The Famous Teddy Z is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS during the fall of 1989. The series was created by Hugh Wilson and inspired by the true story of Jay Kantor, who was a mailroom clerk at MCA and later became Marlon Brando's agent.[1]
The series starred Jon Cryer as Theodore "Teddy" Zakalokis, a young man working in a Hollywood talent agency in order to avoid being stuck in his Greek-American family's bakery. When Hollywood star Harland Keyvo (a caricature of Marlon Brando) meets Teddy Z, he is so impressed by his honesty that he makes him his new agent. The humor is derived from Teddy's innocent approach to the business, contrasted with the snake-like behavior of his fellow agents. The cast also included Jane Sibbett, Alex Rocco, Milton Selzer, Josh Blake, and Erica Yohn.
The theme song was written by Guy Moon and Stephanie and Steve Tyrell. Steve Tyrell is also the singer.
When the series first went into production, Lainie Kazan was cast as Teddy's pushy mother, Deena Zakalokis. Kazan had appeared in the first six episodes and shot part of the seventh episode but was released from the series due to creative issues. Kazan reportedly sued the producers for $2 million over her dismissal. The role of Deena was promptly recast as Teddy's grandmother, with Erica Yohn being hired. Most of Kazan's scenes were reshot with Yohn before the show made its debut.[2]
Rocco's character, Al Floss, made a crossover appearance in the Murphy Brown season two episode "And the Whiner Is...", which originally aired on November 13, 1989. In the appearance Floss serves as an agent for several Murphy Brown characters.[citation needed]
Fresh from the army, Teddy gets a job in the mail-room of a talent agency. Through a fortuitous set of circumstances, he winds up picking up powerful but childish Hollywood actor Harland Keyvo. Teddy ends up reprimanding the actor, punching him, and securing a job as his agent.
On his first day as an agent, Teddy has no idea what to do. Meanwhile, Laurie resents being offered a position as Teddy's secretary.
Teddy fights for the rights of a simian TV star.
Intending only to water the plants, Teddy reluctantly brings his family along to a movie star's beach house.
When he signs a contract to star in The Dark Closet, Harland finagles a fat bonus for Teddy, but he later decides he doesn't want to do the film.
Al pawns off a movie script onto Teddy, and the youngster is so captivated by it that he tries to get the film made -- which makes Al look like a fool.
Note: The story was "Suggested by an Article by Chuck Ross." Mr. Ross slightly altered the script for Casablanca, submitted it to over 100 agents under its original title, "Everybody Comes to Rick's," and then he wrote about the reactions.[8]
Al and Laurie are each miffed for different reasons when Teddy accompanies a screen siren home to bake cookies.
Teddy looks into buying a house closer to work. Meanwhile, Al negotiates a contract for an actor whom he doesn't realize is deceased.
Al bets Teddy his car that he can't pair his star clients, Harland Keyvo and Bobby, the Chimpanzee. Teddy pulls it off, Al renegs on the bet, and Harland becomes so upset about being upstaged by the chimp that he tries to murder it.
A pretentious actor comes to stay with Teddy's family to research his role as a Greek character.
In this variation of A Christmas Carol, Al is met by a deceased business associate and three ghosts (who take the guises of Abe, Richie, and Teddy) -- but in the end, the despicable agent doesn't learn a thing.
After he gets his first big paycheck, Deena thinks Teddy is selling drugs, so he invites her to work, where she tries to poach one of Al's clients.
Teddy becomes an agent for Engineer Bob, an over-the-hill children's TV star, but the only job he can find is a personal appearance at the opening of his uncle's new restaurant.
Harland pressures Teddy to take a position at a rival agency.
An obnoxious agent locks horns with Al and lures Laurie away.
When Harland is nominated for an award, he sends Teddy to deliver a condescending acceptance speech.
Teddy watches in astonishment as everyone adds their two cents to a TV show pitch and it morphs into something else entirely.
Al takes Teddy out to lunch to teach him the sleazy ways of the business, which includes lying to protect a movie star who's facing assault charges.
Laurie agrees to attend a movie screening with Teddy, but his dream date turns into a nightmarish double-date with her inebriated mother.
Loony new age movie star guru Donna Gates pursues Teddy for representation, so Al goes out of his way to impress her.
The series pilot was seen to be far stronger than subsequent episodes, but the series received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including one for the pilot, and for Alex Rocco, who won an Emmy as Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series,[19] but low ratings led CBS to drop it with five episodes unaired. It was later run in its entirety on Comedy Central in 1993 with episodes introduced by Rocco, and by Trio as part of its Brilliant But Cancelled series.[20]
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