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| According to Jim | |
|---|---|
_title_card_logo.svg){kind=logo} | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | |
| Showrunners |
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| Starring |
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| Music by | Jonathan Wolff & Rich Ragsdale |
| Opening theme | “Jimmie’s Theme” by Jim Belushi |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 182(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | October 3, 2001 (2001-10-03) – June 2, 2009 (2009-06-02) |
According to Jim is an Americansitcom television series starringJim Belushi in the title role as a suburban father of three children (and then five children, starting with the seventh season finale). It originally ran onABC from October 3, 2001, to June 2, 2009.
Jim is a happy-go-luckysuburban father. Much like his real-life counterpart, Jim's character is a fan ofblues music, as well as theChicago Bears,Chicago Cubs,Chicago Bulls andChicago Blackhawks. Together with his wife Cheryl, they have three children, daughters Ruby and Gracie and son Kyle. In the seventh season they become parents of twin boys Gordon and Jonathan.
Jim often finds himself in difficult situations, because hisslacker sensibilities cause him to search for alternative ways to get things done with less effort. Jim is very cheap, selfish, rude and arrogant. Cheryl's brother Andy is Jim's best friend/brother-in-law and her sister Dana frequently teams up with Cheryl against Jim. He also prefers to lie to Cheryl and Dana to do his own activities but they end up backfiring on him. He hates losing to women, especially if Cheryl or Dana find out. He doesn't like people interrupting him when he talks, so he speaks over them to shut them up. Jim often makes an example of Andy, who for most of the series does not have a steady girlfriend. Dana and Jim argue constantly, but Dana flirts with Jim when she'sdrunk, discovering after one such event that she respects Jim as a loving father despite his flaws.
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 22 | October 3, 2001 (2001-10-03) | May 15, 2002 (2002-05-15) | |
| 2 | 28 | October 1, 2002 (2002-10-01) | May 20, 2003 (2003-05-20) | |
| 3 | 29 | September 23, 2003 (2003-09-23) | May 25, 2004 (2004-05-25) | |
| 4 | 27 | September 21, 2004 (2004-09-21) | May 27, 2005 (2005-05-27) | |
| 5 | 22 | September 20, 2005 (2005-09-20) | May 2, 2006 (2006-05-02) | |
| 6 | 18 | January 3, 2007 (2007-01-03) | May 16, 2007 (2007-05-16) | |
| 7 | 18 | January 1, 2008 (2008-01-01) | May 27, 2008 (2008-05-27) | |
| 8 | 18 | December 2, 2008 (2008-12-02) | June 2, 2009 (2009-06-02) | |
| Actor | Character | Seasons | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||
| Jim Belushi | James "Jim" | Main | |||||||
| Courtney Thorne-Smith | Cheryl | Main | |||||||
| Kimberly Williams-Paisley | Dana | Main | Special Guest[b] | ||||||
| Larry Joe Campbell | Andrew "Andy" | Main | |||||||
| Taylor Atelian | Ruby | Main | |||||||
| Billi Bruno | Gracie | Main | |||||||
| Conner Rayburn | Kyle | Does not appear | Main[c] | ||||||
| Mitch Rouse | Ryan Gibson | Does not appear | Recurring[d] | Does not appear | Guest[e] | ||||
According to Jim was created byTracy Newman andJonathan Stark. The sitcom was produced byABC's in-house production company and Newman/Stark, Suzanne Bukinik Entertainment and Brad Grey Television. Filming occurred at theCBS Studio Center in Los Angeles. It was originally announced in May 2001 under the titleThe Dad,[2] with the pilot being shot sometime in mid-2001.[3][4] In July 2001, the show's title was changed fromThe Dad toAccording to Jim.[4]
Belushi, besides playing Jim, directed 30 episodes and is credited as executive producer.
Belushi's fictional character Jim's band in the series is the real-lifeHouse of Blues band The Sacred Hearts, for which Jim Belushi often sings lead.[5]
Belushi says he set the show's trademark tone back in the show's 2001 pilot.[6]
"The original script called for Jim to go to the wife and apologize," he recalls. "I said to the writers, 'Why do we have to do a show where the guy is going to apologize at the end of every episode? Was he really wrong? He's contrite, sure. But isn't he just being a man?'"
In an interview, Jim Belushi explained that the show many times directly reflected his actual life. Quite a few episodes were experiences taken directly from Belushi's home. Most of the episodes were taken from experiences inside the writers' homes, too. He adds:[7]
"Every show is based in somebody's reality. Whether it's [co-stars] Larry's, or mine, or Courtney's, or the writers'. Because it was a relationship show about a family, everyone would bring in their experiences as a family, and we would do shows around them."
Last names were never really addressed for the entire run of the show. None of the main characters did get a last name until Season 4 whenKimberly Williams-Paisley's character Dana married Dr. Ryan Gibson (played byMitch Rouse). She became Dana Gibson with their marriage. Only guest characters had first and last names in most cases.[7]
TheAccording to Jimsoundtrack was recorded at Ultratone Studies inStudio City,California and released byHollywood Records on November 1, 2005.[8][9]
All songs are performed by Jim Belushi and The Sacred Hearts.[8][9]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original artist (date) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sweet Home Chicago" | Robert Johnson | Robert Johnson(1936) | 3:28 |
| 2. | "Cadillac Man" | Jim Belushi, Glen Clark | 2:36 | |
| 3. | "Say I Do" | Belushi, Clark, Jana Hunter, Mitch Hunter | 2:55 | |
| 4. | "Have Love, Will Travel" | Richard Berry | Richard Berry(1959) | 3:26 |
| 5. | "Three Hundred Pounds of Joy" | Willie Dixon | Howlin' Wolf(1963) | 4:07 |
| 6. | "Jimmie's Theme" | Belushi, Clark | 3:42 | |
| 7. | "Angel" | Belushi, Clark | 3:11 | |
| 8. | "Mellow Down Easy" | Willie Dixon | Little Walter(1954) | 3:12 |
| 9. | "Girl Watcher" | Ronald Killette, Wayne Pittman | The O'Kaysions(1968) | 3:21 |
| 10. | "I've Got Everything I Need (Almost)" | Don Walsh | Downchild Blues Band(1973) | 2:44 |
| 11. | "Bless My Soul" | Belushi, Clark | 2:44 | |
| 12. | "Mambo Miami" | Belushi, Clark | 3:40 | |
| 13. | "Viva Las Vegas" | Doc Pomus,Mort Shuman | Elvis Presley(1964) | 3:53 |
| 14. | "All She Wants to Do Is Rock" | Theodore McRae,Wynonie Harris | Wynonie Harris(1949) | 2:44 |
| Total length: | 45:43 | |||
The show first aired following the surprise hit comedyMy Wife and Kids and quickly developed an audience of its own. For its second season ABC placed it on its revitalized Tuesday line-up, which also included John Ritter's8 Simple Rules, Bonnie Hunt'sLife with Bonnie and Sara Rue'sLess than Perfect. Week by week, the show attracted more and more viewers, becoming ABC's second most watched sitcom. The show performed so well that the network made a risky move: puttingJim opposite theNBC juggernautFrasier. AlthoughJim did not beat the competition, it performed well enough to secure itself that spot on the 2003 fall schedule.
On May 15, 2007, ABC announced thatAccording to Jim would not be renewed for another season. ABC Entertainment PresidentStephen McPherson said, "We are talking to the studio to see if there's something financially, a deal that would make sense for us."[10] But on June 27, 2007, ABC renewed the show for a seventh season with 18 episodes.[11]
According to Jim returned to ABC's schedule on Tuesday, January 1, 2008, with two episodes at 9 pm and 9:30 pm. After that, the series moved to its regular time slot at 8 pm. Despite the writer's strike, ABC announced that the show would produce all 18 episodes ordered for this season.[12]
On February 27, 2008, it was reported that ABC was close to renewingAccording to Jim for an eighth season.[13] On May 13, 2008, ABC officially renewed the series and Season 8 began airing on December 2, 2008.[14]Kimberly Williams-Paisley left the show's regular cast at the beginning of Season 8 and was not in the Season 8 opening credits,[15] to devote her time to motherhood. She made a guest appearance only in the season finale.
In December 2008, co-starLarry Joe Campbell said that the sets had been destroyed, indicating that the series was canceled, but that a series finale had been recorded.[16] After the first six episodes of Season 8 all aired in December,According to Jim returned to ABC's schedule on April 14, 2009, for the final 12 episodes.[17]The series finale ofAccording to Jim aired on June 2, 2009, onABC, and was titled "Heaven Opposed to Hell."
Lionsgate Home Entertainment (under license fromABC Studios) has released the first five seasons on DVD in Region 1.
| DVD name | Ep# | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | 22 | October 21, 2008 (2008-10-21) |
| The Complete Second Season | 28 | May 4, 2010 (2010-05-04) |
| The Complete Third Season | 29 | May 3, 2011 |
| The Complete Fourth Season | 27 | July 5, 2011 |
| The Complete Fifth Season | 22 | October 4, 2011 |
| The Complete Sixth Season | 18 | TBA |
| The Complete Seventh Season | 18 | TBA |
| The Complete Eighth and Final Season | 18 | TBA |
The pilot was screened to critics in the month leading up to its premiere, and received a mixed response. In his September 9, 2001 review of the pilot,SFGate's John Carmen labelled the show a "formulaic comedy", and said the only distinguishable part of the pilot was when Jim's four year old daughter Gracie loudly proclaimed "I have a vagina" during a kitchen scene.[3] In her September 28, 2001 review of the pilot, Laura Fries ofVariety said that the show "works better when it stays within the family unit, where Belushi is key", adding that he "reps the definition of a lovable lug".[18] On October 2, 2001, Caryn James ofThe New York Times called it "among the season's worst new shows", and criticized it as "[grabbing] every stereotype in its reach". Regarding Belushi's character, she also said "somehow Jim Belushi has made a career out of playing lovable lunks, even though no one finds his lunky characters lovable."[19]
The sitcom debuted in October 2001 onABC with an average of 10 million viewers for its first year. The audience grew in the second year to over 10.3 million. The ratings remained consistent for Seasons 3 and 4 as well. Starting with Season 5, the ratings began to decline. The series was often scheduled against the hugely successfulAmerican Idol. By Season 6,According to Jim was down to 6.7 million viewers.
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) ofAccording to Jim onABC.
Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of Maysweeps.
| Season | Timeslot | Premiere | Finale | TV season | Ranking | Viewers (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Wednesday 8:30 p.m. | October 3, 2001 | May 15, 2002 | 2001–2002 | #55[20] | 10.0 |
| 2nd | Tuesday 8:30 p.m. | October 1, 2002 | May 20, 2003 | 2002–2003 | #51[21] | 10.3 |
| 3rd | Tuesday 9:00 p.m. | September 23, 2003 | May 25, 2004 | 2003–2004 | #51[22] | 9.9 |
| 4th | Tuesday 9:00 p.m. | September 21, 2004 | May 17, 2005 | 2004–2005 | #47[23] | 9.9 |
| 5th | Tuesday 8:00 p.m. | September 20, 2005 | May 2, 2006 | 2005–2006 | #108[24] | 6.7 |
| 6th | Wednesday 9:00 p.m. | January 3, 2007 | May 16, 2007 | 2006–2007 | #119[25] | 6.7 |
| 7th | Tuesday 9:00 p.m. | January 1, 2008 | March 11, 2008 | 2007–2008 | #146[26] | 5.3 |
| Tuesday 8:30 p.m. | April 15, 2008 | May 27, 2008 | #171[26] | 4.1 | ||
| 8th | Tuesday 9:00 p.m. | December 2, 2008 | December 30, 2008 | 2008–2009 | #104[27] | 5.6 |
| Tuesday 9:30 p.m. | #127[27] | 4.8 | ||||
| Tuesday 8:00 p.m. | April 14, 2009 | June 2, 2009 | #148[27] | 3.8 | ||
| Tuesday 8:30 p.m. | #149[27] | 3.8 |
According to Jim was nominated for 20 awards, including fourPrimetime Emmy Awards (all for cinematography).
| Association | Year[f] | Category | Nominee(s) / Work | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAACP Image Awards | 2007 | Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series | Lauren Breiting(for "The Stick") | Nominated | [28] |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2006 | Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series | George Mooradian(for "Mr. Right") | Nominated | [29] |
| 2007 | Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series | George Mooradian(for "Hoosier Daddy") | Nominated | [29] | |
| 2008 | Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series | George Mooradian(for "The Chaperone") | Nominated | [29] | |
| 2009 | Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series | George Mooradian(for "Heaven Opposed to Hell") | Nominated | [29] | |
| Young Artist Awards | 2002 | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actress Age Ten or Under | Taylor Atelian | Nominated | [30] |
| Billi Bruno | Nominated | [30] | |||
| 2003 | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actress Age Ten or Younger | Taylor Atelian | Nominated | [31] | |
| 2004 | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actress Age Ten or Younger | Taylor Atelian | Nominated | [32] | |
| Billi Bruno | Nominated | [32] | |||
| 2005 | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actress Age Ten or Younger | Taylor Atelian | Nominated | [33] | |
| Billi Bruno | Nominated | [33] | |||
| 2006 | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actor Age Ten or Younger | Connor and Garret Sullivan | Nominated | [34] | |
| Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actress Ten or Younger | Taylor Atelian | Nominated | [34] | ||
| Billi Bruno | Nominated | [34] | |||
| Best Family Television Series (Comedy) | According to Jim | Nominated | [34] | ||
| 2007 | Best Performance in a TV Series – Young Actress Age Ten or Younger | Billi Bruno | Nominated | [35] | |
| Best Performance in a TV Series – Guest Starring Young Actor | Austin Majors | Nominated | [35] | ||
| 2008 | Best Performance in a TV Series – Young Actor Ten or Under | Conner Rayburn | Nominated | [citation needed] | |
| Best Performance in a TV Series – Supporting Young Actress | Taylor Atelian | Nominated | [citation needed] |
