It's A Living Season 4

 

Cast Gels for It's A Living Season 4

by Kristin Battestella

The cast is in place for the twenty-five episode 1986-87 syndicated fourth season of It's A Living with “The Roof Show” premiere introducing Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary) as the series' final waitress Ginger St. James. Arguments and secrets over who's trying to get out of work early lead to the ladies being locked out one by one. Unprepared hostess Nancy is left waiting the tables while the waitresses flail at the Above the Top luxury restaurant windows, and the randomness of each set up is a lot of fun because we don't often see the ensemble outside of the hotel where episodes like “The Bar” do best. Orange juice drinking Amy goes along to the singles bar for a rowdy adventure featuring Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters) in another episode about nothing that showcases the ensemble interplay beyond their job. Three days off is also an excuse for a breakdown on the way to Vegas in the obvious Psycho parody “Night at the Iguana.” Creepy mothers and a motel peppered with taxidermy certainly make the ladies paranoid. They're aware of the Psycho similarities but try not to jump to murderous conclusions in the largely one room humor, and the sharing of fears revelations elevate the goofy spoof. Rumors of workplace dalliances in “The Dot and Howard Show” are also intriguing to see thanks to jealousy, clouded judgments, and rules for no restaurant dating that apply to some but not others. Our ladies are both able to talk it out or tell one it's none of her business – keeping an awkward situation mature. Of course, “Farewell, My Sonny” is clearly the precursor to writer Tom Whedon's “The Case of the Libertine Belle” on The Golden Girls with forties fancy dress, a Bogie-esque detective, and a Who Dunnit Society at Above the Top. The staff is supposed to be in on the murderous ruse, but the crime within a crime provides song and dance winks, and once again I wish It's A Living did more of these one plot, all performance episodes.

Our ladies dream of what they will do when they strike it rich in “Sonny's Oil (aka The Oil Show)”– like buying pantyhose without runs and a bathroom with two sinks. Some, however, remain sensible and get out of the prospecting as more drilling drains more money. More financial plots or get rich quick schemes would have been fitting, but piano player Sonny is erroneously leading here instead of the working waitresses relieved to have life a bit easier with just a little extra money in their pockets. This mid-season seems stronger even if “The Evictables” repeats opposites attract roommates from the First Season  when a landlord dispute has Ginger moving in to a YWCA style, no men allowed building with Amy. A great Patty Duke and The Patty Duke Show joke deserved more time, and you'd think more celebrities would dine at Above the Top! Singing bad summer stock tunes, sleeping in the dressing room lounge, sneaking in the kitchen for breakfast, hiding from Nancy in their lockers – a lot's happening in this episode but the character focus brings it together. The waitresses being left with the child they're babysitting in “Ginger's Baby” has certainly been done already, and the similar Golden Girls episode even originally aired the same week! Nancy changes the schedule and couldn't care less about a baby in the restaurant, but Ginger stands up to her unyielding in a moment that feels written for previous It's A Living star Ann Jillian. Despite the derivatives; the ladies sing, Nancy can't handle the baby, and Howard saws Nancy in half for his magic act. The titular fan club of “The Dickie Doodle Show” has the girls acting out their silly childhood memories, singing while they count their tips, and playing with the props after hours. Such shenanigans interfere with critical vice president meetings and hotel promotion opportunities amid the nostalgic reflection of seeing child stars grow old. The well done farce continues in “A Romantic Comedy” as employee of the month Jan wins a free night at the hotel. The rendezvous, however, is hampered by short staffing, knocks at the door, work emergencies, and injuries as It's A Living uses the entire ensemble to full effect. Young Amy and the new bus boy have potential sparks for “Manhandling,” but she's not ready so he moves in on fellow waitress Dot. Although the meat of the story is off camera, the men between ladies and arguments about who puts out or gets hurt conflicts provide new It's A Living growth.

Unfortunately, the former flames and high school reunions of “The Reunion Show” have already had their share on It's A Living. Everyone reminisces about regrets, mistakes, and bad experiences, but it's all crowded and flat rather than personal. Before we really meet Ginger, Amy accuses her of having an affair with Jan's husband in “Surprise.” It's all innocent misunderstands of course in a half hour that ends up meaningless. Dot's mom and Jan's dad hook up in two scenes for “Family Feud,” as It's A Living wastes more time on repetitive romances. A rival of chef Howard turned restaurant critic arrives in “Critic's Choice,” but the focus here is erroneously on gossip about Ginger and Sonny instead of cuisine jokes and Nancy's fear of a bad review leading to her offering herself to secure the restaurant's reputation. Viewers expect one story but then another plot hogs the time, and the frustrating A/B structure shoehorns everyone in when it's more realistic to not have every waitress work in every episode. The ladies refusing to jump out of a cake despite the $200 pay in “Bachelor Party” could have been its own plot, but Howard's reconciliation with his daughter is also saddled with her dating Sonny. For every potential wisdom, there is another stupid turn. Back to back former boyfriend plots begat “Dot's Priest” and her conflicted feelings over his still being cute and leaving the cloth amid car accidents, Jan's goldfish bowl, and more derivative crowding that doesn't give the characters a chance to shine. The white savior cultural conflict is also played for laughs in “The Howie Show” when Polynesian islanders arrive to worship Howard's magic tricks and offer him a woman to give them a little Howie. The in-uniform Nancy ready to get the most tips and win a best waitress contest should have been the majority of the episode rather than a fun high speed montage in the last 5 minutes. Ginger accepts proposals from two men but both fall through in yet another marriage plot for “The Two Guys Show” while Nancy mixes business with pleasure in Howard's contract negotiations. He demands a clause to cease her physical harassment and sexual innuendos, but she sobs until he forgoes his demands – and then invites him to an adult motel. Such a provocative element deserved to be played seriously, and the excellent performances with devious characterizations strangely shows the best and worst of It's A Living at once. Instead of a singular tour de force, “Nancy's Shrink” is another clip show finale. The psychiatrist thinks her sick sexual fantasies are rooted in her relationships with her coworkers, but the humorous clips jar with the potentially serious therapy. Filler episodes like this show how the writing on It's A Living is not on par with the performances as Nancy brings down the house with a “Love for Sale” song and dance dream.

Barrie Youngfellow's Jan Hoffmeyer Gray remains headstrong, believing in shared marital responsibilities and a woman's right to decide if, where, and when. She fills in as hostess and stands up for when she knows she is right. Jan doesn't get along with her visiting mother-in- law, yet just like last season, her blended family home life goes unexplored. Husband Richard Kline is told of more than seen, with “Richie's Sculpture” being a brief moment about his art on the side when not doing HVAC at Above the Top. Richie wants to take his “Red” to Chicago when a business opportunity arises, but her having to work instead of supporting him is relegated to a C plot resolved in two scenes. When admired for work, home, and going to law school, Jan admits she had to quit school for the time being – an important development relegated to a throwaway line as It's A Living underutilizes its now top billed star. Of course, Marian Mercer's Nancy BeeBee says only Sean Penn could take advantage of her, and she's still after the challenge of obtaining the future “Howard Beebee.” Nancy feigns interest in science to flirt with a potentially rich geologist and sucks up to the crusty hotel management. She wants to become restaurant supervisor of all their West Coast hotels just for the power and is annoyed when she's merely named employee of the month. She would never abuse her position, but she wants to know what Howard would do to keep his boss happy. Nancy hopes the girls pass it on when they call her the meanest boss in town, and she wants to be even meaner when the waitresses stop being afraid of her. She's been deprived of celebration in her life and won't discuss age but drops hints in “Nancy's Birthday Party,” testing her friendship with each girl and bonding over bad birthday memories in superb, humorous soliloquies before some fun mistaken doorbells and cake surprises. It's disappointing we don't get to see her roughing it outdoors when following Howard on his fishing trip, but instead her competitive, wealthy, recently divorced sister Gloria visits in “Nancy's Sister.” Gloria throws herself at Howard in more Golden Girls derivatives, but the repressed, unpopular Nancy won't relent and have it out with her sister. Although Nancy insults their advice, she confides in the ladies, and It's A Living is great when it focuses on a character driven plot that ends with Nancy taking over the piano and singing “My Way.”

Wannabe actress Dot Higgins does a one woman Eleanor Roosevelt workshop, but sadly we don't see Gail Edwards' do more than practice with joke teeth and a bad accent or scream when auditioning for a slasher. Though still often late with outlandish excuses, she stands up to Nancy for docking her $180 when a table leaves without paying. She's excited to pay off her car and today we can certainly understand the extra $176 a month feeling. In “The Dot Quits Show,” Dot doesn't get a role on the A Time for Sorrow soap and wonders if she should be a full time actress or give up show business altogether. Though everything usually stays the same on eighties sitcoms and this episode should have come sooner than the end of the season, it's pleasing to have some growth as Dot admits failure and quits while the remaining three waitresses struggle doing the work of four. Crystal Bernard's chaste Texas transplant Amy Tompkins spells out s-e-x, but she's often reduced to innocent redneck platitudes versus Sonny's predatory cons. She returns from her younger pregnant sister's country wedding in “Amy's Rusty” with twenty-two and single cat lady fears interfering with her work. Her old boyfriend asks her to marry him via postcards and phone calls, but the ladies encourage her to not give in to her family's pressure and marry for the wrong reasons. Amy is said to come out of her shell upon moving in with Sheryl Lee Ralph's sassy Ginger St. James. Again her juicy romances seem to have been written with Ann Jillian's moxie in mind, for Ginger won't date cheapskates and knows how to be suave with the high-tipping customers. She learns a nugget on Nancy and uses it as needed and gives hot advice, but it's not until late in the season that we hear of her obsession with shoes, looking good, and designing her own clothing. Ginger's saving up for fashion school, however rather than see her couture sketches and school application, It's A Living falls back on trite romances. Howard Miller has the zingers to keep Nancy at bay, but Richard Stahl's chef is not above teasing Nancy to get a new oven. He likes that she is always trying to catch him but says that he's trying to keep Nancy's virtue because he's a sucker for lost causes. Episodes that should be about their banter are erroneously shared with weaker plots, and his oft off camera magic tricks could have been fun in the kitchen. Howard's angry when Nancy books a weekend honeymoon suite when they go to a half day conference, but it's just another hear tell twofer that I wish we could have seen!

Paul Kreppel's piano player Sonny Mann asks Howard for dating advice and he suggests thinking of the woman's happiness, but Sonny says he wants to score instead. It's A Living's banter drags to a halt with every sleazy Sonny moment, for he cries violence when women push him away and erases single ladies' reservations from the book so they have to drink at the bar where he can pounce on them. Sonny claims he hears yes when a woman says no, begs for phone numbers, and plays the theme from Vertigo for a fear of heights group dining at Above the Top to overcome their fears. Customers request he stop playing and get lost, and his scams take away from better plots. When Sonny says he can't work because it's Ramadan and is told that it's an Islamic holiday, he answers, “I can pass.” This character grates me so much, I'd skip over his scenes if it were possible. J.D. Lobue and Gary Brown direct the majority of episodes, but the numerous writers again crowd the twenty-two minutes or less runtime with their fellow The Golden Girls similarities. In fact, It's A Living feels like two shows for the price of one thanks to so much borrowing from The Golden Girls – the incidental music, the same guest stars, even a Glenn Miller missing joke, and Dot's pink eighties pad is the up to his neck in hock Miami Vice cop's apartment. Most of the brief apartments here are the same room with different enter or exit doors, and the ladies' changing big hairstyles give away the out of order production. Fortunately, the theme song still bops, and the black uniforms and tone on tone burgundy alternative remain classy amid the heights of the eighties denim, shoulder pads, boots, bright colors, and bows. I realize I take It's A Living too critically at times. The series was content as a safe, serviceable sitcom. However it's also unfair that It's A Living is tough to find with reliance on over the air marathons and DVR. Of the time flaws and the simplicity of yore make for pleasant background viewing, and It's A Living now has its final charming cast in place.