Beggars and Choosers (TV series)

Beggars and Choosers
Beggars and Choosers title logo
Genre	Comedy-drama
Created by	Peter Lefcourt Brandon Tartikoff
Written by	Brad Buckner Chris Cluess Wendy Goldman Charlie Hauck Peter Lefcourt Scott Kaufer Eugenie Ross-Leming Julia Sayres Lynn Seifort David Shore
Directed by	George Bloomfield Fred Gerber Joanna Kerns Sheldon Larry Richard J. Lewis Stuart Margolin George Mendeluk Ron Oliver Ron Orieux Michael Ritchie Helen Shaver Sandy Smolan Anne Wheeler Charles Winkler
Starring	Beau Bridges Justin Carroll Colin Cunningham Kaj-Erik Eriksen Isabella Hofmann Carol Kane Keegan Connor Tracy Brian Kerwin Rudolf Martin William McNamara Bill Morey Paul Provenza Klodyne Rodney Charlotte Ross Tuc Watkins
Theme music composer	David Schwartz
Composer(s)	Ferocious Fish Terry Frewer David Schwartz Stanley A. Smith Jim Guttridge
Country of origin	United States Canada
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	42
Production
Executive producer(s)	Kim Fleary Peter Lefcourt Scott M. Siegler Lilly Tartikoff
Producer(s)	Cal Shumiatcher
Cinematography	Ron Orieux
Editor(s)	Lee Haxall Kevin Krasny
Running time	60 mins. (approx)
Release
Original network	Showtime
Original release	June 19, 1999 – December 12, 2000

Beggars and Choosers is a comedy-drama series broadcast by Showtime. Developed by Peter Lefcourt and Brandon Tartikoff, the series was a comedic, behind-the-scenes look at network television. Its 42 episodes aired between June 19, 1999 and December 12, 2000.

Synopsis

The tongue-in-cheek series centered on Rob Malone, President of LGT, and his efforts to boost the network's sagging ratings with Lori Volpone, the scheming Vice-President of Development, and Malcolm Laffley, a gay man who came out of the closet to clear himself of sexual harassment charges levied against him by a woman. Each episode provided amusing insight into how a network runs, from how its executives deal with temperamental stars to how they make big budget deals while trying to keep the network financially stable.

Cast and characters

• Rob Malone (Brian Kerwin)
• Lori Volpone (Charlotte Ross): The ambitious Vice President of Development for LGT
• Malcolm Laffley (Tuc Watkins)
• Kelly Kramer (Christina Hendricks)
• Cecile Malone (Isabella Hofmann): Rob's wife
• Brad Advail (William McNamara): An agent who is a thorn in Rob's side
• Parker Meridian (Paul Provenza): The egomaniacal star of the hit LGT show Parker's Pals who is romantically involved with Rob's daughter Audrey
• Audrey Malone (Keegan Connor Tracy): Rob and Cecile's slightly flaky 21-year-old daughter
• Emory "E.L." Luddin (Bill Morey): The frequently comatose founder and former CEO of LGT
• Lydia "L.L." Luddin (Carol Kane): E.L.'s wife, whose plans for an eponymous variety show are thwarted when Dan Falco buys the network
• Casey Lenox (Sherri Saum): A young ambitious new-hire at LGT that Lori Volpone fears could threaten her career path
• Dan Falco (Beau Bridges): A Buddhist who acquires ownership of LGT after obtaining 53% of the company's stock during a power struggle between the Luddins
• Wayne (Alex Zahara)

Production notes

The series was created by former NBC television executive Brandon Tartikoff who based the series on his own experiences. Tartikoff, whose wife Lily served as a producer on the series, died of Hodgkin's Disease two years before the series debuted.^[1]

Filmed in Vancouver, Beggars and Choosers was produced for Showtime by Granada Entertainment USA and distributor by Buena Vista Television.^[2]

Reception and cancellation

Beggars and Choosers garnered positive reviews from critics and, according to Showtime executive vice president of original programming Gary Levine, had a loyal audience,^[1] but ratings for the series remained low. Showtime canceled the series after two seasons in December 2000.^[2]

Awards and nominations

References

External links

• Beggars and Choosers at the Internet Movie Database
• Beggars and Choosers at TV.com
• Beggars and Choosers at epguides.com