The Single Guy

The Single Guy is an American sitcom television series that ran for two seasons on NBC, from September 21, 1995, to April 14, 1997. It starred Jonathan Silverman as struggling New York City writer Jonathan Eliot and followed several of his close friends (some of whom came and left as the show was re-tooled between seasons). The series also starred Joey Slotnick as Eliot's best friend Sam Sloan, Ming-Na Wen as Sam's wife Trudy and Ernest Borgnine as doorman Manny, throughout its entire run. The Single Guy was created by Brad Hall.

Main

 * Jonathan Silverman as Jonathan Eliot
 * Joey Slotnick as Sam Sloan
 * Ming-Na Wen as Trudy Sloan
 * Ernest Borgnine as Manny Cordoba
 * Mark Moses as Matt Parker (season 1)
 * Jessica Hecht as Janeane Percy-Parker (season 1)
 * Shawn Michael Howard as Russell (season 2)
 * Olivia d'Abo as Marie Blake (season 2)

Recurring

 * Michael Winters as Mike (season 1)
 * Jensen Daggett as Charlie McCarthy (season 2)
 * Dan Cortese as Dan Montgomery (season 2)
 * Mariska Hargitay as Kate Conklin (season 2)
 * Suzanne Pleshette as Sarah Eliot (season 2)

Notable Guest Stars

 * Larry Miller as cable guy ("Pilot")
 * David Schwimmer as Ross Geller ("Neighbors")
 * Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Tina ("Mugging")
 * Megan Ward as Monica ("Gift")
 * Illeana Douglas as Martha ("Sister", "Distance")
 * Jack Black as Randy ("Sister")
 * Willie Garson as Ted ("Communication")
 * Conan O'Brien as Cameron Duncan ("Rival")
 * Kevin Tighe as Jack Blake ("Rival")
 * George Plimpton as himself ("Rival")
 * Jimmy Breslin as himself ("Rival")
 * Marie Osmond as herself ("Pudding")
 * Renée Taylor as Zelda ("Pudding")
 * Kevin Weisman as Lyle ("Pudding")
 * Paula Abdul as herself ("Affair")
 * Donal Logue as Billy ("Wedding", "Lovenest")
 * Emilio Estevez as himself ("Wedding")
 * Rodney Dangerfield as himself ("Kept Man")
 * Maureen McCormick as Valerie ("Kept Man")
 * Al Roker as Dr. Benjamin ("New Year")
 * Wendie Malick as Dr. Cornick ("New Year")
 * Jenna Elfman as Jordan ("Just Friends?")
 * Molly Shannon as Melody Pugh ("Macho Men")
 * Don Rickles as Dr. Dick Sloan ("Big Baby")
 * Jonathan Lipnicki as Rudy ("Big Baby")
 * Jason Alexander as himself ("Grandfather Clause")
 * Andy Dick as himself ("Grandfather Clause")
 * Amy Yasbeck as herself ("Grandfather Clause")
 * Paula Marshall as Isabella ("Grandfather Clause")
 * Kristin Davis as Leslie ("Jonathan Hollywood")

Production and reception
While the series was favored enough by NBC to earn a timeslot in its coveted "Must-See-TV" Thursday night line-up, it ultimately failed to generate enthusiasm with critics and viewers. It was largely written-off as a clone of the network's other "singles in the city" sitcoms that emerged in the mid-1990s, following the success of Seinfeld and Friends. The Single Guy emulated many of the same traits and tropes of those series, from the neurotic best friend who occasionally does reprehensible things, to its main character's rotating cast of flawed girlfriends. Jonathan and friends would also regularly hang out at a local coffee shop, The Bagel Cafe, which was seen by some viewers as too similar to Friends, of which David Schwimmer guest starred as his character Ross Geller.

Although the series earned high ratings, consistently attaining 4th or 5th place in the Nielsen ratings, NBC was disappointed in the show's critical failure. For its second season, the series underwent retooling. As a result, cast members Jessica Hecht and Mark Moses were let go and replaced with Olivia d'Abo and Shawn Michael Howard. Dan Cortese and Jensen Daggett were also cast in heavily recurring roles. The retooling did not work, forcing NBC to pull the series and move it to a different night in the Spring of 1997. No longer airing in between Friends and Seinfeld, ratings plummeted upon its move, with nearly two-thirds of its audience gone. Perhaps aware of its impending cancellation, the series ended its second and final season with Jonathan Eliot married in Las Vegas, thus ending his single status.

Ernest Borgnine later recalled working on the show fondly, but expressed his displeasure with the retooling and felt that it – along with behind-the-scenes dysfunction – led to its cancellation.