Eight Is Enough was an American television comedy-drama series which ran on ABC from March 15, 1977 until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled after syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life father with eight children, who wrote a book with the same name. The series was rare in that it was one of the few hour-long television series to use a laugh track. Image File history File links Eight_is_Enough. ... Lee Mendelson (born ca. ... Dick Van Patten (born December 9, 1928 in New York City, New York) is an American actor. ... Diana Hyland (January 25, 1936 – March 27, 1977) was an American actress. ... Betty Lynn Buckley (born July 3, 1947) is an American theater, film, and television actress. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Lanita Rose Agrati (born October 2, 1954 in Walnut Creek, California - died September 25, 2001 in Valencia, California), who performed as Lani OGrady, was an American actress, and the sister of actor/musician Don Grady. ... Laurie Walters (born January 8, 1947 in San Francisco, California) is a former television actress, arguably best known for playing Joanie Bradford on the television dramedy Eight Is Enough, which aired from 1977 until 1981 on ABC. Walters was, by several years, the oldest actor of the eight actors playing... Susan Richardson Susan Richardson (born March 11, 1952 in Coatesville, Pennsylvania) is an American actress, best known for her role as Susan Bradford on the television series Eight is Enough, which she played from 1977 to 1981. ... Born 29 March 1954 in Phoenix, Arizona, actress Dianne Kay is best known for her role as Nancy Bradford in the ABC television show Eight is Enough (1977-1981; reunion movies in 1987 & 1989). ... Connie Needham (born Constance Newton on December 5, 1959 in Anaheim, California) is an American actress, best known for her role as Elizabeth Bradford on the television series Eight is Enough, which she played from 1977 to 1981. ... Willie Aames (born Albert William Upton July 15, 1960 in Orange County, California, USA) is an actor best known for the roles of Buddy Lembeck on Charles in Charge, Tommy Bradford on Eight is Enough and the voice of Hank on Dungeons & Dragons, the cartoon. ... Adam Rich (born in Brooklyn, New York City, on October 12, 1968) is an American actor. ... John Beal (born January 20, 1947 in Santa Monica, California) is an American film composer working in Hollywood, California. ... Alexander Courage (born December 10, 1919) is a 20th century American composer of music, primarily for television and motion pictures. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... is the 241st day of the year (242nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... is the 241st day of the year (242nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Thomas Wardell Braden (born 1918) is an American journalist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

It centered around a Sacramento, California family with eight children (from oldest to youngest: David, Mary, Joanie, Susan, Nancy, Elizabeth, Tommy, and Nicholas). The father Tom Bradford (Dick Van Patten) was a newspaper columnist for the fictional Sacramento Register. His wife Joan (Diana Hyland) took care of the children. Hyland was only in four episodes before falling ill; she was written out for the remainder of the first season. Hyland died only 12 days after the first episode aired, and the second season began in the fall of 1977 with the revelation that Tom had become a widower. “Sacramento” redirects here. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Dick Van Patten (born December 9, 1928 in New York City, New York) is an American actor. ... Diana Hyland (January 25, 1936 – March 27, 1977) was an American actress. ...

Tom fell in love with Sandra Sue "Abby" Abbott (played by Betty Buckley), a schoolteacher who came to the house to tutor one of his children. They were married in one of Eight Is Enough's special TV-movie broadcasts in November 1977. These two-hour television events usually occurred during sweeps periods and routinely grabbed viewing figures as high as a forty television share.^{[citation needed]} Betty Lynn Buckley (born July 3, 1947) is an American theater, film, and television actress. ... In the United States the sweeps period determines local advertising rates. ...

In another TV-movie event in September 1979, two of the children (David and Susan) were married off in a special double wedding extravaganza. As the show went on, Abby got her Ph.D. in education and started a job counseling students at the local high school. Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. ...

After the end of the show's fifth season, production costs and declining ratings caused the show to be canceled, along with seven other shows that season (Eight Is Enough seemed to grab the most headlines, as the press had a field day with ABC's choice to bring "eight shows in" and kick "eight shows out."). Reunion movies were broadcasted in 1987 and 1989.

The series jumpstarted acting careers for a select few of the "eight" and cemented teen idol status for Grant Goodeve, who played David, Willie Aames, who played Tommy, and Ralph Macchio, who played cousin Jeremy later in the series. Aames would go on to star with Scott Baio in Charles in Charge. Goodeve started a minor singing career, due to his rendition of the theme "Eight Is Enough to Fill Our Lives With Love." Macchio would gain the most fame in feature films such as The Karate Kid and its numeraled (#'s II and III) sequels, as well as My Cousin Vinny. For other uses, see Teen idol (disambiguation). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Willie Aames (born Albert William Upton July 15, 1960 in Orange County, California, USA) is an actor best known for the roles of Buddy Lembeck on Charles in Charge, Tommy Bradford on Eight is Enough and the voice of Hank on Dungeons & Dragons, the cartoon. ... This article is about the actor. ... Scott Vincent James Baio (born September 22, 1961 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actor, who is perhaps best known for his work on the sitcoms Happy Days and Charles in Charge. ... Charles in Charge was an American sitcom series broadcast on CBS which starred Scott Baio as Charles, a college student working as a live-in babysitter. ... The Karate Kid is a 1984 John G. Avildsen film starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. ... My Cousin Vinny is a 1992 American movie, released on Friday, 13 March, starring Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei. ...

Cast list

The ages of the children are given alongside their character names; these are their ages in the first episode in 1977.

Mark Hamill was originally cast as David Bradford. After filming "Star Wars" he was involved in a high speed accident for which he was hospitalized. He required rehabilitation and plastic surgery to his face. (You can note the difference in his appearance by watching Star Wars and then The Empire Strikes Back.) He did play David in the pilot, but Grant Goodeve played the character for the rest of the show's run. Mark Richard Hamill (born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and voice actor. ... This movie poster for Star Wars depicts many of the films important elements, such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, X-Wing and Y-Wing fighters Star Wars, retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 1981 (see note at Title,) is the original (and in chronological... Movie poster Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is the sequel to the first released Star Wars movie, and the second film released in the original trilogy. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Core cast members

• Dick Van Patten - Tom Bradford
• Diana Hyland - Joan Bradford (season 1)
• Betty Buckley - Sandra Sue "Abby" Abbott Bradford (seasons 2-5)
• Mark Hamill - David Bradford (23) (pilot only)
• Grant Goodeve - David Bradford (23) (seasons 1-5)
• Lani O'Grady - Mary Bradford (21)
• Laurie Walters - Joanie Bradford (20)
• Susan Richardson - Susan Bradford Stockwell (19)
• Kimberly Beck - Nancy Bradford (18) (pilot only)
• Dianne Kay - Nancy Bradford (18) (seasons 1-5)
• Connie Needham - Elizabeth Bradford (15)
• Chris English - Tommy Bradford (14) (pilot only)
• Willie Aames - Tommy Bradford (14) (seasons 1-5)
• Adam Rich - Nicholas Bradford (8)

Dick Van Patten (born December 9, 1928 in New York City, New York) is an American actor. ... Diana Hyland (January 25, 1936 – March 27, 1977) was an American actress. ... Betty Lynn Buckley (born July 3, 1947) is an American theater, film, and television actress. ... Mark Richard Hamill (born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and voice actor. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Lanita Rose Agrati (born October 2, 1954 in Walnut Creek, California - died September 25, 2001 in Valencia, California), who performed as Lani OGrady, was an American actress, and the sister of actor/musician Don Grady. ... Laurie Walters (born January 8, 1947 in San Francisco, California) is a former television actress, arguably best known for playing Joanie Bradford on the television dramedy Eight Is Enough, which aired from 1977 until 1981 on ABC. Walters was, by several years, the oldest actor of the eight actors playing... Susan Richardson Susan Richardson (born March 11, 1952 in Coatesville, Pennsylvania) is an American actress, best known for her role as Susan Bradford on the television series Eight is Enough, which she played from 1977 to 1981. ... Kimberly Beck (born January 9, 1956) is an American actress. ... Born 29 March 1954 in Phoenix, Arizona, actress Dianne Kay is best known for her role as Nancy Bradford in the ABC television show Eight is Enough (1977-1981; reunion movies in 1987 & 1989). ... Connie Needham (born Constance Newton on December 5, 1959 in Anaheim, California) is an American actress, best known for her role as Elizabeth Bradford on the television series Eight is Enough, which she played from 1977 to 1981. ... Willie Aames (born Albert William Upton July 15, 1960 in Orange County, California, USA) is an actor best known for the roles of Buddy Lembeck on Charles in Charge, Tommy Bradford on Eight is Enough and the voice of Hank on Dungeons & Dragons, the cartoon. ... Adam Rich (born in Brooklyn, New York City, on October 12, 1968) is an American actor. ...

Recurring cast members

• Brian Patrick Clarke - Merle "The Pearl" Stockwell (1979–1981)
• Jennifer Darling - Donna (1978–1981)
• Henderson Forsythe - Big Bud
• Michael Goodrow - Ernie Fields (1979–1981)
• James Karen - Eliot Randolph
• Ralph Macchio - Jeremy Andretti (1980–1981)
• Joan Prather - Janet McArthur Bradford (1977–1981)
• Michael Thoma - Dr. Greg Maxwell (1977–1979)

Jennifer Darling (born June 19, 1946 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) is an American actress and voice actress. ... Henderson Forsythe (born September 11, 1917 in Macon, Missouri) is an American actor. ... James Karen, (born on November 28, 1923, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), is an American character actor of Broadway, film and television. ... This article is about the actor. ...

Parody

Eight Is Enough was parodied on the "Brian: Portrait of a Dog" episode of Family Guy: After being insulted for always trying to console people by making them sandwiches, Tom slaps his daughter Nancy eight times until another daughter Mary rushes into the room, exclaiming "Dad! Eight Is Enough!" The characters then laugh at the coincidence of the statement and the fact of the eight offspring and the resultant title. In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... Family Guy is an Emmy award winning American animated television series about a nuclear family in the fictional town of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ...

International

In Spain, "Eight Is Enough" was aired also in the 1980s. RTVE (public network) aired all the seasons under the title "Con Ocho Basta" (the Spanish translation) in Friday's evening time. Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE) is the public Spanish broadcasting corporation. ...

In Italy, Eight Is Enough was aired in the 1980s. RAI public networks aired the first season, under the title Otto Bastano, the correct Italian translation. All seasons were aired later, on Retequattro, a commercial network from Fininvest (now Mediaset), under the title La Famiglia Bradford. The Italian version doesn't provide a laugh track. Also, the French version, "Huit, ça suffit!" was a big success in the '80s both in France and French Canada. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Rete 4 is an Italian television station belonging to the Mediaset network. ... Fininvest is a financial holding company controlled by Silvio Berlusconis family. ... Mediaset is an Italian commercial television network. ...

Trivia

• Laurie Walters played Joanie Bradford, the third-oldest sibling on the series. In real life, Walters was by far the oldest actor out of the eight "children," and was six months older than Betty Buckley, her stepmother on the program.
• Eight is Enough was one of the few hour-long, filmed American series to ever be broadcast with a pre-recorded laugh track (The Love Boat was another).
• Abby's first husband, Frank Abbott, was killed in the Vietnam War.
• In the pilot, a TV movie filmed in 1976, Kimberly Beck played the role of Nancy Bradford and Chris English played the role of Tommy Bradford.

Laurie Walters (born January 8, 1947 in San Francisco, California) is a former television actress, arguably best known for playing Joanie Bradford on the television dramedy Eight Is Enough, which aired from 1977 until 1981 on ABC. Walters was, by several years, the oldest actor of the eight actors playing... Betty Lynn Buckley (born July 3, 1947) is an American theater, film, and television actress. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Love Boat was an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from 1977 until 1986. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

External link

• Eight Is Enough at the Internet Movie Database
• Free full episodes of Eight is Enough