▁and ▁Chris ▁Lem mon ▁continu ing ▁their ▁roles ▁as ▁Laura ▁Kelly ▁and ▁Richard ▁Phill ips . ▁New ly ▁separated ▁from ▁her ▁writer ▁husband ▁Ben ▁Cole man , ▁Laura ▁also ▁quit ▁c ater ing , ▁and ▁became ▁an ▁app rent ice ▁agent . ▁Richard , ▁L inda ' s ▁husband , ▁was ▁a ▁pian ist ▁at ▁Jas per ' s , ▁but ▁left ▁the ▁hang out ▁— ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁— ▁by ▁mid - season . ▁Among ▁L inda ' s ▁ecc ent ric ▁co - work ers ▁were ▁Ted ▁Nich ols ▁( Ph il ip ▁Charles ▁Mac K en zie ), ▁her ▁main ▁rival ; ▁Scott ▁Bab yl on ▁( D anny ▁G ans ), ▁a ▁tal ented ▁impression ist ; ▁Mar go ▁Van ▁Meter ▁( E ll en ▁De Gener es ), ▁the ▁s ass y , ▁man - h un gry ▁secretary ; ▁and ▁Roger ▁Mc Sw ain ▁( N ick ▁T ate ), ▁the ▁manager ▁of ▁Juan ▁Ver de . ▁ ▁The ▁prem ise ▁of ▁the ▁series ▁had ▁origin ated ▁in ▁the ▁series ▁finale ▁of ▁Du et , ▁in ▁which ▁L inda ▁was ▁introduced ▁to ▁Ted , ▁who ▁brought ▁her ▁to ▁Juan ▁Ver de ▁to ▁start ▁her ▁new ▁career . ▁La P la ca ▁and ▁Mac K en zie ▁had ▁been ▁d ating ▁for ▁several ▁years ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁they ▁worked ▁opposite ▁each ▁other ▁on ▁Du et ▁and ▁Open ▁House ▁( they ▁first ▁worked ▁together ▁on ▁a ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁episode ▁of ▁Mac K en zie ' s