Huff (TV series)

Cast and characters

Hank Azaria portrays Dr. Craig "Huff" Huffstodt, a Los Angeles psychiatrist whose life is upended after a tragedy in his office. An eternal caretaker who believes he can save people, Huff learns he cannot save everyone, dealing with the functionally insane by day and family insanities at home. Paget Brewster plays Beth Huffstodt, Huff's loving yet capricious wife who helps him avoid meltdowns. Oliver Platt appears as Russell Tupper, Huff's lawyer and longtime friend, a source of questionable ethics who nonetheless gets things done with humor.

Blythe Danner, who won the Emmy Award in 2005 and 2006 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role, plays Isabelle "Izzy" Huffstodt, Huff's mother living above the garage—tough, manipulative, funny, and irreverent. Anton Yelchin portrays Byrd Huffstodt, Huff and Beth's 14-year-old son, a bright teenager concerned about his father and family. Andy Comeau plays Theodore "Teddy" Huffstodt, Huff's younger brother confined to a private mental institution, whose mental illness brings clarity to Huff.

Kimberly Brooks appears as Paula Dellahouse, Huff's office manager who protects and provokes him. Liza Lapira plays Maggie Del Rosario, Russell's utterly devoted assistant who cares for, covers for, and curses him. Recurring guest stars in the first season include Lara Flynn Boyle, Robert Forster, Swoosie Kurtz, Annie Potts, and Faith Prince. The second season attracted high-profile recurring guests Sharon Stone and Anjelica Huston.

Production and broadcast

Bob Lowry created the series, which centers on psychiatrist Dr. Craig "Huff" Huffstodt, played by Hank Azaria, whose life is upended after a teenage patient kills himself in his office. The show also follows his friend Russell Tupper, portrayed by Oliver Platt. The two-hour pilot was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, before production moved to Delfino Stages in Los Angeles, California. Showtime aired the first season from November 7, 2004, to January 30, 2005, and the second from April 2, 2006, to June 25, 2006. Two days before the finale, the network cancelled the series, leaving threads like Russell's criminal charges and Huff's possible reconciliation with Beth unresolved.