# Duet / Open House (1987-1990)

DUET (1987-1989) Duet is a largely-forgotten comedy from the original Fox network lineup which first centered on the romance of detective novelist Ben Coleman (Matthew Laurance) and neurotic caterer Laura Kelly (Mary Page Keller). Jane (Jodi Thelan) was Laura's looney sister who worked for her, goofball yuppie Richard Phillips (Chris Lemmon) was Ben's best friend, Linda (Allison La Placa) was Richard's condescending wife, and Reuben (Bo) was Ben's beloved German Shepherd. Some spoilers from here on in. The first two seasons were serialized, with the network largely leaving the crew alone. Initially the show centered on Ben and Laura, but the roles of Jane and the Phillipses were expanded and it quickly developed into a true ensemble. The Fox network was instantly perceived as a joke, but they fought for acknowledgment by the Neilsen ratings, where their programs languished near the very bottom. The show was receiving critical acclaim, but viewers weren't tuning in, so the network intervened in the third season and began eroding the series... Alison La Placa was drawing raves for her portrayal of Linda, so the network decided to Urkel her (before Steve Urkel even existed), keeping her in the spotlight as the newest member of Laura's catering staff. But this simple change wasn't quite enough... Over on ABC, a family sitcom called " Full House " had recently become a sensation thanks in part to the character of a precocious little girl alternately portrayed by Mary Kate and…

- Kind: TV
- Year: 1987
- By: Fox
- Genres: Comedy, Romance
- Archive: [Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/duet-open-house)
- Licence or status: none stated by the archive
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/ia/duet-open-house?play=1)