6.2 /10 1 Votes6.2
5/10 TV Voices of Ed. Weinberger Final episode date 16 December 1983 Number of seasons 1 | 7.3/10 IMDb Genre Sitcom First episode date 23 September 1983 Number of episodes 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Created by Stan DanielsEd. Weinberger Written by Dari DanielsGeorge KirgoDavid LloydDouglas Wyman Directed by Stan DanielsRalph HelferGerald HirschfeldEd. Weinberger Starring Leonard FreyTim DuniganTerri GarberLaura JacobyStuart Margolin Cast Similar Jennifer Slept Here, Taxi, The Mary Tyler Moore Sh, The Associates, The Betty White Show | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mr. Smith is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23 through December 16, 1983. The title character was a talking orangutan. Mr. Smith was canceled after thirteen episodes were aired.
Contents
The orangutan who played Mr. Smith had previously been featured in the Clint Eastwood movies Any Which Way You Can and Every Which Way But Loose.
Synopsis
Originally a part of a traveling act called the Atwood Orangutans, Cha Cha and Bobo are separated from their trainer Tommy Atwood (Tim Dunigan) after he is knocked unconscious after a car accident while the act is traveling from Arizona to California. Frightened by the commotion caused by the accident, Cha Cha and Bobo both run away. Cha Cha is eventually found and sent to a government research center in Washington, D.C.. Weeks later, Cha Cha escapes from the center and ends up in a research lab where he finds an experimental mixture to increase human intelligence being developed. After drinking the mixture, Cha Cha is able to talk (his voice was provided by series executive producer Ed. Weinberger) and is later determined to have an I.Q of 256. He is then renamed Mr. Smith and, due to his high intelligence, becomes a political adviser. Mr. Smith's old trainer Tommy later becomes his assistant while Mr. Smith attempts to solve various political problems and his surrounding staff, which includes his secretary Raymond Holyoke (Leonard Frey), attempt to keep his identity hidden from the general public.
Mr. Smith's premiere episode brought in a weak 12.1/22 rating/share and ranked 47th out of 57 shows that week and was panned by critics. Viewership decreased as the season progressed and the series was canceled (along with seven other NBC series) in December 1983.
The A.V. Club later referred to Mr. Smith as a "famously terrible show".