The Crew aired from August 1995 until June 1996 on FOX.
A group of young people working for a small airline were at the center of this wacky sitcom, a sort of Friends takes Wings. Jess and Maggie ( Rose Jackson, Kristin Bauer), were flight attendents for Miami based Regency Airlines and lived in the trendy South Beach section of Miami Beach. Jess was a sexy woman whose temper sometimes got the best of her, even when she was on the job, and Maggie was her sensible roommate. Gay Paul ( David Burke), and good-ol-boy Randy ( Charles Esten), were fellow flight attendants, and mature Lenora ( Christine Estabrook), who made cracks about Paul's gayness, was their obnoxious supervisor. Mac ( Dondre T. whitfield), the bartender at Mambo Mambo, the restaurant where the gang hung out was in love with Jess, while Lenora had the hots for stately, clueless Regency pilot Rex Parker ( Lane Davies).Spats was Jess's never seen but overly possessive cat.
When the show returned in May after a hiatus, Mac convinced Jess to move in with him. In June Rex proposed to Lenora and she accepted. In the last episode-in the aftermath of a hurricane-Maggie and womanizing Randy ended up in bed, while Mac left Jess because he thought she couldn't commit.
A Review from Variety
The Crew
((Thurs. (31), 8:30-9 p.m., Fox))
By TONY SCOTT
Taped at Hollywood Center Studios by Wooten & Cherry Prods. and 20th-Fox TV. Exec producers, Jamie Wooten, Marc Cherry; co-exec producer, Maxine Lapiduss; producer, Jason Shubb; director, Stephen Zuckerman; writers-creators, Wooten, Cherry, John Pardee, Joey Murphy; camera, Bryan Hays; editor, Vince Humphrey; tech director, John B. Field; video, John Palacio Sr.; audio, Carolyn L. Bowden; production designer, David Sackeroff; theme, Wendy & Lisa; lyrics, Wendy & Lisa, Lapiduss. TX:Cast: Rose Jackson, Kristin Bauer, David Burke, Charles Esten, Dondre T. Whitfield, Christine Estabrook, Lane Davies, Phil Proctor, Elisa Heinsohn. Bow of Miami-based airline series focuses on four flight attendants, their supervisor, a cafe owner and a new pilot. Crew members are familiar and pleasant, subbing charm for comedy, as they build the characters' personalities; so far, on low-octane writing, "The Crew" is only revving up.
Charles Esten ably plays openly gay, non-effeminate steward Randy Anderson, and David Burke's fine as the second steward. Peppy, capable Rose Jackson is Jess, and Kristin Bauer plays Maggie, her roommate who butts into her life.Christine Estabrook gets the juicy role of acid-seeping supervisor Lenora, who has a snide approach to Randy, while Lane Davies limns the new-on-board pilot whose arrogance keeps him aloft.
Dondre T. Whitfield, splendidly playing cafe owner Mac, wants to date Jess, and Maggie eagerly tries to fix up Jess with him behind her back. Jess is angry enough to start a tiff that goes phfft. Director Stephen Zuckerman moves his cast through their paces, and the writers deliver an easygoing style that's appealing. The gay issue matters because there is no issue, and Jason Shubb's production looks OK. (Alternating producers will be John Pardee and Joey Murphy.)
Jackson, around whom the action moves in the opener, is a standout; Esten gives Randy a becoming humanness. As for numbers, they'll go up when the writing's sharper, the stories better crafted and the flight crew has its air legs.
A Review from The SF Chronicle
JOHN CARMAN on TELEVISION -- `The Crew' Regroups Around Gay
JOHN CARMAN
Thursday, August 31, 1995
Premiering at 8:30 tonight on Channel 2, ``The Crew'' is an ordinary Fox sitcom about four single flight attendants who live and play in Miami's trendy South Beach area.
But at least it's a better ordinary show than it was six weeks ago, when it was a garishly uninviting pilot called ``Cabin Pressure.''
Since then, executive producers Jamie Wooten and Marc Cherry (``The Five Mrs. Buchanans'') have junked the pilot episode, retitled the series and made several ``Crew'' cuts.
They've managed to upgrade their show from stand-by to economy class.
The original pilot was a grim piece of work, from the clunky aqua-colored flight uniforms worn by the cast to a scene of cast member Rose Jackson whipping off her blouse and shimmying in front of her apartment window.
That scene was a '90s no-no, destined to do for flight attendants what NBC's ``Nightingales'' did for student nurses six years ago. It's gone.
The new ``Crew'' traipses along in better odor but rather aimlessly as it introduces us to the feisty Jess (Jackson), the very blond Maggie (Kristin Bauer), the moronic Randy (Charles Esten) and the fourth crew member, gay flight attendant Paul Steadman (David Burke).
DISTINCTIVE CHARACTER
In rewriting and reshooting the show, Wooten and Cherry have held the line on the Paul Steadman character. It's the one true distinctive aspect of an otherwise unremarkable show.
They promised to take the Paul character seriously as well as humorously, and tonight's premiere suggests that they're going to keep their word.
Among the actors, Burke vies with Jackson for control of the show. Jackson isn't an accomplished actress, but her spitfire delivery and physicality make her the strongest comic presence. She also benefits from a story line that's tossed in her direction tonight.
Burke, who isn't gay, plays Paul with a pleasant drollness that seems to be the show's quiet rudder. If anything, Wooten and Cherry have expanded the role from the original pilot.
Paul tells his colleagues that he first knew he was gay in Cub Scouts, ``when my neckerchief clashed with my hat.'' His father caught on early too, when Paul would ``run home from school and bake myself into a little stupor'' with his sister's EZ Bake toy oven.
The producers, who doubled as writers on tonight's episode, curl their more serious points into the wake of laughter.
The crew's acerbic supervisor (Christine Estabrook) zeroes in on Paul at one point and says, ``Dear Paul. Dear sweet, heterosexually challenged Paul. I so admire gay humor. It's so witty, so biting . . . so illegal in 37 states.''
UNEXPECTED TWIST
And the stereotypical imagery of the EZ Bake joke is followed by Paul's tag-on comment that his father smashed the oven to bits.
Long silence while you ponder the poor kid's familial introduction to homophobia.
This photo gallery contains pictures for sitcoms of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and today, as well as dramas, soaps, reality shows, cartoons, game shows, variety shows, talk shows and late night tv photo galleries.
Please note that all pictures uploaded between August 6-31, 2009 were lost in a database crash. While the photos are still on the server, the information (title, description, number of views, who uploaded them, etc.) attached to each photo was lost. In addition, any photo edits, moves or any other account changes from this period were lost. Our apologies to all members who are missing photos and for the downtime. We appreciate you taking the time to share them with us. Click here for archived files by category which are no longer in the database. We would appreciate it if the original uploaders could re-upload them when they have the opportunity. Thank you.
To upload photos, please choose the appropriate category and login with your existing
message board username and password. If you are new, you will need to
register before
uploading any photos. Only ".jpg" files will upload - ".jpeg", ".gif", ".png" or any other image
format will not work. You will need to convert them to ".jpg". Please upload only sitcom
and tv related photos.
To request any photos be removed, please use the "Report Photo" link that is the bottom of
every photo if you are registered and logged in. This is the quickest and easiest method. You can also
send an e-mail with the url of the photo(s). We will also gladly credit or
link to any site that is the original source of any photos.
If you have any questions, comments, requests for new categories, etc. - please contact us.
All images, logos, and other materials are copyright their respective owners. No rights
are given or implied.
Powered by: PhotoPost PHP Copyright 2004-2012 All Enthusiast, Inc.
