Nearly Departed

Nearly Departed
Created byRoger Shulman
John Baskin
StarringEric Idle
Caroline McWilliams
Stuart Pankin
Wendy Schaal
Jay Lambert
Henderson Forsythe
ComposersKevin Quinn
Randy Petersen
Robert Irving
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6 (2 unaired)
Production
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesBaskin-Shulman Productions
Lorimar Television
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseApril 10 (1989-04-10) –
May 1, 1989 (1989-05-01)

Nearly Departed is an American sitcom that aired on NBC on Monday nights from April 10, 1989 to May 1, 1989.[1] It was an updated version of Topper.[2]

Premise

The series focused on English professor Grant Pritchard and his wife Claire who are killed in a rockslide. They return to their home as ghosts to find plumbing contractor Mike Dooley and his wife Liz, son Derek, and his father, Jack, living there. Grandpa Jack was the only one who could see and hear the Pritchards. In exchange for continuing to live in the house as ghosts, the Pritchards would mediate through Grandpa Jack and try to help the Dooleys with their problems. In one such instance, Derek was doing poorly in school because he was intimidated by bullies; Grant and Claire use their abilities to scare off the bullies.

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)		Rating/share
(households)
1"Grant Meets Grandpa"John RichRoger Shulman & John BaskinApril 10, 1989 (1989-04-10)23.5[3]15.1/24[3]
2"Adventures in Babysitting"John RichRoger Shulman & John BaskinApril 17, 1989 (1989-04-17)19.9[4]13.2/22[4]
3"Altared States"John RichDaniel PalladinoApril 24, 1989 (1989-04-24)18.6[5]12.1/20[5]
4"TV or Not TV"John RichNeil Alan LevyMay 1, 1989 (1989-05-01)19.3[6]11.9/19[6]
5"Grandpa's Date"John RichDale McRavenUnaired (Unaired)N/AN/A
6"Grant's Aunt"John RichSy Dukane & Denise MossUnaired (Unaired)N/AN/A

References

  1. ^ The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 838. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.
  2. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). Penguin. p. 592. ISBN 01402-4916-8.
  3. ^ a b "CBS squeaks by into second". Life. USA Today. April 19, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306176608.
  4. ^ a b "Sitcom rewards ABC's faith". Life. USA Today. April 26, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306174966.
  5. ^ a b "We loved CBS' 'Lucy' tribute". Life. USA Today. May 3, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306197470.
  6. ^ a b "Bright spots for No. 3 ABC". Life. USA Today. May 10, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306210811.