Tom Show, The

1 9 9 7 – 1 9 9 8 (USA)
19 x 30 minute episodes

Tom Amross (Tom Arnold) was a gregarious TV producer who moved back to his home town of St Paul, Minnesota, with his two daughters after a messy divorce in which his ex-wife, talk show star Maggie (Shannon Tweed), got the Hollywood mansion and most of the money.

He got a job working with his old buddy Charlie (Ed McMahon), trying to boost the ratings of the latter’s long-running local morning talk show, Breakfast with Charlie, on station KOGD.

Tom’s plan was to pair traditionalist Charlie with radical Florence Madison (Shawnee Smith), a young woman with a strong social conscience who had hitherto been the host of KOGD’s late-night call-in show, Midnight Minnesota.

The two of them got along like oil and water – he wanted to talk sports and food while she tried to discuss politics, the environment, cybersex, and body piercing.

Tonya (Tasha Smith) was the resentful former producer of Charlie’s show who had recently been promoted to station manager. Other women in Tom’s life included his agreeable younger daughter, Elissa (Mika Boorem), and teenage Kenlon (Lisa Wilhoit), who found him over-protective and unwilling to accept her becoming a young woman.

Others seen were Mrs Thompson (Angela Paton), the girls’ babysitter; Brownie (Danton Stone), Tom’s buddy who owned a local bar where he hung out; and Billy (John Caponera), a cop who also spent time at the bar.

Madison disappeared from the cast without explanation early in 1998 but was back in an episode that aired on 1 March.

Tom Amross
Tom Arnold
Florence Madison
Shawnee Smith
Elissa Amross
Mika Boorem
Tonya Cole
Tasha Smith
Charles ‘Charlie’ Dickerson
Ed McMahon
Kenlon Amross
Lisa Wilhoit
Brownie
Danton Stone
Maggie Amross
Shannon Tweed
Mrs Martha Thompson
Angela Paton
Billy Swenson
John Caponera