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Ink
GenreSitcom
Created byDiane English
Starring
ComposerW.G. Snuffy Walden
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes22
Production
Executive producers
  • Diane English
  • Ted Danson
  • Mary Steenburgen
  • Stephen Nathan (co-executive)
ProducerJohn Amodeo
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseOctober 21, 1996 (1996-10-21) –
May 19, 1997 (1997-05-19)

Ink is an American television sitcom which aired on CBS from October 21, 1996, to May 19, 1997, that starred real-life husband and wife Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen as divorced newspaper journalists, allegedly inspired by the film His Girl Friday. The show was also produced by Danson and Steenburgen. The show was canceled after one season due to lower than expected ratings. The show's pilot was drastically changed and reshot from the original version. Ink was filmed at the soundstages of CBS Studio City in the Studio City area of Los Angeles. Outdoor scenes were usually shot at the small backlot streets of the same studio.

Plot

Journalists Kate Montgomery and Mike Logan married three months after meeting on the White House lawn. Although the marriage didn't last, there are two common threads between them—their 15-year-old daughter Abby and their all-consuming adoration of the newspaper ink that rubs off on their fingers. While Mike has become one of New York's larger-than-life journalists, Kate's hard-nosed reporting from around the world has earned her an impressive reputation. When Kate accepts a job offer that's just too good to pass up, she becomes the first female managing editor of the New York Sun—and she's now Mike's boss as well.

Her staff also includes no-nonsense, seen-it-all police reporter Ernie Trainor; intense and somewhat neurotic financial reporter Alan Mesnick; "On the Town" columnist Belinda Carhardt, who has a few miles on her; and the newsroom's jaded and judgmental editorial assistant Donna French, who manages to remain ultra-hip in a sea of tweeds and khakis.

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date Viewers
(millions)
1"Above the Fold"Thomas SchlammeDiane EnglishOctober 21, 1996 (1996-10-21)16.41[1]
2"Paper Cuts"Thomas SchlammeJeffrey KlarikOctober 28, 1996 (1996-10-28)14.8[2]
3"Getting Above the Hemp"Thomas SchlammeJack BurdittNovember 11, 1996 (1996-11-11)15.5[3]
4"High Noon"Thomas SchlammeDawn DeKeyserNovember 18, 1996 (1996-11-18)15.3[4]
5"The Sandwich"Jay SandrichJhoni MarchinkoNovember 25, 1996 (1996-11-25)15.1[5]
6"Mike & Kelly & Max & Kate"Jay SandrichStephen NathanDecember 9, 1996 (1996-12-09)13.3[6]
7"United We Fall"Jay SandrichUnknownDecember 16, 1996 (1996-12-16)12.2[7]
8"The Black Book"Jay SandrichJeff Filgo & Jackie BehanJanuary 6, 1997 (1997-01-06)13.81[8]
9"Devil in a Blue Dress"Phillip Charles MacKenzieJeff Filgo & Jackie BehanJanuary 13, 1997 (1997-01-13)14.33[9]
10"Funny, You Don't Look One Hundred"Phillip Charles MacKenzieDawn DeKeyserJanuary 20, 1997 (1997-01-20)14.12[10]
11"The English-Speaking Patients"Philip Charles MackenzieUnknownFebruary 3, 1997 (1997-02-03)13.20[11]
12"The Bodyguard: Part 1"Robert BerlingerUnknownFebruary 10, 1997 (1997-02-10)13.54[12]
13"The Bodyguard: Part 2"Brian K. RobertsUnknownFebruary 17, 1997 (1997-02-17)15.09[13]
14"Life Without Mikey"Jay SandrichJack BurdittFebruary 24, 1997 (1997-02-24)12.63[14]
15"Breaking the Rules"Robert BerlingerCraig HoffmanMarch 3, 1997 (1997-03-03)15.77[15]
16"Face Off"Jay SandrichScott KauferMarch 10, 1997 (1997-03-10)12.96[16]
17"The Fighting Irish"Barnet KellmanUnknownApril 7, 1997 (1997-04-07)13.15[17]
18"Logan's Run"David SteinbergJeff Filgo & Jackie BehanApril 21, 1997 (1997-04-21)9.12[18]
19"The Debutante"Gail MancusoUnknownApril 28, 1997 (1997-04-28)13.15[19]
20"The Bodyguard Strikes Back"Brian K. RobertsUnknownMay 5, 1997 (1997-05-05)11.17[20]
21"Murphy's Law"Joe RegalbutoUnknownMay 12, 1997 (1997-05-12)14.02[21]
22"Going to the Dogs"Joe RegalbutoUnknownMay 19, 1997 (1997-05-19)12.19[22]

Production

The original concept from the show came from Jeffrey Lane, who came up with the idea. Lane abruptly exited, and a handful of showrunners came in, and settled on Diane English, who created Murphy Brown.[23]

References

  1. ^ "Top Ranked Programs in Primetime for the Week of 10/21-10/27 as ranked by Nielsen Media Research". UltimateTV. Archived from the original on November 17, 1999. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  2. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 6, 1996. p. 3D.
  3. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 20, 1996. p. 3D.
  4. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. November 27, 1996. p. 3D.
  5. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. December 4, 1996. p. 3D.
  6. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. December 18, 1996. p. 3D.
  7. ^ "Nielsen ratings". Life. USA Today. December 25, 1996. p. 3D.
  8. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 6-12)". The Los Angeles Times. January 15, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  9. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 13-19)". The Los Angeles Times. January 22, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  10. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 13-19)". The Los Angeles Times. January 22, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  11. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 3-9)". The Los Angeles Times. February 12, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  12. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 10-16)". The Los Angeles Times. February 20, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  13. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 17-23)". The Los Angeles Times. February 26, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  14. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 24-March 2)". The Los Angeles Times. March 5, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  15. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (March 3–9)". The Los Angeles Times. March 12, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  16. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (March 10–16)". The Los Angeles Times. March 19, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  17. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (April 7–13)". Los Angeles Times. April 16, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  18. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (April 21–27)". The Los Angeles Times. April 30, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  19. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (April 28-May 4)". The Los Angeles Times. May 7, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  20. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (May 5–11)". The Los Angeles Times. May 14, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  21. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (May 12–18)". The Los Angeles Times. May 21, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  22. ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (May 19–25)". The Los Angeles Times. May 29, 1997. Retrieved November 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  23. ^ "English takes over 'Ink'" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1996-09-02. Retrieved 2021-09-25.

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