Princesses (TV series)

Princesses is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from September 27 to October 25, 1991. The series was produced by Universal Television and lasted five episodes. The series theme song, "Someday My Prince Will Come" (from Disney's animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) was written by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey, and was sung by The Roches.

Princesses
GenreSitcom
Created byBarry Kemp
Mark Ganzel
Robin Schiff
Starring
Opening theme"Someday My Prince Will Come" performed by The Roches
ComposerJ. A. C. Redford
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8 (3 unaired) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • John Bowman
  • Jay Kleckner
  • Barry Kemp
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseSeptember 27 (1991-09-27) –
October 25, 1991 (1991-10-25)

Synopsis

The series chronicles the lives of three female roommates in New York City, each with a different background and upbringing, thus the series' title: Tracy Dillon (Julie Hagerty), an English teacher who just dumped her fiance after learning that he had been married twice and was still involved with one of his ex-wives (who also was his business partner); Princess Georgina "Georgy" De La Rue (Twiggy, credited as Twiggy Lawson, in her first American television series), a recently widowed English princess (and whose previous occupation was that of a showgirl) who arrived to the States to challenge her late husband's contested will; and Melissa Kirshner (Fran Drescher), Tracy's longtime best friend, an outspoken Jewish American who sold cosmetics at a department store. In addition to the three, there was also Melissa's sister Debra (Leila Kenzle).

The idea of the three being roommates in the same apartment was by accident, thanks to the apartment's owner Tony, who promised Tracy and Georgy the use of the rent-free building without telling either one who would use it or to whom he had loaned it.

Cast

Production and development

In an effort to downplay the behind-the-scenes turmoil on Princesses, CBS execs initially touted the series as "promising" to advertisers. However, prior to the show's premiere, entertainment media outlets such as Entertainment Tonight began publicizing the show's behind-the-scenes woes. Princesses was problematic by the time it went into production. The first tell-tale sign came when Hagerty walked off the set after filming the first four episodes, which were followed by profoundly negative reviews, off-camera problems, and rumors that CBS affiliates might never air the episodes.

Upon its premiere, Princesses placed last in the Nielsen ratings. At one point, CBS programming head Jeff Sagansky expressed interest in re-tooling the show and replacing all of the show's cast members. Drescher soon became aware of this and immediately arranged a meeting with Sagansky. During the meeting, Drescher tried to compromise with Sagansky by suggesting he only re-cast Hagerty's role. but CBS ultimately decided against Drescher's wishes and axed the entire show (only five episodes out of the eight produced were aired).

Shortly after the cancellation, an accidental meeting gave Drescher a chance to pitch a new television series to Sagansky, and she came up with her hit show The Nanny.[1][2] In fact, Drescher developed the idea for The Nanny while visiting with Princesses co-star Twiggy and her family in England, and modeled the character of Maxwell Sheffield on Twiggy's husband Leigh Lawson.[1][2]

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Pilot"Lee Shallat-ChemelMark Ganzel & Robin SchiffSeptember 27, 1991 (1991-09-27)
Three single women, Tracy, Georgy and Melissa, agree to share a New York penthouse, thanks in part to a landlord who had forgotten to whom he had leased the place. Before they settle in, Tracy learns about her fiance's past marriages as she prepares to walk down the aisle. Leann Hunley guest stars as one of the ex-wives.
2"Her Highness For Hire"Lee Shallat-ChemelSally Lapiduss & Pamela EellsOctober 4, 1991 (1991-10-04)
Georgy decides to return to her roots as a showgirl for financial support.
3"Luv Leddahs"Lee Shallat-ChemelMarion GrodinOctober 11, 1991 (1991-10-11)
Tracy becomes intrigued by a student's written essay, which reads more like a love letter than an assignment.
4"My Prince Will Gum"Lee Shallat-ChemelJohn BowmanOctober 18, 1991 (1991-10-18)
Melissa learns that her prince of a brother-in-law may be too charming with his hygienist.
5"Georgy Sings The Blues"TBATBAOctober 25, 1991 (1991-10-25)
Georgy hopes to come to the rescue by tracking down a suicidal talent agent, whom she lets in to the apartment as a way to get him to see her showbiz talents. Meanwhile, Tracy passes up a chance to go on a blind date with a midget.
6"The Snob Who Came To Dinner"TBATBAUnaired
The ladies throw a party at the apartment, inviting eligible bachelors who live in the same building, only to get a columnist with a habit of offending people as a guest. The columnist chases everyone away from the party but somehow captures Tracy's attention.
7"Showuhs in Yonkuhs Fall Mainly on Flowuhs"TBATBAUnaired
Melissa turns to Georgy for speech lessons in an effort to impress a Greek tycoon.
8"Tall, Dark and Handsom"TBATBAUnaired
Memories of her late husband consume Georgy's mind during a night out with Tracy and Melissa, who are trying to get her hooked up.

Broadcast

In 2010, TV Land aired the series as part of their TV Land Sunday Spotlight series.

Reception

The show ended up ranking 118th out of 132 shows that season, averaging only a 6.3 household rating.[3]

References
  1. Epstein, Lawrence J. (2008). The Haunted Smile: The Story of Jewish Comedians in America. p. 268. ISBN 0786724927. Retrieved 2013-05-06.
  2. Cooper, Brenda (October 1994). "Diva: Dazzling Fran Drescher Runs the Show on Her CBS Hit, The Nanny". Orange Coast. pp. 45–46. ISSN 0279-0483. Retrieved 2013-05-06.
  3. "The Season's Top-Rated Shows for 1991-92 With AM-Nielsen-Season Ratings". AP NEWS.
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