Drexell's Class
| Drexell's Class | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by |
Andrew Nicholls Darrell Vickers |
| Written by |
Bill Boulware Eric Brand Ralph R. Farquhar Jim Herzfeld Phil Kellard Wayne Kline Robert Kurtz Tom Moore Andrew Nicholls Darrell Vickers George Zateslo |
| Directed by |
Matthew Diamond Dick Martin Gino Tanasescu John Tracy |
| Starring | Dabney Coleman |
| Theme music composer | Kurt Farquhar |
| Composer(s) |
Rich Eames Scott Gale |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 18 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Phil Kellard Tom Moore David A. Neuman |
| Producer(s) | Marsha Posner-Williams |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Grantwood Productions 20th Century Fox Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox |
| Original release | September 19, 1991 – March 5, 1992 |
Drexell's Class is an American sitcom that aired Thursday at 8:30 on Fox as part of its 1991-92 lineup. The show was created by Andrew Nicholls and Darrell Vickers.
Synopsis
Drexell's Class (two working titles of the show were "Oh No, Not Drexell, and "Shut Up, Kids!") starred Dabney Coleman in the role of Otis Drexell, a fifth-grade teacher at fictional Grantwood Elementary School in Cedar Bluffs, Iowa. In the backstory, it was revealed Drexell was a famous corporate raider who lost a large amount of money on a failed venture, to which he dodged his taxes and was subsequently arrested. At his court case, he was told that he would get a suspended sentence on the basis he work as a teacher in the undermanned school until he pays his back taxes. Drexell is also a divorced man whose two daughters live with him. Besides the bevy of cute kids, the cast also included two antagonists, rival teacher Roscoe Davis (Dakin Matthews) and Principal Francine Itkin (Randy Graff), who was later succeeded by Principal Marylin Ridge (Edie McClurg).
One of Drexell's few friends at the school was school janitor George (Cleavant Derricks), who shared Drexell's love of sports and beer. Most shows revolved around Drexell's unwillingness to teach children lessons by the book or him trying to be a good father to his daughters. Occasionally, a subplot happened where Drexell's ex-wife appeared, in which Otis was hoping she would remarry so he can stop paying alimony.
Cast
- Dabney Coleman ... Otis Drexell
- Randy Graff ... Principal Francine E. Itkin
- Dakin Matthews ... Roscoe Davis
- Jason Biggs ... Willie Trancas
- Heidi Zeigler ... Nicole Finnigan
- Damian Cagnolatti ... Kenny Sanders
- Matthew Lawrence ... Walker
- A. J. Langer ... Melissa Drexell
- Brittany Murphy ... Brenda Drexell
- Edie McClurg ... Principal Marilyn Ridge
- Cleavant Derricks ... George Foster
- Phil Buckman ... Slash
- Jacqueline Donnelly ... Bernadette
- Matthew Slowik ... Lionel
Episode list
| Episode # | Production Code | Episode Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8G03 | "Otis' Last Day" | September 19, 1991 |
| 2 | 8G02 | "Air Drexell" | September 26, 1991 |
| 3 | 8G04 | "Misery Loves Drexell" | October 3, 1991 |
| 4 | 8G05 | "Love Walked Right In and Swept Mr. Drexell Away" | October 10, 1991 |
| 5 | 8G01 | "Convictions" | October 17, 1991 |
| 6 | 8G07 | "Viva Lost Wages" | October 24, 1991 |
| 7 | 8G06 | "Best Halloween Ever" | October 31, 1991 |
| 8 | 8G08 | "Driving Drexell Crazy" | November 7, 1991 |
| 9 | 8G10 | "Down and Out at the Out 'n In" | November 14, 1991 |
| 10 | 8G09 | "The Best Thanksgiving Ever" | November 21, 1991 |
| 11 | 8G11 | "Bully for Otis" | December 5, 1991 |
| 12 | 8G12 | "Silent Night, Holy Smokes" | December 21, 1991 |
| 13 | 8G13 | "My Own Private Iowa" | January 16, 1992 |
| 14 | 8G14 | "Beauty and the Beast" | January 23, 1992 |
| 15 | 8G17 | "Ashes to Ashes" | February 6, 1992 |
| 16 | 8G15 | "Till Death Do You Part" | February 13, 1992 |
| 17 | 8G18 | "Cruisin'" | February 20, 1992 |
| 18 | 8G16 | "The Resentments" | March 5, 1992 |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Title of work | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Young Artist Awards | Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Television Series | |
| 1992 | Young Artist Awards | Best Young Actor Guest Starring or Recurring Role in a TV Series | Michael Oliver |
| 1992 | Young Artist Awards | Best Young Actor Guest Starring or Recurring Role in a TV Series | Brandon Quintin Adams |
In popular culture
- The Simpsons made light of the show's cancellation in their 1992 "Treehouse of Horror III" episode with a "graveyard of cancelled shows". A tombstone of Drexell's Class is featured alongside tombstones of Fish Police, Capitol Critters, and Family Dog.
References
- Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows
External links
- Drexell's Class at the Internet Movie Database
- Drexell's Class at TV.com
- Drexell's Class at epguides.com