Sitcoms Online Photo Galleries - Private Benjamin: TV Guide cover for December 1981

Private Benjamin aired from April 1981 until September 1983 on CBS.

Practically every major movie hit seems to spawn TV imitations-either directly or in disguise-and Goldie Hawn's box office smash Private Benjamin was no exception. Goldie wasn't available for the TV counterpart, so a little known actress named Lorna Patterson ( previously of Working Stiffs and Goodtime Girls) assumed the role of the spoiled New York socialite who decided to tackle the U.S. Army. Trading in her designer clothes for olive drab, and giving up haute culsine for such delicacies as chipped beef on toast, Judy found it difficult to adapt to life in " Todays" Modern Army. Yet here she was, at Fort Bradley, outside Biloxi ,Mississippi, determined to make it through basic training. The unfortunate task of trying to mold Judy into a soldier fell to her frustrated company commander , Capt. Doreen Lewis ( Eileen Brennan). Fellow recruits included street -wise Maria Gianelli ( Lisa Raggio), who chose the army as an alternative to jail; Rayleen White ( Joyce Little), a bright ambitious child of the Detroit ghettos; Barbara Ann Glass ( Joan Roberts), a hayseed who often felt compelled to sing obscure country songs; and Carol Winter ( Ann Ryerson), a brownnosing , obnoxious brat. Sgt. Ted Ross ( Hal Williams) was their no nonsense drill instructor.

Col. Fielding ( Robert Mandan), the base commander , an unctuous, publicity-hungry officer of marginal competence, became a regular early in 1982. Capt. Lewis was promoted to Fort Bradley's public affairs officer, and Judy ended up working for her. Amazingly, Pvt. Gianelli became an MP.

Eileen Brennan and Hal Williams re-created their movie roles for this series. Brennan was seriously hurt in October 1982 when she was struck by a car and Polly Holliday was added to the show's cast as a temporary replacement. She only appeared in a single episode before Private Benjamoin was canceled.

An Article from The New York Times

TV: 4-EPISODE 'PVT. BENJAMIN
By JANET MASLIN
Published: April 6, 1981

EVEN without Goldie Hawn, ''Private Benjamin,'' the television show, looks and feels a lot like ''Private Benjamin,'' the movie. This television version, which will be shown tonight at 8 o'clock on NBC, features a couple of the film's key actors and duplicates much of its mood. The movie's wit was more offbeat, and its jokes seemed a good deal funnier. Still, this is a creditable imitation.

This is the first of four installments in a series that is scheduled to have only a limited run. It finds Judy Benjamin (Lorna Patterson) grumbling adorably through basic training, under the baleful supervision of Sergeant Ross and Captain Lewis (Hal Williams and Eileen Brennan, both of whom appeared in the movie).

Private Benjamin, as played by Miss Patterson, is still a dizzy suburbanite turned babe in arms, not fully accustomed to the hardships of military life. Early in the program she complains about not getting enough sleep, wondering whether to put cucumber slices on her eyelids or take more zinc. Most of her jokes are along the same lines. At one point, Miss Brennan's Captain Lewis ribs her mercilessly just because she is wearing a cashmere sweater under her uniform so as not to get a chill. At another, Judy is told that the captain plans to have each soldier demonstrate her best personal skill and knowingly declares, ''She's gonna send me out shopping.''

Miss Brennan's character has been softened from a sadist into a lovable curmudgeon, so that she even has a speech declaring: ''I'm not really a bad person, Benjamin. I'm a soldier, a career soldier. I'm Army through and through, and I love it.'' And the rivalry between her and Private Benjamin is more like good clean fun than previously. In general, the material is tamer. But, as written by Don Reo and directed by Bob Sweeney, the spinoff retains the original's flavor.

For an episode guide go to http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Stage/2950/US/Comedy/PrivateBenjamin.htm

For a Biography of Lorna Patterson go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorna_Patterson

For info on the movie Private Benjamin go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_Benjamin