"Becker" (1998) TV series 1998-2004

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Creator:

Dave Hackel
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Release Date:

2 November 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

His bedside manner is no manners at all!

Plot:

Dr. John Becker goes through his daily routine of being a doctor, stopping at his favorite diner, and other various situations, all the while hating life and everything around him.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | New York | Beautiful Woman | Sitcom | Blind Man

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. July 13	6:00 PM	WGNAMER	Pilot	#1.1
Mon. July 13	6:30 PM	WGNAMER	Tell Me Lies	#1.4

Cast

Ted Danson	...	Dr. John Becker (129 episodes, 1998-2004)
Hattie Winston	...	Margaret Wyborn / ... (129 episodes, 1998-2004)
Shawnee Smith	...	Linda (129 episodes, 1998-2004)
Alex Désert	...	Jake Malinak (127 episodes, 1998-2004)
Saverio Guerra	...	Bob (108 episodes, 1998-2003)
Terry Farrell	...	Regina "Reggie" Kostas / ... (94 episodes, 1998-2002)
Nancy Travis	...	Chris Connor (39 episodes, 2002-2004)

(more)

Series Directed by
Andy Ackerman		(54 episodes, 1998-2003)
Ken Levine		(14 episodes, 1999-2003)
Darryl Bates		(13 episodes, 2000-2003)
Chris Brougham		(11 episodes, 2001-2004)
Gail Mancuso		(9 episodes, 2001-2003)
Wil Shriner		(7 episodes, 2001-2003)
Lee Shallat Chemel		(4 episodes, 1998-2000)
Gregg Heschong		(4 episodes, 1999-2002)
Michael Uppendahl		(4 episodes, 2003-2004)
Leonard R. Garner Jr.		(2 episodes, 1999-2002)
Joyce Gittlin		(2 episodes, 1999-2001)

Series Writing credits
Ian Gurvitz		(16 episodes, 1998-2004)
Russ Woody		(14 episodes, 1998-2003)
Marsha Myers		(13 episodes, 1998-2002)
David Isaacs		(10 episodes, 1998-2003)
Michael Markowitz		(10 episodes, 1999-2002)
Matthew Weiner		(9 episodes, 1999-2002)
Kate Angelo		(8 episodes, 2000-2003)
Ken Levine		(7 episodes, 1999-2003)
Liz Astrof		(6 episodes, 2001-2003)
Dave Hackel		(5 episodes, 1998-2004)
Dana Klein		(5 episodes, 1999-2001)
Anne Flett-Giordano		(3 episodes, 1999-2002)
Chuck Ranberg		(3 episodes, 1999-2002)
Earl Pomerantz		(3 episodes, 1999-2001)
Gary Dontzig		(3 episodes, 2001-2004)
Steven Peterman		(3 episodes, 2001-2004)
Gigi McCreery		(3 episodes, 2002-2003)
Perry M. Rein		(3 episodes, 2002-2003)
Michael Rowe		(3 episodes, 2002-2003)
Mark Egan		(2 episodes, 2000)
Maisha Closson		(2 episodes, 2003-2004)
Bobby Gaylor		(2 episodes, 2003-2004)

Series Produced by
Dave Hackel	....	executive producer (128 episodes, 1998-2004)
Tim Berry	....	producer / executive producer (96 episodes, 1999-2004)
Matthew Weiner	....	co-producer / producer (48 episodes, 2000-2002)
Ian Gurvitz	....	executive producer (8 episodes, 2003)
Michael Markowitz	....	co-producer (7 episodes, 1999)
Liz Astrof	....	co-producer (unknown episodes, 2003)
Maisha Closson	....	co-producer (unknown episodes, 2003)
Gary Dontzig	....	co-executive producer (unknown episodes, 2003)
Gigi McCreery	....	supervising producer (unknown episodes, 2003)
Steven Peterman	....	co-executive producer (unknown episodes, 2003)
Perry M. Rein	....	supervising producer (unknown episodes, 2003)
Michael Rowe	....	producer (unknown episodes, 2003)
Russ Woody	....	co-executive producer (unknown episodes, 2003)
Andy Ackerman	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Matt Ember	....	consulting producer (unknown episodes)
Marsha Myers	....	co-producer / producer (unknown episodes)
Ross Woody	....	producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Bruce Miller		(1 episode, 1999)

Series Cinematography by
Gregg Heschong		(1 episode, 1999)
Tony Askins		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Darryl Bates		(64 episodes, 1999-2003)
Debra F. Simone		(3 episodes, 1999-2000)
Skip Collector		(unknown episodes)
Susan Federman		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Suzanne Goddard-Smythe		(42 episodes, 2000-2004)
Sheila Guthrie		(12 episodes, 1999-2002)
Emily Deshotel		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
Roy Christopher		(60 episodes, 1999-2003)

Series Art Direction by
Amy Skjonsby-Winslow		(35 episodes, 2002-2004)

Series Set Decoration by
Linda Cooper		(1 episode, 1999)

Series Costume Design by
Sharon Sampson		(107 episodes, 1999-2004)

Series Makeup Department
Paula Sutor	....	makeup department head / makeup artist (32 episodes, 1999-2004)
Leslie Lightfoot	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Neil Rapp	....	production manager (1 episode, 1998)
Cheryl Downey	....	unit production manager (1 episode, 1999)
Pamela Thur	....	production manager: New York (unknown episodes)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Randy Carter	....	first assistant director (1 episode, 1999)
Brian Fong	....	second assistant director (1 episode, 1999)
Marisol 'Ari' Oyola	....	second second assistant director (unknown episodes)
Tom Phillips	....	second second assistant director (unknown episodes)
Cynthia Riddle	....	second assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Amy Skjonsby-Winslow	....	set designer (94 episodes, 1998-2002)
Lorne Grant	....	assistant property master (83 episodes, 2000-2004)
Matt Furginson	....	lead man (unknown episodes)
Kevin Morrissey	....	set designer (unknown episodes)
Charlotte Raybourn	....	art department coordinator (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Nick Els	....	sound mixer (126 episodes, 1998-2004)
Laurence Abrams	....	boom operator (13 episodes, 2003-2004)
Judi Frenkel	....	sound (7 episodes, 2003-2004)
Charles Bruce	....	sound effects editor (2 episodes, 1999)
Robert Adams	....	boom operator (unknown episodes)
John DiSante	....	sound utility (unknown episodes)
Rich Jacob	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes)
Scott C. Kolden	....	supervising sound editor (unknown episodes)
John Lazear	....	utility sound (unknown episodes)
Richard Luckey Jr.	....	sound (unknown episodes)
Timothy Pearson	....	foley artist (unknown episodes)
Mark Server	....	supervising sound editor (unknown episodes)
Noel Vought	....	foley artist (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Greg Anthony	....	stunt double (1 episode, 2002)
Hugh Aodh O'Brien	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Charles R. Young	....	camera operator (129 episodes, 1998-2004)
Mark L. Johnson	....	second assistant camera (22 episodes, 1998-1999)
Craig T. Mathew	....	still photographer (22 episodes, 1998-1999)
Rick Lamb	....	assistant camera (2 episodes, 1999)
Joey Alvarado	....	gaffer (unknown episodes)
Lance Dickinson	....	electrician (unknown episodes)
Paul Ferrara	....	key grip (unknown episodes)
David French	....	grip (unknown episodes)
John Graham	....	first assistant camera (unknown episodes)
Chava Monjaraz	....	best boy grip / grip (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Helen Mossler	....	casting executive (1 episode, 1999)
Liz Dean	....	casting intern (unknown episodes)
Linda DeArmond	....	casting assistant (unknown episodes)
Kevin Goldson	....	extras casting (unknown episodes)
Thom Klohn	....	casting associate (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Laura Rice	....	costume supervisor (13 episodes, 2003-2004)
Beth Beasley	....	costumer (unknown episodes)
Debra Millison	....	key set costumer (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Debra F. Simone	....	assistant editor (83 episodes, 1998-2004)

Series Music Department
Chips Swanson	....	music editor (1 episode, 1999)

Series Transportation Department
Gary Edelman	....	transportation captain (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Zuzana Cernik	....	assistant to executive producer (128 episodes, 1998-2004)
Kim McLaren	....	production accountant (107 episodes, 1999-2004)
David Isaacs	....	creative consultant (75 episodes, 1999-2004)
Bob Ellison	....	creative consultant (58 episodes, 1999-2003)
Mark Maitlen	....	production secretary / production coordinator (54 episodes, 2001-2004)
Matthew Weiner	....	executive story editor (24 episodes, 1999-2000)
Naisa Wong	....	assistant coordinator (24 episodes, 2001-2002)
Howie Edelson	....	production assistant (17 episodes, 1999-2000)
Brian Reeder	....	production assistant (17 episodes, 1999-2000)
Michael Markowitz	....	executive story editor (14 episodes, 1998-1999)
Richard T. Arami	....	assistant accountant (13 episodes, 2003-2004)
Trip Gould	....	production secretary (13 episodes, 2003-2004)
Georgyne LaLone	....	assistant: Bob Ellison (unknown episodes, 1998-2002)
Shelley Andagan	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Ken Blankstein	....	script coordinator (unknown episodes)
Gaye Ann Bruno	....	photo publicity (unknown episodes)
Anne Flett-Giordano	....	creative consultant (unknown episodes)
Rob Greenberg	....	creative consultant (unknown episodes)
Ken Halsband	....	location manager (unknown episodes)
Kristin Jones	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Dana Klein	....	story editor (unknown episodes)
Conner McKinley	....	assistant to producer (unknown episodes)
Kimberley Nessler	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Christopher Porterfield	....	production coordinator (unknown episodes)
Chuck Ranberg	....	creative consultant (unknown episodes)
Tennille Vega	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Dave Hackel Productions
• Industry Entertainment
• Paramount Network Television Productions

Distributors

• Viacom (1998-) (worldwide) (all media)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1998-2004) (USA) (TV)
• CanWest Global Communications
• Comedy Central (2009) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Sat.1 (2001-2004) (Germany) (TV)

Other Companies

• Bryant & Johnsen  main title sequence
• Central Casting  extras casting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes
• Larson Sound Center  sound
• Laser Pacific Media  electronic laboratory

Runtime:

30 min (including commercials - 129 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:12 (some episodes) | UK:PG (some episodes) | UK:U (some episodes) | Australia:PG | USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

Astoria, Long Island City, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Dave Hackel Productions

Trivia:

Nancy Travis was originally hired to play Chris for just four episodes, and at the end of Season 4 was to disappear after John Becker (Ted Danson) chose to be with Reggie Kostas (Terry Farrell). But the producers decided to fire Farrell and keep Travis on as a full time character.

Quotes:

Margaret: I don't like to lie. It's wrong.
Dr. John Becker: Says who?
Margaret: The Lord!
Dr. John Becker: The Lord? Margaret, this is the Bronx. Believe me, he's not here.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Scene Smoking: Cigarettes, Cinema & the Myth of Cool (2001)

AKA "Harvey Pekar, M.D."

This show is hilarious.

I never understood the scorn the critics heaped on this show over its time on the air.

It's about as realistic a comic portrayal of our nation's largest city as will ever be seen on broadcast TV. It's certainly more realistic than "Friends", which show a New York almost completely devoid of minorities, or "Will and Grace", an allegedly "gay" show in which the gay characters have almost no sex lives. (Could we at least hear some moaning from behind a locked door once in a while?)

But back to "Becker". It's as though someone at CBS said, "What if Harvey Pekar, the grumpy file clerk from 'American Splendor', had a medical degree from Harvard?" Fiction, you say? You must belong to the Shangri-La HMO.

A divorced, single50-something man in a job he really doesn't like, in a city he'd rather not live in, working with people he's not that crazy about, eating every meal in a diner that looks like a roach motel, going home every night to a peeling, cramped apartment that looks like it reeks of cigarette smoke, in full self-pity mode, wondering what that whoop-di-doo college education was worth if all it got him was THIS!? You see that type every day, and that includes doctors.

The only thing that could make it funnier would be if Wanda Sykes were the owner of the diner (and his love interest). Or maybe Whoopi Goldberg. Ted Danson and Whoopi Goldberg as a romantic couple!? Nah ;)