Star of the Family
{{Short description|1982 American television sitcom}}
{{for|the 1950–1952 CBS variety series|Star of the Family (TV program)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Star of the Family.jpg
| image_size = 260
| caption = Main cast
| genre = Sitcom
| creator = Stu Silver
Rick Mitz
| producer = Stu Silver
Paul Waigner
Jack Siefert
| executive_producer = Charles H. Joffe
Buddy Morra
Larry Brezner
| writer =
| director =
| starring = Brian Dennehy
Katherine Saltzberg
Michael Dudikoff
Todd Susman
Evonne Kezios
| judges =
| voices =
| narrated =
| theme_music_composer =
| opentheme = "Movin' Along" performed by Kathy Maisnik
| composer = Steve Nelson
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 10
| list_episodes =
| editor =
| cinematography =
| camera = Multi-camera
| runtime = 30 minutes
| company = RJMB
Little Andrew Enterprises
Paramount Television
| channel = ABC
| first_aired = {{start date|1982|09|30}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1982|12|09}}
}}
Star of the Family is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 30 to December 9, 1982. The show featured Brian Dennehy as fire chief Leslie "Buddy" Krebs and Katherine Saltzberg, then Maisnik, as his singer daughter, Jennie Lee Krebs. The show was developed by Robin Williams, then an ABC star in Mork & Mindy.{{cite news |last1=Hughes |first1=Mike |title=Teen savors life as overnight star |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59616631/lansing-state-journal/ |accessdate=20 September 2020 |agency=Gannett News Service |date=September 29, 1982}}
The series debuted on September 30, 1982 on Thursdays after Joanie Loves Chachi, and was canceled after ten episodes.
Synopsis
Fire Captain Buddy Krebs' (Dennehy) 16-year-old daughter Jennie Lee (Saltzberg) begins getting show-business offers because of her singing talents in the country/pop genre. This scares Buddy because he does not want his daughter to grow up too fast.{{cite news |last1=Alexander |first1=Rodi |title=Presenting Kathy Maisnik, a Sparkling New ABC Find |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59616480/the-news/ |accessdate=20 September 2020 |work=The North Jersey News |date=August 27, 1982}} Adding to his troubles, his wife runs off with a bellhop, and his 17-year-old son (Michael Dudikoff) has more muscles than brains. Additionally, his crew at the firehouse are "strange": Leo Feldman (Todd Susman) tells his mother he is a doctor instead of a fireman; Frank Rosetti (George Deloy) has only sex on the brain; and Max Hernandez (Danny Mora), a Hispanic, speaks fractured English. Finally, his daughter signs with a manager named Judy "Moose" Wells (Judy Pioli): the name fits the description of the woman. Another character on the series was named Tiffany (played by Amanda Wyss).
Casting
Kathy Maisnik was 19 years old when she was cast as Jennie Lee; Star of the Family was her first professional acting role. Executive producer Larry Brezner said, "The determination to cast her came from Brian Dennehy more than anyone else. We were down to three girls, and each of them had to come in and play the role with 20 network executives looking on. She was the only one who you believed could have stood up to Brian."{{cite news |last1=Bianculli |first1=David |title=Kathy Maisnik Wants To Be a 'Star' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59616077/the-tampa-tribune/ |accessdate=20 September 2020 |agency=Knight-Ridder |date=October 10, 1982}}
Reception
Barbara Holsopple of The Pittsburgh Press said that the show is "great family fun and boasts two gems... Just watching their faces as they react to each other makes your mouth smile as something tugs at your heart."{{cite news |last1=Holsapple |first1=Barbara |title=Two Sitcoms Nicely Mine Human Nature |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59617223/the-pittsburgh-press/ |accessdate=20 September 2020 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |date=September 30, 1982}}
Bill Hayden of the Gannett News Service panned the show, saying, "Brian Dennehey and Kathy Maisnik deserve medals for valor. These very talented performers are forced to waste their skills as the leads of Star of the Family... The producers have taken what is a bright, engaging concept and encumbered it with so many stock characters and situations that it is a prematurely tired, routine comedy."{{cite news |last1=Hayden |first1=Bill |title='Star of the Family': Good idea gone awry |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59616958/the-san-bernardino-county-sun/ |accessdate=20 September 2020 |agency=Gannett News Service |date=October 21, 1982}}
Cast
- Brian Dennehy as Leslie "Buddy" Krebs
- Kathy Maisnik as Jennie Lee Krebs
- Michael Dudikoff as Dougie Krebs
- George DelHoyo as Frank Rosetti
- Todd Susman as Leo Feldman
- Robert Clotworthy as Bigelow
Episodes
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="background:#fff;" |
| style="background:#;"| No.
! style="background:#;"| Title ! style="background:#;"| Directed by ! style="background:#;"| Written by ! style="background:#;"| Original air date {{Episode list |Title=Pilot |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1982|9|30}} |EpisodeNumber=1 |DirectedBy=Joel Zwick |WrittenBy=Stu Silver |ShortSummary= |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |Title=The Critic |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1982|10|14}} |EpisodeNumber=2 |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |ShortSummary= |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |Title=Save My Life, Please |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1982|10|21}} |EpisodeNumber=3 |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |ShortSummary= |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |Title=Marking Time |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1982|10|28}} |EpisodeNumber=4 |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |ShortSummary= |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |Title=Quiet Kind of Hero |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1982|11|4}} |EpisodeNumber=5 |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |ShortSummary= |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |Title=Spring Is in the Air |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1982|11|11}} |EpisodeNumber=6 |DirectedBy=Jon Sharp |WrittenBy=Stu Silver |ShortSummary= |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |Title=I Got It Good and That Ain't Good |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1982|11|18}} |EpisodeNumber=7 |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |ShortSummary= |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |Title=The Boy Next Door |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1982|11|18}} |EpisodeNumber=8 |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |ShortSummary= |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |Title=Phil |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1982|12|2}} |EpisodeNumber=9 |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |ShortSummary= |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |Title=Arcade Wars |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1982|12|9}} |EpisodeNumber=10 |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |ShortSummary= |LineColor= }} |
|---|
US TV Ratings
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |
| Season
! Episodes ! Start Date ! End Date ! Nielsen Rank ! Nielsen Rating ! Tied With |
|---|
| style="text-align:center" | 1982-83
| style="text-align:center" | 10 | style="text-align:center" | September 30, 1982 | style="text-align:center" | December 9, 1982 | style="text-align:center" | N/A | style="text-align:center" | N/A |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0083484|title=Star of the Family}}
Category:1982 American television series debuts
Category:1982 American television series endings
Category:1980s American multi-camera sitcoms
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:Television series by CBS Studios
Category:Television shows set in Los Angeles
Category:American Broadcasting Company sitcoms
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