Open House

1 9 8 9 – 1 9 9 0 (USA)
24 x 30 minute episodes

In the 1987 – 1989 series Duet, the divinely bitchy Linda Phillips (Alison La Placa) was fired from her job as a Hollywood studio executive. At the urging of her pianist husband, Richard (Chris Lemmon), she went to work as a caterer with her friend Laura Kelly (Mary Page Keller).

The two gave up the catering business when Laura and her husband, Ben, divorced. Sweet, innocent Laura now lives at 13205 Ocean Avenue and is troubled by a drinking problem.

Linda is still married to Richard when the new series begins but they later separate and divorce.

Linda is now a high powered sales agent with the Juan Verde Real Estate Company in Los Angeles and is constantly engaged in a battle of wits with fellow agent Ted Nichols (Philip Charles MacKenzie) to make the most sales.

Richard plays the piano at Jasper’s Bar and Restaurant and lives in an apartment at 549 Palisades Avenue. Linda resides in their former home at 10 West Florist Street.

The other main characters in this short-lived sitcom were Scott Babylon (Danny Gans), a sales agent and talented impressionist who uses celebrities’ voices to make sales; Margo Van Meter (a still-in-the-closet, largely unknown Ellen DeGeneres), the sassy, man-hungry secretary with a cat named Boris; and Roger McSwain (Aussie actor Nick Tate), the manager of Juan Verde Real Estate.

Sherrie Krenn appeared as Roger’s man-crazy daughter, Phoebe, and Marian Mercer played Ted’s mother, Dorothy.

Laura Kelly
Mary Page Keller
Linda Phillips
Alison La Placa
Richard Phillips
Chris Lemmon
Ted Nichols
Philip Charles MacKenzie
Scott Babylon
Danny Gans
Margo Van Meter
Ellen DeGeneres
Roger McSwain
Nick Tate
Phoebe McSwain
Sherri Krenn
Dorothy Nichols
Marian Mercer
John Greene
Jon Cypher

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