"8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter" (2002) TV series 2002-2005

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Creator:

Tracy Gamble

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

17 September 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

The Hennessy clan -- mother Cate, daughters Bridget and Kerry, and son Rory -- look to one another for guidance and support after the death of Paul...

Plot Keywords:

Daughter | Ellipsis In Title | Parent Child Relationship | Sitcom | Writer

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 8 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Katey Sagal	...	Cate Hennessy (76 episodes, 2002-2005)
Kaley Cuoco	...	Bridget Hennessy (76 episodes, 2002-2005)
Amy Davidson	...	Kerry Hennessy (76 episodes, 2002-2005)
Martin Spanjers	...	Rory Hennessy (76 episodes, 2002-2005)
James Garner	...	Jim Egan (45 episodes, 2003-2005)
David Spade	...	C.J. Barnes (39 episodes, 2004-2005)
John Ritter	...	Paul Hennessy (31 episodes, 2002-2003)
Billy Aaron Brown	...	Kyle (31 episodes, 2002-2004)

Also Known As:

"8 Simple Rules" (USA) (new title)
"A Few Simple Rules" (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min (76 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:TV-PG | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Netherlands:6

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Touchstone Television

Trivia:

John Ritter collapsed on the set of the show, and later died, after filming the first three episodes of the second season. The series then went on hiatus for a number of weeks, returning in November 2003 with a modified format addressing the death of Ritter's character. The first post-Ritter episode, "Goodbye," was produced without a laugh track/live audience.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: In several episodes, characters drink "Safeway Select" colas. The Safeway Brands are only available in Safeway Company Stores in the Western US and Canada, in and around the Chicagoland area and at some select convenience stores in the Eastern US. The show takes place in Detroit, Michigan. No Safeway Company Stores exist in or around Detroit.

Quotes:

Cate: I would just like to know what's going on inside my good child.
C.J.: The thief, the druggie, or the biker chick?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Family Guy: 8 Simple Rules for Buying My Teenage Daughter (#4.8)" (2005)

One Of Disney's Best Comedies

This has to be one of the best comedies on the television at the moment. It takes the sugary-sweet idea of a show revolving around a close family and turns it into a quite realistic yet funny depiction of a typical family complete with sibling and parent spats, brat brothers, over-protective fathers and bimbo sisters. I'm almost surprised it's Disney!

To its credit, '8 Simple Rules' knows it's a comedy and doesn't try to be more. Too many shows (eg, 'Sister, Sister' and 'Lizzie McGuire') think just because its lead characters are now teenagers then they should tackle social issues and end up losing their humour by being too hard-hitting. This is a trap '8 Simple Rules' has avoided; it does tackle some issues (such as being the school outcast) but it has fun while doing so. In fact the only time it has really been serious was understandably when it sensitively handled the tragic death of John Ritter and his character.

And I think, although John Ritter will be sadly missed since he was the reason the show made its mark, '8 Simple Rules' can still do well if it remembers its humour and doesn't make Cate's father a second version of Paul Hennessy.