Unhappily Ever After (often shortened to Unhappily... in promotional advertisements) is an American sitcom that aired for 100 episodes on The WB network from January 11, 1995 to May 23, 1999, for a total of four and a half seasons. "Hit the Road Jack" by Ray Charles was the show's theme song starting with episode 6. The series was produced by Touchstone Television.
[edit] Series history
In the beginning, the show was actually developed as a starring vehicle for Stephanie Hodge, whose character of Jennie was the focus of the first few episodes. However, the series concept was soon re-worked. The character of Jack (who had been kicked out of the house and was living in an apartment) was brought back home, and began living in the basement. Soon, Geoff Pierson's weary, mentally-unbalanced but straight-talking character of Jack became the central character of the show, along with Mr. Floppy. Also in season one, Joyce Van Patten played Jennie's mother, Maureen Slattery, who despised Jack. When she left the show, she was killed off and buried (off-screen) in the backyard.
By the show's third season it became apparent that Tiffany (Nikki Cox) was becoming a breakout character and the de facto co-star of the show along with Pierson. Stories began focusing on Tiffany and Ryan's high school (and later community college) escapades, and the producers attempted to kill off the increasingly unnecessary character of Jennie who returned as a ghost. After doing so, however, they quickly reversed their decision due to negative audience reaction. On the show, the character was brought "back to life" in a deliberately bizarre sequence where a network executive wandered on to the set and announced Jennie's character was no longer dead. Nevertheless, Jennie was soon gone again, as several episodes later, the character abandoned her family for a lesbian lover (Stephanie Hodge left the show) and was never seen again.
Nikki Cox was already signed to star in a new series for the WB when Unhappily... ended, and the final season focused more on her character of Tiffany. Wendy Benson was added to the cast, playing Tiffany's rival Barbara Caufield. The series wrapped up with a final episode in which Jack finally made enough money to send Tiffany to Harvard University. Once Jack started making money, he didn't need Floppy anymore and his schizophrenia was cured--Floppy went back to being just a stuffed animal, literally dying. But Jack missed his old life and went back to his ways, bringing Floppy literally back from the dead. Ranked #30 among TV Guide's List of the 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time.
[edit] The Malloy Family
The show was about Jack Malloy and his dysfunctional family.
- Jack Malloy (Geoff Pierson): A schizophrenic, alcoholic father who works at a wholly unsatisfying job as a used car salesman, his daughter Tiffany is his only real hope in his otherwise depressing life. He converses with a stuffed bunny (Mr. Floppy) that only he can hear. He cares about his family despite the fact they are the cause of most of his woes. He is the sole source of income for the family and often tries to manage the money he makes though it never gets to him as he has to pay bills, food, expenses, allowences and presents for Tiffany.
- Jennifer "Jennie" Malloy (née Slattery) (Stephanie Hodge): Jack's irritable wife, she gets along with no one in particular and is prone to jealousy. Jennie is very tactless towards her husband, regularly insulting him to the point of verbal abuse. She particularly resents Tiffany since Tiffany is everything Jennie never was, but Jennie is never really that mean to her. Jennie is also self-centered, mean and ill-tempered. She and Jack have a love-hate relationship, though Jack clearly likes her less than Tiffany. Her role in the series is sometimes confusing and contradictory, as she "dies" during season four, existing in the series as a "ghost" before coming back briefly and then leaving permanently in season 5. It is highly suggested that she divorced Jack, leaving him for another woman.
- Ryan Malloy (Kevin Connolly): The eldest son of Jack and Jennie, Ryan maintains a positive happy-go-lucky attitude despite being unpopular, stupid, and unsupported emotionally by anyone, including his parents. He has a friendly and genial disposition and is very naive and gullible. His inability to attract girls and his parents' overt derision of him are recurring themes throughout the show. He has had sex, unlike Tiffany. Ryan has managed to have a limited number of girlfriends though the relationships are usually ill-fated. He is somewhat the antithesis of sister Tiffany. It is implied that Ryan may be Jack's only biological child as, he took several DNA tests, hoping Ryan wasn't his, while he took none for the other children. The idea of Tiffany not being his became the plot of an entire episode, and Ross being the son of the mail man was a taunt used against him by the entire family in one episode.
- Tiffany Malloy (Nikki Cox): The "favorite" child of Jack, Tiffany is the middle child, who is seemingly perfect: smart, ambitious, popular, bodacious, attractive...and still a virgin. Because of this, her mother Jennie envies her. Despite all of this, Tiffany is less than virtuous; she tends to be self-serving, often taking advantage of Jack's special treatment toward her (although, being Tiffany, she would never admit this). Throughout the series, she makes many friends and rivals at school...particularly Sable O'Brien, who is basically a blond version of herself. Tiffany's figure has been repeatedly alluded as a result of her suffering from some kind of an eating disorder. Tiffany is an overachiever, coveting success and frequently achieving it. She's extremely opinionated and competitive. Like Kelly Bundy of Married...With Children fame, Tiffany seems to have a miniskirt for every occasion; she never has any qualms about showing off her sensational-looking legs.
- Ross Malloy (Justin Berfield): The "forgotton child", the youngest and arguably the most normal member of the family, Ross is often the voice of reason, common sense, and enlightenment in an otherwise dysfunctional family, he may have more or less the same intelligence as Tiffany. However, it becomes clear from certain episodes that Ross has issues of his own. He is also the child that is most ignored in the family and unlike Ryan and Tiffany, tends to be treated indifferently by both Jack and Jennie. Because of this Ross craves attention though his attempts usually fail. He is shown to be popular at his school and dates many of the girls in his class. He also gets the least airtime which is the joke of some episodes.
[edit] Additional characters
- Mr. Floppy (voice of Bobcat Goldthwait, puppeteer Allan Trautman): A smoking, drinking, and perverted gray stuffed bunny who lives in the Malloy basement, often discussing his life in "the toy bin," his success stories with women, or ranting about cynical topics. A large part of the show revolves around Jack consulting Mr. Floppy for advice, as only Jack can hear him (Mr. Floppy doesn't actually speak, but in Jack's warped mind he does.) While both Jack and Mr. Floppy often have differing views on things, they have similar mindsets and thus Mr. Floppy is best seen as a sort of alter-ego of Jack.
- Maureen Slattery (Joyce Van Patten) (Season 1-2): Jennie's alcoholic, overbearing, and somewhat delusional mother who clearly disapproves of Jack. She has an addiction to prescription pills. She only appeared in the first season of the series. It was stated by Jack in episode "The Old West" that she was dead and they buried her in the backyard.
- Barbara Caulfield (Wendy Benson) (Season 5): Tiffany's on and off friend who is sometimes her enemy and one of Ryan's love interests. She attends Northridge Junior College along with Tiffany and Ryan.
[edit] Recurring characters
- Barry Wallenstein (ANT) (Season 1-5): Tiffany's main guy friend at Priddy High who is flamingly homosexual.
- Amber Moss (Dana Daurey) (Season 1-3): Tiffany's vacuous best friend at Priddy High. She is an underachiever and is very promiscuous, she is often insulted as being a slut because of that.
- Patty Le Gurst (Elizabeth Harnois) (Season 1): Tiffany's rival who, like Tiffany, dresses scantily yet is stupider than Tiffany.
- Muffy (Deborah Kellner) (season 5): Tiffany's new best friend at Northridge Junior College.
- Sable O'Brien (Kristanna Loken) (Season 3): A strikingly-beautiful and extremely-popular girl at Priddy High, Sable is the arch-nemesis of Tiffany Malloy. The easiest way to tell them apart is by their manes: Sable is icy blond; Tiffany is somewhere between strawberry and auburn. Tiffany and Sable are usually antagonistic, but they'll cooperate if it's to their mutual advantage. Both share a number of common enemies, including Tiffany's own brother Ryan, who dates Sable from time to time. Not that Sable and Ryan are exactly compatible; she's as clever and sharp-witted as he is...well, not. Moreover, the O'Briens are upper-class, while the Malloys are middle-lower. However, Sable's equally-snobbish mother Morgana once tried to seduce Tiffany's father Jack.
- Mr. Dunn (Allen Trautman) (season 1-3): The principal of Priddy High.
- Joe Slattery: Jennie's father and Maureen's ex-husband. He owns Joe's Used Car Lot, the place where Jack is employed. He is never seen but is often referred to.
- Emily, Jasper and Annie: The family's pet dogs seen that are seen in the early seasons; Jasper is a bloodhound who makes the most appearances.
- Mr. Monteleone (Oliver Muirhead) (season 3): Tiffany and Ryan's rude, arrogant English teacher who makes frequent appearances in the later episodes. He hates Tiffany and loves to watch her fail.
- Chelsea (Shonda Whipple) (season 1): Tiffany's nemesis in season 1.
- Beau (Benjamin Shelfer) (season 1): Tiffany's love interest.
- Eddie the Neuter Boy (Tal Kapelner) (season 4): A pathetic nerd boy who is often the victim of physical harm.
- Stoney (Jamie Kennedy) (season 1): a stoner at Priddy High.
[edit] Setting
The series takes place in Van Nuys, California.
The Malloy Household: The Malloys live on 2133 Oak Avenue.
- Jack's Basement: The place where Jack sleeps and has many of his conversations with Floppy.
Priddy High The High School That Ryan, Tiffany had attended for the first 3 seasons. The mascot is "The Indians" once known as "The Injuns". The school's name is a play on the term "Pretty High".
Northridge Junior College The community college that Ryan and Tiffany attend in Season 4 and 5.
[edit] Episodes
See: List of Unhappily Ever After Episodes
[edit] Season 1
- 1-1 11 Jan 1995 Pilot.
- 1-2 18 Jan 1995 Gift of the Magnovox.
- 1-3 25 Jan 1995 Jack's First Date
- 1-4 1 Feb 1995 The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall.
- 1-5 8 Feb 1995 Jack The Ripper.
- 1-6 15 Feb 1995 Run.
- 1-7 22 Feb 1995 The Descent Of Man.
- 1-8 1 Mar 1995 Boxing Mr. Floppy.
- 1-9 15 Mar 1995 Don Juan De Van Nuys.
- 1-10 22 Mar 1995 Mistress Jennie.
- 1-11 3 May 1995 Daddy's Little Girl.
- 1-12 10 May 1995 The Great Depression.
- 1-13 17 May 1995 Hoop Dreams.
[edit] Season 2
- 2-1 6 Sep 1995 Jack Moves Back.
- 2-2 13 Sep 1995 Zit Could Happen to You.
- 2-3 20 Sep 1995 The Rat.
- 2-4 27 Sep 1995 Rocky VI.
- 2-5 4 Oct 1995 Rock Star.
- 2-6 11 Oct 1995 Driving Me Crazy.
- 2-7 25 Oct 1995 A Touch of Glass.
- 2-8 8 Nov 1995 A Line in the Sand.
- 2-9 15 Nov 1995 Making the Grade.
- 2-10 22 Nov 1995 Honey, I Screwed up the Kids for Life.
- 2-11 29 Nov 1995 The Whiz Kid.
- 2-12 20 Dec 1995 Hot Wheels.
- 2-13 10 Jan 1996 Picnic of Pain and Peril.
- 2-14 31 Jan 1996 Meter Maid.
- 2-15 7 Feb 1996 In the Stars.
- 2-16 14 Feb 1996 Mr. No.
- 2-17 21 Feb 1996 The Agony of Victory.
- 2-18 28 Feb 1996 All About Jennie.
- 2-19 1 May 1996 Jack Writes Good.
- 2-20 8 May 1996 Girls Who Wear Glasses.
- 2-21 15 May 1996 Leaving Van Nuys.
- 2-22 22 May 1996 Getting More Than Some.
[edit] Season 3
- 3-1 8 Sep 1996 Tiffany's Rival.
- 3-2 15 Sep 1996 Beach Party.
- 3-3 22 Sep 1996 Angel Gone Bad.
- 3-4 29 Sep 1996 The Temptation of Jack.
- 3-5 6 Oct 1996 Lightning Boy.
- 3-6 13 Oct 1996 Bingo! Bingo! Bingo!.
- 3-7 30 Oct 1996 Hair Stalker.
- 3-8 3 Nov 1996 Rock 'n' Roll.
- 3-9 10 Nov 1996 The Pride of the Injuns.
- 3-10 17 Nov 1996 Eating Hollywood.
- 3-11 24 Nov 1996 High and Dry.
- 3-12 15 Dec 1996 The Tell-Tale Lipstick.
- 3-13 19 Jan 1997 Steinfeld.
- 3-14 2 Feb 1997 The President.
- 3-15 9 Feb 1997 Tiffany on the Wild Side.
- 3-16 16 Feb 1997 The Potato Rebellion.
- 3-17 23 Feb 1997 B-Minus Blues.
- 3-18 20 Apr 1997 From Russia with Love.
- 3-19 27 Apr 1997 Little Ice Cream Shop of Horrors.
- 3-20 4 May 1997 Shampoo.
- 3-21 11 May 1997 College!.
- 3-22 18 May 1997 The Joy of Meat.
[edit] Season 4
- 4-1 7 Sep 1997 Hot Off the Presses.
- 4-2 14 Sep 1997 Experimenting in College.
- 4-3 21 Sep 1997 The Ghost and Mr. Malloy.
- 4-4 28 Sep 1997 Exorcising Jennie.
- 4-5 5 Oct 1997 We Got Next.
- 4-6 12 Oct 1997 Sorority Girl.
- 4-7 26 Oct 1997 Ryan, Vampire Slayer.
- 4-8 2 Nov 1997 Cyber-Tiffany.
- 4-9 9 Nov 1997 Tiffany, the Home Wrecker.
- 4-10 16 Nov 1997 Little Miss Perfect.
- 4-11 23 Nov 1997 The One Kevin's Directing.
- 4-12 14 Dec 1997 Teacher of the Year.
- 4-13 11 Jan 1998 Ryan's Labour Lost.
- 4-14 18 Jan 1998 Undercover Cheerleader.
- 4-15 1 Feb 1998 Chaste Makes Waste.
- 4-16 8 Feb 1998 Teacher's Pet.
- 4-17 15 Feb 1998 Let's Get Ready to Rum Ball.
- 4-18 22 Feb 1998 Triple Play.
- 4-19 26 Apr 1998 Tiffany's Birthday.
- 4-20 3 May 1998 The Old West.
- 4-21 10 May 1998 The Clip Show.
[edit] Season 5
- 5-1 13 Sep 1998 X-Happily Ever After.
- 5-2 20 Sep 1998 Feline Alright.
- 5-3 27 Sep 1998 Basketball ... Again?.
- 5-4 4 Oct 1998 A Movie Show.
- 5-5 11 Oct 1998 Love Letters.
- 5-6 25 Oct 1998 I Know What You Did in the Closet.
- 5-7 1 Nov 1998 Ross' IQ.
- 5-8 8 Nov 1998 The Fencing Show.
- 5-9 15 Nov 1998 Smart and Stupid.
- 5-10 22 Nov 1998 The Silver Rule.
- 5-11 13 Dec 1998 Secrets.
- 5-12 10 Jan 1999 Royal Flush.
- 5-13 17 Jan 1999 Taffy's Boy.
- 5-14 24 Jan 1999 Tiffany's Big Break.
- 5-15 7 Feb 1999 I Never Dunked for My Father.
- 5-16 14 Feb 1999 Sex & Violins.
- 5-17 21 Feb 1999 Tiffany Burger.
- 5-18 28 Feb 1999 The Perfect Guy.
- 5-19 2 May 1999 Date to Win.
- 5-20 9 May 1999 The Artist and the Con Artist.
- 5-21 16 May 1999 Tiffany Tutors the Teachers.
- 5-22 23 May 1999 Le Morte D'Floppy.
[edit] Theme Song and Opening sequence
The series theme song was Hit the Road Jack by Ray Charles used from episode 7 to the series finale, the song is a reference to Jennie kicking Jack out of the house. The opening is a sequence of bizarre events from the first season and the male vocals are lip-synched by Floppy while the female vocals are lip-synched by Jennie, Tiffany and Maureen for Seasons 1 & 2, Jennie and Tiffany for Seasons 3 & 4, and Tiffany, Jack, Ryan and Ross for Season 5.
[edit] Syndication and DVDs
The show was sold into syndication for the 1999-2000 and the 2000-01 seasons, but was not re-offered the following fall due to lackluster clearance rates and low ratings. It has been off the air in America ever since, though it was shown on the UK channel ABC1 between 2004 and 2005. In Canada, it was seen in syndication on Omni Television during the 2006/2007 season. As of October 2007, it airs on the TV3 network in Estonia as Armastuseta sinu (Yours Without Love).
In Germany, the show first aired on RTL Television in November 1997, was since rerun on RTL II and presently (as of June 2007) airs on Comedy Central on a daily basis. It is titled Auf schlimmer und ewig ("On bad and eternally"), a pun on the phrase "Auf immer und ewig" ("For always and ever").
[edit] External links
