''Throb'' 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 ...

that aired in syndication from September 6, 1986, to May 21, 1988. The series, created by Fredi Towbin, was produced by

Procter & Gamble Productions The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/cons ...

in association with Taft Entertainment Television, and was distributed by

Worldvision Enterprises Worldvision Enterprises, Inc. was an American television program and home video distributor established in 1954 as ABC Film Syndication, the domestic and overseas program distribution arm of the ABC Television Network. They primarily licensed ...

. The series' rights are currently held by

CBS Media Ventures CBS Media Ventures, Inc. (formerly CBS Paramount Domestic Television and CBS Television Distribution) is the television broadcast syndication arm of CBS Studios, a division of the CBS Entertainment Group, in turn a division of Paramount Global, ...

Synopsis

The series revolved around a thirty-something divorcee named Sandy Beatty ( Diana Canova), who gets a job at a small new wave record label, Throb. Beatty's boss is Zachary Armstrong ( Jonathan Prince), who had a huge crush on Sandy. Beatty also has a 12-year-old son named Jeremy (played in the first season by

Paul Walker Paul William Walker IV (September 12, 1973 – November 30, 2013) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Brian O'Conner in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise. Paul Walker began his career as a child actor in the 1980s, gainin ...

and in season two by Sean de Veritch). Beatty's best friend was Meredith (

Maryedith Burrell Maryedith Burrell (born Maryedith Ann Theresa Smith)is an American actress, comedian, film and television producer, writer and documentarian best known for starring roles on the television series '' Fridays'', '' Throb'', Ron Howard's '' Parent ...

), a single teacher who lived in her building, and her co-workers included hip business manager Phil Gaines (Richard Cummings, Jr.) and British-born Prudence Anne Bartlett, who was nicknamed "Blue" ( Jane Leeves). During the second season, Sandy moved from her original apartment to the recently vacated penthouse in her building. She took in her co-worker Blue to help out with rent but the differences between straitlaced, somewhat conservative Sandy and the free-spirited Blue became more pronounced as they both lived and worked together. However, they were still friends.

Casting

This show was the first time many American TV viewers saw Jane Leeves, who later gained fame as Daphne Moon on ''

Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Casey, and David Lee (scr ...

''. Paul Walker played Jeremy Beatty for the first season, and would become a leading man in Hollywood some 15 years later, particularly after his breakthrough role in '' The Fast and the Furious''. The creation of the Zachary Armstrong character, and the casting of Jonathan Prince in the role, was inspired by the (then) current rising fame of

Michael J. Fox Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian and American actor and activist. Beginning his career as a child actor in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ...

. Prince bore a strong physical resemblance to Fox, and played Zachary with many similar characterizations as Fox's ''

Family Ties ''Family Ties'' is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, premiering on September 22, 1982, and concluding on May 14, 1989. The series, created by Gary David Goldberg, reflected the social shift in the United Stat ...

'' character, Alex P. Keaton. Like Alex Keaton, Zachary was also a young, diminutive overachiever on the fast track who found himself attracted to women who were both older and taller than he, the main object of his affection being Sandy.

Cast

* Diana Canova - Sandy Beatty * Jonathan Prince - Zachary Armstrong *

- Meredith * Jane Leeves - "Blue" (Prudence Anne Bartlett) *

Richard Cummings Jr. Richard Cummings Jr. is an American actor and film director most recognized for his acting roles in the dramas ''thirtysomething (TV series), thirtysomething'' and ''Northern Exposure''. He is currently working as a film and television directo ...

- Phil Gaines *

- Jeremy Beatty (1986–87) (as Paul W. Walker) *Sean de Veritch - Jeremy Beatty (1987–88)

Episodes

Season 1: 1986–1987

Season 2: 1987–1988

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0090533, title=Throb
German fan site
1986 American television series debuts 1988 American television series endings 1980s American sitcoms American English-language television shows First-run syndicated sitcoms Television series by Procter & Gamble Productions Television series by CBS Studios Television shows set in New York City 1980s American workplace comedy television series Television series about show business