The Building

Aired from: Aug 1993 to: Sep 1993
Fridays at 9:30 P.M.

Cast

Bonnie Hunt - Bonnie Kennedy
Michael G. Hagerty - Finley
Richard Kuhlman - Big Tony
Don Lake - Brad
Tom Virtue - Stanley
Holly Wortell - Holly

In The Building Bonnie plays a struggling actress, (who has gained some fame due to her Randoloh Carpet commercials) who has just been jilted by her fiance’ (George Clooney). As a result she moves into an apartment across from Wrigley field and becomes great friends with the other occupants of the building.
"The Building" made Bonnie the first woman to create, write, produce and star in a television series. Says Bonnie: "I didn’t think they’d ever listen to me so I wrote twenty-two episodes before I sold it. I thought it was the only way they’d believe I could actually do it."
Against the urging of network executives Bonnie made The Building her way, hiring friends from Second City to star along side her.
Sadly, the show only lasted 5 episodes due to the fact that executives wanted to change the cast and Bonnie, being the loyal person that she is, refused.
The Building is an extremely funny show with lovable characters and witty dialogue. Bonnie’s character is really kind, wholesome, good natured and loves Doris Day.
Of note, Bonnie also shares vocals in the opening theme song.
David Letterman co executive produced the show with Bonnie.

Guest stars:
George Clooney as the fiance that jilted her.
Richard Kind (Mad about you, Bug’s life, second city) As the Biffy soap casting guy.
Andy Dick (met as Second city) Casting agent
Rapping granny from The Wedding Singer: Porn shop worker.
Jim Belushi: Billy Shue show host
David Letterman??? The thief.

Episodes

#1
Airdate: 20 Aug 93
Title: Pilot

#2
Airdate: 27 Aug 93
Title: Damned If You Do

#3
Airdate: 3 Sep 93
Title: The Waiting Game

#4
Airdate: 10 Sep 93
Title: Father Knows Best

#5
Airdate: 17 Sep 93
Title: Yakkity Yak Don't Talk

#6
UNAIRED

Loyalty:
When the executives asked her to get rid of three actors she refused. "They said ‘we want to replace them because we have actors on hold to keep them off other shows that we’re paying a lot of money to.’ I said ‘These people are my friends, I’ve known them for 15 years - and you know what the executive said?’ ‘I could call them for you’"
When the executives threatened to cancel the show if she didn’t change actors, she said "Let’s just shake hands today and it’s over…I went home and told my husband we’d lost a ton of money and I’m not doing a show. But he always says, ‘Keep it small, enjoy it all.’"
It was, she says the best thing she ever did, and tapes of The Building helped convince MGM to present Return to Me.
1996

On what it was like to be the first woman to write produce and star in a series:
I think the only other person to do it was Dani Thomas in the history of television. It was fun. It was a great time. The most exhausting thing about the whole thing was the politics. I would start with one president of a network that would buy the show, and then we would be in production and they would get a new president and he would say "I don’t know who this person is or why they bought that show, so I don’t want it." They would put it on Friday nights at 9:30 so nobody is even seeing the show. You really feel sad because you are trying to do something different and you love the show and all your friends are on it and it is good. We had great critical acclaim across the board and we had good ratings for the timeslots we were in. The second one (The Bonnie Hunt Show) it was the same thing. One president bought it and then a new president came in and it had nothing to do with our show or us. They didn’t even discuss it - we didn’t buy that show so let’s get rid of the old guy’s stuff. So that is painful and after awhile you just go "Oh, forget it." That is why I thought movies might be better for me. At least I knew I had a captive audience - they paid, they are going to sit down and they will judge it. It won’t be put into oblivion on Friday nights.
April 2000 A&E interview.

Bonnie on early hiatus for her show:
"Yeah! We did 15 shows but they only aired 5! They're just so good that they're afraid to put them on the air! (I think this was a joke, because she has said elsewhere that only six were made)"

"Everyone hopes to get a fall slot, but I'm just happy to get on the air. This is not just a regular sitcom, this is more of a relationship show. There's not the old sex and innuendo jokes. (My character) is a little bit old-fashioned. She worships Doris Day." LA Times Sunday, July 11, 1993
Orange County Edition
Section: TV Times