About
The Duck Factory is a 1984 NBC television series produced by MTM Enterprises that is perhaps most notable for being Jim Carrey's first lead role in a Hollywood production. The show was co-created by Allan Burns. The premiere episode introduces Skip Tarkenton, a somewhat naive and optimistic young man who has come to Hollywood looking for a job as a cartoonist. When he arrives at a low-budget animation company called Buddy Winkler Productions, he finds out Buddy Winkler has just died, and the company desperately needs new blood. So Skip gets an animation job at the firm, which is nicknamed "The Duck Factory" as their main cartoon is "The Dippy Duck Show". Other Duck Factory employees seen regularly on the show were man-of-a-thousand-cartoon voices Wally Wooster; comedy writer Marty Fenneman; artists Brooks Carmichael and Roland Culp, editor Andrea Lewin, and business manager Aggie Aylesworth. Buddy Winkler Productions was now owned by his young, ditzy widow, Mrs Sheree Winkler, who had been married to Buddy for all of three weeks before his death. The Duck Factory lasted thirteen episodes; it premiered April 12, 1984. The show initially aired at 9:30 on Thursday nights, directly after Cheers, and replaced Buffalo Bill on NBC's schedule. Jay Tarses, an actor on The Duck Factory, had been the co-creator and executive producer of Buffalo Bill, which had its final network telecast on Thursday, April 5, 1984.
Cast
Jack Gilford
as Brooks Carmichael
Jim Carrey
as Skip Tarkenton
Jay Tarses
as Marty Fenneman
Teresa Ganzel
as Mrs. Sheree Winkler
Don Messick
as Wally Wooster
Clarence Gilyard Jr.
as Roland Culp
Julie Payne
as Aggie Aylesworth
Nancy Lane
as Andrea Lewin
Seasons
Episodes
Season 1
Goodbye Buddy, Hello Skip
Skip Tarkenton finds his dream of being an animator coming true a lot sooner than he expected when he hops a bus to L.A.
Filling Buddy's Shoes
Someone must fill Buddy's shoes as the Dippy Duck showrunner. But who?
The Annies
A series of mishaps arise when the staff attend the Annies, where Buddy is to receive a posthumous award.
No Good Deed
Skip learns that no good deed goes unpunished when he gives Ginger a job she doesn't deserve and Marty's script a kinder review than it deserves.
The Way We Weren't
Aggie plans to attend a reunion with her old Navy pals, but when she can't scrounge a date, she asks Skip to accompany her.
Can We Talk?
Marty's plagiarism becomes Skip's problem.
The Education of Mrs. Winkler
In hopes of being smarter, Sheree decides to finally get her high school diploma, and Brooks gives her a helping hand -- and a little something extra.
Ordinary People, Too
Skip helps come up with the cash to fund Andrea's film project, yet doesn't get the thanks one might think.
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