Eight Is Enough

[Chris 2]

I read the same thing. But they made peace with her. When Adam Rich died, I saw a a pictures of him from a few years earlier with his EIE cast mates attending the LA opening of Hello, Dolly, starring Betty Buckley.

I also saw an interview with Willie Aames and perhaps some of the others (might have been a Today Show reunion) where he said that he used to argue with Betty Buckley that they weren’t making art; they were making product and that’s why they had to move faster. And it drove her crazy. But he sounded pretty good natured about it.

[SoapDope]

I saw that photo too and the Today Show reunion. There was also a photo of Buckley and the rest of the cast when Dick Van Patten died. Susan was the only one missing.

Joan Prather who played Janet always reminded me of Tracy Scoggins. On the E True Hollywood story, she recalled shooting the scene where Tom catches her coming out of David's bedroom. She said even though they were all acting, the way Dick played the scene and was looking at her, she felt like she had been a bad girl and should be ashamed.....LOL

[Chris 2]

I think Van Patten was truly one of the good guys. I know he tried to help Adam Rich when he got into legal trouble after the series ended. I’m guessing you read Buckley’s tribute to him when he died. It was in Variety or perhaps the LA Times. She spoke so highly of him and his wife and how they helped her adjust to life in LA when she took the job on EIE, and they became lifelong friends. 

[Khan]

I definitely agree that one of EiE's biggest issues was that, with so many regular cast members, it was hard to write enough material for everyone and justify having them all under one roof at the same time.  Eight might have been enough to fill their lives with love, but it was just too damn many to service on a weekly TV series that wasn't DALLAS or KNOTS LANDING.

Edited February 3, 2024 by Khan

[SoapDope]

I did see the tribute Buckley wrote about him which was sweet. I also remember her telling a story in a interview where Penny Marshall told her to really play up the relationship between Abby and Tom and get in there and pinch his fanny....LOL

Willie Aames was really devastated when Dick died. Dick loved and supported the cast through his life. I remember him going on talk shows supporting Lani O'Grady with her bouts of mental illness. He knew and was friends with just about everyone in Hollywood. 

[Soaplovers]

The network/Lorimar obviously didn't step in with Adam Rich.

They were on Susan Richardson hardcore to lose the baby weight stat..and sadly she was so fearful of losing her job that she turned to drugs to lose the weight..and it basically hurt her in the long run.

Of the kids, Elizabeth was given less to do...other then initial disapproval of her dad and Abby marrying.

Abby always seemed judgmental to me, but there were times that she had warm scenes with her step kids.

And sadly since she couldn't go back for the 1st reunion movie...they did a good job with replacing her with Mary Frann (same she wasn't included in the 2nd movie).

Lastly, my favorite of the Bradford kids was Nancy.  She was always searching for her place and identity in the world..and you always cheered for her.  

[soapfan770]

Wow, never though I'd see an Eight is Enough thread on this board lol. It's probably been close to 30 years since I have watched an episode and have murky memories at best. Would it be worth my time checking out again? 

I remember in the late 80's it coming on our local independent station and airing right after Brady Bunch reruns, so I associate those two shows together. At the time my young self was puzzled on why there was a laugh track for an hour long show. 

[John]

Is the E True Hollywood Story still available on Youtube?

[SoapDope]

I think you would enjoy it, if only to revisit the culture of the late 70's/early 80's. 

I did a quick search for it and it looks like it has been deleted. 

 

I agree. I know it was a different era, but Lorimar should have done better by Adam, Susan and the rest of the cast. Abby sometimes acted like she was a bit stoned....LOL. I remember her bridal shower and she was wafting around the room and going on about the cute little baby on her cake. " There's this little baby on the cake...there's the little baby" Tom was up on a ladder hanging a decoration on the chandelier and I kept waiting for her to accidentally knock him off.

Nancy was my favorite too. Diane Kay was cute, charming, and good actress. She should have went on to bigger things. 

[Chris 2]

I also liked Dianne Kay a lot. She was a significant upgrade from Kimberly Beck, who played Nancy in the pilot and who I thought was a limited actress based on her other work in the 1970s and 80s.

[SoapDope]

I agree. Beck always came across as a pretentious snob in her roles.  

[SoapDope]

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 True. They tried to keep them all at home like Dallas, but it just wasn't working in the long run with everyone getting married, having children, unexpected relatives and in-laws showing up/dropping in. I guess Lorimar had a thing about keeping families all under one roof. Someone once joked that Tom had that huge den and should have converted it into extra sleeping quarters.

They never really used the garage. They should have converted that into a guest house where Janet & David lived or Merle & Susan.

One thing that was funny, with all those kids they never had a dishwasher. They would always have these scenes of them doing dishes and having long conversations. Sometimes I noticed there would be suds still on the plates as they were drying them and putting them in the cabinet. It also bugged me how smeary/greasy the refrigerator was. I guess they smeared wax on it to keep from reflection of the film crew showing, but I always wanted to grab a bottle of Fantastik or 409 and give that a good scrubbing. 

Instead of adding worthless characters they could have hired a sassy housekeeper for the Bradfords. Alice Ghostley, Kathleen Freeman, Mary Wickes, Sandra Gould, Patsy Kelly etc....could have fit the bill. Maybe she could have a bit of a drinking problem to add a bit of comedy or drama. 

 

[j swift]

It is an ironic criticism given that the title of the show suggests a large cast, and the source material had years of stories about the kids.

[SoapDope]

I have never read the book, but have heard that the real Braden family had more controversy and turmoil in their lives than the more light weight material that was written for the onscreen Bradfords. 

In the series the number of kids were explained as unexpected happy accidents, but the real life catholic Braden family had a friendly competition with the Robert Kennedy family as which family could produce the most children. 

[danfling]

Diane Kay (Nancy Bradford) was in an episode (possibly the pilot episode) of the ABC series Once a Hero.  I think that Dusty Kay (television writer and producer who created the series) was her brother.  I am not sure that they were brother and sister, so, if anyone knows for certain, I would love to know.

She was also in the pilot (a few years earlier) of Flamingo Road (produced by the same company that produced Eight Is Enough - Lorimar).   Her character died in the pilot.