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Dear John

  • TV Series
  • 1988–1992
  • 30m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
2.1K
YOUR RATING
Judd Hirsch in Dear John (1988)
SitcomComedy

A divorced man tries to get his life back in order after losing everything to his ex-wife.A divorced man tries to get his life back in order after losing everything to his ex-wife.A divorced man tries to get his life back in order after losing everything to his ex-wife.

  • Creators
    • Bob Ellison
    • Peter Noah
    • John Sullivan
  • Stars
    • Judd Hirsch
    • Jere Burns
    • Jane Carr
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.8/10
    2.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Creators
      • Bob Ellison
      • Peter Noah
      • John Sullivan
    • Stars
      • Judd Hirsch
      • Jere Burns
      • Jane Carr
    • 12User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Primetime Emmy
      • 5 wins & 3 nominations total

    Episodes90

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    Top Cast99+

    Edit
    Judd Hirsch
    Judd Hirsch
    • John Lacey
    • 1988–1992
    Jere Burns
    Jere Burns
    • Kirk Morris
    • 1988–1992
    Jane Carr
    Jane Carr
    • Louise Mercer
    • 1988–1992
    Isabella Hofmann
    Isabella Hofmann
    • Kate McCarron
    • 1988–1992
    Tom Willett
    Tom Willett
    • Tom
    • 1988–1992
    Billie Bird
    Billie Bird
    • Mrs. Margie Philbert
    • 1988–1992
    Harry Groener
    Harry Groener
    • Ralph Drang
    • 1988–1991
    Susan Walters
    Susan Walters
    • Mary Beth Sutton
    • 1990–1992
    William O'Leary
    William O'Leary
    • Ben Conners
    • 1991–1992
    Marietta DePrima
    Marietta DePrima
    • Annie
    • 1991–1992
    Olivia Brown
    Olivia Brown
    • Denise
    • 1990–1991
    Peter Jurasik
    Peter Jurasik
    • Brad
    • 1989–1990
    Ruben Santiago-Hudson
    Ruben Santiago-Hudson
    • Curtis…
    • 1990–1992
    Richard Blum
    • The Bartender…
    • 1989–1992
    Carlene Watkins
    Carlene Watkins
    • Wendy
    • 1988–1989
    Ben Savage
    Ben Savage
    • Matthew Lacey
    • 1988–1990
    Cu Ba Nguyen
    • Chow Ling
    • 1989–1990
    Patrick Puccinelli
    • Officer Biggs…
    • 1989–1991
    • Creators
      • Bob Ellison
      • Peter Noah
      • John Sullivan
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews12

    6.82K
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    Featured reviews

    10ssmq-62858

    Most underrated show of all time!

    This show is one of the most underrated tv shows of all time! This tv show does not get the credit or recognition it should get. Judd hurst is phenomenal in this series, as well as ALL the other cast members. It's a real shame you can't find DVD's or reruns of this show. I would gladly watch every episode all day everyday if I could! Please make reruns or DVD's for this show! (YES DVD's) lol. I don't know who, as far as right now, had the rights to this series. But, they for sure need to make it available for purchase or even throw it on one of the free apps where you can watch older tv shows! Please, let's make this happen!
    1nafps

    Bottom of the Barrel for Judd Hirsch

    After a great series like Taxi, where he was funny and touching for eight seasons, Hirsch was stuck in this.

    He looks trapped, with a frozen "How do I get out of here?" look.

    The cast was just awful. British woman with a single joke, beaten to death. Obnoxious sexual predator wannabe and lawsuit waiting to happen.

    And a badly needed laugh track, because nothing in this was ever funny.
    DragonMasterHiro

    Sad!

    This was such a sad show. A guy comes home one day and finds a letter from his wife. The theme song, also sad, it is sung from the perspective of the wife. You see him happily arriving at home, walking in the front door and then the trauma begins.

    "Dear John, Dear John.

    By the time you read these lines, I'll be gone.

    Dear John, Dear John.

    Life goes on, Right or wrong.

    Dear John..."

    It gets stuck in your head for some reason. Maybe it's because her voice is so sappy. In any event, it supposedly began as a British show, and they made an American version with it's own cast. John Lacey comes home to find out his wife has left him by reading a typical "Dear John" letter. Doesn't that scream sitcom? John then goes to a support group where all the comedy lies. The other members of the group have their own quirks. John also has little encounters with random singles. Not that great of a show although I like Judd Hirsch.
    MidNYteStorm

    Great until the end

    I loved this show from the moment I saw it. It was about a man who's wifes leaves him and attends a support group. The show was great until cast members left. From there on the show lost its humor.
    1azizicupid

    KNOCKOFF

    For years, I thought this she show was an original and it was just "Okay" to me as a teenager growing up in the 80s and 90s. But I am now MUCH older and married to a Brit! Why's that so significant? Well we were just running down a list of shows we grew up watching both here in the US and in the UK. And guess what I discovered? The show is a complete KNOCK OFF! The British version is ALSO called "Dear John" and starts the same way! There's even an episode where an entire SCENE was copied. 😂 The British show ran from 1985-1986 and the US version in 1988. I feel so cheated! 😂 Either way, check them both out and decide for yourself.

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    Related interests

    Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, and Matthew Perry in Friends (1994)
    Sitcom
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The letter Wendy leaves for John reads the following: Dear John, I know that this will come as a great shock to you and I pray that in time you will come to understand why I had to leave. The love that I once had for you died many years ago, although I have tried desperately to pretend otherwise. Wendy
    • Crazy credits
      The Season 1 opening title sequence is a near-shot-for-shot re-creation of the original British series titles.
    • Connections
      Featured in The 41st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1989)

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    FAQ20

    • How many seasons does Dear John have?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 6, 1988 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Mein Lieber John
    • Filming locations
      • Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Ed Weinberger Productions
      • Paramount Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 30m
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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