According To Jim

According To Jim
Category: Sitcom

Created By: Tracy Newman and Jonathan Stark

Stars: Jim Belushi Brother of John Belushi), Courtney Thorne- Smith, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Larry Joe Campbell, Taylor Atelian, Billi Bruno, Conner Rayburn

Number of Seasons: 7

Number of Episodes: 157

Original Channel: ABC

Original Run: October 3, 2001 to present

This show is an American situation comedy television series, which premiered on October 3, 2001 on ABC. According To Jim first aired following the surprise hit comedy My Wife and Kids and quickly developed an audience of its own. For its second season ABC placed it on its revitalized Tuesday line-up, which also included John Ritter's 8 Simple Rules, Bonnie Hunt's Life with Bonnie and Less Than Perfect. Week by week, According To Jim attracted more and more viewers, becoming ABC's second most watched sitcom. According To Jim performed so well that the network made a risky move: putting Jim opposite the NBC juggernaut Frasier.

According to Jim did well enough to keep the spot on the 2003 fall schedule. An announcement that the show was not renewed for another season was made on May 15, 2007. On June 27, 2007 ABC renewed According To Jim for a seventh season with 18 episodes. According To Jim returned to ABC's schedule on Tuesday January 1, 2008 with two episodes at 9pm and 9:30pm. After that According To Jim moved to its regular timeslot at 9pm.

Synopsis

Jim is an abrasive but lovable suburban father. He's married to a gorgeous woman, Cheryl, and raises his three kids – Ruby, Gracie and Kyle – in a big house. Everything is perfect for Jim, if it wasn't for the messy situations he gets himself into and his laziness, which often makes him search for alternative ways of doing things with less effort. Of course, having his wife's siblings hanging out at his house all the time is no help. While Andy might be one of his best friends, Dana often teams up with Cheryl against Jim. Jim does what he wants to and doesn't think about all the consequences. He does what most of us might want to do but we know that would be nuts. He learns this on every show. The show makes me feel good about myself and my family. We may be screwed-up but not that bad. Sitcoms are like therapy. We might be thinking something but the show actually makes the thing happen on screen. We just enjoy the good part without being punished. The characters on the screen are our puppets.

Jim is a break all the rules kind of father. He cares but he wants to fix things his way. He’s married to Cheryl, a woman way above his level. They have three kids, Ruby, Gracie, and Kyle. Jim is a contractor and his brother-in-law, Andy, is his architect/assistant/sidekick/whipping boy. Basically Andy does everything Jim doesn’t want to do. Jim always tries to fix his way, any way that requires little or no effort on his part. His sister-in-law, Dana, and brother-in-law, Andy, are always hanging out at Jim and Cheryl’s house, annoying Jim. Andy is one of Jim’s best friends but Dana often teams up with Cheryl to foil Jim’s schemes. Jim leaps before he looks and usually suffers for it. He does things that people would only think about doing.

The shows that survive do what we expect. The shows that don't survive just don't fit with what is on the mind of the viewers. Of course the suits can get rid of a show for no reason, especially if they have enough money.

According to Jim Video Clips

Cast

Jim Belushi - James "Jim": He’s someone you’d love to have as a brother. He’s just as hilarious as his brother John was. You might remember John from SNL and the movie Animal House. Jim was in Red Heat with Arnold “I’ll be back” Swartzennegar. He’s done many projects.

Courtney Thorne-Smith – Cheryl: She’s gorgeous and smart and occasionally has fun. She was on Melrose Place. I never watched the show but I’m guessing she played one of the girls who did a lot of fooling around. If Jim is Abbott then Cheryl is Costello. For the younger readers see YouTube. Abbott and Costello were comedy geniuses. Abbott was the straight man and Costello was the bumbling sidekick. The difference with Jim and Cheryl is that they are in a family whereas Abbott and Costello were a couple of bachelors.

Kimberly Williams-Paisley - Dana Gibson: She’s a one-night stand waiting to happen. She does get married later. You might remember her in Father of the Bride Steve Martin as her dad. In that movie she is a sweet, innocent (kind of), goody goody. Well on According to Jim she has hit on every kind of guy. You might even call her a tramp, until of course she gets married.

Larry Joe Campbell - Andrew "Andy" : He’s generally a nice, caring, loyal person who avoids trouble. He does end up enjoying himself when Jim gets him in trouble. I’ve seen him on another show but generally I don’t know too much about him. He is perfect for the part. He is lonely and rarely gets a woman. Even when he does get a woman it’s a bit of a barter. The girl makes the rules and if he wants any action he has to do whatever she says. I remember on one episode Dana and Andy discuss evidence of their lonely lives. Dana is given books on how to find a man and how to raise children while Andy is given mail order bride books. The person providing these “helpful” items is their mother. Dana says she only has the books because her mother gave them to her. Andy comes back with the fact that he uses the mail order bride books in a way different from what his mother intended. He then asks the people in the room if they get what he means. They are disgusted but acknowledge that they do know what he means.

Taylor Atelian - Ruby

Billi Bruno - Gracie

Conner Rayburn - Kyle (Seasons 4+)

Mitch Rouse - Ryan Gibson (Dana's husband)



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