Rachel_Gunn,_R.N.
Rachel Gunn, R.N.
American sitcom
Rachel Gunn, R.N is an American sitcom that aired on Fox from June 28, 1992, to September 4, 1992.[1]
| Rachel Gunn, R.N. | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Katherine Green |
| Starring | Christine Ebersole, Kevin Conroy, Megan Mullally |
| Opening theme | "Workin' for a Livin'" performed by Christine Ebersole |
| Composer | Kurt Farquhar |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (3 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | Foul Tempered Woman Productions Columbia Pictures Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | Fox |
| Release | June 28 (1992-06-28) – September 4, 1992 (1992-09-04) |
The series followed the staff of Little Innocence Hospital in Nebraska. Those shown included head nurse Rachel Gunn, surgeon David Dunkle, and Native American Vietnam war veteran Zac.[2][3][4]
The opening theme was a cover of the Huey Lewis and the News song "Workin' for a Livin'" sung by Ebersole.[5]
The show was originally developed for CBS with country music singer K.T. Oslin to star in the title role. But in May 1991, it was reported that Oslin had pulled out because she thought the main character was too mean.[6]
After Ebersole came on board in the lead role, CBS ordered six episodes but concluded the show's brash style was not a good fit and seemed more like a show Fox would air.[7] The show was later picked up by Fox.[8][9] On June 10, 1992, Fox announced that the show would debut on Sunday June 28, in the 8:30 pm Eastern Time slot, a summer time replacement for Roc. At first it was announced that six episodes would air, though 13 had been ordered.[10] After seven episodes aired, the show was moved to 9:30 Eastern on Fridays, for three weeks.[11]
The creator and executor producer of the show was Katherine Green, also a producer on Married... with Children. As a University of Oklahoma graduate, she made sure that branded materials from that school and also Oklahoma State University appeared on the set of the show.[12]
Though Ebersole got credit for her performance, the show received generally negative reviews. In one of the more salacious reviews, People opined that "Fox is scraping the bottom of the bedpan with this summer sitcom," which it deemed an "ugly insultfest" and the "idiot cousin" of NBC show Nurses.[13] The series was not a ratings hit and was canceled less than three months of its initial airing.
- Christine Ebersole as Rachel Gunn
- Kevin Conroy as Dr. David Dunkle
- Megan Mullally as Becky Jo
- Kathleen Mitchell as Sister Joan
- Bryan Brightcloud as Zac
- Dan Tullis Jr. as Dane Grey
- Lois Foraker as Jeanette
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The House of Rachel" | John Whitesell | Katherine Green | June 28, 1992 (1992-06-28) | |
| Nielsen ratings: 11.4 million viewers, 9.5 rating, rank 59 for week. (Episode was also re-run on August 28, 1992.) | |||||
| 2 | "Walkin' the Floor Over You" | John Whitesell | Kim Weiskopf | July 5, 1992 (1992-07-05) | |
| Nielsen ratings: 9.1 million viewers, 6.2 rating, rank 62 for week | |||||
| 3 | "To Plea or Not to Plea" | John Whitesell | Katherine Green | July 12, 1992 (1992-07-12) | |
| Nielsen ratings: 9.1 million viewers, 6.4 rating, rank 68 for week | |||||
| 4 | "A Fistful of Savings" | John Whitesell | Ellen L. Fogle | July 19, 1992 (1992-07-19) | |
| Nielsen ratings: 9.2 million viewers, 6.2 rating, rank 60 for week | |||||
| 5 | "The Pet Peeve" | John Whitesell | Jack Bernstein | July 26, 1992 (1992-07-26) | |
| Nielsen ratings: 8.6 million viewers, 6.0 rating, rank 73 for week. (1992 Summer Olympics started on July 25 on NBC). | |||||
| 6 | "A Kept Woman" | John Whitesell | Russell Marcus | August 2, 1992 (1992-08-02) | |
| Nielsen ratings: 8.9 million viewers, 6.0 rating, rank 56 for week. | |||||
| 7 | "Jeanette Meets Strasberg" | Art Dielhenn | Kim Weiskopf | August 9, 1992 (1992-08-09) | |
| Nielsen ratings: 8.2 million viewers, 5.7 rating, rank 60 for week. | |||||
| 8 | "My Left Feet" | Art Dielhenn | Daphne Pollon & David Castro | August 14, 1992 (1992-08-14) | |
| Moved to Friday, 9:30 Eastern slot. Nielsen ratings: 5.6 million viewers, 3.8 rating, rank 85 for week. | |||||
| 9 | "Who's That Knockin' on My Head?" | Art Dielhenn | Michele J. Wolff | August 21, 1992 (1992-08-21) | |
| Nielsen ratings: 6.3 million viewers, 4.3 rating, rank 89 for week. | |||||
| 10 | "Love is Here to Stray" | Art Dielhenn | Katherine Green | September 4, 1992 (1992-09-04) | |
| Nielsen ratings: 5.7 million viewers, 4.0 rating, rank 89 for week. | |||||
| 11 | "Rachel Sees Red" | Art Dielhenn | Katherine Green | N/A | |
| 12 | "I Dream of Squidhead" | Art Dielhenn | Michael Riedel | N/A | |
| 13 | "Come Ona My House" | Art Dielhenn | Tom Whedon | N/A | |
- The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 976. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.
- Martin, John (June 27, 1992). New Fox show is just plain dumb, The Dispatch (Lexington, North Carolina)
- Pierce, Scott D. (June 27, 1992). Star of 'Rachel Gunn, R.N.' Is Better Than The Show, Deseret News
- Scott, Tony (June 26, 1992). Rachel Gunn R.N. the House of Rachel, Variety
- (July 10, 1992). "Rachel Gunn, R.N.", Entertainment Weekly
- (May 15, 1991). K.T. Oslin pulls out of sitcom's starring role, The Republic (Columbus, Indiana)
- Cerone, Daniel (June 26, 1992). How Fox Got Two Sitcoms From 'the Competition', Los Angeles Times
- Lowry, Brian (April 26, 1993). NBC sinks teeth into Par 'Viper', Variety
- Terrace, Vincent. Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, Vol. 1, 2d ed., p. 871 (2012)
- Carmody, John (June 11, 1992). The TV Column, The Washington Post
- (August 13, 1992). Haunted Summer, Battle Creek Enquirer
- Saviers, Dale (August 28, 1992). Blazers Looking For Spot on Dial, Oklahoman
- Hiltbrand, David (July 6, 1992). Picks and Pans Review: Rachel Gunn, R.n., People
