Baby Talk is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from March 8, 1991, until May 8, 1992, as part of ABC's TGIF lineup. The show was loosely based on the Look Who's Talking movies and was adapted for television by Ed. Weinberger. Amy Heckerling created characters for the series while using key creative and script elements from Look Who's Talking, which she had written and directed. Weinberger served as executive producer during the first season, and was replaced by Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein in the second season.
Synopsis and changing formats
Baby Talk featured the adventures of Baby Mickey (played by Ryan & Paul Jessup, voiced by Tony Danza), as he commented to the audience on the misgivings and new wonders of his world. Danza made an appearance in one episode as Mickey's father. Mickey's mother, Maggie Campbell, was played by two different actresses – Julia Duffy during the spring 1991 run, and Mary Page Keller for the show's only full season — at different points during the series' short existence.
Connie Sellecca was the first actor cast in the role of Maggie but, dissatisfied with the role, she quit after a few episodes had been taped. This caused Baby Talk to be delayed from its intended September 1990 premiere to March 1991 (by then, enough episodes had been reshot with Duffy). Rare footage of the mostly unseen Sellecca version was featured in the 1990 ABC Fall Preview Show. In fact, the series first went into development titled Look Who's Talking, but by the summer of 1990, with the movie sequel Look Who's Talking Too hitting theaters in December of that year, Ed. Weinberger and Amy Heckerling thought it would be best to avoid causing confusion among viewers. With the TV series and movie likely to run concurrently, they decided to rename the series Baby Talk before fall promotions began.
Season 1
In the first season, Maggie Campbell (Julia Duffy) was adjusting to life as a single mother from the start. It was explained that Mickey's father, who got Maggie pregnant while she was unmarried, had never separated from his supposed ex-wife. Maggie left the father but she decided to keep her baby as the one positive centerpiece from the failed relationship. Little Mickey quickly expressed out loud to viewers his realization that there was no daddy around when Maggie responded to the amorous advances of many of the single men who passed through – namely that of Joe (George Clooney), one of the construction workers renovating the Campbell's not-yet-finished New York City loft. Mr. Fogarty (William Hickey) was the crew's foreman, and Howard (Lenny Wolpe), another construction worker who was always underfoot. Dr. Elliot Fleisher (Tom Alan Robbins) was Mickey's pediatrician, who also had eyes for Maggie. The doctors' office was another frequent setting in the first season, where Mickey interacted with other infants who had active, adult-like thoughts of their own. Andrea (Michelle Ashlee) was one of Dr. Fleisher's attending nurses. Charlotte Rae guest starred in one episode as Maggie's aunt.
Season 2
When Baby Talk returned in September 1991 for a full season order, drastic changes took place. In addition to Mary Page Keller now being in the role of Maggie, mother and son had moved, now residing in a trendy, uptown apartment in Manhattan. All other cast members, including George Clooney, were dropped from the show except for the Jessup twins. Polly Bergen joined the cast as Maggie's meddling mother Doris Campbell, who took great joy in co-raising Mickey while snooping around in her daughter's affairs. Scott Baio also signed on, sharing star billing with Keller, as James Halbrook, the building superintendent who became Maggie's new potential love interest. Living next door to the Campbells was sarcastic single mom Anita Craig (Francesca P. Roberts), whose infant daughter Danielle (played by Alicia and Celicia Johnson, voiced by Vernee Watson-Johnson) also had her thoughts featured regularly in play with Mickey's. Tony Craig (Wayne Collins) was Anita's older son and Danielle's big brother, while Susan Davis (Jessica Lundy) was Maggie's best friend and co-worker at an accounting firm.
Tom Alan Robbins did appear as Dr. Fleisher in the opening scene of the second-season premiere. To ease confusion for returning viewers, writers wanted to carry over one adult cast member from the first season to help introduce Keller as Maggie. After this episode, Dr. Fleisher no longer appeared.
When Maggie takes Mickey to see Dr. Fleisher, she meets Craig, a single father to a baby girl named Danielle (who is also the same age as Mickey). While the babies get along well, things don't go so smoothly with the adults. Maggie and Craig try to tough out their rocky dates by claiming that it's best for their kids to have a family. That pressure causes Craig to propose to Maggie, who turns him down. However, neither are really upset about it, except for maybe Mickey and Danielle.
Maggie's new client Bill, is a big time advertiser for baby-food. He offers Mickey a chance to be in the spotlight of a few commercials for baby food. This means extra income for both mother and son. When Joe meets Bill, he senses that Bill wants sexual favors in exchange for his helping Maggie and Mickey. Maggie brushes off that idea until Bill threatens to end Mickey's career if Maggie won't let Bill put the moves on her.
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"Womb with a View"
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March 22, 1991 (1991-03-22)
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Maggie brings Mickey to see Dr. Fleisher because she is concerned about a ridge that she finds on Mickey's forehead. At the office, she meets a 9 month pregnant woman named Cynthia who wonders what Dr. Fleisher is like as a doctor. The two agree to meet and chat at Maggie's loft. While at the loft, Mickey has a conversation with the unborn baby and tells him how to get out of the mother's womb. With the elevator out of order, Cynthia then gives birth in Maggie's loft.
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"Trading Places"
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March 29, 1991 (1991-03-29)
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Maggie receives very unsettling news that Mickey may not be her baby. On the day of Mickey's birth, there may have been a mix-up with another family's baby who was also there at the hospital. When Maggie meets the other family, the Sorrentos, she discovers that they are part of a family circus act of acrobats. The only way to prove whose baby is whose is through a DNA test. The catch is that the results take three to four weeks, a time that Maggie and Mickey both find to be a very painful experience. However, all is made right when Maggie is proven to be the mother of Mickey.
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"Give a Sucker an Even Break"
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April 1, 1991 (1991-04-01)
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Maggie is exhausted due to lack of sleep. The cause is Mickey, who goes through the night crying and waking her up on several occasions. When Maggie brings Mickey to see Dr. Fleisher, he suggests that it may be time to stop breast-feeding Mickey and switch to formula. But the process to switch is not easy. Maggie finds herself giving in to breastfeeding just to keep Mickey quiet so she can sleep.
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"Whiz Kid"
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April 5, 1991 (1991-04-05)
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While both fixing the loft and baby-sitting Mickey, Howard and Fogerty discover that Mickey is quite gifted. In fact, they wouldn't be surprised if he was a "whiz kid". The convince Maggie that Mickey has many talents and an intelligence that will take him far in life. Not letting Mickey's gift go to waste, Maggie meets with the Academy for Gifted Babies in hopes that Mickey will be accepted. Then both mother and son say goodbye to their friends in their "Mommy and Me" group.
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"One Night with Elliot"
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April 12, 1991 (1991-04-12)
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Because Maggie has never been married, she fears that single motherhood would ruin Mickey's chances of going to a prestigious school. In order to avoid this, she lies on the application and claims that she is married. But when the school wants to interview both her and her husband, a desperate Maggie begs Dr. Fleisher to act as her husband. Elliot easily agrees (especially since this could be his chance to tell Maggie that he has feelings for her).
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"The Fever"
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April 16, 1991 (1991-04-16)
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When Maggie brings Mickey to Dr. Fleisher, Maggie is introduced to Elliot's old college friend Gary. With a very mutual interest in each other, Maggie and Gary decide to go out on a date. However, the idea bothers Elliot who still has been working up the nerve to ask Maggie out. Gary and Maggie have several successful dates, which leads to Maggie wondering if he is the right guy for her. But Gary's true face is revealed when Mickey and Gary are left alone – he does not like children and plans to send Mickey away to a boarding school when he and Maggie end up together.
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"The Big One"
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April 23, 1991 (1991-04-23)
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It's almost Mickey's first birthday and Maggie feels that the best gift for Mickey is to give him a father figure who can do things with him like play ball with or go fishing. She calls Mickey's biological father Nick, and invites him to come by and see the two of them. But to her disappointment, Maggie discovers that Nick is still the jerk that he always has been, so she scratches out that idea and throws Nick out.
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"Tooth and Nail"
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April 30, 1991 (1991-04-30)
108
The Mommy & Me group is not happy with Mickey after he starts hitting the other babies and taking away their toys. Maggie exhausts herself out trying to teach and reason with Mickey that his behavior is unacceptable. But Mickey won't listen, and eventually mother and son get into a big argument. She takes Mickey to see Dr. Fleisher to see if maybe he knows what to do. Elliot says that Mickey probably needs a father figure, and finally asks Maggie out for a date. Maggie is not very convinced that Elliot was being serious about having feelings for her, and she's right.
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"Once in Love with Cecil"
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May 7, 1991 (1991-05-07)
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Aunt Beverly has invited herself to stay with Maggie and Mickey for 3 days. Maggie is not looking forward to the long visit because her Aunt Beverly is very ultra-conservative and an opinionated woman who is still bothered by Maggie having a baby before marriage. Her opinions flare and hurt her niece until Fogerty intervenes to sticks up for Maggie by insisting that her Aunt Beverly needs to lighten up. At first, Maggie's aunt is shocked, but then surprises them all when she and Fogerty go out together all night.
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"Out of Africa"
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May 17, 1991 (1991-05-17)
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Maggie's old friend Robin returns briefly from Africa. She visits Maggie at the loft, and is introduced to Mickey and the guys who are fixing up the place. Robin's eccentric outlook on life immediately clashes with Joe's city-boy point of view, and the two look like they will end up as enemies. Maggie tries to mediate a compromise between Robin and Joe, but has to leave briefly to take Mickey to the doctor. When she returns, she notices a big change in Robin and Joe. They are now acting like best friends – in fact, Maggie soon discovers that the two of them are going to go out on a date.
James accidentally causes Maggie to fall off a ladder, which leads to her crushing on and later dating the older Doctor that took care of her, with their age gap being a constant concern for James and later even Maggie.
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"I've Got a Secret"
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November 1, 1991 (1991-11-01)
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"Dr. Duck's Jamboree"
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November 8, 1991 (1991-11-08)
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"Teach Your Children"
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November 15, 1991 (1991-11-15)
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"Cold Turkey"
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November 22, 1991 (1991-11-22)
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"Jingle Fever"
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November 29, 1991 (1991-11-29)
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"Away in a Manager"
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December 13, 1991 (1991-12-13)
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"The Man Who Would Be Grandpa"
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January 3, 1992 (1992-01-03)
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"Now I Know How Lassie Feels"
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January 17, 1992 (1992-01-17)
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"Requiem for a Lightweight"
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January 24, 1992 (1992-01-24)
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"Broadway Baby"
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January 31, 1992 (1992-01-31)
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"The Prince and the Pooper"
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February 7, 1992 (1992-02-07)
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"The Commitment"
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February 14, 1992 (1992-02-14)
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"Warren Piece"
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February 21, 1992 (1992-02-21)
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"The Littlest Shoplifter"
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February 28, 1992 (1992-02-28)
Maggie is arrested after Mickey puts items into her purse at the supermarket
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"He Ain't Heavy Metal, He's My Super"
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March 13, 1992 (1992-03-13)
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"Pop Goes the Question"
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March 27, 1992 (1992-03-27)
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"Wedding Bell Blahs"
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April 24, 1992 (1992-04-24)
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"Scenes from a Marriage"
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May 8, 1992 (1992-05-08)
Reception and cancellation
Baby Talk spent most of its life on ABC's TGIF in various timeslots. From April to May 1991, the show aired on Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c in an effort to help the show's performance.
The show was initially a ratings success finishing the season ranked 27th among all programs with a 14.3 average household share, mostly due to the curiosity that had long surrounded the project, stemming from its movie influence and the behind-the scenes issues. However, from its premiere, critics derided the show heavily. They criticized the simple writing, overplayed character traits and the fact that the show centered on "a talking baby that happened to have a single mother", instead of Look Who's Talking, which was a success due to its centering on a "single mother who just happened to have a talking baby".
The ratings for Baby Talk granted its renewal for the fall 1991 schedule, but in light of the scathing reviews, personnel and storyline changes were inevitable. Julia Duffy wanted to leave the starring role, as she struggled to deal with the negative critical reception. When ABC renewed the show, Duffy was released from her contract, and was soon hired to replace Delta Burke on Designing Women. Duffy was the second actress in less than a year to relinquish the role of Maggie Campbell. Ed Weinberger was let go from the show by Columbia Television, who installed veterans Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein as the new showrunners.
Prior to the second season beginning, the new stars of Baby Talk were interviewed about their decisions to join a show that was so loathed by reviewers. Mary Page Keller claimed to have an indifference over the reputation of the show among critics, since she had never seen the show prior to replacing Julia Duffy. Scott Baio, who had watched the first season, agreed with some of the critics' views, but justified his joining the show by comparing it to Happy Days, of which he starred on as a teenager. In Baio's words: "I did a show for 11 years (Happy Days) that never ever got a good review. So we hope you guys will love it, but we're just going to do the best we can, and it's what the people like that's going to stay on".[1]
When the series returned, ratings began to decline considerably during the second season. Numerous time slot adjustments, and the massive cast and setting overhaul for season two could not overcome the marginal ratings and the critical panning Baby Talk received. In fact, results of the 1991 Electronic Media Critics' Poll voted Baby Talk the Worst Series on Television. The series was cancelled in the spring of 1992.
Theme song
The series' theme song was a modernized, slightly re-written version of "Bread and Butter", a 1964 hit by The Newbeats. A few lines in both the chorus and stanzas were tinkered with to help illustrate the show's premise (the most obvious example being "..that's what mommy feeds him, 'cause he's her little man"). The first season had the main vocals done in a fashion similar to the original Newbeats recording, a raspy male falsetto. The second season had these vocals switched to those done by a high female voice, but the mid-range male sing of the chorus remained.
