Series synopsis
Dear John is an American comedy television series that premiered on NBC on October 6, 1988. It ended on July 22, 1992. It was created by John Sullivan. It stars Judd Hirsch, Jere Burns, Jane Carr and Isabella Hofmann.
Dear John starred Judd Hirsch as easygoing Drake Prep high school teacher John Lacey who is dumped by his wife, Wendy, via a Dear John letter. Wendy ends up with everything in the divorce settlement, including custody of the couple's son, forcing John to move into an apartment in Ozone Park, Queens. John soon joins the One-2-One Club, a self help group for divorced, widowed or lonely people. The group is led by Louise (Jane Carr), a sex-obsessed British woman. Other members of the group include ...
Premise
Dear John starred Judd Hirsch as easygoing Drake Prep high school teacher John Lacey who is dumped by his wife, Wendy, via a Dear John letter. Wendy ends up with everything in the divorce settlement, including custody of the couple's son, forcing John to move into an apartment in Ozone Park, Queens. John soon joins the One-2-One Club, a self help group for divorced, widowed or lonely people. The group is led by Louise (Jane Carr), a sex-obsessed British woman. Other members of the group include Kate McCarron (Isabella Hofmann), a sweet divorcée; Kirk Morris (Jere Burns), a cocky ladies' man; Ralph Drang (Harry Groener), a shy and neurotic tollbooth collector; Bonnie Philbert (Billie Bird), a feisty senior citizen; and Tom, Mrs. Philbert's quiet boyfriend (Tom Willett).
Premise: Life after divorce is never easy, but it's easier with friends
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Judd Hirsch as John Lacey
- Jere Burns as Kirk Morris
- Jane Carr as Louise Mercer
- Isabella Hofmann as Kate McCarron
- Harry Groener as Ralph Drang
- Billie Bird as Margie Philbert
- Susan Walters as Mary Beth Sutton
- Tom Willett as Tom
Supporting cast
- William O'Leary as Ben Conners
- Paul Eiding as Emcee
- Jennifer Runyon as Karen
- Lynne Thigpen as Sarah Donnelly
- Betsy Randle as Fay
- William Sadler as Ken
- Lee Weaver as Snookie Reams
- Michael E. Knight as Freddy
- Henry Holden as Patient
- Richard Portnow as Harry
- Cristine Rose as Gloria
- Brent Jennings as Frank
Guest cast
- Paul Eiding as Emcee
- Jennifer Runyon as Karen
- Lynne Thigpen as Sarah Donnelly
- Betsy Randle as Fay
- William Sadler as Ken
- Lee Weaver as Snookie Reams
- Michael E. Knight as Freddy
- Henry Holden as Patient
- Richard Portnow as Harry
- Cristine Rose as Gloria
- Brent Jennings as Frank
- Daniel Zacapa as Brian
Episodes
This series spans 4 seasons with 90 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 22 | October 6, 1988 | May 11, 1989 |
| Season 2 | 24 | September 28, 1989 | May 16, 1990 |
| Season 3 | 22 | September 19, 1990 | May 1, 1991 |
| Season 4 | 22 | September 19, 1991 | July 22, 1992 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Pilot John reluctantly attends his first meeting of the One-Two-One Club -- only after mistakenly wandering into an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting across the hall. (TV Guide) |
October 6, 1988 |
| 2 | Ralph's Curse | October 27, 1988 |
| 3 |
Hello/Goodbye A young man claims to be John' son. |
November 3, 1988 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A New Leash on Life | September 28, 1989 |
| 2 | The Other Group | October 12, 1989 |
| 3 |
Ralph's Second Chance Blomlika, the bride who skipped out on Ralph at their wedding reception, bounds back into his life, eager to pick up where they left off 14 months before. |
October 19, 1989 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Pretty Man John goes on a blind double-date with Kirk, and finds himself mistaken for a professional escort. |
September 19, 1990 |
| 2 |
And Baby Makes Four (1) John hopes for a reconciliation whe his ex-wife Wendy says she wants another child—but she only wants her sperm. |
September 26, 1990 |
| 3 |
And Baby Makes Four (2) Feeling pressured and rushed, John breaks into the insemination clinc to retrieve his sperm. |
October 3, 1990 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Brothers Kirk convinces John they're long-lost brothers, and moves in with him. |
September 19, 1991 |
| 2 |
Kirk's Ex-wife Kirk goes into hiding when the group discovers his wife left him for another woman. |
September 20, 1991 |
| 3 |
Kate's Cop Kate faces her fear of intimacy by dating the cop who takes the report when the group is held at gunpoint. |
September 27, 1991 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | NBC |
|---|---|
| First aired | October 6, 1988 |
| Last aired | July 22, 1992 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Sunday at 21:30:00 |