Jenny is an American sitcom produced by Mark & Howard Productions, MTV Productions and Paramount Television that aired on NBC from September 28, 1997, to January 12, 1998.[1] The series was intended to be a star vehicle for Jenny McCarthy.[2]
Synopsis
The series starred McCarthy as Jenny McMillan, a convenience store clerk in upstate New York who suddenly inherits a vast fortune from the B movie star father (George Hamilton) she never knew (who appears on TV in movies and commercials). After her father's funeral, Jenny and her lifelong friend Maggie (Heather Paige Kent) decide to pursue fame in Hollywood.
Cast
- Jenny McCarthy as Jenny McMillan
- Heather Paige Kent as Maggie Marino
- Dale Godboldo as Cooper
- Rafer Weigel as Max
- George Hamilton as Guy Hathaway
- Carolyn Hennesy as Chase Gardner
Cancellation
The series, originally scheduled on Sundays opposite the second half of CBS's Top 5 hit Touched by an Angel, Fox's Top 15 hit King of the Hill, and the last half-hour of ABC's Top 40 hit The Wonderful World of Disney,[3] was moved to Monday nights in December 1997 in an attempt to gain more viewers.[4] The move failed to attract more viewers and Jenny was canceled after 10 of the 17 episodes produced were aired. After the first 10 shows aired Paramount Television continued production in anticipation of the series being picked up by UPN, but the show was not picked up by the network. In an episode seen only outside the United States, Guy turned out not to be dead only missing.[5]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Andy Ackerman | Mark Reisman & Howard Gewirtz | September 28, 1997 (1997-09-28) | 12.09[6] |
| 2 | "A Girl's Gotta Pierce" | Jeff Melman | Joshua Sternin & Jeffrey Ventimilia | October 5, 1997 (1997-10-05) | 10.13[7] |
| 3 | "A Girl's Gotta Work" | Andy Ackerman | Ellen Byron & Lissa Kapstrom | October 12, 1997 (1997-10-12) | 9.63[8] |
| 4 | "A Girl's Gotta Spike" | Leonard R. Garner Jr. | Lori Kirkland | November 2, 1997 (1997-11-02) | 6.99[9] |
| 5 | "A Girl's Gotta Live in the Real World" | Jeff Melman | Jennifer Glickman | November 16, 1997 (1997-11-16) | 6.86[10] |
| 6 | "A Girl's Gotta Lie" | Leonard R. Garner Jr. | Ellen Byron & Lissa Kapstrom | December 1, 1997 (1997-12-01) | 10.96[11] |
| 7 | "A Girl's Gotta Deck the Halls" | Jeff Melman | Lori Kirkland & Jennifer Glickman | December 15, 1997 (1997-12-15) | 9.52[12] |
| 8 | "A Girl's Gotta Love a Wedding" | Leonard R. Garner Jr. | Story by : Howard Gewirtz Teleplay by : Joshua Sternin & Jeffrey Ventimilia | December 22, 1997 (1997-12-22) | 8.45[13] |
| 9 | "A Girl's Gotta Merger" | Jeff Melman | Joshua Sternin & Jeffrey Ventimilia | January 5, 1998 (1998-01-05) | 9.49[14] |
| 10 | "A Girl's Gotta Get It" | Ted Wass | Lori Kirkland | January 12, 1998 (1998-01-12) | 8.79[15] |
| 11 | "A Girl's Gotta Hang with a Celebrity" | Leonard R. Garner Jr. | Stevie Ray Fromstein | Unaired | N/A |
| 12 | "A Girl's Gotta Protect Her Assets" | Jeff Melman | Stevie Ray Fromstein & Martin Weiss | Unaired | N/A |
| 13 | "A Girl's Gotta Make Room for Daddy: Part 1" | Jeff Melman | Ellen Byron & Lissa Kapstrom | Unaired | N/A |
| 14 | "A Girl's Gotta Make Room for Daddy: Part 2" | Jeff Melman | Joshua Sternin & Jeffrey Ventimilia | Unaired | N/A |
| 15 | "A Girl's Gotta Go Vogue" | Matthew Diamond | Lori Kirkland | Unaired | N/A |
| 16 | "A Girl's Gotta Get Ready for Her Close-up" | Leonard R. Garner Jr. | Jennifer Glickman | Unaired | N/A |
| 17 | "A Girl's Gotta Come Through in a Clutch" | Jeff Melman | Jon Ross | Unaired | N/A |
References
- 1."BBC - Comedy Guide - Jenny". December 9, 2004. Archived from the original on December 9, 2004. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- 2."COVER STORY; Must-See? We'll See.; Can NBC make a sitcom star out of a former centerfold and MTV fantasy figure? She's not exactly your girl next door, but Jenny McCarthy says 'Jenny' is the real her. Really". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 5, 2010.
- 3.Richmond, Ray (September 27, 1997). "Jenny". variety.com. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
- 4.Hontz, Jenny (December 4, 1997). "Jenny holds in Mon. slot". variety.com. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
- 5.The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 604. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.
- 6."National Nielsen Viewership (Sept. 22-28, 1997)". The Los Angeles Times. October 1, 1997. Retrieved June 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- 7."National Nielsen Viewership (Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 1997)". The Los Angeles Times. October 8, 1997. Retrieved June 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- 8."National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 6-12, 1997)". The Los Angeles Times. October 15, 1997. Retrieved June 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- 9."National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 27-Nov. 2, 1997)". The Los Angeles Times. November 5, 1997. Retrieved June 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- 10."National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 10-16, 1997)". The Los Angeles Times. November 19, 1997. Retrieved June 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- 11."National Nielsen Viewership (Dec. 1-7, 1997)". The Los Angeles Times. December 10, 1997. Retrieved June 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- 12."National Nielsen Viewership (Dec. 15–21, 1997)". The Los Angeles Times. December 24, 1997. Retrieved June 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- 13."National Nielsen Viewership (Dec. 22–28, 1997)". The Los Angeles Times. January 1, 1998. Retrieved June 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- 14."National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 5–11, 1998)". The Los Angeles Times. January 14, 1998. Retrieved June 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- 15."National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 12–18, 1998)". The Los Angeles Times. January 21, 1998. Retrieved June 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.