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Tracey Takes On...

Tracey Takes On... is an American sketch comedy series starring Tracey Ullman. The show ran for four seasons on HBO and was commissioned following the success of the 1993 comedy special Tracey Ullman Takes on New York. Each episode focuses on a specific subject, in which Ullman and her cast of characters comment or experience through a series of sketches and monologues.

Tracey Takes On...
Intertitle from Seasons 2 to 4
GenreSketch comedy
Created by
StarringTracey Ullman
Opening theme"They Don't Know" (Seasons 2–4)
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes65 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Allan McKeown
  • Tracey Ullman
Producers
Various
Production locations
Cinematography
Editors
  • Tammis Chandler
  • Barry Dresner
  • Scott Gamzon
  • Simeon Hutner
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time22–28 minutes
Production companies
  • Home Box Office
  • Takes On Productions, Inc.
  • Witzend Productions
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseJanuary 24, 1996 (1996-01-24) –
March 17, 1999 (1999-03-17)
Related

Unlike her previous Fox show, Tracey Takes On... was filmed without a studio audience, on location, single-camera; instead of upwards of a hundred characters, the show focused on a steady rotation of nearly 20. "I wanted to do a show where you could get familiar with the characters, where I could express a point of view, where we could get controversial [...] I also didn't want to do a series where I had to do 22 or 26 episodes a year. I have two children and have a husband, and there are other things I'd like to do during the year. Ten shows is a good number, and HBO gives me a great (artistic) freedom," said Ullman in 1996.[1] The only character to return from the original Tracey Ullman Show was Kay Clark, as Ullman was the sole creator.[2] Former cast member Julie Kavner became a recurring guest star in the series.

In 1998, a book based on the series, Tracey Takes On was released. In 2003, the character Ruby Romaine was spun-off into the HBO television special, Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales.

Premise edit

Tracey Ullman and her cast of characters "take on" a different subject for each episode of the series.

Production edit

Conception and development edit

In 1990, Ullman's husband Allan McKeown, a founding member of the Meridian Broadcasting consortium, placed a bid for the ITV television franchise in South East England.[3] Along with the bid he included a potential programming lineup which included a Tracey Ullman special. Ullman, who had just ended four seasons of her eponymous Fox series, had just given birth to their second child and was quite content staying at home. In September 1991, McKeown was elated when he was informed that his bid was successful; he was subsequently responsible for all of Meridian's comedy programming.[4] Ullman dreaded the idea of doing another show. "I was really not prepared to do TV again. I had an extraordinary run at FOX in the late '80s with the Tracey Ullman Show, and couldn't imagine putting forth that amount of energy again. [...] The type of makeups I liked to disguise myself under had not been conducive to a live show [...] Once I inhaled so much remover that I passed out on the makeup room floor. I was resuscitated and went out to give a terrific performance, even though I can't remember being there."[5] She had a year to deliver the show. The 1993 special Tracey Ullman: A Class Act, a satire about the British class system, was shot entirely on location and co-starred actor Michael Palin. The show's success led to American cable television network HBO becoming interested in having Ullman do a special for them. The only caveat was that she take on a more "American" subject.[6] She chose New York City. That special, Tracey Ullman Takes on New York, was an award-winning success. HBO then broached the idea of a "Takes on" series.[7]

Ullman was unsure if she could do it without the help of her "mentor" James L. Brooks who helped launch her American career with The Tracey Ullman Show. "Last year, I was 35 years old, and I thought, 'It's time to do it myself really. I thought, 'I know the premise, I know what I want to do...' I sat at the head of the table and made myself a boss."[8] Production on season one of Tracey Takes On... began in Los Angeles in 1995.[7] Characters created for her previous two HBO comedy specials were carried over for the series: gay airline steward Trevor Ayliss, British Conservative MP wife Virginia Bugge, British magazine editor Janie Pillsworth, Long Island housewife Fern Rosenthal, and faded Hollywood actress Linda Granger.

Ullman was thrilled with the artistic freedom working in cable television allotted her, specifically HBO. "If we did the story line with me and [Julie Kavner] as gay golfers on network TV, Johnson & Johnson would pull their advertising, then there'd be a big piece in USA Today, and it would be a headache. HBO let us have fun with it, and when Julie and I come out at the end, it's in the most wonderful way. Our Romance show may be a bit sappy, but it's more of a battle theme, something that will get people talking."[1]

Production on Tracey Takes On... began each year in February with a staff retreat. Three months would then be spent writing the scripts. Pre-production would follow in July and August with filming commencing in September and wrapping in November. The completed season would "ideally" get delivered to HBO by December.[9]

The series came to a close after a four season run in 1999. Ullman began conceiving a new show in which she'd play only one or two characters with minimal makeup. "This time I'll play one or two characters [instead of all the characters]. I just don't want to put all that rubber on my face. That began to get really tedious. I've got make it easier on myself, and it'll be easier if I don't have to spend ten hours in make-up."[10]

Format edit

A typical episode consists of two or three long sketches with interstitial character monologues all focusing on the episode's subject. However, every season featured one or two episodes which deviated from the show's regular format in favor of a single storyline (e.g., "Vegas", "Hollywood", "Road Rage", "The End of the World").

Opening title sequence and theme song edit

Each episode of season one opened with Ullman asleep in bed, musing about the topic she would be taking on in that particular episode. This was her only appearance out of character in the show. This would end up becoming an issue for some viewers as many were unaware that Ullman was playing every character. The theme song was an original song performed by Ullman, describing the show's characters as "company in between [her] ears."

A new opening was conceived for season two in which she opened the show with an anecdote or monologue in relation to each episode's subject. The show's theme song was also changed to her 1983 cover version of the Kirsty MacColl song "They Don't Know", with Ullman and her characters lip-syncing and dancing to it.

In February 1998, Ullman revealed that some viewers were still unaware that she was playing all the characters, "We still get letters asking, 'Can I have a picture of Tracey and the rest of the cast?'"[11]

Advertising edit

Famed caricaturist Al Hirschfeld's artistic rendering of Ullman surrounded her characters was used to promote the show's third season.[12][13]

In 1999, Ullman was featured in a Got Milk? ad campaign, along with three of her Tracey Takes On... characters, Kay Clark, Linda Granger, and Hope Finch.[14]

Character origins and development edit

All of my characters have a sadness or inadequacy about them.

— Tracey Ullman[15]

All of the characters in Tracey Takes On were original creations. Ullman shied away from doing straight-up impersonations of celebrities believing it was Saturday Night Live territory.[16] She instead chose to do amalgamations of many real-life everyday people, and in some instances, famous ones.[8]

The only character to return from The Tracey Ullman Show was Kay Clark, as Ullman was her sole creator; Fox owned the rights to all the other characters that appeared on that show. "I love Kay. I'm very fond of her. This little British spinster – she's so courageous, and to think she's sort of on national television in America is rather thrilling to me when I used to witness her in the local bank in my village. She'd say, 'Hello, Miss Ullman. How's Hollywood?' And to think she's on American television and – she doesn't know!"[2]

Ruby Romaine, who Ullman has described as "pure Hollywood white trash",[17] was based on many of the Hollywood union makeup artists sent to make her up over the years.[18] Ruby's look was inspired by Romaine Greene, a hairstylist who worked on many of Woody Allen's films,[19] while her voice was inspired by Florence Aadland, mother of actress Beverly Aadland, who at 15 had an affair with 48-year-old Errol Flynn. Ullman had played Florence in the one-woman Broadway show The Big Love, for which she had prepared by listening to hours' worth of Florence's dictations to writer Tedd Thomey, for their book of the same name.[20] There are parallels between Ruby Romaine's early days in Hollywood and those of Beverly Aadland, specifically Beverly's affair with Erroll Flynn.

The characters Fern and Harry Rosenthal and Linda Granger were created for Tracey Ullman Takes on New York. Ullman had toyed with the idea of giving Fern her own show but found that playing Fern left her "feeling like a limp rag" and that her husband avoided her afterward. She described Fern as "Loud, emotional with 'I'm from the suburbs' written all over her. She sat behind me at matinees of Cats and Les Misérables, not too shy to shout out to the performers, 'Speak up, darling, we can't hear you!'" When asked who had inspired washed-up Hollywood actress Linda Granger, and who they were, Ullman cited Loni Anderson and actresses that ended up guest-starring in episodes of Murder, She Wrote: "the kind of women that Ruby Romaine made up."[19]

The characters Trevor Ayliss, Virginia and Timothy Bugge, and Janie Pillsworth, along with her mother Jackie, were originally created for the 1993 special Tracey Ullman: A Class Act. Trevor was based on a real British Airways steward and an observation Ullman made about crewmen who would "butch up" when leaving the galley.[19] Ullman said of him, "I love Trevor. I've always wanted to do one of those gay air stewards because they're always so lovely to me. As Linda [Granger] says ... 'I have a wonderful homosexual fan base, and I love them!'"[21] Since playing the character, every male steward Ullman has encountered is convinced that she based it on them. "And I always say I did. I go, 'You're right, I based it on you,' because that way I get free caviar."[22] Fashion magazine editor Janie Pillsworth was an amalgamation of British editors such as Tina Brown and Anna Wintour.[8]

Feeling that it would have been passé to play a talent agent, Ullman opted instead to play an attorney, Sydney Kross, apropos in the wake of the OJ Simpson trial and Court TV. Critics immediately took note of the character’s uncanny resemblance to real-life attorney Leslie Abramson, who defended Lyle and Erik Menéndez. Ullman noted, "She has a fascinating look.... I think she'll recognize herself physically but not her personality.... I've got some things physically which [aren't her]. I've [had] some teeth [made] that look like sharks. I had the glasses, the suit, but then I put these teeth in, and it made me move my mouth in a certain way. And I filed my nails square. Women in L.A. have these square white nails, reeeelly square...."[8] When it came to Sydney's personality, Ullman found inspiration from an agent she had in Los Angeles named Holly, "who was insane." Always wanting to find some redeeming quality in all her characters, she was found herself stuck at first when it came Sydney. "[I]t seemed she had no redeeming features: she's horrid, cold, impersonal." But then she found a "humanizing trait": loneliness. "She's so aggressive, and so ugly! She's got adult acne, and her teeth are terrible! [...] She became sort of appealing to me. All of my characters have a sadness or inadequacy about them."[15]

Her Royal Highness was a combination of Queen Elizabeth's voice, Princess Margaret's lifestyle, the Duchess of Kent's hats, and Princess Anne's teeth. Ullman sent a copy of the show's "Royalty" episode to Princess Diana feeling that she could use a laugh, and Diana, through her lady-in-waiting, expressed that she had enjoyed it.[23]

The show's Asian doughnut shop owner, Mrs. Noh Nang Ning, was modeled after a real-life doughnut shop owner Ullman met while writing the show's first season in Los Angeles.[8] The character was the show's only encounter with controversy. An Asian American watchdog group protested the show, calling the character stereotypical and racist, and asked HBO to remove the character. HBO defended the character, saying, "Tracey Ullman is a brilliant satirist and comedienne, and all of her work is in the spirit of fun and good humor."[24] Ullman said of the controversy, "My criteria for doing a character is, do they exist, do they talk like this, would they indeed run a doughnut establishment? And I think Mrs. Noh Nang Ning meets all of that." However, she acknowledged, "Asian people don't necessarily see themselves in mainstream television and certainly not comic situations and after Mickey Rooney [as Mr. Yunioshi] in Breakfast at Tiffany's, I can understand why they're a little gun-shy."[18] The controversy later become comic fodder in season four when Ruby Romaine announces that she was behind Mickey Rooney's look in Breakfast at Tiffany's. True to form, Ruby doesn't understand the controversy and declares that she should have won an Oscar. Mrs. Noh Nang Ning was retired after season three; Ullman had been complaining for years that the character's makeup felt like being buried alive.[2] In fact, people of color, including Asian Americans, made up the show's largest fan base; Ullman commented, "It's such a diverse audience that I get. They're all those characters that I portray that are supposed to be politically incorrect. I get these Asian teenagers who come up and I think, 'Aren't you supposed to be offended by my doughnut-shop lady?' and they go, 'Oh, no! There's no one like that on TV. That's like my grandmother. I'd rather you do it than no one at all.'"[9]

Beverly Hills madam Madam Nadja was based on Elizabeth Adams (known as "Madam Alex"), of whom Ullman said, "I love that she kept money underneath her bed. She never gets up all day. If she ever has to get out of bed, it's like, 'Dammit, I've got to get out of bed. I've got to get dressed.' That's when something major happens that she has to get dressed. She's very angry because she had to get out of bed today because of some stupid hooker in Venice."[25]

The character Chic was based on a real New York City cab driver who once drove writer Allen Zipper to LaGuardia Airport. The line "You want to fuck me or you want to fuck my Mercedes?" was an actual comment from the driver, about how women in Los Angeles only cared about money. Ullman had a similar experience and spent the entire ride wondering how she could turn herself into the driver. The character was also partially based on a man she knew as a teenager in London, who worked in a restaurant and used the come-on line "Hey, darling, you like sex?"[22]

Guest stars edit

Guest stars marked with an asterisk (*) represent those who made recurring appearances.

Episodes edit

SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
11024 January 1996 (1996-01-24)27 March 1996 (1996-03-27)
21518 January 1997 (1997-01-18)30 April 1997 (1997-04-30)
3104 January 1998 (1998-01-04)8 March 1998 (1998-03-08)
41213 January 1999 (1999-01-13)17 March 1999 (1999-03-17)
Character Comedies15
Specials31996–98

Reception edit

Awards and nominations edit

The series was nominated for 24 Emmy Awards, winning 6, including 1 in 1997 for Outstanding Music, Comedy and Variety Show. The show won a CableACE award in 1996 for Best Comedy Variety Series, 3 American Comedy Awards, and 2 GLAAD Media Awards in 1998 and 1999.

American Comedy Awards
  • 1998–Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication
  • 1999–Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication
  • 2000–Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication
CableACE Awards
  • 1996–Actress in a Comedy Series
  • 1996–Variety Special or Series
Directors Guild of America
  • 1997–Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical/Variety
Primetime Emmy Awards
  • 1997–Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series
  • 1997–Outstanding Makeup for a Series
  • 1997–Outstanding Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program
  • 1998–Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series
  • 1998–Outstanding Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program
  • 1999–Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series
GLAAD Media Awards
  • 1996–Outstanding TV Individual Episode ("Romance")
  • 1999–Outstanding TV - Individual Episode ("Religion")
Online Film & Television Association
  • 1998–Best Ensemble in a Variety, Musical, or Comedy Series
  • 1998–Best Host or Performer in a Variety, Musical, or Comedy Series
  • 1998–Best Variety, Musical, or Comedy Series
  • 1998–Best Actress in a Cable Series
  • 1999–Best Costume Design in a Series
  • 1999–Best Host or Performer in a Variety, Musical, or Comedy Series
  • 1999–Best Variety, Musical, or Comedy Series
Satellite Awards
  • 1998–Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
Screen Actors Guild Awards
  • 1999–Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series, Tracey Takes On...

Home media edit

 
"Tracey Takes On..." North American VHS and DVD releases from 1998 to 2009.

VHS edit

Title Release date Running time Extras
Tracey Takes On... Sex, Romance, Fantasy January 27, 1998 80:00 Outtakes
Tracey Takes On... Movies, Vanity, Fame January 27, 1998 80:00 Outtakes
Tracey Takes On... Fern & Kay January 26, 1999 50:00 N/A

DVD edit

On December 26, 2005, HBO Home Video released the first two seasons of Tracey Takes On... to DVD. The second season's "They Don't Know" lip-syncing title sequence has been removed and replaced with a black screen with the episode title, with an instrumental version of the first season theme. The closing credits feature the first season's theme song as well. Extras on the sets include the original HBO special Tracey Ullman Takes On New York (season 1), commentary on one episode per season by Tracey, previously unreleased Character Comedies, character bios (season 1), and a photo gallery (season 2).

Seasons 3 and 4 were released by Eagle Rock Entertainment as one DVD set on July 14, 2009 in the United States. While it claims to be "complete", the set's episodes are heavily edited, some to only three to five minutes in length; "Religion" is missing entirely. The set includes three Character Comedies: Virginia, Ruby, and Rayleen. The DVDs are region-free.

Title Release date Special features Running time
Tracey Takes On... The Complete First Season December 26, 2005
  • Commentary by Tracey on "Romance"
  • Tracey Ullman Takes On New York
  • Character Comedies: Fern: The Early Years, Fern & Harry, Linda, Janie
  • "Meet the Characters" slide show
300 minutes
Tracey Takes On... The Complete Second Season June 27, 2006
  • Commentary by Tracey on "Las Vegas"
  • Character Comedies: Kay, Chris, Hope
  • "The Many Faces of Tracey" slide show
450 minutes
Tracey Takes On... Complete Seasons 3 & 4 July 14, 2009
  • Character Comedies: Virginia, Ruby, Rayleen
366 minutes

Streaming edit

Seasons 1 through 4 were released for purchase through iTunes and Amazon Video-on-Demand service in the United States in 2009, but are currently unavailable in either store. The episodes were heavily edited; some episodes were combined to make up for lost running time due to editing. In 2012, the entire series of 65 episodes could be streamed through Hulu, including all 15 unaired Character Comedies episodes.[26]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Spelling, Ian (January 21, 1996). "Tracey Ullman 'Takes On' a New TV Series". The Tennessean. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Tracey Takes On American TV - Again". Deseret News. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  3. ^ "Tracey Ullman's Husband, producer Allan McKeown, Dies At 67". Digital Spy. December 28, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  4. ^ "Allan McKeown - Obituary". The Telegraph. December 29, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  5. ^ Ullman 1998, p. xi.
  6. ^ Ullman 1998, p. xii.
  7. ^ a b Ullman 1998, p. xv.
  8. ^ a b c d e Michaelson, Judith (February 7, 1996). "Tracey Takes Charge : Ullman's at Home Behind the Scenes and in Front of the Camera". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Levesque, John (March 18, 1998). "Tracey". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  10. ^ Mills, Nancy (November 19, 2000). "A Demented Pixie Grows Up". You. United Kingdom.
  11. ^ "Tracey". The Index-Journal. February 18, 1998. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  12. ^ "Tracey Ullman; Al Hirschfeld". Alhirschfeldfoundation.org. October 1, 1997. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  13. ^ "Tracey Ullman; Al Hirschfeld". Alhirschfeldfoundation.org. October 1, 1997. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  14. ^ "Got Milk?, 1999". The Tracey Ullman Archives. January 10, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  15. ^ a b Moore, Frazier (February 6, 1998). "Chameleon's Many Characters Converge When 'Tracey Takes On...'". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  16. ^ "From Maggie Smith To Angela Merkel, Comic Tracey Ullman Leaves An Impression". All Things Considered. NPR. October 28, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  17. ^ Avasthi, Sarubhui (17 January 1997). "Tracey Ullman Defies Characterization". The News Journal. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  18. ^ a b "Tracey Takes On... The Characters". Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved January 1, 2018 – via YouTube.
  19. ^ a b c 92nd Street Y (November 21, 2016). "Tracey Ullman is back! Tracy Ullman with Patricia Marx". Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2018 – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ De Vries, Hilary (March 3, 1991). "Interview: Voice No. 1,001: Her TV show is history, but Tracey Ullman has found another offbeat American misfit to play, this time on Broadway". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  21. ^ Williams, Scott (January 26, 1996). "The Tracey Papers". Ukiah Daily Journal. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  22. ^ a b "Who is Tracey?". 1998. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved January 1, 2018 – via YouTube.
  23. ^ "Tracey Ullman Takes On a New Television Show". Fresh Air. January 14, 1998. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  24. ^ Snow, Shauna (March 16, 1996). "TV & Radio". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  25. ^ Lacher, Irene (February 22, 1998). "The Tracey Papers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  26. ^ . Hulu. Archived from the original on August 17, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2012.

Sources edit

External links edit

tracey, takes, this, article, about, television, series, book, based, series, tracey, takes, book, american, sketch, comedy, series, starring, tracey, ullman, show, four, seasons, commissioned, following, success, 1993, comedy, special, tracey, ullman, takes, . This article is about the television series For the book based on the series see Tracey Takes On book Tracey Takes On is an American sketch comedy series starring Tracey Ullman The show ran for four seasons on HBO and was commissioned following the success of the 1993 comedy special Tracey Ullman Takes on New York Each episode focuses on a specific subject in which Ullman and her cast of characters comment or experience through a series of sketches and monologues Tracey Takes On Intertitle from Seasons 2 to 4GenreSketch comedyCreated byTracey UllmanAllan McKeownStarringTracey UllmanOpening theme They Don t Know Seasons 2 4 ComposersRichard GibbsPhilip GiffinSteve HamptonRandy KerberCountry of originUnited StatesOriginal languageEnglishNo of seasons4No of episodes65 list of episodes ProductionExecutive producersAllan McKeownTracey UllmanProducersVarious Jamie Lynn ArsenaultKevin BergJerry BelsonDick ClementCarey DietrichKim FullerRobert KlaneJenji KohanIan La FrenaisStephanie LaingGeorge McGrathAllan McKeownSandra McKerrollMolly NewmanGail ParentThomas SchlammeTony SheehanTom SherrenTracey UllmanAllen J ZipperProduction locationsLos Angeles CaliforniaThe Culver Studios Season 3 CinematographyLucas BielanMauro FioreNicola PecoriniEditorsTammis ChandlerBarry DresnerScott GamzonSimeon HutnerCamera setupSingle cameraRunning time22 28 minutesProduction companiesHome Box OfficeTakes On Productions Inc Witzend ProductionsOriginal releaseNetworkHBOReleaseJanuary 24 1996 1996 01 24 March 17 1999 1999 03 17 RelatedThe Tracey Ullman ShowTracey Ullman A Class ActUnlike her previous Fox show Tracey Takes On was filmed without a studio audience on location single camera instead of upwards of a hundred characters the show focused on a steady rotation of nearly 20 I wanted to do a show where you could get familiar with the characters where I could express a point of view where we could get controversial I also didn t want to do a series where I had to do 22 or 26 episodes a year I have two children and have a husband and there are other things I d like to do during the year Ten shows is a good number and HBO gives me a great artistic freedom said Ullman in 1996 1 The only character to return from the original Tracey Ullman Show was Kay Clark as Ullman was the sole creator 2 Former cast member Julie Kavner became a recurring guest star in the series In 1998 a book based on the series Tracey Takes On was released In 2003 the character Ruby Romaine was spun off into the HBO television special Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales Contents 1 Premise 2 Production 2 1 Conception and development 2 2 Format 2 3 Opening title sequence and theme song 2 4 Advertising 3 Character origins and development 4 Guest stars 5 Episodes 6 Reception 6 1 Awards and nominations 7 Home media 7 1 VHS 7 2 DVD 7 3 Streaming 8 References 9 Sources 10 External linksPremise editTracey Ullman and her cast of characters take on a different subject for each episode of the series Production editConception and development edit In 1990 Ullman s husband Allan McKeown a founding member of the Meridian Broadcasting consortium placed a bid for the ITV television franchise in South East England 3 Along with the bid he included a potential programming lineup which included a Tracey Ullman special Ullman who had just ended four seasons of her eponymous Fox series had just given birth to their second child and was quite content staying at home In September 1991 McKeown was elated when he was informed that his bid was successful he was subsequently responsible for all of Meridian s comedy programming 4 Ullman dreaded the idea of doing another show I was really not prepared to do TV again I had an extraordinary run at FOX in the late 80s with the Tracey Ullman Show and couldn t imagine putting forth that amount of energy again The type of makeups I liked to disguise myself under had not been conducive to a live show Once I inhaled so much remover that I passed out on the makeup room floor I was resuscitated and went out to give a terrific performance even though I can t remember being there 5 She had a year to deliver the show The 1993 special Tracey Ullman A Class Act a satire about the British class system was shot entirely on location and co starred actor Michael Palin The show s success led to American cable television network HBO becoming interested in having Ullman do a special for them The only caveat was that she take on a more American subject 6 She chose New York City That special Tracey Ullman Takes on New York was an award winning success HBO then broached the idea of a Takes on series 7 Ullman was unsure if she could do it without the help of her mentor James L Brooks who helped launch her American career with The Tracey Ullman Show Last year I was 35 years old and I thought It s time to do it myself really I thought I know the premise I know what I want to do I sat at the head of the table and made myself a boss 8 Production on season one of Tracey Takes On began in Los Angeles in 1995 7 Characters created for her previous two HBO comedy specials were carried over for the series gay airline steward Trevor Ayliss British Conservative MP wife Virginia Bugge British magazine editor Janie Pillsworth Long Island housewife Fern Rosenthal and faded Hollywood actress Linda Granger Ullman was thrilled with the artistic freedom working in cable television allotted her specifically HBO If we did the story line with me and Julie Kavner as gay golfers on network TV Johnson amp Johnson would pull their advertising then there d be a big piece in USA Today and it would be a headache HBO let us have fun with it and when Julie and I come out at the end it s in the most wonderful way Our Romance show may be a bit sappy but it s more of a battle theme something that will get people talking 1 Production on Tracey Takes On began each year in February with a staff retreat Three months would then be spent writing the scripts Pre production would follow in July and August with filming commencing in September and wrapping in November The completed season would ideally get delivered to HBO by December 9 The series came to a close after a four season run in 1999 Ullman began conceiving a new show in which she d play only one or two characters with minimal makeup This time I ll play one or two characters instead of all the characters I just don t want to put all that rubber on my face That began to get really tedious I ve got make it easier on myself and it ll be easier if I don t have to spend ten hours in make up 10 Format edit A typical episode consists of two or three long sketches with interstitial character monologues all focusing on the episode s subject However every season featured one or two episodes which deviated from the show s regular format in favor of a single storyline e g Vegas Hollywood Road Rage The End of the World Opening title sequence and theme song edit Each episode of season one opened with Ullman asleep in bed musing about the topic she would be taking on in that particular episode This was her only appearance out of character in the show This would end up becoming an issue for some viewers as many were unaware that Ullman was playing every character The theme song was an original song performed by Ullman describing the show s characters as company in between her ears A new opening was conceived for season two in which she opened the show with an anecdote or monologue in relation to each episode s subject The show s theme song was also changed to her 1983 cover version of the Kirsty MacColl song They Don t Know with Ullman and her characters lip syncing and dancing to it In February 1998 Ullman revealed that some viewers were still unaware that she was playing all the characters We still get letters asking Can I have a picture of Tracey and the rest of the cast 11 Advertising edit Famed caricaturist Al Hirschfeld s artistic rendering of Ullman surrounded her characters was used to promote the show s third season 12 13 In 1999 Ullman was featured in a Got Milk ad campaign along with three of her Tracey Takes On characters Kay Clark Linda Granger and Hope Finch 14 Character origins and development editMain article List of Tracey Takes On characters All of my characters have a sadness or inadequacy about them Tracey Ullman 15 All of the characters in Tracey Takes On were original creations Ullman shied away from doing straight up impersonations of celebrities believing it was Saturday Night Live territory 16 She instead chose to do amalgamations of many real life everyday people and in some instances famous ones 8 The only character to return from The Tracey Ullman Show was Kay Clark as Ullman was her sole creator Fox owned the rights to all the other characters that appeared on that show I love Kay I m very fond of her This little British spinster she s so courageous and to think she s sort of on national television in America is rather thrilling to me when I used to witness her in the local bank in my village She d say Hello Miss Ullman How s Hollywood And to think she s on American television and she doesn t know 2 Ruby Romaine who Ullman has described as pure Hollywood white trash 17 was based on many of the Hollywood union makeup artists sent to make her up over the years 18 Ruby s look was inspired by Romaine Greene a hairstylist who worked on many of Woody Allen s films 19 while her voice was inspired by Florence Aadland mother of actress Beverly Aadland who at 15 had an affair with 48 year old Errol Flynn Ullman had played Florence in the one woman Broadway show The Big Love for which she had prepared by listening to hours worth of Florence s dictations to writer Tedd Thomey for their book of the same name 20 There are parallels between Ruby Romaine s early days in Hollywood and those of Beverly Aadland specifically Beverly s affair with Erroll Flynn The characters Fern and Harry Rosenthal and Linda Granger were created for Tracey Ullman Takes on New York Ullman had toyed with the idea of giving Fern her own show but found that playing Fern left her feeling like a limp rag and that her husband avoided her afterward She described Fern as Loud emotional with I m from the suburbs written all over her She sat behind me at matinees of Cats and Les Miserables not too shy to shout out to the performers Speak up darling we can t hear you When asked who had inspired washed up Hollywood actress Linda Granger and who they were Ullman cited Loni Anderson and actresses that ended up guest starring in episodes of Murder She Wrote the kind of women that Ruby Romaine made up 19 The characters Trevor Ayliss Virginia and Timothy Bugge and Janie Pillsworth along with her mother Jackie were originally created for the 1993 special Tracey Ullman A Class Act Trevor was based on a real British Airways steward and an observation Ullman made about crewmen who would butch up when leaving the galley 19 Ullman said of him I love Trevor I ve always wanted to do one of those gay air stewards because they re always so lovely to me As Linda Granger says I have a wonderful homosexual fan base and I love them 21 Since playing the character every male steward Ullman has encountered is convinced that she based it on them And I always say I did I go You re right I based it on you because that way I get free caviar 22 Fashion magazine editor Janie Pillsworth was an amalgamation of British editors such as Tina Brown and Anna Wintour 8 Feeling that it would have been passe to play a talent agent Ullman opted instead to play an attorney Sydney Kross apropos in the wake of the OJ Simpson trial and Court TV Critics immediately took note of the character s uncanny resemblance to real life attorney Leslie Abramson who defended Lyle and Erik Menendez Ullman noted She has a fascinating look I think she ll recognize herself physically but not her personality I ve got some things physically which aren t her I ve had some teeth made that look like sharks I had the glasses the suit but then I put these teeth in and it made me move my mouth in a certain way And I filed my nails square Women in L A have these square white nails reeeelly square 8 When it came to Sydney s personality Ullman found inspiration from an agent she had in Los Angeles named Holly who was insane Always wanting to find some redeeming quality in all her characters she was found herself stuck at first when it came Sydney I t seemed she had no redeeming features she s horrid cold impersonal But then she found a humanizing trait loneliness She s so aggressive and so ugly She s got adult acne and her teeth are terrible She became sort of appealing to me All of my characters have a sadness or inadequacy about them 15 Her Royal Highness was a combination of Queen Elizabeth s voice Princess Margaret s lifestyle the Duchess of Kent s hats and Princess Anne s teeth Ullman sent a copy of the show s Royalty episode to Princess Diana feeling that she could use a laugh and Diana through her lady in waiting expressed that she had enjoyed it 23 The show s Asian doughnut shop owner Mrs Noh Nang Ning was modeled after a real life doughnut shop owner Ullman met while writing the show s first season in Los Angeles 8 The character was the show s only encounter with controversy An Asian American watchdog group protested the show calling the character stereotypical and racist and asked HBO to remove the character HBO defended the character saying Tracey Ullman is a brilliant satirist and comedienne and all of her work is in the spirit of fun and good humor 24 Ullman said of the controversy My criteria for doing a character is do they exist do they talk like this would they indeed run a doughnut establishment And I think Mrs Noh Nang Ning meets all of that However she acknowledged Asian people don t necessarily see themselves in mainstream television and certainly not comic situations and after Mickey Rooney as Mr Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany s I can understand why they re a little gun shy 18 The controversy later become comic fodder in season four when Ruby Romaine announces that she was behind Mickey Rooney s look in Breakfast at Tiffany s True to form Ruby doesn t understand the controversy and declares that she should have won an Oscar Mrs Noh Nang Ning was retired after season three Ullman had been complaining for years that the character s makeup felt like being buried alive 2 In fact people of color including Asian Americans made up the show s largest fan base Ullman commented It s such a diverse audience that I get They re all those characters that I portray that are supposed to be politically incorrect I get these Asian teenagers who come up and I think Aren t you supposed to be offended by my doughnut shop lady and they go Oh no There s no one like that on TV That s like my grandmother I d rather you do it than no one at all 9 Beverly Hills madam Madam Nadja was based on Elizabeth Adams known as Madam Alex of whom Ullman said I love that she kept money underneath her bed She never gets up all day If she ever has to get out of bed it s like Dammit I ve got to get out of bed I ve got to get dressed That s when something major happens that she has to get dressed She s very angry because she had to get out of bed today because of some stupid hooker in Venice 25 The character Chic was based on a real New York City cab driver who once drove writer Allen Zipper to LaGuardia Airport The line You want to fuck me or you want to fuck my Mercedes was an actual comment from the driver about how women in Los Angeles only cared about money Ullman had a similar experience and spent the entire ride wondering how she could turn herself into the driver The character was also partially based on a man she knew as a teenager in London who worked in a restaurant and used the come on line Hey darling you like sex 22 Guest stars editGuest stars marked with an asterisk represent those who made recurring appearances Amy Alcott as herself Joan van Ark as herself Corbin Bernsen Julie Brown Timothy Busfield Ron Canada Seymour Cassel Billy Connolly Bob Costas as himself Kristin Dattilo Melinda Dillon Richard Dimitri Alastair Duncan Chris Elliott Erik Estrada as himself Jon Favreau Mo Gaffney Judy Geeson Gloria Gifford Steven Gilborn Adele Givens Joanna Gleason Whoopi Goldberg Huell Howser as himself Finola Hughes Alex Karras as himself Julie Kavner Hugh Laurie Hiep Thi Le Jennifer Jason Leigh Tobey Maguire John Mahoney Cheech Marin Penny Marshall as herself Roddy McDowall Bruce McGill Tim McInnerny Michael McKean Sam McMurray Helen Mirren Joshua Malina Alfred Molina Olivia Newton John as herself Natalija Nogulich Todd Oldham as himself Carre Otis as herself Maulik Pancholy Ron Perlman Victoria Principal as herself Giovanni Ribisi Marissa Ribisi Melissa Rivers as herself Glenn Shadix George Segal Harry Shearer John Stamos Jeffrey Tambor The Roches as themselves Scott Thompson Liz Torres Bradley Whitford Danny Woodburn Episodes editMain article List of Tracey Takes On episodes SeriesEpisodesOriginally airedFirst airedLast aired11024 January 1996 1996 01 24 27 March 1996 1996 03 27 21518 January 1997 1997 01 18 30 April 1997 1997 04 30 3104 January 1998 1998 01 04 8 March 1998 1998 03 08 41213 January 1999 1999 01 13 17 March 1999 1999 03 17 Character Comedies15 Specials31996 98Reception editAwards and nominations edit Main article List of awards and nominations received by Tracey Takes On The series was nominated for 24 Emmy Awards winning 6 including 1 in 1997 for Outstanding Music Comedy and Variety Show The show won a CableACE award in 1996 for Best Comedy Variety Series 3 American Comedy Awards and 2 GLAAD Media Awards in 1998 and 1999 American Comedy Awards1998 Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series Leading Role Network Cable or Syndication 1999 Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series Leading Role Network Cable or Syndication 2000 Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series Leading Role Network Cable or SyndicationCableACE Awards1996 Actress in a Comedy Series 1996 Variety Special or SeriesDirectors Guild of America1997 Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical VarietyPrimetime Emmy Awards1997 Outstanding Variety Music or Comedy Series 1997 Outstanding Makeup for a Series 1997 Outstanding Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program 1998 Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series 1998 Outstanding Costume Design for a Variety or Music Program 1999 Outstanding Hairstyling for a SeriesGLAAD Media Awards1996 Outstanding TV Individual Episode Romance 1999 Outstanding TV Individual Episode Religion Online Film amp Television Association1998 Best Ensemble in a Variety Musical or Comedy Series 1998 Best Host or Performer in a Variety Musical or Comedy Series 1998 Best Variety Musical or Comedy Series 1998 Best Actress in a Cable Series 1999 Best Costume Design in a Series 1999 Best Host or Performer in a Variety Musical or Comedy Series 1999 Best Variety Musical or Comedy SeriesSatellite Awards1998 Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Comedy or MusicalScreen Actors Guild Awards1999 Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Tracey Takes On Home media edit nbsp Tracey Takes On North American VHS and DVD releases from 1998 to 2009 VHS edit Title Release date Running time ExtrasTracey Takes On Sex Romance Fantasy January 27 1998 80 00 OuttakesTracey Takes On Movies Vanity Fame January 27 1998 80 00 OuttakesTracey Takes On Fern amp Kay January 26 1999 50 00 N ADVD edit On December 26 2005 HBO Home Video released the first two seasons of Tracey Takes On to DVD The second season s They Don t Know lip syncing title sequence has been removed and replaced with a black screen with the episode title with an instrumental version of the first season theme The closing credits feature the first season s theme song as well Extras on the sets include the original HBO special Tracey Ullman Takes On New York season 1 commentary on one episode per season by Tracey previously unreleased Character Comedies character bios season 1 and a photo gallery season 2 Seasons 3 and 4 were released by Eagle Rock Entertainment as one DVD set on July 14 2009 in the United States While it claims to be complete the set s episodes are heavily edited some to only three to five minutes in length Religion is missing entirely The set includes three Character Comedies Virginia Ruby and Rayleen The DVDs are region free Title Release date Special features Running timeTracey Takes On The Complete First Season December 26 2005 Commentary by Tracey on Romance Tracey Ullman Takes On New York Character Comedies Fern The Early Years Fern amp Harry Linda Janie Meet the Characters slide show 300 minutesTracey Takes On The Complete Second Season June 27 2006 Commentary by Tracey on Las Vegas Character Comedies Kay Chris Hope The Many Faces of Tracey slide show 450 minutesTracey Takes On Complete Seasons 3 amp 4 July 14 2009 Character Comedies Virginia Ruby Rayleen 366 minutesStreaming edit Seasons 1 through 4 were released for purchase through iTunes and Amazon Video on Demand service in the United States in 2009 but are currently unavailable in either store The episodes were heavily edited some episodes were combined to make up for lost running time due to editing In 2012 the entire series of 65 episodes could be streamed through Hulu including all 15 unaired Character Comedies episodes 26 References edit a b Spelling Ian January 21 1996 Tracey Ullman Takes On a New TV Series The Tennessean Retrieved February 7 2018 a b c Tracey Takes On American TV Again Deseret News Retrieved January 1 2018 Tracey Ullman s Husband producer Allan McKeown Dies At 67 Digital Spy December 28 2013 Retrieved January 3 2018 Allan McKeown Obituary The Telegraph December 29 2013 Retrieved January 3 2018 Ullman 1998 p xi Ullman 1998 p xii a b Ullman 1998 p xv a b c d e Michaelson Judith February 7 1996 Tracey Takes Charge Ullman s at Home Behind the Scenes and in Front of the Camera Los Angeles Times Retrieved January 1 2018 a b Levesque John March 18 1998 Tracey Santa Cruz Sentinel Retrieved February 10 2018 Mills Nancy November 19 2000 A Demented Pixie Grows Up You United Kingdom Tracey The Index Journal February 18 1998 Retrieved January 2 2018 Tracey Ullman Al Hirschfeld Alhirschfeldfoundation org October 1 1997 Retrieved August 17 2012 Tracey Ullman Al Hirschfeld Alhirschfeldfoundation org October 1 1997 Retrieved August 17 2012 Got Milk 1999 The Tracey Ullman Archives January 10 2018 Retrieved January 10 2018 a b Moore Frazier February 6 1998 Chameleon s Many Characters Converge When Tracey Takes On Lincoln Journal Star Retrieved March 22 2018 From Maggie Smith To Angela Merkel Comic Tracey Ullman Leaves An Impression All Things Considered NPR October 28 2016 Retrieved October 23 2017 Avasthi Sarubhui 17 January 1997 Tracey Ullman Defies Characterization The News Journal Retrieved March 16 2018 a b Tracey Takes On The Characters Archived from the original on 2021 12 14 Retrieved January 1 2018 via YouTube a b c 92nd Street Y November 21 2016 Tracey Ullman is back Tracy Ullman with Patricia Marx Archived from the original on December 14 2021 Retrieved January 1 2018 via YouTube a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link De Vries Hilary March 3 1991 Interview Voice No 1 001 Her TV show is history but Tracey Ullman has found another offbeat American misfit to play this time on Broadway Los Angeles Times Retrieved January 1 2018 Williams Scott January 26 1996 The Tracey Papers Ukiah Daily Journal Retrieved January 1 2018 a b Who is Tracey 1998 Archived from the original on 2021 12 14 Retrieved January 1 2018 via YouTube Tracey Ullman Takes On a New Television Show Fresh Air January 14 1998 Retrieved March 17 2021 Snow Shauna March 16 1996 TV amp Radio Los Angeles Times Retrieved January 1 2018 Lacher Irene February 22 1998 The Tracey Papers Los Angeles Times Retrieved January 1 2018 Tracey Takes On Full Episodes and Clips Streaming Online Hulu Archived from the original on August 17 2012 Retrieved August 17 2012 Sources editUllman Tracey 1998 Tracey Takes On Hyperion ISBN 978 0 786 86340 2 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Tracey Takes On Official web site Archived from the original on June 23 1998 Retrieved April 16 2012 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link Tracey Takes On at IMDb Tracey Takes On at epguides com Tracey Takes On Emmy Awards Tracey Takes On at The Interviews An Oral History of Television Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tracey Takes On amp oldid 1188423439, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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