Sitcoms Online Photo Galleries - Princesses

Princesses aired from September until October 1991 on CBS.

Three young, single women became roommates in a most unusual way. Tracy ( Julie Hagerty) was a shy, trusting English teacher who left her fiance at the alter when she found out he had been married twice before and that one of his ex-wives was his sexy business partner. What she salvaged , however was a fabulous Manhattan penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park. Tony , the owner of the apartment , a globetrotting friend of her almost husband, had given it to them for a year, rent free as a wedding present. Apparently he was a little forgetful , having also loaned the apartment to Georgy ( Twiggy Lawson), a recently widowed English princess ( and former showgirl) who had moved to the states while her late husband's children fought with her attorney over his will. Since Georgy had no friends in New York, she was more than happy to share the huge apartment with Tracy. The third " princess" was Tracy's longtime roommate and best friend Melissa ( Fran Drescher), an outspoken , stereotypical Jewish American who sold cosmetics at a department store. She was thrilled to give up their little apartment for the glitz of Manhattan, and the price was certainly right. The conflict of personalities, as well as Georgy's adjustment to being on her own after years of being waited upon, provided the basis for the comedy. Also seen was Melissa's married younger sister, Debra (Leila Kenzle), who sounded and acted exactly like her.

Julie Hagerty abruptly left the show after only a few episodes had been taped and Princesses was put on hiatus while the producers hunted for a replacement. Low ratings and generally bad reviews for the series caused them to rethink their plans and Princesses ceased to exist after the last Hagerty episode had been telecast.

A Review from The New York Times

TV Weekend; Unlikely Royalty in a Fifth Avenue Fairy Tale

By JOHN J. O'CONNOR
Published: September 27, 1991

Remember Twiggy, the scrawny British model who became fashionable for a few minutes a decade or two ago? She's back in -- what else? -- an American sitcom. Twiggy Lawson, as she is now billed, is one of the three engaging stars of "Princesses," a new CBS series having its premiere at 8 this evening. Close your eyes and you'll swear it's Julie Andrews.

"Princesses" is set in Manhattan. Tracy (Julie Hagerty) is a lovely but dizzy English teacher who has come to the big city to find romance. She does, with a questionable businessman named Michael DeCrow (James Read), whose real first name turns out to be Moe. Getting to the church on time, Tracy discovers that Moe has already gone through two marriages that he failed to mention. She cancels the ceremony and is consoled by her best friend, Melissa (Fran Drescher), who specializes in being a brash New Yorker desperately in search of a man who can handle her. "I don't have time for subtle," Mel explains. "If I could, I'd wear a sign."

Tracy was supposed to move with her new husband into a swank Fifth Avenue apartment overlooking Central Park. As it happens, that same apartment had already been lent to a real princess named Georgie, and that's where Twiggy Lawson comes in. Formerly a showgirl, the recently widowed Princess Georgina De La Rue is temporarily broke while her stepchildren contest their father's will. Georgie has a great idea. She and Tracy and Mel will all live together as mates, rent free, in the fabulous apartment until the legal matters are resolved. We are, in short, in fairy-tale land.

That's the situation. The comedy is considerably more elusive. As early as next week's second episode, it is apparent that "Princesses" is determined to run true to predictable types. Tracy is the sincere bubblehead, reminiscent of the Georgette character in the old "Mary Tyler Moore Show." Mel is a fountain of adenoidal sarcasm. And Georgie must spend a lot of time learning to be a commoner again, discovering that ordinary people work and certain workers expect to be tipped. How quickly we forget, apparently, our tap-dancing roots.

"Princesses" offers still another format starring mostly women in a bid to attract a hefty share of the total television audience, which is mostly women. Sister concepts are especially popular this year: "Sibs" on ABC, for example, and, yes, "Sisters" on NBC. CBS's "Princesses" are really sisters under the skin. Now all they need are a few decent scripts.

An Article from The New York Times

A Star Quits 'Princesses,' CBS Series

Published: October 14, 1991

The CBS prime-time schedule received another blow this weekend when it was announced that Julie Hagerty, one of the stars of the new comedy "Princesses" has left the series. A statement from the production company yesterday described the decision as mutual.

CBS is already facing the necessity to find a replacement series for the comedy "Royal Family" because of the sudden death on Friday of its star Redd Foxx.

A CBS executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said yesterday that the network had not yet decided how it would replace "Royal Family" and whether Ms. Hagerty would be replaced on "Princesses."

Both shows have several completed episodes that have not yet been broadcast. The "Princesses" episodes with Ms. Hagerty are to be broadcast, but the show will take a week off from production as the producers decide how to write Ms. Hagerty out of the show. CBS may decide not to broadcast any of the remaining "Royal Family" episodes out of respect for Mr. Foxx.

CBS has been the leading network in prime-time ratings so far this television season. "The Royal Family" had improved CBS position in the Nielsen ratings for Wednesday nights. "Princesses" had been considered a ratings disappointment.

For the Official Website of Twiggy go to http://www.twiggylawson.co.uk/

For another Website dedicated to Twiggy go to http://www.twiggybits.com/

For a Website dedicated to Fran Drescher go to http://www.frandrescher.net/

For another Fran Drescher Website go to http://hometown.aol.com/franniefan4life/

For a Website dedicated to Leila Kenzle go to http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/2489/index.html

For more on Princesses go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princesses_(TV_series)