Stockard Channing in Just Friends

1 9 7 9 (USA)
13 x 30 minute episodes

Stockard Channing was a hot commodity in 1979 because of the success of Grease, and a transition to television seemed like a natural progression.

Here, Stockard portrayed Susan Hughes who was newly separated from her husband, Frank (Lawrence Pressman) and had just taken an American Airlines flight from Boston to Los Angeles to start a new life.

Very quickly she got a used Volkswagen, an apartment, and a job as an assistant manager and trainer at the posh Fountain of Youth Health Spa in Beverly Hills. Her gruff, buff and frugal boss was Milt D’Angelo (Lou Criscuolo) whose motto was “Fat is my enemy.”

Milt’s dimwitted son, Angelo D’Angelo (Albert Insinnia), was employed at the spa as well. Behind the juice bar counter was naive, baby-voiced Coral (Sydney Goldsmith).

Susan’s new apartment was never locked, and so family, co-workers, friends and neighbours just walked right in without knocking. Her new neighbour, the deadpan Leonard Scribner (Gerrit Graham) attempted numerous get-rich-quick schemes, but none of them panned out.

Susan’s snooty, staunchly conservative, wealthy older sister, Victoria (Mimi Kennedy) was constantly fixing Susan up with successful but boring men, much to Susan’s chagrin.

Episodes were taped in front of a live studio audience at KTLA Studios.

Susan Hughes
Stockard Channing
Milt D’Angelo
Lou Criscuolo
Angelo D’Angelo
Albert Insinnia
Victoria
Mimi Kennedy
Coral
Sydney Goldsmith
Leonard Scribner
Gerrit Graham

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