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The Associates (1979) Season 1 Episode 9

The Censors

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 4/10/80

A network is having censorship issues with a new sitcom, Me and Stevie, whose producer is threatening to sue if forced to cut things requested by S&P. Since the firm represents the network, one of the associates will handle it. After testing the group with off-color ethnic jokes, Mr. Marshall selects Tucker -- who didn't laugh -- and sends him to Hollywood to meet Gerald McMartin, the network chief, and Phil Kramer, the inflexible producer. Kramer says he'll only cut the scene in question if Tucker tells him it isn't funny, so it's performed live for him to judge. In it, a father has to explain to his young Boy Scout son Stevie about the airhead, Vera, that he just caught his dad in bed with. But Stevie locked himself in the bathroom and won't come out. During the course of the scene, Chick appears in his underwear, while Vera says she has to go tinkle, uses a slur for gays and gets her hair caught in Chick's zipper. S&P sends over gay group rep Adamson, who convinces Kramer the gay jab needs to go, but he still won't cut anything else. That's not good enough for the network, who want Vera and Stevie recast, and the tinkle, underwear and zipper bits to go. Tucker reminds Kramer if he doesn't cooperate, he'll be out money when they reject the pilot. So Kramer gives in to their wishes and reshoots the entire thing. But with the network satisfied with the sanitized end result, Tucker watches the new pilot...and sees it's no longer funny.moreless

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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Martin Short	Tucker Kerwin
Joe Regalbuto	Eliot Streeter
Tim Thomerson	Johnny Danko
Alley Mills	Leslie Dunn
Wilfrid Hyde-White	Emerson Marshall
Shelley Smith	Sara James

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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John Ritter	Chick [Me]	Guest Star
Stuart Margolin	Phil Kramer	Guest Star
Lee Wallace	Gerald McMartin	Guest Star

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NOTES (4)
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- At the time, guest star Ian Praiser was both a story editor for The Associates and a writer/story editor for Taxi.
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- The network Me and Stevie is on is never mentioned, although one figures it was meant to be ABC. Gerald McMartin mentions the 1979 Animal House adaptation, Delta House, which was on ABC. The studio, on the other hand, is shown. It's none other than Paramount.
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- Stuart Margolin later starred on the producers' uncritically-acclaimed flop, Mr. Smith.
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- Stan Daniels & Ed. Weinberger received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.
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