TV Sitcom Based on Broadway Muscial

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 9/26/03 at 4:31pm

in the late 1960s there was a short lived sitcom based on The King and I. I believe the title was Anna and the King and it starred Yul Brynner and I believe Juliet Mills. It was certainly at least partially based on the musical as opposed to just the source material for The King and I....Shall we Dance was used sort of as the show's theme song and they showed Anna and the King doing the dance when they went to commercials.

Has there been any other tv sitcom based on a Broadway musical? I am so sure there is at least one or two others but I cannot think of them.

Thanks.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 9/26/03 at 4:34pm

It doesn't count, but there was The Odd Couple.....

and in the early 90s, before the musical, there was a pilot for a Hairspray sitcom..

not sure of any series actually based on a musical. never knew about the King and I one. Updated On: 9/26/03 at 04:34 PM

[tpdc]

Posted: 9/26/03 at 4:35pm

I think the series was called ANNA AND THE KING. Samantha Eggar was Anna. Wasn't there a MY SISTER EILEEN TV series in the 50s? I seem to remember seeing a listing in a TV series history book.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/26/03 at 5:52pm

Yes, Elaine Stritch played Ruth in the sitcom called MY SISTER EILEEN.

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 9/26/03 at 6:12pm

Interesting question.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 9/26/03 at 6:20pm

While they were not musicals, there were series pilots for "Steel Magnolias" and "Driving Miss Daisy".

[zoom]

Posted: 9/27/03 at 5:07pm

And what ever happened to that weekly "Grease" tv series they talked about doing at ABC two years ago?

And it seems like the new "Grease" movie isn't happening.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/27/03 at 5:08pm

I could see a Steel Magnolias tv series.
But Driving Miss Daisy would have been hard to do since the play/movie was so nice done.

[magruder]

Posted: 9/27/03 at 6:39pm

I remember an attempt at a "Pump Boys and Dinettes" variety show.

[nyctopone]

Posted: 9/28/03 at 12:44pm

Its not a musical, but this topic reminded me of when Amadeus opened. Milos Forman stated that this was one show that would not be spun off into a tv show. He promised that there would be no tv series where Salieri would try and kill Mozart a different way each week. I always thought that idea was hilarious.

[mdshayne]

Posted: 10/5/03 at 11:03am

Actually It was Samantha Eggar who played Mrs. Anna in the Tv sitcom Anna and the King. The theme music if memory serves me was the March of the Siamese Children.

There is a book about failed pilots which include a lot of ideas based on movies which were based on plays

[PennyLou]

Posted: 10/5/03 at 3:17pm

well wasn't there a tv show of Fame? I know it's off bway and the show might have come first I don't really know. But Just putting that in there.

[MusicMan]

Posted: 10/5/03 at 10:12pm

It wasn't based on a Broadway musical but in the late 60's, THAT'S LIFE!, a weekly experimental musical comedy sitcom, starring Robert Morse and E.J.Peaker (from Hello, Dolly!), was produced, I believe, on ABC. I don't think it lasted very long. God, what I wouldn't give to see those episodes now!

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 10/5/03 at 11:19pm

i THINK the chronology was:

FAME the film with the Irene Cara theme song (1980)

FAME the episodic television series which made Debbie Allen a star (1982-1987)

FAME the Musical (cast recording 1999, could have toured earlier)

FAME the talent contest television series (2002/2003)

FAME ON 42nd STEET musical (2003)

there was also a site that said FAME the Musical had been running in the West End for four years now...