Big Brother Jake

Big Brother Jake
GenreSitcom
Created byChris Auer
Directed byGary Shimokawa
StarringJake Steinfeld
Barbara Meek
Ben Siegler
Josiah Trager
Gabrielle Carmouche
Jeremy Wieand
Daniel Hifler
Elizabeth Narvaez
Melody Combs
Rachelle Guzy
Denise Devin
Jane Connell
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes88
Production
Executive producerChris Auer
ProducerChristopher Frederick
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesNorthStar Entertainment Group
Family Productions
Original release
NetworkThe Family Channel
ReleaseSeptember 2, 1990 (1990-09-02) –
April 10, 1994 (1994-04-10)

Big Brother Jake is an American sitcom starring Jake Steinfeld that aired on The Family Channel[1] from September 2, 1990, to April 10, 1994. It is notable for being the first sitcom on The Family Channel.[2]

Plot

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The show follows the life of Jake Rozzner (Steinfeld), a former Hollywood stuntman who returned to his Brooklyn foster home to help out his recently widowed foster mother, Connie "Ma" Duncan with her foster children. The foster family included Lou, Kateri, Jill, Andy, and Dave. Jill left the show after two seasons and a young, abandoned Asian girl, Caroline was in the care of Ma Duncan.[3]

Gary was Jake's good friend from high school who was now a Manhattan lawyer and Jane was Jake's former high school girlfriend. Miss Morgan was the social worker before being replaced with Miss Domedian. The older youngsters attended Frederick Douglass High School. Jake was the narrator of the show.[3]

Cast

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  • Jake Steinfeld as Jake Rozzner
  • Barbara Meek as Connie "Ma" Duncan
  • Ben Siegler as Gary MacClemore
  • Josiah Trager as Loomis "Lou" Washington
  • Gabrielle Carmouche as Kateri Monroe
  • Jeremy Wieand as Andy King
  • Daniel Hilfer as Dave King
  • Elizabeth Narvaez as Jill Kenyon (1990–1992)
  • Melody Combs as Jane O'Hara (1991–1993)
  • Rachelle Guzy as Caroline (1992-1994)
  • Denise Devin as Miss Meg Morgan (1990-1991)
  • Jane Connell as Miss Roberta Domedian (1991-1994)

Episodes

[edit]

Season 1 (1990–91)

[edit]
No.
overall 		No. in
season 		Title Directed by Written by Original air date
11"Twin Pecs"Gary ShimokawaEd Ferrara & Kevin MurphySeptember 2, 1990 (1990-09-02)
22"Who's Afraid of Thomas Wolfe?"UnknownChris AuerSeptember 14, 1990 (1990-09-14)
33"The 10% Solution"UnknownChris AuerSeptember 21, 1990 (1990-09-21)
44"Jake and the No. 2 Pencil"UnknownChris AuerSeptember 28, 1990 (1990-09-28)
55"Dinner for Eight"UnknownChris AuerOctober 5, 1990 (1990-10-05)
66"The World of Mrs. Fong"UnknownChris AuerOctober 12, 1990 (1990-10-12)
77"Dress Blues"UnknownMargaret Beddow HatchOctober 19, 1990 (1990-10-19)
88"Satellites"Gary ShimokawaJon Cooksey & Ali Marie MathesonOctober 26, 1990 (1990-10-26)
99"The Prodigal Dad"Gary ShimokawaJon Cooksey & Ali Marie MathesonNovember 2, 1990 (1990-11-02)
1010"What's Opera Jake?"UnknownChris AuerNovember 9, 1990 (1990-11-09)
1111"What's Wrong with This Picture?"Gary ShimokawaMaria A. BrownNovember 16, 1990 (1990-11-16)
1212"The Rise and Fall of Vito Parchesi"UnknownEd Ferrara & Kevin MurphyNovember 23, 1990 (1990-11-23)
1313"They Call Me Mellow Cello"UnknownJohn Griffiths & Tom SheppardDecember 2, 1990 (1990-12-02)
1414"A Dreidel Spins in Brooklyn"UnknownChris Auer & Jeffrey SweetDecember 9, 1990 (1990-12-09)
1515"Jake's Date"Gary ShimokawaLarry BalmagiaDecember 16, 1990 (1990-12-16)
1616"The Grocer Always Rings Twice"Gary ShimokawaJim LincolnDecember 23, 1990 (1990-12-23)
1717"Stop Me Before I Paint Again"UnknownMaria A. BrownDecember 30, 1990 (1990-12-30)
1818"Todd's Feast"Gary ShimokawaChris AuerJanuary 6, 1991 (1991-01-06)
1919"Didn't You Used to Be Somebody Else?"UnknownMargaret Beddow HatchJanuary 13, 1991 (1991-01-13)
2020"Marriage 101"UnknownSteve SylvesterJanuary 20, 1991 (1991-01-20)
2121"The Once and Future Kings"UnknownJon Cooksey & Ed Ferrara & Ali Marie Matheson & Kevin MurphyJanuary 27, 1991 (1991-01-27)
2222"They Shoot Social Workers, Don't They?"UnknownChris Auer & Stephen WellsFebruary 3, 1991 (1991-02-03)

Season 2 (1991–92)

[edit]
No.
overall 		No. in
season 		Title Directed by Written by Original air date
231"Remodeling with the Enemy"Gary ShimokawaChris AuerSeptember 1, 1991 (1991-09-01)
242"Roberta's Flak"Gary ShimokawaEd Ferrara & Kevin MurphySeptember 8, 1991 (1991-09-08)
253"Six Characters in Search of a Catcher's Mill"Gary ShimokawaChris AuerSeptember 15, 1991 (1991-09-15)
264"They're Not Booin', They're Louin'"Gary ShimokawaJim LincolnSeptember 22, 1991 (1991-09-22)
275"Two Guys from Brooklyn"Gary ShimokawaMaria A. BrownSeptember 29, 1991 (1991-09-29)
286"Dressed to Thrill"Gary ShimokawaKris and Buzz McLaughlinOctober 6, 1991 (1991-10-06)
297"The Old Man and the C"Gary ShimokawaJon Cooksey & Ali Marie MathesonOctober 13, 1991 (1991-10-13)
308"Friends and Big Women"Gary ShimokawaMichael LomanOctober 20, 1991 (1991-10-20)
319"It Came from Social Services"Gary ShimokawaEd Ferrara & Kevin MurphyOctober 27, 1991 (1991-10-27)
3210"An Immovable Feast"Gary ShimokawaJon Cooksey & Ali Marie MathesonNovember 24, 1991 (1991-11-24)
3311"Romeo, Juliet, Jake & Jill"Gary ShimokawaSam GreenbaumDecember 1, 1991 (1991-12-01)
3412"The Boys from Near Syracuse"UnknownJim LincolnDecember 8, 1991 (1991-12-08)
3513"Open Season"Gary ShimokawaChris AuerDecember 15, 1991 (1991-12-15)
3614"Bohemian Rhapsody"UnknownEd Ferrara & Kevin MurphyJanuary 5, 1992 (1992-01-05)
3715"True Lou"UnknownMary Anne CherryJanuary 12, 1992 (1992-01-12)
3816"The Son Also Rises"UnknownJon Cooksey & Ali Marie MathesonJanuary 26, 1992 (1992-01-26)
3917"Five Easy Steps"Gary ShimokawaKris and Buzz McLaughlinMarch 1, 1992 (1992-03-01)
4018"The Song and Dance Man"Gary ShimokawaStephen WellsMarch 8, 1992 (1992-03-08)
4119"Presumed Guilty"Gary ShimokawaArnie Wess & Dave DiGregorioMarch 15, 1992 (1992-03-15)
4220"Who's Sorry Now?"Gary ShimokawaChris AuerMarch 22, 1992 (1992-03-22)
4321"Goodbye Ms. Phipps"Gary ShimokawaSteve Wells & Jim LincolnMarch 29, 1992 (1992-03-29)
4422"Reunion"Gary ShimokawaLisa SwainApril 12, 1992 (1992-04-12)

Season 3 (1992–93)

[edit]
No.
overall 		No. in
season 		Title Directed by Written by Original air date
451"Snap Decisions"UnknownJon Cooksey & Ali Marie MathesonOctober 4, 1992 (1992-10-04)
462"Surprise, No Party"UnknownArnie Wess & Dave DiGregorioOctober 11, 1992 (1992-10-11)
473"Louis Armstrong Slept Here"UnknownGeorge YanokOctober 18, 1992 (1992-10-18)
484"Just a Gigolo"UnknownEd Ferrara & Kevin MurphyOctober 25, 1992 (1992-10-25)
495"Tis a Pity She's a Grouch"UnknownStory by : Cary McNeal
Teleplay by : Ed Ferrara & Kevin Murphy		November 1, 1992 (1992-11-01)
506"Fathers and Sons"UnknownJim LincolnNovember 8, 1992 (1992-11-08)
517"The Unbearable Politeness of Being"UnknownJon Cooksey & Ali Marie MathesonNovember 29, 1992 (1992-11-29)
528"Symbolic Gesture"UnknownSherri ZiffDecember 6, 1992 (1992-12-06)
539"Jake's Next Date"UnknownTerry ErwinDecember 13, 1992 (1992-12-13)
5410"As Time Goes By"UnknownJon Cooksey & Ali Marie MathesonJanuary 3, 1993 (1993-01-03)
5511"The Importance of Being Ernest"UnknownEd Ferrara & Kevin MurphyJanuary 10, 1993 (1993-01-10)
5612"The Mousetrap"UnknownChris AuerJanuary 17, 1993 (1993-01-17)
5713"Enemies: A Law Story"Gary ShimokawaDave Rodgers & Dan StudneyJanuary 31, 1993 (1993-01-31)
5814"It's All in Your Family"UnknownGeorge YanokFebruary 7, 1993 (1993-02-07)
5915"Heroes"UnknownBen SieglerFebruary 21, 1993 (1993-02-21)
6016"The Apes of Wrath"UnknownStephen Wells & Dennis GreenFebruary 28, 1993 (1993-02-28)
6117"A League of His Own"UnknownJim LincolnMarch 7, 1993 (1993-03-07)
6218"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"UnknownEd Ferrara & Kevin MurphyMarch 14, 1993 (1993-03-14)
6319"Front Window"UnknownTerry ErwinMarch 21, 1993 (1993-03-21)
6420"Rebirth of a Salesman"UnknownChris AuerMarch 28, 1993 (1993-03-28)
6521"Cyrano Domedian"UnknownJim LincolnApril 11, 1993 (1993-04-11)
6622"Burma Shave"UnknownChris AuerApril 18, 1993 (1993-04-18)

Season 4 (1993–94)

[edit]
No.
overall 		No. in
season 		Title Directed by Written by Original air date
671"The Chocolate Bear War"UnknownStory by : Peter T. Kenny & Jim Lincoln
Teleplay by : Jim Lincoln		September 12, 1993 (1993-09-12)
682"Loneliness of the Long Distance Kateri"UnknownGeorge YanokSeptember 19, 1993 (1993-09-19)
693"Awakenings"UnknownJon Cooksey & Ali Marie MathesonSeptember 26, 1993 (1993-09-26)
704"Desperately Seeking Daryl"UnknownEd Ferrara & Kevin MurphyOctober 3, 1993 (1993-10-03)
715"Coup for Two"UnknownChris AuerOctober 10, 1993 (1993-10-10)
726"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Bubba"UnknownGeorge YanokOctober 17, 1993 (1993-10-17)
737"The Buddy System"UnknownJim LincolnOctober 31, 1993 (1993-10-31)
748"Embrace You"UnknownEd Ferrara & Kevin MurphyNovember 7, 1993 (1993-11-07)
759"Never on a Sundae"UnknownTom MardirosianNovember 14, 1993 (1993-11-14)
7610"Rain Men"UnknownJulie Curtis Ames & Andrew AmesNovember 21, 1993 (1993-11-21)
7711"Requiem for a Heavyweight"UnknownJon Cooksey & Ali Marie MathesonDecember 5, 1993 (1993-12-05)
7812"I'll Be Sick for Christmas"UnknownChris AuerDecember 12, 1993 (1993-12-12)
7913"The Not-Ready-for-Prime-Time Player"UnknownEd Ferrara & Kevin MurphyJanuary 9, 1994 (1994-01-09)
8014"The Turkey and I"UnknownBarry Harman & Harve BrostenJanuary 23, 1994 (1994-01-23)
8115"The Lost Detail"UnknownJon Cooksey & Ali Marie MathesonFebruary 13, 1994 (1994-02-13)
8216"And Baby Makes Two"UnknownJon Cooksey & Ali Marie MathesonFebruary 27, 1994 (1994-02-27)
8317"How I Got Into College"UnknownJim LincolnMarch 5, 1994 (1994-03-05)
8418"Lomax: A Suitable Case for Treatment"UnknownEd Ferrara & Kevin MurphyMarch 13, 1994 (1994-03-13)
8519"The Don is Done"UnknownGeorge YanokMarch 20, 1994 (1994-03-20)
8620"The Charade's the Thing"UnknownTimothy WilliamsMarch 27, 1994 (1994-03-27)
8721"Betty Blue"UnknownJim LincolnApril 3, 1994 (1994-04-03)
8822"My Own Private Dakota Park"UnknownJim LincolnApril 10, 1994 (1994-04-10)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Cohn, Robert (October 3, 1990). "'Big Brother Jake' - a warm, affecting, ethnic situation comedy". St. Louis Jewish Light. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  2. ^ "The Family Channel debuts its first sitcom". The Bradenton Herald. September 2, 1990. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (9 ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. p. 138. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
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