Our House (American TV series)

{{Other uses|Our House (disambiguation){{!}}Our House}}

{{Infobox television

| image = Our House cast 1986.jpg

| caption =

| genre = Drama

| creator = James Lee Barrett

| starring = {{Plain list|

}}

| theme_music_composer = Billy Goldenberg

| opentheme =

| composer = Joel McNeely

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_seasons = 2

| num_episodes = 46

| list_episodes =

| executive_producer =

| producer = Frank Fischer

| editor =

| cinematography =

| camera = Single-camera

| runtime = 60 minutes

| company = {{Plain list|

Blinn/Thorpe Productions
Lorimar-Telepictures

}}

| network = NBC

| first_aired = {{Start date|1986|09|11}}

| last_aired = {{End date|1988|05|08}}

}}

Our House is an American drama television series that aired on NBC for two seasons from September 11, 1986, to May 8, 1988. The series centers on the Witherspoon family and the challenges they face adjusting to life with three generations living in the same house.

The series was created by James Lee Barrett, who died the year after its cancellation.

Synopsis

After his son John dies, retired widower Gus Witherspoon (Wilford Brimley) invites his daughter-in-law Jessica Witherspoon (Deidre Hall) and her three children to move to Los Angeles and live with him until Jessie gets back on her feet financially.

Despite protests from her children, fifteen-year-old Kris (Shannen Doherty); twelve-year-old David (Chad Allen); and eight-year-old Molly (Keri Houlihan) they, Jessie, and their basset hound Arthur leave Fort Wayne, Indiana, to start a new life in California. As they settle in with Gus, they realize just how difficult he can be to live with. The majority of the plots each week centers on the conflicts which tend to arise when an extended family must live together in the same house. As man of the house, Gus imposes rules on his three grandkids the same way he had raised John (and also John's brother Ben, who is seen in a two part episode); ultimately, however, he learns ways of conveying lessons to the kids without being gruff. Jessie and the kids eventually learn that beneath Gus' stern facade is a wise man, well versed in the ways of the world, who cares about them very much.

Each of the episode's five acts (before the commercial break) ends with a freeze frame shot which then occupies one of several rooms in an abstract rendering of a house figure. As the episode unfolds, more rooms are filled until finally—when the dilemma has been resolved—the final piece is put in place, completing the house.

John Witherspoon (played by Patrick Duffy) is seen in one episode and in the occasional flashback.

Cast

Wilford Brimley as Gus Witherspoon
Deidre Hall as Jessica "Jessie" Witherspoon
Shannen Doherty as Kris Witherspoon
Chad Allen as David Witherspoon
Keri Houlihan as Molly Witherspoon
Gerald S. O'Loughlin as Joe Kaplan

Episodes

=Season 1 (1986–1987)=

{{Episode table |background= |overall=7 |season=7 |title=41 |director=15 |writer=15 |airdate=15 |episodes=

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=1

|EpisodeNumber2=1

|Title=Home Again

|DirectedBy=Jerry Thorpe

|WrittenBy=James Lee Barrett

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|9|11}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=2

|EpisodeNumber2=2

|Title=The Money Machine

|DirectedBy=Harry Harris

|WrittenBy=Jerry McNeely

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|9|14}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=3

|EpisodeNumber2=3

|Title=Families and Friends

|DirectedBy=Harry Harris

|WrittenBy=James Lee Barrett

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|9|21}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=4

|EpisodeNumber2=4

|Title=That Lonesome Old Caboose

|DirectedBy=William Scheerer

|WrittenBy=William Blinn

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|9|28}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=5

|EpisodeNumber2=5

|Title=The Third Question

|DirectedBy=Robert Scheerer

|WrittenBy=James Lee Barrett

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|10|5}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=6

|EpisodeNumber2=6

|Title=See You in Court

|DirectedBy=Robert Scheerer

|WrittenBy=Jerry McNeely

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|10|12}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=7

|EpisodeNumber2=7

|Title=Small Steps up a Small Mountain

|DirectedBy=Ray Austin

|WrittenBy=William Blinn

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|10|19}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=8

|EpisodeNumber2=8

|Title=Choices

|DirectedBy=Robert Scheerer

|WrittenBy=Scott Finkelstein

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|10|26}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=9

|EpisodeNumber2=9

|Title=First Impressions

|DirectedBy=Robert Scheerer

|WrittenBy=Christopher Beaumont

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|11|2}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=10

|EpisodeNumber2=10

|Title=Different Habits

|DirectedBy=Ray Austin

|WrittenBy=William Colombo

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|11|9}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=11

|EpisodeNumber2=11

|Title=Off We Go...

|DirectedBy=Robert Scheerer

|WrittenBy=Parke Perine

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|11|16}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=12

|EpisodeNumber2=12

|Title=Heart of a Dancer

|DirectedBy=Ray Austin

|WrittenBy=Peter Tauber

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|11|23}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=13

|EpisodeNumber2=13

|Title=Green Christmas

|DirectedBy=William F. Claxton

|WrittenBy=Lee H. Grant & Jerry McNeely & Parke Perine

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1986|12|14}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=14

|EpisodeNumber2=14

|Title=Family Secrets

|DirectedBy=Ray Austin

|WrittenBy=Joel J. Feigenbaum

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|1|4}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=15

|EpisodeNumber2=15

|Title=A Point of View

|DirectedBy=Bruce Kessler

|WrittenBy=Jerry McNeely

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|1|11}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=16

|EpisodeNumber2=16

|Title=The Best Intentions

|DirectedBy=Ray Austin

|WrittenBy=William Colombo

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|1|18}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=17

|EpisodeNumber2=17

|Title=The 100 Year Old Weekend

|DirectedBy=Noel Nosseck

|WrittenBy=William Blinn

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|2|1}}

|ShortSummary= Gus feels progress has spun out of control and challenges his family to spend a weekend using only nothing invented or contrived within "the last 100 years". The family enjoys understanding the quaint ways of their Scottish ancestors, but David and Kris confess to breaking it when in town people crowded around an electronics store where a big screen TV broadcast news of a heightened US/Soviet tensions.

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=18

|EpisodeNumber2=18

|Title=Past Tense, Future Tense: Part 1

|DirectedBy=Ray Austin

|WrittenBy=William Blinn & Jerry McNeely

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|2|8}}

|ShortSummary= Kris wins a radio contest and gets a trip to Edwards Air Force base along with Gus as her chaperone. An airman offers to take her flying in a light plane, which turns into a disaster when mechanical failure causes them to crash into the mountains.

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=19

|EpisodeNumber2=19

|Title=Past Tense, Future Tense: Part 2

|DirectedBy=Ray Austin

|WrittenBy=Lee H. Grant & Parke Perine

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|2|15}}

|ShortSummary= Gus and a forest ranger (William Katt) explore the mountain range in search of Kris and the lost airman.

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=20

|EpisodeNumber2=20

|Title=Friends

|DirectedBy=Nick Havinga

|WrittenBy=Lee H. Grant & Parke Perine

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|2|22}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=21

|EpisodeNumber2=21

|Title=Giving 'em the Business

|DirectedBy=Roy Campanella II

|WrittenBy=Kim C. Friese

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|3|1}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=22

|EpisodeNumber2=22

|Title=Growing Up, Growing Old

|DirectedBy=Nick Havinga

|WrittenBy=Lee H. Grant & Parke Perine

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|3|15}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=23

|EpisodeNumber2=23

|Title=The Road out of Briarpatch

|DirectedBy=Roy Campenella II

|WrittenBy=Kim C. Friese

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|3|22}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=24

|EpisodeNumber2=24

|Title=The Children's Crusade

|DirectedBy=Jerry Thorpe

|WrittenBy=Peter Tauber

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|5|3}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

=Season 2 (1987–1988)=

{{Episode table |background= |overall=5 |season=5 |title=41 |director=15 |writer=18 |airdate=15 |episodes=

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=25

|EpisodeNumber2=1

|Title=Sounds from a Silent Clock: Part 1

|DirectedBy=Ray Austin

|WrittenBy=Jerry McNeely & William Blinn

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|9|13}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=26

|EpisodeNumber2=2

|Title=Sounds from a Silent Clock: Part 2

|DirectedBy=Ray Austin

|WrittenBy=William Schwartz & E.F. Wallengren

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|9|20}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=27

|EpisodeNumber2=3

|Title=A Silent, Fallen Tree

|DirectedBy=Chuck Arnold

|WrittenBy=William Blinn

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|9|27}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=28

|EpisodeNumber2=4

|Title=Dancing in the Dark

|DirectedBy=Chuck Arnold

|WrittenBy=Lee H. Grant

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|10|4}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=29

|EpisodeNumber2=5

|Title=The Witherspoon War

|DirectedBy=Ray Austin

|WrittenBy=Jerry McNeely

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|10|18}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=30

|EpisodeNumber2=6

|Title=The Haunting

|DirectedBy=Win Phelps

|WrittenBy=E.F. Wallengren

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|10|25}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=31

|EpisodeNumber2=7

|Title=Candles and Shadows

|DirectedBy= Chuck Arnold

|WrittenBy= William Blinn

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|11|1}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=32

|EpisodeNumber2=8

|Title=They Also Serve

|DirectedBy= Ray Austin

|WrittenBy= Kim C. Friese

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|11|08}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=33

|EpisodeNumber2=9

|Title=The Springtown Treasure

|DirectedBy= Chuck Arnold

|WrittenBy= E.F. Wallengren

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|11|15}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=34

|EpisodeNumber2=10

|Title=Call It a Draw

|DirectedBy= Ray Austin

|WrittenBy= Michael Marks

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|11|22}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=35

|EpisodeNumber2=11

|Title=Like Father, Like Son

|DirectedBy=Chuck Arnold

|WrittenBy=William Schmidt

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|11|29}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=36

|EpisodeNumber2=12

|Title=Sunday's Hero, Monday's Goat

|DirectedBy=James Lee Barrett

|WrittenBy=William A. Schwartz

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1987|12|6}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=37

|EpisodeNumber2=13

|Title=Balance of Power

|DirectedBy=Ray Austin

|WrittenBy=Claire Whitaker

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1988|1|10}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=38

|EpisodeNumber2=14

|Title=Finish the Day

|DirectedBy=Chuck Arnold

|WrittenBy=Jerry McNeely

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1988|1|24}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=39

|EpisodeNumber2=15

|Title=Two-Beat, Four-Beat

|DirectedBy=Win Phelps

|WrittenBy=E.F. Wallengren & Jerry McNeely

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1988|2|7}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=40

|EpisodeNumber2=16

|Title=Trouble in Paradise: Part 1

|DirectedBy=Ray Austin

|WrittenBy=William Blinn & Jerry McNeely

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1988|2|14}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=41

|EpisodeNumber2=17

|Title=Trouble in Paradise: Part 2

|DirectedBy=Ray Austin

|WrittenBy=Lee H. Grant & E.F. Wallengren

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1988|2|21}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=42

|EpisodeNumber2=18

|Title=Out of Step

|DirectedBy=Nick Havinga

|WrittenBy=Lee H. Grant

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1988|2|28}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=43

|EpisodeNumber2=19

|Title=The Ashton Street Gang

|DirectedBy=Ray Austin

|WrittenBy=E.F. Wallengren

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1988|3|6}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=44

|EpisodeNumber2=20

|Title=The Fifth Beatle

|DirectedBy=Nick Havinga

|WrittenBy=Jerry McNeely

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1988|3|13}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=45

|EpisodeNumber2=21

|Title=Neighborhood Watch

|DirectedBy=David Huddleston

|WrittenBy=Kim C. Friese

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1988|5|1}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber=46

|EpisodeNumber2=22

|Title=Artful Dodging

|DirectedBy=Chuck Arnold

|WrittenBy=Joel J. Feigenbaum

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1988|5|8}}

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=

}}

Reception

Upon the show's 1986 premiere, the Associated Press called it "a family show suitable for framing." Despite positive reviews by newspaper critics and a promising start, the series did not become a ratings success, likely because of NBC scheduling it on Sundays at 7 PM (EST) opposite CBS's powerhouse 60 Minutes and numerous overruns by NFL games on its own network. The series ranked 59th in its first season (12.9 rating) {{cite web|url=http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1987/BC-1987-04-27.pdf|format=PDF|title=The Fifth Estate : Broadcasting|website=Americanradiohistory.com|access-date=2 January 2018}} and 71st in its second (10.9 rating).{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/53b06e0c8df47c0ee910cfcc5c903b3f|title=List of Season's Top-Rated TV Shows With AM-TV Ratings Bjt|website=Apnewsarchive.com|access-date=2 January 2018}}

The Inspiration Network re-aired the show in the US from October 18, 2010, to December 31, 2011. Prior to that, reruns of the show aired on The Family Channel in the early 1990s and on the Faith & Values Channel, Pax TV and Odyssey Channel later that decade.

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite press release |url=http://www.insp.com/press/insp-to-air-%E2%80%9Cthe-waltons%E2%80%9D-and-%E2%80%9Cour-house%E2%80%9D/ |title=INSP to Air "The Waltons" and "Our House" |publisher=INSP – Inspiration |date=2010-09-29 |access-date=2010-11-27}}

}}

External links

{{IMDb title|id=0090496|title=Our House}}
{{epguides|id=OurHouse|title=Our House}}
{{TV Guide show|203599|Our House}}

Category:1986 American television series debuts

Category:1988 American television series endings

Category:1980s American drama television series

Category:American English-language television shows

Category:Television series by Lorimar Television

Category:Television shows set in Los Angeles

Category:Television series by Lorimar-Telepictures

Category:NBC television dramas