What a Country!

What a Country! is an American sitcom starring Garrett M. Brown and Yakov Smirnoff that aired in first-run syndication from September 27, 1986, to May 23, 1987. The series is based on the British sitcom Mind Your Language and was intended as a showcase for Ukrainian-American comedian Yakov Smirnoff, whose catchphrase provided the show's title. Five years previously in 1981, an episode of sit-com Diff'rent Strokes titled "Almost American" had served as a backdoor pilot for a US version of Mind Your Language but it was not picked up for a series.

Synopsis

What a Country! is set in a class of recent immigrants to the United States who are trying to pass the citizenship test. Their teacher, Taylor Brown (played by Garrett M. Brown), is a part-time substitute teacher looking for a high school soccer coaching job, while the students are:

1. Nikolai (a Russian-Soviet taxi driver),
2. Laszlo (a retired Hungarian doctor),
3. Ali (a Pakistani),
4. Robert (the son of a deposed African king),
5. Maria (a housekeeper working for a rich Beverly Hills family),
6. Victor (a Hispanic in love with Maria), and
7. Yung Hi (a shy Chinese woman).

Gail Strickland initially played the character of Principal Joan Courtney, though she was replaced by Don Knotts during the series' run.

Cast

• Garrett M. Brown as Taylor Brown
• Yakov Smirnoff as Nikolai Rostopovich
• George Murdock as Laszlo Gabo
• Vijay Amritraj as Ali Nadim
• Harry Waters, Jr. as Robert Muboto
• Ada Maris as Maria Conchita Lopez
• Julian Reyes as Victor Ortega
• Leila Hee Olsen as Yung Hi
• Gail Strickland as Principal Joan Courtney (episodes 1–10)
• Don Knotts as Principal F.J. "Bud" McPherson (episodes 11–26)

Episodes

References

External links

• What a Country! at IMDb