Frank's Place was a Syndication network comedy-drama series created & executively produced by Hugh Wilson, starring Tim Reid in the lead role.
The show aired from September 14, 1987 to March 22, 1988, lasting for one season & 22 episodes. It was produced by Viacom Productions.
Plot[]
The series centered on the life of Frank Parrish, an Ivy League university professor who inherits a restaurant called Chez Louisiane in New Orleans, Louisiana that used to belong to his deceased father.
Cast[]
- Tim Reid as Frank Parrish
- Daphne Maxwell Reid as Hanna Griffin
- Tony Burton as Big Arthur
- Virginia Capers as Mrs. Bertha Griffin-Lamour
- Robert Harper as Bubba Weisberger
- Lincoln Kilpatrick as Reverend Deal
- Charles Lampkin as Tiger Shepin
- Francesca P. Roberts as Anna Mae
- Don Yesso as Shorty La Roux
- William Thomas, Jr. as Cool Charles
- Frances E. Williams as Miss Marie
Production[]
The idea for "Frank's Place" came from CBS vice president, Gregg Maday; as a young man, Maday frequented a restaurant in Buffalo, New York named Dan Montgomery's.
Maday also wanted a series based in New Orleans, Louisiana due to the mid-1980s interest in Cajun cuisine and zydeco, and the two ideas were combined.
Wilson and Reid spent time in New Orleans for research and found a restaurant named Chez Helene, and many of the things they encountered there were included in the series.
Big Arthur was based on Chez Helene's owner, Austin Leslie. The series focused more on Creole cuisine and Creole culture rather than Cajun.
Don Yesso was a real-life New Orleans native whom Wilson met on a flight to the city. Yesso was not an actor, but Wilson cast him because of his genuine Yat dialect.
Unlike most sitcom productions of the era, "Frank's Place" was filmed with a single camera and did not use a laugh track.
Accolades[]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Golden Globe Award | Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy | Tim Reid, Hugh Wilson, Max Tash
David Chambers, Richard Dubin |
Nominated |
| 1988 | Primetime Emmy Award | |||
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Tim Reid | Nominated | ||
| Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series | Tim Reid, Hugh Wilson, Max Tash
David Chambers, Richard Dubin |
Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series | Hugh Wilson For episode: "The Bridge" |
Won | ||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special | Michael Ballin, Marty Church, Lenora Peterson, and M. Curtis Price For episode "Food Fight" |
Won | ||
| Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series | Beah Richards For the role of Mrs. Varden in "The Bridge" |
Won | ||
| 1988 | Humanitas Prize | 30 Minute Category | Hugh Wilson | Won |
| 1990 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Tim Reid | Won |
| 1988 | Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Comedy | Tim Reid and Hugh Wilson | Won |
| 1988 | Viewers for Quality Television Awards | Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series | Tim Reid | Won |