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".
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Paul Raven ·
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