"Rags to Riches" (1987) TV series 1987-1988

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Creator:

Bernie Kukoff

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

9 March 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Family | Musical

Plot:

A wealthy widowed businessman adopts five daughters to live with him at his mansion.

Plot Keywords:

Adoption | Single Father | Single Parent Family | Family Relationships | Orphan

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Sue Ball	...	Marnie (4 episodes, 1987-1988)
Sarah Buxton	...	Amy Hillerman (4 episodes, 1987-1988)
Jeff Harlan	...	Marty (3 episodes, 1987)
John Christy Ewing	...	Mr. Donovan (2 episodes, 1987-1988)
Heather McAdam	...	Nina (2 episodes, 1987)
Sandy Ward	...	Al Schweikert (2 episodes, 1987)

Runtime:

60 min | 60 min (21 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Leonard Hill Films

Trivia:

Although networks loved the pilot episode, executives feared there were just too many children in the cast. Thus, the character of Nina played by Heather McAdam was written out of the series by having her reunited with her birth mother.

Quotes:

Diane Foley: It's true, isn't it? About the book? Well, go ahead...
[throws herself on the bed]
Diane Foley: Take me! I'm yours!
The Duke: Come on Diane. Yeah, it's true but I don't care about some stupid book. I care about you!

Movie Connections:

Follows Rags to Riches (1987) (TV)

The Musical TV = Oppressed !

No one can ever deny that this was such an engaging show. The elements are all fabulous. It looked like a creative mix of (Annie, The Sound of Music, and maybe My Fair Lady). It got all the 1980s' innocent feel and brilliant appeal all over it. Let alone that it took place back in the 1960s (another decade I adore.. WoW).

(Joseph Bologna) made one of his most amusing, most memorable roles ever. He was simply great as (Nick Foley) the ever sarcastic self-made millionaire who to develop a 'family man' image finds himself overnight as unmarried father for 5, mostly teenager, orphaned girls he adopted. He was part plebeian businessman, and part magnanimous man, looking kindly on his daughters learning them and learning from them. After more than 15 years of watching I still remember his witty lines (she seemed like someone who turns into bat at night; about a bossy schoolmaster !). The funny characters and the live performance captured my heart colorfully. True that the songs weren't favorite since I'm not a fan of all the 60s rock, but the idea of musical series in this format with this era as background is just perfect. So, what the hell had gone wrong ?

As I read, that was too expensive to be made. So after 21 episodes they canceled it (thank god for 21 episodes legacy already). However it's still devastating, as I wanted to see this family through the 1960s variables, suffering controversial issues, facing the revolutionary 60s' end and musically, but the marvelous chance had gone away.

After just 3 years there will be another bold experience (Cop Rock - 1990) or another musical TV show that will be canceled brutally however after 11 episodes only. It was a sign that the musical genre can't survive on the American TV screen anymore. And I think it's natural after the MTV's boom not many years ago, with unstoppable flood of music videos 24 hours a day. Still the 1980s is the last days for gems like these to be made.

It's really provoking when you know that at the same year of (Rags to Riches) another show was made but to outlive more than 20 years after, and its name is (The Bold and the Beautiful).. No Comment !