7 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘Eight Is Enough’
Sure, The Brady Bunch set the standard for family TV shows with lots of kids under one roof. But Carol, Mike, and the rest of the Brady clan were outdone in 1979 with the premiere of Eight is Enough, an ABC comedy/drama that was based on the actual life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, who wrote a book in 1975 with the same title based on his experiences raising his eight children.
The show originally focused on a Californian family with eight children that included Tom Bradford (played by Dick Van Patten), his wife Joan (Diana Hyland, whose untimely passing during season one led to major changes in the show), and their kids, David, Mary, Joanie, Susan, Nancy, Elizabeth, Tommy and Nicholas. While the families’ last name was altered, the characters’ first names are all based on their real-life counterparts.
One of the more unique and memorable family series in TV history, here are seven more facts you probably didn’t know about Eight is Enough!
1 The show pivoted quickly following Hyland’s death
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A victim of metastasized breast cancer, Hyland’s passing occurred after only four episodes of Eight is Enough had been filmed. With little time for writers to think of a new strategy, her character was written out of the remainder of the season with the excuse that she was “away.” When season two began, the series included a time jump and picked up with the revelation that Tom had become a widower about a year prior. He eventually begins a relationship with Sandra Sue “Abby” Abbott (played by Betty Buckley), a widowed schoolteacher who tutors Tommy after he breaks his leg playing football. Abby and Tom marry in one of the show’s TV movie specials soon afterwards.
2 Age is just a number
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If you list the Bradford offspring by age from eldest to youngest, the order would be David, Mary, Joannie, Susan, Nancy, Elizabeth, Tommy and Nicholas. However, if you order them by the actual ages of the actors who played them, the much different list would look like this: Joannie (Laurie Walters), Susan (Susan Richardson), Nancy (Dianne Kay), David (Grant Goodeve), Mary (Lani O’Grady), Elizabeth (Connie Needham), Tommy (Willie Aames) and Nicholas (Adam Rich).
3 All Bradfords were not treated equally
In the show’s early seasons, storylines were often rotated to balance the amount of attention given to each character. However, as the cast got older, Tommy (played by Willy Aames) emerged as a popular standout to teenage female viewers, leading him to be featured in almost every episode. This led to less attention for some of the other actors, particularly Grant Goodeve, Susan Richardson and Lani O’Grady, who barely figured into storylines at all by the time the show ended.
4 “David, I Am Your Father”
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While Grant Goodeve played the role of David Bradford throughout the series, the role almost went to another familiar face: Mark Hamill (better known as Star Wars hero Luke Skywalker). Hamill was actually committed to the show and appeared in the pilot, but used what we can only assume were some pretty powerful Jedi mind tricks to get out of those obligations so he could focus on something equally important – saving the galaxy from evil dad Darth Vader.
5 Family tragedy
Lani O’Grady, who played Mary Bradford, was the younger sister of Don Grady, best known for his role as Robbie Douglas on the popular family sitcom My Three Sons. Sadly, Lani passed away from a drug overdose on September 25, 2001, while Don died from cancer on June 27, 2012.
6 Patton Place
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According to Rob Lowe‘s memoir Love Life, Dick Van Patten owned a low-rent apartment complex in Los Angeles that was a hotspot for young actors trying to build their careers. One of Patton’s tenants was Karate Kid star Ralph Macchio, who co-starred as Tom’s troubled nephew on Eight is Enough. This means that Macchio actually lived on Dick Van Patton’s property on the show and in real life for a year or two!
7 Give Our Regards to Broadway
While stars like Ralph Macchio and Willy Aames achieved plenty of success following their years on Eight is Enough, let’s not forget one more success story: Betty Buckley. After transitioning from TV sets to the stage, she became a major Broadway star, best known for her Tony-winning role as Grizabella in Cats.
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