| Runtime: | 22 minutes |
| Creator: | Carmen Finestra David McFadzean Matt Williams |
| Executive Producer: | Carmen Finestra David McFadzean Matt Williams |
| Producer: | Gayle S. Maffeo |
| Director: | Peter Bonerz Gil Junger John Pasquin Will Mackenzie Don Scardino Andrew Tsao Ted Wass |
| Starring: | Dan Aykroyd Anthony Clark Kevin Sheridan Brendon Ryan Barrett Courtney Chase Spencer Breslin Michael Finiguerra Dakin Matthews Anne Lambton |
| Theme Music Composer: | Isaac Hayes and David Porter |
| Opentheme: | "Soul Man" |
| Location: | Royal Oak, Michigan (setting) New York, NY (actual filming location) |
| Company: | Hostage Productions Wind Dancer Production Group Touchstone Television |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Network: | ABC |
| Related: | Home Improvement |
| Camera: | Videotape |
| Num Seasons: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 25 |
Soul Man is an American sitcom starring Dan Aykroyd that aired on ABC from April 15, 1997 to May 26, 1998. A total of 25 half-hour episodes were produced over two seasons.
The series premiered on April 15, 1997, and was picked up for a second season of 22 half-hour episodes after only three episodes aired for the first season. Despite ranking 29th in its 2nd and final season, it ended on May 26, 1998, with 25 half-hour episodes produced in total. A four-year-old Spencer Breslin made his TV debut and was a series regular for the three-episode-long 1997 first season, in which he played the youngest child of Aykroyd.[1] [2]
The theme song was "Soul Man" written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. Aykroyd was closely associated with the song, having released a cover of it in 1979 with his band The Blues Brothers.
Mike Weber (played by Aykroyd) is a widowed Episcopal priest who must deal with his four children, his quirky parishioners in Royal Oak, Michigan, and a wet-behind-the-ears curate who happens to be the nephew of his bishop.
Mike Weber appeared on Home Improvement as the priest of Richard Karn's character, Al Borland. He was hired to put in a new stand for a holy water basin in the season seven episode "Losing My Religion". Tim Taylor ended up cutting the hole too big, causing the basin to fall through the floor.
In the Season 1 finale episode "Cinderella and the Funeral", Al Borland appeared in order to fix the church's furnace. Reference was made to Tim and the holy water basin falling through the hole he cut.
Zachary Ty Bryan appeared in the episode "Public Embarrassment and Todd's First Sermon" playing Brad Taylor.