Sitcoms Online Photo Galleries - Nothing in Common: Bill Macy and Todd Waring

Nothing in Common aired from April until June 1987 on NBC.

Based on the 1986 Tom Hanks-Jackie Gleason movie of the same name , this frothy comedy followed the travails of nutty young ad-agency head David Basner ( Todd Waring) and his irresponsible unemployed father, Max ( Bill Macy), who mooched off him unmercifully. Stories concerrned such burning questions as " should David cancel a long-planned fishing trip with his father to save a sausage account?" A typical cast of TV loonies inhabited David's agency, among them sexy new agency executive Jacqueline ( Wendy Kilbourne), neorotic copywriters Norma and Mark ( Mona Lyden, Bill Applebaum); golfer Myron ( Patrick Richwood) and leather -jacketed young cameraman Joey D ( Billy Wirth).

A Review from The New York Times

By JOHN J. O'CONNOR
Published: April 1, 1987

''Nothing in Common'' (NBC, tomorrow at 9:30).

Garry Marshall (''Happy Days,'' ''Laverne and Shirley,'' ''Mork and Mindy'') is returning to television sitcoms with this spinoff of a Jackie Gleason-Tom Hanks movie he directed. He and Alexandra Rose produced the film, and they are now the executive producers of the series, which stars a Hanks look-alike, Todd Waring, as David Basner, a young advertising whiz, and Bill Macy as his irascible father, Max, a prominent race-track handicapper.

Here is an advertising world of bright young people giving free rein to their madcap instincts. Being crazy, goes the theory, makes them more creative. Into this childlike environment comes beautiful Jacqueline (Wendy Kilbourne), an M.B.A. from Harvard who may lack a sense of humor but has more than enough compensating assets to hold David's attention.

In the debut episode, written by Mr. Marshall and directed by Nick Abdo, interfering Max manages to get a role in a crucial commercial being prepared for presentation by his son. Max and David constantly exchange one-line wisecracks, but in the end father and son embrace each other. As proud Dad puts it, ''You're still a nut, but you're the head nut.'' Mr. Waring's impersonation of Tom Hanks is remarkably on target. Mr. Macy doesn't look anything like Jackie Gleason and makes the most of it. And television entertainment continues its homage to the craft of reprocessing.

A Review from USA TODAY

TV PREVIEW/BY MONICA COLLINS

Nothing distinguishes this 'common' sitcom

I guess it would have helped to see the movie of the same title, upon which Nothing in Common is based.

If you haven't seen the film, then this comedy will open on a note of mystery. Who is this smart aleck? And why is he being so dreadful to his daddy?

There seems no good reason for the son's initial dismissal of his father. The kid is smart, successful, young and looks like Tom Hanks ( who starred in the original movie).

He owns an advertising agency and has lots of fun at work, including a flirtation with a comely co-worker.

But whenever dad comes around, the son clams up. He becomes angry, hostile, and strange. There's not a clue why or wherefore.

For his part, Dad seems like a nice enough guy. Retired , divorced and with extra time on his hands, the father just seems to enjoy his son's company.

Slowly, you begin to understand. Son of course, does love Dad ( otherwise this wouldn't be a sitcom now, would it?).

He just resents the constant intrusion and meddling. Medlesome but loving parents-now there's a tried and true TV theme.

Son is played by Todd Waring, who does bear that resemblance to Hanks and, furthermore, looks as if he fell off the TV comedy assembly line. Those glib good looks, that polished delivery make Waring a most unmemorable fellow.

It's not that he doesn't have the right stuff. He does. It's just too much of the right stuff-all slick and ready-to-wear.

And Nothing in Common looks and sounds the same. The movie may have been distinctive but the sitcomization doesn't shine with any novelty.

This has the feel of a TV comedy produced in the 1970s. That makes some sense because Garry Marshall who directed the film and is executive producer of the TV series, was the king of '70s sitcoms ( Laverne & Shirley and Happy Days).

Nothing in Common is quite common.

For info on the movie Nothing in Common go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothing_in_Common