Dream On is an American adult-themed situation comedy about the family life, romantic life, and career of Martin Tupper, a divorced New York Citybook editor played by Brian Benben. The show distinctively interjected clips from older black-and-white television series to punctuate Tupper's feelings or thoughts. It was created by Marta Kauffman and David Crane, the team who later created the TV showFriends. It ran for six seasons on HBO between 1990 and 1996.
Premise
The show centered on Martin Tupper's life in an apartment in New York City with his teenaged son, and relating to his ex-wife, while trying to date other women and succeed as an editor for a small book publisher with Toby, his brassy secretary. Judith, his ex-wife, went on to marry Dr. Richard Stone - the never-seen, most impossibly successful man on the planet ; despite Martin's undying love for Judith, he could never compete with the legendary Dr. Stone. The opening indicates Martin's mother parked him in front of the TV and he then grew up engrossed in it. It briefly shows a babysitter making out with a boyfriend behind young Martin, hence the association of sex with his memories. The show was notable for its frequent use of clips from old movies and TV shows to express Martin's inner life and feelings, which lent it much of its quirky appeal, reminding viewers about the impact of TV on their consciousness. The show was also significant for being one of the first American sitcoms to use uncensored profanity and nudity. Dream On first aired July 1990 on HBO, and was cancelled by HBO in March 1996. One season of the show, with language and nudity edited for broadcast, aired in prime time on the Fox Network in 1995: Sunday at 9:30-10:00 p.m. from January to April and Monday at 9:00-10:00 p.m. from June to July. This bowdlerized version was later made available in syndication.
Cast
Brian Benben, as Martin Tupper, is the protagonist of the series. He is a book editor who had watched a lot of 1950s shows that he expresses his thoughts through snippets of old TV dramas.
Wendie Malick, as Judith Tupper Stone, is Martin's ex-wife who has since remarried to a perfect guy.
Chris Demetral, as Jeremy Tupper, is Martin's teenaged son.
Time magazine called the show "engaging", noting that its use of old clips was "a clever gimmick perks up familiar material" and later called the second season of the "decidedly adult sitcom...better than ever." The New York Times had mixed opinions about the show. In their first-season review, John J. O'Connor said Dream On was not "different from ordinary network fare...except for, as might be expected, the more freewheeling language and treatments of sex"; by the season's third episode, the show's protagonist is "already becoming just another nice bachelor father, not all that different from the one John Forsythe played on television several decades ago." About a year later, O'Connor said, while the show "has its weak spots, most notably in a pointless tendency to be smarmy" with "clips... that are sometimes less witty than painfully obvious. But Dream On takes unusual chances and has a habit of turning out to be refreshingly original."
Production notes
The show was created by Marta Kauffman and David Crane, who also served as producers. Dream On was executive produced by Kevin Bright and John Landis. Landis also directed several episodes of the series. To this day, the static shown on the TV towards the end of the opening credits forms part of the opening credits or introduction for every show made by HBO.
In Canada, Dream On aired on the cable movie station Superchannel, in late-night timeslots on CBC Television, and later on, The Comedy Network, and with French subtitles on Télé-Québec. In New Zealand, the edited version screened on TV2, while the unedited version appeared on SKY 1. The show aired on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, in France, the show aired on Canal Jimmy, in Switzerland on TSR, in Sweden on Canal +, in Germany on RTL2, in Norway on TV3, in Greece on ANT1 and on Raisat Cinema, Canale 5, and Rai 4 in Italy. It was also broadcast by Canal + in Poland as one of its first shows. Also Canal + in Sapin had it and was one their main titles. In Israel, the entire show aired on Bip; it is still aired on a regular basis, usually at night as it managed to retain its popularity.
Home media
Seasons one and two were released on DVD for both regions 1 and 2; seasons three through six have not been released.
