CTVA US Comedy - "Hot l Baltimore" (Norman Lear/ABC) (early 1975)

CTVA
The Classic TV Archive - US Comedy Series

Hotel Baltimore (1975)
Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by:
John King, Jim Brent, Robert Leszczak,  Charnetha Kimbrough
references:
TV Guide / Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive

----------------
HOTEL BALTIMORE
----------------
T.A.T. / ELP Communications / Norman Lear Production 
for
ABC (Fridays 9:00PM ET)
Executive Producer Rod Parker
Produced by Ron Clark and Gene Marcione
Based on the play by Lanford Wilson

US Comedy series 1975 13 episodes x 30 min Color
- Taped before a live audience.
(24Jan75-6Jun75)
Starring:
James Cromwell as Bill Lewis (desk clerk)
Richard Masur as Clifford Ainsley (hotel manager)
Al Freeman, Jr. as Charles Bingham
Robin Wilson as Jackie
Stan Gottlieb as Winthrop Morse (mean old man)
*
Lee Bergere as George (gay)
Henry Calvert as Gordon (roommate)
*
Conchata Ferrell as April Green (hooker with a heart of gold)
Jeannie Linero as Suzy Marta Rocket (hooker with a heart of silver)
Gloria Le Roy as Millie (waitress)
Charlotte Rae as Esmee Bellotti

Premise:
Life in the seedy Hot_l Blatimore (the E in the neon
sign has burned out) as seen through the activities of
11 people who share the decaying Maryland residence.

Note:
Each episode of this show begins with a disclaimer about "adult
content." May be the first sitcom to do this on a regular basis. [RL]

"Hot l Balitmore" theme music by Marvin Hamlisch

############## Hot l Baltimore ###############
############# season early 1975 ##############
##############################################
ABC Fridays 9:00PM Eastern (24Jan75-6Jun75)

[01] Hot l Baltimore: SUZY'S WEDDING
prod. no. 101
24Jan75 ABC Fri
Synopsis 1:
Debut: A seedy hotel harbors the disaccommodated characters
in this comedy, developed by Norman Lear ("All in the Family")
from Lanford Wilson's award-winning play,with the E in its neon
sign long since burnt out, the downtown hotel is destined for
demolition, the premiere episode was not set at press time. [JK]
(Taped before a live audience)
Synopsis 2:
Earthy and often funny dialogue sparks this series opener as Suzy, a hooker,
tells her fellow residents she’s about to achieve her ambition and marry
a Hollywood producer. The episode also introduces the hotel’s inmates-
a weird assortment of prostitutes, innocents, philosophers and nuts,
all with good hearts deep down. Shock lines, often raw and low, are in profusion. [JB]

[02] Hot l Baltimore: MILLIE'S BEAU
prod. no. 102
31Jan75 ABC Fri
Guest Cast:
Phil Leeds (as Ronald Shelburne)
Synopsis:
The hotel residents have quite a problem on their hands
when one of Suzy's clients drops dead in her bedroom. [JK]

[03] Hot l Baltimore: SUZY'S NEW JOB
prod. no. 103

07Feb75 ABC Fri
Synopsis:
When Suzy discovers that she has not only lost her job
as a dance teacher but also will not receive her wages
due her, she decides to call the White House. [JK]

[04] Hot l Baltimore: THE RENT INCREASE
prod. no. 104
14Feb75 ABC Fri (Network rerun 09May75)
Guest Cast:
Dick Van Patten (as A.J. Horn)
Synopsis:
The residents are faced with eviction after they follow
Ainsley's advice to ignore the latest rent increase. [JK]

1.5 [--] Hot l Baltimore: GEORGE AND GORDON
prod. no. 105
21Feb75 ABC Fri
Executive Producer Rod Parker
Produced by Ron Clark & Gene Marcione
Written by Woody Kling
Directed by Burt Brinckerhoff
Music by Marvin Hamlisch
Synopsis 1:
George and Gordon's latest spat promises to blossom into a
hotel-wide fray. [JK]
Synopsis 2:
The gay couple in the hotel, George and Gordon have a lover's spat because
Gordon is taking night classes in law school because he wants to be more
than just a shoe store clerk. George decides to check out of the hotel.
This causes all of the other residents of the hotel to try to bring them back together. [RL]

[06] Hot l Baltimore: THE DATE
prod. no. 106
28Feb75 ABC Fri (Network rerun 06Jun75)
Synopsis:
Just to prove that he is not afraid of anything, Bill agrees
to take April out on a date. [JK]

[07] Hot l Baltimore: THE DEPORTATION OF SUZY
prod. no. 107
07Mar75 ABC Fri (Network rerun 02May75)
Synopsis:
Suzy is threatened with deportation for being an undesirable alien,
and the entire hotel comes to her rescue. [JB]

[08] Hot l Baltimore: MRS. BELLOTTI'S BOYFRIEND
prod. no. 108
14Mar75 ABC Fri
Guest Cast:
Peter Turgeon (as Chapman Packer)
Synopsis:
Mrs Bellotti's beau may be ready for marriage, but, it is
doubtful that he is ready for Moose, her peculair son. [JK]

[09] Hot l Baltimore: BRIGHAM'S CON
prod. no. 110
21Mar75 ABC Fri [JB] (Network rerun 23May75)
Synopsis:
The residents discover that they have a thing or two to learn about flim-flammmery
 when Brigham's old street friend (Ron O'Neal) charms them into trusting him. [JK]


[10] Hot l Baltimore: HISTORIC L BALTIMORE
prod. no. 109
28Mar75 ABC Fri
Guest Cast:
Bernie Kopell (as Travez)
John Fujioka (as Mitsobushi)
George Skaff (as Sheik)
Jerry Fujikawa (as Tamaka)
Ainsley prevents his mother from razzing the hotel by having
it declared a historical landmark,only to discover that she
now plans to sell the building because of its increased value. [JK]

[11] Hot l Baltimore: AINSLEY LOVES APRIL
prod. no. 111
04Apr75 ABC Fri
Synopsis:
April proves to be a whiz at dismissing a would be robber from the hotel,
 but she's stumped over how to handle Ainsley's love struck gratitude. [JK]

[12] Hot l Baltimore: SUZY'S PROBLEM
prod. no. 112
11Apr75 ABC Fri
Guest Cast:
Charles White (as the priest)
Synopsis:
Her birthday leaves Suzy feeling that life is passing her by,
so she decides to persue a new and vastly different career. [JK]

[--] 18Apr75 Pre-empted: Julie Andrews Special  "Julie - My Favorite Things"

[13] Hot l Baltimore: AINSLEY'S SECRET
prod. no. 113
25Apr75 ABC Fri
Guest Cast:
Samantha Harper
Anne Randall
Synopsis:
Something is fishy, Ainsley the timid mama's boy is romancing one woman (Samantha Harper)
 while another (Anne Randall) threatens to name him in a paternity suit.

------
Reruns
------
02May75 rerun of "The Deportation of Suzy" (first aired 07Mar75)
09May75 rerun of "The Rent Increase" (first aired 14Feb75)
16May75 Pre-empted: Boxing Ali vs. Lyle
23May75 rerun of "Brigham's Con" (first aired 21Mar75)
30May75 rerun of "Historic L Baltimore" (first aired 28Mar75)
06Jun75 rerun of "The Date" (first aired 28Feb75)
Last show of the series.

 ############## Hot l Baltimore ###############
################# the end ##################
##############################################


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