Frank Leaves for the Orient

Frank Leaves for the Orient is an American sitcom produced by Comedy Central, which aired for 6 episodes over mid-1999. The series starred Stan Cahill as Frank, an American preparing to leave for Japan.

Frank Leaves for the Orient
Created byMichael Kaplan
John Sanborn
StarringStan Cahill
Peggy Jo Jacobs
Janet Carroll
Rebecca Chalmers
Chris Tallman
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6
Production
Running time23 minutes
Original release
NetworkComedy Central
ReleaseAugust 8 (1999-08-08) –
September 12, 1999 (1999-09-12)

Plot

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This stream-of-consciousness live-action comedy is a journey through the protagonist Frank's to-do list, as he tries to escape his everyday life by moving to Japan to teach English. Each episode of Frank Leaves For The Orient deals with another aspect of Frank's attempts to wrap up his life, break up with his girlfriend, quit his job, etc. The action becomes a surreal, rapid-fire, sometimes non-linear story that splits apart and then comes back together.

Episodes

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No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date Production
code
1"The Girlfriend"Tim BoxellMichael KaplanAugust 8, 1999 (1999-08-08)101
Frank has to break up with his girlfriend before moving to Japan.
2"Quit Your Job"John SanbornMichael KaplanAugust 15, 1999 (1999-08-15)102
Frank has to quit his job before moving to Japan.
3"Ed"John SanbornMichael KaplanAugust 22, 1999 (1999-08-22)103
Frank realizes his best friend wants to come to Japan with him, and has to figure out how to break up with a guy.
4"Chloe"John SanbornJennifer Heftler, Lisa PageAugust 29, 1999 (1999-08-29)104
Just when he thought he was going to get away clean, Frank bumps into his dream girl, Chloe.
5"Mom & Dad"Tim BoxellMichael KaplanSeptember 5, 1999 (1999-09-05)105
Over lunch at a Chinese restaurant, Frank tries to convince his parents that moving to Japan is a sane, responsible choice.
6"Sell Your Stuff"John SanbornJohn Sanborn, Michael KaplanSeptember 12, 1999 (1999-09-12)106
Frank holds the mother of all garage sales, trying to outrun all his past selves.

Critical reception

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New York Daily News reviewer David Bianculli rated the show 3.5 out of 4 stars, writing that the show "has its own energy, its own pace and style, and...a clear and clever continuing plot line". He praised the use of fantasy sequences, musical numbers, and flashbacks.[1]

References

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  1. ^ "'Frank Leaves for the Orient' a real comedy trip". Daily News. August 18, 1999. p. 76. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
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