Duet is an American sitcom that aired on Fox from April 19, 1987, to May 7, 1989. The show originally focused on the relationship between a novelist, Matthew Laurance, and a caterer, Mary Page Keller. Over time, the story began to focus more on their wealthy friends, Chris Lemmon and Alison LaPlaca. The series was then renamed Open House. The show was created by Ruth Bennett and Susan Seeger and produced by Paramount Television.

Synopsis

Ben Coleman is a mystery writer who has difficulty completing his books. His girlfriend, Laura Kelly, is a caterer who works with her younger sister, Jane (Jodi Thelen). Richard and Linda Phillips were a wealthy and successful couple. Richard worked in his family's patio-furniture business, while Linda was a studio executive. Linda's boss at World Wide Studios was Cooper Hayden (Larry Poindexter), who later became interested in Jane. Richard later left his job to become a professional pianist. Geneva (Arleen Sorkin) was the Phillipses' witty and charming maid who sometimes spent time with the sisters.

At the end of season 2, Linda gave birth to a daughter named Amanda. When the show returned for season 3, Amanda was now four years old (Ginger Orsi). At the start of season 3, Ben and Laura married, and Linda lost her job at World Wide Studios. Linda then asked to join Laura's catering business as a partner. Before the end of season 3, Linda met Ted Nichols, a real estate businessman played by guest star Philip Charles MacKenzie. Ted persuaded Linda to join his realty firm, where she sold expensive homes to wealthy clients.

When the show returned for season 4, it was renamed Open House and focused on Linda and Ted. The characters of Laura, Richard, Amanda, and Geneva returned for Open House, but Amanda and Geneva left the show after a few episodes. Richard also left the show later. The spin-off series lasted for only one season.

Production

The series was one of the first shows to air on the Fox network when it started a Sunday night prime-time lineup in 1987. It shared time with other shows like Married… with Children, The Tracey Ullman Show, and Mr. President. The show was inspired by the love lives of its creators, Bennett and Seeger. It was known for having stories that continued from week to week.

Matthew Laurance was the first actor hired for the show. However, the producers could not find a leading lady who had good chemistry with him in Los Angeles, so they held auditions in New York. There, they found Mary Page Keller. Keller and Jodi Thelen met during the audition and quickly formed a close, sister-like friendship. Both were cast within days. Alison LaPlaca was originally hired to appear briefly as the wife of a supporting character in two episodes. However, the writers added a pregnancy to the next script, which required her to stay in the role longer. Chris Lemmon was not primarily interested in acting; he had studied piano extensively. However, his musical talents were later used in the show.

At first, the actors needed time to get to know each other. Once they became comfortable, the set had a fun and positive atmosphere, with little interference from the network. Susan Seeger involved her entire family in the show. Her brother David and father Hal Seeger created the opening title sequence. Her sister Mindy played Ben's publicist, Nina. Her sister Charbie Dahl (also known as Charlene Seeger) wrote some of the scripts.

The first season focused mainly on Ben and Laura. However, the second season became an ensemble show, with ongoing stories about Jane, Richard, and Linda. As the meaning of the show’s title became unclear, Fox promoted it by saying, “Duet means two, so why is it about five people, a dog, and a baby? Because it’s a show you shouldn’t watch alone!” By the third season, Fox executives made changes. They noticed the popularity of Alison LaPlaca’s character and shifted the focus to Linda and Richard, pushing Ben, Laura, and Jane to the background. They also moved the timeline forward three years to turn the Phillipses’ daughter into a talking toddler, a concept that was popular on Full House. The Phillipses also received more attention in promotions than the newlywed Colemans.

The theme music for the opening titles was composed by Buddy Budson. In the first two seasons, it was performed by Ursula Walker and Tony Franklin.

Starting in the second season, the opening titles changed to include clips of the characters from the show. These clips were shown on a maroon leather-textured photo album cover, with the show’s title in gold. The album opened to reveal the episode clips and then closed, with the creators, Ruth Bennett and Susan Seeger, credited in gold. (In the first season, the show’s title was displayed over the beginning of the opening scene.) In the third season, the same format remained, but the theme music was rearranged into a full saxophone and electric guitar instrumental, replacing the vocals from Walker and Franklin.

Cast

• Matthew Laurance as Ben Coleman
• Mary Page Keller as Laura Kelly
• Jodi Thelen as Jane Kelly
• Chris Lemmon as Richard Phillips
• Alison La Placa as Linda Phillips
• Larry Poindexter as Cooper Hayden
• Arleen Sorkin as Geneva
• Ginger Orsi as Amanda Phillips
• Bo as Reuben, Ben's dog (live animal actor)

Episodes

Note: Many of the titles shown on the screen are different from the ones listed in TV guides. Only the first season included on-screen title cards and names connected to music.

Reception

The show received mostly good reviews. TV Guide compared it to The Mary Tyler Moore Show, saying it "mixes fun and real life well." The Houston Post noted that, on Sunday nights, other networks often aired movies, and said, "If you're tired of watching movies on TV, Duet is a good choice." The South Florida Sentinel called it Fox's "best series so far," and The Journal News praised producers Ruth Bennett and Susan Seeger for "organizing the show beautifully."

Even though the show had positive reviews, it had low viewership numbers. The Fox network was not taken seriously by Hollywood at first, and ratings were not shared until the second season. During that season, Duet ranked near the bottom of the yearly TV ratings list, in 118th place. The third season did not improve much, with the show ranking in 104th place.