best Young Actor Co-Starring in a Television Series Adam LaVorgna Won
Best Young Actress Co-Starring in a Television Series Jenny Lewis Nominated
Best Young Actor Recurring in a Television Series Aeryk Egan Won
Best Young Actress Guest-Starring in a Television Series Lisa Paige Robinson Nominated
Outstanding Actor Under 10 in a Television Series Matthew Louis Seigel Nominated

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b O'Connor, John J. (September 20, 1991). "TV WEEKEND; Family Life in '56 Brooklyn". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "Special Collectors' Issue: 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time". TV Guide (June 28 – July 4). 1997.
  3. ^ SHALES, TOM (November 24, 1992). "CBS'S SELLOUT OF 'BROOKLYN BRIDGE'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  4. ^ Tvshowsondvd.com Archived February 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ (blog post linked by GDG Web site)
  6. ^ https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/my-familys-bridge-to-brooklyn [bare URL]
  7. ^ Donlon, Brian (September 25, 1991). "New faces try to save 'One Life to Live'". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  8. ^ Donlon, Brian (October 2, 1991). "'Roseanne' comes out on top". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  9. ^ Donlon, Brian (October 9, 1991). "Cable pulls network's plug". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  10. ^ Donlon, Brian (October 23, 1991). "CBS bats one out of the park". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  11. ^ Donlon, Brian (October 30, 1991). "Close Series wins big for CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  12. ^ Donlon, Brian (November 13, 1991). "NBC's hurricane windfall". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  13. ^ Donlon, Brian (November 20, 1991). "'60 Minutes' clocks a 3rd win". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  14. ^ Donlon, Brian (November 27, 1991). "CBS scores a strong win". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  15. ^ Donlon, Brian (December 4, 1991). "The nut at the door on 'Seinfeld'". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  16. ^ Donlon, Brian (December 11, 1991). "Football a winner for NBC". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  17. ^ Donlon, Brian (December 18, 1991). "St. Nick arrives early for CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  18. ^ Donlon, Brian (January 8, 1992). "CBS tops a week of firsts". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  19. ^ Gable, Donna (January 22, 1992). "Brooks ropes ratings for NBC". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  20. ^ Donlon, Brian (January 29, 1992). "NBC's horror tale surprise". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  21. ^ Donlon, Brian (February 5, 1992). "A show of CBS strength". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  22. ^ Donlon, Brian (February 12, 1992). "CBS mines Olympic gold". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  23. ^ Donlon, Brian (March 11, 1992). "'Indy' boosts ABC". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  24. ^ "Hit comedies lift ABC". Life. USA Today. March 18, 1992. p. 3D.
  25. ^ Gable, Donna (April 22, 1992). "'Roseanne' leads ABC's way". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  26. ^ Gable, Donna (April 29, 1992). "ABC wins with news, goodbyes". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  27. ^ Gable, Donna (September 16, 1992). "Football kicks off ABC win". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  28. ^ Gable, Donna (September 23, 1992). "CBS wins with some old friends". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  29. ^ Gable, Donna (September 30, 1992). "'Murphy' wave carries CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  30. ^ Gable, Donna (October 7, 1992). "Monday lineup bolsters No. 1 CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  31. ^ Gable, Donna (November 11, 1992). "Election news, football kick up ABC's ratings". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  32. ^ Gable, Donna (November 18, 1992). "'Jacksons,' solid gold for ABC". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  33. ^ Gable, Donna (April 14, 1993). "NCAA aside, the big winner is ABC's '20/20'". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  34. ^ Donlon, Brian (April 21, 1993). "New shows find their niches". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  35. ^ Donlon, Brian (April 28, 1993). "'Walker' kicks in for CBS". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  36. ^ Donlon, Brian (July 21, 1993). "Viewers aren't eye to eye with Chung, Rather". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  37. ^ Gable, Donna (July 28, 1993). "Chamberlain miniseries carries ABC". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  38. ^ Gable, Donna (August 4, 1993). "Newsmags rise among the teams". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  39. ^ Gable, Donna (August 11, 1993). "Newsmagazines are CBS' strength". Life. USA Today. p. 3D.
  40. ^ Lowry, Brian (April 16, 1993). "CBS leads noms for Emmy rival". variety.com. Retrieved October 30, 2013.

External links[edit]