It's a Living
It's a Living (renamed Making a Living for Season 2)[1] is an American ensemble sitcom television series set in a restaurant at the top of the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles.[1] The show aired on ABC from October 30, 1980 until June 11, 1982. After the series was canceled by ABC, new episodes aired in first-run syndication from September 28, 1985 to April 8, 1989. The series was created by Stu Silver,[2] Dick Clair and Jenna McMahon and produced by Witt/Thomas Productions, later in association with Golden West Television (1985–86) and Lorimar-Telepictures (1986–89). The series is now distributed by Paul Brownstein Productions and Warner Bros. Television Distribution.
For the 1998 Canadian reality television series, see It's a Living (Canadian TV series).It's a Living
Making a Living
"It's a Living"
United States
6
120 (list of episodes)
Joel Zwick
R.J. Colleary
Marc Sotkin
Tom Whedon
Gloria Banta
Greg Antonacci
Paul Kreppel
30 minutes
ABC (1980–1982)
Syndication (1985–1989)
October 30, 1980 –
April 8, 1989
Plot[edit]
The show follows the lives of the waitresses at the posh restaurant called Above the Top, located atop the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, California. At the helm is supervisor Nancy Beebe, the restaurant's maître d’, who sometimes fraternizes with the girls but usually gives orders and demands excellence. The plot often involves annoying Nancy in some minor way. Adding to the elegant but chaotic working environment is wisecracking pianist Sonny Mann, who makes rude comments to the women and receives insults in return. The kitchen is first the domain of Chef Mario, then Dennis Hubner and finally Howard Miller. Howard and Nancy eventually fall in love and marry.
Title changes[edit]
As with many other sitcoms from the 1980–81 television season, It's a Living felt the effects of the 1980 Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strike, which limited the show to just 13 episodes in its first season.
The series was not a ratings success. For Season 2, the cast was largely retooled and the series was renamed Making a Living.[1] Two of the five waitresses from the first season—Lois Adams and Vicki Allen, played by actresses Susan Sullivan and Wendy Schaal, respectively—were removed, and waitress Maggie McBurney, portrayed by Louise Lasser, was added. However, this iteration also failed to find success, and the show was canceled at the end of the season. In syndication, the second season airs under the original title of It's a Living.
Of all the cast members, only Gail Edwards (Dot Higgins), Marian Mercer (Nancy Beebe Miller), Barrie Youngfellow (Jan Hoffmeyer Gray) and Paul Kreppel (Sonny Mann) lasted through the show's network and syndicated runs. Ann Jillian (Cassie Cranston) appeared during the network run and the first year of syndication. Crystal Bernard and Richard Stahl appeared during the entire syndicated run.