‘Foxworthy’ Tries Out New Home At Nbc
Jack Benny did it. So did Red Skelton, Danny Thomas and Don Adams.
Pretty fair company for Jeff Foxworthy, who tonight joins the ranks of stars who have pulled up stakes and moved a show from one network to another.
“The Jeff Foxworthy Show,” which premiered on ABC last fall, makes its NBC debut at 8.
The king of the redneck one-liners has had plenty to say about how his show was handled on ABC.
“Early in the creative process nobody cared to hear my opinion,” he said in a recent interview.
One of his biggest complaints: ABC set the show in Indianapolis so that, according to Foxworthy, it wouldn’t be too Southern. Quipped the actor-comedian, “You know, nobody is putting ‘Seinfeld’ in Indiana.”
NBC has moved the Foxworthys to an Atlanta suburb. (Foxworthy’s character is a loading-dock manager named, oddly enough, Jeff Foxworthy.) Location is not all that’s new.
Ann Cusack (“A League of Their Own”) has replaced Anita Barone as Jeff’s wife. The family has also gained a son, Justin, played by Jonathan William Lipnicki.
Haley Joel Osment (“Forrest Gump”), a member of the ABC cast, reprises his role as the Foxworthys’ oldest son, Matt. (The NBC pilot was unavailable for review.) I predict that ABC will find it made a big mistake when it let Foxworthy get away. His show’s ratings weren’t bad last season, considering its time slot.
More important, Foxworthy is one of today’s most popular entertainers. In addition to making a Grammywinning album, he’s written eight books and is still hot on the concert circuit. Heck, this guy sold $3 million of T-shirts last year.
Highlights
“Cosby,” CBS at 8: The premiere was huge in the ratings last week. But my guess is that a lot of people tuned in long enough to decide they could live without the new series.
Tonight, Hilton (Bill Cosby) mistakenly thinks a surprise party is being held in his honor. There’s not much to laugh about here.
“Tour of Olympic Gymnastics Champions,” ABC at 10: Olympic gold medalists Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes and Dominique Moceanu are among the competitors joined by Russia’s Alexi Nemov, China’s Li Xiaoshuang and other foreign gymnasts. Taped Saturday in Orlando, Fla.
“Football,” ABC at 6: In a strong AFC East matchup, Indianapolis (3-0) hosts Miami (3-0).
“She Cried No” (1996), NBC at 9: How many date-rape movies is this now? Candace Cameron (“Full House”) plays a college freshman raped by a frat-rat played by castagainst-type Mark-Paul Gosselaar (“Saved by the Bell”).