On this day August 27 1989, Open House premiered on the Fox network. A spin off of the short lived series Duet, the show followed the quirky lives of real estate agents at the Juan Verde Real Estate office in Los Angeles.
Led by Alison LaPlaca as Linda Phillips, Open House balanced workplace comedy with satirical takes on the Southern California lifestyle. The cast included Mary Page Keller, Philip Charles MacKenzie, and a young Ellen DeGeneres in one of her earliest television roles. The series leaned into fast paced banter and exaggerated personalities, making it a solid fit for Fox’s offbeat lineup in the late 80s.
Though it only lasted one season, Open House found a modest audience and is remembered for its connection to Duet and for spotlighting talent that would go on to greater fame in the 1990s.
80s insight: Open House was part of Fox’s early push to create original sitcoms that stood apart from the major networks. It aired alongside shows like Married with Children and Living Color during the network’s formative years.
Led by Alison LaPlaca as Linda Phillips, Open House balanced workplace comedy with satirical takes on the Southern California lifestyle. The cast included Mary Page Keller, Philip Charles MacKenzie, and a young Ellen DeGeneres in one of her earliest television roles. The series leaned into fast paced banter and exaggerated personalities, making it a solid fit for Fox’s offbeat lineup in the late 80s.
Though it only lasted one season, Open House found a modest audience and is remembered for its connection to Duet and for spotlighting talent that would go on to greater fame in the 1990s.
80s insight: Open House was part of Fox’s early push to create original sitcoms that stood apart from the major networks. It aired alongside shows like Married with Children and Living Color during the network’s formative years.
