8 Simple Rules

All you want to know about 8 Simple Rules

8 Simple Rules
Image:8 Simple Rules.jpg
Also known as 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter (S01E01-S02E05 title)
Format Sitcom
Created by Tracy Gamble
Starring John Ritter (2002-2003)
Katey Sagal
Kaley Cuoco
Amy Davidson
Martin Spanjers
With James Garner (2003-2005)
And David Spade (2004-2005)
Country of origin  United States
No. of seasons 3
No. of episodes 76 (List of episodes)
Production
Location(s) Walt Disney Studios, Burbank, California
Running time approx 22 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel ABC
Original run September 17, 2002 – April 15, 2005
External links
IMDb profile

8 Simple Rules (Also known as 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter) is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from September 17, 2002 to April 15, 2005. Loosely based on humor columnist W. Bruce Cameron's book of the same name, the show is known as the series John Ritter was starring in when he died.

Contents

Premise

8 Simple Rules is about a married couple with three children, set in a Detroit, Michigan suburb. The father, Paul Hennessy (John Ritter), is a sportswriter who is prompted by his wife Cate's (Katey Sagal) return to nursing to take a more active role in raising their two teenage daughters, Bridget (Kaley Cuoco), and Kerry (Amy Davidson), and their son Rory (Martin Spanjers). He is soon overwhelmed by the responsibility of being the father of teenage daughters and misses being a sports writer. Paul begins writing a column from home about his struggles with his children and offers advice to people who are in his same position. His teenage daughters are dating, which sparks the use of the "8 simple rules for dating my teenage daughter". The show, created by veteran comedy writer Tracy Gamble, derives its name and some of its elements from W. Bruce Cameron's book 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter (ISBN 0-7611-2314-8).

The rules are:

  1. Use your hands on my daughter and you'll lose them after.
  2. You make her cry, I make you cry.
  3. Safe sex is a myth. Anything you try will be hazardous to your health.
  4. Bring her home late, there's no next date.
  5. Only delivery men honk. Dates ring the doorbell. Once.
  6. No complaining while you're waiting for her. If you're bored, change my oil.
  7. If your pants hang off your hips, I'll gladly secure them with my staple gun.
  8. Dates must be in crowded public places. You want romance? Read a book.

The third season took a creative turn, revolving more around Jim and C.J. than the Hennessy family, more specifically not revolving around the raising of the Hennessy girls. However this was little more than a phase in a way, and newly added characters joined the show as an ensemble, and shortly after their novelty wore off, the show found its roots once more.

Three's Company spoof

The episode "Come and Knock On Our Door" (s01e16) features a dream sequence in which Paul is on the set of Three's Company, the sitcom from which John Ritter gained fame. Also, Paul's wit and deadpan expression are similar to Stanley Roper. His co-star on that series Don Knotts appeared in a cameo at the end of the episode. Knotts would be the last Three's Company co-star to work with Ritter before his death.

The Three's Company set is also used as Kyle's older brother's "bachelor pad".

Production

John Ritter's death

On September 11, 2003, following an interview on the set with the Museum of Television & Radio, John Ritter suffered an aortic dissection. After he experienced discomfort during a rehearsal that afternoon, crew members took Ritter to a nearby hospital, where he died that night. Following Ritter's death, ABC announced that the show would continue after a hiatus, and would incorporate the death of Ritter's character. The three new episodes that Ritter completed were aired with Katey Sagal introducing them.

The show returned on November 4, 2003 with a one hour episode, "Goodbye," dedicated to Ritter's death. Michael Eisner, the then CEO of Disney, proposed resuming the series by revealing that Ritter's character had impregnated his wife, thereby creating a buzz about the show for the upcoming sweeps week.[citation needed] Other executives found the idea distasteful, and it was rejected. Instead, subsequent episodes dealt with the family's reaction to his death and their moving on. The first four post-Ritter episodes were shot without a live audience. Suzanne Pleshette and James Garner guest-starred as Cate's parents. David Spade later guest-starred as Cate's wayward nephew, C.J. Both Garner and Spade eventually received starring roles.

See also: Very special episode and John Ritter's death

Season 3 and subsequent cancellation

Shortly after the third season finale, rumors began circulating that 8 Simple Rules was facing cancellation. In its first season, the show ranked a respectable 42nd in the Nielsen Ratings. It did a little better when more viewers tuned in out of sympathy and curiosity after Ritter's unexpected death. But by the end of the second season, the show slipped to 50th. After ABC moved 8 Simple Rules to Friday nights at 8:00 p.m., it fell to 94th in the Nielsen standings.

Some observers simply could not get beyond the tragic absence of John Ritter and welcomed its end. But others applauded the show's portrayal of a family sticking together and growing after a staggering loss that millions of families have shared. Regardless of either view, it is certainly one of the few times in U.S. television history that a series continued nearly two full seasons beyond the death of its star. But the Friday night death slot ratings took their toll on the show that had already endured so much. The third season finale (in which Katey Sagal's character tells her family that she has been dating the school principal played by Adam Arkin) was not even aired for May sweeps. The finale received a 3.9/8 rating share which gave ABC a third place finish behind NBC's Dateline (5.8/11) and CBS' Joan of Arcadia (4.9/10) which happened to star John Ritter's son Jason (and, coincidentally, was also cancelled due to declining ratings).

On May 17, 2005, 8 Simple Rules was officially cancelled by ABC.

"Jump the Shark" founder Jon Hein[1] believed that the idea of 8 Simple Rules bringing in David Spade was like bringing in Scott Baio to play Chachi on Happy Days. Hein added that while he thought Spade was really funny, the show should have ended immediately after John Ritter died.[2]

Production companies

Throughout the series' three year run it had a number of changing production companies:

  • Shady Acres Entertainment - Helped produce Seasons 1 and 2, produced all of Season 3.
  • Tracy Gamble Productions - Produced Season 2; left after Season 2 because Tracy Gamble, himself, left the series.
  • Flody Co - Produced Seasons 1 and half of season 2, before Flody Suarez left the series.

Characters

  • Paul Hennessy Portrayed by John Ritter (2002-2003), a former sports writer, who worked from home as a Lifestyle columnist. Described as being "the master of the double standard", a "Psycho-Dad" as well a perceived hypocrite who often embarrasses his children, even if he wants what's best for them. Nonetheless, he loves his children, and wants them to have happy futures. Paul collapsed and died at the store while shopping due to the real-life death of Ritter.
  • Cate S. Hennessy (née Egan) Portrayed by Katey Sagal, a wife, mother, nurse and easily the most sane and composed person in the family, who is made a widow by Paul's death. She takes a nursing job at the kids' school so that she can work standard hours and spend more time with the kids. Cate starts dating her kids' High School Principal, Ed Gibb, towards the end of Season 3. At first, the rest of the family, especially the kids, do not take this well, claiming the potential relationship was "wrong on a million different levels". However, they grudgingly came to accept it. She received her middle name "Stinky" as a result of her father promising his best friend he would name one of his children after him after accidentally stabbing him with a bayonet while they were drunk in Korea; to hide this, she claims that the S stands for "Stacy."
  • Bridget Erin Hennessy Portrayed by Kaley Cuoco, Bridget is the beautiful, dim-witted oldest child of Cate and Paul's three. She depicts a stereotypical blonde, popular, bombshell who is interested in her looks, teenage boys and little else. She has many times mentioned she wears thongs. Whilst dating Donny Doyle, Bridget once complained that all she had left was thongs having worn her "only real ... underwear to church". Sometimes she has a deep or intelligent moment, but these are few and far between. After her father dies, she starts to mature more.
  • Kerry Michelle Hennessy Portrayed by Amy Davidson, she is the middle child and not very happy about it. She is often seen as unattractive when compared to beautiful older sister, Bridget. She was accused by Bridget of stealing her (ex-)boyfriend, Kyle. She is sarcastic, and constantly makes snide remarks about essentially everybody, though less to her mother. She is also passionate activist who cares about animals rights. Later, she lost her virginity to Bruno (her boyfriend in Europe) later in the third season. She is often annoyed at her sister and is easily upset. She is also very artistic and keeps a sketchbook. She is the smart child, but often shows naiveté.
  • Rory Joseph Hennessy Portrayed by Martin Spanjers, The boy. He constantly tattles on his sisters, getting twisted pleasure out of it, as per his remark when he had stirred the pot to his liking: "This is just like my birthday!" Usually he waits until his sisters already did whatever it was, then tattled just to see his father lose it as well, but he is still his father's favorite, being the boy. He is also involved in money-making schemes along with C.J. and is very immature at times as the youngest out of the three children. He can be seen playing video games in the living room and shows signs of always wanting a monkey, which he once had by trading some of his father's baseball trading cards; the monkey was later traded for a guitar, which was short-lived as Rory annoyed the family with it. He also delights in showing his friends the private aspects of his popular sister Bridget's life, mentioning once that his friends looted through Bridget's underwear drawer. After his father died and Rory went to high school, he almost completely dropped his smart-alecky attitude, and C.J. became the wisecracker of the family.
  • Jim Egan Portrayed by James Garner (2003-2005), Jim was in the Korean War and looks out for his family. He often sneaks away and "takes care" of his smoking habit. He is now divorced and used to live in Florida but now lives in his daughter's basement and often used to try to beat C.J. with his cane. He once sent C.J. to Canada to buy acetylsalicylic acid for him. When C.J. discovers this is just Aspirin, Jim explains, "C.J., the pain in my hip is still here. But now the pain in my ass is in Canada!" He is now proud of C.J.'s success as a teacher. When C.J.'s biological father comes to visit his son, Jim feels out of place and angry because he prepared a car for C.J. after he becomes a full-fledged teacher but then Mr. Barnes gives C.J. a sports car.
  • C.J. Barnes Portrayed by David Spade (2004-2005), C.J. is a thirty-two year old man who is Cate and Paul's nephew and was once in the Army. He claims to have studied aerial photography during the Gulf War, and to have received a Purple Heart in combat, which is in complete contrast with his generally childish attitude. He is a teacher at the school and often tries to get women, but fails to do so. When C.J. first arrives, he claims to have had a job at the circus operating a tilt-a-whirl ride. He lives along with his Grandfather in the basement (having previously lived in a van, which was burned by that same Grandfather). He once dated Mrs. Krupp, his cousins' (Kerry and Bridget) math teacher, but he ended up cheating on her with his ex-girlfriend Cheryl. He once revealed that "C" in "C.J." stood for Cory (while trying to get a woman to go out with him) but Rory said that it did not stand for Cory and he was just making it up to get a woman to go out with him.

Other characters

  • Kyle Portrayed by Billy Aaron Brown, the dumb one, Bridget's, and later Kerry's, ex-boyfriend. He is often seen hanging around with Rory, when not with either Kerry or Bridget.
  • Ed Gibb Portrayed by Adam Arkin, principal of the high school. He and Cate knew each other in High School, and even dated. When discussing it, his and Cate's account of their first romantic encounter varied, with either believing they had more self-control and admitting to the other that they liked the other as just friends. Even though they have had some very intimate moments.
  • Coach Scott Portrayed by Dan Cortese, Coach whom Bridget had a crush on, who likes Cate. Cate at first likes him, but then discovers Bridget's crush, which caused her from thence forth to deny Scott's romantic advances towards her, such as asking her out on dates.
  • Jenna Sharpe Portrayed by Nikki Danielle Moore (2003-2005), Paul's boss' daughter, and one of Bridget's rivals, turn friend.
  • Jeremy Portrayed by Jonathan Taylor Thomas (third season), Bridget's tutor and eventual boyfriend. He is considered a nerd at school, and because of this, Bridget at first denied her interest in him by saying it was only because he was her tutor.
  • Maggie Barnes (née Egan) Portrayed by Cybill Shepherd. Cate's sister and also C.J.'s mother. Maggie shares the same sensitive, moody nature as Kerry. However it appears (from a conversation between Ed Gibb and Cate) that Cate was the smarter one as well as being more popular.

Episodes

Main article: List of 8 Simple Rules episodes

U.S. ratings

Season Episodes Premiere Season finale U.S. ratings
1 2002-2003 28 September 17, 2002 May 20, 2003 10.85 million (43rd place)[3]
2 2003-2004 24 September 23, 2003 May 18, 2004 9.98 million (50th place)[4]
3 2004-2005 24 September 24, 2004 April 15, 2005 6.8 million (90th place)[5]

Syndication

While 8 Simple Rules ratings were well above those of the surrounding TGIF shows during its third season, ABC canceled it due to the inability to sell it to syndication. Due to John Ritter's death, 8 Simple Rules could not air two daily cycles (with episodes from varying seasons) as it is thought that this would confuse and/or upset viewers, although, on Danish channel TV3, this does occur.

On July 11, 2005 (less than two months after ABC officially canceled it), the WB television network announced it would air back-to-back repeats of all 76 episodes of 8 Simple Rules from 4–5 p.m. weekdays from January 2, 2006 to September 15, 2006 when it was replaced by Reba on the The CW Daytime.[6]

On Tuesday, June 12, 2007, the show joined the ABC Family line-up, airing weekdays from 6-7pm. Then in September of 2008, the show started airing from 3-4pm. After one run at 3pm, 8 Simple Rules ended it's run on ABC Family on October 10, 2008.

International

Country Channel First airdate Last airdate Notes
 United Kingdom ABC1 2005 September 26, 2007 Channel closed September 26, 2007
 United Kingdom Five 2007 Mid-December 2007
 United Kingdom FIVER 2008 All three seasons
 Turkey TNT 2006 Second Season
 Australia FOX8 April 15, 2005 All seasons
 New Zealand TV2 All Seasons
 Bulgaria Fox Life 2007 All Seasons
 Serbia Foxlife and RTS 2007 2008
 Canada Family 2008 All three seasons
 Canada Vrak TV 2006 2008 All three seasons
 France M6 Renamed as Touche pas à mes filles (Don't mess with my daughters or Don't touch my daughters)
 Belgium VT4
 Ireland RTÉ Two Airing cancelled
 Ireland TG4
 Spain SET en VEO
 Netherlands Net 5 (Netherlands) 2005
 Norway TV3
 Sweden TV3
 Japan NHK Educational TV 2003 2005 Renamed "Papa niwa Himitsu(パパにはヒ・ミ・ツ)" (Keep It Secret From Dad).　First and Second Seasons. All the episodes was aired in rerun spending 9 days in 2007.
 Estonia TV3 Sundays 9:30
 Germany Pro7 Renamed "Meine wilden Töchter" (My Wild Daughters)
 Saudi Arabia MBC4 2007 2008 All three seasons
 United Arab Emirates Dubai One 2006 2007 All three seasons
 Israel yes 2007
 India Star World
 Pakistan Star World 2005 2008 All three seasons
 Turkey TNT Turkey March 3, 2008
 Ukraine 1+1 2008 Third season only.
 Slovakia TV Markiza July 15, 2008 All three seasons
 Denmark TV3 Renamed as Fingrene væk fra min teenager datter (Get your hands off my teenage daughters)
 Brazil Sony Entertainment Television All three seasons

DVD releases

On August 7, 2007, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Season 1 of 8 Simple Rules on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. Season 1 was released in the UK on the 1st of September 2008.[7]

8 Simple Rules: The First Season
Set Details
  • 28 Episodes
  • Widescreen (1.78:1)
  • English (Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround)
  • French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
  • Bonus Feature: Blooper Reel
Release Date
 United States August 7, 2007
Region 2 September 1, 2008[8]

References in popular culture

  • A joke about John Ritter's role in 8 Simple Rules was deleted from the "North by North Quahog" episode of Family Guy in an apparently rare case of the writing team finding one of their own jokes too distasteful to broadcast; originally, the gag involved Meg wanting to watch 8 Simple Rules, but Chris refuses to change the channel, commenting "That show hasn't been the same since they killed John Ritter."[citation needed] It was replaced with a joke about George Lopez, with Meg wanting to watch The George Lopez Show (which also aired on ABC), but Chris refusing to change the channel, quoting "That show only furthers the stereotype that George Lopez is funny". Incidentally, Family Guy also had an episode entitled "8 Simple Rules for Buying My Teenage Daughter."
  • On the short-lived The Warner Bros. Television Network sitcom The Help one of the male characters joked about "Not seeing so much phony emotion since the promos for '8 Simple Rules'." Although there was never a direct reference to John Ritter's death, TV Guide still placed that particular joke in their weekly "Cheers & Jeers" section as one of the Jeers of the Week.
  • On the premiere episode of the FOX sitcom The War at Home, the main character portrayed by Michael Rapaport boldly proclaimed "I only have one simple rule for dating my teenage daughter. If she sees your penis, I'll cut it off!"
  • FOX's animated series, American Dad!, had an episode where the main character, Stan, says "It's a bizarre situation. Not '8 Simple Rules', let's-keep-it-going-after-the-father-died bizarre, but close."
  • Hip hop star Immortal Technique has a song lyric that references Ritter's death, "I'm still angry and bitter, havin' niggas laughin' at you after you die, like John Ritter."

References

  1. ^ Howard's Atlantic City Trip. 9/22/03. 6:00am
  2. ^ Howard And Robin Discuss Their Weekend. 03/01/04. 6:00am
  3. ^ "Nielsen's TOP 156 Shows for 2002-03 Retrieved July 29, 2008.
  4. ^ "2003-2004 TV Ratings Retrieved July 29, 2008.
  5. ^ "2004-2005 TV Ratings Retrieved July 29, 2008.
  6. ^ http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20050711wb01 The Futon Critic
  7. ^ Season 1 has been submitted to the BBFC for British release, but no announcement has yet been made.8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter DVD news: Season 1 Announcement, with artwork | TVShowsOnDVD.com
  8. ^ Amazon.co.uk page

External links

v • d • e
TGIF
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8_Simple_Rules"

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