| Our House | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | James Lee Barrett |
| Starring | Wilford Brimley Deidre Hall Shannen Doherty Chad Allen Keri Houlihan Gerald S. O'Loughlin |
| Theme music composer | Billy Goldenberg |
| Composer(s) | Billy Goldenberg |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 46 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Frank Fischer |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 45–48 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Lorimar-Telepictures |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | NBC |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original run | September 11, 1986 – May 8, 1988 |
Our House is an American television drama series that aired on NBC for two seasons from September 11, 1986 to May 8, 1988. The series centers on the Witherspoon family and the challenges they face adjusting to life with three generations living in the same house.
Contents |
After his son dies, Gus Witherspoon (a retired widower played by Wilford Brimley) invites his daughter-in-law Jessica 'Jessie' Witherspoon (played by Deidre Hall) and her three children to move to California to live with him until they can get back on their feet financially. Despite protests from her children, Jessie, along with 15-year-old daughter Kris (played by Shannen Doherty), 12-year-old son David (played by Chad Allen), eight-year-old daughter Molly (played by Keri Houlihan), and their Basset Hound named Arthur leave Fort Wayne, Indiana to start their new lives in California. As they settle in to life with Gus, they realize that he can be a difficult man to live with. Predictably, a major part of the plot each week was centered on the conflict that can arise when extended family tries to live together in the same house. As the man of the house, Gus imposed rules on the three grandchildren the same way he raised his own children, but later learned ways to convey his lessons to the kids without having to be gruff. Jessie and the kids learn that beneath Gus' stern facade is a man who is wise about the ways of the world and cares about them very much.
A unique feature of the show was that each segment of an episode ended with a freeze frame moment, which would then occupy one of the rooms in the "house" on the screen just before the commercial break. As the episode unfolded, more rooms would be filled until finally, when the dilemma had been resolved, the final piece would be put in place, completing the house.
Upon its 1986 premiere, the Associated Press called the series "a family show suitable for framing." Despite good reviews, the show was not a ratings hit, only ranking 53rd in its first season, and 64th in its second season. NBC had positioned Our House to be aired on Sundays at 7pm. This was an experiment to move prime time television to the 7 o'clock hour from 8 o'clock.
The Inspiration Network re-aired syndicated episodes of Our House in the US on from October 18, 2010 to December 31, 2011.[1]