TV Land

This year’s winner of the TV Land Awards Innovator Award is “One Day at a Time” (1975-1984), which focused on a single working mom (played Bonnie Franklin) and her efforts to raise two teenage daughters (Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertinelli) — with a little help from the building’s wisecracking super, Schneider (Pat Harrington). The show broke ground at the time for tackling subjects not often seen on television, but what was “One Day at a Time” really all about?

Check out these 10 facts about the long-running sitcom, then watch the stars of the show reunite when TV Land airs the 10th Anniversary TV Land Awards at April 29 at 9PM/8C.



A Landmark TV Mom. Bonnie Franklin’s character Ann Romano, who leaves her husband to raise two teenage daughters on her own, is often cited as TV’s first female divorcee. She wasn’t — Vivian Bagley (played Vivian Vance) preceded her on “The Lucy Show,” as did Diana Rigg’s character on the 1973 series “Diana” — but “One Day at a Time” was still the first time a divorced mother’s struggles had been portrayed so prominently on a successful network television show.




Family Tie.“One Day at a Time” was co-created by former TV actress Whitney Blake about her own experiences as a single mom raising raising three kids — one of whom, Meredith Baxter, grew up to play a TV mom herself as Elyse Keaton on “Family Ties.”

Very Special Episodes. Though there were plenty of laughs, the sitcom embraced its serious side, covering controversial topics such as teen sex, teen suicide, birth control, alcohol and drug use, infertility and sexual harassment. (It’s no coincidence that “One Day at a Time” was produced by “All My Children” creator Norman Lear, known for tackling social and political issues head-on.) The episode in which a married Barbara learns she may not be able to have children won an Emmy for Best Directing in a Comedy Series.




Schneider. The unofficial star of “One Day at a Time” was building superintendent Dwayne Schneider (Pat Harrington), more commonly known to the world as “Schneider.” A reliable source of comic relief, the tool belt-clad Schneider drops by the apartment frequently to fix things, check on the girls and hit — unsuccessfully — on Ann with lines like “The ladies in this building don’t call me ‘super’ for nothing.” Smooth! Harrington won an Emmy in 1984 for Best Supporting Actor.




Off-Screen Drama. The show’s nine seasons didn’t all include star Mackenzie Phillips, who played Ann’s rebellious daughter Julie Cooper. Phillips’ substance abuse problems were well publicized, and she was fired from the show in 1980, with Julie written off the show to marry her boyfriend Max and move to Houston. After a stint in rehab, Phillips returned to the cast in 1981 (Julie was by now pregnant and had admitted to cheating on Max), but was fired for good in 1983.




TV’s Good Girl. The show made a star of Valerie Bertinelli, who was 15 when she started playing obedient daughter Barbara Cooper. (On the show, Barbara remains a virgin until her wedding night.) In 1981, while still starring on “One Day at a Time,” she married guitarist Eddie Van Halen, and the new rock-star lifestyle of TV’s good girl added even more to her appeal. The couple divorced in 2007; the “Hot in Cleveland” star is now married to financial planner Tom Vitale.




Ann’s Romances. The premise of the show is that Ann is a single working mom, but she isn’t exactly a nun — she has several romantic interests, a few of which turn serious. In the first two seasons, she dates a lawyer, David (Richard Masur), whose proposal she eventually turns down; in the sixth season, she gets engaged to her business partner Nick (Ron Rifkin), who is killed by a drunk driver; and in the eighth season, she marries Barbara’s father-in-law, Sam (Howard Hesseman).




Adding a Heartthrob. In the show’s sixth season, with Barbara a college student and Julie married and off the show, the show re-injected the teen factor — and created a pinup star — with the addition of Glenn Scarpelli, who played Alex, the son of Ann’s fiance Nick. After Nick dies in a car accident, Ann raises Alex until he moves back in with his mother. After “One Day at a Time,” Scarpelli co-starred in the short-lived sitcom “Jennifer Slept Here” and had a few appearances on “The Love Boat”; he now lives in Sedona, Arizona, and is CEO of the TV station Sedona NOW, which he co-owns with his husband, Jude Belanger.




Two Finales. In its ninth and final season, the show more or less had two series finales. In “Off We Go” — the actual series finale — the remarried Ann leaves Indianapolis to take a job in London. In the series’ final episode, “Another Man’s Shoes,” Schneider moves to Florida to take care of his niece and nephew. That episode would have served as a pilot for a “One Day at a Time” spinoff centered on Schneider, but it was never picked up.




Future Stars. Boyd Gaines appeared in 51 episodes as Mark Royer, Barbara’s dentist boyfriend and, eventually, husband. But he’s gained fame since then on Broadway, having won four Tonys — in fact, he’s the first actor to be nominated in all four Tony categories for which an actor is eligible. Ron Rifkin, who played Ann’s fiance Nick, would later go on to star as Arvin Sloane on “Alias.” And close watchers of “One Day at a Time” may recognize the guy who plays Schneider’s nephew Harvey, who dates Barbara and gets busted for stealing her tape recorder: It’s Mark Hamill, the man we all know by now as Luke Skywalker.

If there’s one thing 2012’s TV Land Awards winners have in common, it’s a willingness to buck convention. This year we honor not one, not two, but three shows featuring strong female characters in “One Day at a Time,” “Murphy Brown” and “Laverne & Shirley.” Then there’s “In Living Color,” which shattered stereotypes with its cast of irreverent black comedians (plus Jim Carrey), and “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse,” which doesn’t resemble any other show before or since. Add Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin into the mix as winner of the Icon Award, and you’ve got an lineup of amazing shows and people that truly broke the mold.

Innovator Award: “One Day at a Time”

When “One Day at a Time” debuted in 1975, the families on most TV shows were “traditional,” with two married parents and a couple of adorable, rosy-cheeked kids. A sitcom about a divorcée (Bonnie Franklin) raising two rebellious teenage daughters (Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertinelli) on her own wasn’t just rare for the time — it was practically subversive. “One Day at a Time” was ahead of the curve in addressing weighty topics such as birth control, suicide and teenage runaways; but it ran for nine successful seasons because it was funny, helped in no small part by the frequent drop-ins and double entendres of toolbelt-clad super Schneider (Pat Harrington).

Impact Award: “Murphy Brown”

At first, “Murphy Brown” seemed like another version of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”: a female-led sitcom set in a broadcast newsroom. But acerbic, recovering alcoholic, fortysomething news anchor Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) became a powerhouse icon for the modern working woman, tackling work, current events and life issues — even unwed motherhood, once a TV taboo — with humor, toughness and grace … and of course, a little help from her news team and house painter Eldin. The show, which ran from 1988-1998, won two Emmys for Best Comedy and a record-setting five Emmys for Bergen.

Pop Culture Award: “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” 

One of those rare children’s shows that could be enjoyed by kids and adults — but in different ways — “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” introduced us to bow-tied man-child Pee-Wee Herman, played by the man once known as Paul Reubens. With his squeaky voice, cheery catchphrases, zany enthusiasm and assortment of friends both human (Cowboy Curtis, Miss Yvonne) and non-human (Chairy, Jambi the genie, Globey), Pee-Wee never lost his sense of childlike wonder, making his “Playhouse” a one-of-a-kind show that talked to kids, but never talked down to them. “I know you are, but what am I?”

Fan Favorite Award: “Laverne & Shirley”

They were gonna do it their way, yes their way … The irrepressible Laverne De Fazio and Shirley Feeney (Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams) debuted as Fonzie’s friends on “Happy Days,” but the roommates and Shotz Brewery co-workers made their dreams come true on their own show, which ran from 1976 to 1983. Though they were both (on and off again) single, Laverne and Shirley’s romantic lives never mattered so much as their quirks (Shirley loved her Boo Boo Kitty, Laverne loved her Pepsi and milk), their friends and neighbors (goofballs Lenny and Squiggy) and their sunny determination to “make it after all,” no matter how many comic misunderstandings or pratfalls it took.

Groundbreaking Award: “In Living Color” - The Cast

“In Living Color,” on the air from 1990 to 1994, was unlike any other show on TV. The sketch series was crass, hilarious and unafraid to offend, no matter who it lampooned — gays, the homeless, disabled people, African-Americans or fire marshals — and oh yeah, it featured an almost all-black cast busting stereotypes upside down and sideways. The launching pad for Keenen Ivory Wayan, Damon Wayans, David Alan Grier, Jamie Foxx and “token white guy” Jim Carrey, “In Living Color” brought a wild, off-color brand of humor (as well as cutting-edge hip-hop acts) to mainstream America, and it won the 1990 Emmy for Best Variety, Music or Comedy Series.

Groundbreaking Award: “In Living Color” - The Fly Girls

Some people watched “In Living Color” for its gut-bustingly funny sketches … but some people just watched it for the Fly Girls. Choreographed by Rosie Perez (herself a former “Soul Train” dancer), the Fly Girls punched up the show with their razor-sharp dance routines and eye-catching outfits, sometimes even appearing in skits. They weren’t too tough on the eyes, either. Winning the title of Most Famous Former Fly Girl would be a then-unknown singer and dancer named Jennifer Lopez, whose bodacious booty joined the show in its third season.

Host: Kelly Ripa

She got her big break on the ABC soap opera “All My Children,” playing Adam Chandler’s daughter Hayley Vaughan for 12 years (from 1990 to 2002). But since then, she’s left Pine Valley far behind. After an on-air audition process, she won the job of co-hosting “Live with Regis and Kelly” alongside Regis Philbin in 2001, and then took over sole hosting duties for the show (now called “Live! With Kelly”) when Philbin retired in 2011. With her girl-next-door appeal and ability to put guests at ease, it’s no wonder so many viewers love waking up to coffee and Kelly every morning.

Icon Award: Aretha Franklin

She isn’t just music royalty — she’s the Queen of Soul. In her 52-year career, Franklin has 18 Grammys, 20 No. 1 singles on Billboard’s R&B chart and 45 Top 40 hits on Billboard’s Hot 100. She was the first female artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (in 1987). And despite some recent health issues, the 70-year-old is still going strong, releasing new albums and going out on tour. Is there any question she’s a cultural icon? Aretha, we have one word for you: respect.

House Band: The B-52s

“We were at a party,” the B-52s sang in their first hit, “Rock Lobster,” and they’re still at that same party an amazing 34 years later. Fronted by Fred Schneider, Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson, the band (whose name derives from the bouffant hairdos Pierson and Wilson used to favor) knows how to have a good time, and there are few better ways to fill a dance floor than to put their unbelievably catchy song “Love Shack” on and turn the volume way, way up. Tiiiin roof! Rusted.

Presenters: Katie Couric and Fran Drescher

Couric is a renowned American journalist, a special correspondent for “ABC News” and former anchor for “CBS Evening News” and NBC’s “Today”; she’ll soon host the syndicated talk show “Katie.” Drescher, who had early memorable roles in “Saturday Night Fever” and “This Is Spinal Tap,” shot to fame as “The Nanny” and now stars on TV Land’s “Happily Divorced.” Who better to present at the 2012 TV Land Awards than these two leading women of the small screen?

Tune in to the 10th Anniversary TV Land Awards on April 29 at 9PM/8C!

New York, NY – March 15, 2012 – TV Land announced today that the beloved casts of “Laverne & Shirley” (Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams, Michael McKean and David L. Lander) and “One Day At A Time” (Valerie Bertinelli, Bonnie Franklin, Mackenzie Phillips, Glenn Scarpelli and Pat Harrington Jr.) as well as pop culture phenomenon “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” will be honored at the “TV Land Awards” 10^th Anniversary celebration. The star-studded awards show, which honors classic television, film and music icons, will be held at the Lexington Avenue Armory at Gramercy Park on Saturday, April 14^th and air on Sunday, April 29^th at 9pm ET/PT. More honorees will be announced in coming weeks. They join previously announced honoree Aretha Franklin (Music Icon Award) and second-time host Kelly Ripa for the special decade ceremony.