Eight Is Enough

[SoapDope]

I know this was considered a Dramedy, but I wanted to start a thread here if anyone would like to discuss this great series. A lot of viewers consider this kind of a sister show to Family. Lorimar had an unexpected hit when this premiered mid season in the spring of 1977. Diana Hyland who played the mother Joan only appeared in 4 episodes before passing away. Her absence was never explained till season 2. ABC quickly wanted a mother figure and they brought in Betty Buckley as Abby the love interest for Tom played by Dick Van Patten. 

Dick Van Patten usually played goofy types of characters, but the role of Tom Bradford really endeared him to TV audiences. 

I always thought Diane Kay was so pretty and charming as Nancy. I know she appeared briefly in Flamingo Road during her time on EIE, but I think should have been hired in a meaty role on a primetime soap. 

Most of the cast had mental or substance abuse issues that caused the shows cancellation after 5 seasons. Van Patten said they were all geared to film season 6 when he was reading the paper at home and read they were cancelled. Lorimar felt the show was too much trouble to continue with.

The show is available to watch for Free on streaming platforms like Tubi. 

 

[All My Shadows]

I've watched the odd episode here and there over the years, but I definitely plan to watch it from beginning to end within the next few months. To me, EIE is to Family as Little House is to The Waltons. EIE/LHOTP were a bit more over-the-top with the emotions, drama, sentimentality. Waltons/Family were more understated. The four together are to the 70s what Dallas/Dynasty/Knots/FC are to the 80s, as far as I'm concerned. It's highly possible we might not have had the 80s soaps without those 70s family dramas.

[SoapDope]

David Jacobs was writing Family for Spelling/Goldberg when he was approached about creating a show for CBS. He said he went with Lorimar as the studio because of the recent hit of EIE and the quality and production values of the series.

[Soapsuds]

The whole series came out on DVD. I own it. It was a favorite show of mine growing up. My favorites were Tommy and Mary.

[Chris 2]

The issue with Joan Bradford disappearing in mid-season without explanation is interesting. Season 1 consisted of nine episodes. Joan was physically in four. And then she was heard on the phone in two additional episodes (she was said to be visiting a family member who had had a baby). Diana Hyland was not well enough to appear in those two episodes, but recorded voiceovers for them.

When ABC reran the series in the summer of 1977, they only showed episodes in which Hyland did not appear, in order to transition audiences to a new season without Joan. They edited her voiceovers out of those two episodes (for example, in the “Quarantine” episode, Tom’s phone call with Joan is replaced with a phone call to his friend Greg Maxwell). And those episodes got a new opening and closing that eliminated Joan/Hyland.

It’s these summer of 1977 edits that are shown in syndication and streaming used in the DVDs. So it gives the impression that Joan is gone without explanation.

[SoapDope]

Thanks for the info. I never knew about the phone calls being edited out. I thought it seemed odd she was just gone and they never mentioned where she was and quickly changed the opening credits. I did notice on the season 1 DVD's that the end credits often do not match the episode.

Out of respect for Hyland they chose not to recast Joan and wrote her death into the series. Bill Blinn who developed the series for TV said he wanted to play Tom Bradford as a single father, but ABC insisted that a mother figure be present in the household. Betty Buckley was brought on as Abby. Tom Braden who wrote the book was pissed that his wife's onscreen counterpart was killed off and replaced.

It's hard to judge how the show would have played if Diana had not passed away and how her character of Joan would have developed. Most viewers have stated they feel Buckley as Abby was a better fit. 

The show was racked with problems from the get go. Mark Hamill's car accident and being replaced, Diana Hyland's death, having to recast the roles of Nancy and Tommy etc... Bill Blinn said he wanted a stage actor he knew from New York to play Tom and brought him out to do the pilot. He said after a day or two he realized he had made a mistake and that every time the red light when on, the actor would tense up and flub his lines. He had not choice but to let him go. 

Fred Silverman at ABC told Blinn he wanted Dick Van Patten as Tom. Blinn said he would have never cast Van Patten. He felt he was not right for Tom. Silverman won out. Blinn said he wound up eating his his words because Van Patten turned out to be perfect in that role. 

 

[Chris 2]

I liked Diana Hyland and thought she was warm and believable in the role. But Joan’s death did open up story possibility. I liked how they frequently referred to her and mentions came up naturally, like when Mary visited her old teacher to ask for advice, and the teacher began with how sorry she had been to hear about her mother.

Tom as a single father could have been milked for longer. But ABC as you mentioned was insistent on a two-parent family. So Tom was remarried by November sweeps. Too bad.

[SoapDope]

It was sad Hyland had finally found a role where she could have the chance to shine and then be told she was terminally ill. Dick Van Patten said he and his wife Pat watched the premiere with Hyland in the hospital. After it finished she turned to him and said " Congratulations, You have a hit". She died about a week or two later. Van Patten and his wife along with John Travolta were with her when she passed. 

Tom as a single father would have been interesting for a season or two, but in the end they made a good decision by casting Buckley as Abby. 

I always loved their colonial style house. Sadly it was torn down several years ago. Van Patten was upset about it when it happened.

Adam Rich set the trend with the bowl haircut for little boys and just about every Mom who had a son between 1977-1989 had their sons hair cut like his. Unfortunately I had that haircut too as a kid.....LOL 

[Paul Raven]

Falling ratings caused the shows cancellation as much as BTS problems.

Eight Is Enough was #12 in the 79/80 season Wed @8 Then Real People on NBC came along and took over the time period. In 80/81 Real People was #12 and Eight was moved to Sat night and replaced by Greatest American Hero. 

[SoapDope]

Thanks for the info. In the 1987 & 1989 they did the reunion films, but Betty Buckley did not return as Abby. I read the first film got pretty good ratings and there was hope of a series revival or a series of annual films that never came to pass.

In the mid 90's Donny Osmond interviewed Grant Goodeve and he mentioned they were in the works of getting together again for another film, but obviously that fell through. I say problems with Susan Richardson and Adam Rich may have been a factor. Betty Buckley's feelings run hot and cold about her time as Abby.

The last season (1980-81) of the series was a mess. The strike of 1980 did not help things. If you notice a lot of the signature background music was replaced with generic stuff with lots of awkward wah wah cheesy type of comedy crap. After the strike was over a lot of the signature music returned. What was the point of Jeremy played by Ralph Macchio ? The cast was way too huge already and they barely gave storylines to most of them. Elizabeth was one they never seemed to develop much. Mary faded into the woodwork due to Lani O'Grady's mental issues. They also quickly broke up David and Janet and then toyed with a reconciliation. Then they were divorced in the first reunion and toyed with another reconciliation. Then in the second film David remarried another woman. I bet most fans were not pleased with that. 

[Chris 2]

The challenge with EIE was that it started with most of the kids as older teens or young adults. So that really limited the stories after the show had been for a few years because there was no longer a differentiated range of ages to do stories on. ABC knew the show was out of gas and moved it to Saturday to kill it.

The 1987 reunion movie came about because the show never had an official final episode. When Betty Buckley didn’t participate, the official reason was that she was filming the movie “Frantic.” In reality, she and her representatives were in negotiation to do the reunion. But negotiations dragged on and on over salary and billing and finally Lorimar walked away from the table and hired Mary Frann. Lorimar management had never been overly fond of Buckley, who liked to “color outside of the lines.”

The 1987 reunion rated very well, so NBC ordered a follow-up. For that second movie, they didn’t even offer Buckley the job.

[SoapDope]

Yes as the kids got older it presented problems. They tried to keep many of them all under one roof, but it still didn't help with storylines. I have read Buckley could be difficult and a perfectionist. She would take forever to complete a scene. She also handed out a book about acting to cast members, which many took offense to especially Willie Aames. 

I remember reading that network executives would be shocked when they would attend cast parties and little Adam Rich was walking around drinking martinis or champagne and smoking. Rich said he was smoking pot and watching porn by age 10.

[Paul Raven]

Did anybody intervene? Wouldn't that behavior have been enough to have his parents/guardians reported to child services or whatever?

[SoapDope]

You would think, but apparently not. I remember when they did one of those E True Hollywood stories Brian Patrick Clarke who played Merle said he was horrified that this was seen as cute by the higher ups and they allowed it to go on. I think Adam would often travel to promote the show/make public appearances and his parents allowed him to travel alone with "handlers" who turned him on to drugs, porn, women etc...Leif Garrett said that was exactly the same thing that happened to him during that same time period.  

[Soapsuds]

The 1987 movie ranked #7 for the week.

22.0 HH  34 share