The Tracey Ullman Show
| The Tracey Ullman Show | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre |
Live action Sketch comedy Variety show Animation |
| Created by |
James L. Brooks Jerry Belson Ken Estin Heide Perlman |
| Starring |
Tracey Ullman Julie Kavner Dan Castellaneta Sam McMurray Joseph Malone Anna Levine (1988–89) |
| Theme music composer | George Clinton |
| Opening theme | "You're Thinking Right" |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 81 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | James L. Brooks Jerry Belson Ken Estin Heide Perlman Sam Simon |
| Producer(s) |
Jay Kogen Wallace Wolodarsky |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Gracie Films 20th Century Fox Television |
| Distributor | 20th Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox |
| Original release | April 5, 1987 – May 26, 1990 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | The Simpsons |
| Related shows |
Tracey Takes On... Tracey Ullman's Show |
The Tracey Ullman Show was an American television variety show starring Tracey Ullman. It debuted on April 5, 1987, as the Fox network's second prime-time series after Married... with Children, and ran until May 26, 1990. The show is produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television. The show blended sketch comedy shorts with many musical numbers, featuring choreography by Paula Abdul.
The Tracey Ullman Show is known for producing a series of shorts featuring the Simpson family, which was adapted into the TV series The Simpsons, which is also produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television (now 20th Television).
By the 1980s, acclaimed television producer James L. Brooks (producer of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, and Rhoda), had left the television industry for the big screen. At the time that he won the Oscar for his film, Terms of Endearment, Brooks began receiving videotapes from Ullman's Los Angeles agent, hoping to get his attention. Ullman, who was already famous in her homeland, England, was already landing a variety of television deals and proposals in America, but none had panned out. These projects did not suit Ullman's interests. "[They were] shows with morals, where everyone learns something at the end of the show", related Ullman to a television critic for TV Guide in 1989, describing the television show ideas that were offered to her. Brooks was so taken by what he saw in Ullman that he decided to take the young actress under his wing and return to television. Brooks was determined to develop the right vehicle to showcase Ullman's talents — acting, dancing, and singing — and decided to create a sketch comedy show. Ullman had already had a successful music career in the early 1980s in the UK, and had a top 10 hit on the American charts with a cover of Kirsty MacColl's "They Don't Know" and her You Broke My Heart in 17 Places.
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