There's... Johnny!

There's... Johnny! is an American comedy-drama web television series created by Paul Reiser and David Steven Simon and starring Ian Nelson, Jane Levy, T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh, and Tony Danza. The series takes place in the 1970s and depicts the fictional goings-on behind the scenes of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The series was ordered by streaming service Seeso and had been scheduled to premiere on August 24, 2017, but that release was canceled due to Seeso's closure. The streaming service Hulu subsequently acquired the streaming rights to the series and released all seven produced episodes on November 16, 2017.

There's... Johnny!
GenreComedy-drama
Created by
Written by
  • Paul Reiser
  • David Steven Simon
Starring
Composer(s)Steven Argila
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes7 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s)
  • Carl Craig
  • Brandon James
CinematographyBenjamin Kasulke
Editor(s)
  • Jeff Seibenick
  • Jeff Israel
  • Phillip Bartell
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time20–32 minutes
Production company(s)
  • Nuance Productions
  • Rough House Pictures
  • Comedy Dynamics
Release
Original networkHulu[lower-alpha 1]
Original releaseNovember 16, 2017 (2017-11-16)

Premise

There's... Johnny! follows "the lives and challenges of Andy, a wide-eyed 19-year-old Nebraskan who stumbles his way into a job at The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Joy, a young Talent Coordinator on the show, as they both try to find their way and prove themselves in this period of cultural and political upheaval." The series also touches on "major historical events of the time, including the Vietnam War, Nixon, and the strengthening counter-culture, as well the show’s status as one of the most popular and important cultural institution of its day."[1]

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring
  • Roger Bart as Angelo
  • Nate Smith as Mike, a writer for The Tonight Show
  • David Hoffman as Jim, a writer for The Tonight Show
  • Daniel B. Strauss as Alan, a writer for The Tonight Show
  • Andrew Schulz as Mitch, a writer for The Tonight Show
  • Camrus Johnson as Rasheed, Andy's neighbor and friend
  • Alison Martin as Lorraine Klavin, Andy's mother
  • Abigail Klein as Chrissy-Ann Aldean, a beauty pageant winner from Andy's hometown who arrives in Hollywood
  • Don Stark as Bernie Greenfield, Joy's father who holds a powerful position within the entertainment industry
  • Johnny Ferro as Buddy Klavin, Andy's brother who returns after serving in the Vietnam War.
  • Ari Frenkel as Tom Donahue
  • Reggie A. Green as a security guard

Guest

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Andy Goes to Hollywood"David Gordon GreenPaul Reiser & David Steven SimonNovember 16, 2017 (2017-11-16)
2"Dog Day Afternoon"David Gordon GreenPaul Reiser & David Steven SimonNovember 16, 2017 (2017-11-16)
3"Owed to Joy"Andrew BujalskiPaul Reiser & David Steven SimonNovember 16, 2017 (2017-11-16)
4"Take Me to Church"Andrew BujalskiPaul Reiser & David Steven SimonNovember 16, 2017 (2017-11-16)
5"The Drop"David RogersPaul Reiser & David Steven SimonNovember 16, 2017 (2017-11-16)
6"The Getaway"So Yong KimPaul Reiser & David Steven SimonNovember 16, 2017 (2017-11-16)
7"The Anniversary Show"So Yong KimPaul Reiser & David Steven SimonNovember 16, 2017 (2017-11-16)

Production
"Growing up, the coolest thing imaginable was to someday get on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and make Johnny laugh. The fact that I got to do that was a dream come true, and going back now to explore that world, and pay homage to Johnny and that golden time is an absolute joy."

— Creator Paul Reiser on what inspired him to create the series[1]

Development

On October 11, 2016, it was announced that Seeso had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of eight episodes. The series was written by Paul Reiser and David Steven Simon, both of whom were also set to executive produce alongside David Gordon Green, Jeff Sotzing, Brian Volk-Weiss, Michael Pelmont, Cisco Henson, Matt Ochacher, Evan Shapiro, Kelsey Balance, and Dan Kerstetter. Green was also slated to serve as director for the series as well and Craig Knizek was set as a producer. The series was produced in conjunction with the estate of Johnny Carson and was granted access to the full Carson archives, allowing the show to mix newly filmed content with authentic footage of Carson and his guests onscreen. Production companies involved with the series were anticipated to include Nuance Productions, Rough House Pictures, and Comedy Dynamics.[1]

Casting

On January 23, 2017, it was announced that Tony Danza, Ian Nelson, Jane Levy, Roger Bart, T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh, Nate Smith, David Hoffman, Daniel Strauss, and Andrew Schulz had been cast in the series.[2]

Release

Marketing

On November 6, 2017, a trailer for the series was released.[3]

Premiere

On April 27, 2017, the series held its world premiere during the Tribeca Film Festival at the SVA Theatre in New York City. Following a screening of the first episode, a conversation was held with creators Paul Reiser and David Steven Simon, executive producer David Gordon Green, and cast members Tony Danza, Ian Nelson, and Jane Levy. The conversation was moderated by journalist Bill Carter.[4][5][6]

Distribution

On March 30, 2017, it was reported that the series would premiere on August 24, 2017.[7] On August 9, 2017, it was announced that Seeso was shutting down and that the series would not premiere that month as previously announced.[8] A week later, it was reported that NBCUniversal was actively searching for a new outlet for the series.[9] On September 27, 2017, it was announced that Hulu had acquired the streaming rights to the series.[10] On October 13, 2017, it was announced that the series would now premiere on Hulu on November 16, 2017.[11]

Reception

The series has been met with a mixed response from critics upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an 80% approval rating, with an average rating of 7 out of 10 based on 5 reviews.[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 60 out of 100 based on 6 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[13]

In a mixed to negative review, The Los Angeles Times' Chris Barton praised the use of footage from The Tonight Show but criticized other aspects of the production saying, "Given its roots in comedy, There's... Johnny remains strongest in its reverent time travels with Carson as well as his fellow comedy giants such as George Carlin and Steve Martin, who also appear in Tonight Show clips. The appeal there is undeniable. But as the real world creeps in, There's... Johnny! strains under a weight that even the present is struggling to resolve." In a more positive review, Indiewire's Steve Greene gave the series a grade of "B+" and praised it saying, "There's... Johnny! is unabashedly a tribute, filtered through the glow of fondness for a time gone by. Not without its second-guessing, there’s still a lovely underpinning of specificity that finds some honesty among the nostalgia. TV is an increasingly strange business, but There's... Johnny! argues that there’s still a bit of magic in the chaos."[14]

Notes
  1. There's... Johnny! was ordered by Seeso and originally scheduled to premiere on that streaming service. Following the service's closure, Hulu acquired the rights to stream the series.
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References
  1. Petski, Denise (October 11, 2016). "Seeso Sets 'There's … Johnny!' 'Tonight Show'-Set Comedy Series From Paul Reiser". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  2. Petski, Denise (January 23, 2017). "'There's … Johnny!': Tony Danza, Ian Nelson, Jane Levy & Roger Bart Join Seeso Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  3. Petski, Denise (November 6, 2017). "'There's Johnny' Trailer: Co-Creator Paul Reiser's 1970s-Set Comedy Reveals Backstage Mayhem On 'The Tonight Show'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  4. "There's … Johnny! | Tribeca Film Festival". Tribeca Film Festival. Archived from the original on September 27, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  5. "There's... Johnny! at Tribeca Film Festival - JohnnyCarson.com". JohnnyCarson.com. April 18, 2017. Archived from the original on July 9, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  6. "Tribeca Film Festival Announces Paul Reiser's 'There's…Johnny!' Premiere". Shore Fire Media. March 23, 2017. Archived from the original on June 26, 2017. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  7. Petski, Denise (March 30, 2017). "'There's…Johnny!', 'Harmonquest' Season 2, More Get Summer Premiere Dates On Seeso". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  8. Otterson, Joe (August 9, 2017). "Seeso to Shut Down 'Later This Year'". Variety. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  9. Jurgensen, John (August 16, 2017). "The Sitcom's Ready, But the Network's Canceled". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  10. Pedersen, Erik (September 27, 2017). "Hulu Lands SVOD Rights To '30 Rock', 'Parenthood' & Others In Deal With NBCUniversal TV". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  11. Schneider, Michael (October 13, 2017). "Paul Reiser on Hulu Saving His Johnny Carson Comedy 'There's… Johnny!' and Giving It a Premiere Date — Exclusive". IndieWire. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  12. "There's...Johnny!". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  13. "There's...Johnny!". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  14. Greene, Steve (November 16, 2017). "'There's…Johnny!' Review: Hulu's Carson-Era 'Tonight Show' Dramedy Is a Sweet '70s Fairy Tale". IndieWire. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
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