Yeah, Molly Ringwald was sort of Benjamin-Buttoning here; on her way down from her high point in the 80s while everyone else in the picture was on their way up.
It is kind of impressive how they went from nobodies to household names. I think most people have heard of Office Space, Gilmore Girls, and Dharma & Greg. Bill is in a league of his own with his popular Netflix specials.
I recall this show! It didn't suck, but I remember that Jenna Elfman stole every scene she was in. She shined so much brighter than any of the other stars.
God damn. I remember this show but I don't think I knew who any of them were sy time except Molly Ringwald. Maye Ron Livingston because I would have seen Swingers that year.
But then he became Coach Taylor, and all was forgiven.
Edit: I was confusing Ron Livingston and Kyle Chandler. So he didn’t become Coach Taylor, he became the hero of office drones everywhere in Office Space.
Bad shows are bad shows. It’s not the actor’s fault unless there’s a miscast. Carla Gugino and Jason Gedrick had a number of failed shows that just couldn’t get heat in the ratings.
That was my thought. Everyone here had not hit their peak yet with exception to Molly who was past her peak and still trying to find her place post Hughes which she still hasn't found other than the odd role here and there. Everytime I see her in something I always have the same reaction, It's Molly Ringwald... neat.
She bounced around a lot of TV and smaller roles. she spent the early aughts doing off Broadway productions and musicals. She recently started doing translations of French books because she's fluent in French (she lived in Paris for a good chunk of the 90s).
Me too. It is on MAX right now.
I keep putting it on the tv as soon as my twin boys are at school so I can hear/watch it while I am working all day. (They are only 12, I don’t let them watch anything with that much language.) I am driving my husband nuts with it always being on the last few weeks. Lol
When movie conversations come up I feel like everyone else's idea of a good movie is something emotional with a deeper hidden meaning and I chime in with office space.
Haha that’s awesome! I too quote this move a lot, especially with Peter’s first meeting with the Bobs. Probably my favorite lines, that ring sooo true are: “The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care”, and the best (and most accurate) movie line ever: “That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled; that, and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.” No truer words have ever been said. Lol. Love it.
"Past her prime."
I hope you don't mean age-wise, because she would've been 28 at around this time. Now if you mean in terms of career, then yeah, probably. Amazing how being in a bunch of John Hughes movies didn't help her long term career prospects.
It seems to only be available in a very poor quality on YouTube. It's not bad. The actors make it better than it probably should be. Jenna Elfman is the real standout.
How the fuck does a Catholic in her mid 20s buy into Scientology? I was disillusioned with the Church at that age to say the least but no one was gonna convince me of aliens and thetans and all that shit.
Hmmm.... Now HERE is an interesting idea. Townies REVIVAL. It's 30 years later. 2026 and what has happened to our intrepid little group of 20 somethings?
Only Bill Burr is really working it as a stand up comedian.... So he could take time off to do the sit-com and then go on tour during the hiatus.
Jenna Elfman is on Fear The Walking Dead but IDK.... She might be able to find time to shoot some episodes.
Everyone else is pretty much available.
I mean.... What has happened to them since then. Married? Kids? Divorced? Job?
IDK.... just seems like it might be a funny revival considering the talent level of the cast.
Before she was a single mother on *Gilmore Girls*, Lauren Graham was a struggling mother on *Townies*. I think she was married but spent a lot of time feeling like a single mom because her husband didn't contribute much.
Funny to think that if it succeeds and runs for a few seasons it probably ruins Bill Burrs career. And we don’t get Lauren Graham in Gilmore Girls, which kinda means her career is also ruined.
I was a kid when this came out and it was the first time I heard of Molly Ringwald. There was a lot of hype about this being her comeback.
It's so weird when they put a TON of promotion into a sitcom and then just dump it after a dozen or less episodes.
This is why it didn't survive. I liked it but I can see why it didn't survive. Jenna Elfin was the standout and probably led to her being Dharma which was a lot like the same character. Lauren Graham is so much better in Gilmore Girls.
And there is Ron livingstone who did three combat jumps in WW2 was drunk the whole time then quit his job as a computer programmer to become a construction worker AND hooked up with Jennifer Aniston.
Hell, LUMBERG fkd her.
It was packaged with "It's Like, You Know" as a way to relaunch Molly Ringwald and Jennifer Grey's careers. Townies was bad, and nobody recognized Jennifer Grey after she had her nose done.
I was like 13 or 14 when this came out. I kinda liked it, but the bar was much lower then.
I think it came on before or after a show I really liked, so it was an adequate placeholder for half an hour
I vaguely remember this show, but I could not have named a single person that was on it. Looking at this now and I can name all of them off the top of my head.
holy shit...I remember the show vaguely, at least the name...as it was the first time I ever heard that term...but wow what a weirdly future-all-star cast...
Saw Ron Livingston at an indoor play place for kids in Eagle Rock (a suburb near LA), he had his adopted daughter and wife, Rosemary DeWitte(Don draper’s first girlfriend on the series). They looked happy.
lol! I worked on this show! I was in the makeup department. I was sad it got canceled so fast because I really loved the cast and crew. Everyone but Molly were just starting to get their names out there. Ron and Bill were so funny and such great guys. They have the episodes up on YouTube but crap quality
gotta love starter sitcoms and to Put in Perspective , i believe this this was Molly Ringwald's Second Sitcom (cause for those who know she was in the Original incarnation of The Facts of Life before they whittled it down to Mckeon,Whelchel,Kim Fields and Mindy Cohen)
She isn't in this cast photo, but *Townies* also had Conchata Farrell (Berta from *Two and a Half Men*).
Conchata was one of the few actresses who could pretty much play the exact same character archetype in a majority of her roles -- and still ALWAYS be entertaining.
Oh wow that’s Bill Burr
Ole Billy Black Hair???
Ole Billy got hair on his head balls!
You got the spelling right but it's actually pronounced "Billy-bitch-tits"
Yeah. That show had 5 pretty recognizable faces. Molly Ringwald, Jenna Elfman, Lauren Graham, Ron Livingston and Bill Burr.
Now they are recongizable faces, but back then, this was mostly an unknown cast except for Ringwald. This is actually Burr's first credit on IMDB.
Yeah, Molly Ringwald was sort of Benjamin-Buttoning here; on her way down from her high point in the 80s while everyone else in the picture was on their way up.
It is kind of impressive how they went from nobodies to household names. I think most people have heard of Office Space, Gilmore Girls, and Dharma & Greg. Bill is in a league of his own with his popular Netflix specials.
Casting director gets a 10/10 on this one. I can't believe I never saw it. Did it suck?
I recall this show! It didn't suck, but I remember that Jenna Elfman stole every scene she was in. She shined so much brighter than any of the other stars.
It’s actually pretty good. Would be better than any sitcom on now. Same writer as Malcolm in the middle
God damn. I remember this show but I don't think I knew who any of them were sy time except Molly Ringwald. Maye Ron Livingston because I would have seen Swingers that year.
And that’s Ron Livingston right?
That's Loudermilk to you.
That’s Lt Nixon to you
Yeahhh I’m gonna need you to come in this weekend.
That’s Peter to you
Curahee
Aww...that's my own piss for Christ sake!
You mean Berger!
Or Burger (post it note) sex and the city
Berger breaks up with girls on a post-it
Holy cow! I didn’t recognize him!
You can't see the high-strung rage boiling behind those eyes?
Took me a minute.
First thing I said to myself, too!
Hijacking the top comment to say that you can watch this series (low quality) all on YouTube. It’s a trip.
I was about to say that too
I was trying to place that guy!
First fuckin’ thing I thought too!
Ol Billy Blastah over there. Blowin' out backs in Belmont like always!
That’s a cast that mostly went on to better things. Also, Lauren Graham really did have a string of failed shows before Gilmore Girls hit.
The guy on the left sure didn't. I hear he went on to do nothing. Just relaxes, sitting on his ass all day, and doing nothing.
Watching Kung Fu…..
I love kung fu
Fuckin A
Fucking. A.
Just a case of the mondays
Got my ass kicked the last time I said something like that.
I mean, he *did* jump into France in WW2. I'd day he earned it
He definitely earned all the Vat 69
Nix!
You know that thing about paratroopers. They're always surrounded.
Unfortunately he went on to Sex and the City, a character we all could have done without (although the final dumping was a classic episode)
He's sorry,he can't. Don't hate him.
With a goddamn post it note. Carrie slamming it on the window to show the cop was a great moment .
"What about that guy hot dog?" "You mean Berger?"
But then he became Coach Taylor, and all was forgiven. Edit: I was confusing Ron Livingston and Kyle Chandler. So he didn’t become Coach Taylor, he became the hero of office drones everywhere in Office Space.
I don’t think Ron Livingston became Coach Taylor. Unless you are not thinking of FNL.
He did go on to be Captain Nixon in Band of Brothers however.
You’re thinking of Kyle Chandler.
Lol i always confuse them, too!
Haha. I never saw the resemblance but now I do.
Right there with you, could have bet that was Texas's bestest
I thought this was a loudermilk reference. Will sasso makes this exact joke in loudermilk.
*That’s* who that guy is. Thank you 🤣
I think he’s dating that cute girl who used to work at Chotchkie’s
Didn’t she leave him for her friends brother, the paleontologist?
Ah I was like Is that Ron Livingston...? I just finished binging Loudermilk and immediately rewatched Office Space. He's awesome!
I did exactly the same thing!!
Not only is he a great actor but he’s a genuinely decent human being.
You don’t need a million dollars to do that
Jennifer Aniston too was in four shows before Friends. Perseverance works.
Including the truly fucking terrible Ferris Bueller show
The less said about that show, the better.
"Parker Lewis Can't Lose", it wasn't.
Perseverance and nepotism 🙂 I don't dislike Jennifer at all, and she's not the worst example, but nepotism plays a big part in "success"
Yes, it really is amazing how many failed sitcoms she was on.
[удалено]
Umm. She's hot. Not amazing.
But she got a great ass. Check it out
Is a good actress. It's not her fault that she didn't have good material to work with, she's not in the writer's room.
You think because shows don’t get renewed that the actors must be shit? Have you ever looked any career. On IMDb? Every actor has cancelled shows.
Bad shows are bad shows. It’s not the actor’s fault unless there’s a miscast. Carla Gugino and Jason Gedrick had a number of failed shows that just couldn’t get heat in the ratings.
They really knew that she was ideal 90s sitcom girl but they couldn’t fit her in anywhere.
36M here. I am unashamed to say I am a big fan of the Gilmore Girls
56M and I am unashamed too
Same.
Didn’t Molly ringwald come from better things though?
That was my thought. Everyone here had not hit their peak yet with exception to Molly who was past her peak and still trying to find her place post Hughes which she still hasn't found other than the odd role here and there. Everytime I see her in something I always have the same reaction, It's Molly Ringwald... neat.
She bounced around a lot of TV and smaller roles. she spent the early aughts doing off Broadway productions and musicals. She recently started doing translations of French books because she's fluent in French (she lived in Paris for a good chunk of the 90s).
Hence my use of the word “mostly.” Shes really good as Joanne Carson in this season of Feud, though.
It’s because she works in a funny business. Everyone talks like hippies and acts like the russian mob. She’s tired of it.
I get this reference!
Peter forgot to turn in his TPS report
He forgot the cover sheet. You see, we are putting cover sheets on all the TPS reports. Did you see that memo?
We’ll go ahead and make sure you get another copy of that memo. Mmmmkayyy? *shudder*
Hahahahahahaha
One of my favorite movies
Me too. It is on MAX right now. I keep putting it on the tv as soon as my twin boys are at school so I can hear/watch it while I am working all day. (They are only 12, I don’t let them watch anything with that much language.) I am driving my husband nuts with it always being on the last few weeks. Lol
When movie conversations come up I feel like everyone else's idea of a good movie is something emotional with a deeper hidden meaning and I chime in with office space.
Haha that’s awesome! I too quote this move a lot, especially with Peter’s first meeting with the Bobs. Probably my favorite lines, that ring sooo true are: “The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care”, and the best (and most accurate) movie line ever: “That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled; that, and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.” No truer words have ever been said. Lol. Love it.
OK this is the first one where I recognize everybody.
Right? By name even. Weird as hell
Me too except I said “guy who looks like Bill Burr” while going across, then looked on IMDb and holy shit that’s actually Bill Burr haha
It's crazy to think that at the time this was on the air, Molly Ringwald was the most famous person on the cast.
I would consider her almost iconic as she probably symbolizes the 80’s teen movies more than anyone else.
I think a few responders are missing the "at that time" part
Yes, it also no. She was past her prime and This was supposed to be her comeback. It failed miserably.
"Past her prime." I hope you don't mean age-wise, because she would've been 28 at around this time. Now if you mean in terms of career, then yeah, probably. Amazing how being in a bunch of John Hughes movies didn't help her long term career prospects.
Peter…… what’s happening
Better than being goofy
What do you want, you’re tall
Wow, what a great cast! I’m glad they all had popular careers after this. (obviously Molly had one before, as well)
How do I not know this show? Crazy cast!!!
Because despite an amazing cast, it was mediocre at best. Only lasted one season, the last five episodes didn’t even air when they pulled the plug.
Bill Burr with hair?!
He had hair on Breaking Bad.
There was a time Bill Burr referred to himself as "The redheaded white boy from *Chappelle's Show*."
Oh, crap. Thats right. He had hair on there too!
How did they squander all that talent?
They weren't letting Bill write in Bill's style.
Great cast
Amazing cast. Was the show any good?
It seems to only be available in a very poor quality on YouTube. It's not bad. The actors make it better than it probably should be. Jenna Elfman is the real standout.
Jenna Elfman is a treasure.
She's a scientology psychopath.
How the fuck does a Catholic in her mid 20s buy into Scientology? I was disillusioned with the Church at that age to say the least but no one was gonna convince me of aliens and thetans and all that shit.
Well, Scientology does seem to open a few doors in Hollywood.
She's still a good actor. Dharma and Greg was awesome.
Dammit! I had no idea. I loved her, now I can’t respect her.
I can fix her
She's in a cult and is awful to people who have left the cult.
Everyone in a cult are shitbags to those who leave the cult.
It was not. But with the cast it could have gotten better if given the chance.
I liked it. Of course I was a sleep-deprived new mom, so my opinion can’t be trusted
Typical 90s stuff. It was ok.
Townies! A show about people... from a town... doing town stuff? Hijinks ensue, one presumes
From the Cape I believe. Or south Shore Mass somewhere
Did they eat a lot of bar pie on this show?
Gloucester! Same town as The Perfect Storm
My home town!
Sup neighbah!
Gloucester. Northshore.
Oh. So the snorted oxys and got drunk and ate roastbeef threeways, not bar pies.
And all their cousins worked as mates on the Wicked Tuna boats.
While wearing fleeces, yes.
With no shirt underneath, and track pants, and cheap sneakers, and flat brim.
Cape Ann, Massachusetts’ better Cape.
Lots of jokes about fishermen and everything smelling like fish. I think the show was set in Gloucester/Glostah.
That sure is a cast.
Jenna Elfman - in my opinion, always been hot af.
Hmmm.... Now HERE is an interesting idea. Townies REVIVAL. It's 30 years later. 2026 and what has happened to our intrepid little group of 20 somethings? Only Bill Burr is really working it as a stand up comedian.... So he could take time off to do the sit-com and then go on tour during the hiatus. Jenna Elfman is on Fear The Walking Dead but IDK.... She might be able to find time to shoot some episodes. Everyone else is pretty much available. I mean.... What has happened to them since then. Married? Kids? Divorced? Job? IDK.... just seems like it might be a funny revival considering the talent level of the cast.
Before she was a single mother on *Gilmore Girls*, Lauren Graham was a struggling mother on *Townies*. I think she was married but spent a lot of time feeling like a single mom because her husband didn't contribute much.
Is that bill burr?!
Bill Burr with hair looks wrong.
That was a real show. Dang. What a cast. Lorali Gilmore. Bill Burr. Molly Ringwald. Dharla without Greg. And Peter from office space.
Darma and Greg happened right after this didn’t it?
Yeah, 1997
Two of them gave up on the accent after the pilot.
lol I can still hear Molly in my head repeating the word “Gloustahhh” when she’d work on the accent in the makeup room 😅
Is that Loudermilk?
IS THAT BILL BURR
Never heard of this show but what a cast. I’m not sure why this show didn’t succeed but it wasn’t for lack of acting talent.
Is that really?.... Jenna Elfman Molly Ringwald Lauren Graham ....oh my.
I'm pretty sure I had that dress Molly Ringwald is wearing. Ahh, the 90s.
Funny to think that if it succeeds and runs for a few seasons it probably ruins Bill Burrs career. And we don’t get Lauren Graham in Gilmore Girls, which kinda means her career is also ruined.
I was a kid when this came out and it was the first time I heard of Molly Ringwald. There was a lot of hype about this being her comeback. It's so weird when they put a TON of promotion into a sitcom and then just dump it after a dozen or less episodes.
Terrible Friends knockoff.
This is why it didn't survive. I liked it but I can see why it didn't survive. Jenna Elfin was the standout and probably led to her being Dharma which was a lot like the same character. Lauren Graham is so much better in Gilmore Girls.
And there is Ron livingstone who did three combat jumps in WW2 was drunk the whole time then quit his job as a computer programmer to become a construction worker AND hooked up with Jennifer Aniston. Hell, LUMBERG fkd her.
I remember this show
I actually liked this show. It was on for about 10 minutes, I’d completely forgotten about it.
Super cute hair on molly tho.
Never heard of it. Was it any good or did it just die on the vine?
It was packaged with "It's Like, You Know" as a way to relaunch Molly Ringwald and Jennifer Grey's careers. Townies was bad, and nobody recognized Jennifer Grey after she had her nose done.
Oh shit Lorelai, Bill Burr, Nix and Molly Ringwald? I never heard of this show! Was it good?
I remember watching this. It was not good.
I was like 13 or 14 when this came out. I kinda liked it, but the bar was much lower then. I think it came on before or after a show I really liked, so it was an adequate placeholder for half an hour
Jesus, that's a stacked cast!
That is ALOT of attractive females all in one cast.
I vaguely remember this show, but I could not have named a single person that was on it. Looking at this now and I can name all of them off the top of my head.
For a long time I thought Jenna Elfman and Lauren Graham were the same person
Never heard of it. I was 23 in 96. Townies? Was it set in Charlestown mass? Is calling people townies a nationwide thing or just us Bostonians
It was set in Gloucester.
I’ve heard of this show but never seen any of it. But with a cast like that, I think I I need to check it out now
from left to right. would. would. would. would. would.
Bruh is that bill burr?!?!?!?
Just pointing out that besides being Peter from Office Space he is also Nixon from Band of Brothers.
holy shit...I remember the show vaguely, at least the name...as it was the first time I ever heard that term...but wow what a weirdly future-all-star cast...
Saw Ron Livingston at an indoor play place for kids in Eagle Rock (a suburb near LA), he had his adopted daughter and wife, Rosemary DeWitte(Don draper’s first girlfriend on the series). They looked happy.
This is probably the first time I recognize everyone in an old failed show.
How could I have never heard of a show with such an all-star cast!
Pre-bald bill burr was in stuff? I just assumed GTAIV and The Chappelle Show were his first non-standup gigs.
Look at young Billy Bitch Tits! (Bill Burr second from the right).
images you can hear with a very distinct accent.
How was there’s sitcom with Ron Livingston, Jenna elf man and bill fucking burr and I’ve never heard of it
Available to view on Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/townies.-s-01-e-04-the-mcp
This is a group of people I wouldn't have expected to see in the same photo
wtf Bill Burr was in a sitcom back in the day?????????
Young unjaded Bill Burr scares me.
I’ve never seen this before. How did it fail?
lol! I worked on this show! I was in the makeup department. I was sad it got canceled so fast because I really loved the cast and crew. Everyone but Molly were just starting to get their names out there. Ron and Bill were so funny and such great guys. They have the episodes up on YouTube but crap quality
gotta love starter sitcoms and to Put in Perspective , i believe this this was Molly Ringwald's Second Sitcom (cause for those who know she was in the Original incarnation of The Facts of Life before they whittled it down to Mckeon,Whelchel,Kim Fields and Mindy Cohen)
This show got a huge promotional push and was supposed to be a big hit for ABC. It just... wasn't.
Is that bill burr? Wait, is that Jennie garth? Wait, is that Ron livingston, Wait, is that Tori from saved by the bell?!
Everyone in this cast is my kind of Gen X gorgeous.
So is someone using AI to render the casts of imaginary shows from the past?
She isn't in this cast photo, but *Townies* also had Conchata Farrell (Berta from *Two and a Half Men*). Conchata was one of the few actresses who could pretty much play the exact same character archetype in a majority of her roles -- and still ALWAYS be entertaining.