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Remember this series!? What catches your spying-eye radar!?

“Eight Is Enough” originally aired on ABC 03/15/1977 – 08/29/1981. The show was based on the real life of Thomas Braden, a newspaper columnist with 8 children, who wrote the book of the same name. Based in Sacramento CA, the show follows Tom Bradford, a newspaper columnist for the fictional Sacramento Register & father of 8 children. Dick Van Patten portrayed the title role, while Diana Hyland played his wife, Joan Wells Bradford. Unfortunately, Hyland was featured in only 4 episodes; she fell ill & died 5 days after the 2nd episode aired. She was written out of the remainder of the season; then, at the start of Season 2, it was revealed that Tom had become a widower. Tom then fell in love & later married Sandra Sue “Abby” Abbott, portrayed by Betty Buckley. The rest of the cast includes: Grant Goodeve as David Bradford (portrayed by Mark Hamill in the series pilot), Lani O’Grady as Mary Bradford, Laurie Walters as Joanie Bradford, Susan Richardson as Susan Bradford, Dianne Kay as Nancy Bradford (portrayed by Kimberly Beck in the pilot), Connie Needham as Elizabeth Bradford, Willie Aames as Tommy Bradford (portrayed by Chris English in the pilot) & Adam Rich as Nicholas Bradford. 1 of the recurring characters later in the original run was Abby’s orphaned nephew Jeremy, portrayed by Ralph Macchio of ‘The Karate Kid’ & ‘My Cousin Vinny’ fame. The home featured in exterior shots was on Chiquita St, off Lankershim Boulevard, in Los Angeles CA; since demolished & replaced, the house was also featured in 1 episode of “The Rockford Files” [aired 02/20/1976, “Where’s Houston?”, scheduled to air THIS Friday, 11/13/2015, 11a US central, ME-TV, though that classic station has cut scenes from episodes]. 2 reunion movies aired on NBC: ‘An Eight Is Enough Reunion’ (10/18/1987, with Mary Frann as Abby) & ‘An Eight Is Enough Wedding’ (10/22/1989, with Sandy Faison as Abby); both aired opposite ABC’s coverage of Game 2 of the World Series.