Name: Duet
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1987-04-19
Rating: 6.3
Cast: Matthew Laurance, Mary Page Keller, Chris Lemmon, Jodi Thelen, Alison La Placa

The forgotten '80s sitcom that dared ask: what if love... had a saxophone solo?

yuppie romancesoft-focus sax energypre-Friends friend group

Latest Episode

30 min

Season 3 • Episode 19

Latest

The Birth of a Saleswoman

May 7, 1989

Overview

Comedy

Duet is an American sitcom that aired on Fox from April 19, 1987 to August 20, 1989. The series stars Matthew Laurance as Ben Coleman, Mary Page Keller as Laura Kelly, Chris Lemmon as Richard Phillips, and Alison LaPlaca as Linda Phillips. The series was created by Ruth Bennett and Susan Seeger, and was produced by Paramount Television.

Content warning

career vs. commitmentfriendship as found familythe anxiety of thirtysomething success

Standout Aspects

Acting

Alison LaPlaca's scene-stealing neurosis as Linda

Score

Literal duets and smooth jazz punctuating emotional beats

Best for:Solo·Background·Rewatch

First AiredApr 19, 1987

StatusEnded

Vibe

Pacesteady

Intensitylow

Tonelight

Feellight

Seasons3·Episodes54

Top Cast

Matthew Laurance

Ben Coleman

Mary Page Keller

Laura Kelly

Chris Lemmon

Richard Phillips

Jodi Thelen

Jane Kelly

Alison La Placa

Linda Phillips

Larry Poindexter

Cooper Hayden

Arleen Sorkin

Geneva

Ask about Duet

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

Creator Ruth Bennett later sued Fox claiming they stole her 'young singles in the city' concept for Friends — the case settled out of court.

Cultural

This was Fox's first attempt at a relationship-driven sitcom, predating both Living Single and Friends by years, but poor ratings killed it before the formula clicked.

Gallery