"Titus" (2000) TV series 2000-2002

Creators:

Brian Hargrove
Jack Kenny
Christopher Titus
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

20 March 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

You spend 18 years in the comfort and security of your parents' home... and the rest of your life trying to get over the damage.

Plot:

A mechanic, Christopher Titus, along with his brother and his friends, try to deal with his father, a lewd, crude, drinking multiple divorcee.

Plot Keywords:

Brother | Dysfunctional | Mechanic | White Trash | Tragicomedy

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Christopher Titus	...	Christopher Titus / ... (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Cynthia Watros	...	Erin Fitzpatrick (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Zack Ward	...	Dave Scouvel (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
David Shatraw	...	Tommy Shafter (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Stacy Keach	...	Ken Titus (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Dylan Capannelli	...	5-Year Old Titus / ... (32 episodes, 2000-2002)
Phoenix Forsyth	...	10-Year Old Titus / ... (24 episodes, 2000-2001)

Series Directed by
Jack Kenny		(8 episodes, 2000-2002)
Gary Shimokawa		(8 episodes, 2001-2002)
Brian Hargrove		(6 episodes, 2000-2002)
Robert Berlinger		(6 episodes, 2000-2001)
Jeff Melman		(6 episodes, 2000-2001)
Joe Regalbuto		(5 episodes, 2001-2002)
Kevin Charles Sullivan		(4 episodes, 2000-2002)
Bill Shea		(3 episodes, 2001-2002)
John Amodeo		(2 episodes, 2001-2002)

Series Writing credits
Brian Hargrove		(54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Jack Kenny		(54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Christopher Titus		(54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Robert Hawkins		(44 episodes, 2000-2002)
Patrick Meighan		(43 episodes, 2000-2002)
John R. Morey		(43 episodes, 2000-2002)
Jacqueline Davis		(13 episodes, 2000-2001)
Christopher Case		(5 episodes, 2000-2002)
Jim Hope		(5 episodes, 2000-2002)
Chris Sheridan		(5 episodes, 2000-2002)
Sally Lapiduss		(5 episodes, 2000-2001)
Jennifer Fisher		(4 episodes, 2000-2002)
David L. Moses		(2 episodes, 2001-2002)
Matt Ember		(2 episodes, 2002)
Nancy Steen		(2 episodes, 2002)
Shawn Thomas		(2 episodes, 2002)

Series Produced by
Brian Hargrove	....	executive producer (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Jack Kenny	....	executive producer (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Christopher Titus	....	executive producer (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Sally Lapiduss	....	co-executive producer (53 episodes, 2000-2002)
Randy Wespiser	....	associate producer (53 episodes, 2000-2002)
John Amodeo	....	co-executive producer / producer / ... (46 episodes, 2000-2002)
Christopher Case	....	supervising producer / co-executive producer (45 episodes, 2000-2002)
Chris Sheridan	....	producer / supervising producer (45 episodes, 2000-2002)
Michael Hanel	....	executive producer (41 episodes, 2000-2002)
Mindy Schultheis	....	executive producer (41 episodes, 2000-2002)
Kelly Lee	....	associate producer (33 episodes, 2000-2002)
Matt Ember	....	consulting producer (20 episodes, 2001-2002)
Jennifer Fisher	....	co-producer (20 episodes, 2001-2002)
David Hartle	....	associate producer (20 episodes, 2001-2002)
Jim Hope	....	co-producer (20 episodes, 2001-2002)
Nancy Steen	....	consulting producer (20 episodes, 2001-2002)
Adam Belanoff	....	co-executive producer (8 episodes, 2000)
Faye Oshima Belyeu	....	producer (8 episodes, 2000)
Kell Cahoon	....	consulting producer (3 episodes, 2000)
Tom Saunders	....	consulting producer (3 episodes, 2000)

Series Original Music by
Christopher Titus		(2 episodes, 2000-2001)
Tom Rizzo		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Bobby Byrne		(53 episodes, 2000-2002)

Series Film Editing by
Kris Trexler		(52 episodes, 2000-2002)

Series Casting by
Suzanne Goddard-Smythe		(54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Sheila Guthrie		(54 episodes, 2000-2002)

Series Production Design by
Steve Olson		(52 episodes, 2000-2002)
Roy Christopher		(1 episode, 2000)

Series Art Direction by
Steve Olson		(1 episode, 2000)
William V. Ryder		(1 episode, 2002)

Series Set Decoration by
Richard C. Walker		(53 episodes, 2000-2002)

Series Costume Design by
Cliff Chally		(52 episodes, 2000-2002)
Bonnie Nipar		(2 episodes, 2000)

Series Makeup Department
Roxanne Baker-Sarver	....	hairstylist / hair stylist (53 episodes, 2000-2002)
Vikki McCarter	....	makeup artist / make-up / ... (53 episodes, 2000-2002)
Christa Reusch	....	makeup artist / make-up / ... (53 episodes, 2000-2002)
Karen Bartek	....	hair stylist / hairstylist (25 episodes, 2000-2002)
Laurie Heaps	....	hairstylist / hair stylist (20 episodes, 2001-2002)
Christina Raye	....	hairstylist / hair stylist (8 episodes, 2000)
Lucia Mace	....	hair stylist (3 episodes, 2001)
Clinton Wayne	....	special makeup effects artist (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Ralph Paredes	....	post-production supervisor (46 episodes, 2000-2002)
John Amodeo	....	unit production manager (45 episodes, 2000-2002)
Kim Sherwood	....	production supervisor (35 episodes, 2001-2002)
Faye Oshima Belyeu	....	unit production manager (8 episodes, 2000)
J.P. Shields	....	production manager (unknown episodes)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dana Jackson	....	second assistant director / first assistant director (51 episodes, 2000-2002)
Bill Shea	....	first assistant director (51 episodes, 2000-2002)
Michael J. Shea	....	second assistant director (4 episodes, 2000-2002)
Velvet Andrews-Smith	....	dga trainee (unknown episodes, 1999)

Series Art Department
D.A. Zingelewicz	....	painter (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Beth Sheldon	....	property master (52 episodes, 2000-2002)
Larry J. White II	....	leadman / lead man (44 episodes, 2000-2002)
Vince Luizzi	....	set dresser (33 episodes, 2000-2001)
Ron Jancula	....	property master (20 episodes, 2001-2002)
Fritz Ebner	....	props (3 episodes, 2000)
Paul Arthur Hartman	....	lead man (unknown episodes, 2001-2002)
Sam Dean	....	propmaker (unknown episodes)
Josh Hadley	....	set dresser (unknown episodes)
Leslie Lawson	....	stand-by painter (unknown episodes)
John S. Ogden	....	propmaker (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Timothy N. Holly	....	supervising sound engineer (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Tamara Johnson	....	re-recording (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Patrick Grandclaudon	....	sound designer / sound editor (53 episodes, 2000-2002)
Bob La Masney	....	re-recording / sound re-recordist (50 episodes, 2000-2002)
Bruce Arledge Jr.	....	production sound / production sound mixer (20 episodes, 2001-2002)
Klaus Landsberg	....	production sound (17 episodes, 2000-2002)
Michael T. Gannon	....	production sound (8 episodes, 2000-2001)
Russ Gary	....	production sound / production sound mixer (8 episodes, 2000)
Boyd Wheeler	....	re-recording (2 episodes, 2002)

Series Special Effects by
Ron Petruccione	....	special effects (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Ronen Lasry	....	virtual set design (1 episode, 2002)
Adam Howard	....	visual effects (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Shauna Duggins	....	stunts (3 episodes, 2001-2002)
Mitch Gould	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Emiliano Novelli	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Michael J. Sarna	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Paul E. Short	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Timothy McCrary	....	lighting technician (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Bill Sordal	....	key grip (53 episodes, 2000-2002)
Ken Spencer	....	gaffer (53 episodes, 2000-2002)
Tim Bellen	....	Steadicam operator / camera operator (43 episodes, 2000-2002)
Tony Varuola	....	best boy electric (33 episodes, 2000-2001)
Steve Bellen	....	assistant camera (unknown episodes)
James M. Chizmar Jr.	....	grip (unknown episodes)
Jim Chizmar	....	grip (unknown episodes)
Dale Hunter	....	high definition video engineer (unknown episodes)
Raffaele Massa	....	focus puller (unknown episodes)
Henry Minski	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Greg G. Reeves	....	best boy electric (unknown episodes)
Tom Wholey	....	electrician (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Dana Olson	....	extras casting (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marie H. Burk	....	costume supervisor (53 episodes, 2000-2002)
Nadine M. Reale	....	set costumer (18 episodes, 2000)
Brandt Huseby	....	key costumer / costumer (9 episodes, 2000)
Mary Beth Bocchicchio	....	set costumer (6 episodes, 2000)

Series Editorial Department
Richard Garibaldi	....	final colorist (23 episodes, 2000-2001)
Ralph Paredes	....	post-production coordinator (8 episodes, 2000)
Christopher Hyssong	....	post-production assistant (2 episodes, 2001)

Series Music Department
Victor Guardia	....	composer: main theme music / composer: main title music / ... (53 episodes, 2000-2002)
Brian Hargrove	....	composer: main theme music / composer: main title music / ... (53 episodes, 2000-2002)
Jack Kenny	....	composer: main theme music / composer: main title music / ... (53 episodes, 2000-2002)
Christopher Titus	....	composer: main theme music / composer: main title music / ... (53 episodes, 2000-2002)

Series Transportation Department
Mike Paventi	....	transportation coordinator (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Bruce Comtois	....	driver (14 episodes, 2000-2001)

Series Other crew
Eva Charney	....	dialogue coach (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Debbie Cleaver	....	production accountant (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
K. Scott Dunn	....	production coordinator / assistant to the producers (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Caroline McLaglen	....	production staff (54 episodes, 2000-2002)
Tommy Primeau	....	production staff (53 episodes, 2000-2002)
Shawn Thomas	....	production staff / assistant: writer (53 episodes, 2000-2002)
Susie Gunter	....	script supervisor / consultant: Hot Rod (52 episodes, 2000-2002)
Kevin Charles Sullivan	....	technical coordinator (49 episodes, 2000-2002)
Chip Foose	....	consultant: Hot Rod (47 episodes, 2000-2002)
David L. Moses	....	production staff (45 episodes, 2000-2002)
Esther Himbaugh	....	audience switcher / script supervisor / ... (44 episodes, 2000-2002)
Stacy Polifka	....	production staff (44 episodes, 2000-2002)
Gavin Dunne	....	production staff (43 episodes, 2000-2002)
Jeff Hodsden	....	production staff (43 episodes, 2000-2002)
Christopher Hyssong	....	assistant production coordinator / production staff (35 episodes, 2000-2002)
Garfield Whitman	....	assistant: Christopher Titus / assistant to the producers / ... (27 episodes, 2000-2002)
Michael Eidam	....	production staff / assistant to writer (25 episodes, 2000-2002)
Eric Fieland	....	production staff (25 episodes, 2000-2002)
Jennifer Fisher	....	story editor / executive story editor (25 episodes, 2000-2002)
Jim Hope	....	executive story editor (25 episodes, 2000-2002)
Joseph Conway	....	production staff (20 episodes, 2001-2002)
Juan Gavarette	....	production staff (20 episodes, 2001-2002)
David Metrick	....	production staff (20 episodes, 2001-2002)
Lenn K. Rosenfeld	....	production staff (20 episodes, 2001-2002)
Mary Stewart	....	assistant: Christopher Titus (20 episodes, 2001-2002)
Kate Tamalonis	....	production staff (20 episodes, 2001-2002)
Nick Pavonetti	....	production staff (15 episodes, 2000-2001)
Darrell Anderson	....	production staff (12 episodes, 2000-2001)
Patrick Meighan	....	production staff / story editor (11 episodes, 2000-2002)
Kim Sherwood	....	production coordinator (10 episodes, 2000-2001)
John R. Morey	....	production staff / story editor (9 episodes, 2000-2002)
Joe Black	....	production staff (8 episodes, 2000)
Angela Hamilton	....	production coordinator (8 episodes, 2000)
Erin Titus	....	assistant to the producers (8 episodes, 2000)
Alissa R. Chulack	....	production staff (6 episodes, 2000)
Ritch Shydner	....	executive story editor (6 episodes, 2000)
Kristy Wunsch	....	production staff (6 episodes, 2000)
Wade S. Trefethen	....	production staff (6 episodes, 2001-2002)
Seth Franklin	....	production staff (5 episodes, 2001)
Jennifer Rice	....	production staff (4 episodes, 2000)
Roberto Coppola	....	production staff (2 episodes, 2000)
Zack Slovinsky	....	production staff (2 episodes, 2000)
Robert Hawkins	....	story editor (2 episodes, 2002)
Steve M. Miliotti	....	craft service (unknown episodes)
Emily Rice	....	production accountant (unknown episodes)
Kelly Wold	....	assistant: Stacy Keach (unknown episodes)

Series Thanks
Ken Titus	....	in loving memory (1 episode, 2001)

Production Companies

• Kenny & Hargrove
• Deranged Entertainment
• 20th Century Fox Television

Distributors

• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (seasons 1 & 2)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) (season 3)
• Fox Network
• Fox (????) (Japan) (TV)

Other Companies

• Bryant & Johnsen  main title sequence
• Transportation Resources  transportation equipment (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

23 min | USA:30 min (54 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

CBS Studio Center - 4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Kenny & Hargrove

Trivia:

The show is loosely based on actor Christopher Titus's real life.

Quotes:

Christopher Titus:What does it say on the back of that jacket?
Tommy Shafter:It says "Titus High Performance."
Christopher Titus:Are you Titus? Are you Performance? Are you *high*?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Norman Rockwell Is Bleeding (2004) (TV)

A Ground-breaking high wire act between tragedy and comedy - the best and most unique sitcom since "Seinfeld"

Network: FOX; Genre: Sitcom, Dysfunctional Family Sitcom; Content Rating: TV-14 (for language, violence, nudity, strong sexual content, crude humor & dark, adult content); Available: DVD; Classification: Modern Classic (Star range: 1 - 5);

Season Reviewed: Complete Series (3 seasons)

If the sitcom is dying, nobody told Christopher Titus. "Titus" is the spiky-haired comedian's 1-man show, "Norman Rockwell is Bleeding", translated into a 1-set, multi-camera, studio audience sitcom. More than that, "Titus" is a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart. It rocks the audience and the genre, breaking rules left and right and turns the mold of the sitcom inside-out in the process.

Like "Everybody Loves Raymond", "Titus" is a post-modern dysfunctional family sitcom in which what may have been the children of television dysfunctional families 2 decades ago ("The Simpsons", "Rosanne", "Married… with Children") have now grown up and are trying to make their own way - unable to shake their parents and upbringing. "Titus" is the autobiographical life story of it's namesake lead who grew up with a drunken, abusive father (Stacy Keach) and a deranged schizophrenic mother (played by a different actress in each season). To help and hinder him along the way are his borderline retarded half-brother Dave (Zack Ward), his effeminate best friend and the show's "normal" character Tommy (David Shatraw) and the grounding support of his fiancé Erin (Cynthia Watros). Most sitcoms pair an average guy with a hot babe without explanation. On "Titus" there is one, but I wouldn't dare spoil it.

Titus breaks the 4th wall and narrates these stories from a bare room furnished only with a wooden chair and overhead light bulb - these scenes filmed in raw black & white. This "neutral space" serves as a metaphorical playground of the mind, representing sitcom Titus' thoughts and self-perceptions. In the tour de force episode "The Breakup" (that will no doubt separate the drive-by sitcom viewer from the show's hardcore target audience) Titus gets into a fight with Erin to sabotage his own happiness and "neutral space" Titus becomes a boxer. When his parents appear to reconcile, his inner child comes out and "neutral space" Titus literally regresses to 5-year-old Titus.

Not to insinuate that "Titus" with it's occasional moralizing and fascinating abundance of psycho-babble is anything really sophisticated. Actually, the show is stupid humor at its funniest. It is fast, shameless and brazen in it's stupidity. There aren't many places where you will see people thrown through plate glass windows or getting hit in the face with a rake handle (twice!) for a laugh, but "Titus" is goofy enough to go there. Sometimes I laugh in spite of myself, sometimes the gags flop on the floor and inspire a cringing wince. But the show is at such a constant fever pitch that duds are quickly lost in the avalanche of lunacy that is heaped into the lap of the audience. Amid the insanity, the scripts are spiked with an acerbic wit.

The skill and chemistry of the cast sell the show in it's more childish moments. Christopher Titus is new to the game and at times it shows, but he bounds around with endless energy, delivers a fresh voice to the TV landscape and displays a rarely seen naked honesty that fills the lead role of this televised therapy session just fine. Shatraw has an impressive skill for physical comedy, throwing his body around in a way that many actors now wouldn't have the guts too. Watros is sublime and gives the show it's biggest anchor of credibility. Keach, of course, is an absolute joy. Ken Titus is an instantly classic character. Watch him liven up any scene with just a look. Everyone here is in pitch perfect harmony with the tone and vision of the show. They all come to the project with a single-minded determination and belief in what they are doing. The show has the look and feel of a play with all the players doing a dance. They are excellent.

The show also pioneers a style of comedy you never see on TV: the cathartic laugh. The story lines herein are made up of such traditionally audience repelling topics as spousal abuse, child molestation, alcoholism, murder, suicide and post-9/11 airline fears. In finding humor in what is essentially a tragic story, it seems that creators Christopher Titus, Brian Hargrove and Jack Kenny have crafted an entire series out the "Very Special Episodes" that would grind any other sitcom to a melodramatic halt. Uncomfortable tension broke with fits of laughter. In the wrong hands, this type of material could easily be a disaster but Titus and Kenny hone the show with expert precision. They do a brilliant thing by wrapping this edgy too-hot-for-Fox material in a stupid-funny sitcom wrapper, giving the audience a tangible chaser to help swallow it all down. Many times a "Titus" episode would end on a note that glued me to the couch in silence for a few minutes, both out of shock at what I'd seen and out of pride and admiration for how well they where able to pull off this high-wire act.

"Titus" had a high hit-and-miss ratio. Dave's ability to get a dog to drink milk from his mouth ranks as a low (or high) point. But warts and all it is the soul vision of it's creator - and how unique is that? It was a NASCAR series before NASCAR fans became a political voting block. It is a serrate look at modern America that took the gloves off and left marks. It is the dysfunctional family sitcom updated and on steroids. "Titus" wasn't quite perfect, but it pushed the limits of the sitcom further than anyone has before. Based on Fox's cowardly reaction we will not likely see something like it any time soon.

* * * * ½ / 5