| Eight Is Enough | |
|---|---|
Title screen |
|
| Genre | Comedy-drama |
| Created by | Lee Rich Philip Capice Lee Mendelson |
| Directed by | Irving J. Moore |
| Starring | Dick Van Patten Diana Hyland Betty Buckley Grant Goodeve Lani O'Grady Laurie Walters Susan Richardson Dianne Kay Connie Newton Willie Aames Adam Rich |
| Theme music composer | Lee Holdridge Molly-Ann Leikin Fred Werner |
| Composer(s) | John Beal Alexander Courage Earle Hagen |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 112 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Philip Capice Lee Rich |
| Producer(s) | Gary Adelson |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 45–48 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Lorimar Productions |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ABC |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original run | March 15, 1977 – August 29, 1981 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Eight is Enough: A Family Reunion (1987) |
Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series which ran on ABC from March 15, 1977 until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled after syndicated newspaper columnist Thomas Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book with the same name. The series was rare in that it was one of the few hour-long television series to use a laugh track.
Contents |
The show is centered around a Sacramento, California family with eight children (from oldest to youngest: David, Mary, Joanie, Susan, Nancy, Elizabeth, Tommy, and Nicholas). The father, Tom Bradford (Dick Van Patten), was a newspaper columnist for the fictional Sacramento Register. His wife Joan (Diana Hyland) took care of the children. Hyland was only in four episodes before falling ill; she was written out for the remainder of the first season and died twelve days after the first episode aired.
The second season began in the fall of 1977 with the revelation that Tom had become a widower. Tom fell in love with Sandra Sue "Abby" Abbott (Betty Buckley), a schoolteacher who came to the house to tutor Tommy. They were married in one of Eight Is Enough's special TV movie broadcasts on 9 November 1977.
In another TV movie event in September 1979, David and Susan were both married in a double wedding. As the series progressed, Abby got her Ph.D in education and started a job counseling students at the local high school, while second-youngest son Tommy became a singer in a rock-and-roll band.
In the pilot the role of David was played by Mark Hamill, Nancy was played by Kimberly Beck, and Tommy played by Chris English.
The series jump-started acting careers for only a few of those playing the children. It cemented teen idol status for Grant Goodeve (David), Willie Aames (Tommy), and Ralph Macchio, who played Abby's orphaned nephew Jeremy later in the show's last season. Aames would go on to star with Scott Baio in Charles in Charge. Goodeve started a minor singing career, following his rendition of the show's theme song (see "Theme music") and initially hosted HGTV's If Walls Could Talk. Macchio would gain the most fame in feature films such as The Karate Kid and its sequels, as well as My Cousin Vinny.
After the end of the show's fifth season (and 111 hour episodes), production costs and declining ratings caused the show to be canceled, along with seven other shows that season. Variety's headline on the cancellation stated, "Eight Shows In, Eight Shows Out".
The series had two reunion movies on NBC. In An Eight Is Enough Reunion on October 18, 1987, Mary Frann replaced Betty Buckley as Abby; Buckley had been filming Frantic during its production. This was followed by An Eight Is Enough Wedding on October 22, 1989, this time with Sandy Faison as Abby. By coincidence, both movies aired opposite game two of the World Series on ABC.
For the show's first two seasons, an upbeat instrumental piece was used as the show's opening theme. Beginning with the show's third season, this was replaced by a slowed-down vocal theme titled "Eight is Enough", which was sung by series co-star Grant Goodeve.
Tom has to find money to pay for a lawyer when his troubled daughter is arrested
Matilda, Mary's heavily pregnant friend comes to stay at the Bradfords' and begins irritating the family.
Tom becomes editor of his own newspaper but struggles to handle family and work at the same time.
Joan bonds with Tommy. Tom struggles to deal with Elizabeth's bad ways.
The Bradfords throw a party. David comes to the aid of an old lady.
David finds himself caring for the whole family when they all get sick.
Tom's sister Vivian causes chaos amongst the Bradford children.
An estate developer threatens to send Tom to court after writing a bad story about him.
The Bradfords enter a football match against another family.
Dr. Maxwell moves in with the Bradfords but his habits drive the family crazy.
Sandra Abbot talks her way into the Bradford household when Tommy's football match turns nasty.
Tom is determined to spend some time with his children, driving them to desperate measures.
When Tom and Abby break up, the kids set about finding Tom a new woman.
A party at the Bradfords' spirals out of control.
Tom's plans to propose are ruined by the kids.
Abby's father arrives and Tom is determined to prove himself to his future father-in-law.
The Bradford children are given the job of organizing Tom and Abby's wedding.
The childrens' plans for the wedding threaten to end the wedding altogether.
Tom and Abby decide to take the kids on their honeymoon, a decision they will later regret.
Abby's plans for the Bradford choir are causing chaos between the kids.
Vera Bradford returns and makes an announcement that will change the family forever.
Tom is determined to make the first Christmas without Joan the best yet.
The Bradfords celebrate Christmas in true style.
It's Tom's birthday and the kids plan a surprise party for him.
Abby encourages Tom to leave his job and follow his dreams.
Tom finds himself under arrest. Abby struggles to hold the family together.
Tom and Abby both find themselves working away leaving the kids in the hands of Sandra.
David catches up with some old friends.
The Bradford girls all find love much to the dismay of Tom.
Susan's new boyfriend takes a shine to Abby.
Tom vows to help Tommy pass his exams.
Abby falls off a ladder and uncovers some secrets from the past.
Tom and Abby go off to Abby's parents, leaving the kids home alone.
David's new girlfriend turns out to be a millionaire's daughter.
Joanie is put in charge of a talent show.
Episodes aired on FX when the network began in 1994 but haven't been on cable since, except for a 50th Anniversary Warner Bros. marathon on TV Land in 2005. The show also aired on PAX when that network began in 1998. It currently runs on WMEU-CA a low power in Chicago, which also airs on WCIU-TV subchannel 26.3. Selected full episodes of the show can also be found at Fancast.com.
Eight Is Enough
| Season | Ratings Rank |
| 1977 | #23 |
| 1977–1978 | #12 |
| 1978–1979 | #17 |
| 1979–1980 | #12 |
| 1980–1981 | #18 |
In Italy, RAI public networks aired the first season of Eight Is Enough under the title Otto Bastano in 1978,[1] the literal Italian translation of the original title. The remaining seasons were aired in the 1980s on Retequattro, a commercial network from Fininvest (now Mediaset), under the title La Famiglia Bradford. The Italian version excludes the laugh track.
The French version, "Huit, ça suffit!" was a big success in the 1980s both in France and Quebec (Canada), and among all Francophone (French-speaking) Canadians.
In Spain, Eight Is Enough was aired also in the 1980s. RTVE (public network) aired all the seasons under the title Con Ocho Basta (the Spanish translation) in Friday's evening time.
In the Philippines, Eight Is Enough aired on GMA 7 from 1978-1981.
![[1]](http://www.prima-tv.it/scansioni maxi/otto bastano_primatv_sorrisi.jpg){kind=link}