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The Michael Richards Show

The Michael Richards Show is an American television sitcom created by Spike Feresten, Gregg Kavet, Andy Robin and Michael Richards that aired on NBC from October 24 to December 19, 2000, for eight episodes. The show stars Richards as socially awkward but talented private detective Vic Nardozza, who gets the job done despite his unusual methods.

The Michael Richards Show
GenreSitcom
Created by
Starring
ComposerChristopher Tyng
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8 (+1 unaired pilot)
Production
Executive producers
  • Spike Feresten
  • Gregg Kavet
  • Andy Robin
  • Michael Richards
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseOctober 24 (2000-10-24) –
December 19, 2000 (2000-12-19)

Synopsis

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The show revolved around Vic Nardozza (Michael Richards), an inept and clumsy private investigator working for McKay Investigative Services. Throughout the show, misunderstandings and poor decisions get in the way of the cases, but Nardozza always ends up getting the job done.

Cast

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Production

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Following the conclusion of his previous show, Seinfeld, Michael Richards re-teamed with Andy Robin, Gregg Kavet, and Spike Feresten, three former Seinfeld writers/producers, in a comedy caper about a private eye in Los Angeles.[1] When originally conceived, Richards wanted to differentiate his character from Kramer, the role he immortalized on Seinfeld. When test audiences' expectations for Richards were not met, NBC decided that the character would share characteristics with his previous role.[1] The character Nardozza was named after Richards' own mother, Phyllis Nardozzi. By June 13, 2000, Ron Zimmerman had been named as a co-executive producer for the series.[2]

The Michael Richards Show premiered on NBC on October 24, 2000, to 13.19 million viewers according to Nielsen Media Research.[3] On November 8, following the second episode's broadcast, co-creator Spike Feresten departed the series over "creative differences" with the series' crew.[4] A decline in ratings following the first episode's broadcast led NBC to cancel the series after eight episodes.

In a 2015 interview, co-star William Devane recalled that making the show was "a nightmare", blaming both Richards' actions as the star of the show and the lack of a capable showrunner for its failure.[5]

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date Viewers
(millions)
0"Pilot"John FortenberrySpike Feresten and Michael Richards and Gregg Kavet & Andy RobinUnairedTBD
1"Mr. Irresistible"Asaad KeladaGregg Kavet & Andy RobinOctober 24, 2000 (2000-10-24)13.19[3]
2"Simplification"Andrew TsaoRon Corcillo & A.J. PoulinOctober 31, 2000 (2000-10-31)9.96[6]
3"Discrimination"Shelley JensenDan GreaneyNovember 14, 2000 (2000-11-14)7.91[7]
4"The Identity Loan"Asaad KeladaSpike Feresten & Chuck SklarNovember 21, 2000 (2000-11-21)7.32[8]
5"The Nursing Home"Asaad KeladaBrian KelleyNovember 28, 2000 (2000-11-28)7.44[9]
6"It's Only Personal"Sam SimonRon ZimmermanDecember 5, 2000 (2000-12-05)6.93[10]
7"USA Toy"Asaad KeladaChuck SklarDecember 12, 2000 (2000-12-12)6.85[11]
8"The Consultant"Bryan GordonMark DriscollDecember 19, 2000 (2000-12-19)5.63[12]

Reception

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The show received generally negative reviews from critics. Variety reviewer Phil Gallo described the premiere episode as "thoroughly unfunny" and that "the humor is lacking at every turn in this series, and the wit is practically nonexistent."[13] People reviewer Tom Gliatto compared the difficulty in Seinfeld stars moving onto solo projects to "stepping onto a toboggan loaded with tubes of nitroglycerine and then hurtling down a sheet of rock."[14] Gliatto stated that the comedy the series incorporated "isn't enough to fill out a show" and said that the series "is off to a flat-footed start."[14] Entertainment Weekly reviewer Ken Tucker wrote, "The Michael Richards Show isn't merely unamusing; it's shockingly incompetent."[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b Jensen, Jeff (September 29, 2000). "The Michael Richards Show". Entertainment Weekly. No. 561. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  2. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (June 13, 2000). "Zimmerman on 'Richards' Case". The Hollywood Reporter.
  3. ^ a b "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 23-29)". The Los Angeles Times. November 1, 2000. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
  4. ^ Adalian, Josef; Schneider, Michael (November 8, 2000). "'Richards' Producer Exits Show". Variety. Vol. 269, no. 50. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  5. ^ Harris, Will (October 1, 2015). "William Devane on the Grinder, 24, Alfred Hitchcock, and Ava Gardner". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 2017-07-08. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  6. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 30-Nov. 5)". The Los Angeles Times. November 8, 2000. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
  7. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 13-19)". The Los Angeles Times. November 22, 2000. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
  8. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 20-26)". The Los Angeles Times. December 1, 2000. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
  9. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 27-Dec. 3)". The Los Angeles Times. December 6, 2000. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
  10. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Dec. 4-10)". The Los Angeles Times. December 13, 2000. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
  11. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Dec. 11-17)". The Los Angeles Times. December 20, 2000. Archived from the original on June 19, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
  12. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Dec. 18-24)". The Los Angeles Times. December 29, 2000. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
  13. ^ Gallo, Phil (October 24, 2000). "The Michael Richards Show". Variety. Vol. 269, no. 37. Archived from the original on 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  14. ^ a b Gliatto, Tom (October 30, 2000). "Picks & Pans: Tube". People. Vol. 54, no. 18.
  15. ^ Tucker, Ken (December 8, 2000). "Show Downers". Entertainment Weekly. No. 572.
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