Just Friends (TV series)

Just Friends, billed as Stockard Channing in Just Friends on the title card, is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from March 4, 1979 to June 24, 1979.

Just Friends
Also known as	Stockard Channing in Just Friends
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Nick Arnold Eric Cohen
Starring	Stockard Channing Gerrit Graham Mimi Kennedy Lou Crisculo Sydney Goldsmith
Theme music composer	Delaney Bramlett
Opening theme	"Brand New Life"
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	13
Production
Executive producer	David Debin
Producers	Al Rogers Peter Locke
Production locations	CBS Television City Hollywood, California Goldenwest Videotape Division Hollywood California
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	22–24 minutes
Production company	Little Bear Productions
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	March 4 (1979-03-04) – June 24, 1979 (1979-06-24)
Related
The Stockard Channing Show

Stockard Channing, an accomplished stage actress who had entered the national consciousness with her role as Betty Rizzo in Grease a year prior, was the lead. Gerrit Graham, Mimi Kennedy, Lou Crisculo and Sydney Goldsmith co-starred with her on the series.

A year after Just Friends had ended, Channing starred in her self-titled The Stockard Channing Show. Ostensibly, the two series were set in different fictional universes with different character names but were largely identical in premise, with an identical home set, with Channing speaking in interviews as if the two shows were two seasons of the same series.^[1]

Plot

This series revolves around health spa assistant manager Susan Hughes, whose marriage is falling apart.

Cast

• Stockard Channing as Susan Hughes
• Gerrit Graham as Leonard Scribner
• Mimi Kennedy as Victoria Chasen
• Lou Crisculo as Milt D'Angelo
• Sydney Goldsmith as Coral
• Joan Tolentino as Mrs. Fischer
• Albert Insinnia as Angelo D'Angelo
• Liz Torres as Miranda D'Angelo
• Rhonda Foxx as Mrs. Blanchard
• Linda Rose as Miss Yarnell

Production

The pilot for Just Friends was videotaped before a live studio audience at CBS Television City in Hollywood in November 1978.^[2] Production relocated to the Goldenwest Videotape Division also in Hollywood for the rest of the series. The series ranked 26th for the season with an average household share of 20.2.^[3]

The following season, The Stockard Channing Show replaced Just Friends.

Episodes

Episode	Title	Airdate
1	"Pilot"	March 4, 1979 (1979-03-04)
Susan Hughes is a Bostonian who is estranged from her husband and takes a job in a health spa in Los Angeles.
2	"Last of the Red Hot Tubs"	March 11, 1979 (1979-03-11)
Susan is determined to clean up her credit rating, so she buys a hot tub from Leonard.
3	"Invasion of the Body Grabber"	March 18, 1979 (1979-03-18)
Susan is put an uncomfortable spot when her sister's husband makes a pass.
4	"The Boy in the Band"	March 25, 1979 (1979-03-25)
Susan and Coral discover that Leonard is a member of a gay health club.
5	"Health May Be Hazardous"	April 1, 1979 (1979-04-01)
Milt is persuaded to advertise his health spa on TV, but decides to give up the spa when one of his clients dies.
6	"Lost Weekend"	April 8, 1979 (1979-04-08)
Susan's estranged husband convinces her to attend a weekend of "sensitivity programming" with him.
7	"Same Time, Next Night"	April 15, 1979 (1979-04-15)
Milt asks Susan to give him samba lessons, but this leads to everyone thinking they're having an affair - including his wife, Miranda.
8	"Room at the Top"	April 22, 1979 (1979-04-22)
Susan seeks any and all advice on how to discourage the attentions of a crazy new neighbor.
9	"Funny Thing Happened"	April 29, 1979 (1979-04-29)
Susan gets an offer from a handsome spa owner that she can't turn down, until she learns there are strings attached.
10	"The Ziegenfuss Force"	May 6, 1979 (1979-05-06)
Susan and Leonard decide to write a movie script together.
11	"A Fine Romance"	June 10, 1979 (1979-06-10)
For the first time since her divorce, Susan meets a man that she would like to be more than "just friends" with.
12	"A Little Fright Music"	June 17, 1979 (1979-06-17)
Victoria is visited by an old flame while her husband is out of town.
13	"The Hollywood Syndrome"	June 24, 1979 (1979-06-24)
Susan finds herself not only the victim of a bank computer error, but also the hostage of a bank robber.

DVD release

10 of the 13 episodes of Just Friends were released on DVD in 2006 by the Canadian company Visual Entertainment as part of the DVD set of Channing's following series, The Stockard Channing Show.