Grace Under Fire
A single mother rebuilds her life after divorce.
via Wikipedia: Grace Under Fire · see source
Grace Under Fire is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 29, 1993, to February 17, 1998. Created by Chuck Lorre, the series starred Brett Butler as Grace Kelly, a single mother and recovering alcoholic raising three children in a small town in Missouri after finally divorcing her abusive husband. The series was produced by Carsey-Werner Productions, known for other hit sitcoms such as Roseanne and The Cosby Show. The series was praised for its mix of comedy and drama, tackling serious issues such as alcoholism, domestic abuse, and single parenthood while maintaining a humorous tone. It became one of ABC’s most-watched sitcoms during its early seasons and earned Butler critical acclaim, including a Golden Globe nomination and multiple People’s Choice Awards.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Sitcom
- Creator
- Chuck Lorre
- Composer
- Dennis C. Brown; Mark Hayes
- Theme music
- Michael O'Brien
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 5
- Episodes
- 112
Facts from the source article.
Premise
Grace Under Fire, produced by Carsey-Werner, was part of a wave of shows in the late 1980s and 1990s that were built around a comedian. The series is set in the small fictitious town of Victory, Missouri, and follows Grace Kelly, a divorced single mother and recovering alcoholic. The show begins after she divorces her abusive alcoholic husband of eight years, aiming to start anew and prevent her children from repeating her mistakes. Grace's children are mischievous Quentin (played by Noah Segan in the pilot, Jon Paul Steuer in seasons 1–3, and Sam Horrigan in seasons 4–5), happy-go-lucky Libby (Kaitlin Cullum), and infant Patrick (portrayed by Dylan and Cole Sprouse). Her best friends and neighbors are the happily married Nadine and Wade Swoboda (Julie White and Casey Sander), and the town's bachelor pharmacist, Russell Norton (Dave Thomas). During the first three seasons, Grace works on pipelines at a local oil refinery, where her coworkers include Dougie Boudreau (Walter Olkewicz), Vic (Dave Florek), and Carl (Louis Mandylor), with Bill Davis (Charles Hallahan) as their boss. Bill and Carl were dropped after the first season, and John Shirley (Paul Dooley) becomes Grace's boss in season two. Russell's friendship with Grace and their on-and-off dating are a recurring theme; she dates Ryan Sparks (William Fichtner), a chemist at the refinery, and later plant executive Rick Bradshaw (Alan Autry). In season four, Grace begins night college classes funded by her workplace; when funding stops, she quits the refinery, returns to school full-time, graduates near the season's end, and takes an entry-level position at an ad agency. In season five, Grace quits the agency due to the commute and long hours, and begins working in the administrative end of a construction company owned by D.C. (Don "D.C." Curry). Russell finds romantic interest in Dottie (Lauren Tom), a gossiping hairstylist. After giving birth, Nadine leaves Wade with her child and moves to Colorado. Throughout the series, Grace's ex-husband Jimmy Kelly (Geoff Pierson) often reappears, sometimes causing problems and at other times clean and sober, trying to win Grace back. The pair never reunite, but they settle into a good friendship for the sake of the kids. In the midst of Jimmy's attempts to become a better person, his father Emmett (Bryan Clark) is revealed to be gay, after Grace and Rick inadvertently run into him in a gay bar; following Emmett's sudden death, his sexuality and secret same-sex affair is revealed to the rest of his family during his funeral. At this time, Jimmy's mother Jean (Peggy Rea), Grace's disapproving and moralizing former mother-in-law, offers to move in and help Grace raise the kids. Russell reconciles with his estranged father Floyd (Tom Poston), who moves in with him and joins him at the pharmacy. Grace's sister Faith (Valri Bromfield) appears in the first two seasons as a regular source of support. In one episode, Grace is contacted by her first child, Matthew (guest star Tom Everett Scott), whom she gave up for adoption in high school; Matthew also meets his biological father (guest star Barry Bostwick). In later seasons, Dot replaces Nadine in the role of friend and confidant, and in turn is replaced by Bev Henderson (Julia Duffy), an old friend who returns to town. Grace and Bev's personal reunion is the last major storyline of the series; the show was canceled shortly after the character's introduction.
Episodes
Grace Under Fire was the highest-rated new sitcom and freshman American television series of the 1993–94 season. One month before the series premiered, Showtime had broadcast the Carsey Werner-produced Brett Butler Special, a half-hour comedy performance by Butler. The episode "Vega$" is part of a crossover with Coach, The Drew Carey Show and Ellen set in Las Vegas. It features Drew Carey as Drew Carey, Joely Fisher as Paige Clark, Jeremy Piven as Spence Kovak and Jerry Van Dyke as Luther Van Dam.
Production
The show was created by Chuck Lorre, who was fresh off five years of writing for Roseanne. Lorre wrote six episodes of the first season but found himself booted from the show by Butler; in a 2001 interview, Dave Thomas described it as a power struggle between the two because of Butler's desire to have control of the show for herself, which on a "not consciously intentional" level helped to hinder the show. Thomas himself tried to leave the show but could not do so due to his contract. He described the mood among the people on the show after Lorre's departure as such: "We were all just trying to get through this, make the money, and get out with some shred of dignity and pride." As the third season concluded in the spring of 1996, Jon Paul Steuer left the series. Sources have speculated that Steuer's mother pulled him out of the show after an incident with Butler, who allegedly flashed her breasts at the 12-year-old actor. In the fourth and fifth seasons of the show, Butler was fighting a painkiller addiction, for which she eventually sought medical help. Cast member Julie White left the show after Season 4, also citing Butler's behavior as the reason. With the February 17, 1998, telecast, ABC canceled the series.
Awards and nominations
Grace Under Fire was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards: Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series Comedy/Musical in 1995 and 1997 and Best TV Series Comedy/Musical in 1995. Jean Stapleton was nominated for the 1995 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy series Emmy Award.
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