The first two seasons' opening credits featured clips from the 1980 movie trailer, of various office duties being performed. Cast changes were constant early on, as the show tried to find the right ensemble combination. Jeffrey Tambor was the original Franklin Hart during the spring 1982 run, but that fall Peter Bonerz replaced him in that role. He would remain throughout the rest of 9 to 5's ABC run. In another key element straight from the movie, resident flunky to Mr. Hart, office snoop Roz Keith, was played by British actressJean Marsh. Roz was responsible for digging up the personal dirt on the secretaries and to help Hart scheme his way to the very top. Season 2 also saw the addition of Herb Edelman as fatherly salesman Harry Nussbaum, who became an ally to Violet, Judy and Doralee in their schemes against Mr. Hart. Another co-worker, Clair, became a regular. The sitcom proved to be very popular, ranking at #15 for its first season.
Season 3
Jane Fonda, who also developed the film version, acted as executive producer during the show's first two seasons. However, she disassociated herself after a dispute over the direction of the show. Her co-producer Bruce Gilbert went with her. Prior to the start of Season 3, veteran TV actor and producer James Komack stepped in to helm the show in their stead. His vision for the show included many changes, which tried to add a new angle without taking the premise away from the original movie and TV format. The Fonda character of Judy Bernly, portrayed by Valerie Curtin, was written out for the purposes of replacing her with a younger, 20-something secretary, Linda Bowman. She instantly became friends with Violet and Doralee, so much that she subsequently became a roommate of theirs in Violet's apartment. Also inhabiting this living arrangement was Violet's 12-year-old son Tommy. Salesman Nussbaum was also replaced, by Michael Henderson, and Komack also dropped office snoop Roz. Additionally, the company setting changed from Consolidated Companies to American House. The revamp caused an instant decline in the ratings, falling to 75th out of 76 shows, and the series was cancelled five episodes into the new season. As ABC decided to pull the plug on 9 to 5 just a month into the season, only five episodes were broadcast in the 1983-84 season, with two episodes remaining unaired.
ABC ratings
First-run syndication
New episodes of 9 to 5 resurfaced in first-run syndication in Fall 1986. Valerie Curtin was back as Judy Bernly as was Rachel Dennison. Assuming the starring role, in place of the unavailable Rita Moreno, was Sally Struthers as slightly naive single mother Marsha McMurray Shrimpton, who added fresh perspective to the group. For the second time in the TV series, the company that the lead characters worked for changed again, this time to Barkley Foods International. In the syndicated version, Franklin Hart was history; the girls' superiors were ladies' man Russ Merman, Bud Coleman, and Marsha's boss in the 1986-87 season, Charmin Cunningham. The following season, Vice President of Sales E. Nelson Felb became Marsha's boss. Also featured were James, the maintenance man of the Barkley Foods building, and Morgan, the Jamaican-accented mailroom clerk whom added to the office camaraderie. The syndication arm of 20th Century Fox Television sold the series to stations across the United States, including those owned by then-corporate sibling Fox Television Stations. 9 to 5 also aired on WTBS in Atlanta, whose then-status as a cable superstation made the series available to a national audience.
Cast
The cast underwent near-constant turnover, with only Rachel Dennison appearing throughout the show's run. The leading characters:
The hit title song from the movie, "9 to 5", written and performed by Dolly Parton, was used as the theme song for the TV series. However, during the first season run in spring 1982, Phoebe Snow performed the vocals. Starting with Season 2 and through the end of the show's syndication run in 1988, Parton's vocals were featured in the theme.
Differences between the film and TV series
Several other plot changes were present in the TV series that were not featured in the film. For instance, the film shows aspects of Violet's life as a widow supporting four children, the most visible of whom is Tommy. While this carried over to the television series, only her son Josh was featured. Also, due to the casting of Rita Moreno, Violet's maiden name was changed to Fernandez in the television series, and her characterization was changed to a fiery Latina woman. While the film portrayed Franklin Hart as a womanizing, despotic tyrant, he is instead portrayed as bumbling and incompetent in the television series. In the film, Doralee's husband's name was Duane, while in the television version, the character was initially single, and, in later seasons, married a man named Curtis.
