Sitcoms Online Photo Galleries - Reggie: Local TV Guide

Reggie aired from August until September 1983 on ABC.

Reggie was based on a British television series that had begun with an interesting premise: a frustrated middle-aged executive, exhausted by the pressures and monotony of his life, faked his own suicide by walking into the ocean. He then came back in all manner of outrageous disguises to snoop on his family and friends ( who were mourning him-sort of) and ended up romancing and marrying his own "widowed" wife, before the ruse was discovered. The American series never tried that innovative ploy, but it did depict a frustrated Reggie ( Richard Mulligan) trying to cope with his perpetual midlife crisis through daydream fantasies that viewers saw and that sometimes came true.

Reggie's job at the Funtime Ice Cream Company gave him the most woe, especially his incredibly overbearing young boss, C.J. ( Chip Zien) , and his luscious secretary, Joan ( Jean Smart), about whom he had been having sexual fantasies for years ( unknown to Reggie, she had been having the same fantasies about him). He worried about his sexual prowess with his wife, Elizabeth ( Barbara Barrie), worried about his daughter, Linda ( Dianne Kay), and her obnoxious husband, Tom ( Timothy Stack), lusted for his son Mark's ( Timothy Busfield) girlfriend, and confided his darkest secrets to Monty, a large stuffed toy fox attired in English hunting habit.

Based on the British series The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin , and David Nobbs' book of the same name.

A Review from The New York Times

TV: 'REGGIE,' MIDLIFE CRISIS COMEDY

By JOHN CORRY
Published: August 2, 1983

REGGIE has problems - sexual, professional and familial. To cope, he has fantasies, none lingering, all fleeting, the stuff of which sight gags are made. Reggie, 47 years old, is afflicted by midlife crisis. He is the title character in ''Reggie,'' a new ABC series, which airs its first episode at 9:30 tonight. On Thursday, the series will move into its regular time period at 9.

Male midlife crisis isn't a bad idea for a comedy series, and ''Reggie'' does have its moments. It isn't bad at all, for example, when Reggie, struck by impotence, asks a doctor for advice. Aha, the doctor says knowingly. Does Reggie mean he can't stop thinking about sex, but can't do anything about it, either?

''Yes,'' Reggie says excitedly, ''what the hell is that?''

''I don't know,'' the doctor says. ''I got the same thing myself.''

There is a lot of humor like that on ''Reggie.'' And the truth is it doesn't come from midlife crisis so much as it does from shtik. Reggie is played by Richard Mulligan, who shows much the same persona he did on ''Soap.'' The difference is that this time he's not supposed to be nuts. He dithers, he does double takes, he mugs. If you think this is funny, you'll think ''Reggie'' is funny.

Tonight's episode opens with Reggie and his wife (Barbara Barrie) having problems, broadly hinted at, in bed. Their son enters, introducing his new girlfriend, and asking permission for them to spend the night. Reggie is shocked and says no. The son thinks his father is antediluvian. The girlfriend, meanwhile, flirts with Reggie. This leads to some of his fantasies.

Actually, the fantasies aren't risque, no matter how much smirking goes on. In one, Reggie even sees himself in top hat and tails, his son's girlfriend in a bridal gown, the two of them getting married. However, when you see a man having a sexual fantasy that must be sanctified by marriage, you're seeing a man who's not having a sexual fantasy at all. ''Reggie'' pretends to be naughty, but like so many soap-opera comedies it really isn't.

Much of the rest of the action is about Reggie's professional problems. These center on his young boss, C. J., the owner of the Fun-Time Deserts Company. ''I love you like an employee,'' says C. J., amusingly played by Chip Zien. When Reggie starts to say, ''C. J., do you think . . .?'' C. J. cuts him off. ''I try not to,'' he says quickly.

Julie and Dinah Kirgo, who wrote ''Reggie,'' go in for antic humor, and much of the time they find it. But the parts don't add up to a whole, and ''Reggie'' is only another series about a klutz. Television situation comedies stay in a fixed firmament. Reggie is no different than Chester Riley in the old ''Life of Riley,'' except that he worries about impotence.

''Reggie,'' which is based on a British series, ''The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin,'' also has a theme song, ''The Real Me.'' It says that Reggie wants to ride a dolphin and see exotic places. Riley would have liked that, too.

You can download the theme of Reggie on this page... http://www.geocities.com/rikerdonegal/start.html

For a Review of the British version of Reggie go to http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/reggie.htm