Series synopsis
Cracking Up is an American comedy television series that premiered on FOX on March 9, 2004. It ended on April 5, 2004. It was created by Mike White. It stars Jason Schwartzman, Bret Loehr, Jake Sandvig and Christopher McDonald.
Psychiatrist Dr. Bollas is assigned to examine Tanner Shackleton, a child of a Beverly Hills family, only to discover that Tanner doesn't have any problems — his family does. The story is in fact about Ben Baxter, a student who moves into the Shackletons' guest house, interacting with Tanner and his crazy family.
Premise
Psychiatrist Dr. Bollas is assigned to examine Tanner Shackleton, a child of a Beverly Hills family, only to discover that Tanner doesn't have any problems — his family does. The story is in fact about Ben Baxter, a student who moves into the Shackletons' guest house, interacting with Tanner and his crazy family.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Jason Schwartzman as Ben Baxter
- Bret Loehr as Tanner Shackleton
- Jake Sandvig as Preston Shackleton
- Christopher McDonald as Ted Shackleton
- Caitlin Wachs as Chloe Shackleton
- David Walton as Liam Connor
- Molly Shannon as Lesley Shackleton
Guest cast
- Lillian Hurst as Dorsa
- Chelsea Kane as Nora
- Katija Pevec as Hannah
- Henry Gibson as Dr. Bollas
- Zooey Deschanel as Heidi
- Marnette Patterson as Eve
- Jack Black as Bruce Philapousis
- Kira Verrastro as Shawna
- Mary Elizabeth Ellis as Jennifer
- Minka Kelly as Monica
- Benny Nieves as Humberto
- Kyle Gass as Naked Man
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 13 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 1 | ||
| Season 1 | 12 | March 9, 2004 | May 31, 2004 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Pilot Nicholas D'agosto and Nathan Norton originally played the roles of Ben and Tanner in the first pilot presentation of Cracking Up. |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Pilot In Beverly Hills, Calif., a psychology student counsels a wealthy couple's introverted son. |
March 9, 2004 |
| 2 |
Birds Do It Ben decides to tell Ted and Lesley that Tanner walked in on him and his new girlfriend during an intimate moment but finds that they're uncomfortable with the subject of sex. Meanwhile, Liam learns that Preston has no experience with women so he sets Preston up on a date with a more experienced girl. |
March 10, 2004 |
| 3 |
Scared Straight Lesley and Ted hire Bruce, a substance abuse counselor, to scare their kids out of trying drugs but soon find themselves hiding from the terrifying man after they, along with Ben, accidentally eat a marijuana cake that Liam brought. |
March 15, 2004 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | FOX |
|---|---|
| First aired | March 9, 2004 |
| Last aired | April 5, 2004 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | Ended |
| Schedule | Monday at 20:30:00 |