Oliver Beene

Oliver Beene
Created by Howard Gewirtz
Starring Grant Rosenmeyer
Grant Shaud
Wendy Makkena
Andrew Lawrence
Daveigh Chase
Taylor Emerson
Narrated by David Cross
Opening theme "The Future Is Now" by The Solids
Composer(s) Paul Buckley
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 24 (2 unaired) (list of episodes)
Production
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 30 minutes
Production company(s) Steven Levitan Prods.
(ge.writz) Films
DreamWorks Television
20th Century Fox Television
Release
Original network Fox
Picture format 1080i/720p (HDTV)
Audio format Stereo
Original release March 9, 2003 (2003-03-09) – September 12, 2004 (2004-09-12)

Oliver Beene is an American sitcom that premiered on Fox on March 9, 2003. The show was created by Howard Gewirtz. Set in 1962 and 1963, the show chronicled the trials and tribulations of the 11-to-12-year-old Oliver Beene (played by Grant Rosenmeyer), in first person perspective. Oliver Beene's other main characters are his parents Jerry and Charlotte Beene, his older brother Ted Beene, and his two friends Joyce and Michael. The narrator, an older Oliver reflecting on his experience, is voiced by David Cross. Often in episodes, the story is interrupted by flashbacks and flash-forwards.

Premise

Oliver (born c. 1951), attempts to sustain normality in an often unpredictable family. Oliver's father Jerry spends his days drilling teeth as a dentist, while his mother attempts to play the traditional homemaker. Oliver's brother, Ted is a sports nut and a womanizer. Oliver's life is often made more bearable with friends Michael, Joyce and his crush Bonnie, who appears at his most embarrassing moments. Both brothers have a crush on a Swedish girl in their apartment, Elke.

Cast

Main characters

Recurring characters

Episodes

The series first aired on March 9, 2003 as a Fox program to replace the animated series Futurama. The first season was relatively successful, and the show was brought back for a second season. However, poor ratings throughout the second season led to the show's cancellation in September 2004, with the two last episodes of the season being left unaired in America. (the last episode to air in the show's original timeslot was broadcast on September 12, 2004). In the UK and Ireland, Sky One broadcast both seasons, in their entirety.

Season 1: 2003

Series # Season # Title Directed by Written by Original air date Prod. code
11"A Day at the Beach"Michael SpillerEric Abrams & Matthew BerryMarch 9, 2003103
The Beenes hope to join a popular country club, while Oliver has a crush on a girl named Bonnie.
22"Home, a Loan"Jeff MelmanBill Callahan & Philip WenMarch 16, 2003106
Jerry and Charlotte visit Jerry's old college friend, Mitch (Kurt Fuller), While Ted's friend Harvey (A.J. Trauth), gets him and Oliver in trouble with a creepy neighbor.
33"Space Race"Michael SpillerSteven LevitanMarch 30, 2003105
Oliver finds himself in trouble after accidentally hurting a new black student at school.
44"The Nudie Mag"Jeff MelmanCarter Bays & Craig ThomasApril 6, 2003104
Oliver may get in big trouble when he and Michael go looking for something in Michael's closet. They end up finding a porno mag belong to Michael's dad.
55"Lord of the Bees"Matt ShakmanChris HarrisApril 13, 2003111
Oliver cheats on a test to beat Susan grade-wise.
66"Dancing Beene"Jeff MelmanCarter Bays & Craig ThomasApril 20, 2003109
Oliver has a dream to become like Fred Astaire, so he takes a ballroom class. He later learns he can't dance at all.
77"Divorce-O-Rama"Jeff MelmanJace RichdaleApril 27, 2003102
Oliver and Joyce try to get tickets to a TV show. Meanwhile, Oliver thinks his parents are getting a divorce after learning that Joyce's parents are headed for divorce.
88"Oliver's Best Friend"Lev L. SpiroJim Bernstein & Michael ShipleyMay 4, 2003110
After convincing his parents to get him a dog, Oliver learns that having a dog is more trouble than he can handle.

Season 2: 2004

Series # Season # Title Directed by Written by Original air date Prod. code
91"Dibs"Lev L. SpiroHoward Gewirtz & Steven LevitanFebruary 4, 2004202
Oliver and Ted have a crush on the new girl in the neighborhood, named Elke (Maggie Grace). Meanwhile, Jerry and Charlotte try to get into an old club unaware that it's all about jazz and marijuana.
102"Soup to Nuts"Lev L. SpiroChris HarrisFebruary 8, 2004205
On a school field trip Oliver loses his lunch due to the bus hitting a bump and spills on his lap with everyone thinking he's thrown up on himself.
113"Daughter for a Day"Lev L. SpiroJim Bernstein, Howard Gewirtz & Michael ShipleyFebruary 15, 2004208
Oliver and Jerry do some father-and-son bonding for the day, while Charlotte feels left out and spends the day with Joyce hoping to know her better.
124"X-Ray Specs"Michael SpillerCarter Bays & Craig ThomasFebruary 22, 2004207
Oliver orders X-Ray glasses from a comic book and finds out that they don't work. He decides to get revenge on Barnaby Rollins (Richard Kind) the company owner, in order to get his money back.
135"Ward Have Mercy"Matt ShakmanDavid M. SternMarch 7, 2004203
Oliver creates a door knocker that Mr. Stitt (Ethan Phillips) does not approve of and instructs that it be removed. Charlotte gets help from Carl the building Superintendent (Kenneth Mars) on how to beat Mr. Stitt in the upcoming election.
146"Disposa Boy"Brent CarpenterKristofor BrownMarch 14, 2004107

Oliver learns that he is going to the lowest level of the grade levels in his school because his former teacher Mrs. Heller punished him. So, Oliver tries to figure out how to get back to level one without taking the Iowa test. Meanwhile, Jerry tries to get people interested in his latest invention "The Disposa Toothbrush".

Note: This episode was originally produced for season 1.
157"Idol Chatter"Matt ShakmanStephen LloydJune 6, 2004206
Jerry tries to out do his neighbors the O'Shaughnessy's by having a famous comedian entertaining the guests at the Beene party.
168"Oliver and the Otters"Michael SpillerCarter Bays & Craig ThomasJune 13, 2004209
Oliver forms his own band called "Oliver and the Otters" to impress Joyce. Meanwhile, Jerry asks Charlotte to fill in as his dental assistant after his previous one got hurt.
179"Kissing Babies"Jay ChandrasekharJim Bernstein & Michael ShipleyJune 20, 2004204
Oliver is about to attend his first make-out party and seeks advice from Ted about the games that will be played there.
1810"Girly Dad"Marcos SiegaJace RichdaleJune 27, 2004108

Charlotte and Ted try to teach Jerry how to throw a ball... in a more manly fashion.

Note: This episode was originally produced for season 1.
1911"Fallout"Jeff MelmanHoward GewitzAugust 15, 2004101

Oliver tries out for the annual talent show hoping he can impress Bonnie. Meanwhile, Jerry turns the basement into a fallout shelter as a 15-anniversary present for Charlotte.

Note: This is the pilot episode of the series.
2012"Catskills"Michael SpillerJim Bernstein & Michael ShipleyAugust 22, 2004213
Charlotte is desperate for some time with her family so she decides to take her family to the Catskills Mountains.
2113"A Trip to Coney Island"Jeff MelmanCarter Bays & Craig ThomasAugust 29, 2004201
Jerry and his family decide to take a trip to Coney Island. The vacation causes a feud to spark between Jerry and his neighbor over a parking spot. Meanwhile, Oliver gets his dream job of being a paper boy, But realizes that it's not all that it's cracked up to be.
2214"Babysitting"Howard GewirtzHoward GewirtzSeptember 12, 2004211
Oliver is conned into baby-sitting for Joyce, but she gets more than she bargained for when Oliver steals her steady job.
2315"Superhero"Michael SpillerBrenda Hsueh & Maurissa TancharoenUnaired in the U.S.210
Oliver can never seem to take a good photo and therefore hates picture day. This year he is determined to take control of the situation and do things on his terms, so he wears a superhero costume as a method of protest. Meanwhile, Ted learns that his baseball coach (Sam Horrigan) is dating Elke.
2416"The King & I"Fred SavageStephen LloydUnaired in the U.S.212
The owner of a sports store offers Ted all that he wants from the store. But to get it, he must go out with the owner's daughter.

External links

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