Kate and Allie
| Kate & Allie | |
|---|---|
Main title screen
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| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Sherry Coben |
| Directed by |
Bill Persky (Seasons 1–5) Linda Day (Season 6) |
| Starring |
Susan Saint James Jane Curtin Ari Meyers Frederick Koehler Allison Smith |
| Theme music composer | Ralph Schuckett |
| Opening theme | "Along Comes a Friend" performed by John Loeffler |
| Composer(s) | John Loeffler Ralph Schuckett |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 122 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Merrill Grant Mort Lachman Bernie Orenstein |
| Producer(s) | Anne Flett-Giordano Bill Persky Chuck Ranberg Bob Randall Saul Turteltaub |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 24 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Alan Landsburg Productions (1984-1985) Reeves Entertainment Group (1985-1989) |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | March 19, 1984 – May 22, 1989 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Roxie |
Kate & Allie is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from March 19, 1984 to May 22, 1989, starring Susan Saint James and Jane Curtin as two divorced women, both with children, who decide to live together in the same house. The series was created by Sherry Coben.
The show stars Susan Saint James as the free-spirited Kate McArdle and Jane Curtin as her more traditional childhood friend, Allie Lowell. The two decide to share a brownstone in New York City's Greenwich Village after their divorces, and raise their families together.
The show also starred Ari Meyers as Kate's daughter Emma, and Frederick Koehler and Allison Smith as Allie's children Chip and Jennie.
Both Kate and Allie dated men regularly, but were portrayed as strong, independent women, which was still a relative novelty on television at the time. Unlike other successful career women portrayed before them, Kate and Allie were shown to be wise to the games men play, but not averse to remarrying if the opportunity presented itself.
Kate & Allie first aired on CBS as a midseason replacement series and only six episodes were initially commissioned, but the favorable response from critics and viewers alike (its first episode ranked #4 out of all the television shows airing that week) easily persuaded CBS to commit to a full season in the fall of 1984. The show was one of the most popular and critically acclaimed sitcoms of the 1980s, consistently ranking in the Top 20 shows until its final season. Curtin won two Emmy Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, while Saint James was nominated in the same category three times.
Curtin and Saint James had previously worked together in the 1980 movie How to Beat the High Cost of Living.
At the beginning of the series, Kate worked as a travel agent, while Allie stayed home and took care of the domestic duties. Kate's storylines often revolved around her struggles to be taken seriously in the workplace, while Allie's often revolved around learning to be more independent and sure of herself after her years as a housewife. In the show's fifth season, Kate quit her job and teamed up with Allie to start their own catering service.
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