| Genre: | Sitcom |
| Creator: | Howard Gewirtz |
| Starring: | Grant Rosenmeyer Grant Shaud Wendy Makkena Andrew Lawrence Daveigh Chase Taylor Emerson |
| Narrated: | David Cross |
| Opentheme: | "The Future Is Now" by The Solids |
| Composer: | Paul Buckley |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Company: | Steven Levitan Productions (ge.wirtz) Films DreamWorks Television 20th Century Fox Television |
| Camera: | Single-camera |
| Network: | Fox |
| Num Seasons: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 24 (2 unaired) |
| Runtime: | 21 minutes |
Oliver Beene is an American sitcom that aired on Fox from March 9, 2003 to September 12, 2004. The show was created by Howard Gewirtz. Set in 1962 and 1963, the show chronicled the trials and tribulations of the 11-to-12-year-old Oliver Beene (played by Grant Rosenmeyer), in first person perspective. Oliver Beenes other main characters are his parents Jerry and Charlotte Beene, his older brother Ted Beene, and his two friends Joyce and Michael. The narrator, an older Oliver reflecting on his experience, is voiced by David Cross. Often in episodes, the story is interrupted by flashbacks and flashforwards.
Oliver (born c. 1951), attempts to sustain normality in an often unpredictable family. Oliver's father Jerry spends his days drilling teeth as a dentist, while his mother attempts to play the traditional homemaker. Oliver's older brother, Ted is a sports nut and a womanizer. Oliver's life is often made more bearable with friends Michael, Joyce and his crush Bonnie, who appears at his most embarrassing moments. In the second season, both brothers have a crush on a Swedish girl, Elke, who moved into their apartment building.
| Season | Time | |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday at 8:30 (Episodes 1–6) Sunday at 9:30 (Episodes 7–8) | ||
| Wednesday at 9:30 (Episode 1) Sunday at 7:30 (Episodes 2–6) Sunday at 7:00 (Episodes 7–14) |
The series first aired on March 9, 2003, as a Fox program to replace the animated series Futurama. The first season was relatively successful, and the show was brought back for a second season. However, poor ratings throughout the second season led to the show's cancellation in September 2004, with the two last episodes of the season being left unaired in America. (the last episode to air in the show's original timeslot was broadcast on September 12, 2004). In the UK and Ireland, Sky One broadcast both seasons, in their entirety. In Germany, Das Erste HD broadcast both seasons, in their entirety, twice, once in 2006, and once in 2010, dubbed in German. In The Czech Republic, ČT1 broadcast both seasons, in their entirety, dubbed in Czech.