Okay this post isn’t just about The Building, it’s about that, Bonnie, and Life With Bonnie. Basically any show that starred Bonnie Hunt. I heart Bonnie Hunt. For those of you who are not familiar with her – What’s wrong with you? Okay, you’re right. Not everyone geeks out over television and comedy people like I do. I get it. Anyway, you’d probably know Bonnie best as the mom in the Cheaper By The Dozen films, or as a voice in any number of Pixar films – but she’s so much more than that. Seriously, Google her and laugh your ass off.
But before you do please enjoy my Friday tribute to three shows whose time on the air was waaaaaaay, waaaaay too short, and to a woman who should be a waaaaaaaaaay, waaaaaaaasaaaaaaaaaaaay bigger star than she is.
First up: The Building .
Airing on CBS for five episodes (yes, you read that right) in 1993, The Building was created by Hunt herself and revolves around Bonnie, a struggling actress who after being dumped by her fiancee moves back into her old place and makes friends with all the the characters that inhabit the apartment building overlooking Wrigley Field.
Bonnie Hunt herself is an alumni of The Second City, so many of the supporting actors are all plucked straight from the Chicago institution and a lot of the scenes had improvised dialogue in them – so you can only imagine how excited my little comedy girl heart was to watch this show… for five fucking weeks.
There are several clips of this show on Youtube, however I have yet to find anywhere that has a full episode so if you know a place – LET ME KNOW! PLLLLLEEASE!
Bonnie
Airing on CBS, again, from 1995-1996 Hunt played a television reporter who relocates to Chicago for a job and finds herself working alongside an eclectic group of weirdos. One of the things I remember loving most about this show – other than the fact that it took place at a TV station – is the improvised interviews Bonnie would do with actual people at the end of each episode. People would become more familiar with her amazing improvisational/conversational skills during her talk show, The Bonnie Hunt Show, some twelve years later.
Once again, the supporting cast of this show was made of Second City folk (yay!), with Holly Wortell returning – this time as Bonnie’s best friend and the station’s hair dresser.
Unfortunately for the world this show would only outlasted The Building by seven episodes as it was cancelled in April 1996.
**I recently found someone online who is selling a dvd with 11/12 episodes and I’m eagerly awaiting my purchase in the mail!
Life With Bonnie
This time we’ve dumped CBS and headed to ABC! Life With Bonnie took more a family sitcom route than the previous two shows, as Bonnie tries to balance her life as the host of the daytime talk show “Morning Chicago”and as a wife and mother. By the time this show premiered, in September 2002, I was a full fledged Bonnie Hunt fangirl and remember cutting out the ads for the show and hanging them on my wall. It also didn’t hurt that the show co-starred David Alan Grier from In Living Color fame, and much like her previous show there was elements of improv throughout the series particularly when interviewing her guests on the fictional morning show. Through out the series run a number of celebrities guest starred including Tom Hanks, Rip Torn and Robin Williams. Some played themselves, and some played characters. The episode that stands out in my memory was he one that guest starred David Duchovny (who Hunt directed in Return To Me in 2000), playing the local weather man who thinks he’s going to ride his cameo appearance on a soap opera all the way to Hollywood.
“You pre-recorded the weather report?”
“It’s Chicago, it’s winter. Cold and windy is a good bet!”
Alas, though as with most good television Life With Bonnie‘s run came to an end in April 2004. And once again I can’t find this show on DVD HOWEVER – some wonderful soul has put loads of full episodes on Youtube!
So please enjoy one of my favorite episodes of Life With Bonnie, and here’s to hoping she’ll create another show in the near future!
Bonus points go out to anyone who remembers Grand from 1990 which co-starred Bonnie… but I’ll save that for another Friday 🙂
Previously On Ash Loves Tv...
Up Next On Ash Loves TV...
