United States (TV series)

United States
Genre	Comedy drama
Created by	Gary Markowitz
Written by	Gary Markowitz Larry Gelbart Tom Whedon Everett Greenbaum Carol Gary
Directed by	Will Mackenzie Nick Havinga
Starring	Beau Bridges Helen Shaver Rossie Harris Justin Dana
Composer	Jack Elliott
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	13 (4 unaired)
Production
Executive producer	Larry Gelbart
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	30 minutes
Production company	OTP Productions
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	March 11 (1980-03-11) – April 29, 1980 (1980-04-29)

United States is an American comedy-drama series that aired on NBC from March 11 until April 29, 1980.

Larry Gelbart, the show's executive producer and chief writer, said the name United States was not a reference to the country but rather to "the state of being united in a relationship". Gelbart envisioned a series that would be "a situation comedy based on the real things that happen in my marriage and in the marriages of my friends".

Episodes tackled such topics as marital infidelity, household debt, friends who drink too much, death within the family, and sexual misunderstandings.

United States focused on Richard and Libby Chapin, an upwardly mobile couple who lived in a Los Angeles suburb, Woodland Hills. Beau Bridges played Richard, and Helen Shaver played Libby. Gelbart reverted to black-and-white script for the show's titles. He said that was to convey the mood of "a sophisticated '30s film." Gelbart also avoided use of background music and a laugh track. Scripts featured dialogue such as, "Just for once I'd like to be treated like a friend instead of a husband," and "Maybe you and Bob can go out and get yourselves one redhead with two straws."

United States premiered at 10:30 p.m. on March 11, 1980. NBC pulled it from the schedule within two months, after only nine of 13 episodes had aired. The series aired later that year in Britain on BBC2, under the title Married. The remaining episodes were not broadcast in the US until 1986, when the A&E cable channel aired United States.

The show's tagline made by NBC was "It will do to marriages what M*A*S*H did for war".

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Transcription

Cast

Beau Bridges - Richard Chapin
Helen Shaver - Libby Chapin
Rossie Harris - Dylan Chapin
Justin Dana - Nicky Chapin

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Uncle Charlie"	Unknown	Unknown	March 11, 1980 (1980-03-11)
When Uncle Charlie dies, the Chapins have to figure out how to explain it to their sons.
2	"Broccoli"	Unknown	Unknown	March 18, 1980 (1980-03-18)
The Chapins' dinner party with another couple turns into a disaster when the main topic of conversation becomes the husband's infidelity.
3	"Josh"	Unknown	Unknown	March 25, 1980 (1980-03-25)
An old friend for the past 30 years suddenly reveals to the Chapins that he has been hiding his homosexuality all that time.
4	"And Baby Makes Two..."	Unknown	Unknown	April 1, 1980 (1980-04-01)
The Chapins panic when they think that Libby is pregnant.
5	"All Our Weapons"	Unknown	Unknown	April 8, 1980 (1980-04-08)
Richard and Libby have a fight over his refusal to ask her father for a loan.
6	"Windmills"	Unknown	Unknown	April 15, 1980 (1980-04-15)
Libby's ex-husband makes a surprise visit to the Chapin home.
7	"Sometimes"	Unknown	Unknown	April 22, 1980 (1980-04-22)
Sometimes it's like this, he's wrong.
8	"Better Than Burning"	Unknown	Unknown	April 29, 1980 (1980-04-29)
Richard and Libby separately reveal their thoughts to interviewers for a book survey.
9	"Touching Story"	Unknown	Unknown	Unaired
Libby finally confesses a shocking childhood secret.
10	"Slide Area"	Unknown	Unknown	Unaired
A severe storm causes their friends to have to stay over because their house is about to slide away. Richard questions his emotions when he cries for no apparent reason.
11	"Room Service"	Unknown	Unknown	Unaired
Staying in a motel after a fight with his wife, Richard is tempted to stray when a female friend visits to console him.
12	"Lysdexia Is No Joek"	Unknown	Unknown	Unaired
When Nicky's teacher comes to talk to them about his difficulties learning how to read, Libby feels pangs of guilt that her son seems to be inheriting her learning disability.
13	"The Grand Funk"	Unknown	Unknown	Unaired
An already depressed Richard becomes even more so when Libby tells him that their son Nicky is part of a gang of kids who are going around killing cats.

Reception

Writing in The Toronto Star, entertainment critic Ron Base (reviewing the first episode) felt the program lacked insight, and wrote that the program's emphasis on talk and arguments made Bridges and Shaver "surprisingly unlikable".^[1]

In their Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows (1946—Present), authors Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh characterize the show as "tedious, boring and didactic".^[2]