Makin' It (TV series)

For the reality show, see Making It (TV series).

Makin' It
Opening title
Created by	Mark Rothman Lowell Ganz Garry Marshall
Starring	David Naughton Greg Antonacci Denise Miller Ellen Travolta Lou Antonio
Theme music composer	Dino Fekaris Freddie Perren
Opening theme	"Makin' It" performed by David Naughton
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	9
Production
Executive producers	Thomas L. Miller Edward K. Milkis Lowell Ganz Mark Rothman
Producers	David W. Duclon Deborah Leschin Jeffrey Ganz
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	22–24 minutes
Production companies	Miller-Milkis Productions Henderson Productions Stigwood Group, Ltd. Paramount Television
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	February 1 (1979-02-01) – March 23, 1979 (1979-03-23)

Makin' It is an American sitcom starring David Naughton that aired for nine episodes on Fridays at 8:00PM on ABC from February 1 to March 23, 1979. It also aired in the United Kingdom on ITV from March 21, 1979.

In 2002, TV Guide ranked Makin' it at number 40 on its TV Guide's 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time list.

Synopsis

The show was set in Passaic, New Jersey, and was about the daily life of Billy Manucci, a young man who frequented the local disco club, Inferno, at night while working at an ice cream parlor called Tasti-Queen during the day. Manucci was highly influenced by the disco craze and specifically by the movie Saturday Night Fever. Ellen Travolta, co-star of Saturday Night Fever and John Travolta's sister, played Manucci's mother.

Makin' It had the misfortune of coming to air near the end of the disco fad as backlash against the disco culture (such as the one portrayed in the show) was rising in the United States, culminating in Disco Demolition Night in the summer of 1979. As such, it lasted only eight weeks on air before being canceled. It ranked #104 out of 114 shows airing that season, with an 11.9 rating and a 20 share. The show was one of six whose cancellation was announced by ABC on the same day in April 1979, all listed in the same release in an issue of TV Guide, the other five series being Welcome Back, Kotter, What's Happening!!, Delta House, Starsky & Hutch and the original Battlestar Galactica, which was gone after a single season despite its phenomenal popularity.

Robert Stigwood, the producer of Saturday Night Fever as well as the Bee Gees' manager, was involved in the show's creation, as was Garry Marshall. The theme song, sung by David Naughton, reached #5 on the Billboard Top 40 charts in 1979. It entered the Top 40 on May 12, nearly two months after the show had been canceled. The song was also featured in the Bill Murray movie Meatballs as well as the GameCube dance game MC Groovz Dance Craze. The song was also featured in the movie Detroit Rock City, despite the fact the movie is set in 1978 and Makin' It was released in 1979.

Cast

• David Naughton – Billy Manucci
• Greg Antonacci – Tony Manucci, Billy's older brother
• Denise Miller – Tina Manucci, Billy's younger sister
• Ellen Travolta – Dorothy Manucci, the mother
• Lou Antonio – Joseph Manucci, the father
• Ralph Seymour – Al "Kingfish" Sorrentino
• Rebecca Balding – Corky Crandall
• Jennifer Perito – Ivy Papastegios
• Gary Prendergast – Bernard Fusco
• Wendy Hoffman – Suzanne

Episodes

Nº	Title	Director(s):	Writer(s):	Air date	PC
1	"Stayin' Alive"	Lowell Ganz	Lowell Ganz, Mark Rothman	February 1, 1979 (1979-02-01)	001
Debut: Billy Manucci is a New Yorker working his way through college and living at home in the shadow of his swinging older brother.
2	"The Art Auction"	Joel Zwick	Ron Leavitt	February 2, 1979 (1979-02-02)	003
Billy poses as Al Pacino's brother to get into an art auction, and bids $5,000 for a painting to impress Corky.
3	"Big Brother Is Watching"	Joel Zwick	Judith D. Allison	February 9, 1979 (1979-02-09)	002
Billy is at loose ends while trying to protect his sister from a well-known Casanova who prides himself on one-night stands.
4	"Fun, Fun, Fun: Part 1"	Mark Rothman	David W. Duclon	February 16, 1979 (1979-02-16)	004
Billy quits school and his job so he can experience the "good life".
5	"Fun, Fun, Fun: Part 2"	John Tracy	Deborah Leschin	February 23, 1979 (1979-02-23)	005
Billy shirks his responsibilities and moves in with his brother.
6	"Something for Ma"	Joel Zwick	Babaloo Mandel	March 2, 1979 (1979-03-02)	007
Tony surprises his mother with a pair of expensive earrings for her birthday, which leads her to being arrested because the police think they are stolen.
7	"Little Orphan Fusco"	Unknown	Unknown	March 9, 1979 (1979-03-09)	010
Bernard thanks Dorothy for nursing his injured foot by sending gifts, which her kids mistake for presents from a lover.
8	"Tony's Homecoming"	Joel Zwick	Richard Rosenstock	March 16, 1979 (1979-03-16)	008
Tony and his parents are reunited after a two-year separation.
9	"Friends for Life"	John Tracy	Stephen Nathan, Paul B. Price	March 23, 1979 (1979-03-23)	009
When Dorothy gets flowers from a secret admirer, her children suspect her of having an affair with the local encyclopedia salesman.

External links

• Makin' It at IMDb
• Makin' It at epguides.com