Townies

{{Short description|1996 American television sitcom}} {{About|the television series|EP by X Ambassadors|Townie (album)#Townies EP|the slang term|Townie (disambiguation)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox television | image = Townies (Carsey-Warner sitcom) logo.svg | caption = | genre = [[Sitcom]] | creator = [[Matthew Carlson]] | writer = [[Linwood Boomer]] Matthew Carlson Jill Condon [[Rob Hanning|Robert Hanning]] Jordan Hawley Laurie Parres [[Bruce Rasmussen]] William Schifrin Amy Toomin Straus | director = [[Pamela Fryman]] | starring = [[Molly Ringwald]] [[Jenna Elfman]] [[Lauren Graham]] [[Bill Burr]] [[Ron Livingston]] | theme_music_composer = [[Jonathan Wolff (musician)|Jonathan Wolff]] | composer = Paul Buckley [[Ben Vaughn]] Jonathan Wolff | country = United States | language = English | num_seasons = 1 | num_episodes = 15 (5 unaired) | executive_producer = Linwood Boomer Matthew Carlson [[Marcy Carsey]] [[Caryn Mandabach]] Harvey Myman [[Tom Werner]] | producer = Randy Cordray Patrick Kienlen | editor = Janet Ashikaga John Neal Noel Rogers | cinematography = George La Fountaine Sr. | camera = [[Multiple-camera setup|Multi-camera]] | runtime = 22–24 minutes | company = Vanity Logo Productions [[The Carsey-Werner Company|Carsey-Werner]] | channel = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] | first_aired = {{Start date|1996|09|18}} | last_aired = {{End date|1996|12|04}} }}

'''''Townies''''' is an American television [[sitcom]] that aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from September 18 to December 4, 1996. Created by [[Matthew Carlson]], the series stars [[Molly Ringwald]], [[Jenna Elfman]], and [[Lauren Graham]].

==Synopsis== Set in [[Gloucester, Massachusetts]], ''Townies'' follows the lives of three 20-something lifelong friends who work in a restaurant together. No matter how badly they want to leave for the big city, something is always tying them down.

==Cast== [[File:Townies-show.jpg|thumb|upright|Cast of ''Townies'': Jenna Elfman, Molly Ringwald, and Lauren Graham]] * [[Molly Ringwald]] as Carrie Donovan * [[Jenna Elfman]] as Shannon Canotis * [[Lauren Graham]] as Denise Garibaldi Callahan * [[Bill Burr]] as Ryan Callahan (credited as 'Billy Burr') * [[Ron Livingston]] as Kurt Pettiglio * Dion Anderson as Mike Donovan * [[Conchata Ferrell]] as Marge * [[Lee Garlington]] as Kathy Donovan * [[Joseph D. Reitman]] as Jesse * [[Jeff Doucette]] as Steve

==Episodes== {{Episode table |background= |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes= {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 1 |Title = Townies |DirectedBy = [[Pamela Fryman]] |WrittenBy = [[Matthew Carlson]] |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|9|18}} |ShortSummary = |LineColor = }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 2 |Title = The Good Job |DirectedBy = Pamela Fryman |WrittenBy = Matthew Carlson |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|9|25}} |ShortSummary = |LineColor = }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 3 |Title = The Kiss |DirectedBy = Pamela Fryman |WrittenBy = [[Linwood Boomer]] |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|10|2}} |ShortSummary = |LineColor = }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 4 |Title = Dead Dogs Wag No Tails |DirectedBy = Pamela Fryman |WrittenBy = Jill Condon & Amy Toomin |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|10|9}} |ShortSummary = |LineColor = }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 5 |Title = Faith, Hope & Charity |DirectedBy = Pamela Fryman |WrittenBy = Laurie Parres |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|10|23}} |ShortSummary = |LineColor = }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 6 |Title = Adventures of Rebound Girl |DirectedBy = Pamela Fryman |WrittenBy = [[Rob Hanning]] |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|10|30}} |ShortSummary = |LineColor = }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 7 |Title = Things That Go Bump in the Water |DirectedBy = Pamela Fryman |WrittenBy = [[Bruce Rasmussen]] |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|11|6}} |ShortSummary = |LineColor = }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 8 |Title = It's Go Time |DirectedBy = Pamela Fryman |WrittenBy = Bruce Rasmussen |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|11|13}} |ShortSummary = |LineColor = }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 9 |Title = Thanksgiving |DirectedBy = Pamela Fryman |WrittenBy = Matthew Carlson |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|11|27}} |ShortSummary = |LineColor = }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 10 |Title = I'm With Stupid |DirectedBy = Pamela Fryman |WrittenBy = Jill Condon & Amy Toomin |OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1996|12|4}} |ShortSummary = |LineColor = }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 11 |Title = Christmas |DirectedBy = Pamela Fryman |WrittenBy = Linwood Boomer |OriginalAirDate = Never aired |ShortSummary = |LineColor = }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 12 |Title = The Penalty Phase |DirectedBy = Pamela Fryman |WrittenBy = Bruce Rasmussen |OriginalAirDate = Never aired |ShortSummary = |LineColor = }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 13 |Title = The Six-Month Itch |DirectedBy = Pamela Fryman |WrittenBy = Jordan Hawley & William Schifrin |OriginalAirDate = Never aired |ShortSummary = |LineColor = }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 14 |Title = Things to Do in Gloucester When You Are Dead |DirectedBy = Pamela Fryman |WrittenBy = Laurie Parres |OriginalAirDate = Never aired |ShortSummary = |LineColor = }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber = 15 |Title = The Life of Ryan |DirectedBy = Pamela Fryman |WrittenBy = Rob Hanning |OriginalAirDate = Never aired |ShortSummary = |LineColor = }} }}

== Reception == As of 2024, the show has a 30% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes and according to a Star Tribune review shortly prior to airing, the series relied heavily on [[Ribaldry|sexual humor]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=1 September 1996 |title=Underachievers |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-tribune-clueless-season-one-good/87389553/ |work=[[Star Tribune]] |page=74}}</ref> The show is considered similar to ''[[Mystic Pizza]]'', but is described as falling short.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=13 September 1996 |title=Everybody Loves Raymond, Season One / Fall 96 Season |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sioux-city-journal-everybody-loves-r/87749021/ |access-date=19 November 2024 |work=[[Sioux City Journal]] |page=27}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

== Notes == {{notelist}}

==External links== * {{Rotten Tomatoes|tv/townies/s01|Townies}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20010215160704/http://carseywerner.net/townies_eng.htm ''Townies'' @ Carsey-Werner.net (en)] * [http://www.carseywerner.com/shows_about.php?showid=20 Carsey-Werner - ''Townies''] * {{IMDb title|id=0115395}} * {{epguides|id=Townies}}

[[Category:1996 American television series debuts]] [[Category:1997 American television series endings]] [[Category:1990s American multi-camera sitcoms]] [[Category:1990s American workplace comedy television series]] [[Category:English-language American television shows]] [[Category:Television series by Carsey-Werner Productions]] [[Category:Television shows set in Massachusetts]] [[Category:American Broadcasting Company sitcoms]]