A Minute with Stan Hooper

A Minute with Stan Hooper, also known as Stan Hooper, is an American sitcom starring Norm Macdonald. The series was a Bungalow 78 production in association with Paramount Television and aired on Fox. The series was canceled after six of the thirteen episodes produced were aired.

A Minute with Stan Hooper
Also known asStan Hooper
GenreSitcom
Created byNorm Macdonald
Barry Kemp
Written byNorm Macdonald
Cindy Caponera
Barry Kemp
Mike Lisbe
Nate Reger
Joseph Staretski
Directed byJeffrey L. Melman
Barry Kemp
StarringNorm Macdonald
Penelope Ann Miller
Reagan Dale Neis
ComposerJason Miller
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13 (7 unaired)
Production
Executive producersNorm Macdonald
Barry Kemp
Lori Jo Hoekstra
ProducerJessie Ward Dugan
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesBungalow 78 Productions
Paramount Television
Release
Original networkFox
Picture format480i (SDTV)
Original releaseOctober 29 
December 12, 2003 (2003-12-12)

The central character's name, Stan Hooper, was taken from Macdonald's work on Saturday Night Live, but the characters were vastly different. The role also allowed Macdonald to play the straight man among a cast of eccentric characters, a departure from his traditional comedy style.

Plot

Hooper, a famous newspaper columnist turned television commentator, moves his family from their New York home to a small Wisconsin town, Waterford Falls, where he hopes to better get in touch with Middle America in an attempt to make his weekly minute-long television commentaries more appealing to a larger audience. While there, he interacts with the folksy, and largely strange, townspeople of Waterford Falls.

Macdonald has said his goal was for the show to lull its audience into complacency, and become more subversive as time went on. It included a plan for Stan's wife Molly to be murdered by a drifter at the end of the first season.[1] The show was cancelled before any such plans were enacted.

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Pilot"Barry KempBarry Kemp & Norm MacdonaldOctober 29, 2003 (2003-10-29)101
Stan moves with his family from New York to a small Wisconsin town, Waterford Falls, in order to better get in touch with “Middle America” to make his minute-long television commentaries more appealing to a larger audience.
2"Stan Goes to Washington"Jeff MelmanCindy CaponeraNovember 5, 2003 (2003-11-05)104
After he finds out that the same man has been mayor for five straight terms, Stan decides to run for town mayor to give the townsfolk another choice. However, Stan is shocked to learn of the cover-up behind the mayor and the involvement of Fred Hawkins in it, as well as the rest of the town.
3"The Hustle"Jeff MelmanNorm Macdonald & Barry KempNovember 12, 2003 (2003-11-12)102
After deciding to go out for a boy’s night out at Jimmy’s tavern with Lou and Pete Peterson, Stan is accused of using trick shots whenever he sinks a ball during a game of billiards for “dimes” and “nickels”. When Stan discovers that “dimes” and “nickels” are worth much more than he thought, Stan tries to save his opponent, Lou, from selling the diner. Meanwhile, Garry invites Molly to join him and the girls at their weekly bridge game at the Hooper residence. Ryan and Chelsea ask Stan for advice on planning their future while Chelsea contemplates her opportunities at a Cosmetics and Tattoo college.
4"An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving"Jeff MelmanMike Lisbe & Nate RegerNovember 26, 2003 (2003-11-26)106
Stan gets interested in turkey hunting, ordering everything on the menu in preparation for an outing. Stan then enlists Chelsea’s help in preventing Molly from cooking anything for Thanksgiving.
5"Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie"Jeff MelmanStory by: Josh Gardner
Teleplay by: Josh Gardner & Sid Youngers
December 12, 2003 (2003-12-12)109
Fred’s frustration peaks because Gary has invited Molly and Chelsea to join the guys-only Christmas carolling group, ‘The Silent Knights’. Meanwhile, when the diner runs out of Stan’s favourite pie, Clara Meek’s apple pie, Stan tries his best in getting the recipe from the ailing Clara before she dies.
6"Fear Finds the Falls"Jeff MelmanJoseph StaretskiDecember 12, 2003 (2003-12-12)107
To prove that the town isn’t inviolable to crime, Stan burgles the diner.
7"Stan's Biggest Fan"Jeff MelmanJudd Pillot & John PeasleeUNAIRED105
Stan discovers that his favourite fan lives nearby and gets the help of a cranky mailman to find him.
8"Good Golly, Miss Molly"Jeff MelmanBarry Kemp & Norm MacdonaldUNAIRED103
A typo in the ‘Cheese Quarterly’ naming Molly as Fred’s mistress brings the town’s press down on Stan.
9"Snow Job"Jeff MelmanJohn Peaslee & Judd PillotUNAIRED108
The town’s snowplough operator has a thing for Stan, but when Stan denies her, the whole town suffers.
10"Ghost Family"Jeff MelmanNate Reger & Sid YoungersUNAIRED110
After learning that his boathouse is supposedly haunted, Stan investigates his property’s past.
11"The Milkman"Jeff MelmanCharlie BonomoUNAIRED111
After inadvertently getting the milkman fired, Stan helps him start his own “business”.
12"The Good Doctor"Jeff MelmanSid YoungersUNAIRED112
Stan suspects that the town’s doctor, Doc Goodman, isn’t really a doctor.
13"Stan's Best Friend"Jeff MelmanMiriam TrogdonUNAIRED113
Problems arise after Stan mistakes a wolf that he found to be a cute puppy.

International broadcasters

In Australia, the entire series aired in late night timeslots on Network Ten.

References

  1. Dave Itzkoff (September 7, 2010). "Norm Macdonald Doesn't Want to Go Back to Work Any More Than You Do". The New York Times. Retrieved February 28, 2017.


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