The Famous Teddy Z (1989–1990)

Ted Zakalokis' family has a bakery and it has always been assumed that he would one day work there. But that's not what he wants to do. So to avoid that he enlists in the army and after ... See full summary »

Creator:

Hugh Wilson

Stars:

Jon Cryer, Jane Sibbett, Milton Selzer

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Jon Cryer	...	Teddy Zakalokis (20 episodes, 1989-1990)
Jane Sibbett	...	Laurie Parr (20 episodes, 1989-1990)
Milton Selzer	...	Abe Werkfinder (20 episodes, 1989-1990)
Erica Yohn	...	Deena Zakalokis (20 episodes, 1989-1990)
Tom La Grua	...	Richie Herby (20 episodes, 1989-1990)
Josh Blake	...	Aristotle Zakalokis (20 episodes, 1989-1990)
Alex Rocco	...	Al Floss (20 episodes, 1989-1990)

Storyline

Ted Zakalokis' family has a bakery and it has always been assumed that he would one day work there. But that's not what he wants to do. So to avoid that he enlists in the army and after getting out, he gets a temporary job working in the mail room of a Hollywood talent agency under Richie Herby. Now most of the people who work in the mail room are hoping that one of the agents will need a new secretary thus paving the way for them to be agents themselves. One of these persons is Laurie Parr, who Teddy tries to hit on but is shut down. While there he meets Abe Werkfinder, the head of the agency and basically a nice guy. He also meets Al Floss, the quintessential agent, oily, sneaky, deceptive. One day one his clients is arriving and he instructs Richie to meet him cause he doesn't want any of the other "mail room" people making a move on his client. Richie, not wanting to give him the satisfaction, sends Teddy instead. Now the man is arrogant, and pompous, he picks a fight with Teddy, ...

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 September 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

El famoso Teddy Z

Filming Locations:

Sunset Gower Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Television, ELP Communications, Hugh Wilson Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (13 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Teddy Z was based on Jay Kantor, who was a mail-room clerk at Music Corp. of America sent to pick up Marlon Brando and drive him to the agency. Impressed by the young man, Brando promptly appointed him his agent.

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Connections

Referenced in Entourage: Dramedy (2010)

User Reviews

Good idea and well structured, but the pilot was redone. Why?

The Famous Teddy Z, about a young man who works in the mailroom of a HOllywood agency, then punches out a star and becomes the celebrity's agent, was alleged to be based on an actual incident with Marlon Brando. When the actor would show up in later episodes, he would even be similar to Brando. Jane Sibbett would be the agency's secretary, who Teddy (Jon Cryer) was in love with, but she couldn't stand him. Alex Rocco would be an incompetent agent who also worked in the office. Now here is where this show went odd. There was a pilot that had Sibbett as Cryer's main antagonist. She would use him for her own benefit when she learned he was now an agent. Rocco ran through, said his lines a la Ted Baxter of "Mary Tyler Moore" or Herb Tarlek of "WKRP in Cincinnati", then vacated. Then the Marlon Brando actor appeared in an episode, got his laughs. Then the pilot was redone, showing the Marlon Brando actor again, but this time instilling Alex Rocco more in the show's plotline. He would work alongside Teddy Z, the agent of a big client. Hugh Wilson, who made Mary Tyler Moore and WKRP, also made this show. His only show NOT to have the bumbler in it was Frank's PLace, with Tim Reid. Yet the notion that the idiot here had to be center stage, as Ted and Herb eventually became, ruined the show. Al Floss, the agent Rocco portrayed, worked better in the background, such as when he kept getting a good deal for a dead actor. And this show suffered for the need of having Rocco up front. Alex Rocco would win the Emmy for Supporting Actor for this show, obviously because all actors knew an agent like Al Floss. The Al Floss character was superbly spineless and weak, out to please the clients (The Sean Penn character who appears is decked by Teddy's aunt, played by LIz Torres. Teddy gets the actor to behave by threatening to tell the tabloids the tough guy was hit by a woman. "Hey, good going, kid" Al Floss says, then he and another agent tear after the actor like lap dogs to do his bidding. it was all hilarious!)

But there was no need for Al Floss to be pushed up to the front like that. This is the only show I know of with two separate pilots. My brother teases me about the actual pilot all the time.