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Poster for Payne

1999 | 1 seasons | 30 min | Comedy

Monday Morning Maybeearly rating

Why it’s a Monday Morning Maybe

With just 22% on Rotten Tomatoes, almost no lasting buzz and a small audience, this one could be a tough watch. Keep your phone handy.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who wants a laugh.
The mood
Light and funny.
The pace
One season: easy to finish in a weekend or two, short, snackable episodes, about 5 hours in all.
What might put you off
Rated TV-PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.

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.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsWeak

    22% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerBelow par

    Limited series that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 8K people sought it out in the past year

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Cast & crew

  • John LarroquetteRoyal Payne
  • JoBeth WilliamsConstance Payne
  • Julie BenzBreeze O'Rourke
  • Rick BatallaMo