{{short description|1989 American television sitcom}} {{about|the television series|the documentary|Living Dolls: The Making of a Child Beauty Queen}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox television | image = Living Dolls (Sony Pictures Television sitcom logo).svg | caption = | genre = Sitcom | creator = Ross Brown | starring = Michael Learned<br />Leah Remini<br />Deborah Tucker<br />Alison Elliott<br />Halle Berry<br />David Moscow | theme_music_composer = John Beasley<br />John Vester | open_theme = "Take Your Best Shot" | composer = Jonathan Wolff | country = United States | language = English | num_seasons = 1 | num_episodes = 13 | executive_producer = Ross Brown<br />Martin Cohan<br />Phyllis Glick<br />Blake Hunter | producer = R.J. Colleary<br />Martha Williamson | runtime = 22–24 minutes | company = ELP Communications<br>Columbia Pictures Television | channel = ABC | first_aired = {{Start date|1989|09|26}} | last_aired = {{End date|1989|12|30}} | related = ''Who's the Boss?'' }} '''''Living Dolls''''' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 26 to December 30, 1989. Created by Ross Brown (who served as a writer and creative consultant during the fifth season of its parent series), it was a spin-off of ''Who's the Boss?'', and featured characters introduced in the fifth-season episode of the same title that served as the show's backdoor pilot. The show was primarily notable for being Halle Berry’s first acting role.<ref>[http://www.accesshollywood.com/halle-berrys-journey-from-miss-usa-runner-up-to-oscar-winner_article_49368 "Halle Berry's Journey From Miss USA Runner-Up To Oscar Winner"]. ''Access Hollywood''. June 16, 2011.</ref> Both ''Who's the Boss?'' and ''Living Dolls'' were productions of Columbia Pictures Television for ABC.
==Synopsis== The show featured Charlie Briscoe (Leah Remini), a friend of Samantha Micelli (the ''Who's the Boss?'' character played by Alyssa Milano). Samantha is dabbling in a modeling career and Charlie, a friend from Samantha's old Brooklyn neighborhood, comes to visit. While doing some test shots for a dog food commercial, it is discovered that Charlie is very photogenic. Charlie is then befriended by the owner of a modeling agency for teenage girls, Trish Carlin (Michael Learned). Trish is also a friend of advertising executive Angela Bower, one of the main characters on ''Who's the Boss?'' Trish becomes a mother figure to Charlie and the other models.
==Production and reception== ''Living Dolls'' began as a back-door pilot on ''Who's the Boss?'' that aired in March 1989. In the backdoor pilot, Vivica A. Fox portrayed Emily and Jonathan Ward portrayed Rick. Executives disliked the original cast, and held auditions for recasting when the pilot was picked up to series in May.<ref name=hallebio /> Halle Berry replaced Fox in the series, while David Moscow was cast to replace Ward. The backdoor pilot was reaired in September as an episode of ''Living Dolls''.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/407196259/ Dayton Daily News, September 26, 1989]</ref>
In a later interview, Michael Learned recalled writers were inconsistent in writing her character, saying "I was told that she was supposed to be... kind of a tough cookie, and so that's what I understood was what they wanted in my character, when in truth what they wanted was Charlotte Rae in ''Facts of Life''.<ref name="Foundation">{{Cite web |date=March 2, 2015 |title=Michael Learned discusses the Whos the Boss spinoff Living Dolls |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05O1z5uTot8 |access-date=July 19, 2023 |website=YouTube}}</ref> Learned also felt that producers were planning to replace her with Marion Ross, who guest starred in the final two episodes.<ref name="Foundation" /> During the filming of one episode, Berry collapsed on the set and went into a coma; she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes shortly thereafter.<ref name="Foundation" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 18, 2005 |title=Halle Berry reveals coma drama |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-30235619.html |access-date=July 19, 2023 |website=Irish Examiner}}</ref>
Upon its debut, the series was panned by critics and received mostly negative reviews.<ref name=hallebio>{{cite book|last=Ewey Johnson|first=Melissa |title=Halle Berry: A Biography|year=2009|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-35834-0|page=21}}</ref> It was the only series to receive an "F" grade by ''People'' magazine in its 1989 fall preview issue.<ref name="fgrade">[https://web.archive.org/web/20120325071522/http://www.screenrush.co.uk/features/television/feature-18440035/?page=7 "Throwing a Curveball: Surprising Spin-Offs"]. Screenrush. Retrieved October 28, 2013.</ref> Learned later criticized producers for underutilizing Berry.<ref name="Foundation" /> ABC canceled the series after 12 episodes in December 1989.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FwggAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OGUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3827,995699&dq=abc+homeroom+canceled&hl=en|title='Homeroom', 'Living Dolls' canceled by ABC|date=1989-12-06|work=Sun Journal|page=29|accessdate=28 November 2012}}</ref>
==Cast== *Michael Learned as Patricia "Trish" Carlin *Leah Remini as Charlene "Charlie" Briscoe *Deborah Tucker as Caroline Weldon *Alison Elliott as Martha Lambert *Halle Berry as Emily Franklin *David Moscow as Eric "Rick" Carlin
===Guest=== *Alyssa Milano as Samantha Micelli *Tony Danza as Tony Micelli *Diedrich Bader as Eddie *Gloria Loring as Liz Wyler *Marion Ross as Marion Carlin
==Episodes== {{Episode table |background= |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes= {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=1 | Title=Living Dolls | DirectedBy= John Sgueglia | WrittenBy= Ross Brown | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|9|26}}{{efn|Originally aired as an episode of ''Who's the Boss?'' on March 29, 1989.}} | ShortSummary= | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=2 | Title=It's All Done with Mirrors | DirectedBy= John Sgueglia | WrittenBy= Ross Brown | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|9|26}} | ShortSummary= | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=3 | Title=It's My Party | DirectedBy= John Sgueglia | WrittenBy= Eric Gilliland | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|9|30}} | ShortSummary= | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=4 | Title=Martha Means Well | DirectedBy=Lee Bernhardi | WrittenBy=R.J. Colleary | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|10|7}} | ShortSummary= | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=5 | Title=Seeing Is Believing | DirectedBy=Lee Bernhardi | WrittenBy=Matt Ember | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|10|21}} | ShortSummary= | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=6 | Title=Guess Who's Not Coming to Dinner | DirectedBy=Andy Cadiff | WrittenBy=R.J. Colleary | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|11|4}} | ShortSummary= | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=7 | Title=Rick's Model Girlfriend | DirectedBy=Lee Bernhardi | WrittenBy=James Gates | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|11|11}} | ShortSummary= | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=8 | Title=The Not So Sweet Smell of Success | DirectedBy=Andy Cadiff | WrittenBy=Mark C. Miller | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|11|18}} | ShortSummary= | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=9 | Title=The Flash Is Always Greener | DirectedBy=Jonathan Weiss | WrittenBy=Martha Williamson | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|11|25}} | ShortSummary= | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=10 | Title=He's Ba-aack! | DirectedBy=Valentine Mayer | WrittenBy=Eric Gilliland & Martha Williamson | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|12|2}} | ShortSummary= | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=11 | Title='C' Is for Model | DirectedBy=Lee Bernhardi | WrittenBy=Martha Williamson | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|12|9}} | ShortSummary= | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=12 | Title=And I Thought Modeling Was Hard | DirectedBy=James Widdoes | WrittenBy=Ross Brown & R.J. Colleary | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|12|16}} | ShortSummary= | LineColor= }} {{Episode list | EpisodeNumber=13 | Title=Beauty and the Beat | DirectedBy=James Widdoes | WrittenBy=Susan Sebastian & Diana Ayers | OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|12|30}} | ShortSummary= | LineColor= }} }}
== Notes == {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title}}
{{Who's the Boss}}
Category:1980s American sitcoms Category:1989 American television series debuts Category:1989 American television series endings Category:American Broadcasting Company sitcoms Category:American television spinoffs Category:English-language American television shows Category:Modeling-themed television series Category:Television series by Sony Pictures Television Category:Television shows set in New York City