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It’s a living

Vapid but memorable ABC TV series from 1980. Susan Sullivan as Lois the married mom who works to stay active with younger women. Barrie Youngfellow as Jan. Middle aged mom working while going back to college. Ann Jillian as Cassie, a 30 yr old whore with a smart mouth. Gail Edwards as Dot. An air headed aspiring actress. Wendy Schaal as Vicki. Dumb and naive from a shit state. Marian Mercer as Nancy the old hostess. Paul Kreppel as Sonny the singer/pianist and Bert Remsen as Mario the chef. They all worked at a rotating restaurant called Over The Top which rotates on top of the iconic Bonadventure Hotel in LA.

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by Anonymousreply 123August 16, 2023 7:45 PM

They work nights as waitresses in high heels and still fraternize with each other after work and solve each other’s sex life complications, living situations, family problems, money problems, etc.

by Anonymousreply 1May 30, 2023 6:53 PM

OP thinks that life's the Riviera.

by Anonymousreply 2May 30, 2023 6:55 PM

This show is one of my guilty pleasures.

by Anonymousreply 3May 30, 2023 6:56 PM

It's A Living Theme Song

Title: "It's A Living"

By: "George Tipton and Leslie Bricusse"

Life's not the French Riviera

Believe me, Life's not a charity ball.

It isn't all a great, big bed of roses

It's not like showbiz

But the main thing I suppose is

We're not the people you envy

Believe me, We know we're doing okay

We may be less than wealthy

But better yet, We're young and healthy

And anyone who's young and healthy knows

That that's the way the traffic flows

We've no misgivings

It's a living.

by Anonymousreply 4May 30, 2023 6:59 PM

The hotel is Bonaventure not Bonadvrnture

by Anonymousreply 5May 30, 2023 7:02 PM

Here is the pilot episode season 1 ep 1 October 1980

Notice the skimpy ass swimsuit tops they wore while working with food.

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by Anonymousreply 6May 30, 2023 7:07 PM

Barrie Youngfellow, along with Susan Sullivan and Pamela Sue Martin, was awarded an honorary Emmy for Best Pivot in a Credit Sequence.

by Anonymousreply 7May 30, 2023 7:11 PM

Gee ... I wonder why we've never discussed this before.

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by Anonymousreply 8May 30, 2023 7:13 PM

It's a mystery.

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by Anonymousreply 9May 30, 2023 7:14 PM

Truly.

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by Anonymousreply 10May 30, 2023 7:14 PM

43 years ago. There must be a fresh perspective to discuss. Oh right Datalounge.....

by Anonymousreply 11May 30, 2023 7:25 PM

R7 Blasphemy! That went and always goes to Ellen Travolta in "Makin' It".

by Anonymousreply 12May 30, 2023 7:27 PM

Forgot all about this show!!!! Used to watch it sometimes as a kid. The theme song..ha!

by Anonymousreply 13May 30, 2023 7:31 PM

R13 I know I’m gay because as a child I found this show and watched at least the first season episodes and found it fascinating. I was 7 or 8 yrs old and would pretend I was Cassie the slut.

by Anonymousreply 14May 30, 2023 8:11 PM

I loved this show

by Anonymousreply 15May 30, 2023 8:58 PM

I know my ass ain’t the French Rivera so just eat it anyway

by Anonymousreply 16May 30, 2023 8:59 PM

Ann Jillian was touted as a new sex symbol at ABC in the wake of the Suzanne Sommers fiasco that summer. She had a poster too.

by Anonymousreply 17May 30, 2023 9:08 PM

Her agent really tried to shove Ann Jillian down our throats to be the next big thing in TV throughout the 80s. I guess he and her agent thought they could make her the new Suzanne Sommers. But it really didn't work out for her. Then she vanished in the 90s - 00s.

by Anonymousreply 18May 30, 2023 9:08 PM

She filled the blonde smart bimbo role, r17/r18 ...

by Anonymousreply 19May 30, 2023 9:11 PM

Thursday night is premiere night on ABC. First an all new season of Barney Miller followed by a brand new series about five ladies trying to make it in the big city - It’s a Living.

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by Anonymousreply 20May 30, 2023 9:18 PM

Ann Jillian sings

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by Anonymousreply 21May 30, 2023 9:20 PM

top 10 TV theme song

by Anonymousreply 22May 30, 2023 9:21 PM

The show tried to be funny, but it just wasn't funny enough. They needed better writers and better characters.

BTW - does every sitcom involving a restaurant have to have an 'airhead waitress' ? Bad enough we had 'Vera' on "ALICE", but must every restaurant sitcom have to use this stereotype ?

by Anonymousreply 23May 30, 2023 9:22 PM

I liked that theme song.

Do ANY sitcoms now have theme songs with words? I know Big Bang Theory did; though I hated that one. The Nanny is the only really cute one I can remember and that was decades ago.

by Anonymousreply 24May 30, 2023 9:23 PM

Young Sheldon has one though it's not written for the show. A pop song by the Blue's Clues guy that sort of fit the theme of the show

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by Anonymousreply 25May 30, 2023 9:35 PM

Crystal Bernard was in this too.

by Anonymousreply 26May 30, 2023 9:39 PM

They dropped theme songs - especially those with lyrics - a long time ago, and I miss them.

Supposedly, they dropped them for two reasons:

1 - It saves production a lot of money to hire the songwriters and lyricists to write the song, and then to hire singers and musicians to perform. And saves on future royalties, too.

2 - By jumping right into the action of the show (without the opening song and credits) , it encourages people not to change the channel. If you're done watching one show, chances are you will stick with the network you're watching and not change. When they had 'opening themes' in the 'old days', it gave viewers a chance to get up and switch channels - or gran the remote and switch to another channel.

by Anonymousreply 27May 30, 2023 9:42 PM

Believe me, life’s not a charity ball.

by Anonymousreply 28May 30, 2023 10:25 PM

Someone posted a link a while back to every season’s intro…and I watched it 3-4 times in a row. Mesmerized. Why? Why did I do this?

by Anonymousreply 29May 30, 2023 10:53 PM

Because it's showtune quality, r29.

by Anonymousreply 30May 30, 2023 10:55 PM

R30: Ah, you’re right. That explains it. Thank you. It’s in my head again now.

by Anonymousreply 31May 30, 2023 11:08 PM

It’s because you’re gay

by Anonymousreply 32May 30, 2023 11:30 PM

I've been in the Bonaventure and it looks like the Death Star. It's also in a SHIT part of LA. Not glamorous at all, contrary to what you might think.

by Anonymousreply 33May 30, 2023 11:33 PM

Ann Jillian was all over the place in the 80s. She was on every fucking tv show and talk show. Nobody really knows why.

by Anonymousreply 34May 30, 2023 11:35 PM

The Landers sisters (Audrey and Judy) were also everywhere in the 80s, they were always on tv. They looked like a couple of cheap trashy whores who'd suck your dick for $10 but they were really given a big push for stardom in that decade.

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by Anonymousreply 35May 30, 2023 11:38 PM

Wasn’t the show also called Making a Living?

by Anonymousreply 36May 30, 2023 11:44 PM

[quote]I've been in the Bonaventure and it looks like the Death Star. It's also in a SHIT part of LA. Not glamorous at all, contrary to what you might think.

Were you there 40 years ago, r33?

by Anonymousreply 37May 30, 2023 11:45 PM

r36 yeah I think they changed the title after a few seasons.

by Anonymousreply 38May 30, 2023 11:46 PM

The series was retooled after the first season and when the second season aired in 1981 it was under the title "Making a Living". The title was changed back to "It's a Living" in 1985 for the third season. The second season episode reruns now have this title.

by Anonymousreply 39May 30, 2023 11:49 PM

Season 2 was Making a living. They fired Susan Sullivan, Wendy Schall and hired Louise Lasser (Mary Hartman). Her addition was a mistake and the show was canceled at ABC

by Anonymousreply 40May 30, 2023 11:49 PM

[quote]Were you there 40 years ago, [R33]?

Within the last decade.

by Anonymousreply 41May 30, 2023 11:55 PM

r40 then all 27 episodes went into syndication and got great ratings so ABC brought it back.

by Anonymousreply 42May 31, 2023 12:07 AM

Yeah no shit r42.

by Anonymousreply 43May 31, 2023 12:08 AM

r43 it's a living

by Anonymousreply 44May 31, 2023 12:13 AM

Sullivan was a whopping 38 years old in 1980; I guess that makes her mom to the young 'uns.

Harding Lemay called her Another World's most popular star after George Reinholt and Jacquie Courtney.

by Anonymousreply 45May 31, 2023 12:17 AM

I love Marian Mercer.

Especially her voice.

by Anonymousreply 46May 31, 2023 12:18 AM

I was at the Bonaventure in 2016 for the Daytime Emmys.

It wasn't that bad.

(Well, the soaps sure could be better.)

They were supposed to be there again this year till the WGA strike.

by Anonymousreply 47May 31, 2023 12:19 AM

Weren’t there protests from conservative religious groups during the first season claiming the show was immoral and ‘pornographic’? Was that the reason for the second season title change?

by Anonymousreply 48May 31, 2023 12:30 AM

[quote]Weren’t there protests from conservative religious groups during the first season claiming the show was immoral and ‘pornographic’?

No

by Anonymousreply 49May 31, 2023 12:34 AM

Christ! Ann Jillian looked like one real cheap, fuckin' whore with that shitty bleach job.

I'm surprised the bitch didn't go bald by the end of the season.

"Cassie" always looked like a walking case of scorching herpes. No way I'd let anyone like that near my food.

by Anonymousreply 50May 31, 2023 12:37 AM

Weren't they all really whores and Marian Mercer was their madam? The waitressing was just a cover for what they were really doing to make a living.

by Anonymousreply 51May 31, 2023 12:39 AM

Cassie had a really low-cut outfit. Then when Ann had her mastectomy it became far more modest.

by Anonymousreply 52May 31, 2023 12:40 AM

When I was 22 in the mid 1980s I was a cocktail waitress at a restaurant / night club attached to a Holiday Inn in a suburb of Los Angeles. I have to say it was a time in my life where (for about a year anyway) everything was pretty fun and hopeful. I really had fun with all of my fellow waitresses and bartenders. Almost all of us were going to school and we were all “young and healthy.” We had fun uniforms and we all did the hair and make up and hose and heels and hot rollers. It was like getting ready “for a show” each night. Ugh - GREAT MONEY!! If I could make $$ that easily again. Anyway - It’s a Living AND the theme song always takes me back to that time.

by Anonymousreply 53May 31, 2023 12:43 AM

Loved this show in syndication as a kid on Saturday nights

by Anonymousreply 54May 31, 2023 1:01 AM

Why the hell did Barrie Youngfellow get the "And Barrie Youngfellow as 'Jan'" credit as if we knew who she was? That spot is usually reserved for celebrated or veteran actors in a secondary or limited role. With Ann Jillian, at least we knew her from "Babes in Toyland,""Gypsy" and "The Twilight Zone."

by Anonymousreply 55May 31, 2023 1:24 AM

Barrie Youngfellow must have been fucking Witt, Thomas *and* Harris. Often at the same time.

She was not cute, funny, or appealing, and her line delivery was quite wooden.

But she was someone the networks kept trying to make happen from the mid-'70s on.

by Anonymousreply 56May 31, 2023 1:34 AM

Barrie had a lot of previous credits including 3 Women.

by Anonymousreply 57May 31, 2023 1:35 AM

My favorite Barrie Youngfellow performance was Valerie (scenes deleted) in Filthy Rich.

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by Anonymousreply 58May 31, 2023 1:35 AM

I know that you are going to tell me that Google is my friend - but who was the gal that played Joanie “the actress” on Eight is Enough? Barrie Youngfellow always reminded me of Joanie.

by Anonymousreply 59May 31, 2023 1:56 AM

Star.

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by Anonymousreply 60May 31, 2023 2:01 AM

R25 Steve is such a pocket hottie.

by Anonymousreply 61May 31, 2023 2:02 AM

That is a *STAR* pivot, r60...

by Anonymousreply 62May 31, 2023 2:03 AM

Laurie Walters played Joanie on EIE. I can see a resemblance to Barrie Youngfellow but I also got a bit of Carrie Snodgress.

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by Anonymousreply 63May 31, 2023 2:09 AM

Susan Sullivan is the poor man's Jill Clayburgh.

by Anonymousreply 64May 31, 2023 2:12 AM

Gail Edwards and Wendy Schaal are the same type.

by Anonymousreply 65May 31, 2023 2:13 AM

Susan Sullivan never had a problem with bone structure.

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by Anonymousreply 66May 31, 2023 2:22 AM

They really did a poor job in developing the first version of the show—multiple cases of doubling-up characters.

But Witt-Thomas(-Harris) generally committed hara-kiri that season.

It's a Living took Soap's timeslot, pushing it to Wednesdays, where it was beaten by Facts of Life. Susan Harris was distracted by the ill-fated Diana Canova show I'm a Big Girl Now, and Soap's quality went into the toilet. Robert Guillaume walked off the set of Benson in a contract dispute and almost killed it. All four shows died in the ratings.

Barrie Youngfellow was a pox on that production company.

by Anonymousreply 67May 31, 2023 2:36 AM

[quote](and) Barrie Youngfellow (as Jan) was a pox on that production company.

fixted it for you, r67.

by Anonymousreply 68May 31, 2023 2:46 AM

I loved Barrie Youngfellow as Joan Crawford in "The Scarlett O'Hara Wars," the third segment of a mini-series based on Garson Kanin's "Moviola."

by Anonymousreply 69May 31, 2023 2:58 AM

R17 r18 right!

by Anonymousreply 70May 31, 2023 3:34 AM

R17 r18 yes, they did!

by Anonymousreply 71May 31, 2023 3:34 AM

Wendy Schaal voices Francine on American Dad.

Loved It’s a Living. So glamorous. And quite funny, especially Marion Mercer ? in the hostess role. Ann Jillian was very attractive.

by Anonymousreply 72May 31, 2023 3:43 AM

[quote]Wendy Schaal voices Francine on American Dad.

Did not know that.

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by Anonymousreply 73May 31, 2023 3:47 AM

Because of her voiceover work, Wendy Schaal might have ended up the wealthiest alumna of IAL.

by Anonymousreply 74May 31, 2023 3:50 AM

[quote]Because of her voiceover work, Wendy Schaal might have ended up the wealthiest alumna of IAL.

All that and having Rhoda as a stepmother, r74.

by Anonymousreply 75May 31, 2023 4:02 AM

R63 Thank you!! Laurie Walters! How did that not come up into my brain. I used to have all my good trivia at the front of my brain. …. Now I see Barrie Youngfellow is much prettier. It they could be in the same family.

by Anonymousreply 76May 31, 2023 4:06 AM

R62, it's okay. I've seen better.

by Anonymousreply 77May 31, 2023 4:14 AM

Is Ann Jillian's line in the pilot about last night getting her teeth cleaned for free meant to imply with cum?

by Anonymousreply 78May 31, 2023 4:46 AM

If it's supposed to be a chic restaurant with a pianist why are the waitresses dressed liked they are at Hooters?

by Anonymousreply 79May 31, 2023 4:50 AM

Didn't the name change from Making A Living or vise versa? Also, wasn't Louise Lasser in this at some point?

by Anonymousreply 80May 31, 2023 11:11 AM

Now I know where Virgin Atlantic gets it’s color themes from. The old bugger must’ve loved this show.

by Anonymousreply 81May 31, 2023 11:40 AM

r48 they "retooled" the show and the phrase "it's a living" seemed negative, whereas "making a living" was more of a positive statement. Similar to what happened to Facts of life where they retooled it down to just Blaire, Tootie and Natalie and added Jo. It didn't work for Making a Living and the show was cancelled. They sold all 27 episodes in syndication and it was getting big ratings. ABC brought it back as It's A Living again.

by Anonymousreply 82May 31, 2023 1:57 PM

R23 yes, better concept than execution. Like Angie, the opening credits were the best part of the show…filled with promise.

by Anonymousreply 83May 31, 2023 2:17 PM

R29 nothing beats this magnum opus

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by Anonymousreply 84May 31, 2023 2:27 PM

[Quote] She was not cute, funny, or appealing, and her line delivery was quite wooden

Barrie (Barry) shitfellow. And Louise Lasser on this series stuck out like 2 warts

by Anonymousreply 85May 31, 2023 6:17 PM

R50 - I feel the same way about Bert Remsen as the cook. Yuck.

by Anonymousreply 86May 31, 2023 8:16 PM

Worst opening in sitcom history.

by Anonymousreply 87May 31, 2023 8:19 PM

Chloe Grace Moretz should do The Ann Jillian Story remake.

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by Anonymousreply 88May 31, 2023 8:20 PM

^^Not

by Anonymousreply 89May 31, 2023 9:41 PM

Barrie Youngfellow reminds me how Cecil B DeMille called Gloria Swanson Young Fella.

by Anonymousreply 90June 1, 2023 1:20 PM

TV was so strange back then. This show was one of several comedies that would air first run episodes on some random UHF channel at, like, 4:30 PM on a Saturday afternoon. And these shows would go on for YEARS like that. It was a viable model. Who the hell was home to watch this stuff?

by Anonymousreply 91June 1, 2023 1:33 PM

Ann Jillian had long blonde hair in Sugar Babies.

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by Anonymousreply 92June 1, 2023 1:38 PM

[quote] Ann Jillian had long blonde hair in Sugar Babies.

And then I had her canned!

by Anonymousreply 93June 1, 2023 1:41 PM

Ann Miller the stage production monster

by Anonymousreply 94June 1, 2023 5:22 PM

Theme show singers don’t get paid royalties, apparently.

I’m told Barenaked Ladies, for example, which wrote the BBT open, got paid once and that’s it.

by Anonymousreply 95June 1, 2023 5:32 PM

[quote]This show was one of several comedies that would air first run episodes on some random UHF channel at, like, 4:30 PM on a Saturday afternoon. And these shows would go on for YEARS like that. It was a viable model. Who the hell was home to watch this stuff?

You may not have noticed this, r91, but most TV stations broadcast at 4:30 on Saturday afternoons.

by Anonymousreply 96June 1, 2023 5:45 PM

I think Ann Jillian lasted in Sugar Babies for a while. The IBDb says 6 months.

by Anonymousreply 97June 1, 2023 6:29 PM

A couple of Lithuanian chicks sitting around talking...

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by Anonymousreply 98June 1, 2023 6:33 PM

I thought Ann had a husband. When did she become a lesbian?

by Anonymousreply 99June 1, 2023 6:42 PM

I found a season episode where you see Louise Lasser in the opening credits. That short do does her no favors.

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by Anonymousreply 100June 1, 2023 7:44 PM

Louise Lasser was only a couple of years removed from her peak-level of fame when she was on IAL and in her early 40s and looked to be in her mid-60s.

by Anonymousreply 101June 1, 2023 8:39 PM

^4 yrs. I think she was miscast for IAL

by Anonymousreply 102June 1, 2023 9:19 PM

“But then again we're young and healthy. And anyone who's young and healthy knows…”

by Anonymousreply 103June 1, 2023 9:48 PM

I loved this show

by Anonymousreply 104June 1, 2023 10:45 PM

The whole series is streaming on Freevee.

Looking at IMDB, I was surprised to see Sheryl Lee Ralph was in more episodes than Ann Jillian.

by Anonymousreply 105June 1, 2023 11:50 PM

The Season 2 dresses in R100 look like Snow White. And Louise Lasser's makeup looks like it was done by a mortician with that face whiter than the neck style.

by Anonymousreply 106June 3, 2023 11:37 AM

Season 3 intro has Ann Jillian getting top billing and her own twirl.

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by Anonymousreply 107June 3, 2023 5:41 PM

The theme song was sung by Diana Lee, Edie Lehmann, Linda Harmon and Susie McCune. The song's music was by George Aliceson Tipton and the lyrics by Leslie Bricusse.

by Anonymousreply 108June 3, 2023 6:40 PM

That is kitchen salad bar always befuddled me.

by Anonymousreply 109June 3, 2023 8:39 PM

r109 that salad bar was very efficient

by Anonymousreply 110June 4, 2023 11:18 AM

Too bad Tony Thomas couldn’t get Marlo to pop by the lounge.

by Anonymousreply 111June 5, 2023 3:49 PM

Not exactly a TV theme song that tells the story..but, nonetheless very catchy

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by Anonymousreply 112June 5, 2023 4:47 PM

R112 off subject. There is recent Phyllis thread that was foisted for weeks.

by Anonymousreply 113June 5, 2023 6:09 PM

When Paul Kreppel lost the perm and cut his hair short in later seasons he could get it

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by Anonymousreply 114June 5, 2023 8:59 PM

R114 he’s no Bert Convy.

by Anonymousreply 115June 6, 2023 3:19 AM

Those women in the opening credits taking up the entire pavement would get cancelled today.

by Anonymousreply 116June 6, 2023 5:46 PM

Ann Jillian related - Jennifer Slept Here opening credits.

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by Anonymousreply 117June 8, 2023 4:40 AM

It never occured to me until now but as a child in the 1980s, I had a real devotion to Ann Jillian. Not only did I watch It's a Living on the regular in syndicated reruns, but I also watched Jennifer Slept here for the brief time it was on the air. Add to that I was a HUGE fan of The Ann Jillian Show which aired in the late 1980s and introduced the world to the long-forgotten Lisa Rieffel who portrayed her daughter and also (briefly) replaced Kristy McNichol as the third daughter on Empty Nest.

by Anonymousreply 118June 8, 2023 5:05 AM

Lisa

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by Anonymousreply 119June 8, 2023 5:08 AM

hi r119 I respect your Ann Jillian fandom. Please respect my Shelley Hack fandom.

by Anonymousreply 120June 8, 2023 11:22 AM

For those who might be interested....80's TV Ladies just did podcast about "It's A Living".

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by Anonymousreply 121August 3, 2023 12:08 AM

And yet another 80s TV Ladies podcast about "It's A Living" -- with guest Paul Kreppel!

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by Anonymousreply 122August 16, 2023 7:44 PM

OP was this show about prostitution whores?

by Anonymousreply 123August 16, 2023 7:45 PM
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