Dream On

1 9 9 1 – 1 9 9 6 (USA)
120 x 30 minute episodes

Martin Tupper (Brian Benben) was a 36-year-old New York publishing executive (working for Whitestone Publications) who had recently divorced from Judith (Wendie Malick), the psychologist mother of his 11-year-old son, Jeremy (Chris Demetral).

Martin was finding it hard to adapt to his re-found bachelorhood, stumbling between one-night-stands and always keeping an eye on Judith’s new relationship with ‘Mr Perfect’, Dr Richard Stone (Patrick Neil Quinn).

Martin sought guidance in the ways of the single man from his friend, Eddie Charles (Jeffrey Joseph), a local talk show host.

There was little comfort at work however from his bulldog secretary Toby (Denny Dillon) and a string of bosses, most notably Gibby Fiske (Michael McKean), the head of the Australian company that later bought Whitestone.

Martin was a neurotic type and rode an emotional rollercoaster – and for every emotion, there was a TV or movie clip from his youth.

Having been sat in front of the television as a child in the 1950s, Martin’s mind now worked overtime dredging up moments from classic MCA-Universal black-and-white shows that encapsulated his prevailing moods and feelings.

For viewers, the clips (usually just one-liners) acted as Martin’s thought bubbles.

Dream On was created to make use of a library of old material that could no longer find a market in syndication.

The writer’s viewed hundreds of classic programmes in the search for snappy lines around which they could build a story. Sometimes the story came first and the lines followed.

Among the vintage cuttings were pieces by Ronald Reagan, Lee Marvin, Jack Benny, Groucho Marx, Bette Davis, George Burns and Vincent Price.

The series was not networked in the USA but aired on the HBO cable channel, giving the producers greater freedom with female nudity, profanity and sexual content. In the UK, later series were shown on Sky One.

Martin Tupper
Brian Benben
Judith Tupper/Stone
Wendie Malick
Toby Pedalbee
Denny Dillon
Jeremy Tupper
Chris Demetral
Eddie Charles
Jeffrey Joseph
Gibby Fiske
Michael McKean
Valerie Knox
Vicki Fredericks
Carter Stevenson
Sean Masterson
Drew
Julian Christopher (1)
Cylk Cozart (2)
Alison
Cherie Michan
Mickey Tupper
Paul Dooley
Doris Tupper
Renee Taylor