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HI HONEY, I'M HOME!: MEET THE NIELSENS {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)

Summary

The premiere in this comedy series about a 1950s sitcom family that magically reappears in 1990s suburbia when their classic TV show drops out of syndication. In this episode, Mike Duff watches a rerun of the 1950s sitcom "Hi Honey, I'm Home!" featuring the wacky adventures of the Nielsen family. Then, Mike's mother Elaine returns home from a day of work and door-to-door petition-gathering, castigating her son for his obsession with television. Elaine takes Mike and her younger, theft-prone son "Skunk" to meet their new neighbors, the Nielsens. Honey refuses to sign Elaine's petition until she check with her husband, Lloyd. She then introduces her pre-teen son, Chucky, and teenage daughter, Babs. Meanwhile, Mike is certain that his new neighbors look familiar, particularly the pneumatic Babs. When Elaine leaves, Mike tells Honey and Babs that he knows their true identity, which they attempt to deny. Once he departs, Lloyd returns home, shocked by the "Satan's playpen" of modern society. Honey uses a device -- a "Turnerizer" -- to turn their world into its familiar black-and-white pattern before Mike returns. Later, Honey decides to entrust Mike with the secret that they are indeed the Nielsens from "Hi Honey, I'm Home!" and that they were sent to New Jersey by the Sitcom Relocation Program. Then, Elaine returns and Lloyd inadvertently insults her. Lloyd tells Honey that he forgot to mention that his boss is coming for dinner and that she needs to throw together a last-second meal. Elaine criticizes Honey for being so subservient. Then, Honey tries to prepare a microwavable meal with Elaine's supplies, but doesn't know how to use a modern kitchen. Next, local homeless man Malcolm arrives and Honey confuses him for being Lloyd's boss. Elaine clears up the confusion. Later, Honey's lack of '90s cooking prowess nearly blows up her kitchen. Mike bails the family out by having some fried chicken delivered. Finally, Lloyd's boss -- the ubiquitous Mr. Mooney -- arrives for the big meal, delivering some news that doesn't jibe with the Nielsen's penchant for happy endings. An "ABC News Brief" with Carole Simson follows. Includes commercials.

Details

  • NETWORK: ABC
  • DATE: July 19, 1991 Friday 9:30 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 0:28:21
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: T:22818
  • GENRE: Comedy
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy
  • SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1991-1992
  • COMMERCIALS:
    • TV - Commercials - "Return to the Blue Lagoon" motion picture
    • TV - Commercials - AT&T communications system
    • TV - Commercials - Burger King restaurants
    • TV - Commercials - Huggies diapers
    • TV - Commercials - KFC restaurants
    • TV - Commercials - Nabisco Fig Newtons cookies
    • TV - Commercials - Oscar Mayer bologna
    • TV - Commercials - Partnership for a Drug-Free America
    • TV - Commercials - Pizza Hut restaurants
    • TV - Promos - "20/20"
    • TV - Promos - "Late Night Tonight: In Concert"
    • TV - Promos - "Nick at Nite"

CREDITS

  • Rick Mitz … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
  • Barry Secunda … Supervising Producer
  • Angelika Bartenbach … Producer
  • Penny Stallings … Producer, Created by, Writer
  • Maureen Badger Schultz … Associate Producer
  • Doug Rogers … Director
  • Rupert Holmes … Music by, Theme Music by
  • Charlotte Booker … Cast, Honey Nielsen
  • Stephen C. Bradbury … Cast, Lloyd Nielsen
  • Pete Benson … Cast, Mike Duff
  • Julie Benz … Cast, Babs Nielsen
  • Eric Kushnick … Cast, Sidney "Skunk" Duff
  • Danny Gura … Cast, Chucky Nielsen
  • Susan Cella … Cast, Elaine Duff
  • Barry Cutler … Cast, Malcolm
  • Gale Gordon … Cast, Mr. Mooney
  • for "ABC News Brief"
  • Carole Simpson … Anchor