Payne
Payne is an American television series, patterned after the British program Fawlty Towers. It starred American actor John Larroquette, who portrayed assistant district attorney Dan Fielding on the American television program Night Court. Larroquette was also an executive producer for the series. Payne was a mid-season replacement on CBS and aired in March and April 1999. The show also starred JoBeth Williams, Julie Benz and Rick Batalla. Despite fairly positive reception, and receiving the blessing of John Cleese, who agreed to take a recurring role if the show was renewed, Payne was quickly cancelled. Nine episodes were filmed; eight were aired. The show is not available on DVD.
- Created By
- First Aired on
Mar 15, 1999
- Popularity: 2.0757
- 1 votes
- Networks
- (US)
- Production
Big Phone ProductionsPort Street FilmsUSA Network (US)
- Status: Ended
Show Ended
1 seaons till Apr 28, 1999
Last episode: Wedding Fever
Seasons & episodes
Total 1 seasons, 9 episodes
Season 1
Aired
Episode 1The J. Edgar Hoover Pin Story30 min
Royal panics when he realizes he forgot to buy an anniversary present for his wife, Connie. Breeze saves the day when she finds a pricey antique pin left behind by a guest, and Connie is thrilled with her gift. Royal is also ecstatic since he didn't have to spend a cent on it -- until the frantic guest returns to Whispering Pines offering a $1,000 reward for the heirloom. Royal can't resist stealing the ""gift"" back from Connie in order to collect the money but then finds himself setting up his own reward fund when Connie discovers that her new pin is missing.
Episode 2Sexual Intercom30 min
The Whispering Pines' new telephone system has an added feature that Royal and Connie unexpectedly discover -- an intercom that allows them to listen in on the guests' conversations. Connie is thrilled to discover this new form of entertainment, and Royal decides to ""use the power for good"" -- satisfying their guests' requests before the requests are made -- a plan that inevitably catches Payne with his pants down.
Episode 3Whatever Happened to Baby Payne?30 min
A representative from Family Friendly Travel pays a visit to evaluate Whispering Pines, and Royal attempts to dupe her into believing that the inn is a wholesome establishment. Unfortunately, Royal is busy trying to dupe the Family Friendly woman during a week in which the inn is coping with a cross-dressing guest and a lost child.
Episode 4Gossip Checks In and a Cat Checks Out30 min
Livid about Connie's continual barrage of banal banter with anyone who'll listen to her, Royal attempts to prove that he's above all the gossip. However, when a mysterious guest checks in, it's Royal who is falling all over himself -- literally -- to learn ""her story.""
Episode 5Pacific Ocean Duck30 min
Royal laments the quality of his clientele. He longs to play host to presidents and kings but rather he gets blue collar families and philandering husbands with their mistresses. His ire is piqued when he learns that his competition, the Sand Dune, has received two stars in the Mobile guide while Whispering Pines wasn't even ranked. Royal resolves to put Whispering Pines on the map by adding a ""gourmet night"" to the hotel's attractions. After he accuses the Mobile Guide critic of being a tart and comes to believe that his four-star chef has expired, it begins to look as though success is not on the menu.
