What a Country!
| What a Country! | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Developed by |
Martin Rips Joseph Staretski |
| Written by |
Frank Mula Martin Rips Leonard Ripps Mike Scully Joseph Staretski |
| Directed by |
Peter Baldwin Robert Claver Linda Day Dolores Ferraro Russ Petranto |
| Starring |
Garrett M. Brown Yakov Smirnoff George Murdock Vijay Amritraj Harry Waters, Jr. Ada Maris Julian Reyes Leila Hee Olsen Gail Strickland Gregory Sierra |
| Theme music composer | Richard DeBenedictis |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Martin Rips Joseph Staretski |
| Producer(s) |
Wendy Blair Eric Cohen Leonard Ripps |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Ripstar Productions Primetime Entertainment Tribune Entertainment Viacom Productions |
| Distributor | CBS Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | Syndicated |
| Original release | September 27, 1986 – May 23, 1987 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Mind Your Language |
What a Country! is an American sitcom that aired in syndication from September 27, 1986 to May 23, 1987. It was based on the 1977-1979 British sitcom Mind Your Language. The series was intended as somewhat of a showcase for Yakov Smirnoff, whose catchphrase provided the show's title.
Synopsis
What a Country! is set in a class of recent immigrants to the United States who are trying to pass the citizenship test. Their teacher, Taylor Brown (played by Garrett M. Brown) is an American English language teacher, while the students include Nikolai (a Russian taxi driver), Laszlo (a retired Hungarian doctor), Ali (a Pakistani), Robert (the son of a deposed African king), Maria (a housekeeper working for a rich Beverly Hills family), Victor (a Hispanic in love with Maria), Yung Hi (a shy Japanese woman) and Sheikh El Hamid (an Arabian sheikh). Gail Strickland initially played the character of Principal Joan Courtney, though she was replaced by Don Knotts during the series' run.[1]
The series aired a total of 26 episodes before being canceled.
Cast
- Garrett M. Brown as Taylor Brown
- Yakov Smirnoff as Nikolai Rostopovich
- George Murdock as Laszlo Gabo
- Vijay Amritraj as Ali Nadim
- Harry Waters, Jr. as Robert Muboto
- Ada Maris as Maria Conchita Lopez
- Julian Reyes as Victor Ortega
- Leila Hee Olsen as Yung Hi
- Gail Strickland as Principal Joan Courtney (Episodes 1-10)
- Don Knotts as Principal F.J. "Bud" McPherson (Episodes 11-26)
Episodes
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "The First Class" | September 27, 1986 |
| 1-2 | "The Soul Man" | October 4, 1986 |
| 1-3 | "A Busboy Named Desire" | October 11, 1986 |
| 1-4 | "Don't Leave Home Without It" | October 18, 1986 |
| 1-5 | "My Fair Yung Hi" | October 25, 1986 |
| 1-6 | "Holiday on Ice" | November 1, 1986 |
| 1-7 | "The Best Laid Plans" | November 8, 1986 |
| 1-8 | "Chicken a la Prince" | November 15, 1986 |
| 1-9 | "A Birthday With Class" | November 22, 1986 |
| 1-10 | "Ali's Arrangement" | December 20, 1986 |
| 1-11 | "Taylor Loses His Cool" | January 10, 1987 |
| 1-12 | "The Road From Morocco" | January 17, 1987 |
| 1-13 | "Nikolai Speaks" | January 24, 1987 |
| 1-14 | "California Dreamin'" | February 7, 1987 |
| 1-15 | "Moonlighting" | February 14, 1987 |
| 1-16 | "Play it Again, F" | February 21, 1987 |
| 1-17 | "Citizen Pain" | February 28, 1987 |
| 1-18 | "Educating Inga" | March 7, 1987 |
| 1-19 | "Victor at an Exhibition" | March 14, 1987 |
| 1-20 | "What a Tangled Web We Weave" | March 28, 1987 |
| 1-21 | "Love Finds Nikolai" | April 4, 1987 |
| 1-22 | "We're in the Muboto's" | April 11, 1987 |
| 1-23 | "What Are Friends For?" | May 2, 1987 |
| 1-24 | "The Candidate" | May 9, 1987 |
| 1-25 | "The Apartment" | May 16, 1987 |
| 1-26 | "Old World Charmer" | May 23, 1987 |