BENSON: DUBOIS: PORTRAIT OF A POLITICIAN (TV)
Summary
One in this comedy series about Benson DuBois, who manages the chaotic household of the state's honest yet inept governor. In this episode, with the Governor away in Washington D.C., Benson continues in his role as "acting governor," much to Clayton's ongoing annoyance. He reminds Benson to sign a certain bill about a water treatment plant, pointing out that the Governor agreed to do so to secure Senator Tyler's important vote on another matter, but Benson notes that the bill benefits only Tyler's wealthy friends and vetoes it. An eccentric artist, Joseph Two Horses, arrives to paint Benson's official portrait, though he complains that the pay is "chicken feed." Tyler arrives and furiously confronts Benson about the bill, but Benson stands his ground and tosses him out, and Joseph, impressed, agrees to paint Benson "his way." Later, Clayton is horrified to learn from Katie that he has mistaken the day of the Governor's return, and the Governor storms in and argues heatedly with Benson, feeling that he was insubordinate to veto the bill on his own.
Two weeks pass as Benson and the Governor pointedly ignore one another and Joseph hangs around, attempting to capture Benson's "spirit." Kraus tries to make peace, though Benson maintains that he was following his conscience and could not sign "a bribe" into law, and the fight escalates again, prompting a frantic Clayton to intervene and stop his only "close friends" from permanently damaging their relationships. Later, Joseph unveils his "lifelike" portrait of Benson, to which everyone has a different reaction, and Benson and the Governor finally offer partial apologies to one other, agreeing that the conflict was unfortunate but their individual points of view reasonable, and they agree to stay friends despite their differences. Benson then mends fences with Kraus, returning to their usual bantering relationship. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: March 15, 1985 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:28:17
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:52926
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; African-American Collection - Comedy
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1979-1986
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - 7Up soft drinks
- TV - Commercials - Burger King restaurants
- TV - Commercials - CoTylenol cold medication
- TV - Commercials - Diet Coke and Sprite soft drinks
- TV - Commercials - Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo
- TV - Commercials - Kraft Velveeta cheese
- TV - Commercials - No Nonsense pantyhose
- TV - Promos - "Brubaker"
- TV - Promos - "Off the Rack"
- TV - Promos - "Ripley's Believe It or Not!"
- TV - Promos - "Wildside"
CREDITS
- Paul Junger Witt … Executive Producer
- Tony Thomas … Executive Producer
- Rob Dames … Producer, Writer, Director
- Bob Fraser … Producer, Writer
- Gilbert Junger … Associate Producer
- Susan Harris … Created by
- George Aliceson Tipton … Music by
- Robert Guillaume … Cast, Benson DuBois
- James Noble … Cast, Governor Eugene Xavier Gatling
- Inga Swenson … Cast, Gretchen Wilomena Kraus
- Missy Gold … Cast, Katherine 'Katie' Olivia Gatling
- Rene Auberjonois … Cast, Clayton Runnymede Endicott III
- Alex Kubik … Cast, Joseph Two Horses
- Bob Fraser … Cast, Senator Tyler