"Profit" Pilot (1996)

Director:

Robert Iscove

Writers:

John McNamara (writer) &
David Greenwalt (written by)

TV Series:

"Profit" (1996)

Original Air Date:

8 April 1996 (Season 1, Episode 1)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Child Abuse | Black Comedy | Psychopath | Wrongful Conviction | Revenge

Cast

Adrian Pasdar	...	Jim Profit
Lisa Zane	...	Joanne Meltzer
Scott Paulin	...	Jack Walters
Lisa Darr	...	Gail Koner
Jack Gwaltney	...	Pete Gracen
Jennifer Hetrick	...	Elizabeth Gracen Walters
Allison Hossack	...	Nora Gracen
Keith Szarabajka	...	Charles Henry "Chaz" Gracen
Tamsin Kelsey
Don S. Davis	...	Former Sheriff Crew (as Don Davis)
Michael MacRae
Jerry Wasserman	...	Dr. Wenner
Lisa Blount	...	Bobbi Stakowski
Ric Reid	...	Paul Sandle
Topaz Hasfal-Schou	...	Alleen Morton
Colleen Winton	...	Constance Gracen
Andrew Wheeler	...	Nick Hassitt
Shawn Macdonald	...	Leo Hershey
Suleka Mathew		(as Sue Mathew)
Deryl Hayes
Dwight James

Directed by
Robert Iscove

Writing credits
John McNamara		writer &
David Greenwalt		written by

Produced by
Stephen J. Cannell	....	executive producer
Stephen J. Cannell	....	producer
David Greenwalt	....	executive producer
Robert Iscove	....	producer
John McNamara	....	executive producer
N. John Smith	....	supervising producer
Jo Swerling Jr.	....	supervising producer

Original Music by
Mike Post

Cinematography by
Rodney Charters		(as Rodney A. Charters)

Film Editing by
Chris G. Willingham		(as Chris Willingham)

Casting by
Lucy Cavallo

Production Design by
Richard Hudolin

Set Decoration by
Michael Bethune
Andrea French

Costume Design by
Kate Healey

Makeup Department
Dianne Pelletier	....	makeup artist
Brenda Turner	....	hair stylist (as Brenda Gibson)

Production Management
Matthew N. Herman	....	executive in charge of production
N. John Smith	....	production manager
Gary Winter	....	executive in charge of post-production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Coleman	....	first assistant director
Paul Turner	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Gordon Bellamy	....	construction sculptor
Mark Soparlo	....	set designer
Grant Swain	....	property master
Dean Eilertson	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Frank Haddad	....	head greensman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Ken Biehl	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jim Harrington	....	foley artist
Michael Keeping	....	foley artist
Patrick Ramsay	....	sound mixer
Greg Stewart	....	sound re-recording mixer
Craig Vandagriff	....	sound effects coordinator

Special Effects by
Andrew Chamberlayne	....	special effects coordinator (as Andrew Cotton Chamberlayne)

Visual Effects by
Michelle Comens	....	visual effects coordinator
Marusha Xeros	....	visual effects coordinator (uncredited)

Stunts
Kirk Jarrett	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Julian Chojnacki	....	camera operator
Lecily Corbett	....	assistant camera
Ted Smith	....	second assistant: a camera
Jay Stroburg	....	best boy electric
Gordon Tait	....	key grip
Gordon Verheul	....	gaffer (as Gord Verheul)

Casting Department
Susanne McLellan	....	casting: Vancouver

Music Department
Patty McGettigan	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Dave Liboiron	....	transportation coordinator
Dave Miller	....	driver: cast

Other crew
Kandis Armstrong	....	production coordinator
Kim Cowan	....	unit publicist (as Kim Douglas)
Grace Curcio	....	assistant: Stephen J. Cannell
Kyle Ham	....	assistant to co-executive producers
Jacqueline Lovejoy	....	publicist
Charles Lyall	....	location manager
Kristina Oster	....	assistant to executive producer: David Greenwalt
Stephen Sassen	....	production executive
Portia Tickell	....	script supervisor (as Portia Jacox)
Scott Steyns	....	playback coordinator (uncredited)

Produced by
John B. Moranville	....	producer (7 episodes)

Art Direction by
Bridget McGuire

Makeup Department
Debra Regnier	....	assistant makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Andy Mikita	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Chris Claridge	....	construction coordinator
Barry Kootchin	....	head scenic artist
Kimberley Regent	....	property buyer
Chris Sneddon	....	construction foreman

Sound Department
Stephen Cheung	....	adr mixer
Stephen Cheung	....	dialogue editor

Visual Effects by
Eric Alba	....	visual effects supervisor: Northwest Imaging & FX
Steward Burris	....	computer graphic artist: North West Imaging & FX
Paul Patrick Quinn	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Scott Nicholson	....	stunts

Music Department
David Sibley	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
James Perenseff	....	transportation manager: Cannell

Other crew
Danny Ho	....	computer playback operator
Susan Murray	....	assistant production coordinator
Darren Robertson	....	playback coordinator

Production Companies

• New World Television
• Stephen J. Cannell Productions

Distributors

• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Ediflex Systems  edited on
• Four Media Creative Services  electronic post-production
• Four Media Sound  sound re-recording
• Gastown Film Labs  film lab
• Northwest Imaging & FX  visual effects

Runtime:

90 min | France:86 min

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

New World Television

Goofs:

Errors in geography: In the pilot, Jack and Joanne attempt to get a background on Jim Profit by contacting the sheriff in Tulsa (mentioning repeatedly that they called and visited Tulsa). However, the county building that is shown is clearly labeled "Oklahoma - Johnson County." There is no Johnson County, Oklahoma. There is a Johnston County in south-central Oklahoma, but the city of Tulsa is in Tulsa County in northeastern Oklahoma.

This show was ahead of its time

I couldn't believe that a black comedy THIS black made it to television, and I loved every minute of it. I had a feeling the show wouldn't last because it was so different. The lead character wasn't someone you'd want as a friend (or enemy) and he didn't pay the anticipated consequences for his treacherous acts. The recent FX show "Damages" has a similar lead; Glenn Close's character is appealing despite her questionable ethics. Still, Profit was unique in the degree to which the lead character's behavior bordered on evil ... but his piercing, deep-set eyes and heavy lashes made up for it all. I've never forgotten the show and I've followed Andrian Pasdar's career since then because I was so taken with him in Profit.