Private Benjamin (TV series)

Private Benjamin is an American sitcom television series based on and set during the events of the 1980 movie of the same name that aired on CBS from April 6, 1981, to January 10, 1983. Eileen Brennan, who reprised her role from the film, won an Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for her work on the series.

Private Benjamin
Genre	Sitcom
Based on	Private Benjamin
Developed by	Don Reo
Directed by	William Asher Charles Beaumont Gabrielle Beaumont Alan Bergmann Bruce Bilson Alan Cooke William P. D'Angelo Marc Daniels Herbert Kenwith Leslie H. Martinson Tony Mordente Howard Morris Alan Myerson Bob Sweeney
Starring	Lorna Patterson Eileen Brennan Wendie Jo Sperber Hal Williams
Theme music composer	Bob Carroll, Jr. Madelyn Davis
Opening theme	"Judy's Theme"
Composers	Barry De Vorzon Dennis McCarthy George Tipton
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	39 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Nick Arnold Bob Carroll, Jr. Madelyn Davis Leonard B. Kaufman Don Reo
Producers	Judith D. Allison Hank Bradford Bob Illes Arnold Kane Linda Morris Vic Rauseo Elliot Schick James R. Stein
Running time	22–24 minutes
Production company	Warner Bros. Television
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	April 6, 1981 (1981-04-06) – January 10, 1983 (1983-01-10)
Related
Private Benjamin

Synopsis

Like the movie, the series is about a spoiled young socialite named Judy Benjamin adjusting to life in the army. She's popular among her fellow enlisted personnel (with the exception of Pvt. Carol Winter), but not with her superiors. Most of the humor in the series is derived from Benjamin and her friends' attempts to evade the watchful eye of their captain.

Although some of the actors from the film play the same characters on the TV show (notably Eileen Brennan and Hal Williams, in their roles of Captain Doreen Lewis and Sgt. L.C. Ross respectively), the title role is acted by Lorna Patterson instead of Goldie Hawn.

While the series was initially shot on film and featured many outdoor scenes, later episodes were more like a standard sitcom, shot on video on soundstages and complete with a laugh track.

In the fall of 1982, Robert Mandan joined the cast as Colonel Lawrence Fielding, the pompous, well-meaning, but ineffectual, head of the camp. In late 1982, Eileen Brennan was struck by a car and Polly Holliday was brought in as Captain Amanda Allen, intended as a temporary replacement for Brennan's Captain Lewis character, but the show was cancelled shortly thereafter.

Cast and characters

• Lorna Patterson as Pvt. Judith "Judy" Benjamin
• Eileen Brennan as Cpt. Doreen Lewis
• Joyce Little as Pvt. Rayleen White
• Robert Mandan as Col. Lawrence Fielding
• Ann Ryerson as Pvt. Carol Winter
• Wendie Jo Sperber as Pvt. Stacy Kouchalakas
• Lucy Webb as Pvt. Luanne Hubble
• Hal Williams as Sgt. Ted Ross
• Lisa Raggio as Pvt. Maria Gianelli
• Damita Jo Freeman as Pvt. Jackie Sims
• Polly Holliday as Cpt. Amanda Allen

Episodes

Main article: List of Private Benjamin episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally released		Rating
			First released	Last released
1	4		April 6, 1981 (1981-04-06)	April 27, 1981 (1981-04-27)	—
2	22		October 12, 1981 (1981-10-12)	April 26, 1982 (1982-04-26)	37[1]
3	13		September 27, 1982 (1982-09-27)	January 10, 1983 (1983-01-10)	45[2]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result	Ref.
1982	Golden Globe Awards	Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy		Nominated	[3]
		Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy	Eileen Brennan	Won
1983				Nominated
1982	People's Choice Awards	Favorite New TV Comedy Program		Won	[4]
1981	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series	Eileen Brennan	Won	[5]
1982				Nominated
1983				Nominated