Watch Gimme a Break!

TV-G
1981
6 Seasons
6.4 (3,782)

Gimme a Break! was a popular sitcom that aired on NBC from 1981-1987. The show revolved around the life of Nell Harper, a tough but caring African-American housekeeper who was played by Nell Carter. Nell worked for the Kanisky family who resided in Glenlawn, a fictional city in California. The head of the household was Chief Carl Kanisky, a widower and police officer who was played by Dolph Sweet. Carl was the father of three children; Katie, Julie, and Samantha Kanisky, who were played by Lara Jill Miller, Kari Michaelsen, and Lauri Hendler respectively.

Throughout the show, Nell found herself in many entertaining situations as she tried to balance her job and personal life. Besides her professional responsibilities, Nell also had to cope with raising her late sister's two children, Joey and Matthew, who were played by Joey Lawrence and Matthew Lawrence.

Nell's relationship with the Kanisky family evolved over time, and she became more than just their housekeeper. She became an integral part of their lives, and they enjoyed spending time together. Despite their differences, the Kaniskys' blended family learned to respect each other and work together.

The show tackled issues that were relevant to the 1980s, such as teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, and racism. For instance, in one episode, Carl's daughter Julie decides to have sex with her boyfriend, and Nell tries to convince her to wait until marriage. In another episode, Joey is caught smoking marijuana, and Nell has to intervene to prevent him from getting into trouble.

Nell's personality was one of the highlights of the show. She was quick-witted and had a sharp tongue. She never hesitated to speak her mind and was always ready with a punchline. Her comedic timing was impeccable, and she could make audiences laugh out loud.

Besides Nell, there were many other memorable characters in the show, including Addy Wilson, Nell's best friend who was played by Telma Hopkins, and Franklin Delano Romanowski, Carl's bumbling police partner who was played by Howard Morton. The show also featured a revolving door of celebrity guest stars, including Rosie O'Donnell, Jonathan Silverman, and Paul Sand.

Gimme a Break! was a hit with audiences and ran for six seasons before concluding in 1987. The show's catchy theme song, which was performed by Nell Carter herself, became an anthem of sorts for the 80s.

Overall, Gimme a Break! was a fun and lighthearted show that explored the complexities of family life. The show touched on serious topics but managed to do so in a way that was both entertaining and thought-provoking. Nell Carter's portrayal of Nell Harper was the driving force behind the show's success, and her legacy continues to live on today.

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Seasons

6 5 4 3 2 1

25. Mama's Date

May 12, 1987

Nell is forced to look at her mother in a whole new light when she finds out that she's dating again. As it turns out, the lucky man is a jazz musician her mother knew long before she decided to get married, and now they're rekindling their romance.

24. Someday, My Prince . . .

May 5, 1987

Nell is wooed by an African man who invented chocolate chip cookies in his African country. She is given a necklace by him, and is given a proposal to be his wife. She tells Addy that they should all move to Africa if she decides to accept his proosal, but in the end she declines it, when he tells her his mother wants him to marry a pure woman who hasnt had sex before. She is however, mad that she gave back the expensive necklace that she was given by him.

23. Save the Church

April 28, 1987

Nell prepares for Mary-Ellen Baldwin's arrival, a snobbish foe of hers from Alabama. She arrives in New York to tell Mama Maybelle along with Nell that she is knocking down the old church to make room for new condos. Mama Maybelle, displeased with the act of fooishness, rejects the check for $5,000 that Mary-Ellen gives her, but Nell wants the money. Mama Maybelle then decides she is going to Alabama to save the church. Once they arrive there, Mama Maybelle goes off to see Mayor Watson about what she can do about the church, as Nell and Joey stay at the Church, as she tells Joey about her father and how he preeched. In the end, she is amazed by her father's memories, and when Mama Maybele returns to tell her there is nothing she can do to save the church, Nell rips up the checks, saying that she will fight for her father's church, evel if she looses. Mama Maybelle is very proud of Nell for once in her life, since she finally made a right decision.

22. Parents' Week (2)

April 7, 1987

Nell tries to convice Samantha to stay in college, and in the end, is successful at doing so. She also is successful at helping a fellow studen of Sam's to both stand up to his father and get his book published.

21. Parents' Week (1)

March 31, 1987

Nell finds out that it is Parents Week at Littlefield College in New Jersy, and she is upset that Samantha didn't invite her to attend it. However, she decides to go anyways. When she arrives at the college, Samantha is stunned to see her, and she begins to barge in on student's lives. She sits in on an English class of Sam's, and Professor Dudley gets upset with her. Afterwards, she meets a boy who wants to switch his career from Teaching to Fashion design, but cant stand up to his father, who is actually Professor Dudley. In the end, Sam and Nell are about to go to bed as Sam tells her a secret she has been keeping from her. She is in love with a student named Eric, and she and he are going to drop out of College and get married and move to South Dakota, where the two will live on a farm, since he doesn't have enough money to stay in school. Nell drops to the floor when she hears this.

20. Joey the Gigolo

February 25, 1987

Nell's plan to keep her job by setting Joey up with her boss's daughter, Molly, backfires when Joey really likes the girl. Now, he'd much rather spend time with Molly than with anybody else in the family, including his own brother.

19. Joey's Hero

February 11, 1987

When Joey's favorite television star "Captain Jerk", is hospitalized after swallowing a whistle, it is up to Nell to give him a blood transfusion since she has the same type of blod as him. However, as she goes to his hospital room to meet him, she finds out that he is predjudiced as she heards him talking to his co-stars about how much he hates blacks and how he organizes a group of people who are for a white society. She realizes that she must tell Joey the truth, that his favorite telvison star doesn't favor blacks. In the end, Capatain Jerk tells Nell to be on the show, but swallows his whistle again when he sees she is black. He gives her money, and tells her to not tell anyone she is black and gave him blood, which makes hm partially black as well. Joey hears this, and depite not believing Nell before, he finally knows that his hero is predjuduce and he and Nell leave the hospital knowing that Captain Jerk is nothing but one.

18. Joey's Teacher

February 4, 1987

Joey insists that his teacher, Mr. Gronimeyer, doesn't like him, so Nell invites him over to the apartment to talk about Joey's behavior. But problems arise when Mr. Gronimeyer trips on Maggie's skateboard and threatens to sue the family for damages.

17. Joey's First Crush

January 28, 1987

Joey begins to have a crush on Maggie, and at her husband's birthday party, Nell finds out that he wants to leave New York behind and move to Georgia.

16. The Window (2)

January 21, 1987

Nell decides to quit her job so she could stay home with the boys. So Nell decides to get a new job instead. When she told Joey that, he was delighted. Then the phone rings and the company wants Nell to come to her interview. Nell tells Joey to watch Matthew, but he's still mad at him. So she calls Matthew and he comes with his guitar ready to go to a guitar lesson that Nell forgot. But Joey still won't take Matt to his guitar lesson. Nell's mom advises her to let the apron strings go, and to let Joey grow up. So while talking to Joey, she hears a puppy coming from Matthew's bedroom. They find the puppy outside the fire escape in a box, so she tries to get the puppy inside and her shoe's caught in the fire escape. Nell calls for Maggie to help. But she's scared of heights. Then a fireman comes and with a crowbar, gets her boot out of the fire escape. The fireman says that Joey's the hero who came to him asking him to bring his crowbar. Nell then tells Joey he can participate in

15. The Window (1)

January 21, 1987

Nell has a better job in her company as a book editor. However, that tears her away from staying with the boys. When Joey tells Nell that he's doing a Walk-A-Thon fund raiser for his school & wants to sign up sponsors. But Nell doesn't want Joey to go alone with Matthew wandering the streets of New York. But Grandpa disagrees. Joey also has to take Matthew to his guitar lesson as well. After school, Joey decides to go get sponsors, and takes Matt with him. When Joey goes to a doctor's office, he tells Matt to wait for him. Then Matt hears music coming from next door & sees a band rehearsing. Then the band lets Matt jam with them. Joey finds that Matt's missing and he searches all over for him. When he arrives home, he asks Marty for his help and Marty called the police. Nell enters & Marty tells her Matt's missing. Nell takes the receiver while Marty looks @ his restaurant. Nell is mad at Joey for losing his brother. Then Marty finds Matt & took him home. Joey's mad at Matt

14. The Loan

January 14, 1987

Nell gives Addy a loan to buy a new dress to attend a gala event, knowing that she will pay her back in no time at all. As time passes, people in the building begin to take advantage of Addy, and ask her for money which she does give them. Everyone tells Nell that Addy is a saint for giving them money when they need it, but Nell is mad that Addy has not paid her back the money she borrowed from her. Nell goes to Marty for advice, and he insists that Nell makes a contract, but she gets mad and rips it up. In the end, Addy finally does repay Nell the money she loaned her.

13. Nell's Secret Admirer

January 7, 1987

Nell gets a call from her highschool secret admirer, whom she never knew personally in Alabama. She decides to met him at El Gatspacio since he is in town, and she knows that he cannot have a successful relationship with a woman because he has never forgot about her. When she arrives at El Gatspacio, he calls her, telling her he wrote her a note years ago in school, and that he canot meet her, but in the end, surprises her by showing up at the restaraunt, after Nell has an emotional breakdown on the phone with him, telling him that she is a wonderful woman who did make fun of the note he gave her years ago.

12. Christmas in New York

December 10, 1986

Nell decides to buy a Christmas tree, as does Addy, who both know that it costs too much for one in New York. As the gang begins to celebrate Christmas New York style, Joey tells Matthew that there is no such thing as Santra Claus, and Nell blames Marty for the whole thing. In the end, Nell realizes that Marty always didn't believe in Santa Claus because he never got the toy train he saw in a store window when he was a child. In the end, Nell invites him to Christmas dinner, and on Christmas morning, he is surprised to see the toy train he has always wanted, which both Addy and Nell say they didn't get for him. Thus, proving to both Joey and Matthew that there is a Santa Claus afterall.

11. The Scam

December 3, 1986

As Nell and her mother are at the bank, a con man shows up, tries to attempt to fool Nell to take her mother's life savings, and is successful in doing so, as Nell falls for his trap.

10. Joey the Gambler

November 26, 1986

Joey begins to run ilegal gambling tickets from the staff at El Gatspacio, and Nell is horrified when she finds out he was picked up for running them.After Nell brings Joey home, she tries to teach him that gambling is wrong. When her lecture doesn't work, she finally confides in Marty, who uses the game "Candyland", as an example that it is wrong for Joey to gamble, bets Joey all their money, and in the end wins, teaching Joey a lesson that it is very wrong for people to gamble their money that they worked so hard to get in the first place.

9. Harry the Hamster

November 19, 1986

Nell is furious when she hears a squeaking noise coming from Joey and Matthew's room. When she checks in on them, she finds out that they are caring for Joey's class hamster, "Harry", who Joey knows would most likely be used to be tested on human products. Nell and Addy decide to make a fund to stop people from testing animals with human products. Late at night, to stop the squeaking of Harry's cage, Nell pours salad oil on it. However, what she doesn't know is that it is rancid. When she gets another hamster for Joey, she is surprised that it is a girl who has just had six babies, making Joey change his mind about her, after he finds out she killed Harry.

8. Nell the Boss

November 12, 1986

After Addy is laid off at the University for going on strike, Nell hires her as an assistant at Mcdillon and Loud's publishing company where she works. When Nell thinks Addy is too slow at reading manuscripts, she fires her, and Addy, upset at Nell's attitude towards her, refuses to ever speak to her again.

7. I Love New York

November 5, 1986

Nell is fed up with the new apartment in New York, and tells Addy she wants to go back to Glenlawn to get some of that good California air inside of her again. When Gradpa calls, he tells her that he sold the house to leave Glenlawn behind and move to New York with her. She then meets her upstairs tennant Mrs. Tercobi, who bakes her a cake. In the end, Nell knows that if she can make it there, she can make it anywhere, after being inspired by Frank Senatra's "New York, New York".

6. The Apartment

October 29, 1986

Nell tries to get a job at a famous New York publishing company. She then decides to rent an apartment in Greenwich Village where she, Addy, Joey and Matthew move into.

5. Nell Goes Back to New York

October 15, 1986

Sensing that Joey isn't really happy living with his father, Nell flies back to New York and hatches a plan to get him back. But Joey and Matthew's father has his own thoughts about what's best for the boys.

4. Joey Meets Matthew

October 8, 1986

Joey meets Matthew finally, and is mad that he has a little brother. Tim says that he has some matters to take care of and will meet Nell and the boys at a restaruant shortly. Nell and Addy then decide to take the boys to the park and they have a blast. As Addy and Nell sit and talk on a park bench, they realize that Joey and Matthew have disappeared and Nell calls the police. Joey and Matthew were taken to a museum by a police officer who tells Nell they are not fond of one another and are arguing back and forth. Later, the boys are fine, and everyone returns to Addy's, where Nell and Tim talk in private at Addy and the boys look at her computer. He tells her he wants her blessing so he can raise the boys in New York, now that he has a job there. He tells the boys and everyone deicdes to go out for pizza. In the end, Joey returns back in the apartment as Nell stays behind and finds out that she is not going to live with them and he cries. Nell tells him to keep her picture and she wi

3. Below Sea Level

October 1, 1986

Nell and Joey fly to New Jersy to move Samantha to her college living space at Littlefield College. While they are there, and New York is so close by, and Addy as well, who is now living there because she has gotten a job at a big University, they deicde to visit her and see how she is doing. Nell is surprised that Addy has a basement apartment, in which the view consists of being able to see tiny dogs and peoples feet who walk by. Nell gets furious when the construction workers outside maske noise and she is not able to hear anyone, so she goes outside and gives them a kick on the leg. In the meantime, she is really worried about Samantha, who shows up in New York to go see a musical with a new guy friend of her's. As Nell is in the Bathroom, she hears Sam out in the livingroom, but the door is stuck. She kicks it down and Sam and her new firend go off to see a musical on Broadwat. Also, Joey is told that his father is in New York and has a big surprise for him. Joey is anxious and ho

2. Sam Goes to College (2)

September 24, 1986

Nell continues to talk Samantha out of moving to Sanfransisco with Katie. She then realizes that Samantha is still 17, and she has legal control over her still. Addy finally calls Nell and tells her that Samantha did get the scholarship, and that it was a computer error. An excited Samantha, decides that she is going to college afterall. Nell finally sees Julie and Jonathan to the front door as they say their goodbyes. Nell knows that the girls are all grown up now, and that she has the house to herself.

1. Sam Goes to College (1)

September 24, 1986

Samantha, excitied that she has gotten into Littlfield College in New Jersey, is let down when she recieves a letter in the mail, saying that the school cancelled her scholarship. As this is going on, Julie and Jonathan, the proud new parents of baby Nell, are finally moving to Bakersfield to have privacy for a change, and to manage the chalk factory, as Simpson helps them with the move. Nell then calls Addy, who says she will do all she can to make sure it was an error, and that Samantha will get her scholarship back. While Samantha is in despair, Katie arrives home one last time to have her laundry cleaned before she moves to SaFransisco, and tells Samantha to come with her and she will give her a job there. When Simpson arrives for another load of Julie and Jonathan's belongings, Nell tells him she is losing her girls, but Simpson tells her she will always have him.

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