Ted Knight Show, The

1 9 7 8 (USA)
6 x 30 minute episodes

Ted Knight, the empty-headed newscaster on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, landed his own Saturday night CBS series with this frothy short-lived comedy about an escort service in New York City.

Dennis Escorts was a strictly high-class outfit, located in a posh Manhattan apartment building. It was staffed by some lovely young ladies, and headed by the suave, middle-aged Roger Dennis (Knight), who clucked over his brood like a mother hen.

Complicating matters was Roger’s no-nonsense businessman brother, Burt (Normann Burton), who had financed the enterprise and saddled it with his irascible, wisecracking sister-in-law Dottie (Iris Adrian) who served as the receptionist.

The escorts included Joy (Deborah Harmon); airheaded Graziella (Cissy Colpitts); the company’s only African American escort Phil Brown (Tanya Boyd); the floozy Cheryl (Janice Kent); the timid Irma (Ellen Regan); and the “take charge” Honey (Fawne Harriman).

Other regular characters were Roger’s easily-distracted college-age son, Winston (Thomas Leopold), who was trying to break into the business – and make time with the girls – and the mailman, Hobart (Claude Stroud), who had his eye on Dottie.

The show was a spin-off of sorts from Busting Loose (1977) which starred Alan Arkin.

Roger Dennis
Ted Knight
Burt Dennis
Normann Burton
Winston Dennis
Thomas Leopold
Dottie
Iris Adrian
Graziella
Cissy Colpitts
Honey
Fawne Harriman
Irma
Ellen Regan
Philadelphia “Phil” Brown
Tanya Boyd
Cheryl
Janice Kent
Joy
Deborah Harmon
Hobart Nalven
Claude Stroud

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