On 9/22/2025 at 5:48 PM, SoapDope78 said:

She could also play a trophy wife that married an older man for his money while having an affair with the pool boy, gardener, husbands' business partner etc...Maybe a rich bitch CEO of a modeling agency that verbally abuses her female models and they develop eating disorders etc...she would have affairs with the male models. Similar to the Joan Collins character in the campy 80's TV movie " Making of a Male Model" with Jon Erik Hexum.

@SoapDope78 Um, did you happen to see Kimberly Beck's four-episode stint on Dynasty as Claire Prentice?

I find it curious that Dick Van Patten appeared in several episodes of The Love Boat but zero episodes of Fantasy Island. Why was that? Lynda Day George made guest appearances on both shows.

Reunion segment from 2010. Susan Richardson and Adam Rich are absent. Lani O'Grady passed in 2001.

Edited April 9Apr 9 by SoapDope78

I'm shocked Betty Buckley showed up for this, lol!

19 hours ago, Khan said:

I'm shocked Betty Buckley showed up for this, lol!

Her feelings run hot and cold. One minute she talks about it being a wonderful experience other times she acts like the show caused her to miss out on bigger opportunities.

They all chose to ignore the elephant in the room (Susan Richardson) by not acknowledging her having been a part of the cast.

Betty did give a shout out to Joan Prather (Janet).

On 9/22/2025 at 5:48 PM, SoapDope78 said:

I think she fit playing snotty preppy rich girls. She could also play a trophy wife that married an older man for his money while having an affair with the pool boy, gardener, husbands' business partner etc...Maybe a rich bitch CEO of a modeling agency that verbally abuses her female models and they develop eating disorders etc...she would have affairs with the male models. Similar to the Joan Collins character in the campy 80's TV movie " Making of a Male Model" with Jon Erik Hexum. 

@SoapDope78 Um, was Kimberly Beck covered by Teen Beat and/or Tiger Beat and/or Seventeen back in the day? I can't say she was a particularly big star, but...

Edited April 17Apr 17 by FlyRightOrchestraGuy
Wanted to add links to Wikipedia articles

17 hours ago, FlyRightOrchestraGuy said:

@SoapDope78 Um, was Kimberly Beck covered by Teen Beat and/or Tiger Beat and/or Seventeen back in the day? I can't say she was a particularly big star, but...

I have no idea. You would have to research magazine issues from that era.

THE JOURNAL-NEWS, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1987

Van Patten, most of original cast return for ‘Eight Is Enough’ reunion By Jerry Buck

LOS ANGELES — In the six years that they’ve been absent from television screens, the "Eight Is Enough" family has grown to 18, and they’re getting back together for the TV movie “Eight Is Enough: Reunion ’ The family gathers to celebrate the 50th birthday of dad Tom Bradford, played by Dick Van Patten, and help him through a business crisis.

All of the original cast except for Betty Buckley returned for the two-hour movie, which NBC will air Sunday. Buckley was in France making the movie Frantic’’ with director Roman Polanski. Mary Frann, who stars in CBS’ “Newhart,” plays Tom’s wife, Abby. There are eight children, six spouses and two grandchildren. Van Patten said the idea for the reunion came about when he ran into director Harry Harris in New York. Harris had directed about a third of the episodes when the series ran on ABC from 1977 to 1981. “We were talking on the sidewalk and people kept coming up to me and saying how much they missed ‘Eight Is Enough,’” Van Patten said. “Harry couldn't believe the show was still so popular. He asked me if I would do a reunion show. I said of course I would. It took him about two years to put it together. ABC turned it down, but NBC said yes. It took a while to get all the actors together.”

The exteriors for the movie were filmed a the original “Eight Is Enough" house in North Hollywood. The series was based on the book “Eight Is Enough" by columnist Thomas Braden, who wrote it about his family. Diana Hyland was cast as the wife, Joan, but she died of cancer in the middle of filming the fourth episode. “It was such a terrible tragedy,” Van Patten said. “I’d worked with her for four years on two different soap operas. She was so happy to get the show. Pat (his wife) and I were with her when she died in John Travolta’s arms. Pat and I had been to Mass at St. Paul’s and stopped by her house John answered the door. She was in a coma. We called the church and got the Rev. Bob Curtis to give her last rites. She died about two hours later.”

Van Patten thought that would be the end of the show, but the producers brought in Betty Buckley and after a brief TV courtship they were married. He recalled that he originally tested for the role with Mariette Hartley as the wife. Hyland began filming the first episode with a different actor, but after three days then-ABC Entertainment President Fred Silverman put Van Patten into the role instead. Van Patten was under contract to ABC, since he had played the doctor in a pilot for “The Love Boat.” Van Patten said he’s looking for a new series and considered doing one for Fox Broadcasting Co., a sort of “Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” about his own family. The Van Pattens have three sons — Nels, Jimmy and Vincent, who are all actors and tennis players. Later this month, Van Patten and his wife, a former June Taylor dancer who makes a cameo apperance in “Eight Is Enough: Reunion," will be guests at the White House. Van Patten was last seen in feature films in “Spaceballs.” He will be guest starring this season in an episode of “Rags to Riches” and on Jay Leno’s Thanksgiving special, and he recently finished playing “Gary the Glue Man," who walks on ceilings and walls in the feature children’s film, “Pippi Longstocking".

Thanks for the article. I knew there had been an actor cast before Van Patten that didn't work out, but never knew Mariette Hartley had been up for the role of Joan the wife.

Van Patten was one of those actors that was always constantly working up to the end. He knew just about everybody in the business. He was a kind man who loved his family and would often feature them in whatever project he was working on. In the 80's he his wife Pat and their three sons Nels, Jimmy, and Vincent did commercials and print ads for Oldsmobile and Jiffy Lube.

Van Patten also emotionally and sometimes financially supported his Eight Is Enough cast members when they fell on hard times or got into trouble. He also created a line of natural pet food and donated large supplies of it to pet shelters.

Thanks, @Paul Raven , for the article.

I wonder if that was the same Rev. Bob Curtis who would appear frequently on FC.

17 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

The Van Pattens have three sons — Nels, Jimmy and Vincent, who are all actors and tennis players

Vincent is married to Eileen Davidson. She has lots of family pics on her IG.

1 hour ago, janea4old said:

Vincent is married to Eileen Davidson. She has lots of family pics on her IG.

She and Vincent met on the set of Y&R.