Brooke Shields’ first regular TV series kicked off 20 years ago, today. Starring Shields as title character, Gate columnist Susan Keane, Suddenly Susan premiered on NBC, Thursday, September 19, 1996.
Created by Dexter’s Clyde Phillips, it would run for four seasons before being cancelled. The sitcom also starred Nestor Carbonell, Kathy Griffen, Barbara Barrie, Judd Nelson, David Strickland, Andrea Bendewald.
Before the third season had been completed, Strickland, who played music critic Todd Stities, committed suicide. Nelson and Bendewald left the show after season three, as did executive producers Steven Peterman and Gary Dontzig.
A main character since Suddenly Susan‘s debut, the show chose to write Todd’s death into the storyline. In the season three finale episode, “A Day in the Life,” Todd goes missing. Susan and company spend the episode trying to find him.
As they’re praying for him, the phone rings. The camera cuts away, before the news of Todd’s death is revealed. The episode ends with highlights of Strickland’s performances.
Here is a clip (poor quality).
In its fourth and final season, Eric Idle, Sherri Shepherd, Currie Graham, and Rob Estes joined the cast. The show was moved from its sweet spot of Thursdays at 9:30 (between Seinfeld and E.R.) to Mondays at 8:00pm though, and never regained its audience.
Watch the Suddenly Susan opening credit sequence from the first season.
Suddenly Susan began with Susan leaving her former fiancé, Kip (Anthony Starke). In the season four and TV series finale episode, Susan almost leaves her new fiancé, Oliver Brown (Estes) at the altar, to take a new job, but he reveals he is ready to follow her, anywhere and the two wed.
Watch.
What do you think? Were you a fan of the Suddenly Susan TV series? Did you watch the series’ premiere and/or finale.
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