It's a Living

It's a Living (also known as Making a Living)[1] is an American sitcom television series set in a restaurant at the top of the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles.[1] The show aired on ABC from October 30, 1980, until June 11, 1982. After the series was canceled by ABC, new episodes aired in first-run syndication from September 28, 1985, to April 8, 1989. The series was created by Stu Silver, Dick Clair and Jenna McMahon and produced by Witt/Thomas Productions, later in association with Golden West Television (1985–86) and Lorimar-Telepictures (1986–89). Currently, the series is distributed by Paul Brownstein Productions.

First season main cast
For the 1998 Canadian reality television series, see It's a Living (Canadian TV series).
It's a Living
Also known asMaking a Living
Created byStu Silver
Dick Clair
Jenna McMahon
StarringBarrie Youngfellow
Ann Jillian
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Gail Edwards
Crystal Bernard
Paul Kreppel
Louise Lasser
Earl Boen
Marian Mercer
Wendy Schaal
Susan Sullivan
Richard Stahl
Theme music composerGeorge Aliceson Tipton and Leslie Bricusse
Opening theme"It's a Living"
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes120 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)Paul Junger Witt
Tony Thomas
Producer(s)Joel Zwick
R.J. Colleary
Marc Sotkin
Gloria Banta
Greg Antonacci
Paul Kreppel
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production company(s)Witt/Thomas Productions
DistributorGolden West Television
(1985–1986)
Lorimar-Telepictures
(1986–1989)
Paul Brownstein Productions (2020-present)
Release
Original networkABC (1980–1982)
Syndication (1985–1989)
Original releaseOctober 30, 1980 (1980-10-30) –
April 8, 1989 (1989-04-08)

Synopsis

The show follows the lives of the waitresses at the posh restaurant Above the Top, located at the top of the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, California. At the helm was supervisor Nancy Beebe (Marian Mercer), the restaurant's maître d’, who sometimes fraternized with the girls but usually gave orders. More often than not the scheme of the week involved upsetting Nancy in some way because all she wanted was an orderly wait staff. Adding to the chaotic working environment was a wisecracking pianist named Sonny Mann (Paul Kreppel), who made rude comments to the women, Nancy included, and got insulted in return. The kitchen was the domain of Chef Mario (Bert Remsen), then Dennis Hubner (Earl Boen), and finally Howard Miller (Richard Stahl), who eventually married Nancy.

Cast
Portrayer Character Seasons
1
(1980–81)		 2
(1981–82)		 3
(1985–86)		 4
(1986–87)		 5
(1987–88)		 6
(1988–89)
Barrie YoungfellowJan Hoffmeyer Gray
Gail EdwardsDorothy "Dot" Higgins
Marian MercerNancy Beebe Miller
Paul KreppelSonny Mann
Ann JillianCassie Cranston
Susan SullivanLois Adams
Wendy SchaalVicki Allen
Bert RemsenMario
Louise LasserMaggie McBurney
Earl BoenDennis Hubner
Crystal BernardAmy Tompkins
Richard StahlHoward Miller
Sheryl Lee RalphGinger St. James

Richard Kline also appeared as recurring character Richie, Jan's new husband, in seasons 3 through 6.

Episodes
Main article: List of It's a Living episodes

The show's two broadcast seasons produced 27 episodes. An additional 93 episodes were produced for the syndication run, making a total of 120 episodes.

SeasonTitleEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
1It's a Living13October 30, 1980 (1980-10-30)August 4, 1981 (1981-08-04)ABC
2Making a Living14October 24, 1981 (1981-10-24)June 11, 1982 (1982-06-11)
3It's a Living22September 28, 1985 (1985-09-28)May 24, 1986 (1986-05-24)Syndication
425September 27, 1986 (1986-09-27)May 23, 1987 (1987-05-23)
526September 26, 1987 (1987-09-26)May 28, 1988 (1988-05-28)
620October 15, 1988 (1988-10-15)April 8, 1989 (1989-04-08)

Title changes

Like many other sitcoms that aired during the 1980–81 television season, It's a Living felt the effects of the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strike that occurred in 1980. This caused the show to have an abbreviated first season of only thirteen episodes.

The series was not a ratings success. For season 2 the cast was retooled extensively, and the series was given a new title: Making a Living. Two of the five waitresses from the first season - Lois Adams and Vicki Allen, played by actresses Susan Sullivan and Wendy Schaal, respectively - were replaced with waitress Maggie McBurney, portrayed by actress Louise Lasser. Airing in 1981 under the title Making a Living,[1] this iteration did not catch on either, and the show was canceled after two seasons. In syndication, the second season airs under the original title It's a Living.

Of all the cast, only Gail Edwards (Dot Higgins), Marian Mercer (Nancy Beebe Miller), Barrie Youngfellow (Jan Hoffmeyer Gray), and Paul Kreppel (Sonny Mann) lasted through the show's network and syndicated runs. Ann Jillian (Cassie Cranston) appeared during the network run and the first year of syndication. Crystal Bernard and Richard Stahl were on for the entire syndicated run.

Syndication

While the show was never a hit on network TV, its fortunes would later turn in 1983 when all 27 episodes went to syndication. The series began to attract a following along with surprising ratings for the reruns, which prompted the producers and Golden West Television to bring it back. Another factor in its sudden rediscovery was Ann Jillian's public disclosure that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984, the same year as the announcement of the show's revival.

In 1985, the show was revived under its old name for the syndicated market. Most of the cast remained intact from the former version. A new waitress, Amy Tompkins (Crystal Bernard), arrived at the restaurant and was immediately accepted by the group. When Jillian decided to leave the show in 1986 (she had agreed to do only one season in syndication, plus she wanted to continue her treatments for breast cancer), her character was written out as having married and started a family. She was replaced by Ginger St. James (Sheryl Lee Ralph). With these core cast members in place, the show continued to produce episodes for syndication until it ended in 1989.

From 2000 to 2001, TV Land aired the series occasionally for special programming blocks. In April 2018, Logo TV began to carry the series in marathon form several times a month. Antenna TV began airing the series on January 2, 2020.

The first three seasons can be viewed on the Tubi streaming service as of June 2020.

Paul Kreppel and Gail Edwards at The Hollywood Show - 2019

Stations
City Station
Atlanta WATL 36[2]
WSB 2[3]
Bakersfield KGET 17[4]
Baltimore WBFF 45[5]
Bangor WABI 5[6]
Billings KYUS 8[7]
Boston WSBK 38[8]
Cedar Rapids KOCR 28[9]
Chicago WGN 9[10][11]
WGBO 66[12]
WMAQ 5
Cleveland WOIO 19[13]
Dallas KDFI 27[14]
Detroit WXON 20[15][16]
Eugene KLSR 34[17]
Fargo KVRR 15[18]
Fresno KAIL 53
Green Bay WGBA 26[19]
Greensboro WGGT 48
Hartford WHCT 18[20]
WTIC 61[21][22]
Hazleton WOLF 56[23]
Honolulu KITV 4
Houston KIAH 39[24]
KTXH 20[25]
Indianapolis WTTV 4[26][27]
Joliet WGBO 66[28]
Kansas City KSHB 41[29]
Las Vegas KVVU 5[30]
Los Angeles KADY 63[31]
KNBC 4[32]
Miami WTVJ 6[33][34]
Milwaukee WVTV 18[35]
Minneapolis WFTC 29[36]
New York WABC 7
WOR 9[37]
Oklahoma City KOCO 5[38]
Orlando WCPX 6[39]
Philadelphia WPHL 17[40]
Phoenix KTVK 3[41]
Pittsburgh WTAE 4[42]
Portland, Maine WPXT 51[43]
Salisbury WMDT 47[44][45]
Saint Paul KSTP 5
Salinas KSBW 8[46]
Salt Lake City KSTU 13[47]
San Antonio KABB 29
KCWX 2
KRRT 35
San Francisco KBHK 44[48]
Sacramento KMAX 31
KQCA 58
KTXL 40
Seattle KTZZ 22[49]
Secaucus WOR 9[50]
St. Louis KDNL 30[51]
St. Petersburg WTOG 44[52]
Smithtown WFTY 67[53]
Toledo WUPW 36[54]
Washington, D.C. WJLA 7
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References
  1. "Making a Living". The New York Times.
  2. "Retro: Atlanta Wednesday, October 23, 1985". Radio Discussions. June 29, 2006.
  3. "Retro: Atlanta Sunday, January 11, 1987". Radio Discussions. January 11, 2007.
  4. "Retro: Fresno Sat/Sun 2/21-22/87 (pt 1)". Radio Discussions. August 16, 2005.
  5. "Retro: Lancaster/Baltimore/DC, Sat. December 14th, 1985". Radio Discussions. November 24, 2013.
  6. "Retro: Maritimes Sat, July 25, 1987". Radio Discussions. April 26, 2010.
  7. "Retro: Montana Sun, Aug 27, 1989". Radio Discussions. August 29, 2013.
  8. "Retro: Boston MA: Sunday, April 24, 1988". Radio Discussions. January 3, 2019.
  9. "Retro: Cedar Rapids-Dubuque, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 1990". Radio Discussions. January 18, 2010.
  10. It's A Living 1986 WGN Promo on YouTube
  11. 1988 - Chicago 'It's a Living' Promo on YouTube
  12. "Retro: Chicago independents, Friday, Feb. 3, 1989". Radio Discussions. July 25, 2005.
  13. 1-1-1987 WOIO Commercials on YouTube
  14. "Retro:Dallas/Fort Worth, Thursday, October 10, 1991". Radio Discussions. October 29, 2010.
  15. WXON TV 20-It's a Living Promo (Late 80s) on YouTube
  16. WXON TV 20 Prime Time Movie opening from the late 80s. on YouTube
  17. "Retro: Oregon Wed, Sept 13, 1989". Radio Discussions. September 13, 2013.
  18. "RETRO: Fargo, Monday Oct 7, 1991". Radio Discussions. September 12, 2011.
  19. "Retro: Northern Wisconsin, Sat. July 9th, 1988". Radio Discussions. February 1, 2018.
  20. "Retro: Western Massachusetts Sat, Oct 1, 1988". Radio Discussions. June 2, 2010.
  21. WTIC 61 Hartford Ct 1985 It's a Living on YouTube
  22. "Retro: New York Metro - Saturday, August 13, 1988". Radio Discussions. April 11, 2010.
  23. "Retro: Scranton Wilkes Barre Market - November 30, 1985 - Saturday". Radio Discussions. November 24, 2012.
  24. "Retro: Houston Saturday, February 28-Sunday, March 1, 1987". Radio Discussions. March 6, 2010.
  25. "Retro:Houston, Wednesday, September 17, 1986". Radio Discussions. December 1, 2010.
  26. 80's Commercials Vol. 163 on YouTube
  27. 80's Commercials Vol. 162 on YouTube
  28. Super 66 - Partridge Family commercial breaks #2 on YouTube
  29. KSHB-TV Commercials - December 1985 on YouTube
  30. 80's Commercials Vol. 409 on YouTube
  31. KADY Saturday Comedy Block Promo 1988 on YouTube
  32. "IT'S ALL NEW! IT'S A LIVING". eBay.
  33. January 17, 1986 WTVJ-4 (Miami) commercials on YouTube
  34. April 11, 1986 commercials on YouTube
  35. Witt/Thomas Productions/Lorimar-Telepictures (1986) #2 on YouTube
  36. "Retro: Twin Cities, MN: January 22, 1989 (Super Bowl Sunday)". Radio Discussions. February 4, 2019.
  37. "NEW YORK TV- FALL 1988 (Part 3)". Radio Discussions. December 10, 2005.
  38. "Retro: Oklahoma City - Week of April 5, 1987". Radio Discussions. January 15, 2019.
  39. "Retro: Tampa/Orlando, Saturday, August 22, 1992". Radio Discussions. August 26, 1992.
  40. October 15, 1987 commercials on YouTube
  41. "Retro: Kingman, AZ, Sunday, May 3, 1992". Radio Discussions. October 22, 2017.
  42. ABC Commercial Break - October 1988 (Fight Back with David Horowitz) on YouTube
  43. "RETRO: New Hampshire 12/24/88". Radio Discussions. December 25, 2009.
  44. October 10, 1987 commercials on YouTube
  45. It's A Living (1987 Syndication Promo) on YouTube
  46. "Retro: Fresno Sat/Sun 2/21-22/87 (pt 2)". Radio Discussions. August 16, 2005.
  47. "Retro: Seattle, Wed. Aug 21 1991 4pm-12:35am". Radio Discussions. March 31, 2012.
  48. "Retro: San Francisco/Sacramento, Saturday, August 30, 1986". Radio Discussions. June 10, 2017.
  49. "Re: Salt Lake City - Indie weekend schedules July 15 & 16, 1989". Radio Discussions. August 4, 2005.
  50. "RETRO: Fairbanks, Alaska (February 13, 1988)". Radio Discussions. January 5, 2008.
  51. "Retro: St Louis Sat/Sun, June 28/29, 1986". Radio Discussions. January 16, 2008.
  52. "Retro: Tampa/Cable Evening/Late Night Listings, Mon. Oct 14, 1985". Radio Discussions. August 15, 2010.
  53. WFTY commercials (Week of December 13, 1987) on YouTube
  54. "90 Nutty Minutes!". THE VINTAGE TOLEDO TV SITE.
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