''Private Benjamin'' is an American

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

television series based on and set during the events of the 1980 movie of the same name that aired on CBS from April 6, 1981, to January 10, 1983. Eileen Brennan, who reprised her role from the film, won an

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

and

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

for her work on the series.

Synopsis

Like the movie, the series is about a spoiled young socialite named Judy Benjamin adjusting to life in the army. She's popular among her fellow enlisted personnel (with the exception of Pvt. Carol Winter), but not with her superiors. Most of the humor in the series is derived from Benjamin and her friends' attempts to evade the watchful eye of their captain. Although some of the actors from the film play the same characters on the TV show (notably Eileen Brennan and Hal Williams, in their roles of Captain Doreen Lewis and Sgt. L.C. Ross respectively), the title role is acted by Lorna Patterson instead of

Goldie Hawn Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, producer, dancer, and singer. She achieved stardom and acclaim for playing lighthearted comedic roles in film and television. In a career spanning six decades, she has received ...

. While the series was initially shot on film and featured many outdoor scenes, later episodes were more like a standard sitcom, shot on video on soundstages and complete with a laugh track. In the fall of 1982,

Robert Mandan Robert Mandan (February 2, 1932 – April 29, 2018) was an American actor, best known for his roles as Sam Reynolds on '' Search for Tomorrow'' (1965–1970), Chester Tate, the philandering businessman husband of Jessica Tate ( Katherine Hel ...

joined the cast as Colonel Lawrence Fielding, the pompous, well-meaning, but ineffectual, head of the camp. In late 1982, Eileen Brennan was struck by a car and Polly Holliday was brought in as Captain Amanda Allen, intended as a temporary replacement for Brennan's Captain Lewis character, but the show was cancelled shortly thereafter.

Cast and characters

* Lorna Patterson as Pvt. Judith "Judy" Benjamin * Eileen Brennan as Cpt. Doreen Lewis *Joyce Little as Pvt. Rayleen White *

as Col. Lawrence Fielding *Ann Ryerson as Pvt. Carol Winter * Wendie Jo Sperber as Pvt. Stacy Kouchalakas * Lucy Webb as Pvt. Luanne Hubble * Hal Williams as Sgt. Ted Ross *Lisa Raggio as Pvt. Maria Gianelli *

Damita Jo Freeman Damita Jo Freeman is an American dancer and actress, who started her career on the TV show '' Soul Train''. In 1973 Freeman became a featured dancer on ''Soul Train'' after only her second appearance on the show, when Joe Tex Yusuf Hazziez (b ...

as Pvt. Jackie Sims * Polly Holliday as Cpt. Amanda Allen

Episodes

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy 1981 American television series debuts 1983 American television series endings 1980s American single-camera sitcoms American English-language television shows Military comedy television series Live action television shows based on films Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios CBS sitcoms