Davis Rules
| Davis Rules | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Danny Jacobson Norma Safford Vela |
| Written by | Kim C. Friese Danny Jacobson Frank Mula Fredi Towbin Norma Safford Vela |
| Directed by |
John Bowab Ellen Falcon James Widdoes |
| Starring |
Randy Quaid Jonathan Winters |
| Composer | Mark Mothersbaugh |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 29 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Marcy Carsey Danny Jacobson Caryn Mandabach Tom Werner Norma Safford Vela Douglas Wyman |
| Producers | Dale McRaven Frank Mula Jon Spector Fredi Towbin |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production company | Carsey-Werner Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | January 27, 1991 – May 13, 1992 |
Davis Rules is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC in 1991 and on CBS in 1992. The series was produced by Carsey-Werner Productions.
Synopsis
The series stars Randy Quaid as Dwight Davis, a widowed elementary school principal outside of Seattle, Washington who is raising his three sons (Robbie, Charlie, and Ben) with the help of his wacky father Gunny Davis (Jonathan Winters).
Cast
- Randy Quaid as Dwight Davis
- Jonathan Winters as Gunny Davis
- Trevor Bullock as Robbie Davis (season 1)
- Luke Edwards as Charlie Davis
- Nathan Watt as Ben Davis
- Patricia Clarkson as Cosmo Yeargin (season 1)
- Rigoberto Jimenez as Rigo Cordona (season 1)
- Tamayo Otsuki as Mrs. Elaine Yamagami
- Debra Mooney as Mrs. Rush
- Debra Jo Rupp as Ms. Higgins (season 1)
- Vonni Ribisi as Skinner Buckley (season 2)
- Bonnie Hunt as Gwen Davis (season 2)
Production
Davis Rules was canceled by ABC after less than one season despite having premiered after Super Bowl XXV. ABC aired it as a midseason replacement. When the series wasn't used in ABC's fall lineup, CBS bought the series in November 1991.
CBS retooled the series, adding Bonnie Hunt and Giovanni Ribisi (credited as Vonni Ribisi), but canceled it after 16 episodes.
Episodes
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Network | |||
| 1 | 13 | January 27, 1991 | April 9, 1991 | ABC | |
| 2 | 16 | December 30, 1991 | May 13, 1992 | CBS | |
Season 1 (1991)
Every episode of season 1 was directed by Ellen Falcon.
|
No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Original air date |
Prod. code |
Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "A Man for All Reasons" | January 27, 1991 | 101 | 26.7 |
| 2 | 2 | "Rules of the Game" | January 29, 1991 | 105 | 23.6 |
| 3 | 3 | "The Trouble with Women" | February 5, 1991 | 106 | 20.8 |
| 4 | 4 | "Guys and Dolls" | February 12, 1991 | 107 | 21.1 |
| 5 | 5 | "Pomahac Day Massacre" | February 19, 1991 | 108 | 22.0 |
| 6 | 6 | "Yes, I'm The Great Pretender" | February 26, 1991 | 109 | 21.2 |
| 7 | 7 | "Gimme The Ball" | March 5, 1991 | 110 | 22.0 |
| 8 | 8 | "Twisted Sister" | March 5, 1991 | 112 | 24.5 |
| 9 | 9 | "Take This Job and Love It" | March 12, 1991 | 102 | 24.4 |
| 10 | 10 | "Sign of the Times" | March 19, 1991 | 111 | 20.1 |
| 11 | 11 | "Habla Espanol?" | March 26, 1991 | 103 | 21.0 |
| 12 | 12 | "Mission: Improbable" | April 2, 1991 | 113 | 22.9 |
| 13 | 13 | "Soap" | April 9, 1991 | 104 | 18.4 |
Season 2 (1991–92)
The first thirteen episodes of season 2 were directed by James Widdoes, while the final three episodes were directed by John Bowab.
|
No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Original air date |
Prod. code |
Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "They're Writing Songs of Love, But Nun for Me" | December 30, 1991 | 201 | 19.4 |
| 15 | 2 | "A Father Makes All the Difference" | January 1, 1992 | 204 | 22.2 |
| 16 | 3 | "Writing a Wrong" | January 8, 1992 | 202 | 16.9 |
| 17 | 4 | "The Moment of Youth" | January 15, 1992 | 211 | 15.3 |
| 18 | 5 | "Love at First Sighting (Part 1)" | January 22, 1992 | 207 | 14.1 |
| 19 | 6 | "Love at First Sighting (Part 2)" | January 29, 1992 | 208 | 15.9 |
| 20 | 7 | "Gunny's Ex" | February 5, 1992 | 205 | 14.8 |
| 21 | 8 | "Happy as a Clam" | February 26, 1992 | 209 | 13.4 |
| 22 | 9 | "Someone to Watch Over Them" | March 4, 1992 | 212 | 14.2 |
| 23 | 10 | "Bells, Bells, Bells" | March 11, 1992 | 206 | 13.2 |
| 24 | 11 | "Strike Down the Band" | March 18, 1992 | 210 | 13.9 |
| 25 | 12 | "Everybody Comes to Nick's" | March 25, 1992 | 213 | 13.8 |
| 26 | 13 | "A Foggy Day on Puget Sound" | April 8, 1992 | 203 | 12.7 |
| 27 | 14 | "Ferry Tale" | April 22, 1992 | 214 | 12.4 |
| 28 | 15 | "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" | May 6, 1992 | 215 | 10.9 |
| 29 | 16 | "The Girl with Someone Extra" | May 13, 1992 | 216 | 10.0 |
Awards and nominations
Winters won an Emmy for his role as Gunny Davis, while Trevor Bullock and Robin Lynn Heath also won Young Artist Awards for their roles in the series.
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Jonathan Winters | Won |
| 1992 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy Series | Jo Mayer (Lighting designer) (for episode "A Foggy Day On Puget Sound") |
Nominated |
| Young Artist Award | Best New Family Television Series | Davis Rules | Nominated | |
| Best Young Actor Starring in a New Television Series | Trevor Bullock | Won | ||
| Best Young Actor Co-starring in a Television Series | Rigoberto Jimenez | Nominated | ||
| Best Young Actress Guest Starring or Recurring Role in a TV Series | Robin Lynn Heath | Won |