''All's Fair'' is an American television

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

from Norman Lear that aired one season on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

from 1976 to 1977. The series co-starred

Richard Crenna Richard Donald Crenna (November 30, 1926 – January 17, 2003) was an American film, television and radio actor. Crenna starred in such motion pictures as ''The Sand Pebbles'', ''Wait Until Dark'', ''Un Flic'', ''Body Heat'', the first three ' ...

as a conservative political columnist and

Bernadette Peters Bernadette Peters ( ''née'' Lazzara; born February 28, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and children's book author. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo co ...

as a liberal photographer, and their romantic mismatch because of age and political opinions. The program also featured

Michael Keaton Michael John Douglas (born September 5, 1951), known professionally as Michael Keaton, is an American actor. He is known for his various comedic and dramatic film roles, including Jack Butler in ''Mr. Mom'' (1983), Betelgeuse in '' Beetlejuice'' ...

in an early role as Lanny Wolf. Peters was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role.

Plot

In Washington, D.C., an older (49) conservative columnist Richard C. Barrington (Richard Crenna) and a young (23) liberal photographer Charlotte (Charley) Drake (Bernadette Peters) become romantically involved. The complications of their politics and the age difference provide the story lines. They are "separated by politics, generation gap, manners and living styles".O'Connor, John J. "TV View. Competition Makes Networks Go Rigid", ''The New York Times'', September 26, 1976, page D29 Barrington is a gourmet cook who lives in a luxurious Washington townhouse, and Drake is a vegetarian. Barrington has a girl friend, a literary agent (

Salome Jens Salome Jens (born May 8, 1935) is an American dancer and actress of stage, film and television. She is perhaps best known for portraying the Female Changeling on ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' in the 1990s. Early years Jens was born in Milwau ...

), when he first meets Drake.O'Connor, John J. "TV: An Odd, Late Season That Is Full of Gaps: Few New Shows Promising, but Most Follow Formula Old Sitcom Series Return in Slightly Altered Guise", ''The New York Times'' , September 20, 1976, p. 46 The style of the show is "almost constant hysteria, the rapid pacing set to the sounds of argumentative shouting."

Cast and crew

;Cast Source: Nostalgia Central * Richard C. Barrington –

* Charlotte (Charley) Drake –

* Lucy Daniels, Al's girlfriend and a reporter –

Lee Chamberlin Lee Chamberlin (born Alverta LaPallo; February 14, 1938 – May 25, 2014) was an American theatrical, film and television actress. Early life Chamberlin was born in New York City. She was the daughter of Ida Roberta (née Small) and Brazilian au ...

* Allen Brooks, Richard's assistant –

J.A. Preston James Allen Preston (born November 13, 1932) is a former American actor. Preston is best known for portraying Colonel Randolph in the movie ''A Few Good Men'' and for his role as Ozzie Cleveland on the NBC prime-time television series ''Hill St ...

* Ginger Livingston, Charley's roommate –

Judith Kahan Judith Kahan (born May 24, 1948) is an American actress and television writer. Early years Kahan was born May 24, 1948, in Roslyn Heights, New York, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Kahan. She attended Boston University's School of Fine and ...

* Senator Wayne Joplin, a liberal Senator and friend of Richard –

Jack Dodson John Smeaton "Jack" Dodson (May 16, 1931 – September 16, 1994) was an American television actor best remembered for the milquetoast character Howard Sprague on ''The Andy Griffith Show'' and its spin-off ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' From 1959 until h ...

* Lanny Wolf (1976), aide to President

Carter Carter(s), or Carter's, Tha Carter, or The Carter(s), may refer to: Geography United States * Carter, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Carter, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Carter, Montana, a census-designated place * Carter ...

–

;Crew * Norman Lear – Production Supervisor *

Michael Elias Michael Herman Elias (born September 20, 1940) is an American writer, film director and producer. Early and private life Elias was born in upstate New York. He inherited his left-wing politics from his parents. His father was a doctor, the son of ...

– Producer *

Rod Parker Rod, Ror, Ród, Rőd, Rød, Röd, ROD, or R.O.D. may refer to: Devices * Birch rod, made out of twigs from birch or other trees for corporal punishment * Ceremonial rod, used to indicate a position of authority * Connecting rod, main, couplin ...

– Executive Producer *

Bob Claver Robert Earl Claver (May 22, 1928 – December 14, 2017) was an American director and producer. Born in Chicago, Illinois, where he earned his journalism degree at University of Illinois and served in the army for two years. Claver began his ...

– Director * Hal Cooper – Director * Bob Schiller – Writer and Producer *

Bob Weiskopf Bob Weiskopf (March 13, 1914 – February 20, 2001) was an American screenwriter and producer for television. He has credits for '' I Love Lucy'' which he and his writing partner Bob Schiller joined in the fifth season. They also wrote for ''The ...

– Writer and Producer * Ben Stein – Consultant and writer

Episodes

Reception

The reviewer for ''Knight News Wire'' wrote that the show "looks like the best new comedy series of the year...The show looks sound in both writing and acting ... the characters spend a lot of time shouting. Lear seems to have decided ... that high-decibel dialogue is necessary to hold the attention of a large audience." The critic for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' wrote that "The casting is first-rate and the finger-snapping pace of the show leaves just about everything looking easy and undemanding. The reviewer for '' Copley News Service'' wrote that he did not believe in the relationship (between Crenna and Peters). However, he wrote that "it works. It works because Crenna is an expert farceur and Peters is, well, cute and full of the old ginger. It works because the dialogue has crackle and wit. ... Peters has spunk and spirit and a bawdy and snappishly delightful wit ... a well-paced, intelligently conceived and altogether trenchant comedy and I don't see how it can miss."

Awards and nominations

* Golden Globe, 1977, Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical - Bernadette Peters (nominated)"Bernadette Peters Golden Globe Wins and Nominations"
, Goldenglobes.org, accessed April 15, 2012

References

External links

* * * {{Norman Lear Television series by Sony Pictures Television 1970s American sitcoms 1976 American television series debuts 1977 American television series endings CBS original programming Television shows set in Washington, D.C. English-language television shows Television series created by Norman Lear