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All Is Forgiven

  • TV Series
  • 1986
  • 30m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
80
YOUR RATING
Bess Armstrong, Carol Kane, Terence Knox, and Shawnee Smith in All Is Forgiven (1986)
SitcomComedy

Paula Russell, newly married and newly appointed the producer of a TV show, must balance the demands of her personal and professional lives.Paula Russell, newly married and newly appointed the producer of a TV show, must balance the demands of her personal and professional lives.Paula Russell, newly married and newly appointed the producer of a TV show, must balance the demands of her personal and professional lives.

  • Creators
    • Howard Gewirtz
    • Ian Praiser
  • Stars
    • Bess Armstrong
    • Terence Knox
    • David Alan Grier
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    80
    YOUR RATING
    • Creators
      • Howard Gewirtz
      • Ian Praiser
    • Stars
      • Bess Armstrong
      • Terence Knox
      • David Alan Grier
    • 11User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations total

    Episodes9

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated1 season1986

    Photos12

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    Top cast27

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    Bess Armstrong
    Bess Armstrong
    • Paula Winters Russell
    • 1986
    Terence Knox
    Terence Knox
    • Matt Russell
    • 1986
    David Alan Grier
    David Alan Grier
    • Oliver Royce
    • 1986
    Shawnee Smith
    Shawnee Smith
    • Sonia Russell
    • 1986
    Bill Wiley
    Bill Wiley
    • Wendell Branch
    • 1986
    Judith-Marie Bergan
    Judith-Marie Bergan
    • Cecile Porter-Lindsey
    • 1986
    Deborah Richter
    Deborah Richter
    • Sherry Levy
    • 1986
    Valerie Landsburg
    Valerie Landsburg
    • Lorraine Elder
    • 1986
    Carol Kane
    Carol Kane
    • Nicolette Bingham
    • 1986
    Doris Grau
    • Mrs. Fontaine
    • 1986
    Rick Lenz
    Rick Lenz
    • Francis Ronning
    • 1986
    Hamilton Camp
    Hamilton Camp
    • Jerry Campbell
    • 1986
    Christina Applegate
    Christina Applegate
    • Simone
    • 1986
    Adam Arkin
    Adam Arkin
    • Phil Douglas
    • 1986
    Joe Regalbuto
    Joe Regalbuto
    • Elliot Fusco
    • 1986
    Gwen Verdon
    Gwen Verdon
    • Bonita Harrell
    • 1986
    Deborah Harmon
    Deborah Harmon
    • Sharon Russell
    • 1986
    Katie Barberi
    Katie Barberi
    • Cassie
    • 1986
    • Creators
      • Howard Gewirtz
      • Ian Praiser
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews11

    7.780
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    Featured reviews

    7SnoopyStyle

    workplace works, home half-works

    It's New York City. Paula Winters (Bess Armstrong) is marrying Matt Russell (Terence Knox) and meeting his 16 year old daughter Sonia Russell (Shawnee Smith) for the first time. He has a rising health donut company. She interviews for the producer's assistant job at the soap opera "All Is Forgiven" and gets the producer boss job. Nicolette Bingham (Carol Kane) is the head writer. Oliver Royce (David Alan Grier) is the new writer hire in episode two.

    This is a late-season NBC sitcom replacement show. They burnt through the nine episodes and dropped it. The workplace sitcom part works pretty well especially with Carol Kane and David Alan Grier. They are really great individually and combined. The home part only half-works. Paula trying to be Sonia's mother is good story material. I've never considered Terence Knox as a sitcom actor. His St Elsewhere character really sticks and he works better in drama. This should really be a workplace sitcom. Maybe Shawnee Smith can be a teen actor on the show.
    7jlgreenlee

    Funny Show, and it really had potential

    I remember "All is Forgiven" mostly because I was going through a "aren't VCRs neat" phase, and decided it would be cool to tape all of the opening theme songs from the 1986 TV season. Since I've watched that tape a few times over the years, the cast of the show remains clear in my head.

    I think the show would've grown on people, but they probably would have had to iron out the kinks between the home life and the work life (like "Barney Miller" did), because they didn't mesh very well.

    One scene that stuck with me was a fight between stepdaughter Shawnee Smith and stepmother Bess Armstrong. They were fighting, and Bess thought she had the upper hand, shouting: "When you're old, I'm going to be there, dancing on your cake!" And Shawnee replied, "GOOD, because you certainly won't be able to CHEW it!" Did I mention I love Shawnee Smith? Though the "Saw" films made me see her in a whole new light.
    budikavlan

    Great story, but not funny enough

    I loved the plot of this sitcom: a woman gets a job as a secretary at a soap opera then because of a sudden power vacuum becomes the producer during her first day on the job. Bess Armstrong is a fine actress, but the character was too average--she needed to be either crazier or stiffer. Either would have made for more comedy. One scene, however, has stuck in my memory, a comedy classic: the head writer of the show (Carol Kane) is visited by her great lost love from the past, a man she never got to dance with. She is meeting with him in an office while the others wait outside, and she asks them to hum "The Tennessee Waltz" over the intercom so the couple can dance. The music starts out VERY tentatively and they begin to dance. As the music builds and gets more confident, the dancers talk, agree to go somewhere else to get better acquainted, and leave. The hummers continue their song to the empty office, adding harmonies, counterpoints and flourishes, never knowing they're playing to an empty house.
    9WallyB

    Brilliant Comedy, victim of network stupidity

    All Is Forgiven was one of the funniest sitcoms of the 80's and almost no one saw it. Yanked by NBC after only a few episodes to make room for the insipid (and thankfully short lived) 'The Tortellis', it had a brief rerun on cable (A&E?) and now, alas, is gone. I'm happy to say that I have most of the episodes on tape. This had the potential to be another "Cheers" or "Murphy Brown" with an outstanding cast including Bess Armstrong, Terence Knox, Shawnee Smith, David Alan Grier and the WONDERFUL Carol Kane. In the unlikely even it pops up again on cable, watch it, TAPE IT! and LAUGH!
    9cigardener

    Great (but somewhat vague) memories of this show

    In one scene, Paula and another character are dealing with some problem when a third person interrupts them (I told you that my memories were vague). Paula protests that they can't deal with the interloper's problem because they are too busy dealing with their own. "We have whales to fry!" I love that expression and occasionally use it myself. In another episode, Oliver has been a writer on the show for some time but has been very frugal with his increased salary. His co-workers encourage to splurge with some of his money and treat himself to a new car. He goes out and buys a high-end sports car that is way outside his price range. Now his friends advise him to return the car and get out of the financial obligation. "You can't just return a car like this; they won't take it back!", he protests. Nicolette Bingham, Carol Kane's character, replies in her honeyed southern accent, "Why, Oliver, if you simply inform them that you won't be making the payments, I'm sure that they will be happy to take it back."

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    Related interests

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    Sitcom
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy

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    FAQ17

    • How many seasons does All Is Forgiven have?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 20, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production companies
      • Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions
      • Paramount Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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

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