Dream On Information

Dream On is an American adult-themed situation comedy about the family life, romantic life, and career of Martin Tupper, a divorced New York City book editor played by Brian Benben. The show distinctively interjected clips from older black and white television series to punctuate Tupper's feelings or thoughts. It was created by Marta Kauffman and David Crane, the team who would later create the TV show Friends. It ran for six seasons on HBO between 1990 and 1996.

Premise

The show centered on Martin Tupper's (Brian Benben) life in an apartment in New York City with his teenage son, and relating to his ex-wife, while trying to date other women and succeed as an editor for a small book publisher. The show was notable for its frequent use of clips from old movies and TV shows to express Martin's inner life and feelings, which lent it much of its quirky appeal, reminding viewers about the impact of TV on their consciousness. The show was also significant for being one of the first American sitcoms to use uncensored profanity and nudity.

Dream On first aired July 1990 on HBO, and was cancelled by HBO in March 1996. One season of the show, with language and nudity edited for broadcast, aired in prime time on the Fox Network. This bowdlerized version was later made available in syndication.

Cast

• Brian Benben as Martin Tupper
• Wendie Malick as Judith Tupper Stone
• Chris Demetral as Jeremy Tupper
• Jeff Joseph as Eddie Charles (Season 1)
• Dorien Wilson as Eddie Charles (Season 2"6)
• Denny Dillon as Toby Pedalbee
• Michael McKean as Gibby Fiske (Recurring during Season 2"6)
• Renée Taylor as Martin's mother, Doris Tupper (Occasional during Season 3"5)

Episodes

See List of Dream On episodes for more information

Critical reception

Time magazine called the show "engaging", noting that its use of old clips was "a clever gimmick [that] perks up familiar material" and later called the second season of the "decidedly adult sitcom...better than ever."

The New York Times had mixed opinions about the show. In their first season review, John J. O'Connor said Dream On wasn't "different from ordinary network fare...except for, as might be expected, the more freewheeling language and treatments of sex"; by the season's third episode, the show's protagonist is "already becoming just another nice bachelor father, not all that different from the one John Forsythe played on television several decades ago." About a year later, O'Connor said while the show "has its weak spots, most notably in a pointless tendency to be smarmy" with "clips... that are sometimes less witty than painfully obvious. But Dream On takes unusual chances and has a habit of turning out to be refreshingly original."

Production notes

The show was created by Marta Kauffman and David Crane who also served as producers. Dream On was executive produced by Kevin Bright and John Landis. Landis also directed several episodes of the series.

Awards

Year	Result	Category	Recipient
1991	CableACE Award	Editing a Comedy Special or Series/Music Special	John Axness For episode "The First Episode"
1991		Comedy Series	Kevin Bright, David Crane, Robb Idels, Marta Kauffman, John Landis, Bill Sanders, and Ron Wolotzky
		Actress in a Comedy Series	Wendie Malick
1993		Actress in a Comedy Series	Wendie Malick
1994		Editing in a Comedy/Music Special or Series	David Helfand For episode "The Son Also Rises"
		Actress in a Comedy Series	Wendie Malick
1995		Actress in a Comedy Series	Wendie Malick
1993	Emmy Award	Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing in a Comedy Series	Betty Thomas For episode "For Peter's Sake"
		Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series	David Clennon For episode "For Peter's Sake"
1994	GLAAD Media Awards	Outstanding Comedy Series	-
1993	Young Artist Award	Best Young Actor Starring in a Cable Series	Chris Demetral

Syndication

The edited version of the series aired in syndication on Comedy Central in the United States.

International airings

In Canada, Dream On aired on the cable movie station Superchannel, in late night timeslots on CBC Television, and later on SexTV: The Channel, The Comedy Network and with French subtitles on Télé-Québec.

In New Zealand, the edited version screened on TV2, while the unedited version appeared on SKY 1.

The show aired on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom (for the first 2 series, before the remainder was shown on Sky1 " the majority of the Sky episodes were later shown on ITV4 in a late night slot around 2006"07), in France, the show aired on Canal Jimmy, in Switzerland on TSR, in Germany on RTL2, in Norway on TV3 and on Raisat Cinema, Canale 5 and Rai 4 in Italy. It was also broadcasted by [[Canal +]] in Polandw as one of its first shows.

In Israel, the entire show aired on Bip, it is still aired on a regular basis, usually at night as it managed to retain its popularity.

DVD releases

Seasons 1"2 are currently available on DVD for both regions 1 and 2; Seasons 3, 4, 5 and 6 have not been released.