Anyone know how they did these? Were they actually IN NYC (I know they were in Central Park in Joey Meets Matthew) or was it a studio backlot? Looked more like they were really there. It just seems like a lot of work to fly back and forth from coast to coast as the studio audience and main sets were in LA.

Also, I know Nell and Joey were in NYC during Thanksgiving 1986, as both of them were at the Macy’s Day Parade. Did they shoot all NYC footage at one time and added it in during post? Was the street footage done in November and just added in during post?

The audience would watch the outdoor scenes played back onscreen. Or did they have video monitors back then in the Audience? My guess is they did and outdoor scenes were played back. They most likely built sets to look like nyc outdoors for season 6.

The show is more watchable during the NYC era

^With most of the original cast gone? Don't know if I'd say that. When Dolph Sweet got sick and then eventually passed away, the show lost a little something (even though the character was kinda overbearing at times).

In the NYC setting, I did notice that the middle section of Nell's apartment looks like it was taken straight out of the Glenlawn home.

I couldn't stand the NYC year. With Dolph and the girls gone, the show was like a bad spin-off of itself.

I couldn't stand the NYC year. With Dolph and the girls gone, the show was like a bad spin-off of itself.

wonder why the girls left the show

wonder why the girls left the show

IMDB suggests they were fired (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081869/trivia), stating:


Kari Michaelson, who played Katie on the show, said she was relieved when she got the call that she, Laurie Hendler, and Lara Jill Miller were getting fired during the 1986-1987 season.

...But they also misspelled Michaelsen and Lauri, so the fact-checking might not run too deep.

Kari says she was "relieved". Lara Jill, on the other hand, spoke out about the casting changes (https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1986-05-09-2526351-story.html) at the time, stating:


Allentown actress Lara Jill Miller thinks NBC made a mistake in writing her character out of its long-running comedy "Gimme a Break."


The network has made it official and announced that while the series starring Nell Carter has been renewed for the 1986-87 season, it would continue without the three teen-age daughters who have grown up on screen since the series premiered in 1981. Miller, along with Kari Michaelson and Lauri Hendler, will no longer be regular cast members "but may make occasional guest-starring appearances as scripts and availability require," said NBC.


"I'm sorry, but I think they made a big mistake," said Miller, who played Samantha, from her Allentown home this week. "With the show in syndication now, the girls are really popular. I think they (NBC) are going to lose the whole teen audience. Nell and Addy (Telma Hopkins) have the black audience and Joey (Lawrence) brought in some of the younger people, but the young kids really liked to watch the teen-age girls."


Miller says she doesn't really know where the elimination process began as the show's center began to focus more and more on Carter's character. "Over the last two years there were only occasional scripts about one of us girls," said Miller. "I don't know if it was the writers, or our own producers, and if NBC then said 'Look, they're not being used; they're not really needed.' Who knows where decisions on scripts first come from?"

Ok they were phased out

I recall reading that Kari was not that upset with the dismissal.

RE the NYC apartment- seeing today's episode on Antenna makes me wonder- did they just flip the Glenlawn living-room set around and, boom, new apartment? :D It kinda looks that way, albeit a smaller space.

I know that Laurie Hendler was upset about being written off the show. She stated that her response to the news was, "But I just bought a house."

I know that Laurie Hendler was upset about being written off the show. She stated that her response to the news was, "But I just bought a house."

She bought a house and the show wasn't a hit:lol::lol::lol:

The show is more watchable during the NYC era
More watchable than Season 5

More watchable than Season 5

Its was something about the setup in NYC. It felt like a show about two single ladies in the big city versus a show about a black women working for a white family

Its was something about the setup in NYC. It felt like a show about two single ladies in the big city versus a show about a black women working for a white family
Season 6 only topped 5 because

Jonathan was gone
New characters

But there was still

No chief
No Simpson
The girls were gone

Season 6 only topped 5 because

Jonathan was gone
New characters

But there was still

No chief
No Simpson
The girls were gone

felt like an adult comedy

I know that Laurie Hendler was upset about being written off the show. She stated that her response to the news was, "But I just bought a house."

I'd forgotten that, but I remember it now. That had to have been a difficult experience.

felt like an adult comedy

I recently started to wonder if CBS could've picked Gimme a Break! up for a hypothetical Season 7. They could've paired it next or close to Kate & Allie, which was already something of a sister show (https://mailchi.mp/visualentertainment/kate-and-allie-the-complete-series-8190331) to GAB. They were both produced by Alan Landsburg Productions (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Landsburg_Productions), later Reeves Entertainment Group. Plus, since Gimme a Break! towards the end of its run, changed its locale to New York City, it could've plausibly lent to some crossovers.

I recently started to wonder if CBS could've picked Gimme a Break! up for a hypothetical Season 7. They could've paired it next or close to Kate & Allie, which was already something of a sister show (https://mailchi.mp/visualentertainment/kate-and-allie-the-complete-series-8190331) to GAB. They were both produced by Alan Landsburg Productions (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Landsburg_Productions), later Reeves Entertainment Group. Plus, since Gimme a Break! towards the end of its run, changed its locale to New York City, it could've plausibly lent to some crossovers.

Probably could have worked since it would have had a more mature audience